Indian Interests

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 23 Aug 2012 08:17

Speech Ritual

Terming Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s Independence Day speech a ritual, the Sangh Parivar’s Hindi mouthpiece, Panchjanya, has taken a dig at the PM’s lament over the lack of political consensus on major economic issues while equating it with national security.

An editorial blames the ruling Congress’s alleged partisan prejudices for being at the core of political hostility. It points out that it is the government’s responsibility to create a cordial atmosphere to evolve a political consensus.

Without naming BJP veteran L.K. Advani, who was recently snubbed twice by the government by being relegated to ordinary places at government functions and then by being criticised in Parliament by the Congress over his “slip of tongue” during the discussion on the violence in Assam, the editorial asks how the government can expect consensus when it does not even know how to behave with “senior leaders of the principal opposition party”.

The editorial has also found no merit in the PM’s attempt to seek non-partisan support on economic issues by equating them with national security. In fact, the editorial seeks to paint him in a poor light, highlighting that while he considers economic woes as a national security challenge, he does not appear to be “concerned or serious” about the involvement of “illegal” Bangladeshi immigrants in recent incidents of violence in Assam and Mumbai. The editorial seeks to impress upon the PM that it is this trend that is a “real danger to national security”.

The Panchjanya has carried a full-page report on the violence in Mumbai’s Azad Maidan calling it a “jihadi” work and projects the development as a “challenge to national sovereignty”. The RSS’s English journal, Organiser, has also given a prominent display to reports on the events in Mumbai and has carried an article terming the violence as being a “premeditated” attempt at “fomenting trouble”.

Pakistani Hindus

THE Organiser has laid emphasis on the plight of Hindus in Pakistan by carrying a cover story on the recent instances of Hindus fleeing Pakistan, as well as an editorial.

Pointing out that “Pakistani Hindus are victims of their own misplaced trust, when they chose to stay back” in Pakistan at the time of Partition in 1947, the editorial reasons that they have suffered enough and it should not be allowed any longer.

Asserting that “India belongs to Hindus and Hindus world over belong to it”, the editorial suggests the country must “embrace” Hindus from Pakistan. Alleging that the government is a “deaf and dumb spectator”, the Organiser editorial suggests that those fleeing Pakistan should not be seen as immigrants or refugees — rather, they should be welcomed to “come, live and grow roots” in India. It faults the government’s approach on this issue by contrasting it with that of “illegal” Bangladeshi immigrants. “It has not reacted to their pleas for citizenship and rehabilitation. India allows millions of Bangladeshi Muslims to come and settle illegally. Pakistani Hindus on the other hand, living for over decades in India are yet to be recognised as citizens of this country,” says the editorial.

Propping up Ramdev

BABA RAMDEV’S recent anti-graft agitation and his warcry, “Congress hatao, Desh Bachao”, got prominent space in Organiser. The report contends that the Congress-led UPA government’s silence on Ramdev’s demands of repatriating black money was indicative of the complicity of its “leadership”.

The report is accompanied by the picture of BJP President Nitin Gadkari and JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav sharing the dais with Ramdev to highlight the NDA’s political support to his attack on the Congress.

Jai Jayalalithaa

THE Sangh Parivar’s mouthpieces have projected a cautiously positive image of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee after she took on the Congress-led UPA from within. Now, the Organiser has sought to balance its act by praising others taking on the Congress. The journal has prominently placed a report praising the schemes launched by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa. In particular, it has highlighted her decision to provide subsidy to pilgrims going to “Mansarovar in Tibet” and “Muktinath in Nepal”.

Compiled by Ravish Tiwari

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 23 Aug 2012 10:26

UP congress Committee member points INC point of view on Indian Internal security

Minorities vs. Minorities: The new right-wing game plan for 2014

nawabs · Post by **nawabs** » 23 Aug 2012 22:43

'166':The non emergency nationwide number from next year

http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetai ... -year.html

The Government of India has undertaken a nationwide mobile-governance initiative that is aimed towards improved access to government/public services by citizens especially the poorest and the most disadvantaged sections of the society.

According to PIB sources, the Government has approved "Category-I" 3-digit short code 166 as a single nationally available phone number for all non-emergency public services.

Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY) has currently approached the concerned stakeholders in the Government as well as the Industry for arriving at a uniform, transparent, and affordable tariff for usage over the short-code.

Once all the Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) open the short code 166 at a uniform rate, these services would also be made operational. This short code would be made operational by January 2013.

This was stated by Sachin Pilot, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology in response to a written question in Lok Sabha.

RamaY · Post by **RamaY** » 24 Aug 2012 04:18

Aditya_V wrote:UP congress Committee member points INC point of view on Indian Internal security

Minorities vs. Minorities: The new right-wing game plan for 2014

Mods, why didnt you ban Adityaji for posting the link, I pooch.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 24 Aug 2012 04:30

Well members should be acquainted with the delusions of the modern Indian mind.

Besides that would be shooting the messenger.

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 28 Aug 2012 11:20

For those who wonder why there is no pro INC media. Its hevily censored.

Narendra Modi slams Congress for banning TV channel

vishvak · Post by **vishvak** » 28 Aug 2012 13:20

Aditya_V wrote:UP congress Committee member points INC point of view on Indian Internal security

Minorities vs. Minorities: The new right-wing game plan for 2014

So UP Congress Committee member now makes infiltration by Majority of Bangladesh v/s rights of Indian Bodos on Bodo lands as Indian minority v/s Indian minority. It is not that Bodos have infiltrated and disturbed social fabric of BDesh so Bodos have to have any issues at all. Even issue of land is made to look as an issue by votebankers, for why would it be an issue at all for Bodos to deal with when it is already land for bodos.

Such people, like those who did not rally for Bodos in various cities, are not contributing to welfare of fellow Indians in particular Bodos.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 30 Aug 2012 03:21

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-08-2 ... -food.html
Poor in India Starve as Politicians Steal $14.5 Billion of Food

Ram Kishen, 52, half-blind and half- starved, holds in his gnarled hands the reason for his hunger: a tattered card entitling him to subsidized rations that now serves as a symbol of India’s biggest food heist. . By law, those 57,000 tons of food are meant for Kishen and the 105 other households in Satnapur with ration books. They’re meant for some of the 350 million families living below India’s poverty line of 50 cents a day. Instead, as much as $14.5 billion in food was looted by corrupt politicians and their criminal syndicates over the past decade in Kishen’s home state of Uttar Pradesh alone, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The theft blunted the country’s only weapon against widespread starvation -- a five-decade-old public distribution system that has failed to deliver record harvests to the plates of India’s hungriest.From the government warehouses, millions of tons are dispatched monthly to states including Uttar Pradesh, which are supposed to distribute them at subsidized prices to the poor. About 10 percent of India’s food rots or is lost before it can be distributed, while some 3 million tons of wheat in buffer stocks is more than two years old, according to the government.

The first person to figure out how to run the theft on a mass scale was a man named Om Prakash Gupta, the CBI’s Ahmad said. “Gupta was definitely the big daddy of the scam,” said Ahmad. “Over time, every district came up with more efficient executions of this system.” Gupta was a six-time member of the Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly and the owner of a family run grain-trading firm. By the time he ran for national parliament in 2009, he had been charged with 69 criminal offenses, including five murders, two armed robberies and gangsterism, according to a declaration he filed with the Election Commission of India. In June 2011 the CBI also charged him with forging documents and other offenses in connection with food theft from the ration program. Gupta, who lost the parliamentary race, died of a heart attack in April at the age of 69 before a trial could begin on the food case. He wasn’t convicted of any other crime.

krisna · Post by **krisna** » 30 Aug 2012 05:03

Assam: How Ulfa terrorism altered demographic pattern
Hope this is not posted.

A book titled Assam Terrorism and the Demographic Chal-lenge (Centre for Land Warfare Studies-Knowledge World), written by me and published in 2009, assumes greater relevance in the light of the recent riots in Kokrajhar. It dwells on how the demographic pattern of at least eight districts in Assam got adversely altered over two decades of terrorism by United Liberation Front of Assom (Ulfa), when its leaders were hiding in Bangladesh.

The agitation culminated in the Assam Accord signed by the central government and representatives of All Assam Students Union (AASU), which was largely an economic package. The Illegal Migration Determination by Tribunal (IMDT) Act enacted by the ruling Congress in 1983, replacing the Foreigner’s Act of 1946, was clearly driven by political agenda of vote bank. It virtually regularised illegal migrants from Bangladesh who migrated into India up to March, 1971 and even beyond. Peace was bought through a financial package on one hand, and status-quo prevailed in terms of accepting Bangladeshis who migrated before March, 1971 as Indian citizens on the other. The vote bank was saved. Constitutionality of such an accord between a students union and central government was never questioned.
This Act made it almost impossible for a Bangladeshi migrant to be deported from Assam. Under the Act, the onus of establishing nationality rested not on the illegal migrant, not on the government, but on an individual who had to pay a fee to lodge a complaint to a stipulated jurisdiction. It took 22 years for the Supreme Court to repeal IMDT Act as un-constitutional in 2005.

