Let the Doves prevail!

Yes, we did !! Indeed, the whiff of “ Yes, we can”, could be felt even before the bullets tried in vain to scare the enthusiastic voter away! The people of the nation had made up their mind. They were determined and no amount of bullying could deter them! “Yes, we did it” ! shouts a beaming a young Pakistani as he watches the nations flags fluttering proudly! Earlier Indian films and music found favour with the Pakistanis, but this time shades of Karnataka elections could be seen as the PPP was decimated beyond recognition a la BJP style! Not just Karnataka, India seems to have influenced the outcome in a big way. Imran Khan became the Anna Hazare , raising the torch of Anti Corruption, but regrettably, with limited success. Coalitions of India have followed them with no single party emerging with outright majority though Nawaz Sharif might just cross the line. Different governments in provinces will be the Achilles heels in the days to come. And governance is bound to suffer. Hence, rejoicings in India may be either premature or short-lived. If we do not go into premeditated and willing amnesia, we would remember that Nawaz Sharif was the spirit behind the Kargil misadventure. Allegations of rigging may never be proved and the nation has to accept the results as they are. Yes, it is acknowledged that the route to ruling Pakistan goes through Punjab where around 55% of the parliament comes from there. Probably a couple of decades back, Nawaz had chanted “Jaag Punjabi Jaag”! Punjabis have woken up 20 years late! Although there was mass hysteria about Captain Khan, the reality was that he was still a novice in the art of politics. Imran Khan certainly inspired the youth but then not all youth are voters and not all voters are youth. Then the rural youth has a different perspective and they are followers of preconceived notions, prejudices and biases. Voting in rural Pakistan is also like rural India. Vote for all factors other than efficiency, honesty and integrity. Money power, muscle power and regional power powers the voter to take decisions that are suicidal not only for himself but for his community, his society, his nation. I have always said that democracy sans literacy and drenched in poverty is an albatross that sinks you deeper into the quicksand. The more you try to extricate yourself, the more doomed you are. Democracy needs education and enlightenment Democracy is no panacea for ills unless literacy is the guiding force. Until then, criminals will continue to get elected under the garb of politicians. It is indeed unfortunate that Pakistan’s politics is like that of Tamil Nadu. Either Jaya Lalita or Karunanidhi! Tahreek-e-Insaf party did flatter to deceive! If Pakistan has to benefit from this current flirt with Democracy, then the people of the nation have to learn to be honest and then practice honesty. They need to ensure that Nawaz delivers by piling on sustained pressure on the government. Being an eternal optimist, I expect the provincial governments of PPP, PTI (possible) to pressurize the central government by doing good work in their regions. It is expected that conservatives will call the shots in the coming days. Not only at the national level but also in the provinces. Captain Imran has the most unenviable task of balancing the drone riddled Khyber Pakhtun khan. He has to now walk the rather bold and aggressive talk. This is a wonderful opportunity for neighbouring India to not only provide stability to a floundering democracy but also to ensure minimum reliance on extreme and fringe elements. Business with Pakistan should be based on hard realities and not sentiments of the rightists. Let the doves prevail over the hawks and create a unique and pleasant Indo-Pak history!

