Lord of the Slums

Do you want to know who the lords of the slums are? Which slums, you might ask. Lets say the world renowned slums of Mumbai. Again, i'll tell you who lords over them: its the petty MLA's and Municipal corporators, that who.

There is an ongoing discussion in the Skyscraper City Forum over the culture of slums. Its a vaguely defined term, but somebody wanted to know the contribution of slums to the total ethos of a city as big as Mumbai. And that got everyone talking.

Actually, the discussion on slums has been a very classic urban discussion material. Usually, the people who want to make the changes for the better have absolutely no power to make them, and the people who have the power to make those changes dont want to. And the reason they dont want to is because slums are big money. One forumer informed us that the going rate for some slum plots can go up to lakhs. And who is this money paid to when the owner of the land is the government? Yep, its the local neta.

Mumbai's urban laws havnt changed in the last 50 years. Have you ever heard of the Rent Control Act? This act makes it unlawful for landlords to raise the rents of their establishment, thus rentiers have been paying the same rent for decades! In this economy of globalization and reform, is this not a travesty? It is for this reason that houseowners dont rent their establishments out, and this is why people looking to rent decent housing dont find any. Look at Marine Drive. That is prime property and it is in such a sad state because the rent has stayed the same and why should a landlord feel like making renovations when the returns are negligble.

All sorts of accusations and abuses have been hurled on the slum dwellers, but what surprises me is that nobody actually tries to look into the actual causes. I have no doubt in my mind that given the chance to move, most of the slum dwellers would not hesitate to pack their bags and head to a place where they can lead a more decent life, send their kids to school, and be close to where they work.

There are other laws too, such as the Urban Land Ceiling Act, which severely hampers efficient utilization of urban land. It is there in many states, and I think it works something like this. There is a cinema on a plot of land. it shuts down and now you want to build a big office complex there but you can't, because it is earmarked for entertainment. So there are swaths of prime land lying unused, and land prices have been going through the roof.

Similarly, there is the Floor Space Index issue. FSI is the ratio of the total area of a building to the gross area of the plot of land the building is on, according to wikipedia. For example, an FSI of 5 would mean that the total area of the building can be 5 times the total area of the land. And in most of the countries in south-east Asia or the Americas, this is a high number, from 5 to 10, thus enabling the construction of big skyscrapers. In Mumbai, it has been a pitiable 1.5 (or 2) for a long time, which means lesser scrapers, and more urban sprawl. A very bad thing in a nation where land is scarce.

The pusillanimous state government has been making noises about bringing in reforms, but of course, thats all it is, noises. Why hurt a steady source of good income?

Mumbai slums in the grip of land mafia

Most of Mumbai's illegal slums are controlled by slumlords who use a powerful network of police and local officials to turn empty plots of land into slums. Their main targets are government lands lying free for years. In fact, from time to time, slumlords break down their own slums so that they can resell the land at a higher price.

"The land mafia are local goons who have connections with the police, administration and local politicians. Nobody comes to an illegal slum expecting a free stay,'' said Simpreet Singh, member, National Alliance of People's Movement.

The Ambujwadi slum is a classic example. 23 acres of this slum is on land belonging to the Collector. The rest extends to the very sensitive Coastal Regulatory Zone. The slums have eaten into the mangroves. The slumlords have covered the swamps with building debris so that the waves don't touch the plot.

But a year ago, the bulldozers came and much of Ambujwadi was demolished. Thousands lost their homes.

Mumbai's dilemma soon had a larger audience. Human rights activists and UN officials came visiting to hold public hearings.To counter criticism that they were anti-poor, the municipal corporation also began targeting illegal structures of the rich.

But in Ambujwadi, like in other slums, the slum mafia sat back and waited. Once the bulldozers and the television crews had left, they slowly went back to business.Bit by bit, they began selling the land once again. Today, a year later, pieces of land have been sold to the 10,000 people who now live here.

Obviously there is neither lease nor deed on paper. It's life on the razor's edge.

''The local police helped the slumlords bring in people from Dharavi to this slum. When we protested, the police registered complaints against us. The police are openly supporting the slumlords,'' said a resident.

After the slums become a residential colony over the years, the government demolishes them. And in place of the old slums, new ones grow. Those who control this cycle remain the same, only the victims change. And the government remains a mute spectator till the next series of politically motivated demolitions.
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India Is `Land of Opportunity' Minus the Land

A growing shortage of good-quality urban real estate in India is beginning to act as a dampener on many businesses that might otherwise have strong prospects.

``Supply of vacant space of the desired size in prime locations is extremely limited,'' economist Amitendu Palit said in a recent study on the challenges that global retailers can expect in India. ``While New Delhi and Mumbai are expected to acquire additional retail space of around 30 to 40 million square feet over the next few years through new retail formats, the bulk of this is to be located in satellite or suburban areas.''

Zoning Blues

The Indian property market is extremely fragmented, thanks to zoning laws that specify land use based on pre-World War II British notions of what cities should look like.

A legal ``conversion'' -- using a vacant factory or farm for, say, retail or housing -- is so difficult and time-consuming that many individuals and businesses cut corners, and bribery is rampant. It's only when the judiciary insists on a faithful enforcement of the zoning norms that one gets to understand just how oppressive the laws really are.

A dearth of designated hotel land in central business districts is already showing up in an acute shortage of rooms. Average rates have shot up to about $160 a night in New Delhi and $242 in Bangalore. With such high room charges, India will struggle to build a tourism industry.

Acrophobia

The other obstacle is that Indian planners dislike tall buildings, and this has very little to do with aesthetics.

The logic goes something like this: The taller the building, the more people who will be working or living in it. That means the authorities will have to provide wider roads to avoid traffic snarls. They will also have to supply piped water at a higher pressure to satisfy the occupants on top floors.

The municipality will have to collect garbage every day from taller buildings, whereas it can leave smaller heaps of refuse to rot for a few days in suburbs scattered over a larger area.
Since both the revenue and the technical capabilities of Indian municipalities are limited, town planners impose a very stringent limit on the floor-space index.

A recent experiment by the Mumbai authorities to provide decent housing to the 600,000 residents of Dharavi, Asia's largest shantytown, has evinced strong investor interest because there's talk of allowing a floor-space index level of as high as 4, Daily News and Analysis reported Jan. 30.

Rent Control

A large chunk of India's prime real estate is being held to ransom by existing tenants who are using archaic rent-control laws to pay rates that were fixed 60 years ago.

In Mumbai, real estate supply is constrained by the Maharashtra state government's Urban Land Ceiling Act more than six years after the federal government repealed the draconian statute and advised states to do the same.

Almost five years ago, McKinsey & Co. warned that India was losing as much as 1.3 percentage points of economic growth because of distortions in the land market. Since then, the size of the economic opportunity knocking on India's doors has increased, and so has the pressure on urban real estate.

What sez the SEZ?

A little more than a week ago, the Government passed one of the largest investment proposals in the history of modern India.

148 Special Economic Zone proposals worth an investment of Rs. 100,000 crores ($ 20 Billion) all over the country. These SEZ's are spread over an area of 40,000 hectares and will create jobs for more than half a million people. What is special about the Special Economic Zone? I have an idea that is means there are different tax, trade and labour laws in that special place, and probably lesser regulation as well. I am also aware that the Government has adapted the trickle down model for economic liberalization to spread. It is hoped that as centers of economic performance, these SEZ's will slowly spread their reach and soon most of India will be liberalized in an orderly fashion.

Many of these SEZ's are approved in the state of Gujarat, followed by Maharashtra. They had to defer the proposals for TN, WB and Kerala because of the upcoming elections. Speaking of Gujarat, Gujaratis all over the world may feel proud to know that their state has overtaken Maharashtra to be the most industrialized state in the country. I hope the people of Maharashtra are listening: with crappy voting comes crappy leadership. Talk about Maratha pride all you want, but it still wont get food on your table.

Some of the biggest were:

Govt clears Rs 100,000 cr investment in SEZs


Reliance Infrastructure Ltd will be setting up a petrochemical SEZ at Jamnagar spread over 450 acres with an investment of over Rs 20,000 crore (Rs 200 billion). Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation's multi-product SEZ over 4,370 acres, with an estimated investment of over Rs 4,000 crore (Rs 40 billion), was also approved.

Two proposals of the Adani group -- the Mundra SEZ of Gujarat Adani Port Ltd spread over 5,000 acres and Adani Chemicals' SEZ, also in Gujarat, spread over 7,000 acres with an estimated investment of over Rs 12,000 crore (Rs 120 billion) -- were also cleared.

