The land of the Ghost.....

Slightly less than 50 years before (precisely 5 months short), a township that was bustling with activity, which had road, rail and sea transports went down to the fury of the nature. Dhanushkodi, the Ghost town, stands today as a land and not much ruins are left there for anyone to imagine what sort town it could have been. 

I travelled to the this place as part of our pilgrimage trip, but it was not easy for me to hide the apathy. If one could turn the clock and travel back in time, consider themselves as a person who loved in that town, he or she can possibly visualise the dreadful events that unfolded on that fateful day of 22-23 December of 1964.

This was the track that the passenger train was moving along, few kilometres away from its final destination. The remains of the track is still there to remind the future generation of how the train was consumed by the giant waves that turned it like a turtle.

The beach shows no signs of the township that existed 50 years back except for small ruins here and there. A small stretch of harbour road can be seen today which the local fishermen staying in a hamlet nearby use.

A dilapidated building that housed the post office and the railway station that existed at that time were only the symbols of human occupation that can be seen now.

It is unthinkable that how can the area is totally wiped out of everything that the township had before, the buildings, market places, temples etc. Eerie silence engulfs the area and one can hear the death cries of the people humming in their ears. If anyone recalls the history while visiting the place would definitely shed tears in sympathy for those unfortunate lives.

I saw a Sivalingam lying stranded in the beach. Did He remain the mute spectator for the destruction? possibly yes, as he was the destroyer, can feel proud of his act. Today he is lying there with no one worshipping him, with no shelter and rituals, expect the mentally retarded old man sitting nearby.

The sea lies quietly as if it knows nothing about the calamity that it has caused or is it repenting for what it did to the thousands of the people?

But one request to you. Please do not play with human lives for they worship you and depend  on you for their living.

Silence is not sacred....

No journalists, please: Narendra Modi's 'no media' policy may prove to be a mistake.

Silence is not sacred. I too feel that the policy to shun the media is not a good one to be adopted. But the fear of Modi's govt to shun the media is not unfounded. Today's media is looking for spicy snippets which they can blow up into a prime time news. They just don't care about spreading the details of the policy or programs, but what slipped out during the interface. They attribute motives and created sinister designs to what ever the politicians say. One such example is the reporting of the recent 'force feeding' incident. Yes, the incident is condemnable, no doubt. But invariably all the media whether the print or electronic, reported as 'force fed a Muslim during the fasting'. When the MP did that shameful act, neither was he aware that the person was a Muslim and fasting. But the fact, which the media came to know later, tied these two things and created a sensation by twisting the news as a Muslim was forcefully made to break his fast by thrusting the roti into his mouth. If media is going to indulge in such a 'violence' reporting, it is but natural for anybody to shun them. Now there is only one complaint that the Govt. is 'Media unfriendly'. It is better to have one complaint rather than having hundreds of concocted stories every day.

But after all Media also has to run their show. Where else they will go for juicy news? Naturally the deprived persons will cry.

We also have lived in an era whether there was no TV. We have had only a 15 minute news bulletins in the evening and we came to know the detailed NEWS only the next day in the print media. People lived during that period also... Hmmmmmm.

New model for MEGA project funding ... A suggestion from a layman... Pardon me for overindulgence....

The budget lays emphasis on PPP model and relies on it heavily to implement infrastructure projects. Govt., cannot fund all the projects for want of resources, and there is a need to look for viable alternatives. The PPP model has delivered in some areas and in some areas the fleecing of the users are being noticed. It is but natural for the Private model to place profits before philanthropy but it is a necessary evil. 

Modi has been pitching for inclusion of another P in this model i.e., 'People'. The P4 model would an all inclusive model and can bring about a different perspective to the whole infrastructure development. 

I had a dream of the different way of implementing this model. Only the financial wizards can explain whether it is feasible, economical, workable and all the others 'able's of this model, but it is really a wild thought. 

Some of the follies in the PPP model are: 

1) The infrastructure development goes into the hands of the Private with oversight by Public, but in many situations the implementation is fraught with delay or escalation or political wrangling due to change in policy makers etc.,

2) The BOT model started to squeeze the public by way of high user fees and make the fruits of the development not reachable to the low strata of the society

3) Only few of the top industrial houses get all the projects and thus we are moving the wealth mobilised from 'Many-to-few'.

