(Com)Mission Election!!!
Posted by: hbhaskar on: February 4, 2009
UPA Government’s handling of the recent crisis in the Election Commission is exactly as expected by a Government, overpowered by the mindset of a political party, in league of a General Election due within six months. In the first place, the events that unfolded were scathing enough to hamper the credibility and reasonability of an impartial institution like EC. It’s for legal experts to decide whether the procedure adopted by the CEC, Mr. N. Gopalaswamy, prudent or not, what I insist is ‘what’ could make a better debating issue rather than presently prevalent ‘How’. Two other letters shot to the President’s Office from the CEC’s table inarguably puts to rest any question upon Mr. Gopalaswamy’s pious intentions. Political commentators should use this opportunity to free the EC of any political intervention by taking the issue hammer and tongs. Alas, an important issue is reduced to Tom and Jerry game between BJP and the Congress, both indulged in ubiquitous political blame game. Ball is currently in Congress’s court and it is free to take the shots. But, as pointed by Mr. Arun Jaitley, the beneficiary of the partiality can and should never be the adjudicator. It is one of the rarest chances for the Congress to rise above its political maneuverings and set an example by taking steps which can set an example for the political class in the time to come. Accepting to the terms of the CEC, or setting up an independent enquiry panel before the announcement of next CEC will never cast shadow on the credibility of the Congress led UPA Government, rather proclaim its Integrity. In absence of the same, a blunder of sorts will influence Indian politics in the coming ages wherein Governments would constitute EC based on their calculations and use the institution to settle scores as has been the case of the CBI. Appointment and service norms of the EC be made similar to the Vigilance Commission as it is the only Vigilant in the Electoral Battle. Better make EC a ‘neutral umpire’ as suggested by the CEC.
Cut the crap called Karachi!!!
Posted by: hbhaskar on: January 21, 2009
The whole world looked towards US on January 20, when patriarch of hope (over fear!), Mr. Barack Hussein Obama, was sworn in as the 44th president of that country. But in the heat of the moment, and also in the desperation of the press to give maximum column inches to the first inaugural ceremony of the first African-American President, one news with great hopes for Indian diplomacy (and also Indian peace!), didn’t get the sound welcome that it rightly deserved.
The head of US central command Mr. David Petraeus, who oversees the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, divulged that the US has struck deals with Russia and neighboring countries allowing it to transport suppplies to American troops in Afghanistan through their territory. This inland route using rail and road gives an alternative arrangement to the US for logistic supply which has otherwise relented on the port of Karachi, and Pakistan mainland thereafter, to wage a war against Taliban in Afghanistan. The dependence on Pakistan has always prevented Washington from pushing Islamabad too hard on terrorism.
After the Mumbai attacks, the perpetrators of which are assumed to use coastline from Karachi, there has been some talk of an Indian naval blockade against Pakistan, blocking the approaches to Pakistan’s main port of Karachi. This is an attractive strategy for India, as it plays to New Delhi’s relative naval strength.Also, Karachi is Pakistan’s main export facility, and Pakistan is heavily dependent on it. If Karachi were blocked, particularly while Pakistan is undergoing a massive financial crisis, Pakistan would face disaster. The Pakistanis do not believe the Indians will do this, given that it would cut off the flow of supplies to American troops in Afghanistan which the Americans, the Pakistanis calculate, would not let happen. And India, would never let its relationship with America sour, especially when it gets the best diplomatic feelers from US in the aftermath of Indo-US Nuclear Deal and also when that country is in transition period from fear to hope (as Mr. Obama makes us believe!)
After the consolidation of US supply route in Central Asia, India can push through the proposed blockade if it is able to play its card real well. Otherwise, we are all used to diplomatic blunders by India in the past 60 years earning us the sobriquet “Resilient mass”.
NIA…National ??? Agency
Posted by: hbhaskar on: January 16, 2009
Prevention is better than cure.
I guess you surely must have heard this adage several times.But if the Central Government had its way, you would hear the same albeit a few corrections i.e. “Chuck prevention, Cure is ready!!” or something else but making similar sense.
