The Congress and UPA Choice: National Embarrassment

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Presidents_son_defies_protocol/articleshow/2998067.cms

In a serious breach of protocol, President Pratibha Patil's son Rajendra Singh Shekhawat, who accompanied his mother on her recent trip to Latin America, disappeared for a day on April 17 to conduct personal business in the US, keeping his Mexican hosts in the dark. Shekhawat was missing from the banquet hosted by Mexican President Felipe Calderon at Castilo de Chapultepec, where a seat was reserved for him.

The lapse was casually explained away as Shekhawat having gone to Florida to visit the university. The MEA also vaguely mentioned his having borne the expense of his journey from Mexico to Florida. As if that was an acceptable enough reason for treating a presidential invitation in the host country with such abandon. In any case, Shekhawat’s name would have been included in the seating plan at the banquet after an acceptance of the invitation by him.

During the same three nations tour of South America, there were reports of the President having walked passed the host country’s national flag without paying the customary compliment. Is it any wonder then that the presence at her address in the host country’s Parliament was inadequate?

Why can’t political parties accept a person of proven merit, like N. R. Narayana Murthy, Kiran Bedi and many more, for the highest office of the country? It is as if they are determined to soil the prestige of the office of the Indian President just to promote their respective party interests. The incident once again confirms that party interests are above national interests for our calculating politicians.

India can thank the Congress and its UPA partners for the national embarrassment.

Bharat Ratna Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Criticised by Bureaucrat Over The Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Amendment Bill, 2006

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Kalam_erred_on_Office_of_Profit_bill/articleshow/2970756.cms

An office of profit is a term used in a number of national constitutions to refer to executive appointments. A number of countries forbid members of the legislature from accepting an office of profit under the executive as a means to secure the independence of the legislature and preserve the separation of powers. The term is used in Article 102 (1)(A) of the Indian Constitution which bars a member of the Indian Parliament from holding an office that would give its occupant the opportunity to gain a financial advantage or benefit.

The controversy started with the disqualification of Ms Jaya Bachchan as Rajya Sabha MP on the ground that she was holding an office of profit as chairperson of the Uttar Pradesh Film Development Council. This turned the spotlight on many other MPs as well and in 2006, Indian National Congress President and MP, Sonia Gandhi, had to to resign from several posts under pressure from opposition who asserted that the posts were 'offices of profit' and thus unlawful.

The Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Amendment Bill, 2006, also referred to as the Office of Profit Bill was passed exempting 56 posts from the purview of disqualification. The politicians came up with this instrument to save the fifty odd MPs from the possible disqualification from their respective offices of profit. The President, Mr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, returned the Office of Profit Bill asking Parliament to reconsider it taking into account the legal propriety of its application with retrospective effect.

As expected, corrupt politicians ignored Kalam’s advice to observe legal propriety and The Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Amendment Bill, 2006, was introduced on May 17 and passed on the same day by voice vote without any detailed discussion. The Bill was sent to the President on May 25 for assent and it is common knowledge that besides obtaining expert views, APJ Abdul Kalam personally studied the Bill before sending it back for reconsideration by the Parliament. Exercising his power under Article 111 of the Constitution, the President wanted the Bill's focus to be on evolving a comprehensive criterion, which would be just, fair and reasonable, and applied across all States and Union Territories in a clear and transparent manner.

To achieve the noble objective of ensuring that the lawmakers of the country at the Center and States, who are sworn to uphold the law and Constitution, discharge sacred trust which the people reposed in them, in a fair and impartial manner, the Constitution mandated that the Members of Parliament (MPs) and the State Legislatures should not, during their tenure, hold any 'office of profit' under the Government, so that they would not be 'obliged' to the Executive. Unfortunately, the Constitution also empowered the Parliament and the State Legislatives to identify those `offices of profit' which would be exempted from disqualification. This power has been unabashedly used by the politicians to create a host of offices of profit for themselves which were saved from constitutional disqualification and made a mockery of the Indian Constitution.

APJ Abdul Kalam’s then Secretary P M Nair, now accusing him of sitting over the issue for 17 days and asserting that Kalam was duty bound to give assent to the bill when it came to him a second time, is a blatant and disgraceful attempt by an opportunist to please the Congress and improve his future prospects. His statement that he had advised the then President verbally and in writing to clear the bill amounts to an ill concealed effort to clear himself from the responsibility for the delay in signing of the Bill by APJ Abdul Kalam. That the President said he was going by his conscience is obviously not enough for the sycophant babu to refrain from criticising the best President India has had after independence. It is the collective responsibility of corrupt politicians and sycophant bureaucrats, like Mr PM Nair, that India is stuck with undeserving people occupying the highest post in the country.

Mounting Rape Incidents: Is Mob Fury the Answer?

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Delhi_woman_gangraped_in_moving_car/articleshow/2958077.cms

This is one more in a long chain of disgraceful and preventable incidents. Unfortunately, barring updating of rape statistics in the capital no effective action will be taken by those responsible for maintaining law and order in the Capital. Even the culprits who committed the bestial crime will be out on bail before long, if they are caught at all. The judiciary will make nonsense of the trial by dragging it on till the witnesses are bought, murdered or simply harassed by having to drag their tired feet to the courts every so often and turn hostile, unless the media keeps the tragic memory alive. Then there is always the possibility af a 'Ram Jethmalani' helping to keep the culprits / rapists out of jail. The number of sexual assaults in New Delhi has increased 22 percent over last year, yet there is no visible effort on part of the political establishment to check the menace. It is as if they are either not interested or will be shaken out of slumber only after they themselves are affected, as happened when the Parliament was attacked. Why blame mobs taking the law into their hands to punish the guilty?

Priyanka's Benign Gesture to a Repentant Nalini Sriharan

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/I_met_my_fathers_assassin_Priyanka/articleshow/2952959.cms

Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by Thenmuli Rajaratnam alias Dhanu, a suicide bomber of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) at Siriperumbudur near Chennai in a conspiracy hatched by Velupillai Prabhakaran and his intelligence Chief Pottu Amman on 21 May 1991. Anton Balasingham, LTTE's chief ideologue, was to later declare to NDTV that the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi was a monumental historical tragedy which the LTTE regrets. He tried to justify the senseless and brutal act by saying that “We were not very happy with the political solution proposed by India in 1987 because it did not satisfy the political aspirations of our people”. That, in LTTE’s view, was reason enough to extinguish a bright Indian leader along with 17 other innocent lives. The horrific mentality of the LTTE was revealed in the fact that it had entrusted the task of filming the physical liquidation of Rajiv Gandhi to Haribabu, a local photographer who also perished in the blast at Siriperumbudur. Anton Balasingham even had the temerity to call upon the Government of India and the people of India to be magnanimous and put the past behind and to approach the Sri Lankan ethnic question in a different perspective. He did not specify what that perspective might be.

