States News and Discussions

shravan · Post by **shravan** » 22 Jan 2011 13:47

Modi on how centre backtracked, and Gujarat built Seismological institute on its own

arjunm · Post by **arjunm** » 22 Jan 2011 13:54

krisna wrote:

according to wkikileaks rajmata never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity.

political skills of the 2G are media staged and hyped.

I am just curious,scamtress madam Gandhi's sudden choice of Green saree is kind of symbolic, is it to please certain community? looks like She does not have many cards left.

Theo_Fidel · Post by **Theo_Fidel** » 22 Jan 2011 22:27

shyam wrote:Urban life will take much more resources than rural life. Urban population is more vulnerable to major shocks. For the long term sustainability of our civilization, right balance of rural and urban life is needed. 90% urban is ridiculous. People tend to associate poverty with rural life, which is true in many parts of the country, and that is what we need to get rid of. If Modi brings prosperity to rural population, that is the right way to go.

Productivity matters. Urban areas are 3 times more productive per capita. Whether you like it or not we will become 90% urbanized in the next 30 years, i.e. our life time. Right balance is not logical. Our entire civilization is not balanced and hasn't been since agriculture began 10,000 years ago. Not a single one of our agricultural crops is naturally sustainable. They will all die out left to nature. Right balance means only about a Million hunter/gatherer type humans can live on this planet as a top predator. About 20,000 or so in India. Everyone else is unbalanced. This is reality, everything else is maya. This is afte all Kaliyug.

We are not going to be different from the experience of all developed countries. No more ideology please. Enough experiments going on in our neighborhood. We need to invest in our cities to allow 90% of our people to move there.

abhischekcc · Post by **abhischekcc** » 23 Jan 2011 00:39

I feel concentrating populations in urban centers will help both rural and urban populations. Cities create more wealth but are dependent on resource from the rural areas. The price paid for these resources is typically low, hence PCI in rural areas also remains low. If rural areas are depopulated faster, the income should rise faster as well because wages would go north.

shyam · Post by **shyam** » 23 Jan 2011 00:54

Theo_Fidel wrote:We are not going to be different from the experience of all developed countries. No more ideology please. Enough experiments going on in our neighborhood. We need to invest in our cities to allow 90% of our people to move there.

This is not about ideology. The developed status of developed economies are sustained by ponzi schemes. Recently WEF suggested that world needs another $100 Trillion credit to preserve the economic status. This is nothing but a demand for the ponzi money. Once this ponzi money is stopped, many of the huge profit making urban businesses will go away, with that the sustainability of urban life. I don't think it is a good idea to emulate a lifestyle that is sustained by money printing. It may work for some time, but I'm not sure about its effects in the long run, that too when 90% of population depend on it.

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 23 Jan 2011 01:11

shyam wrote:
Theo_Fidel wrote:We are not going to be different from the experience of all developed countries. No more ideology please. Enough experiments going on in our neighborhood. We need to invest in our cities to allow 90% of our people to move there.
This is not about ideology. The developed status of developed economies are sustained by ponzi schemes. Recently WEF suggested that world needs another $100 Trillion credit to preserve the economic status. This is nothing but a demand for the ponzi money. Once this ponzi money is stopped, many of the huge profit making urban businesses will go away, with that the sustainability of urban life. I don't think it is a good idea to emulate a lifestyle that is sustained by money printing. It may work for some time, but I'm not sure about its effects in the long run, that too when 90% of population depend on it.

This ponzi scheme started 200 years ago and they have sustained that kind of urbanization based on that system

shyam · Post by **shyam** » 23 Jan 2011 01:51

Of this 200 years, 150 were colonial period and I would exclude that era. I will take the remaining 50 years and it hit a major crisis in 50-60 years. People are expecting and many seem to prefer another ponzi scheme to cover the crisis in existing ponzi. If any group of countries successfully gets out of the global fiat currency regime to something like gold (like more countries joining Iran and India exploration for bilateral trade based on gold), that could provide a major setback to the existing ponzi scheme. This may create wars, but the the urban life will be hit hard in the event of wars. We don't know the end game yet. May be the world will have $100T credit and this ponzi may run for another 50 years. But the thing is that we should not be putting big share of our eggs in urban life. We should have a significant share of prosperous rural population.

krisna · Post by **krisna** » 23 Jan 2011 07:40

Murugan wrote:MBA Maulana lauds Modi's Gujarat

http://www.zeenews.com/news681584.html

Too soon, taqiya taqiya

Under attack, Deoband head says Allah won’t forgive Modi

Under strong pressure from within the Shoora — the governing body of Dar-ul-Uloom — which elected him, after reports that he praised the Narendra Modi government in Gujarat, the newly elected Mohtamim (Head) of Dar-ul-Uloom, Ghulam Mohammad Wastanavi, today issued a public apology in some Urdu newspapers and rejected allegations that he gave Modi a clean chit on the 2002 riots.

“I cannot forgive Narendra Modi, Allah will not forgive Narendra Modi, the common man will not forgive Narendra Modi. No one can forgive Narendra Modi...We will take revenge on Modi. We will pray to Allah for this.”

