Political Parties and Democracy in India!!

Tiranga at Lal Chowk!!!

2011-01-22T22:07:00.011+05:30

This we cheered lustily

I love my flag, my anthem and my country.

These words sound hollow in the face of your known track record. Dangerous politics - by Barkha Dutt in Hindustan Time

I had no plans of posting a blog, after reading the comments about 154 on this article this is what prompted me to post this blog.

These are the comments posted by Mr. A. S. Raghunath.

“You love none but your own such nauseating news sense that are repellent to majority of self-respecting Indians. Reading your article therefore was not a pleasure, Ms. Barkha. For, every logic that you have structured in your prose, contradicts your own action on the ground—in your newsfield!

You say you love Fauj. But your addiction for sickening sense of news doesn’t hold you back from being seen on the sides of those who advocate freely against Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958. Your own opposition to this act puts the very jawans’ life and career in jeopardy, whom you love so much!

You say I love my country. And to you, country doesn’t mean states ruled by parties other than Congress! Your own hate-BJP-vendetta sometimes make you dislike even the people of those states! Remember, when Gujarat returned Modi back to power, in a news show and using your own voice over, you had called Gujaraties ‘traditionally effete’ people? How can you love your country when you dislike its people?

You say national Anthem brings tears. Tears would roll only when you feel the essence of what was penned by Gurudev in a highly Sanskritized Bengali language. Left to you, even this classic language is not the language of your version of India, but that of Sangh Parivar! When have you advocated in favour of Vande Matram, another national song, which was penned by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay? Whenever there was controversy stirred up on Vande Matram, you reared your sickening news sense again and sided with those who opposed this beautiful song. To your tribe Maa tujhe salaam is acceptable but not Vande Matram!! This therefore demonstrates, the one who hardly understands the classic language, how would it trigger tears?

In one sentence you aver it was Vajpayee who should be credited with all the peace processes initiated so far in the valley. And in the next you don’t even hesitate to call many of BJP’s intervention in the state as ‘imaginative’! Ironical, no?

You credit BJP again for successfully putting this Government on defensive on non-performance, corruption and inflation; but in none of your shows you offered this credit to this party. On the contrary you questioned them on stalling of parliament. And for every Congress failure you, fiercely contrasted that with BJP’s past and present short-comings to only discredit them in the public domain. In a passing reference, you called Vibrant Gujarat a successful summit, where Modi had attracted Rs. 21 Lakh Crore potential investment through 7936 MoUs, thereby creating job opportunities for a potential 5.2 Million population base. Take a content audit of your shows, Ms. Barkha and tell us if your channel had depicted this success story on your shows? This is not news as this doesn’t conform to your sickening news sense, Ms. Barkha.

Finally you say that Omar Abdullah made multiple appeals to BJP to halt this Yatra-Rajneeti. He is the same Omar who while parting with BJP made that famous speech in Parliament that had won a billion hearts for him and made him a potential CM candidate for J&K state. He said, ‘I’m a Muslim and an Indian. And I see no difference in this..’!

Why don’t you ask the same Omar to show his statesmanship again by going and planting an Indian Tri-color himself on Lal-Chowk? This would take the wind out of BJP’s Yatra-Rajneeti and would also win him huge goodwill from all over the country. There is a symbolism of great statesmanship here, if he does that. Of course, Lal Chowk is relevant today as it had seen a Pakistani Flag being hoisted there, by separatist elements. And putting a tri-color back there is as important and relevant as putting an Indian Flag by Jawans on the Kargil heights, after it was retrieved from the grab of Pakistanis.”

This is not acceptable at Lal Chowk

Dismiss Omar Abdullah if flag hoisting is challenged HT.

Latest updates on this issue.

Siege for Tiranga, free run for separatists - Nancy Kaul

Tiranga was hoisted also by CRPF at Lal Chowk.

I welcome a debate and discussion on this…As always, please keep your tone civil, your language polite…no sweeping generalisations please and no personal abuse. Thank you.

Traumatized Indians.

2011-01-18T15:38:00.009+05:30

Indians are passing thru a traumatic state, are collectively experiencing an extreme sense of disgust, cynicism with the incumbent government, congress and the fourth estate. We are being compressed from either end on one hand is the corruption of humongous proportions by the politicians in Government, on the other is inappropriate actions of the media and its population.

The brazenness of both is similar and remarkable in the face of incontrovertible evidence that is in the public domain. Neither is willing to accept their crimes instead are aggressively indulging in name calling of those who remind them of their wrong doing. The politicos are being provided the platform for this, by ever willing print and electronic medium. The discredited media person are forming their own gangs and engaging in dueling on a daily basis on social media forums.

Not withstanding all these actions, the facts will not change. Corrupt they are and corruption is their creed. The compulsion of removing these stains are of paramount concern for all those connected with corruption, they forget once the public perception is formed nothing will change, engaging the public is counter productive it only exacerbate, perception will solidify into a belief.There is yet another parallel narrative being orchestrated the trigger being used is common ‘Assassination of Mr. Salman Taseer”. One employed this to highlight her sense of victim hood, another tried to use it for resuscitating her career and now we have Mr.Samar Halarnkar who is embarking on a voyeuristic voyage by superimposing the incident in Pakistan into an Indian scenario.

There are basic differences which cannot be ignored between these two neighbours. India has been a Democracy for last 63years Jackboots have been the favorite in Pakistan. Pakistan is a theocratic state India a secular nation. The most important is that the incident has happened and the possibility of such an event happening in India is indulging in crystal ball gazing. Perhaps no, there is a deeper purpose. There is a dire need for validating what wikileaks have put out in public domain as the greatest challenge deemed by none other than the scion of Gandhi Family the Man who would Prime Minister.

Mr. Digvijay Singh has been working very hard towards this common goal, hence the article by Mr.Samar Halarnkar- "Terror has a religion" . All this time we have been told differently. Why this shift in stance? Congress is stuck in the morass of corruption not one but plenty that it is finding it difficult to function and speak coherently. Escape hatch needed, let’s provide that by way of initiating a debate which will assuredly get shrill once ignited.

“Terrorism is almost always driven by religion. That's evident in every terror investigation since before the demolition of the Babri Masjid, which, along with the Gujarat riots of 2002, set off a wave of urban, Islamist terrorism.” This is an assertion made in the article. Has the author overlooked terrorism in the state of Jammu & Kashmir since 1989 on purpose, is it selective amnesia or is it that there are no Urban areas in that state? We are yet see any evidence of so called “Hindu Terrorists” making such claims. The author conveniently ignores the fact that Indians have been through many turbulent times in history yet never has the phenomenon of “Hindu Terror” ever taken roots in this country. 16^th Aug 1946 Direct action day did not lead to any terror groups being formed. 1984 senseless and indiscriminate killings on the streets of Delhi did not lead to formation of any terror groups. Conversely whatever were there in Punjab were put down ruthlessly by the police force.

Riots in this country have a long history to focus on 2002 is pure simple politiking for the sake of a preferred political party. Had the perpetrators of 1984 been punished without delay, then surely chances of 2002 happening would have been reduced largely. Similarly had the previous cases of terror been investigated with fine tooth and comb, perpetrators expeditiously punished would have been a deterrent for newer breed to experiment with misadventure of terrorism.

Since the previous case have not been satisfactorily solved, in public perception the investigative agencies have lost their credibility, another important factor is the credibility of Congress party which is not above board. There are daily reports appearing in print media of how the confession of Swami Aseemanand seems a copy paste job to fit into the charge sheet already filed by the agency. Given the low esteem of the investigation authority credence has to be given to such reports, more over Indian Media is in the dock right now. It is important at this point of time to read this article by Anil Athale There is no major threat from "saffron terrorists". Muslim Persecution of Hindus In India -- The Story You Won't See In the Western Mainstream Media. . Then this blog by Mr.Kiran Kumar.S. "Saffron or Hindu Terror: Does it Exist?"..

The real need of the hour is to prevent the many Malik Mumtaz Qadris who are roaming free in the guise of Liberals, who gather in studios armed with microphones, denigrating the judicial verdict of Dr. Binayak Sen undermining the very Democracy they swear by. So liberal are these Malik Mumtaz Qadris of our media that any contrarian viewpoint is instantaneously dubbed as radical, right wing or RSS inspired. These are Liberals not by conviction or practice, neither by choice but of convenience. Extreme intolerance is their main weapon. Unwilling to listen to any voice other than their own!

Caution should be exercised lest the stretched Saffron thread through all the events is converted into a noose, which might be the cause for many of you and your political paymaster’s downfall. We need credible independent investigative agency which will not indulge in selective leaking of purported confessions. Instead have the wherewithals to concluded investigation, conduct prosecution of the alleged terrorists; obtain verdicts and punishments befitting the crimes committed on an expeditious basis.

While we are discussing about the current state of affairs, it would be incomplete without mentioning the plight of Kashmiri Pandits who are living in exile in India for past 21years. No self proclaimed Liberal, Human Rights activist or Mainstream English media has ever highlighted their plight. On this January 19 (2011), Kashmiri Pandits complete their 22nd year of forced exile. The story of Kashmiri Pandits, an ethnic group who are becoming refuges in their own land, is not-only one of the tear-jerking ones in independent India but also a mistreated one by the so-called secular government of the country. By Dipin Damodharan.

Hindu Terror - A retributive Terror? By RSN Singh

I welcome a debate and discussion on this…As always, please keep your tone civil, your language polite…no sweeping generalisations please and no personal abuse. Thank you.

Why should we believe you?

2011-01-14T17:55:00.011+05:30

“It is impossible to calculate the moral mischief, if I may so express it, that mental lying has produced in society. When a man has so far corrupted and prostituted the chastity of his mind as to subscribe his professional belief to things he does not believe he has prepared himself for the commission of every other crime.” ~Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason

What is the basis of relationship that a journalist has with his readers and viewers? Next question is what is the currency employed to sustain this relationship? Has this individual acquitted himself to continue receiving our attention and support?

Let me try and make a plausible argument that I maybe able to sell to you my readers. Credibility and integrity are the basis of a relationship that a journalist establishes with his readers and viewers. He does not interact with us on one on one basis, he presents news which is verifiable and we expect and accept that veracity of the news that he is conveying is unimpeachable. Views expressed by him/her could be divergent from the mainstream or from what we may personally hold; that however is not ground enough to doubt the credibility and integrity of the presenter. News is the real yard stick on which he/she must pass muster day in and day out. The bonding between the journalist and the reader/viewer is strong yet paradoxically fragile, a single error and this relationship of many years can come to an end.

Trust is the currency that is employed to sustain this relationship. This is a black and white situation with no scope for any grey areas. This is one currency that cannot be duplicated, counterfeited, stored or utilized in parts. This currency will increase exponentially yet is not good enough to buy you a loaf of bread. Conversely it does not reduce with usage or at a leisurely pace; it can vanish in a matter of seconds leaving the owner bankrupt.

Let me underscore what I have said above by a couple of quotes.

“Trust is the glue of life. It's the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It's the foundational principle that holds all relationships.” - Stephen R. Covey

“Trust and reputation are not discretionary. They are as necessary in business as the people in whom they reside.” - Tony Alessandra

The third question that I had posed is? Has the individual acquitted himself to continue receiving our attention and support? This is the really the crux of the matter. Public perception of this individual is that he is known to have run a sustained campaign against Mr. Modi since 2002. His channel has nothing positive to report about the state of Gujarat for past 8years, how is it that nothing worthwhile ever happened in Gujarat according to Mr. Sardesai and CNNIBN in almost a decade?

Furthermore there has been an incident of manufacturing fake tweets to influence viewers by this channel. CNN IBN's Fake Twitter IDs Blooper!: the other issue is that no action has been initiated against deputy editor of CNNIBN for an irreverent tweet about Lord Ram, which is unacceptable. This individual may be affluent, he is bankrupt as per the standards desired for this profession. Here is the latest instance. How known faces appear live at same time on 2 channels !!

This is another interesting blog that I read this morning. A journalist is a gentleman with a glass of red wine. And this gentleman today asks where the injustice is! He is right. All is quiet. Media people love to loudmouth about others but when it comes to issues concerning them, they prefer ignorance. A work which was once considered a mission is now a profession where today’s journalists are mere gentlemen. Thus I am of the considered opinion that they have become a commodity that can be bought or sold. Journalist: A gentleman with glass of red wine: today’s journalists are mere gentlemen.

“The Sangh parivar, be it the RSS or the BJP, has chosen to live in denial, labelling the accusations as a Congress 'conspiracy', driven by a government which seeks to deflect public attention from corruption. While questions can be raised over the timing of the 'leaks', a strident defence of the accused is misplaced and only serves to undermine the credibility of the country's investigative agencies in fighting the war on terror.” “The error of terror” Rajdeep Sardesai, Hindustan Times 13^th Jan 2011.

Hindu Terror - A retributive Terror? By RSN Singh

I will leave to the reader’s judgment to accept or reject the assertions being made by Rajdeep Sardesai. All that I have to say is Kaise bazaar ka dastoor tumhe samjhaaoon, Bik gaya jo woh kharidaar nahin ho sakta. (How shall I explain the law of this market? He who has been sold cannot become a buyer.) Yes Mr. M.J.Akbar has also used these very words recently.

I will conclude this post with another quote.

“Some people will not tolerate such emotional honesty in communication. They would rather defend their dishonesty on the grounds that it might hurt others. Therefore, having rationalized their phoniness into nobility, they settle for superficial relationships.” ~Author Unknown

I welcome a debate and discussion on this…As always, please keep your tone civil, your language polite…no sweeping generalisations please and no personal abuse. Thank you.

Victimhood by Sagarika is this the last throw of the dice?

2011-01-12T19:43:00.005+05:30

This post is being written as a rejoinder to Ms Sagarika Ghose article “Republic of fear” in Hindustan Times date 11^th January 2011.

Where she says. “The decline of the Indian liberal is a subject on which historian Ramachandra Guha has written with great insight. While Guha sees the Indian liberal squeezed from the doctrinaire approaches of the Left and Right, yet now the liberal faces another enemy too: the youthful, hardline and nationalist, paler versions of Malik Mumtaz Qadri. Salman Taseer was murdered in Pakistan by a young hardliner because Taseer was considered anti-Islam. Will there be a day when an Indian will be faced with mortal danger from a young hardliner because he is considered 'anti-national?'

The fact of the matter is social media has leveled the playing field where these self appointed and anointed liberals, secularists have been exposed before the entire world and are now wary that they may not be the last ones left standing. These are the neo Nazi’s and Fascists who have been polluting the young minds unchallenged until blogosphere and twitter happened.