Biocon's proposal for a bio-technology SEZ in Bangalore spread over 90 acres with an investment of around Rs 200 crore (Rs 2 billion) also got the nod.

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So to understand whats going on, I read what the Chief Economist at Crisil has to say:

Why everyone is interested in SEZs

All these will enjoy the several benefits that have been offered under the recent SEZ policy framework and are expected to be operational within three years in order to be entitled to them.

Among the developers of the approved zones are such prominent corporate names as Reliance, Bajaj Auto, Mahindra & Mahindra, TCS, Wipro and Ranbaxy, as well as others known for
their strategic orientation and long-term commitments. Their participation provides a great deal of credibility of the process and reinforces the expectations of proponents of the whole programme.

Over the years that we have had various generations of the concept in place--free trade zones or export-processing zones or any other--their collective share of the country's total exports has not risen above 5 per cent.

Whatever impeded the competitiveness of domestic producers outside the zones apparently had an influence inside them as well. The direct fiscal incentives were obviously not strong enough to offset those disadvantages.

On the policy front, the issue that was most debated was the possibility of exempting producers locating in the zones from the labour market regulations, particularly those applying to job security. Many people saw this as an indispensable part of the SEZ strategy and were disappointed by the ultimate decision not to provide these exemptions.

Obviously, the huge enthusiasm shown by developers, specially the names mentioned above, suggests that this concern is not as significant as it first appeared.

This perception is reinforced by the fact that many of the zones are focused on multi-product manufacturing activity, where the failure to deal with labour market issues has the maximum potential to cause damage. Well, apparently not, in the minds of the developers.

There is one clear difference between the old and new regimes. The developer--private or in partnership with a public agency--will have enough control over the infrastructure and services within the zone to provide his clients with a high degree of assurance with respect to their quality and reliability.

The zones that we have had so far have been managed by public agencies, who, as we well know, cannot usually offer that kind of comfort.

There is a perception that a lot of investment that would otherwise take place isn't, because the infrastructure situation is a huge deterrent. If this problem is solved within the framework of the SEZ, a substantial part of this potential would be realised.

While the labour issue may continue to be an irritant, there are bypasses available. For example, state governments, whose permission has to be sought to lay off workers, may be willing to co-operate in order to attract investment.

Although the policy objective is oriented towards exports, it does not prohibit producers from selling in the domestic market, provided they pay all the duties that exports are exempt from, including customs duties on imports into the country.

I suspect that for many products, producers will find it economical to locate in the zones and sell in the domestic market. This tendency will be reinforced by falling import duties, which will reduce the price gap between exports and domestic sales for producers within the zones.

For zones in the interior parts of the country, weak transport linkages to ports may offset the efficiency gains from locating in them and make domestic sales even more attractive.

The critical question is: are the zones "investment-creating"--attracting investment that wouldn't otherwise take place--or "investment-diverting"--inducing relocation from existing facilities?

Two factors will determine the direction. The first is the signal that state governments send on allowing de facto labour market flexibility. If they fight shy, producers who already have workers on their rolls will shift in order to take advantage of the infrastructure, while losing nothing on the labour front. However, new businesses will continue to have a problem with the prospect of a permanent labour force.

The second is the degree of dependence on infrastructure outside the zone, which will, almost by definition, not match up to its counterpart within. Again, the logic of relocation is clear, while the logic of start-ups is not.
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So there is the trickle down effect that i was talking about. Start-ups will continue to face the perennial labour inflexibility of India, while those who can't get the state govt. to allow them to retrench might simply relocate. Good trump card in industry's hands.

But it is not all song and dance here, and considering the respect I give to Business Standard, let me look at their editorial on the same:

SEZ = tax scam?

The proposed investment of Rs 100,000 crore in 148 special economic zones (SEZs) will be equal to a third of what the top 300 companies in the country are planning to invest in the country over the next 18 months. That would make the SEZ programme look like a success story in the making.

The logic of creating a special economic zone is to offer infrastructure and other facilities that cannot be provided quite so easily across the country as a whole. In India, this would mean assured electricity, good transport links (some of the new SEZs are adjacent to ports), and, because India’s labour laws are needlessly restrictive, the assurance that an SEZ will provide more flexible labour laws.

However, if the SEZ becomes little more than a tax dodge, then there is everything to be said for stopping this business in its tracks. India already has tax loopholes of many kinds, and does not need to add another one.

The government’s declared policy is to bring that number down, whereas the SEZ programme seems designed to do just the opposite. If the commerce ministry
is pushing for this, over-riding the finance ministry’s objections, the Prime Minister should step in before more damage is done.

The crucial element that justifies making special provisions for infrastructure and relaxing labour laws is the additionality factor; in other words, the investment that comes into a special zone should be over and above what would have taken place in the normal course.

And the danger is that, if the primary attraction of an SEZ is the tax benefits that are offered, the investment is likely to be a diversion from
the domestic tariff area. In other words, potential tax revenue would have been given away for little or no benefit.

The manner in which the SEZs are being drawn up certainly raises fears about just such a scenario.

The zones themselves are often too small—as little as 100 hectares. For some special kinds of industries (software, bio-tech, gems and jewellery), that minimum size has been reduced to 10 hectares—which is little more than the size of an industrial plot. Providing quality infrastructure in such a small area can have no real meaning.

The irony is that the flexibility in labour laws that should have been part of an SEZ scheme is being offered in very limited doses, as a reading of the guidelines makes clear.

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I always knew that Indian industry's achilles heel has always been its
ridiculously inflexible labour laws. One needs to take the permission of the
state government to fire people. And we know the government only sees in black
and white: will this get me votes or will it wont?

But lets wait and
see.

Touche, Mrs. Gandhi

Some people say from experience that when you spit against the wind, it comes right back at you. Scratch that. I have a better simile here.

The Aborigines in Australia use a boomerang to do things, and they are pretty good at it too. It is supposed to fly out, do its thing, and come back safely to the thrower without causing any harm. The Indian Con'gress has been very active in the Parliament lately. They disqualified Jaya Bachchan on the grounds that she was holding an office of profit.

Okay, so you try to hurt the opposition, but in our 'vibrant' democracy, the opposition does not sit still, and in fact, they found a bigger arrow in their quiver, big enough to take down the biggest of them all, the Godmother, the Grand Lady of Congress, Mrs. Sonia Gandhi herself.

I had written yesterday about the ordinance that the government was trying to pass so as to take her and a number of other important allies out of the ambit of such a charge, but apparently the ordinance would have taken time, and by the time it would have been passed, considerable damage could have been done. So Mrs. Gandhi chooses to resign, as an MP and as the head of the National Advisory Council. I mean, its definitely better to resign than be disqualified, right?

The spin doctors in Congress have been busy too. Now this is the second supreme sacrifice from their Goddess after she gave up the chance to be the Prime Minister of India. Her reaction to the media, her statements all point to the deep anguish that the opposition caused and that she would never use her office for personal benefit. I respect the lady, let there be no doubt about it, but I can only chuckle at how this funny politics plays out. Apparently one political party's poison is also another political party's poison sometimes.

And now, Sonia Gandhi sacrifices Parliamentary seat!

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi has decided to resign as the Lok Sabha member from Rae Bareilly constituency as well as chairperson of National Advisory Council in the wake of the mounting pressure stemming from the Opposition, especially BJP, on the issue of holding a position of profit.

The Opposition alleged that the Congress was trying to bring in a law to protect its chief.
In an emotionally worded statement, Sonia, speaking to the press, expressed her deep anguish and pain over the allegations. She reiterated her earlier stand that she would never use her party position to benefit personally in any manner.

However, nowhere in the Constitution has an office-of-profit been described, but the controversy did cost Jaya Bachchan her job as an MP in the Rajya Sabha when the President of India A P J Abdul Kalam accepted her resignation.

However, this may also be a genius stroke with which to beat the Opposition. She had done a similar exercise at time of 2004 elections by refusing to don the mantle of Prime Minister of India even though her Congress Party had majority in Parliament.
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This is a great sacrifice: Congress

"I am glad at what she has done. She will be accepted by the people and she will stronger. So her decision is widely acceptable," Union Science and Technology minister Kapil Sibal said.

The Congress leaders also said that this is an example to be followed and the party has proved a point with the Samajwadi Party.

“We have unmasked both SP and BJP. They are one and the same. Sonia has made a great sacrifice to uphold morality,” Senior Congress leader Rajiv Shukla said.
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As for the BJP's reaction.....