Raja Bhaiyya, Modi and the Pup

Yesterday three things caught my attention. One was Raja Bhaiyya, the other was Modi and the last one was a beautiful German shepherd pup next door whining all night in his new home. Much as the little pup attracts me, I have to focus on the two “honourable” men as they have been making decibels the whole day yesterday. All the TV channels had forgotten their ‘Pups’ and latched on to these two who made headlines for reasons best known to them. Intriguingly enough, I found a fair similarity between Raja bhaiyya and Modi. Both are famous(infamous) in their own territory and they wield power which is unique to them. Both are politicians. Both have won their elections in our free democracy. Both claim to be leaders of the masses. Both are feared in their regions and both have scant respect for democratic functioning. And yes, one more. None of them have been convicted in any court of law across India! But perhaps, the long arm of law shall catch up sooner or later…… Now, let’s focus on Modi. One must confess that the he has hired one of the best PR honchos for his upliftment( remember Adnan Sami’s Lift kara dey…?) All kinds of Gurus are busy in “Lift kara dey” for Modi. And I am not looking at the volume of moolah that must have flowed to achieve what we are seeing! Now, this latest brouhaha over Wharton is very fascinating! Just see the bigger picture…The Students body of Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania invited Modi as one of the keynote speakers at the prestigious meet scheduled to be held on March 23 in Philadelphia. However, the management has reservations over his inclusion in the speakers' list and asked for his name to be dropped. One must note that it was NOT the University that had invited Modi! And they are well within their rights to review a decision taken by the students. And since there was almost three weeks, they cancelled the invite. Is there anything wrong??? I do suppose they must have expressed regrets or apologies for the cancellation. Why are we wailing our heads off? One Chetan Bhagat comes on TV and says that this is not fair, another Suresh Prabhu says that this is disrespect to India!! I wonder what they see that I cannot. And I am not short sighted, at least, as yet. Bhagat should know that this is the privilege of the host to invite or cancel( yes, with due courtesy). When Modi was invited, did he seek the permission of the Govt of India? No! This was a very personal decision. So, why poke barbs at the government that this is a huge disrespect to the nation!! This was a personal invite and it should have remained so. Why waste the time of the nation? And this should be realized by the overzealous TV anchors. Adani withdraws from Wharton. Well, he had to. After all, past favours need to show up for future continuity. And now to Minister Raja bhaiyya. He too is crying foul! Claims innocence! But ask Mrs Haq….the wife of the slain cop. Similarity with Zakia Jaffrey is purely coincidental? But the poor Pup. His cries attract none. Tied and threatened, his whining becomes faint. I get the feeling of Déjà vu!

Modi can change the equation

Once again Narender Modi is in the news. And this time it is for some very different reasons. And he is enjoying every bit of the media clamour for him! He is already strutting around as the next PM of India! Well, why not? After all, he is a citizen of India and has every reason to visualize his future. And also because there is acute shortage of leaders and issues in the BJP. They are bereft of genuine leadership and issues on which they can lay a claim to run the nation. Modi comes in handy. Being controversial helps at times. You may hate him, you may detest him but you cannot ignore him! And this is where Modi has emerged as the front runner for 2014 hustings. Honestly, I do not see a scenario where Modi becomes the PM. Probably even he knows it. But it is a good ploy from many aspects. Firstly, it sort of cuts down the light weight( but voluminous) leaders who pretend to be heavy weights! Then, it gives them a chance to polarize the nation. And this suits the BJP. They all know that the NDA allies will not accept Modi as a PM candidate. They may ultimately accept him if the numbers allow, is a different matter. But, none would like to begin the campaign with this perspective. Today BJP is celebrating Modi. They are smart. They have killed two birds with one stone. They have thrown the cat amidst the pigeons. Also they have thrown an issue to the general public at large and now they wait to see which result suits them…the pigeons being slaughtered or the public swallowing the pill! Nitesh Kumar is under pressure and test. BJP is assessing what they gain of Modi declared PM even if they loose Nitesh. Nitesh is in a quandary and Laloo has rubbed it in already by asking Nitesh to make his stand clear. Congress waits and watches. After repeated hara-kiri attempts, the UPA has still survived and may well survive if Modi is declared PM candidate and Nitesh walks away to the UPA camp.

Gujarat was always a model of excellence!

