Indian Interests

[SwamyG]

Vina saar:
Very good posts. From the perspective of self-interest, India should value its ancient time honored and time tested traditions of its own flavor of liberalism - which is a healthy mix of 'rights' and 'duties' of institutions and individuals that evolves over time - progressive.

[ramana]

NVS writes that political parties should move away from divisive politics as they are becoming irrelevant.

Moving on

Moving on
Congress communal politics finds little traction with young Muslims, writes N.V.Subramanian.

25 January 2012: A generational change in attitudes has occurred amongst young voters that has entirely escaped the consideration of political parties. Just as they were surprised by the upsurge produced by Anna Hazare's anti-corruption movement, so they would be startled by how little Salman Rushdie and The Satanic Verses controversy means to the youth, particularly the Muslim youth.

Trapped in the Shah Bano/ Ramjanmabhoomi/ Babri Masjid/ Mandal mindsets, the political parties, as one, expressed no deeply-felt remorse at the banning of Salman Rushdie from the Jaipur Literary Festival. The BJP's expression of support for the celebrated British Indian writer was framed in politics. That even a video conference with Rushdie on Midnight's Children was anathema to the fanatics invited no opprobrium from politicians. On the other hand, when Sharad Pawar was slapped by a youth sick to the bone of corruption, all the parties moved to console the Maratha strongman.

Politics and its deviant shadow, competitive politics, have destroyed the soul of India.

All of this may have origins in the obscure past, but they took definable evil shape in the twilight years of the Rajiv Gandhi raj. Satanic Verses was banned by him, but it did not cease the decline of the Congress, which has ironically worsened in two terms of office of the UPA.

The Congress decline in the early 1990s spurted the rise of the BJP as a mainstream alternative. But both parties have found themselves in the iron grip of coalition politics. To shake free of it, the BJP resorted to more Hindutva with disastrous results (the hounding of M.F.Hussain was its tragic consequence), whilst the Congress deepened its enthusiastic embrace of Muslim communal politics.

Attempts of both mainstream parties to politicize religion have landed them in a worse morass in coalition politics. The smaller parties (especially of North India) who make up for much of the rest of coalition politics have found Hindutva to have limited appeal with the majority of Hindus. So they have turned to Muslim communal politics, in which they and the Congress are in venal competition, especially in a backward state like Uttar Pradesh.

The intelligence flowing from Uttar Pradesh, however, is heartening. Except for those who are too poor to afford anything other than a madrassa education, other Muslim youth, boys and particularly girls, are veering away from communal blandishments. The much-touted backward Muslim reservation is met with scorn and derision. The Babri Masjid demolition is a forgotten affair. Education, good jobs and development are the new priorities of young Muslims.
{The good news out of the mess.}

Upholding modernistic views, this post-Babri/ post-Mandal youth has come into a clash of ideas with the older generation. In this, young Muslim women lead. Whilst suffering for it, they are challenging mores that keep Muslims in backwardness. Terrified of this are Muslim middlemen who have gained power from and patronage of the political class by delivering the community as a votebank.

In Uttar Pradesh, no party can claim to have a Muslim votebank anymore.
{They are becoming a votebank for India instead of for some party /varty}

But encouraging as this is, political parties remain wedded to backwardness, dividing voters on the basis of caste and religion. Just as the political class was blind to the mass support for Anna's movement, so it refuses to accept the marked communal depoliticization (indeed detoxification) of voters.

The youth of India have an envious confidence that their elders lack. It extends to their faith, which they instinctively know no external power can challenge or repudiate. As they have come to terms with art that may sow seeds of doubt in them, so they are immune to the shenanigans of the political class.

If they like Rushdie, they will read him. Otherwise, they will simply close his book.

[Prem]

Khwab hai yeh ke koi hakikkat, please hum ko batlayo

Republic Day: Buck up if you want to be a global power

By 2020, it should have completed its primary foreign policy target - being a peaceful neighbour which helps other South Asian countries come out of the Saarc and integrate themselves into a more loosely defined entity. They would hitch their wagons to the Indian economy in such a way that they retain control of their destinies but become a part of India's globalization agenda. A difficult call for many countries, but a foreseeable vision. By the end of this decade, India, at its present growth rate, should also expect to get a seat in the Security Council and have chaired the IMF or the World Bank at least once. But what will be India's foreign policy priorities by 2020? China will remain its primary challenge. How both manage their economies and globalization projects will determine how the power equations stack up. India should break through its inertia on infrastructure development and achieve the necessary breakthroughs in high-end manufacturing, innovation and skills. India is poised to overtake China demographically by 2025, but the way it handles the thorny issues of education and skills development will determine whether it remains on top. China will be an ageing nation, as will Japan, Russia and Europe. So the real game of technology and innovation will be played between India and the US. To a great extent, this will be the driver for India's foreign policy - how it uses a skilled population to push into new markets. The threat from China is another one. It will use a weakened Pakistan to play spoiler with India. India's foreign policy priority will be to neutralize one of them.
Indo-US ties will only get deeper, making Atal Bihari Vajpayee's coinage of "natural allies" a reality.
The quest for natural resources will dominate a major part of foreign policy as India pushes into countries further afield to secure sources of energy, food, metals and minerals. India's outreach into Africa and Central Asia will deepen. By 2020, India , which is presently ramping up its navy, will have to take a leading role in securing the sea lanes from piracy, both in the Indian Ocean and further east towards the Straits of Malacca. India has set up a core group with Maldives and Sri Lanka, but will soon incorporate countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Seychelles, Mauritius and Oman.
If the US-Iran confrontation does not become a conflagration, Indian foreign policy will have to incorporate two new elements. Hitherto, the US has been the guarantor of security in the Middle East, based on its oil demands. That demand has peaked. Simultaneously, US and Canada have hugely increased oil production, reducing dependence on the Middle East. India, which will be dependent on this region for many years, will have to add more tools to its foreign policy kit to deal with it. India will have to deal with political Islam in the Middle East without sacrificing its secular credentials. As country after country from Tunisia to Egypt, overthrows old regimes and vote in Islamists, India will have to tread carefully, especially with 6m Indians working there.

