The Politics of negativism

The Politics of negativism                                                                25 June 2013

Arvind Kejriwal must take on political leaders on issues. He should stop getting personal

A party which came into existence with the avowed aim of cleansing the current political system should, like Caesar’s wife’ be beyond reproach. That is what was expected of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) led by civil society activist-turned politician Arvind Kejriwal. Among the other things expected of any party is to maintain a certain decorum and dignity when discussing opponents. Mr. Kejriwal, who has cast himself as a self-appointed mission of society, seems to have no compunctions about making what can only be described as unbecoming personal attacks on Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, the latest political betenoire to arouse his ire. Accusing her of corruption and other misdemeanours with no proof is unacceptable conduct from anyone, least of all from a personal who claims that he floats above the fray.

Any political formation should have a positive agenda. Mr. Kejriwal seems to have none. All we have heard apart from vituperative attacks on other political formations is recent times, is the fact that he will stand against Ms Dikshit from wherever she contests in the Delhi elections. Fine. What next? Mr. Kejriwal has never quite explained why he chose to enter the political fray after making categorical statements that the whole political establishment is no more than a cesspit of corruption. Encouraging people to flout the law by not paying their electricity bills and by going around reconnecting electricity wires that have been cut off for non-payment do not amount to a political revolution. Earlier, during a protest, his supporters breached police barricades and then accused the police of brutality when the area was cleared. This encourages lawlessness and it not likely to improve people’s lives in any manner.

Mr. Kejriwal must understand that attacks on political leaders must be on issues and not on personal grounds. Mr. Kejriwal focused all his energies on running down the Congress and its leaders and of late the BJP as well. People are perfectly aware of the faults of both parties, what they would like to know is what is going to be different about the Aam Aadmi Party and why they should vote for it. The politics of negativism will pay very short-term dividends. If Mr. Kejriwal is in for the long haul, he will have to look beyond his own personal dislikes.

Extract of an Editorial HT-24 June 2013

Comment:

Anna Hazare rightly assessed the intention and charter of Kejriwal and discarded him at the right time. 

Modi’s Himalayan Miracle –Modi the great LIAR

Modi’s Himalayan Miracle –Modi the great LIAR                      25 June 2013

Tall claims of resuing 15,000 Gujarati Pilgrims show his hype machine at work

On the evening of Friday, June 21, as India reeled from the shock of the calamity in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat chief minister Narendra  Modi landed up in Dehradun with a handful of officers. By Sucday, it was claimed that he had resued 15,000 standard Gujaratis from the wreckage of Uttarakhand and sent these grateful folks back home.

Reports say that Modi pulled off this coup with a fleet of 80 Innovas. How did these cars manage to reach places like Kedarnath, across roads that have been washed away, over landslides that have wreaked most access routes?

But let us assume Modi’s Innovas had wings as well as helicopter rotors. Including the driver, an Innova is designed to carry seven people. In a tough situation, assume you could pack nine passengers into each car. In that case, a convoy of 80 Innovas could ferry 720 people down the mountains to Dehradun at one go. To get 15,000 people down, the convoy would need to make 21 round trips.

It takes longer to travel in the hills than in the plains. So, assuming an average speed of 40 km per hour, it would take 233 hours of driving to pull off the feat.

This assumes non-stop driving, without a second’s rest to identify the Gujaratis to be rescued and keeping the rest of the distressed folk at bay, or any time to load and unload the vehicles. And forget about any downtime for the gallant rescuers.

That is nearly 10 days of miraculous work. And Modi pulled it off in a day.

Modi, ever modest, himself did not make the claim of rescuing 15,000 Gujaratis from Himalayan disaster in a day. It was likely dumped on a gullible media by his public relations agency, an American outfit called Apco Worldwide. In 2007, Apco was hired, ostensibly to boost the Vibrant Gujarat summits, but to actually burnish modi’s image, for $ 25,000 a month.

He is in good company. Apco has worked for the dictator of Kazakhstan, Nursutan Nazarbaev, the governments of Malaysia and Israel and the American tobacco lobby. Apco has also worked for pariah regimes like Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan and Nigerian strongman Sani Abacha.

