- by SANJAY JHA The Sanjay Dud-Mayawati fracas over the "jhappi and pappi" stuff provided comic relief from the never-ending venom, vitriol , Varun and vehemence on constant display during this summer-time election. Almost everyone has had an EC warning, and the standard pretext has been the " context" in which the happening sentences have been gleefully uttered. Either way, what has been conspicuously missing in this election has been a sarcastic exchange laced with biting humor. For … [Read more...]
Reporting on Infrastructure
April 30, 2009 By 1 Comment
The BJP's recently released 'Infrastructure Vision' boldly alleges the UPA regime to have been a 'disaster' for the development of infrastructure. But let's move beyond the allegations to some serious number-crunching and fact-digesting. Like this: The UPA has invested at least 79% more on infrastructure than the NDA. Telecom density went up 23 percentage points under the UPA as against 6 percentage points under the NDA. Trace the graphs right here. … [Read more...]
Stable government will facilitate India investment
April 29, 2009 By Leave a Comment
- by guest contributor VARAD PANDE In an environment of uncertainty accompanying the General Elections, foreign investors are naturally keen to know what a new Government could hold for them, says Varad Pande, who takes a look at the possible outcomes of the election and the implications in store for global players. It is likely that at a broad level, there may not be major differences between the policy directions taken by a Congress Party-led or a BJP-led alliance. Some subtle … [Read more...]
Slowly, but surely, the wheels of justice grind on…
April 28, 2009 By Leave a Comment
- by RAJEEV GOWDA Retribution Though the mills of God grind slowly, Yet they grind exceeding small; Though with patience he stands waiting, With exactness grinds he all. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow The Supreme Court today ordered a probe into the role of Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat, his cabinet colleagues and senior bureaucrats and police officers in aiding and abetting the post-Godhra massacre at the Gulbarg Society compound. Along with many others, former … [Read more...]
Utopia Modi-fied
April 27, 2009 By 3 Comments
- by RAJEEV GOWDA Now that in Bangalore The electoral hurly burly’s done And it’ll take three weeks to figure Whether the battle’s lost or won I find myself Feeling philosophical* Specifically, my mind is drifting to a short story that I read many moons ago. It’s called “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas,” by the renowned science fiction writer, Ursula K. Le Guin (which won her the Hugo Award for short stories in 1974). Omelas is a town much like Utopia. Life is … [Read more...]
The Kandahar Effect
April 26, 2009 By Leave a Comment
- by SANJAY JHA It sounds like a surprising surrender half-way ( almost literally ) in the election sweepstakes by the once-vaunted LK Advani, and more importantly, by the usually burgeoning with scathing over-confidence , BJP. First, their usually reticent and much-calibrated intellectual Arun Shourie makes a “ private” disclosure---Narendra Modi for PM ( at an unidentified moment in the future). Then as if on a subtle nudge, the other Arun ( Jaitley) dutifully follows---Modi for PM. As … [Read more...]
Will he, won’t he, will he…
April 26, 2009 By Leave a Comment
No surprises here; just putting it on the record :) Rahul Gandhi has once again set at rest all speculation about his becoming Prime Minister. Speaking to reporters at Kolkata, he said he was not ready to be the PM. He listed two reasons for not accepting the PM post. "One is that I am working in the organisation of the Congress party which I think is fundamental for this country. I think it is very important for a strong, progressive, pro-poor youth organisation is developed in this … [Read more...]
Obituary of a Culture
April 26, 2009 By 1 Comment
Arun Shourie, seemingly reconciled to LK Advani never becoming Prime Minister, touts Narendra Modi as a replacement candidate. Arun Jaitley seconds the motion. It's time to recall what one of India's leading intellectuals, clinical psychologist and social scientist, Ashis Nandy, had to say after meeting Modi 17 years ago. Almost nothing reveals the decline and degeneration of Gujarati middle class culture more than its present Chief Minister, Narendra Modi. Not only has he shamelessly … [Read more...]
Party man or Economist?
April 26, 2009 By Leave a Comment
There is one brutally tough man in politics, but it is not Advani. This man is cold and emotionless when you observe him talk says Aakar Patel, contrasting a certain someone's dismal academic record, cliched writing as a journalist, poor understanding of India and incompetent foreign affairs record with the solid record of a certain other. Confused? Read on here for some dazzling clarity :) … [Read more...]
Five Big Questions for the BJP
April 25, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Beyond the rabble rousing and the rhetoric, there are still those big questions that every election throws up. We've put together five big questions for the BJP to answer here: Question 1: Will the BJP abolish the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGA) scheme that is providing employment to crores of poor households across the country, while generating tangible public assets? Question 2: Why is the BJP manifesto silent on the role of the public sector? Is it because it wants to … [Read more...]
