Hiding the elephant

Couldnt help posting the following that I came across on the comment section of the article "Did Paskitan know ...." by David Ignatius in the Washington Post.

Someone has brilliantly summed up the situation.


Questions have been raised how bin Laden could be in Abbottabad without the Pakistan government knowing about it.

But actually I can perfectly understand the situation of the Pakistani government because I have had a similar situation.

For a long time now, an elephant has apparently been living in my apartment. I did not know it because every time I came home, the elephant would hide under the refrigerator.

But somehow the neighbours heard the elephant's trumpeting and called the city. The city called the cops who entered the apartment and enticed the elephant out with peanuts. I am now being asked to testify.

The punishment for having an elephant illegally could be heavy. Instead of giving me a magnum of champagne which the mayor gives me every year, he might only give a bottle of Merlot.

I am outraged! First the police entered my apartment, and now I am being threatened with Merlot! I might end my relationship with the mayor...

But mayor Obama likes me and has put me in charge of the investigation of the elephant. After all, it is MYapartment and who is better equipped to investigate than me? So my first question is, "Could it be the mailman who brought the elephant to my apartment and taught it to hide under the refrigerator?" "Or is it the cleaning lady?"

I really can't think of a third person!!

The government of Pakistan, which has a similar problem, has my full sympathy!

Let us pray..

Let us pray with the Americans.

God, please take care of Pakistan for they know not whom they hide. And they know not what happens in their country. It is not their fault that Islamabad/Abottabad is in Pakistan, neither is it their fault that Bin Laden built the biggest mansion in a quiet neighbourhood, right next to their Military Academy. Why should we find fault if Bin Laden found Pakistan safe. Is it their fault that some of the most wanted terrorist find Pakistan a heaven on earth?

Let me also pray for Obama since he continues to forgive Pakistan and is happy that Pakistan is his best buddy. Pakistan does deserve all prayers for did they not give Obama the much needed boost in the ratings. Did they not hide Osama all these years to give him up when Obama needed him?

The Seattle Times reports thus:

The latest poll --completed four days before the assassination of Osama bin Laden that handed the White House a political coup -- showed Obama's approval rating plummeted by 21 percentage points among registered voters in the state. Just 39 percent of the respondents rated the president's job performance as excellent or good, while 59 percent said he was doing only a fair or poor job.

Obama's speech:

But it’s important to note that our counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan helped lead us to bin Laden and the compound where he was hiding. Indeed, bin Laden had declared war against Pakistan as well and ordered attacks against the Pakistani people. Tonight, I called President Zardari, and my team has also spoken with their Pakistani counterparts. They agree that this is a good and historic day for both of our nations. And going forward, it is essential that Pakistan continue to join us in the fight against al Qaeda and its affiliates.

Should not forget Mrs. Clinton too, for she continues to praise Pakistan for all their deeds.

In year 2007:
Pakistan is a key ally of the United States in its war on terror.


Yesterday, Clinton emerged from the State Department twice to speak of Pakistani "cooperation."

"Cooperation with Pakistan helped lead us to Bin Laden and the compound in which he was hiding," she said.

And Indians, there are no prayers for you; even God seems to have given up on us. But as a penance for having got a few killed in Mumbai and elsewhere, we may continue to take care of the terrorists in our jail and elsewhere and feed them more biriyani; and not forget to send some (maybe dossiers and mangoes too) across the border for our good friends in Pakistan, especially the ones in the ISI. (Wikileaks is wrong to say that ISI is a terrorist organization, instead they are the bravest and deserves all praise)

US authorities described Pakistan's ISI intelligence agency as a "terrorist" organisation, according to a leaked US document.


We may ask our dear PM to do this task of biriyani distribution. He would be more than happy and maybe we can hear him praise Pakistan too just like how those in Pakistan praises him.


Source:


http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/05/02/2011-05-02_bin_laden_death_secretary_of_state_hillary_clinton_tells_taliban_leaders_you_can.html#ixzz1LGWxxda4
http://english.pravda.ru/news/world/15-01-2007/86412-clinton_pakistan-0/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-13191241
http://www.dawn.com/2011/04/18/singhs-comment-spurs-hopes-for-peace.html
http://www.pkarticleshub.com/2011/04/19/the-rise-and-fall-of-manmohan-singh/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10146278
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/india-vs-pak-gilani-to-meet-zardari-to-decide-on-pms-invitation/767688/

Now you may have 6

The government continues to drag it's feet in the case of the black money ($1 trillion!)

It is almost two years since the German Government had passed on the names and bank account details of eighteen Indians who had stashed their alleged ill-gotten wealth in the LGT bank of Liechtenstein, a well-known tax haven nation, 190 km from Munich, Germany.

While 15 names were earlier (February 2011) revealed through Tehelka and other newspapers, curiously none of them contained Hassan Ali.

The ED has questioned Khan, facing close to Rs 70,000-crore tax demand notice from the Income-Tax Department, with regard to his past trips to various countries and his business dealings within the country.

At present, the Indian public is made to concentrate only on Hassan Ali.

Investigating officials reportedly found that Ali had so far helped a former Andhra Pradesh chief minister and other top politicians as well as film stars from south India to fund elections and movies. Sources also claimed that one of the Telugu actors is now a prominent politician whose name has been come up during the investigation.

And even though Hassan Ali seems to have revealed the names of many bigwigs, the only soul who is seen to be taken to task is Puducherry Lt Governor Iqbal Singh. Singh has offered his resignation while stating that the passport was issued under the direction of a Bihar Congress leader.

Singh, who met Chidambaram on Friday, had said he had made the recommendation for Khan at the behest of a Bihar Congress leader.