4) Since only a few players are operating in this model, the corridors are power always knocked by them to get their favours done and in that process corruption becomes inevitable and in-built in the model. 

5) On the operational side, the PPP model gets financed by a consortium of banks, who have not much wherewithal for managing the financial details, including the risk management of such large financial arrangements. The absence of technical knowledge of the projects and risk management framework are the primary reasons for such a huge proportion of the NPAs in the banks. The accountability is lost and expertise is lacking.

I can site many more inadequecies like the above , but my objective is not that. I am proposing a model that can have dedicated funding process, the all inclusive approach can be achieved, and spare the Govt from finding the resources in the budgetary allocation process.

I suggest to float a special purpose vehicle (SPV). Though this may not exactly a SPV, as it will be a continous process and can thus be called Special Purpose Bank (SPB). 

Govt can set up an Infrastructure Development and Investment Aid (INDIA) Bank to start with. The objective of this set up is to have a Big Bank that can meet the Tier I capital requirements to reach out to the other global banks. We have had IDBI, ICICI, IFCI, NABARD etc., to fund the industrial growth of the nation during the earlier five year plans. The INDIA Bank could be a similar bank, but with greater financial outlay, with focus on financing the infrastructure development activities. The bank can be set up with capital contributions from the nationalised and private banks, SBI, Govt and through IPO to the public. Assuming that the banks contribute on an average 3,000 Cr per bank (which is not a big amount considering the investment portfolio of these banks and by divesting some of the investments) you get about 1.00 lakh crores, Govt (Central and State)  chipping in matching amount and an IPO to ensure people participation, the capital contribution can exceed 2.00 lakh crores.

The capital of SBI as of Mar'14 is less than 750 crores and comparing to that the INDIA Bank will be a mammoth bank and can go to international market to borrow at competitive rates and start financing the infrastructure projects. The Central Govt, can expedite the projects completion as many projects can be started simultaneously and budgetary constraints and fiscal deficits etc, cannot be anymore restraining factors. Govt only need to define the policy and identify the areas for development. While the existing banks can concentrate on Large and SMEs, the MEGA project financing shall be through the INDIA Bank. This bank will be a 'too big to fail' establishment and thus can ensure stability of the financial sector. Unlike the earlier banks (IDBI, NABARD etc) this need not be a indirect bank engaging in refinancing activities only but can be a direct project financing bank. 

Friend or foe.

Is China a trusted ally or a Pickering enemy who often creates problems in the border, siding with Pak and thus posing problems for India.

With the BJP coming to power, the equation with China seems to be under different level. Personally I am not so comfortable with China (eventhough no one going to mind this) and I do not know why I developed this averse. Was it because when I was a child we tasted the bitterness of war in 1962 and the silver screen stars raised the pitches against china (definitely Nehru did not enthuse me at that time as I was only 6 years old at that time)? This apathy continues even today. Whenever I buy an electronic item, I first see where it was made. If it is 'Made in PRC', I detasted it immediately and keep it back. I prefer to buy one made in Malaysia or Korea or even Vietnam, but not one from China. But over the years 'Made in PRC' items only made it to the shelves in the stores and I have to swallow my ego to buy them. 

Is the new relationship a strategy for political solution or for economy push? Politically it will create a new world order and might force US to revise its stragey. Such a revision could well be good for India or it might push US to favor Pakistan more.

Another political advantage could be that it might well be a tool to control Pak from its skirmishes, adopting the tactics of 'mithra bedham'.

Economically, what, the new found relationship with China, will augur for India:

1) It will bring the Chinese industries into India along with its labourers. Which means we shall have more Chinese population in India. Some Indians may get to work in those industries but overall the invasion of Chinese population will start.

2) Chinese goods whether it is toys or electronic goods will start to hit the roadside stalls thus forcing the SMEs engaged in these kind of industries in India slowly into oblivion.

3) India will become a conduit route for moving into Pakistan or Srilanka and thus creating safety concerns.

4) It might distance India from Japan, a stable, reliable and economically stronger ally.

5) On the positive side there may be new routes and destinations to China for tourism lovers.

Anyway, there are only butterflies in my stomach over this new friendship. Dragon is not a really a pet...

