http://drishtikona.com My online journal with thoughts, opinions, comments and more.. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:30:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.2 http://drishtikona.com/images/favicon.gif http://drishtikona.com en http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/003033.php http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/003033.php#comments Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:30:53 +0000 Indra http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/003033.php Whosoever wins, will UP win to be out of its BIMARU league? ]]> Whosoever wins, will UP win to be out of its BIMARU league? ]]> http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/003033.php/feed/ http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/003031.php http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/003031.php#comments Sat, 04 Feb 2012 01:02:51 +0000 Indra http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/003031.php either community or caste. Is it in the interest of the country? Should not the Election Commission or the highest in judiciary if not the parliamentarians ponder over the subject? Should not the EC ban the mention of caste and community from any election campaign? Will it be unconstitutional? If yes, why can’t the constitution is changed? While the other codes of conduct once the election dates are declared are causing the slow down or almost shutting of government functions, the election time does also cause a lot of hidden social turmoil because of the mentions of lolly pops for certain castes and community. What will be the ultimate of reservation? I would not have asked it but unfortunately the reservation accommodated for very genuine reasons in constitution has been perpetualized for political reasons and because none wants to irritate those who had been beneficiaries. In the present campaign, the Congress Party seems to promise an offer 4.5%-9% out of 27% of OBC reservation for minority. SP has gone to promise 18% for minority. This figure is based on the percentage of minority in overall population. Tomorrow each of the castes or community in India may ask for the share of reservation of its caste based on its own population or may go for even protest and some political party may back those groups. Let me explain a little more clearly. A particular caste among the category of schedule caste or a specific tribal group may ask for fixing up the reservation for it based on its population. Are not the politicians and community leaders playing with a fire that can divide the various communities and made them bitter against each other? Can the people and their leaders, legislators or judiciary give a clear decision based on the worst situation? Will the religious leaders be forbidden from issuing fatwas for voting for a political party or a candidate? Such religious fatwas must be banned in election time. The great country got divided once on basis of religion and suffered the misery that was unprecedented. Why can’t the reference of caste or community in open be constitutionally banned and instead the whole effort is directed to the right education and skilling of the people? I am sure the promises of reservation for the minority community out of the permitted reservation for OBC are already creating ripples in the society. I thought with the expansion of education, the youngsters in North India will make the seniors shun community and caste. Though it has not happened till date but perhaps good education for all will be the only answer to end this menace. What EC or parliament can’t do with its mighty power, the people will do that. And that is the hope for the region. ]]> either community or caste. Is it in the interest of the country? Should not the Election Commission or the highest in judiciary if not the parliamentarians ponder over the subject? Should not the EC ban the mention of caste and community from any election campaign? Will it be unconstitutional? If yes, why can’t the constitution is changed? While the other codes of conduct once the election dates are declared are causing the slow down or almost shutting of government functions, the election time does also cause a lot of hidden social turmoil because of the mentions of lolly pops for certain castes and community. What will be the ultimate of reservation? I would not have asked it but unfortunately the reservation accommodated for very genuine reasons in constitution has been perpetualized for political reasons and because none wants to irritate those who had been beneficiaries. In the present campaign, the Congress Party seems to promise an offer 4.5%-9% out of 27% of OBC reservation for minority. SP has gone to promise 18% for minority. This figure is based on the percentage of minority in overall population. Tomorrow each of the castes or community in India may ask for the share of reservation of its caste based on its own population or may go for even protest and some political party may back those groups. Let me explain a little more clearly. A particular caste among the category of schedule caste or a specific tribal group may ask for fixing up the reservation for it based on its population. Are not the politicians and community leaders playing with a fire that can divide the various communities and made them bitter against each other? Can the people and their leaders, legislators or judiciary give a clear decision based on the worst situation? Will the religious leaders be forbidden from issuing fatwas