As I had assessed in early 1992, Barua and gang soon came into the strong grip of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) detachment in Bangladesh. The Ulfa escapees not only became conduits for ISI to enter India ’s Northeast region to establish contacts with other violent groups there, but also became its great assets for anti-India activities. Ulfa became an effective tool of the ISI for pursuing its aim of inducting and settling illegal Bangladeshi migrants in various parts into Assam, raising new madarasas and controlling old ones and trying to convert ethnic Assamese Muslims to fundamentalism, creating communal tension, circulating fake Indian currency, trafficking arms and narcotics, sabotaging installations-particularly rail and oil- and public services, assassinations and massacres and generally spreading terror. Whenever Ulfa felt the heat of Army operations, its oft-repeated ploy was to cry out for ceasefire and negotiation, only to get respite and reorganise itself.

According to news reports, the recent July-August 2012 riots between Bodos and non-Bodos/non-Assamese in Kokrajhar, being referred to as “Bangladeshis/Mians from Bangladesh” and its neighbouring districts have left 77 killed and about 3,78,045 people rendered homeless. This being an official figure, no one knows how many more people have taken shelter in the safe zones. Out of the displaced, 2,66,700 are Muslims and 1,11,345 are Bodos. They are in 235 relief camps spread across four districts of the state. Of the 235 camps, 99 camps are for Bodo residents and 136 camps are for Muslim residents. Dhubri district has 90 relief camps, Kokrajhar has 71, Chirang has 62 and Bongaigaon has 12. School and college summer-breaks have been extended. According to news reports and visuals from networks, many of these camps are a living hell. Till some days ago, there were reportedly only 117 doctors available for almost 4,00,000 displaced people in these camps, where at least 8,000 children were reported to be sick. With very little or no water, very few toilets and nothing more than only rice to eat, there seems scant hope of any improvement in the health and hygiene.

A senior journalist based in Guwahati, working for a national daily, who visited Kokrajhar soon after the riots erupted reflected general concern when he remarked while speaking to me: “If Bodos, considered quite fierce, have been targeted, what will be the plight of non-Bodos/ Assamese…. No one wants to go back to their villages…. “Bodoland is our birth right” is the slogan written on bus stops and walls of buildings.”

The large gathering at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan protesting against what transpired against Muslims in Assam and Burma can very likely be attributed to the well-established Pak ISI and Mumbai underworld connection cemented by Dawood Ibrahim in 1993, prior to the Mumbai blasts.
What is ironic is that both the Centre and Assam government, led by chief minister Tarun Gogoi, are now enthusiastically negotiating with the so-called pro-talks faction of Ulfa, whose members actively catalysed and greatly boosted the process of illegal migration by Bangladeshis and also got them settled in many areas by terrorising/massacring Assamese and non-Assamese-speaking communities during the two decades till the Bangladesh Nationalist Party was in power.

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 31 Aug 2012 08:49

Views from the Right

Yes, Prime Minister?

Both Sangh Parivar mouthpieces have gone overboard in highlighting the CAG report on coal block allocation to assert that the “chorus for regime change grows louder”. Organiser and Panchjanya have prominently displayed reports on the CAG reports and carried editorials.

The cover story in Organiser seeks to remind that the ruling Congress, that it has “abused” Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s image “to slip its way through” the alleged corruption, plunder, maladministration and lack of governance, that the PM’s “alleged image would not do” as he is is “directly responsible” in the alleged arbitrary coal block allocations highlighted by the CAG.

The Organiser editorial, in this context, has reminded the PM that he had offered to quit if there is a “shred of evidence” against him. “Here it is. Not a mere shred, but pages and pages of it. Is that evidence good enough for you to resign, Prime Minister? Or would you wait till more proof pours in, more skeletons tumble out of the UPA closet?” asks the editorial.

The cover story in Panchjanya says the PM must emulate A. Raja and Dayanidhi Maran, both of whom had to resign in the wake of the 2G spectrum allocation case, and must resign. Asserting that the CAG report on the coal block allocation has painted the face of UPA government black, an editorial in Panchjanya has also demanded the PM’s resignation by owning moral responsibility.

Anti-social media

WHILE the Sangh Parivar mouthpieces have been critical of the government’s efforts in containing violence in Assam and its repercussions across the country with people belonging to the Northeast fleeing back to their homes, a full-page article in Panchjanya has come down heavily on the government’s drive against social networking websites for allegedly spreading rumours.

The article contends that the government is trying to use the role of social networking websites and content originating from Pakistan as a “shield” to hide its alleged “failure” to tackle violence in Assam and its aftermath elsewhere. The article alleges that government has used this theory to target “nationalists” by blocking the Facebook and Twitter accounts of “patriots” and “pro-Hindu organisations” highlighting how Panchajanya’s own Twitter account was put in the prohibited list along with those of the VHP’s Pravin Togadia and others. It adds that the ruling Congress has been looking for reasons to impose “censorship” since it has seen the role of social networking sites in mobilisations against the government during the anti-corruption agitation launched by Anna Hazare.

RSS’s women wing

THE Organiser has devoted one full-page report to announce the change of leadership at the Rashtra Sevika Samiti, “the largest and the only organisation of Hindu women”, with Shantakka taking over as the Pramukh Sanchalika from Pramilatai Medhe who was at the helm of its affairs since 2006.

Shantakka, who hails from Bangalore, was the Pramukh Karyawahika (general secertary) in the organisation before her elevation last week. The position of general secretary vacated by her has been given to Annadanam Sitha, who hails from Hyderabad.

In her first remarks after taking over, Shantakka is reported in Panchjanya to have highlighted that “our society has forgotten the age-old values, ethos and lifestyle that sustained it [for] years together”, to urge the RSS members to “restore and reinstate” those values.

Compiled by Ravish Tiwari

From the Urdu Press

Time to introspect

The rally in Mumbai by MNS leader Raj Thackeray to protest against the Azad Maidan meeting by some Muslim organisations, has earned criticism. It is argued that while Thackeray had claimed the objective was to provide moral support to the policemen following the attack on them, he refused to accept the police’s plea not to take out a march to Azad Maidan.

Many newspapers have criticised the idea of Muslim organisations demonstrating against the violence in Assam and Myanmar. Lucknow-based journalist, Hisam Siddiqui, in Jadeed Khabar, on August 25, writes: “Some deceitful Muslims (dhongi Musalmaan) have committed the crime of defaming the country’s Muslims and Islam by holding demonstrations... in the month of Ramzan on the pretext of oppression on Muslims... but actually with the objective of getting cheap popularity and receiving financial benefit... Some maulvi-like persons have... given the excuse that some persons with caps on were sent to the processions as part of a conspiracy... This is a very big lie. Their identification is very easy in images on CCTV and still cameras. They are young Muslims. It is another matter that some conspirators had brought them over...”

Noted columnist Khalid Sheikh in Inquilab has blamed the organisers for “giving an undertaking to the police to restrict the crowd to 1,500 whereas it actually turned out to be 15,000. And, the electronic media was targeted. The miscreants forgot that it was the same media that had brought to light the oppression and injustice meted out to Muslims at the time of demolition of the Babri Masjid and the riots in Mumbai and Gujarat. Leave alone the media, what was the crime of the police whose members were attacked and what type of exhibition of manliness was it that even women constables were not spared?”

House logjam

COMMENTING on the impasse in Parliament, Rashtriya Sahara, in its editorial on August 29, writes: “The BJP has decided not to allow the PM to speak in Parliament because it knows that the PM has the right answer to its allegations... The answer is that the opposition to open bidding of coal blocks comes from those states that have coal deposits. In this regard, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are to be specially mentioned, and these states are with BJP... The party criticises the UPA government for not implementing its decision of 2004 to offer coal blocks through open bidding. But it fights shy of accepting that it had taken the same decision in 2003...”

Inquilab, in its August 25 editorial, reminds readers that at a special session of Parliament to mark the 60th anniversary of its first session last May, “...L.K. Advani had said: ‘Tolerance of criticism is the highest point of any democratic society... For this, only capacity for tolerance is not enough. The sentiment of respect for adversarial viewpoint is also imperative’... BJP makes many such statements. But when the time comes for action, it changes its attitude and tries to get its view accepted by force.”

Mecca’s OIC

JAMAAT-E-ISLAMI’S bi-weekly, Daawat, writes on August 25: “In the present situation, when differences are appearing between Muslim countries, the very participation of heads of Muslim states in the specially convened fourth summit meeting of Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) at Mecca is in itself a great success. And, the consensus on issues discussed and the decisions taken are not an ordinary achievement... Important issues like Islamic unity, Syria’s crisis, genocide of Rohangiya Muslims... were discussed and an effort was made to put an end to the sectarian differences now found in the Islamic world... A very significant aspect of the decisions taken is that, when it was decided by the OIC to suspend its membership of Syria, it was not opposed or resisted...”