Sonia resignation a diversionary tactic: Rajnath

BJP President Rajnath Singh today attributed Congress President Sonia Gandhi's resignation as MP and Chairperson of the National Advisory Council to her "not having the courage to face Parliament and the Election Commission".

"We never questioned the faith of the people of Rae Bareli in her. We only said it was against the dignity and decorum to hold an office of profit as a Member of Parliament. If our allegation was wrong, she should have faced Parliament or the Election Commission.

Asked whether other "affected MPs", including Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee and BJP's own V K Malhotra, too should follow suit, the party Chief said, "we will go by the Constitution and rule of law". Meanwhile, BJP Vice-President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi dismissed Gandhi's resignation as "yet another drama, which is bound to flop at the box office".

"Political weapon used by Sonia Gandhi against Jaya Bachchan has boomeranged. It has created an unprecedented political chaos in Indian democracy", he said.

Sonia Bachao Andolan

There's a circus going on in the Indian Parliament these days. You might call my statement redundant, because with so many monkeys around, every day is a circus at the Indian Parliament.

But no, this is one of those sure shot cases where you can plainly see the hypocrisy and the dirty mind of a politician.

Recently, Jaya Bachchan, former actress and now, an MP from the Samajwadi party in the Rajya Sabha, was disqualified from the house for holding an office of profit.

With the Samajwadi party and Congress gearing up for an electoral fight in the pristine state of Ulta Pradesh, of course paving the course for her dismissal was worked upon with gusto at the Con'gress headquarters. Before I proceed further, let me try to figure out what happened. Another Samajwadi party leader, Amar Singh is in the firing line as well for holding another 'office of profit.'

Jaya Bachchan disqualified from RS

Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan has been disqualified as a Rajya Sabha
member on the ground that she is holding an office of profit. Bachchan was
disqualified by President A P J Abdul Kalam on the recommendation of the
Election Commission.

Reacting to the development, an outraged Samajwadi Party said other
political parties too have people who occupy offices of profit.SP General
Secretary Amar Singh added that the party will appeal to the President and field
Bachchan for the seat again.

I believe that there are 44 similar complaints against highly respected
people in important positions at the national level. I believe that the
President will take a decision on them in a non-partisan manner," he said.

Singh has reason to be worried as the EC is considering asking for his
disqualification, as he is the member of the UP Development Council. Although
the party has already introduced a bill in the UP Assembly redefining what an
office of profit is, Singh says he is ready to resign as an MP.

The Congress, which the SP blames for Bachchan's exit, today said they had
nothing to do with it. "There is nothing political about this," said Salman
Khursheed, President, UP Congress.

Article 102 and 103 of the Constitution provides for disqualification of
MPs on various grounds, including holding office of profit.Congress leader Madan
Mohan had filed the disqualification petition saying Bachchan was holding an
office of profit as Chairperson of the Uttar Pradesh Film Development
Corporation.

Whenever a petition for disqualification of an MP is filed, the President
is mandated by the Constitution to take a decision in consultation with the
EC.The actor turned politician has already petitioned the Supreme Court asking
the EC to define an office of profit. Her argument is that she has never taken
her salary from the UP Film Development Council.

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So thats the basix crux I guess. The two parties are going at each other so gain political points in the politically important state of Ulta Pradesh. Samajwadi Party, led by its inhouse wily Coyote, Mulayam Singh Yadav and family, is in a lot of trouble these days. MP Raj Babbar expelled, Jaya disqualified, and Amar Singh in the firing line.

But then, the truth of Indian politics is, nobody is clean, and certainly not the Con'gress. Apparently Sonia gandhi, going by similar definitions of office of profit, holds one, and there was a rising opposition demand to sack her as well. Being the Godmother of the Con'gress, this is unheard of, so the Congress does what governments in great democracies do, change the law.

'Sonia Bachao' triggers House unrest

An alleged attempt by the UPA Government to shield UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and others against any risk of disqualification for holding offices of
profit met with vehement protests in both Houses of Parliament on Wednesday.

The Opposition parties virtually shut down Parliament over the UPA Government's move to amend the law to protect Sonia Gandhi and others from
disqualification.
Both Houses were adjourned over and over again after an uproar over the proposed move to bring in an ordinance.

The Opposition disrupted the proceedings over reported move by the government to bring in an ordinance to ensure that Sonia Gandhi and others do not fall under the office of profit category.

"Baki sab bahana hai, Sonia Gandhi ko bachana hai (everything else is a excuse, it is only to save Sonia)," the Opposition members chanted as they trooped into the Well of the House after the House reassembled at 13.00 hrs (IST) after the first adjournment.

The row erupted following reports that the UPA government is planning to bring in an ordinance to amend the law to bail out some of the top politicians, including UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, who are members of Parliament and also allegedly hold offices of profit.
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But what is the ordinance the opposition is talking about? I am not sure either, so let me try to find out. But of course, amid all this uproar, can the BJP be far behind?

BJP targets Sonia Gandhi after Jaya Bachchan's ouster

After Jaya Bachchan's disqualification, the BJP on Friday said Congress chief Sonia Gandhi also attracted disqualification as Lok Sabha member by virtue of her being Chairperson of the National Advisory Council (NAC) on implementation of Common Minimum Programme.

"Jaya Bachchan's disqualification is in accordance with the law. We will now be verifying Sonia Gandhi's position as Chairperson of the NAC on the same lines," Javadekar said.

"The post of the chairperson of the NAC is no exception to the same law. It is not a house committee she is heading," the BJP leader said.
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So we know what post Sonia ji is holding. But what is the ordinence yaar?

Office-of-profit: Govt to come up with ordinance

Violating Parliamentary norms and to ensure that Congress president Sonia Gandhi, along with several prominent MPs, including Karan Singh and Somnath Chatterjee, escape the Jaya Bachchan-type disqualification because they hold an “office of profit,” the Congress-led UPA government is bringing in an ordinance to change the law.

The draft of the ordinance, finalised today, amends the Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Act, 1959 and exempts a fresh batch of offices, including that of the National Advisory Council chairman (Sonia Gandhi), chairman of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (Karan Singh), state development boards, textile boards etc.

Sources said there is a hurry to push the ordinance through given the fact that after Bachchan’s disqualification for her job as chairperson of the UP Film Council, complaints against 44 prominent MPs are with the President.

These include Sonia Gandhi (chairman of National Advisory Council and several Govt-aided trusts), Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee (chairman, West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation), Karan Singh (chairman, Indian Council of Cultural Relations), Union Minister T Subbirami Reddy (chairman, Tirupati trust). The complaint against Amar Singh has reached the Election Commission. As of now, under Section 3 of the Act, certain “offices” are exempted as “office of profit.”
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so there you go folks. Dirty politicians going after each other like its a wrestling match at the village games. Lets see what happens next.

Jessica's killers back on the radar

With the media unwilling to let go of the Jessica lall cause, the process seems to have been started to bring the killers and his aides to trial once again.

There are two thoughts in my mind regarding this whole matter. One, money always attracts attention. No, no, thats not what I am trying to say. What I am trying to say is that for media, the only injustice worth fighting for is the injustice that occurs in the circle of the high and mighty.

At the same time there is a corollary to the above fact. The people are sick and tired of seeing the rich and powerful get away with anything and everything they commit. The urban population, being closer to the mainstream media, got active because they had to means to do so, with blogs, email campaigns and SMS's. The English national media only got into it because their target demographic was getting into it. but I think i digress. The main point is that the public anger is having its effect, and I pray that Jessica, and also Priyadarshini Mattoo, another wronged victim, get their fair share of justice and respect.

Another important point here is that the government still doesnt seem to be interested in formulating witness protection programs. I have no doubt that the witnesses in this case must've been threatened and enticed by manu Sharma, his family or his posse. Why isnt the media taking this issue up? What, no immediate benefits? We need a witness protection programme and thats that. Are you listening, O Supreme Court?

While thousands are still wronged in our heartlands, there is no sms campaign or chain emails to fight for their cause. As the phone and television revolution makes inroads into the country, I hope all of us will live in a state of justice and equality. Only today I read that Nitish Kumar, the CM of Bihar, is trudging along with his plan to give cash for weapons and it is slowly bearing fruit. The police are glad there is somebody who gave them power to act, and the criminals are wondering if bad days lie ahead. Of course, in all parts of the country, the politicians still manage to get away, but I wait for the day when they are lynched in the main square of every town of every state.

Fear returns for Jessica 'killers'

Admitting the police appeal against the acquittal of all accused in the
Jessica Lall murder case, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued bailable
warrants against nine persons, including Manu Sharma, and asked them not to
leave the country.

