Owner: India Retold URL:http://www.vinodksharma.blogspot.com Join Date: Fri, 04 Apr 2008 02:40:29 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: I write mostly about the current political, societal and security related issues that affect India as it readies to reclaim its place as one of the great nations of the world. Site statistics:Click here
MAYAWATI'S 'T's TROUNCE CONGRESS'S 'R's 2008-04-17 03:05:00 “Tilak, Tarazoo aur Talwar, inko maro jootey chaar.” This was the clarion call originally given by Mayawati’s BSP to awaken Dalits to challenge their thousands of years old oppression by the three upper castes, Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas. The call was then to metaphorically shoe-beat the upper castes to actualize their potential to lead the country.These three ‘T’s still remain the rallying point for the downtrodden. But with a difference. The call now sounds more like “ Tilak, Tarazoo aur Talwar, humse neeche baitho yaar”. Mayawati, having realized that dalits did not have sufficient numbers to get to power on their own, has changed her strategy from “beating” upper castes to “befriending” them, as long as they sit below dalits in the hierarchy of power. Tha
REMEMBERING INDIA'S UNKNOWN SOLDIER 2008-04-19 02:38:00 It is rare to find an influential voice from “civil society” writing so soulfully about India’s forgotten and silent soldiers who have stoically stuck to their task despite their increasing marginalization and down gradation since Independence.Bakha Dutt, who shot into international fame as perhaps India’s first real war correspondent during the Kargil conflict in 1998, has posed many uncomfortable questions to the PLU (People like us) brigade in her column ‘Know the unknown soldier’ in the Hindustan Times of April 19, 2008. We as a nation, says Barkha, have pushed our military into numerous duties that are not part of its job. Yet, she says “a monster called apathy is in serious danger of devouring the future of the Armed Forces”.Barkha also laments the fact that while Br
INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE: THE FUTURE IS GLAMRICKET 2008-04-23 10:33:00 BCCI’s billion dollar baby, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has kicked off in spectacular fashion, with a scintillating opening ceremony masterminded by the larger-than-life Vijay Mallya, owner of the Royal Challengers Bangalore team. The few matches already played have been exciting, both for some great batting and the generous sprinkling of tight “heavenly bodies” flown into India to gyrate to every boundary and six scored, and every wicket taken, with well rehearsed joy, even ecstasy! This new and exciting dimension of getting young white girls (Indians are fixated with the fair and lovely!), cheerleaders, as the Americans call them, to swing and sway to Indian numbers in the stadium was first added by the rival Indian Cricket League (ICL). That really helped draw crowds to watch
MOBILE TELEPHONY: UNSHACKLED INDIA ZIPS PAST US 2008-04-26 03:26:00 Sometime in March 2008, the ‘phone revolution’ that began in India in 1995 with the launch of commercial mobile telephone services, achieved a landmark that no one in India would have thought was possible. During the month, the total number of mobile phone subscribers in India exceeded those in the US, to make India the second largest mobile market in the world, next only to China.With a record addition of 10.16 million subscribers in March 2008, India had 261.1 million wireless subscribers as on March 31, against an estimated 257.9 million in the US. Just 12 years back, India had a zero base. Less than six years back, in December 2002, the total mobile subscribers were only 10.5 million; now almost that many are being added on a monthly basis!In 1991, economic reforms were initiated i
IRAN-PAK-INDIA PIPELINE: AN IMPENDING SECURITY DISASTER 2008-05-01 00:27:00 Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was in Delhi this week, said after meeting India's leaders that the proposed Iran-Pakistan-India Gas pipeline will soon be given a final shape by the three nations. Then, almost in the same breath, he admitted that there was a clear link between the deal to sell and send by ship 5 million tonnes of LNG to India and India's decision to vote against Iran at the IAEA governing board in November 2005. That seemingly innocuous statement gave a taste of things to come once India gets hooked to and dependent upon Iranian Gas which is to come in a pipeline flowing through Pakistan.Yet, India's Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon echoed the Iranian President's sentiments on the pipeline, saying that it was a good "doable" project which "has the potential t
STIFF LAW FOR DRUNKEN DRIVERS, NOT TERRORISTS 2008-05-02 02:08:00 A couple of news items during the week will confuse and confound those who watch India as it struggles to meet the challenges it faces as a nation in an increasingly hostile environment.India has once again been classified as one of the “world’s most terror-afflicted countries” by the US State Department in its annual report on terrorism. As per the report, 2,300 people were killed in India by terrorists in 2007, with terrorist activities, particularly of Islamic terrorist groups, targeting all parts of India. The report highlights once again the outdated and overburdened law enforcement and legal systems which are most ill equipped to tackle this menace which is growing bigger and more dangerous by the day.You would expect that this important report which serves to remind India of t
