The Government of India, led by the Congress Party of India, or rather, Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, has absolutely no idea what it is doing on the foreign policy front. And there are plenty of reasons to tell me that this is true.
What the Congress is indeed good at is trumpeting successes that do not exist. In a way that is again very similar to the Government of the United States. Readers will recall that their earlier common quality was their efforts to subvert fundamental freedoms of their people.
So Kofi Annan is to step down soon, and there's talk all over the world as to who will take the post next. Before I begin to talk further, I am sure it is obvious that nothing gets done in the United Nations without the hidden consent of the world policeman.
So one fine day the Government of India announces that the current Under Secretary to the Secretary General, Shashi Tharoor, is India's choice for the top job. The announcement takes centerstage in Indian media and we get daily inputs from the governments about how strong his candidacy is.
Then we hear the news that oh, India's new buddy, the United States, has chosen the South Korean foreign minister as their choice for the job. Our netas still try to show that everything is fine and now doubts begin to appear if Shashi is going to get anywhere at all.
Today, as things stand, Shashi Tharoor has stepped down from his candidacy, and the South Korean foreign minister is set to be the next S-G of the United Nations. According to the Government of India, he fought bravely.
The problem with the UPA is that they seem to be putting all their eggs in the United States basket. Some kind words from President Bush once in a while and all the worries are over. Yet, where does the much touted Indo-US nuclear deal stand? The answer is nowhere. It is still not appeared before their Congress, and there is no saying if the deal will ever be through in its present form. The rest of the world knows that if you are not Israel or England, you can't and shouldn't expect the United States to stand up for you. It seems to me that more than making sure of results, the Government of India is just hoping that things work out for them, while they have no idea of how that will come about.
There is an article in The Telegraph by KP Nayar about how the Government of India has been putting up an apalling performance on the diplomatic stage. Apparently our leaders are as much prone to delusion as the Pakistani Army is.
India slips on diplomatic stage
The UPA government’s three ambitious foreign policy initiatives are now on uncertain ground: its much-trumpeted nuclear deal with the US, its high-profile bid to have an Indian as UN secretary-general and its high-stakes effort for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council.
Last month, Pakistan was unanimously elected to chair the Group of 77 (G77), the world’s largest coalition of 134 countries, even bigger than the non-aligned movement (NAM) with 118 members.
According to diplomats of Pacific group countries at the UN, India was handed the G77 chairmanship on a platter, but the UPA government turned down the offer.
Similarly, in the run-up to the Havana summit of NAM countries, India was sounded out about assuming the next chairmanship of the movement it helped found 45 years ago. That offer, too, was turned down by the Manmohan Singh government. As a result, the Havana summit chose Egypt, another co-founder of NAM, to host its next summit in Cairo in 2009.
India’s rejection of the G77 and NAM chairmanships was the result of an illusion in South Block that India was now part of the “big boys’ club” and did not need its traditional allies and partners any longer.
That illusion was reinforced by a gullible view that the US was now India’s “natural ally” and, therefore, everything else was secondary.
But when it came to the crunch, Washington did not support New Delhi’s bid either for a permanent seat in the Security Council or in electing Shashi Tharoor as the next UN secretary- general.
On the defensive against the mismanagement of Iraq, last week the Bush administration further showed its unwillingness to spend too much political capital in pushing through legislation on the Indo-US nuclear deal in the US Congress.
With Pakistan at the helm of G77 and New Delhi’s kid gloves approach to Cuba’s radical leadership of NAM, India is suddenly finding that it has no allies at the UN and no one to turn to for bloc support.
Europeans at the UN have the bloc support of the European Union, the Africans have the African Union behind them, the Southeast Asians have the ASEAN and countries like Pakistan have the solid backing of the Organisation of Islamic Conference.
India has only the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, but SAARC is often a platform for member countries to use India as their whipping boy.
The Pacific group is the biggest sub-group among Asian members of G77. So when Asia’s turn to lead G77 in 2007 came, Pacific countries approached New Delhi with a request to take over chairmanship, according to their diplomats.
But New Delhi stubbornly rejected the suggestion twice.
Similarly, a large number of NAM members were keen that India should host the 2009 NAM summit, especially to correct any radical deviation that the movement may assume under Cuba’s current chairmanship.
That too was summarily rejected by New Delhi.
For India, whose nominee to the UN Human Rights Committee, Justice P.N. Bhagwati, was re-elected for the fourth time last month with the second highest number of votes, the sudden changes represent an avoidable reversal of fortune.
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We all have heard that we must learn from the past and look to the future. Anybody who has been following the government knows that they do neither. Actually, I believe not learning from the past is an inherent quality of any Indian government, be it at the center or the states. They have always worked on winning minor, but immediate, stakes. The option of playing for long term gains and larger stakes is lost on most Indian politicians. That is a handicap that we have to live with as long as we vote in, or rather, let ourselves be exploited by these clowns.
And I have said it before and i'll say it again - PM Singh has the right mind for his domestic economic policy, but he is a bad, bad diplomat. The Congress Party is a self-serving, visionless party and it shows in the way they deal with issues. Nobody has any idea which direction to take the foreign policy to, and it seems that at every major juncture in world politics, they appear to be taken unawares.