[abhishek_sharma]

Views from The Right

Divide and rule

In a special Republic Day issue, RSS weekly Organiser launches a scathing attack on the UPA, saying that 65 years after Independence, it continues to perpetuate the policy of divide and rule, and providing benefits to small sections of society instead of following the principle of “Bahujan hitaya, bahujan sukhaya” (for the good of the larger majority).

“What else do we make of the persistent onslaught on Hindu interests and identities by a minority government, led by a non-elected, nominated prime minister, with all the major offices of the state and the ruling party reserved for individuals with [the] minority tag and [a] deliberate attempt to divide and subdivide and micro-divide the Hindu society in the name of caste, sub-caste, mini and minuscule castes for special state patronage”, asks the article. It adds, though, that India’s economy is thriving in spite of Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh being at the helm.

Panchjanya also has a similar editorial, where it marks the 63rd Republic Day by commenting on the failures of the Congress-led government on several fronts, including price rise and terrorism.

Junking UID

The Organiser also attacks the government over the Unique Identity scheme (Aadhar), raising the fear that the initiative may be scotched because of objections raised by the Planning Commission, the finance ministry, the standing committee of parliament, NGOs and Home Minister P. Chidambaram. “Is it that Sonia Gandhi does not want it? Because no other power in the UPA would have prompted such a massive opposition to a scheme launched with such fanfare. Perhaps an identity card might in many ways save the poor man from the crimes of the powerful as mentioned above,” it says, while referring to an article in The Economist that has praised the UID scheme.

Refugees at home

An article on the Reangs of Manipur by Ram Madhav, national executive member of the RSS, claims that the tribal community has been facing religious persecution in their own state just like Kashmiri Pandits did in Jammu & Kashmir. Also known as the Bru community, they are the only non-Christian tribe in the region, who, having resisted conversion in the Christian-dominated region, are now having to pay a price for it, claims the article. “It is 14 years since they had become refugees in their own land. Escaping from the marauders, thousands of Reangs fled into the neighbouring state of Tripura. For the last 14 years they have been living there in seven different relief camps. A total population of nearly 35,000, these Reang refugees today lead a pathetic life,” Madhav says, adding that whatever help they are getting is only from the Tripura state administration and organisations like the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram.

Charging the Central government for showing very little interest in lessening their plight, Madhav demands a proper repatriation and resettlement plan for them. “Talks for drafting this plan should be held in a free and fair manner. So far, the tripartite talks between the Mizoram government, the Central government and the Reang leaders used to take place in Aizawl only. In an intimidating atmosphere in Aizawl, the Reangs fear that they can’t get justice. The talks should take place in Agartala or Guwahati so that there can be free and frank discussion,” the article says. “The political rights of the Reangs need to be safeguarded in any such agreement failing which the entire community would lose its identity,” it adds.

Guarding J&K

ANOTHER article in Panchjanya says that it is a challenge for India to foil foreign conspiracies over Jammu and Kashmir. It is important to defeat the falsehood spread by extremists and anti-nationals and understand the real picture regarding J&K, especially, it says, when Pakistan has always tried to keep the issue alive at the international level. As part of its strategy, Pakistan has also depended on the United States and the West to ensure that the focus does not get diverted from Jammu & Kashmir. However, in the light of changes in the international situation and the ensuing faceoff between the West and Islamic countries, Pakistan has been compelled to turn towards China in its J&K project, the article claims. “Unfortunately for India, it continues to stand at the very crossroads where it stood when Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru left it because of his shortsightedness,” Panchjanya says.

[Hari Seldon]

Re Vina saar's passionately moving defence of fundamental rights to free expression etc, who couldn't be moved, eh?

Though, also, like someone else pointed out, that passion and move were all missing when it came to the right of few heartlanders wanting to hoist the national tricolor in Srinagar., Then Vina saar was on and on all about how offensive it would be to SF free-thinkers if EJs attempted to march in SF denouncing homosexuality. But hey, the defence of free speech in the shining west argument isn't dented a whit, despite the cognizance of such common-sensically obvious offensiveness to SF gays.

Aah, bundle of contradictions only. Bottomline - Vina saar's high horse ain't so high and mighty as he would like to believe. differential standards hit way closer home only.

[JwalaMukhi]

The scoop about Jaipur Fest is that: one of the key organisers is kapil sibal's son. Any truth to that? Rushdie fiasco makes all the more sense, if true.

[ramana]

Jhujar, Some of us are working on India 2020, 2050 and 2100 plans. Will update as it progresses.

[Prem]

Jhujar, Some of us are working on India 2020, 2050 and 2100 plans. Will update as it progresses.

Fun will start once India get "2020 vision" realized. Here is another move.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... 26882.html
India's Unfinished Asia Pivot
Despite looking east for two decades, New Delhi has still not shown Asia its mettle for leadership.

Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra may not be the most obvious choice for the chief guest at India's Republic Day parade today, but she is the latest in a string of Asian leaders to be cultivated in this manner. India uses the selection of the chief guest as a diplomatic signal that a particular country is of growing importance to the nation. Following the consecutive selection of the presidents of Indonesia and South Korea, this year's choice is a welcome sign of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's intent to make his East and Southeast Asian neighbors his country's foreign-policy priorities. India's Look East Policy, initiated more than two decades ago to connect with the dynamic economies of the Asia-Pacific, has made at best fitful progress. On the plus side, free trade agreements with Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia, Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) now provide substantive economic linkages at a time when traditional markets in Europe and the U.S. appear mired in economic stagnation.The audience for India's eastward focus is suddenly very receptive, given Beijing's increasingly belligerent approach in the South China Sea. With China having apparently abandoned its "peaceful rise" rhetoric, as well as the uncertainty surrounding the U.S. commitment to Asia, India is increasingly seen, in the words of Singaporean Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, as "a useful balance to China's heft." India shares with many in the region concerns about maintaining the free flow of maritime trade across the vital sea lanes of the South China Sea. With more than half of India's trade passing through the Straits of Malacca, New Delhi has been increasingly firm about the need to safeguard its own national interests, carrying out naval maneuvers and marine exploration even in the face of Chinese objections.The challenge for New Delhi now is to use its economic and strategic strengths to lead in major regional affairs. Look East has succeeded in so far as institutionalizing India's engagement with the Asia-Pacific and bolstering New Delhi's claim to be a regional actor of consequence. But otherwise, this vaunted policy has failed to achieve its full potential.India also needs to be more assertive in pushing economic integration with Asean, leaning on its strategic partners to help push forward the stagnant negotiations for a free-trade agreement on services. Executing a coherent long-term strategy toward the Asia-Pacific, however, will at least require better coordination among various branches of the Indian government. And as it articulates a leadership vision for the region, India would be wise to heed U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's injunction to not just "look east" but to "engage and act east as well."

[SwamyG]

India still has to crystallize a vision and create dreams in its citizens. One just cannot amble into a strategic position and hope for the best. India needs the zeal to reach the position and have the temerity to hold on to the position. It means first knowing what it is (self-realization) and then acting towards a vision that utilizes its strengths and shores up its weaknesses.

[ramana]

Jhujar, The TOI article is linear thinking on Western pattern. India will not act like that in a hegemonistic manner. Its not in Indian interests do so. Interesting that the writer despite being in the "in-crowd" still doesnt get it.

About the WSJ article one of these days they will rename themselves as Dalal Street Journal. Then we can take their articles seriously. Right now its all "shaping the future" type drivel.

Incidentally the writer is famous for his Cold Start hype in US.


* Dalal Street in Mumbai is where the stock exchange is located.

[svinayak]

India still has to crystallize a vision and create dreams in its citizens. One just cannot amble into a strategic position and hope for the best. India needs the zeal to reach the position and have the temerity to hold on to the position. It means first knowing what it is (self-realization) and then acting towards a vision that utilizes its strengths and shores up its weaknesses.

They want India to articulate it so that in a covert manner they can sabotage it. That is the whole purpose of these kind of sanctimonious article. Dont fall for that trap.

They want a covert way to box in India only in the region with Indian elite who are unable to comprehend.
They want a covert alliance of nations to stop the expansion of India including its cultural influence. This is shown by promoting Pakistan and its ideology.

[vina]

Edited. My Mistake. ramana.

Rushdie's family name is/was Butt/Bhat. His father/grandfather (dont remember which) changed the family name to derivative of that of a famous middle ages Perisan rationalist (dont remember which.. ). It was not ibn-Rushd who was Andalusian and Sunni.

The main influence (culturally) in Kashmir was Persian influence (due to long years of Afghan rule) and Kashmir was largely in the Persian "sphere" (and that was part of the reason why a lot of Kashmiri Hindus too moved down to the plains during mughal rule when the court language was Persian and they were among the "locals" who knew persian. including ancestors of Nehru. sort of like english speakers getting a leg up in the British bureaucracy). Rusdhie's sensibilities, influence and basic instincts are towards the "high persian culture" Islam (the islam of art, literature,music, rational inquiry) and not the mind numbed and de-sensitized and austere and joyless Arabized Islam that the Saudi petro dollars exported to the world today .

[Sanku]

Also one has to understand where he is coming from. Rushdie claims to be a descendant of Ibn Rushde, the famous Arabic scholar who reconciled all those variations in doctrine.

The main influence (culturally) in Kashmir was Persian influence (due to long years of Afghan rule) and Kashmir was largely in the Persian "sphere"

Dear Saar, I strongly advocate knowledge as a replacement to opinion.

[SwamyG]

India still has to crystallize a vision and create dreams in its citizens. One just cannot amble into a strategic position and hope for the best. India needs the zeal to reach the position and have the temerity to hold on to the position. It means first knowing what it is (self-realization) and then acting towards a vision that utilizes its strengths and shores up its weaknesses.

They want India to articulate it so that in a covert manner they can sabotage it. That is the whole purpose of these kind of sanctimonious article. Dont fall for that trap.

They want a covert way to box in India only in the region with Indian elite who are unable to comprehend.
They want a covert alliance of nations to stop the expansion of India including its cultural influence. This is shown by promoting Pakistan and its ideology.

Who is 'they' ? And I am not sure what trap I am following or the article in question. I have not read the article you are refering.

I am just talking about something common that holds good for an individual, a family, a society or a country. Does India want to be a boat without a destination and oars and meander under the whims and fancies of winds and waves, or does India want destination and oars to at least attempt to go where it wants with its own charter? I prefer the latter. Our Kingdoms rested on Dharma, granted Kings and subjects went against Dharma. However, when you consider us as a cvilization spanning millenia, we are people who went on the path of dharma. We used those as oars to navigate the troubled waters. And the destination was valid only if it could be reached through the means of Dharma.

If the Constitution has replaced that Dharma, then I am afraid the Constituion could use some amendments, reforms and improvement.

[svinayak]

Who is 'they' ? And I am not sure what trap I am following or the article in question. I have not read the article you are refering.

Who owns the media which published that article are the 'they'. It is the Anglo American power which is creating the architecture of the Asian security and they want it in their way for their interest. Asian countries if given a chance want their way of security and cooperation.

[Prem]

We have been in turmoil for almost a millenia fighting for survival , accomodating and compromising on many fronts. Only when things settle a bit we can dream of vision to infulence others. Economic and military recovery are the pre-requisite before we actually venture out and stake claim .I think , Not the old but current and future generations will decide about the future vision of desh. Old generation has/had good survival skill now we need fresh blood to move up another notch. It have been only 65 year since the Britishlamist loot combo got neutralized. This decade is the decade of destiny of both Dharma and Dushmani.