A division bench of Justice Manmohan Sarin and Justice Manju Goel
restrained the acquitted persons from leaving the country till further orders
and asked them to appear before the court on April 18, the next date of hearing.

The bailable warrants were issued after Additional Solicitor General Gopal
Subramaniam and state counsel Mukta Gupta sought non-bailable warrants against
those acquitted in the case on the grounds that one of them had already
left for the United States and others may follow.

The Delhi police had earlier challenged February 21 acquittal order by
the then Additional Sessions Judge S L Bhayana against the nine persons. The
appeal cited 92 grounds, on which the prosecution sought to assail the judgement
delivered by the trial judge.

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Another related incident that happened recently was that Bina Ramani, the socialite on whose property the murder was committed, spoke to the media, and said that people were treating them like the killers. She says she and her family were supportive of the Lall family all along. Oh shut your trap. Rich people with power are the evil-doers, while rich people without power are just pussies shaking in the formers wake. But according to this CNN-IBN report, she and her daughter told the court that the suspect "did look like that person."

We're wrong targets: Bina Ramani

Delhi Police decision to issue lookout notices against socialite Bina
Ramani, her husband George Mailhot, their daughter Malini Ramani and Bollywood
actor Shayan Munshi - the prime witnesses in the Jessica Lal murder case - is
drawing sharp reactions.

Bina Ramani, one of the witnesses in the case says she and her family
members are being unfairly targeted.
Socialite Ramani met Delhi Police
Commissioner K K Paul in connection with the case on Monday.
Ramani was
accompanied by her fashion designer daughter Malini, who is also a key witness
in the case.

She is upset with the Delhi police for having issued lookout
notices against her and the three others and says it puts them all in the same
league as the witnesses who had turned hostile.

This, despite the fact Ramani-owned Tamarind Court - the scene
of crime - was serving liquor without valid licence and the Ramanis were also
accused of cleaning up crucial evidence.

The notices have been sent to all international airports and sea-ports to
ensure the witnesses do not leave India without police permission. Bina Ramani
holds a British passport while Mailhot is Canadian.
Similar lookout notices
agaist the prime accused Manu Sharam and Vikas Yadav have already been
issued.

Its because of all the flip-flops in the case that the only thing that Bina
can think is protection to herself and to others in similar position.

"Why can't they protect their witnesses?" she asks.
Apart from the
Ramanis, who has hosted the party, Shayan Munshi – a struggling model at the
time and now a small-time Bollywood actor - was also filling in as the bartender
with Jessica when she was shot.

Shayan, on whose statement the FIR was lodged, later turned hostile.
The Ramanis had allegedly washed the premises after the incident thereby
destroying evidence in the case.

In a trial that went on for seven long years, 99 out of 100 witnesses
turned hostile and finally a trial court in Delhi acquitted all nine accused,
including Manu Sharma and Vikas Yadav.

Keep an eye out for this traitor

RAW is a nice organization. Too secretive, of course, considering they are our spy agencies, but the most important thing to know for me is that I hope their heart is in the right place, that is, it beats for Mother India.

Now every country in this world has seen traitors in its midst, and India is no exception. The latest to run away is one Rabindra Singh, a high ranking officer, who in fact was a CIA mole. Of course as the news of his absconding filled the media, it left RAW and other associated agencies highly embarrassed and angry.

Now the traitor has been located living in the state of Virginia in the USA. Following is more information on him, from The Pioneer.


The spy who walked out


In May 2004, Rabindra Singh, a high-ranking RAW officer, disappeared from the country. Accused of being a CIA mole, Singh is now reported to be safely lodged in Virginia - Pramod Kumar Singh
At a time when a high political drama was unfolding in the Indian capital after the 2004 Indian general elections threw up a stunning verdict leading to the ouster of the NDA Government at the Centre, a top Indian intelligence official quickly seized the opportunity. Taking advantage of the prevailing confusion in the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), he dodged his fellow operatives. On May 14, it seems, Rabindra Singh disappeared, but how and where, no one has been able to coherently explain. Most RAW officers believe he managed go over to neighbouring Nepal from where he left for the US.

Singh, a former RAW joint secretary, was a CIA mole embedded in RAW and the highest-ranking Indian intelligence officer ever to defect. He is now safely lodged in his house in Virginia. There are intelligence inputs that his handlers in the US are planning to shift him to a safe hideout in New York to beat the Indian Government's extradition efforts. If extradited to India, Singh could face prosecution under the National Security Act and the Official Secrets Act.

It is one of the Indian intelligence community's enduring mysteries how Rabindra Singh managed to flee to the US despite being under IB and RAW surveillance.

There has been concern in RAW about the damage Singh has inflicted on the agency which he served for many years. Senior intelligence officers believe that although Singh had no access to highly sensitive material, he managed to photocopy many secret documents and obtain information from other colleagues.

That Singh was spying for the CIA came to notice after the New Delhi CIA station chief inadvertently dropped his name at a conversation with RAW officials during a routine meeting. Others assert that it was not so, and suspicion fell on him as he began raising questions within the agency he had no business to ask. According to one account, the counter-intelligence unit of RAW confronted him on April 19 - shortly after he returned from the US - and accused him of removing "sensitive files" from the RAW headquarters in New Delhi. On May 4, 2004 a report was sent to the RAW brass saying Singh, whose family lived in the US, had bank accounts in Singapore, Brunei and the US and that he should be arrested.

It is possible that it was the IB's counter-intelligence division which first rang alarm bells about Singh after noticing a clandestine meeting between him and a suspect CIA agent.

External intelligence agencies have a provision in their service rules called the "golden handshake". They can ease out of the organisation incapable or unreliable officers by persuading them to quit in return for handsome monetary compensation. They use this provision quite often to weed out undesirable elements without getting involved in protracted and controversial litigation. It still remains a mystery why Singh was not eased out of RAW after his conduct was found to be questionable.

Singh was no great shakes as an intelligence officer and there was a big question mark over his reliability since the early 90s, when he began an operation for the collection of intelligence on US Government activities in South Asia through a sister of his, employed in a sensitive US agency with links to the CIA.

One such piece of disinformation which they allegedly tried to feed through this channel in the late 80s was that the US Embassy in New Delhi had reported to the State Department that the then Chief of Army Staff was planning a coup against Rajiv Gandhi.

Singh was not the only officer won over by US spies. The first instance of this kind was detected in 1986-87 when a senior IPS officer in RAW, posted in Chennai for handling the Sri Lanka operations, was found to be in cahoots with the CIA.

In the second instance, in the early 90s, a CIA agent in the New Delhi US Embassy tried to recruit an IB officer who immediately reported it to his superiors. They laid a trap for the CIA officer, collected evidence of his misdeeds and ordered him to leave the country.
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2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games

Hola. Yesterday was day 5 of the 2006 Commonwealth Games, hosted by the city of Melbourne, Australia.

India has fared pretty well, considering we don't seem to perform to ones liking in international sporting fora. We have 12 golds and are third in the standings. Australia, the sporting powerhouses that they are, are wayy ahead of the pack with 42 golds.

India created a major upset by beating table tennis powerhouse Singapore to win the men's gold. The Ladies won the bronze.

Shooting is where its at for team India. Most of our golds came from the shooting range. Major Rathore has won a silver to date. But the other usual suspects, Jaspal Rana, Anjali Bhagwat, they all have struck gold.

We have two golds in women's weightlifting. In fact, the games' first gold was won by Kunjarani Devi. She is all of 38 and India's face in women's weightlifting, coming through once again. I salute you, ma'am. The other gold is by Yumnam Chanu in the 58 kg category.

Men's boxing team seems to be doing pretty good as well.

Women

Indian men's hockey, my matter of personal interest, continues its bad form, and only recently lost to Pakistan 4-1. The Eves lost to Australia earlier, but bounced back by beating Nigeria 8-0.

Men's hockey performance so far:

Prelim Round:
India 1 - 1 Malaysia
India 1 - 4 Pakistan
India 10 - 1 Trinidad & Tobago

Here is the full medal tally from the official website:

http://www.melbourne2006.com.au/Schedule+and+Results/Medals

Heres complete day 5 coverage from Rediff.com

Hola. Yesterday was day 5 of the 2006 Commonwealth Games, hosted by the city of Melbourne, Australia.

India has fared pretty well, considering we don't seem to perform to ones liking in international sporting fora. We have 12 golds and are third in the standings. Australia, the sporting powerhouses that they are, are wayy ahead of the pack with 42 golds.