Yesterday, the government has offered to reveal 6 names, while they have yet again given the same old excuse for not revealing the rest.

The Centre has assured the Supreme Court that it would reveal the names of persons who have stashed black money in foreign banks after registering a formal case against them.

Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium, appearing before a bench headed by Justice B Sudershan Reddy, said the government has issued show cause notices against the persons accused of having black money in foreign banks and once a case is registered against them, their names will be made public.

For the present let me wonder how they came up with the six....

Did they do a “Inky, pinky ponky” round?

Or did Sonia place a few selected names and benevolently asked MM Singh to pick up 6 out of them?

Democracy at its best!


Source:


http://ramanan50.wordpress.com/2011/02/04/indian-swindlers-list-names-holding-secret-account-revealed/
http://www.tehelka.com/story_main48.asp?filename=Ne120211TheList.asp
http://news.oneindia.in/2011/03/28/black-money-hasan-ali-threat-sc-ed-politician-aid0101.html
http://news.oneindia.in/2011/04/18/willresign-if-asked-to-puducherry-lt-governor-iqbalsingh-aid0126.html
http://profit.ndtv.com/news/show/black-money-names-to-be-revealed-once-case-is-registered-140231?cp
http://connect.in.com/manmohan-singh/article-blackmoney-cant-reveal-names-says-govt-311-86bbefff8af5198089e1703c2d6573200cd4d6c9.html

What the !!!!!!!

Missiles, guns and robotic bomb-disposal units will be deployed in and around Mohali ahead of the diplomacy-laced India-Pak cricket encounter.


Thus screams TOI and other main stream media.

What are our leaders expecting?

When the match ends tomorrow, with no unpleasant incidents (let us all pray!), either India or Pakistan will win.

If Pakistan wins, will they arrest LeT founder Hafiz Muhammad Saeed or hand over to India the wanted terrorists?

And if Pakistan loses, does it mean they secure the right to export more terrorists? After all, we hurt them again did we not?

Has the whole nation gone bonkers over cricket or is it only me?

Will Kerala show the way?

Kerala has already paved the way and if there is a will, there is a way.

I am not sure if ex-minister Balakrishna Pillai was given enough importance on the national front by the main stream media. But the fact remains that it is the first time that a minister has been imprisoned for corruption and even if it came very late, it should be applauded. And Balakrishnan is no small fry on the political and social front. He has been winning almost every election and won the first at the age of 25; a record they say. If this has not given him enough clout to thwart the law, then nothing can.

The apex court upheld the prosecution plea that the former minister has entered into a criminal conspiracy that caused a loss of over Rs 2 crore to the Kerala State Electricity Board by awarding contracts for construction of a power tunnel and surge shaft of the Edamalayar hydro electricity power project to contractor Paulose (now dead) at extra ordinarily high rates.

The apex court, upholding the appeal filed by the then opposition leader and present chief minister V S Achuthanandan, said the high court had committed a grave error by overlooking the clinching evidence marshalled by the prosecution and the conviction rightly awarded by the special court in Kerala.

Personally, I have nothing against him and am not comfortable with the fact that a person at his age has to face this. But then I also hear that there is no “hard labour”, if this is of any consolation to his dear and near.

When I look at the current scams and the way the congress party thwarted the will of the people or democracy as they say, nothing offers me consolation expect this sentence.

Was it not disgusting to even imagine sacks of money being hauled around to buy votes?

Was it not disgusting to even imagine that our PM was aware of such grand schemes?

And now we do not have to imagine anymore; we may remain disgusted.

Maybe, yes maybe, we shall see those in power behind the bars. And only then can this nation move forward.

Source:
http://www.keralanext.com/news/2011/02/10/article127.asp
http://www.canstockphoto.com/illustration/burglar.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Balakrishna_Pillai

Today it is me...and tomorrow you...

Death affects you, how much ever you try to remain stoic. It forces you to look more deeply to this life that we live, knowing well that this life and so also these feelings about death are only fleeting.

There has been three very important men in my life; my Father, my FIL (Achayan) and my Hubby and one of them has left this earthly abode. It is from them that I have learned to understand, love and respect the men folk.

Our Achayan passed away in his sleep early morning of 17th of February. Hubby was with him in the palliative care centre until 10:30 PM, the previous night. It was my MIL along with the home nurse who was staying the night. Soon after coming home, Hubby called me and shared the day’s events. But he also started crying while seated on his Father’s favourite easy chair. He said he imagined Achayan walking through the gate. Coincidently, it was at the same time that Achayan breathed his last in the hospital. Being the youngest, he was much attached to his Father and his death has affected him a lot. I consoled him and asked him to get some sleep. We were still up here in Kuwait and the next call at 11:30 PM or so sounded ominous and I knew in my heart that the news was going to be bad. It was my Hubby calling to inform that Achayan had passed away at 1:05 AM and that he was proceeding to the hospital. A few days back, one of his relations asked Hubby if there were any birthdays or such other occasion in the family. Upon enquiring why, he said that recently he has been seeing deaths happen on these occasions and he asked Hubby to be prepared. And true to his prediction, Achayan died on our wedding anniversary. Call it a quirk of fate or a loving Father’s good bye to those who loved him a lot. The funeral was held on 20th and me and kids were able to attend it. It was a blessed occasion and all whom Achayan cared for, were there to bid him good bye.

It would be our desire to have our loved ones beside us as many years as possible but I guess God has His own plans and we can do nothing but accept it. But we are thankful that Achayan was spared from pain and discomfort, and the days that he lived on this earth, he lived it in his own terms.