MODI’S WIN IS THE BEGINNING OF BJP WAR

Narendra Modi has done it yet again! His emphatic win in the urban & rural local body elections may not be really surprising but the fact that over 100 Muslim & Christian candidates won on BJP ticket has come as a real stunner.

There is no doubt that Modi is the king on the Gujarat turf for the last one decade. And going by the current trend, Modi is the favorite to win comfortably in the 2012 Gujarat assembly elections. With the Congress still finding it difficult to resurrect itself in the state, there is little doubt that Modi will face any major challenge in winning the 2012 elections but Modi’s new strategy of fielding Muslim candidates in Muslim dominated areas has brought rich dividends and is also a clear indicator of Modi’s long term game plan.

This victory has also set the ball rolling for an even more intense battle that is brewing within the BJP. Modi has his sight clearly set on the 2014 General Elections. Modi’s biggest strength has been his pro- development image but his biggest negative still remains the Gujarat riots of 2002 which continue to haunt him. In order to change that perception of being an anti Muslim leader, Modi is now going all out to woo Muslims. During the last state assembly elections, Modi did attack Muslims indirectly. For instance he referred to General Musharraf of Pakistan as ‘Mian’ Musharraf (Mian is a urdu word used to refer to Muslims). He also hit out at the UPA government for investigating the Soharabbudin case & criticized the Congress for being the messiah for the Muslims. But it’s suddenly in the last two years or so that Modi is talking about developmental politics and criticizing vote bank politics. The irony is that Modi himself was induldged in vote bank politics until recently.

But 2014 will be very different from 2002. Modi realizes that the political issues that mattered ten years back are no more relevant for the common man. And most importantly there is a leadership crisis within the BJP. With so many factions within the party there is no clear second generation leader after Advani. Even thought the Sushma Swaraj- Arun Jaitley group seems to have an edge at the moment due to Advani’s backing, but the ground reality remains that Modi has been BJP’s most successful leader on the state level and Modi is now desperately trying to modify his image which just might come in his way to become the prime ministerial candidate of the party. Sushma Swaraj last week announced that Modi would not campaign in Bihar & also added that his ‘charisma’ & ‘magic’ may not work in Bihar. This clearly signals that Sushma wants to ensure that Modi does not move to national politics from state politics as that would weaken the Jaitley-Swaraj hold within the party. It is no secret that a huge faction within the BJP supports Modi’s candidature to spearhead the party campaign on the national stage.

It won’t be an easy task for Modi to let go off the anti-Muslim tag that has been attached to him from 2002. Even some strong allies of the NDA, especially the JD (U) which is led by Nitish Kumar will never join hands with the BJP if Modi is projected as the prime ministerial candidate. But Advani’s claim that Muslims are more economically empowered in Gujarat compared to any other state in the country was indirectly an appeal to the Muslim community to forgive Modi. This public appreciation for Modi by the BJP patriarch indicates that the party top brass still considers him as the strongest second generation leader. Whether he will be able to make the cut and pip other senior leaders is still to be seen. But the battle for 2014 within the BJP has definitely begun. But the real decider on this issue would eventually be the RSS.

THE SHAME STORY OF KARNATAKA POLITICS

The scenes of Karnataka MLAs fighting in the assembly with their shirts torn and worst of all MLAs beating up security marshals was probably the lowest point of Indian politics. To call it a shame would be a sheer understatement but this is not the first time that Karnataka politicians have embarrassed the state.

It was only last year when 57 BJP MLAs led by illegal mining barons- the Reddy brothers held the Yeddyurappa government to ransom by threatening to withdraw support unless some of the ministers were not dropped. And this all was happening at a time when the state was suffering due to the worst ever floods that had hit the state.


The unfortunate aspect of this whole episode is that all the actors involved have made a mockery of democracy. The two unbiased members of the whole system- the governor & the speaker who are the guardians of the constitution also let the constitution down by placing their parties over state.

The tragedy is that Karnataka which was considered as the most progressive state till the 90’s has suddenly become a disgraced story. All aspects of the state have taken a major beating. For instance Bangalore or Bengaluru as it is called now was considered as one of the best cities to live in India till the 90’s. But the sudden influx of migrants due to the booming IT industry & better educational prospects crowded the city. And by the time the state woke up it was too late. The metro rail project which was supposed to start way back in 1993 finally took off in 2005 due to lack of political will. The city which was known for its greenery was turned into a concrete jungle and all main roads were dug up for the project which has made driving in Bangalore as nightmare.

The unfortunate aspect of this whole episode is that all the actors involved have made a mockery of democracy. The two unbiased members of the whole system- the governor & the speaker who are the guardians of the constitution also let the constitution down by placing their parties over state.

The tragedy is that Karnataka which was considered as the most progressive state till the 90’s has suddenly become a disgraced story. All aspects of the state have taken a major beating. For instance Bangalore or Bengaluru as it is called now was considered as one of the best cities to live in India till the 90’s. But the sudden influx of migrants due to the booming IT industry & better educational prospects crowded the city. And by the time the state woke up it was too late. The metro rail project which was supposed to start way back in 1993 finally took off in 2005 due to lack of political will. The city which was known for its greenery was turned into a concrete jungle and all main roads were dug up for the project which has made driving in Bangalore as nightmare.

Even the cosmopolitan nature of the city transformed within years. Once known as the city of pubs & the rock capital of India, Bangalore was known for its vibrant night life and women safety. But with the so called moral forces taking charge, the city’s night life suddenly collapsed with all pubs & discotheques shutting shop at 11 PM, the last movie show starting at 8-45 PM & even restaurants shutting by 11 PM. The city which was known for women safety also became unsafe for women to travel late nights. Multiple cases of women raped and in some cases even murdered put a blot on the city’s clean image.

In 2005 the Kannada film association forced a ban on all non-Kannada movies to release in the state. This was a clear violation of the citizen’s right to freedom. But the government at that time which was a Congress –JD(S) coalition remained silent on the issue and did not take any legal action against the perpetrators. The most appalling act was displayed by a group of hooligans who call themselves the ‘Sri Ram Sena’ when they openly attacked young girls in a Mangalore pub in broad day light in the name of culture and moral values.

And all of these instances have a pattern. All of them are linked to political groups in one way or the other. The political fraternity has failed to uphold the values of average Kannadigas. Not so long ago the States’ Lok Ayukta’s chief – Justice Hedges had stepped down in the wake of spiraling corruption that had entrenched the political & bureaucratic system. It was after a lot of deliberation that he agreed to stay back.

Karnataka has a history of producing renowned citizens who have made this country proud. CV Raman, Dr Devi Shetty, NRN Murthy, Azim Premji, Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid are a few extraordinary Indians the state has produced. But so has the state given a person like S. Manjunath, who was killed by a petrol pump owner for exposing corruption. Manjunath was an average middle class boy who passed out from IIM but chose to work in a government company to serve his country. But yet was killed for doing his duty honestly. The Karnataka politicians are doing exactly the same thing; with each disgraceful act of theirs they are killing the proud spirit of an average Kannadiga.

THE GENERAL IS INDIA’S BEST BET

He is out of power and is loathed in India for his role during the infamous Kargil war. But the fact remains that General Parvez Musharraf is the most pragmatic individual in Pakistan politics who can deliver on the Indo-Pak issue.

There is no one better then Musharaff who understands the Kashmir dispute in Pakistan. He was involved in all the major wars between India & Pakistan. He fought his first war against India in 1965 as a 2nd Lieutenant which was followed by the 1971 war where he served as a company commander in the Special Service Group. But Musharraf will be always remembered for his role in the Kargil war, which many say was his game plan.

But the other side of the coin is that it was also during his rule as dictator of Pakistan that both India & Pakistan took some significant steps towards resolving the issue. His first visit to India in 2001 for the Agra summit was a big failure but it was his second visit to India in 2005 when he met Dr Manmohan Singh set the ball rolling. Musharraf himself has confessed that the two countries were on the brink of signing a historic peace deal which would have opened a new chapter in the relationship of the two countries.

There are various factors that make Musharraf a reliable candidate to deliver on the Indo-Pak issue compared to other Pakistani politicians. The first major factor is that being an armyman Musharraf will walk the talk on what ever is decided on this issue as he wouldn’t strike the deal to just reap electoral benefits. The second critical point is that being an ex-army General himself, Mushrraf clearly understands the dynamics of the ISI and its support for terror based groups that have been waging a war against India. And he would also know the exact approach to get the army on board to strike a deal with India.