[ramana]

Former Judge Katju asks for

Bharat Ratna for Mirza Ghalib, Subramani Bharati and Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyaya


Lost in the arguments is that these people died way before India became independent in 1947.

[RamaY]

I think that is fine. As they go back in time they will find more Bharatiyas and bharatiya roots.

On second thought then we will end up with 33 crore Bharata Ratnas

[Prem]

I think that is fine. As they go back in time they will find more Bharatiyas and bharatiya roots.

On second thought then we will end up with 33 crore Bharata Ratnas

Well, We can award each other Bharat Rakshana Medal!!

[devesh]

RamaY ji, welcome back!

[RajeshA]

RamaY ji vanvaas se vaapas aa gaye!

Wecome back!

[RamaY]

Thank you saars!

Republic Day clemency program

[RamaY]

I think that is fine. As they go back in time they will find more Bharatiyas and bharatiya roots.

On second thought then we will end up with 33 crore Bharata Ratnas

Well, We can award each other Bharat Rakshana Medal!!

Yes sir! I am already 1/16th (kR^itaj~naH) Rama:) Trying to achieve at least one more qualification in this life.

1. guNavaan
2. viiryavaan
3. dharmaj~naH
4. kR^itaj~naH
5. satya vaakyo
6. dhR^iDha vrataH
7. yuk{}taH
8. sa.rva bhUteSu hitaH
9. vidvaan
10. samarthaH
11. priya darshanaH
12. aatmavaan
13. jita krodho
14. dyutimaan
15. anasuuyakaH |
16. bibhyati devaaH ca jaata roSasya

[Prem]

A train that connects all Indians
http://www.economist.com/blogs/banyan/2 ... fsrc=gn_ep

AUDIO FILE

[Prem]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carl-pope ... 42607.html
Asia's Carbon Noose: Part Two

Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India -- If, as I pointed out in my first posting on this subject, stories about the prices of coal for electricity get buried in the press in both India and the U.S., stories about gasoline or diesel prices get top billing. It's quite simple -- voters buy gasoline and diesel, only a few companies buy coal. And imported oil is a much bigger economic threat to Asian economies like India's than coal has been to date -- because they are far less well endowed with liquid fuels than the dirty hard stuff in the ground.But at least in India there is a robust debate about what to do about the oil problem.
India is also proving more nimble than the U.S. in dealing with energy efficiency issues as well. While the U.S. gets bogged down in debates about the use of consumer ratings vs. mandatory standards to encourage more efficient appliances, for example, India has cleverly combined them. Appliances are rated by energy efficiency, given 1-5 stars. Periodically, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency raises the standards, so that appliances which previously qualified for 1 star can no longer be sold, and to earn the same star rating, every appliance must perform better. Since companies know, well in advance, what the next round of standards will be (it simply eliminates the lowest category from the market) they can plan. And innovators know that they will have a period during which they can sell highly efficient appliances to early adaptors, but eventually the market will have to meet their performance, so investors in new products have certainty as well. Major customers, who drive the market, don't typically buy the lowest rated product, because they are concerned about service and support for it in the future.

But these adaptive responses operate best in arenas where Asia has known for a long time that innovation was essential. The reality that coal is no longer going to be cheap is just a paradigm shift for this region that it simply doesn't, yet, know how to adapt. The latest demonstration comes from Bangladesh. The country is even more hydrocarbon poor than India. It recently decided to build a series of coal fired power plants to meet its electricity needs, but controversy has amounted over the simple question, "Where does the coal come from? And what does it cost

[svinayak]

Same thing can be said about China. Imported Oil is vulnerable for China.

[Anurag]

‘Sunni Wahhabi’ Saudi oil for ‘Shia’ Iran oil? No thanks!

http://www.firstpost.com/world/sunni-wa ... 00415.html

In 2006, soon after Pranab Mukherjee took over as External Affairs Minister, US diplomats drew up a bio-profile of him, which they sent to Washington in a diplomatic cable that, thanks to the exertions of WikiLeaks, has made it into the public domain.

The cable ended with the observation that Mukherjee is “soft-spoken and articulate, but speaks English with a heavy Bengali accent that can be difficult for Americans to understand.”

Pranab-da’s Bengali accent is still firmly in place after all these years, but it’s a fair bet that on Tuesday, when he articulated India’s rejection of pressure from the Barack Obama administration to abide by US sanctions on Iran and cut back on oil imports from Teheran, the Americans understood him loud and clear.

Concerned about energy security. Reuters

“It is not possible,” Mukherjee said, “for India to take any decision to reduce imports from Iran drastically.” Iran, he added, was an important country among those that can meet the energy requirement of emerging economies.

The fact that Mukherjee said this while on a visit to the US doubtless amplified his message for US policymakers.

The dilemma that confronts India is this: oil imports from Iran account for 12 percent of India’s needs, and as the US and the European Union escalate the pressure on Iran to abandon its nuclear energy programme, they are tightening the screw of sanctions on Iran. And India is turning out to be ‘collateral damage’ in this conflict.

Yet, India’s reluctance to sign on for sanctions against Iran is driven not just by its energy dependence on that country. When it comes right down to it, although India has voted against Iran on UN resolutions requiring it to make its nuclear programme transparent, it does not share the West’s paranoia of a nuclear Iran.

Pious baloney about the ‘civilizational links’ between India and Iran, which are frequently cited as a tie that binds the two countries, has nothing to do with it. Nor is India’s Shia Muslim population a factor in pushing for closer affinity with Iran, although that spin finds great resonance in the media.

India’s calculations are rooted rather more in the real world of cold-blooded strategic calculations. For one, India and Iran share a common interest in Afghanistan: they are wary of a return to power of the Taliban, the prospects of which have been enhanced by the recent peace talks initiative with the US. Iran even provides India land access to Afghanistan and to Central Asia: India in turn has helped to upgrade Iranian infrastructure, without forming any strategic alliance that would bind it to a regime that, from all accounts, doesn’t shrink from nuclear brinkmanship.

