The biggest soap opera of the season continues. No, we are not talking of yet another inane, melodramatic binge from Ekta Kapoor but of the impasse over the civilian nuclear deal. The Left continues in its opposition to the nuclear deal and even Sonia Gandhi has supposedly told the Left that she cannot go against the Prime Minister's wishes vis-à-vis the nuclear deal. A day after I was taken by surprise at the rare show or courage by the Prime Minister, I was let down the very next day. Somehow, statements that followed the bold assertion seemed to be a climb down for the Government. Admittedly, this could have been influenced by the knowledge that if the government were to go ahead with the deal, it would probably result in early elections. This is hardly what the United Progressive Alliance would want, especially after inflation rose to 11.05%, the highest in 13years. Normally, this would be adieu to a deal that pulls India out of nuclear isolation, but with the Prime Minister not backing off, we are in for an interesting equation.
It is unfortunate that Indian democracy has not reached a level of maturity where political parties look beyond political gains and put national interest at a premium. In all honesty, one can't blame the Left as it would be against their ideology to support the nuclear deal. It is another matter that this very ideology is hogwash, to put it mildly. The Bharatiya Janata Party and the constituents of the UPA are more to blame, the BJP even more as they were in power when the deal was in its initial stages. Well, what can one say of the Congress? In spite of their boast of them having a special relationship with Indian democracy, they have never shown the maturity to be think beyond their lust for power. At stake is India's credibility, surely that is more important than who comes to power in the next elections. if this deal does not go through, the country will forever be in nuclear isolation, our nuclear power plants will be rendered ineffective and we will be bullied even more by China, who had the sense to sign a similar deal with the US, even if the terms were not as favourable as they are to India. Moreover, India will not be trusted to keep an agreement. But no, all the Congress and its allies care about is that they return to power. The interests of the nation are at best secondary. The BJP is even worse. They go about tarnishing the country with their rabid ideology, claim to the ones striving for development whilst in power, and forget their progressive economics whilst in opposition. The government should go ahead with the deal, irrespective of the consequences. For once, the Congress should put national interest ahead of its selfishness, and lust.
It can be argued that an election is rarely fought on a foreign policy issue whilst there are more pressing problems such as inflation; and elections at a time of high prices and inflation is suicidal. However, the economic crisis is not going to fade away soon. In any case, prices are going to be high by the time the country goes to the polls, deal or no deal. The government might as well earn some brownie points by saying we risked losing power for a deal which is good for the country. The Congress and its allies could then occupy the moral high ground. As Albus Dumbledore would have said, there are times when we have to chose between what is right and what is easy. The Congress can earn the gratitude of the nation by doing what is right and sign the deal.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Liberalism - An urgent necessity
The recent attacks on various churches in Orissa have shown the extent to which religious fanaticism is rising in India. Our ancient culture, which prides itself in its staunch commitment to the noble value of secularism, is under attack from the very quarters, which claim to be its protector. Organisations that claim to protect Hinduism forget that Hinduism is one of the most liberal religions in the world. Tolerance has always been a strong facet of Hinduism, but somewhere down the line, it has degenerated to what it is today.
This is indeed true of all religions; fundamentalism is on the rise, and rabid zealots brainwash people into following their own rigid version of their individual religions. Through history (from the time of the Crusades), religion has proved to be more of a divisive force than a source of strength. In today's world, where religious fanaticism have given birth to a potentially fatal brand of terrorism, there is a need to look for alternative solutions, which embrace the noble values of compassion, tolerance and togetherness. Inevitably, this would mean decreasing the role of religion in our lives. Faith is a personal issue; it need not be an emotive one. We have for too long sought to crush fundamentalism with a more narrow mined ideology, probably a by-product of the "eye for an eye" ideology which is seen to be so powerful. The results are there for all to see; the objective has not been achieved-instead the situation has grown to be more dangerous than before.