But modi does not need Apco to lie. In 2005 he announced that state-owned company GSPC had made India’s biggest gas discovery: 20 trillion cubic feet (tcf) valued at more than $50 billion, off Andhra Pradesh. This was 40% more than what Reliance had found in the same area. Modi then egged on GSPC to grab projects in Egypt, Yemen and Australia.

In every area the Modi narrative is a tale of bluster and bluff. But his Himalayan miracle is a barefaced, cynical lie. 

Himalaya Sunami-The Greatest Catastrophe GANGRAPE OF HIMALAYAS- The Causes

Himalaya Sunami-The Greatest Catastrophe                                    28 June 2013

GANGRAPE OF HIMALAYAS- The Causes

16 & 17 June would be remembered as the most horrifying experience of recent happening. Undoubtedly nature played havoc on the upper ridges of Uttarakhand. The cloud burst phenomena is unique and could be easily compared to natures havoc “TORNADOE” a regular devastating feature in the North America. We may not be able to avoid such happenings but could minimize the damages and specially the loss of human lives.

We have regularly; say even last few decades have been indulging in the “Gangrape of Himalayas”. Who all are responsible for the massive Gang Rape of Himalayas.

·        The local people

·        The visitors-the so-called tourists (Total population UKD now nearly 10 million/1 crore and has nearly 25 million/2.5 crore visitors/tourists every year.

·        Govt Officials – at lower and local levels.

·        Bureaucracy –at state and central govt level. For neglecting to implement the norm land down on environment, ecological balance, construction activities and many such related issues

·        Politicians-the policy makers, who are busy in vote bank politics rather than make effective laws to preserve the earthly ecological & environmental balance.  And ensure its implementation through law enforcing agencies.

Devastation & Rescue

The devastation is immense. Beyond comprehension and imagination. Few thousand would have lost their lives and equal member will never be traced. (This number would reach nearly 10000 in each category. It might take nearly 3-5 years to recreate the necessary infrastructure (roads& bridges). Similarly to rebuild the hotels, guest houses and restore the pilgrimage places so that the “Rozi-Roti” ¼jksth jksVh½ of the locals can be restored.

Never in the history of independent India such has a massive rescue operation been launched. The terrain is most in hospitable. Even in the normal times, these are villages in Uttarakahand that one could trace in 2-3 days time.

Till date about 1 lakh five thousand people are evacuated. Nearly 15000 uniformed people from Army/Air Force/ Para military forces are directly engaged. And another 5000 people are assisting from rear bases. Fifty Five helicopters (heavy lift-MI-26, medium capacity, MI-17 and light helicopters ALH) are engaged and operating from more than half a dozen bases. Operating heptrs in such an inhospitable terrain throws many challenges.

·        Altitude, Weather Network of high tension wires in the hills.

·        Suitable helipads or even availability of minimum place to land and take off path.

·        Refueling facility. Air space management

Even the ground forces working round the clock have all odds against them. The biggest challenge being the impatience, intolerance, and anger of the stranded people. Though genuine but at times becomes a big irritant and challenge for the rescue forces.

The massive task of having rescued more than 1 lakh people in the first nine days needs a great admiration and salutations to those engaged in such an operation. 

Can we avoid or minimize such happenings and the loses?

Yes we can. What do we do?

·        Construction policy on the hills is well defined. It has to be area specific.

·        No of people vehicles should be regulated to such restricted areas (Kedarnath/Badrinath/Gangotri/Yamnotri).

·        Check points should be created for each of the “Char Dham”

We shall never be able to achieve, Because-

·        We are Indian ¼ge Hkkjrh; gS Only gossip½

·        We are indisciplined ¼ge vuq”kklughu gS½S

·        We are irresponsible Citizen. ¼ge xSj ftEesnkj ukxfjd gS½S

Statistics of last few years

Last 10 years Natural Calamities Statistical Information

There were total nine calamities barring the present UKD calamity. Three major calamity statistics:

Gujarat                       2001               25,000 dead 63 Lakh were affected

Earthquick

Sunami                       2004               10749 dead 5640 missing 28 Lakh affected

Kashmir Earthquick (including adjacent HP Area)   86, 000 dead                      

As I Saw it- Point to Ponder

“India Strategic” magazine helds two International seminars every year. One “National Seminar is on Aerospace Technology” and the other one-“Fire Power”. Both are attended by International fraternity from Industry, Business, Defence, Diplomacy, R & D and ultimate in the line the practioners of their weapon systems, (i.e. the people from the Armed Forces, Army, Navy the Air Force and the Para Military Forces).