If India’s strategic interests don’t count for much with the West – to the point where they are pushing for India to abide by the sanctions regime – India too does not, in turn, share the West’s paranoia.

For India, which has been living next-door to a country with a jihadi-indoctrinated military that spawns terrorists as ‘strategic assets’ and frequently sends them over to extract a blood price, the prospect of a nuclear Iran somehow doesn’t sound so chilling. And the West wasn’t exactly overly sympathetic to India’s concerns about the nuclearisation and the jihad-isation of Pakistan – until the poisonous fruits of that jihadi adventurism hit them hard.

In return for Indian abidance by the sanctions against Iran, the West says it is willing to help India secure supplies from Saudi Arabia.

Get this: the West wants India to give up its strategic interests and foreclose a key source of ‘Shia oil’ from Iran – and instead source ‘Sunni Wahhabi’ oil from Saudi Arabia, which has done more than most other countries to spread the Wahhabi poison in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. No, thank you.

If anything, India is uniquely placed to leverage this crisis to its advantage. Given Iran’s desperation, since the sanctions are beginning to bite, Iran is willing to offer oil at a discount to market price and accept Indian rupees from its second largest customer (after China). We should milk this opportunity for what it’s worth.

Sure, India may have to live with Western name-and-shame efforts to make it feel out of step with the world on this issue, but if there ever was an occasion on which to stand firm to defend your strategic interests, it is this.

It’s a thin diplomatic line, but sometimes you have to walk the talk – and convey the message, even if it’s in a heavy Bengali accent.

[RamaY]

Karna is overly glorified in modern India by the leftist historians to show Bharatiya culture in negative colors. Karna is one of the key characters in Mahabharata that demands a sympathetic review from the reader. Karna demands the sympathetic review due to the origins and circumstance of his birth, his bravery in war, his daana-vrata (owe to never say ‘no’ to a begging hand), his unflinching loyalty to his friend and king, and his unwillingness to compromise on his loyalty even at the greatest odds (access to the entire kingdom, Draupadi and stopping a war of civilizational proportion). In spite of all these rare characteristics of Karna, the epic Mahabharata puts him in the club of “Dushta Chatustayam” (gang of four villians). How is it so?

In order to understand this dichotomy, we need to understand the core values of Mahabharata (Greater Bharat/India) and how Karna stands separate from it. At the core of Mahabharata stands the Sanatana (eternal) Dharmic system of Bharatiya society. Karna consciously chose to stand on the wrong side of this Sanatana Dharma as he couldn’t understand and appreciate the subtle balance between means and goals of this dharmic system.

Starting from his formative years, Karna’s emphasis always was on proving his power and being recognized as the most powerful archer. He joined Drona’s gurukula along with Pandavas, Kauravas and many other princes. His competition with Arjuna started here and it led him to Duryodhana’s camp. His ultimate goal is to defeat Arjuna and remain the most power warrior on earth. In this process he didn’t mind approaching his gurus thru deception (lies to Parasurama that he was a Brahmin).

Karna thought only might is important as we can see in his fascination with defeating Arjuna and be called the greatest warrior in the world. But what Karna missed in that obsession was that Arjuna's real power stemmed from his Dharmic behavior and most importantly Krishna's Dharmic guidance and not his Astras or Sastras.

Karna also failed to understand the subtler aspects of Dharma. That is why he thought it is always someone else's fault when they followed their "swa-dharma"; be it Drona or Parasurama or Bhisma etc., That is why he even resorted to deception w.r.t Parasurama to get new Astras - which he thought are the more important than Satya-Vrata. Same goes with all his saapa (curses) - he always tried to implement his world-view (even if it meant Daana) thru (sic) brute force, which we can see in the episode where he tries to squeeze spilled ghee out of earth.

The key point is what is the purpose of all this might the Karna is behind? Karna thought might alone is Supreme. We don't know if he wanted to usher Dharma after he brought entire world under his rule or not.

Karna's world view did not care about the natural balance and social etiquette. It didn't care for the human rights of Pandavas, Draupadi etc and they were branded enemies of the state (from his PoV). Yet he was portrayed as the down trodden - can he remain a low caste even after getting coronated as Anga raja?

Even with all his deviation from Dharmic path, there is the gap between Karna’s claims and capabilities. When he went out to capture Drupada for Drona, he got so beaten up by Drupada that he flees the battlefield. Following are few excerpts from Aranya parva (meaning Pandavas were in the forests)

• VYASA STOPS THE CRUEL PLANS OF KARNA, DURYODHANA AND OTHERS TO MURDER PANDAVAS WHEN THEY ARE IN WOODS
• KARNA INSTIGATES DURYODHANA TO DISPLAY HIS MATERIAL SPLENDOUR IN FRONT OF PANDAVAS TO DERIVE FASCIST PLEASURE
• KARNA AND SHAKUNI DESIGN PRETEXT OF CATTLE INSPECTION TO GET APPROVAL OF DRUTARASTRA
• DURYODHANA ATTACKS GANDARVAS; UNDER THE ILLUSION OF CHITRASENA KARNA IS DEFEATED AND FLEES THE BATTLEFIELD
• DURYODHANA DECIDES TO END HIS LIFE BY FASTING; KARNA DE-GLORIFIES ACTS OF YUDHISTHIRA STATING THEY WERE DOING THE DUTIES OF ORDINARY CITIZENS, WHICH IS TO PROTECT THEIR KING
• KARNA’S DECEPTIVE WAYS TO CONVICE DURYODHANA THAT PANDAVAS HAVE INDEED DONE THEIR DUTY; IDEALLY THEY MUST HAVE JOINED HIS ARMY EVEN BEFORE
• DURYODHANA RETURNS TO HASTINAPURA. KARNA SETS OUT ON A EXCURSION TO GATHER SUPPORT
• NORTH, SOUNT, EAST AND WESTERN REAGIONS CONQUERED BY KARNA. DRITARASTRA STARTS OVERESTIMATING THE STREANGTH OF KARNA
• DURYODHANA COMPLETES THE PLOUGH SACRIFICE; STARTS THINKING OF HOW TO KILL PANDAVAS TO PERFORM RAJASUYA SACRIFICE; KARNA OWES TO KILL ARJUNA

Karna’s philosophy has modern connotations too. A modern example of Karna’s mindset is the modern definition of progress - People argue that isn’t it what made the west successful and powerful? How does it matter if PRC is communist rule as long as the HDIs are moving up? We also see similar thought process within India - the dynasty brings stable and "peaceful" govt in india; others cannot.

