!! Ha ha .. Its really funny but in a sad way- if u know what i mean!..
The two guys helping each other out, with the public none the wiser, and then using our tax money to congratulate each other with full page advertisements in all leading neswapapers with our hard-earned money!
Om Namo Shivay!
Well but these two are mere amateurs in this game... The real kingpin of advertisements is the one and only -- Amma Jayalalitha!!!
Amma is not satisfied with one page of self-congratulating ad... "Its so middle class!!" As maya from sarabhai vs sarabhai would have exclaimed! :-D
So amma went on to advertise herself in
not 2,
Not 3,
Not 4,
But SIX FULL PAGES OF TIMES OF INDIA to go ga-ga over her 'achievements' in the state of Tamil Nadu!
Page 1
Page2
Page 3 and 4, Reign of Glory Indeed!
page 5
And phew.. Finally, page 6!!!
Six full pages of advertisements in a leading national newspaper must have cost the exchequer at least 2-3 crore Rs if not more!!!!
And surprisingly, no one had raised any questions!!
Well of course, the media is the beneficiary so it won't report them ..
I forwarded this incident to a friend from Tamil Nadu and she replied cheekily...
"Well, the people of Tamil Nadu are very much aware of her self-centred style, now the whole of India knows!" :-D
It's left to us citizens to stop giving the politicians the feeling of a king or a queen
Or in some cases dictator!!
we must raise questions incessantly about their indisciplined behaviour and keep them aware of the fact that they are just "naukar no. 1" as Narendrabhai Modi proclaims!
That india needs modi is unquestionable now ... But does gujarat needs or wants Anandiben as CM!?...
Let me tell the readers that she was not even considered by the bettors to be in the race for CM! Nor was she on the mind of ppl of guj as next CM...
Even Modi's right hand Ameet Shah wasn't too keen on her becoming CM... For the simple reason that there were many more better candidates than her, fit for the post...
However, these days... when Modi mehrban, to anyone can be Pehlwan ...
And sure enough, out of the blue , Anandiben is declared the next CM! Is a vote taken? Yes and everyone said yes -- well its a political suicide to go against modi, particularly right now, at this stage when the prestigious cabinet post is being decided by him!!
And even newspapers like Times of India have meekly fallen in line -- not one mention of her being unpopular in the party ... Only thing one can see is full page photos of her and articles highlighting her life till now... Even big industries of Gujarat like Safal, Anil and the 'shah' (??) family falling over each other to congratulate anandiben!
Well i think this is the first glimpse of how this country is going to be run at least for the next five years under You-know-who!
(No conparison meant with Lord Voldemort here! ;) )
Well i do hope i am dreadfully wrong about Modi and Anandiben..
What happens when unrestricted capitalism takes hold of the country shape a country's policies...
US had a great time in the 80s and 90s under capitalism,... It was a heaven to live in US... it had the highest standard of living in the world...
But then, the Wall street moghuls and insurance companies implanted their puppet (Mr Ronald Reagan and George Bushes...) in the president seat,... the CEOs of giant companies became their chief advisors...
and behold the crash of a country from it's golden age...
China too is following US and it is on a brink of facing similar collapse...
Capitalism is good ... but only when it's benefits filter down to the workers, as it did in the 80s and 90s ... and this documentary starts there.. it was heaven to live in US..
but when the CEOs of the companies stop relaying the benefits and profits to the workers who are actually making their products,
when they decide the country's policies... when the president is heavily under their influence..
then it becomes a menace,,,,
you say US is a socialist country, .. u need to open your eyes a bit.. when a drug that costs less than a dollar in rest of the world costs 120 dollars in US, no way can it be called socialist!!!! Watch 'Sicko' by Michael Moore..
When a common man cannot avail basic medical services without paying an arm and a leg, what good is all the development and research of the country! India should learn from their mistakes and make sure that we don't meet the same fate!
China's Glittering Bubble of Boom -- Is a Horrible Almighty Crash round the Corner??
The developers in china, with the high command's blessings built literally TRILLIONS of dollars of property in a span of just 5 years .... mostly on credit from banks....
Now there's no one to buy the houses... there is 55% vacancies while people are still living in slums-- reason being, the property prices have rocketed into the seventh heaven (once it rose by 16000 dollars per unit in a single day!!), making it impossible for middle class to buy any house in those ample skyscrapers!!
Result-- China's massive ghost towns!! The local municipalities itself at present owe AROUND A BILLION DOLLARS to the property developers for construction in the city!! It seems that everyone is owing everyone (Credit bubble) and no one has money to pay anyone!!! The bubble if bursts in the coming years, shall be the biggest world has ever witnessed, bigger than even US property bust in 2005!
China's Ghost Towns....
According to an estimate,
there was a new skyscraper built every two days,
A city the size of Rome built every 2 weeks!!
In just 10 years they built so many homes that each existing house holder could have one more and still there would be 90000 units left!!
Have a look in the video below!!
http://youtu.be/GpnoPhY1f70
Want to do business in china? watch this before spending your hard earned money!
http://youtu.be/y66gE3UWQWc
From rags to riches.... And then back to rags!!
