The hung has never been good to anyone, anywhere. It can be the assembly or the parliament elections the hung has always hanged the country and its people with the slow pace of economic activity. The evolving of regional parties at the centre began with the logger head attitude of both the two main national parties the Congress and the BJP, the stand as of now is they are personal enemies and not political opponents. This has given enough space for regional players to enter the arena at the cost of these two parties. The Congress never considered BJP a potential party to lead the country till the BJP took over the mantle in 1999.
With the first BJP led government at the centre a lot of plum ministries were offered to people with minimal experience in handling them as there was no alternative. The formation of a stable alternative government by the BJP at the centre was the beginning of a new innings for the regional players at the central level. Having tasted blood during United Front government run by Deve Gowda and I.K. Gujral and again with the BJP led NDA government, the regional parties were keen for active participation in central politics.
There was no agenda or ideology as such with any regional party it was open opportunism at its peak as they could go with anyone who is at the power. The parties and the people who hailed BJP as the party capable of providing stable alternative government like the LJP of Ram Vilas Paswan’s, the DMK of Karunanidhi’s and the National Conference of the Abdullah’s are the same ones who left the BJP camp after their honeymoon of 5 years accusing them of communalism and moved to the Congress when the Congress formed the government. These regional parties extract everything possible from the centre during their stay with them like granting of major sanctions to the ruling states of the regional parties, to supporting their party candidates in local election, to supporting their own economic plans which could be disaster to the national party. The regional parties have three different very encouraging options at every post election. They are “go with the BJP mentioning the Congress as a family or foreign party” or “go with Congress mentioning the BJP as communal party” or “go with the nonexistent Third party mentioning both the BJP and Congress as anti poor parties”.
After all the compromise the only thing left for the BJP and the Congress is a pathetic national image and an erosion of their vote bank. As they spend less on nation building and more on convincing their regional allies the nation has no great hopes on either of the two and their own popularity rating is on a downward spiral. The BJP and the Congress are way down from their peak popularity and they are trying to build it back but the tide seems to have passed. Never before has the Congress party not shown the doors to anyone who disagreed with the high command but things have changed now and Congress party is now open to readmitting and forgiving people who openly blasted the high command. The BJP which once stood for a party with a clean image is now open to anyone who assures a victory.
This time around is not going to be any different and it is bound to be a hung parliament with the BJP and Congress at the doorsteps of regional heads once the poll outcome is out. With every party openly proclaiming their party chief’s as their PM candidate from Mulayam to Mayawati to Sharad Pawar to Lalu Prasad as their PM candidate, India is left with no options than asking “Jamal” from Slumdog Millionaire for the correct answer.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
January 26th, Republic Day! What’s that ???
January 26th, 2009, sometime between 2pm and 4pm was considered an in auspicious time due to solar eclipse. My mom's advice was not to venture out anywhere between 2pm and 4pm; with no intention to hurt her sentiments I decided to kill the time by watching TV.
One of the leading TV channels was conducting a survey figuring out what new India thinks of January 26th. It was not only surprising but also sheer apathy as hardly anyone could correctly answer what was January 26th. The same India even had some interesting guesses like Independence day, festival, some government holiday etc etc. This is the same India which jams the cellular network with tons of smses wishing family and friends on every occasion from festivals to birthday to Valentine day to Friendship Day to New Year’s Eve. Indian’s across the world celebrate Independence and Republic day with great joy but here in India most don’t know what January 26th, is and why is it celebrated.
India gained its independence on August 15th, 1947 but we still followed completely or some modified laws of the British constitution. On August 29th, 1947, a drafting committee was formed under the chairmanship of Dr. B.R Ambedkar to prepare a permanent constitution. The committee met in public for 166 days before adopting the constitution and was passed by the majority of the members on January 24th, 1950 and two days later the constitution of India became the law of all the Indian land.
Critics world over thought that India as a Republic would fail as it would not be possible to apply the law of the land for such a vast country with so much diversity among culture, religion, caste, sub caste & language. In the same breadth there were also few great men who considered that India venturing into parliamentary democracy itself is the most exciting thing to happen since the beginning of time. India has not only proved the critics wrong but also demonstrated to the world that a country with so much diversification could successfully implement a free democracy.