Musharraf was part of the army’s top brass when insurgency in Kashmir started to bolster with the tacit support of the army & ISI. And ironically it was Musharraf who started to clamp down on the terror groups based in the western & northern region of Pakistan.Pakistani politicians will always remain ineffective to take action against terror groups that have been targeting India for the simple reason that they will face the flak from Islamic fundamental parties. The counter argument to this could be that if at all Mushraff makes a come back this time- it will be as a politician and therefore he won’t be able to move comprehensibly on this issue.But my assessment is that if there is any chance for Musharraf to make a comeback even if it is in the capacity of a politician it cannot be without the support of liberal Pakistanis and parties. So that will give him the mandate to approach this issue without any major political hiccups. And Musharraf being an ex-General surly knows what would be acceptable to Pakistan army on this issue.

Having fought three wars with India, Mushraf understands that Pakistan will be a bigger loser in the long term compared to India if tension continues to escalate between the two nations. Pakistan’s economy will not be able to grow unless the region is stable & it won’t be able to catch up with other growing nations. Another distinct trait of Musharraf is that at heart he is still a soilder with immortal love for Pakistan, which cannot be compared to any politician in Pakistan & therefore he would want to leave legacy behind that would benefit Pakistan for years to come.
Given the volatile nature of the state of Pakistan and its polity, Musharraf is someone who can do serious & meaningful business with India. But the bigger question is that whether Musharraf’s dream of coming back to power through the political route will just remain a mirage? With no cadre base, no matter how big the personality maybe, it won’t be easy to climb the political ladder. Imran Khan is a classic example who till date has not been able to make any major inroads in Pakistan politics. But the enigmatic General is known for suprises and this time too he just might prove his critics wrong. And funnily the soilder who fought three bitter wars against India is their best bet to end the six decade old deadlock.

THE REAL WINNER OF THE AYODHYA VERDICT

On 30th September around 4-15 PM when the first set of lawyers stepped out of the court and got caught in the media cacophony, the only sense one could make was the victory sign flashed by half a dozen lawyers in that large contingent indicating that it was a decisive victory for one party. But thankfully even before the audience could decode the judgment, the news channels started to flash: 2-1 the judges rule in favour of dividing the land in to three equal halves.

On the face of it the judgment has something for both the Hindus & Muslims. Even though many critics have slammed the verdict and termed it as a legal disaster & the Muslims groups feel that it is tilted in favour of the Hindu groups, yet they all have accepted the verdict with dignity & humility.


But there are five important factors that emerge from this verdict-

Statesmanship displayed by the Court

From a nation’s point of view there could not have been a better judgement. The court bearing in the mind the sensitivities involved in this case has delivered a verdict that has left something on the table for everyone at the same time denying comprehensive victory for one party. But by this verdict the court has also shown the government what it could have done many years back even before this issue devastated our nation. So in that sense even if this verdict is ‘panchayati’ as termed by many critics, it still is the most spirited verdict and highlights the statesmanship displayed by the court.

Legal questions

From a legal point of view, this judgement has fundamental flaws. No doubt the court with the best of intentions to keep the nation calm has approached the case in an extraordinary manner but even then the basic fundamental question it has given birth to is that whether the court can place ‘faith’ over evidence to pronounce its verdict. The cause of concern is as pointed out by many legal experts that this can set a wrong precedence for future legal cases pertaining to places of worship. These are valid concerns as the judiciary of this country has always been seen as a symbol on unbiased justice. And without doubting the intention of the court in this case the problem is that there could be far reaching ramifications if this verdict has legal & constitutional flaws.


Supreme Court’s critical role

In all likelihood the case will move to the High Court as some groups have already announced. The Supreme Court’s role is significant for two reasons- 1) The Supreme Court will give the most impeccable decision based on legal grounds which is expected to address the legal loopholes which have emerged after this verdict 2) The decision of the Supreme Court will also put to rest the fate of this issue legally at least which may lead to a closure. Which means that all parties involved in this case will either have to accept it and hopefully with dignity given that all the parties have maintained so far that they will respect the judiciary. The Supreme Court verdict will also give a clearer picture of the constitutional aspect of this case which could set the blue print for any out of court settlement.

Verdict cannot validate 6th December demolition

Another concern for the Muslim community & secular forces are that does this verdict validate the demolition of the mosque on 6th December 1992? Constitutionally & legally the demolition was a criminal act and shameful for our democracy and there are no two ways about it. And there is already a separate case under trial which is dealing with demolition issue. So mixing both the cases is the wrong way to look at it. This case was entirely a civil case fought for the possession of a private land. On the other hand the demolition case is a criminal case and pertains to the failure of law & order.

Out of court settlement

This case has possibly given a good foundation to reach an out of court settlement which would be the ideal solution. Because frankly, other then the parties involved, an average Hindu or Muslim really doesn’t care. All the parties can now adopt a more pragmatic approach that can pave way for an out of court settlement. No party can have it their way completely as is evident by this verdict. So working out a middle way can solve it once and for all, which is possible post this verdict.

The biggest winner: Our Indian secular faith

As I had mentioned in my prelude to the Ayodhya court verdict that this judgment will test the real faith of this nation. Is the fundamental religious faith still stronger than the secular democratic faith was the big question? And the average Indian has displayed they have moved on and realized that the 1992 time was a dark phase of our democracy and that will only make us regressive. No doubt that barring a few diluted politicians like Mulayam Singh, all political parties reacted in a very mature fashion which made this verdict even sweeter. This reaction has reinforced the belief that we are a nation that is ready to accept mistakes and rectify them for out larger good. The battle that was fought for 60 years in the court between Muslims and Hindus finally has a clear winner- and that is ‘the Indian secular faith’.

CWG MESS: INDIA EXPOSED

A new revelation about the Commonwealth Games just keeps pouring in. Every day, a new abysmal update on the preparation front emerges and adds to the embarrassment. But, going by the way the CWG officials have been reacting to the whole mess, a few things about us, as a nation, have become distinctly clear.

1) Hygiene! Whats that? - Even though the infrastructure & facilities are world class and much better than the previous CWG venues, the organizers ignored the basic hygiene issue which has completely overshadowed the other positive aspects of the ‘Games Village’. Even if the media has over blown the issue, the fact remains that the organizers didn’t consider this as a priority. This clearly reflects from Bhanot’s statement that cleanliness & hygiene is a perception issue and the Indian standards differ from international standards. For any normal person this would sound absolutely absurd, but there are many who may not say it openly but agree that Indians are, by nature, not cleanliness freaks.

2) Babus (Bureaucrats) do it again - The whole event was executed by bureaucrats working in different government agencies. And when all these agencies are headed by people who have worked all their lives like bureaucrats, the situation can’t get worse. Kalmadi, Gill, Bhanot etc epitomize the ‘ineffecient working attittude’ of bureaucrats that has always failed this country. Had a private company organized the same event, then the scenario would have completely different.

3) The Eleventh hour tendency - Yes, our government is trying to put things together at the eleventh hour, as always. This has always been the case that government wakes up only when the damage is done. It’s unfortunate that a nation which boasts of citizens & corporates that are known for their on time performance across the world has completely shattered that image by this performance by all measures.

4) The complacent attitude - The best way to describe this attitude is in Hindi which is the ‘Chalta hai’ attitude. The government & bureaucrats are known for running this country with this complacent attitude. And the reason why this attitude has just got worse over the years is because of inaction against them. These people will never get fired no matter how slow, corrupt and inefficient they are at work.Again, the same can’t be said for the corporate private sector which has given a new shape to this country.

5) What’s Accountability? - No matter what happens, no one knows who is accountable. Kalmadi blames the Delhi government, the same Delhi government blames agencies & then some blame the weather and the blame game continues. Yes, everyone is calling for Kalmadi’s head but that won’t be enough. The whole committee, including politicians & bureaucrats, should to be taken to task after the games end.

6) Event over, scandal forgotten - I fear that this might happen yet again. Once the games are over and by chance if they pass off even in a smooth manner compared to the present mess, then everyone will start congratulating each other for the good show considering that the Games were in such horrible shape before they started and how everyone pulled up their socks and made the games a success. All the filth, delay, corruption charges are forgotten. Let’s not repeat it this time. No matter how good the games go, the damage is done. We are a laughing stock across the world.

Many people I have spoken to are of the belief that this a propaganda to embarrass India which has been creating waves across the globe for the last few years. This is again an escapist attitude. We Indians are good enough to judge ourselves whether we are been targeted or we have actually goofed up. Many would say that by Indian standards we have done very well but by international standards we were behind…To all those people, please wake and smell the coffee…it’s the 21st century and we are an emerging super power…And to achieve that position we have to learn how to accept our negatives.