The bust has already started in 2011...
Watch the story of a successful restaurateur in rural china who became an instant millionaire in the land boom... everything was hunky dory.. and after a year she was rummaging through the city garbage bins to earn something.. anything... she didn't have enough money even to get medical treatment for something as simple as dehydration! Watch her and many other similar stories here!
Though i ve been critical of several actions - or lack of it- of modi...
I admit, he is the best PM candidate India has seen since Sardar Vallabhbhai... And this fellow is not gonna make the same mistake Sardar made- allow an inferior candidate ( nehru) to take the post ( on gandhiji's request)
The past 66 years reveal how miserably, the naive and patronising policies of congress, have failed this nation... The Nehru- Gandhi family has made mistakes after mistakes
1) taking kashmir issue to UN - the issue is still bleeding india like anything!
2) the reservations introduced by congress has ensured that india takes a backseat when we are talking about quality... The quality of govt services are shamefully inefficient, may it be big projects or basic paperwork...
While trying to do justice to the backwards, it has done infinite injustice to crores of so called 'upper caste' children of this country by depriving them of a bright future...
So now we have rich obcs and sc sts who flash the latest phones and cars and still get seats in best institutes thanks to their category status,
while the poor unreserved feel extreme hatred for them -- and all this fanned by the outdated policies of congress!
Eg.- Why would a graduate student need reservation !!?? How come he is backward?
Well upa has brought in reservations in post graduate courses too!!
..All this While the real sc and sts are still languishing in the forests of india!!
They have created a situation from which only a dictatorship / extremely strong-willed leader can save us..
3) all they have done is spoon feed the poor by providing freebies ( and that process also is highly ineffficient, so that there is massive pilfering/corruption in the supply chain) without making any attempt to uplift their life... So the poor still remain poor generation after generation .. While the corrupt officials take away crores off the public schemes and resources
Eg.- Look around us,, its common knowledge that any forest officer or psi or sp has vast amount of property, lavish bungalows and expensive cars- how is it all possible?
4) the congress, including rajiv gandhi, massacred 1000s of sikhs in revenge of indira gandhi's death in 1984.. The guilty are still running free in the congress rule..
5)The economic reforms and freedom we have today is not thanks to congress but actually due to policy reforms by p v narsimha rao in 1991, during his brief tenure as a non congress pm of this country!
6) it seems that the Gandhi family chose to act like the Zamindars before india's freedom-- keep the population illiterate or semi-literate and poor so that they dont demand good governance , aren't aware of their rights ...
And are satisfied by the cruel and patronising freebies the govt provides them..
.... This is what 60/66 years of congress rule has brought on to the nation...
And what comes to my mind is extreme disgust for these freaks!
Meet Independent India's first voter, and perhaps the oldest...
If a 97 year old can vote... so can we!!
Your vote is needed to bring in a strong government which can make strong decisions...
To bring in a government which is not arm twisted into submission by its coalition partners... Like the Congress was by CPI-M in UPA-I (first term) and by others in the second term!
Your vote is needed to weed out thugs and incompetent politicians because of whom, India's growth story is in shambles... Foe this you must vote for an honest and competent candidate in your constituency ....
If you are a big Modi fan, but if BJP has given ticket to a thug/ corrupt / incompetent candidate in your constituency, and the opposing party has a stronger/ more competent/ honest candidate.... PLEASE don't vote for BJP!! Same holds true for any other party.....
If you feel that there is no strong candidate in any party in your constituency...you have an option to select -- Do Not Vote... the election commission has introduced for the first time a new option for us... go vote and select do not vote... show the unsuitable candidates that you have downright rejected him! ;--)
Once the dust has settled and if u sit down and look at the new models launched, none of the brands have managed to launch any jaw-dropping model this year in India ! :-(
Suzuki X A Alpha was introduced in 2012 Auto expo and, even after 2 years, there are no signs of it's launch! The latest news is that the design has got outdated and it won't be ever launched!!
I, am waiting since last one year for the evoque look-alike, x a alpha car from the Maruti stable... The concept car was launched way back in 2012 auto show .. And the various car sites online ( motorbeam.com, etc) gave us false hopes through their questionable 'scoops' about it's launch date.. First they said it would be launched in sept 2013 ! When nothing materialised, the editor of this site then said it would be launch in the auto show and then finally with no credibility left and our faith in his so called 'scoops' lost , declared that the Maruti guys are going back to the drawing table because after 2 yrs of delays, the concept car has been outdated!!!
Quite incredible! I thought that unlike Indian govt, the Maruti Suzuki venture was a much disciplined company that always managed to wow us ... But they are trying really hard to equal the Indian govt in false promises!!
I have finally lost all hope and washed my hands off the damn car!
But when I looked at the competition, they were no better :-( Ford Ecosport has great looks
The Ford has captured the imagination of us Indians,,, But on a
closer look, it has got a very unimaginative and disjointed side look
- which fails to swoon :(
from front and rear but has a very ordinary side look, and it has a waiting of more than nine months! And imagine the extent of corruption in India... A friend of mine interested in the ford car asked them about the delivery And they offered to provide it within 1-3 weeks if he gave Rs.1 lakh extra under the table!!
