Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Telangana Issue: The need for a Statesman and not a bureaucratic leader as PM

When the Telangana agitation slipped out of TRS leader K Chandrasekhar Rao's hands and taken by students of Osmania University in Hyderabad, there were violent incidents witnessed and infiltration of radicals, the students’ wing of Maoists in the campus of Osmania, created panic in Union home ministry. The home ministry pressed the panic button based on intelligence reports warning of a possible resurgence of Maoist violence in Telangana around the sentiment for a separate state. Home minister P Chidambaram pushed the assessment based on intelligence reports to the core committee that met to resolve the Telangana issue and there was a hasty decision taken on Telangana statehood.

With the decision of the centre to let Andhra break up, the demand from other regions for separation is gathering some speed. Leaders in Vidharba, Bundelkhand , UP, WB, Tamilnadu, Gujrat see a window of opportunity to break away from the larger entities of which they are now a part. Letting Telangana separate from Andhra has opened a pandora's box. What we see in the entire episode is political opportunism, lack of political wisdom and the actual issue the development of the underdeveloped regions has taken a back seat.

A larger issue is the very question of the viability and need for smaller states across the country. This issue requires sensitivity and foresight from the political establishment, something that has been sorely missing so far. In the entire process, we have not seen the prime minister of India taking any decision while as a PM he has to do something. While we have seen that, the demands for separate state are based on backwardness of a region and not based on one language and one state formula, it would be wiser on part of the government to immediately set up new State Reorganization Committee rather than announcing a separate statehood for Telangana.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

State-of-art legislation

The Centre plans to bring a "state-of-the-art" legislation in the Winter session of Parliament to deal with complaints of corruption against judges and ensure accountability in higher judiciary, says the Law and Justice Minister M Veerappa Moily.

Good and thank you Mr Moily how about a similar bill to deal with the corruption of Politicians, Babus, police and doctors?

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Preamble of the constitution of India

Following is the preamble of the constitution of India. I wonder, how relevant is the preamble and the constitution, today. Is India truly a socialist while we opened up our economy?
Are we democratic in its true sense? Is there LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship? Do we experience EQUALITY of status and of opportunity?
The political class and those who are in power made fun of the constitution and its spirit by their shameful actions.
THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA
Preamble

WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a [SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC] and to secure to all its citizens:

JUSTICE, social, economic and political;
LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;
EQUALITY of status and of opportunity; and to promote among them all
FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the [unity and integrity of the Nation];
IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION.

Friday, October 2, 2009

The Strategic Importance of Tawang (Arunachal Pradesh)

The strategic importance of Arunachal Pradesh or Tawang in Chinese parlance the following need to be recognized:

  • Arunachal Pradesh provides strategic depth to India’s Brahmaputra Valley and India’s other North Eastern states.
  • Arunachal Pradesh provides security to Bhutan on it entire Eastern flank by geographical contiguity.
  • Bhutan would be then be in a pincer group of China on both it flanks if Tawang is given away. This would be detrimental to India’s security.
  • China’s borders would then rest on the plains of Assam; India might as well write off its other North Eastern states.
  • The Chinese obsession with the Tawang Region is strategic in its aims.
  • In any future conflict with China and if India singly or in coalition with some other power develops offensive capabilities against China, this region offers the shortest cut to China proper and to Tibet.
  • India’s communications infrastructure in this region developed in World War II for US military aid to China is existent and can be further improved.
  • Arunachal Pradesh offers all-wealthier lines of communication to India for military needs to the Tibet border as compared to Aksai-Chin.
  • In terms of any air operations by China in this region, Arunachal Pradesh would provide multi-layered air defence deployments on the ground as deterrence.
  • The region is rich in terms of mineral and natural resources prospects.
There are many more reasons that one can state but the major ones should be enough. Arunachal Pradesh is of vital strategic importance for the territorial integrity and defence of India’s North East states and should be non-negotiable.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Taxpayers money, Austerity drive and the Political Class

Going by the news reports on the spending of tax payers money by the MPs and ministers and governments one would wonder when will we the people of India get a break and how long these political class test our patience.

At times during national calamities we in corporate or in private sector donate a days salary to the prime minister's relief fund etc. During economic down turn some of the corporate leaders take a cut in their salaries and employees were asked to reduce the travel costs etc. The political leaders who are supposed to lead by an example are not willing to do the same way as the salaried class. They do not want to give up their luxuries like stay in five star hotels or business class travel in air. They come out with all the excuses why they should not be giving up the luxuries. They spend a lakh a night in the five star hotels at the expense of taxpayer money. In simple words, the political leaders and ministers do not want to mingle with the common person, interact with him and serve him. They want their privacy intact. If this is the attitude of our Ministers and political leaders, what good one can expect from them.




Saturday, September 5, 2009

Corruption reforms

Anti-corruption reforms have a good chance of success only when they are moved by a top leader and persistent enough to overcome bureaucratic resistance and inertia, according to experts. They also have to involve civil society and be free from political manipulation.

When corruption becomes ingrained in the culture or is seen as part of, the daily struggle for survival, reforming governance becomes particularly difficult. When people get used to bribes, when they have financial obligations supported by bribes, it is very difficult to stop.