Justice will be done.

When this comes from the President of the United States of America, we believe it. Obama stated this in response to the brutal killing of the US ambassador to Libya yesterday. 

Barack Obama vowed on Wednesday to hunt down the killers of US ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans during an assault on its mission in Benghazi as suspicion grew that the diplomat was the victim of an organised attack by an Islamist group.

Yes, they will avenge the killing for sure. But if I am to shift this scenario to India my mind refuses to conjure such an image. Can you imagine MM Singh uttering such words and even if he ever utters them will you believe him? We are yet to punish Kasab. We don’t have even have any clue of the Indians who helped him. Never mind terrorism, let us talk about the other burning issue: corruption. Scan after scam has eroded every Indian’s trust in our democracy, yet has he done anything to restore the trust. Instead of assuring us that justice will be done, he discredits the institution that was only doing it’s job. It is similar to a company’s CEO ranting against the auditors whose only job is to set accounts straight.

Yesterday MM Singh was in Kerala to inaugurate “Emerging Kerala” and did open his mouth to give nothing to Kerala. He only promised yet again (this was promised 8 years ago) that he shall give an IIT. God knows when! 

Prime minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday said the proposal to set up an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Kerala was under Centre's consideration

 

But our much ‘beloved’ economist who asserted that 32 RS is enough to live in India said that Kerala should not look for food security and but use the paddy fields and import food from other states! It really proves that he knows nothing about Kerala.

Vice-Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia, speaking at the end of the session, said that Kerala could as well forget paddy cultivation as the State’s food security requirement could well be met by import from other States.

 

For Kerala the low lying lands are necessary for many other reasons, ground water table being the main one. If one is to raise land and construct concrete structures it will be a total disaster. As for food security, Kerala has not forgotten what happened when Mullperiyar Dam issue was at its peak. Tamilnadu stopped sending vegetables and milk and there was none from the center to intervene. In fact one wondered if Tamilnadu was not part of the Indian states but from Pakistan!

Anyway like every other Keralaite let me dream of a Kerala which shall indeed emerge from its lethargic state. Let me also hope that India will one day have a leader like Obama.

Tall dreams I am sure!

Either quit or scrap the CAG

Each scam the Auditor General unearths seems to be bigger than the earlier one, yet the ruling party is so thick skinned that no action is forthcoming.

Each time the ordinary citizen hopes that the culprits will be brought to justice but instead it is the CAG which takes the blame. I think there is only one solution for this problem. Scrap the CAG so that Indian citizens shall never hear of another scam. At least let us have some peace of mind.

Earlier if it was Kapil Sibal, now it is our PM who is discrediting the CAG.

The Prime Minister's point is that the CAG has computed onthe basis of allocation of 57 mines but out of these, 31 coal blocks belong tothe period prior to 2006. He also says the amount of loss projected by CAG was "misleading" as calculations had been done on the basis of Coal India prices and private players have different cost parameters.

This brings to my mind the most important question; how do these politicians escape jail? Raja is already out and we saw how his homecoming was celebrated. He was received like a hero!

 To answer this please watch this video clip (if you have not watched it already) where everything is explained very well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIudxeqFuz8

Nitin Gupta (Rivaldo) is a stand-up comedian & is an alumnus of IIT Bombay (Chemical Engg) and founder of Entertainment Engineers.

Here he is seen performing for the students at the S. P. Jain College and the subject is the CWG, 2G and other scams - the Archimedes Principle and Newton laws are a brilliant take why nobody gets caught in the scams in India

 He talks about Archimedes law of buoyancy. 

Any minister fully or partially immersed in corruption is pushed up by a buoyant force equal to the weight of the money he displaces. 

In short, he is never caught.  Unfortunately this same money is used up yet again to garner votes from the citizens when election comes around. Everything is hushed up and he emerges as the only hero capable of governing his constituency.

Today we read that Sonia Gandhi has found  a place yet again in the Forbes list of most powerful women. 

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton placed second,followed by Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, making the top three spotsunchanged from last year. Sonia Gandhi, president of the Indian NationalCongress, was at No. 6.

But if you are wondering if our PM has ever found a place anywhere in the list of the most powerful men, then he is nowhere in the picture. So the question is how did this come by? How and why is Sonia the most powerful when she is only the party president? She even beats Michelle Obama! The following caught my eyes.