Isn't it the sexiest sedan you have seen from Ford! And you could have had those Austin Martin looks for just 15 lakhs! But, alas, the Ford don't find us worthy of this beauty at all... why else they wouldn't display it in the Delhi Auto Expo 2014!!
Then there was the sexy new ford mondeo 2013, with looks reminding us of an Austin Martin ! But the blokes didn't even keep the car in the auto show, forget it being launched in India..... :-( instead they launch The mediocre figo sedan... Guess we are too third world for Mondeo to be a success here...
Instead, Ford introduced this blink and you miss sedan -
basically a stretched Ford Figo hatchback! :(
Is it a sedan !!??? ... .wait ..let me see... yes.... no... yes... !!!
Renault just modified it's existing cars and placed it on the show ... They did show some futuristic crossover - but it was just that - a lot into the future! What about right now guys ! No where to be seen was the Renault Captur, the sexy compact SUV which they have already launched in other countries.. Again, guess we are too third world for them!!!! All they showed were the modified and updated Duster and Scala which are more than two years old already!!
Renault Captur. Ain't this one heck of a car!! Well don't get too excited- because this ain't coming to India in near future...
The honda stable seems to be regressing rather than progress - the 2009 Honda city was way better looking than the latest 2014 one .. The latest city has got those ugly corners jutting out in the front and back which makes it look like a predecessor rather than a successor to the awesome 2009 city!:-(
Honda has improved the interiors and now give us a diesel option... but have blatantly copied the 2009 version's looks... and in the process have made it quite ugly! The alloy wheels they are offering are so embarrassing!! almost an after thought!... And what's with that in-your-eyes chrome overdose on the grille!!
My God! Such boring Chinese looking headlights on Honda Brio! :-(
...And equally boring is Brio's stretched up
version - Amaze.......
I agree it has got the much talked about diesel engine - but what about the looks! All other cars in it's stable are also quite mediocre looking to be frank ... Any sexy car swoons us by it's headlights , but with such mediocre headlights in Amaze and Brio, I just cry out to god!
It seems that very few of us Indians at all go by the aesthetics of the car... Rather what comes first on most guys' lists are how spacious is it , what's the mileage and the gadgets within -- why else are they all doling out such ugly, ugly cars!!!!
Even the Honda Vezel ( based on the sexy Honda SUV concept) won't be launched - reason being it is not economically viab
Nope! We Indians are not suitable customers for this sexy car... at least that's what the HOnda management believes, and that's why they are not going to introduce this beauty in the Indian Market!
le to sell it in India . Instead it launches the ugly box of a car Brio based MPV .. which is Basically a stretched Out Honda Brio :-(
This is what the Honda has for the Indian Market instead of the amazingly sexy Vezel!!
With no decent car in the horizon, the only decent hatchback since last several years is Suzuki Swift and may be VW Polo .. The Hyundai i20 is also being made cheaper and uglier day by day rather than make it more sexy! So that it looks closer to i10 now then i30 ( which incidentally they don't launch in India, Because they don't think that us Indians can afford it :-/). Then there is Grand i10 and the ugly Ford Figo... Are we considered to be so simple-minded that all the Ford has for us is the ugliest they could make - Figo!???!
In entry level sedan it's again Dzire and Amaze ( again a stretched up ugly Brio) only... May be indigo Manza
Ford fiesta classic has been here since last 5 yrs and so has been the Hyundai Accent ... Even these cars are better than the Amaze ! Or maybe to be fair, amaze is only slightly better! Skoda Rapid is good but quite pricey to be Frank ...
Then in the next category Comes the sexy Hyundai Verna fluidic ( again it has been around for about 2 yrs now!:( )
The VW Vento (Those plain Jane looks! It has the front look exactly as the Polo! I mean really!), and then the deteriorated Honda city :-(
Then in the new cross over SUV segment , we have been looking at the same Duster and Ecosport since a year .. And though we have been told that all the companies are just dying to launch cars in this segment , no significant development has been seen here.. The car critics were crying out loud from their roof tops that x a alpha is gonna bull- doze the competition in 2014 but it turned out to be a mirchi bomb that never exploded! :-(
The Nissan Terrano is just a copy cat of Duster and even an expensive one at that... The companies seem to be taking us all out for a ride with such ridiculously ugly cars they are selling us ...
The two wheeler segment is the one that is showing promise in a true sense ... Honda dustur And the new pulsar amd new harleys looked pretty amazing ! Even the ktm duke hots up things in this category!
I will not talk about the Toyota guys because they seemed to have stopped evolving a long time back ( remember the new Corolla a decade back!? That was the last big thing from them) the etios liva and it's stretched version are pretty simple looking cars.
I guess it's not their fault entirely .. With the UPA govt constantly making it more and more expensive to produce anything in India .. we can hardly blame them for such pitiful offerings ...