Compiled by Seema Chishti

Who’s afraid of talking coal? Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

Pranav · Post by **Pranav** » 31 Aug 2012 18:53

Homi Bhabha plane wreckage found in Switzerland - http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501714_162- ... e-glacier/

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 02 Sep 2012 07:09

India's Sonia Gandhi goes abroad for medical checkup

http://news.yahoo.com/indias-sonia-gand ... 30038.html

Sonia Gandhi, the head of India's ruling Congress party, has gone abroad for a "regular check-up" after undergoing surgery for an undisclosed condition last year, a party official said on Saturday.Italian-born Gandhi, 65, the widow of assassinated former premier Rajiv Gandhi and widely seen as India's most powerful politician, holds the key power-broking position of president of the party."You may recall in February 2012 that the president had gone abroad for a regular checkup," Congress general secretary Janardan Dwivedi told reporters."She has travelled abroad this afternoon again for a regular check-up and will be back after a week," he added.He did not disclose where she had gone. The last time she went overseas for a check-up she travelled to the United States.Gandhi's departure comes at a critical time as the Congress-led government is embroiled in a crisis over allegations that it gave away billions of dollars in coal mining rights.The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and other opposition parties have blocked parliamentary proceedings for over a week, demanding Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's resignation over the coalfield allocations.The condition that led to Gandhi's surgery last year -- and kept her out of the country for five weeks -- has never been revealed.Right up to her departure, Gandhi was vigorously seeking to end the parliamentary logjam, holding a strategy session with Singh and speaking to BJP leader Sushma Swaraj.

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 02 Sep 2012 21:31

Pranav wrote:Homi Bhabha plane wreckage found in Switzerland - http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501714_162- ... e-glacier/

They may have found this before but the news now and the wide publicity is related to what was the cause for this. There could be a enemy country involved in this

RamaY · Post by **RamaY** » 02 Sep 2012 23:55

India that it is... Sep 12, 2012

Source: Eenadu news paper.

SC Justice HS Capadia uvacha in Aurangabad...

"one can see the god in Indian constitution if one reads it carefully. That is Dr. B R 's gift to the nation"

Source: Eenadu news paper

Indian home minister S K Shinde in CISF passing out parade...

"progress comes only with security"

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 03 Sep 2012 00:15

Acharya wrote:
Pranav wrote:Homi Bhabha plane wreckage found in Switzerland - http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501714_162- ... e-glacier/
They may have found this before but the news now and the wide publicity is related to what was the cause for this. There could be a enemy country involved in this

And the MEA is still waiting to be informed instead of asking the Swiss to launch a search mission to recover the remains if any and black box.

Most likely the black box was recovered by the powers that were interested.

And forum regulars will call this another CT!

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 03 Sep 2012 00:43

US worries that India will stand aside.....

VIEW FROM WASHINGTON
Resurrecting A Ghost
A return to nonalignment is misguided, potentially dangerous, and would leave India perilously vulnerable
ASHLEY J. TELLIS
http://www.outlooki ndia.com/ article.aspx? 282097

India’s foreign-policy establishment is in the process of disinterring a long-dead grand strategy from its Cold War grave. “Nonalignment”— the doctrine that calls upon India to refuse staunchly any strategic alliances with other actors— has re-entered the broader foreign policy discourse, with the centre-left championing such policies in the guise of promoting “strategic autonomy.” The credo was touted in an independent report titled Nonalignment 2.0, which offers the vision of “allying with none” as a grand strategy for India in the coming years.

At first glance, nonalignment presents an attractive option for a rising India. It promises freedom from entangling alliances as well as the chance to advance Indian exceptionalism against the Machiavellian imperatives of traditional international politics. Most importantly, it holds out the prospect that India can chart its own path free from machinations of external actors, an understandable objective for a country scarred by its colonial past.

But in light of India’s growing strategic vulnerabilities, a return to nonalignment is misguided and potentially dangerous. The doctrine has three major weaknesses that would leave India perilously vulnerable:

First, nonalignment struggles to reconcile competing strands of realism and idealism. On the one hand, Indian policymakers acknowledge the nation inhabits a Hobbesian world characterized by troublesome neighbours and endemic geopolitical competition. Despite avowed recognition of the dangerous environment, the doctrine counsels India to rise above conventional international politics, to avoid behaving like other great powers as it becomes one and instead blaze new paths for the conduct of powerful nations.
Advocacy of moralpolitik in an amoral world is grounded in nonalignment’s fervent but suspect belief in the power of example. According to its proponents, India’s developmental and democratic successes within would help inspire a following abroad, thus bequeathing an exemplary power allowing India to gain in global stature and influence. This coruscating idealism, however, is at odds with the reality that great-power competition will be alive and well in the future global system. If power politics is in no danger of extinction, then the critical task facing India is maximization of national power through smart choices at home and abroad. Expansion of India’s material power in the realms of economic growth, technological advancement, and institutional capacity could make all the difference— with the benefits of example accruing thereafter for free.
It’s clear that consolidating material success cannot be subordinated to the chimerical pursuit of an ideal international order, in which India’s exceptionalism has room to flourish, so long as the tyranny of great-power competition remains untamed. In this respect, India’s new advocates of nonalignment are akin to an older generation of idealists in the United States. From the moment of its founding, the American nation, too, entranced by the Enlightenment and republican ideals, sought to promote a novus ordo seclorum, an ongoing quest for new order for the ages, permitting the country to preserve exceptionalism in the face of all international pressures toward conformity. While many Americans would like to believe that the United States is unique in its global behaviour, the truth is that the country behaves more or less like the great powers that preceded it.
Constraints of international competition would ensure that India suffers the same fate.
Although states differ in details of how they conduct themselves, with history, domestic politics and strategic culture accounting for much of the variance— there’s little doubt that India, too, would eventually succumb to protecting its own interests, if it doesn’t do so already. If the demands of national power came into conflict with the obligations of principle, New Delhi would unlikely sacrifice tangible gains to meet certain ideational aspirations. India’s switching to a more accommodating posture towards Burma’s military rulers to curb Chinese influence is just a recent example. Nor should India be enjoined to do so, as the nonalignment advocates might suggest, because such actions could be devastating for a still-weak country struggling to thrive in the cutthroat world of international politics.

{Ashley bhai forgets that the dangerous neighborhood was fostered and nurtured by the West led by US. Their two minions/snakes:PRC and TSP have turned to bite them and now the West threatens India that they will step aside if these two snakes bite India. Ashely shouldnt forget that India knows how to tame snakes as it is the land of the snake charmers and failing that its also the land of the mongoose which kills snakes if the dont listen to the snake charmer.}

A second and more problematic flaw in nonalignment as a grand strategy is its conviction that refusing to align with other great powers remains the best organizing principle for India’s foreign relations because it preserves the nation’s “strategic autonomy.” This attempt to equate nonalignment with preventing loss of sovereign agency confuses ends and means. If nonalignment were primarily about the end, states seeking to avoid strategic policies that were defined elsewhere from their own capitals, then all states would necessarily be nonaligned.

{As they should be for a peaceful co-existence. Its the problem of dominance to recreate Imperial Rome that is the problem. The Empire will get you to ruination.}

But when nonalignment is defined as a means— “the avoidance of sharp choices,” asNonalignment 2.0 aptly puts it— then it becomes more dangerous, thanks to India’s strategic circumstances. In the north, China is a rising geopolitical competitor whose potential threat to Indian security interests is only complicated by two countries’ burgeoning bilateral economic relationship. In the west, Pakistan continues to pose dangers to India because of a peculiar combination of increasing state weakness married to a propensity for perilous risk-taking.

Together, these threats to Indian security suggest that New Delhi should invest in preferential strategic partnerships with the enemies of its enemies because such affiliations could help mitigate the perils posed by India’s immediate adversaries. Oddly, however, nonalignment supporters take the opposite tact, running away from preferential partnerships in a quest for strategic autonomy. Accordingly, they fundamentally misread what success requires, especially when political competition coexists with economic interdependence and containing adversaries is not a realistic option.

The strategy of nonalignment might make sense if India could muster the necessary resources to cope with its strategic challenges independently. Yet the doctrine’s third weakness consists of its failure to assess whether the transformative reforms necessary to build India’s comprehensive national power can in fact be consummated, considering the current circumstances of India’s domestic politics. The realities of Indian politics suggest that the successful “internal balancing” required for the realization of genuine strategic autonomy could fall on hard times. India’s capacity for resource mobilization is undermined by the disarray of its two national parties, the continuing ebb of power away from the national centre and towards the states, the rise of powerful regional parties, and the advent of populist politics focusing on economic redistribution rather than growth. Accordingly, India’s national security managers ought to treat the
doctrine’s exhortation to eschew preferential strategic partnerships with a friendly power like the United States with scepticism.

{India's million mutinies are India's issues to sort. Not for others to meddle.}

Ultimately, nonalignment fails to recognize that when internal balancing is impeded, external balancing becomes imperative. At a time when the growth of Chinese power continues unabated and different threats posed by China and Pakistan continue to grow, New Delhi must give serious consideration to accelerating the growth in its own national capacities through tightened affiliations with a small number of friends and allies. Instead of avoiding coalitions, New Delhi should thus enter into preferential strategic partnerships taking the form of high-quality trading ties, robust defence cooperation and strong diplomatic collaboration. To be successful, India needs these ties with key friendly powers throughout the world— especially the United States— because neither its example as a successful democracy nor its efforts at internal balancing are likely to produce the security necessary to its well-being. India’s strategic challenges are grave and
increasing. New Delhi must recognize that the strategic solution to the country’s predicament cannot consist of simply resurrecting nonalignment in a new guise.
____________ _________ _________ __

Ashley J. Tellis is a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Rights: Copyright © 2012 Yale Center for the Study of Globalization.