I have often quoted Swapan Dasgupta of The Daily Pioneer on my blog. I like the man and I love the newspaper. This man is straightforward and tells it like it is. And unlike the Tabloid of India of The Hindustan Crimes, The Pioneer does not seem to be overly eager to look western, read, American. Or is an India hating Communist mouthpiece like The Hindu.
PM foreign to real issues
We are in that phase of a Government's life when Prime Ministers, and the retinue around them, start experiencing the monotony of national existence. When that happens, convention demands that the gaze of the Prime Minister's Office is conveniently diverted to "pressing international concerns"- with pleasurable consequences.
For the past two months, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has displayed an over-weaning anxiety to optimise his air-miles. First, there was the long haul to Brazil, followed by the quixotic sojourn in Havana - the high point being Fidel Castro's reminiscences of PL-480 shipments to India. Then there was the Gandhigiri trip to South Africa - a visit which intrigued the hosts and confused the Zulu protestors in Durban.
Last week, the Prime Minister was in England to collect an honorary doctorate from Cambridge. True, there was also a courtesy call on Tony Blair and the mandatory conviviality with the same businessmen he met two days before in Mumbai, but these were obligatory add-ons to confer an official gloss on a worthwhile private visit.
Last year in Oxford he provoked xenophobes at home with a subtle endorsement of the "coconut" trail, his thank you speech. Last week's Cambridge performance was unmentionably soporific. It was dotted with the pedestrian eloquence of the JNU kind: "The gap between the rich and the poor is widening... My appeal is that developed countries should not allow short-term national interests to prevail at the cost of promoting freer trade and combating poverty."
There were also the adulatory references to Jawaharlal Nehru - the head of the family - and Joan Robinson, the socialist economist whose dogmatic influence set the Indian economy back by many decades.
No wonder the Cambridge address secured the ungrudging approval of the certifying authority of progressivism: The Hindu.
Then it was off to what business journalists call the Nokia junket. Normally, Finland is not on any itinerary but this year Helsinki was hosting yet another India-EU summit. A prime ministerial visit to a Scandinavian country is best avoided.
Being unable to comprehend the clutter of Indian democracy and the array of the Indian experience, the countries of northern Europe have been accustomed to treating India on par with say, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, bywords for ethnic strife and poverty. As exporters of conflict resolution and foreign aid, they have never quite grasped India's nuclear imperatives nor really understood why President George Bush insists on treating New Delhi differently from Pyongyang.
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When the attitudes of our leaders are so irresolute and their characters so fragile, how can they expect to win anywhere in the world? You talk to any of our business leaders who have been planting their flags in all the continents of the world and you will find men and women of resolution, those that desire to do better and work hard towards it. Unfortunately, that attitude has not rubbed off on our politicians yet.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Monday, October 09, 2006
again, she's ashamed to be Indian
I think Arundhati Roy likes it when she sees Indians cower in fear and bow before their enemies. How else would I be able to explain her fixation to oppose every thing that is good for the country?
A traitor started a war against the state, was convicted, and is now scheduled to die, and there are all these people, who for some strange reason, do not want this to happen. They say this is against democracy, and the man should be given clemency.
I was looking at some pictures on Getty Images and I could see the bias this American press brings into this world. The group wanted clemency for the traitor was all sad, full of children dressed in white and with sad faces. Apparently its okay to involve children to add to the pro-traitors' propaganda in this situation.
While there were other images of people who did not want to let this murderer get away. but of course, since they care, they are the Hindu nationalists with their sloganeering and headbands and flags and everyother paraphernalia to show their violent nature. Ah American media. So tastefully done.
Coming back to Arundhati, she stopped knowing what she was doing a long time ago. Once the Booker was won, writing was not a priority anymore. Arundhati got herself involved in a long process of anti-India tirade, including many issues where she probably had no idea of the history or the ground realities. When India conducted the nuclear tests in 1998, Arundhati came out with her great essay, something titled like the end of humanity or something. Oh dear, the Indian man has a weapon now! Run for your lives, the crazy Indian will blow this earth apart! Of course, the generous western media is more than eager to run that story, and yes, the anti-nuke tirade gets ample attention in the world press. Personally, I think it was not based on fact
The same with the Narmada Bachao Andolan. Where was she when the Parliament was attacked, when the IC-814 was hijacked and the gutless Government of India released the terrorists who fight against our country till today, and where was she when the terrorists bombed our cities and killed our innocent and brave citizens? It does not serve her agenda to stand up for the wronged.
That lady is a decoy. The real problem is with the people who cannot see the need to punish the enemies who fight against India. I hope there is some way in which whichever God they believe in can show them how much anguish is caused when one loses a son, a daughter, a father, mother, or a brother or sister. Our soldiers put their lives on the line every single second for our safety, and when I come across these ingrates, it makes my blood boil.
'Clemency to Afzal a disgrace'
Amid growing demands for clemency for Mohammed Afzal Guru, facing execution for his role in the 2001 attack on Parliament, the kin of security personnel killed in the terrorist strike say they feel "cheated" by those seeking a pardon for him.