That's why probably they are not launching world class cars like mondeo and vezel in India ... And if at all they do, they launch a horribly watered down version ! With very ugly headlights without any day time led or projector lamps or 18-19" alloy wheels ( which are pretty standard every where else!)
I desperately want to be an optimist but the auto car industry has got so suffocatingly boring here in India, that one wants to cry out loud in dismay !
There are some pretty good options above 15 lakhs , but come on, guys like you and me have not reached that stage in life yet that we can afford it right now! The Hyundai Elantra, VW passat ( jetta has boring headlights!) and the new A3 and Mercedes A class and BMWs look gorgeous but out of aam admi's budget :-(
It's ironical, and sad, that the party which staunchly opposed the British policy of 'divide and rule' has itself embraced the same policy to rule India.
India before Partition
First, the congress divided the Hindus and Muslims by acceding to the blackmail by Mohammad Ali Jinnah for Pakistan and Bangladesh. ( A must read -Freedom at Midnight by dominique lapierre, Larry Collins)
Then they, including Gandhiji himself, who fought for democracy, laid down the foundations of dynasty rule in democratic India by acceding to Jawaharlal Nehru's egoistic desire to become India's PM. ( the congress had almost unanimously voted for Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to become PM, but Gandhiji asked him to step down!)
12 out of 15 Congress committees nominated Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel. The remaining three Congress committees did not nominate any body’s name. Obviously, the overwhelming majority was in favour of Sardar Patel. India TV
Thus, on such shaky foundations began India's "Tryst with destiny". And the results are in front of us :-(
Nehru, In his almost criminal naivety, made mistakes after mistakes on issues which are still bleeding us! He wanted Kashmir issue to be solved by UN, when Sardar advised to get the occupied Kashmir back on our own- the result? Even after 66 years and several wars, the Kashmir issue remains unsolved, People of Nehru's own caste were driven away from Kashmir, and we continue to spend lakhs of crores on armed forces every year- the money which could have been used to better India's infrastructure.
Then came his daughter indira Gandhi, who imposed emergency from 1975 to 1977 and carried out crimes against humanity which are still unthinkable ..A forced mass-sterilization campaign spearheaded by Sanjay Gandhi, the prime minister's son is just one of the numerous detestable crimes that were carried out during this dark period in India's history!
Then came his son Rajeev Gandhi, who avenged his mother's death by allowing Anti Sikh riots in 1984 and when asked about it he coolly replied " when a giant tree falls, the earth does shake!"
The Delhi High Court, while pronouncing its verdict on a riots-related case in 2009, stated:Source
“
Though we boast of being the world's largest democracy and the Delhi being its national capital, the sheer mention of the incidents of 1984 anti-Sikh riots in general and the role played by Delhi Police and state machinery in particular makes our heads hang in shame in the eyes of the world polity.
”
Then, Rajiv Gandhi ( by extending support to V P Singh) divided the Hindus further by promoting caste based reservations to increase from 22% ( only SC/STs) to 50% ( by including OBCs) ... Thanks to the supreme court this reservations have been capped at 50% ( 49.5% to be exact.) however some states have not been so lucky... Reservations in tamil nadu are > 65%!!!
Instead of diminishing the differences, they have ensured that the so called 'upper caste' continues to hate the so called 'backwards' for taking away half of the seats in educational and professional institutions!
Thanks to the unfair and half-baked policies, the poor 'upper caste ' guy is left empty handed ( and very very angry) when he fails to secure admission at > 80-90% merit, while many rich 'Backwards' secure admission at scores as low as 60-70%!!
And not being satisfied with just undergraduate quotas, Rajeev Gandhi's wife Sonia introduced these unfair practices even in PG institutes and even in promotions in government and public sector!!! Once a guy has got himself into MBBS or engineering college, how come he remains 'backward ' or 'oppressed' or 'scheduled' is questionable!
Thanks to these dirty vote bank politics, merit and hard work often takes a back seat and it's but human nature that a person becomes complacent and doesn't strive hard for knowledge and excellence when his seat and future is secured!! ( and I have heard guys confessing it!)
It's like a spoon fed child of an overprotective mother, who never learns to stand on his legs.
It's not their fault- it's but natural... Lack of motivation to work hard and spoon feeding makes anyone complacent! we dont need studies to prove that..
Now a product of such reservations goes on to become a professor and teacher in govt institutes, teaching the future of this country with less than top knowledge and skills.. No wonder, the quality of education is deteriorating instead of improving.
To the skeptics, I want to ask u this- why the government has barred reservations in premier institutes like IIM!? let me answer, it is aware of these pitfalls of reservation, that's why!!!!!!
Imagine the future of a country in this era of technology where in majority of ppl have poor skills ...no doubt India is going to suffer because We obviously can't dream to compete with china with such a manforce!
BEFORE U DISMISS OR PROTEST PLEASE LOOK AT THE OTHER SCENARIO THAT COULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE
The government could have tried investing heavily in ensuring world class schools and amenities for the ECONOMICALLY backward/ handicapped, irrespective of their caste and religion---- like the public schools in USA, where people from all walks of life, even the rich, send their children to study!!