The last Seminar “Fire Power-2013” was held on 22 May at Delhi. I was to make the “concluding Remark”.

I asked the august gathering a question:

When we are discussing development of “Fire Power” to be more devastating destructive, accurate, lethal and easily applied. We are advancing towards these requirements, no doubt.

What is our objective on application of such a “Fire Power”?. To make the world less violent and move towards “PEACE”. Immediately after the gruesome event of 9/11 US started pouncing Afghanistan (since7 Oct 2001). Have we reached any finality-excerpt elimination of “Osama Bin Laden” on 2 May 12 through “Operation Geronimo”.

US would withdraw by 2014, bleeding Afghanistan and its neighbourhood. What is the idea of developing Such a Fire Power and its usage? Nobody (in the seminar) had the answer.

The views of Akbar Ahmed an Academician a thicker on usage of “Drones” in Afghanistan and its neighbourhood are produced below.

Drones kill three bad guys-and 30 innocents’
What do drone strikes just before and after Nawaz Sharif’s inauguration reflect about US policies towards his government?

These reflect a certain contradiction in American policy these almost suggest a confrontation with the new PM which the US does not want.

Are drone strikes making the world safer?

I can categorically answer that in the negative. Apart from the dubious arguments justifying drones, this is a highly ineffective method of checking violence. With every three bad guys killed, there are some 30 innocent women and children who die.

How have these strikes and militarization impacted the tribal regions?

Although a debate has recently begun in the US about their legality, few are able to connect the dots between the drones’ use and impact.

Drone strikes, the Pakistan army’s anti-taliban operations, suicide bombers and tribal rivalry have shattered society’s fabric. A large percentage has sought shelter in the shanty towns of the bigger cities. As these are impoverished areas with virtually no hospitals, colleges and industry, an already destitute area is facing disaster.

Have drone strikes widened the gulf between Islamic communities and the West?

While the US and the West do much good, including development aid and education projects, the drone has become the focal point for many in the Muslim world.

Even before these of drones, the gulf between the West and Islam had opened frighteningly wide on 9/11.

How are things going to pan out following America’s with drawal from Afghanistan?

Well, the US will depend increasingly on Pakistan to provide it cover through land routes and use its influence to keep hostile groups under control for an orderly with drawal.

Pakistan has a direct interest in what happens in Kabul to prevent what it argues is an Indian attempt to encircle it. Both China and Russia are also interested as is Iran.

Internally, there will be a falling back to tribal configurations. The Taliban will play a role in afghan politics-but it will face greater resistance.

As I saw it: The Painful Episode IPL- 6 and the Controversies

As I saw it: The Painful Episode                                                     24 May 2013

IPL- 6 and the Controversies

IPL 6 is towards the fag end. And suddenly “Delhi Police” reveals the big nexus of bookies and some of the young & not too young players being part of a “fixing” deal. That is to play to the tune of the bookies. There is a difference in “fixing a game” to loose, or to play to the tune of the satorias and bowl certain balls to the needs of the satoria’s. I am quite sure people should be aware that betting goes, on each and every ball, in this small format of game.

Some of the youngsters may be new to this hifi of the game of IPL. They were lured to make more money by unfair means. Was this a new phenomenon? Not at all it is well known in our country and even globally, and in every type of game. In some developed and advanced countries betting stands Legalized.  We certainly would have to isolate our young players of this lure of making easy money.

How do we do that?

Once the players are auctioned or bought by the franchise the controlling body should prepare “a code of conduct by the players”. Specially so cautioning them not to fall prey to the unethical effects of the bookies. What could be the petty gains, would result in damages of the suspension/life bans and the most important their own and their family’s reputation. We should not forget that a large of no of Indian players, part of the IPL are from modest background. They are exposed to huge sums of money for the first time.

