Gah to Glory: A Journey of India since 1932

While many are debating whether India has a democratic system to reciprocate to the call of any average Indian, a man is silently, true to his nature, packing to move into 3 Motilal Nehru Marg. 

This soft spoken Silent Giant is an answer to such a blabbering cacophony, which thinks India must repent by choosing a Self-professed Chaiwala to the August office of the Prime Minister of India. 

PM Dr. Singh is a picture perfect description of an India just before partition and an India which is a vibrant economic power amidist a crippled world economy. 

Gah to Glory is a tribute to this man on his last few days in his office!

I have not checked the latest photos of Gah, the village in Pakistan, but it would certainly not be that better than what it was when Dr. Singh born in September 26, 1932. Imagine if Jihna was tolerant enough like our leaders during partition; Pakistan would have been transformed. They lost such silent souls, and today their country has too many voices but none human; all are gun shots or bombs going BOOM. 

That is the danger of not recognizing the sanity of silence. India beware, your one of the silent crusaders against UNDERDEVELOPMENT has been damned as a devil. And the tragedy is those who derided him most by splashing disinformation using cheap CARTOONS are young. Are these going to be the demographic dividend that the country is wiling to place bait on? 

Born in extreme poverty and far away from any means of level playing field in Gah, pakistan, he exactly did what makes a "rag to rich story" an inspiring one. He never yelled to stand First through out his career; why should one yell if there is substance. :) 

Alas! that is what is called COMMUNICATION in this era. 

He failed there, because he thought TRUTH sells like noting, and as like the institutions he served throughout, the media and the public at large would realize the essence of the silence.  

When well educated Indians were leaving this country in hordes, Dr. Singh came back to India after exhausting what the WORLD had to offer in terms of EDUCATION. That shows his commitment for the country. If you want to sample it, read what he said when he returned to sense after his heart surgesry some years back. 

'Dr Singh is a really good man, he thinks of the country all the time'

This man rose many ladders working in the Govt. of India and was finally burst into public domain as the Finance Minister of India with those great word of Victor Hugo, 

No power on earth can stop an idea whose time has come

Those words were truly reflecting the man who quoted them. So, the words became reality in no time. India was reborn on 1991 as Manmohan led reform process was kicked in under the aegis of then Prime Minister Sri PVN Rao. 

All the govt. since 1996, followed his prescription for economy till today as India becomes the third largest economy in PPP in terms or purchasing power parity and 10th largest in nominal GDP term. 

The only perceptible change that has come about is the Manmohanomics has shifted from tickle-down model to an Inclusive-Model. It has its impact to be seen. Till 2004 the reforms started in 1991 could only lift people above poverty at the rate of .8% annually. Since 2004, the rate has increased to nearly three fold at 2.2%. 

This is not a small feat to alleviate 144 million people out of poverty in a span of 8 years. He did it when Indian economy became four times that it was in 2004. That means, he full-filled his commitment of inclusive growth; 7.6% average GDP growth and poverty alleviation. 

Is there any better model than that? 

Some,  right-wing economists think the investment in the people are waste as it is like feeding them fish instead of teaching them how to fish. And for this, they think Manmohanomics has a profound intervention in the form of another power center i.e. Sonia. 

That means, they are saying if there was no Sonia, there would not have been social sector spending like MNREGA, Rural Helath Mission, PMGSY, RTE and the recent one FSB. If you look into their eyes and ask what about the subsidy  that few industry enjoys in the form of soft-loan, tax holiday, land at toffee rate and then pardoning bad loans; they would do a HYDRA.   


They would wear the GARB of sanity and starts preaching about how Govt. delayed the removal of fuel subsidy and how GST could have been an ACE in a reform starving India. That is the intellect they posses to talk about the silence of Dr. Singh. 

One, media manager wrote a book too thinking as if he is the Principal Secretary. :)

With so much freedom and democracy, no country can grow as fast as India; I am not including:

• Hyper active Judiciary without any technical experty to comprehend issues
• Saffronised civil society with an agenda to stall governance
• Paralyzed parliament at the whim of likes of Ravishankar Prasad
• Unmanageable regional selfishness reflected in coalition politics
• Intellectually dishonest/bankrupt media turning studio into a joke

Such was the chaos in domestic front when, emerging economies were asked repeatedly to pitch in to save the world economy for the crony capitalism in the developed economy. 