During the investigation into Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination, 25 LTTE cadres, including Sivarasan, the one eyed jack, Subha and others committed suicide in order to block the progress of investigation. While LTTE has a proven record of mindless violence, murder and thirst for blood, and may have forgotten its own cadres who committed suicide to conceal its sordid role in Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination, the terrorist organisation expected India to forget and forgive the event and promote its cause in Sri Lanka.

S Nalini Sriharan, then 33, was arrested on 14 June 1991 along with her husband Sriharan alias Murugan, a hardcore LTTE militant. A local girl, and the only living member of the five-member assassination squad at the blast site, she faced maximum number of charges including providing cover to belt-bomb assassin Dhanu and her standby Subha, accompanying the duo to a textile shop to purchase the churidar which Dhanu wore to conceal the bomb. She was convicted in 1997 and sentenced to death. An appeal against the sentence was turned down by the Supreme Court. While in custody she gave birth to a female child who now lives in London. It was a compassionate Sonia Gandhi who appealed to the President for clemency and got the sentence reduced to a life term.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Rajiv and Sonia Gandhi’s daughter, visited the assassin Nalini Sriharan to come to terms with a tragedy which affected the family deeply. It was her way of coming to peace with the violence and loss that she had experienced. Though there might be different perceptions on the issue since the person involved was one of the brightest stars on the Indian political scene of that time and the nation may not be as forgiving, it was a daughter’s poignant attempt to see life on a much larger canvass and comprehend the motivations that drove Nalini Sriharan to participate in the macabre plot to eliminate her father. By all accounts, the grand gesture has helped both, the daughter as well as the assassin. Priyanka has forgiven Nalini for her father’s murder and the latter has felt cleansed of all her sins.

Priyanka’s visit to Nalini Sriharan must only be seen in that light and no other meaning attached to it. Rajiv Gandhi’s brutal assassination was a colossal national loss; it was a much greater tragedy that befell his daughter too. Rajiv Gandhi's daughter should have the right to come to terms with her personal loss and her method for it must be respected.

UK Seeks These Pakistani Islamic Clerics' Help

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/UK_monitoring_30_terror_plots/articleshow/2949643.cms

With terror networks and active terror plots galore in Britain, the Interior Ministry has accurately assessed the threat to UK. Its proposed proactive scheme to deal with the menace effectively and strengthen legal tools for law and order machinery is overdue already. Home secretary Jacqui Smith could not have been more correct when she pointed out the futility of waiting for another 7/7 before rushing to initiate appropriate measures to deal with elements opposed to peace and harmony in the country.

However, all the good intentions of the Interior Ministry will be negated if they bring in ‘moderate Islamic clerics’ from Pakistan to assist British imams in combating extremism in their communities. The UK might as well import good terrorists to reform the bad ones. There are no ‘moderate clerics’ in Pakistan. The Home Secretary would do well to pull out a BBC documentary from its archives titled ‘The Islamic Blowback’ dealing with the role of Pakistan in growth of Islamic extremism in Asia before heading to Pakistan to look for ‘moderate Muslim clerics’.

MP Abdul Wahab Stoops Further: Wont Apologise for Misconduct

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/I_wont_apologise_MP_to_pilots/articleshow/2949058.cms

The Indian Muslim League MP Abdul Wahab is right in saying that there was no question of any apology from him and that he had done nothing wrong. Why should he apologize when his party is ready to stand by his uncouth conduct and fight the battle for him? Besides, the other politicians too have been true to form and supported his boorish high handedness in the aircraft. The Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) has no call to expect any graceful or decent behavior from an elected politician. This is not the first time an elected representative of the people has placed his king sized ego before civilised behavior. MP Abdul Wahab fully justifies the kind of conduct people expect from an elected politician.

Congress: Dont Panic Over Price Rise, Party creates Other Worries

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/No_need_to_panic_over_price_Cong/articleshow/2948036.cms#write

The Congress is right! There is no need to worry on the price rise issue when the very livelihood is being put at stake by the Party pitching for reservation in private institutes. So the picture would only be complete with prices going through the roof and admissions of children, even after they slog and do well at school, being jeopardised by Congress busy collecting votes to ensure its hold on power at the centre. The Congress will stop at nothing to capture votes, even if it means ruining the lives of meritorious students! Doing well in studies is the one aspect that parents emphasize upon their children in order to ensure their bright future. Even that is not acceptable to the power hungry Congress scum like Arjun Singh and some of their equally retarded UPA partners.

Reservation: Congress Gone Berserk

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cong_pitches_for_OBC_quota_in_pvt_institutes/articleshow/2947997.cms#write

The politicians have gone berserk on the quota issue. With Congress having lost all sense of correctitude with its emphasis on caste promotion instead of merit in education, the people must teach these supporters of caste system in India the lesson of their lives in the next elections. But then, this was the expected course after the retrograde Supreme Court ruling on the issue. The next elections must throw these divisive politicians out who are bent upon promoting mediocrity in place of excellence. VP Singh, the biggest proponent of Mandalisation, going out of the country to get quality treatment for his ailment has not taught any lesson to our selfish vote seekers. What a disgrace!

Reservation Road to Personal Ambition: Politicians in a Hurry

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/OBC_quota_HRD_ministry_keen_on_swift_rollout/articleshow/2942767.cms

As expected, the Supreme Court verdict has spurred Arjun Singh to speed up work on the Bill designed to extend the quota to unaided and private institutions. The legislation was put on hold after SC had stayed reservation in the central institutions. Not that it will help him achieve his lifelong ambition of becoming the Prime Minister, with Laloo Prasad Yadav and Mayawati chasing the same dream. The damage to the country and the education system are least of his concerns right now, time being at premium for the ‘Minister in a hurry’.