AYODHYA VERDICT: THE BATTLE OF FAITHS

On September 24th the Allahabad High court bench will pronounce the Ayodhya title suit verdict after sixty years. The title suit case was first filed in December 1950 by Mahant Ramchandra Das Paramhans which was followed by several more suits filed by other parties including the Sunni Central Boards of Waqfs, UP, in December 1961. A total of four suits were clubbed together and brought before the Allahabad High Court which began recording oral evidence in July 1996.

The interesting point is that the court will decide whether Lord Ram was born at that very same disputed piece of land where the Babri mosque structure stood. The whole Ayodhya movement began as a socio religious issue in the

19th century and became a burning political issue by the late 1980’s which changed the political landscape of this nation. BJP’s LK Advani spearheaded the whole campaign via his Rath Yatra that bolstered BJP’s electoral strength.

‘Faith’ was the single most important factor on which this issue was carried forward. Many middle class average Hindus also subscribed to the belief that Lord Ram was born there and Mughal King Babar in the 16th century demolished an existing temple and constructed a mosque which was known as the Babri Masjid post independence. On 6th December 1992, the Babri mosque was demolished by Hindu activists, which led to one of the worst communal riots in different parts of the country which claimed thousands of lives.

Without getting into different versions of history advocated by either side, the real issue is that the court will decide whether Lord Ram was born there and if a temple existed before the Babri mosque was constructed on that site. An issue which never got solved through an out of court talks that will be decided in the court of law on the basis of ‘material’, evidence & documents. Though all parties involved in the case which includes the right wing Hindu groups, Muslim groups and the political parties have appealed to maintain peace and accept the court verdict, almost all of them have suggested that the legal option of going to the Supreme Court is still open to them if either side is unhappy with the verdict. The irony of the situation is also the stand of two principle political parties which have been at the heart of the problem. The BJP which captured power on the back of this issue is now in a situation where it is trying to reposition itself as a moderate right wing party in order to strike a chord with the new generation. On the other hand the Congress which has never taken a clear stand on the issue and has changed its position depending on the prevailing political environment and is now in the process of regaining the confidence of the two opposing sides in this case-the Muslims which had deserted the party after the demolition and upper cast Hindus which traditionally supported the cause of the temple. In a sense everyone wants to avoid the verdict to prevent any communal disharmony to resurface.

A majority of average Indians today are of the opinion that the verdict really doesn’t matter now. India has moved on and there are more important issues that matter rather then a mosque or temple. Faith is a matter of trust in an idea. So the response of an average Indian irrespective of the religion after the verdict is something that will shape our faith in the idea of secularism. Majority of Hindus in India are secular in their thoughts and this has been proven by the previous few general elections where they did not vote for the right wing parties like the BJP which fought elections on the Hindutva plank. It has always been politicians (even in this Ayodhya issue) that have used religion to create disharmony by mixing politics with religion. But time and again post 1992, the secular faith of Indians have stood out against hard-line religious faith. Barring the Gujarat riots of 2002, Hindus & Muslims have stood united even when fundamental groups have targeted places of worship.

The ideal solution for this particular issue would be to construct a hospital at the disputed site which would do service to the society irrespective of religion. But no matter how romantic this idea of secularism may sound, the fact remains that history has been a testimony that even though India has changed from time to time, communal violence has been a constant part of our post independence history. And that is why cynics are worried that the Ayodhya verdict might just put the lid off the volcano and destroy the communal calm & peace that has prevailed for the last one decade. The court verdict on September 24th will not decide the winner between Hindus V/s Muslims but between the ‘Hard line Religious Faith’ V/s the ‘Indian Secular Faith’. And let’s hope that Gods of all religions bat for the latter.

RAHUL & SONIA'S NEW GAMEPLAN

Sonia and Rahul Gandhi’s recent political rhetoric to woo farmers and tribals gives a clear idea of Congress’s strategy for the coming four years before the general elections of 2014. Rahul’s staunch support for tribals against Anil Agarwal-owned Vedanta Group and Sonia’s support towards farmers has set the ball rolling for 2014 elections.

In the 2009 elections, three factors played a key role in bolstering Congress’s strength in the Lok Sabha:

1) The consolidated vote of the minorities, primarily the Muslims, which form 14% of the total votes.

2) The urban middle class voters, who traditionally voted for the BJP, overwhelmingly supported the Congress.


3) The Uttar Pradesh surprise where the party won 21 seats; thanks to the stupendous support it got from the farmers and Muslims. The Congress won 206 seats which were way better than the 2004 tally when they won only 145 seats. But, surprisingly, the UPA is finding it harder to cope with allies even though the ‘Left parties’ have become irrelevant this time around.

With Dr. Manmohan Singh serving his last term as the Prime Minister, the Gandhis realize that the call to make Rahul Gandhi as the next Prime Minister are going to get louder in 2014. Congress observers and insiders say that Rahul is very clear that he wants to head a Congress government without any coalition partners. And now, after regaining the confidence of Muslims and urban voters, the Congress wants to win the support of the remaining crucial vote banks.

Tribals form 8.2% of the total population of India according the 2001 census. Between 1947 and 2000, around 60 million people are estimated to have lost their means of livelihood in the name of development — of which a significant 40 per cent are tribal people. This initiative by the biggest political heavy weight - Rahul Gandhi is bound to get huge support among the tribals.

With over 65% of the population dependent on agriculture, the Congress does realize that farmers are not only a big vote bank but can turn the tide of any election. In the previous election - the farmers’ loan waiver scheme played a huge role in tapping the rural voters. Mamata’s political resurrection in West Bengal; thanks to the land acquisition issue and the farmers protest in Uttar Pradesh have a clear underlying message – take up the farmers’ prime cause and reap electoral benefits.

No wonder then that Rahul and Sonia have their objectives clear: to win the support of these two critical sections which will be instrumental to win a clear majority. But the peril of this strategy is that this could pose a worry for the middle class. In both these instances, it is the development and industrialization issues that will take a back seat and that may send a wrong message to the middle class which has been the biggest beneficiary of the Indian growth story. Though Rahul’s big strength is his popularity among the youth, the middle class gets easily wooed by symbolic gestures. Remember in the last election Dr. Manmohan Singh’s gamble to put his chair on the line for the nuclear deal did wonders for the Congress in urban centers.

The Gandhis are known to keep a close eye on the ground zero and they will try to strike a balance between development and social issues. But even a slight wrong footing could change the equation. It is a dangerous path that the mother-son duo is treading but risk is something that they are used to and this time it will be no different.

CWG: ACID TEST FOR INDIA’S GLOBAL IMAGE

In the last two decades, the perception of India has changed drastically across the world. From being perceived as a poor socialist country, India is now regarded as an economic superpower of this century. India’s position on global issues carries a lot of weight with the western powers wooing India to become its ally.

Major sporting events, on the other hand, are considered as a platform to showcase the strength and progress of a nation. No wonder then that even in the two decades, all the major sporting events like the Olympic Games, FIFA world Cup, Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games have been hosted primarily by developed nations.

All these events are organized by a major city or a metro of a particular country. The superficial perception is based on the infrastructure of the host city which is on display during the course of the event and other key human index parameters are ignored.

For example, the recently held FIFA Football World Cup hosted by South Africa was considered a huge success. Even though South Africa is 129 on the human index list, just five positions ahead of India which is 134. But all the statistics became oblivion when the world cup got over.

But the upcoming Commonwealth Games will be the first major global event organized by India post-liberalization. The last time India organized a major event was the Asian Games in 1982. The Cricket World Cup in 1987 and 1996 were also major sporting events but cannot be considered on the same scale as Asiad as the viewership and the number of nations that participated were too small compared to the Asian games.

In 1982, when New Delhi hosted the Asian Games, India’s economy was nearly $194 billion and was considered an under-developed nation. But still it managed to organize a successful event which bolstered New Delhi’s image. China, which is 92 on the human index list and falls under the ‘medium developed country’ category, showcased itself as a nation with world class urban infrastructure during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The only advantage China had was that there was no free media coverage allowed before the inauguration of the games. So basically no one outside China has a clue about China’s preparations.

The progress of CWG preparations in New Delhi, on the other hand, has not only been reported by the Indian media but also the international media. These games have so far been considered as a golden opportunity for India to reinforce the perception that India will be one of the biggest super powers of this century.