I said many times this is not our fight and we should stand aside while the world order gets sorted.

brihaspati · Post by **brihaspati** » 03 Sep 2012 01:03

ramana wrote:
Acharya wrote:["Pranav"]Homi Bhabha plane wreckage found in Switzerland - http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501714_162- ... e-glacier/]
They may have found this before but the news now and the wide publicity is related to what was the cause for this. There could be a enemy country involved in this

And the MEA is still waiting to be informed instead of asking the Swiss to launch a search mission to recover the remains if any and black box.

Most likely the black box was recovered by the powers that were interested.

And forum regulars will call this another CT!

This was probably posted before:

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_w ... ft_1248198

On January 24, 1966, Air India flight AI 101 Mumbai-Paris crashed on Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps on the border of France and Italy.

Amongst the 117 passengers killed was noted nuclear scientist Dr Homi Jehangir Bhabha. Although the world believes the aircraft crashed, Daniel Roche, an aviation enthusiast who has spent five years researching and collecting the remnants of the plane from Mont Blanc, says the plane was hit by an Italian military aircraft or a missile.

Roche, 57, a property consultant in Lyon, France, has collected about three tonne of parts of the two Air India (AI) aircraft that crashed into the glacier of Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps (4,810 m or 15,781 feet).

One was the propeller aircraft Malabar Princess, which crashed in 1950, and the other was the Boeing 707 Kanchenjunga. “While the parts of Malabar Princess were found around one spot, those of Kanchenjunga were found scattered around a 25 km range,” he says.

Roche, who stays 200 km away from the accident sites, has spent five days a week in his expedition to seek out the truth, and his story has already appeared in the French media.

Roche says that while the Malabar Princess is a clear case of a crash, the Kanchenjunga was hit by an Italian military aircraft or a missile. “If Kanchenjunga had crashed in the mountain, there should have been huge fire and explosion as there was 41,000 tonne of fuel in the aircraft, but that was not the case. Just two minutes before the crash, the aircraft was at 6,000 feet above the ground. According to me, it collided with an Italian aircraft and as there is very little oxygen at that height, there was no combustion that could cause an explosion,” he says.

During his excavations in the Mont Blanc glacier, he found the black box of the aircraft, the pilot’s manual, a camera, jewellery, and other belongings of the passengers that had over the last 40 years sunk some 8 km into the glacier and descended down the mountainside. “With the help of the scientific police of France, we were able to retrieve pictures from the camera,” he says.

Talking about his suspicion of the Italian plane, he says, “There were news reports that time about an Italian aircraft that had gone missing the same day. There are chances that it collided into the aircraft.I managed to find a fuel tank of the Italian plane with inscriptions on it,” he says.

Roche has made a DVD about his investigations and even has 80 kg of documented research papers. “I do not know whether it was a conspiracy or what as Bhabha was going to give India its first nuclear bomb, which the nuclear powers of that time did not want,” he says. “In India, nobody speaks about the incident. I feel that it is my duty to tell the truth to the world based on the evidence. If the Indian govern-ment wants, I am ready to hand over the documents and the belongings of the passengers to them. They will have to pay for the shipment charges,” he says.

RG senior went to UK in 1962, and was in Cambridge until 1965. SG went to Cambridge in 1964, and the relationship took off seriously in 1966. The Italian connection could have been what forced silence about Bhabha. The French have a legitimate interest too - Bhava's famous relative and prime backer had a French connection. Its a revival of Borgiastic politics of papal Rome. French kid versus ghar ka beta's interests.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 04 Sep 2012 08:21

CJI names Justice Kabir as his successor
http://www.rediff.com/news/report/cji-n ... 120903.htm

Chief Justice of India [ Images ] S H Kapadia, who retires this month, has recommended the name of senior most Supreme Court judge Justice Altamas Kabir as his successor, setting in motion the process of change of guard in the apex courtSources in the law ministry said Justice Kapadia, due to retire on September 28, recommended the name of Justice Kabir (64) recently.As per the Memorandum of Procedure which governs the appointment of members of the higher judiciary, "appointment to the office of the Chief Justice of India should be of the senior most Judge of the Supreme Court considered fit to hold the office."It stipulates that the law minister would, at the appropriate time, seek the recommendation of the outgoing Chief Justice of India for the appointment of the next CJI.Under this process, after receipt of the recommendation of the CJI, the law minister puts it before the Prime Minister who advises the President in the matter of appointment.Justice Kabir, who was elevated to the Supreme Court in September, 2005, would retire on July 18, 2013 after attaining the age of 65.

johneeG · Post by **johneeG** » 04 Sep 2012 12:44

WHO OWNS INDIAN MEDIA? COMMUNISTS, CHRISTIANS or MUSLIMS?
Here is an eye-opening list of linkages of media people in India. As can be seen, it is an incestuous cabal of communists, Christians and Muslims that is dominating Indian English media. It is a closed group and Hindus are simply not welcome. Only in India with an 80 percent Hindu majority can this kind of nonsense be accepted by the majority.

Suzanna Arundhati Roy is niece of Prannoy Roy (CEO of NDTV)
Prannoy Roy married to Radhika Roy
Radhika Roy is sister of Brinda Karat (CPI(M))
Brinda Karat married to Prakash Karat (CPI(M) - General Secretary)
CPI(M)'s senior member of Politburo and Parliamentary Group Leader is Sitaram Yechury.
Sitaram Yechury is married to Seema Chisthi.

Seema Chisthi is the Resident Editor of Indian Express

Burkha Dutt works at NDTV
Rajdeep Sardesai was Managing Editor at NDTV
Rajdeep Sardesai married to Sagrika Ghose
Sagarika Ghose is daughter of Bhaskar Ghose.
Bhaskar Ghose was Director General of Doordarshan.
Sagarika Ghose's aunt is Ruma Pal
Ruma Pal is former justice of Supreme Cour
Sagarika Ghose's another aunt is Arundhati Ghose.
Arundhati Ghose was India's permanent representative/ambassador to United Nations.

Y.S.Rajasekhara Reddy is the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.
YSR Reddy is from the Congress party (INC).
YSR Reddy's father, Raja Reddy, setup a degree college and a Polytechnic in Pulivendula.
YSR Reddy has said that his one year study at Andhra Loyola College (ALC), a Jesuit institution, influenced him so much that he handed over the Pulivendula colleges to the Loyola Group.
The YS family has established several educational institutions in Andhra Pradesh.
YSR Reddy's daughter is Sharmila.
Sharmila married Anil Kumar, Anil Kumar converted to Christianity after the marriage.
Anil Kumar set up "Anil World Evangelism" and is an active Evangelist.
YSR Reddy's son is YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
YS Jagan is a youth Congress Leader.
YS Jagan is Chairman of Jagati Publications Pvt. Ltd.
Bhumna Karunakara Reddy is close to YSR Reddy.
Karunakara Reddy is the Chairman of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam.
JPPL publishes the newspaper Sakshi.
Chandra Babu Naidu has claimed that Lanco group was forced to invest in JPPL.
L. Sridhar is alleged to have made the investment from Lanco Group.
L Sridhar is Lanco Infratech's Vice Chairman
L Sridhar's brother is L.Rajagopal.
L.Rajagopal joined Congress in 2003.
L Rajagopal is the son-in-law of P.Upendra.
P.Upendra is a former Minister from Congress.
Lanco Group's Chairman is L. Rajagopal
Andhra Prabha is a telugu newspaper started in 1938.
Andhra Prabha is owned by The New Indian Express Group.

Andhra Jyothi is a telugu newspaper.
Andhra Jyothi's Managing Director is Vemuri Radhakrishna.

SUN TV Network is owned by Kalanidhi Maran.
Kalanidhi Maran is the Chairman & Managing Director of SUN TV Network.
SUN TV network owns: Sun TV, Gemini TV, Teja TV, Surya TV, Kiran TV, Udaya TV, Surjo TV among other channels.
Kalanidhi Maran owns the tamil daily `Dinakaran'.
Dinakaran was started by a former DMK Minister K.P.Kandasamy.
Kalanidhi Maran's brother is Dayanidhi Maran.
Dayanidhi Maran was Minister of Communications and IT in the UPA government.
Kalanidhi Maran's father was Murasoli Maran.
Murasoli Maran was a Union Minister from the DMK party.
Murasoli Maran edited a tamil daily `Murasoli'.
Murasoli Maran was an editor to `The Rising Sun' a English weekly.
Murasoli Maran as a publisher published the following tamil magazines: Kungumam, Muththaram, Vannathirai & Sumangali.
Murasoli Maran's uncle is M.Karunanidhi.
M.Karunanidhi is Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, from the DMK party.
M.Karunanidhi launched Kalaignar TV in 2007.
M.K.Azhagiri owns Kalaignar TV.
M.K.Azhagiri is M.Karunanidhi's son.
M.K.Stalin is another son of the M.Karunanidhi..
M.K.Stalin was named after Joseph Stalin.
Joseph Stalin was the authoritarian leader of the Soviet Union.
M.K.Stalin is the Minister for Rural Development and Local Administration in Tamil Nadu.
Kanimozhi is one of the daughters of M.Karunanidhi.
Kanimozhi was a sub-editor for the `The Hindu'.
Kanimohi was Editor in Charge of `Kungumam' a tamil weekly.
Kanimozhi became a Rajya Sabha member in 2007.
Kanimozhi conducted programs in SUN TV and Vijay TV.
Kanimozhi's second husband G.Aravindan is Singapore based Tamil literary figure.