Sunder Singh Patel, the son of Delhi Police head constable Ghanshayam Patel, who lost his life said "after seeing the support from human rights and political groups for a terrorist, we feel cheated. This is not what my father laid down his life for."
A shocked Awdesh Kumar, whose wife Kamlesh Kumari, a CRPF constable, was killed in the attack, said "he (Guru) was involved in the attack of Parliament. His role was established and the trial took place from a lower court to the Supreme Court. Now why all of a sudden, the human rights groups and political parties have started raising their voice?"
"I can't believe it when I see and read that even political parties and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad have been favouring clemency for Guru," Kumar said. He said that he felt proud that he was the husband of Kamlesh, but if clemency is granted, "I will regret that she wasted her life."
"I simply wonder where they were when my wife was killed, leaving a daughter in my lap...crying," said an emotional Kumar, adding "today Mehbooba Mufti, a partner with Congress, is siding with him. I want to know did she ever bother about my daughter who became an indirect victim of the terrorists."
Somvati Devi, the widow of Patel who was awarded the Kirti Chakra, the second highest civilian award for bravery, said any move to grant clemency to Guru or convert his death sentence would be an insult to all the security personnel who laid down their lives for the nation.
Her elder son Bachhu Singh, said "he (Guru) should be hanged publicly so that it would act as a deterrent to all those who want to harm my country."
Kamlesh and Patel were among the nine persons who died while protecting the Parliament from the audacious attack of militants.
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The sad fact of the matter is that traitors have always had a heavier hand in this nation, and we will only beat them by being stronger and more relentless in our pursuit of seeing a brighter and stronger India. Hang the traitors. And skin their political masters alive.
A traitor started a war against the state, was convicted, and is now scheduled to die, and there are all these people, who for some strange reason, do not want this to happen. They say this is against democracy, and the man should be given clemency.
I was looking at some pictures on Getty Images and I could see the bias this American press brings into this world. The group wanted clemency for the traitor was all sad, full of children dressed in white and with sad faces. Apparently its okay to involve children to add to the pro-traitors' propaganda in this situation.
While there were other images of people who did not want to let this murderer get away. but of course, since they care, they are the Hindu nationalists with their sloganeering and headbands and flags and everyother paraphernalia to show their violent nature. Ah American media. So tastefully done.
Coming back to Arundhati, she stopped knowing what she was doing a long time ago. Once the Booker was won, writing was not a priority anymore. Arundhati got herself involved in a long process of anti-India tirade, including many issues where she probably had no idea of the history or the ground realities. When India conducted the nuclear tests in 1998, Arundhati came out with her great essay, something titled like the end of humanity or something. Oh dear, the Indian man has a weapon now! Run for your lives, the crazy Indian will blow this earth apart! Of course, the generous western media is more than eager to run that story, and yes, the anti-nuke tirade gets ample attention in the world press. Personally, I think it was not based on fact
The same with the Narmada Bachao Andolan. Where was she when the Parliament was attacked, when the IC-814 was hijacked and the gutless Government of India released the terrorists who fight against our country till today, and where was she when the terrorists bombed our cities and killed our innocent and brave citizens? It does not serve her agenda to stand up for the wronged.
That lady is a decoy. The real problem is with the people who cannot see the need to punish the enemies who fight against India. I hope there is some way in which whichever God they believe in can show them how much anguish is caused when one loses a son, a daughter, a father, mother, or a brother or sister. Our soldiers put their lives on the line every single second for our safety, and when I come across these ingrates, it makes my blood boil.
'Clemency to Afzal a disgrace'
Amid growing demands for clemency for Mohammed Afzal Guru, facing execution for his role in the 2001 attack on Parliament, the kin of security personnel killed in the terrorist strike say they feel "cheated" by those seeking a pardon for him.
Sunder Singh Patel, the son of Delhi Police head constable Ghanshayam Patel, who lost his life said "after seeing the support from human rights and political groups for a terrorist, we feel cheated. This is not what my father laid down his life for."
A shocked Awdesh Kumar, whose wife Kamlesh Kumari, a CRPF constable, was killed in the attack, said "he (Guru) was involved in the attack of Parliament. His role was established and the trial took place from a lower court to the Supreme Court. Now why all of a sudden, the human rights groups and political parties have started raising their voice?"
"I can't believe it when I see and read that even political parties and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad have been favouring clemency for Guru," Kumar said. He said that he felt proud that he was the husband of Kamlesh, but if clemency is granted, "I will regret that she wasted her life."
"I simply wonder where they were when my wife was killed, leaving a daughter in my lap...crying," said an emotional Kumar, adding "today Mehbooba Mufti, a partner with Congress, is siding with him. I want to know did she ever bother about my daughter who became an indirect victim of the terrorists."
Somvati Devi, the widow of Patel who was awarded the Kirti Chakra, the second highest civilian award for bravery, said any move to grant clemency to Guru or convert his death sentence would be an insult to all the security personnel who laid down their lives for the nation.
Her elder son Bachhu Singh, said "he (Guru) should be hanged publicly so that it would act as a deterrent to all those who want to harm my country."
Kamlesh and Patel were among the nine persons who died while protecting the Parliament from the audacious attack of militants.
