Twenty six long years have passed since the Bhopal tragedy that killed thousands of people and permanently disabled many more in greater number and, now, the very same authorities that ensured a smooth passage for Warren Anderson, the chief culprit, want him back in the country to be tried for the crime.
There cannot be a greater political joke. After having successfully distributed the remains of the Four hundred and Seventy million US Dollars received as compensation after the babu’s had their share, now the government wants to constitute a Group of Ministers to look into the issue. Bureaucracy over bureaucracy and additional cost over already incurred costs. The government has the resources when it comes to expenditure on probe committees, but their pockets go empty when it comes to the issue of assisting the hapless victims.
Sometime back we ran after Quottrochi, the Italian businessman, wanted in connection with Bofor pay offs and the outcome is known to all. We are on the same trail and the investigation will have a natural death and forgotten in due course. If, in twenty six years, we have not succeeded in booking those responsible for the tragedy, the scenario cannot be different after hundred years.
Why flog the dead horse? Forget the past and concentrate on positive steps like rehabilitating those who still need help. No resources! I have the answer. Seventy lakh Crores of Rupees are lying in Swiss Banks belonging to Indians. Bring back those funds, tax them at a flat rate of 30% and declare amenity to the account holders. You can build a new Bhopal from the scratch.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
RESERVATION: THE ROOT CAUSE OF ALL EVILS
At the outset, let me be clear on one thing. I am not against or referring to the reservation of seats for women in the parliament and I have nothing against women. What I am up is against making constitutional changes, be it in the name of women, dalits or minority communities, focusing on the vote bank politics with an evil eye on the impending elections, which has become the mainstay in the agenda of every party whether it is in the seat of power or in the opposition.
Reservation policy has dominated the political scene of this country since independence and successive governments have effected constitutional changes in this regard, keeping in mind, not the benefit of the masses but their personal gain. If sixty years of reservation has failed to bring the “so called backward communities” to the forefront, another hundred years of reservation will not do any good either.
Yes, we need reservation, but for whom? We need to identify that section of the masses whose I.Q. levels are adequate enough and trainable to be converted into great achievers by education and training, but who, unfortunately, are born into poor families and cannot afford the luxury of education. Just by providing good education you cannot convert a section of the society into achievers en masse.
By pursuing an illogical reservation policy, you cannot produce greats like Dr.Abdul Kalam, Dr. Manmohan Singh, Sachin Tendulkar, Amitah Bachhan or Dirubhai Ambani. You cannot make out of Abdul Kalam or Manmohan Singh, a Sachin Tendulkar or vice versa, or Amitah Bachhan a Dirubhai Ambani or vice versa. They are all born greats and right kind of education helped them to mould and strengthen their inner character which was genetically present. The point I stress here is that education and training can help mould a person within his inherent character, but cannot create a character by itself.
It was on this basis that ancient Indians classified the population into four categories, i.e., Brahmin (the Intellectual), Khatriya (the Warrior), Vaisya (the Businessman) and Sudra (the Support). The character in an individual can be broadly classified on these lines, he be a Hindu, Muslim, Christian or Sikh. If everyone in the society gets an occupation based on the character present in him, the functioning of the society will be smooth. The last section was classified as Sudra or supportive class because he doesn’t fall under the first three categories, but whose contribution is essential for their success. Can a factory function with only general manager without workers? Look at your hand. The fingers cannot perform individually, but collectively, they become a force to be reckoned with.
But our learned politicians have successfully misinterpreted a great concept to suit their personal agenda. What we need to see is not whether we have a dalit president or woman prime minister, but a capable president or prime minister, whether it is a dalit, a woman or a man, regardless of the faith, caste, color or gender. That is the only way we can ensure a secured future for the generations to come.
Reservation policy has dominated the political scene of this country since independence and successive governments have effected constitutional changes in this regard, keeping in mind, not the benefit of the masses but their personal gain. If sixty years of reservation has failed to bring the “so called backward communities” to the forefront, another hundred years of reservation will not do any good either.
Yes, we need reservation, but for whom? We need to identify that section of the masses whose I.Q. levels are adequate enough and trainable to be converted into great achievers by education and training, but who, unfortunately, are born into poor families and cannot afford the luxury of education. Just by providing good education you cannot convert a section of the society into achievers en masse.