The end result of this governance system would be complete collapse of natural social and echo systems. Remember, the rules of Ravana, Tripurasura etc, were very peaceful and wealthy but the dikpalakas (natural balance) were harassed. At the end the natural forces will have to correct themselves as it the system became "unsustainable".

That is why I ask people a question – why didn’t pre-independence India convert to Islam to stop partition?

In a geopolitical environment related to Bharat, Unkil is Duryodhana, Aunty Sakuni, TSPA Dussasana and PRC Karna. Kunti is Bharatamata, Dharmaraja is GoI, Bhima its military, Arjuna is its MIC, Nakula and Sahadeva are the Agri and commerce sectors. Bharatiya Sanatana Dharma is Sri Krishna. Modern Pandavas will not be able to achieve their glory until they find Sri Krishna (or Sri Krishna finds them).

[abhishek_sharma]

Views From the Right

EC does it

The RSS has come down heavily on the election commission, calling it a “choreographer” of elections, rather than a facilitator. Taking a dim view of the EC’s decisions, including the lengthy schedule of polling in five states, the order to cover elephant statues and the spat over reservations for minorities, the RSS weekly Organiser has suggested in an editorial that the EC is transgressing into areas where it does not belong, and is “micromanaging ideological debates”.

“It has become the arbitrator, to decide what is secular and what is communal, what is right and wrong. It has drawn the political lines beyond which the parties cannot cross,” the Organiser says. “Instead of the traditional behind-the-curtain role it used to play, the EC is increasingly coming to dominate the scene, wielding a stick to rap the knuckles of political parties,” it adds.

Expressing unhappiness with the decision to hold elections in Uttarakhand when half the state has snowed, and for making Manipur wait nearly 40 days for the result, the Organiser says the EC, in this age of technology and speed, is taking longer to hold elections than the manual process.

The decision to cover statues of elephants at a considerable cost was questionable, it says, and points fingers at Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Qureshi’s open spat with UP Chief Minister Mayawati, when he said that she should think before she talked. It has also questioned the ban on opinion polls without any broad-based and informed debate on the issue with political parties and the media. “Electoral reforms are a serious issue. These are not something that the EC can order and achieve. It should involve the political parties and citizens. One of the first requirements of this is to increase the voting percentage and participation,” the editorial says. It says that in most seats today, the winner gets less than 50 per cent of the votes, sometimes as low as 20 per cent, meaning his or her victory is not the decision of the majority of the voters but that he or she is the only first one to go past the post. “This system needs to be rectified” it says.

Communalism combat

An article by Ram Madhav in the Organiser says that the communal violence bill drafted by the UPA government will bring back “Jinnahism”, the majority-versus-minority scare that Jinnah raked up to create Pakistan. Claiming that the premise of the draft bill — that the majority community, the Hindus, are the perpetrators of communal violence and the minorities are always the victims — is fundamentally wrong, Madhav contends that what is needed is non-discriminatory and universal laws to tackle communal violence. He says that communal strife arises from the “unabashed minority politics of sections of the political establishment”. “This communal politics with an eye on votebanks have not benefited anybody; certainly not the minority community. They only helped politicians climb up the rungs using the minorities as votebanks. The communities remained poor and backward, illiterate and unemployed, and as a result, easy prey to divisive and terrorist forces,” he says.

Money and muscle

The Panchjanya, in its editorial, has highlighted the money and muscle power in elections, after the chief election commissioner observed that elections are the biggest source of corruption.

Saying that this money and muscle power has increased significantly over the years, the Panchjanya says that the EC is helpless and that political parties have not shown any interest in tackling the issue. Today, in Parliament as well as in most legislative assemblies, over a third of the members are either “history sheeters” or millionaires. When legislators ask questions for money, it only exposes the standards in our Parliament, the editorial says, adding that the involvement of ministers in multi-crore scams has virtually become a political trend.

Clean and well-meaning persons are getting pushed out of the democratic process, as politics is taken over by criminals and the moneyed, it says. Some parties have even been charged with selling party tickets for crores, and the EC has become a silent spectator as political parties competitively induct tainted leaders, says the editorial

Compiled by Swaraj Thapa

[Aditya_V]

The scoop about Jaipur Fest is that: one of the key organisers is kapil sibal's son. Any truth to that? Rushdie fiasco makes all the more sense, if true.

Didn't he come on TV many times of programmes of Sagirka Ghose & Co. and defending the freedom of expression rights of MF Hussain? The more I look it the Hypocracy in India's ruling elite the more it stuns me.

MF Husain in the Indian Circus | By his lawyer, Akhil Sibal

Legally speaking

Akhil Sibal didn’t want to be a lawyer, but reckons that he couldn’t fight his genes.

Thats the Caste system is it not.

Absence of Salman Rusdie weighs heavily on Jaipur Litreray festival

So a personal who is a key minister son defends MF Hussain and helps cancel Salman Rusdie's presence at Jaipur Litrery fest. I think its time to call a spade a spade. INC is against the Hindu religion.

If this isnt Hypocracy what else is?

[ManuT]

moving this to epics thread. too.