We certainly don't mind government spending 1000s of crores in providing free text books , extra tuitions when required , food, clothes for those who can't afford the same!!
the meritorious products of such public schools, based only on their merits, will strive for a place in colleges.... There will remain no discrimination between the upper and lower castes ,
the children of 'upper' castes will gain respect for those less privileged who are equally If not more meritorious, who by their sheer hard work would have gained admissions in premier institutes ! Gradually there will remain no discrimination as they become friends and esteemed colleagues....
And thanks to such meritorious students of India , India shall become the leader of the world and the golden age of india ( when India's GDP used to be >30% of world GDP!!) returns......
However to implement these policies, the government would have to do some serious hard work and the results would have taken some time in showing. Hence, such steps are less ' appealing' for vote bank politics and govt shunned this path and chose the path of spoon- feeding people using their own money, making them eternally dependent on government!
Cut back to the present scenario, the sorry state of govt schools ensure that the real (economically) 'backwards' never can dream of having quality education for their children. And what foes the govt do about it? Instead of improving it's own quality it brings in the half- baked RTE and passes the buck to private schools!!! The US too tried it and horribly failed. If the govt can't think of anything original, it should at least learn from other's mistakes!
The congress government has and will remain a LAZY and incompetent party for the foreseeable future, whose policies are driven by vote-bank politics and short term gains in elections.
In 2011, just before state elections, they tried to appease the Muslims by bringing in 4% quotas, without trying anything significant to improve their quality of life in last 10 years;Justice Sachar, head of the Sachar Committee that was commissioned to prepare a report on the latest social, economic and educational condition of the Muslim community of India, criticized the government decision. His observations are worth mentioning here -
"Such promises will not help the backward section of minorities. It is like befooling them. These people are making tall claims just to win elections". - Sachar Committee.
He further suggested that instead of promising to give reservations, the government should focus on basic issues of improving administration and governance.
The UPA even wants reservations in promotions ! ( the Supreme court ruled that they can be introduced only if there is quantifiable proof of injustice to backwards in promotions!)
Now that no more reservations can be legally inroduced to appease the 'backwards' the congress tried to appease the 'upper caste' recently !! Congress's general secretory Janardan Dwivedi recently made a comment in his speech that after more than 20 years of ruining countless carriers, caste based reservations were a mistake!!
"This (reservation on caste lines) should have come to an end. Why it did not happen so far was because vested interests got into the process.Does the real needy person even among the Dalits and backward castes get the benefits of reservation? Those in the upper crust of these communities only avail the benefits.There is a difference between social justice and casteism."The concept of social justice has now turned into casteism...I believe there is a need to dismantle this .. -India Today
Well what the heck were they doing for the last 10 years!! he conveniently mulls this idea only when the Lok Sabha elections approach and nothing can be done by the current government!
M J Akbar, an astute observer whose articles are printed regularly in TOI has awonderful take on Mr Dwivedi's observation!
What ails Cong? Dwivedi may have diagnosis - M J Akbar, TOI
It even wants reservations in private sector!!!!!!!! Had it succeeded in implementing it's nefarious intentions, the only sector responsible for whatever growth India is having would have perished! The private sector would also have reeked of blatant incompetence and disregard as the public sector amid government institutions do, causing heavy losses, shut downs .
I know this Is hard to digest for those who are benefiting from govt's policies right now , but for a moment if you think about it with an open mind, isn't all this true ??
Aren't most of the beneficiaries of reservations middle class people who are no poorer or economically backward than their upper caste neighbors??
I personally have seen that many of my colleagues who got admission through reservation, had the latest mobile phones in their hands, latest fashion attire, latest bikes to zoom on!
I even saw a guy who owns a BMW 5 series car taking benefit of reservation !!!! The guy secured a seat in MBBS and then Radiology in a premier institute through quota and travels in a BMW 5 series car! Need I say any more!
Thanks to such ridiculously nefarious policies, This country is on its way to bankruptcy - as reflected by the continous fall in India's growth rate during UPA's rule!
And, of course, when quotas don't work, why not divide the states!! The same party which strongly suppressed Telangana movement now has passed the Telangana bill dividing Andhra Pradesh into two. The mother in law ( indira gandhi) opposed the division and the Bahu( Sonia Gandhi) promoted it!
Reason?? Andhra Pradesh commands more than 30 seats in LS. with congress facing total wipe out in coming elections over there it tries to gain whatever seats it can by acceding to division- after all they are the masters of the Divide and rule game!!
Telangana Bill saves Congress from extinction in Andhra Pradesh - TOI
These guys have been asking for division since last 30 years. Why the sudden unusual interest in passing it, just months before LS elections! The way this law has been passed in LS was a real disgust, and slap in the face of democracy. Even the BJP had it's hands dirtied in this issue by supporting it :-(
Telangana bill cleared amid din, mysterious TV blackout of Lok Sabha - TOI
Wish they were equally impatient in passing a strong Lokpal bill which could indict the kingpins and not just the pawns in corruption.
