Wednesday, December 8, 2010

2010 Varanasi Terror Blast

Last weekend, we went to a specialty restaurant near Jama Masjid in Delhi. The restaurant was very close to the Masjid and we could see people on its stairs. Then I noticed something. There were big posters fixed on the walls of the Masjid, which said, “Kahin Hum Bhool Na Jayen (Let us not Forget) – Babri Masjid Demolition”. I remembered the day – it was one day before 6th of December. Those who would have erected the posters, would be feeling great about it – may be they would have raised charity to get the posters printed. And what would the posters achieve? Some hatred and some trouble – for all.
 
On that day, I wondered why not someone printed and erected posters and banners saying, “Kahin Hum Bhool Na Jayen (Let us not Forget) – Babar’s Ram Temple Demolition”. Since Babri Temple was constructed at the ruins of a Hindu Temple, it was an un-Islamic structure – as experts say. But those who want to spread hatred in the society – and claim to hold power among Indian Muslims – hardly care for “righteousness”. All they care about is their own sources of income. A lot would be coming from funds raised from Indian Muslims, and a lot more from across the border.
 
Today’s newspaper tells there was a Blast near a Hindu Temple in the holy city of Varanasi. It was carried out by Indian Muzahiddin to avenge deconstruction of controversial Babri building. A young child has died and dozens are injured. I am not surprised. If our government supports the ‘hatred mongers’ in erecting those avenging posters and banners – a sample of which I saw near Jama Masjid – we would get only such hateful and disastrous incidents in return. When all power in India lies in the hands of a lady which has no accountability, and the man holding responsibility has no real power; our future remains at stake.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Friends of Bihar

Here is very interesting news.
 
In Nitish’ backroom, students from Harvard, IIT and TISS
 
It started with a student from Bihar at Harvard with a question as ambitious as it was simple: How can the leadership evolve in a predictable manner, not left to genetics or accident? The question had a specific context. It was encouraged by the spectacular turnaround story scripted by Nitish Kumar back home, evidence of the difference that good leadership can make. Beginning January 2010, when he came to Patna on a month’s break, Ghanshyam Tiwari’s question grew in size and reach. Soon, it drew a team around it. Eventually, it became a shared seven-month project that fed into Nitish’s poll campaign. The “Bihar leadership project” is one of the small untold stories of this election that was all about new things happening in the state.
 
Also visit: http://beta.friendsofbihar.org/

Is Sonia not a Roman Catholic?

Should a national level politician holding stakes in the government disclose one’s personal detail, when asked by the public? UPA head Sonia Gandhi or her children don’t really believe in this.
 
High Court dismisses appeal seeking information on Sonia Gandhi’s religion

Press Trust of India, Updated: November 29, 2010
 
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday dismissed an appeal seeking details of the “religion and faith” of UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and her children under the RTI Act, saying the petitioner was trying to encroach on their privacy.
 
“It is evident that the petitioner is making efforts to make unjustified inroads into the privacy of the individuals even if they are public figure and consequently the information cannot be made public,” a division bench of the High Court said.
 
Former Haryana DGP PC Wadhwa had sought details of “religion and faith” mentioned by Sonia Gandhi and her children during the last census under the Right to Information Act from the Central Public Information Officer (CIO) of the office of Registrar General, Census Operations, under the Union Home Ministry.
 

I want to make two points here:
 
1) Compare this case with the USA where world’s best functioning democracy exists. Here is what current President Mr. Obama said, publically: “I’ve been to the same church – the same Christian church – for almost 20 years,” Obama said, stressing the word Christian and drawing cheers from the faithful in reply. “I was sworn in with my hand on the family Bible.” he said. (Ref: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22767392/ns/politics-decision_08/ ) So what makes Obama confident enough to declare his “personal” faith in public, while in India, we have to file an RTI request and still get rejected to know the “personal” faith of Sonia or Rahul Gandhi? Our democracy should think about it.
 
2) Congress party and UPA government supported the idea of “Caste Census” which is scheduled now at the expense of Crores of rupees. The census would gather data on people’s religion and castes. The exercise is done at the request (or threat) of casteist politicians like Mulayam and Laloo. The census is done so that the politicians can know the castes (and religion) of the masses. If it is proper; should not it be done the otherwise too? Don’t the masses deserve to know the religion and caste of their leaders, if they are made to reveal their “personal” religion and castes in front of the politicians?
 