The other factor is the Radia Tapes which have exposed the wheeling dealings that these so called intellectual liberals have been liberally indulging in. Employing fake tweets to influence public! When nothing else has worked, out comes the victimhood which is the essence of the article by Sagarika Ghose “Republic of fear” Since it is fashionable to sit cocooned in their studios, pelting one and all with their shallow and bigoted world view. Those who dare to disagree are promptly labeled as Right Winger RSS brigade, Internet Hindus or Khakhi Chaddi brigade.

Indians are unwilling to accept as Gospel what these channels and publications want to push down our throats. Must share this article which has appeared in DNA it is a must read which would dispel all misgivings about the claims and voyeurism of Ms.Ghose. “India is finally seeing the birth of alternative journalism”

"It takes a school"

Education is a child’s right. It is a promise made in the Constitution, and followed up rigorously by ambitious government programmes. Yet, as even the government’s flagship programme, the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan — whose aim is to address the need of almost 200 million children — shows, demand overshoots supply by a large, worrisome margin and millions of children still remain out of classrooms. It is in this context that an unusual, heartening story of a school in a poor Bihar village, reported by this newspaper on Tuesday, acquires significance — and even points to a way forward.

The Chaitanya Gurukul Public School in the village of Chamanpura does not have teachers or blackboards. Both have been replaced by laptops as teachers from across the state and experts from outside Bihar teach students through Skype.

There is definite purpose why the above information is included. The screen shot below speaks volumes as these mercenaries with microphones did not hesitate to label the promoter of this school as per their normal practice.

Now for better understanding of the two terms, which are bandied about frequently by these individual have posted below the definitions as provided by Wikipedia.

Secularism and Liberalism

Secularism is the concept that government or other entities should exist separately from religion and/or religious beliefs.

In one sense, secularism may assert the right to be free from religious rule and teachings, and the right to freedom from governmental imposition of religion upon the people within a state that is neutral on matters of belief. (See also Separation of church and state and Laïcité.) In another sense, it refers to the view that human activities and decisions, especially political ones, should be based on evidence and fact unbiased by religious influence. (See also public reason.) Some scholars are now arguing that the very idea of secularism will change.

Secularism draws its intellectual roots from Greek and Roman philosophers such as Marcus Aurelius and Epicurus, medieval Muslim polymaths such as Ibn Rushd, Enlightenment thinkers like Denis Diderot, Voltaire, John Locke, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, and Thomas Paine, and modern freethinkers, agnostics and atheists such as Bertrand Russell and Robert Ingersoll.

Secularism in India

The Preamble to the Constitution of India declares that India is a secular state. The original preamble did not mention the word "secular". It was added later by 42nd amendment in 1976. The term secularism in politics refers to the governmental practice of indifference towards religion. Though such bifurcation is not totally possible, still, secular politics attempt to prevent religious philosophies or bodies from influencing governmental policies. The philosophy that the Indian constitution upholds is a kind of secular humanism made relevant through a historical development of the ideology within the context of religious pluralism in India.

Indian concept of secularism takes is colour from Article 15 (Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth), Article 25 (Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion), and Article 26 (Freedom to manage religious affairs). These are among the list of Fundamental Rights of citizens. It is interesting to note that Indian Constitution merely states the behaviour of the State in terms of what it will not do (i.e. not discriminate based on religion). It does not say that the State has or has not a religion. It does not say whether State can or cannot participate in religion. It does not say whether State can or cannot spend public money on religious activities.

Even so, India recognizes laws based on religion. Hindus, Muslims, and Christians are governed by their own religious laws. Thus, India does not really fit into any text book definition of Secularism. It has, in fact, created its own brand of Secularism. Indeed, Supreme Court of India observed the same thing in the case of Aruna Roy vs. Union of India (SC AIR 2002), when it said Indian Secularism means ”sarva dhrama samabhav” and not “sarva dharma abhav” ( meaning, "equal feeling for all religions" and not "no feeling for any religion").

Liberalism (from the Latin liberalis, "of freedom") is the belief in the importance of individual liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but most liberals support such fundamental ideas as constitutions, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights, capitalism, free trade, and the separation of church and state. These ideas are widely accepted, even by political groups that do not openly profess a liberal ideological orientation. Liberalism encompasses several intellectual trends and traditions, but the dominant variants are classical liberalism, which became popular in the eighteenth century, and social liberalism, which became popular in the twentieth century.

Liberalism first became a powerful force in the Age of Enlightenment, rejecting several foundational assumptions that dominated most earlier theories of government, such as hereditary status, established religion, absolute monarchy, and the Divine Right of Kings. The early liberal thinker John Locke, who is often credited for the creation of liberalism as a distinct philosophical tradition, employed the concept of natural rights and the social contract to argue that the rule of law should replace absolutism in government, that rulers were subject to the consent of the governed, and that private individuals had a fundamental right to life, liberty, and property.

Liberalism in India

Raja Ram Mohan Roy, other contributors to political thought on freedom in 19th century India included Dadabhai Naoroji (1825-1917), Mahadeo Govind Ranade (1842-1901), Gopal Krishna Gokhale (1866-1915) and Pherozeshah Mehta (1845-1915). Theory led to an independence movement in India. Gandhi demonstrated through a humane, non-violent, and dignified protest, that all humans were equal and should be treated equally, including their being given the opportunity to govern themselves. This was a major advance in the theory and practice of freedom and can be argued to have had a major effect in ending the age of imperialism and the age of racial discrimination.

The 1949 Indian Constitution gave to Indians some of the liberal rights that the British and Americans had come to expect by then. In addition, India extended franchise to everyone: all adults had the right to vote in the Indian Republic. That was earlier than even most developed countries had provided to their citizens at that time.

While Rajaji and Masani, and economists like B.R. Shenoy advocate the greater freedom, they were unable to over-ride the Indian fascination with socialism.

Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari, the second Governor-General of India, and a Bharat Ratna, was a close colleague of Nehru during the independence movement. But soon after independence he quickly began to see the risks to India of letting Nehru’s fervour with socialism go unchallenged. Despite having fought for independence by Nehru’s side, and without regard for his own advanced age (Rajaji was 80 by then), Rajaji decided to act to block Nehru’s onslaught on freedom. He formed the Freedom (Swatantra) Party, to oppose Nehru's policies.

Juxtapose all what is described as Secularism and Liberalism with what has been written in this article “Republic of fear” by no stretch of imagination can these individual be called liberals however much they may fancy this label and usurp it.

In conclusion liberal is not necessarily a meat eating, liquor drinking individual just as a vegetarian, non drinker an illiberal. Mainstream English media personalities would do themselves a great service by desisting from fragmenting society according to convenience of caste, creed, religion or ideology in order to serve their narrow viewpoints. India needs to be viewed as a single entity and dealt accordingly.

Heavens have mercy on us if the below pasted images are their standards of Secularism and Liberalism.

I welcome a debate and discussion on this…As always, please keep your tone civil, your language polite…no sweeping generalisations please and no personal abuse. Thank you.

How the 2010 ended for some? While others welcomed 2011.

2011-01-02T21:07:00.003+05:30

WISHING ALL READERS A VERY HAPPY 2011

Through different eras of handmade goods to mechanical, electronic and digital technology, festivities surrounding December 31 and January 1 are intensifying. Western Christians and converts in their colonies used to have local merriment, but Christian doctrines have unified all societies so people erroneously consider December 31 as devoid of religion. So happily everyone welcomes January 1 as their very own celebration.

While living in homogenous Europe enjoying December 31 celebrations, it never occurred to me to think deeply about St Sylvester’s Day. I must confess I’m part of this brainwash too. But experiencing New Year’s Eve among a billion people whose culture, language, religions are so varied, I thought, let me ponder over it. I apologise for disappointing my friends by becoming the observer not the actor this year, and not hosting the December 31 bash we all enjoy.

“One-world New Year brainwash” By Shombit Sengupta . To Christianity’s credit, their globalisation of New Year is the clear winner.

Happy New Year, Infidel: Church bombing in Egypt kills 21

Jan 01, 2011 03:01 am | Marisol

Meet the new year, same as the old year. "Car bomb hits church in Egypt, 21 killed," by Yasmin Saleh and Marwa Awad for Reuters, January 1 (thanks to Zulu): CAIRO (Reuters) - A car bombing outside a church killed 21 people in Egypt's northern city of Alexandria as worshippers...read more

Sweden got Munir Awad freed from Somali jail -- he showed his gratitude by joining jihad plot against Danish newspaper

Dec 31, 2010 05:29 pm | Robert

Thanks a lot, kuffar. "Danish attack plot suspect in previous arrests," by Nina Larson for AFP, December 31 (thanks to David): STOCKHOLM -- One of five men held over a foiled plot to massacre staff at a Danish newspaper had twice been arrested abroad suspected of terror links, the foreign...read more

The New Conquistadors

Dec 31, 2010 04:47 pm | Roland Shirk

The massive, catastrophic problem that is the presence of tens of millions of Muslims in Europe is finally dawning on the other citizens of that continent. Fitfully and unevenly, they are stirring themselves to find that they have invited a dangerous enemy into their home, who has no intention of...read more

Women's rights steadily eroding in Iraq as Islamic supremacists gain power

Dec 31, 2010 04:46 pm | Robert

Sharia descends upon what had been a largely secular nation. Isn't it great that Judge Vicki Miles-LaGrange made Oklahoma safe for Sharia? "2011 looks grim for progress on women's rights in Iraq," by Shashank Bengali and Sahar Issa for McClatchy Newspapers, December 31: BAGHDAD -- When Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri...read more

Anti-human rights riots in Pakistan during nationwide strike to uphold blasphemy law

Dec 31, 2010 03:31 pm | Robert

Markets were closed and roads deserted: people were staying inside, hoping the wrath of these Islamic supremacists wouldn't fall upon them. "Violence as Pakistan strikes over blasphemy law," by Hasan Mansoor for AFP, December 31 (thanks to Block Ness): KARACHI, Pakistan (AFP) - Violence flared Friday as police and protesters...read more

"The grave human tragedy of the Christians in the Middle East, particularly in Iraq, has worsened dramatically"

Dec 31, 2010 03:20 pm | Robert

A letter from David G. Littman, representative to the UN-Geneva for the World Union for Progressive Judaism, to the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay: WORLD UNION FOR PROGRESSIVE JUDAISM * * * * * THE MARTYRED CHRISTIANS OF IRAQ RENEWED APPEAL (2008, 2009, 2010)... for the New Year...read more

Canada: Man in Muslim woman's garb robs bank

Dec 31, 2010 10:54 am | Robert

You just never know Good thing Western officials are relaxing laws banning the wearing of masks in public, eh? The problem here is that the West is anxious to prove its tolerance and multiculturalism, and to change its own laws and practices in order to do so, but there was...read more

Islamic scholar: Jihadis are "tools in the hands of the Zionists, Israelis, Europeans, and Orientals, with the goal of damaging Islam"

Dec 31, 2010 10:13 am | Robert

Maybe Sheikh al-Awda was the source for Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch Gregory III. In any case, it is disturbing to see this fantastical claim gaining increasing currency, although it isn't really surprising given three well-established tendencies: the inability of Islamic supremacists to acknowledge any responsibility for any wrongdoing, their fanatical...read more

Baghdad bomb attacks on Christians: "I think there is complicity by security forces helping insurgents to implement their attacks"

Dec 31, 2010 09:35 am | Robert

Jihadist sentiments among the Iraqi governing authorities? Naaah, couldn't be! More on this story. "Christians Are Casualties of 10 Baghdad Attacks," by John Leland and Omar Al-Jawoshy for the New York Times, December 30 (thanks to Sr. Soph BAGHDAD -- One week after an Islamic extremist group vowed to kill...read more

South American drug gangs funding jihad terrorists

Dec 31, 2010 09:27 am | Robert

Axis of evil. "South American drug gangs funding al-Qaeda terrorists," by Robin Yapp in the Telegraph, December 29 (thanks to Sr. Soph): South American drugs gangs are providing millions of pounds of funding for al-Qaeda terrorists by paying them to ensure the safe passage of cocaine across north Africa and...read more

That'll fix it: Father murders daughter in honor killing because she was going to become a jihad-martyrdom suicide bomber

Dec 31, 2010 09:24 am | Robert

I'll say it again: Syria recently scrapped a law limiting the length of sentences for honor killings, but "the new law says a man can still benefit from extenuating circumstances in crimes of passion or honour 'provided he serves a prison term of no less than two years in the... read more

Social media a formidable foe for mainstream English media?

2010-12-31T15:30:00.005+05:30

"It has been my considered view that December 6, 1992, would not have happened in the age of 24-hour news television. Through the forest of microphones and broadcast vans that would have swarmed the disputed site in Ayodhya, it would have been impossible for either the Uttar Pradesh government or the Centre to deny knowledge of what was happening on ground zero.” These were his assertion Oct 08^th 2010 in an article “A half-way house” by Mr.Rajdeep Sardesai.

The man is at it once again. “News we can use” it would be fitting finale to 2010 by writing rejoinder to this bigoted soul. He has sinned beyond our wildest imagination. There is no better way to describe the author than in the word of Sigmund Freud. “Illusions commend themselves to us because they save us pain and allow us to enjoy pleasure instead. We must therefore accept it without complaint when they sometimes collide with a bit of reality against which they are dashed to pieces.”

Rajdeep Sardesai is singularly responsible for the vilest reportage about Mr. Narendra Modi for the past 8years. He has frozen the state of Gujarat in a time period from which the state is yet to emerge on CNNIBN. It would be most interesting to inspect the percentage of positive versus negative reporting on this channel for the period 2002 to 2010. No we would not be surprised at all it will only confirm what we know.

This editor in chief is guilty of manufacturing fake tweets to influence viewers, he is derelict in initiating action against his deputy who had the audacity to hurt the sentiments of millions of Indians with her irreverent tweet about Lord Ram being a “Divine Encroacher” or labeling all those who disagreed with her view point as “Internet Hindus” going to obnoxious extent to state that RSS was training people how to tweet in Nagpur and Jhandawalan.

At a news seminar in Ahmedabad two weeks ago, I was asked by a member of a rather irate audience: “Do you people in the media think you are god?” I hastened to emphasise my mortality, but realised that I had little chance. “At one level, the news consumer expects the media to solve the multiple problems of a nation: from banishing corruption, ending terrorism, to even clearing the garbage in the neighbourhood.”

Nothing could be further from truth than the assertions that Rajdeep Sardesai is making. The contempt for the viewer is all too obvious. This is precisely the mindset that we do not want and are opposing. Media personnel have built illusions around themselves; the discerning viewers saw through all this and switched off these channels long before Radia Tapes happened, confirmation of what we suspected is all that was needed for the public outrage to surface.

Media has a role and that is to present the news as it unfolds sans editorial comments and slant in favour of a political party. Social media has made and is making their life difficult, people are extra vigilant, there are individuals who despite not wanting to watch this and another channel do so, to detect the lies and fabricated interactive feedback to further expose these manipulators and scamsters on the loose.