Gujarat always a model of industrial excellence

Persistent and unrelenting denial of a reality coupled with loose and inaccurate figures , is the dream of people following Dr Joseph Goebbels, the Propaganda manager of Hitler. This Goebbellian approach does not serve the purpose any more for the world has changed and people have moved on to effectively separate the truth from propaganda. One Mr.Sahil believes that nothing has been proved against Modi. Sure, yes, we know that. One must remember that even murder cases in India take years to come to their logical conclusions. Law will deliver justice. If not today, then tomorrow even in Trial courts of Gujarat. By the way, Sahil, Why were so many cases shifted out of Gujarat? You know the answer. Let me add that though the matter is sub judice, the public perception is that Modi has failed to protect his citizens when criminals raved in glee.The other is one Mr.Somalya
To both the Goebbelians in context, Gujarat has always been a state with a positive attitude towards business. Nothing new. A double digit growth rate has been seen in the 90’s. Entrepreneurs and huge companies have dotted the Gujarat business horizon since ages. Multiple business ventures of the Ambanis, Amul group, Ahmedabad-based Dishman Pharma, , Zydus Cadila, founded in 1952, is one of the top five pharma companies in India with a turnover of(Rs 37 billion) today, the Rs 35.50 billion Nirma group , the Sandesara group with a market valuation of about $6.5 billion , Rs 27,000 crore Ahmedabad-based Adani Group, $2.02 billion worth Torrent Pharma, multi million $ worth Arvind Limited (formerly The Arvind Mills Ltd.) , $455 million AIA Engineering Ltd was incorporated in March 1991, Electrotherm (India) , Sintex Industries has grown to an over Rs 3,200 crore (Rs 32 billion) company , the Indian Institute of Management, the institute of Rural Management, the introduction and growth of Cooperatives and so on. How many more do I have to name!!!!! And finally, Ahmedabad has been known as the Manchester of the East long before one Mr.Modi appeared on the horizon! Let us give credit to the illustrious Gujaratis who have been exemplary since ages! Modi has just flown with the tide. He has been like any other normal leader. Mr. Somalya should get his facts correct before heaping unwarranted eulogies. He sounds like a hollow vessel with a cracked base . Every state in India has progressed in the last couple of decades-some more some less. This is because India as a nation has gown by leaps and bounds. Growth at the Macro level has reflected on the micro level. I hope this settles the issue of Modi being the messiah and the harbinger of industrial excellence in Gujarat and the Sahils and the Somalyas will stop parroting the same.

Now, comes the last issue of Muslims and Modi. As one Director General of police says, “No Rioting can continue beyond 24 hours except if there is complicity of authorities”. And this is very true. What we say to Modi is that why riots were not contained for almost three days!! Either the CM was downright incompetent and did not know what was happening and had no clue as to how to control or he deliberately looked the other way. Somalya can choose whichever option he likes. In both cases, Modi is culpable. This is why we say “ Modi fiddled and twiddled in glee while Gujarat burnt”. Mr. Somalya, two wrongs do not make a right. If Congress party is guilty of rioting, they need to be punished. Just because they failed in 1984 it does not mean Modi can slaughter Muslims and claim innocence. Somalya prescribes that Muslims should forgive and forget. Indeed yes. It should be. But for this, one must see sincere repentance on part of the perpetrator. Is this there? Rather, it is to the contrary! Modi has never been to a single victim’s family or a refugee center, to express regret and pacify the bleeding heart. Did he even try to assuage the feelings of those whose lives have been ripped apart? Somalya, you forgive one who seeks forgiveness…not force it on him! Atal Behari Vajpaee was dismayed and saddened at the atrocities perpetrated. And he expressed that the Rajdharma was not followed. And yet, Somalya praises heaps on that very man whose governance saw hundreds of gallons of blood flow from thousands of innocent children, pregnant women and old and helpless bodies ! What bigoted thinking!

Modi's Charade at it's best!