---------------------------------------------------------------
The sad fact of the matter is that traitors have always had a heavier hand in this nation, and we will only beat them by being stronger and more relentless in our pursuit of seeing a brighter and stronger India. Hang the traitors. And skin their political masters alive.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Who cares about police reforms?
well, for one, certainly not the states of the country. All the states, except for Kerala, sat on the Supreme Court ordering police refors. All these states did was send an affidavit to the court asking the bench to dismiss the Public Interest Litigation brought about by former UP DGP, Prakash Singh.
Such is that mindset of the politicians. Why mess with such a perfectly exploitable system? A few days ago a media poll asked if the states were to blame for the lack of police reforms. While a majority said yes, I said no. The reason I said no is because I do not blame the states for not initiating police reforms. I blame the Federal government and the Supreme Court for not being tough enough on states to implement the reforms. I think it again demonstrates the classic Indian trait of not following up. The order is given, and is forgotten about. The states are expected to do their thing, and nobody bothers to double check. Taking a leaf from this system, the Indian infrastructure follows the same pattern too. Grand projects, once made, rot away.
But if I am not mistaken, I can see a rising awareness of this issue. The media has been picking up the related stories, and if the people can get involved this time, with a little support from the courts, then I am sure the netas will have to follow suit, because not matter how lethargic and incompetent they may be, you can make them run a 4 minute mile if you tell them there are votes to be had at the end.
Barring one, all states sat on police reforms for 10 yrs
NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 2: Ten days after the Supreme Court ordered all states and Union territories to put in place radical police reforms, there seems to be a studied silence among them — from Jaipur to Dispur, Chandigarh to Chennai. And the apparent lack of action on implementing the order, which has a December 31 deadline, is explained by how most of the states responded during the hearing of the reform petition: well, they did not bother to respond properly, if at all.
The decade-long process leading to the direction is a story of wilful apathy by most: After the court had served notice on the PIL, only Kerala sent its representative to New Delhi to put across its submission, said Prashant Bhushan, who appeared on behalf of petitioner Singh.
The rest, barring Orissa, shrugged off the notice by submitting brief affidavits that pleaded for the rejection of the PIL. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, which send more than 100 MPs to the Lok Sabha but figure on top of the crime chart, did not even make an oral submission, let alone send in affidavits.
Other states and union territories that also chose to ignore the petition were Jammu & Kashmir, Tripura, Uttaranchal, Chhattisgarh, Delhi and Chandigarh.
Asked why UP did not care to send in an affidavit all these years, advocate-general SMA Kazmi said: “I don’t know about it. I have to check the records. I will talk to my DGP and let you know.’’
As for the papers that were filed, they were so sketchy that the court did not take note of them. About 19 states had sent their affidavits by 2000 and yet the court had to serve notices again to all of them. A bench, comprising Justice N Santosh Hegde, Justice BP Singh and Justice SB Sinha, on February 11 last year pushed the Centre and states to to “file their response within eight weeks’’.
Only eight states — Sikkim, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan, Mizoram — again filed their affidavits, if only to reiterate their opposition to proposed reforms.
The states are now required to fast-track the apex court’s order within three months but with such a tardy and evasive record, it remains to be seen where the process, set off by Singh’s PIL, now heads.
They said: We won’t, we can’t, we don’t have to
• MAHARASHTRA: Inconsistent with Constitution to make police machinery independent and directly accountable to the people
• GUJARAT: Not binding on government to accept the recommendations... of the National Police Commission as it has no statutory force
• MIZORAM: Petition deserves to be dismissed as in federal structure, no need of uniformity in administration
• MANIPUR: Separating investigation from police not possible, because it will require more police personnel, funds
• TAMIL NADU: Dismiss the petition, as it is wrong to say that Tamil Nadu had failed to implement any of the recommendations of the National Police Commission
• MEGHALAYA: For a state facing serious insurgency, not wise for us to separate investigation from police administration
• ASSAM: We are considering the state committee report
• KERALA: Absolute power for security forces could jeopardize popular government and democracy
• ANDHRA PRADESH: We reject petition, already implementing state-level reforms
• PUNJAB, HIMACHAL PRADESH: Petition does not merit attention as we have already made committees for appointing officers
Such is that mindset of the politicians. Why mess with such a perfectly exploitable system? A few days ago a media poll asked if the states were to blame for the lack of police reforms. While a majority said yes, I said no. The reason I said no is because I do not blame the states for not initiating police reforms. I blame the Federal government and the Supreme Court for not being tough enough on states to implement the reforms. I think it again demonstrates the classic Indian trait of not following up. The order is given, and is forgotten about. The states are expected to do their thing, and nobody bothers to double check. Taking a leaf from this system, the Indian infrastructure follows the same pattern too. Grand projects, once made, rot away.
But if I am not mistaken, I can see a rising awareness of this issue. The media has been picking up the related stories, and if the people can get involved this time, with a little support from the courts, then I am sure the netas will have to follow suit, because not matter how lethargic and incompetent they may be, you can make them run a 4 minute mile if you tell them there are votes to be had at the end.
