In Hindi, this specimen is called a "Chhatra Neta", literally, a student politician. In reality, this person is anything but a student.
India has had strong student politicians historically, but over the years, political activism on our campuses has deteriorated into a corrupt and dirty system, like almost everything else. Only recently has this issue been given its due importance, with the Lyngdoh Committee submitting a report on ways of reforming the entire system. Ms. Mayawati, the CM of UP, has now banned student elections across the state, and the budding student activists are out in full force in most parts of the state, doing what they do best harrassing the common man and damaging public property. Hopefully, she will not budge because UP is one of the worst cases of extreme criminalization of campus politics.
Perhaps her move has a strong political motive other than simply doing good. The Samajwadi party, led by her predecessor, Mulayam Singh Yadav, has a strong base in UP campus politics. Most of its new leaders emerge from campuses of the once great universities such as Allahabad and Lucknow Universities. In fact, student politicians had a free reign during his regime.
Delhi University is one of the premier universities in the country, as well as one of the largest. The elections to the Delhi University Student Union have always been a heady affair, mostly contested between the Congress and the BJP. But recently, the fervor reached to such a crescendo that the Supreme Court had to step in to cool them off. The question they asked is pertinent: how many of these student leaders are actually students? The court said that most student politicians today are part time students and full time politicians. In fact, most of the candidates contesting university polls are way past their prime, and have been enrolled for years! I think there was a law in recent years putting a limit on their ages! I dont quite recall if it was at a state level or the federal level.
I am all for regulation of these political mavericks. One of the worst things to have happened to campus political activism is the unbridled involvement of political parties. While the poll budget for the DUSU elections are fixed at Rs. 20 thousand, it is an open secret that political parties pump in lakhs behind their candidates. Of course, college politics are also the stepping stones for future politicians in training, and they need all the training they can get in political browbeating and corruption if they have to rape the system later successfully.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
my goodness!
It has been a long time since i've been here. My life has been turned in a completely different direction since my last post here, and it took me all this while to finally push myself to devote some time to my blog again.
I am in India currently, and the first thing that I realize is that despite all the glitz and good news that one hears about India in the international fora, the canker sores really start to stick out when one reaches the motherland. For one, it seems to me that all this optimism about India's continued extraordinary economic performance will not amount to much if the social sectors of the country continue to take the rapid nosedive. My logic is simple - can more money in my pocket really make up for the lack of opportunities, the lack of a rule of law, above all a lack of dignity in my daily life? I highly doubt that claim. If anything, India seems to be getting divided into two new classes of people - one with more money in their pocket and a consequent disinterest and insulation from the tribulations of daily life. The other is the group that still leads it's life life it used to before all the neo-economic jargon such as globalization and foreign trade invaded India.
I need to write a lot more on the rapid death of culture and sanity in our society. For now, all I can see around me is the slow death of humanity, and the inability of most Indians to overcome it.
I am in India currently, and the first thing that I realize is that despite all the glitz and good news that one hears about India in the international fora, the canker sores really start to stick out when one reaches the motherland. For one, it seems to me that all this optimism about India's continued extraordinary economic performance will not amount to much if the social sectors of the country continue to take the rapid nosedive. My logic is simple - can more money in my pocket really make up for the lack of opportunities, the lack of a rule of law, above all a lack of dignity in my daily life? I highly doubt that claim. If anything, India seems to be getting divided into two new classes of people - one with more money in their pocket and a consequent disinterest and insulation from the tribulations of daily life. The other is the group that still leads it's life life it used to before all the neo-economic jargon such as globalization and foreign trade invaded India.
I need to write a lot more on the rapid death of culture and sanity in our society. For now, all I can see around me is the slow death of humanity, and the inability of most Indians to overcome it.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
I haven't forgotten
This blog was my labor of love, a place where I would put all my political rantings in one, wholesome pill that could be swallowed whole. I just want to say - I haven't forgotten you, blog.
Here's what I think are some important trends that I have noticed in the country so far -
Education is still a victim of the Con'gress Government. Nothing has been happening on any front. The budget has some positive news in terms of funding, but when it comes to policy and execution, the Arjun Singh led HRD ministry is as incompetent and devious as they come.
The Congress has lost the Uttarakhand and Punjab elections. Oh, by the way, Uttaranchal is not Uttaranchal anymore, but Uttarakhand. Personally, I liked the name Uttaranchal a lot better, but then, I am a maidani, and I obviously don't count in the hill politics of the state.