Dilip D'Souza was member of PIPFD
Dilip D'Souza's father was Joseph Bain D'Souza.
J.B.D'Souza was former Maharastra Chief Seccretary and activist.
Teesta Setalva member of PIPFD
Teesta Setalvad married to Javed Anand
Teesta and Javed run Sabrang Communications.
Javed Anand is General Secretary of Muslims for Secular Democracy { ?? }
Javed Akhtar is spokesperson for Muslims for Secular Democracy
Javed Akhtar married to Shabana Azmi
Karan Thapar owns ITV
ITV produces shows for BBC
Karan Thapar's father was General Pran Nath Thapar COAS during 1962 war, when India lost under his watch.
Karan Thapar was very good friend of Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari.
Benazir Bhutto was Pakistan's Prime Minister.
Benazir Bhutto's father was Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
Z.A.Bhutto served as Pakistan's President.
A.A.Zardar is the current Pakistani's President.
Karan Thapar's Mama was married to Nayantara Sahgal.
Nayantar Sahgal is daughter of Vijayalakshmi Pandit.
Vijayalakshmi Pandit was sister of Jawharlal Nehru.

Medha Patkar is a leading spokesperson for Narmada Bacho Andolan.
NBA was helped by Patrick McCully of International Rivers (formerly Internal Rivers Network.)
Angana Chatterjee was on the board of IRN
Dipti Bhatnagar was an Intern/Volunteer at IRN.
Dipti Bhatnagar is an activist at NBA.
]Dr. Angana Chatterjee part of PROXSA
PROXSA mother-ship of FOIL
ASHA endorsed by FOIL
Sandeep Pandey co-founder of Asha for education (ASHA)
Dr. Angana Chatterjee is married to Richard Shapiro
Richard Shapiro is Director and Associate Professor of the Grad. Anthropology Prgm at CIIS
Shubh Mathur co-wrote a letter with Angana on 'Humanitarian Crisis in J&K'
Biju Matthew is co-founder of FOIL.
Vijay Prasad is co-founder of FOIL.
Vijay Prasa co-authored with Angana Chatterjee and wrote against IDRF.
ASHA has association with AID
AID works with FOSA
FOSA started by a Pakistani - Ali Hasan Cemendtaur.
Amitava Kumar associated with FOIL
FOIL & FOSA opposed California Text Book Edits.
California Text Book Edits was opposed by Michael Witzel.
M.Witzel is Wales Professor of Sanskrit at Harvard University.

Rahul Bose is brother-in-law of Khalid Ansari.
Khalid Ansari is the Chairman of Mid-Day Group of Publication based in Mumbai.
Khalid Ansari is Chairman of M.C.Media Ltd.
M.C.Media Ltd. has a join-venture with BBC for FM radio brodcasting.
Khalid Ansari's father was Abdul Hameed Ansari.
A.H.Ansari was a freedom fighter and active Congressman.
Dr.John Dayal worked as a journalist with the N.Delhi edition of Mid-Day.
Narasimhan Ram is the Editor-in-Chief of 'The Hindu'.
N.Ram's first wife was Susan.
Susan, an Irish, was in charge of Oxford University Press publications in India.
N.Ram and Susan's daughter is Vidya Ram.
Vidya Ram is a journalist.
N.Ram is now married to Mariam.
N.Ram, Jennifer Arul and K.M.Roy participated in closed door Catholic Bishops Conference of India in Thrissur, Kerala.
Jennifer Arul is the Resident Editor and Bureau Chief in South India for NDTV.
Jennifer Arul is Chief Operating Office for Astro Awani - Indonesian news and information channel.
K.M.Roy was a reporter in `The Hindu'
K.M.Roy is the General Editor of the group of the `Mangalam' Publications.
Mangalam Group of Publications was started by M.C.Varghese
K.M.Roy received the `All India Catholic Union Lifetime Award'
All India Catholic Union's National Vice President is Dr.John Dayal.
Dr.John Dayal is also Secretary General of All India Christian Council (AICC)
AICC's President is Dr. Joseph D'souza
Dr. Joseph D'souza founded Dalit Freedom Network (USA)
Dr.Joseph D'Souza participated in the inaugural Religious Freedom Day

The Religious Freedom Day was attended by former Republican Sentor Rick Santorum
AICC claims Confederation of SC/ST Organizations (India) as a sister organization.
AICC claims Christian Solidarity Worldwide (UK) as a sister organization.
AICC claims Release International (UK) as a sister organization.
Release International states it supplies bibles and literature to meet the need of growth and evangelism.
Dalit Freedom Network's partner's with Operation Mobilization India.
OM India's South India Regional Director is Kumar Swamy
Kumar Swamy is the State President of Communal Harmony Committee.
Kumar Swamy serves with Karnataka State Human Rights Commission.
OM India's North India Regional Director is Moses Parmar.
Moses Parmar serves as North India Public Relations officer of the All India Christian Council (AICC)
OM seeks to plant and strengthen churches in areas of the world where Christ is least known.
OM ministries work with Dalit-Bahujan people in India.
Operation Mercy Charitable Company (OMCC) grew out of OM India
OMCC works with Dalit Freedom Network.
DFN has Dr. Kancha Illaiah on its Advisory Board.
Dr. Kancha Illaiah is a Professor in Osmania University, Hyderbad.
DFN has William Armstrong on its Advisory Board.
William Armstrong is a former US Senator from Colarado (Republican).
William Armstrong is currently the President of Colorado Christian University.
Colorado Christian University's one of the strategic objective is to share the love of Christ around the World.

Suhasini Haidar is daughter of Subramanian Swamy
Suhasini Haidar is daughter-in-law of Salman Haidar
Nadira Alvi married V S Naipaul
Nadira Alvi, a journalist, is sister of recently assassinated Maj Gen Amir Faisal Alvi, the ex-chief of Pakistan's elite SSG
"Resalat" is a Tehran-based Persian daily.
"Ettela'at" is another Tehran-based Persian daily.
"Resallat" and "Ettela'at"signed MoU with "Siyasat" and "Munif"
Siyasat and Munif are Hyderbad, Andhra Pradesh based dailies.
Toseeh is another Persian daily.
Toseeh has tied up with Vaarta.
Vaarta is one of the dailies from A.G.A.Publications Pvt Ltd.
A.G.A Publications Pvt Ltd is one of the companies in Sanghi Group
Sanghi Group was co-promoted by Gireesh Sanghi with his brothers.
Gireesh Sanghi is Congress M.P, Rajaya Sabha
Gireesh Sanghi is All India Vaish Federation National President.
Mahendra Mohan Gupta is on the Advisory Board of AIVF
Mahendra Mohan Gupta is Chairman of Dainik Jagran Group
Ramoji Group is headed by Ramoji Rao
Ramoji Rao is Founder & Chairman of Eenadu
Eenadu is the largest Telugu news daily in Andhra Pradesh.
Ramoji Group also owns ETV Network.
ETV Network produces content in Telugu, Bangla, Marathi, Kannada, Oriya, Gujarati, Urdu & Hindi.
Ramoji is reported to be close to Chandra Babu Naidu and supported of Telugu Desam Party.
Ushodaya Enterprises Pvt. Ltd's parent company is Ramoji Group.
Blackstone Group is reported to have invested Rs600 crore in UEL.

Deccan Chronicle Holdings Ltd brings out The Deccan Chronicle newspaper.
DCHL also brings out "Andhra Bhoomi" a telugu newspaper.
DCHL also brings out "Asian Age".
DCHL became a publishing parter of `The New York Times'.
DCHL began publishing `The International Herald Tribune'
T.Venkatram Reddy is the Chairman of DCHL.
T.Venkatram Reddy is fromer MP, Rajhya Sabha from Congress.
M.J.Akbar was Editor-in-Chief of Deccan Chronicle and Asian Age.
M.J.Akbar is Founder and Chairman of the fortnightly the Covert.
M.J. Akbar worked at `Times of India', `Sunday' & `The Telegraph'
M.J.Akbar was an Congress MLA from 1989 to 1991.
M.J.Akbar joined The Brookings Institution, Washington in 2006, as a Visiting Fellow on U.S. Policy Towards the Islamic World.
M.J.Akbar was a member of the `Forum of Islamic Scholars and Intellectual' held in Makkha al-Mukaramma in 2005.
M.J.Akbar's wife is Mallika Joseph.
Mallika Joseph worked at Times of India.

WHO FUNDS INDIAN MEDIA?

