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As we drove away from this bizarre event, I couldn't help thinking that I'd glimpsed the last days of a stagnant, dysfunctional regime at its very heart. There was a lassitude here, a sense of going through the motions while fully understanding that no matter what you did, it couldn't possibly have any significance. A helplessness, a stultifying indifference radiated from Manmohan Singh like a beacon, brighter than his starched white kurta; like paralyzing afternoon heat, it enervated everyone around him, the entire apparatus of his government and all its hangers-on. The sense I had there was the feeling you had going to a government-owned bank in the bad old days when they were all nationalized... nobody cared, everybody behind every desk knew fully well that whatever service they did or did not provide, it wouldn't make any difference.
Rudradev saar,
Thanks for telling your story. I feel the unbelievable callousness that government exhibited for the people of Bharat had its roots in its conception itself, an essential ingredient in the mother's milk that it drank, one might say. It has only ever been interested in pitting groups against each other to complete its term and win another even by any immoral means.
IArriving in New Delhi after 16 hours in the air was strange enough. Every other time I've flown into India, Jet Airways has unfailing provided every passenger with an immigration and customs form to fill out prior to landing. Not this time. We were told: sorry for the inconvenience, but no forms are available.
What to do? I marched through the endless corridors of IGI terminal 3, carry-on in tow, and arrived at the Immigration Counter. But to my surprise, no one there was offering any forms to fill out either. I waited my turn in the unusually fast-moving line. At the counter, the official cursorily glanced at my passport and stamped it. There was no expectation, it seemed, of the form that I always hand over to Immigration when arriving in my home country.
Things got stranger. I asked outside customs: do we need to fill a form to get through? No, not at all, not unless you have something to declare, came the answer; otherwise you can go.
I walked out into the blistering Delhi night, fully aware of two things. First, apart from the stamp in my own passport, the Government of India had no record whatsoever of my arrival in the country, what flight I came in on, what date, where I intended to stay... nothing. Secondly, my carry-ons could have been filled with a million dollars in cash, or however many kilos of RDX, heroin, Bibles, take your pick. And nobody responsible for enforcing the law would have known a thing.
This, at a time when elections were already in full swing. I have never flown into Delhi before, so I hope someone can enlighten me if this is normal there.
Shocking!!! Have used IGI a few times and have never heard of such a thing....nor at any other airport in India. I do feel that there is a degree of laxity in terms of checking passengers who come from Western Europe/US as compared to say, travelers from the Gulf and ME. JMT
1:53 A.M. An Aam Aadmi Party Supporter in Delhi Keeps the Faith wrote:
At the Aam Aadmi Party headquarters in Delhi, where Arvind Kejriwal gave his famous resignation speech just three months ago, Inderjit Sachdeva, an auto-rickshaw driver came from the city of Narela, 40 kilometers away, and he doesn’t plan on working today. “I just want to be here with the other A.A.P. faithful,” he said. He spoke about his commitment to the Aam Aadmi Party, and his faith that it would win the next Delhi state assembly elections.
“The biggest thing is that we’ve driven out Congress,” he said. “The B.J.P.’s marketing team won this election. From tomorrow Kejriwal should start his national campaign and be even louder. And definitely in the coming Delhi elections we’ll get a pure majority. I have no doubt.”
Shreeman wrote:O Wow! NDA looks headed to form a govt. Hope they stay united, though BeeJayPee has nearly the votes and seats to go it alone now.
So, I guess they wont need help from AAP. Whats next for AAP, then? No other upcoming elections.
Delhi, Haryana.
Neither is likely to vote in bug numbers for AAP, not a second time. Any insights into why Delhi will vote for Kejriwal a second time? All 7 Delhi seats appear to be leaning BJP. And Haryana is a different Animal, AAP would never stand a chance in the Jat heatland, in Haryana or to the west.
And where do they keep coming up with the resources for these losing campaigns?
The Equal-equal oaragraphs are below: (for exanple here)
In comparison, Modi's campaign was seen by many as a media and marketing coup for a man whose background ties him to bloodshed in his home state of Gujarat, where communal rioting in 2002 left more than 1,000 people dead, most of them Muslims. Modi is accused of doing little to stop the rampage, though he denies any wrongdoing and has never been charged with a crime.
versus
The Nehru-Gandhi family, which has ruled India for all but 10 years since the country won independence from British rule in 1947, is facing its biggest political drubbing in 10 years. The Congress party attempted to position Rahul Gandhi as a young leader capable of boosting the country's struggling economy, but most Indians see him as being out of touch with reality. His privileged background has made him appear aloof and removed from the concerns of most Indians.