The Supreme Court’s insistence on keeping the creamy layer out has not helped Lalu Prasad Yadav, RamVilas Paswan, A Ramadoss or Mayawati, as they would have liked to see a more complete destruction of higher education in the country. No half measures for these perfectionists! Not satisfied by ruining the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) by constant interference, Anbumani Ramadoss has gone beyond expressing his dismay at the Supreme Court excluding the creamy layer and has promised to keep the issue alive in Parliament until the damage is irreparable. With active support from Laloo Prasad Yadav, he is bound to achieve spectacular results, to the detriment of the nation; all in the name of a sham being passed of as ‘social justice’.

In blind pursuit of their personal ambitions, these politicians have failed to foresee the divided and caste ridden country they will pass on to the next generation. The damaging potential of Mandalisation of the country has completely escaped the imagination of politicians who refuse to see beyond their own selfish and immediate personal political ambitions.

27 % OBC Reservation: Politics Win Over Social Justice

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Supreme_Court_approves_27_OBC_quota/articleshow/2940232.cms

The main reason for India emerging out of economic wilderness is its large educated genext. Imagine the heights we can achieve if the next generation is equipped with quality education based on merit and free from interfering vote seekers like Arjun Singh, Anbumani Ramadoss, Laloo Prasad Yadav and D Raja who won’t think twice before taking the country to dogs with their reservation agenda. If these witless and self seeking politicians were seeking a 27 per cent quota for the deserving out a sense of social responsibility, the folly would have been forgivable. Unfortunately, the Congress and its communist allies have willingly joined the race for vote politics with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) to win the reservation race. That in the bargain the country faces a retrograde future, is of no consequence to them as long as their position in power is ensured. The plight of meritorious candidates deserving admission in these institutes is understandable. But their numbers are small and cannot hold any quid pro quo for the politicians, hence must suffer the unjust treatment silently, now that even the Supreme Court has dashed all their hopes.

The Supreme Court upholding 27 per cent reservations for the OBCs in central educational institutions like the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) is bound to encourage calculating politicians to rely on vote-bank politics to make their way to power rather than quality performance. The only saving grace in the Supreme Court ruling is the exclusion of the creamy layer and children of MPs and MLAs from the 27 % quota. But the country can trust the politician-babu combine to find ways to circumnavigate the Supreme Court rider.

Although the issue has been settled once and for all by the Supreme Court ruling, there is still a way to show dissent for the reservation policy. The people must identify the politicians and political parties favoring the policy and ensure their defeat in the next elections. Arjun Singh, Anbumani Ramadoss, RK Dhawan, Laloo Prasad Yadav, D Raja, Mayawati are some of those who advocate reservation to make a career; Congress, RJD, BSP and the Left parties would bid for reservation again, not out of any sense of social justice, but to win elections and gain power.

Apparantly, Rajeeve Goswami and others who lost their lives in 1989-1990 fighting against reservation were mere sacrificial lambs for the political predators and unconcerned political parties.

Arrogant MP Deplaned for Harrasing Passengers

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Offloaded_MP_wants_Pilot_punished/articleshow/2935208.cms

This is another example of high handed behavior by an elected politician where he does not find anything wrong in making fellow passengers wait for him and delaying a flight to make a grand entry before the aircraft can get on its way. Instead of being apologetic, the Rajya Sabha MP and Dubai-based businessman PV Abdul Wahab has threatened to move a privilege motion in Parliament against Flight Captain Rajat Rana who forced him to disembark from the plane in Kozhikode. The Indian Union Muslim League MP did not stop at issuing threats, but also called the Captain of the flight a glorified driver. Such arrogant and uncouth behavior of our politicians is nothing unusual and must be put down firmly in Parliament where the MP intends to raise the issue.

Flight Captain Rajat Rana deserves credit for taking a stand in the interest of other passengers and showing the MP his place, off the plane. It is heartening to note that the ICPA has extended full support to the pilot and not cowed down before his uncalled for threat. Kozhikode airport manager Srinivasan Rajachandrasekhar should draw a lesson from the Flight Captain and the investigation of the incident that he has promised should only focus on the conduct of the MP. Being rich and member of the Rajya Sabha does not automatically entitle the MP to enter the cockpit of the aircraft. He deserves to be taken to task for abusing his position and harassing other passengers on board the plane.

Ingrate Behenji Attacks Rahul Gandhi

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Hope the Congress has learnt a lesson in who to support next time. A corrupt Mayawati is known to stoop to unimaginable levels for political gains. It is the same ungrateful Mayawati whose prosecution was averted by Congress through a pliant Governor of Uttar Pradesh. Wrong thing to do in the first place! The Congress has no one else to blame for the Mayawati attack on Rahul Gandhi. Its own sins have returned to haunt it in uglier forms than the act of preventing a corrupt politician from being put behind bars.

Income Tax raids at the residences of Mayawati's sister Munni Devi, her brothers Subhash and Anand and brother-in-law Narendra Pal Gautam, have failed to deter Mayawati in any way from openly demanding more money from her Party MLAs. Mayawati is so confident about the loyalty of her 'vote bank' that in public meetings she has accepted that she takes money from Thakur-Brahmin candidates to run her party. For the first time, she audaciously gave tickets to 89 Brahmins. It is indeed unprecedented in the caste-ridden society where social prejudices and identities are at the very core of political action-reactions. She doesn't care for niceties and sophistication and is openly contemptuous of middle class sensitivities over issues like corruption. Accused of converting the mission initiated by the Late Kanshi Ram into a Machinery to print currency, she is under investigation for her past misdeeds of corruption, continues to accumulate unaccountable wealth and, ofcourse, power.

On 20 May 2007, Behenji issued a Government notification under which out of 22 offences covered under the Prevention of Atrocities on AC/ST Act, on which legal action is required to be taken under this Act, only two offences,viz. murder and rape have been retained and the rest of the twenty offences have been excluded. The rest of the offences like derogatory remarks against Dalits,forcible occupation of their lands, bonded labour, false evidence against Dalits, eve teasing, will be tried under the ordinary law of the land. Paradoxically, in 1999, Mayawati had alleged that BJP Government supported atrocities on Dalits. So much for her claim of being the champion of the down trodden!

Even as she accuses Rahul Gandhi of purifying himself after meeting ‘Dalits’, she cannot avoid acknowledging the contribution made by Nehru family that opened up chances for those like her. Her big drawback is that she has formed the government twice in the past with the help of Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP). Both times she stabbed Bhartiya Janata Party in the back. Her credibility on issues like secularism, corruption, democratic norms and the constitutional rights of backward classes is less than inspiring.