Actually, I like the new BJP Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Major General BC Khanduri. The man led the NHDP when he was a union minister in the NDA government, and he is making all the right noises. Hopefully this army man will get things done.
Punjab fell to the Badals of the SAD. Those bastards are as corrupt as they come. Dont have much details on that, but trust me on this one.
Congress has blamed the defeats on inflation, but whatever, the buggers are now just looking for reasons. I hate their spinelessness and anti-national, vote grabbing tactics.
Infrastructure in our country makes me cringe in pain. Airports are a mess still, and we keep hearing everyday of the impending AAI plan for some airports. But thats all there is to it - we only hear. It was a sad day in the history of Indian aviation when the AAI was formed indeed.
Mumbai Metro seems to be off the ground though, they have a new website, pretty basic, but I have seen pictures on SSC of the project's boards in Mumbai. The same with bangalore Metro. I can't believe the people of Bangalore haven't revolted already against the bastards in their current government. That Devegowda and his son need to be lynched. Bloody lying "sons of the soil" indeed.
I've always said that the people of the North-East have every reason to be angry at the union, because of the great disregard that the center has paid to their development. It is my firm conviction that things in the North-East will get much better if the government only focuses more on infrastructure and most importantly, grows some balls to fight the seperatists and the Bangaldeshi hordes that are bent on driving the Indians out of their own land.
Here's what I think are some important trends that I have noticed in the country so far -
Education is still a victim of the Con'gress Government. Nothing has been happening on any front. The budget has some positive news in terms of funding, but when it comes to policy and execution, the Arjun Singh led HRD ministry is as incompetent and devious as they come.
The Congress has lost the Uttarakhand and Punjab elections. Oh, by the way, Uttaranchal is not Uttaranchal anymore, but Uttarakhand. Personally, I liked the name Uttaranchal a lot better, but then, I am a maidani, and I obviously don't count in the hill politics of the state.
Actually, I like the new BJP Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Major General BC Khanduri. The man led the NHDP when he was a union minister in the NDA government, and he is making all the right noises. Hopefully this army man will get things done.
Punjab fell to the Badals of the SAD. Those bastards are as corrupt as they come. Dont have much details on that, but trust me on this one.
Congress has blamed the defeats on inflation, but whatever, the buggers are now just looking for reasons. I hate their spinelessness and anti-national, vote grabbing tactics.
Infrastructure in our country makes me cringe in pain. Airports are a mess still, and we keep hearing everyday of the impending AAI plan for some airports. But thats all there is to it - we only hear. It was a sad day in the history of Indian aviation when the AAI was formed indeed.
Mumbai Metro seems to be off the ground though, they have a new website, pretty basic, but I have seen pictures on SSC of the project's boards in Mumbai. The same with bangalore Metro. I can't believe the people of Bangalore haven't revolted already against the bastards in their current government. That Devegowda and his son need to be lynched. Bloody lying "sons of the soil" indeed.
I've always said that the people of the North-East have every reason to be angry at the union, because of the great disregard that the center has paid to their development. It is my firm conviction that things in the North-East will get much better if the government only focuses more on infrastructure and most importantly, grows some balls to fight the seperatists and the Bangaldeshi hordes that are bent on driving the Indians out of their own land.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
India Inc's great flight
I love the vernacular press. They have much lesser pretenses and appearances than the English Indian media, who'se sole aim, it seems, is to look as western as possible, and at the same time, be as careless and unassuming with matters of national importance as possible.
This post is not about the press actually, but I simply wanted to make the point because after the Tata's won the bid for the Anglo-Dutch steel company Corus, thus creating the world's fifth largest steel producer, the accolades in India are just beginning.
The newsitem in Amar Ujala, one of the largest Hindi newspapers in North and Central India, had this as its headline - "East India Company ke desh mein danka", roughly translated as, "Flurry in the land of the East India Company".
The first paragraph started as, and this is a rough recollection - "400 years ago, the East India company came to trade in the country, and what happened after that is history. Now with the taking over the Anglo-dutch Corus, the Tata group has created a new beginning in the history of India Inc."
Many people say that the tatas overpaid for the company, and it is true, because the Tatas had to beat the bids by the Brazilian steel major,CSN. The point is not that Corus was overvalued, but that Tatas are severely hampering their financials. But most of India Inc., it seems, is happy to see this deal get through, simply because of the confidence it will instill in our other aspiring companies.