Hence its necessary that we as Indians openly demonstrate to others what Republic day means to all of us and why it’s an important part of our life. The peace and prosperity of the country depends on the effort and sincerity of its citizens. There are many beautiful countries across the world but India is the most beautiful as you are born here. Lets work towards a brighter India.
Jai Hind
One of the leading TV channels was conducting a survey figuring out what new India thinks of January 26th. It was not only surprising but also sheer apathy as hardly anyone could correctly answer what was January 26th. The same India even had some interesting guesses like Independence day, festival, some government holiday etc etc. This is the same India which jams the cellular network with tons of smses wishing family and friends on every occasion from festivals to birthday to Valentine day to Friendship Day to New Year’s Eve. Indian’s across the world celebrate Independence and Republic day with great joy but here in India most don’t know what January 26th, is and why is it celebrated.
India gained its independence on August 15th, 1947 but we still followed completely or some modified laws of the British constitution. On August 29th, 1947, a drafting committee was formed under the chairmanship of Dr. B.R Ambedkar to prepare a permanent constitution. The committee met in public for 166 days before adopting the constitution and was passed by the majority of the members on January 24th, 1950 and two days later the constitution of India became the law of all the Indian land.
Critics world over thought that India as a Republic would fail as it would not be possible to apply the law of the land for such a vast country with so much diversity among culture, religion, caste, sub caste & language. In the same breadth there were also few great men who considered that India venturing into parliamentary democracy itself is the most exciting thing to happen since the beginning of time. India has not only proved the critics wrong but also demonstrated to the world that a country with so much diversification could successfully implement a free democracy.
Hence its necessary that we as Indians openly demonstrate to others what Republic day means to all of us and why it’s an important part of our life. The peace and prosperity of the country depends on the effort and sincerity of its citizens. There are many beautiful countries across the world but India is the most beautiful as you are born here. Lets work towards a brighter India.
Jai Hind
Monday, December 22, 2008
26/11, Is war a solution ?
Indians have been known to be peace loving people for a long time. We Indians always take pride with the great things India has done in the past like “the invention of the numerical zero and the mathematical pie” and also “that India has never invaded or attacked any country” but things have changed after 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
Time has been running out for India as we could not achieve anything in the last few attacks across India. This time also the government went ahead with the same process of providing evidence to Pakistan about its involvement and Pakistan clearly rejecting the same. This time around the only thing which stood apart from the previous attacks was the public anger against the terrorist who attacked Mumbai and the government and the politician’s for not being effective. Even an online poll conducted by one of the leading newspaper of Pakistan the “DAWN” clearly mentions that India’s action after 26/11 against terrorist was not effective. Every Indian needed action against Pakistan the main perpetrator’s of the terrorist attack on Mumbai, across the nation rallies were held by all walks of people blaming the politicians for not doing enough, especially the ruling Congress government. Even celebrities like Simi Garewal wants action against Pakistan an attack similar to what US did in Afghanistan after 9/11, she also went on to say that US was safe and not a single terrorist attack has occurred anywhere in US after attacking Afghanistan.
The Indian government is running out of options after Pakistan didn’t react as expected and went on with its usual flip flops and India is in a confused state as to whether they are dealing with right power centre in Pakistan. The Congress government was quick to come out with a new terror law which didn’t find many buyers across India. The Congress government with the public pressure mounting against it and US on its side might try for a quick attack on specific locations in Pok and Pakistan which may also help the Congress and its allies for the forth coming Lok Sabha elections due on April-May2009. This quick attack might well turn into a war which will be disastrous for India as well as the sub continent.
To do something like what US did after 9/11 is highly impossible for India as India is not US and Pakistan is not Afghanistan nor Iraq. Simi Garewal is perfectly right when she says “there have not been a single attack on US after 9/11” but the war is not over yet either in Afghanistan or Iraq. The allies of US are slowly deserting the US after suffering major casualties and sooner or later US will be forced to leave Iraq and Afghanistan after creating new terrorist breeding grounds. The war expenses as mentioned by the US Defence Department puts it spending as $4.5 billion a month on the conflict in Iraq, or about $100,000 per minute and in Afghanistan is about $800 million a month, or about $18,000 per minute and India has neither the financial capability nor the military capability like the US to try for such adventures. A war with Pakistan will only force Pakistan in moving their army from the troubled Western border to the Indian border and the Western border shall provide a free passage to the foreign terrorist to sneak into Pakistan which will create more uncertainty in the sub continent and will also weaken the US war in Afghanistan. On the domestic front war will be too huge a burden for economy which has been on free fall since early 2008 and might force India into a unwarranted recession.