China promotes and takes great pride in the growth of the Internet in the country, under its careful monitoring. But its over 450 million surfers mean something more than Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg choosing to vacation in Beijing and visiting its Web company Baidu; it also means an online image, a blog post, a message on one of its Twitter clones, can create chinks in China’s great firewall. “Comment is free.”

China is wary of netizens and social media, mainstream English media would do itself a great service not to challenge us. For we are the Watch Dogs, who will chase away the pet poodles and Lap Dogs from our amidst.

Let me conclude this with yet another quote from Sigmund Freud “He that has eyes to see and ears to hear may convince himself that no mortal can keep a secret. If his lips are silent, he chatters with his fingertips; betrayal oozes out of him at every pore.”

Must read blog SandeepWeb: New post on blog about Indian Liberals. || Classic the template for liberals after Rajdeep's tweet.

Latest update on the subject.

What he could see evolving though, was a new objectivity. Objectivity, he then pointed out, had always been an idea important for the news. For him it was once designed to deliver journalism that people can trust. But in the new media age transparency is what delivers trust. He stressed that news today still has to be accurate and fair, but it is as important for the readers, listeners and viewers to see how the news is produced, where the information comes from, and how it works. The emergence of news is as important, as the delivering of the news itself.Here's a read on that Journos can dig head in sand. .

I welcome a debate and discussion on this…As always, please keep your tone civil, your language polite…no sweeping generalisations please and no personal abuse. Thank you.

How will pulling up socks help a corruption tainted political party?

2010-12-27T15:47:00.007+05:30

Congress must pull up its socks. By Mr.Pankaj Vohra, Hindustan Times 26/12/2010

This is the third article in close succession second in the month of December 2010. Why consternation of such high proportion? Mr. Vohra why have you by design thrown all caution to winds, despite the fact that Journalists and Media are wading through a very rough patch, credibility seriously dented in some case beyond redemption. You have faltered at the very outset P.M has no mandate from the people of this country to occupy the chair that he is in.

Needless to meander into political science discourse, you are fully aware how the Westminster form of Democracy functions. Laws and Conventions have an equal weightage. To obtain a mandate one must contest elections. Which is missing in the present case; appointment by High Command of Congress is not a substitute for popular mandate.

We fail to understand why is it that every journalist has to begin each article with the same preamble singing paeans of personal integrity and honesty of Dr.ManMohan Singh when facts on ground point towards the opposite direction. If bribe giver and taker are both equally guilty than those indulging in corruption and those permitting deserve to be treated on par.

“The Congress, on its part, seems to have run out of ideas. It has not been able to counter the BJP and Digvijaya Singh's strategic attempt to shift the focus of the debate from corruption to communalism versus secularism does not seem to have worked. In addition, the negative perception of the government has increased thanks to the spiralling onion prices.” This is a fact which even you had to acknowledge, Congress is in total disarray due to its own actions or lack of it.

“If the deadlock continues, it is going to damage the UPA even more. A remedy could be that the government, even at this late stage, should agree to a JPC probe, which covers the telecom policy after its formulation in the early 90s. The guidelines, which opened up the sector to private players, should be examined in a new light and every telecom minister in successive governments starting from PV Narasimha Rao's time should be probed.” The scope maybe enlarged, however, the point is will it mitigate the fact that under Congress and P.M Singh the Nation has suffered a loss of humungous proportions. Let us not digress or obfuscate the issue of revenue loss in 2G. If the probe is enlarged then the fallout for Congress will get more serious since in the last six plus years it has neither tried to recalibrate or plug the loopholes in the policy. Congress is in no position to point fingers at this late stage.

Some of the suggestion made by you are noteworthy and should be incorporated in the JPC. This is the only way forward; then there are the other scams also which need urgent treatment. Investigating agencies enjoy a reputation on par with the Journalists as of today lesser said the better it is.

“The Opposition has to concede that any kind of discussion on the issue can be held only in Parliament and the deadlock is serving only the purpose of not allowing an elected government to function by a party which faced rejection in 2009. The Congress, on its part, should pull up its socks and start behaving as a party in power instead of drawing attention to its possible involvement in all scams that have broken out since the beginning of the year.” This is a puerile argument, conversely it can be said Government is stifling the voice of the Opposition by it brute numerical strength. It would have been a better argument if a mutual give and take approach was adopted. Government of the day has the onus squarely on its shoulders to ensure smooth functioning of the parliament. Debates on 2G scam have been held and no concrete actions resulted from those debates. The compulsion of Opposition to have its say, that obstruction has to be resorted to as a last resort.

The party's plenary in Delhi will be known for its RSS/BJP bashing more than poor organisation and inability of its leadership to give out a clear message. It is time for course correction. Otherwise, the countdown for this government has begun more in the minds of the Congress party than with the opposition. This demand for JPC is not to bring down the government.

In conclusion a party which has been exposed as never before should be very bothered about covering itself up rather than just pulling up its socks.

Sample comments Posted on HT site in response to this article:

1. By Spectrum “very strange pankaj is advising congress instead of blasting them for the wrong doing. are there any honest journalists left, or honest journalists left are are not given the forum to their views. How long HT is going to give a rope to these paid journalists so called the fourth estate, which has become four twenty to the core. In spite of 100 per cent comments blasting the congress, HT obediently follow congress glory. Look at the articles of so called impartial journalists varghese vinod sharma vir sanghvi barkha dutt rajeeep sardesai all pen a song for congress praising them to the hilt. Be honest once in a blue moon. You will save many a soul and die peacefully at your old age. Be brave be honest and atleast remember the so called mahatma gandhi”

2.By Arun “I want to know whether the Congress agrees that a presumptous loss of Rs. 176,000 crores mentioned by the CAG is a figure prima facie acceptable to the PM ? If the answer is yes , the PM should agree for a JPC. If the answer is no , the PM should enlighten the nation of his views. There are many a Indians who will take the PM at face value given his past record and simplicity / honesty of persona. This will not resolve any issues but only serve to educate Indians what the highest Executive of the land thinks of the 2G scam. The PM , of course , has to ensure he is not guided by the Congress party but speaks HIS mind regardless of what the aggressive opposition thinks of his views.”

Latest article in Indian Express : 27/12/2010

However, India has been robbed of more than Rs 200,000 crore (Rs 2 lakh cr) through the various scams (2G scam, CWG scam, Adarsh scam and more) on his watch, yet he is mum on that, having refused to go beyond the cursory statement that the intelligence agencies are looking into the matter. Sleeping on the Job.P.M Singh looks to assure a robbed India he is clean. How does this help us?

The more the Congress party extols Dr Manmohan Singh as a man of integrity, the more they hang him out to dry. For in the bland finality of that characterisation, lies a story that speaks poorly of both the PM and the ruling party. Dr Singh & the rest of the iceberg By: Santosh Desai.

I welcome a debate and discussion on this…As always, please keep your tone civil, your language polite…no sweeping generalisations please and no personal abuse. Thank you.

Has the Youth Icon from congress let down the youth of India.

2010-12-20T20:57:00.004+05:30

Wikileaks has brought into lime light a conversation between Rahul Gandhi and US Ambassador to India. As per the report Rahul finds the threat from Hindu radicalization more dangerous than LeT. Reams have been written about this. Congress spokespersons have been all over trying to explain what was meant, as if we do not understand English written or spoken.

No I am not going to get into the politics of this, nor am I going to explain what has been written in which paper. I will simply post links to all those articles.

I am going to approach this from a social or let’s say societal angle. Now what can the parents do in such a situation? We are repeatedly told till it gets ingrained not to discuss family affairs with outsiders till it becomes second nature to us, this is not unique to India it is a world wide phenomenon. Imagine the plight of a parent who rebukes his/her child for discussing family matters with an outsider, the child turns around and retorts but that is okay since our Icon also spoke about India’s domestic affairs with the US Ambassador. Not withstanding all the protestations and explanations from Congress this is unacceptable. A very poor example to emulate!

The second point that I am going to touch upon is that, this conversation has established beyond doubt youthful exuberance can cause serious damage, and is not the panacea as has been projected by Congress. The youth icon has done a great disservice to the Indian youth who wanted to enter politics. Third point youth who come through rank and file with experience in college and university level politics over parachuted politicians should be preferred.

The political fallout, the articles which appeared are being made available for all readers to form their independent opinion on this issue.

You cannot be a political columnist in India today and ignore the man who could be our prime minister tomorrow if he wants. But, for those of us obliged to pay careful attention to Rahul Gandhi’s political career, one big problem is that he seems never to have any views on anything. This is what Tavleen Singh had to say. Rahul on terrorism.

Some people have greatness thrust on them. By Swapan Dasgupta This Emperor-to-be,has no clothes

Flawed teacher , Ignorant pupil. by Chandan Mitra

Complete analysis of whole Rahul Gandhi controversy,enough to shut the mouths of his supporters.

Lastly responsibility and authority together form the word “leader.” Leadership cannot be bestowed it has to be earned by displaying those broad shoulders which can bear the weight of responsibility. Unfortunately the youth icon has failed, he had the opportunity to own for his comments, he chose to remain silent. Will the Indian youth view this positively or will this become an albatross for Rahul Gandhi.

I will conclude this post by posting another cartoon by Mr.Satish Acharya.

Latest Article posted in Wall Street Journal.

Rahul Gandhi's naïveté is a greater threat to India" by Sadanand Dhume

This is an absolute must share for all the readers.

Prof. Rahul’s tryst with Wikileaks! : Dabs & Jabs Great one least expected from Hindustan Times.

There is no major threat from 'saffron terrorists'

The recent controversy over a politician's remark on 'Hindu terror' and another gem of invoking visions of an India [ Images ]n Hitler [ Images ] need to be dismissed with contempt they deserve. The former American Ambassador to India, David Mulford's comment that Indian politicians can stoop to any level to garner votes is a ringing indictment of this tribe of politicians.

But such is the power of repetition of lies that there is a great danger of these becoming self-fulfilling prophesies and therefore need to be challenged. An even greater reason is that a politician in wilderness (and a former chief minister) has insinuated that (just like Pakistan) 'saffron' terror has infiltrated even the Indian armed forces. He approvingly quotes the example of a lone wolf rogue officer who is alleged to have got involved in terrorist acts. In the interest of national security, these wild assertions need to be challenged.

I welcome a debate and discussion on this…As always, please keep your tone civil, your language polite…no sweeping generalisations please and no personal abuse. Thank you.

We deserve an unbiased honest media

2010-12-19T15:01:00.006+05:30

Dear Mr. Karan Thapar, you do indeed hold a deep contempt for the viewers and readers. When you say that? “You, the reader or viewer, rarely miss what you cannot read or see. Not unless you're looking for it. Therefore a great way of manipulating the news is to simply leave something out i.e. not make the audience aware it happened or that it's worth deliberating upon.”

“it could be the legacy of Radia tapes." The fact is people like me have been observing and voicing it for a long time. I am amazed that you have ignored the crucification of an individual for 8years in the print and electronic media without an iota or shred of evidence. I could cite numerous other instances in support of my contention. What would you term that as?

Mainstream English media sold its soul a long time back and indulged in the most unethical professional practices ever seen in this country. The other point that you have overlooked is the Paid News that these so called News Channels have indulged in, compounded further when the report of experts was not published in its original and complete form.

Self regulation has miserably failed, unworthy individuals have found their way to head certain guilds of journalists(ostensibly) I have with complete responsibility put that word within parenthesis , since a lot do not qualify to be called journalists. Eloquent verbosity is not a substitute for intellect, which is woefully absent in majority of the inhabitants of field of journalism.

Lets revert to your opening statement. “want to share with you a question that's troubling me. Do the Radia revelations suggest an alarming degree of media manipulation, possibly to the point where you could have doubts about what you read or see? Or does the fact that there's no overwhelming proof of the media being manipulated — the odd example apart — suggest that our newspapers and TV channels have handled a tricky situation admirably?”

The judgment has already been delivered by the people. Our media is corrupt to the core.

“Radia appears to be influential, effective and ruthlessly thorough.” Well let me explain this by placing an example here. Pharmaceutical companies distribute FREE SAMPLES of Medicines to the Doctors now that is not unethical by itself, if the same medicines are sold by the Doctors then it becomes unethical. Ms Radia profession is well known and she charges a fee for rendering her services, it is her brief to influence any and everybody for the benefit of her clients that is not unethical. What is unethical is when others succumb to her influence and yet do not disclose the same or pretend to be performing their professional duties with complete honesty and integrity.

The extent of rot in the media can be gauged from the most recent incident of fake tweets generated by CNNIBN Twitter lobbying. Another scam in the making?” shocking . Time for introspection is over. Transgressions such as CNNIBN need to be dealt with severely and expeditiously, mere apologies for such action cut no ice with the public today. The tainted individuals must be removed from the profession, if the desire to win back the confidence of the readers and viewers is of paramount concern.

“Alas, this leaves a lingering doubt that's hard to resolve. The sort you can't prove — one way or the other — but will, inexorably, dent the image of the media. This, I suspect, could be the legacy of the Radia tapes — doubts we cannot cast aside but will always be uncomfortable with.” This may be a politically correct statement to make since you are part of the fraternity. We are under no such compulsion and most candidly state there are no lingering doubts in our minds, a large number of us have switched off those channel which are tainted, and our ranks will only swell with the time. What we suspected, Radia tapes have brought the murky dealings in the full public glare.

The latest article on this on 26/12/2010

But, the real crime of the media has been the manner in which our private television channels have allowed themselves to be used by the agencies of government to damn Niira Radia before she has been given a chance to defend herself. By Tavleen.Singh.

Media-introspection-needed.

I welcome a debate and discussion on this…As always, please keep your tone civil, your language polite…no sweeping generalisations please and no personal abuse. Thank you.

Corruption and Congress no strangers

2010-12-18T19:47:00.004+05:30

India’s tryst with scams pre-dates our declaration of being a Republic. List of scams since 1948. Will have to hark back in time to get a historical perspective to our scams and corruption, in 1969 Congress party split and Congress (Indira) came into being. That was an era of extreme shortages of essential commodities and all other items, high tax regimes on personal and corporate incomes. Anything and everything that went wrong was conveniently attributed to an omnipresent/ omnipotent invisible foreign hand. Corruption was practiced at lower echelons of administrative machinery i.e. inspectors of all departments (irreverently called the license/inspector raj period).

Famously our original Mr. Clean from congress party Late Shri Rajeev Gandhi stated that only “16paise of every rupee reached the target”. Balance of every single rupee was fittingly dealt with by a porous administrative system. The other telling mots that he employed were Dhekna in Hindi (See) Banana in Hindi (Make or Construct). Today what we are witnessing is the interplay of these two Hindi words in English we are seeing an India teetering towards becoming a Banana Republic.