By pursuing an illogical reservation policy, you cannot produce greats like Dr.Abdul Kalam, Dr. Manmohan Singh, Sachin Tendulkar, Amitah Bachhan or Dirubhai Ambani. You cannot make out of Abdul Kalam or Manmohan Singh, a Sachin Tendulkar or vice versa, or Amitah Bachhan a Dirubhai Ambani or vice versa. They are all born greats and right kind of education helped them to mould and strengthen their inner character which was genetically present. The point I stress here is that education and training can help mould a person within his inherent character, but cannot create a character by itself.
It was on this basis that ancient Indians classified the population into four categories, i.e., Brahmin (the Intellectual), Khatriya (the Warrior), Vaisya (the Businessman) and Sudra (the Support). The character in an individual can be broadly classified on these lines, he be a Hindu, Muslim, Christian or Sikh. If everyone in the society gets an occupation based on the character present in him, the functioning of the society will be smooth. The last section was classified as Sudra or supportive class because he doesn’t fall under the first three categories, but whose contribution is essential for their success. Can a factory function with only general manager without workers? Look at your hand. The fingers cannot perform individually, but collectively, they become a force to be reckoned with.
But our learned politicians have successfully misinterpreted a great concept to suit their personal agenda. What we need to see is not whether we have a dalit president or woman prime minister, but a capable president or prime minister, whether it is a dalit, a woman or a man, regardless of the faith, caste, color or gender. That is the only way we can ensure a secured future for the generations to come.
THANK YOU PAKISTHAN FOR NOT HANDING OVER HAFIZ SAEED
Intentionally or not, Pakistan continues to do a lot of good things for India, the latest being the refusal to hand over the JUD chief Hafiz Mohamed Saeed and others, in all about 30 in number. In the recently concluded talks at the Foreign Secretary level between the two countries in New Delhi, Mr. Bashir, while dismissing the dossiers submitted by India as mere lectures, flatly refused India’s request to hand over the fugitives wanted in the 26/11 terror strike.
I look at it as a great diplomatic gain for India. Do you have any idea of what would have happened if all the 30 wanted men were deported to India? First, we will need more high security prisons for their accommodation. Needless to say, along with, we will also need highly trained crack commando units with sophisticated weapons to guard them. Thus we will divert our terror fighting resources for the protection of hardcore terrorists making it easy for other terror outfits to strike at our vital installations.
This is not the end of the story. Then all these ‘wanted’ men will be produced in the court of law. Next, it will be the turn of our ‘very efficient’ legal and judicial system to battle it out between themselves looking at all the evidences produced to see if they were really involved. The very courts that will try them will offer them legal assistance for their self defense if they cannot find their own lawyers (who may, in the process, be shot by a patriotic citizen). The case will drag on. In the end, after an unpredictable period of time, even if they are found guilty and convicted for the gallows, they will access the benevolent constitutional provision of ‘Presidential Clemency’ and can hang on without being hanged indefinitely with the help of the ‘Great Indian Presidents’.
We are still collecting evidence against Kasab to establish if he is guilty in spite of his mowing down innocent civilians in front of everyone. Do you have any idea about the crores of rupees we are spending to maintain Afzal Guru, Kasab and the likes? Add another 30 to the list and the Union budget deficit will shoot up. What has happened to Abu Salem? If the Union Government is worth it salt, it will ensure that the President rejects the mercy petition on all terror related cases with immediate effect and uphold the court verdicts.
No doubt, we all need to thank Pakistan for at least saving tax-payer’s money. May I request the readers to start a campaign to persuade the President of India to reject pending mercy petitions submitted by convicted terrorists by forwarding this write up to all? At least, we can make an attempt to honor those who sacrificed their life for the nation.
I look at it as a great diplomatic gain for India. Do you have any idea of what would have happened if all the 30 wanted men were deported to India? First, we will need more high security prisons for their accommodation. Needless to say, along with, we will also need highly trained crack commando units with sophisticated weapons to guard them. Thus we will divert our terror fighting resources for the protection of hardcore terrorists making it easy for other terror outfits to strike at our vital installations.