An urgent need arises to turn to liberalism, which especially in India is foolishly seen to be a western concept, to solve this problem. Liberalism is not new for us-even in times when the rest of the world acted in a caveman-type intention to stamp their authority on others, we adopted a policy of live and let live. This has resulted in the uniqueness of our country, where people of different cultures exist in mutual harmony. It is unfortunate that such noble values have now fallen by the wayside. Liberal attitudes are not only necessary to combat extremism, but also to remove the patriarchal mindset prevalent amongst a majority of our people. Such an attitude will lead to gender equality. Women have for long suffered a great injustice, even in today's age of globalisation, where patriarchal attitudes have led to a spate of incidents of violence against women. In the name of preserving our culture, a lot of our people, aided ably by rabid zealots, give a sense of legitimacy to patriarchy. Liberalism will also need to greater economic strength. India's growth story can be attributed to the liberal policies practiced by the Government post 1991. The Left, whose middle name is hypocrisy, is unfortunately blocking measures intending to bring in more economic growth. Liberalism will result in an all out win-win scenario. It is our only hope for a better future.
This is indeed true of all religions; fundamentalism is on the rise, and rabid zealots brainwash people into following their own rigid version of their individual religions. Through history (from the time of the Crusades), religion has proved to be more of a divisive force than a source of strength. In today's world, where religious fanaticism have given birth to a potentially fatal brand of terrorism, there is a need to look for alternative solutions, which embrace the noble values of compassion, tolerance and togetherness. Inevitably, this would mean decreasing the role of religion in our lives. Faith is a personal issue; it need not be an emotive one. We have for too long sought to crush fundamentalism with a more narrow mined ideology, probably a by-product of the "eye for an eye" ideology which is seen to be so powerful. The results are there for all to see; the objective has not been achieved-instead the situation has grown to be more dangerous than before.
An urgent need arises to turn to liberalism, which especially in India is foolishly seen to be a western concept, to solve this problem. Liberalism is not new for us-even in times when the rest of the world acted in a caveman-type intention to stamp their authority on others, we adopted a policy of live and let live. This has resulted in the uniqueness of our country, where people of different cultures exist in mutual harmony. It is unfortunate that such noble values have now fallen by the wayside. Liberal attitudes are not only necessary to combat extremism, but also to remove the patriarchal mindset prevalent amongst a majority of our people. Such an attitude will lead to gender equality. Women have for long suffered a great injustice, even in today's age of globalisation, where patriarchal attitudes have led to a spate of incidents of violence against women. In the name of preserving our culture, a lot of our people, aided ably by rabid zealots, give a sense of legitimacy to patriarchy. Liberalism will also need to greater economic strength. India's growth story can be attributed to the liberal policies practiced by the Government post 1991. The Left, whose middle name is hypocrisy, is unfortunately blocking measures intending to bring in more economic growth. Liberalism will result in an all out win-win scenario. It is our only hope for a better future.
Socialism - Root of India's Problems
Post Independence, India followed the policy of socialism, which meant that the economy would be closed to foreign participation, the public sector would provide the impetus to development, and private participation in the economy would be heavily regulated. The economy came to be known as a mixed economy, wherein the positives of both socialism and capitalism would be amalgamated. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, a keen student of Fabian Socialism, was greatly impressed by the USSR. Indeed, all of our founding fathers believed that socialism would deliver the Indian people from decades of suffering and poverty. This assertion proved terribly wrong. Instead of its stated intent to bring about all round development, it resulted in rampant corruption, inefficiency and arrogance of the bureaucrats and government agencies, which was borne of the knowledge that they wielded enormous power.
The Government and its agencies, instead of providing for the people, became the biggest roadblock to India's "tryst with destiny", to quote the great Pandit Nehru. Private individuals like the legendary Aditya Birla, left the country after being vexed at the nation's license raj policy, which would determine where the entrepreneur would build his factory, how many units he will build in the factory, the output of the factory and the price at which the entrepreneur would sell his goods in market. The result of such policies was the 3% average growth over decades and the near bankrupt economy of 1991.
It would be easy to blame our founding fathers for placing trust in idealistic policies, but those were simpler days and there was a great distrust of foreigners, given that the country tasted freedom after 200 years of bondage. Individuals in the present generation should understand that socialism is to blame for all our misfortunes, not individuals like the Mahatma, Sardar Patel or Nehru. It is because of the sacrifices of these great men that we are a free nation, something which the youth takes for granted. However, there were also a few positives. There are a few public sector companies like ONGC and BSNL, which have proved they can take on the best and come out victorious. The emphasis on industrialisation, although skewed heavily toward the public sector has led to today's scenario where reforms have resulted in rampant growth. These can best be described as a silver lining in a very gloomy setting. Liberalisation, a process initiated in 1991, has led to a scenario where India is poised to becoming one of the world's biggest economies in a few years.