The list named women involved in policymaking, entertainment, technology and nonprofit organizations, among other fields. They were ranked according to influence, the amount of money they control or earn, and media presence.

As for Mrs. Clinton,

Ms Clinton was applauded for her handling of crises such as the release of a trove of diplomatic cables by the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks.

Can you think of anything that Sonia can be credited for? In fact has she taken the podium to answer any question from the media or the voters?  

She is powerful only because of the money she controls.

Let this government resign or let the judiciary do it's job in a better manner.

I think the ayes have it, ayes have it..

Yes Madam Speaker.. have the AYES finally given the nation something?

The whole scene looked comical while Meira Kumar went on and on.

Neverthless, after years and years (42 long years) of deliberation, finally a version of the Lokpal bill has seen light and I would like to believe that it is an achievement for the nation.

While many still berate Anna Hazare, let me continue to think that he played a major role. He created the situation and the whole nation was to forced join the discussion. While many supported him, many others were forced to look into Lokpal, if it was only to disagree. The mass support that Anna managed to get did make every political party, including the ruling party, nervous. The nation was forced to think deeply about the corruption that existed in our nation; not just within the politicians or the bureaucracy but within each one of us.

The current bill may be weak but it is here finally and well meaning governments can bring in appropriate amendments to strengthen it, in the future.

Our PM said the following:

"We have, therefore, proposed a process of appointment of the CBI Director which involves the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice of India or his nominee and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. None should have doubts about the integrity of this process. As far as the issue of CBI functioning under the Lokpal is concerned, my government believes that this would create an executive structure outside Parliament which is accountable to none. This is anathema to sound constitutional principles," the prime minister said.

Yes dear Prime Minister. .the nation trusted you the most when the present UPA was elected to power but why did one see the worst corruption happen under it.

Were you never in charge of the government?

And do you know the ways your esteemed ministers have come up with, to fight corruption? By blocking social networks so that no news of further corruption shall reach the masses. Is this the only result of  discussions with our neighbouring countries where similar restrictions already exist?

You also said the following:

All systems of governance must be based on trust. It is the people's trust that we in Government reflect and protect. Rampant distrust of all authority imperils the foundations of democracy. Our polity with its enormous size and diversity can only be held together when we put our faith and trust in institutions that we have carefully built over the years," said Dr. Singh in his speech made inside the Lok Sabha today.

Yet, when CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General of India) came up with the figures of corruption, it was your minister who undermined this 150 year old institution.

Kapil Sibal, the minister for telecommunication has stated that the CAG had presented an erroneous report on the 2G spectrum and that the total losses incurred by the treasury was only Rs.99,000 crores.

It is the same way even CBI has been undermined over the years by the corrupt in your government.

"In the course of this debate, the bureaucracy has been at the receiving end. While I agree that public functionaries must be above board and that delinquents must be dealt with expeditiously and decisively, I must express my deep appreciation for many a public servant who have shown exemplary integrity in discharging their functions in an environment of distrust. I don't think all public functionaries need to be painted with the same brush just as all politicians should not be presumed to be corrupt," said Dr. Singh

No dear Prime Minister, we do not think that this nation is devoid of individuals with integrity and honesty. In fact, it was the collective conscience of the nation that made you the Prime Minister. (They trusted in your honesty) But  unfortunately, those with integrity and honesty are being ridiculed and many lost faith even in you.

Anyway, I managed to get an idea of the the Lokpal that has been passed, from newstrackindia.com and it is as follows:

Amid all oppositions, let’s have a look at some of the silent features of the Cabinet-approved Lokpal Bill for the creation of an anti-graft ombudsman with Constitutional status.




•Citing Lokpal and Lokayukta as autonomous and independent bodies of investigation and prosecution, the Bill has underlined a uniform vigilance and anti-corruption road map for both Centre and States.


•Lokpal will consist of a Chairperson and a maximum of eight Members of which fifty percent shall be judicial Members. At the same time, fifty per cent of members will be from amongst SC, ST, OBCs, Minorities and Women.
•All members including the Chairperson shall be selected by a Selection Committee that consists of Prime Minister, Speaker of Loksabha, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Chief Justice of India or a sitting Supreme Court Judge nominated by CJI and eminent jurist to be nominated by the President of India.


Lokpal jurisdiction


•Prime Minister to be brought under the purview of the Lokpal with subject matter exclusions and specific process for handling complaints against the Prime Minister. Lokpal cannot hold any inquiry against the Prime Minister in allegations relate to: international relations, external and internal security of the country, public order, atomic energy and space.