[RamaY]

Deleted per Viv's request. Continued in Epics thread...

[ManuT]

Sir, it has been a while, hence I asked.

I am asking only this as a favour, as I would have thought that Duryodhan meets Karna for the first time when he takes his side in the argument and crowns him king of anga, so that Karna can challenge Arjun in front of hastinapur.

Do you imply Karna goes to Parshuram after that.

Little confused.

[ramana]

Can we please take these discussions to the Epics thread?

Thanks, ramana

[Yayavar]

RamaY: I request you to delete the cross post here since then you should post my response to your exposition . Let it be discussed on the Epic's thread as suggested by Ramana.

[ManuT]

RamaY ji

moving my query to the epics thread.
Thanks

[nawabs]

An article related to the case against Google,Facebook and others in Delhi HC
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/ar ... epage=true

With ‘paid news' and other ills making the media vulnerable to state and corporate control, social networking sites are a countervailing force for ordinary citizens. Hence, the drive to regulate them.

Recently, the Telecom Minister was attacked by a large number of netizens for his move to screen content on social networking sites. Some bloggers called this drive idiotic. The characterisation seemed harmless till a little reflection brought The Idiot of Dostoyevsky to mind, and I felt crediting a Minister with a trusting nature as in that story might be good for our social imagination but not grounded in any evidence.

The shifting sands of his reasons for objecting to certain matter carried on social media are interesting. Apparently, he(Sibal) first found a page maligning Sonia Gandhi and told Facebook officials on September 5, 2011 this was unacceptable. He then wrote a letter and held meetings with Google and Facebook. In an interview on NDTV in November, he said he objected to ***** images. Then there was a mention in newspapers that at a press conference on December 5 he was worried about things that hurt religious sentiments.

Some of us are often disturbed by the politicisation or corruption of individual personality by journalism. I remember as a ten-year-old boy, my father asked me to read The Statesman first thing in the morning to improve my English and my grandmother took me aside to advise that I start my day with thoughts about Ishwar instead of reading reports about rape and murder. Philosophers have commented that journalists make people doubly ridiculous — first by making them feel they must necessarily have an opinion on every matter and then by renting them their opinion as an object of necessity they can flaunt around. We may not agree with the first, but the second point, about the role of journalists as purveyors of public opinion is of great relevance in the present context because the internet enables the world to break through the filter of journalism and reach individuals directly.

The internet has been described as the network of networks. Through social networking, it helps isolated individuals constitute themselves as a group or a ‘public'. By playing the role of intermediation, it has helped all trades and professions expand their working communities and given us a practical source of two-way communication with the capability for everyone to hear both sides of the story. It has had a great democratising impact the world over.

In the context of the scourge of ‘paid journalism' as a means of state and corporate control of media, social networking sites are a countervailing force. Google's Transparency Report says 70 per cent of what was objected to by government agencies in 2011 related to political criticism. Only an insignificant number of items, just eight out of 352, could be termed hate speech. The Minister is obviously worried about social networking sites because he cannot control them to his advantage. How is he to regain control?

To gauge this, the sequence in his reactions to what he saw, or was caused to see, is important. He first encountered something denigrating Sonia Gandhi and colloquially cried “blasphemy”; next, he objected to extreme ***** and finally he referred to things hurtful to religious sentiments. He can well cry blasphemy even though India does not have a state religion, because blasphemy laws exist in several European countries and the U.N. too has some resolutions against defamation of religions.

Blasphemy was a canon law offence in the U.K. till the 17th century when it was made an offence against common law. When BBC staged “Jerry Springer – the Opera” in 2005 and thousands of Christians objected to scenes set in hell with Jesus and Satan, the High Court said the Theatres Act, 1968 of the U.K. prevented any prosecution for blasphemy in relation to public performances of plays. Besides, the Broadcasting Act, 1990 did not allow for any prosecution in relation to broadcasts. Blasphemy as an offence was abolished in the U.K. by the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act, 2008. However, the same Act introduced new offences described as ‘possession of extreme ***** images' (Sec. 63) and ‘publication of obscene article' (Sec. 71). Hate crime could be tied to these to make a case for ‘reasonable' restriction of freedom of speech and expression.

Like people in the U.K. till 2008, we in India also happen to be very sensitive to anything irreverent about any religion. Despite this common perception of our national character, both while framing the Indian Constitution as well as when working it, Rajendra Prasad and B.R. Ambedkar staunchly defended the freedom of expression. After the famous Crossroads case, when Nehru tried to broaden the scope of restrictions to freedom of expression and framed the First Amendment, they succeeded in persuading him to allow the word ‘reasonable' qualifying the word restriction in Article 19 (2) to remain unchanged. This was due to their understanding that the Constitution is the vehicle of a nation's progress. The Press (Objectionable Matter) Act, 1951, based on the First Amendment, was itself repealed in 1957.

More recently, in 2004, the Delhi High Court dismissed the complaints against M.F. Hussain of promoting enmity between different groups. Despite this, a case was registered in Mumbai in February 2006 against the painter for “hurting sentiments of people” by painting Hindu goddesses not as deities but visual stimuli, which forced him to live and die in exile. Even during the otherwise repressive British Raj, though Sarat Chandra's novel Pather Dabi was banned, he walked around as a free man. The failures of government to provide equal protection of the law under Article 21 of the Constitution to Hussain the painter and, more recently, to Salman Rushdie the writer, are both reprehensible.

Similar law-ways appear to have been deployed in the present case as well, with a private civil suit being filed by one Vinay Rai in a District Court of Rohini in Delhi which passed an ex-parte order asking 22 networking sites to remove certain content because they amount to “defamation and derogation against the sentiments of every community” and might “hurt religious sentiments”. The order did not spell out whether it is ***** images/obscenity/hate speech that is being objected to or something blasphemous. Apparently, on another petition filed by the founder of a website FatwaOnline.org, a civil judge issued summons to Facebook and Google India, who sought relief from the Delhi High Court.