On the contrary, except for a few companies, the public sector represents a very sick patient, only that they are being denied medication (privatisation) by organisations which claim to protect them (the Left). The communists still stick to their ineffective dogma, which will succeed only in Utopia. The economic disintegration of Russia after the fall of the USSR has shown that it is only on the surface that communist countries appear rich. China, one of the few communist countries, follows communism only for political means whilst for all practical purposes it is capitalist. It's amazing growth today can be attributed to the reforms initiated by Deng Xiaoping in the seventies. In India, the communists still pose a threat, and the unfortunate thing is that some people follow them without realising that they are responsible for the sorry state a majority of our countrymen are in. Naxalism is an example. Socialism is hypocrisy. Whilst claiming to deliver salvation, it will heap more misery of the people. It is time to turn to all out capitalism. That will make Vision 2020 a reality.
The Government and its agencies, instead of providing for the people, became the biggest roadblock to India's "tryst with destiny", to quote the great Pandit Nehru. Private individuals like the legendary Aditya Birla, left the country after being vexed at the nation's license raj policy, which would determine where the entrepreneur would build his factory, how many units he will build in the factory, the output of the factory and the price at which the entrepreneur would sell his goods in market. The result of such policies was the 3% average growth over decades and the near bankrupt economy of 1991.
It would be easy to blame our founding fathers for placing trust in idealistic policies, but those were simpler days and there was a great distrust of foreigners, given that the country tasted freedom after 200 years of bondage. Individuals in the present generation should understand that socialism is to blame for all our misfortunes, not individuals like the Mahatma, Sardar Patel or Nehru. It is because of the sacrifices of these great men that we are a free nation, something which the youth takes for granted. However, there were also a few positives. There are a few public sector companies like ONGC and BSNL, which have proved they can take on the best and come out victorious. The emphasis on industrialisation, although skewed heavily toward the public sector has led to today's scenario where reforms have resulted in rampant growth. These can best be described as a silver lining in a very gloomy setting. Liberalisation, a process initiated in 1991, has led to a scenario where India is poised to becoming one of the world's biggest economies in a few years.
On the contrary, except for a few companies, the public sector represents a very sick patient, only that they are being denied medication (privatisation) by organisations which claim to protect them (the Left). The communists still stick to their ineffective dogma, which will succeed only in Utopia. The economic disintegration of Russia after the fall of the USSR has shown that it is only on the surface that communist countries appear rich. China, one of the few communist countries, follows communism only for political means whilst for all practical purposes it is capitalist. It's amazing growth today can be attributed to the reforms initiated by Deng Xiaoping in the seventies. In India, the communists still pose a threat, and the unfortunate thing is that some people follow them without realising that they are responsible for the sorry state a majority of our countrymen are in. Naxalism is an example. Socialism is hypocrisy. Whilst claiming to deliver salvation, it will heap more misery of the people. It is time to turn to all out capitalism. That will make Vision 2020 a reality.
Terrorism
Terrorism is the biggest challenge of our times. No nation can claim to be free from this menace. India, for a major part of the past two decades, been fighting terrorism- be it the insurgencies in Kashmir and the Northeast or Naxalism. State sponsored terrorism has hurt our country to the maximum extent. It is therefore a pity that the West has come to terms with the magnitude of the problem only after 9/11 and 7/7.