for voting for a political party or a candidate? Such religious fatwas must be banned in election time. The great country got divided once on basis of religion and suffered the misery that was unprecedented. Why can’t the reference of caste or community in open be constitutionally banned and instead the whole effort is directed to the right education and skilling of the people? I am sure the promises of reservation for the minority community out of the permitted reservation for OBC are already creating ripples in the society. I thought with the expansion of education, the youngsters in North India will make the seniors shun community and caste. Though it has not happened till date but perhaps good education for all will be the only answer to end this menace. What EC or parliament can’t do with its mighty power, the people will do that. And that is the hope for the region. ]]> http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/003031.php/feed/ http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/003030.php http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/003030.php#comments Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:45:45 +0000 Indra http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/003030.php ‘A common quip in New Delhi is that Ms Gandhi has power without responsibility; whereas Dr Singh has responsibility without power.’ However, I don’t vouch for even this much credit to Manmohan. Manmohan Singh is just a mediocre so far administrative capability is concerned. A few recent instances of his administrative lapses are more than anything else to prove that. Manmohan didn’t do anything to better his image and at least in these incidents Sonia would not have interfered. Manmohan has unnecessarily allowed the age issue of the Army Chief to linger. As soon as Manmohan came to know of it, he would have called the General and sorted it out talking one-to-one basis with him soon the issue. The whole issue is in a bad taste to the citizens of the country. It sets a bad precedent. The way Manmohan has allowed the reprimand of the scientists of ISRO to be handled by his very poor assistants is another glaring example of his poor way of administration. Why couldn’t he call Mr. Nair, the former chief of ISRO, and discuss? Does Manmohan want to prove that he is better than his counterparts in Pakistan? Can anyone believe that the action was so messy because of Sonia’s interference? Don’t the people of India know by now the vacillating approach of Manmohan on the issue of identity card issue? Couldn’t Manmohan mediate between Montek Singh and PC Chidambaram fighting for sanctioning fund for Aadhar project headed by Nandan Nilekani? Time and again, Manmohan gets out of his slumber and does something that brings a hope and then he sleeps again. He had a press conference with media men and promised that he would regularly to do that to discuss the critical current issues of the country with media. After the very first meet where he had chosen few, the others kept on waiting for getting a chance to talk to Manmohan directly in the next meetings. But that never happened. Manmohan as Prime Minister could show his administrative capability in improving the rating of ‘Doing Business in India’. Manmohan could get his minister change the emphasis to the outcome rather than allocation. He couldn’t bring any effective mechanism to monitor the big projects that decide the growth of the country? Manmohan couldn’t take any image building infrastructure project and get completed the long promised ones such as the railway link to Kashmir valley. Many a time I find Mayawati better than Manmohan. At least she could give a world class F1 course in record time and Yamuna Express way for state. Why couldn’t he take a high speed bullet train project even between a short distance to prove that India can do that? Is there any one project including one being demanded in memory of our brave jawans that can be associated with his name as initiator? As reported recently, the steel minister boasted of India becoming the fourth largest steel manufacturing country of the world. Is it not in spite of the government? India could by now certainly become the second largest steel manufacturer if the government would have taken some bold policy decisions. Could not Manmohan take some bold step for shipping sector instead of bemoaning for not spending 75% of the fund allocated for it in 11th plan? I am sure for all the above failures in performance of Manmohan, Sonia’s interference cannot be a rational excuse. Why the PM always is found failed? --------------- PS: Two news papers one of English and the other of Hindi have the same news on Manmhoan Singh in its headlines based on some article in Time Magazine. The headline in Hindustan Times is 'Manmohan a quiet giant who could make history' ; and that in Hindi happens to be: अमेरिकी पत्रिका ने मनमोहन को बताया 'आत्मघाती'. I am at loss. Do both mean the same? Did the Hindi Newspaper Bhaskar translate it from Hindustan Times and did a poor job? Is it the news based on an old article in Time magazine, planted by new media advisor in PMO that has now a new head? ]]> ‘A common quip in New Delhi is that Ms Gandhi has power without responsibility; whereas Dr Singh has responsibility without power.’ However, I don’t vouch for even this much credit to Manmohan. Manmohan Singh is just a mediocre so far administrative capability is concerned. A few recent instances of his administrative lapses are more than anything else to prove that. Manmohan didn’t do anything to better his image and at least in these incidents Sonia would not have interfered. Manmohan has unnecessarily allowed the age issue of the Army Chief to linger. As soon as Manmohan came to know of it, he would have called the General and sorted it out talking one-to-one basis with him soon the issue. The whole issue is in a bad taste to the citizens of the country. It sets a bad precedent. The way Manmohan has allowed the reprimand of the scientists of ISRO to be handled by his very poor assistants is another glaring example of his poor way of administration. Why couldn’t he call Mr. Nair, the former chief of ISRO, and discuss? Does Manmohan want to prove that he is better than his counterparts in Pakistan? Can anyone believe that the action was so messy because of Sonia’s interference? Don’t the people of India know by now the vacillating approach of Manmohan on the issue of identity card issue? Couldn’t Manmohan mediate between Montek Singh and PC Chidambaram fighting for sanctioning fund for Aadhar project headed by Nandan Nilekani? Time and again, Manmohan gets out of his slumber and does something that brings a hope and then he sleeps again. He had a press conference with media men and promised that he would regularly to do that to discuss the critical current issues of the country with media. After the very first meet where he had chosen few, the others kept on waiting for getting a chance to talk to Manmohan directly in the next meetings. But that never happened. Manmohan as Prime Minister could show his administrative capability in improving the rating of ‘Doing Business in India’. Manmohan could get his minister change the emphasis to the outcome rather than allocation. He couldn’t bring any effective mechanism to monitor the big projects that decide the growth of the country? Manmohan couldn’t take any image building infrastructure project and get completed the long promised ones such as the railway link to Kashmir valley. Many a time I find Mayawati better than Manmohan. At least she could give a world class F1 course in record time and Yamuna Express way for state. Why couldn’t he take a high speed bullet train project even between a short distance to prove that India can do that? Is there any one project including one being demanded in memory of our brave jawans that can be associated with his name as initiator? As reported recently, the steel minister boasted of India becoming the fourth largest steel manufacturing country of the world. Is it not in spite of the government? India could by now certainly become the second largest steel manufacturer if the government would have taken some bold policy decisions. Could not Manmohan take some bold step for shipping sector instead of bemoaning for not spending 75% of the fund allocated for it in 11th plan? I am sure for all the above failures in performance of Manmohan, Sonia’s interference cannot be a rational excuse. Why the PM always is found failed? --------------- PS: Two news papers one of English and the other of Hindi have the same news on Manmhoan Singh in its headlines based on some article in Time Magazine. The headline in Hindustan Times is 'Manmohan a quiet giant who could make history' ; and that in Hindi happens to be: अमेरिकी पत्रिका ने मनमोहन को बताया 'आत्मघाती'. I am at loss. Do both mean the same? Did the Hindi Newspaper Bhaskar translate it from Hindustan Times and did a poor job? Is it the news based on an old article in Time magazine, planted by new media advisor in PMO that has now a new head? ]]> http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/003030.php/feed/ http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/003028.php http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/003028.php#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:19:26 +0000 Indra http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/003028.php the mathematics of caste with money accumulated through corruption or to those who are cleaner and have worked in some way or the other to improve the lives of the people of their constituency. However, there is no doubt that all are working hard through all promises to swing the mood of the people in their favour. Mayawati had surprised the nation in 2007 by its performance. Will she be able to repeat the score? All but her own people perhaps like the way she spends the money on statues, parks and pet projects around her birthplace. However, I like her huge impressive infrastructure projects such as F1 world class car racing course, super specialty hospital, ultra-modern school for deprived class in Noida, or the Yamuna Express way. I wish she could have done fast work on Ganga Express way too. I heard she has transformed Lucknow. However, she didn’t do anything in East. Varanasi remains filthy. The lives of the great artisans and craftsmen manufacturing world famous silk saris, carpets, metalwares or leather goods have hardly changed. Eastern region hardly got professional colleges on the line West of UP got. But I feel really bad because Mayawati could hardly do anything to improve the living condition of even those who vote her and will still vote her. It is that lot who get satisfied just with little. One must handhold them rather than doling to them to make them empowered contributing to the country’s wealth. If Mayawati confesses to have missed on her priorities and promises to focus on the empowerment of the deprived class instead of the middlemen that have mushroomed even in that class, I still will prefer Mayawati. I wish she