GRASP OF THE LICENCE PERMIT RAJ! 2008-05-04 00:45:00 Is this not an unbelievable photograph? A bike parked in, yes, 1985 in Kerala, India. It has stood there for an amazing 23 years. And has virtually been swallowed by the tree. The owner is still in Saudi Arabia!Somehow, the photograph which I received through email, reminds of what happened to the Indian economy during the socialism instigated, not inspired, Licence Permit Raj when Indian politicians and bureacrats, in a pincer movement quite like the one by the tree above, shackled, stalled, robbed and suffocated the Indian economy almost to death! That is what happens to both nations and individuals when they allow the control of their lives and destinies to pass into parasitic hands which use them unsparingly to pursue their own agendas!To some, of course, it will appear that the bike Read more:LICENCE
IPL: THE NEW HEAT OF ACCOUNTABILITY 2008-05-09 06:43:00 The Indian Premier League, so far hogging media space due to leggy cheerleaders and some blistering action on the field, is now in the news also for the first heat of accountability that has claimed the CEO of Bangalore Royal Challengers, Charu Sharma and almost did its coach, Venkatesh Prasad.As I had written in my previous post on the subject, given the financial stakes involved and the names of those who now own various IPL teams, matches so far have been, and are going to be, fiercely competitive. The other heartening change that the sacking of the aforementioned gentlemen has brought in is that from now on, the axe for poor performance will not fall on the players alone while the administrators laugh all the way to a number of banks, visible and hidden, no matter how teams fare.It may
THE REAL SP THAT RAHUL NEEDS 2008-05-09 00:55:00 The Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP) have, as was evident despite denials, rediscovered their similarities and compatibilities in Uttar Pradesh (UP). In the face of the triumphant march of the getting bigger and bigger elephant of Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), they have realised that they have little choice but to suffer and yet support each other to avoid getting trampled under the elephant’s massive feet.For the SP, this strategy makes great sense as it is likely to benefit from transfer of the admittedly miniscule vote bank of the Congress which will help it fill the gap between very narrow defeat and victory in a number of constituencies, enabling it to remain at least the second largest party in UP. For the Congress, on the other hand, the benefits do not appear to of
UNDERSEA: THE REAL PEACE PIPELINE 2008-05-12 03:35:00 There is manifestly more to the proposed Iran-Pakistan-India(IPI) Gas Pipeline than meets the eye. In my previous post, I had reiterated my argument that the pipeline would be a security disaster for India, as should have been clear to informed Indians who, despite the clear risk, have been more than active protagonists of the project.The Times of India of May 12, 2008 carries a very illuminating report about an undersea pipeline being considered to bring gas to India from the Gulf. This pipeline will start from a point in Oman and will terminate in Western India. The project, to be executed by an international consortium, will bring gas not just from Oman but other countries in the gas abundant Gulf region to the closest and biggest market for the commodity. It will thus become a relative
CORRUPT,COLONIAL INDIA FACES VOLCANO 2008-05-13 09:54:00 “I am quite sure that no new order can be built up in India so long as the spirit of the ICS pervades our administration and our public services...Therefore it seems essential that the ICS and similar services must disappear completely as such before we can start real work on a new order.” These are the ominously prophetic words of India’s first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, com
WAR ON TERROR: INDIA REMAINS PARALYSED 2008-05-15 10:06:00 It was on November 23, 2007 that a terrorist outfit calling itself the Indian Mujahideen first claimed responsibility for a series of blasts in various UP courts which claimed 15 lives. The same outfit now claims that it is behind the seven blasts that ripped through the heart of Jaipur, killing 62 innocent Indians on May 13, 2008. Getting bolder and bolder, the outfit has taunted the Indian stat
WHY TOUGH TERROR LAW WHEN ATTACKS DON'T STOP? 2008-05-19 04:09:00 If there is one unimaginably absurd question that can be asked while a nation struggles to develop a meaningful strategy to combat terrorism, it is: why have a tough terror law when terror attacks could not be prevented even when such a law was in force earlier?This question is actually not worth dignifying by discussion. But the problem is that it is not being asked by some illiterate, uninformed
CRICKET'S NEW POWER CENTRES PROMISE MUCH 2008-05-21 03:12:00 Move over ICC and BCCI. Your time of absolute power and control over cricket is over. Thank God for that.The inaugural Indian Premier League tournament is not just changing the way cricket is played and watched but is set to change the power structure of the game forever. The new owners of players and teams are beginning to demonstrate that they have not put in huge sums of money just to let the o
NOT HONOUR KILLING BUT MURDER OF HONOUR 2008-05-23 13:57:00 For the last one week, India has been gripped by a sensational double murder in NOIDA on the outskirts of Delhi. A 14 year old girl Arushi, the only child of dentist parents, and their 45 year old servant, Hemraj, were murdered under the most mysterious circumstances on May 15, 2008.For one week, the local police displayed their famed ineptitude in failing to follow even the very basic rules of i
CRICKET'S NEW POWER CENTRES PROMISE MUCH 2008-05-21 03:12:00 Move over ICC and BCCI. Your time of absolute power and control over cricket is over. Thank God for that.The inaugural Indian Premier League tournament is not just changing the way cricket is played and watched but is set to change the power structure of the game forever. The new owners of players and teams are beginning to demonstrate that they have not put in huge sums of money just to let the o