•Besides, any decision of Lokpal to initiate preliminary inquiry or investigation against the Prime Minister shall be taken only by the Full Bench with a majority of 3/4th. Such proceedings shall be held in camera.


•Lokpal to investigate corruption cases against all categories of public servants including Group ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’ & ‘D’ officers and employees of Government. On complaints referred to CVC by Lokpal, CVC will send its report of PE in respect of Group ‘A’ and ‘B’ officers back to Lokpal for further decision. With respect to Group ‘C’ and ‘D’ employees, CVC will proceed further in exercise of its own powers under the CVC Act subject to reporting and review by Lokpal.


•All entities receiving donations from foreign source in the context of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) in excess of Rs. 10 lakhs per year are brought under the jurisdiction of Lokpal.


•Lokpal will not be able to initiate inquiry suo moto.


•No prior sanction shall be required for launching prosecution in cases enquired by Lokpal or initiated on the direction and with the approval of Lokpal.


•A high powered Committee chaired by the Prime Minister with leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha and Chief Justice of India as members, will recommend selection of the Director, CBI.


•Provisions for confiscation of property acquired by corrupt means, even while prosecution is pending.


•Lokpal to be final appellate authority on all decisions by public authorities relating to provision of public services and redressal of grievances containing findings of corruption.


•Lokpal to have power of superintendence and direction over any investigation agency including CBI for cases referred to them.


In addition, the Bill has set timelines for both investigation and prosecution of cases. It has also proposed to enhance punishment under Prevention of Corruption Act. Maximum punishment is set from 7 years to 10 years and minimum is shaped from 6 months to 2 years.


While preliminary enquiry is outlined to be completed in three months which is extendable by three months, investigation is set for six months (extendable by six months) and for trial the proposed time period is planned for one year which is also extendable by one year.

Let us all hope that something good shall come out of this...

Source:http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/lokpal-bill-look-beyond-politics-in-fight-against-graft-urges-pm-manmohan-singh/articleshow/11273672.cms
http://www.cag.gov.in/
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/LokpalBillUPAwinsonelosesone/892877/
http://www.firstpost.com/politics/live-parliament-gets-underway-lokpal-debate-to-begin-shortly-166366.html/2

Gender Gap - revisited

While I grapple with the fact that more than a year has passed since I wrote the post on Gender Gap, (yes the days are flying too fast), let me also say that there is nothing much to say about the current one since India has only moved a rank down.


But let me post the Gender Gap Evolution 2006-2011 to show that India was doing better in year 2006. Not sure if it was due to lack of data, but the fact remains that in Year 2011, India is 22 from bottom (135 countries).

The complete list can be seen at WEF Website, but you can have an idea where India stands if you look at those countries just above and below India.

Mexico


Indonesia

Azerbaijan

Senegal

Cyprus

El Salvador

Mauritius

Tajikistan

Malaysia

Japan

Kenya

Belize

Maldives

Cambodia

United Arab Emirates

Suriname

Kuwait

Zambia

Korea, Rep.

Tunisia

Fiji

Bahrain

Qatar

Guatemala

India

Mauritania

Burkina Faso

Ethiopia

Jordan

Lebanon

Cameroon

Nigeria

Algeria

Turkey

Egypt

Syria

Iran, Islamic Rep.

Nepal

Oman

Benin

Morocco

Côte d’Ivoire

Saudi Arabia

Mali

Pakistan

Chad

Yemen


If you have some time, then do take a look at the interesting discussion at redif (comment section) on the same subject.

And today, we also read that MM Sing and Sonia ranks among the 20 most powerful – courtesy Forbes. Sonia is also one among top 10 richest politicians in the world.

A powerful woman in India but no power to the Indian women!

But then among the “powerful”, we see the following too…. :)

D-Company leader Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar, "organized crime figure (is) suspected of involvement in both the 1993 and 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai" was ranked 57th, a notch behind Pakistani spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence chief, Ahmed Shuja Pasha, while Pakistan army chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, was ranked 34th.

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

Kasab can have a few friends.. if not Biriyani or the noose.

Tomorrow would be yet another anniversary of that terrible day in November.