In the face of such crisis, the world discovered a great economist in Dr. Singh. since, he has been recognized as a leader to whom Barak Obamas, David Cameroons or Angela Morkels of the world listen with respect.  

Alas! Back in India, our SM guys started churning out abhorring cartoon pics; because they found that the New Age Indians are into Page 3. What great churning was India going through; when we were bashing Dr. Singh on Page 3.

For what? 

Our growth has decelerated to 5%. Middle class is selling out more on EMI and poor are eating away their Tax as subsidy. Is this the stirring that will make India? To supplement this, media started writing horrible economic scenarios of doom for India. Page 3 reading Indians were made to believe that India is run at the Bombay Stock Exchange. 

I think last July was the time when right wing economists started writing Obituary to Indian economy. They lost their head and as headless-chickens compared it to be worse than 1991.

But, they forgot if there is one person who knows how to handle it; it can none other than be the architect himself. Dr. Singh. In his silence, he is leaving an economy that is more resilient and with a launch pad to rely on. 

A man for whom to use a word like "INCORRUPTIBLE" is like casting an aspersion, is leaving his office on 15th May 2014. His life meanders the path India took since 1932. 

I salute this man and his contribution to India. I rate him the best PM India has ever seen after Pandit Nehru. 

10 Janpath vs RSS Head Quarter: conscious & subconscious

I am writing this in the backdrop of:

1. RSS anointing Narendra Modi as PM candidate
2. RSS accepting that it is managing election campaign of Narendra Modi
3. Modi paying visit to RSS Chief just before the crucial last phase for the 16th loksabha election

The title spells out the dilemma many Indians are grappling with; to REJECT 10 Janpath as an conscious decision or ACCEPT RSS headquarter as a sub-conscious capitulation to fascist forces? They look as if they are all and same; they are not; One is rejecting a democratically responsive regime and the other is accepting a fascist organization.

To understand this well we need to understand what are these address signifies in Indian political landscape. 

10 Janpath was a Govt. accommodation for the DEMOCRATICALLY elected former MP and then the second PM of India, Sri Lal Bahadur Sastri. This address has many 18 month jinxes, like:

1. Sastriji died after 18 months into office
2. Indian youth Congress office was shutdown by Janata Govt after a 18 month stint during emergency 
3. Rajeev was assassinated after 18 months into the house after his crushing defeat in 1989. 

A nice anecdote can be pushed here relating to Rajeevji and this house. As a PM, Rajeevji was staying in 7 Race course (First PM to stay there) and after his defeat he asked VP Singh to move in and choose an unprepared 10 Janpath. 

Then, this is how a CPWD engineer recalled how Rajiv, when told that 10 Janpath was “jinxed”, had laughed it off saying: “Jab woh bhoot is bhoot ko dekhega toh woh bhag jayega (When that ghost sees this one, he will run away).”  :)

And we  know what happened after 18 months. 

That may be the reason why Sri La Krishna Advani turned down the offer of Rajeev Gandhi to move into 10 janpath. He offered him the house after he ceased to be the Leader of Opposition during ChandraShekhar led Govt. He wanted to turn this as the permanent house for subsequent Leaders of Opposition as 7 race course is for PM. If that would have happened, Sonai won't be tagged with 10 Janpath. :)

This house has housed all the democratically elected representatives who took the oath of upholding the constitution of India. It's occupants have to stand the scrutiny of the people through periodic elections and accountable top them through Parliament. In a way, they also have to face the consequences of the jinx that 10 Janpath has been associated with and talked about briefly above. :)

So, if the current resident of 10 Janpath is facing the wrath of people for ""all reasons that Reason itself fail to reason,"" it will be still considered as a DEMOCRATIC rejection. Normally, a democratic rejection is considered to be an AWARE decision of the VOTERS and all should respect it. 

BUT!!!