When Tatas had acquired the British Tetley tea brand, their share value dropped significantly, and with the same explanation that the company should not have brought them out, but today, the stocks are almost triple of where they stood at that time. I am not saying this, but Bloomberg.com is.
Nothing would make me happier than to see India Inc. take globalization right into the alleyways of the developed west. For long they have taken over economies of developing nations calling it globalization, and hopefully we will see Indian MNC's doing the same. I think its time to create a West Britain Company, or West United States Company. Start it small, you know, talk trade, and slowly grow in stature and size.
'It speaks about India Inc's hunger'
In the backdrop of Tata Steel outbidding Brazilian rival CSN in a takeover battle for Corus, Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath said Indian companies now have the potential to tilt scales in global mergers and acquisitions.
Attributing India's emerging power to the change in domestic mindest, Nath said Indian companies are now establishing a global presence, displaying the muscle to tilt scales in global mergers and acquisitions.
"Indian companies seeking to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange do not make headlines any longer. The hunger to be globally benchmarked has spread across sectors and regions," he was quoted as saying by an official statement.
While India has begun to invest in the global canvas, the world continues to invest in India, he said, adding that the intrinsic worth of India's strong macro-economic fundamentals are being recognised by international investors.
---------------------------------------
$12.1 billion & Corus is Tata’s
In the biggest acquisition overseas by an Indian company, the Tatas today overwhelmed Brazilian rival Companhia Siderurgica Nacional (CSN) to take over Anglo-Dutch steel firm Corus with a $12.1 billion bid, becoming the world`s fifth-largest steelmaker.
Tata Steel’s bid of 608 pence a share in cash topped the best offer from CSN after a nine-round auction that saw bids for Corus rise almost a fifth from the starting price.
The eight-hour bidding at the auction, overseen by the UK Takeover Panel, went to the ninth and final round. Finally, Tata’s 608 pence a share offer outsmarted CSN’s 603 pence proposal.
J J Irani, former Managing Director of Tata Steel who was present at the news conference today, said: ‘‘When I heard on a TV programme from London that the maximum bid can go as high as 610 pence for Corus, I knew we had won. I switched off the TV and went to sleep.’’ The The Tata threshold was much higher than the 608 pence per share which the company finally paid.
Tata dismissed suggestions that the group had overbid for the acquisition of Corus and said the company’s share prices, which fell by Rs 55 at 464.90, was a result of investors ‘‘taking both a short-term and a harsh view’’.
The big deal, fine print
• The final cash offer of Tata Steel is 608 pence for each Corus share, 34% higher than its first offer in October and 5 pence more than the final offer from CSN.
• Tata offer values Corus at around nine times its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation in the year to September 2006.
• Tata Steel will contribute $4.1 billion to the deal, with the balance to be raised through debt.
• The deal will treble Tata Steel’s capacity to almost 28 million tonnes a year from 8.7 million now at half the cost of building new plants.
• Ratan Tata will be chairman of the new board of Corus to be formed after the takeover.
• Tata Steel will not change any principal locations of Corus group’s business, and will continue to be headquartered in India. (Reuters)
This post is not about the press actually, but I simply wanted to make the point because after the Tata's won the bid for the Anglo-Dutch steel company Corus, thus creating the world's fifth largest steel producer, the accolades in India are just beginning.
The newsitem in Amar Ujala, one of the largest Hindi newspapers in North and Central India, had this as its headline - "East India Company ke desh mein danka", roughly translated as, "Flurry in the land of the East India Company".
The first paragraph started as, and this is a rough recollection - "400 years ago, the East India company came to trade in the country, and what happened after that is history. Now with the taking over the Anglo-dutch Corus, the Tata group has created a new beginning in the history of India Inc."
Many people say that the tatas overpaid for the company, and it is true, because the Tatas had to beat the bids by the Brazilian steel major,CSN. The point is not that Corus was overvalued, but that Tatas are severely hampering their financials. But most of India Inc., it seems, is happy to see this deal get through, simply because of the confidence it will instill in our other aspiring companies.
When Tatas had acquired the British Tetley tea brand, their share value dropped significantly, and with the same explanation that the company should not have brought them out, but today, the stocks are almost triple of where they stood at that time. I am not saying this, but Bloomberg.com is.
Nothing would make me happier than to see India Inc. take globalization right into the alleyways of the developed west. For long they have taken over economies of developing nations calling it globalization, and hopefully we will see Indian MNC's doing the same. I think its time to create a West Britain Company, or West United States Company. Start it small, you know, talk trade, and slowly grow in stature and size.