The war will only force India into a trap laid by those who are not in favour of good relations between both the countries and will also push the majority Pakistanis to go with the fundamentalist way which is not good neither for Pakistan nor India. India should pressurize the international community especially the US in ordering the ISI bosses who have been loyal to the them since the Cold War to get rid of the fundamentalist elements and close all channels of funding to Pakistan for its support against terrorism. Pakistan has already recevied as much as $10 billion dollars from US for its counter terrorism support after 9/11 and recently around 6 million pounds from Gordon Brown that too after the Mumbai attack. Its this funding which needs to be tightened or else Pakistan would be very much keen and obliged to be paid in dollars and pounds for fighting the terrorists. Fighting the terrorists is such a profitable business that one can come to conclussion as to what Pakistan will do if they actually caught the terrorists. It’s always better to have Pakistan as our neighbour than Afghanistan.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Mumbai’s Pandu’s.
During my many visits to Mumbai, I have come across several instances where the Mumbai police (called as Pandus or Hawaldhars with their lathis) have been on the receiving side from all set of people from hawkers,to the small shop owners, to the bus drivers, to the cab drivers, to the star hotel owners and from lower class people to the rich class and finally the politicians. The lower class considers the pandu as their non-working partners as they have to share anything which they earn the urban middle class and rich class considers them as illegal hafta’s agents on Mumbai road waiting to catch any car which jumps a signal or speed away.
Our Pandu’s are treated so shabbily by our own citizens for no mistakes of their’s. The hawker shares his profit and the rich pays the Pandu not because the Pandu wanted it but these people want to get rid of the things which they have done which is wrong as per the law of our country. The same rich later castigates the Pandu by comparing them to the super cop in US and Europe with their high flying latest gadgets chasing local thugs or drug addicts or mentally unstable guys which they see on “World’s Amazing videos”
Things have changed after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks where our very own Pandu’s with their lathi’s and decade old revolvers countered the terrorists with the most sophisticated arms and ammunititions right from the CST railway stations to the Cama hospitals to the roads of Mumbai to our Taj and Oberoi hotels. Had it not been the act of the few pandu’s at CST station who ran right in front of terrorist who were firing indiscrimately to pick their’s lathi’s and their revolver and fire back which saved another 100 people at CST, the same holds for our another Pandu gave his life by blocking the terrorist firing at others by holding the AK 47 to his stomach so that nobody else is hurt before the terrorist was overpowered by other Pandu’s, the same holds for the four pandu’s who with pistol and a gun each and two lathis entered the Taj hotel with the staff of the hotel to block the terrorist from moving to any other floors and convinces their inspector on their walky talky that they will give their life but will not allow the terrorist to move anywhere else till the NSG arrives.
The nation paid rich tributes to Hemant Karkare, Ashok Kamte & Vijay Salaskar but what about our local pandu’s who with their very own lathi’s gave their life’s, who considered the safety and security of Mumbai and Mumbaikar’s before themselves and their families. The government, the media and we the citizens should identify all our Pandu’s who gave their life’s or injured so that we the people of India and India remains safe and a peaceful place. The government should see to that the families of our very own Pandu’s who gave their life should be taken care of and benefits should be provided to them. The last thing we as citizens can do to our Pandu’s is to take a pledge that we shall thank our Pandu’s whenever we come across them anywhere else in India.
Jai Hind
Our Pandu’s are treated so shabbily by our own citizens for no mistakes of their’s. The hawker shares his profit and the rich pays the Pandu not because the Pandu wanted it but these people want to get rid of the things which they have done which is wrong as per the law of our country. The same rich later castigates the Pandu by comparing them to the super cop in US and Europe with their high flying latest gadgets chasing local thugs or drug addicts or mentally unstable guys which they see on “World’s Amazing videos”
Things have changed after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks where our very own Pandu’s with their lathi’s and decade old revolvers countered the terrorists with the most sophisticated arms and ammunititions right from the CST railway stations to the Cama hospitals to the roads of Mumbai to our Taj and Oberoi hotels. Had it not been the act of the few pandu’s at CST station who ran right in front of terrorist who were firing indiscrimately to pick their’s lathi’s and their revolver and fire back which saved another 100 people at CST, the same holds for our another Pandu gave his life by blocking the terrorist firing at others by holding the AK 47 to his stomach so that nobody else is hurt before the terrorist was overpowered by other Pandu’s, the same holds for the four pandu’s who with pistol and a gun each and two lathis entered the Taj hotel with the staff of the hotel to block the terrorist from moving to any other floors and convinces their inspector on their walky talky that they will give their life but will not allow the terrorist to move anywhere else till the NSG arrives.