WHY TOUGH TERROR LAW WHEN ATTACKS DON'T STOP? 2008-05-19 04:09:00 If there is one unimaginably absurd question that can be asked while a nation struggles to develop a meaningful strategy to combat terrorism, it is: why have a tough terror law when terror attacks could not be prevented even when such a law was in force earlier?This question is actually not worth dignifying by discussion. But the problem is that it is not being asked by some illiterate, uninformed
WAR ON TERROR: INDIA REMAINS PARALYSED 2008-05-15 10:06:00 It was on November 23, 2007 that a terrorist outfit calling itself the Indian Mujahideen first claimed responsibility for a series of blasts in various UP courts which claimed 15 lives. The same outfit now claims that it is behind the seven blasts that ripped through the heart of Jaipur, killing 62 innocent Indians on May 13, 2008. Getting bolder and bolder, the outfit has taunted the Indian stat
CORRUPT, COLONIAL INDIA FACES VOLCANO 2008-05-13 09:54:00 “I am quite sure that no new order can be built up in India so long as the spirit of the ICS pervades our administration and our public services...Therefore it seems essential that the ICS and similar services must disappear completely as such before we can start real work on a new order.” These are the ominously prophetic words of India’s first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, com
UNDERSEA: THE REAL PEACE PIPELINE 2008-05-12 03:35:00 There is manifestly more to the proposed Iran-Pakistan-India(IPI) Gas Pipeline than meets the eye. In my previous post, I had reiterated my argument that the pipeline would be a security disaster for India, as should have been clear to informed Indians who, despite the clear risk, have been more than active protagonists of the project.The Times of India of May 12, 2008 carries a very illuminating
IPL: THE NEW HEAT OF ACCOUNTABILITY 2008-05-09 06:43:00 The Indian Premier League, so far hogging media space due to leggy cheerleaders and some blistering action on the field, is now in the news also for the first heat of accountability that has claimed the CEO of Bangalore Royal Challengers, Charu Sharma and almost did its coach, Venkatesh Prasad.As I had written in my previous post on the subject, given the financial stakes involved and the names of
THE REAL SP THAT RAHUL NEEDS 2008-05-09 00:55:00 The Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP) have, as was evident despite denials, rediscovered their similarities and compatibilities in Uttar Pradesh (UP). In the face of the triumphant march of the getting bigger and bigger elephant of Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), they have realised that they have little choice but to suffer and yet support each other to avoid getting trampled under the
GRASP OF THE LICENCE PERMIT RAJ! 2008-05-04 00:45:00 Is this not an unbelievable photograph? A bike parked in, yes, 1985 in Kerala, India. It has stood there for an amazing 23 years. And has virtually been swallowed by the tree. The owner is still in Saudi Arabia!Somehow, the photograph which I received through email, reminds of what happened to the Indian economy during the socialism instigated, not inspired, Licence Permit Raj when Indian politici Read more:LICENCE
STIFF LAW FOR DRUNKEN DRIVERS, NOT TERRORISTS 2008-05-02 02:08:00 A couple of news items during the week will confuse and confound those who watch India as it struggles to meet the challenges it faces as a nation in an increasingly hostile environment.India has once again been classified as one of the “world’s most terror-afflicted countries” by the US State Department in its annual report on terrorism. As per the report, 2,300 people were killed in India
IRAN-PAK-INDIA PIPELINE: AN IMPENDING SECURITY DISASTER 2008-05-01 00:27:00 Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was in Delhi this week, said after meeting India's leaders that the proposed Iran-Pakistan-India Gas pipeline will soon be given a final shape by the three nations. Then, almost in the same breath, he admitted that there was a clear link between the deal to sell and send by ship 5 million tonnes of LNG to India and India's decision to vote against Iran at
MOBILE TELEPHONY: UNSHACKLED INDIA ZIPS PAST US 2008-04-26 03:26:00 Sometime in March 2008, the ‘phone revolution’ that began in India in 1995 with the launch of commercial mobile telephone services, achieved a landmark that no one in India would have thought was possible. During the month, the total number of mobile phone subscribers in India exceeded those in the US, to make India the second largest mobile market in the world, next only to China.With a recor
INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE: THE FUTURE IS GLAMRICKET 2008-04-23 10:33:00 BCCI’s billion dollar baby, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has kicked off in spectacular fashion, with a scintillating opening ceremony masterminded by the larger-than-life Vijay Mallya, owner of the Royal Challengers Bangalore team. The few matches already played have been exciting, both for some great batting and the generous sprinkling of tight “heavenly bodies” flown into India to gyrat
REMEMBERING INDIA'S UNKNOWN SOLDIER 2008-04-19 02:38:00 It is rare to find an influential voice from “civil society” writing so soulfully about India’s forgotten and silent soldiers who have stoically stuck to their task despite their increasing marginalization and down gradation since Independence.Bakha Dutt, who shot into international fame as perhaps India’s first real war correspondent during the Kargil conflict in 1998, has posed many unco
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