Ironically he perished at the altar of corruption, appeared on the India political firmament with lofty ideals and raised the hope of an impoverished nation. Yes Congress did manage to whitewash his reputation with the ensuing JPC. However despite employing all the Surf detergent the only high end washing powder available in those days, it has still not been able to remove the stains completely. This indelibly ingrained one fact among the Congress party, that all positives were for Congress party and Nehru clan to claim! All the negatives were to others account. This is still the underlined approach.

Keeping in line with that thought process Congress is loath to apportioning any credit to Late Shri.P.V.Narashima Rao for opening the Indian economy. Our incumbent Prime Minister was the main player, as the then Finance Minister. Even to this day Congress continues to appropriate all positive to itself and the Nehru clan, negatives are often equally divided between NDA and other Governments that were at the helm of affairs at some time or the other.

What emerged then was, Indian entrepreneurial skills being unfettered, however the systems were not suitably amended to support the growth that was to follow. Old control systems were recycled and new source for corruption moved up the ladder from the lowly inspectors to higher echelons of administrative machinery. The proverbial red tape length may have been reduced however it was substituted with increase in width. It would not be wrong to compare our present status to a vintage car fitted with V8 or V12 engine.

The current chaotic situation and the angst among the people is due series of scams that have come to light and each surpassing the other in audacity and amount of money. Has the government got down to seriously tackling this situation? Emphatically NO! Interest of the country is being subjugated to protecting name of Congress and Nehru clan. A Joint Parliamentary Commission is the only way forward along with criminal investigation by other competent agencies.

The progression chart under normal circumstances for all those connected with these 1.Common Wealth Games. 2. Adarsh Housing Society. 3. 2G Spectrum. infamous events should have been taken into custody and interrogated. Prompt action was needed as time was of the essence for getting to the bottom of the issue. That has not happened in any of them. Let us now focus on what is happening in particular with the 2G where the amount involved is Rs1,70,000crores or close to US$40billion. Tapes have revealed a nexus between Politicians-Journalists-Corporates.

Opposition demand of JPC has not been acceded by the government. Supreme Court of India is supervising an investigation by CBI and has enlarged the scope to 2001 instead of only the present. This will probably nail the criminality involved in this sordid saga. The larger question of policy loopholes will remain unaddressed which only the Parliament can do.

1. CAG report tabled in Parliament confirmed the wrong doing and the amount.

2. Government is quibbling over the amount stated in the CAG report.

3. The government was in know of this happening did absolutely nothing to prevent it.

4. CBI filed a chargesheet without names and then did nothing thereafter for 11months.

5. Government under extreme pressure removed the Minister finally.

6. New Minister appointed.

7. One man commission of inquiry set up to investigate intra departmental functioning.

To any keen observer of India the ongoing process would resemble a standup slap stick comedy show. Why was this statement made? There is the case of phone tapping which was done over a period 2 years. No subsequent arrests made, no cases filed on the basis of phone taps. Instead tapes leaked to media at the peak of 2G heat in Parliament. The Government is doing everything other than what it should have done, that is order an expeditious comprehensive criminal investigation along with a parliamentary joint committee to revisit the telecom policy and plug the possible loopholes. This is the logical course.

What has actually transpired can only us leave bewildered and anguished.

The responses of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi to the extraordinary crisis generated by the 2G scam are exhibiting a brazen indifference to our predicament. Attacking the opposition’s double standards and lack of credibility is a fair tactic in an adversarial democracy. But it does not provide any reassurance in the face of the moral anarchy, institutional perfidy, economic complacency and political mismanagement of the current government.

We were at the receiving end of some pearls of wisdom.” The Congress president engages in abstractions when she speaks of our shrinking moral universe in the context of corruption. The second rhetorical trope in this repertoire is something to the effect that “we will get to the bottom of this”. This invitation to plumb dark depths is a clear obfuscation.”

Next the importance of the role of Prime Minister.

“Prime Minister, you are central to governance: you constitute the governance deficit.”

Breaking his silence over the telephone tapping controversy, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today am aware corporates are nervous but phone tapping needed. This speaks volumes how the issue is being obfuscated by the man who should have faced the parliament and the nation for the colossal corruption and misuse of phone tapping.

Corporate Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid gives thumbs up to lobbying PR. The issues is not lobbying, the issue is Corruption. Another diversionary debate, which was picked by mainstream English media to ease the pressure on Congress and UPA government.

Kapil Sibal ducks queries about 2G

The CAG has calculated the "presumptive" loss on account of the under-valued sale of 2G airwaves at Rs 1.76 lakh crore, based on the amount raised from the recent 3G spectrum auction as well as the price quotations submitted by some of the operators that did not get licences. Dot to assess actual revenue loss due to 2G scam Sibal. This is subverting the constitutional body CAG.

One-man-panel to probe 2G-scam: Sibal. Another sham and another diversionary tactic when a JPC would have done a better job.

Start pointing fingers at others in the hope to divert attention from self. The loot happened between 2008 and 2010. BJP offered JPC from 1998 why was that not acceptable? Wait till we expose the NDA Sibal.

Sibal on 2G spectrum scam clean-up mission.

Sibal with his spiel on 2G scam Audio Video:

Latest article on this issue:

S Gurumurthy has courage to write about secret Billions of Sonia Gandhi siphoned off from India.

Is it too much to conclude that thanks to Sonia family’s suspected billions in Swiss accounts the system cannot freely probe the $462 billion looted from India at all? Tail-pieces: The total wealth of both Gandhis, as per their election returns, is just Rs 363 lakh, Sonia owning no car. Sonia lamented on November 19, 2010, that graft and greed are on the rise in India!! Rahul said on December 19, 2010, that severe punishment should be given to the corrupt!!! Amen.

BOFORS IS BACK WITH A BANG TO HURT CONGRESS. 03/01/2011

Gandhi denies payoffs in Swedish arms deal - Rajiv Gandhi.

Sonia Gandhi used the penultimate day of campaigning in Delhi to launch her most vitriolic attack yet on the BJP, accusing Atal Behari Vajpayee of "telling lies" about Rajiv Gandhi's involvement in the Bofors scandal. Sonia Gandhi.

Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi Saturday described the Bofors kickback allegations against his family as lies indulged in by non-Congress governments and asserted he saw no reason to apologise on the issue. Rahul Gandhi.

Bofors Quattrocchi-Chadha IT AT order.

Brave talk with feet of clay. Clear double speak will not put their money where their mouth is.

The question every Indian is asking will the guilty be punished or once again the national interest be sacrificed to protect the real culprits.

I welcome a debate and discussion on this…As always, please keep your tone civil, your language polite…no sweeping generalisations please and no personal abuse. Thank you.

What will get the PM moving is the question we are asking??

2010-12-13T19:48:00.008+05:30

"Only the PM can get things moving again." by Mr. Pankaj Vohra in Hindustan Time dated 12^th Dec 2010, coming on the back of what he had written.2G scam: Let the PM work freely on 22^nd Nov 2010. This does raise serious questions as to why Mr.Vohra is repeatedly approaching the same issue within such a short time frame? I do not want to cast any aspersions on the author, more so in the light of what has just transpired with a few so called journalists and one senior journalist.

This is also in sharp contrast to what Ms. Madhu Purnima Kishwar . “I fail to understand why almost every commentator, every TV anchor, every editorial writer feels compelled to pay ritual obeisance to the “personal honesty and integrity” of Dr. Manmohan Singh"Honestly Speaking."

Before proceeding further I must share this with all the readers.I think more or less sums up the current state of affairs. Vision- Right Angle: The Hermit of the Indian politics.

Now let us examine what Mr.Pankaj Vohra is saying in his article. “Our Constitution's fathers could not have imagined that allegations of corruption would shame our institutions and that MPs would not rise above narrow interests. The deadlock cannot be allowed to persist. The Prime Minister must take centre-stage to get matters under control. If the impasse remains unresolved, it is his chair which will fall first. Even the talk of a snap poll is to ensure his ouster.”

There can be no bigger truth than what you have stated! Unfortunately Prime Minister is in office not because of popular vote. We the citizens were not the inhibiting factor for his inaction against the corrupt Ministers and Bureaucrats. The question is why has the Prime Minister not used his own logic which employed at Sharm-el-Shaikh while dealing with Pakistan? “India has nothing to hide so discussing Baluchistan was not a taboo.”

Winter Session has ended without an end in sight over the logjam and neither does it seem likely to end in the budget session. Mid Term Poll is a threat that Congress has tried and failed. Congress stands to lose more than any other party. One cannot image a seasoned Journalist like you is unable to join the dots. You do yourself a great disservice by making such an assertion. Holy Cows must be protected at all costs.

What do you expect the Political parties to do other than play politics? I would not want them to be singing nursery rhymes, or lullabies. Who in his right mind would want a government which has corruption as it main achievement? Rs 2,50,000Crores is the sum total of 3 scams 2G, CWG and Adarsh housing society. There are others which we may not have discovered just yet, and may come to light in the near future. Should the government stay in office after such humungous amount of corruption?

First family of the Congress may have issued the character certificate to the Prime Minister, which is self serving in nature. This has no value in the eyes of the people of India. Thank you for conceding the point that after this sterling performance Congress is unlikely to get the mandate of the people for another term in office. “The JPC demand has united the opposition parties and even some constituents of the UPA like the Trinamool Congress and the DMK are not averse to such a demand.” This is the second statement which is true in your entire article.

Time for action is running out fast. Government seems to be doing everything other than what is most needed to restore our confidence. Prevarication is to its own detriment this message most certainly cannot be lost on Congress. Had the Prime Minister been by popular vote doubt if this situation would have been reached?

Latest articles on 2G scam:

1. Telecom Scandal Plunges India Into |has took away the faith of crores of Indians while they raped.

2. The first two lines of this article in Telegraph can give you an idea, why the tape leaks, why Diggy raja is speaking.

3. Why Congress is resisting a JPC probe into 2G scam?

4. Why the government is afraid of JPC.

I welcome a debate and discussion on this…As always, please keep your tone civil, your language polite…no sweeping generalisations please and no personal abuse. Thank you.

Congress must stop practicing politics at cost of India and Indians!

2010-12-12T23:13:00.013+05:30

This is the complete picture that
Indian Express did not publish

“Two hours before 26/11 attacks, Karkare called me to say his life under threat: Digvijay” In Indian Express .It is sad that we have such individuals on our political firmament. This was my reaction after reading this article on Saturday morning. I have never experienced such deep disgust for as person as I felt for Mr. Digvijay Singh.

What is worse is the role that media has played, it has covered more than it has exposed. The photographs published are stating only partial truth. Media as usual has been trying its best to minimise the damage to their favorite Party Congress.

Twitter as has been the case of late has been very active and vocal in condemning Digvijay Singh. Main stream English media is treading cautiously though much more needs to be done by MSM.

This is what Hindustan Times reported Hours before death, Karkare told me his life was in danger: Digvijay This link is posted only for the comments posted online by readers of this newspaper in response to this assertion by Mr. Digvijay Singh.

The purpose of posting this blog is not to influence readers hence I will refrain from passing any judgment other than my opening remarks. It is for the reader of the blog to judge for themselves as what and where we are heading.

The reactions to this claim of Mr. Singh were not late in coming. BJP issued a statement as expected condemning this claim of his. BJP slams Digvijay Singh for Karkare remarks'.

Soon after this was a statement issued by Mrs. Kavita Karkare this link will take you to that article Karkare's widow slams Digvijay's comment.

As expected with mounting criticism of Mr. Digvijay Singh Congress was compelled to issue a statement which was just as fictional as Mr Singh claim. Congress distances itself from Digvijay's remarks on Karkare. As if this statement was enough to close the matter that was not going to die down so soon.

This was a calculated move by Mr. Digvijay Singh to bring to center stage the Secular Vs Communal divide, without which Congress cannot survive, it need this oxygen to win elections. Unfortunately Indians are not responding to such emotive statement as they used to in the past.

Congress is guilty of practicing divisive politics, this is clear to any and every discerning watcher of Indian politics. Post 26/11, Congress played religious politics: US envoy. These cables establish it beyond any doubt.

This should leave no doubt in anyones mind.

Exposed by WikiLeaks : Rahul voiced fears of Hindu terror.True face of Youth Icon. What does Congress have to say now? Digvijay follows the lead given by Rahul Gandhi this an obvious plan to damage India. This is a well thought out statergy to divide Indians.

This is what Mr Swapan Das Gupta had to say in The Pioneer Cong heavyweight's misplaced zeal –

Digvijay Singh does what Islamists do! Mr.kanchan Gupta's Sunday column 'Coffee Break' in The Pioneer.

This is background read Apropos of the Digvijay Singh-Hemant Karkare story, what The Hindu published morning of 26 November 2008.

Blog posted on October 13th 2010 What has Diggy said NOW which Didn't point out then? Just for information.

We have some where along the way given up on all qualities that go to make a human being, our insensitivity toward living and departed has indeed hit the lowest levels. Politics today has come to mean making baseless outrageous claims to the detriment of the Nation and citizens.

Latest Publications on this issue :

However, that need not deter the people of India from castigating him. He has not only insulted the memory of Karkare and treated the nation’s sensitivities with contempt but also sought to sully the image of this country’s Muslims whom the congress treats as alien citizens whose hearts beat for Pakistan.

1.Calculated calumny,

2. Digvijay Singh Standas Exposed as a "Liar"

3.Digvijay Singh vs P Chidambaram - Albela Vs Quick gun Murugan by Rasheed Kidwai.

4. Dear Sonia Gandhi, here's the gist of DigVijay Singh's great theory:)

5. This is, of course, not fair to this country’s Muslims. It attempts to mainstream a politics of suspicion — and with the radicalisation of the minority and majority communities at the extreme fringes, we must know the dangers this carries. Reported-Speech.

6. Diggy raja brazens it out, says why should I lie?

7. Now What Mr. Digvijay Singh ibnlive No proof of Karkare calling Digvijaya: Maharashtra Government

8. There is no major threat from 'saffron terrorists'

I welcome a debate and discussion on this…As always, please keep your tone civil, your language polite…no sweeping generalisations please and no personal abuse. Thank you.

Vir Sanghvi's bad karma at play.

2010-11-29T18:23:00.000+05:30

We are all familiar with this picture. This was in all the newspapers. So why is it on the blog? What is the purpose?

The man in the picture was a victim of circumstance, beyond his control, we sympathized with him. He became the face of the agony, an innocent victim of riots. He relocated to West Bengal and then back to Gujarat as per newspaper reports. This still does not explain why the picture on the blog?

Vir Sanghvi is doing precisely this through his latest column “Setting the record straight” He is pleading with the readers, that he be judged for his work, have we not judged him for his work? We have always done that. Read through the comments not just on the current article but also any of his previously published articles to get a sense of what the public had to say.

