Bharat Rakshak

Washington (Post) thinks it is in the same league as the Greek economy; elections in Egypt or the breakdown of the State in Pakistan’s frontier areas.

Let’s understand this ‘issue’ better!

In India, the world’s biggest annual bullion importer, gold jewelry plays a central role in weddings and festivals. India imported 933 metric tons of gold for private consumers last year, a 35 percent rise over five years and just under a quarter of global demand, according to the World Gold Council.

Indian households’ disposable incomes grew by 13 percent during the 2010-11 financial year, but the amount in their bank accounts rose by only 3 percent, according to official data.

High inflation often renders the idea of financial savings unappealing, and many people in rural areas lack access to banks.

India is struggling to balance its books partly because its citizens keep buying gold. The country’s current account, the difference between the value of its imports and exports of goods, services and financial-transfer payments, is running at a deficit of about 4 percent, largely because of high import bills for oil and gold — India bought 969 metric tons of bullion last year at an overall cost of $48 billion.

The lack of money in Indian bank accounts forces the government and private companies to borrow abroad, pushing the country further into the red.“You’re not looking at something sustainable. The balance of payments becomes very skewed,”

The International Monetary Fund predicts that India’s economy will grow by 6.9 percent this year, a significant drop from the double-digit rates touched in recent years.

India’s government has been trying to exert some control this spring. (via India struggles to balance its books as citizens lust for gold – The Washington Post).

How India’s gold buying affects the world

Has crime rate in India gone up in India to fund gold consumption.

Not true.

India has low crime rates; lowest imprisonment ratios, a small police force – despite a huge number of unlicensed firearms, with really poor people.

Is the Indian Government likely to renege on its debt obligation? India has not in its history defaulted on sovereign debt.

Have Indian consumers borrowed large amounts and likely to default on their obligations to international lenders? Indians consumer debt is contracted locally – and hence Washington (Post) has no cause for worry.

Are Indians causing international flare-ups to fulfill their ‘lust for gold’? Have Indians annihilating people?

Like the British did with Australian aborigines? Or the Spanish and European migrants did to Native Americans in North and South America? Or committed gross human rights violations like the Belgian king in Congo? Have Indians enslaved millions or invaded other countries – like Europe did in the Scramble for Africa?

Answer – None of the above.

After paying international prices, can there be covetousness, cupidity, deadly sin, mortal sin? The Japanese save money in pension funds; Americans buy gilt-bonds and shares, British savers buy shares and put money in insurance and mutual funds.

Indians buy gold.

How can retail buying of gold by small people be described as lust. Most families in India have less than 100 gm of gold. Is that craving, longing, passion, greed, cupidity?Would you call Indians lustful, if they do not wish to undergo the fate of the British people?

War by other means

This portrayal of the Indian consumer as sinner smacks of aggressive intent.First demonize and then annihilate. It is not as though the Indian Government is cornering the gold market – and trying to destabilize the world currency system – ramshackle as it is.

So why this attempt to demonize the Indian consumer?

If this is causing a trade imbalance, does Washington (Post) demonize American consumers – for their oil consumption, for their garbage generation? For creating a housing bubble and credit balloon which burst – causing global misery. For running a a 100-year old trade imbalance, that has only been reversed, when the US used war materiel production to enhance economic activity.So, if crime is not the issue, default is unlikely, why are these dem fine White folks so worried about us Injuns?

On a clear day

Ahh! I get it.It must be the Washington (Post) acting in Christian spirit of being their Injun Brother’s keeper. They are trying to save us Injun’s from ourselves.

We stoo-pid, silly Injuns.

Why can’t we take advice from Washington (Post)?

nawabs wrote:
War by other means

This portrayal of the Indian consumer as sinner smacks of aggressive intent.First demonize and then annihilate. It is not as though the Indian Government is cornering the gold market – and trying to destabilize the world currency system – ramshackle as it is.

So why this attempt to demonize the Indian consumer?

If this is causing a trade imbalance, does Washington (Post) demonize American consumers – for their oil consumption, for their garbage generation? For creating a housing bubble and credit balloon which burst – causing global misery.

New call for Lockerbie inquiry as Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi dies
British relations of Lockerbie bombing victims have called for a public inquiry after the death of the only man convicted of the atrocity.

Ms Powell said her primary purpose was to ensure bilateral business ties get a big boost. In 1995, the value of US goods exports to India was just above $3 billion. Last year, it topped $21 billion and this year it is expected to touch $100 billion. In 1995, when Ms Powell left India as Minister-Counsellor for Political Affairs in Delhi, US FDI into India was negligible. Now it’s near $30 billion. Indian FDI in the US tops $3 billion.

Gunjur wrote:Talks on Indo-US bilateral investment treaty at advanced stage

Ms Powell said her primary purpose was to ensure bilateral business ties get a big boost. In 1995, the value of US goods exports to India was just above $3 billion. Last year, it topped $21 billion and this year it is expected to touch $100 billion. In 1995, when Ms Powell left India as Minister-Counsellor for Political Affairs in Delhi, US FDI into India was negligible. Now it’s near $30 billion. Indian FDI in the US tops $3 billion.