Is nt he inciting violence from bious abduls. of course the secular parties will applaud him

Critics were restive over an MBA theologian taking over the traditional and normally conservative seminary. In the days following his election, there were newspaper ads and statements by clerics questioning his credentials. One attacked him for having been associated with a function involving the distribution of idols in Beed in October. In his apology today, Wastanavi said: “Keeping or distributing idols is a great sin in my faith...therefore, there is no question of keeping or distributing any idols.”

This is the so called secularism from these types of guys. also the secularists support them.

RamaY · Post by **RamaY** » 23 Jan 2011 07:46

^
Can someone file a case on him for that "Revenge" comment and "Idols" comment?

Jai Ho secularism.

Virupaksha · Post by **Virupaksha** » 24 Jan 2011 04:23

http://www.sentinelassam.com/editorial/ ... pr=1#61319

The Sustained Loot of Hindu Temples

Virupaksha · Post by **Virupaksha** » 24 Jan 2011 04:36

this is the riposte from Yedurappa

The samson option

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 350349.cms
BJP takes four ex-CMs of Karnataka to court

Murugan · Post by **Murugan** » 24 Jan 2011 11:06

krisna wrote:
Murugan wrote:MBA Maulana lauds Modi's Gujarat

http://www.zeenews.com/news681584.html
Too soon, taqiya taqiya

AjayKK · Post by **AjayKK** » 24 Jan 2011 13:35

Mohammad Vastanavi is under attack from another faction at the madrassa. Hence, to prove that he is secular, he had to reverse his stated opinion. His opponents in the madrassa also used paid news type articles to discredit him. One of the Urdu newspapers highlighted Vastanavi distributing a prize at a function, the prize being a framed image of Radha Krishna. The Urdu daily has a headline, "Will idols be distributed at the madrassa, now?" Here is the article from the Delhi based paper Sahafat (http://www.sahafat.in/delhi/):

http://img690.imageshack.us/i/p11um.jpg/

All in all, an intra-madrassa fight. The only point that we should note is that any intra-madrassa/group/sect/Soooofi fight is to be settled by each one calling themselves more secular and the other, communal; so that in the end secularism can be saved by evil evil conspirators. AoA to that ..

RamaY · Post by **RamaY** » 25 Jan 2011 09:18

AjayKK wrote: All in all, an intra-madrassa fight. The only point that we should note is that any intra-madrassa/group/sect/Soooofi fight is to be settled by each one calling themselves more secular and the other, communal; so that in the end secularism can be saved by evil evil conspirators. AoA to that ..

For the uninitiated: Secularism == Hindu bashing

Airavat · Post by **Airavat** » 25 Jan 2011 10:20

Full text of The Indian Constitution and how the Instrument of Accession was devised.

See Appendix G for the Draft Instrument of Accession. The J. P. C. Report stated : — "The rights, authority and jurisdiction which will be conferred by the Crown on the new Central Government will not extend to any Indian State. It follows that the accession of an Indian State to the Federation cannot take place other than by the voluntary act of its Ruler. The Constitution Act cannot itself make any Indian State a member of the Federation (Paragraph 154). It would, we think, be very desirable that the Instruments of Accession should in all cases be in the same form but there can be no obligation on the Crown to accept an accession, where the exceptions or reservations sought to be made by the Ruler are such as to make the accession illusory or merely colourable."
(Paragraph 156).

The clause in the Government of India Bill was the subject of considerable comment. "The Princes have all along looked upon the treaties of Accession as the really operative instruments binding them to the Federal Constitution, and not the Constitution Act, which, as an Act of Parliament, they cannot be expected to accept as binding on them or as applicable to their States and their subjects These treaties of Accession were intended to be bilateral in character creating rights and imposing reciprocal obligations both on the Rulers of Indian States and on the Crown." ( Vide Note attached to the letter His Excellency the Viceroy by Their Highnesses the Maharaja of Patiala, the Nawab of Bhopal, andthe Maharaja of Bikaner, dated the 27th February 1935).

In the same note Their Highnesses wrote : — " The documents of 1818, by which several States parted with their external and foreign relations in consideration of their being adequately protected from both foreign aggression and internal upheaval, were regarded as treaties of mutual friendship, amity and alliance. The proposed documents of 1935, by which the States are asked further to transfer some of their internal sovereignty as well to His Majesty the King as a result of proposals regarding Federation, are only to be Treaties of Accession. The Princes are asked to execute and sign these Instruments of Accession without regard to the derogation of their position from allies and absolute rulers in their own territories This undermining process is to be kept up and strengthened under the force of judge-made laws and new political theories, while reinforcing the claims of paramountcy by the same device. It is very natural that the Princes should have serious objections to the process of gradual decline in their political status. The Princes had only agreed to federate in the interests of the Empire. In conclusion it would be well to remember that the Princes had originally accepted the invitation to federate out of their anxious desire to be of service to the Empire. The structure of the Treaty of Accession ought to be well in keeping with the spirit that had induced the States to accept the federal scheme. " It is only natural to expect that this aspect will be given due weight and
importance when the reasonable reservations in the Instrument of Accession come up for examination.