I think we have a long way to become a proper democracy. At present our democracy is lost to suit the needs of one dynasty.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Bihar assembly elections 2010

The BJP-JDU alliance has won the Bihar assembly elections 2010 in a manner which would be remembered in the history. Together, the alliance has won 206 out of 243 seats.
 
The JD(U) and the BJP won 115 and 91 seats as against 87 and 55 seats respectively in the October 2005 polls. The JD(U) had contested 141 seats and the BJP the remaining 102. The RJD-LJP alliance, led by Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav, won just 25 seats. The Congress, which contested all 243 constituencies and raised hopes for itself, won just four seats as opposed to the nine it had won in the 2005 polls. Ref: https://www.deccanchronicle.com/node/200324
 

There are many messages out of the results. But the most important in my opinion is that people care for all round development, irrespective of who is doing it. Nitish Kumar had done a wonderful job in the last 5 years and people of Bihar knew that and hence rewarded him. BJP had been a responsible partner and a national party, which anyway has a strong base in the state. It reflected in a 90% success factor for its candidates, which is seldom seen for any party in any state.
 
I don’t agree with a section of media’s assertion that BJP performed so well because it compromised on Hindutva demands, e.g. it didn’t send Mr. Narendra Modi to campaign in Bihar. I believe that the same results or better would have come if Narendra Modi campaigned in Bihar – because this time people had a strong resolve to support the present government because of the development work it had done. Irrespective of religion, caste or any other dividing factor, everyone likes development and prosperity – and this message is nothing new for anyone. Just that this time it surprised the cynics.
 
The results have also proven that Rahul Gandhi’s campaigns and his childish statements (e.g. against RSS in order to garner Muslim votes) would not stand anywhere, until the state government is doing its job properly.
 
In a way, Bihar has shown a way for all parties and all governments. I don’t say that Nitish Kumar has pioneered it. It was proven by Narendra Modi in Gujarat – people from all sections voted for him because they saw in him a true leader for the interests of his state. Every time Narendra Modi asks for votes, he simply asks his reward for doing so much development. Nitish did the same thing, and won.
 
We can hope that all the political parties and governments would learn lessons from the success of NDA (BJP-JDU) government in Bihar and would look at their performance card rather than making some discriminating policies for appeasement of sections, in order to win votes.

The Shame of 2G Scam

2G Scam is worth Rs 1700000000000. That is Rs 1.7 Lakh Crores. Who is responsible for it? Many. But the list would start with the telecom minister Mr. A. Raja. The irony is that he is still in his chair. Reason? His party supports one of the most honest men to retain his chair of PM. Do people of India win in the end – corrupt ministers costing it billions while honest Prime Minister sits on his chair? We know the answer.
 
The BJP says that the PM is guilty of not taking a firm stand on 2G issue. The accusation is right.
 
“Prime Minister is guilty of culpability of not taking a stand firmly and not acting beforehand before the damage was done. He is guilty of it and we are charging that,” BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar told reporters outside Parliament.
 
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/PM-guilty-of-not-taking-a-firm-stand-on-2G-issue-BJP-/articleshow/6988182.cms#ixzz16ILh1BVL
 
The Supreme Court asks the CBI why it didn’t questioned A Raja. It knows the answer but needs evidence.
 
The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the CBI why the agency has not questioned former telecom minister A Raja and his secretary in connection with the 2G spectrum scam. “The CAG report is replete with remarks about direct involvement of A Raja in the irregularities,” observed the SC bench.
 
The scam has attained new heights when some Congress-friendly journalists have been found to have played a curious role. We suspected, and now we have proof.
 
Two high-profile journalists, Barkha Dutt and Vir Sanghvi, whose names figure in the tapes, have also been internet and TV celebrities of sorts. But their images have taken a severe battering online since the Open and Outlook magazines published on their websites the tapes of their separate conversations with corporate lobbyist Niira Radia. In the tapes, the journalists are heard promising Radia help for her cause of getting A Raja the telecom portfolio again in the UPA 2 government by talking to their Congress contacts.
 
The dimensions of 2G Scam may be many, but I am sure about two things. Our Prime Minister must have known something and didn’t act in time. He has to face the nation. Secondly, the nation is fed up of corruption and scandals involving our grand old national party – INC. It is high time the party should introspect. Sonia Gandhi should even consider the option of dissolving it – after all, she came to join INC to do something good for it and the nation, not to see the party become the most corrupt political party in this world.