India is unique in its diversity. There exist many different cultures, religions, languages and traditions. The sentiments of those in one part of the country can vary vastly from those in another part of the country. For long we have been praised for our unity, a common desire running through every Indian- to take the country forward; to eliminate poverty and to see that there is not a single person who has to suffer from want of basic needs. It is this unity, which is danger of being destroyed. Kashmir, the Northeast and the naxal-affected areas are a pointer. Differences among people on trivial accounts are being exploited accounts are being exploited by selfish individuals to serve their selfish needs. Naxalism, to quote the Prime Minister, is a socio- economic issue. Globalisation and liberalisation post-1991 hast left in its wake a section of distressed who are hurt by competition. The naxalites claim to protect to protect these distressed, dismissing the obvious fact that poverty can only be eliminated by faster growth, and growth can be attained only by the reforms practiced by various Governments, post- 1991. The irony is that these distressed, exploited by an ineffective bureaucracy and hypocoristic politicians are most vulnerable to naxalite activities. Then, we have Kashmir and the Northeast, where the militancy is supported across the border, by de facto failed states like Pakistan and Bangladesh. Instead of setting their own problems right, these countries seek to destroy the fabric of our country. The basis for their hate campaign against our great country is a mentality stuck in the middle ages, where religions fought each other in their quest for dominance. These countries cannot conduct free and fair elections, talk of a democracy where the Chief of Army Staff is more important than the Prime Minister, cannot provide adequate security to leading politicians, and yet they talk of “delivering freedom”. It is unfortunate that our brethren have fallen prey to this vitriolic propaganda. This tells us that mistakes have been made, for the logical reason that a huge section of people will not harbour extensive hatred against their countrymen an the whim of a few.
So what is the solution to this problem? The quagmire in Iraq has proved that only military means will not give us a permanent solution. A multi pronged strategy is needed to fight terrorism. Whilst keeping the military option open, we need to strike where it hurts the most- the support base of these terrorists. We need to convince our people that in our unity lies our greatest strength; we can solve all our problems if we stay united. A hawkish approach, as advocated by L.K. Advani and other sections of the right, will not work. Most importantly, we need to accept and apoligize for past mistakes and act keeping in mind the sentiments of the local populace. The trust of the people has to be earned in this fight against terrorism. The growth story seen of late proves that India is in for great things. We cannot allow a heartless band of murderers and those who seek solace in a failed ideology spoil our tryst with destiny. The Elephant is here to shine. It is ours to make or break.
India is unique in its diversity. There exist many different cultures, religions, languages and traditions. The sentiments of those in one part of the country can vary vastly from those in another part of the country. For long we have been praised for our unity, a common desire running through every Indian- to take the country forward; to eliminate poverty and to see that there is not a single person who has to suffer from want of basic needs. It is this unity, which is danger of being destroyed. Kashmir, the Northeast and the naxal-affected areas are a pointer. Differences among people on trivial accounts are being exploited accounts are being exploited by selfish individuals to serve their selfish needs. Naxalism, to quote the Prime Minister, is a socio- economic issue. Globalisation and liberalisation post-1991 hast left in its wake a section of distressed who are hurt by competition. The naxalites claim to protect to protect these distressed, dismissing the obvious fact that poverty can only be eliminated by faster growth, and growth can be attained only by the reforms practiced by various Governments, post- 1991. The irony is that these distressed, exploited by an ineffective bureaucracy and hypocoristic politicians are most vulnerable to naxalite activities. Then, we have Kashmir and the Northeast, where the militancy is supported across the border, by de facto failed states like Pakistan and Bangladesh. Instead of setting their own problems right, these countries seek to destroy the fabric of our country. The basis for their hate campaign against our great country is a mentality stuck in the middle ages, where religions fought each other in their quest for dominance. These countries cannot conduct free and fair elections, talk of a democracy where the Chief of Army Staff is more important than the Prime Minister, cannot provide adequate security to leading politicians, and yet they talk of “delivering freedom”. It is unfortunate that our brethren have fallen prey to this vitriolic propaganda. This tells us that mistakes have been made, for the logical reason that a huge section of people will not harbour extensive hatred against their countrymen an the whim of a few.
So what is the solution to this problem? The quagmire in Iraq has proved that only military means will not give us a permanent solution. A multi pronged strategy is needed to fight terrorism. Whilst keeping the military option open, we need to strike where it hurts the most- the support base of these terrorists. We need to convince our people that in our unity lies our greatest strength; we can solve all our problems if we stay united. A hawkish approach, as advocated by L.K. Advani and other sections of the right, will not work. Most importantly, we need to accept and apoligize for past mistakes and act keeping in mind the sentiments of the local populace. The trust of the people has to be earned in this fight against terrorism. The growth story seen of late proves that India is in for great things. We cannot allow a heartless band of murderers and those who seek solace in a failed ideology spoil our tryst with destiny. The Elephant is here to shine. It is ours to make or break.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Rock Rules!!!!