This can not be seen in ISOLATION from the other important house; the house of opposition i.e. RSS headquarter in Nagpur. RSS was banned by Sri Sardar Patel for participating in political activities, effectively making it a religioso-cultural organization. Though, it was successful in asexually reproducing BJP as its political heir apparent. Still, the house never participated any direct democratic tussle; but only hiding behind BJP. The road to RSS headquarter littered with:

• Defiance of Indian constitution
• Designs of innumerable communal riots

Let me lay bare the difference of 10 Janpath and RSS headquarter: 

10 Janpath never hosted UNDEMOCRATIC elements, where as RSS headquarter never has a brush with DEMOCRATIC processes. 


With this FACT, the conscious rejection of 10 Janpath and subconscious acceptance of RSS headquarter raises some serious doubts: 

• The doubt about the ability of Indian voters to think RATIONALLY. 
• The ability of Indian voters to understand the difference of conscious decision and subconscious intervention in Indian democracy. 

It will be an watershed moment in Indian democracy; when we most probably be accused by the world of closing our eyes to the example of the Dance of Democracy in Germany in 1933. 

Note: This might look like, I have accepted the defeat of Congress as an independent Congress supporter. But this must be taken as an assumption till the morning of 17th May 2014. 

But, the true nature of the two houses are as per my observation in the write up. There is no scope of ASSUMPTIONS there. 

Congress Always Plays the Emotional Card; Because We Value Our Sacrifices.

Human behavior flows from three main sources: desire, emotion, and knowledge.

Since, I become old enough to join the multitude of specialist political commentary where it matters i.e not in the TV studio, I have heard friends saying, Congress wins by masterful plucking of the emotional chord of the Gullible Indian Citizens.  

Yes, their charge is that the martyrdom of Mahatma, Indira and Rajeev are actually JUSTIFIABLE events as the CONSEQUENCE of their DEED. So, they do not have the right to be called as Martyrs. 

That is the basis of the claim that, "Congress Always Plays the Emotional Card."

But, they forget, that EMOTION doe not flow and wet in a vacuum. It needs those feel it. It operates if there are real people involved. 

Can anybody deny in their right sense of mind that a real human being called Godse killed a real Mahatma? 

No. So, there is bound to be a play of emotion who thinks the killing was the MOST heinous attempt of Violence over the APOSTLE of Non-Violence. 

Clearly, Violent force has no human emotion to deal with as it operated against the fundamentals of Humanity, for me it is, Natural Continuity of LIFE. 

But the killer and his growing supporters has many JUSTIFICATIONS too. Because, they killed or they want to kill more. :)  

Can anybody deny in their right sense of mind that two real human beings deployed to Guard the PM of INDIA killed a real PM i.e. Indira? 

No, so there is bound to be a surge of emotion among those who believes in Constitution rather than Religious ANARCHY. Because it is a democracy, we could test the emotional quotient time and time again. A nationalist is supposed to be emotional about the UNITY & Integrity of its nation and that is natural. 

But, the Violent force could not understand what is important; an emotion of a NATION or the emotion few hundred Terrorists hiding behind RELIGION? They have a narrow definition of EMOTIONAL bond; for them NATION emerges from RELIGION. India has too many RELIGIONS to practice that; here INDIA as a NATION embraces tens of RELIGIONS. 

Can anybody deny in their right sense of mind that an LTTE teen suicide bomber, a real human being, killed another real Ex-PM i.e. Rajeev? 

These killings of PM or Ex-PM while safeguarding the national mission statement of preserving its unity and integrity at any cost do affects real Nationalists. And it is Emotion. 

If nation ca not EMOTIONALLY detach such EVENETS, how can their near and dear ones who have the KNOWLEDGE of what these FALLEN HEROS have done, and so DESIRE to chart their path; the path of NATIONALISTIC thinking. 

We EMOTIONAL do not call ourselves HINDU NATIONALIST or MUSLIM NATIONALIST; we are NATIONALISTS. WE draw our emotional inspiration from the countless sacrifices since 1857 till today. We know RSS and its affiliates have no SACRIFICE to make to feel emotional about anything. 

So, do not deride this Emotional bond with our motherland, because we believe without emotion there is no life.   