The decision of the government to sanction prosecution of the companies for offences against the state (as required by Section 196 of the Code of Criminal Procedure) is baffling. No “deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings or any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs” (Sec. 295-A of IPC) or “promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony” (Sec. 153 of IPC) on the part of the companies summoned appeared to be in evidence. At the hearing by the Delhi High Court on January 16, 2012, the court apparently appreciated the fact that it is not the companies themselves but third-party miscreants who may be responsible, but sought a way for the companies to screen such objectionable material. The companies incorporated in India pleaded the technical impossibility for them to screen content posted on websites by millions of internet users.

The law on the matter is yet to be settled. To begin with, we in India still have an IT Act geared more to trade and commerce and not comprehensively cast to deal with social issues of the kind that have been highlighted by this case. Any attempt to do so must bear in mind that while maintaining a respectful distance from all religions, the state in India accords a public space to them and does not relegate religious sentiments to the sphere of the individual alone. The Delhi High Court's approach — of appealing to the corporate social responsibility of the companies to creatively craft uniquely Indian secular solutions to the problem rather than harping at their non-existent legal liability — must be appreciated. The bathwater can be thrown out, not the babies Facebook and Google.

[Prem]

Amazon to India
http://www.latimes.com/business/money/l ... 7420.story

Quote:
Another Seattle company is heading to India. First Starbucks announced plans to open 50 outlets in India by year's end. Now Amazon.com is launching Junglee.com, a smaller version of its global shopping portal. Junglee offers 12 million products from more than 14,000 Indian and global brands. The site allows shoppers to compare prices, but most actual purchases must be made through a network of third-party retailers. Indians will be able to buy shoes from Reebok, computer gadgets from Microsoft India, clothes from Fabindia and luxury leather handbags from Hidesign. (Associated Press)

[Prem]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... 32158.html
Fuel Supplies to Air India Halted

NEW DELHI – India's three state-run fuel retailers Thursday halted jet fuel supplies to Air India Ltd. as the national carrier has failed to clear bills totaling 2.65 billion rupees ($54 million), two people with direct knowledge of the development said.
Air India owes the amount to Indian Oil Corp., Bharat Petroleum Corp. and Hindustan Petroleum Corp. for jet fuel supplies for the fortnight beginning Oct. 16, one

[abhishek_sharma]

From the Urdu Press

Poll dance

Analysing trends before the upcoming assembly elections in five states, a January 25 editorial in the daily Siasat (based out of Hyderabad and Bangalore) finds anti-incumbency waves in all of them. “The Congress party, ruling at the Centre, is trying to exploit the anti-incumbency waves in UP and Punjab... The party, with Rahul Gandhi as its hero, dreams of ruling the entire country on its own... But the feelings and views of the people in his meetings indicate that these elections are no more than a hard trial for the party. The Congress is being denied popular support because of its anti-people actions, and the perception that it tried to destroy the country’s important institutions and the exchequer”, the paper writes.

On the BSP’s likely strategy in UP, Rashtriya Sahara writes in its January 28 editorial that “some observers are of the view that Mayawati would unhesitatingly shake hands with the BJP” in case the party falls short of a majority. It adds: “The target of Mayawati’s direct and sharp attack are the Congress and the SP. She has also attacked the BJP, but it is clear that she is doing so simply to change the taste in her mouth (moonh ka maza badalney ke liye). The BJP’s posture is similar — it appears like an unsheathed sword before the Congress and the SP, but is visibly soft on the BSP. According to informed sources, the party has signalled to its voters to opt for the BSP where the BJP candidate is not seen as a winner, and let its voters know that the BJP will be a part of the state government after the elections.” Regarding the SP, the paper writes: “During the last assembly elections, Muslims were disenchanted with the SP, and the party had to pay for it. This time, the minority community appears to be less annoyed, but there is no clarity on the quantum of this decrease.”

What drives Modi

The Narendra Modi government’s reaction to the governor appointing Justice (retd.) R.A. Mehta as the state’s Lokayukta has been the subject of much discussion. The daily Inquilab, published from Mumbai, Delhi, Lucknow, Kanpur and Bareilly, writes: “(Justice Sahay’s remarks) show that the Gujarat high court is fully aware of Narendra Modi’s clever ways of saving his government, running it and deceiving the people... Earlier too, the Modi government has had to listen to the judiciary’s critical remarks but there has not been the slightest change .”

Hyderabad’s leading daily, Munsif, says in a commentary on January 22: “It is not difficult to understand why the Modi government remains stubborn on the Lokayukta appointment. Narendra Modi, driven by his ego, has consistently expressed his desire to place Gujarat above the rest of India. The BJP’s double standards have also been proved. It took an inordinately long time to secure the resignation of B.S.Yedyurappa in Karnataka and did not resist the temptation of taking out a rath yatra against corruption. It extended need-based support to Anna Hazare on the Lokpal issue, but abruptly withdrew when it sensed the prospect of being swept aside by the strong waves.” Describing the high court verdict as “a slap by the judiciary on Modi’s face,” the Delhi-based weekly, Nai Duniya, edited by SP leader and former MP Shahid Siddiqui, writes : “Narendra Modi’s approach shows that he is determined that, irrespective of whatever the highest officials of his own administration say or what judgement the chief justice of his own state’s judiciary gives, if it is not in his favour, he is not prepared to accept it.”

Egyptian elections

The elections in Egypt, which have favoured two Islamic parties with two-thirds of the vote, have delighted sections of the Urdu press. Munsif, in an editorial on January 23, worries that the results “have made the US and Israel restless” as their “chosen rulers” have now given way to those who “follow Islamic teachings, have an Islamic identity and are sympathetic to the Islamic world.”

Jamaat e Islami’s bi-weekly, Daawat, has focused on the complexities ahead in “constitution-building”, and negotiating equations between the army, “the government, non-Muslims and foreign elements.”

Compiled by Seema Chishti