But India’s failure to host these games successfully will not only raise questions on India’s progress on the development front but will also be linked to other human index indicators. Because, remember the world has just been hearing about India’s emergence on the world stage on the basis of media reports and economic indicators. But they haven’t got a chance till now to take have a close look at infrastructure development made by India. The stereotypical perception of India has always been poverty, slums, BPOs, rural India etc., as showcased by a plethora of international documentaries and movies. Even the 2009 Oscar winning movie - Slumdog Millionaire - showed the stereotypical elements of India like poverty, slums, riots and the BPOs.

That perception can be changed by hosting a world class event. Ironically, the success or failures of these games will not have any impact on the real problems of India. It won’t change the lives of the poor farmers’ committing suicide or uplift the 30 odd percent people living below the poverty line. But it will surely boost the Indian pride no matter how superficial it maybe.

INDIA’S GREAT KASHMIR BLUNDER

The summer of 2010 will not forgotten in Kashmir for decades to come. Even as the tension on the streets of Kashmir was not enough which has already witnessed killings of more than forty people that the state was hit by another tragedy- the flash floods which has consumed 100 lives and nearly 200 people are still missing as I write this article.

Militant insurgency in Kashmir started to surge way back in 1989 but never in the last twenty years had the anger on in the valley (Kashmir) reached a level where women & small children had taken to the streets to display their anger, frustration & agony by pelting stones at the paramilitary forces. And what has come as an even bigger surprise is that only nineteen months back during the state assembly election the voters’ turnout touched sixty percent which was seen by many as the end of Kashmiri nationalism and the beginning of new era in Kashmiri politics. So what went wrong in the last nineteen months that has lead to this catastrophe?

For the past 62 years we have always blamed elements from the across the border & the separatists for all the violence that has occurred in the state. But if you talk to any Kashmiri at this time, he/she will tell you just one thing at this point of time- the Indian state & the army are the biggest threats for Kashmiri. Talk to the youth in Kashmir, he will tell you that it’s the armyman’s gaze right from his childhood that has troubled him and still continues to. The military force claim that all the firing has been done in self defense against the heavy stone pelting that has been directed towards them but the reality remains that more than half the youth dead in the firing have been shot above their waist or on their head. Many bystanders including women taking shelter in their homes have been shot dead.So it is quite natural that the Kashmiris which include mothers, sisters & small brothers are venting their anger against the police for the killings of their brothers & fathers

The significant victory which the Indian state witnessed after the 2008 state elections has perished. Omar Abdullah who became the youngest chief minister of the state and was riding a popularity wave has been brought down to the ground. His unpopularity has reached such a high that even his party cadres are drifting away from the party. Abdullah’s critics say that he has lost connect with the people & failed to uphold the trust of the Kashmiris. This is the same Abdullah who during his most famous speech in the parliament in July 2008 during the nuclear deal debate had said that he would do anything to protect his land & aspirations of his people. Today his people are frustrated, angry & feel betrayed.
But the bigger disappointment has been the reaction from New Delhi which completely failed to read the mood on the ground. Even the silence of the Prime Minister on this issue has compounded the problem and has alienated the normal Kashmiri.

When sixty percent of the state’s population came out and voted in the state elections they placed their trust not only in the state government but also New Delhi. This was an opportunity to make them feel that they are as much of an Indian as any other Bihari, Tamilian or Marathi. Demilitarization of the state could have been one of the first key steps taken to bolster that trust but alas, the opportunity has been blown away.

It is true that elements in Pakistan & the separatists which had started losing influence over the people have exploited this opportunity. But the bigger true is that the people out on the streets are the same people who casted their ballots nineteen months back.So So the blame entirely lies with New Delhi & the Omar Abdullah lead government for creating a trust deficit which has lead to this situation. New Delhi might be able to bring down the violence in the days to come with extra security but has lost the chance of winning the Kashmiri hearts for decades to come. And the calls for ‘azaadi’ (independence) are only going to get louder on the Kashmiri streets.

IS CBI THE MOST POTENT TOOL FOR POLITICAL PARTIES?

The arrest of Gujarat home minister Amit Shah amongst all the drama in Ahmedabad which was been played out of New Delhi leaves everyone with a curious question- Is CBI the ultimate weapon to settle political rivalry or score political points?

Yes, Amit Shah’s name has been doing the rounds in the Soharabuddin controversy for sometime now and it was not the Congress but the Supreme Court that directed the CBI to reopen the case. It’s tough to say at this stage whether Shah is actually guilty or has been framed by the Congress as alleged by the BJP. The final authority on this would be the court which means, we will have to wait a little longer for the real story to emerge.

Hypothetically, if the court does find Shah guilty on all the charges that have been levied against him then it will no doubt give the victim’s family a sense of closure and will also underline the fact that justice might be delayed but is not always denied if investigated in an honest & unbiased fashion even if it involves politicians & businessmen. CBI will have to be appreciated for its thorough investigation. But the paradox of this kind of an outcome is that it will reinforce the notion- that CBI is a political weapon used to settle political scores.

If we take up a few cases involving high profile politicians that have been investigated by the CBI then it paints a sorry picture of the investigating agency. The Jagdish Tytler case in which the CBI gave him a clean chit last year saw a huge outcry from the Sikh community which compelled the Congress party to not issue the party ticket to him just before the Lok Sabha election last year. The case was reopened and last week the CBI has yet again given a clean chit to Tytler. The CBI said in the court that it did not have any evidence to prosecute Tytler. The CBI has made some progress against another Congress leader- Sajjan Kumar, who is also accused in the 84 riots.

Outside the Congress fold there are at least three big cases that are been investigated by the CBI. The Mulayam Singh disproportionate assets case has been under investigation for sometime now but there hasn’t been any progress. There have been allegations made by senior legal counsels against the government for directing them to go slow on the case. Similarly the Mayawati illegal wealth case has seen been on the slow track. So why can’t the CBI expedite the process in these cases? The main factor behind that is the direction from the government to the CBI to go slow on these cases. Even though both Mulayam & Mayawti are just lending outside support to the government and have in fact joined hands with the BJP on issues like the price rise but when it comes to critical issues like the ‘nuclear deal vote’ in 2008 & the ‘cut motion’ the Congress has used these court cases to bargain for their tacit support. Mulayam & Mayawati did not vote against the government when it came to these key issues. Now is that just a mere co-incidence or points to a larger game? The acquittal of Ottavio Quattrocchi in Bofors scandal has further raised questions on the credibility of the CBI to investigate cases without any bias.

But it’s not only the Congress that has used the CBI, even the BJP during the NDA tenure ensured that it used the investigating agency for its benefit. The NDA governments virtually put on hold investigation against BJP patriarch LK Advani in the Babri demolition case. Even the Congress is not too keen to resurrect the Babri demolition issue. This became increasingly clear after the Liberhan commission report was hushed up last year. The Congress fears that by prosecuting BJP leaders in the Babri demolition case it might give the BJP a new lease of life and it may actually work to BJP's advantage. The Congress does not want to take that risk, especially now when the BJP is on the backfoot.

These high profile political cases clearly highlight that political parties have been using the CBI to their benefit. But the CBI has been the biggest victim as this appraoch has undermined its credibility even though it is on par with world class investigating agencies like the CIA & FBI.

Since the Congress led UPA is in power, the Congress should initiate the process of making CBI an autonomous body on the lines of the Election commission and the Lok Ayukta. This will not only help the CBI break shackles when it comes to unbiased investigation but also give Congress the high moral ground. But this is something which the political fraternity will oppose as that would change the dynamics of the political games that are played out over and over again.

HAS INDIA GIVEN AWAY THE ADVANTAGE?

Except for the initials of their first two names ‘SM’, there is nothing common between foreign ministers of India & Pakistan. SM Krishna is a soft spoken man who does not belief in tough & straight on the face talk but more in mild diplomatic tone of communication. His counterpart SM Qureshi on the other hand is far more aggressive and articulate in his communication. No wonder then that even before Krishna’s plane landed in New Delhi back from Islamabad, his counterpart in Pakistan Qureshi had quashed the Indo-Pak talks.

The problem with Indo-Pak talks has always been the hype surrounding these discussions. The media from both sides expect some sensational announcement that would change the future course of these two nations. So even if both sides make some small progress after series of talks, it takes just one issue to trample them..

Post 26/11, the scenario was gloom for a year before the Indian PM; Dr Manmohan Singh took the initiative to talk to Pakistan. The Sharm El Shaik fiasco did put Dr Singh under a lot of pressure but it was his personal agenda to make sure that the talks between the two sides do not derail.