What exactly is india buying from US this year that makes US exports nearly 5 times more than last year??

Philip wrote:Where is the US outrage about Headley,Kasab,et al,and the masterminds luxuriating in the in open in Pak? Why are there no drone strikes to "take out" these ungodlies,or an operation similar to the one that took out OBL? The US? Rank hypocrites.They have a different standard when it suits their selfish interests.

In the two months since he was found guilty of using a webcam to spy on his roommate, Dharun Ravi has gone from being a symbol of antigay bias..."
"... to being something of a folk hero, with rallies of his supporters urging the court to 'free Dharun.'"Mr. Ravi could face deportation to his native India if he is given a prison sentence. Many Indians have been among his biggest supporters. At a rally on the State House steps in Trenton last week, some waved signs with the headline on [former New Jersey Governor Jim] McGreevey’s article: “Don’t Make Dharun Ravi Our Antigay Scapegoat.”

Raja Bose wrote:

Philip wrote:Where is the US outrage about Headley,Kasab,et al,and the masterminds luxuriating in the in open in Pak? Why are there no drone strikes to "take out" these ungodlies,or an operation similar to the one that took out OBL? The US? Rank hypocrites.They have a different standard when it suits their selfish interests.

Where is the Indian outrage? All I see is our dear PM hugging groper, our Bollywood producers launching Paki actors and our chatterati doing Aman-ki-Asha. There is no different standard - The US looks after its own interests period. They don't give an eff-eff about rest of the world. The sooner we understand that, the better. We need to get rid of our "Koi kuch karta kyon nahin*" habit.

*Why doesn't someone do something? (a common Hindi movie dialogue for bystanders witnessing a crime)

Judge Monday sentenced a former Rutgers University student, Dharun Ravi, to 30 days in jail for spying on his gay roommate who later committed suicide, rejecting defense arguments that he did not deserve time behind bars but disappointing prosecutors who portrayed him as insensitive and driven by anti-gay bias.

Ravi, who is now 20, had faced 10 years in prison after being convicted last March of invasion of privacy, witness tampering, tampering of evidence, and the hate crime of bias intimidation. He was also sentenced to 300 hours of community service.

The jury had concluded that Ravi had targeted his roommate, Tyler Clementi, because Clementi was gay, and the bias-crime status virtually guaranteed he would get some prison time.

Clementi, 18, threw himself from the George Washington Bridge in September 2010, shortly after learning that Ravi had secretly videotaped him in their room with a male date.

While Ravi never was accused of causing Clementi’s death, the circumstances sparked a national debate on bullying and other pressures facing gay youths. During the trial, prosecutors sought to portray Ravi as a homophobic, self-satisfied college freshman who took pleasure in humiliating his shy, sensitive roommate.

Judge Glenn Berman addressed Ravi before announcing his sentence, saying: “Nothing I say is intended in any way to disparage you or demean you. I don’t even know you.”

“But I heard this jury say ‘guilty’ 288 times -- 24 questions, 12 jurors -- that's the multiplication. And I haven’t heard you apologize once,” he said as Ravi sat silently, his chin often resting on his fist. “You cannot expunge the conduct or the pain you caused.”

He noted that Ravi has no prior record and that it was unlikely he would commit another offense. He also said he did not think Ravi was anti-gay.

“I do not believe he hated Tyler Clementi … but I do believe he acted out of colossal insensitivity,” Berman said. Ravi’s mother sobbed in the courtroom as the sentence was read, and Clementi’s parents sat quietly.

Ravi, sitting in a dark suit and tie, sat quietly with his eyes downcast, as he had throughout the morning as Clementi’s parents, brother, and prosecutors appealed for prison time, rejecting arguments that as a first-time offender, Ravi should be spared incarcerations.

“All of the defendant's actions … were planned, were purposeful, and were malicious,” prosecutor Julia McClure said, describing Ravi as an arrogant attention-seeker and dismissing the defense claim that Ravi meant no harm when he secretly filmed Clementi. It “defies logic and common sense,” she said.

“The jury’s verdict gave some measure of justice … but justice can only be fully realized by respecting and enforcing the law and punishing this defendant for his conduct, his criminal acts,” she said.

Defense attorney Steve Altman read a statement to Berman after Clementi’s mother, father, brother and a man secretly filmed with Clementi demanded prison time for Ravi.

Altman said he had come before the packed courtroom with an anxiety “1,000-fold more than what I’ve ever experienced before” because he knew he needed to persuade Berman to keep Ravi out of jail. “I know that’s climbing a mountain,” he said, but he repeated his argument that the case had been overshadowed by Clementi’s suicide even though Ravi was not charged in his death.

“This isn’t about a simple invasion of privacy,” he said. “This case is being tried and it’s being treated and exists today as if it’s a murder case.” Even the victim impact statements “are replete with suggestions … that Dharun has some responsibility, some role in that terrible, terrible choice of Tyler’s.”