India created a major upset by beating table tennis powerhouse Singapore to win the men's gold. The Ladies won the bronze.

Shooting is where its at for team India. Most of our golds came from the shooting range. Major Rathore has won a silver to date. But the other usual suspects, Jaspal Rana etc, they all have struck gold.

We have two golds in women's weightlifting. In fact, the games' first gold was won by Kunjarani Devi. She is all of 38 and India's face in women's weightlifting, coming through once again. I salute you, ma'am. The other gold is by Yumnam Chanu in the 58 kg category.

Men's boxing team seems to be doing pretty good as well.

Women

Indian men's hockey, my matter of personal interest, continues its bad form, and only recently lost to Pakistan 4-1. The Eves lost to Australia earlier, but bounced back by beating Nigeria 8-0.

Men's hockey performance so far:

Prelim Round:
India 1 - 1 Malaysia
India 1 - 4 Pakistan
India 10 - 1 Trinidad & Tobago

Here is the full medal tally from the official website:

http://www.melbourne2006.com.au/Schedule+and+Results/Medals

Heres the complete day 5 coverage from Rediff.com

http://ia.rediff.com/sports/2006/mar/20cwgi-day5.htm

some images:

Shooting

Some mens gold, but thats Abhinav Bindra on right.

Mens Rapid Fire Pistol gold

Weightlifting

Chanu: Womens gold

Mohd. Asdullah (left) : Mens silver

Laishram Devi (left) womens gold

Mens Table Tennis Gold

Threats to the Indian nation

In the latest issue of the Strategic Research Review, a defense magazine published on the Bharat-Rakshak site, there is an image which provides a very accurate depiction of the threats faced by our country, both internally and from our neighborhood. In the accompanying article, the author, Captain Bharat Verma talks about the various threats from all corners, including the naxals within, and the failing states around us.

I think you should check the article out, and while at it, do check the rest of it and its past issues.
http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/SRR/Volume21/bharat.html

The author echos a lot of my thoughts regarding the security set-up in India. It pains me to see that I do not see our establishment take the concrete steps they should be taking to secure the country from the various forces that have nothing on their agenda other than hurting India. Insurgancies abound because the state politicians help their cause, for votes or power or whatever reason. Our traditional reluctance to deal with the problem states around us has caused their alliances to shift elsewhere. Pakistan and Bangladesh are footsoldiers of China already, and Nepal's King is doing his country no favor by oppressing democracy and seeking to create a friend in China.

Some may term my concerns as paranoia, but I am positive if our leaders continue to remain oblivious and live with their nuts safely hidden in their knickers, than our threats will grow into giant problems.

I am sure you remember the 1999 movie, 'Sarfarosh'. Yes, the same movie that made a patriot of the most of us. In that movie, the actor Mukesh Rishi, playing the part of Inspector Salim, tells his boss in the movie, ACP Rathore, played by Aamir Khan (who incidently shares the same birthday as me), that the enemies of this country are very lucky because they dont have to raise their own army to fight us.

The red corridor formed by the naxals in the east is a matter of grave concern, and its ridiculous that our illustrious Government of India still prefers to call them the misguided youth. I have talked about it before, and I will still talk about it because it freaks me out about now our government doesnt seem to be doing anything to address the situation. The nonchalance in their attitude is definitely to be suspicious of.

I think there is a conspiracy. A deep conspiracy to muzzle all the forces in the country that are meant to protect it. The police in India is an almost failed institution. The para-military has been reduced to protect the dirty netas' ass. More importantly, i feel even our armed forces and intelligence agencies are shortchanged.

Take this CNN-IBN article for example. In keeping with their trend of carrying out high profile, investigative journalism pertaining to the country's security, they have compiled a fairly good number of articles on the naxal issue.

Naxalism no security threat: Govt

From Bihar to Andhra Pradesh, the Naxals or the Maoists are one party.
They have a 10,000-strong army and have established presence in 170 districts across 15 states in the country. In the next five years, they will control over 30 per cent of the country's land.
The Maoist insurgents in India have intensified their armed movement in what they call the Compact Revolutionary Zone or the Red Corridor.
Inside this red corridor - stretching from Nepal to Andhra Pradesh - the Maoists have set up in the tribal forest lands of central India called the Dandakaranya Liberated Zone.

In this zone, they run a parallel government called the Janatana Sarkar over an area almost twice the size of Kerela.
India is under siege from within and the Government seems to be blissfully ignorant, or is it deliberately playing the fool?

"We don't want to look at it as a security issue. It’s a socio-economic problem. We must have the development faster and have dedicated officers working in the area. It’s not a security issue," Home Secretary, V K Duggal, said.

Hyderabad blues for sure!

For many, Hyderabad represents the happening city where it all started. With Bangalore, the twin city spearheaded the IT revolution in the country. Its a land of history and culture, from the Golconda forts to the Nizam's Palace. It is the seat of higher learning, from the revered Osmania University to the brand new Indian School of Business. The city is dreaming big too, from Singapore inspired townships, slick IT parks, a new metro system and a new skyscraper zone, to name a few.

Alright, enough of the travel brochure. At the same time, the city represents a very dangerous base for terrorists and traitors of all kinds. For years our intelligence agencies have been warning of an alarming level of anti-national activities that foment from the city. An even more alarming trend is the rising number of Hyderabadis who are recruited to carry out the plans of those who want to hurt the nation.

The naxals and maoists (I think they mean the same thing) are already leading a war against the nation, without any visible reaction from the home ministry. Instead, our home minister prefers to call them our 'misguided youth'. Yep, the same ones who hijacked a train 2 days ago. Fortunately, that drama ended without any blood being shed, but I think its high time the Government woke up to the threat that some elements of the city represent.

Take for example the ISI threat to many call centers in the city. Apparently, for the bonehead policeman, they are merely 'anti-social elements'.

ISI threat sparks call center alert

Security has been tightened in Hyderabad after police received threats directed at US-based multinational companies.

Security has been tightened in the American call centres after reports of threats to MNCs. Apart from city policemen; a Quick Response Team has been deployed. Every checkpoint is manned by four security guards and two armed personnel.

"There are reports that all the IT companies, especially the foreign MNCs are under serious threat from anti-social elements like the ISI. We are providing round the clock check post facilities. We are checking every vehicle and monitoring every move here," Ram S Station House Officer, Madhapur Police Station said.

IT companies are also improving the security arrangements. So far about 38 companies have joined hands with police to form a security committee. The police is training the private security guards employed by the IT companies to detect human bombs and live explosives.

____________________________________________________

This news item is 6 years old, and I would imagine the situation is probably much worse today.

Liberating Hyderabad is a priority for Lashkar-e-Toiba

For the last five years, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has been working to make Hyderabad the Silicon Valley of Asia.

And for the last eight years, Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence, the most deadly agency that aids militancy in South Asia, has been spreading that side.

Its mission: make Hyderabad the hub of its activities in South India.

Sleuths give several reasons for Hyderabad -- especially the Muslim-dominated Old City area -- emerging the epicentre of ISI operations after 1992. The Union home ministry and the state police have deployed special squads to bust its network, which officials concede connects Hyderabad to other sensitive areas in the south Indian states of AP, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala.

The nearly 12 Islamic fundamentalist organisations that are active in the four southern states, too, are under observation, sources say.

bombing us into submission?

The bomb blasts in Varanasi seem to have started a trend of bombs showing up every where. Hoaxes happen every day, and tragic bombings by the Naxals hardly create a flutter in the hearts of the higher ups. The Delhi blasts happened, and see, quietly died down. Now there is a new bomb blast to focus our media attention on.

Recently, police defused bombs discovered in Mumbai. Incidently, it is only a day before the 13th anniversary of the Mumbai bomb blasts. Apparently the terrorists have not learnt a lesson, and how can they, when our own establishment is unwilling to come up with a lesson plan.

Similarly, terror was averted in Goa when more RDX was discovered and defused.

Theres a trend I have noticed in the political establishment, that of completely disregarding the IB reports that must be frequently coming in. I think its simply because such warnings do not fit well in their immediate plans of raping the country and their state, and then, if poo does happen, relax, there are dozens of other entities to put the blame on. Besides, this is Indian society we are talking about. Our ability to cope with tragedies is amazingly high. People lose their lives and then its time to move on.

Varanasi redux avoided in Mumbai

Close on the heels of the Varanasi strike, a low-intensity crude bomb was recovered from a public toilet on platform no 2 of Byculla railway station on Saturday morning.