Holier than thou attitude of E-Media

Holier than thou attitude of E-Media

For the past 2 days the channels are blaring on the withdrawal of books from the shelves by Penguin and Orient. The so called saviours of freedom of expression calls this as an attempt by BJP and Sangh Pariwar to break the neck of literary world. After watching the charade by Arnab and a slightly subdued but nevertheless absurd talk show by Karan Thapar on 4th June, I only came to the conclusion, that the channels are looking for more sensationalism than substance.

The show is about the recent withdrawal or putting on review of some books by the publishers after they were issued with court notice under Sec 295A of the IPC. The  notice was issued at the behest of Dinanath Batra said to a RSS Pracharak. He had contested that the books contain some passages that describes the religious leaders and faiths in unacceptable terms that would hurt the sentiments of the believers. Immediately the e-media started to cry from the roof about the challenge to the freedom of expression. They forget that in the name of this liberty they can ignore the responsibility and the effect of such writings on the many believers. One of the panelists rightly put that the authors have every right to express themselves, but let them also understand that responsibility come along with such freedom. "Your right to swing the umbrella ends where my nose starts"

The anchors portrayed that the legal notice was an act of intimidation to the publishers, the review /withdrawal started only after the completion of elections and that BJP was responsible for this. What an absurd way of presenting the facts. If you google, you can find that the cases were filed more than 4 years back and the date in question was more a coincidence than a deliberate one. Moreover, the publishers have every right to contest the notice, but in a cowardly manner they chose to put the books on review or ban fearing protest or backlash. They could have taken remedies available in the system like seeking police protection.  

If the publishers cannot protect the authors who else will. What is the purpose of blaming political parties and where the hell politics come here. It is between the publisher and author. The petitioner wants the one book which distorts the history according to him to be banned in India and to remove the objectionable passage from the other two. This is not a fatwa issued by Hindu religious leaders like what we have seen before on other instances, but due process of law was followed.

Blowing up a trivial issue into a national debate is only showing that the e-media thinks that they are the saviours and whatever they utter are the gospels of truth. 

I am not hear to argue or contest the views of the authors in their respective books, but only condemn the way in which the media conduct the shows. The shows very clearly depicted the narrow understanding of the subject as both of the. were talking about a demand for ban while it was for the removal of the particular passage. Do not use the TRP ratings and viewership to misspeak the facts.

Gentlemen, freedom of expression is a right equally available to us as it is to you. Please do not mislead.

PS:

The books in question:

Wendy Doniger's "The Hindus: An Alternative History".

Megha Kumar's "Communalism and Sexual Violence: Ahmedabad Since 1969" 

Sekhar Bandyopadhyay's "From Plassey to Partition: A History of Modern India"

Is a small cabinet a boon or bane?

Is a small cabinet a boon or bane?

While one can hail the 24 Cabinet (incl PM), 11 MoS(IC) and 10 MoS, it is to be seen with such a vast agenda, is it possible for the new Govt to dispense the duties properly?

Some of the questions that came up in my mind are:

1) as many political analysts said, there are distinctly unrelated ministries under the same minister

2) same MoS (IC) is having an independent department to manage and also another department for which there is a cabinet minister. Eg., Gen V K Singh, Minister for North east and Defence for which Arun Jaitley is the Cabinet Minister. so also Ms Nirmala Sitaraman. It is like reporting to two functional heads in an organisation. This is generally not regarded as a good organisational divide as justice cannot be done for both the masters.

3) some of the cabinet ministers are heavily overloaded like Arun Jaitley. Too big a bite to swallow.

4) this is a cabinet formed based on the faith on the individuals as some of them were never before a member of parliament and may not be fully aware of the nitty gritty of the governance process. Defending in a TV debate is one thing and forming / implementing policies is another.

5) can 'smallness'  alone be a driving factor? the shoe that fits the size should have been the principle. 

6) if you ask me whether this ministry is made of competence or closeness, I may tend to say that this is bordering on proximity though competency is visibly seen 

Finally, the campaign of the Congress during election seems to be coming true. The pyramid of power is too sharply rising without not much broad base. The power gets centred. 

Au revoir Dr Man Mohan Singh......

Au revoir Dr Man Mohan Singh......