Barring one, all states sat on police reforms for 10 yrs
NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 2: Ten days after the Supreme Court ordered all states and Union territories to put in place radical police reforms, there seems to be a studied silence among them — from Jaipur to Dispur, Chandigarh to Chennai. And the apparent lack of action on implementing the order, which has a December 31 deadline, is explained by how most of the states responded during the hearing of the reform petition: well, they did not bother to respond properly, if at all.
The decade-long process leading to the direction is a story of wilful apathy by most: After the court had served notice on the PIL, only Kerala sent its representative to New Delhi to put across its submission, said Prashant Bhushan, who appeared on behalf of petitioner Singh.
The rest, barring Orissa, shrugged off the notice by submitting brief affidavits that pleaded for the rejection of the PIL. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, which send more than 100 MPs to the Lok Sabha but figure on top of the crime chart, did not even make an oral submission, let alone send in affidavits.
Other states and union territories that also chose to ignore the petition were Jammu & Kashmir, Tripura, Uttaranchal, Chhattisgarh, Delhi and Chandigarh.
Asked why UP did not care to send in an affidavit all these years, advocate-general SMA Kazmi said: “I don’t know about it. I have to check the records. I will talk to my DGP and let you know.’’
As for the papers that were filed, they were so sketchy that the court did not take note of them. About 19 states had sent their affidavits by 2000 and yet the court had to serve notices again to all of them. A bench, comprising Justice N Santosh Hegde, Justice BP Singh and Justice SB Sinha, on February 11 last year pushed the Centre and states to to “file their response within eight weeks’’.
Only eight states — Sikkim, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan, Mizoram — again filed their affidavits, if only to reiterate their opposition to proposed reforms.
The states are now required to fast-track the apex court’s order within three months but with such a tardy and evasive record, it remains to be seen where the process, set off by Singh’s PIL, now heads.
They said: We won’t, we can’t, we don’t have to
• MAHARASHTRA: Inconsistent with Constitution to make police machinery independent and directly accountable to the people
• GUJARAT: Not binding on government to accept the recommendations... of the National Police Commission as it has no statutory force
• MIZORAM: Petition deserves to be dismissed as in federal structure, no need of uniformity in administration
• MANIPUR: Separating investigation from police not possible, because it will require more police personnel, funds
• TAMIL NADU: Dismiss the petition, as it is wrong to say that Tamil Nadu had failed to implement any of the recommendations of the National Police Commission
• MEGHALAYA: For a state facing serious insurgency, not wise for us to separate investigation from police administration
• ASSAM: We are considering the state committee report
• KERALA: Absolute power for security forces could jeopardize popular government and democracy
• ANDHRA PRADESH: We reject petition, already implementing state-level reforms
• PUNJAB, HIMACHAL PRADESH: Petition does not merit attention as we have already made committees for appointing officers
Monday, September 25, 2006
Can it all be real?
When Indians are asked to choose some of the most corrupt public figures around them, two groups are almost always at the top, the politicians and the cops. The common citizen does not waste time in criticizing these groups for their greed, incompetence and bloated ego.
However, on the scale of exploitation, they are not of the same weight. Anybody who knows anything about the civics of India will know that the Indian police works at the mercy of politicians. Politicians rule the roost, and usually grow up with the belief that this country was built to serve their interests. The police is simply the tool with which a politician can go about projecting his/her power and implement their grand designs.
Bodyguards at their residences, their vehicles driven by uniformed cops, and using their so-called VIP status to get past airport security are just some of the many examples of how the politicians of this country live a blessed life.
I have for long ranted against the political influence on our police forces. Numerous movies have been made on the subject, numerous reports have been published, and numerous cases of political pressure have been brought to light, yet nothing is done to rectify the situation. Why? Because changing this status quo will only take away power and influence from the hand of a politician, and in this supremely democratic establishment, we definitely can't take away such unsurmountable power from the hands of our dearly beloved elected public officials. no?
Anyway, cutting aside the sarcasm, there are always some good vibes that seek to make a change. In fact, there is probably some divine providence that our country still manages to forage ahead despite all these netas dilligently trying to sell out their own country.
In a very refreshingly statement from the Supreme Court, they have indicated that they want a change. Thats good, because despite the extent to which the system has been subverted by the political class, our democracy can claim that our Supreme Court is still a shining beacon in the haze.
I have said it before and now the Justices of the Supreme Court of India say it too, that the police must be insulated from political interference. Why do politicians get away with everything? Its because they control the police. They control the police with threats and having the ability to suck their party leaders' dicks and punish the cops who try to punish them.
SC orders a cop clean-up
Insulating the police from politicians, separation of law and order machinery from the investigative apparatus, fixed tenure for police officers starting right from the station house officer — these are some of the far-reaching directions given by the Supreme Court today aimed at establishing a long-cherished independent and responsive police force in the country.
A bench of Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal, Justice C K Thakker and Justice P K Balasubramanyam, on a petition filed by Prakash Singh, a former Director General of Police, and NGO Common Cause, gave the judgement listing the directions. When implemented, these have the potential to change the face of India’s police force.
The key recommendations are:
• Setting up of a State Security Commission in every state to ensure that state government does not exercise unwarranted influence or pressure on the police.