This is exactly what the Home Ministry at the Centre under the stewardship of revered P. Chidambaram has done, in the aftermath of 26/11. The Government passed the bill for the constitution of NIA (National Investigating Agency)but the need , rather desperate one, was of the constitution of some National Intelligence Agency. A proper intelligence gathering and sharing mechanism incorporated into the system at present would have averted any kind of serious terrorist threat in the future and, in that case, minimal changes to the existing investigation modus operandi would have done the trick.
It is known to one and all that the Mumbai attack was the result of poor intelligence sharing and collection procedure and poor coordination between various intelligence agencies at the disposal. RAW, IB , Indian Navy and others couldn’t properly convey the available intelligence at proper time and in proper shape which largely handicapped the operation of police and other law enforcement agencies well in time. The need as such was of some agency which could not only upgrade the present gathering methodology but also coordinate between the various intelligence gathering agencies for buffering of information at one nodal centre, proper analysis of the same and wetted transmission of the same to various forces for apt action. A nodal agency, among another benefits accrued, would have saved precious time which is wasted ,due to lack of proper channel, right before the perpetrators commit their dastardly act.
A proper investigating agency with a pan-Indian character was also needed after the investigations into bomb explosions in various parts of the country ran into blockades because of the uncooperative attitudes of various police forces which are part of the state list and are governed by different laws and different socio-political configuration.With some indeed good provisions like-being in the concurrent list, establishment of special courts with hearing on day-to-day basis, and perusal of investigation notwithstanding state borders, the agency is bound to change the shape of investigation into various acts of terror.Also, Mr. R. V. Raju(first DG of NIA) is one of the finest investigating officers, the country has at present. With many high profile terror cases to his credit, one can surely bank upon the fact that the NIA would fully come upto the expectations with which it has been setup.
Just ,at the end, a note of request for the establishment to believe that prevention is always a better proposition. Didn’t someone say “A stitch in time saves nine”??
A fresh Year …
Posted by: hbhaskar on: January 12, 2009
Hi all….let me start this new year 2009 with sincere wishes for you all to cherish everything you dream of and are currently in pursuit of(remember, nothing can be achieved without your industrious approach!)in the new year and also with a firm commitment from my side that i shall be posting threads more often than i used to do in the gone by year.This is one of my New year resolutions(i have a well crafted list which will surely be shared by one and all in the long run) and I am damn aggressive this year. I plan to make this year an ideal year for myself and would suggest you all to make necessary amendments to your urbane lifestyle so that by the end of this year, or more optimistically by the beginning of the year 2010, you have a proud year to look back to.Add life to your year rather than year to your life.
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009.
Utopian politics!
Posted by: hbhaskar on: October 19, 2008
In his article Bailout on Raisana Hill (IE, October 18); Mr. Shekhar Gupta talks about the crucial role expected of a responsible political class in the present financial crisis. Though his aims and ambitions of a political interference is nowhere utopian, as a decent political class is always expected to bail out the country of any crisis, but its prototype in Indian context is too much of a demand. I totally agree to certain points which the noted journalist observed but certain points do need reconsideration when translated to Indian politics.
In the crisis like the one whole World is facing now, Mr. Manmohan Singh should surely appear before the media repeatedly and reassure people of all the steps initiated by the expert foursome of Chidambaram, Montek, Subbarao and Bhave. Isn’t the same being done by all prominent leaders of the World? Moreover, he is the Prime Minister of the country and finest of the specialists of the concerned matters, which the country currently can boast of.
Mr. Gupta debates political intervention to the current crisis, as fight against terror can’t be left solely to the Police. It is for every one of us to see what political intervention to the fight against terror converted Jamia Nagar incident to. The Mamata Banerjees and Amar Singhs are all working over time to portray the incident as of human slaughter by the Delhi Police and demanding enquiry so that the law keepers have to think twice before acting the next time when some terrorist group targets innocent people across the country. As if tired of his medals and accolades, slain Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma shot himself during the shoot out or asked some of his colleague to do so. Can you imagine where would the morale of the law enforcement agencies head towards in such mud slinging?