With her track record, it is amazing that the Congress put itself, and its reputation, on line to prevent Mayawati’s prosecution for corruption. Guess its payback time, Mayawati style!

Pakistan: Visa Free Travel Trap

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Pak_may_drop_visas_for_Indians_Sharif/articleshow/2926699.cms#write

Pakistan considering visa free regime for Indians travelling to that country is a generous offer, particularly since there is no reciprocal expectation. However, India would do well to take it with a pinch of salt given the history of Pakistanis coming to India and going underground as well as the fact that Pakistan still maintains terror infrastructure hostile to India, on its soil.

BJP Investing in Indisciplined Politicians for Power

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/BJP_takes_back_Khurana_before_polls/articleshow/2925758.cms

The over ambitious Madan Lal Khurana who was twice thrown out of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has been reinducted into the party with some misplaced notion of the event doing the political party any good in the elections due early next year. On his part, Madan Lal Khurana has smartly refused to comment on his reinduction into BJP until the party clearly defines the future it has chartered for him. The erstwhile Chief Minister of Delhi was expelled from the party for indiscipline, publicly criticising BJP President Lal Krishna Advani in April 2006 over the Kandahar hijack episode and expressing inability and discomfort at serving with him. Khurana had often spoken against the party leadership and joined Uma Bharati’s party, Bharatiya Jan Shakhti. Wonder what has changed since the time he was thrown out of BJP? Has his discipline improved or has the BJP decided to overlook his anti party activities of the past? Maybe a few years in total political oblivion have taught him to be more tolerant towards Advani, if he is to get anywhere near his ambition to regain lost political relevance.

Of late the 'Dilli Ka Sher' (May God forgive whoever coined that title for him) created news for himself by espousing the cause of traders who had been operating their business outside of law and facing sealing of their shops operating from residential areas. That is the best he could do to earn some publicity for himself. The cranky politician does not mind traders breaking the law and reducing the Capital to slums, if that reserves a place for him in active politics.

The BJP hopes to return to power with the likes of Madan Lal Khurana next year. All the best to the party; they will need it with such people forming their ranks!

Rape in Lawless Capital: Corrupt Politicians, Inept Law Enforcers

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2924588.cms

What a pity such incidents recur at frequent intervals and there is no end in sight as the agencies responsible for maintaining law and order in the country continue to display a disgraceful performance. The law makers too are busy filling their pockets with total indifference towards the people who elected them. The saddest part of the sordid event is yet to come; the culprits will be granted bail in a couple of days. It is as if the law exists for the criminals and not for the ordinary law abiding citizens. The corrupt politicians who should be formulating stricter laws to check the growing menace of crime in the country, are incapable of thinking beyond their own political survival; hence the frequent walkouts from Parliament / State Assemblies during business hours. The courts too would pitch in by delaying the trial, to the advantage of the criminals. Is it any wonder the people take law into their own hands to punish the guilty?

Muslim Xinjiang: China's Wild West

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Now_a_rebellion_in_Chinas_west/articleshow/2921322.cms#write

This is not the first instance of Muslim trouble in Xinjiang Province in North West China. The Province borders Pakistan and has active sympathisers and assistance from across the border in fomenting secessionist ambitions. With 26,700 mosques in the Province, the Uighur Muslim have historically been the predominant ethnic group in Xinjiang, which is officially known as the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, also known as the 'wild west of China'. The Uighurs have often accused China of conducting a campaign of repression against its Sunni Muslim minority. China's war on terror is concentrated on Xinjiang. Pakistan Army is known to have trained the Uighurs along with other jihadi groups in a camp near Mirpur in Pakistan occupied Kashmir. A radical Islamic independence group, the East Turkistan Islamic Movement is active in the area and has active support from Pakistan’s ISI created terror outfits like Lashkar-e-Toiba, Jamaat-e-Tablighi and Jamaat-e-Islami.

The Muslim protest in Xinjiang is indicative of China’s problems with ethnic and religious minority groups in the country’s vast western regions, where there is a long history of unhappiness with Chinese rule. Beijing has sought to pacify them with economic development programs and suppress dissent with heavy police presence. According to Chinese official version, the Uighurs are using the Beijing Olympic Games as an opportunity to attract international attention to their causes.

The province borders eight separate countries. Foreign fighters, including members of the Taleban, have been captured here. There is a sudden influx of Arabic grammar books in the region so that the people can read the Koran better. The resident Uighurs discreetly disclose to outsiders that they are not afraid of the communist Chinese, that they are only afraid of Allah.

Officially, the Chinese loudly proclaim that they hope to keep all their heritage and customs alive, like ethnic cuisine and dress. But one part of their heritage is actively discouraged in school: Islam. It is clear authorities seek to contain religion within tight parameters. Sermons that advocate behavior that contradicts Chinese law or Communist policy are banned. Government-approved Muslim clerics, or Imams, are not allowed to criticize the Chinese government's family planning policies, for example, if they want to keep themselves and their followers out of trouble. The Uighurs are encouraged to join the Communist Party, a prerequisite for career advancement, and are required to disavow religion and declare themselves atheists.

Northern Xinjiang is rich and fertile, and it has known oil deposits. In 1940, Uranium deposits were located in Bortala, Daladi, Kashgar and Altay Shan in Xinjiang. The region’s importance for China can also be gauged from the fact all of China’s nuclear weapons were tested in Xinjiang. China has flooded the province with Han Chinese. In 1950 Uighurs were 94% of the population - they are now less than half. The indigenous Muslims resent large scale influx of Han Chinese in the area and accuse China of deliberately disturbing the region’s demographic balance.

Democratic Pakistan: Steadfast with Terror

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Pakistan/Pakistan_continues_to_train_terror_outfits_India_/articleshow/2911337.cms http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Kashmiris_must_be_involved_in_resolving_dispute_Pak/articleshow/2920702.cms Sticking to the old and oft repeated position on Kashmir, Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Sadiq told a weekly news briefing on 2nd Apr that "Pakistan's position is very clear that Kashmiris are a party to the dispute and must be involved in its resolution". Earlier, similar opinion was expressed by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani and members of his Cabinet.