Sir Samuel Iloare wrote iu his Memorandum to the Government of India dated the 4th March 1935: — "So far as The Government of India Act, 1935 regards the States, the Bill, when it has become law will provide the machinery whereby the Indian States may severally accept that Constitution and thus become part of the Federation, not because the Act is an Act of Parliament, but because it embodies a Constitution to which they have of their own volition acceded That the Constitutional structure must be accepted as a whole seems obvious It is contended that not only ought each ruler to be able to specify those sections of the Act which he is willing to accept, but also that the Federal
Constitution as regards each State is to be looked for exclusively in the Instrument of Accession of that State Such a conception of Federation would imply the possibility not only of different Constitutions for the States and for British India, but even of a variety of Constitutions among the States themselves Their Highnesses lay stress on what they describe as the bilateral nature of the Instruments of Accession. These Instruments are bilateral in so far as they have no binding force until His Majesty has signified his acceptacce of them; but His Majesty's Government cannot on that ground accept the view that they are to be described as 'treaties". Though the word 'treaty' is not used in S. 6 and only the words "Instrument of Accession" are used, the suggestions were partly accepted; and Clause 6 of the Bill was modified by the substitution of the words "accedes to the Federation as established under this Act" instead of the words "accepts this Act as applicable to his State and to his subjects." Again the words "by virtue of his Instrument of Accession, but subject always to the terms thereof, and for the purposes only of the Federation" are additions in Section 6 [1] (a); and the words " to the provisions of
the Act so far as they are applicable therein by virtue of his Instrument of Accession " instead of " to this Act " used in the Bill are also additions in Section 6 (1) (b) to make the
meaning clear. Sub-section (4) is also now.

Airavat · Post by **Airavat** » 25 Jan 2011 10:49

Continuing from above, the draft instrument of accession devised for princely states:

DRAFT INSTRUMENT OF ACCESSION

The Instrument of Accession of ( full name and title ).

Whereas the proposals for the establishment of a federation of India composing of such Indian States as may accede thereto and the provinces of British India constituted as autonomous provinces have been discussed between the representatives of His Majesty's Government, of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, of British India and of the Rulers of Indian States.

And whereas those proposals contemplated that the Federation of India should lie constituted by an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and by the accession of Indian States.

And whereas provision for the constitution of Federation of India has now been made in the Government of India Act of 1935, but it is by that Act provided that the Federation shall not be established until such date as His Majesty may by proclamation, declare and such declaration cannot be made until the requisite number of Indian States have acceded to the Federation.

And whereas the said Act cannot apply to any of my territories save by virtue of my consent and concurrence signified by my accession to the Federation,

Now therefore I, (full name and title, ruler of ), in the exercise of my sovereignty in and over my said State, for the purpose of co-operating in the furtherance of the interests and welfare of India by uniting in a federation under the Crown by the name of Federation of India with the provinces called Governor's Provinces and with the provinces called Chief Commissioner's Provinces and with the Rulers of other Indian States, do hereby execute this my Instrument of Accession and

( 1 ) I hereby declare that, subject to His Majesty's acceptance of this Instrument I accede to the Federation of India as established under the Government of India Act of 1935, (hereinafter referred to as the Act) with the intent of His Majesty the King, the Governor-General of India, the Federal Legislature, the Federal Court and any other Federal authority established for the purposes of the Federation shall, by virtue of this, my Instrument of Accession, but subject always to the terms thereof and for the purposes only of the Federation, exercise in relation to the State of ( hereinafter referred to as " this State " ) such functions as may be vested in them by or under the Act.

( 2 ) I hereby assume the obligation of ensuring that due effect is given to the provisions of the Act within this State so far as they are applicable therein by virtue of this my Instrument of of Accession.

( 3 ) I accept the matters specified in the first schedule hereto as the matters with respect to which the Federal Legislature may make laws for this State and, in this Instrument and in the said first schedule, I specify the limitations to which the power of the Federal Legislature to make laws for this State and the exercise of the executive authority of the Federation in this State are respectively to be subject. Whereunder the first schedule hereto the power of the Federal Legislature to make laws for this State with respect to any matter specified in that schedule subject to a limitation, the executive
authority of the Federation shall not be exercisable in this State with respect to that matter otherwise than in accordance with and subject to that limitation.

( 4 ) The particulars to enable due effect to be given to the provisions of sections 1-17 and 141) of the Act are set forth in the second schedule hereto.

( 5 ) Reference in this Instrument to laws of the Federal Legislature include references to Ordinances promulgated, Acts enacted and laws made by the Governor-General of India under sections 42 to 45 of the Act inclusive.

( 6 ) Nothing in this instrument affects the continuance of my sovereignty in and over this State, or save as provided by this Instrument, or by any law of the Federal Legislature made in accordance with the terms thereof the exercise of any of my powers authority and rights in and over this State.

( 7 ) Nothing in this Instrument shall be construed as authorising Parliament to legislate for, or exercise jurisdiction over this State, or its Ruler, in any respect, provided that the accession of this State to the Federation shall not be afiected by any amendment of the provisions of the Act mentioned in the second schedule thereto and the references in this Instrument to the Act shall be construed as references to the Act as amended shall, unless it is accepted by the Ruler of this State in an Instrument supplementary to this Instrument, extend the functions which by virtue of this Instrument are exercisable by His Majesty or any Federal authority in relation to this State.

( 8 ) The schedules hereto annexed shall form an integral part of this Instrument.

( 9 ) This Instrument shall be binding on me as from the date on which His Majesty signities his acceptance thereof, provided that if the Federation of India is not established before the day of. and this Instrument shall on that day become null and void for all purposes whatsoever.