Neither is likely to vote in bug numbers for AAP, not a second time. Any insights into why Delhi will vote for Kejriwal a second time? All 7 Delhi seats appear to be leaning BJP. And Haryana is a different Animal, AAP would never stand a chance in the Jat heatland, in Haryana or to the west.
And where do they keep coming up with the resources for these losing campaigns?
Sure, sure. I think AAP is almost finished. I didn't say AAP will win Delhi or Haryana. I just said AAP will be contesting the elections. My guess is they will try to disrupt normal life under Modi sarkaar through dharnas and lose little public support that is remaining and become irrelevant in Indian politics.
“We have a lot of expectations from Modi,” Bundu Ahmed, 60, a Muslim who runs an apparel shop in central Delhi, said before offering his Friday prayers today. “We want jobs for our children, and that’s our primary concern.”
Best news in a long time. I am sure namo will do wonders for india. It was gujaratis (mahatama gandhi) who led india towards independence from christian british raj. It had to be a gujarati who would free india from the western christian controlled nehru/gandhi parivar congress raj. The congress party is controlled tightly by western christian inspired doon school/st stephens college educated idiots. They do not allow any real gandhians anywhere near seat of power. The result of that you see one man parties in UP, Bihar, AAP, etc. Time to celebrate.
25 years after Mandal and a casteist card was played to prevent BJP from sailing into power, BJP/RSS finally has got what they wanted. An absolute majority on their own without any crutches. The issue is that the so called social churning or social upliftment has lead UP, Bihar and other states being ruled by one ruler after the other, with each being worst from the earlier person. In other words this so called empowerment actually resulted in these states going to dogs. Bengal is a different league all together thanks to the communist who have a world wide reputation of destroying whatever they touch.
Now there are the same people who have questioned the so called Gujarat Model. It is no rocket science, it is BSP, Bijjli (Electricity), Sadak (roads), Pani (Water). That is what Modi has focused on in his 12+ years of rule in Gujarat. Instead of learning from what he was doing right, they based their opposition to his on ideological reasons.
I have not supported BJP nor its candidate for PM but have admired and appreciated his work in Gujarat.
sum wrote:^^ Just curious as to whom did you support, saar ( as party and for PM candidate)?
I voted for AAP.
And one more point it is again after 25 years of havoc caused by mandal that it looks like India is finally getting a party which can rule on their own without outside support. Hope there is no internal disturbances in BJP.
“We have a lot of expectations from Modi,” Bundu Ahmed, 60, a Muslim who runs an apparel shop in central Delhi, said before offering his Friday prayers today. “We want jobs for our children, and that’s our primary concern.”
looking at UP result, I feel muslim vote split and significant number of young voters voted for Modi, mainly for economic reasons and promise of jobs. A constituency-wise breakup should confirm this suspicion.
shiv wrote:The problem I see among Indians in India is a deep feeling of admiration for the west that makes many of us think that what someone in the west (or an Indian academic in the west) says must be right. Unlike Russia for example - a country with the balls to provide asylum to dissidents from the west.
Would acquiring a western citizenship qualify as the best possible validation of such admiration ? As they say, imitation is the greatest form of flattery.
Yes. I am going to fame these posts of daktar saab and KLPD ji and make a christmas greeting card for my coolie friends in the west. Their fawning for briturdia has no end.
It is transition of position ONLY. Power was with MNC-owners , Missionaries, Saudi elitemen and some Indian Nbjprie. The desi now have below 75% of power, and of that neta have only 2%. So only 2% power has changed hands.
Very soon , dozens of tax benefits will be extended to MNC-owners and that will prove who calls shots
===
I heard Swami Ramdevji in a 5 minute mini-interview. He did NOT mention Mauritius route issue at all !! So there isnt much transtion of power to speak of.
And one more point it is again after 25 years of havoc caused by mandal that it looks like India is finally getting a party which can rule on their own without outside support. Hope there is no internal disturbances in BJP.
Most people who voted for AAP can be classified under one of two categories: 1. Idiots, who cannot think beyond narrow issues and do not understand what makes a country of 1 billion plus united, and 2. Are enemies of India out to destroy the country just as they have partially succeeded with congress party.
Watch out for western news reports talking about quotes from COng ministers about Namo
Mani Shanker Iyer and MMS are being quoted. Write to those editors and take them out. These are election speeches and no more relavent
-------------------
CAR RALLY
Saturday, May 17, TDP and BJP supporters would meet
@ .... High School USA @ 3.30 PM with their cars to do a Car Rally.