When questioned on Indian National Security Advisor M K Narayanan's comments that Pakistan is still maintaining terror infrastructure inimical to India, Sadiq repeated the familiar lie, "We strictly follow the policy of non-interference in neighboring states” – A statement that amounts to a blatant denial by Pakistan of its involvement in creating the Taleban for interference in Afghanistan and supporting Lashkar-e Toiba, Al Badr and Jaish-e-Mohammed for terrorist strikes in India. It is clear that restoration of democracy in Pakistan has had little impact on its policy of using terror as a state instrument against India. The West is still to catch up with the fact that it is this very terror infrastructure that indoctrinates the terrorists with jihadi philosophy for strikes in Europe, trains them and exports them to Europe. Most terrorists apprehended in Europe have revealed during interrogation that they had been to Pakistan prior to participating in their nefarious activities on European soil.

Pakistan’s post elections approach to terrorism is set to follow the same old double standards it has always had. Conditional cooperation with the West to extract maximum economic benefits and continued maintenance of the ISI reared terror groups to inflict ‘death by a thousand cuts’ on India. Fortunately for India, the policy is fraught with grave consequences for Pakistan itself, some of which have already begun to extract a price from the terror host nation in terms of a raging insurgency in Balochistan and loss of state control in North West Frontier Province (NWFP). The West is aware of the existence of terror infrastructure in Pakistan but has mistakenly convinced itself that it is not directed towards the West. The impact of such myopic approach to terrorism is already visible in Europe. The cold blooded murder of Theo Van Gogh in his own home country, Holland, and the unruly Islamic demonstrations in Brussels, London and other European cities is only the foretaste of more gruesome developments to come. Construction of the world’s largest mosque in London, right next to the proposed site of a 2012 Olympic stadium, should not come as a surprise to anyone.

While the West has hypnotized itself with the idea of ‘political correctness’, Pakistan and other like minded Muslim countries have displayed no such qualms. Some of these countries, in fact, pretend to be on best of terms with the US and the West. India would do well to keep its guard and not expect much help from the West. Infact, the situation seems to be veering towards the West needing help in tackling Islamic fundamentalism.

Nandigram Loss of Life: Just a Political Setback for CPM

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/CPM_admits_its_plagued_by_desertion/articleshow/2915560.cms

Is it any wonder that the CPM is plagued by increasing dropouts, and problems in getting whole-timers? It is a clear sign of good sense finally prevailing in the country. It also indicates that most people dislike the negativity associated with the communists and the present lot of their leaders. In a country where the public sector has traditionally under performed, the communists are advocating the very system be strengthened.

That the party seeks to enforce stricter guidelines for whole-timers and a more stringent method of giving out memberships, is laughable, to say the least. Referring to the communists’ abominable conduct in Nandigram, CPM has admitted that the quality of members has come down lately. But the communists have failed to admit that the performance of the party cadres reflects the personality of the party’s leadership. That CPM considers the shameful murder of innocent people in Nandigram by its rabid cadres a "weapon in anti-CPM propaganda" also reflects the pedestrian mentality of the CPM leadership. Loss of innocent lives in Nandigram means little to Prakash Karat than a political setback to his party’s inflated ambitions.

The CPM attributes growing factionalism in the party to inability of cadres and senior leadership to settle grievances within established party forums. The communists have also expressed their distaste for cadres carrying their intra-party squabbling to the media. The communists are shy of the media is well known, particularly when the reports contain some negative content. The Chinese controlling foreign press in Tibet is a live example. They would prefer the muck to remain below the proverbial carpet.

When other states are leaving no stone unturned to invite investors to come and contribute in their economy and development, the communists have perversely advocated that private investors should not be loaded with too many concessions. Only complete morons will be attracted by the latest communist philosophy on investment in communists ruled states.

The communists, in their analysis of the dropout rate, have missed a major point. The dropout rate is much higher in states like Kerela and Tamil Nadu because these states have a higher literacy rate. There is another point that starkly comes across – communism thrives in states where education has still not reached desired levels.

Hats off to an Upright Mustaqin

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumbai_man_gets_rapist_son_10-yr_jail_/articleshow/2915039.cms#write

Mustaqin has proved beyond any doubt that he is an honest and upright Indian citizen by helping the law punish his own son for a heinous crime. But the incident once again highlights a pressing need for review of lax laws in the country that permit bail to a rapist. Suppose Mustaqin had not helped the police to apprehend the fugitive criminal, some other children would have fallen victim to the rapist. The aim of laws must not only be to punish the guilty, but also to act as deterrent against commitment of crime.

Congress Discovers Mayawati is Corrupt

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cong_slams_BSP_hints_at_alliance_with_SP/articleshow/2911988.cms

The Congress is pretending to have only recently realised that Mayawati is corrupt, depending entirely on short public memory ofcourse. It was the same Congress leadership which conspired with a pliant governor of UP to prevent prosecution of Mayawati on corruption charges. But the Party was then keen to get rid of APJ Abdul Kalam and needed the support of Mayawati for that. Involvement of Mayawati in the Taj Corridor scam, her hob nobbing with criminals and ordering frequent transfers of police and IAS officers is old news. The Congress pretending this is a recent discovery would amount to deceiving their own selves.

CPM Speaks Chinese Again

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/CPM_for_long-term_alternative_to_Cong_BJP_/articleshow/2911926.cms#write

Bravo! CPM is not in favour of cobbling a "cut and paste" third front for elections and wants to establish a long term political alternative to the Congress and BJP. With the communists’ sordid record in Nandigram, stubborn opposition to the Indo-US nuclear deal and a ridiculous proposal to establish a pro-China regional alliance, it is easy to relate their stance to the old adage ‘if wishes were horses the communists would rule’. The comrades have not even bothered to elaborate on ‘anti-people content of economic reforms’ of the Congress. Perhaps they have assumed that the people have no choice but to agree with their ideas of whats good for India. So far, all the communists have uttered is only beneficial to China and Pakistan.

Sitaram Yechury thinks communalism is a big threat to integrity and unity of the country. This guy deserves all the credit for originality of ideas. That apart, it is amusing to see the communists trying to implement Chinese agenda while talking about whats good for India. This may be the right time to remind the likes of pro-China Sitaram Yechury, D Raja, Prakash Karat and AB Burdhan that the people of India are aware of China’s arrogant expansionist designs to encircle Indian waters from Gwadar to Coco islands. That It annexed Tibet in 1950, forcibly took possession of Aksai Chin in 1962, happily took an illegitimate 'gift' of Indian land from Pakistan, claims the entire Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh and refuses to issue visas to resident Indians of Arunachal; not to mention the crude summoning of the Indian Ambassador at 2 AM for a routine protest.