The nation paid rich tributes to Hemant Karkare, Ashok Kamte & Vijay Salaskar but what about our local pandu’s who with their very own lathi’s gave their life’s, who considered the safety and security of Mumbai and Mumbaikar’s before themselves and their families. The government, the media and we the citizens should identify all our Pandu’s who gave their life’s or injured so that we the people of India and India remains safe and a peaceful place. The government should see to that the families of our very own Pandu’s who gave their life should be taken care of and benefits should be provided to them. The last thing we as citizens can do to our Pandu’s is to take a pledge that we shall thank our Pandu’s whenever we come across them anywhere else in India.
Jai Hind
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Time to Invest - Indian Stock Market
The Indian stock market had this great bull run for the last few years which started after the US attacked Iraq ie March2003. People who were normally used to the rise and fall were in for surprise when there was no fall and then the assertion from Mr Mukesh Ambani during the 2nd half of 2003 that Reliance Industries would not raise fresh capital from the markets clearly gave the view that corporate were sitting on piles of free cash. People who had seen the IT rise and crash were too hestitant or not willing to believe that this bull run was for real. Almost everyone sold the shares the moment the Sensex moved up by 1000 points but the Sensex continued uninterupted.
The same people who thought it was a right decision to sell when the Sensex was at 4000 considered it was right decision to buy at 8000 and again considered it as right decision to buy again at 12000 till they considered it to buy again at 21000. The Sensex kept on moving and it was the talk of the town with every TV channels eager to start their own business channel with its analysts giving vague ideas to lay men on which stock to buy and which one to sell.
The spectrum of investors covered everyone from brokers to retail people, doctors to patients, lectureres to students, housewife to working woman and everyone wanted to outsmart the other in terms of investing. Sensex gained more prominance than the TV soaps, housewifes spoke more of Reliance and ITC than regular TV Soaps. Woman started appearing on TV channels to prove that they are as smart as men in investing and taking risk and not tied to only hosuehold work and raising children.
That was the time when everything , everyone touched turned into gold and everyone made profits. People made tons and tons of money with good, bad and penny stocks and evrything was going good for the India and the Sensex in all sense. The analysts on TV kept on revising their targets by few thousand points every quarter and everyone was eager to accept what the analysts said.
Then, the begining of the new year 2008 started with a bang and a bang again, the markets just crashed and kept on crashing and crashed the hopes of millions of smart investors who expected a V shaped recovery the way it did all the last few years but the markets didnt have the rush to move up and people kept on investing falling to except that the Sensex has once again outsmarted them again in their own game taking it below 13000 which was a major support level and now below 8000 from the levels of 21000. Few have excepted their mistakes and decided to get back with their work, housewives have started taking good care of their family , the working class has been more productivity this year, the students and lecturers have started taking their classes and career seriously and have come to terms that the SENSEX is the big boss in its field and no person can outsmart it nor can anyone time it.
Sensex is not for weak hearts, here you dont need to follow the herd but you need to go against the herd ie " be greedy when others are scared ". The same people who bought, borrowed and begged to invest when Sensex were at 21000 levels are hesitant to invest now when the Sensex is at 8000 levels. Companies are not about numbers its the value which each company holds, there are lot of companies which are of great value at 8000-9000 Sensex, the time is right to buy and not be away. The Sensex might still drfit but if it moved up then the guys sitting outside will still be sitting outside cursing themselves as to why they didnt invest. The time is now - Dec 2008, Sensex below 8000 - take the same risk again which everyone took at 21000 and invest, the Sensex is bound to recover sooner or later and good days will be back again. Why dont you look at crude; thats atrractive too.
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