(10) I hereby declare that I execute this accordingly any reference in this Instrument to me; or to the Ruler of this State, is to be construed as including a reference to my heirs and successors. This Instrument of Accession ( then follows the attestation to be drawn with all due formality appropriate to the declaration of a Ruler).

Additional paragraph for insertion in proper cases.

Whereas I am desirous that functions in relation to the administration in this State of laws of the Federal Legislature which apply therein shall be exercised by the Ruler of this State and his officers and the terms of an agreement in that behalf have been mutually agreed between me and the Governor-General of India and are set out in the schedule hereto, now therefore I hereby declare that the said agreement, when executed, shall be deemed to form part of this Intrument and shall be construed and have effect accordingly.

( b ) The provisions contained in Part VI of the Act with respect to interference with water supplies, being sections 130 to 133 thereof inclusive, are not to apply in relation to this State;

( c ) Whereas notice has been given to me of His Majesty's intention to declare in signifying his acceptance of this my Instrument of Accession that the following areas are areas to which it is expedient that the provisions of sub-section

( d ) of section 294 of the Act should apply now therefore I hereby declare that this Instrument is conditional upon His Majesty making such a declaration.

Murugan · Post by **Murugan** » 26 Jan 2011 08:28

Additional Collector burnt alive in malegaon maharashtra by oil mafias yesterday, on the eve of republic day

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/malegaon-add ... 529-3.html

Murugan · Post by **Murugan** » 26 Jan 2011 12:58

The YemBeeYe Maulana is made to quit?
Cleric made to quit for Modi praise?
26 Jan 2011, 0934 hrs IST, AGENCIES
With the students' union of Darul Uloom in Deoband adamant on his removal as vice-chancellor, Ghulam Mohammad Vastanvi announced on Tuesday that the Majlis-e-Shoora (General Council) will be meeting on February 15 and also that he would be resigning.

Two days ago, Vastanvi had said if the Shoora thought it fit for him to leave, he would quit immediately.

Vastanvi has been in the line of fire for his 'clean chit' to Gujarat CM Narendra Modi in the 2002 riots.

Maulvi Saad Jamil Biujnauri, head of Jamaiut-ul-Talba (students' union) issued an ultimatum on Tuesday that the Shoora be convened within two-three days, adding to Vastanvi's worries.

Reports in some Urdu newspapers said the vice-chancellor had been officially invited by the Gujarat government to attend the Republic Day parade as a special guest and also the BJP minority cell of Gujarat had plans to felicitate him further antagonized the students' union.

"We have only one condition — remove the vice-chancellor and that is all," Saad asserted. "The new vice-chancellor's thought process does not match the ideology of Deoband," he said.

Meanwhile, authorities at Darul Uloom revoked the suspension of nine students who were hauled up for unruly behaviour on Sunday. Vice-principal, Maulana Abdul Khaliq Madrasi, said, "The suspensions were just to scare the boys. They were revoked within a couple of hours. Things have have been peaceful here since then. The boys are attending classes. Shoora will certainly be convened. But the vice-chancellor has to decide the date."

Sources in Deoband say suspensions were revoked after students threatened to intensify agitation demanding Vastanvi's resignation.

http://www.timesnow.tv/Cleric-made-to-q ... 363647.cms

RamaY · Post by **RamaY** » 26 Jan 2011 23:30

Secularism zindabad!!!

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 27 Jan 2011 02:27

This is not secularism. Its obscruantism.

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 27 Jan 2011 06:41

ramana wrote:This is not secularism. Its obscruantism.

Secularism is another name for obscurantism resulting in 'argumentative Indianism'

Sudip · Post by **Sudip** » 27 Jan 2011 07:25

^ Who would like to bet whether irking the mba maulana was congress instigated? I get a feeling some elements of congress would have urged people to go bash/threaten etc him

arjunm · Post by **arjunm** » 31 Jan 2011 23:52

This artcle written by Kanchan Gupta articulated beautifully how BJP could gain enormous political advantage as an alternatuive political party in West Bengal. The recent rise of "Naba Jagran Jatra" a grass root political party gaining space among local Bengalis shows the frustration of the ordinary people with the decades old corrupt hegemonic lawless policies of the Left party. Such political hatred also gained due to recent communal riots in Deganag during the occasion of Durga Puja when thousands of Bengalis took the street to protest such organised mayhem against the poor Hindus by the local Muslims, mostly illegally settled in the area from Bangalsedh, under the guidence of TMC MP Haji Nurul Islam. Ordinary Bengali Hindus, with this particular incident, are equally dis-disillusioned about their security and political prospect under such dye -functional Mamta Bnaejee's less substantive vote bank centric Trinamool Congress..This political awakening of the culturally sensitive Bengalis, is a blessings for BJP which is ideologically close and can use this public sentiment as a stepping platform of the party in West Bengal.
anuary 31, 2011 11:08:24 PM

What Bengal needs: A New Awakening

Kanchan Gupta

It has often been pointed out, and rightly so, that the BJP has to expand beyond its traditional catchment area to emerge as a powerful challenger to the Congress at the national level. The political situation that obtained in 1996, 1998 and 1999, when the BJP crossed the threshold of critical mass to dislodge the Congress and form a coalition Government (the first lasted less than a fortnight, but strengthened the party enormously) does not exist today. The nature of politics has changed, as has the mode of mobilising support. It has to be also remembered that the dramatic rise of the BJP in the 1990s was directly proportionate to the equally dramatic collapse of the Congress. Ironically, between 2004 and 2009, the rise of the Congress has been proportionate to the collapse of the BJP.

