Ramesh Phadke

Army's Demands

2011-09-14T06:51:00.000-07:00

According to the TOI today, the army is back to her old tricks. This time it has once again raised the old, much debated and flogged issue of demanding helicopter and fixed wing assets from the Indian Air Force. (IAF) This is ostensibly because the IAF does not know enough about 'Close Air Support (CAS) and is not generous with allocation of sorties for this task. This is not borne out by facts. All I can say is that the army needs to learn a lesson from its history and stop raising such absurd demands.

This also makes it clear why the army is constantly asking for a CDS. It wants air power 'under command' and not 'in support'. The trouble is that air power is so much in demand that everyone wants it. With Air Superiority anything is possible; without it everything is at risk.

India is neither rich nor advanced (technologically) to be able to afford a separate air arm like the US Army or Marines.

Go back to the basics, you need a primer in air power employment

In any case what sort of conventional conflict is the army thinking of and against who?

The Gall

2011-09-14T06:37:00.001-07:00

Watched with interest Arnab Goswami interview Anna Hazare between 2030 and 2100 hrs last night. It was gratifying to see that the septuagenarian did not falter even once during the grilling at the hands of this seasoned anchor. Arnab did not spare a chance to trip the simple man. He was worse than the BBC's Hard Talk veteran Tim Sebastian in so far as his tone, tenor and language, bordering on the impudent, carefully adding "Ji" to Anna but smiling all the same when he thought he had asked a difficult question. Wonder if Arnab will ever treat a ruling party member or a minister with such tone that bordered on rudeness and I say this after having watched him question Mr Pranab Mukherji who is usually quite short tempered.

Sir, Please dont insult our intelligence

2011-09-10T09:29:00.000-07:00

The government and its agencies continue to be completely clueless about the likely perpetrators of the Delhi High Court bomb blast. It is clear that terrorists are becoming more and more emboldened with every strike that goes unpunished or unsolved.

We are told the investigative agencies are working round the clock. If only those charged with preventing terror had worked round the clock, the attack would not have taken place in the first place. We need to send some police officers and ministers to the UK and the US to learn how both have managed to keep their respective countries terror free over some five/ten years.

Unless those in authority lose sleep over this problem, terrorism will not be stopped.

We are masters at closing the barn doors after the horses have bolted.

Strangely, all those waxing eloquent against the civil society during the recent JLPB agitation are strangely tongue tied. Not a whimper, no condemnation, no ideas, no advice, no sloganeering, no pledges!!! Sad Sad Sad no?

Delhi Blast

2011-09-07T05:47:00.001-07:00

Another bomb blast; this time outside the High Court. HUJI has allegedly taken responsibility and threatened more such blasts if a certain man convicted in the December, 13, 2001 Parliament Terror Attack is not released. Whatever the truth but one thing is clear: India cannot afford to inordinately delay important decisions nor can it make vague excuses of our Democratic and judicial system being responsible for the same.

While investigations and court trials take time our leadership must not delay their decisions hoping to derive some political or other benefit.

People will demand and get a bigger contingent of police outside the High Courts; tomorrow it will be District Courts. How many policemen can we spare?

As I have repeatedly said "terror must be stopped at the gates", and homegrown terror has to be fought on a daily basis and not when a blast takes place. Investigation and deterrent punishment are of course very important but prevention is far more so. if it means that more and more people/organizations/groups have to be brought under close surveillance then it cannot be avoided.

Unless the people in charge of security take their duties more seriously we cannot defeat terror.

Finally, if the government is squeamish about enforcing law, it might as well abolish death penalty and accept the consequences.

Today we a great big country with big aspirations are looking like 'pushovers', something the law minister said last week that we are not.

Not a Pushover

2011-09-01T23:45:00.001-07:00

According to TOI of 01 Sep, 2011, Shri Salman Khurshid has said that the government might have lost some ground but would soon regain it. "We are not pushovers". Commendable if it means that the GOI has taken the Civil Society challenge seriously and will curb/eliminate corruption.

In many other areas including national security, GOI appears to be a 'pushover' as it invariably avoids retaliatory action. Does not even declare its intention to discipline the offender.

While I am not suggesting that India should resort to use of military force at the slightest provocation/threat, there is an urgent need to at least warn the habitual offenders.

Error of Judgment

2011-08-28T22:49:00.001-07:00

Salman Khurshid the Min of Law, himself a SC lawyer, has admitted to the government making an error of judgment in dealing with the civil society.

This sounds insincere as errors of judgment are usually made when judgment is exercised, which in this case no one did. Everyone was blaming everybody else; no one took responsibility. The PM was conspicuous by his absence in the first week.