does something about the rural women's healthcare that is just miserable, with the same gusto she goes for building parks. Let me confess I hate the Mulayams and Lalus who profess what they are not. Except for improving his home town, Mulayam with Amar didn’t do anything for UP and its people. I don’t understand even his speeches. However, this time perhaps Mulayam is only campaigning for the party that has been taken over by his son Alkhilesh. And I was amazed to see a total change in the mindset of the party with the promises for tablets for students who pass Class X and a laptop to all students who clear Class XII. However, the promise of 18% reservation for minority is highly political and dangerous for the country. If Mulayam wins, it will be a cabinet of his family that will rule UP. Coming to Congress Party, I hope the hype created by Rahul now joined by Priyanka too will add to its number in UP assembly. I don’t know how much the reservation and special benefits announced for minority and the Rushdie Episode will facilitate their game plan. But to me the most attractive was the Rahul’s promise of getting 1000 technical training institutes set up in UP ,though it may not increase the votes in favour. I wonder why he couldn’t get this done before this election with his government at the centre. After all UP is the state of his ancestors and they have fought elections from this state. None would have stopped them from setting up these institutes or add more in the state for higher education. I can’t say anything about the score of BJP that is gradually getting away from the main stream and more so with the 18 to 20 percent of the population outright voting against it when the elections are won or lost by few percentages these days. But who knows in the battle of the three parties for getting the minority votes BJP gets benefitted. The people at large don’t know the strength of RSS that arranges votes for it. But for commoner like me the induction of both Uma Bharati and Kushwaha makes it difficult to go for it. However, I have a Utopian though essential wish to save UP. Can’t the Congress and BJP come together to get rid of Mulayam and Mayawati (One is family centric and the other self centric) from UP politics and bring the politics of the state on the national line? I know that is not possible but there is nothing wrong in dreaming. ]]> the mathematics of caste with money accumulated through corruption or to those who are cleaner and have worked in some way or the other to improve the lives of the people of their constituency. However, there is no doubt that all are working hard through all promises to swing the mood of the people in their favour. Mayawati had surprised the nation in 2007 by its performance. Will she be able to repeat the score? All but her own people perhaps like the way she spends the money on statues, parks and pet projects around her birthplace. However, I like her huge impressive infrastructure projects such as F1 world class car racing course, super specialty hospital, ultra-modern school for deprived class in Noida, or the Yamuna Express way. I wish she could have done fast work on Ganga Express way too. I heard she has transformed Lucknow. However, she didn’t do anything in East. Varanasi remains filthy. The lives of the great artisans and craftsmen manufacturing world famous silk saris, carpets, metalwares or leather goods have hardly changed. Eastern region hardly got professional colleges on the line West of UP got. But I feel really bad because Mayawati could hardly do anything to improve the living condition of even those who vote her and will still vote her. It is that lot who get satisfied just with little. One must handhold them rather than doling to them to make them empowered contributing to the country’s wealth. If Mayawati confesses to have missed on her priorities and promises to focus on the empowerment of the deprived class instead of the middlemen that have mushroomed even in that class, I still will prefer Mayawati. I wish she does something about the rural women's healthcare that is just miserable, with the same gusto she goes for building parks. Let me confess I hate the Mulayams and Lalus who profess what they are not. Except for improving his home town, Mulayam with Amar didn’t do anything for UP and its people. I don’t understand even his speeches. However, this time perhaps Mulayam is only campaigning for the party that has been taken over by his son Alkhilesh. And I was amazed to see a total change in the mindset of the party with the promises for tablets for students who pass Class X and a laptop to all students who clear Class XII. However, the promise of 18% reservation for minority is highly political and dangerous for the country. If Mulayam wins, it will be a cabinet of his family that will rule UP. Coming to Congress Party, I hope the hype created by Rahul now joined by Priyanka too will add to its number in UP assembly. I don’t know how much the reservation and special benefits announced for minority and the Rushdie Episode will facilitate their game plan. But to me the most attractive was the Rahul’s promise of getting 1000 technical training institutes set up in UP ,though it may not increase the votes in favour. I wonder why he couldn’t get this done before this election with his government at the centre. After all UP is the state of his ancestors and they have fought elections from this state. None would have stopped them from setting up these institutes or add more in the state for higher education. I can’t