If BJP led NDA along with TDP wins, as exit polls suggest, we shall meet to express our Joy & Happiness over this Victory tomorrow, May 16, 2014,
@ 6.00 PM in front of ..... City Hall by holding & waving Placards and exchanging sweets etc.
Here are some key takeaways from the electoral battlefield.
1. Narendra Modi gets the biggest mandate since 1984: Modi has emerged as the strongest political leader in India in the last 30 years. Not since Rajiv Gandhi's 400 seat plus performance in 1984, has a party won so many seats. Some will argue that Rajiv's victory was the result of the sympathy wave generated by Indira Gandhi's death, and Modi is infact poised to be India's tallest political leader since the original Mrs G.
2. BJP emerges as India's national party as the Congress Party gets decimated : There is nothing any longer Grand about India's Grand Old party. It is just an old party now. Its worst ever performance leaves it stunned and rudderless. The BJP in contrast is now a party which dominates the north and has made strong advances in just every state and region of India. It no longer need allies in large parts of India, as it did in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The challenge for the party is now to consolidate its advances.
3. The rejection of Rahul Gandhi and the dynasty: The Congress party will never admit it but it will be almost impossible for Rahul Gandhi to bounce back from here. He might hold on to Amethi, and but in his heart of hearts Rahul will know that he has been decisively rejected by the people of India. The Nehru-Gandhi family has suffered its biggest electoral setback ever, its mystique lies in tatters, and it is facing the biggest challenge to its relevance.
4. The absence of opposition and the electoral demise of the regional satraps: Its not just the Congress that has been vanquished. This will be the first time since 1984 that there will not be a strong opposition in the Lok Sabha. With the exception of Mamata Banerjee and Jayalalitha, the regional satraps have been marginalised. Mayawati, Mulayam, Karunanidhi, Nitish Kumar, Sharad Pawar, and Lalu Yadav have all had to bite the dust.
5. The end of the Mandal era. India has returned to one party rule for the first time since 1984. This is because for the last quarter of a century, the politics of caste and reservations has dominated the Hindi heartland. For the last 25 years, India has had a succession of coalition governments because two of its most populous states- UP and Bihar -- have preferred regional and caste leaders over the two national parties. Modi's greatest success in this election is that he has busted the Mandal formula.
6. Presidential style of politics works in India. If the message is clear and the leader is strong, presidential style of politics can be very effective. Modi created the campaign around himself, pitched his appeal directly to the people, and tapped into India's deep yearning for a strong leader. He chose the high risk strategy of making the election a referendum for himself and won. This used to be Indira Gandhi's strategy as well.
7. Its about the economy, stupid: A victory of this magnitude can not be explained through the prism of caste and religion. To be sure, the religion card was used in some parts, most notably UP, but this is a mandate for jobs, growth and prosperity. The UPA won a second term in 2009 because it was able to deliver on these parameters. It lost today because it failed miserably on these counts in the last five years.
8. The people of India won't settle for less. The challenge for the entire political class is to keep pace with the rising aspirations of the Indian people. Sops and doles will no longer do. You can no longer announce some great schemes and rest on your laurels. The people expects their leaders to better their lot every day. And they want to see results. Modi is right. They want sevaks, not shaasaks. Its important for him to remember his promise. Else, he will have to bear the consequences in 2019.
In 2002, Modi was governor of the state of Gujurat during anti-Muslim riots that left more than 2,000 dead. In 2005, the U.S. denied Modi a visa on the grounds that his role in the riots was still being probed. But Modi has since been exonerated, despite the fact that members of his cabinet were found guilty of inciting violence. And in the run up to the election, the U.S. ambassador to India met with Modi for the first time.
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1 ... -him-smart
Modi and China: Old friends, new challenges
Incoming Indian leader forged bond with Beijing while chief of Gujarat state. Now the challenge is engaging him in his new role
Modi is also known to have an eastern bias, with Asian nationalism forming the core of his world view. Apart from China, that also draws him closer to Japan and Singapore, with whose leaders he has struck up a similar rapport.
Japan, in particular, has shown itself to be an important ally for the investments it brings and its readiness to transfer technology. Japanese investment in India between 2000 and 2014 stands at nearly US$16 billion, while China's is US$396 million.
Modi's unimpeachable conservative background and open admiration for China has in the past raised hopes of him becoming a sort of Indian Richard Nixon.
But as Kondapalli pointed out: "The US didn't have a disputed border or sovereignty issues with China."
Now that the BJP has gotten a clear mandate, how will the "Breaking India Project" proceed.
Before 2004, previous NDA rule the Break India project infiltrated the media in the form of FDI. Our media charlatans played right into it like blind gungadeens, and worked on furthering the "mandal" agenda.