The country is rejoicing the swearing-in of the new government. Yet it is apt to say few words of thanks for what you have done to the nation as an individual and also to remember your personal qualities and the values you stood for. 

Your contribution to the nation as finance minister was great by ushering in a modern era by setting up the framework and building a strong foundation from where the successive governments took over.

Even though, it was by chance you became the Prime Minister in UPA 1, you proved to be the man India needed to steer its course and were resilient in your policy agenda.  You were firm in pushing reforms and deals with the powers of the world against opposition from within and outside. You will be remembered for the visionary sight and goal you set for the country. I should say that it was our good luck that a person with such strong economic background was chosen to head the govt. against the conventional politician at that time. For this we (even your own self) owe a lot to the opposition parties for protesting against the ascendency of the party president to the post of the PM.

Such visionary policies and bolstered economy only decimated the opposition parties and gave a second term for the UPA 2. But unfortunately, the alliance parties took this to their credit and started to think that they were responsible for the growth of the nation. They have developed roots and started to eat into the pie. In their eagerness to have their share, they overstepped and swallowed the pie with the plate. That is probably the time you were tired of working both physically and mentally. You had health problem and started to reduce the interactions. You could not take on the struggle for power equations. Had you pressed for removing of the tainted ministers and parties from power at that time in the similar fashion you did for the passing of the Nuclear bill, you probably would have seen UPA 3 in power. But that was not the case to be. Added to the agony you also had the Brutus in your own party, who stabbed you at your back. It was literal and modernised version of a Shakespearean drama.

After the elections were over, leaders of Congress and alliance parties started murmuring and attributed to your silence and inaction against the corruption to the debacle. I know you were only like the Bhishma, who sat with anguish and apathy in the court of the Gauravas. Those who unleashed all the sinful acts, embraced corrupt practices,  looted the bounty, plundered the resources pointing fingers should really have hurt you. You were weeping within you, but still put up a grim face as if you were repaying a debt.

You were not a born politician or born in a family of politicians, or groomed to be a politician, but only had occasion to move with politicians. You were great in ensuring that you were not imbibed with the qualities of them, and not many would have come unscathed after moving for such long years with that tribe. Otherwise, you would have pulled some stunts during the last 2 or 3 years, some schemes or other that would have earned the praise from the masses and countered the oppositions. Because, the memory of the people are short and they would have voted you for the favours done in the near past, by ignoring the himalayan blunders your team did in the long past. 

You may not have big visitors now in your new residence but you will be invited to Universities and Conferences where they would like to hear you. Greatness is that you put yourself in a place of people wanting you and not that you want them. 

There is line that I would like to quote from one tamil film lyrics. மாபெரும் சபைதனில் நீ நடந்தால் மாலைகள் விழ வேண்டும். The rough english translation goes like this, "You should earn a position of people adoring you when you walk down the aisle of a great gathering". Dr Manmohan Singh, you have truly earned a place for yourself.

You were a man of few words when you were in power, but we would like to hear you out loudly on the stages of literates and economists.

Wish you the best of health and calmness. 

 

An open letter to the Chief Minister of Tamilnadu

An open letter to the Chief Minister of Tamilnadu

Madam Chief Minister,

There are reports appearing in the newspapers and TV channels that you might boycott the swearing-in ceremony of Shri Narendra Modi as PM, taking objections to the invitation sent to Mr Rajapakse, Premier of Srilanka. I do not know the veracity of the reports and if they were to be true, I would like you to reconsider the decision, for the following reasons, which I am sure would have gone through your mind already. But still I would like to state them.

1) The anguish you have expressed on the invite is very genuine, reflecting the sentiments of the people of Tamilnadu, our Srilankan tamil brothers living in Srilanka and who are forced to live in foreign soil due to the atrocities unleashed on them. But to bring the wrong doers to books is by engaging them in the talks and force them to meet our demands

2) Mr. Rajapakse being the the head of another country, the only option we have is to keep him on our sight and demand actions from him. By ignoring him or keeping out of engagement will only bolster him to be on his own and thus become unaccountable for his actions.

3) If we start distancing ourselves from him, there are every possibility that he will move closer to our enemies in the region which you are fully aware off.