say anything about the score of BJP that is gradually getting away from the main stream and more so with the 18 to 20 percent of the population outright voting against it when the elections are won or lost by few percentages these days. But who knows in the battle of the three parties for getting the minority votes BJP gets benefitted. The people at large don’t know the strength of RSS that arranges votes for it. But for commoner like me the induction of both Uma Bharati and Kushwaha makes it difficult to go for it. However, I have a Utopian though essential wish to save UP. Can’t the Congress and BJP come together to get rid of Mulayam and Mayawati (One is family centric and the other self centric) from UP politics and bring the politics of the state on the national line? I know that is not possible but there is nothing wrong in dreaming. ]]> http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/003028.php/feed/ http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/003027.php http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/003027.php#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2012 06:11:39 +0000 Indra http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/003027.php BJP or for that matter NDA even with its allying political parties such as opportunistic JD=U, fascist Shiv Sena and community-linked SGP can never win a majority at centre. With the major minority community that considers it as anti- Muslim not voting for it, BJP will always be having a big handicap. India has many constituencies where the percentage of minority voters is significant with overall population of around 20%. For example, Muslims are expected to influence the outcome of the UP results in at least 130 constituencies where their numbers are large. Keeping this in mind, the BSP has fielded 84 Muslim candidates, the Samajwadi Party 75 and the Congress 61. In India today with the proliferation of political parties, the elections are won and lost by additional few percentages of votes in favour. How can a community with population of 18% or more be neglected? The way BJP can bring the minority on its side requires it to innovate some acceptable programmes and projects that can benefit the majority of this minority. I was really impressed with a report coming out of Bihar in Telegraph: “Jan. 14: The BJP today announced the launch of Shiksha Abhiyan, a programme under which party leaders and workers from the state to block-levels would convince people to send their wards to school.” This may prove a wonderful move. Amartya Sen says, “Focus on health and education allowing growth to take care of itself.” I wish to make it further simpler and say, “Focus on just education and you will win the people.” I wish BJP pulls out all its resources and goes to every family in rural and urban areas and approaches the parents without any bias. It can always show more focus on the minority and deprived families without telling that. Its own members or volunteers drawn from all the institutions of priviledged class such as one done in Times Group Teach India programme must convince the parents about the need of education and sell the dreams about the education that can catapult the family ahead and make them enjoy a better quality of living. If BJP can’t bring the minority and dalit through embracing them in right manner, it must forget to lead or govern the nation that it wishes. However, the party will have to be cautious while taking up this massive education and skilling drive. The party must be sincere and move fast so that the project can distinguish it from the other parties that are still depending on money and manpower. It must avoid any conflict and invite all parties to join it in its drive. It must not do anything that can raise the controversy of its move as saffronisation of education and skilling. The younger India will love to work for BJP if its leadership is innovative and inspirational and if it agrees to incorporate democratic means for all the decisions such as the selection of candidates for the elections at various levels. It will have to get itself engaged in the social work at grassroots level that helps even an ordinary person to get all his rights and benefits provided by the government and other agencies. I don’t know if the BJP leadership will agree for taking the trouble for a future of its own or it will go the way only what RSS wishes, as many say. And let me be frank, I could not get convinced by any RSS men till date. ]]> BJP or for that matter NDA even with its allying political parties such as opportunistic JD=U, fascist Shiv Sena and community-linked SGP can never win a majority at centre. With the major minority community that considers it as anti- Muslim not voting for it, BJP will always be having a big handicap. India has many constituencies where the percentage of minority voters is significant with overall population of around 20%. For example, Muslims are expected to influence the outcome of the UP results in at least 130 constituencies where their numbers are large. Keeping this in mind, the BSP has fielded 84 Muslim candidates, the Samajwadi Party 75 and the Congress 61. In India today with the proliferation of political parties, the elections are won and lost by additional few percentages of votes in favour. How can a community with population of 18% or more be neglected? The way BJP can bring the minority on its side requires it to innovate some acceptable programmes and projects that can benefit the majority of this minority. I was really