Can you Vote Right, When You Fail to Think Right While in The Queue to Vote?

I was accompanying my friend to the near by voting booth. He was probably the first few to turn up at the booth; most of being polling officials and polling agents. 

The vote started 40 mins late. Am aware woman voter did register her displeasure at the slow process while looking at her watch. Definitely, she was not concerned about being late to office; all offices in Hyderabad has declared a holiday today. May be this impatience of dealing with Govt. has made us one of the most unengaged citizens with the Governance in the world.

But, still I could see the positive of that impatience; she was aware of her rights i.e. 7 AM is the time to start the voting machine.
But, the subsequent incident laid bare the weakest Indian in us.

What?
Read on. 

As people were in queue and understandably agitated for being late by 40 mins, few fair Skinned Indians (Mother, Stylish Son and fashionable daughter) were escorted into the booth.
I shouted standing outside the queue, "What is this! PM of India has the decency to stand in a queue and they do not have. Should not you guys in queue oppose this?"
Surprisingly, the previously agitated voters due to delay went in MUTE mode.
Even more surprising, when these PRIVILEGED Indians were in, to show their frustration the voters tried to stop a senior citizen couple on CRUTCHES to vote by jumping the queue.
If we do not know what is right or wrong; then how come we vote right.
I have to shout, "If able bodied Indians were allowed the privilege why not Senior citizens!" Then only they were allowed."
Some might think, that I am showing off, but I am showing off because I think If I can, then you can too.
Speak Up!

Why does not Narendra Modi deserve to be my Prime Minister?

“If you do not tell the truth about yourself you cannot tell it about other people.” 

How can man be my Prime Minister, who LIES about himself? 

That is what the world saw how a man was doing it consistently for the last 12 years of his political career. He has fought four elections three as CM and one he is yet to for the PM post. In all the these elections, baring the PM one, he kept the Spouse column empty in the election affidavit to the returning officer while filing nomination.

WHY not THEN? and WHY, only NOW?

A photo will go here

Effectively, he lied under OATH. I am not interested whether he was married or not, What I am interested is in the curious case of sudden appearance of the FACT when SC made it clear that all the affidavit has to be complete. So, why did MODI fail to admit that he has a TECHNICAL wife in prior affidavits? Deliberate or a miss? As circumstance suggests, this is not a miss as a miss can not be that CONSISTENT. 

Some Imedia OUTLETS refer this pertinent question as PERSONAL matter and there should not be such low level discourse in the election. Isn't it funny? They themselves have reported in previous occasions these: 

Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi said, “Sonia Gandhi is a Jersey cow. Even shopkeepers are not ready to employ her as a clerk. Rahul Gandhi is a hybrid calf, and I will not even employ him as my driver.” (2004)

BJP leader, Vinay Katiyar said, “Disaster struck the Nehru-Gandhi family ever since Sonia became bahu of that family. That is why people compare her to Gandhari of Mahabharat and Helen of Troy,” 

Former defence minister, George Fernandes said, “What is her contribution to the nation? The two children she gave birth to. She has contributed two people to the 100 crore population of our country." 

 Note: Sandwiched between his wife and his companion :)

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/up-polls-rahul-worst-hit-in-neta-slur/39290-4-2.html

You can Google and find for yourself many more such gutter level abusive articles, journals, blogs, comments etc. about the poltical leaders of Congress starting from The Mahatma. Clearly Modi is not only a liar, he is also an ABUSIVE man. 

Some INTELLECTUALLY BANKRUPTS counter these by promptly pointing at one famous line Sonia uttered "Maut ka Saudagar" without naming MODI (2007). 

These defenders of the indefensible at least refer to the highlighted year when the comments were made by Sonai and Modi in my blog; as I do not consider them to have the CONSCIENCE to judge what is abuse and what is a political statement. 

Can such a man be my PM? Who has could not have the courage to speak a truth about himself? Who can abuse his political rivals with such FILTH? Does he qualify to be a Political activist in a thriving democracy like us? 

I do not know about your CHOICE, but clearly my sensibilities can not digest this. 

There are endless items in the list of Modi LIE. I am not going to write them all here; certainly in my subsequent posts. Stay tuned. 