4) There are already reports that ISI trained terrorists are using Srilanka as the conduit path and unless we are at arm's length with the Srilankan President, we can not nib this attempt. Tamilnadu will be the first victim of such terrorist acts if we do not engage properly with Srilanka.

5) It would be an option to negotiate with him for better living conditions for the Tamils of SriLanka by making our stand in UN known to him for the international enquiry.

6) Let you not succumb to the local pressure of the political situation in TN as the people TN have reposed in you unshakable faith by providing 37 seats to the Lok Sabha. They have identified the lip service parties and shown them their due places in the political arena.

7) You have expressed and recorded in strongest possible words your objection to the invite. Now let us go for the direct confrontation with him rather than any shadow fighting. Confront him face to face in the corridors of Parliament and ask him the uncomfortable questions.

8) I am sure Shri Modi also would welcome any such initiative and extend his helping hand to this tricky issue. You can sure find a supportive hand and mind in him.

9) By not showing up at the Swearing-in ceremony let us not miss the bus once again to put the ambitions of TN proper track. DMK did not do anything great when they were in power and we were denied of legitimate demands, when you took over. 

10) Srilankan Tamils issue is an important issue, but at the same time various issues of Tamilnadu also are very important to be resolved. For that we need is a Center who can lend their ears and hands to us in our endeavours. 

We have got an lifetime opportunity in having a non-congress and a friendly govt at the Center and let us not spill that due to one issue. Passive protests can be organised in Tamilnadu and Delhi against the visit of Sri Lankan president and at the same time. I want you to march Tamilnadu in the forefront with the help of the BJP led Govt. 

Let this move of not attending the swearing-in ceremony be taken advantage of crony parties like Congress and thus create any wedge between you and Center. With 2 strong minds of yourself and Shri Modi, you both can achieve greater things and bring glory to TN and to India itself.

This is a humble submission from a well wisher who want to see the progressive leaders come together to achieve greater heights.

இந்திய இருவார நாடக விழா

இந்திய இருவார நாடக விழா 

தேர்தல் முடிவுகள் அறிவிக்கப் பட்ட தினம் தொடங்கி இன்று வரையிலும், மற்றும் இன்னும் சில தினங்களுக்குத் தொடரும் நிகழ்வுகள் ஒரு நாடக விழாவில் வெவ்வேறு விதமான நாடகங்களைப் பார்ப்பது போலத்தான் இருக்கிறது.

நாடகம் 1: 'நீ என்னை பிடிக்க முடியாதே' - நிதிஷ் குமாரின் ராஜினாமா: கட்சியில் பெருகும் பிளவைத் தடுக்கவும், மோதி எங்கே பீகார் வந்தாலோ, அல்லது தாம் தில்லி செல்லும் போதோ, மோடிக்கு மாலை மரியாதை செய்ய வேண்டிய தர்ம சங்கடத்தை தவிர்க்கவும், அதே சமயத்தில், தன் கைப்பாவையாக செயல்படக்கூடிய ஒரு தலைமையிடம் ஆட்சியை ஒப்படைக்கும் ஒரு ராஜ தந்திர நாடகம்..

நாடகம் 2: 'நானே காங்கிரஸ், என் மகனே தலைவன்' - சோனியா, ராகுல் ராஜினாமா: காங்கிரஸின் எல்லா வயதானவர்களும், காரிய கமிட்டி என்கிற பெயரில் ஒன்று கூடி, தத்தம் பெயரில் பழிகளை ஏற்றுக் கொண்டு, தியாகச் செம்மல்களாக மாறும் குணச்சித்திரக் கதை.

நாடகம் 3: 'நீ வருவியா, மாட்டியா?' - இது ஒரு அதிரடி நாடகம். யாரும் எதிர்பார்க்காத வேளையில், SAARC நாட்டின் தலைவர்கள் அனைவருக்கும் பதவிப் பிரமாணத்திற்கு அழைப்பு அனுப்பி, மோதி தன் சொந்த கதை, வசனத்தில் இயக்கி அறங்கேற்றியது. இந்த நாடகத்தின் தனிப் பெருமை என்னவென்றால், வெவ்வேறு இடங்களில், நாடுகளில் கிளை நாடகங்களை ஒரங்க நாடகமாக மேடையேற்றியதுதான். 