The incident took place a day before the 13th anniversary of the Mumbai serial bomb-blasts, which claimed 256 lives. Although Mumbai police commissioner A N Roy said the device was “not complete in itself” to cause an explosion on human contact, what is worrying the law enforcing agencies is the similarity of the improvised explosive device with the bombs used in the temple town.

Besides, the Intelligence Bureau had alerted the state authorities way back in December that terrorist elements from Kashmir were likely to infiltrate into Mumbai.

“This could have been part of a larger plan coming on the eve of Holi,” Roy said, adding that the Varanasi bombs also contained ammonium nitrate besides RDX.

In Goa too, possible terrorist strikes at popular tourist locations were prevented when the state police, acting on intelligence inputs, arrested a militant possessing explosives, including one kg of RDX, and firearms from Margoa railway station, 30 km from Panaji.

Even as the IED was being defused, the police received a call saying a bomb has been planted at a Ganesh temple in Virar’s Jeevadani complex. It turned out to be a hoax.

________________________________________

I dont know if we are able to see through the game plan of the enemies of the state, but there is a concentrated effort to scare us into submission. We often hear of such rhetorics as terrorists unleasing a reign of terror or making us 'pay' for our mistakes, but till now our nation has been much stronger than these cowards. I dont know if we can hold on longer, considering we either have traitors, or pussies as our leaders.

Meanwhile, all the people rounded up after the blasts have apparently been released, and the investigation seems to be back on the first rung. Ah, another blast, another round of incompetence all around. Kudos, Govt. of India. I would think at least you would have more sense and balls than the petty state politicians. But no, I suppose its better to be a butler in the Gandhi household.

Probe back to square one

THE PROBE into the Varanasi bomb blasts is back to square one, with the release of two suspects, who were brought to the city on Saturday, and six others.

Sources expressed the apprehension that the present case may meet the same fate as two other unsolved blasts cases.

Sources said the blasts case had become as difficult as the Shramjivi Express blast that claimed at least 14 lives at Singaramau in Jaunpur district on July 28, 2005 and the Dashaswamedh Ghat blast that claimed seven lives on February 22, 2005.

Though the sketch of the Shramjivi Express blast was released, no headway has been made in the case so far. The fate of the Dashashwmedh blast case was similar.

“Even scanning of telephone calls of March 7 to and from Varanasi had not yielded much,” intelligence sources said.

In UP, the traitors' in plain sight!

In my previous posts, I've spoken at the rampant anti-national activities taking place under the aegis of the Uttar Pradesh government, currently being run by the Samajwadi party. The leader is Mulayam Singh Yadav, and his posse of criminals, ranging from Mukhtar Ansari to a certain raja bhaiya, and a whole lot of jailbirds in between.

East UP, for a long time, has been a forgotten part of the country, and certainly of UP itself. With the new CM, UP has a new poster child, Mulayam's village Saifai in Etawah district, in south of UP. Mulayam is spending crores of rupees to build a state of the art airport here. Who is going to land here, I don't know, but maybe Mulayam is hoping to attract thousands of tourists to the beautiful treasures so dilligently preserved by Mulayam and the illustrous UP government. Heres another example: in the latest UP budget, around 80% of the money to be used for building/upgrading hospitals in the state is going to his district alone!

But this ruthless mismanagement still should'nt amount to treason, should it? I mean, well, are the people too blind to see whats going on or maybe I am happy and maybe the people of UP are happy with the way they are living. perhaps.

Coming to the Varanasi blasts, you know the first thing Mulayam said after it happened? He said Pakistan is behind the blasts. I ain't denying anything here, what I am saying is I feel that he was the first one to divert attention from his own bad state of affairs.

Heres an article from CNN-IBN. It talks about Samajwadi party goons having a field day in the state, and elsewhere.

Terror finds political shelter in UP

The terror strike in Varanasi has brought out another facet of Uttar Pradesh's criminalised politics. With political parties backing and harbouring criminal gangs, the state has become a safe haven for ISI-backed terrorist outfits.

The attack has set alarm bells ringing across intelligence agencies in India. This is because a pan-India terror network now has the ability to strike anywhere in India.

July 5, 2005: The makeshift temple at the disputed Babri Masjid site in Ayodhya is attacked by Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorists.

December 29, 2005: A Lashkar module attacks the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore.

Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad earlier dependent on Pakistani ISI agents in India, now rely on crucial over-ground support of UP's crime corridor - stretching from eastern UP to Bihar.

Ex-Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) officer, R S N Singh, minced no words in saying that "the crime corridor in North India starts from Allahabad then goes to the eastern parts of UP and finally culminates in Bihar. They are thriving because of political patronage to the extent of police protection."

"For example, in Allahabad there is a person called Attek Ahmad, you go ahead you have Mukhtar Ansari and then of course you have Shahbuddeen. There is absolutely no doubt about the fact that they enjoy external linkages," Singh added.

With cross border infiltration across the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir going down, terrorists are now infiltrating from India's other porous borders like Bangladesh and Nepal.

MK Dhar, a retired joint director of Intelligence Bureau says that UP's criminal politicians have links with ISI-backed mafia in Nepal.

"As far as UP is concerned, I take the name of Mukhtar Ansari. He is known to be involved in Nepal-based mafia. Formerly headed by Dawood Ibrahim's people, they operate there freely. There are links between Mumbai and all these areas," Dhar said.

Even Mumbai's Anti-Terrorist Squad has evidence on infiltration from across India-Nepal and India-Bangladesh borders and its link with terror cells in Jammu and Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh.

"The men are coming from Nepal and Bangladesh. With terror cells from J&K and UP now mixing with men from both Nepal and Bangladesh, both hotbeds of ISI activity, the Anti Terrorist Squad in Mumbai has their work cut out," Anti-Terrorist Squad Chief Joint Police Commissioner, K P Raghuvanshi said.

The terror attack in Varanasi has given the badlands of UP another unsavoury image. The state is now a crucible of not only criminal gangs but is also a safe haven for ISI-backed terrorist groups.

________________________________________

Not that the politicians of India are not adept at politicizing any tragedy for maximum benefit. The bastards will shed crocodile tears, lead rallies, or rath yatras in case its BJP, and will do all the things they need to keep the public angry and hurting.

Heres an editorial from Tehelka.com

Ganga-Jamni in our hearts

If the people of India were looking for wisdom and sensitivity while tragedy stalks the pluralist Ganga-Jamni civilisation in sacred town Varanasi, then the politicians have yet again betrayed the nation.

Trust discredited ex-president of the BJP, LK Advani, to quickly adopt the most irresponsible stance in the face of a national crisis: he announces a ‘National Integration Yatra’. If this is not the most transparent ploy to spread the flames of communal fire and divide the nation, then what is it?

In this dangerous move you can clearly see the deadly potion being churned in the vitiated political atmosphere of Uttar Pradesh — where low-intensity communal warfare mixed with mafia-style murders has been stalking the terrain for months now. And certainly, this organised polarisation began much before the Mau riots where mafia don Mukhtar Ansari was given a free run by the Mulayam Singh Yadav regime.

With BSP on the ascendant, there are three decisive political factors in UP: one, the SP and BJP have hit the lowest depths of credibility and it is they who are desperately looking for a straw, even a brazenly communal straw; two, UP is at a threshold where the communal cauldron has been simmering, much to the glee of the SP and BJP who are working in tandem since the nda days; and third, and perhaps the only moment of hope, is that neither the bogey of minority appeasement nor the politics of Hindutva might succeed anymore.

Advani knows it as well — his Bharat Uday Yatra became such a damp squib that even his most loyal media loyalists had to run for cover.

This is because you can’t sell the same lollypop for the nth time. Besides, people across the caste and religious spectrum have seen through this identity politics where they are used as pawns and dumped, often after a trail of bloody massacres has ravaged the nation’s fragmented landscape, leaving behind eternally unhealed wounds.

While the nation grieves for Varanasi, and the secular State restores order — which is its constitutional obligation — it’s time to yet again weave the chords of unity and harmony, the tested rainbows of a pluralist democracy.

Varanasi blasts

First off, let me begin by saying just how despicable this act is. I dont know who did it, but I sure would like our governments to grow balls to deal with it. With more than 20 dead, the timing of the blasts makes it very obvious as to the motive of the creatures that did it; to foment tension between the Hindus and Muslims. Okay, thats the obvious part.

I have two main thoughts in my mind after this tragedy. First is the vote bank politics of the CM Mulayam Singh Yadav in UP, and the second is the state of moderate Hindus. The latter is a very sticky subject, and perhaps I am way off, but thats what I feel it to be.