This is not the end of the story. Then all these ‘wanted’ men will be produced in the court of law. Next, it will be the turn of our ‘very efficient’ legal and judicial system to battle it out between themselves looking at all the evidences produced to see if they were really involved. The very courts that will try them will offer them legal assistance for their self defense if they cannot find their own lawyers (who may, in the process, be shot by a patriotic citizen). The case will drag on. In the end, after an unpredictable period of time, even if they are found guilty and convicted for the gallows, they will access the benevolent constitutional provision of ‘Presidential Clemency’ and can hang on without being hanged indefinitely with the help of the ‘Great Indian Presidents’.
We are still collecting evidence against Kasab to establish if he is guilty in spite of his mowing down innocent civilians in front of everyone. Do you have any idea about the crores of rupees we are spending to maintain Afzal Guru, Kasab and the likes? Add another 30 to the list and the Union budget deficit will shoot up. What has happened to Abu Salem? If the Union Government is worth it salt, it will ensure that the President rejects the mercy petition on all terror related cases with immediate effect and uphold the court verdicts.
No doubt, we all need to thank Pakistan for at least saving tax-payer’s money. May I request the readers to start a campaign to persuade the President of India to reject pending mercy petitions submitted by convicted terrorists by forwarding this write up to all? At least, we can make an attempt to honor those who sacrificed their life for the nation.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
MIGRATION TO MUMBAI: A PRACTICAL SOLUTION
Increase in the migration to Mumbai is a concern for all. While the commercial capital of the country may be able to provide a job for all seekers at least to make both ends meet, it certainly won’t be able to provide the housing and other civic amenities. The solution does not lie in intimidating the new immigrants, but in analyzing the root cause.
Maharsahtra has reasonably good governance, especially Mumbai, and it has developed excellent infrastructure to support commercial activities over the years. Other states like UP and Bihar are so badly governed that investment in the state is a nightmare to any entrepreneur. This jobless state of affairs makes locals to migrate to other places and, Mumbai being an attractive destination, the inflow to the city is more than other cities.
Look at Kerala, a state with 100% literacy, but communism has taken deep roots there. A red flag is hoisted there with the foundation stone laid for every factory and the labor unions dictate terms to the managements even before the commencement of production. This unfriendly atmosphere has kept the investors away and neighboring states like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have taken advantage of the situation where industry is doing well.
But the difference with the Keralites is that, being well educated, they seek opportunities in Gulf and other countries outside India unlike their counterparts in UP and Bihar. What plagues UP and Bihar is that their leaders are not educated and hence importance is not given for education. The administration is corrupt and has misplaced priorities. What else can you say when Mayawati keeps building statues all over UP, and now, is thinking of establishing a special police force for the protection of these white elephants.
Kerala has lead the way showing that good quality education can empower its people to get opportunities globally, if not locally or nationally, and their annual remittance home is over six thousand crores of rupees which has improved their standard of living comparable to North Americans. The UPA government should ensure good governance of the states and that education gets top priority which alone can check the rapid migration to Mumbai. There will be no winners if one pursues the intimidatory politics of to solve the problem.
Maharsahtra has reasonably good governance, especially Mumbai, and it has developed excellent infrastructure to support commercial activities over the years. Other states like UP and Bihar are so badly governed that investment in the state is a nightmare to any entrepreneur. This jobless state of affairs makes locals to migrate to other places and, Mumbai being an attractive destination, the inflow to the city is more than other cities.
Look at Kerala, a state with 100% literacy, but communism has taken deep roots there. A red flag is hoisted there with the foundation stone laid for every factory and the labor unions dictate terms to the managements even before the commencement of production. This unfriendly atmosphere has kept the investors away and neighboring states like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have taken advantage of the situation where industry is doing well.
But the difference with the Keralites is that, being well educated, they seek opportunities in Gulf and other countries outside India unlike their counterparts in UP and Bihar. What plagues UP and Bihar is that their leaders are not educated and hence importance is not given for education. The administration is corrupt and has misplaced priorities. What else can you say when Mayawati keeps building statues all over UP, and now, is thinking of establishing a special police force for the protection of these white elephants.
Kerala has lead the way showing that good quality education can empower its people to get opportunities globally, if not locally or nationally, and their annual remittance home is over six thousand crores of rupees which has improved their standard of living comparable to North Americans. The UPA government should ensure good governance of the states and that education gets top priority which alone can check the rapid migration to Mumbai. There will be no winners if one pursues the intimidatory politics of to solve the problem.