கிளை நாடகம் 1: 'மீண்டும் ஒரு அந்த 7 நாட்கள்'. பாகிஸ்தானில் ஒரு சிறு நில நடுக்கத்தையே கூட ஏற்படுத்தியது எனலாம். ராணுவமும், தீவிரவாத (நம் கணக்குப்படி தீவிரவாதம், ஆனால் அவர்கள் கணக்குப்படி தேசியவாதிகள்) அமைப்புகளும் முட்டுக்கட்டைபோட, போனாலும் ஆபத்து, போகாவிட்டாலும் ஆபத்து என்று இரண்டும் கெட்டான் நிலமைக்குத் தள்ளப் பட்ட பாகிஸ்தான் பிரதமர், கடைசியில் துணிச்சலாக வருவது என்று முடிவெடுத்தது, பாக்கியராஜின் 'அந்த 7 நாட்கள்' கிளைமாக்ஸுக்கு சமானம். சிறைபிடித்த இந்திய மீனவர்கள விடுவிக்கும் காட்சி கடைசியாக இணக்கப்படுகிறது. தன்மானப் பிரச்சினையை அடிப்படையாக வைத்து எழுதிய நாடகம்.

கிளை நாடகம் 2: 'இலங்கை படையெடுப்பு' - ராஜ பக்சேயை அழைத்தது தமிழ் நாட்டில், தமிழின பெருமையை காப்பதில் முதலிடம் எனக்கா, உனக்கா என்ற சர்ச்சையை கிளப்பி விட்டது. வங்காள விரி குடாவில் அன்று ஏற்பட்ட நில நடுக்கத்தின் தாக்கம் வேறு எங்கும் ஏற்பட்டதோ இல்லையோ, தமிழ் நாட்டில் பெரிய விளைவுகளை ஏற்படுத்தியது. வைகோ முதன்முதலில் கொடியுர்த்த, எங்கே நாம் பின் தங்கி விடுவோமா என்று உடனே ஜெயாவும் குரலெழுப்பினார். நான் சளைத்தவனா என்று மு.க.வும் முச்சந்திக்கு வந்தார். இதில் மு.க. வை மிகப் பெரிதும் பாராட்டவேண்டும். தேர்தல் முடிவினால் குற்றுயிரும் குலையிருமாக இருந்தும், 2G வழக்கில் துணைவியை துவட்டிக் கொண்டிருந்த போதிலும், மக்கள் தம் மழலைச் சொல் கேட்டாரோ இல்லையோ, இப்போழுது இழி சொல் கேட்டுக் கொண்டிருந்த போதிலும், 'தன்மானத் தமிழன்' நிலமையை விடாமல் இருந்தார். 'நானும் உள்ளேன் ஐயா'என்று ராமதாஸ் சேர்ந்து கொண்டார். விலகிநின்றது விஜயகாந்த் மட்டுமே.  உணர்ச்சிக் கொந்தளிப்புகள் நிறைந்த நாடகம்.

கிளை நாடகம் 3: 'மோதி என் பக்கம்' - இலங்கையில் ராஜபக்சேவிற்கு இது ஒரு இன்ப அதிர்ச்சி. தமிழ் நாட்டு நண்பர்களின் அழுத்தத்தில், எங்கே மோதி இலங்கைக்கு எதிறாக ஒரு நிலைப்பாட்டிற்கு தள்ளப் பட்டு விடுவாரோ என்கிற பயத்தில் இருந்தவருக்கு, இந்த அழைப்பு, பழம் நழுவி பாலில் விழுந்தது போல இருந்தது. உடனே அவரும் சிறைபிடித்த இந்திய மீனவர்களை விடுவித்தார். இது ஒரு காமெடி பீஸ்.

கிளை நாடகம் 4: 'அறேங்கேறாத நாடகம்' - இந்த நாடகம் காங்கிரஸால் நடத்தப்பட்டிருக்க வேண்டும். ஒரு சில காட்சிகள் ரெடியாக இருந்தாலும், முக்கிய கதா பாத்திரங்களான, ஒமர் அப்துல்லா போன்றவர்கள் நவாஸ் ஷெரிப் வரவை ஆதரிக்கத் தயாராகி விட்டதால், இந்த நாடகம் நடக்காது எனத் தெரிகிறது.