It is no less ironical that the crisis of leadership that plagued and vastly weakened the Congress after the tragic assassination of Rajiv Gandhi till his widow stepped in to lead from the front also sapped the BJP of its life-force in the six years before Mr Nitin Gadkari took charge of the organisation. Squabbling leaders and listless cadre ensured the party’s defeat in the 2009 general election, as did the fact that it had no winning allies in the south or the east to boost the NDA’s tally. That the party managed to win more than 100 seats despite its uninspiring campaign crafted by too-clever-by-half darbaris and time-servers is a remarkable achievement.

With the law of diminishing returns having set in, the party’s harvest in Uttar Pradesh has been pathetic in successive elections; it’s unlikely to improve in the near future in the absence of able leaders with vision and capacity to deliver. The BJP has reached saturation point in Gujarat and any further gains can only be incremental since the Congress has been virtually decimated in that State by Mr Narendra Modi. Maharashtra continues to remain tantalisingly within reach yet elusive. In Bihar, the BJP and its ally, the JD(U), have carved up the State between themselves.

Given this scenario, frankly it’s a no-brainer to suggest that the path to resurrection as a powerful national political force lies through eastern and southern India. In any event, the BJP cannot expect to be taken seriously by people across the country unless it has representative from as many States as possible. Allies serve the purpose of adding to the electoral tally but they cannot become substitutes for the party. The BJP’s foray into the south with a spectacular victory in the last Assembly election in Karnataka had led to both hope and hype — for the first time the party had moved beyond the Hindi belt in such a striking manner. Unfortunately for the BJP, poor political management and avoidable controversies have marred that success story, leaving the party looking no different from others competing for power. Karnataka may yet hold, but it would be foolish for the BJP to look beyond that State in the south.

Which brings us to the east. The BJP has a fighting chance in Assam, provided it is able to enter into a durable alliance with the Asom Gana Parishad, something which remains to be signed, sealed and delivered. In Bihar the BJP can only aspire to hold on to the gains of this year’s Assembly election. That by itself would be sufficient. In Odisha, Mr Naveen Patnaik may finally choose to relent and re-enter into an alliance; till that happens, the BJP has a tough task ahead although, to its credit, the party has held on to its vote-share. The real growth area, therefore, is West Bengal where the party begins with a clean slate (if we were to keep aside the Lok Sabha seats it won between 1996 and 1999) and has a new, young and energetic leadership not burdened with baggage of the past. The collapse of the CPI(M)-led Left Front has been unexpectedly rapid, as has been the rise of the Trinamool Congress. As for the Congress, it doesn’t really matter except in certain pockets of north Bengal.

With a galvanised cadre — Mr Gadkari’s enthusiasm and energy are infectious; his constant emphasis on ground-level activism has restored what is referred to as good old-fashioned politics — and the opening up of electoral space, the West Bengal unit of the party has been slowly but steadily making its presence felt. Agitprop is a useful tool in West Bengal and the BJP has used it to its advantage. Ms Mamata Banerjee may have captured the popular imagination but that does not exclude the possibility of a new force competing for attention and votes. With the hegemony of the Left now more or less a thing of the past, the field may not be exactly level but it is now open to competitors representing all shades of politics.

This creates the possibility for the BJP, if it plays its cards well, to succeed in establishing itself as a serious competitor. The BJP must posit itself as a centre-right party with views markedly different from those of the Left and the Trinamool Congress which is busy positioning itself as ultra-Left. The BJP campaign that begins today, evocatively named Naba Jagaran Yatra — or New Awakening Yatra — could mark the party’s shift from the fringes to the centre of West Bengal politics. The Trinamool Congress’s campaign, based on the slogan ‘Ma-Maati-Manush’, the title of a popular jatra, may touch a sentimental chord with the masses, but it really means nothing more than what it say. It harks back to a past that West Bengal has long left behind. It doesn’t evoke bright images of a future steeped in hope.

On the other hand, ‘Naba Jagaran’ is more than a slogan. It is a reminder to Bengalis that there was a ‘Jagaran’ — the Awakening which the world came to recognise as the Bengal Renaissance — which propelled Bengal into the future when the rest of India was languishing in the past. That advantage was squandered by the Congress (of which the Trinamool is an offshoot) and the Left, which between themselves have ruined all that was good and noble about the State. What West Bengal needs today is a ‘New Awakening’ so that it can bravely meet the challenges and seize the opportunities of the future, and not mawkish slogans that recall a glorious past now preserved in outrageously priced woodcuts in fashionable art galleries.

Can the BJP succeed in achieving this goal? Yes, if it is able to offer an alternative vision based on an alternative ideology. This is by no means an easy task. In a sense, if the Left is booted out, as is widely expected, in this summer’s Assembly election, and the Trinamool Congress comes to power, then West Bengal will also witness what has been evocatively described as the ‘end of ideology’. It will also mark the beginning of a new era in the State’s politics where new ideologies can emerge. This, in turn, offers the BJP an opportunity to sail forth.