Modi’s Fast is a Farce

I blame the media for this yet another round of theatrics. It is now a Fashion to fast. And with the 24X 7 media blitz of Anna’s fast, the ground has been prepared for the media hungry polticos! Good for the channels…good for the politicos…but bad for the aam admi! Why the channels are focusing so much on the copy cat? Leave the man alone and see the results. Modi needs Iballs as his daily diet!
Coming to Modi and his farce, a travesty. Did I say Farce ? Just a slip of the tongue….I mean his fast which is aimed at sadhbhavna. What does this mean? To me as a layman, this means “twist the arm further” You understand anything different? Sadhbhavna, as per Modi, is the ability to squeeze the last bit out of the hapless victims. After almost 10 years of taunting the victimized community, he now feels it is time to go for the Jugular. He wants to ensure that those whom he trampled mercilessly should now realize that absolute power lies within his reach and that he will suck the last drop of blood once the case comes to the trial court! Hence, the fast to intimidate and communicate. Modi is in no “pashchatap” mode. He has no regrets, no qualms. Given the opportunity, he would gleefully do the same again! After all, he consolidated the majority votes after his genocide. His face reveals a unique , wry , limited extension of the end of his lips. We cannot call this a smile. It conceals more than what it reveals. In Islam, fasting is for cleansing the heart and mind. If this is the case with Modi, we will support him and forgive him. But alas, this does not seem to be the case. It is just the façade! A charade!
Modi says that he has been exonerated. Really? And how? I am no legal brain but I suppose I can still read English. I read that the court has taken cognizance of the appeal of Mrs. Jafri and felt that, as per the law, let the matter be heard in the trial court, where both the SIT and the Amicus will be given an opportunity. The SC opines that this is the privilege of the trial court. Where is the exoneration? Let me quote Mr.Sanjiv Bhatt, the IPS officer who has dared to speak the truth, “Mrs. Jafri had approached the Honorable Gujarat High Court with a prayer for registering her complaint as an FIR. The said petition was disallowed by the Honourable High Court of Gujarat. Mrs. Jafri, therefore, approached the Honourable Supreme Court of India by way of a Special Leave Petition against the order of the High Court. The Honourable Supreme Court directed the SIT to look into her complaint and subsequently also directed the learned Amicus to examine the evidence collected by the SIT. At the end of this long and arduous exercise the Honourable Supreme Court has not only allowed the Appeal of Mrs. Jafri and directed the SIT to virtually treat the complaint of Mrs. Jafrri as an FIR, but has also directed the SIT to file a report under section 173(2) of the Cr.P.C. Let me clarify for your benefit and for the benefit of your Six crore brothers and sisters of Gujarat, that this report under section 173(2) of the Cr.P.C. is colloquially known as Charge-Sheet or Final Report.” Where does the Supreme Court say that charges by Mrs. Jafri are baseless and hence Modi “ba izzat bari keeye jaate hain”. Has anyone read or heard this? So, from where is the exoneration? Yes, I do suspect that the catch lies elsewhere and for which the celebration under the guise of a fast! Can we hear someone saying, “ab aaya oont pahad kay neechay”?
Yes, Modi is eyeing the centre. He feels that he needs to get out of the state and reach Delhi. But he is in for a rude shock. Not only him, but his sycophants , which includes the grand old Advani. Modi is dishing out meaningless figures boasting of his great entrepreneurial spirit and expertise. He is taking the media for a ride. While speaking to Rahul Kanwal of Headlines Today, he compared the riots of 1969,84,92 with the Gujarat massacre and challenged him why no one speaks of them and only wants to corner him. He actually toyed with Rahul like a kid who did not answer him! A sad commentary on the level of the channel. Let me answer Modi with this simple one liner. “In the cases mentioned by you, NO CHIEF MINISTER WAS DIRECTLY INVOLVED like you were”!!!
He tried to conceal his glee while stressing that he is adroit at all that he touches. Let me ask his cohorts if they have heard of a man by the name of Nitiesh Kumar? If they have, then they should know that he has a better track record of governance that Modi. Kumar has transformed one of the most backward states( Bihar) into a model. He has fought odds to show brilliance. He is the Anna of Bihar and will be backed by the NDA allies( and possibly some BJP leaders also!). Gujarat, on the contrary, has always been more entrepreneurial and has always shown very high growth rates. Even before Modi, double digit growth rates have been recorded. By nature, a Gujrati has been ambitious and hard working. And finally, the nation as a whole has seen a sea change. Just a decade back, communicating from smaller cities was an ordeal; villages were in a world of their own! Transportation was a luxury. Electricity was a rarity. Education was for the elite and few. Today, India has evolved. Naturally, also the states have benefitted. This is not a case wherein the whole nation has been a laggard except Gujarat which has grown by leaps and bounds. So, Modi has done nothing exceptional. He shows no outstanding managerial and organizational skills. He has carried on what he received in legacy…the magnificent spirit of the Gujarati!
Modi needs to sincerely apologize to those whom he trampled. He needs to honestly apologize to the community which gave him mandate ( to become the CM) and was then humiliated ruthlessly. He needs to humbly apologize to the nation which gave him everything and in return he decimated its children and ransacked its gardens.
But there is another view point. An apology will be words only! He can conveniently shed a few crocodile tears and pretend remorse. Justice should be done. And justice means punishment to the guilty. Punishment commensurate to the crime committed. If all criminals plead remorse and walk away , India would have to abort its IPC’s and the Cr.PC’s!