This GOM or collegiate type of decision making can be problematic. In the past the PM stood up and took responsibility and handled a crisis with the help of his or her advisors and not vice versa.

Considering that the PM has declared mending relations with Pakistan as a major objective of his political career should he not add mending relations with his own people as an equally important goal?

In today's Indian Express, Jerry Rao has reminded the PM about how many of his predecessors had signed agreements with non-politicians. Rajiv-Longowal Acord, Rajiv-AASU Accord, Indira Gandhi-Sheikh Abdulla Accord etc. Worth a read for the PM.

It would be interesting to see how the Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee Manu Singhvi, also a SC lawyer, now handles the hot potato of the JLPB. Many of his party colleagues are unlikely to accept Anna's suggestions with grace.

Its cool to be honest

2011-08-27T22:59:00.001-07:00

Pompous, sanctimonious, supercilious and condescending are not adequate adjectives to describe these pseudo-intellectuals who are even now questioning the sincerity of Anna's overall objective of ridding our society of corruption. people are fully aware that one bill alone cannot do that and hence will continue to remain vigilant. We do not need sermons from you. Be honest for once, and accept that the average Indian is beginning to change. As Chetan Bhagat has said, its cool to be honest. What a simple yet profound statement!!

A Half Victory but a Total Defeat?

2011-08-27T21:57:00.000-07:00

All those who doubted Anna's credentials and disapproved of his methods have been proved wrong even if his followers have not won a full victory. All those who stubbornly ignored and later opposed the demands of the people by disingenuously calling them 'middle class exclusive urbanites' who did not represent the larger majority of the Indian citizenry and were in fact marginalizing the Dalits, minorities and the other depressed classes; an absolutely preposterous charge. These doubts and allegations were made/aised by those who believed that their brand of voe bank politics was supreme and could not be challenged ever.

Today, some editors are quoting critics and defendents alike to make the same point that even if the movement succeeded its demands that parliament pass what the civil society had wanted, was essentially undemocratic. I have great respect for Sharad Yadav and Om Puri. Shekhar Gupta in today's Indian Express cites Om Puri as calling the MPs Ganwars and gives Sharad Yadav's example as being a representative of the rustic classes. Gupta's argument is totally disingenuous. Sharad Yadav is not the right example as he is experienced, educated and wise and witty but what the civil society was objecting to were theMPs who got themselves elected on the promise of working for the depressed classes but in fact lined their own purse and wantonly robbed the country. Both the urban and rural backward types quickly learned the ropes and became wealthy and arrogant beyond belief. So Mr Gupta, please do not try to defend them. As I have asked before, "What if instead of 151 all 543 members of the LS have a record of serious criminal offenses?" Will Mr Gupta still defend them as being the supreme representatives of the supreme parliament. Mr Gupta, you have rightly recalled all that is wrong with vote bank politics and the attendant corruption. Why then this opposition to the people fighting for their rights as a last resort? Surely, had the ruling class been half as sensitive and honest the civil society would never have succeeded.

The Second Coming

2011-08-27T21:45:00.000-07:00

This is a day too late. On Friday, the Prince Charming as Brinda karat called him, suddenly came to grace the August House. His arrival was as to be expected, celebrated by the "Eleventh Day Adventists". Although not an original idea nor a feasible proposal his suggestion to make the Lok Pal a Constitutional Appointment was hailed by all his young followers while the old ones had no option but to keep quiet as the Heir Apparent had usurped the pregrogative of the Prime Minister. But again that was to be expected since the PM functions at the pleasure of the President not of the Republic but of the Congress Party.

Anyway, with all the confusion and the clearly evident insincerity it was feared that the August House and its even more illustrious members will not honour Anna's 'three demands' and the 74 year old would have no option but to continue his fast despite serious warnings of his health failing.

What a farce? Suddenly, the Ministers found that no notices were given and many other excuses which the Janata saw through as a poor stratagem to somehow avoid the inevitable.

I was getting worried that the old man would take ill but thank God he proved a tough customer.

Hope of some kind of a breakthrough remained alive.

2011-08-26T03:08:00.000-07:00

All Indians are hoping with bated breath that the Lok Sabha passes the resolution on the JLPB, especially the three sticking points today even if it means extending the session late into the night. On the resolution hinges Anna's decision to end the fast. We cannot take chances with his health.

Anna has also resolved to continue his protest at Ram Lila grounds until the JLPB issue is fully resolved. His supporters the world over must maintain the momentum and intensity of the protest.

I am sure, Anna will now seriously address other long pending issues such as electoral reforms. What we need first is a law that prevents people with criminal record entering our parliament.