நாடகம் 4: 'நான் வர மாட்டேன்' - இது வரையில் மம்தா, ஜெயா, சித்தராமையா ஆகியோர் இந்த நாடகத்தில் பங்கேற்க முடிவு செய்துள்ளார்கள்.

நாடகம் 5ம் அதற்கு மேலும்: 'வெள்ளித் திரையில் காண்க (அ) மேடை அலங்காரம்' - இனி வரும் நாட்களில் யார் யாருக்கு என்னென்ன பொறுப்புகள், மந்திரி சபையில் யார் யாருக்கு இடம், எந்த தோழமை கட்சிக்கு என்ன பதவி ஆகியவை முடிவு செய்யும் நேரம். இந்த நாடகங்களுக்கு இன்னும் ஸ்டோரி லைன் ரெடியாக வில்லை. ஆனால் ஒவ்வொரு நாடகமும் உள்ளத்தை கொள்ளை கொள்ளும் விதமாக தயாராவதாக நம்பத் தகுந்த வட்டாரங்கள் சொல்கின்றன. எதிர்பார்ப்புகள் 'கொல்லைப் பக்கம் போகுமா' இல்லை கொள்ளை போகுமா என பொருத்திருந்துதான் பார்க்க வேண்டும்.

Are they shallow or their thinking?

Are they shallow or their thinking?

The critics of Narendra Modi could not even wait till he is sworn-in and start discharging duties as PM. They started all arguments to denounce the victory and start the villainous campaign as is their business as usual. I am at a loss to know that even saner people like Gopalakrishnan Gandhi joined this bandwagon.

Let us look at the insinuation that are put up against BJP and Modi.

1) They got only 31% of the vote and 69% did not vote for them. This is Gopalakrishna Gandhi. Is it not silly to take a line of thinking like this. Our parliamentary model is a multiparty model and it is nearly impossible for any single party to cross the half way mark. Even if they cross it, then also the same argument can be extended until one reaches the 100%. By the same token, it can also be argued that the second best did get less than 31% and was rejected by more people. 

2) The development should be inclusive and not divisive. Tharoor says that so long as the model of development reaches out to all sections of society they would support it. He further says that when the water supply and roads are provided in a discriminatory manner then the development activities are divisive. Don't he know the road and water to the settlements are the responsibilities of the State and Local admin. If such discriminatory treatment is done, only the local Corporator or the MLA should be pulled up. If such is the case, none of the BJP ruled states would have returned them with such a brutal majority and in non-BJP states the ruling party would not have been trounced.

Secondly he goes on to argue that the minorities and scheduled tribes should not be left out. Please ponder over Mr. Tharoor, the Congress was ruling for the past 10 years and even before. If the minorities and scheduled tribes still have not been integrated into the mainstream, whose fault it is and now you play a watchdog role for their inclusion? 

3) One Senior Journalist says in TV show yesterday that Modi did not mention the names of Mahatma Gandhi and Ambedkar in his speech when he referred to the history of the Central Hall. Can there be any childish argument than this? It was an acceptance speech and he referred to the stepping into the Central hall for the first time. The theme and substance of the speech was how he rose to the level, what are the expectations and how he will strive to reach the goal.

4) Dig Vijaya Singh was even more cynical. He sarcastically said that let us watch how Modi achieves double digit growth, bring down inflation and step up investments. As if doing these is only their forte and no one else could achieve this. Then why did they boast that they did this in UPA I. If it can be achieved in UPA I, the targets are not unreachable. 

5) The Congress targeted BJP saying that Corporate houses were backing up with huge funding for the advertisements and wanted to know the sources of money. Now Congress leaders blame the Japanese media agency for the debacle as they mishandled the communication. The agency was said to have been engaged at a whopping ₹ 600 cr contract as per media reports. Who will answer the source of these funds?

6) The spokespersons have been tutored to say in one voice that Congress did not create or change the perception of the people and Communication management was poor. While there is a semblance of admittance in this line of thinking, they put forth this as the only reasons, and not admitting the corruption, policy paralysis, sycophancy et all.