NDTV
A very popular TV news media is funded by Gospels of Charity in Spain Supports Communism. Recently it has developed a soft corner towards Pakistan because Pakistan President has allowed only this channel to be aired in Pakistan. Indian CEO Prannoy Roy is co-brother of Prakash Karat, General Secretary of the Communist party of India. His wife and Brinda Karat are sisters.

INDIA TODAY
Which used to be the only national weekly which supported BJP is now bought by NDTV!! Since then the tone has changed drastically and turned into Hindu bashing.

CNN-IBN
This is 100 percent funded by Southern Baptist Church with its branches in all over the world with HQ in US.. The Church annually allocates $800 million for promotion of its channel. Its Indian head is Rajdeep Sardesai and his wife Sagarika Ghosh.

TIMES GROUP
Times Of India, Mid-Day, Nav-Bharth Times, Femina, Filmfare, Vijaya Karnataka, Times now (24- hour news channel) and many more...
Times Group is owned by Bennett & Coleman. 'World Christian Council does 80 percent of the Funding, and an Englishman and an Italian equally share balance 20 percent. The Italian Robertio Mindo is a close relative of Sonia Gandhi.

Star TV
It is run by an Australian, who is supported by St. Peters Pontifical Church Melbourne.

Hindustan Times
Owned by Birla Group, but hands have changed since Shobana Bhartiya took over. Presently it is working in Collaboration with Times Group.

The Hindu
English daily, started over 125 years has been recently taken over by Joshua Society, Berne, Switzerland. N. Ram's wife is a Swiss national.

Indian Express
Divided into two groups. The Indian Express and the New Indian Express (southern edition) ACTS Christian Ministries have major stake in the Indian Express and latter is still with the Indian counterpart.

The Statesman
It is controlled by Communist Party of India.

Asian Age and Deccan Chronicle
Is owned by a Saudi Arabian Company with its chief Editor M.J. Akbar. Gujarat riots which took place in 2002 where Hindus were burnt alive. Rajdeep Sardesai and Bharkha Dutt working for NDTV at that time got around 5 Million Dollars from Saudi Arabia to cover only Muslim victims, which they did very faithfully... Not a single Hindu family was interviewed or shown on TV whose near and dear ones had been burnt alive, it is reported.

Tarun Tejpal of Tehelka.com
Gets regularly gets blank cheques from Arab countries to target BJP and Hindus only, it is said. The ownership explains the control of media in India by foreigners. The result is obvious.

http://realfacts-indianmedia.blogspot.in/

----
Hope, this was not posted before.

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 05 Sep 2012 09:25

The story of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

MIZORAM’S WILD FLOWER

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 05 Sep 2012 22:45

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-19486175
Blaze at India fireworks factory 'kills 34'

At least 34 people have been killed and 30 others injured in a massive blaze at a fireworks factory in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, police say.
The fire at the Om Shakti factory triggered off several explosions of firecrackers with thick black smoke rising into the sky.The blaze took place in the town of Sivakasi, the hub of India's firecracker industry.The town has hundreds of factories and produces 90% of India's fireworks.It took fire fighters about five hours to bring the fire under control, the BBC's Sanjoy Majumder in Delhi says.Relatives of the dead were inconsolableIt broke out in one of Sivakasi's largest fireworks factories, spreading through packed warehouses and setting off explosions.

ShyamSP · Post by **ShyamSP** » 05 Sep 2012 22:49

http://www.livemint.com/2012/09/0320373 ... ation.html
"...The task of dismantling the India-shining story that began in 2004 is now almost fully accomplished. Of course, it is not just the government or politicians that deserve the credit. We have a pride of place, too. When ministers Kapil Sibal and P. Chidambaram talk of zero loss to the nation on account of spectrum or coal allocations, they are not being stupid. They have astutely recognized that they are dealing with an apathetic nation—a nation whose apathy makes its aspiration to be a super-power both pathetic and pitiable.."

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 05 Sep 2012 23:18

ShyamSP wrote:http://www.livemint.com/2012/09/0320373 ... ation.html
"...The task of dismantling the India-shining story that began in 2004 is now almost fully accomplished. Of course, it is not just the government or politicians that deserve the credit. We have a pride of place, too. When ministers Kapil Sibal and P. Chidambaram talk of zero loss to the nation on account of spectrum or coal allocations, they are not being stupid. They have astutely recognized that they are dealing with an apathetic nation—a nation whose apathy makes its aspiration to be a super-power both pathetic and pitiable.."

an apathetic nation - this is a wrong term.
It is an apathetic elite and ruling political elite which is the problem. They are managers and they are not connected to the people.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 06 Sep 2012 01:44

Google Enhances Google Maps in India with Navigation, Live Traffic Updates
http://www.itnewsonline.com/showstory.p ... 6&contid=1

Google has announced the availability of two new features for Google Maps in India: turn-by-turn voice-guided driving directions through Google Maps Navigation (Beta) and live traffic information for several major cities.
Google Maps Navigation is an Internet-connected GPS navigation system that provides turn-by-turn voice-guided driving directions as a free feature of Google Maps for mobile on smartphones running Android version 2.2 or later. As a part of the Google Maps for mobile application, Google Maps Navigation automatically accesses the latest information about roads and points of interest from Google’s online mapping services without the need for any manual data updatesIn addition to Google Maps Navigation, which is accessible to Android users anywhere in India, live traffic information is now available on Google Maps in India for major roads in the prominent cities of Bengaluru, Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai, Pune and Hyderabad. Users can check current traffic conditions by enabling the "Traffic" layer on maps.google.co.in (for desktop browsers) or in Google Maps for mobile (on their smartphones). Desktop users of Google Maps can even review "typical" traffic conditions on a given road at specific days and times.On every platform, traffic information is displayed in a simple and readable color scheme: red for significant congestion, yellow for minor slow-downs, and green for free-flowing traffic. Google Maps Navigation also takes traffic data into account when calculating directions, so users will automatically be routed around areas of major congestion if a faster alternative route is available nearby

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 06 Sep 2012 01:50

Now Paki terrorists dont need GPS they can use the google maps to get there.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 06 Sep 2012 01:51

Tarek Fatah ‏@TarekFatah

The greatgrandchildren of Prophets grandson Hussain, fled to Sind & took refuge with Raja Dahir @koolrahul_2010 @hk87004585 @taslimanasreen

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 06 Sep 2012 07:00

Views from the Right

All about coal

The issue of the coal block allocations continues to remain the focus of both Sangh Parivar mouthpieces, with a prominent cover display in Organiser and an editorial in Panchjanya.

The Organiser has published an article by senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley in which he argues that the UPA’s “process of allocation of coal blocks stinks” and demanded the prime minister to “accept the responsibility for what has happened” as the entire process was “arbitrary, discriminatory”.

While Organiser’s cover highlights “Manmohan’s dubious defence of Coalgate”, it is the editorial in Panchjanya which has voiced strong objections to the PM’s statement in Parliament, faulting him for attacking the CAG for its report. Terming the PM and his cabinet colleagues’ attempt to fault the CAG as “unfortunate”, the Panchjanya editorial expressed apprehensions whether the government wants a constitutional institution like the CAG to shed its autonomy and become an instrument to further the interests of the Congress in the same way as the CBI does.

Hanging in balance

The Supreme Court’s verdict upholding the death sentence to Mumbai terror accused Ajmal Kasab gets prominent space in Panchjanya. An article, “Judicial process complete, will the political process hold up hanging of Kasab?” says people want no delay in implementing the apex court’s verdict, but expresses fears as to whether the death sentence will be delayed by the political process. Contending that the trial of Kasab, right from the lower court to the apex court, bears testimony to the Indian judicial system before the world, the article reminds readers about the process whereby Kasab can seek a presidential pardon. The article expresses apprehensions that this political process may delay Kasab’s hanging, as it has done with Afzal Guru’s, convicted in the 2001 Parliament attack case.

“Had we hanged Afzal 10 years ago, there would have been no Ajmal Kasab and no 26/11,” the article argues.

Internet policing

ALTHOUGH the issue of the crackdown on internet pages and social networking sites, in the backdrop of alleged rumours spread to instil fear among the northeastern people, has subsided, both Sangh Parivar mouthpieces appear agitated about this alleged censorship.

The Organiser carried a couple of reports critical of the government, and also an editorial charging that a “terribly nervous” UPA government, in the backdrop of the CAG reports, has started “using underhand means to stifle public opinion” against it. In its editorial titled “Frightened UPA strikes back wimpish”, the Organiser has argued that it is “not the first time” the UPA has resorted to these tactics and reminds readers that earlier it had asked websites to filter content, claiming that some of it “tastelessly lampooned” Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Claiming the content was “almost hundred per cent” related to issues concerning “corruption and dual power centres of the UPA”, the Organiser argues that “the government had no arguments to defend against the message of such comments and cartoon.”

The editorial reveals the Organiser’s provocation to write about this censorship: “It (the government) banned the Twitter [sic] of people like Praveen Togadia” over allegations of being inflammatory. The editorial claims: “What is galling is that the attempt to gag the voices is directed to political criticism rather than communal disharmony”, and concludes the government is “resorting to censorship to cover up its sleaze and scandalous loot.”