Man, there is absolutely nothing like rock music. I mean, it makes you feel sad, feel jubilant and feel like wanting to throw yourself off the Petronas Towers… There are times when I just feel like I do not have a care in the world, and yet, there are times when there is an unknown ache. I do not talk only about the head banging stuff, the emotional moments seem a lot more poignant when a guitar riff goes on,on.on……..I was nine when I had my first dose of rock. It wasn’t much, I was scrolling through channels on the telly once, and Queen’s We Will Rock You was being played. I was glued, I mean the song had a real party feel to it, something my nine year old self did not understand, but my interest was piqued. In those days (maybe even today), MTV and Channel V were thought of as a sure recipe for spoiling a kid. My next exposure was a news article about Kurt Cobain. Naturally, I did not know who he was, but I did not understand how a guy could command such a zealous following. For some reason, I thought it was much more than the fascination we share for our music stars. It would be years before I would come to know the phenomenon Kurt Cobain was, but the name was always I the back of my mind. I would have to wait till I was fourteen or fifteen; my first album was Linkin Park’s Hybrid Theory. Honestly, I did not take to the music initially( I guess Nu-Metal was not the best choice for a first album), but once I liked it(which I began too, by the time Crawling ended), well, I don’t need to go on….
Since then, I feel like I have made up for those years when I was younger. My interest has grown to an obsession like I can’t stop (and I don’t want to!!).
Since then, I feel like I have made up for those years when I was younger. My interest has grown to an obsession like I can’t stop (and I don’t want to!!).
Monday, October 22, 2007
India's Left-Anti-Americanism only ideology???
The conduct of the Left ever since the UPA came to power three years ago has been subject of many a discussion. Here is a party, which is firmly against globalization and the involvement of foreign companies in our economy. The irony is that the Left Front is following the policies the Left claim is killing India. Buddha babu claims industrialization is the only way forward, whilst Karat and co protest against FDI in retail (Wal-Mart), SEZ’s and now the nuclear deal.
The Left is in a position of great power in the present political set up. They can arm twist the Congress as much as they want and still get away with it. Karat and Yechury agree that only reforms will take the nation forward, yet they do not want foreign (especially American) companies entering the economy, claiming to protect the interests of the small scale traders in this country. Are the experiences of the past not enough for the comrades? The growth India has seen over the past 15 years is double the growth we achieved for the first 40 years of Independence. Even after acknowledging the effectiveness of the post-liberalization policies they are loath to foreign involvement. The Nuclear Deal lays open the mindset of the comrades. They claim the deal will compromise the nation's Sovereignty. Are we such midgets to not stand up for ourselves? Yet the deal offers India respite because it allows us to come out of nuclear isolation. Even China's 123 agreement does not contain the benefits accorded to us. The Left's rigid opposition seems to stem from the fact that the US is such a major partner is the deal. Perhaps, they would not have minded if the deal was with China or Russia. It is time the Left realises that their ideology is outdated. Reforms and Industrialization will take us forward. We cannot let regressive elements besmirch our march forward.
The Left is in a position of great power in the present political set up. They can arm twist the Congress as much as they want and still get away with it. Karat and Yechury agree that only reforms will take the nation forward, yet they do not want foreign (especially American) companies entering the economy, claiming to protect the interests of the small scale traders in this country. Are the experiences of the past not enough for the comrades? The growth India has seen over the past 15 years is double the growth we achieved for the first 40 years of Independence. Even after acknowledging the effectiveness of the post-liberalization policies they are loath to foreign involvement. The Nuclear Deal lays open the mindset of the comrades. They claim the deal will compromise the nation's Sovereignty. Are we such midgets to not stand up for ourselves? Yet the deal offers India respite because it allows us to come out of nuclear isolation. Even China's 123 agreement does not contain the benefits accorded to us. The Left's rigid opposition seems to stem from the fact that the US is such a major partner is the deal. Perhaps, they would not have minded if the deal was with China or Russia. It is time the Left realises that their ideology is outdated. Reforms and Industrialization will take us forward. We cannot let regressive elements besmirch our march forward.
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