We also need to ensure that the right to recall an MP or MLA must also be included as also the option of 'None of the above', if our elections have to become meaningful. Anna has already mentioned this point in his many talks with his supporters.

While on the subject of electoral reforms we must also very seriously consider the continued usefulness or otherwise of the Rajya Sabha and Upper Houses of Legislature in some of our States. It, prima facie, serves little useful purpose and is a big drain on the exchequer. Upper Houses in the States as also the Rajya Sabha have for many decades been 'rehabilitation centres' for defeated leaders. Those nominated from other walks of life, (few exceptions apart) have by their own admission hardly ever made any comment leave aside contribution. Why then should we continue wasting precious money on this dead institution?

But today the priority is to pass the resolution so that Anna can break his fast.

Rahul Gandhi's suggestion that the Lokpal should be a Constitutional Appointment is clearly a red herring to divert the attention and delay the proceedings. I think it was in very poor taste. He simply does not understand the gravity of the cureent situation or worse, does not care.

True Colours

2011-08-24T20:41:00.001-07:00

Our politicians hae shown their true colours by their sleight of hand. They are at once appearing to listen to Anna and at the same time rejecting the Jan Lok Pal Bill (JLPB).

Today there are 151 MPs with a record of serious criminal cases against them. What if this number goes up to 300 or even 500 tomorrow? Will we still say that Parliament is Supreme?

During the emergency and later, these very people told us that law abiding citizens need not worry about draconian laws like the MISA. These are the same people who go out of their way to protect convicted terrorists and money launderers giving false excuses about their inability to challenge the laws of the country.

They do not want the JLPB simply because there are some provisions in it that will expedite legal action and prosecution against the erring people. No longer can they say, "Let the law take its own course". Because if the JLPB becomes effective they would be on the streets in less than two years and not enjoy the perks of a MP while being in jail or with the Fodder Scam case pending in courts for years. JLPB will expose them, many skeletons and wads of notes will tumble out of their cupboards and their wealth will be confiscated.

Hence neither the ruling coalition nor the opposition wants an effective Lok Pal Bill.

It is not the small time corruption that these self-appointed protectors of democracy and parliamentary traditions are worried about. The part of the money so gained undoubtedly comes to them but the real big money comes from granting permissions and approvals such as land use conversion, enhanced FSI, import/export license,contracts, appointments and a whole host of activity that allows them to seek and collect rent. Who says the 'License Permit Raj' is gone. Every new law is in fact carefully crafted to create new opportunities to collect rent/bribes. So why would they allow anyone to kill the golden goose?

All other explanations are intellectual jugglery and play on words by these very accomplished word-smiths.

These Ivy League types cannot stomach the fact that a former soldier, a lowly driver, with no high class education can make their life difficult or threaten to expose their very highly refined system of robbing the country.

They are now instigating the so called deprived classes like the Dalits and minorities against the Anna movement. In effect they are telling these groups that if the JLPB comes in we cannot look after your interests; so you better support us.

They are shedding crocodile tears on Anna's health and do not give a damn if corruption becomes even more rampant or inflation touches a new high, so long as they can continue to manipulate elections. The politicians are in fact proving Anna right by not agreeing to even discuss the JLPB in good faith.

Many intellectuals, historians, reputed(?) editors, media anchors and high-visibility academics and social workers dressed in designer clothes are shedding tears over the putative loss of parliamentary supremacy. All of them have at some time or the other benefited from the current system, be it a Sarkari house or a job, a fellowship or chairmanship or membership of some elite group that gives them extra-constitutional authority.

We the marginalised, disempowered and disenfranchised people better not get misled by these false, dubious and downright fraudulent entreaties of these corrupt leaders and their sophisticated supporters masquerading as defenders of democracy. Many of them have routinely supped with the enemy and the traitor. Is it any wonder that Arundhati Roy and Manishankar Iyer and others who regularly weep for Pakistan and for the human rights of the terrorists are among the more vocal opponents of the Anna movement. Wait a little longer and see how these chameleons again change their colours when the wind changes.

Why we need dreamers?

2011-08-24T00:38:00.000-07:00

I have huge problems with those who say that the Lokapal Bill, however strong, cannot rid the country of corruption.

There could be two reasons for this pessimism. First, these people are practical, have seen life, know well the way our government and society work. They know only too well the enormous capacity and ingenuity of the Indian mind to improvise, to find ways to beat the system by discovering new loop holes in it. They, therefore, are somewhat justified in dismissing the Lokpal Bill as yet another law that will sooner than later become ineffective.