But I am dreaming, right! why would a criminal pass a law that would send himself to jail! :-D
gone are the days of Kalidas.... ;-) who cut the same branch he was sitting on..
The sworn enemies in LS, unite for preventing laws which correct the system from being passed!
To say that Narendrabhai Damodardas Modi is the most charismatic PM candidate at present is beyond dispute, grudgingly acknowledged even by his sworn enemies and haters:-) (that includes me! :-) )
The gift of gab ( oratory ) that he possesses is what sets him apart from other fellow party leaders within BJP as well as the other political parties...
Even though he may not be as accomplished in his achievements as he claims to be, his oratory literally lights a spark of ardent nationalism and euphoria in the audience , a quality which remains to be Found in any other prominent political leader in India ... And this is the chief reason why he is the favourite in next Lok Sabha elections...
I and my wife watched Rahul Gandhi's interview with Arnab Goswami of Times Now, then we watched Mr Arvind Kejriwal's Interview with the same fellow and finally watched Mr Modi's interview in Aap ki Adalat...
These three leaders of Congress, AAP, BJP respectively are the leaders of their parties and most probable PM candidates if their respective party wins the Lok Sabha elections of 2014.
These interviews were pretty telling about each candidate's nature, personality, ability to handle pressure and their ideology ....
Let's discuss each individual and how suitable he is as our next PM...
Rahul Gandhi
At the start of his Interview Mr Goswami asks him why he never gave any serious inteview till now... And it becomes pretty clear in the first five minutes why he didn't! :-D
To say that his was the most stupid (n that is the mildest word I could come up with ) interview I have ( and indeed the whole nation) has ever witnessed won't be far from truth !
I am sure that once you have seen his Interview u couldn't agree any more.. :-)
Whatever the question that was put to him, Mr Gandhi went on ranting how he cared about empowering women ( without explaining how he was going to make it happen!) from what looked like a script prepared by his staff and which he had mugged up .. I bet a 1000 bucks that you would have never seen anyone on national television so unprepared or rather so devoid of sufficient intellect to give a logical answer! On being asked -" why do you still blame Narendra Modi for riots when he has been given a clean chit by the SIT?" he just continued his rant on women empowerment, from where he had been interrupted by Arnab!
We watched in utter disbelief, refusing to believe that this is what the proposed PM candidate is from a party which has ruled India since last 10 years!!!
No wonder he was avoiding giving any interviews!!
That's not all, even after more than a decade in politics, he so naively placed his foot in the trap laid by Goswami. When he asked repeatedly and persistently with proofs that congress too like BJP had incited riots against Sikhs in 1984, he said "yes there were some involved in the riots"! His naivety was deafening !!
A person who literally behaves like a dumb child in school who can't answer even a single question asked by the teacher, can never run a difficult and diverse country like India... In fact it would hurl India into absolute chaos and lawlessness if he becomes the next PM ....
Arvind Kejriwal
Mr Kejriwal was a social worker, working in the slums before he joined Anna Hazare's movement for Lokpal bill. When Anna's movement failed to produce results, he decided to enter the muddy arena to clean the muck that has soiled our administrative system. And that's why the symbol of his party is a broom! :-)
He seems to have entered politics, leaving a cushy job as an income tax officer, for the sole purpose of improving the machinary of system - and that is the most commendable motive, which people of Delhi too realised and as a result he broke all records in his debut in politics and became Delhi's CM.
In the interview with Arnab Goswami before he became CM, he was a man who had nothing to hide, an aam admi who had taken up arms against the rampart corruption, inefficiency and cronyism within the government.
Not once did he squirm in his seat, while facing the formidable anchor and gave honest and mature answers to the questions asked, which people too noticed and was reflected by his impressive electoral performance...
His meteoric rise to prominence after the Delhi elections was such that he had begun to eclipse Narendra Modi's popularity. At one point, it seemed that he could beat Modi to the PM post.
However, Mr Kejriwal in his hurry to correct the system, seemed to have overlooked the fact that there is a vast difference between protesting against a government and running one!!
He continued to use tactics of Mahatma Gandhi like Civil Disobedience ( "don't pay electricity bill"), people's assembly, protest rallies, etc. against a system of which he now is an integral part of!
The people of India, at least the literate half consisting of professionals and young generation, watched in dismay on national news, how most of the initiatives that he took AFTER he formed the Delhi government failed or ran into troubled waters....
People have realised that , though his intentions are right Mr Kejriwal is still a rookie in political arena.
Though he is passionate about his work, he has yet to realise that his tactics can't improve the present system..
He needs the discipline and administrative skills of an Income Tax Commissioner (his former pursuit) and not the skills of Mahatma Gandhi right now.