But the biggest hurdle for Indo-Pak talks to make progress is India’s demand for action against the perpetrators of 26/11. Even if the Pakistan government is willing to take action against these suspects, it simply cannot. The plethora of dossiers submitted by India clearly points the finger at Hafiz Saeed. The Pakistan government did take some action by filing a case.But the courts could not convict him citing lack of evidence. But the Headley revelation has brought a new twist in the tale. The role of ISI (Which was in doubt all this while) in the attack has not only put Pakistan on the back foot but also jeopardized the peace talks.

The reason why Saeed is still a free man today is because the 26/11 attack was done with the full backing of the ISI. So even if the government tries to take action against Saeed, ISI won’t let that happen. The Pakistan army cannot afford to let ISI be pulled in this case as that would globally tarnish Pakistan’s image.

That is the key reason for the failure of the foreign ministers’ meeting. Given the recent turmoil in Kashmir, Pakistan got the license again to raise the Kashmir issue to distract the focus of the talks. So what does India do from here onwards?

There are three options India has from here.

First- Stop talks with Pakistan till it delivers on the 26/11 case. But then that leads to a deadlock again and wipes out all the progress made in the last few months.

Second- Push the US to pressurize Pakistan to take some action. But that’s again not going to fetch any positive result as US’s priority is Afghanistan for which it needs Pakistan. No wonder then that a fresh package of $500 million has been unveiled by Hillary Clinton for Pakistan. And the US has refused to publicly comment on ISI’s role in the 26/11 case.The reason- US is not in favour of declaring Pakistan a terrorist sponsored state.

Lastly- Opens talks on all issues including Kashmir with the hope that Pakistan would respond by taking some action in the 26/11 case.

The last option seems the only way ahead for India at the moment. But then by doing so India will again lose the diplomatic edge by taking more steps whereas Pakistan without taking any action against the 26/11 conspirators would be in a dominant position to drive the talks forward. It is clear from the statements made by the foreign minister that Pakistan is not desperate for talks with India.

Going to the United Nations with all the evidence collected against Pakistan will not be of much help as United States cannot allow any sanctions against Pakistan as that would deter its Afghanistan plans.

The only way ahead for India is to keep talking to Pakistan even if that means slow progress on the 26/11 front. Freezing the dialogue process will become a big problem at this stage. India should not hesitate to discuss all core issues as India would be in a much better position to handle the Kashmir issue rather then Pakistan which would find it difficult to not respond to the 26/11 case. The bottom line is that ups and downs have been part & parcel of Indo-Pak talks and the talks should continue.

DISCIPLINE OR CRUELTY?

The suicide committed by 14-year old -Rouvanjit in Kolkata after been beaten in his school is a chilling reminder of the methods followed by schools in our country.

It is true that we have one of the best education systems at the primary level which has been instrumental in churning out sharp minds from India. But unfortunately our schools have been good only at the academic part of education. Schools biggest contribution to a human's life is that it builds the primary character of a child on which his/her whole life revolves. A child's basic characteristics are directly proportional to the kind of environment he/she is brought up in. And schools play a big role here especially in today's time. Once the child is out of his/her home it is school that gives protection from all the worldly troubles.

In India even good English convent schools with years of history and legacy behind them follow the harsh and ruthless way of educating children. Disciplining the child is important but the approach adopted by the school is very critical. Beating and caning students for irrespective of any reason is the cruelest way of them all. Instead of making children realize as to where they are going wrong, schools instill fear in them by hitting them with a cane, duster or ruler.

There are so many children who cringe within themselves everyday because of the humiliation they go through by the hands of their teachers and school authorities. But many are not able to garner the courage to talk about it to their parents. And some like Rouvanjit choose the extreme way of ending their life.

Kapil Sibal, the HRD minister who has been lauded for bringing in the much needed 'Right to Education bill' should look at this issue with all seriousness. Students committing suicide because of the humiliation they go through at schools is a serious issue which needs to be addressed.

One step that can be taken is to make it mandatory for schools to hire professional counselors to handle these kinds of situations. The education authorities should keep a close eye by continuously taking feedback from students about the treatment been meted out to them by teachers and school authorities.

India's biggest asset is its young demography, especially the school children. It's no secret that Indian children are the sharpest and have proven themselves across varied disciplines. But if we ourselves cut the roots before the tree grows then it would be the most shameful blunder by us as a country and society…

WEST BENGAL: DESPERATE FOR CHANGE

Mamata Banerjee triumph in the Bengal civic election, particularly in Kolkata has not come as a major surprise but definitely as a huge jolt for the 'Left'. The writing is on wall for Buddhadeb as many have already pronounced that Mamata is all set to become the first woman chief minister of Bengal next year.

Whenever I discuss the ongoing change in Bengal's polity with my Bengali friends they have just one point to say- 'The urbanites don't like Mamata, but they are fed up with the Left'. This reason underlines the factor that has influenced the 'winds of change' in Bengal.

After ruling West Bengal for 'thirty six' long years with an iron fist, the Left had left a political vacuum in the state. There was no real challenger in the state to stand up against the might of the west. The man who led the Marxist revolution in Bengal was Jyoti Basu, who remained chief minister for a record 23 years and won five terms. When Basu relinquished the chief minister's post in November 2000 and made way for a younger, efficient & moderate Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, many thought this would mark the beginning of Left's decline in the state. After all when Basu did step down it was not the best of times for the Left. Urban jobless rate was rising, Basu's family name had got involved in corruption cases and even in rural Bengal Left was seen losing ground. But thanks to Buddhadeb's clean image and efficient style of functioning, he was able to restore confidence in the people. The Left retained power after winning the 2001 assembly elections.

The real change began between 2001 & 2006. Buddhadeb embarked on a path which no 'comrade' had dared to even speak off openly. He initiated the economic liberalization policy in Bengal by inviting industrial houses to Bengal. The biggest catch of them all was Ratan Tata, who agreed to set up 'Nano's production plant in Singur. Many within the Left criticized Bhuddhadeb for initiating economic reforms in the state by inviting foreign investment at the cost of agriculture land. Buddhadeb's argument was that these lands were not futile anymore and industrialization will help improve lives of these farmers who owned these lands.

In the 2006 assembly elections Buddhadeb stunned his critics by sweeping the elections. His popularity was at an all time high. The masses from both urban & rural centres were all gaga over him. With this win Buddhadeb was able to create his own niche within the Left which was all this while overshadowed by Basu's legacy. This victory was termed as the turning point for the Bengal state and Buddhadeb saw this victory as a vindication of his policies. He was now the poster boy of the 'Left' and was proclaimed by many in the media as the best chief minister in India!

Politics as they say is all about that one moment that can change the momentum. Singur & Nandigram was the moment that spelled doom for Buddhadeb and gave a new ease of life to Mamata Banerjee who was in oblivion. The forceful approach by the government and more importantly by the Left cadres on the ground appalled the people. Suddenly all the good work done in the last one decade by Buddhadeb was forgotten. The arrogance displayed by the Left cadres was frightening.

The people of Bengal had also become bored & tired of the Left. They were probably waiting for an opportunity to get convinced to vote the Left out. After all it was a miracle of sorts in Indian polity that for three and half decades anti-incumbency hadn't spoilt Left's game. The masses couldn't find an alternative outfit to replace the Left. The Congress could never raise the right issues and strike a chord with the citizens of Bengal. But after Singur & Nandigram the people knew the time had come for a change. Unfortunately they don't have any other alternative but to vote for Mamata. Change has become imperative and even if it was not Mamata but some other formidable party they would have voted for it. So what if they don't like her but at least they are not completely unfamiliar with her. It's a risk which the Bengalis are willing to take.

Will this mood last till 2011? That is the big question. But one thing is certain that Mamata has captured the momentum and she will do everything possible to drive home this time around. She doesn't need to do anything extraordinary at the moment because by default the finger on the voting machine will punch for her. As for Buddhadeb, his only hope is to reconnect with the masses and try to convince them to give him a graceful exit which he deserves for his commendable work and not make him pay the price for his party's sins.

AIR INDIA: NO WINGS TO FLY

Just when it seemed that things were starting to look up for national carrier Air India, the Mangalore tragedy occurred. Just when the rescue operations got over and the families were still mourning, the engineering & ground staff of Air India went on a flash strike.