The Naba Jagaran Yatra will be indicative of whether the BJP can make use of that opportunity. Those interested in tracking the future politics of West Bengal should, therefore, track the fortnight long yatra of the BJP from Cooch Behar to Kolkata as it makes its way through the rural heartland and industrial wasteland of the State, sowing the seeds of a New Awakening. The fact that senior national leaders of the party will be leading the yatra and then congregate in Kolkata for a mass rally shows that the party has taken the initiative seriously. If the BJP could have crossed 10 per cent of the vote-share in West Bengal not many years ago, there is no reason why it cannot do so once again, this time with a new agenda for a new future.

-- Follow the writer on: http://twitter.com/KanchanGupta. Blog on this and other issues at http://kanchangupta.blogspot.com. Write to him at [email protected]

LINK

Airavat · Post by **Airavat** » 02 Feb 2011 09:17

Rahul Gandhi has identified Tamil Nadu as a key State for the Congress revival

While the Congress is willing to allow DMK to identify the constituencies that it’s willing to share with it, Azad made it quite clear that the grand old party will settle for no less than 78 seats. The local Congress unit, it seems, has prevailed upon the New Delhi leadership to demand at least two Assembly seats per parliamentary constituency. Tamil Nadu has 39 parliamentary constituencies.

What would make it difficult for the Congress top brass to back down under DMK pressure is the fact that Rahul Gandhi too is adamant that the Congress’ seat share should increase. Just like Uttar Pradesh, Rahul has identified Tamil Nadu as a key State for the party’s revival.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 03 Feb 2011 03:35

How would the results be ?

Per Politics party

http://www.politicsparty.com/TAMIL_NADU ... S_2011.php

RamaY · Post by **RamaY** » 03 Feb 2011 03:58

Airavat wrote:Rahul Gandhi has identified Tamil Nadu as a key State for the Congress revival

Empirically speaking it is a good sign

Muppalla · Post by **Muppalla** » 03 Feb 2011 03:59

ramana wrote:How would the results be ?

Per Politics party

http://www.politicsparty.com/TAMIL_NADU ... S_2011.php

If there is a straight contest then there is a chance for Jaya to win. Othewise it will be same. DMK will even give 70 if Congress wants but congress's internal assesment is that they don't even have a structure or even candidates to contest beyond 70 seats. My guess is probably they will settle 55-60 seats.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 03 Feb 2011 04:35

Where does Vijaykant stand? DMK wants him to be alone and ADMK wants him in alliance.

And the PMK, Vaiko? Are they wtih DMK?

Muppalla · Post by **Muppalla** » 03 Feb 2011 04:38

Vaiko is solidly with ADMK.

x-post from 2G thread

(1) DMK, INC and PMK, one of the Gondur (spelling?) parties are in alliance
(2) ADMK, Left, Vijay Kanth, Vaico, Kongu parites and another Gondur parties are on the otherside.
Technically ADMK is deperately trying to keep the contest straight. DMK chief is trying with extreme-desperation to make sure Vijaykanth goes alone.

DMK+INC game - (1) Make Vijaykanth go alone (2) Blunt the corruption tag by some tokenism (Raja's arrest) (3) DMK spent huge amounts of government money to keep a section of population in its fold. It has given direct cash to the tune of 20,000 rupees to poor during recent cycles. They are distributing pure cash to rural poor using every available schemes. (4)IMPORTANT - The loot is extremely lot and they will spend a substantial as bribing voters (they may set a record this time) (5) Use EVM manipulation in some booths.

Even if it is a straight contest, the expectation is that it will be extreme close contest. Corruption and other stuff will be blunted using sheer money power. DMK+INC is expected to get about 30% vote as a cakewalk. If they succeed in getting Vijaykant go alone that will be a bonus.

Raja's arrest will blunt the corruption image for the urban fence sitters.

Murugan · Post by **Murugan** » 03 Feb 2011 11:53

Has this been posted earlier

Subramanian Swamy on Hindutva and Election in Kerala

Janata Party President, Subramaniam Swamy today said either the Supreme court or the Central government should suo motu set up a committee to look into the allegations of amassment of wealth against the relatives of NHRC Chairperson and former CJI Justice K G Balakrishnan.

"I would like the judiciary to take suo motu action. There are enough allegations... The Supreme court should suo motu set up a committee or the government should set up a committee," Swamy said told reporters here.

"Once an allegation is made, it is the job of the judiciary to either prove it or disprove it and not keep it hanging in the air," the Janata Party leader said when asked for his reaction on the allegations against justice Balakrishna's close relatives.

On the BJP's decision to unfurl the Tri colour at Lal Chowk in Kashmir on the Republic Day, he said,"Lal Chowk is a historical place. It is ridiculous for J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah to say that Lal Chowk is a 'bazaar area'. Why should there be objections?. It is the duty of the government to hoist the National Flag. Any nationalist government would come out to support the hoisting of National Flag at Lal chowk."

Telecom minister, Kapil Sibal, should consider if he should continue as minister as he had represented telecom companies and his sons have also represented the companies, Subramaniam swamy alleged.

In the coming Assembly polls in Kerala, the Janata Party would put up candidates in at least 5 constituencies, including Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur and Malappuram.

"We want to contest the elections in a plank different from the CPI(M) led LDF and Congress led UDF. The two fronts are misusing government power and appeasing minorities," he alleged.