He needs to audit the system, and fix the problems by legal means rather than sit on the road and protest (a skill that Gandhi mastered but brought little change in the government! )
Gandhiji worked well outside the politics- he was more a saint that united India than a person who ran or guided India towards progress... He was unmatched in protesting against injustice and the British, but did not and probably could not ( India being a dependent nation) do much to Guide India towards progress. While we were busy protesting, countries round the world were actually fixing the loop holes in the system and riding towards progress. Gandhiji's formula is good for garnering support for a cause, but to materialise a dream or correct the loop holes, we need to get our hands dirty ... We need to ACT rather than PROTEST!
Mr Kejriwal, by entering into politics, took the first step towards doing something concrete, but once in power, He resorted back to the tactics of an opposition leader / Gandhiji ( while still in power!). Even though he is now the head of the system, probably He still can't identify with his new position. He behaves as if he is in denial of being a CM!
Contrary to the popular belief, India didn't get it's freedom just by 'protesting' with Gandhiji... As Dominique Lapierre proves in his book, Freedom at Midnight,
it was more because Second World War had made England a bankrupt empire, and it had lost more than fifty percent of its able population to war! In such a scenario, it was proving quite impossible to rule its own land, let alone occupied countries. So, like a bankrupt company, it sold it's assets ( the countries it ruled over)! This is a fact not highlighted in our history textbooks. :-)
Mr Kejriwal must realise that his tactics are unlikely to bring results and he must improvise... Till then he can't be the PM of this country- something that many (including I) have begun to realise and are now turning their attention back to Modi !
As i am editing this article, news are rolling in about Mr Kejriwal's resignation as Delhi's PM after not being allowed to pass Jan Lokpal bill in state assembly ... Again, a move which will certainly not go well with his ardent supporters... A move of a Gandhian rather than a Chanakya! :-(
MODI
To say that he is the biggest showman and politician rolled into one , India has witnessed after independence will be a very apt description of Mr Modi.
Few,if any, leaders come to our mind in post independent India , to hear whom, people come in hoards and don't have to be dragged from their homes. He, by his articulate speeches and witty one-liners, sparks passion in his people who after witnessing decades of rudderless leadership, hang on to each and every word he speaks. Indeed many consider him the 'saviour'. By a carefully crafted marketing campaign (for which he allegedly pays crores of Rs. to a foreign marketing firm!), he is an inspiration not just in his state, Gujarat, but in all the corners of the country!
Let's have a look at his speeches. His formula to ignite inspiration and passion is simple- He serves to his audience , what it actually wants to hear! And with witty remarks he deftly answers the difficult questions raised against him. ( watch him in action above on a national interview, Aap ki Adalat, and you will know what i am talking about :) )
When addressing Gujarat during 2002 riots ( which, essentially, was his launchpad to popularity) he passionately sympathized with the Hindu majority.
And today when people are desperate for development, he can't stop boasting about the allegedly unparallel progress in Gujarat under his leadership!
One must have often realised that the thoughts and beliefs majority of people are not based on logic or reason, nor do they seek proof or truth.They will believe what they want to, without trying to find out whether it's a logical/ humane/ reasonable / truthful thing!
So when he passionately claims that Gujarat has become the best state in India in terms of Human Development, industry and security, we the 'mango people' feel good about ourselves and equally passionately believe his alleged accomplishments and start relating him with Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, without checking out the facts, without keeping an open mind, without listening to those who try to say that most of his claims of progress are just white lies ( to put it simply)!!
Trying to conform is but human nature. We often believe in something which is not true, because the truth simply is agonising, and brings despair.
We desperately hang on to his claim that we have progressed tremendously under his leadership , because the alternative - we have no leader today of Sardar Vallabh Patel or Shubhas Chandra Bose or Shastriji's calibre- is despairing!
But a more reasonable and unbiased mind would try to ascertain whether he is as good as he claims, whether Gujarat has indeed witnessed an unrivaled development for people from all walks of life..., whether his administration is as corrupt-free as is claimed.
And the facts that surfaces is that Gujarat's picture is not as rosy as is painted by Mr Modi!
Let's refer to the latest development indices to check how true his claims are...
Human Development Index - Gujarat Is languishing way back at 11th position amongst all the states!!!
Life expectancy at birth -12th position lagging behind Kerala by almost 7 yrs!!
Literacy rate -13th position (2013 data)
Sex ratio - 24th position
People with low BMI ( undernutrition)- 18th position behind the national average of 26.1% of population
Institutional delivery - 8th position
In spite of the truckloads of Money spent on Narmada canals, after all these years, the Gujarat government has not yet developed the branch canals and distributaries which actually supply the water to the fields.. And so most of the Narmada water still goes into sea!!!
Here are some excerpts from the report, which was later published in The Hindustan Times. 2012 --
"In fact there are no areas in Kutch and Saurashtra that are getting water for irrigation from the Narmada project. Irrigation water is reaching to even lesser extent, just 2.5 lakh ha, which is about 13% of the command area. Most of this 13% area is in central Gujarat, which is already water-rich. Modi has failed to provide irrigation to areas for which the project was meant,"
"The situation, in fact, is much worse. Some farmers close to the incomplete main branch canals in Saurashtra tried to take water for low-water consuming groundnut crop this monsoon. But police cases were filed against them and many were arrested. At the same time, water from the Narmada main canal was released in the Sabarmati River for the luxury of Ahmedabad. And there was no allocation in the project for such uses. "
The endless lush green fields of Sarso and Khanak that adorn the richly irrigated areas of N. Rajathan and Punjab, even during Winter
Sarso fields In Ganganagar district, Rajasthan (Jan, 2014)
Friends, just visit the state of Punjab and adjacent areas and witness the power of efficient irrigation canals. Just look at the pictures taken in this January from Ganganagar district of Rajasthan!