Personally I have agreed with Vir Sanghvi on a couple of occasions, mostly there has been no common meeting ground. You have openly mocked Indians who disagreed with you. You have in your arrogant way to denigrate us used term “Internet Hindus” invented by some other Pinweight individuals in the field of journalism.

Vir Sanghvi you came through as the ultimate narcissist, intoxicated with the power of easy access to a platform of massive size which you have used to demolish, malign and tarnish reputations of individuals selectively at the behest of your political paymasters. Cannot recall the exact article yet do remember posting comment on your article where had stated that “listen by all means to your political paymaster but not with both your ears, place one ear on the ground to hear the rumblings gathering strength.”

You ignored good sensible advice since you knew better than us. You were focused on creating the circumstances that have brought you to the present pass. “Why would a journalist seek refuge and retribution from the laws of the land?” I had written in response to that. “When the negative reactions are higher the payments will not be made since the desired results have not been achieved. The paymasters do not tolerate failures and this would lead to redundancy.”

The entire Journalistic fraternity is in the dock today because of the actions of a few. Is that not reason enough to fade away. There is nothing more repugnant than the sight of a man groveling before others in full public view. Retain what ever self esteem is balance if it is. Dignity must not also be sacrificed in defending the indefensible.

In conclusion did you judge the man on merit before calling him a “Mass Murderer” was it supported by any hard evidence? Nothing you have placed before the readers. This is the retribution of law of nature which is indestructible and infallible. Laws created by human are inherently flawed.

I welcome a debate and discussion on this…As always, please keep your tone civil, your language polite…no sweeping generalisations please and no personal abuse. Thank you.

Is this personal or professional issue??

2010-11-27T22:14:00.014+05:30

There is a serious war raging out there on the micro blogging site Twitter. It is no holds barred.

Incensed Indians are taking on the media and it prominent faces. Fierce would be an understatement. Public is enraged that even now no television channel has, shown courage and the gumption to play the tapes in full.

CNNIBN has broadcast 2 programs, the only channel to do so; this also is after serious prodding from the twitterati. Other channels are still conspicuously silent this is raising questions or their credibility?

Blog posts on this issue are multiplying by the day. Indians are not willing to let go of this, they are demanding answers and accountability, trust has been betrayed, forgiveness is not being contemplated.

Guilty need to be punished and banished from this field! What is further fuelling the fire are tweets like these? Is this appropriate? Why instigate an already enraged public opinion? Is this journalism? Is this acceptable conduct from a member for the journalistic fraternity?

The entire community is in the dock for the actions of the few. Open public debate on this issue is paramount to cool tempers or this will rage on. How many it will consume is unknown at this point of time cynicism is ruling the roost.

This is what the public is demading from the media:

"Common sense wins” -Only for comments from readers who visited the Editorial get the sense of Public mood.

Saffronizer @rwac48 "No Views, Only News" regime will go a long way in chastening the spoilt Indian media.

1. AshikOnFire 2nd one too need to go off air RT @SachinKalbag: Vir Sanghvi suspends his Counterpoint column in Hindustan Times:

2. sanjeevirao RT @KiranKS: Vir's column stopped. Sagarika gone crazy.Barkha should collapse soon. Power of getting exposed by #MediaMafia grilling on Twit

3. sureshnakhua Prabhu - Prabhulila mein lag gaye ............... VIR - almost virgati ko prapt ho gaye ....... Barkha - Tum Kab Jayogi #Barkhagate

4. ZoomIndianMedia Inimitable @barbarindian intellectually demolishes barkha dutt @suchetadalal @suhasinih @malinip @tunkuv

5. Dosabandit Ok @virsanghvi forced to take a break from counterpoint, now for @BDUTT to do the same. #barkhagate #mediamafia

6. Dosabandit The line of defense adopted by Barkha & Vir was the exact same thing they scoffed at in the Gujarat-2002 cases. #Barkhagate #mediamafia

7. barkhaoffair Tweeple requesting all to extend ur support our grp on Fb aswell called "Sack Barkha"Since we r planin on our movement in Delhi soon PLS RT

8. arvindsaraswat RT "@sksaran: If #mediamafia asks who we are,tell'em "we are TITANS" (Twitterers of India against Tainted & Arrogant News Service )"

9. centerofright "@barbarindian: @SagarikaGhose @SardesaiRajdeep Why is IBN not cooperating with Jharkhand vigilance? - true

10. satyabhashnam Vir Sanghvi “suspends” Hindustan Times column & New Indian Express "suspends" him #ihn #FireBarkha #BarkhaGate

This is the latest update on CNNIBN. 12/17/2010

11.: CNN-IBN in row over "fake" Twitter comments Nowhere to hide everything is coming apart.

12. http://ibnlive.in.com/blaze/rajdeepsardesai/answer/topic/1/172744.html

13. CNN IBN’s “apology” What purpose will this serve?

I welcome a debate and discussion on this…As always, please keep your tone civil, your language polite…no sweeping generalisations please and no personal abuse. Thank you.

Are we more secure today than on 26/11/2008??

2010-11-26T17:41:00.009+05:30

You can click here to watch the documentary ‘Terror in Mumbai’

"During the first anniversary of the terror attack, I was on a TV show along with a prominent politician. I asked him what the government was doing to catch the real perpetrators of the attack. He turned around and asked me what I would do about it. If a politician in one of the highest offices can ask an emotionally rattled survivor what he was doing to catch the terrorists, it shows a great deal of distaste for public accountancy," said Bhisham Mansukhani who survived the siege at the Taj.

This was a comment which to me was the proverbial last straw. I lost faith in the government, congress party and the channel. This was on prime time television with a young audience. The host sat there without interjecting or insisting that a more satisfactory reply to the question was needed.

Last year the solemn day was observed more as a celebration than a day for homage. This time round, I have not watched Television since morning. I am not aware if we have again had that ritual of parading the equipment as a scarecrow.

We are aware that it is humanly impossible to guarantee a terror free existence in the environment that is prevailing. However we do not even get the feeling that we are safe. The NSG hub or The Force one.This is the video link to Force or farce one? may have been created but they will only come into action once there is an incident. Our concern is on a daily basis and that area has not been addressed the police at local level is as it was.

Now another year has gone by and I am back to square one. We had submitted a citizens charter soon after 26/11/2008 with much fanfare what happened to that? Below are a few questions which come to mind my answers are mentioned. I am hoping readers would come to their own conclusions as per their perceptions and feelings. Will not be surprised if most would concur with me!

As a citizen have I contributed?...................NO

Has my perception changed?.......................NO

How do I feel today?.................................Betrayed, helpless, vulnerable, and hopeless.

Has the government done anything significant in this regard?...........NO

Have we achieved what we set out?...............................NO

Have new policies, practices been formulated and implemented?.........Unaware.

Is there a perceptible change in policing?....................NO

Have we rearmed and retrained the police force?..............NO

Is the state machinery geared up to face the threat better?...............Unaware

Are we being too critical of our government?.............................NO

Is there a definite policy for terror related issues vis a vis Pakistan?...................NO

Have we identified and punished officials for their ineptitude or dereliction of duty?..........NO

Has the mystery of 26/11 been unraveled in full?.....................NO

Why is the terrorist caught in action still not punished? ………..This is something that the government should answer on an urgent basis. Along with this why the convicted terrorist who is on the death row still there? If the mercy petition is to be allowed then it should be done and if not then that also should be done.

Why has the Ram Pradhan Committee report on 26/11 not been placed in public domain?

To view 26/11as a terror attack would be the biggest travesty. It was a well planned behind the line commando type operation which is an open act of war. Have we responded suitably to that? Unfortunately No is the reply. Tough on terror, coercive diplomacy are all catchy slogan which ensured votes during the 2009 general election, beyond that they have achieved Zilch.

This morning out off curiosity I used to Google to see what the results would be thrown up with this search “Articles on David Coleman Headley 26/11 Mumbai terror attack links in Indian publication”……………………………………. 51,300…India pages

“Articles on David Coleman Headley 26/11 Mumbai terror attack links in other publication”……………………………………………. 725,000……World pages.

Not surprised at all imagine the quantum of information that is in the public domain, and I cannot even imagine how much more must be with the Government of India and USA. Then why is it that we have still not been able to bring a closure to 26/11? Is it lack of political will power? Geopolitical reasons! Or is it that we just do not want to.

Contrast this with the Times Square failed bombing earlier this year. The suspect was apprehended, interrogated, charged produced before the court of Law and punished. We are still grappling with 1 terrorist caught red handed. It has been turned into a spectacle instead of justice for the victims he has become a sharp knife who pierces the hearts of the kin of victims and martyrs everyday. Two years we have not been able to close this chapter.

We have exchanged dossiers with Pakistan is that how we intend to bring perpetrators to justice? It is not going to happen. Have we exercised all our options? Again the answer is No. We have heard enough and more statements from our Union Home Minister they are repetitive in nature and shall yield no results. People of this country are waiting for past 2 years, and our government instead has tried to enter into a dialogue with Pakistan, as if cross border terror can be eliminated by this process. Government had to beat a hasty retreat from this path in the face of intense public pressure against this approach.

We just seem to be going around in circles with no end in sight. Justice for victims does not seem to be a high priority. Given the levels of corruption that we have unearthed recently in the present setup there is not much hope that we are well protected and safe in our own country from any and every marauding merchant of death.

I would like to conclude with a wishful thought. I want to see that day in India when our political class is moving around without its accompaniment of Black Cat Commandos or roads being blocked to ensure their unhindered passage. That is the day when I would be able to say yes I am safe in my country.

This link is for views from People of Pakistan on 26/11

Twitter @ sandybansal This is why I dont support Indo-Pak dialogue.Just look at what people of Pakistan have say regarding 26/11

Other recommended readings from this blogpost:

Is war with Pakistan a viable option?

I would like to share what I wrote on 28th December 2008 in response to debate on NDTV "Why War is not an option?"

Has anything changed after 26/11/2008?

What does America have to hide?

Do we have it in us??

Who is holding back the Prime Minister from working? Not us.

2010-11-23T18:19:00.003+05:30

Bemused by this article, 2G scam: Let the PM work freely - Who has or is holding back the PM not us. by Mr. Pankaj Vohra in Hindustan Times 22^nd Nov 2010

There are broadly 10 assertions that are made by the author in the course of his write up. I will try and examine each one of them on their merit. Before we get down to doing that, there also another interesting article in the Indian Express by Mr. Mihir S Sharma "Less Mud Please" Once upon a time, India’s middle class seemed to have made a bargain with its politicians Prime Minister Manmohan Singh does not speak to us other than on 15^th August and 26^th January. Maybe we are to be blamed for it, because we did not elect him to the parliament ultimately to the office of Prime Minister. He tends to speak to those who are responsible for him being in the seat of power.

Interactions of Prime Minister with the media are also rare, as it is since the last few day credibility of the media is under great amount of scrutiny and stress former on account of role of a few that have been exposed in allegedly murky dealing, latter on account of complete and deafening silence on the issue of role of its fraternity in murky dealings.

Now that we know where we figure in the scheme of things vis a vis our Prime Minister. It becomes that much easier to dispassionately deal with the issues raised by Mr. Vohra. “Let the P. M. work freely” we always thought as head of the government he was free to work, who or what is holding him back? Why and to whom is Mr.Vohra addressing? Surely it could not be the people of this country. Would it not have been proper if this plea by Mr.Vohra was made at the just concluded session of the AICC in New Delhi. We have our own complaint that the Prime Minister is not working.

“The possibility of a mid-term poll may arise if the Congress-led UPA government is unable to take stringent measures against those involved in large- scale corruption not only in the 2G scam but also in the run-up to the Commonwealth Games and the Adarsh Housing scandal in Mumbai.” I do not think we need to be employing any sort of rocket science to arrive at this conclusion. The moot point is nothing significant has happened in public perception to give us any hope. We do not want to see a few junior members being punished, people demand the entire range of individuals involved regardless of position, post or seniority be dealt with in an expeditious visible manner.

“Prime Minister Manmohan Singh indicated during the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit. That the guilty will not be spared.” We have been down this road repeatedly it is kind of worn out needs serious repairs. The mismatch between words and actions compels us not to take them at face value, we chose to ignore such rhetoric even when it come from the Prime Minister lacks weight and credibility.

“The credibility of the government is at its lowest and unless the PM is allowed to set things right by all the constituents of the UPA including his party.” This must surely rank as the biggest understatement of 63years of independent India’s history facts are not just speaking they are screaming out not just at India, the world at large. We are the laughing stock of this world at this point of time.

“It is a crisis that has several dimensions.” This is where conspiracy theories and the internal power struggle of the Congress comes into play. Sycophancy rules supreme, change of guard, all this is at the expense of India. We cannot be held hostage to these machinations of a party. Inaction on corruption cannot be justified on these grounds.

“Commonly felt that a no- confidence motion could put the fear of God into the government.” Why should such a move be contemplated at all? When the issue is corruption, the focus has to be on punishing those responsible. Why should we digress nothing would be achieved by such a move? It would self defeating, incase UPA sails through which it will given the tricks that it can employ for this purpose. Once that happens nothing will move on corruption!

“If the government and the party have to face the challenge and come out of it, the PM must be fully empowered to deal with various aspects of the issue.” This precisely validated the claims made by opposition parties that the incumbent Prime Minister is weak, it not on physical strength basis, the ability to act on issues which are prime importance to the nation.

“For that to happen, all the constituents of the UPA must stop putting pressure on him and allow him to take his own decisions and run the government the way he wants to.” Mr.Vohra what are you trying to tell us, that the national interest is being compromised for the sake of power that is available by virtue of being in the government. This is a very scary scenario that all constituents are working for thei benefit and not for the nation. What happened to the Aam Aadmi who was the main plank of this Congress lead government? Where does he figure in all this?

“The PM must also take a leaf from Indira Gandhi's experience in dealing with corrupt and irrelevant politicians in 1969.” Please refresh our memories on this. I am a little lost with this statement of yours. When and who has ever confronted corruption seriously in this country least of all is the Congress? Track record available with us speaks volumes contrary to your assertion.

“Manmohan Singh has started well by putting Kapil Sibal in charge of the telecom ministry.” The first interview given by the gentle man has anything but reassured us that corruption will be dealt with, with the serious intent and purpose. The impression gained is he was more concerned about deflecting blame from the government then tackling the issue head on. Let me state this candidly Mr. Sibal for all practical purposes told the citizen that his value is zilch when it comes to preserving the government. Pointer “The Prime Minister should have thrown the petition into the dust bin.” “Every common man cannot get up and ask for permission to probe.”

Does this leave any doubt with you as to where we are heading?

This takes the cake: 2G Government hides behind people's mandate, thumbs nose at Opposition.

Face The Nation Sagarika Will You??