impressed with a report coming out of Bihar in Telegraph: “Jan. 14: The BJP today announced the launch of Shiksha Abhiyan, a programme under which party leaders and workers from the state to block-levels would convince people to send their wards to school.” This may prove a wonderful move. Amartya Sen says, “Focus on health and education allowing growth to take care of itself.” I wish to make it further simpler and say, “Focus on just education and you will win the people.” I wish BJP pulls out all its resources and goes to every family in rural and urban areas and approaches the parents without any bias. It can always show more focus on the minority and deprived families without telling that. Its own members or volunteers drawn from all the institutions of priviledged class such as one done in Times Group Teach India programme must convince the parents about the need of education and sell the dreams about the education that can catapult the family ahead and make them enjoy a better quality of living. If BJP can’t bring the minority and dalit through embracing them in right manner, it must forget to lead or govern the nation that it wishes. However, the party will have to be cautious while taking up this massive education and skilling drive. The party must be sincere and move fast so that the project can distinguish it from the other parties that are still depending on money and manpower. It must avoid any conflict and invite all parties to join it in its drive. It must not do anything that can raise the controversy of its move as saffronisation of education and skilling. The younger India will love to work for BJP if its leadership is innovative and inspirational and if it agrees to incorporate democratic means for all the decisions such as the selection of candidates for the elections at various levels. It will have to get itself engaged in the social work at grassroots level that helps even an ordinary person to get all his rights and benefits provided by the government and other agencies. I don’t know if the BJP leadership will agree for taking the trouble for a future of its own or it will go the way only what RSS wishes, as many say. And let me be frank, I could not get convinced by any RSS men till date. ]]> http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/003027.php/feed/ http://drishtikona.com/archives/uncategorized/003024.php http://drishtikona.com/archives/uncategorized/003024.php#comments Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:25:50 +0000 Indra http://drishtikona.com/archives/uncategorized/003024.php many like me had thought of a change coming to West Bengal and for its people and the return of the state’s glorious past. The quick actions for changing Presidency College to Presidency University, the inclusion of Amit Mitra as finance minister, the Industrialists meet were all good news. In leftist rule, the healthcare and education institutions hardly made any significant progress to remain competitive with those in the other part of the country. I thought Mamta would go whole hog on the real issues. However, as it appears Mamta will continue ruling the state almost as the CPM did through her cadre. Recent physical attacks on the principals of the colleges and the gheraos of the managers of the factory can only be reminiscent of tactics leftists' era. As reported, ‘a Trinamul Congress-backed union today held up work at the Mitsubishi plant in Haldia and gheraoed over 120 managers, including 40 Japanese nationals.’ The very same people including many intellectuals, who wished Mamta to win WB and liberate it from the leftists’ menace, are disillusioned. Many among Kolkata's Marwaris, who dominate industry and commerce in the eastern metropolis, are feeling threatened and discriminated against after the arrests of directors of AMRI. Surprisingly,'only the Marwari directors of the hospital were arrested and the Bengali ones allowed to remain at large.' Trinamul Congress is nothing but Mamta’s personal fiefdom and remains one person party. She hardly believes in any internal democracy. As it appears all her moves and actions till date has been showing her one-point programme to remain populist to win all elections of all levels. I don’t know if one can compare her with other two her counterparts in UP and Tamil Nadu. She is certainly honest unlike the other two. Mamta proves herself equally unreliable alliance partner as Mayawati and Jayalalita. Mamta follows almost the similar views on issues of reform for the national economy, be it for FDI for MNCs or pension-related policies. However, the people of West Bengal wish to see her focus aggressively on the development works related to providing them better education, healthcare and employment. She will have to improve the basic infrastructure facilities roads, irrigation and electricity throughout the whole of West Bengal, particularly in rural areas. Mamta will have to simultaneously facilitate some eye-catching projects through the industrialists of the country. She has all the right to keep their wrongs under control but can’t work as Leftists did by following blindly whatever their union leaders advised them. People will also like her to delegate her work to some reliable and efficient party men giving freedom and credit for implementing effectively the projects. Mamta must consider herself honoured to rule over a state that is full with wonderfully experts in various fields, intellectuals, skilled manpower and artisans and craftsmen. It is for Mamta how she uses them for making West Bengal