Congress is well known for its shallow arguments as we have seen in 'zero loss' theory of Kapil Sibal, 'No loss as no mining started' theory of Chidambaram, 'Compulsion of Coalition politics' by the PM etc.,

It's time that the opponents of Modi should go back to their drawing rooms and watch some sitcoms and soap operas, rather than showing their face in TV talk shows or writing articles. Give some time to him to form his team, take stock of the situation, come to terms with the bureaucracy at Delhi, bring on board allies on policies, set up his agenda and priorities, before plunging into action. 

If you are going to argue this shallow, people will not believe you even when you argue with facts in the future.

Endangered Species

Endangered Species:

A promo ticker ran by the TV looked very apt and described the current situation faced by so many parties after the Election2014.

The endangered species are lead by none other than Congress. DMK and BSP are at the level of extinction. As some one wrote, BSP should have got at least one seat had the statutes of elephants and Mayavati erected all over the state voted in her favour. Communists, no words to describe their performance, a tamed tiger and it's voice now is no more a roar but just a 'meow'. RJD has been shown their place. SP is at its worst ever performance. National Conference and the legendary Farooq Abdullah were confined to seek the warmth of the fire place even in this hot summer. NCP and Sharad Pawar / Praful Patel found the sugarcane tastes salty and no more sweet. JD(U) is trying a resurrection drama immediately after the debacle, but how long they can hold on to the power is a question that will be answered in a few days time.

It gives great pleasure that the powerbrokers, and the loot masters have been shown their places they deserve in this election and I only wish that they should be confined to their coffins. Any attempts to resurrect them or providing lifeline support by forming the so called 'secular' minded parties conclave or coalition should be nibbled in the bud by the saner parties/people in the parties. These parties can blossom again and there is no bar for that provided they are ready to drop the ugly baggage to gutter and project a new image with a non-tainted leader as its face.

Aam Aadhmi Party (AAP) a rudderless ship strayed in its voyage.

Aam Aadhmi Party (AAP) a rudderless ship strayed in its voyage.

AAP is a good concept born from the frustration against corruption, bureaucracy, and political arrogance and it came at the right time. It was a much needed alternative for the right minded people and non-mainstream political people to get into politics. It raised great hopes and that is why people from many walks of life, like CEOs, police, teachers, writers, professionals etc lined in to join the party. 

Fighting the elections in Delhi is like testing the waters and it is fine. It should have realised its limitations and stayed way from forming the Govt., as it was a trap set by the villainous political parties.

Having done so, it should have adopted a wait and watch game to stabilise itself in the art of governance, politics and policy making. Like a baby that would want to try everything at one shot, it tried too many things right from the beginning  and thus played with fire and got burnt.

In the Loksabha elections, it did too many things wrong. 

1) To be successful in the politics, you should not have emotions or atleast know I how to hide it. They did neither. 

2) The biggest blunder they did was the decision to pitch Kejriwal to fight against Modi. We need both Modi and Kejiriwal in the Parliament. That is why from time immemorial, leaders were not pitted against the leaders. Self assessment is needed for politicians and Kejriwal lacked it. He saw an image of himself bigger than his and finally succumbed to it. Kejriwal should have chosen some other opponent and made his presence felt inside the house. He could have given tough time inside the house than by shouting on the streets outside.

3) Admitting politicians from other parties who wanted to use AAP to further their personal ambitions is another big mistake they did. 

4) Young professionals in metro cities liked AAP very much and did contribute to it heavily in terms of money and through the social media. But that was what they could do and this did not result in votes in favour of the AAP. Many of them are migrants in the respective cities and thus had no vote itself to propel AAP. They spent the Election Day as a day of outing and enjoyment. AAP should have engaged in a campaign of getting them registered and made them to vote for it. 

5) AAP is believed as a party of Metro cities and that of North by the South except in packets of IT corridors where it was supported by young. Thus AAP failed to create an image of PAN India movement (India against Corruption could do this very well).

6) 15 - 20 seats could have been own by them and at least one or two on Delhi, had they strategised properly. 

Kejriwal and his team should move away from the rhetorical acts and now concentrate on how to take this party forward. 4 seats in the nascent year of the party is by no means a small achievement and they can still put up a good show in Delhi. Given the percentage of votes they have polled and trouncing Congress to third position, they stand a good chance. Stalwarts like Kapil Sibal, Ajay makhen have become extinct and that was possible due to AAP as they ate into their vote bank. 

Regroup and move forward to set up a quality political party.