Even in dry months of winter, you will be able to witness acres and acres of green fields of sarso and khanak (wheat) and plantations of juicy kinu! While returning to Gujarat, I saw the dry landscape and fields of Gujarat and that got me thinking. Why Gujarat, in spite of tremendous expenditure on canals, is still one of the driest areas in India , where farmers are driven to suicide out of poverty ( unlike Punjab area where that are the richest )!
Can you imagine these lush green fields in Gujarat? They could have been possible here by now if the government actually had the will to erect a complete distribution network of Narmada water!
But of course Mr Modi won't mention all these parameters and facts which are the true indicators of inclusive development of a state as a whole...
He will mention the feel good parameters like -
Per capita income in Gujarat- 3rd position behind Maharashtra and Delhi
Power production - 2nd highest.
Per capita income is quite misleading criteria , because it doesn't indicate the existing physical quality of life in an area, and it is a generalised number ... simply put, A state with 1% filthy rich and 99% paupers can still have high per capita GDP! (ref.- www.economonitor.com, Not All that Glitters is Gold!) And that, probably, what the situation is in Gujarat ..
Under Modi , the industrialists with political connections, and particularly, in Modi's good books, have prospered like anything. While the aam janta, still fighting against inflation, job scarcity , lack of health services ( Esp. out of major cities), illiteracy--- all of these reflected in poor score of gujarat in several parameters mentioned above like literacy Human development index, literacy , sex ratio, life expectancy.
It is safe to surmise from these parameters that under him
THE POOR HAVE BECOME MORE POOR , and the RICH HAVE BECOME FILTHY RICH .
Indeed the meteoric rise of Adani during modi's rule has raised many eyebrows! ( for the sceptics- it is common knowledge mr Modi frequently uses Mr Adani's private chartered plane, can it be any more suggestive?!) ( Source-
Let's visit the Godhra riots
I won't be wrong in saying that these riots were the launchpad which launched Modi into national arena, indeed, the whole world.
Though Modi has been given a clean chit by SIT in Godhra riots, it is an open fact that under his rule, police didn't act against the rioters ( who, again, have no religion- just mob mentality) and many innocent Muslims lost their lives.
To the skeptics, I ask you but one question- what If this were a Muslim state and the rioters were Muslims massacring innocent Hindus- us?? I agree, those who burnt the Hindu sevaks in Godhra must be hanged - not because they were Muslims- but they again were mobs, which has no religion- just barbaric, animalistic mob mentality. I bet a 1000 bucks , these rioters on both sides, individually were mostly just ordinary citizens incapable of even hitting someone, let alone killing someone!
An able ruler must have only one dharma - and that is RAJ DHARMA!
What remains clear Is that Modi failed horribly during the riots - whether deliberately or out of pure ineptitude , both are equally disturbing possibilities!
These glaring irregularities and shortcomings during Modi's rule in Gujarat must definitely make one think twice before hailing Modi as a transparent and efficient leader.
More disturbing points that go against him are his ego, megalomaniac nature and dictatorial attitude. He is surrounded by only his sycophants who dare not speak against his wishes; the rest either 'die' under mysterious circumstances ( Haren Pandya - Modi's equal if not a better option within BJP who often didn't see eye to eye with Modi) or are removed from prominent posts ...
These are not the qualities which one wishes in a nations pm... ( sadam Hussein , indira Gandhi during emergency, etc are painful examples of the harm such an attitude brings to a nation)
CONCLUSION
Rahul Gandhi - a simple minded ( a euphemistic expression for naive/ dumb) for whom running such a diverse country is just not possible ... If he becomes a PM - CHAOS and lawlessness will be the only headlines for next five years!
Mr Arvind Kejriwal
The leader with best intents, clear ideas and a true people's representative - a true definition of democracy.
It is safe to say that he is the Modern Gandhiji, who decided to enter politics. However, though a shining beacon of hope before coming to power, he was absolutely clueless how to operate when in the power.
After all, his inspiration, Mahatma Gandhi never wrote much on how to behave or work when inside the political system!
Mr Kejriwal needs to stop acting like Gandhiji and must become Chanakya.
If and when he becomes one, he shall be the best PM and leader India ever had!
That leave us with Mr Narendra Modi
Yes, he is the best alternative in the current scenario ... Let's hope he proves his critics wrong and gives the much needed impetus to India's economy and solves it's many security problems - both internal and external with a firm but able hand.
The entire nations hopes are pinned on the chaiwallah, as reflected by the opinion polls that show that BJP is coming to power with an overwhelming and unprecedented majority!