Strip our BAHU and send her home: Indian Culture!!!

Edvige Antonia Albina Màino came to India as lover of Rajeev Gandhi along with a return ticket to Italy; her father was sure that her exotic love affair will be overwhelmed by the reality in India. The skeptical Antonia showed her first sign of steel in her when she did not choose to use the return ticket, instead chose to turn Sonia Gandhi for ever; still she was holding on to her passport.

Many conspiracy theorists like, Subramnyam Swamy mischievously use it to portray her as a spy.

But, such jokes apart, the reality must be lying with the fact that Rajeev was never considered as a political material by Indira; and he was flying mostly on international route on Maharaja as a Pilot. So, naturally for Sonia it would have been easy to dream to settle in Europe than to turn a widow in India. 

As time went by, Sonia became the duaghter-in-law (BAHU) and mother to two kids. But still she held on to her passport, that means she was holding on to her name Edvige Antonia Albina Màino too. 

Is that a big deal? 

Many independent ladies hold on to their family names and such instances are numerous. So, it was not an unusual act by that standard. What was important was that she never had to use the return ticket her orthodox Catholic father wished her to use. She was turning out to be a perfect “BAHU” in Indian sense leaving in a joint family with Sanjay and Menaka. 

It was until the death of Sanjay, the political heir apparent of Indira, the joint family could live together. As Indira wanted to fill her vacuum with Rajeev, the model turn “BAHU” Menaka felt insecure and she chose to leave the family for ever in a very controversial situation. 

Anyone should be able to conclude that Sonia proved to be quite a “BAHU” in contrast to Menka who was an Indian by birth and culture.

As, Sonia became more sure about her hubby’s political stake in Congress, she decided to detach her last Italian connection by dumping Italian passport and having an Indian one. That means, in 1983, Edvige Antonia Albina Màino officially became Sonia Gandhi, an Indian citizen. 

If Menaka had lost her husband, Sonia who had already lost Italian connection, as would fate decide, had to lose her best friend and mother-in-law Indira and then her reason to be an Indian, Rajeev.

Look at the comparison, Menka left Gandhi family even born as an Indian, but with these murderous tragedies, Sonia chose to remain a Gandhi family member. Any meek hearted would have escaped India, but no, she showed her steely resolve of an Indian BAHU.

Imagine if Indira can be killed and Rajeev can be turned into pieces, what was Sonia? She fought that constant threat surrounding her family; and still she remained a GANDHI. 

Remember, she was a vulnerable Gandhi till 1997, when she decided that she can not ignore the state of Congress for which she has lost everything. By doing, that she yet again proved what an  Indian BAHU must do for her family. 

She fought against a male dominated political race for the post of the Party President in Indian National Congress by winning 98% of votes. With that legitimacy, Sonia did not look behind. Since, she has emerged as the most powerful politician in India. Her renunciation of the PM post of the republic of India was both a stamp of Indian ethos and political sagacity.  

Like a Bahu, she has faced everything and never shown any inclination to ESCAPE like another BAHU Menaka did. One is from Italy, another is from India, but they reacted differently to similar situations.

So, when a BAHU has performed her lifelong duties towards her Sasural, how can some outsiders call for her to be sent back to Italy without clothes? Is this Indian culture? 

Muslim appeasement; is there anything like that?

I was in the middle of a discussion in a forum, suddenly one guy expressed his anguish about his situation. He was heartbroken and agitated that a 13 year girl of a doctor couple can be so judgmental about his political preference!

So, what was the judgment passed that so agitated the guy called, Riyaz?

The judgment said, “Because you are a Muslim, so you support Congress.”  

This judgment from a 13 year old from an educated family really rattled Riyaz. Probably, he wanted to know

Or he may be angry for not finding the effect of the so called Appeasement for his community that this girl was pointing to; instead what he got was SACHHAR COMMITTEE REPORT.