SENAS: MODERN INDIAN TALIBAN
You call them Shiv Sena, MNS or Ram Sena, they all have one thing in common, i.e., using violence and destroying the property created by others as a means to enforce their ideology on third parties. They have no regard for constitution and what they say is the law. Law enforcing agencies are afraid to book them for any act of vandalism and they are a class by themselves, untouchable. They are the modern Indian Taliban and the only way differ from the original version is that while the Taliban pick target in other countries, their Indian counterparts destroy their own country and their own people. It is something similar to what the elephants do, putting mud on their own head.
If it is Pakistan, we can understand. There, the country is managed by four groups, viz., a weak civil government, the powerful army, the influential ISI and the Taliban. Going by the past experience, any group may get into the driver’s seat and call the shots except the ‘elected’ civil government. The government is just a spokesperson for the rest trying to establish some legitimacy to the elected office.
But, India is not like that. We have constitutionally elected governments both at the centre and states. It will be a dangerous precedence if we allow any extra-constitutional force to dictate terms and disrupt the daily life. Resorting to violence in the pursuit of personal agenda by any political group should not be tolerated, be it a Sena, Telengana group, Naxals or ULFA. Political Parties and other disgruntled elements in the society have always called for Bandh disrupting social life and damaging public property worth crores of rupees. No one should be allowed to take law in hands and politicians who exhort violence should be booked under criminal law.
History has it that it is the infighting between local rulers that lead to the Mugals conquering India followed by the British invasion. By fighting among ourselves, we will be giving easy access to our external enemies, especially Pakistan, who are jealous of our progress. The Senas and other political parties should grind their axes and address more important issues like nation al security, terrorism, corruption, revamping police and judiciary system and so on than fighting over trivial issues.
If it is Pakistan, we can understand. There, the country is managed by four groups, viz., a weak civil government, the powerful army, the influential ISI and the Taliban. Going by the past experience, any group may get into the driver’s seat and call the shots except the ‘elected’ civil government. The government is just a spokesperson for the rest trying to establish some legitimacy to the elected office.
But, India is not like that. We have constitutionally elected governments both at the centre and states. It will be a dangerous precedence if we allow any extra-constitutional force to dictate terms and disrupt the daily life. Resorting to violence in the pursuit of personal agenda by any political group should not be tolerated, be it a Sena, Telengana group, Naxals or ULFA. Political Parties and other disgruntled elements in the society have always called for Bandh disrupting social life and damaging public property worth crores of rupees. No one should be allowed to take law in hands and politicians who exhort violence should be booked under criminal law.
History has it that it is the infighting between local rulers that lead to the Mugals conquering India followed by the British invasion. By fighting among ourselves, we will be giving easy access to our external enemies, especially Pakistan, who are jealous of our progress. The Senas and other political parties should grind their axes and address more important issues like nation al security, terrorism, corruption, revamping police and judiciary system and so on than fighting over trivial issues.
Monday, February 8, 2010
INSULTING OUR HEROES
In the war of words exchanged between Udhav Thackeray and Rahul Gandhi over the former’s regularly repeated slogan ‘Mumbai for Maharashtrians’, the Sena leader, accused Rahul for insulting the local heroes of 26/11 by saying that it was the Bihar and UP units of NSG that came to the rescue. The ill equipped Mumbai police sacrificed three of their top professionals before the NSG could take over the command.
NSG commandos are drawn from all over India and can be deployed in any part of India regardless of the composition of the unit. During the 26/11, it happened to be the UP and Bihar units that were mobilized, and it is unfortunate that Rahul Gandhi made the statement in the wrong context. Top Mumbai police personnel also sacrificed their lives, with the only difference that they did not die at the hands of terrorists, but at the hands of corrupt bureaucrats who procured faulty armor. That is a different story.
It is not the political parties alone that insult our heroes, but the union governments too, do it with stunning regularity. Did we honor the eight servicemen who laid down their lives to protect our cheap politicians when the parliament was attacked? What did we do? We awarded them vir chakra posthumously, but did not have the guts for carrying out the Supreme Court verdict that decreed capital punishment to Afzal Guru. He is enjoying presidential clemency, and will continue to enjoy the same until the day when someone hijacks an airline and demand his release. Another Kandahar like episode will follow and the terrorists will have their way.