As he spoke, Ravi, dressed in a dark suit, sat quietly, his eyes downcast. Those in the packed courtroom included more than a dozen family members, including his father, Ravi Pazhani, who said his son had been “dragged through the mud” and demonized for Clementi’s suicide even though he said he had no part in it. “Dharun is punished for what happened after the incident,” he said, referring to Clementi’s death.

Pazhani described his son as a “passive child” and said it was impossible that he could have become the arrogant bully that prosecutors portrayed during his first year in Rutgers. “We are not a homophobic family. Dharun was not raised to hate gays,” said Pazhani, who also alluded to his family’s Indian heritage.

“As an American, I may look different, have a different skin color, may speak differently from most,” he said in heavily accented English. “But believe me, I am a parent first.” Pazhani then went on to pay tribute to Tyler Clementi, referring to his talents as a violinist and lamenting his early death.

“Rest in peace, Tyler, you will always be in our thoughts and prayers,” he said before appealing to Berman to spare his son jail time.

Ravi, who had been stoic through the various statements, broke down in tears when his mother, Sabitha Ravi, then took a seat beside him at the defense table and described between sobs how the case had devastated the family and how she felt her son had been wrongly characterized.

“Dharun’s dreams are shattered and he has been living in hell for the past 20 months,” she cried.

http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/NEWS/news ... wsid=18651 Our partnerships ... in the region are critical. And we're going to continue to invest in those relationships."

SaiK wrote:
US would always look at India, the china way to get cheap labor and make profit... It would never ever consider our corruptions or other problems but would just bring to fore to satisfy few special interest groups .

Altair wrote:One of my relatives informed me about the spelling bee competition in US.
He said the difficulty level could be categorized as

"White Caucasian" - Beginner
"African American" - Moderate
"Hispanic/Latin American" - Advanced
"Indian American" - Master

Anurag wrote: Have you heard of the BNP (British National Party)? You're starting to sound like the Indian version of that now!

Anurag wrote:

Altair wrote:One of my relatives informed me about the spelling bee competition in US.
He said the difficulty level could be categorized as

"White Caucasian" - Beginner
"African American" - Moderate
"Hispanic/Latin American" - Advanced
"Indian American" - Master

Have you heard of the BNP (British National Party)? You're starting to sound like the Indian version of that now!

Rony wrote: I have no idea why you would say that ? I dont see anything wrong in what he said. !

"What ever you do
There will always be an asian
Doing better than you!"

"there is ordinary level,
the master level,
the chuck norris level.

And then there is Asian level"

Its a stated fact that Indian origin kids do well in spelling bee and has been consistently doing so for the past few years. The standard of Indians is a testimonial to the right upbringing of kids.

shiv wrote:

Kanishka wrote:What Holbrooke Would Do About Pakistan

Now Pakistan should be confronted with a clear and harsh update of that choice: confront the international community and be turned into a sanctioned pariah, like Iran, in which case the country will lose ground economically and militarily to its arch-rival India. Or, embrace fully anti-Taliban measures and be rewarded with more economic assistance, such as Clinton’s New Silk Road, which seeks to turn the region into a commercial hub once again.

Well there you are. Clear as crystal. Kicking India's ass is a juicy option - a "carrot" for Pakistan to cooperate with the West.

hnair wrote:I think altair-saar's friend is opining like those asians (US speak for far-east peoples excluding Indian subcontinent and ME) who constantly post glowing comments on this skilled guitarist called Sunga Jung in Youtube. goes like these

"What ever you do
There will always be an asian
Doing better than you!"

or

"there is ordinary level,
the master level,
the chuck norris level.

And then there is Asian level"

What these gushing posters see is a display of extreme skill, that seems to be pretty cool to awkward youngsters from Asian-American communities, trying hard to fit in. What the rest of the world sees is a robotic performance with great skill, but with no heart. eg: when a Hendrix/Chuck Berry/Satriani, a native Flamenco artist or our very own Pandit Ravishankar plays, you see them move their body with the music. There is a lot of closed eyes and shaky heads. You know they "get it". Even after multiple viewings, it is still gripping. Try that with Sunga - just close your eyes and you can rather predict what it will be. Competently rendered, but monotonous.

Sheer skill can be acquired by repetitive renditions (practice) or by good innate cognitive power in music, but that is only the basic band of a pyramid for performing arts. Without getting into the heart part, one cant rise to the top of the pyramid.

Nandu wrote:"Why Are Indian Kids So Good at Spelling?
Because they have their own minor-league spelling bee circuit."
http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/cult ... lling.html

Not that I agree completely with the article, but the North South Foundation has had a major effect.

Nandu wrote:"Why Are Indian Kids So Good at Spelling?

shiv wrote: I am sure there is a model here that can be copied. I predict that some set of researchers will figure out the requirements for achieving this skill and either change the nature of the competition, or manage to groom non Indians to win. That is what science is all about

Advait wrote:Regardless of the merit or usefulness of winning spelling bees, it is a useful thing for the Indian community and Indians in general. I once read some Indo-Canadian who said that till the 1970s, Canadian textbooks said East Indians are lazy because of the hot climate and are poor because of cultural factors etc.