Compiled by Ravish Tiwari

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 06 Sep 2012 08:55

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000087 ... ions_india

India Moves to Center Stage in Global Grain Trade

In the first half of this year, India exported at least 10 million tons of grains and soymeal amid droughts in major exporting nations. That was almost double the volume shipped in January-August last year, before New Delhi lifted of an almost four-year export ban on wheat and ordinary rice.Countries like South Korea, Indonesia and Thailand are now buying Indian wheat for the first time in nearly a decade, and India looks well-placed to capitalize on markets in the Middle East and North Africa because of reduced grain exports from the Black Sea region, which is suffering from too little rain. Russia's wheat exports may plunge by 60% to 8.5 million tons in the marketing year that started July 1, the London-based International Grains Council says.
India has a freight advantage over Russia of $10-$25/ton in exporting grains to East Asia and parts of the Middle East. While this advantage has always been there, India in the past didn't have enough grain to export, or sales were banned, or quality concerns limited buyers' interest. But with prices rising, importers are more willing to give it a chance. Commodity traders now expect India to export about 22 million tons of wheat, corn, rice and soymeal in the year ahead, which at current prices will translate into a foreign-exchange inflow of more than $10 billion. An example of India's clout came last year. Global rice prices were expected to hit new highs when Thailand, the world's largest exporter, raised prices paid to local farmers by 50%. However, the removal of India's ban on rice exports turned India is now world's largest rice exporter, surpassing Thailand and Vietnam, and rice prices have fallen."In the rice market, India saved the world from a cardiac arrest," said Tejinder Narang, an adviser at Emmsons International, a New Delhi-based commodity trading company. While global soybean output is shrinking, India's soymeal exports, used for animal feed, may rise 10% in 2012-13, said Davish Jain, managing director of Prestige Group, one of India's largest exporters of the product. Indian corn on a delivered basis in eastern Asia costs at least $30/ton less than the cheapest grade of Australian wheat because of a relatively weak rupee, low labor costs and tight supply from alternative sellers. Similarly, Indian feed wheat is at least $70/ton cheaper than U.S. corn. India was one of the world's largest wheat importers in 2006, but since then has had a series of bumper crops because of favorable weather, higher yields and more planting. The government buys wheat and rice from growers at above-market prices to boost rural incomes and rations sales at highly subsidized rates to many millions of undernourished Indians. But rampant corruption has resulted in grain stocks being siphoned off for sale in the domestic open market where prices are more than double the subsidized rates. Both output and inventories have hit records, although a lack of warehousing has damaged the quality of grain stored in the open.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 06 Sep 2012 21:57

Interesting op-ed by Gautam Sen. he appears to have read Norman Davis latest book' Europe's Vanished States' and is applying the model to India to see future scenarios. Note Davis identifies critical events that led to state erasure:key battles, effete eleite or rulers, external factors, people/nation's changing mind set etc.

Sen identifies major factors in India: effete elite, hostile neighbors, apathetic public kept bored by venal leaders.

kshatriya wrote:India in peril - 1
The Union is threatened by fragmented politics and external enemies, writes Gautam Sen.

London, 5 September 2012: There is no guarantee that India will continue to exist within its current borders. The historical record suggests the sizeable continental span of India today has not been the norm in the past. A relatively uncontested substantial expanse of territory was held together for the longest period in history, approximately the mid-nineteenth century till independence, by British military and diplomatic prowess. Of course it almost ended in 1857 and stirrings of nationalist unease began within a generation following the Mutiny. But for much of the period, the majority of Indians mostly acquiesced in British rule and the possibility of any sectarian Islamic upsurge was held in check until Britain cynically decided to inflame it in response to what it deemed Hindu nationalism.

Partition altered the situation dramatically for India, by creating two militarised Ghazi entities along its borders, with threats against the Indian Union emanating from both of them. In the period since Partition, an ostensibly unified Indian State has had little meaningful control of Kashmir and the Northeast, and its sovereign prerogatives in them would cease without the unbroken military presence obligated by constant local insurgencies. This is not customarily the indefinite state of affairs within a country. In addition, the cultural association of these territories with the rest of India, characterized by religious estrangement, is minimal, and routine access into them for Indian citizens circumscribed in varying degree. Elsewhere, over two misguided and self-destructive generations, citizens of Assam and West Bengal also contrived to diminish their affiliation with the rest of India. They managed to weaken it by altering the demography of their states, implanting large numbers of foreigners on their own soil. And the political loyalties of a significant number of alleged Indian citizens of these states are suspect and their net annual tax contribution to the Indian Central exchequer usually negative.

The views of India's contemporary elites on the future of their country, who inherited a truncated nation in 1947, can be dismissed outright. Their socio-political hallmarks, with few exceptions, have been lack of historical perspective, astounding greed, cowardice and complacency masquerading as political sagacity. Their political impulse has usually been to follow the path of least resistance and bury their heads in the sand and surrender meekly when overwhelmed by circumstances. The twin goals of India's political elites are likely to remain wealth and political power to attain it. Virtually everything else positive in India is a product of enervated inertia and the genius of exceptional individuals, who achieve extraordinary goals. Some of these accidental attainments, like nuclear fission and India's missile programme, are of lasting significance, but primarily issuing from their innate technological dynamism and only secondarily owing to any considered political wishes of the Indian State to take advantage of them purposefully.

In contemporary India, major elements of its political class are precipitating conditions likely to destroy the Indian Union in its present form. Despite spending untold sums on acquiring military hardware, India's politicians and bureaucrats are manipulating venally to foster a pliant senior officer corps, which could have potentially disastrous consequences in the event of a major war. It must be surmised that treasonous corruption over defence purchases is the underlying reason why it is necessary to subvert the senior corps and install obliging officers. The appointment of a supposedly upright politician to head the defence ministry is presumably designed to contrive a misleading aura of probity, which makes the minister personally culpable for any crimes being committed. It is simply not credible to imply that the minister would have acted differently had he been aware of the lethal misconduct, since the family of his own patrons is evidently involved in the scandals. All those implicated should face summary wartime sanctions if India's military forces suffer major reverses in the field of battle owing to the intolerable conduct of politicians and officers appointed by them. It might be recalled that the late Lieutenant-General J. N. Chaudhuri threatened to impose the ultimate sanction against the cowardly mediocrity favoured by Jawaharlal Nehru for the post of chief of staff during the 1962 debacle, when the prime minister appointed him to reform the Indian armed forces

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The brutal fact of the matter is that India's semi-literate elites, besotted with shopping sprees abroad, Bollywood and absurdities like the IPL tournament, are incapable of fathoming their country is not unique. It happens to be located in the same planetary system as other countries. In this world, mighty states' systems regularly fade away, this being the fate of the ancient Greeks, Romans, Persians or indeed the Ottomans, Spanish, Austro-Hungarians or the former Soviet Union. Their own country could also become the victim of the inexorable forces of history. Such disintegration is a product of the internal political and economic dynamics of large polities, whether domestic political schisms and economic setbacks, or how they cope with external political, military and environmental challenges. The question to be pondered is whether India, misgoverned by a profoundly dysfunctional and discredited political order, unable to sustain basic economic and institutional goals, can survive as a united political entity in one of the most hostile political and military environments in the world; perhaps only less demanding than that faced by Israel. In both instances, all their significant neighbours are anxious to do them harm, the lesser ones awaiting action by the stronger, for an opportunity to join the melee to crush them.

What shape could the denouement take for India? Scrutinising India from Beijing, Rawalpindi (which an exultant Indian actress visited recently to entertain Pakistani troops),(Who is this ?) Dhaka and Kathmandu, it is possible to discern a scenario. National political impasse, resulting in weak leadership, fiscal crisis, limiting the capacity of the government to borrow, falling growth rates and social unrest as unemployment rises, are inviting conditions for striking a blow against India. It may be surmised that an assault scripted in Beijing would also involve Pakistan, to create a two-front quandary for India. Pakistan may merely need to mobilise its forces to threaten India at several points along the border to compel precautionary diversion of significant Indian troops. The Pakistani ISI will also instigate a bombing campaign across India to panic the civil population, disable some key economic facilities and stretch internal security forces. It will surely paralyse governmental authorities across India, a posture that nowadays comes easily to the Centre in any case. It may be safely predicted that a majority of India's state governments will baulk at measures that will inevitably require harsh intervention in Muslim-dominated areas and prompt shrill protest from suspect human rights NGOs.

Chinese forces are likely to launch three separate assaults against India along its northern borders, a major one to divert Indian troops, a massive airborne invasion of Arunachal Pradesh, targeting Tawang, and a third ground attack to rendezvous with its airborne divisions. Their airborne divisions may need to survive without supply lines for a period or only have access to restricted supplies from the air -- hopefully, this math has been worked out carefully by Indian defence planners. India will impose potentially substantial costs on any Chinese ground assault across the Arunachal Pradesh border, but the question is whether Indian resistance can be sustained for several months against better-equipped and vastly superior numbers. China will also launch disabling strikes against the Indian Air Force (IAF), engaging it in aerial combat and destroying airfields and any aircraft vulnerable on the ground; the IAF will need to be extremely alert to a surprise strike while still on the ground. What role the Indian Navy can play in these specific circumstances is unclear unless China and Pakistan join forces to disrupt India's international commerce, especially its fuel supply lines. It will probably be a side show, with even a blockade of Karachi failing to make a significant impact on the ominous challenges on the ground.