Swamy said he would campaign on 'Hindutva' issue which is not the communal colour given by the media. Hindutva is Sanskrit for 'liberality and questioning mind', he said adding there was a real threat for hindus in Kerala.

http://news.outlookindia.com/item.aspx?709638

putnanja · Post by **putnanja** » 04 Feb 2011 03:20

This video on Bharata Ratna Sir M Visveswaraiah was posted on facebook recently. This is a 50 year old video, taken on Sir MV's birth centenary. The great man went on to live for 102 years!

negi · Post by **negi** » 04 Feb 2011 09:29

Yet another Jai ho moment

Kerala High Court clears way for India's first Islamic bank

The secular republic of India is all set to have its first Islamic bank.

The Kerala High Court on Thursday dismissed petitions challenging the Kerala government's decision to establish India's first Islamic Bank which will work on the principles of Shariah.

The order came from a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice J Chalameswar and Justice P R Ramachandra Menon, which rejected petitions filed by Janata Party President Subramaniam Swamy and another. The petitioners contended that the state establishing a bank which will work on the principles of a religion will violate the principle of secularism enshrined in the Constitution. However, the court did not agree.

Reacting to the HC verdict, Swamy said he will consider appealing to the Supreme Court after going through the full text. ``I will challenge the same if it was dismissed on merits,'' he said.

The state had first floated the idea of establishing the bank under an entity registered as Al-Baraka Financial Services way back in December 2009. The bank was also to have a body of Islamic scholars to advise whether the principles of shariah were being complied with.

But in January 2010, the HC stayed the government's plans and issued notices to the RBI, Finance Ministry and Kerala State Industries Development Corporation (KSIDC) which was to hold 11 percent equity in Al-Baraka.

The RBI replied that the current laws did not permit such a bank.

RM bhai is right onlee judiciary is really effed up.

Sachin · Post by **Sachin** » 04 Feb 2011 10:01

^^^ I feel the court order just gave permission for the Kerala Govt. to put up a share in this Islamic Bank. Unless and until RBI gives its clearance, I dont think this bank can start its business. Or perhaps it can have an existance like some money lender/chit funds business etc. (I dont know if they are accoutable to RBI).

Regarding the government actions, I feel slowly a line is getting drawn with the more organised religions slowly and steadily closing in for the final kill. And by the looks of it I see, it is only they who have a well written action plan (to achieve their goals).

vijayk · Post by **vijayk** » 10 Feb 2011 01:46

Speaking truth in CON party is a crime.

Gehlot asks Rajasthan minister to quit over his remarks on President Patil

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday asked minister of state for panchayati raj and waqf Amin Khan to resign for insinuating that President Prathiba Patil had curried favour with the Gandhi family. Some TV channels aired Khan's speech in which he said the President had done dishes and cooked food for former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in the late 1970s.

So when I say the CON morons and chamcha media members clean the toilets of the Gandhi dienasty, I am not far off.

Khan said he did not mean disrespect to the President. "I was just trying to advise disgruntled Congress workers to work selflessly and be faithful and committed like Patil," he said. "What gain will I derive by hurting the President?" he asked. "I am sorry. Please consider it my mistake," he told TOI.

The truth is that he is not insulting her. He was pointing to facts. As a true slave of the dynasty, he considers that it is an honor to clean dishes and bath rooms of the dynasty. That is how you can become Presidents, CEC, CJ or CVS in this country.

vijayk · Post by **vijayk** » 10 Feb 2011 01:56

http://www.rediff.com/news/slide-show/s ... 110208.htm
Cong will be devastated in UP, says secret survey

A survey conducted to gauge the mood of the electorate in Uttar Pradesh has shaken up the top leadership of Congress like never before. The writing is on the wall: the Congress will hopelessly lose Uttar Pradesh to Mayawati.

If elections are held today, Mayawati will become chief minister again with a larger majority.
In a likely repeat of Bihar, the Congress party is poised to drop to single digit with an all time low figure of 9 seats out of 405 in the UP assembly elections, scheduled to be held in 2012, according to a comprehensive survey commissioned by the party. Uttar Pradesh, the most crucial state for the Congress and the Gandhi family, is showing radical preferences.

In spite of party general secretary Digvijay Singh's hyper activism to create a loyal Muslim vote bank for the party, Muslims in UP seem to have decided to ditch Congress en-masse. In spite of Rahul Gandhi's frequent visits to Dalit homes, they are just not ready to ditch Maywati yet.

In sharp contrast, the survey says that Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party is set to increase its tally and will notch up 263 seats in the 405-seat assembly.
Off the record, the results of a survey commissioned by the party in January 2011 have come as a huge shock to Rahul Gandhi, said sources in the party.

While the survey shows the Congress slipping to fourth position, the Bharatiya Janata Party is at the second position with 72 seats while the Samajwadi party is at 40 seats -- but only if it has an alliance with Ajit Singh's Rashtriya Lok Dal, which is at 13 seats, bettering even the Congress party's tally.

The survey cites a number of reasons for the poor performance of the Congress.

A prominent reason is the Ayodhya judgement, which has made a negative impact on the Congress base as the Muslims appear to have deserted the party and thrown their weight behind Mayawati. While her Brahmin and Harijan votes are intact as of now, she may get more Muslim votes than she got the last time around.

The second key factor for the party doing badly is the lack of a leader, someone who can be projected at the polls and who can become the visible face of the party as is the case with Mayawati or SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav.