2010-11-23T15:11:00.009+05:30

Face The Nation with Sagarika Ghose

The constant chatter on the net and twitter in particular about the Radia tapes which the twitterati has christened as #barkhagate has been trending for last 5 days. In sharp contrast to this has been the deafening silence from our mainstream English media.

We are more accustomed to a sensational and hyper reportage from our electronic medium, which has disappointed us by not picking on this subject. Leave alone playing the tapes of the conversations which are readily accessible on the net, no mention has been made by any channel. Normally we are compelled to watch the recordings/cds repeatedly until we full up to our noses.

Last evening CNNIBN conjured up the required courage to host a show at 10PM Face The Nation “Is corporate lobbying undermining democracy?” This we believe was done under tremendous public pressure, who are visibly agitated by the conspiracy of silence on part of the media?

I returned to viewing this channel after almost a lapse of 2 years. Yes with a very smug feeling, that we did achieve a success, IBNlive is at liberty to deny the role of public pressure and can state it as an editorial decision, yet it came 4 days too late. How many would buy it?

The points raised were valid role of corporate lobbyist per se is not evil, nor is it illegal, however the journalists involved in peddling influence or facilitating the corporate lobbyist in their endeavors is a totally different issue. This was the consensus among the panelists.

Host of the show did make a feeble attempt at trying to defend members of her fraternity. The right and choice is her’s. The point that I wish to raise is larger, we the viewers have been subjected to biased and opinionated editorials which have been presented to us in the garb of news.

It is not just the two journalists who are in the eye of the storm, the host Mrs.Sagarika Ghose is also guilty of being contemptuous towards us, our contrarian view have lead her to label us as “Internet Hindus” which was her way of hitting back at a vocal audience, who dared to voice their opinion/views via the net. Very often she would not permit comments from a large number of us to appear on her blogs.

Somewhere prior to Ayodhaya verdict she tweeted in the most irreverent manner about “Lord Ram being a Divine Encroacher.” Maybe there was a minor uproar or it dawned on her that she may have overstepped the line and she deleted the offensive tweet. Not before it had been saved by many on the net.

The question that is being posed to her is, did she in the course of the discussion last evening at any point of time ever so fleetingly feel a tinge of remorse for her actions?

1. Coining the term Internet Hindus. (Which is derogatory in nature)

2. Tweet about Lord Ram.

Has she considered the possibility of tendering an unconditional apology to the viewers and the majority community of this country! No I am not a religious person nor a bigot, yet irreverence towards something or someone who is revered by millions not just in this country but also overseas, who have not taken kindly to her acts.

We do accept the fact that sensitivities, emotions are intangibles.

Ethics and Morality will not touch on these subjects since the words themselves are foreign to our mainstream English media. The concepts or meaning would not be known to them at all.

Let me address this issue from another perspective and that is the sales and marketing and corporate governance. Which business school in the world teaches and trains the sales and marketing teams for companies on the basis of a confrontational approach towards it consumers, clients and viewers? Which business school prepares us for being contemptuous towards our clients and consumers? Is it not repeated ad nauseum that customer is the Master and King?

How come the sales and marketing personnel in your company have not raised this issue with the management? Which corporate would accept the conduct that you have displayed? Not even a family owned business. We are not the intruders; we are raison d’etre for your organization.

This is the latest update on CNNIBN. 12/17/2010

: CNN-IBN in row over "fake" Twitter comments Nowhere to hide everything is coming apart.

@barkhadalal @saikatd @sardesairajdeep is still lying.

CNN IBN’s “apology” What purpose will this serve?

We will wait for your response.

I welcome a debate and discussion on this…As always, please keep your tone civil, your language polite…no sweeping generalisations please and no personal abuse. Thank you.

From The Dizzy Heights of Kargil to Despairing Depths of Oblivion

2010-11-19T16:55:00.008+05:30

I grew up in a time when we had black & white transmission and limited duration of Television broadcast. Colour transmission was introduced in 1982. Post liberalization a host of new Channel beaming an unending fare of programs 24 X 7. News channels competing for our attention, sitcoms etc!

The new high came in 1999 Kargil War. Channels brought this war right into our living rooms. While the men in uniform covered themselves with glory in the battlefield, a hero was born or should one say a Heroine of the small screen no not the glamorous kind. A news reporter who became the visible face of the 24 x 7 News Channels!

She won our hearts and ruled our minds. We became her slaves believed every word she uttered as gospel truth. Then came a minor shift in 2002, became a little more slanted in 2004, gradually the slant became more steep, which compelled me to scrutinize what was being said on the channel and compare it with others in electronic media and also with the print.

I was now convinced that all was not as it should be; I felt cheated, what recourse did I have? None other than move away from watching news on NDTV; I did precisely that. No not even once did I miss the channel, though I continued to watch programs like Big Fight, We the people and Buck Stops Here, used to post comments regularly on these show, also signed on NDTV Social which is their website.

I did e-mail and share a few tweets with Barkha Dutt around early to mid 2009. By now even the programs hosted by her had started to lose their sheen, it was becoming increasingly apparent that there was more than that met the eye. Slowly but surely I was losing interest in this News Channel which I had watched for almost 2 decades.

The on 2^nd Dec 2009 an incident took place on the NDTV social site. Nidhi Razdan employed foul language towards a visitor, which I felt was reason enough for me to move away from following her. I enquired with her if she could block me since that option was not available at my end. The response from her is most forgettable. That sealed my dealing with NDTV. I stopped watching this channel completely 07^th Dec 2009. Excerpt of the exchange of tweets with Nidhi Razdan on 2nd Dec 2009 and tweets posted Mr.Pannoy Roy on NDTV (cont)

I progressed from feeling cheated to now a position where there was disgust for this channel and its personnel. Since I did not watch the channel anymore it did not matter what they broadcasted or promoted. On the net post Ayodhaya verdict there were blogs which had specific references to Barkha Dutt excerpt of the conversations and the way she had conduct her show. Finally I ended up signing an online petition to NDTV in protest for what they were transmitting as being unacceptable.

Courtesy these tapes (in 5 parts) were posted at Open Magazine. The link for the post is given

Today what we see is that Barkha Dutt is at the receiving end of the same system that she engendered, do I pity her No! Do I empathize with her unfortunately No is the answer. Do I believe what is going around on the net to be true and authentic? I have no independent source for checking the veracity and would go along and accept it as being true. Do I believe Barkha Dutt is guilty of wrong doing? My answer to that is it is for the courts to decide, I do not have the expertise.

It is due to the reportage and the extreme slant that is visible in the Electronic and Print media that I took to blogging and my main focus has been the role of Media. Today I do feel vindicated that, my suspicions were not unfounded. There is more than what meets the eye. Personnel employed by this industry must realize that they face the camera because of professional compulsions and not because they deserve the attention of those cameras. The sooner arrogance is shed by these individual the better they will be able to connect with the public.

Media is an important interface between the government and the people. This medium needs to be strong, independent, trustworthy and transparent. Any doubts on its credibility will mean demise of that channel for sure and a blow to the industry as whole. The only advice that I can proffer to Barkha Dutt is how ever hard you may try, you take a million people to court the perception is not going to change. The sooner you move on the less hurtful it will be for you. Your continued presence will start to hurt the channel also and then it will ask you to leave before you reach that point take the tough step your ownself.

Rehabilitation is a slow process, once anyone falls from grace it is difficult to return. Public is not in a frame of mind where forgiveness can be expected or requested. Too many wrong have surfaced simultaneously. More heads have to roll we need a clean system. You may just be the first of the many victims from the Media that these scams will claim.

Full transcripts of alleged conversations between Niira Radia, Barkha Dutt, Vir Sanghvi and others

Open magazine responds to NDTV’s statement on the Cover Story: X-Tapes (issue dated: 29 November 2010)

Barkha Dutta fighting back seeking to rehabilitate herself.

I welcome a debate and discussion on this…As always, please keep your tone civil, your language polite…no sweeping generalisations please and no personal abuse. Thank you.

Subjective debates undermine issues Objectivity needed!!

2010-11-01T20:56:00.014+05:30

Another auspicious day in India! The States Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala came into being at different times as part of the Indian union today. All three of them are in the southern part of India. Let us all join in wishing these states and the people a great future.

Human is the most evolved specie of all the animals that inhabit the planet Earth. We have a slew of entities with geographical boundaries termed as countries, each with its own uniqueness, predominantly practicing Democracy as the form of governance; some are theocracies, while others are totalitarian. Each has it pros and cons, endless debate goes as to which is better. Without any doubt maximum cacophony emanates from countries which practice Democracy, as it is everybodys birth right to start howling moment they do not agree with something that the state does and show inclination of doing. Be it denying permission to erect Minarets in Switzerland, or a Mosque at Ground Zero in New York USA, or expressing the desire to burn the Holy Quran by Pastor Terry Jones on 11th of September 2010 or be it the Ban on wear Burquas in public in France. The outcry is in unison from almost all corners of the world and Democratic Rights are cited by one and all.

Lets now focus on the raging debate in India. Yes it has to be on what was stated by Ms. Arundhati Roy on the status of state of Jammu & Kashmir in the Union of India. We have since then had a series of Television debates so called liberal, Human Rights activists and Intellectuals placing their considered opinions about this issue. Like wise many articles and news report along with blogs have been written on this issue. Arguments for and against have been vehemently presented to the readers, with a bias of the author of the piece very evident as we read them. Let see what was said. “Kashmir needs freedom from India” , “I said what millions say in Kashmir” “Pity the nation that has to silence its writers for speaking their minds. Pity the nation that needs to jail those who ask for justice while communal killers, mass murderers, corporate scamsters, looters, rapists, and those who prey on the poorest of the poor, roam free.” ,“Only voiced what Kashmiris feel”

After this started the round of customary round of written rebuttal from other journalists, intellectuals, legal eagles and all those who felt aggrieved at what had been stated by Ms.Arundhati Roy.“Arundhati Roy is dangerously wrong on Kashmir” . Don’t pity us, Arundhati – not yet. ,“Congress asks Arundhati Roy to withdraw Kashmir statement”, “No damage to India from Arundhati Roy's remarks” and “Kashmir’s molehills”.

The next stage was the defense from the maker of the speech. “Arundhati Roy defends remarks on Kashmir”. , “Arundhati Roy defends remarks on Kashmir “| Deccan Chronicle | 2010-10-26. , next steps in the Police “Police examining Arundhati Roy's speech” , “Arundhati Roy off the hook for her controversial Delhi speech”. and all this culminates as on today “GBA assails BJP attack on Arundhati Roy’s House”.

Rest easy I am not going to discuss the merits or demerits of what each of them have said or not said. I am going to touch upon a larger question and leave to the readers to decide for them selves what should take precedence. The orderly existence of a civil society is predicated by a set of rules or laws universally applicable across the board. We surrender before these laws and conduct our daily lives within the established acceptable norms. It maybe perfectly normal to walk stark naked within the confine of ones house, however the same act in public is treated as unacceptable and invites punishment under relevant law. Having sex is not prohibited, however if the same act is performed in public or against the will of the other party law views this as an infringement and punishes accordingly. There are no debates about the status of the accused nor is the society, media or intellectual empowered to hand out punishment this is done by the court of law duly established as per the terms set out in the constitution of a country.

Ones Freedom Fighter others Terrorist is an old debate.

The debate on the current issue should be objective in nature, unfortunately it has degenerated into a subjective debate. Why should there be talk of Freedom of Speech or Expression. The basic issue is has the purported statement been made by Ms.Arundhati Roy?….The answer to this is ‘Yes’.Is there a law which defines the limits or conditions for such speeches? Yes there is a law. Does it in anyway transgress the established laws of the land?.... Answer I am not competent to judge this, neither is the society or the large number of commentator No is an emphatic response to that. Then who will pass a judgment on this?..Court of Law as empowered by the Constitution of the country. Who will produce the evidence and the alleged culprit before the court of law? This is the function of the executive. Let us remember when the ministers assumes office in a government, they are administered an Oath of Office. This is the text…

THIRD SCHEDULE

[Articles 75(4), 99, 124(6), 148(2), 164(3), 188 and 219]*

Forms of Oaths or Affirmations

Form of oath of office for a Minister for the Union:—

“I, A. B., do swear in the name of God

that I will bear true faith and

allegiance to the Constitution of India as by law established, 1[that I will

uphold the sovereignty and integrity of India,] that I will faithfully and

conscientiously discharge my duties as a Minister for the Union and that I

will do right to all manner of people in accordance with the Constitution and

the law, without fear or favour, affection or ill-will.”

Form of oath of secrecy for a Minister for the Union:—

“I, A.B., do swear in the name of God that I will not directly or indirectly

communicate or reveal to any person or persons any matter which shall be

brought under my consideration or shall become known to me as a Minister

for the Union except as may be required for the due discharge of my duties

as such Minister.”

I have my eyes firmly fixed on the executive waiting for their response. Will any action on this be forthcoming!

As a child we are often taught the importance of time “Stitch in time saves nine.” The other thing that is ingrained into us that “Pen is Mightier than Sword” if this be the case then how can the purported crime of Ms. Arundhati Roy be ignored.

In conclusion is this tweet which was addressed to me earlier this evening. “Suratsuri@anilkohli54 as an Indian who did not write/indulge in any Small Things,I want freedom from Arundati Roy n all her booker contemporaries”

Latest update : Delhi High Court why shouldnt action be taken against A.Roy for antiindia speeches?Wheels R turning atlast

What the Government did not do people of this country stepped up. : Court orders FIR against Roy, Geelani"

Dyanstic politics and Democary do not gel

2010-10-31T22:24:00.003+05:30

On this day 135years ago a true patriot was born. His contributions during the freedom struggle are too well known. It is his service to Independent India which is of far greater importance, the physical contour of India that we hold as our country is largely due to his efforts and bold initiatives. We are dumbfounded and watch in complete bewilderment as a scam a day unfolds before us. Is this our way of taking forward the legacy of our freedom fighter and patriots? Today we pay tribute to the greatest son of India Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel. 31^st Oct 1875. Often referred to as the Iron Man of India!

Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar the man who gave us our Constitution. The most vibrant, and dynamic document, for conducting our statecraft! All discourses on India would be incomplete without mentioning Dr.Ambedkars contribution. Yet the current situation begs a question has the constitution failed us or have we failed the constitution?

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru the first Prime Minister of India. Who had consciously decided and had taken a vow that in the case of any school, project, or programme started in memory of his father (Motilal Nehru) or his wife, he would not participate in its inauguration. This is noted by Mr. Ramchandra Guha in his article “That family feeling” “That family feeling”. How would he view all the programmes, institutions, streets, Airport and even bridges in this country are being named after his family?

Mrs. Indira Gandhi we remember today on her death anniversary assassinated on this day 31^st Oct 1984. She is also referred to as the Iron Lady of that era. Enigmatic for many of us if there were her strengths to admire, equally were her acts which leave us wondering if it was the same person.