If Indian forces suffer major setbacks in the encounter with China, it may prompt Pakistani incursion into J and K and elsewhere along the Indo-Pak border. India could pound Pakistan from the air and make a dash across the border towards Lahore to hold their territory hostage to signal mutual vulnerability. However, Indian fear of escalation to nuclear standoff has become clear to observers and would constrain it from capturing significant Pakistani territory. Nevertheless, if adequate military resources can be mobilized by India, deliberately sacrificing territory and allowing enemy forces to advance into India may allow Indian forces to surround the invading army in a wide pincer arc to exterminate them altogether. Unfortunately, the idea that the anaemic and self-servingly duplicitous UPA or indeed any dispensation in India's Parliament today would decide to wage a prolonged military struggle, at whatever human and material cost, and accept huge territorial losses in the interim to achieve victory, like the Russia of Alexander and the USSR of Stalin, is a forlorn expectation. An Indian government, facing disaster in the north, could easily be tempted to negotiate territorial concessions rather than fight. Of course, Pakistan may, instead of initiating combat, wisely await a political settlement between a defeated India and victorious China to have their own territorial claims enshrined in it as well as their reward.
To be continued

A key measure that is needed to preserve States is to have a law just like the PRC has to treat secession as a capital offence.
The existence of such a law prevent PRC leaders from negotiating away territory and is a huge redline to their neighbors and far away powers.
If India had such a law then Nehru and his ilk would not talk about "not a blade of grass grows there!" nor would all this phappi-jhappi and aman ka tamasha continue.

For some reason, American diplomats and national security experts continue to fail to grasp the significance of China's anti-secession law of 2005. That law makes it a capital offense for any leader to agree to any compromise of Chinese territorial and sea claims. Chinese leaders simply have no authority to make deals without risking their lives.

It means that China cannot tolerate a declaration of independence by Taiwan or a declaration of independence by the Tibetans or the Uighurs in western China. The leaders in Beijing cannot agree to a compromise of Chinese claims to all of the South China Sea.

That explains the Chinese rejection of positions proposed by Secretary Clinton and the diplomatic insult from a cancellation of her audience with China's likely next leader, Xi Jinping. Both China and the US told the press corps the cancellation was not an insult, but everyone knows China dissed the US and got away with it.

Clinton appears not to have been well briefed on the Chinese legal position about sovereignty issues. She had lots of high level meetings and dinners, but the take away message is a total rejection of US compromise suggestions for settling South China Sea ownership claims and a pointed warning against US meddling in issues involving Chinese sovereignty.

To reiterate, Chinese leaders have no flexibility on issues of sovereignty in light of the passage of the 2005 anti-secession law. The Clinton visit was a diplomatic humiliation for the US. Nevertheless, the Chinese have no military capability to match that which the US can bring to bear on the issue of maintaining freedom of the seas.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 07 Sep 2012 00:03

If anybody cares Spetember 5 was late President S Radhakrishnan's birthday and used to be called "Teacher's Day"!

Maybe Pentiah might recall.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 07 Sep 2012 03:26

http://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonydema ... dian-mine/
Rio Tinto Unveils Inaugural Diamond Jewelry From Indian Mine

India at one time was known for having mines that produced the world’s greatest diamonds but it has been about a century since the country has produced diamonds, much less designed and manufactured jewelry with local diamonds. This has changed as Rio Tinto unveiled a set of diamond jewelry from its Bunder diamond mine in Madhya Pradesh.Titled Courageous Spirit, the jewelry features a statement necklace and a set of complementary earrings. The collection incorporates a total of 25.34 carats of polished Bunder diamonds and 2.8 carats of rough Bunder diamonds, including a 5.04 carat round brilliant cut white diamond and a 5.02 carat round brilliant cut cognac diamond.The jewelry was unveiled Friday at an event in the province with Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, in attendance.“The Government of Madhya Pradesh has supported us from the very beginning in our quest to develop a new benchmark for mine development in India,” said Nik Senapati, managing director of Rio Tinto India. “I am delighted that seven years after our initial discovery, we can showcase these exquisite pieces of jewelry that provide a window into the enormous potential of the gems contained in the Bunder deposit.”The Bunder project was discovered in 2004 by Rio Tinto who entered into a “State Support Agreement” with Madhya Pradesh in 2010 to develop the project. Diamonds from the mine likely to come into commercial production in 2016, Rio Tinto said

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 07 Sep 2012 21:04

Something Bothers me about Aman Ki Asha, any of our Ruling Elite could be Drug addicts, with supply of drugs being controlled by Paki Drug Warlords is behind the Aman Ki Asha movement? is that possible?

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 07 Sep 2012 22:09

https://kractivist.wordpress.com/2012/0 ... m-trivedi/
Indian Cartoonist Aseem Trivedi to be tried For Treason #sedition #WTFnews

( All he needs to do is to convert and enjoy the Shahi Life for life)

Indian cartoonist Aseem Trivedi, this year’s Courage in Editorial Cartooning Award winner (along with Syrian cartoonist Ali Ferzat) plans on turning himself over to the police in Mumbai in the next couple of days over controversial cartoons he posted on his web site that parody India’s national symbols.Trivedi was charged in January with treason and insulting India’s national symbols, and if found guilty, he could face up to two years in prison and a fine of up to 5,000 rupees (about $100).In the cartoon below, Trivedi took India’s national emblem of the Four Sarnath Lions of King Asoka that sit above the motto “Satyamev Jayate” (truth alone shall triumph) and re-drew them as bloodthirsty wolves on the re-worded motto “Bhrashtamev Jayate” (long live corruption):

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 07 Sep 2012 22:11

** Deleted **

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 07 Sep 2012 22:16

http://blogs.the-american-interest.com/ ... northwest/
India Looks North by Northwest

In the past, if you asked Indian policy planners what the greatest threat was to the west, they would traditionally list three: Pakistan, Pakistan, and Pakistan. These days, however, Delhi is thinking a lot more expansively about its place in Asia. Earlier this week, India hosted Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon, capping the visit by inking a strategic partnership agreement (the full text of which is here). The deal promises more trade, the construction of a joint civilian-military hospital, and some vague albeit intriguing talk of “the continuing expansion of defence cooperation.” There is no mention, however, of a long-touted but still non-existent Indian air base on Tajik soil.
Why this deal now? Look at a map of the region, and you should be able to figure it out. In case you don’t have a map handy, the Times of India explains:
Official sources said that the strategic partnership emanated mainly from Tajikistan’s fear of the Taliban and the possibility of their comeback in Kabul after the drawdown of international forces in 2014…But it would also be a mistake to view this partnership purely as an insurance policy against post-drawdown Central Asian contagion. This summer, for example, India announced a “Connect Central Asia” policy to boost its engagement in a region whose real estate is likely to be a transit corridor for Delhi’s future energy needs—needs which very much include preventing massive power outages like the ones that occurred just last month.
Regional competition also enters in to India’s new, more expansive thinking. China needs Central Asian energy and minerals just as much as India does. But Beijing has a big head start over Delhi when it comes to building roads, revamping public transport networks, and goodwill gestures like doling out scholarships to Kazakhs, Tajiks, and Kyrgyz. Not only that, compared to China, India’s level of trade with the region is pathetic: $500 million last year, or just one-tenth of the trade between Beijing and just one country in the region (Kyrgyzstan). It’s no wonder, then, that Indian policy planners are looking for ways to expand India’s presence in the region—especially in countries, like Tajikistan, that fear a Taliban revival just as much as India does, if not more.Central Asia, in other words, is the western counterpart to countries like Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand, and Indonesia. Long ago, places like Samarkand, Bukhara, and Osh were just as much of a part of a bigger Indian World as were countries like Indonesia or Thailand: overland trade and Islam connected the former with India just as much as oceanic trade and Buddhism linked India with the latter. The traumas of Partition, not to mention Delhi’s attempt to lead the Non-Aligned Movement, covered up some of those links for much of India’s post-independence period. Now, with India looking outward, and with a rising China peering over its shoulder, that bigger Indian World matters more than ever for Delhi.

RoyG · Post by **RoyG** » 07 Sep 2012 22:59

Slowly, west centrism is being deconstructed and thrown into the garbage. Maps should reflect this trend.

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 09 Sep 2012 02:25

Interview: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat

Lilo · Post by **Lilo** » 09 Sep 2012 08:03

RoyG wrote:Slowly, west centrism is being deconstructed and thrown into the garbage. Maps should reflect this trend.

[imghttp://flourish.org/upsidedownmap/mcarthur-large.jpg[/img]

Also the Mercator map projections which inflate the landmasses in the polar/subpolar and even temperate regions (see greenland and alaska) must be ridiculed and eliminated from general discourse. They were originally created for simplifying navigation and should serve only that purpose.

Lilo · Post by **Lilo** » 09 Sep 2012 19:44

An equal area projection. Notice the real size of Britain.

RoyG · Post by **RoyG** » 10 Sep 2012 01:24

^^Great find! This map should be in every Indian textbook.