So, Riyaz has more reasons to feel upset with the false reasoning. But, then he heard that there are two perspectives of appeasement;

• Economic & social
• Political

As the theory of economic & social appeasement was debunked by the Sacha committee report. a new bogye emerged: Muslim community has been exploited as a vote bank through Political Appeasement. OK…fair enough; that is at least a good home work on the part of the HINDUTVA forces. Even, Riyaz also conceded that he feels that congress has tried to APPEASE them at times. 

Then, he should not have felt bad about the JUDGEMENT of the 13 year old; why then was he agitated? 

People say, truth hurts, but if you are not Mahatma BUDH, then it can happen that LIE can also hurt. So, I thought let us probe this further as Riyaz is no Mahatma Budh, was it a TRUTH or a LIE that had rattled Riyaz? 

To find an answer to this question, we have to look at several aspects of appeasement:

• Reasons for appeasement
• What are the appeasements?
• Is appeasement only limited to Muslims?

Reason for Appeasement

After exhausting all my thinking caps, the only reason of appeasement, that can be crystallized, is to appease Muslims to win vote. If that is the argument then it has the weakest leg to stand on with this simple fact based on basic counting skills:

What are the Appeasements?

The proponents of appeasement will come up with the following usual suspects when ever there is a debate. They are:

Article 370: Is it an appeasement based on religion?

We have similar arrangements in north-east too, you can read about Nagaland. Kashmir was a special case as it was absorbed after it signed an instrument of access with conditions. India is simply respecting that treaty. We signed that treaty with a HINDU king.

So, can we cerebrally link this is to appeasement of MUSLIMS?

Common Civil code: This is the biggest handle for the proponents of appeasement. Some time, I also think that this should be done without realizing how exactly this can be done.

Was Hindu code bill in any way a blue print of how a common civil code should look like? It is far from that. It was just an attempt to REFORM archaic Hindu laws where male were allowed to POLYGAMY, and female was never considered as members of a family (They were having no right on family property). In that back-drop reformist Hindu leaders thought it to be pertinent to amend the Hindu personal law.  

Indian constitution celebrates diversity, then how come UNIFORMITY through common civil code will be able to do justice to DIVERSITY.

I think, the reason why HINDUTVA forces are crying for Common Civil Code is not that they believe in it, rather they think they have lost out to the Muslim male in enjoying POLYGAMY.  

Haj quota: Any practicing Muslim would proclaim that enjoying a HAJ to Mecca on Govt. largess is morally not on sound footing. So to say that by extending Haj quota to Muslims, the Govt. has own over the Muslims will be wrong. I think Haj is an enterprise where Indian Airlines earn a lot of money, it actually does not help those who go for the pilgrimage. If this is appeasement, then shortly I am going to provide you proof how Hindu temples are being funded by Govt.

Shah Bano Case: A Supreme court judgment, directing the husband of 60 year old Shah Bano to provide her with maintenance after divorce, was reversed by the Parliament. This act by the then Congress govt. is considered as the single most credible example of Appeasement of Muslims.  Subsequently, the law was amended as per the Muslim Personal law.

How can this be an appeasement? Was there a common civil code in place to apply IPC uniformly on all the religious groups? There is none. So, for SC to pass this order was beyond their jurisdiction.

The remit of SC is to see if an existing laws are implemented, not to frame new law. 

So, the Govt. of the day just intervened to set things right; it was not an attempt to appease Muslims. 

Is appeasement only limited to Muslims?

Many of us think that Govt. funds Muslim religious activity by providing Haj subsidy. If that is unfair, then what is this? 

Rs212-crore Budget of Jagannath Temple for 2014-15

This headline in Indian Express talks about Odisha Govt. making an allocation of Rs. 96.33 crore to supplement the annual temple budget of 212 core for the year 2014-15.

Then, what about the money the tourism department spends around religious places throughout India?

So, are we really logical while making the case for APPEASEMENT of MUSLIMS?

The fact is India’s pluralism is a NEGATION of Pakistan’s two nation theory. Even this theory was supported by Savarkar and the foremost ideologue of RSS, GOLWALKAR. 

India at its birth made promise to itself to uphold democracy and pluralism or secularism at the same time. This is a tough balancing act for;

AND

This juggling act by the Govt.of India can at times looks like an attempt to appeasement, while this really is the duty the Govt. has to discharge.