This back ground is necessary for all the readers to enable them reach their own conclusion on the topic that is going to be dealt with in this blog. That is the young politicians, ethics and their contribution to the nation and its people.“Young, but definitely not restless” “Young, but definitely not restless” . Democracy and it functioning in our country has been variously described by us for some it is dysfunctional, for others it is imperfect and yet some refer to it as a sham.

This would also highlight how far we have traversed, the extent to which we have digressed from our original path. Why is there so much of cynicism? Have we reduced our democracy to by the masses, of a few, for the privileged! Instead of the original concept! By the people, of the people and for the people!

In her article dated 29^th Oct 2010 .“Young, but definitely not restless” Namita Bhandare, begins by saying” Of all the seductions of youth, perhaps the most enticing is its potential for change. We associate youth with transformation and an ability to shake the status quo.” Nothing could be further from truth than this assumption in context of the younger lot in politics.

Today we find a in our politics a system for prevalence of dynastic preponderance, rather than of mass participation of the ordinary Indians. Some of the names mentioned by the author of the article Omar Abdullah Varun Gandhi, Aditya Thackeray,Jitin Prasada, Sachin Pilot, Agatha Sangma, Tejaswi, Milind Deora, Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, Priya Dutt, Akhilesh Yadav, Naveen Jindal. Though there are notable omissions as well and that is rather surprising Mr. Scindhia and of course the scion of the Gandhi family Mr. Rahul Gandhi, now was this deliberate or is it accidental, since the newspaper and TV channels never fail to remind us of even the most trivial detail as an earth shattering event should the young Mr.Gandhi indulge in. The other day he undertook a train journey from Gorakhpur to Mumbai and it was a new item in all the national dailies. “Rahul rides aam aadmi train” “Rahul rides aam aadmi train” . or another example “Biharis shining, not Bihar, says Rahul” “Biharis shining, not Bihar, says Rahul” . Now lets get down to each young individual mentioned above and the their lineage.

Omar Abdullah of National Conference party is the son of Farookh Abdullah grand son of Sheikh Abdullah a very prominent lineage and legacy, then why has he failed to administer effectively the state of Jammu and Kashmir, is their a serious mismatch between ability and expectations or we have ignored the fact that experience is also an important aspect lack of which could have very serious repercussions for the area entrusted. Yes this is a sign of dynastic rule.

Varun Gandhi, gained notoriety overnight by his hate speech during the last general elections. Son of Sanjay Gandhi grand son of Indira Gandhi Bhartiya Janta Party not assured that he would reach the office of Prime Minister in near future even if his party was to form the Government at the center.

Aditya Thackeray the latest entrant to politics son of Udhhav Thackeray grandson of Bala Saheb Thackarey. Would in all probability head the party Shiv Sena at some point of time or the other as and when his father decides.

Agatha Sangma daughter of P.A Sangma. Tejaswi son of Lalu Prasad Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav son of Mulatyam Singh Yadav and Kanimozhi Karunanidhi daughter of M.Karunanidhi of DMK may play a part in their parties are not serious contenders for any high office at the center since the parties they represent are regional and not national.

Jitin Prasada, Sachin Pilot, Milind Deora, Priya Dutt Naveen Jindal,Joytiraditya Scindhia and Mr. Rahul Gandhi. The last 7 names belong to Congress party and none other than Rahul Gandhi has been spoken as Prime Ministerial material not just by ordinary party members but also by Dr. Manmohan Singh.

The public at large has no clue what so ever as to their education qualification, institutions that they studied in, did any of them participate in the college and university level politics. What is the level of their engagement with the constituencies that they represent? How many years have they spent in the service of the nation and how well do they understand the requirements of the people of this country. How many years have they put in with the party before being tickets to contest elections? These are some of the questions that need answers and we are not getting them.

There have been no statements made by any one of them on any of the burning issues, we have not seen them participate in any debate in the parliament. What is their vision? We are unaware, how will they implement incase they do have a vision for the country? Most of them are in the parliament because of lineage and not because of any other merit. If their mentors are their father or mother then the politics that they have learnt is nothing new but a case of ‘Old wines in new bottles’.

The role of media in all this is rather curious, they first create a hallo around these individuals, convert it into a myth, believe it to be gospel and then sell that to us. This instead of informing the public at large about the merits of each of the above named individuals. The focus is on promoting them, this is not going to help the nation, consequences of inexperienced young men and women in position of authority could lead to real and long term damage.

The only thing common among all these young politicians is that they have been parachuted into the political arena due to their lineage and nothing more. They could help themselves in dispelling this perception by interacting and informing the people of this country about themselves, their ideas and vision that they have for their country. Until that happens they would not be able to win the respect of large section of the population. They may win election since they are contesting from well protected fiefdoms nurtured by their parents.

Media must introspect and perform a role that is befitting and not that of public Relations Company trying to promote a product. The more they report on inane items as event of some consequence just because Rahul Gandhi is involved, greater is the resistance from the people and this is borne out by the fact that the negative comment on the newspaper sites far exceed positive comments. Censorship by deleting unpalatable comments is also not going to help their cause. Since it is the same media which is reporting on these events claiming the fundamental right of Freedom of Speech and Expression, denying the very right to its readers.

Fortunately in all this there is the BJP and the Left parties who do not practice dynastic politics. Though media does pick up, selective cases of father and son or daughter from these parties to make its point that all are the same. That is not true because none from these parties are automatically selected as party Presidents or are projected as Prime Ministerial contenders. Which in the case of Congress party is a forgone conclusion, should there be a Gandhi available then there is no other option for the top jobs of the party or the Nation.

In conclusion we are a democracy, let us stay the course and strengthen it let us not deviate and practice Monarchy in the garb of dynastic politics. We owe this to our long gone patriots and all those unknown Indians who willingly sacrificed for this country, during the freedom struggle.

Political bankruptcy of Congress comes to fore

2010-10-26T16:28:00.012+05:30

Perverse sense of humour, or reveling in others misery is not my forte. However what transpired last evening on TimesNow, could not resist myself from smirking and must confess enjoying with a fair degree of smugness as Mr. Vinod Sharma of Hindustan Times, was being hauled over the proverbial burning coal, as also the verbal barbs being driven into him by Mr. Mahesh Jethmalani, as if he was a mere Voodoo doll. To watch a Secular Fundamentalist receive his just dessert on Prime time television is a sight to behold.

The spectacle was completed with Mr. Manish Tewari of Congress red in face ranting non stop hoping to drown other voices, how he did not suffer a cardiac arrest will remain a mystery? Guess enough of gloating over these two worthies predicament. I am not a party member of any political outfit. As “Mango man” (Aam Adami) we have been violated so often by the likes of Vinod Sharma and Manish Tewari that it almost seems a natural reaction when some one tears into them and their ilk.

Preamble done and dusted with lets get down to serious business of addressing the issue that is the motivation for this blog.

India confronted near Economic Bankruptcy in 1989 after sustained misrule by Congress for almost 40 long years. Today the same Congress is confronting political bankruptcy. This is highlighted by the choice of Interlocutors appointed for Kashmir. The statement of Mr. Dileep Padgaonkar where he classifies Kashmir as a dispute goes against the very stand of the Government of India and the various statements made at different time on the floor of the Parliament. Refer what the Indian Parliament had unanimously resolved on 22 Nov 1994. Extract “On behalf of the People of India, Firmly declares that- “The state of Jammu & Kashmir has been, is and shall be an integral part of India and any attempts to separate it from the rest of the country will be resisted by all necessary means; India has the will and capacity to firmly counter all designs against its unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity; and demands that – Pakistan must vacate the areas of the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir, which they have occupied through aggression; and resolves that – all attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of India will be met resolutely.” The Resolution was unanimously adopted. Mr. Speaker. The Resolution is unanimously passed. February 22, 1994”

Centrality of Pakistan in resolving this is affording a place to a neighbour in our domestic affairs. Even the UN resolution does not acknowledge Pakistan’s role beyond vacating the land illegally occupied by it in 1948.

“1. UN Resolution (Document No. S/1100, Para 75, dated 9th November, 1948) PART I (Cease-fire Order) para B states: “The High Commands of Indian and Pakistan forces agreed to refrain from taking any measures that might augment the military potential of the forces under their control in the State of Jammu and Kashmir. (For the purpose of these proposals “forces under their control shall be considered to include all forces, organized and unorganized, fighting or participating in hostilities on their respective sides).” Here reference to “organized and unorganized, fighting or participating in hostilities” clearly denotes the tribesmen from Pakistan’s side in Pakistan Held Kashmir.

2. Please also refer Part II (Truce Agreement) para A (2) & (3): “(2) The Government of Pakistan will use its best endeavor to secure the withdrawal from the State of Jammu and Kashmir of tribesmen and Pakistan nationals not normally resident therein who have entered the State for the purpose of fighting. (3) Pending a final solution the territory evacuated by the Pakistan troops will be administered by the local authorities under the surveillance of the Commission”

Failure of the Congress to asses and think through before appointing the team is apparent, journalists suffer from an exaggerated self view is not in doubt anymore. Role assigned was that of listening and reporting, role being performed is that of a policy maker with little or no expertise in the area of International relations or the finesse of diplomatese. Yes the debate has been ignited and more will join in. The fact is last evening on TimesNow. Mr.Saifuddin Soz of Congress did concede that perhaps the purpose would have been better served if Mr.Dileep Padgaonkar had not made the remarks. Is this not an indictment of the interlocutor and those who appointed him?

True to form Mr. Vinod Sharma in his blog “Kashmir’s molehills” is being sanctimonious as is his wont. “I’ve never doubted the BJP’s patriotism. What’s suspect is the wisdom it deploys to pursue national interest it tends to see through the prism of Hindutva.” How on earth does he believe that a certification from him is desired or required by BJP. His preference for Congress is not hidden from anyone one of us, yet he for some unknown reasons lives in denial of this fact.

The entire exercise of engaging the various sections of the society in the valley has been vitiated by this one statement and thereafter the obdurate defense mounted by Mr. Padgaonkar. There is a serious need of addressing the grievances of the population of Jammu and Kashmir, not just the valley. Responding to BJP’s objections is the last thing that should occupy the mind of Mr. Padgaonkar he is neither a spokesperson of the Government of India nor is he a partyman of Congress. BJP is a National Party, besides also the principal opposition party and is mandated to question the actions of the Government and its appointed agents.

Task on hand is onerous to digress from it would be detrimental to the well being of the people of the state of Jammu and Kashmir and India at large. Egos must be kept firmly in check accolades may warm your cockles, criticism is the reverse side of the same coin and does raise your heckles. The added dimension of the anti India tirade by Arundhati Roy and Geelani in Delhi and the coming together of various supporters of disaffected groups on a single platform are portends of difficult times ahead. An over eager neighbour as Pakistan so willing to not just fish but actively support and direct anti India actions makes it all the more imperative for these interlocutors to be focused on their brief , enabling establishment of a lasting peace for the distressed people of Jammu and Kashmir and the valley in particular.

In conclusion if the barometer for disapproval of Mr. Padgaonkar’s remarks and the anti India hate speeches is the Twitter and WWW.Then the judgment is unanimous in both cases. This is Mr. Mishra's take "@rk_misra UPA should realize that even a hint of giving-up on J&K will lead to upheaval & blood bath as we saw during partition. Nation won't accept.”

Ignore the interactive people at your own peril.

Practice what you preach!!

2010-10-22T18:15:00.004+05:30

Profundity attached to the act of banning a book is incomprehensible. I have never been a supporter of this. Once a book is published and released in public domain it stays in circulation. What purpose does this ban serve? The current issue is of removal of a book from syllabus, the Cabal is out in full force remonstrating loss of Freedom of Expression. More often than not they are guilty of transgressions on this account. We have been at the receiving end, when our comments have either been deleted, or have stayed unpublished, not because we said something outrageous or offensive, we simply did not match their pitch.

In the present case the debate is not why the book was withdrawn? The initiator is unacceptable to select few in our society. I have stated my two bits worth and leave it to each and every reader to reach their own conclusions.

“Sab ko ek annkh se dekhna” is an idiom in Hindi for the benefit of those who may not be conversant with this language; it roughly translates to equal treatment. Those who thrive on Black humor would be tempted to treat this as a call to remove an eye of all human beings. More so of liberal secular fanatics, on account of public bawling by them, on withdrawal of the book; “Such a Long Journey” by Rohinton Mistry from Mumbai University syllabus by its VC Mr. Rajan Welukar.

“This is what India’s greatest city has come to. A gawky 20-year-old history student looking for an event to accompany his impending break into politics asks the vice-chancellor (VC) of one of India’s greatest universities to withdraw an award-winning novel that’s been on the syllabus since 2007. Within 24 hours, the VC cravenly complies with the absurd demand. The young man is Aditya Thackeray, son of Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray and student of Mumbai’s famed St Xavier’s College.” So begins Mr. Samar Halarnkar in Hindustan Times his article Who’s your daddy?

Mr. Vir Sanghvi has also published a blog in Hindustan time today on the same subject.Freedom of expression isn’t something we value Who Mr. Sanghvi goes on to say “without the right to offend, the right to free speech would be useless. If everybody approved of everything you said, then why would you need a constitutional guarantee of free speech? If nobody was offended, then nobody would complain.” Well would that not be just great for all of us in this world.

We are not dependent on the printed versions anymore; we have been liberated from this limiting factor. So does it really make sense to be going to town about a ban on a book? Which we can, and will access via the net, should we desperately desire to read the same.

In order to reach the crux of the matter we would have to understand, what are these people objecting about, is it that the book was withdrawn? Is it that a 20year old Thackeray is involved? Is it that the book has not been banned, so that they could throw vigorous, and prolonged tantrums in full public view?

Televisions channels have also been seized of this and have debated on this subject, results achieved are not along expected lines; Chief Minister of Maharashtra has thrown his weight on the side of the young man.

This brigade; of liberal secular fanatics who are vociferously protesting the lack of Freedom of expression are prone to selective amnesia of incidents, and individuals involved. They are guilty of employing deplorable language towards democratically elected head of a state in India. They practice most intensive censorship; anything that does not match their line of thought is summarily discarded by them. Those who are brave enough to take them on by way of Blogging or through Twitter are referred to in derogatory terms to the extent of being labeled as “Internet Hindus” without bothering to verifying if person follows Hinduism or any other religion.

Some of these votaries have exceeded all civil limits and have even threatened legal action against Blogger from other countries, who dared to criticize them. While one of their breed tweeted in the most disgusting and abhorrent manner about Lord Ram being a divine encroacher before the Ayodhaya verdict. Not a peep was heard from anyone of these self styled Knights in Shining Armour of Freedom of Expression against this dispicable act, guess it is time that one eye of theirs is closed so that, they are not accused of selectivity of the kind that they practice.