Anna needs to mellow

My sincere apologies to the die hard Anna supporters. I have always professed my appreciation of the issues that Anna raises. But I am not on the same page when it comes to the methods he adopts. He however, is as free as anyone else, to pursue his methods. But they should be based on mutual respect and within the framework of our robust democracy.
I felt that Anna has always had that streak of autocracy in him. Beneath the Gandhi topi rests a very authoritarian mind. It has surfaced before when he dismissed Digvijay Singh as one fit for the mental asylum and is now once again very much visible when he points his pudgy fingers and rolls his eyes and says that those MP’s who have opposed his Jan lok Pal bill, should be identified and then harassed by virtue of “gheraoing” their residence. I consider that as utterly Hitlerian in attitude. This reflects that he is not willing to see any opposition to what he considers is the ultimate truth-either my way or the highway approach. Anna fails to realize that we are a free and a democratic nation and like him, each citizen f India has the right to his own opinion! Why should Anna attempt to “terrorize” others into toeing his line?
I find this ridiculous to the core. Why does he utter diktats? Are we living in a country ruled by Emperor Anna? If the MP’s have not favoured his bill, so what? And why not? They may have a reason for it.Even otherwise, they are free citizens of a free nation. Who is Anna to pass a Pheronic judgment? I have always feared that the so called Gandhians have always betrayed a different hue when they are in their own elements. And this is what bothers me . Anna and his team have bulldozed their way to fame. Yes, the government played further into their hands by mismanaging the Anna fast and the proposed Jan LP Bill. Anna, the simple man from the village, suddenly was propelled to the International pedestal at such a felicity that he probably wondered if he was enjoying a Midsummer Night’s dream or was he Anna in wonderland! Suddenly, he realizes that he carries a clout more powerful than the politician! And then, the thrill of wielding it! Step on it…tells the heart! And this is where I see a conflict between the heart and the mind of a septuagenarian! Not to mention some over zealous advisers who are eager to cash on his growing fame and stature!
But as citizens of India who feel that India is going through very trying times, we feel that Anna needs to exercise caution and wisdom. He has to ensure that the masses who are trusting him are not betrayed by his attitude. India stands at a cross road which is very crucial. We could go in any direction. Anna has raised the issue of corruption and the performance of MP’s. Both are very vital and should not be allowed to fizzle away. He needs to reign in his autocratic leanings and become a Gandhian in a true Gandhijis spirit. Anna, the nation needs you. I know that 73 years is too old an age to change, but still for the sake of the movement that you have initiated, bridle your instincts and adopt flexibility ….at least till the time you have belled the cat!!
I do hope that a fresh diktat is not issued to gherao the write of this blog!

India is not Egypt nor a Libya..we are a throbbing democracy!