Inspite of the long history of Chinese belligerence, the communists in India only see the threat of US imperialism. It is not possible to convince them of the most serious threat posed by the dragon just to the north.

Indo-US Nuclear Deal: China Proxy Spews Venom

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Karat_proud_of_N-spanner/articleshow/2910506.cms

The 19th CPM party congress being held in Coimbatore from 29 Mar 2008 onwards has an opening message for the country. Prakash Karat is proud of the CPM record – does that include what his party did in Nandigram? He did not mention.

Karat even made a plea to "progressive" forces in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal to forge an alliance against US. Was China deliberately left out or has Prakash realised he would be barking up the wrong tree by assuming that anything connected with China can be “progressive”? CPI general secretary A B Bardhan, who also spoke, said Left's position on the nuclear deal remained unchanged. The venom in Prakash Karat’s speech against the US must have prompted his communist comrade to put in his two penny worth too! So, is the opposition to the nuclear deal because of the US or is it just plain negative reaction to anything the UPA does? None of them have mentioned.

Interestingly, the recent criticism of China by the US on the issue of human rights in Tibet coincides with the adverse comments against the US offered by Prakash Karat. The perfect match in the timing of the US offering advice to China on the Tibet issue and Prakash Karat suggesting formation of a regional alliance against the US cannot be coincidental, given that the Chinese have always suspected that the Indo-US nuclear deal was the US' quid pro quo for an Indian willingness to co-operate with the US in countering the growing Chinese power in the Asian region. It is well known that Pakistan has close ties with China and opposes the deal. By aligning themselves with Pakistan and China to oppose the Indo-US nuclear deal, the communists led by Prakash Karat, D Raja, AB Burdhan and Sitaram Yechury have once again exposed that they are anything but proxies of these belligerent neighbors of India.

Even the bitterest opponents of UPA will not accuse the Manmohan Singh government of hiding its intention to go ahead with the deal. Wonder why then the communists have waited patiently till the fag end of this government’s tenure to suggest formation of an anti US regional alliance?

As the Chinese stance against the Tibetans hardens and the world opinion veers against the Chinese, the Friends of China too are likely to step up their anti US machinations. Never mind if these friends are Indian communists or Pakistanis, never mind if their efforts harm the larger Indian interests; theirs is to serve the Chinese masters irrespective of any other consideration. The world is likely to hear a higher pitch of Indian communists resonating Chinese agenda as the Beijing Olympics draw closer, in order to offset adverse publicity the Chinese generate by murdering even more Tibetans. Seeing their unquestionable loyalty to the Chinese cause, the Chinese can easily substitute the Mascots for the Beijing olympics with Indian communists.

Law and Order Machinery: A Disgrace

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Ahmedabad_Man_hits_wife_in_court/articleshow/2910609.cms#write

So much for state of law and order in the country! The criminal takes the law into his hands with the judge watching and beats his wife up with an iron rod. Shows how much respect there is for law and order machinery in the country. And why not, the judge even grants him bail after the shameful incident. Incidents like these cause immense despaire and make one wonder if there is at all any hope for the hapless citizens in our country.

Earth Hour: Making a Difference

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Earth_Hour_An_hour_of_difference/articleshow/2908411.cms#write

Observing the ‘Earth Hour' when the world switches off all non essential power between 8 and 9 pm on March 29, is a most positive, though tiny, step in the right direction to tackle the problem of ‘Global Warming’. It underlines the importance of individual participation in the effort to confront the looming catastrophe facing the planet. It would have been much more productive if other media, including the electronic, had taken it upon themselves to contribute towards generating awareness about the subject among the population. The response would have been beyond imagination.

Earth Hour was created by WWF in Sydney, Australia in 2007, and in one year has grown from an event in one city to a global movement. In 2008, millions of people, businesses, governments and civic organizations in nearly 200 cities around the globe will turn out for Earth Hour. The first Earth Hour was held in Sydney, Australia between 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on 31 March 2007 that is estimated to have cut Sydney's mains electricity consumption by between 2.1% and 10.2% for that hour, with as many as 2.2 million people taking part. There is no doubt that India can beat that record, provided the issue is widely written and talked about to rouse people’s interest in the event.

With the government comprising of half witted politicians, it is only the private corporate initiative that can serve the desired purpose.

Minister Cancels China Trip

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/China_dates_were_a_problem_Kamal_Nath/articleshow/2904705.cms#write Commerce Minister Kamal Nath almost sounds defensive when he says that his trip has not been called off because of any diplomatic reasons but because of problems in dates. The Minister seems to be scared of expressing Indian anger at the Indian Ambassador in Beijing being summoned at 2 AM for a routine matter. Does that mean China can treat India with the disdain it has shown for us and our ministers will hesitate even to so much as protest? It would be wrong to expect much from a minister with less than sterling record. In Mar 2002, the Supreme Court Bench imposed a fine of Rs 10, 00,000 on Kamal Nath for damaging the environment by building a motel on the bank of river Beas near Kulu-Manali in Himachal Pradesh. The court had directed the Himachal Pradesh government to take over the area and restore it to the original conditions.

No one in his right mind would advocate going to war with China over the issue of Ambassador Nirupama Rao being summoned well past midnight on 21 Mar by the Chinese Foreign Ministry to register its protest over a group of Tibetans storming the Chinese Embassy in Delhi. But to let the Chinese treat India and Indians with the contempt and get away without India even frowning, would tantamount to showing how gutless we are as a people. Unfortunately, the scum (politicians) passing off as our leaders is determined to ignore larger Indian interests in pursuit of maintaining their own political relevance.

Nuclear Deal: Left Will Never be Ready

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Left_not_ready_for_N-deal_Karat/articleshow/2888545.cms#write

http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/%5Cpapers24%5Cpaper2330.html

Prakash Karat’s statement conforms to the Resolution adopted by the Left on 20 Aug 2007. Interestingly, this time he has made the effort to reason out the rigid stance taken by the Left on Indo-US nuclear deal. Reasons for this change are not far to seek, and generally conform to the change in the attitude of the Chinese. Of late, while Chinese Government spokespersons have avoided outspoken comments on the Indo-US nuclear deal, they have found other means to criticise the deal and to discourage India for going ahead with it. The Left is an obvious proxy for the Chinese.