• DGP of state to be selected from among three senior-most officers; will have fixed tenure of atleast 2 years.
• IG, Deputy IG, SP and SHO will have minimum fixed tenure of 2 years.
• Investigating police will be separated from law and order police to ensure speedier investigation, better expertise and improved rapport with people.
• Police Establishment Board in each state to decide on transfers, postings etc and service related matters of officers’ upto DSP.
• Police Complaints Authority at district level to look into complaints against police officers till DSP.
• Center to set up National Security Commission for selection and placement of Chiefs of Central Police Organisations.
The directions have to be complied on or before December 31, 2006, the judgment said, and sought compliance reports from the Cabinet Secretary, Government of India and Chief Secretaries of states or union territories by January 3, 2007.
The State Security Commission “shall” be headed by the CM or Home Minister and have the DGP of the state as ex-officio Secretary. However, the independence of the Commission will be ensured through the other members including the leader of the opposition or the Lok Ayukta as the case may be, a retired or sitting judge and some non-political citizens.
The Police Establishment Board will be made up of the DGP and four senior officers of the department. “The state government may interfere with decision of the Board in exceptional cases only after recording its reasons for doing so.”
To maintain independence of the Police Complaints Authority, the bench ordered that the PCA at the district level “may” be headed by a retired District Judge and at the state level by a retired judge of the High Court or Supreme Court. The PCA will have on its panel retired civil servants, police officers or members of civil society.
It will take note of only charges of serous misconduct by the cops including incidents involving death, grievous hurt or rape in custody. The district authority may also inquire into allegations of extortion, land grabbing etc. Another important recommendation is for setting up a National Security Commission to be headed by the Home Minister and comprising heads of the Central Police Organisations and a couple of security experts as members with the Union Home Secretary as its secretary. The NSC will draw up a panel to be placed before the appointing authority for selection and placement of chiefs of the CPOs. The Chiefs will also enjoy a two-year minimum tenure.
The petitioners had approached the court in 1996 after the government dragged its feet on the recommendations of the National Police Commission and several others regarding reforms in the force.
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However, on the scale of exploitation, they are not of the same weight. Anybody who knows anything about the civics of India will know that the Indian police works at the mercy of politicians. Politicians rule the roost, and usually grow up with the belief that this country was built to serve their interests. The police is simply the tool with which a politician can go about projecting his/her power and implement their grand designs.
Bodyguards at their residences, their vehicles driven by uniformed cops, and using their so-called VIP status to get past airport security are just some of the many examples of how the politicians of this country live a blessed life.
I have for long ranted against the political influence on our police forces. Numerous movies have been made on the subject, numerous reports have been published, and numerous cases of political pressure have been brought to light, yet nothing is done to rectify the situation. Why? Because changing this status quo will only take away power and influence from the hand of a politician, and in this supremely democratic establishment, we definitely can't take away such unsurmountable power from the hands of our dearly beloved elected public officials. no?
Anyway, cutting aside the sarcasm, there are always some good vibes that seek to make a change. In fact, there is probably some divine providence that our country still manages to forage ahead despite all these netas dilligently trying to sell out their own country.
In a very refreshingly statement from the Supreme Court, they have indicated that they want a change. Thats good, because despite the extent to which the system has been subverted by the political class, our democracy can claim that our Supreme Court is still a shining beacon in the haze.
I have said it before and now the Justices of the Supreme Court of India say it too, that the police must be insulated from political interference. Why do politicians get away with everything? Its because they control the police. They control the police with threats and having the ability to suck their party leaders' dicks and punish the cops who try to punish them.
SC orders a cop clean-up
Insulating the police from politicians, separation of law and order machinery from the investigative apparatus, fixed tenure for police officers starting right from the station house officer — these are some of the far-reaching directions given by the Supreme Court today aimed at establishing a long-cherished independent and responsive police force in the country.
A bench of Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal, Justice C K Thakker and Justice P K Balasubramanyam, on a petition filed by Prakash Singh, a former Director General of Police, and NGO Common Cause, gave the judgement listing the directions. When implemented, these have the potential to change the face of India’s police force.
The key recommendations are:
• Setting up of a State Security Commission in every state to ensure that state government does not exercise unwarranted influence or pressure on the police.
• DGP of state to be selected from among three senior-most officers; will have fixed tenure of atleast 2 years.
• IG, Deputy IG, SP and SHO will have minimum fixed tenure of 2 years.
• Investigating police will be separated from law and order police to ensure speedier investigation, better expertise and improved rapport with people.
• Police Establishment Board in each state to decide on transfers, postings etc and service related matters of officers’ upto DSP.
• Police Complaints Authority at district level to look into complaints against police officers till DSP.
• Center to set up National Security Commission for selection and placement of Chiefs of Central Police Organisations.
The directions have to be complied on or before December 31, 2006, the judgment said, and sought compliance reports from the Cabinet Secretary, Government of India and Chief Secretaries of states or union territories by January 3, 2007.
The State Security Commission “shall” be headed by the CM or Home Minister and have the DGP of the state as ex-officio Secretary. However, the independence of the Commission will be ensured through the other members including the leader of the opposition or the Lok Ayukta as the case may be, a retired or sitting judge and some non-political citizens.