a Sonar Bangla. I know how to judge if something significant happens in West Bengal. We in Noida will see the slowing or drying off of the arrival of the huge number of poor women and men from West Bengal arriving daily in NCR for jobs as rikshapullers or maidservants, as it happened with the similar incidents from Bihar. I wish Mamta undergoes a mind change. She becomes a little humbler and rational. And she succeeds to fulfill the aspirations of the poor people of West Bengal. Many in West Bengal and outside are worried about the way Mamta has acted till date after winning the power. ]]> many like me had thought of a change coming to West Bengal and for its people and the return of the state’s glorious past. The quick actions for changing Presidency College to Presidency University, the inclusion of Amit Mitra as finance minister, the Industrialists meet were all good news. In leftist rule, the healthcare and education institutions hardly made any significant progress to remain competitive with those in the other part of the country. I thought Mamta would go whole hog on the real issues. However, as it appears Mamta will continue ruling the state almost as the CPM did through her cadre. Recent physical attacks on the principals of the colleges and the gheraos of the managers of the factory can only be reminiscent of tactics leftists' era. As reported, ‘a Trinamul Congress-backed union today held up work at the Mitsubishi plant in Haldia and gheraoed over 120 managers, including 40 Japanese nationals.’ The very same people including many intellectuals, who wished Mamta to win WB and liberate it from the leftists’ menace, are disillusioned. Many among Kolkata's Marwaris, who dominate industry and commerce in the eastern metropolis, are feeling threatened and discriminated against after the arrests of directors of AMRI. Surprisingly,'only the Marwari directors of the hospital were arrested and the Bengali ones allowed to remain at large.' Trinamul Congress is nothing but Mamta’s personal fiefdom and remains one person party. She hardly believes in any internal democracy. As it appears all her moves and actions till date has been showing her one-point programme to remain populist to win all elections of all levels. I don’t know if one can compare her with other two her counterparts in UP and Tamil Nadu. She is certainly honest unlike the other two. Mamta proves herself equally unreliable alliance partner as Mayawati and Jayalalita. Mamta follows almost the similar views on issues of reform for the national economy, be it for FDI for MNCs or pension-related policies. However, the people of West Bengal wish to see her focus aggressively on the development works related to providing them better education, healthcare and employment. She will have to improve the basic infrastructure facilities roads, irrigation and electricity throughout the whole of West Bengal, particularly in rural areas. Mamta will have to simultaneously facilitate some eye-catching projects through the industrialists of the country. She has all the right to keep their wrongs under control but can’t work as Leftists did by following blindly whatever their union leaders advised them. People will also like her to delegate her work to some reliable and efficient party men giving freedom and credit for implementing effectively the projects. Mamta must consider herself honoured to rule over a state that is full with wonderfully experts in various fields, intellectuals, skilled manpower and artisans and craftsmen. It is for Mamta how she uses them for making West Bengal a Sonar Bangla. I know how to judge if something significant happens in West Bengal. We in Noida will see the slowing or drying off of the arrival of the huge number of poor women and men from West Bengal arriving daily in NCR for jobs as rikshapullers or maidservants, as it happened with the similar incidents from Bihar. I wish Mamta undergoes a mind change. She becomes a little humbler and rational. And she succeeds to fulfill the aspirations of the poor people of West Bengal. Many in West Bengal and outside are worried about the way Mamta has acted till date after winning the power. ]]> http://drishtikona.com/archives/uncategorized/003024.php/feed/ http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/003019.php http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/003019.php#comments Mon, 02 Jan 2012 11:26:42 +0000 Indra http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/003019.php a chief minister sacked so many ministers as in UP. Far in South, a chief minister got detained for land scam because Lok Ayukta wanted that. Should 2011 be not a year of pride that a simple man such as Anna Hazare made millions to come on streets to fight corruption? After many years India saw the rejuvenation of younger India participating against a serious national malady such as corruption. Was it not something to pride that the parliament that hardly work, sat for passing one Bill demanded by the people and witnessed some of the best debates? August 27 and the debate producing the sense of the house was the pinnacle of the parliamentary democracy and the midnight shaming chaos and fiasco on the floor of Rajya Sabha on December 29 was the worst of the caricatures of the parliamentary democracy. A corruption-tainted UPA government hibernated suffering policy paralysis and one could see a great finance minister of 1991 really at loss and almost helpless as prime minister of the country. And the people of the country found themselves almost