The author also seeks political intervention in order to raise the morale or rather confidence of the people so as to shape the sentiments in favour of the market. Also that would guarantee the people of their future to be in some ‘steady hands.’ The political class at present day can do just one thing- shake the pillars of trust, wherever they exist, and convert them into mandates for their own gains. When they can shake the confidence of one of the most trained and tested class of people- the police and the armed forces, by their shear rhetoric, where do the common man stand? I pray, at least, this crisis doesn’t spiral into the next poll plank otherwise the Expert foursome may be controlled by their bosses in tune to the political scenario rather than enforcing their vast knowledge into action. Indian people couldn’t have been more confident related to Governance, at least on the Economy front, when the PM and the FM are the two champions in the field of Economics and revered all over for the same.
So, our political establishment may surely take a note or two from the aforesaid article and act responsibly at a time when our present action will decide the fate of our generations to come. Blurb out, if you think you are capable of, crass cacophony would make you rather forgettable in the history of the times to come. A few things better are left to experts because little knowledge can be dangerous thing, sometimes.
Tame the Tigers
Posted by: hbhaskar on: October 17, 2008
- In: society
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Sri Lanka is on the verge of rewriting history. The Sri Lankan Army closing on Kilinochichi, the administrative Headquarters of the LTTE, raises hopes for the beginning of end of one of the biggest and the best organized terrorist outfits in the World. It should and definitely will send a strong message to various smaller outfits, active in different parts of the globe which neither have the numbers nor the Organizational setup anywhere comparable to the LTTE, that Stern action by the state can do wonders and the only amicable solution to redressing grievances is through Dialogue. The Sri Lankan Government looks strong militarily as well as diplomatically at present. This seems to be the opportune time to uproot the Tamil terrorists once and for all and any kind of ceasefire at present would mean a new lease of life for them given their history wherein they have used ceasefire to refresh their stocks.
On the sidelines of the same, mercury is rising in Tamil Nadu where political parties across the spectrum along with various other groups have started mounting pressure on the Central Government to negotiate peace between the two warring sides. True, civilian Tamil population has been facing the heat in the crossfire, but any peace brokerage at the moment can be disastrous. I don’t understand where does Indian government comes into picture. Various Human Rights bodies under the aegis of the UN are the institutions responsible to over see Human Rights violations. Also Humanitarian Organizations like Red Cross, Amnesty etc. should be allowed to work for the entrenched people and reach them in whatever possible ways. Indian Government is no such body and as such look into its own internal problems rather than play a Big Daddy to the whole World.
Thank You Mr. MP
Posted by: hbhaskar on: October 3, 2008
Very often do we get to see a law maker passing a rational statement on a dicey issue which otherwise can be successfully yarned into votes (Front foot: Rajiv Shukla, IE October3). Kudos to the MP for his pro-poor stand against his own Government which off late, in order to save face against its failures and thus divert National attention, has started taking some erroneous and uncalled for decisions. The stage from which the statement is made makes it more worthy. The words of a MP would surely echo in the ears of the Government which is otherwise insulated from the thoughts of the General Public. Rightly said by Mr. Shukla that raising the income ceiling for OBC creamy layer would debar the real needful from the benefit of quota. The purpose of reservation must be limited to providing support to those who could not excel in absence of resources rather than community appeasement in order to garner votes. The Government needs to do its homework well and come over again with some justified proposal.
Mind urself!!!!
Posted by: hbhaskar on: September 28, 2008
Virtual world has engulfed almost all. No one seems to be ignorant of the flock of social networking sites mushrooming in all form. Some offer bonus money for every ad you receive on your phone, some offer free messages, some try to reconciliate you with your old pals and almost all provide you with a medium to track all persons you have known till date (called a friend even if he/she is much respectful) and be in regular contact with them through messages (called scraps, blurbs, wall writing etc.) exposed to everyone present on the site.
A lot has been written till date in almost every newspaper regarding these networking sites citing all possible advantages and disadvantages and further discussion of the same here would seem to be a cliché. But what makes me prop up this topic in middle of my blog, containing all sort of socially relevant serious topics, is the way these sites seem to affect the professional life of many pseudo-socialites.