The Police Establishment Board will be made up of the DGP and four senior officers of the department. “The state government may interfere with decision of the Board in exceptional cases only after recording its reasons for doing so.”
To maintain independence of the Police Complaints Authority, the bench ordered that the PCA at the district level “may” be headed by a retired District Judge and at the state level by a retired judge of the High Court or Supreme Court. The PCA will have on its panel retired civil servants, police officers or members of civil society.
It will take note of only charges of serous misconduct by the cops including incidents involving death, grievous hurt or rape in custody. The district authority may also inquire into allegations of extortion, land grabbing etc. Another important recommendation is for setting up a National Security Commission to be headed by the Home Minister and comprising heads of the Central Police Organisations and a couple of security experts as members with the Union Home Secretary as its secretary. The NSC will draw up a panel to be placed before the appointing authority for selection and placement of chiefs of the CPOs. The Chiefs will also enjoy a two-year minimum tenure.
The petitioners had approached the court in 1996 after the government dragged its feet on the recommendations of the National Police Commission and several others regarding reforms in the force.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Indian hockey still going nowhere
There was a time when Indian hockey was at its prime, with great players, great tournaments, and great showings at all international meetings, including the Olympic games. Unfortunately, the way the state of Indian hockey is right now, one seems to wonder if there is any lower than we can go.
The Hockey World Cup is on right now in Germany, and India has played 5 games already, and not won a single one. India has lost to everybody in its group, only managing to get a draw against South Africa was it? So thats the way the tournament is going. Once the powerhouse of world hockey, home to the names of Dhyanchand, Mohd. Shahid et al, and today we can't win a game. I am sure the IHF, abely led by supercop KPS Gill, is rolling in laughter at this great joke they are playing with our players and with the country.
Fuck man, in a group of 6 teams, we drew with one and lost to 4, and are, expectedly, at the rock bottom. What the hell went wrong? Is it bad policy, is it lack of skill, is it lack of facilities, is it lack of training, there has got to be something that we can put a finger on and say that "look, this is the reason you suck so bad, and if you work on this, maybe, just maybe, you'll at least win a game next time."
A former German coach says that a great hockey nation like India is at this sad juncture is because there is no direction. Hmm, I thought Indian sports programs never really had any direction. Take any sport, any damn sport, and you will find fat officials gorging on funds that are meant for players, dirty administrators who'se only job is to cut corners and never ever try to do justice to their job. Our sports associations are filled with washed out, dirty netas who still live under the false pretense that they are still important, and have turned every damn sports field into a fucking cowshed.
Oh, and as much of an optimist that I am, I am also beginning to wonder that the governments of Delhi, its worthless civic authorities are definitely going to fuck up during the Commonwealth Games in 2010. Dude, in India bureaucracy has never been capable of doing anything. And when that bureaucracy is led by an even worse entity, called the Indian polity, you can be sure that we will get nothing but incompetence and substandard functioning. If Indian politicians had any balls or even an iota of will in them to change this country for the better, we probably would be better. Fuck them, this is not about them.
Coming back to Indian hockey, I've said it before and i'll say it again, as much as KPS Gill has achieved on the internal security front as a cop, he has done nothing for the IHF except feed his ego and obstinacy. The IHF is as closed and unaccountable as the BCCI or any other sports federation.
Fine, people will say that look, they started the PHL, and yes, that is a good concept, but it is still too early to say where it is headed. With IHF at the helm, how can one not expect things to wane and the initial enthusiasm to die out?
Indian hockey hits rock bottom at WC
The Indian hockey team's nightmare at the World Cup continues. A team which has got Olympic gold medals to its name can't win even one match in the hockey World Cup. It's been another disastrous campaign for India at an international tournament.
Embarrasing, if you are looking for a word to summarise India's performance at the hockey World Cup. Don't look beyond it. With just one point from five matches, India is now nowhere near the semi-final stage. They will now be contesting for the last four places in the classification matches.
India have played well only in patches. The forwards have been off-colour barring youngster Shivendra Singh. Before their departure, the coaches said the midfield would be the key. But in Monchengladbach, the midfield was listless.
Indian teams in the past have been known for their attacking skills. But this time, the entire setup has been defensive. Experts say this is another reason why India are conceding last-minute goals, which have often been the decisive ones. India finished 10th at the last World Cup. But this time around, there is a real danger of finishing last.
---------------------------------------------
No direction
Germany’s famed hockey coach Paul Lissek is saddened by India’s decline and an evident lack of concerted efforts to revive the glory days. He feels India is sufferings the pangs of disjointed planning.
Lissek said it was difficult to believe this slide, and hoped that serious introspection about the causes — and remedial steps —was being done back home in India to ensure that they have the chance of reclaiming a place on the podium at global events.
The most glaring example is that the current side’s coach, V Bhaskaran, was given charge of the squad just four months ahead of the World Cup. “Can anyone shape a World Cup winning outfit in four months?” exclaimed Lissek.“You need a programme in place for two generations of players if you want to produce consistent performances. Look at India’s coaching plans, there’s a glaring lack on continuity from one tournament to the next.”