This negative attitude is caused by the Chinese suspicion that the Indo-US nuclear deal was the US' quid pro quo for an Indian willingness to co-operate with the US in countering the growing Chinese power in the Asian region. This suspicion was strengthened when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh decided not to attend the summit meeting of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO) as an observer at Shanghai in June, 2006. The SCO is a Chinese initiative with a focus on countering drug-smuggling and terrorism.

Pakistan initiated a campaign to counter the Indo-US deal at two levels. First, they said it will be discriminatory to Pakistan if it was not made applicable to it too. Second, it will create a military nuclear asymmetry in the sub-continent by enabling India to divert its domestic stock of fuel for military purposes, while using the imported fuel for civilian purposes under international safeguards.

Musharraf requested the Chinese leaders during his State visit to China in February 2006, for Chinese assistance in the construction of six more nuclear power stations, with a capacity of 600 or 900 MWS each. The Chinese reportedly agreed in principle to supply two stations of 300 MWs each to be followed later by four more. This again figured in the General's bilateral discussions with Mr.HU in the margins of the SCO summit in June 2006.

Since then the Chinese have come round to declare that the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal is a bilateral issue between India and the US. The more guarded Chinese position to the bilateral discussions between President George Bush and Mr.Hu at Hanoi in the margins of the summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) Organisation on November 18 and 19, 2006. During these bilateral discussions, Mr. Bush is believed to have pointed out to Mr.Hu that the Chinese supply of new nuclear power stations to Pakistan could not be projected as a continuation of the Chinese assistance to Pakistan under a 1985 bilateral co-operation treaty under which CHASHMA I and CHASHMA II were given and hence would need the clearance of the NSG. Mr Bush was also reported to have referred to the Pakistani rejection of repeated requests from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to hand over Dr. A. Q. Khan for an independent interrogation and pointed out that the Chinese supply of the new power stations could encourage Pakistan's non-cooperation with the IAEA.

Beijing, which has been projecting itself as a responsible and co-operative interlocutor of the US, Japan and South Korea on the question of North Korea's nuclear test and has won praise for its role in bringing North Korea back to the negotiating table, did not want this positive image to be dented by disregarding the reservations of Mr Bush relating to the supply of new power stations to Pakistan. It, therefore, changed its stance at the last minute.

Against the overall backdrop of the emerging strategic picture, it is interesting to see the Left take on the mantle on behalf of the Chinese and continue their obduracy in opposing the Indo-US nuclear deal. At the same time, with an eye on elections next year the Left leaders have very smartly decided to credit the people of India with some intelligence and decided to back their opposition to the deal with some reasons too. Should the Congress come up with satisfactory explanation to objections raised by the Left, Prakash Karat, Sitaram Yechury, D Raja and AB Burdhan will collectively come up with still more objections to the deal, with active assistance of the Chinese, naturally.

UP serial blasts accused fielded for by-polls

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/UP_serial_blasts_accused_fielded_for_by-polls/articleshow/2888150.cms

So whats wrong in a serial blasts accused being nominated to contest for Lok Sabha? As it is, the Lok Sabha has criminals of every hue including murderers, scamsters, rapists, thugs and fraudsters. Nomination of Maulana Hakim Tariq Quasmi, accused in the serial blasts in civil court premises in Lucknow, Varanasi and Faizabad in Nov last year, only completes the picture on the Indian political canvass. The National Loktantrik Party (NLP)’s national president Arshad Khan deserves to be congratulated for making such an educated choice of party candidate for Lok Sabha. Maybe he could not find a single person more suited for the responsibility from amongst the large population of the largest state in the country.

The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati – herself an accused in a ‘disproportionate assets case’ – is also keeping pace with the happenings in her state by ordering a judicial probe into the arrest of Quasmi from Barabanki by the Special Task Force. She is obviously not convinced that criminals like Maulana Hakim Tariq Quasmi belong behind bars. In her zeal to garner Muslim votes in the state, she seems to accept anyone with any background suitable for entry into politics from her state. Behenji also seems to believe that the electorate of Uttar Pradesh desreves to be represented by criminals.

High Court Admits DSA Case Against Laloo and Rabri

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/HC_admits_appeal_against_Lalu-Rabri/articleshow/2883927.cms#write

The Patna High Court admitting for hearing, the appeal by Bihar government challenging the acquittal of Laloo Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi in a disproportionate assets case, has come rather late. Laloo Prasad is about to complete his ministerial assignment in the central cabinet and the country has had to do with a minister whose integrity has always been questionable.

It is the country’s misfortune that an eminent lawyer, known for hiring out his talents to criminals, was responsible for manipulation of law to defend the tainted minister and his wife who had looted Bihar and are solely to blame for the backwardness of the state.

The TOI has wrongly described the situation as a set back to Laloo Prasad and his wife. It has take one year for just the decision to admit the ‘Special Leave Petition (SLP) against the duo in the High Court; Laloo Prasad would most likely complete a few more damaging tenures as a minister before any worthwhile verdict is passed against the fodder scam accused and his wife. In the mean time, witnesses will disappear, judges transferred, governments change and memory of his misdeeds dumped into the dustbin of history. Of course, while this is happening, Laloo has brilliant lawyers like Ram Jethmalani to bank upon to murder the law of the land.

Dalai Lama's Appeal

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2877989.cms

China has not only cleverly extracted an appeal from the Dalai Lama, it has also reafirmed Indian opinion that it has solid support from its minions, the Left, in India. Why else were the Left leaders quiet in the Lok Sabha when opposition to Chinese crackdown on Tibetans was being discussed.

Federal Rate Cuts: Only Few Benefitted

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7300017.stm

The Federal Reserve has cut key interest rates a number of times and is scheduled to cut these rates again on Tuesday by a whopping one per cent. But the banks are not passing these rate cuts to the borrowers in the same scale. The efforts on part of Federal Reserve to bail out financial institutions and banks are widely reported, understandable and welcome. But it is not clear how these efforts help the hapless homeowners and other affected citizens. Apart from the 'stimulus package' that also gives homeowners a token tax relief, the fed rate cuts do not seem to benefit the people at large. Will the Feds kindly explain to consumers why it takes so long for their efforts, like the interest rate cuts, to trickle down to those for whom their efforts mean the difference between relief and agony.

Already, some homeowners have lost their homes and were forced to move into tented colonies. Some, in sheer desperation, burnt their own homes down. Unless the homeowners benefit from the Fed rate cuts substantially and the banks too cut lending rates, foreclosures and people losing their homes is a tragic story whose end is still not in sight.