First off, let me just say point blank that Mulayam Singh Yadav is a traitor. That bastard will sell his country if he had to for his and his family's gain. His appeasement policy towards the minorities in the state, particularly the Muslims, is hurting the communal framework in the state beyond repair. What do you get in a state that is ranks absymally low on all development indexes, a large poor, uneducated population, very religious, and with a government that is willing to turn its eye away from all the bad that is happening in the state?

Its tragic that people like Mulayam and erstwhile Lalu/Rabri combine in Bihar have done so much harm to their states, whats more tragic is that while we can see it happen, we havn't, or can't do anything about it! People talk about how awfully bad politicians they are, yet the netas still manage to rig the next elections on a mass scale, or buy MLA's with money, and thus begins another vicious cycle of rot. Lalu and Mulayam are just poster boys. Almost all states have had politicians who have brought their states to ruin and bankruptcy, all to stay in power and hoard money while the goings still good.

Mulayam's family has been buying prime land all over Lucknow, just like his brethren all over the country have been doing, the MLA's in Delhi buying into illegal colonies, or politicians in Andhra buying land next to the expressways and major new projects. Its a business, no doubt. It sickens me. In fact, a former spy chief has mentioned in his memoirs that a current CM today is actively linked to ISI, but no, traitor politicians seem to be an inseperable part of India.

The second part of my post is about being a moderate Hindu. My personal belief is that God is within me, and I dont need to show it to the world. However, its not cool to do that, apparently. organizations like Bajrang Dal, VHP, want you to be loud, and think through your ass. And its the same with every religion in our country, unfortunately. I am a big supporter of dividing religion from state, but we dont seem to be heading that way for the most part. Hmm, I had a lot more thoughts than this on this subject, but i've lost them.

anyways, theres a piddly group from Kashmir that claims responsibility for the blasts. I would say the response by the Indian Army? Skin them alive. And most likely the blast was done by traitors within the state. Now what would Mulayam do? Why hail him of course!

Little known group owns up Varanasi blasts

A little known group calling itself the Lashkar-e-Kahar has claimed responsibility for the Varanasi serial blasts of Tuesday.

A spokesperson for the group who identified himself as Abdullah Jabbar alias Abu Kahar called a local news agency on Thursday morning to claim responsibility for the blasts that killed 20 persons and injured more than 100 on Tuesday.

"If the harassment of Kashmiris and arrests don't stop we will not allow the people of India to sleep in peace," the spokesperson said, and warned of more such attacks across India.

Highly placed intelligence sources in New Delhi say that in their records, Abu Kahar is an operative linked to the Student Islamic Movement of India.
He belongs to Muzzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh, but operates from Kashmir.

my quiet blog.....

My blog has been very quiet of late. And why has it been quiet? I'll tell you why. Its because I have entered the work force. After 2 months of doing nothing, I have finally started a full time position for my former co-op employer, an insurance brokerage firm in the Philadelphia suburbs.

Add to that the fact that my computer at home is out. I dont know what is wrong, and I dont know how to look into it, but I will try to make my friends to look into it and help me out.

Now a full time job means I get up early and reach home in the evening, thus leaving me very little time to browse around looking for news that interests me, and more importantly, that I wont look like a fool talking about. See, the rule is simple, any good post has homework behind it, and i'd rather not deviate from that rule than try to fill out half-assed entries on my blog.

Like right now, I am on my lunch break at work, so can sit down and do stuff. But anyways, I think I already know what I am going to write about next. The bomb blasts at Varanasi. I must say, its perfect timing by the terrorists to create trouble.

Already, two news regarding Hindu-Muslim relations were in circulation already. The clashes in Lucknow, when Muslim groups tried to force the shopkeepers to down their shutters in protests during Bush's visit.
Second, there were clashes when apparently a mosque had been pulled down by some miscreants (or calculating traitors). Now the mosque was a part of a property dispute already, but thats all I know about this piece of news.

Inshallah my computer will be up and running soon, and also I can squeeze more time in here during work, and we'll have a jolly good time.

Resurrection of Jessica Lall

Jessica Lall won what a lot of other innocent victims dont in our god-awful system, public enragement for her cause. More importantly, public anger that caused the authorities to wake up and notice it, thus prompting them into action.

Of course, the case took place in a high profile socialite's rich restaurant, filled with who's who of Delhi's worthless rich elite, perfect fodder for the Indian media to catch on and show that they 'care.' Thats food for a whole new rant, but I'll stick to Jessica for now.

So there were petitions galore, I can think of Indian Express and NDTV doing them, there were mass email campaigns, and of course, SMS forwards all over the place. I think it had some effect, because now the central government is getting itself involved. They had hinted at a relook at the case when it was brought up in The Parliament a week or two ago, but I think its a certainty now. Forget the Centre, the President of India is involved now! Considering the absolute respect he generates from all and sundry in this country, I have reasons to believe his involvement will see some positive action.

As for Manu Sharma, he visited Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in J&K last week to thank the Holy Mother for being acquitted. Perhaps I should say "celebrated too soon, Manu?"

The case itself has all the ingredients of a high-profile drama. Its got money, power, influence and a conniving police force, all mixed together into an 80's action flick, except here there is no hero, but a weakened family of Jessica. As for the general public, i'm impressed, to say the least. I thought our society had lost all its feelings as it moved forward. As for the media, well, how about giving the same attention to the thousands of similar victims who suffer in the remotest corners of India. I'm an eternal optimist, and I will say, "hum honge kaamyab ek din."

While searching for the latest news, heres a murky story I came across, apparently one of the flip-floppers has died of liver failure.

Flip-flop witness dead, no one knows who footed his bills

New Delhi, March 5: On April 29, 1999, I had come from Allahabad to Delhi and went to meet my sister’s son Jitender who worked at Tamarind Court. I was sitting next to the piano at the bar waiting for him to finish work. I saw some youngsters, including Manu Sharma coming to the bar and asking for liquor from Malini Ramani and Lall but they said the bar was closed. Manu then shot Lall.
— Key witness Karan Rajput’s police statement in 1999 chargesheet

I was not in Delhi on April 29, 1999. I was then in Dasua, Punjab. I came to know of the incident through newspapers. My nephew worked in Tamarind Court...But I usually used to visit his house...not his place of work.
—Rajput in court on May 15, 2002

Within three years of this flip-flop on the Jessica Lall murder, Karan Rajput died in Delhi of liver failure. Today, his nephew Jitender Raj claims his uncle, who didn’t have a steady job, lied in court because all his needs were ‘‘taken care of well’’ by someone.

Raj, who still works for Bina Ramani, adds that nobody in the family knows who paid Rajput’s medical bills till he died in January last year. ‘‘It’s a mystery,’’ he told Newsline.

One police note that turned the case in court
When Delhi Police submitted its chargesheet in the Jessica Lall murder case in court, here’s what ‘‘got attached’’ with it: a three-page handwritten note titled ‘‘Directions/instructions’’ on how to fight the case. Defence lawyer RK Naseem, who found the note, wrapped up the case.

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Heres the news about the President being involved. Of course, its added with NDTV's own tom-tomming of its efforts.

Kalam promises action in Jessica case

resident APJ Abdul Kalam has promised to take "necessary action" after accepting NDTV viewers' petition asking for justice in the Jessica Lall murder case.

"I will study this petition and will take all necessary action after studying it. This is my promise," said Kalam.

ase reopened

Meanwhile, bowing to huge public pressure, the Delhi police have also registered fresh FIRs in the case.

Announcing this, Delhi Police Commissioner K K Paul said they will also file an appeal in the Delhi High Court against the lower court judgement.

"We will be going to the Delhi High Court in a day or two. We will wait for the orders of the High Court," said Paul.

While not directly commenting on a retrial, the Delhi police chief said that the High Court will decide what to do about the "infirmities" in the case.
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Special crack team to investigate Jessica Lall case

A special crack team was on Monday named under Special Commissioner (Intelligence) U K Katna to investigate the case but "nobody has been named in the FIR," Delhi Police Commissioner K K Paul told reporters here.

Admitting that a "lot of material" has come up in the aftermath of the judgement and the media, which have created "lots of doubt" about the original probe, he said a new FIR was filed in the Mehrauli Police Station today under various sections of Indian Penal Code.

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And a really interesting news, this. I read it a few days ago, but its still cool!

Manu Sharma: Acquitted, but shunned

He might be among the richest men here and the son of a powerful Haryana minister, but that doesn't seem to be making Manu Sharma - main accused in model Jessica Lal's murder - feel wanted in his own hometown.

ut the public also seems to be isolating Manu aka Siddharth Vashishtha, with hundreds of mobile users in Chandigarh receiving SMSs asking them not to visit or use any of the night clubs, restaurants, hotels, theatres and other facilities that he and his family own in the city.