Their angst is not towards the book being dropped from the University Curriculum, it is the person who is being credited with the deed. The political outfit is not of their choice emergence of another young gun from a different stable is seen as a threat to their favourite son from their favourite political setup.

These worthies will gladly supplicate before one son. The new son on the horizon gives them the hebbie jebbies!

List of books banned in India is long, there are also instances when the Government of the day has passed laws to overturn judgments of Supreme Court of India e.g. Shah Bano, so this seems an extremely motivated and suspect exercise of shedding copious tears. Others right to Freedom of Expressions should be respected by this gang before they demand it for themselves. Let us convert into one eyed beings, if we do not have the capacity for accommodating differing views.

“Please do not politicize the issue.”

2010-10-20T20:21:00.004+05:30

October has been significantly hectic, events have unfolded with great speed. We are through with the Navratri, the Durga Puja and the Vijay Dashmi. There is the phenomenon of 5Fridays, 5Saturdays and 5Sundays in this month, then there was 10-10-10, and at 8.10PM we shall witness yet another 2010 2010.

Yes we did have a great Common wealth Games, but now it is back to business of corruption in organizing these games, elections in Bihar, political upheaval in Karnataka, emergence of yet another Son on the political scene. Twitter and the net are abuzz with a minute to minute update as the events unfold.

As always the focus of this blog will be politics and role of media. Both of which have a profound effect on our lives!

Every time the newscaster or host of a debate on prime time TV show throws this line “Please do not politicize the issue.” at the spokes person of political party, I am most intrigued by it. What does the host or the moderator of the show means by this? Spokesperson of a political party will speak on issues with a political perspective; how can one expect the doctor to prescribe medicines without diagnosis.

The multi agency probe has commenced into the alleged corruption in CWG, last afternoon the media went into overdrive once the news of raids on BJP functionary Sudhanshu Mittal’s office and residence broke out, their jubilations could best be compared with that of young child who receives his first box of fire crackers. The scam involves a sum of Rs 70,000 crores as per reports which have been appearing in the print and electronic media.

If one was not used to Indian media he/she would have believed that the entire case had been solved in a single raid on this Mr. Mittal. As things have turned out Mr. Mittal claims that the value of contract signed by his company are to the tune of Rs 29 Lakhs or under Rs.3 million as against the colossal sums allegedly involved in the entire scam.

Cynicism is all pervasive, visit any website of any Indian newspaper people are apprehensive that this multi agency probe will deliver nothing, we need a more comprehensive and visible team to investigate the crime. Worst is that those who are under a cloud are Ministers in the present Government and the agencies investigating are also under the direct control of the Government of the day, will justice be done or will the routine follow.

There are commentators and newspapers who are asking Indians for patience, people are questioning the rationale of this multi agency probe, our history is replete with scams and against those the column which should depict the number of people punished and duration of punishment is blank. Yes there has been no conviction of a politician in last 63years. Congress party is in the eye of storm, media is extremely congress friendly and hence there is added disquiet that all this will be hushed up with more than liberal assistance from the media. Patience with the people is in short supply, we want results and fast that is the message that is being sent out loud and clear. It is for the powers that be who must heed before this cynicism converts into indifference for the media, congress and its Government.

We are seeking accountability and more than that is identifying and punishing the guilty. Our past experiences are not giving us hope and that is why Indians are agitated.

sheila_shitdik If you have seen a funnier collection of #CWG cartoons than If you have seen a funnier collection of #CWG cartoons than these please let me know please let me know. #commonwealth

Aditya Thackeray is the new kid on the block from Shiv Sena in Maharashtra politics, grandson of Shri.Bala Saheb Thackeray. His emergence has been dramatic as can be, he has been credited with withdrawal of Rohinton Mistry’s Such a Long Journey, published in 1991, which has been on Mumbai University’s English syllabus for a few years now. He chanced upon a few unflattering references to his political patrimony, it was summarily excised from the curriculum. Mumbai University Vice Chancellor Rajan Welukar leapt to action in 24 hours, in order to placate the Sena’s student wing, and using emergency powers at his disposal.

This has been hotly debated by a TV channel which even interviewed the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, who incidentally concurred with young Thackeray, much to the charge in of the host of that channel. There are umpteen numbers of cases of books being banned by the Union or State Governments. Somehow our secular liberal brigade; goes into overdrive moment it reads or hears Shiv Sena, BJP or NDA. There seems to be a serious genetic disorder with these self professed guardians of our liberal secularism.

There are multiple ways of viewing all issues, as also different opinions need to have equal space in our country. We vehemently object to the world view of the few which is being attempted to be pushed down our throats.

Mirror Mirror on the wall expose this face before all.

2010-10-09T15:58:00.014+05:30

Hindustan Times should be commended for it efforts and yeoman service, it is rendering towards promoting journalism in India, it has for all practical purposes converted this publication into a Hyde Park of this field, any individual with the most minuscule of pretentions of being a journalist is afforded unfettered opportunity to unleash his/her spiel on the unsuspecting readers.

“A half-way house” by Mr.Rajdeep Sardesai, being the latest fruit of that labor!

“Today, there are more than 120 news channels. The frenzied competition among channels has been brilliantly caricatured in Peepli Live, but ironically, the manic nature of the medium may well have acted as a round-the-clock watchdog when the Ayodhya judgment was delivered last week, thereby ensuring that there was no place for any potential trouble-maker to hide. That a majority of news channels consciously shied away from projecting extremist voices is also a sign that amid the madness of the news whirl, there is still some space for restraint and responsible journalism.”

Granted there are more than 120 news channels, agreed there is intense competition. At this point we would have to part ways. Author has gone on a flight of fanciful, self delusional overstatements which flies in the face of ground realities. The medium is perceived to be a watch dog, fact is it is a pet poodle of a particular political party and its ideology. Just as there are others catering to the same master and it grand plans.

This ostensible watch dog, watches all events however reports selectively, which are beneficial to its master. Convenient arguments, twists are added to emphasis, sway public sentiment in a direction preselected to the detriment of those who are to be maligned or presented negatively to fit the larger picture and the grand plan.

Point by point rebuttal of all the claims is feasible; temptation to indulge in such an act is also high. Monotony of such an exercise would diminish the import of the points that are the main focus of this blog.

However will pose two questions, before proceeding to the crux of the matter.

1. Why has this watch dog not been able to reduce corruption?

2. How many individual have tasted their just fruits at hand of the law for their misdeeds? Due to the efforts of this watch dog!

Let us explore just two points, one efficacy of this watch dog in reporting and preventing events which have profound effects on the society. Second being the restraint exercised which calls for applauding its role in pre & post Ayodhya verdict period.

Who can forget the extensive reporting and prime time debates on Switzerland disallowing building of minarets for a mosque in that country, overlooking the fact that the citizens of that country delivered their verdict in a referendum conduct by the government of a sovereign nation as envisaged in its constitution, and again when France opted to ban the use of Burkha in public. Both nations are democracies older than us. Alacrity with which these two incidents were dubbed as Islamophobia, by this channel and others, the shrillness of their reporting made them out to as fanatical as the Jihadis who are being shunned by their own community. Would we be wrong if we were to label the author and his ilk as secular Fundamentalists?

Now let us contrast this with the events they chose to ignore. There was a deafening silence on this event there was no mention what so ever.

“2010 Deganga riots: 24 North Parganas West Bengal India.
From Wikipedia,the free encyclopedia The 2010 Deganga riots began on 6th September when an Islamist mob resorted to arson and violence on the Hindu localities of Deganga, Kartikpur and Beliaghata under the Deganga police station area. The violence began late in the evening and continued throughout the night into the next morning. The district police, Rapid Action Force, Central Reserve Police Force and Border Security Force all failed to stop the mob violence, army was finally deployed. The army staged a flag march on the Taki Road, while Islamist violence continued unabated in the interior villages off the Taki Road, till Wednesday in spite of army presence and promulgation of prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CrPC. The violence finally calmed down on 9th September after hundreds of Hindu business establishments and residences were looted, destroyed and burnt, dozens of Hindus were severely injured and several Hindu temples desecrated and vandalized by the Islamist mobs led by Trinamul Congress MP Haji Nurul Islam.”

You judge for yourself if this watch dog was making the right type of sounds for the first two events and if it was looking in the wrong direction and was suffering from a serious bout of cold that it did not open its mouth.

The other point is about the restraint shown by the media.

What do you have to say to this, did your stomach not knot up in disgust, where is your sense of restraint and sensitivity? What kind of an example is being set by placing such thoughts in public domain, what will be the effect on the young of this country? How would your children react to this? The individual in question is not just an employee of your channel, but also your spouse. What action have you taken? Why have you not apologized to the nation for this? Oh please do not tell us Freedom of expression; that incidentally stops where our nose begins, this is a straight hard punch on our collective nose.

Do not misappropriate what belongs to the people of this country, self congratulatory article, patting your own back for a job well done is premature and misplaced. Leave this to us the people to pass our judgment on your role and its effectiveness.

This is the latest update on CNNIBN. 12/17/2010

: CNN-IBN in row over "fake" Twitter comments Nowhere to hide everything is coming apart.

@barkhadalal @saikatd @sardesairajdeep is still lying.

CNN IBN’s “apology” What purpose will this serve?

I welcome a debate and discussion on this…As always, please keep your tone civil, your language polite…no sweeping generalisations please and no personal abuse. Thank you.

Postman disagrees with contents of the letter.

2010-10-07T19:26:00.003+05:30

India has won. It is a great victory that is what we heard after the 1st test match at Mohali. India’s Gold Medals rush at the Common Wealth games say the headlines of newspapers. TV channels also echoing this. Magnificent opening ceremony to the Common Wealth Games in Delhi! India and Indians won on the 30th of September 2010. No one seems to be celebrating that. WHY?

Yes the Ayodhya verdict. The litigants accepted the verdict without any show of emotions of either triumph or dismay. There was no gloating from BJP, VHP, RSS and the other usual suspects as we have been repeatedly told by the media since 1992. Nor was there any shrill cry from the other side. Some political parties like the SP of Mulayam Singh Yadav, RJD of Lalu Prasad Yadav, LJP of Ram Vilas Paswan have made noises in order to exploit the verdict, Congress has displayed its traditional wishy washy stance.

Indians by nature are emotional and expressive, more so when it is an emotive issue of religion. Collectively we have displayed extreme equanimity, grace and maturity. There has not been a single report of an untoward incident from across the length and breadth of the country, which is very unusual, yet a more than welcome change. A clarion call from the common man, move on, no more divisiveness. No more debating Secularism Vs Communalism.

The discordant note in all this is emanating from the messenger that is the main stream English media. The common refrain is do not shoot the messenger, in present case its role is highly suspect, there is a concerted and deliberate attempt being made to project the Allahabad High Court verdict as being seriously flawed by intent, to the detriment of the Muslim rights and community. Is the media competent to sit on judgment of the verdict? Is it its brief and in fitness of things? Why is it indulging and overreaching? What is the purpose of this explicit exercise of negating the verdict of the Hon Allahbad High Court, as also the message from the people of this country?

It leads us to believe that a gory blood bath on the streets of India was the expectations of the media and it is deeply disappointed that the average Indian has fooled all these journalists who were looking for a field day/days of mayhem and violence…so they could have continued their cry on “secularism in danger’ “majority mafia rule” “Islam in danger” and the usual attack. We should congratulate the average Indian that he has now the capability to decide what is best for him and not listen to the doomsayers.

The question that is uppermost in our minds is, why have the TV channels rummaged so deep into their moth balled trunks to bring out old relics who described the judgment disparagingly? Why are aspersions being cast on the Judges involved? There are many more questions that we seek and need answers to from the media for its unremitting negative role since the 30th of September 2010. One article a day in the print has been the norm since then, not one of these authors has presented to us a balanced view or a cogent basis, so that we may move from our present position, the judgment provides an opportunity to move forward, we do not wish the millstone to be round a neck anymore.

Castigating personalities, specific media channels, and publications is not the intent though it would satisfy temporarily; nor is the purpose to delve superficially or propound a theory which would not stand scrutiny of logic and be dismissed as fanciful flight of imagination of an individual. Indian is bemused he is finding it difficult to differentiate between the Jihadis and these “Secular fundamentalists.”

Why should we not examine the media as per the below mentioned criteria? Permit me to place before you the readers something significant which I came across recently.

“Are Businessmen Smarter Than Children?”

According to the research of Lawrence Kohlberg, children at around the age of ten progress to a higher level of moral understanding moving from consequence thinking to considering the intent behind the action.. I quote: At approximately the same time–10 or 11 years–children’s moral thinking undergoes other shifts. In particular, younger children base their moral judgments more on consequences, whereas older children base their judgments on intentions. When, for example, the young child hears about one boy who broke 15 cups trying to help his mother and another boy who broke only one cup trying to steal cookies, the young child thinks that the first boy did worse. The child primarily considers the amount of damage–the consequences–whereas the older child is more likely to judge wrongness in terms of the motives underlying the act (Piaget, 1932, p. 137).

There are six stages in Kohlberg’s theory:
1) Obedience and Punishment Orientation
2) Individualism and Exchange
3) Good Interpersonal Relationships
4) Maintaining the Social Order
5) Social Contract and Individual Rights
6) Universal Principles

For now we will ignore all other stages and focus on stage 4.

Level 4 thinking means a person begins to consider “society as whole” as a factor in moral decision making. Breaking the law, damaging the environment, treating people badly, acting in the interest of a foreign government or corporation or trading partner to the detriment of your own country, etc. are acts that damage society as a whole. A businessman willing to maximize profit at all costs with this level of moral development has to believe that the long term benefits of illegal and unethical actions will produce in the long term a better society or embrace simple villainy as a way of life.

It would be fitting for all of us to look deep into the motives that have driven the media to it current stance. Judgments maybe formed on independent basis as it would be grossly unfair on my part to enforce my views or opinions as per my perceptions. Yes media handling of the issue has left much to be desired. After all it is the fourth pillar of our vibrant democracy, given the extensive interactivity, need for restrained reaction cannot but be emphasized, propagation of a unidimensional picture is not in the larger interest of the Nation.

In conclusion, this was by far the most disgusting way of expressing oneself it appeared on twitter “Lord Ram A Divine Encroacher.” The author of this tweet is yet to issue an apology to us. Media is but a ‘Postman’ and not a party to the title suit hence obduracy displayed by it is misplaced and uncalled for.

Link to some of the article published from 1st Oct onwards.
1. Shaving grace?
2. "Are we not free yet?"
3. Could a better deal have been struck two decades ago?
4. "Full Tosss"
5. "No triumphalism"

Thank you Mr. James Pilant for permitting me to use material from your blog “Are Businessmen Smarter Than Children?”