A well trained Kasab slaughtered unsuspecting travelers at the VT station, and the court wasted plenty of time establishing his age for, if he is a minor, he could be considered for juvenile crime. Had he been tried under Islamic laws, he would not have survived till today.
It is a pity that we treat our real heroes with scant respect and honor the terrorists. I am ashamed to be part of this system.
NSG commandos are drawn from all over India and can be deployed in any part of India regardless of the composition of the unit. During the 26/11, it happened to be the UP and Bihar units that were mobilized, and it is unfortunate that Rahul Gandhi made the statement in the wrong context. Top Mumbai police personnel also sacrificed their lives, with the only difference that they did not die at the hands of terrorists, but at the hands of corrupt bureaucrats who procured faulty armor. That is a different story.
It is not the political parties alone that insult our heroes, but the union governments too, do it with stunning regularity. Did we honor the eight servicemen who laid down their lives to protect our cheap politicians when the parliament was attacked? What did we do? We awarded them vir chakra posthumously, but did not have the guts for carrying out the Supreme Court verdict that decreed capital punishment to Afzal Guru. He is enjoying presidential clemency, and will continue to enjoy the same until the day when someone hijacks an airline and demand his release. Another Kandahar like episode will follow and the terrorists will have their way.
A well trained Kasab slaughtered unsuspecting travelers at the VT station, and the court wasted plenty of time establishing his age for, if he is a minor, he could be considered for juvenile crime. Had he been tried under Islamic laws, he would not have survived till today.
It is a pity that we treat our real heroes with scant respect and honor the terrorists. I am ashamed to be part of this system.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
BAR CRIMINALS FROM CONTESTING ELECTIONS
Sonia Gandhi said it. Speaking at the diamond jubilee celebrations of the Election Commission, Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, chairperson of the UPA, called for barring candidates with criminal records from contesting in elections. The call has come a bit late, but what is more important is that the call has finally come, and that too, from a very responsible person holding a very high office. Given legal effect, this will greatly improve the quality of governance at all levels.
In the sixty years of post republic era, India has successfully emerged as a global player in the world economic scene by adopting a series of effective economic reforms and the credit goes to different parties that came to power at the centre, in that, no government at the centre tried to undo the achievements of the previous government.
But what was, unfortunately, overlooked was the simple truth that political reforms too have to be put in place from time to time if the economic reforms have to achieve the desired results. The replacement of British rule by Babu’s rule brought in rampant corruption, nepotism, use of money power and muscle power, criminalization of politics and, finally, the creation of an unbreakable nexus between the underworld, police, politicians and babus that left the common man a silent sufferer with no constitutional means to address his grievance. The track record of our honorable MPs will testify to this.
Today, after sixty years, Indian democracy remains a democracy of the powerful, by the powerful and for the powerful. The police don’t register cases if it involves powerful people, the victims are threatened, the lawyers use their skills to protect the law breaker than the law abiding and the judiciary is influenced, all to protect the big guns.
It is indeed a great call from no less a person than Mrs. Sonia Gandhi to stop criminals from contesting elections. American constitution has a provision barring criminals from holding public office for life. We just need a single constitutional amendment which will not only improve the quality of governance, but make India an enviable place to live.
In the sixty years of post republic era, India has successfully emerged as a global player in the world economic scene by adopting a series of effective economic reforms and the credit goes to different parties that came to power at the centre, in that, no government at the centre tried to undo the achievements of the previous government.
But what was, unfortunately, overlooked was the simple truth that political reforms too have to be put in place from time to time if the economic reforms have to achieve the desired results. The replacement of British rule by Babu’s rule brought in rampant corruption, nepotism, use of money power and muscle power, criminalization of politics and, finally, the creation of an unbreakable nexus between the underworld, police, politicians and babus that left the common man a silent sufferer with no constitutional means to address his grievance. The track record of our honorable MPs will testify to this.
Today, after sixty years, Indian democracy remains a democracy of the powerful, by the powerful and for the powerful. The police don’t register cases if it involves powerful people, the victims are threatened, the lawyers use their skills to protect the law breaker than the law abiding and the judiciary is influenced, all to protect the big guns.
It is indeed a great call from no less a person than Mrs. Sonia Gandhi to stop criminals from contesting elections. American constitution has a provision barring criminals from holding public office for life. We just need a single constitutional amendment which will not only improve the quality of governance, but make India an enviable place to live.
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