The INDIAN EXPRSS in its edition dated 28th September 2008 carried a story titled “Watch your Orkut profile, future boss may be snooping” with significant research on the topic pro-actively interacting with a few Resource managers and HR advisors. The article as is clear from the headline describes these social networking sites as “Double edged sword- it could get you a job, or it could prompt headhunters and companies to filter you out on the basis of the personal details on your profile- your friends, communities you have joined and public messages you’ve posted.”
For an optimist’s spectacles, the article contains figure provided by Mr. Kris Lakshmikanth, CEO, Headhunters India who candidly admits that almost 20% of all junior level recruits have been sourced from Orkut this year and the figure may swell to 50% by 2010. Some other revelations like those of Ms. Priyanka Bhatia, senior HR consultant, Elixir who states, “If our client wants 100 recruits in a month and if Naukri.com can provide only 40, I look up Orkut”.
But on the darker side, the companies scan through the scraps you sent and that you received to get leads on your behavior free of cost for which companies have been spending around Rs. 5000. Not only that, your circle of friends is also a parameter to judge you. The number of friends and the type of friends give insights of your social behavior, as the companies think.
Also the big wigs suggest you to create two different accounts- one official and another personal to maintain closeness with your online friends. So the next time you log on Orkut be sensitive and maintain decency keeping in mind that BIG BROTHER is watching.
Singh is King
Posted by: hbhaskar on: September 28, 2008
This is in reference to the article “Shoot ‘em up” (IE, September 27). What is worrying is not that he holds such views but as the head of one of the largest political party in the country he expressed such views and that in public. The message from that platform affects millions of people directly or indirectly. Firstly, like every political party, BJP also has a force of zealots who execute the commands of their high command even without giving a second thought. What if Mr. Singh’s remarks strike the chords of such gullible grass root workers? Secondly, desperately trying to gain power in the forthcoming elections, the BJP should show maximum democratic stance so that in future its governance is not seen as dictatorial by the world community at large. Rightly said in the aforesaid article “…he is supposed to provide responsible stewardship and set out the terms of rational disagreement with the current government, not…”
But there is one more facet to the issue. Indian Government should take exception of the people of Kashmir waving Pakistani flags and proper action, though under Constitutional norms, be initiated against all such lunatics. Standing soft, as we have exuded in our history of last 60 years, may serve the electoral purposes of the current J&K Government but is surely bound to hamper the country’s interest in the long run.
SAY NO TO CASTE RESERVATION!!!
Posted by: hbhaskar on: September 23, 2008
Apropos to the news item ‘To SC, ST add another SC, raise job quota over 50%: Ministry’ (IE, September 22). With general elections hovering overhead, such minority appeasing initiatives are nothing surprising but shouldn’t we take a look at things practically rather than implementing anything and everything out of provocation?
With the implementation of Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act 2006, the percentage of reservation has already reached 50%. Now with this DNT salvo, how are the students from the unreserved category going to find a decent place of study for themselves? If percentage in population is the datum, why not fix reservations in the unreserved category also so that no reserved category student eats into the pie of unreserved seats when he can choose from his/her stipulated quota. In the present scenario the most oppressed class is the one which has always been blamed of being the most privileged.
The government must not be politically correct but has to be practically correct in order to look into the welfare of one and all. It should know that reservation is not the key for equitable development. A weak legged person needs support while he walks. Giving him a wheelchair ensures he never walks throughout his life. Similar is the case with the lollypop called reservation. Last 60 years would have sufficed for the growth and development of the minorities but absence of that aptly proves that the reservation model of growth is worthless. Let us give them a chance to flourish by themselves facing odds rather than gifting a wheelchair in the form of reservation.
In the present scenario, the creamy layer in the SCs and STs are the ones raking maximum benefit out of reservation and the ones who are the real beneficiaries keep lurking. Why not we adopt a system of reservation on the basis of financial condition rather than caste? Financial support in filling up of forms and continuing education is totally justified as that would ensure benefits for people irrespective of caste because poverty doesn’t engulf people by caste.
Let us say no to reservation and yes to development.
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