Even the franchise should have mentors and psychotherapists to counsel and indoctrinate the players of the evils of this wonderful format of game of cricket. Franchise should even engage private detective to monitor the movement of bookies into the premises of players. Don’t forget there is large variation of money coming to the players in a genuine way. Those who are have notes are the easy targets for the bookies.

All are praising the efforts of Delhi Police in revealing this nexus. These new young are new to the glitter of hifi life. By no stretch of imagination they are criminals. These evil could have been stopped at the right time. Delhi Police have acted, in a manner “knowing a young woman is likely to be raped, they wait for the woman to be raped and then act and try to catch the rapists”.

Notwithstanding the above the Delhi Police would have done a better job by cautioning the BCCI, Franchise or even the players of the nexus of the satoria’s and the methodology of such people to trap the innocent players.

May be a preventive therapy would have been better than a cancerous surgery. 

The Fact File- Azam Khan’s visit US

The Fact File                                          02 May 2013

Azam Khan’s visit US   

Aam Khan accompanied by Akhilesh Yadav (CM of UP) went on a visit to US. Supposed to be on the invitation of “Howard Business School”.  Was there any need for the two ministers to go? The job was done by the Govt. Machinery. The team to represent UP Govt should have been lead by Chief Secretary of UP Govt and accompanied by some officials who were directly responsible for the successful conduct of the Kumbh Mela. A 12 member’s team went to US.

Our politicians in power are so much enamoured by “Lam Lushker” yke y”dj and special treatment, that they are totally misfit to visit on a sponsored visit.

I am reminded of my visit to Canada (Toronto) in the year 2004. We were staying with a friend of ours. One day a lady drove in a car (self driven). She was of Indian origin and an elected MP and holding a ministerial post. It was a very unusual happening. On my query she replied only PM of the country is entitled for a chauffler driven car. A pilot vehicle and a stand by car follows. Will our Netas ever learn such courtesies?.

Mulayam’s outburst on China

“China is No 1 enemy. Go to war to shunt them out”. It is just to please those who do not understand the nuances of “State Craft”. When all avenues of diplomacy and persuasion have failed and security of a nation endangered one can think of war. Are we going to entrust the reigns of our country to such irresponsible, eccentric leaders?

Fact File- Point to Ponder

Fact File- Point to Ponder                                                                              

 30 April 2013

‘India is the only country where Muslims exert influence without fear’

Tarek Fatah is a Canadian writer and advocate of a progressive and liberal Muslim identity. Speaking with Aarti Tikoo Singh, Fatah discussed his emphasis on Muslims fighting tyranny, why left-wing groups are often wrong in assessing Islamic movements-and how Indian Muslims are uniquely placed to challenge repression:

You’re visiting India for the first time-what are your impressions?

I’m relieved all my impressions turned out to be realistic. India is the only country offering a future in terms of what the nation state would be and how to accommodate languages, races and religions with all the difficulties that go with that. As a Muslim, I found it fascinating that this is the only place in the world where Muslims exert influence without fear. Muslims are better equipped in India than in Pakistan and Bangladesh.

I talked to prominent Muslims who said, “You’re not going to make me deal with issues as a Muslim. I am an Indian. “But I feel they are abdicating the responsibility they have, as the only Muslims with the freedom to stand up against those who wish to take this freedom away.

But serious questions remain in India about Muslims being discriminated against isn’t that of concern?

I don’t deny that-but I would rather live with discrimination, where I have the right to speak out, than live somewhere women and others are targeted in the name of Islam. Of course there’s oppression in India too against women but nobody says it’s an act of piety-it’s ‘dadagiri’, not piety. It can be corrected with better enforcement of laws offering equality and protection. In the Islamic world, the law itself says women are inferior to men.

It is the responsibility of liberal Muslims to discuss issues and say this or that is not acceptable. If Muslim women cannot go to a mosque and sit in the front row, it is not a Hindu problem. If Muslim men don’t treat female relations with equal dignity, why are they complaining that others aren’t doing so?

I put harsher responsibility on Indian Muslims because they are free, living in a democratic society. If they want to know what it’s like to live under Islamic rule, they can see what’s happening in Pakistan.

Extract from TOI 19 April 2013