Just a brief taste of public adulation and power! Just a few days of limelight at the national level! Suddenly he started feeling larger than life. Fall came even before he could really taste success! Anna Hazare has lost the prestige, the status, the almost iconic status with one single stroke of supporting an allegedly corrupt Baba who is, ironically, crusading against corruption!! Anna was supporting a movement against corruption and the Indians were excited with new felt enthusiasm. Massive support was pouring in from Indians across the world. He was being hailed as the messiah. But alas! India seems destined to be saddled with the corrupt for some more time when a genuine messiah emerges.
Anna was going well till as long as he was the same old Hazare whose name and fame was limited. Suddenly his tenor changed. Gone is his gentle, soothing voice only to be replaced by a voice of arrogance laced with contempt. His choice of partners has shocked the enthusiastic Indian. How could he be chums with the man whose rise to riches has been dubious? On one side he dedicates himself to fight the hydra headed corruption whilst on the other he supports a Baba who is soaked in corruption! The whole of Baba’s kingdom is based on allegations of corruption. What a contradiction! And now to top it all, the Baba has threatened to raise an army of 11,000 men and women who will fight the police if they dare to take on them in future!! I wonder what is the definition of terrorism? Advaniji might help me here for he too supports the Baba. And just a few more words on the Baba. I see a lot of hue and cry in the media. All the channels are vying to use adjectives that can be as romantic as possible. We hear the police “ brutally thrashed the women and children”. If true, then it deserves complete condemnation. But I have a larger point. And I want the media and the politicians to answer this. Why did the Baba not surrender to the police????? Why did the Baba dodge and hide? Why did he make the police chase him?? For a politician, it is the ultimate to be arrested! Baba should have expressed his dissatisfaction to the police, given a press statement( the press was all ears to him 24 hours!) and gone with the police. NOTHING WOULD HAVE HAPPENED and he would have become a hero! So, should we not blame the baba for the pains and sufferings of the innocent and gullible followers?? Rahul Gandhi was arrested in Greater Noida. Later he was released. Varun Gandhi was arrested and put in Jail. Advani and Vajpaee were arrested. No politician runs away from the police unless he has something to hide!! It’s a politicians dream to be arrested!

Anna and his team have adopted a rather condescending tone. I read the letter that Shri Shanti Bhushan has sent to the Government and I am taken aback at the rather rude and intimidatory tone. It seems that except for team Anna, no one else neither has the right not the ability to draft a Jan lok pal bill. This is dangerous and disappointing. Dangerous because an air of aggression and superiority complex is the perfect mix for starting well but getting lost midway. Personal ego derails one from his mission. Disappointing because there was a lot of hope for the demoralized Indian who had suddenly found a new vigour due to a bright future that he had started visualizing!
Anna and his team need to revisit their strategy. They need to see that a new India cannot be buried under the debris of a five star jet hopping and “jumping” Baba who has some very strong personal interests. And yes, Anna, please do not disgrace and humiliate our valiant martyrs. Jallianwala bagh was a crime against India, against humanity. It slaughtered patriotic Indians. Comparing that with the Ramlila event is pathetic. By the way, Anna seems to be blissfully unaware of the genocide in Gujarat! He did not make such sweeping statement when thousands were slaughtered….
On the Jan Lok Pal bill. Anna and his team should not make this an ego issue. If they feel for India as they claim, then work with the objective of getting things done. Do not threaten and intimidate the other partners. If there are issue of strong dissent like the coverage of the PM and the judiciary, then do not become adamant. Go for whatever is acceptable to all. Let there be an “ interim Lok Pal Bill”. At least get the ball rolling! The bill can always be amended. It is not the end . Rather, it will be a beginning. Yes, the politicians will always try for a weak bill and we must resist them. Let’s be more astute and wise. Compromise a little bit to get the larger interest accomplished.
India is not an Egypt or Libya so let us stop giving examples of Tahrir square etc.. India is a vibrant and a throbbing democracy which is even more democratic than America. Let the elected government work. Yes, do chastise them with vigour but do not throttle the functioning. Wait for the next hustings to annihilate the poor performers. Some states are going to the polls. Let us elect people who can deliver. Let us focus on setting an example in the state elections so that the centre knows what is in store for then. As a mature democracy start educating the voter. All those who are voicing for a change need to consolidate at the state level elections. Work together with a focused interest and strive for a clean election by electing clean and competent people. Reject the corrupt candidates.