Air India was the sole fight operator in India for nearly five decades. It was started by JRD Tata way back in 1932 before the government bought a stake in the 1940s. All the five decades Air India flew both on international & domestic routes. It one of the few airline operators in Asia, that too at a at time when not many countries had their own national carriers. But like any other public sector organization Air India was dominated by the government style of working attitude since they had an absolute monopoly. In 1992 India’s first private sector airline Jet

airways made its entry. In the late 90s and early part of this decade many other private companies entered this sector. It is from this point that things started going haywire for Air India. From being the market leader with over 50% market share (because of its monopoly) till the beginning of this decade it has been relegated to the third position with an abysmal 18% stake. The NDA government had plans of privatizing the airline in 2001 but due to the global aviation turmoil the bidders withdrew from the bid. The merger of Air India (few on international routes) with Indian airlines (flew on domestic routes) spelled more disaster for the national carrier.

Today Air India has a total debt of nearly $10 billion. It has incurred a loss of $1.5 billion for the last few years. To add to its woes are sixteen employee unions which are waiting to go against the management at any given excuse. The total work force of Air India is 30,000, which is three times more than the required number.

Cynics will tell you that Air India is doomed. Primarily for its own mistakes and partly because of unnatural incidents, for instance the Mangalore crash. There is no chance that the Airline can be turned around. Though the airline has taken some steps in the last few months after the new CMD Arvind Jadhav took over the reins. It has appointed four independent directors which include the likes of Anand Mahindra, Amit Mitra & Fali Major to give it a corporate face. It has also cut down on its expenses in the last few months by saving nearly Rs 1000 crore rupees by March end. The company has also appointed a foreign professional chief operating officer, Captain Gustav who takes charge this month. Despite all these efforts, experts will argue that the airline will not survive unless some drastic & valiant efforts are made. Many critics are of the view that the company should be privatized.

The airline can be turned around even under these circumstances. But for that the government will have to get away with bureaucratic way of functioning. Till date Air India is used as a private property by VVIPs. These are so many reports that suggest ministers misusing the airline for their personal use. The government should award autonomy to the management. The company should be treated as a special case; therefore the normal rules & regulations that apply to other public sector units shouldn’t be applied here.

No doubt some tough decisions will have to be taken. This should begin from the top of the pyramid. The company should reduce the top management. They are far too many directors; therefore the government should shift them to other PSUs. There so many sectors were their managerial expertise can come handy. Secondly, route rationalization is the need of the hour. There are so many routes where the airline flies even though it incurs losses. The argument is that it is a national carrier hence it has to fly these routes. But that issue will be sorted once it joins the global star alliance. It will forge numerous code sharing deals with other carriers that would solve that issue. Another major issue is the excess flab thanks to its humongous strength. 5000 employees are expected to retire over the next 5 years. The company should come out with premature retirement schemes which can help them bring down that number to 20,000 in the next 5 years. Another step could be cutting down on the huge flying perks which all the retired employees enjoy. Even the current employees get ‘n’ number of free tickets to fly. All this will have to be brought down.

Perform or perish should be the mantra. The company should set up an independent panel to review the performance of every individual. The ‘laid back’ attitude will have to go. So if the efficiency level is not up to the mark, then the employees should be asked to go on premature retirement in case the person is over 45 or they should be asked to leave.

Unless these tough measures are taken (which can be taken) the airline won’t survive. No doubt that the airline has been the pride of India, but what is the use if that pride if it comes at such a high price.

LET’S GIVE OTHER SPORTS A CHANCE

Last one week saw hectic frenzy across all television studios. Former cricketers hopped from one studio to another lambasting Dhoni and his men for the abrasive performance displayed by them in the West Indies. This was the second year in a row that the team had faltered against quality pace bowling. A nation that has all along boasted to have the best batting attack in the world, capable of tearing apart any bowling unit was made to look like a club team.

This is not the first time that the nation & the media have gone out of the way to make the cricketers feel that they had committed an 'unpardonable' crime by faltering at such a big event. We witnessed similar scenes when the Indian

team exited in the first round of the '2007' world cup in West Indies, when we lost badly in our second group match against Australia in the 2003 world cup and way back in 1996 when we were stunned by Sri Lanka at Eden gardens in the world cup semi final.

We have never created such a hue and cry when our hockey or football teams fail during a big event or sometimes fail to even qualify for major international tournament. The problem with Indian psyche is that cricketers are not sportsmen but they are superstars or in a way our only hope of glory in the world of sport where we don’t hold such a great position.

Cricketers became icons way back in the 80’s when the Indian team for the first time won the cricket world cup. From there began the journey of Indian cricketers to become icons. We created icons like Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Mohd Azharuddin (who later became the villain after the match fixing scandal emanated) Kumble, Dravid, Ganguly, Sehwag,Yuvraj, Harbhajan & above all Tendulkar who by far has been the biggest of them all. These icons were created by the media on the foundation of solid fan following these cricketers or should I say super humans enjoyed.

So whenever our cricketing icons fail the fickle Indian psyche swings to the other extreme. From gods they become demons in an instant. All the past glories are forgotten and they are questioned like criminals for their failure. Yes, it is indeed sad that we tumbled in such a terrible fashion against the mighty short pitch bowling but the bigger problem is that we as a nation believe that we are a one-sport nation. So it is an unwritten law- that we have to perform every single time we step on the cricket field.

It is true that it is cricket among all the sports where we saw the maximum success in the 80s and 90s. This rise in cricket popularity also coincided with decline in our hockey performances. But in the last 2 decades we also saw other Indian sportsmen achieving huge success in different disciplines. Viswanathan Anand, Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupati, Abhinav Bindra, Sushil Kumar Vijendra Kumar, Saina Nehwal, Sania Mirza etc. We have performed exceptionally well in chess, tennis, wrestling, shooting, badminton, Kabbadi (we are the world champions in this sport) etc. All of them have done exceedingly well in premium sporting events but still we have not given them the same encouragement what we have given to our cricketers for so many decades now.

It is this trend that underlines the fact that we as a nation see ourselves doing well in only one sport. The week we got knocked out of the T20 world cup- that very week Viswanathan Anand won the world championship again and the Indian hockey team made it to the Shah Azlan cup finals. The Indian women cricket team also made it to semi finals of the T20 women world cup. The only reason it got a bit of coverage in the news was because the Indian cricket team failed so badly. Had they done a little better, these events wouldn’t have got the little coverage they did manage to get.

It’s high time that we tone down our obsession towards cricket and start appreciating our success in other sports. This change in attitude is imperative for India to prosper in other sports as well. This nation has the talent to excel in other disciplines, let’s give them a fair chance as well!!

UPA’S BIGGEST HEADACHE :COALITION DHARMA

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in his first press conference after taking charge of the government for the second time, seemed a bit nervous while responding to the media queries. Probably that’s the nature of Dr Singh who believes more in action than words.

In the last one year, there have been many thorny issues that have pricked the government. To begin with the positives – the government was successful in handling the global financial crisis. The woman reservation’s bill which got passed in the Rajya Sabha, and the Right to Education Bill, were some key achievements of the UPA 2. But if we look at the negatives - clearly the price rise issue has hurt the government and the people of the country the most.

The Naxal issue has led to more chaos and destruction rather than achievements. Pakistan’s failure on the 26/11 front has also not helped the government.

To measure a performance of any government it is important to take individual performances of the cabinet ministers into consideration. After all a government is like any other team, especially when it involves coalition partners. Over all the performance of the ‘Congress’ ministers has been satisfying. Kapil Sibal, P. Chidambaram and Pranab Mukherjee have been the star performers for the government in their respective ministries. Shashi Tharoor , who was in the news throughout for the all the wrong reasons, was show the exit door while Jairam Ramesh has been appreciated for his work as the environment minister but has been a let down for his comments on other ministers.

But the biggest negative for team UPA has been the performance of the coalition partners and their ministers.

Sharad Pawar has made more news in cricket rather than agriculture and agri-products which directly impacts the price of essential food items. He has been a total failure on that front.

Mamata Banerjee has been a visiting minister for the government. She is mostly in Kolkata and her priority is the West Bengal elections next year. She has been soft on the Naxal issue and has openly criticized the government for its policy towards Naxals. Mamata is clearly turning out to be the biggest irritant for the current UPA government much like the ‘Left’ parties who stalled various reform decisions taken by the UPA during its first tenure..

The DMK is the biggest liability for the government in terms of performance. M.K Alagiri and A Raja have been an embarrassment for the government. A Raja’s alleged involvement in the 2G scam, which if proved by the investigating agencies, would be the biggest scam in the history of India. Though the PM has defended Raja, but with a rider that if anyone is found guilty, he will take action. On the other hand, Karunanidhi’s elder son Alagiri has been a complete misfit in the capital so far. He has not been attending the Parliament, even after been reprimanded by the speaker. He has shown no interest in his portfolio so far.