Many city youngsters are keeping away from Blue Ice - a nightclub and bar owned and run by Manu in the city's main commercial hub, Sector 17.

To keep his movements secret, Manu has not been in touch with any of his close friends, with whom he had been moving around and partying in recent months after his release on bail in the murder case.

Looking into the nuke deal

Alright, so the deals through, and President Bush's visit is being hailed as one of the most important ever. From all the media reports I read, I got the impression that there are a lot of loose ends to be tied, I mean, these are nukes we are talking about, but such was the eagerness to get the deal through while Bush was still in India that I am certain they decided to overlook certain tiny details.

Many commentaries in the Indian press say that India stood its ground and got what it wanted. Here, the media has said India talked to the superpower as an equal, and many commentaries in the US say that the US gave too much for too little. Any American journalist with a faintest of interest in Indian affairs has gone ahead and asked whether we will be true to our words and not start making nukes with all the delicious technology coming our way.

hmm, I dont know. I would like to think we are responsible, and no matter what the nay sayers think, energy security is concern number one if we have to be a strong economic power. Critics say how can this deal be that important if our nuclear fuel production fulfills only 3% of our energy needs, and that we should compromise our relations with other nations (read Iran) for the sake of the United States. Well, I dont know the answer to that, but I do know that even for the nationalist that I am, we can't move ahead if we have the false notion that we are supreme and can do it all by ourselves. And that is what I think my feelings are, if we need to grow, we need the help of the superpower. The US needs us to stand as buffer to China, and as much as we may deny it, I think our leadership sees it coming as well.

This deals been noticed all over the world. I googled phrases such as "nuclear+deal+Bush=India" and I read editorials and commentaries from all over the world, and yes, felt nice.

On a whole different note, you know, China has propped up Pakistan against us, its helping the Maoists in Nepal, Bangladesh is pretty much its lackey, and Myanmar, being a military junta itself, has a lot in common with Beijing already. So why should we be afraid to align ourselves with the US? Israel and Russia are our friends already, we have a friend in Vietnam in South China Sea, Japan is getting closer to us, and Taiwan could use a friend in international politics. Of course, let us not forget our friends in Afghanistan. Yo, you know the Chileans in South America? I think they like us too.
So you know, its good we are seeing ourselves in the big picture. China wants a string of pearls around Mother India? I say let the games begin.

After totally moving away from the topic, let me come back and post this article by this lady who explains what India got out of the deal. Of course, as Sameer said, all this brouhaha will up for some reality check at the US Congress. Where does Pakistan stand in this whole picture? I dont know, but I do like where this world is heading, thats all i have to say about it. I'll keep my blog domestic.

Why is India rejoicing?

As on March 2, 2006, India is not accorded the status of a Nuclear Weapons State nor is India in the list of 'non-nuclear' States. India is somewhere in between.

India's impeccable record in non-proliferation over the last four decades was acknowledged and rewarded in a big way.

The Indian government has been insisting for many months that this separation plan has nothing to do with India's strategic nuclear programme. After Thursday's agreement, government sources claim that nothing stops India from adding strength to India's strategic programme.

India and the United States moved one firm step forward to eventually signing the ambitious Indo-US Nuclear Energy Cooperation Agreement, a high-level source in the government said on Thursday.

After the agreement, Dr Singh told this correspondent at the press conference at Hyderabad House, "Now it is for the United States to go to the US Congress for necessary amendments in US laws. Also, the US will approach members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group and thereafter we'll go to the International Atomic Energy Agency for India-specific safeguards."

Some highlights:

• The US government has accepted India's contention that the Fast Breeder Reactors will be kept out of the civilian list.
• Nuclear reactors that generate about 65 percent of India's atomic power will now go on the civilian list and thus be open to international scrutiny.
• Of India's 22 nuclear reactors, 14 will have safeguards, which will be negotiated with IAEA exclusively.
• The most impressive advantage for India is on 'India specific' terms and conditions that will take care of India's future nuclear energy projects. The separation plan given to the US is only about current projects. The Indian side has taken care of all future nuclear energy plans.
• It will be entirely India's sovereign right to decide whether to keep new indigenously built plants in the civilian or military list. However all nuclear plants built with imported technology will come under the safeguards regime.
• It is important to note that while agreeing for a 'safeguards in perpetuity' clause, Indian negotiators have ensured that India's nuclear fuel supply will not be disturbed. The 'safeguards in perpetuity' clause doesn't allow India to shift any civilian facility back into the military list as the five nuclear weapons powers are allowed. The Indian government had a major concern on this issue.
  
• As a quid pro quo, India got 'in built' assurances of uninterrupted fuel supply for plants on the civilian list.

  Sources claim that what happened with the Tarapur Atomic Power Station near Mumbai where the supply of nuclear fuel was discontinued abruptly will not happen again, and that it is not such a bad deal to let have a 'safeguards in perpetuity' clause.
  Even after the deal, if fuel supply to any of nuclear plants is discontinued, India will have the right to help itself out. If one partner is not ready then another partner can help India out.

• In short, India certainly, will not be treated as a non-nuclear power State.

  But this is not a done deal yet. That will happen only after the US Congress approves it and changes US laws. The new agreement will be valid till 2014.

  Now that the Bush administration has found India's separation plan to be workable, India hopes President Bush will put his weight behind it to get it approved by the US Congress.

  Dr Singh will share the same plan with Parliament.

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This just in: the deals through!

Very well then. I was wrong. Only 10 minutes ago, in my last post, I said the deal aint gonna happen. And what do you know, I refresh the news, and the deals through. Of course, the deals only a part of many other pacts they are supposed to sign, but this was definitely the numero uno.

Well, congratulations to both countries, I hope theres something in it for the both of us. I havnt read the details as yet, but I will as I post the news in here.

India, US seal historic N-deal - The Indian Express

"We have concluded an historic agreement today on nuclear power," Bush told a joint news conference.

"The deal is done. The details are being worked out and the exact language and formulation (of the deal) will be in the joint statement," National Security Advisor M K Narayanan said after the talks between the two leaders.

He said an important step forward is the preparation of a plan that separates civilian from nuclear military facilities and "it has been successfully completed."

"Now it is for the US government to go to the Congress and make necessary amendments to the laws (for implementing the deal) and to approach the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) for working the deal," he said. India would also work with IAEA to workout the India-specific safeguards for its civilian nuclear facilities, he said.

"Many of the areas now covers are central to India's national development. They include energy, agriculture, science and technology, trade, investment and high technology, health and environment", said the Prime Minister.

Singh also said a number of announcements and initiatives form part of the joint statement.

Observing that he along with Bush reviewed the global situation during the talks, Singh said both countries have agreed to root out terrorism of which India has been a major victim.

Describing India as one of its largest trading partners, he emphasised on enhancing of trade between the two countries and recalled the growing military ties between them. Bush also thanked the Prime Minister for the aid given to the US after the hurricane Katrina struck its coast.

"We had warm and constructive talks. The talks are reflective of our result oriented relationship," Bush said after more than 100 minutes of one-on-one discussion with the Prime Minister and the delegation level talks at the Hyderabad House.
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Update 5: U.S., India Reach Agreement on Nuke Deal - Forbes.com

"We have reached an understanding on the implementation of our agreement on civil nuclear cooperation," Singh said during a joint appearance by the two leaders. "I have conveyed to the president that India has finalized the identification of civilian facilities to which we had committed."

Under the accord, the United States would share American nuclear know-how and fuel with India to help power its fast-growing economy, even though India won't sign the international nonproliferation treaty.

Reaching the nuclear deal hinged upon determining how to segregate India's nuclear weapons work from its commercial nuclear program, and place the later under international inspection, in a way that satisfied both sides.

Some lawmakers in Washington contend that the Bush administration is essentially making a side deal to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Critics in India, meanwhile, are wary that the United States is meddling in Indian affairs, and is using India as a counterweight to China's growing economic and political influence.

"Proliferation is certainly a concern and a part of our discussions and we've got a good-faith gesture by the Indian government that I'll be able to take to the Congress," Bush said. "But the other thing that our Congress has got to understand that it's in our economic interests that India have a civilian nuclear power industry to help take the pressure off the global demand for energy. ... To the extend that we can reduce demand for fossil fuels, it will reduce the cost to the American consumer."
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They said the details are still being worked out, and I am really looking forward to knowing what they are.