NOw that the "mandal" era is over and the media has lost its most decisive battle, what are the masters of "Break India" project do? How will they re-invent themselves to challenge Modi? These are questions we may need a thread for.
svinayak wrote: For the last 25 years, India has had a succession of coalition governments because two of its most populous states- UP and Bihar -- have preferred regional and caste leaders over the two national parties. Modi's greatest success in this election is that he has busted the Mandal formula.
It is extremely odd that humans get fooled time and time again by buzzwords that are outright lies. Like someone claiming "xyz means peace" even if xyz represents the worst of violence. The Congress party, Mulayam and Mayawati divided people while claiming that they were uniting them and accusing the BJP of being divisive. Yesterday (or the day before) - I loved Amit Shah's response to a mohterma who asked him if Muslims had voted for the BJP. He replied that it was wrong to refer to Indians as Muslims or this community or that. They are all Indians and should be seen that way.
Congress particularly used this tactic most viciously and cynically. They had Muslims fooled by saying 'Oh we are united with you Muslims. It is the BJP that is trying to divide you and us". But after Pakistan, it was always the Congress party that was dividing Indians into "you Muslims" and "us Hindus" rather than people of the country. The BJP and Modi pulled that off. They have called the Congress' bluff.
UlanBatori wrote:Thanks! Almost like being there, without the jet lag. Congratulations to your relative and you, by association.
Thanks UB! Yes, it was a funny experience being a fly on that wall.
symontk wrote:
I walked out into the blistering Delhi night, fully aware of two things. First, apart from the stamp in my own passport, the Government of India had no record whatsoever of my arrival in the country, what flight I came in on, what date, where I intended to stay... nothing. Secondly, my carry-ons could have been filled with a million dollars in cash, or however many kilos of RDX, heroin, Bibles, take your pick. And nobody responsible for enforcing the law would have known a thing.
Your details are already with them from airline. The luggage's are scanned thru green channel
I'm not sure about that Symon. Yes, the GOI would have received a passenger manifest from the airline, but that wouldn't include many types of information which appears on the immigration form: for example my address in India, the value of items I'm importing, or any signed affidavit from me concerning the intended length of my stay in India etc. That form you fill in on the aircraft and hand over to immigration has legal status; while many people don't take it very seriously, it is admissible in court and can be used to prove you lied (if you did). Also, relying on an airline, possibly a foreign carrier, as the sole source of such information for incoming visitors? Doesn't strike me as secure, especially at the sensitive time of election season.
As for my luggage items... no, they certainly were not scanned in the green channel. I had two large carry-ons. I had them in my possession all the time, and I simply walked out with them past the scanners, as many other people did. Nobody even looked at me, until I actually went up to a Customs guy and asked if I needed to fill out a form (he said no need unless you have something to declare).
LokeshC wrote:Now that the BJP has gotten a clear mandate, how will the "Breaking India Project" proceed.
Before 2004, previous NDA rule the Break India project infiltrated the media in the form of FDI. Our media charlatans played right into it like blind gungadeens, and worked on furthering the "mandal" agenda.
NOw that the "mandal" era is over and the media has lost its most decisive battle, what are the masters of "Break India" project do? How will they re-invent themselves to challenge Modi? These are questions we may need a thread for.
Don't underestimate them. They have an arsenal of strategies and contingency plans up their sleeve... and they've certainly seen this possibility and planned for it for a while (cf the Berkley Haas cauldron that's brewing).
The question is, does the new dispensation in Delhi empower us to pro-actively counter the Breaking India nexus, as opposed to simply reacting in our limited capacity as private citizens while the old government did nothing? Is there now an opportunity to go on the offensive and expose the BI networks, with assurance that government power will act decisively against the snakes we force out of the woodwork? All we can do as private citizens is identify, collect evidence and expose. The actual retaliation or preventive measures of any consequence have to come from legally empowered and competent authorities.
But perhaps most worrying for Modi’s critics are fears that his rise could worsen sectarian tensions between India’s majority Hindus and its 138 million Muslims. For much of the last decade, Modi has been haunted by allegations that he did nothing to stop communal riots in his home state of Gujarat that killed 1,000 people, most of them Muslim.
The United States refused to issue him a diplomatic visa in 2005. Britain cut ties after three of its citizens were killed in the riots. But over the last two years all that slowly changed as Modi relentlessly campaigned on a platform of economic revival.
Have used IGI a few times and have never heard of such a thing....nor at any other airport in India. I do feel that there is a degree of laxity in terms of checking passengers who come from Western Europe/US as compared to say, travelers from the Gulf and ME. JMT