The survey states that the BJP may get stronger because the Rajput, Kurmi and Bania communities may gravitate towards it and the party may project Murli Manohar Joshi as the chief minister. The Brahmins may also favour the BJP.

Hari Seldon · Post by **Hari Seldon** » 10 Feb 2011 20:08

^^^ Bah. Any party that can, say, 'influence' EVMs in even 10% of polling stations is effectively home safe. I'm not saying INC is doing it but to go from 2 to 20 LS seats in UP just like that? I wouldn't rule anything out.

rohiths · Post by **rohiths** » 10 Feb 2011 23:22

Check this out
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Results_of ... n_by_state

There seems to be an informal tie up between congress and samajwadi party. The average votes for samajawadi parties in the seats where the congress won is 105,000 votes excluding the the two seats which they did not contest.
The average votes for samajawadi party in the seats which they lost but were won by either BSP or BJP were 150,000 clearly indicating that weak candidates were installed to push congress through.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 18 Feb 2011 08:53

one ex-minister in jail , the minister daughter of a satrap supposedly under scanner, ruia and ambani called in by CBI....methinks these are signs that something close to the family is also involved and all alliances and loyalties are being kept in cold storage to deflect the chance that someone may uncover this missing link?

will the old satrap's party still run with congress in next election?

Sriman · Post by **Sriman** » 18 Feb 2011 10:20

Marten wrote: Yes, until the MNS grows up. That is probably 5 years away. In any case, the Bhajapa will not come to power in Mah unless it moves away from the SS or figures out a way of getting both MNS and SS on its platform. If that doesn't happen, it's almost guaranteed that the Italian Nondenominational Chors will firmly remain in the saddle. There is no alternative, onlee!

GD is referring to Dr Artiste i think.

PS: Dr Artiste needs to go into BRF dictionary

Murugan · Post by **Murugan** » 18 Feb 2011 10:53

E lo ji, Party in sooisaidal mode, always undermining the majority, spreading poison in the society, inspite of faithful and loyal doggy's diatribes, receives a reply from janata janardan

Setback to Cong in By-Elections

BJP wrests Kukshi and Sonkatch seats in Madhya Pradesh from Congress
(Now we know why doggy was barking so hard attneding jirgas and passing non-sense comments, but you failed, o loyal ! )

The Congress’ run of electoral setbacks continued in the latest round of assembly bypolls spread across five states --with the party conceding two seats which had been seen as its strongholds in Madhya Pradesh, including the one held by Leader of the Opposition Jamuna Devi -- to the BJP, besides losing in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Gujarat and Manipur.

While the BJP retained Khadia (Gujarat), Kharsawan (Jharkhand) and Sanjari Balod (Chhattisgarh), it wrested Kukshi and Sonkatch from the Congress in Madhya Pradesh. In the northeast, the Konthoujam assembly seat in Manipur was snatched from the Congress by its alliance partner, Trinamool Congress.

While by-poll verdicts are not exactly the right barometer of popular mood, and are guided more by local factors, (only if congress loses, if it wins, it is always a victory of (p)secular forces hain na?) the Congress’ defeat in the latest round of electoral battles in the five states should serve as a warning to the party leadership. The Congress failed to retain its tradition strongholds of Kukshi and Sonkatch, ceding them to its traditional rival, the BJP.

The defeat in the Kukshi assembly segment, which falls in the Dhar district, was particularly embarrassing for the Congress as it had been winning it without any break for the last 25 years. The seat had fallen vacant because of the demise of Jamuna Devi.

The BJP’s nominee, Mukam Singh Kirade, husband of state minister Ranjana Singh Baghel, vanquished his Congress rival Nisha Singhar, who’s the late Jamuna Devi’s niece, by a margin of over 16,000 votes.
The Sonkatch assembly seat too had come to be seen as a Congress backyard over the years. It had fallen vacant following Sajjan Singh Verma’s elevation to the Lok Sabha in May, 2009. The seat was wrested by the BJP’s Rajendra Verma, who defeated Congress’ Arjun Verma by over 19,000 votes. The saffron party’s victory came after a gap of 15 years.

In Kharsawan in Jharkhand, Chief Minister Arjun Munda had a relatively smooth sailing as he outwitted the JVM’s Dashrath Krishna Gagrai. The assembly segment has in the past sent Munda several times to the assembly, and his win in the by-election comes as no surprise. Munda will now have to vacate the Jamshedpur Lok Sabha constituency, which was won by him in the 2009 general election. The BJP, however, did not exactly have a cakewalk in Khadia, the assembly segment falling in Ahmedabad in Gujarat, which had turned into an impregnable saffron fortress in the last 25 years.

The seat was won by the BJP’s Bhushan Bhatt, but the margin was a disappointing 2,473 votes. Bhushan’s father, Ashok Bhatt, a party stalwart, had made it a habit of winning from the constituency (but jumna devi did not, coult not cultivate as a habit so her niece lost! How much do you get for writing such reports journos?), located in the heart of the city. The senior Bhatt was the state assembly’s speaker, and passed away late last year following a protracted ailment.

In Chhattisgarh, the ruling party’s Kumari Bai Sahu retained the Sanjari Balod constituency by defeating Congress’ Mohan Patel by a margin of 9,500 votes.

ET 18 Feb '11