But Manmohan Singh’s biggest problem is that he can’t take ministers from coalition partners to task. He can’t pressurize them as he has to keep this coalition intact for the UPA to last a full 5-year term. The first year is a very short duration for any government to be judged as all the major reforms are initiated only from the third-year onwards. If the first tenure saw the rise of Manmohan Singh as an effective political leader; this tenure would be a test of Singh’s ability to extract good performances from his team. No one doubts Singh’s potential as an individual performer but if his other ministers do not perform in this tenure, it would dent Singh’s legacy.

KASAB & SHAHZAD: THE COMMON LINK

Last week Ajmal Amir Kasab was finally handed over the capital punishment as expected. In the same week Faisal Shahzad, who attempted to detonate a bomb in Times Square was arrested from JFK airport in New York. US officials’ claim that Shahzad has confessed that he indeed did try to blow up a bomb kept inside a car at Time Square to kill and terrorize people.

On the face of it Kasab & Shahzad have nothing in common except the fact that they both hail from Pakistan and both were trained by the same terror establishment which is based in Pakistan. Otherwise both of them have pretty distinct backgrounds. Kasab was born in a poor

family from a remote village in Punjab, largely illiterate and unemployed, who briefly worked as a labourer in Lahore before he joined the training camp of LeT. While on the other hand Shahzad had a privileged upbringing in a decent family. His father was in the armed forces and he mainly stayed in the big cities of Pakistan and received good education. He moved to the US in 1999 where he got his degree in computer engineering and also worked in various companies.

For many it has come as a shock that given Shahzad’s background and education he still chose the fundamentalist approach. But there is one ‘root’ cause that actually underlines a similarity between Kasab & Shahzad. Both the men were going through financial problems at different levels. Kasab in his confession stated on camera that his trainers had promised 1, 50,000 rupees for his family if he did his job well. Incidentally, according to the initial reports that are emerging with regards to Shahzad suggest that even he was a victim of the financial crisis that had engulfed United States last year.

The Islamic fundamentalist groups have exploited this situation faced by young Muslims across income levels to the fullest. Though, this is not the only factor that must have influenced the minds of these two individuals but was definitely a vital factor. These examples clearly demonstrate that the Islamic fundamentalist groups have a streamlined propaganda and indoctrination process in place. The pattern and the approach vary depending on the background of the individual. For example Kasab in his confession stated that he first got introduced to LeT through a pamphlet which was been distributed in his village by LeT members. The pamphlet asked young village boys to join their training camps. The case of Shahzad is not an isolated one involving a young, educated Muslim been swayed by an Islamic terror group. The involvement of Ahmad brothers in the failed terrorist attack that was attempted at the Glasgow airport & London in 2007 also illustrates the sophisticated approach that has been adopted by these groups to indoctrinate these educated men.

Till now poverty has been considered the root cause for violence-whether its naxal based terrorism or even religious based terrorism to an extent, but now this new form of ‘urban financial crisis’ that has emerged in the recent years is another dangerous phenomenon. Hopefully this won’t become another catalyst that would give birth to urban based right wing terrorism.

MODI OUT, BUT WHO WILL FIX THE BIGGER MESS?

On Sunday night when Kieron Pollard was trying to play the innings of his life in the final few overs to take Mumbai Indians home, another man in the stadium was also trying everything possible in the book to save his job as the chief of IPL. But for Lalit Modi this time around all his shots had failed. The BCCI just a few minutes after the final ball was bowled at the D.Y. Patil stadium clean bowled Modi. He was e-mailed his suspension letter which effectively meant that he could not attend the bigger final on Monday- the IPL governing council meeting.

The suspension of Lalit Modi without even given a chance to offer an explanation is definitely unfair. True, the man ran the IPL like his own private business and if the
allegations against him turn out to be true then he should be tried and punished for the same. No matter how big is the crime, the accused is always given a chance to defend himself under a fair trial and even Modi deserves a chance.

But the biggest highlight of the whole series of ugly events has been the manner in which the BCCI has crucified one man for the whole IPL mess. No doubt Lalit Modi was the chief of IPL and he is the prime accused but it was not only Modi who was running the IPL. There are twelve other members on the governing council of the IPL which include the BCCI president Shashank Manohar, three strong politicians & three former Indian captains. So how can all of them be given a clean chit that too by themselves? Isn’t the BCCI president who heads the cricket board morally responsible for what has happened? Shouldn’t the whole governing council resign so that a ‘fair’ investigation can take place? Shashank Manohar said in the press conference that the reason for Modi’s suspension is to have a ‘fair’ investigation without any hindrances. Doesn’t that apply to the whole IPL governing council?

The end result- the IPL governing council remains intact minus Modi, with some of its members being promoted and given bigger responsibilities. How can this council be trusted when they failed to question the very functioning of the same IPL in the last three years? This is one of the biggest failures on the corporate governance front. The whole issue of corporate governance was raised during the ‘Satyam’ fiasco and its back to haunt us again.

The issue is not restricted to the IPL only. This issue also raises doubts on the whole functioning of the BCCI. Many would argue that BCCI is a private body and therefore is not accountable. The fact that they run the most popular sport of this nation makes it mandatory for them to be accountable to the people of this country. Because cricket is not their private property- it belongs to the whole nation which adores the sport. The BCCI is accountable to the government for the simple fact that the government has exempted BCCI to pay taxes being a private trust. The government also provides them all kinds of facilities from stadiums to police security for matches and does not charge them a penny even though it’s run by a private body. And thanks to all these exemptions, BCCI is the second richest sports body in the world with annual revenues running into billion of dollars.

And finally, why is it that Shashi Tharoor had to resign? Doesn’t that rule apply to Pawar & Patel whose names have cropped up during the last few weeks? Or will the Congress this time again stifle under coalition pressure like it did during the A Raja controversy on the telecom 2G spectrum front sometime back. The government will have to ensure that a thorough enquiry is conducted not only into the IPL but the whole functioning of BCCI. This is a golden opportunity for the government to clean the stinking corruption embedded in cricket administration which is so essential for the sport to grow. If it fails to do so then cricket would continue to remain the golden goose which will keep giving golden eggs to a handful of politicians & businessmen of this country.

THAROOR PAYS THE PRICE, BUT WILL MODI SURVIVE?

It was Modi’s in swinging yorker that saw Tharoor’s middle stump flying out of the ground. Many would term Tharoor’s resignation as a victory for Lalit Modi & the BJP. But the fact remains that this IPL (Indian Political League) like the original one is not over yet. And there can still be a twist in the Tale.

Sonia Gandhi & Dr Singh’s decision not to back Tharoor had one key element attached to it. Both didn’t want the current UPA to be linked to any form of corruption charges. Tharoor might be a bit unlucky also as probably his intention was not to make money himself but the route chosen by him to participate in the IPL frenzy has cost

him dearly. From the time reports surfaced on Tharoor’s participation in the bidding process, he was in trouble. Being a little too straightforward for Indian politics which led to him acknowledging that he was mentoring the Kochi side and never shy of roaming with his love interest in public has cost him dearly. Now a mentor can be interpreted in different ways. Similarly his proximity to Sunanda Pushkar who happens to be a stake holder in the Kochi consortium without investing a penny was something too crude to digest for Indian polity. That’s exactly what Modi & the BJP did. And with each passing day a new revelation of Tharoor’s role kept emerging.

But Congress’s larger game plan was not only to keep its track record clean but also to launch a counter attack on the BJP led opposition. Even before Pranab announced that IPL will be probed and the guilty will not be spared, the Income tax department was on the game

The reason why Tharoor lost the first round to Modi many would say is because the former was a minister; hence he was a public servant, while Modi heads a private entity and is not accountable to the public directly. But there are other reasons as well which is why Modi survived the initial attack atleast. The first advantage Modi had was that he might be close to the BJP, but he is not a BJP worker officially. So even if they attack Modi, the Congress cannot link him directly to the saffron party. Moreover Congress ally Sharad Pawar is openly backing Modi.