All is well, says State home minister R R Patil and opposition leader Eknath Khadse who visited Kasab yesterday. His mood swings continues to keep the media engaged. If one day he lunges at the camera, another day he complains of the food served to him and was heard asking for mutton biriyani. Yesterday he seems to have said “I have reaped what I sowed.”

But then, he was only a petty criminal willing to kill for a few more dollars. He had already made his pact with the devil. But now I am glad that he survived, else like many other confused Indians, it would have been hard to believe he was not made in India.

I know I am blabbering, but hasn’t the events that unfolded the last 2 weeks reduce us Indians to blabbering fools. What else should we call ourselves when we are robbed of Rs 1,76,000 crores! (not including the CWG, the flat and now the Mumbai land scam) Like a swishing sword, scam after scam has wounded us left and right and one has never felt so low in life. Should we continue to believe in our honest Prime Minister when he is more interested in being meek? The Congress needs to go, along with the Sonias and Rahuls even if the next could be BJP with the Yedurappas, Reddy’s and Modi’s. But let it be so. The country badly needs a change. But before you step down, if you still believe you are a man of integrity, please clean up the mess. Mess would be a mild word, with the media and even the judges now being implicated.

"With the CVC headed by former telecom secretary P J Thomas non-suited to supervise CBI in 2G spectrum scam, the SC should choose an officer of unimpeachable integrity to monitor the probe," he said. Upset at his offer being spurned, senior advocate K K Venugopal said he would rather argue for dismissal of petition than make any further concession.


You may bring back a few crores if you can, but more than that, it would heal the wounded nation if one could see a few give Kasab company. Kasab murdered Indians in cold blood while the elected leaders have killed the spirit of millions of Indians.


Edited to add the following:

Corrupt India: $462 billion illegally transferred overseas between 1948 and 2008



The poor state of governance is reflected in a growing underground economy which in turn has fueled more transfers of illicit capital from India. This analysis is cast in terms of a pre- and a post-reform period spanning a total of 61 years since independence.

Who is guilty?

Should I write about Canada’s high-handedness or about the Maoists?


The Canadians have apologized and I found another blogger who has shown her angst pretty well. 

As for the Maoists, it is time our PM acted. No more inactivity due to a guilt plagued heart. And this is not the time for politics.

“We have to see who can benefit politically from this killing. Why did the incident occur just before the May 30 civic elections? A leader of a ruling political party had earlier said there can be bloodshed, and here is the proof. The incident took place in order to harm the image of Mamata Banerjee and to stop the political change,” said Suvaprasanna, a painter with Trinamool leanings and who has been appointed chairman of the Passenger Amenities Committee of the Railways.

We do not know who is playing politics with people's lives. Do YOU have any idea?

The ordinary citizen voted you to power since your honesty stood above the rest and is it not a proof of the nation’s collective conscience?

And it was the same conscience that prompted many to speak against the idea of our own army men kill our brethren. Maybe there are still a few who are under the illusion that the Maoists are indeed people with noble hearts and whose only aim is to help the poor. But enough is enough and those innocents who lost their lives may have not hoped that under your leadership their lives would improve in a jiffy but the least they would have hoped for was their life itself.
Do you want to deny their right to life as well?

Or do you want every other country as naïve as Canada to think along the same lines?

And now if many call you weak can you deny the allegation?

I truly hope this letter written by blogger Sush reaches you...

 

The five pillars that MM Singh will uphold

While searching the net to know the significance of MM Singh’s visit to US, I landed on this particular page and the five pillars.

Supposedly, these are the five pillars that our Prime Minister will uphold while in the US soil.

1. Strategic cooperation that includes arms sales, joint military exercises and joint military cooperation in combating maritime piracy off the coast of Somalia in the Gulf of Aden. (There are significant new sales on the horizon, up to $18 billion worth of contracts, for which American companies are competing)

2. The second pillar of the U.S.-India relationship is that of energy and climate change (India currently emits about 4 percent of the world’s greenhouse gases)

3. A third pillar is in economics, trade and agriculture. (Two-way trade with India was about $5 billion in 1990, rose to $14 billion in 2000 and reached nearly $50 billion in 2008, according to U.S. trade statistics.)

4. Cooperation in education ( India will open up the higher education sector to greater foreign investment)

5. Cooperation in science and technology ( $30 million science and technology endowment to be used for joint research and development, innovation, and commercialization.)

Hopefully we shall also hear MM Singh say that Pakistan needs to stop exporting terror etc etc etc etc...