leaderless. Economy slowed, Sensex bottomed. Inflation appeared unmanageable and rupee lost its value the most. Both the economist prime minister and finance minister kept themselves in blaming the external factors as reasons without taking even any significant step of their own. But more shaming they did never try to consult the opposition to take them on the same side to face the trouble with some bold steps. However, some news reports kept the hope alive, The young students got Aakash for them in 2011. Indians bought almost 3 lakh of branded tablets in 2011.Indian schools, teachers and educationists are conscious of the shortcomings of its education sector and trying to work on ways out through technology. Tablets are getting popular. Some are trying to reach rural India too. India is far behind in agriculture productivity. Yield is poor. But that is the potential too. A young farmer in Nalanda, Sumant, set a new world record in paddy production. Sumant managed to grow 224 quintals of paddy per hectare beating the world record held by Chinese farm scientist Yuan Longping. Even the 2011 World Bank report ranked India 132 among nations for the ease of doing business. And the government fails to take a note of it. However, the zeal of Indian entrepreneurship of the young Indians is moving ahead providing pride and making even the advanced countries to envy it. Flipkart and Educom are the examples from the many doing wonderfully well commercially. Even the Dalit entrepreneurs are contributing significantly. And it is happening in spite of the poor governance. India story is moving ahead to get noticed. At least 11 achievers of Indian origin were among the 360 people featured on the list ‘30 Under 30’ list compiled by the American business magazine Forbes—of people that it says will “reinvent the world”—would only reinforce that notion. I am sure the government and the politicians are conscious about the aspirations of the millions of the young Indians. And they will take notice of it and change themselves. 2012 will make up the wrongs happened in 2011 and every Indian will do something significant and innovative that will add to the strength of the nation to make it reach to the top. ]]> a chief minister sacked so many ministers as in UP. Far in South, a chief minister got detained for land scam because Lok Ayukta wanted that. Should 2011 be not a year of pride that a simple man such as Anna Hazare made millions to come on streets to fight corruption? After many years India saw the rejuvenation of younger India participating against a serious national malady such as corruption. Was it not something to pride that the parliament that hardly work, sat for passing one Bill demanded by the people and witnessed some of the best debates? August 27 and the debate producing the sense of the house was the pinnacle of the parliamentary democracy and the midnight shaming chaos and fiasco on the floor of Rajya Sabha on December 29 was the worst of the caricatures of the parliamentary democracy. A corruption-tainted UPA government hibernated suffering policy paralysis and one could see a great finance minister of 1991 really at loss and almost helpless as prime minister of the country. And the people of the country found themselves almost leaderless. Economy slowed, Sensex bottomed. Inflation appeared unmanageable and rupee lost its value the most. Both the economist prime minister and finance minister kept themselves in blaming the external factors as reasons without taking even any significant step of their own. But more shaming they did never try to consult the opposition to take them on the same side to face the trouble with some bold steps. However, some news reports kept the hope alive, The young students got Aakash for them in 2011. Indians bought almost 3 lakh of branded tablets in 2011.Indian schools, teachers and educationists are conscious of the shortcomings of its education sector and trying to work on ways out through technology. Tablets are getting popular. Some are trying to reach rural India too. India is far behind in agriculture productivity. Yield is poor. But that is the potential too. A young farmer in Nalanda, Sumant, set a new world record in paddy production. Sumant managed to grow 224 quintals of paddy per hectare beating the world record held by Chinese farm scientist Yuan Longping. Even the 2011 World Bank report ranked India 132 among nations for the ease of doing business. And the government fails to take a note of it. However, the zeal of Indian entrepreneurship of the young Indians is moving ahead providing pride and making even the advanced countries to envy it. Flipkart and Educom are the examples from the many doing wonderfully well commercially. Even the Dalit entrepreneurs are contributing significantly. And it is happening in spite of the poor governance. India story is moving ahead to get noticed. At least 11 achievers of Indian origin were among the 360 people featured on the list ‘30 Under 30’ list compiled by the American business magazine Forbes—of people that it says will “reinvent the world”—would only reinforce that notion. I am sure the government and the politicians are conscious about the aspirations of the millions of the young Indians. And they will take notice of it and change themselves. 2012 will make up the wrongs happened in 2011 and every Indian will do something significant and innovative that will add to the strength of the nation to make it reach to the top. ]]> http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/003019.php/feed/