But with the I-T department determined to implicate Modi, this just might be the tip of the iceberg. If Modi is sacked by the BCCI or taken to task for the alleged financial mishaps within the IPL, he will not go out silently but will make the whole BCCI face the music. IPL is a subsidiary of the BCCI, so if Lalit Modi is indicted so will be the IPL and invariably the BCCI. And if that happens then we will see a Pandora’s Box being opened. And with the likes of Sharad Pawar, Arun Jaitley & Farooq Abdullah on the BCCI council, this could lead to a major political storm. Not only are politicians involved but even the big corporates are involved in the BCCI & the IPL

N.Srinivasan who is the vice-chairman of India Cements owns the Chennai Super Kings. And Mr Srinivasan also happens to be the secretary of the BCCI. K.Srikanth is the official brand ambassador of the same team and he also happens to be the chief national selector of the BCCI. So wasn’t there a conflict of interest right from the first round of bidding which happened in 2008? It’s now a direct battle between the government and the BCCI backed by politicians & strong corporates.

But in the end the biggest loser is not the political class, but the brand IPL itself. Though till now there are no signs of the audience rejecting the tournament because of the latest controversy, but IPL as a sporting brand which is becoming a global phenomenon has definitely taken a beating. A brand which has made India proud may become a tainted sporting property. And again the culprits remain the same as they have always been in the last six decades- politics, money & corruption.

TIME FOR INDIA TO TALK TOUGH

On 18th July 2005 when George W Bush and Dr Manmohan Singh jointly announced the historic nuclear agreement in Washington, many thought that this would be the beginning of a relationship that would dominate the world in the 21st century. Some even compared it to the US-Israel relationship that has been rock steady for the last 6 decades. But Dr Singh would have never imagined at that time that the nuclear deal which was the symbol of this new love affair between the two nations for which he also put his chair and the government on the line in 2008 (The Left pull support from the UPA) would start loosing its sheen so early.


Bush and Dr Singh were the architects of this new strategic relationship which was created on mutual benefit & trust. But unfortunately for India the meaning of the word ‘mutual benefit’ which was defined by these two leaders in 2005 changed in January 2009 when Barack Obama took over as the president of the United States of America.

In the last one year there have been three key issues that clearly indicate Washington’s priority and preference. The thorniest issue has been the 26/11 investigation. From the time of 26/11, India’s reliance on the US to pressurize Pakistan to act against the Pakistan based terror camps has been a complete failure. Yes, the US has publicly always made statements that Pakistan must act and speed up the process. But the reality still remains that Hafiz Saeed, the alleged mastermind of 26/11 is still roaming around scot free. Similarly when David Headley admitted his role in the 26/11 attack, the US officials immediately made it clear to India that Headley will not be extradited to India. The only assurance given was that Indian investigators would be given access to him for questioning. How soon and for what period is still not known. The third issue has been the India-Iran relationship. The US has been continuously pressurizing India not to do any business with Iran. India has been in talks with Iran over the multi billion dollar gas pipeline which is pivotal for India’s growing energy needs.

Lets take an hypothetical example with regards to 26/11 investigations. Had the US been in India’s position and say Iraq or even Iran had been directly responsible for 9/11 then would it had ever allowed India to do business with either Iran or Iraq? It launched an all out war against Afghanistan in 2002. Not only did it attack Afghanistan but took along with it a host of sycophants like the UK, Australia etc, who were not the victims of 9/11. But on the other hand now the US is not only providing financial aid to Pakistan but also considers it a big partner in its fight against the Taliban. And for India, Pakistan’s soil was used to attack Mumbai on 26/11.

Similarly to the issue of Iran with which the US has had a long standing problem and till date the US has been alleging that Iran has a hidden nuclear weapons program in place which is dangerous for the world. Washington has been pressing for more sanctions and pressurizing New Delhi not to do any business with them. Iran is a democratic state and even if there are grey areas in their nuclear plan even then it should be handled through a dialogue in the same manner as the US has been advocating India on the Pakistan issue. Washington has all this while pushing India to have a dialogue with Islamabad even though they have failed to deliver on the 26/11 front. Washington has no right to tell New Delhi not to work with Iran. Washington has never had any problem with Israel, which has all along developed weapons and used them against Palestine.

And the last but the most major issue relates to Headley. US attacked Afghanistan citing that Osama Bin Laden is hiding there. Ironically, one of the main culprits (Headley) who has accepted his role in 26/11 is sitting in the US but the victim India cannot extradite him. But hypothetically, had India given shelter or even arrested Osama then was there ever a chance that the US would have agreed to him not been extradited to the US?

All these three issues highlight the double standards that have been followed by the US administration. It also reflects that Obama’s priority is not India but Afghanistan for which it needs Pakistan. That’s the precise reason why it is not handing over Headley as that would lead to a complete exposure of Pakistan’s role.

Dr Singh who is currently in the US for the nuclear summit and also met Obama should step up the gas. It is essential to convey the message to their US counterparts that 26/11 investigation is as important for India as the 9/11 attack was for the US. And its time that India stands firm even on the Iran issue. Because the nuclear deal is now history & there isn’t any more big presents coming from the US. If India stifles under US pressure then its journey to become the superpower of this century would be defeated.

MODI & CONGRESS ARE EQUAL CULPRITS

Narendra Modi can easily be termed as the most intriguing politician of modern day Indian politics. That’s why it comes as no surprise that his recent visit to the Supreme Court appointed SIT for questioning in the Gujarat riots has evoked strong emotions yet again. The media & human rights groups have termed this event significant as it is for the first time that a sitting chief minister is been questioned for his/her role in communal riots. Whether Modi gets indicted or not is still to be seen but it is important to note that the Congress which has left no opportunity in the past to attack Modi on this issue and is an equal culprit when it comes to communal riots.

Congress is guilty for been involved in communal riots directly or indirectly just like the BJP. The anti-Sikh riots in 1984 are still one of the worst riots that have taken place in independent India. The riots broke out in the aftermath of Indira Gandhi’s assassination and the Congress leaders were alleged to have led the mobs and exterminate Sikhs in Delhi. Similarly, when the Babri mosque was demolished in 1992, it was again the Congress that was in power. Then PM Narasimha Rao was widely criticized for not having done enough to protect the structure (mosque) which led to one of the worst communal riots that independent India had witnessed. So why is it that the Congress has always managed to escape any legal scrutiny and has still presented itself as the ‘most’ secular political party?

When the 1984 anti Sikh riots took place in Delhi, the Congress was in power at the centre and Delhi been a union territory came directly under the central government. There was no Delhi chief minister but the central government, the home ministry which were very much in the heart of the capital failed to stop the riots which went on for three long days. And it’s been nearly two and half decades but no one has been prosecuted. Ten commissions were formed post the riots, but finally the Nanavati commission’s report did name Tytler and Sajjan Kumar. Yes, there are cases in the court against the Jagdish Tytler & Sajjan Kumar, but lets not forget that the CBI had given cleans chits to both these Congress leaders not too long ago. It was again the Supreme Court that ordered the reopening of these cases. The other factor that has helped the Congress is that from 1984 till 1989 the Congress was in power. And the ‘n’ number of coalitions that came to power in between including the NDA failed to investigate the riots.

Similarly, the culprits of the Babri mosque demolition and the riots that followed have still not been prosecuted. The much awaited Liberhan commission report which was tabled a few months back and which also named some BJP politicians but not surprisingly gave a clean chit to Narsimha Rao turned out to be a complete eye wash. Even the Congress did pursue any legal action as that would have also forced them to owe responsibility given that they were in power. The CBI case is still going on against Advani & other BJP leaders but a dramatic action against them is unlikely. With no television media presence during the ‘84 riots and limited print media, the news coverage was also lackluster in the long run.

On the other hand, Gujarat has managed to stay in the limelight for a plethora of reasons. Firstly, the role played by the vigilant media, especially, the English media which was instrumental in covering the riots in Gujarat comprehensively and objectively. The second important factor was the UPA’s or rather Congress’s return to power in 2004. The time UPA took over the home ministry in 2004, the Gujarat riots were still fresh in the minds of the people and the Congress used that to its advantage by expediting the investigation process.

The only difference between the Congress & BJP remains that the former has apologized for the ‘84 riots while the latter still remains unapologetic for the 2002 Gujarat riots. Sonia Gandhi & Manmohan Singh both have publicly apologized for the ‘84 riots where as BJP & Modi still refuse to accept any moral responsibility for the riots.

So if the Congress truly wants to proclaim the crown of the true secular party of India, it is imperative that the two incidents mentioned above should be investigated objectively and the culprits should be brought to the book. Yes, as a nation we have moved much ahead with the hope that such communal riots do not occur ever again. But still the culprits who have shaken the fabric of secular India move scout free, the emergence of the new Congress (Rahul era) will remain hollow.