Tibet Unrest: Chinese Response

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/poll/2871582.cms

The peaceful demonstrations of budhist lamas cannot last before the guns and tanks of communist China. Communist China has precedents of extreme brutality against unarmed people to suppress any idea that opposes communist ideology. Remember the tanks and heavy guns used by Peoples Liberation Army(Chines Army) troops in the massacre of unarmed students at the Tiananmen Square in 1989. Now too, there are reports of the PLA being deployed in Lhasa and areas around the Tibetan city to crush budhist unarmed protests. Communists, anywhere in the world, have displayed little patience for dissdence. China will be no exception!

NUCLEAR DEAL: THE LEFT's SHORTSIGHTED APPROACH

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Govt_committed_to_nuke_deal_says_Ronen_Sen/articleshow/2860629.cms#write

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6107916.stm
Even as the talks with IAEA are going on in Vienna, the CPM asserted the government should take the next step on the Indo-US nuclear deal only on the basis of the UPA-Left Committee's findings. The findings must be made public so that the people too have a say in the matter.

Current trends show that demand for power is set to grow by 53% by 2030. But oil supplies show signs of running down. Natural gas stocks - in recent times the fuel of choice for electricity generation are also showing signs of depletion. Coal, the fuel of the industrial revolution, remains relatively abundant; but coal produces more greenhouse gas emissions for the energy it gives.

But if government delivers on promises to push cleaner and more efficient supplies, growth in demand could be restrained by about 10%. Greater use of nuclear power could be a "valuable option" to cut imports and curb CO2 emissions. The additional nuclear power plants would also have the advantage of being less vulnerable to fuel price changes than coal or gas-fired generation, helping to enhance the security of electricity supplies.

Given that world energy demand, and more particularly electricity demand, is increasing, we need sources of electricity supply that are safe, affordable, with abundant fuel and are environmental benign. The virtues of nuclear power in all of those respects are obvious. The additional upfront costs involved are quickly outweighed by savings in fuel expenditure. A shift to the nuclear energy would serve all three of the principal goals of energy policy: greater security, more environmental protection and improved economic efficiency.

Under the circumstances, the ultimatum by the government's Communist allies to make its stand clear on the agreement and opposition to the Indo-US nuclear deal indicates an extremely shortsighted approach to India’s long term requirements.

Scarlett Murder: Cong MP Bames Family

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cong_MP_blames_family_for_crime_against_Scarlett/articleshow/2860108.cms

Trust a politician to blame the ghastly rape and murder of 15-year-old Scarlett, a British national, in Goa, on the victim’s family. To add insult to injury, another politician, this time a woman, who saw nothing amiss in MP Shantaram Laxman Naik’s heartless statement on the latest in a series of crimes against tourists in India. Shantaram Laxman Naik is the same Congress MP who had voiced his concern about possibility of scrapping the MPLAD funds when gross misuse of the funds by MPs had come to light. His concern did not reflect any worry about further misuse of public money, for reasons that are very obvious. Extending willing support to Shantaram Laxman Naik is Minister of tourism, Ambika Soni, whose department had filed an affidavit questioning the existence of Lord Rama in the recent row over the Sethusamudram. The affidavit reflects her total disregard for public sentiment. These two politicians of dubious public standing have once again laid bare the callous attitude of the Indian politicians by making statements that reflect on the character of the Indians. Hats of to our democracy that throws up the worst among Indians. Fortunately the duo were correctly checked by Vrinda Karat from bringing further disgrace to our great country.

The Congress' Election Miscalculations

Chandan Mitra could not have painted the picture more accurately. In its misplaced euphoria “the Congress does believe it is on a comeback trail having outwitted the Left on the nuclear deal and outflanked other adversaries on the populism index. With time the “feel good” factor generated by the budget may evaporate once farmers realise that all their loans are not actually going to be written off; that no government can order private moneylenders to stop recovering dues. Prices, which have been rising steadily for the last few years, may start galloping upwards adding to anti-incumbency sentiment”.

If the government dares the Left to withdraw support over the nuclear deal, the Congress can climb the high moral ground and claim it sacrificed political power in order to deliver nuclear power to every homestead. Indians, being confirmed suckers for the “sacrificial lamb” theme, will return Congress to office, hopefully minus the shackles of the disruptionist Left.

However, the Congress seems to have brushed certain unpalatable facts under the political carpet which the voters will hopefully remember. It was the Congress that disregarded the peoples’ choice and denied APJ Abdul Kalam a second term in office as the president. Then again, it went all the way to ensure that prosecution of a corrupt Mayawati was not sanctioned by the Congress nominated Governor of Uttar Pradesh. It was the Congress that inducted tainted politicians as ministers in the central cabinet; obligations of coalition governance notwithstanding.

When people, especially in rural areas, troop to the polling booth, caste rather than economics is on their mind. This is not necessarily the ideal situation, but true never-the-less. The Congress can thank their political partners like Laloo Prasad Yadav, M Karunanidhi, Mayawati and Arjun Singh for ensuring that the damaging caste system is kept alive in the country. The system they tolerated all along will ensure that their ambitions of absolute power at the centre are effectively curtailed.

The obdurate Comrades

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Govt_will_fall_if_it_signs_N-deal_CPM/articleshow/2843635.cms#write

The Left’s objection to revival of the Indo-US nuclear deal was expected. The country must admire the Left for rigidly sticking to its Resolution adopted on 20 Aug 2007 to oppose the Government on the ‘Deal’. Last year, the Left had also opposed holding of a joint Indo-US Naval exercise called 'Malabar War Games', for some inexplicable reason. It was a fantastic opportunity for the Indian Navy to train alongside state of the art navies of advanced countries like the US and Japan. Interestingly, China too had opposed it. For that matter, it is difficult to recall if the Left has ever supported any new initiative of the Manmohan Singh government.

By now it has become standard practice for the Left to oppose any initiative the govt takes. So where is the outside support it talks about? The people of India too are fed up of Prakash Karat, AB Burdhan, D Raja and Sitaram Yechury. Why dont they propose any alternatives that are acceptable to them and beneficial for the nation at the same time? Their list of 'donts' never seems to end anywhere! It would not be out of order to say they promised the Govt 'outside interference' and not support of any kind.

The Left all along insisted the government press the ‘pause button’ on the Indo-US nuclear deal. It is time the nation pressed the ‘mute button’ on the Left. But then, that would eradicate the difference between the Left and the rest of this great country