'It speaks about India Inc's hunger'
In the backdrop of Tata Steel outbidding Brazilian rival CSN in a takeover battle for Corus, Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath said Indian companies now have the potential to tilt scales in global mergers and acquisitions.
Attributing India's emerging power to the change in domestic mindest, Nath said Indian companies are now establishing a global presence, displaying the muscle to tilt scales in global mergers and acquisitions.
"Indian companies seeking to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange do not make headlines any longer. The hunger to be globally benchmarked has spread across sectors and regions," he was quoted as saying by an official statement.
While India has begun to invest in the global canvas, the world continues to invest in India, he said, adding that the intrinsic worth of India's strong macro-economic fundamentals are being recognised by international investors.
---------------------------------------
$12.1 billion & Corus is Tata’s
In the biggest acquisition overseas by an Indian company, the Tatas today overwhelmed Brazilian rival Companhia Siderurgica Nacional (CSN) to take over Anglo-Dutch steel firm Corus with a $12.1 billion bid, becoming the world`s fifth-largest steelmaker.
Tata Steel’s bid of 608 pence a share in cash topped the best offer from CSN after a nine-round auction that saw bids for Corus rise almost a fifth from the starting price.
The eight-hour bidding at the auction, overseen by the UK Takeover Panel, went to the ninth and final round. Finally, Tata’s 608 pence a share offer outsmarted CSN’s 603 pence proposal.
J J Irani, former Managing Director of Tata Steel who was present at the news conference today, said: ‘‘When I heard on a TV programme from London that the maximum bid can go as high as 610 pence for Corus, I knew we had won. I switched off the TV and went to sleep.’’ The The Tata threshold was much higher than the 608 pence per share which the company finally paid.
Tata dismissed suggestions that the group had overbid for the acquisition of Corus and said the company’s share prices, which fell by Rs 55 at 464.90, was a result of investors ‘‘taking both a short-term and a harsh view’’.
The big deal, fine print
• The final cash offer of Tata Steel is 608 pence for each Corus share, 34% higher than its first offer in October and 5 pence more than the final offer from CSN.
• Tata offer values Corus at around nine times its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation in the year to September 2006.
• Tata Steel will contribute $4.1 billion to the deal, with the balance to be raised through debt.
• The deal will treble Tata Steel’s capacity to almost 28 million tonnes a year from 8.7 million now at half the cost of building new plants.
• Ratan Tata will be chairman of the new board of Corus to be formed after the takeover.
• Tata Steel will not change any principal locations of Corus group’s business, and will continue to be headquartered in India. (Reuters)
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Did I wish a Happy New Year already?
I had started to write a happy new year post, but somehow it got lost in translation. I apologize to my blog for being so busy that I do not have time to pause and write down even my own thoughts.
Recently the Supreme Court passed some far reaching judgements, the biggest news was something about the Ninth Schedule. I have no idea what it is, but i mean to find out, because apparently the opposition hailed it as a landmark judgement, and some constitutional experts saying that the government can no longer take arbitrary decisions about something because it violates the constitution.
Personally, I dont know what 2007 holds for me. My future is up in the air, I have no idea what my status will be, will I have to move back to India or go back to school or get a job or what. I was hoping for some stability in life last year, but thanks to the lethargy, or rather lack of any care by my current employer, I am back in the saddle, having to ride another year of uncertainty.
Well, I hope its a great 2007 for the rest of us. India seems to be moving forward, economically that is. Socially I think we are still stuck in the same morass of social degradation, with our society turning more hostile towards each other and everyone else. No patience, no respect, seems we are on a downhill path. Hopefully it wont be as bad.
Recently the Supreme Court passed some far reaching judgements, the biggest news was something about the Ninth Schedule. I have no idea what it is, but i mean to find out, because apparently the opposition hailed it as a landmark judgement, and some constitutional experts saying that the government can no longer take arbitrary decisions about something because it violates the constitution.
Personally, I dont know what 2007 holds for me. My future is up in the air, I have no idea what my status will be, will I have to move back to India or go back to school or get a job or what. I was hoping for some stability in life last year, but thanks to the lethargy, or rather lack of any care by my current employer, I am back in the saddle, having to ride another year of uncertainty.
Well, I hope its a great 2007 for the rest of us. India seems to be moving forward, economically that is. Socially I think we are still stuck in the same morass of social degradation, with our society turning more hostile towards each other and everyone else. No patience, no respect, seems we are on a downhill path. Hopefully it wont be as bad.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)