“You simply can’t have two or three new coaches every year and yet hope to win gold medals,” he said. “Look at all the successful countries, they all have continuity in their coaching programme. The Indian skills are still on view, but their teams haven’t been clicking for some time,” said Lissek, who feels the bench strength of the current Indian squad was not strong enough to maintain the tempo.
“It appears to me that India have a good starting lineup of 11 players, but the remaining ones on the bench are not of the same quality,” he said. “One’s got to be patient with the players, who need time to settle down.”
---------------------------------------------------
And you know what is going to happen next? Because of India's yet another distastrous showing, this four month coach will also get scrapped, and some other goat will be fattened till its time for him to go. Jai ho, jai ho kutte ke pillon.
The Hockey World Cup is on right now in Germany, and India has played 5 games already, and not won a single one. India has lost to everybody in its group, only managing to get a draw against South Africa was it? So thats the way the tournament is going. Once the powerhouse of world hockey, home to the names of Dhyanchand, Mohd. Shahid et al, and today we can't win a game. I am sure the IHF, abely led by supercop KPS Gill, is rolling in laughter at this great joke they are playing with our players and with the country.
Fuck man, in a group of 6 teams, we drew with one and lost to 4, and are, expectedly, at the rock bottom. What the hell went wrong? Is it bad policy, is it lack of skill, is it lack of facilities, is it lack of training, there has got to be something that we can put a finger on and say that "look, this is the reason you suck so bad, and if you work on this, maybe, just maybe, you'll at least win a game next time."
A former German coach says that a great hockey nation like India is at this sad juncture is because there is no direction. Hmm, I thought Indian sports programs never really had any direction. Take any sport, any damn sport, and you will find fat officials gorging on funds that are meant for players, dirty administrators who'se only job is to cut corners and never ever try to do justice to their job. Our sports associations are filled with washed out, dirty netas who still live under the false pretense that they are still important, and have turned every damn sports field into a fucking cowshed.
Oh, and as much of an optimist that I am, I am also beginning to wonder that the governments of Delhi, its worthless civic authorities are definitely going to fuck up during the Commonwealth Games in 2010. Dude, in India bureaucracy has never been capable of doing anything. And when that bureaucracy is led by an even worse entity, called the Indian polity, you can be sure that we will get nothing but incompetence and substandard functioning. If Indian politicians had any balls or even an iota of will in them to change this country for the better, we probably would be better. Fuck them, this is not about them.
Coming back to Indian hockey, I've said it before and i'll say it again, as much as KPS Gill has achieved on the internal security front as a cop, he has done nothing for the IHF except feed his ego and obstinacy. The IHF is as closed and unaccountable as the BCCI or any other sports federation.
Fine, people will say that look, they started the PHL, and yes, that is a good concept, but it is still too early to say where it is headed. With IHF at the helm, how can one not expect things to wane and the initial enthusiasm to die out?
Indian hockey hits rock bottom at WC
The Indian hockey team's nightmare at the World Cup continues. A team which has got Olympic gold medals to its name can't win even one match in the hockey World Cup. It's been another disastrous campaign for India at an international tournament.
Embarrasing, if you are looking for a word to summarise India's performance at the hockey World Cup. Don't look beyond it. With just one point from five matches, India is now nowhere near the semi-final stage. They will now be contesting for the last four places in the classification matches.
India have played well only in patches. The forwards have been off-colour barring youngster Shivendra Singh. Before their departure, the coaches said the midfield would be the key. But in Monchengladbach, the midfield was listless.
Indian teams in the past have been known for their attacking skills. But this time, the entire setup has been defensive. Experts say this is another reason why India are conceding last-minute goals, which have often been the decisive ones. India finished 10th at the last World Cup. But this time around, there is a real danger of finishing last.
---------------------------------------------
No direction
Germany’s famed hockey coach Paul Lissek is saddened by India’s decline and an evident lack of concerted efforts to revive the glory days. He feels India is sufferings the pangs of disjointed planning.
Lissek said it was difficult to believe this slide, and hoped that serious introspection about the causes — and remedial steps —was being done back home in India to ensure that they have the chance of reclaiming a place on the podium at global events.
The most glaring example is that the current side’s coach, V Bhaskaran, was given charge of the squad just four months ahead of the World Cup. “Can anyone shape a World Cup winning outfit in four months?” exclaimed Lissek.“You need a programme in place for two generations of players if you want to produce consistent performances. Look at India’s coaching plans, there’s a glaring lack on continuity from one tournament to the next.”
“You simply can’t have two or three new coaches every year and yet hope to win gold medals,” he said. “Look at all the successful countries, they all have continuity in their coaching programme. The Indian skills are still on view, but their teams haven’t been clicking for some time,” said Lissek, who feels the bench strength of the current Indian squad was not strong enough to maintain the tempo.
“It appears to me that India have a good starting lineup of 11 players, but the remaining ones on the bench are not of the same quality,” he said. “One’s got to be patient with the players, who need time to settle down.”
---------------------------------------------------
And you know what is going to happen next? Because of India's yet another distastrous showing, this four month coach will also get scrapped, and some other goat will be fattened till its time for him to go. Jai ho, jai ho kutte ke pillon.
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