Second, then there are those who perhaps do not want corruption to be removed completely. As Shri Arun Shouri had said over two decades ago, “Every Indian wants corruption to end, but only after he or she had got his son/daughter admitted into a Medical College, only after his promotion/transfer or whatever was through. Such of our fellow citizens who really believe that it would soon be business as usual might be in for a shock. Some, no doubt, would try to wiggle their way out of laws and regulations but I strongly believe that if a truly deterrent law is brought on the statute and the Lokpal is indeed successful in expeditiously acting against corrupt individuals it is not too much to hope that corruption would be a thing of the past. The younger generation thinks it is cool to be honest and that is a huge catalyst. There are after all a few countries where corruption is almost non-existent. Why can India not join their ranks?

Here we must also acknowledge the role of the bribe giver. If we refuse to give bribe, lodge a complaint, and genuinely do not try to ‘jump the queue’ then it should be possible to eradicate corruption and weed out corrupt individuals. There is thus a huge responsibility on us ordinary citizens too. This would require immense patience because rail reservation queues, for example, will not diminish soon nor would all the touts. Ration Cards, Passports, Driving Licenses, Pollution Under Control certificates and a whole host of other ‘permits’ will need time and all of us will have to learn to patiently wait for the process to be over.

When we doubt the efficacy of the proposed bill we are in fact betraying a kind of disbelief in our own capacity to shun corrupt ways. It is exactly like beating an old habit or addiction. Only the fear of punishment might help us get rid of our addiction which in any case is more out of impatience than a genuine impulse to break the law.

Another Appeal to Dear Anna

2011-08-23T21:51:00.001-07:00

Respected Annasaheb,

I have been a great admirer of your work for over twenty years. Last night, I was greatly pained to see you on TV. You do not look well. We the citizens of India are worried about your health.

You and your team have rendered yeomen service by bringing the corruption issue to public consciousness. I believe, it is now very difficult if not impossible for the government to ignore public anger. I am sure the Hon. PM will address all our concerns without standing on procedures and formalities.

Former Chief Justice of India Shri JS Verma has written an open letter to Hon. PM urging him to break the impasse. Many other eminent and well meaning citizens of India also feel concerned about your health.

In view of the above and the grand success of the movement, I request you to please discontinue your fast. I am sure millions of Indians want you to remain fighting fit to lead them in this noble endeavour. We do not want you to take ill. With warm regards, affectionately, Ramesh Phadke

Do'nt Waste Time

2011-08-21T18:57:00.000-07:00

We Indians are known for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. We are always late in taking decisions. Our government seems to have now woken up but the pace and scope of conversations with Team Anna to resolve the impasse are too slow and tentative.

What young Chetan Bhagat said was really cool. The youth of India thinks, 'Its cool to be honest'. What a great and inspiring thing to hear. We oldies who thought it was not cool to be honest are suddenly in fashion.

The usual suspects have again shown their true colors. The Shahi Imam of Delhi has told Muslims to stay away from the movement. Not many will listen to him this time.

Some have spoken of their reservations. They are suddenly shedding tears for our democracy and worse law makers. Oh yes, that reminds me the great FM, the trouble shooter for all seasons has said, "The civil society people are behaving like legislators!!!" What a faux pas. Is he paying a compliment to Team Anna or criticizing his own kind?

Nanadan Nilekani who had little or no contact with any government functionaries until he was made in charge of the UID project a little over a year ago, says he finds politicians are good, smart and wise. See how quickly association changes our thinking. "Sangat' as our parents told us continues to be important.

Lord Meghnad Desai's suggestion that like the British parliamentarians, our MPs should sit nonstop for 60 hrs and debate the bills and pass the law is great but would anyone listen to him?

Some known and highly respected individuals have also disappointed us. They say they are against corruption but do not like Anna 'blackmailing' the government. Fast unto death to them has suddenly become blackmail. We now know whom to trust and who will stand by us, the people, when the chips are down.

Fali Nariman, that doyen of our judiciary was great when he reminded us that the Constitution begins with, 'We the people' so whats wrong in people telling the lawmakers that they are extremely unhappy. Is participative democracy such a bad thing?

The young Arvind Kejariwal asked the most pertinent question. "Has any MP or MLA ever bothered to ask anyone what he or she wanted or expected of the MP or the government?" Has the government ever made a policy in consultation with the people? Rotting grain, crumbling infrastructure, potholed roads, scam ridden schemes like NREGA and JNNRUM Rural Health etc. clearly prove how every law, scheme or legislation is designed to make rent seeking easier. Peaceful protests outside MP's houses is a great idea.

Action not Surprises

2011-08-21T05:59:00.000-07:00

The government spokesperson Shri Singhvi has said that the Standing Committee may yet surprise everyone. What could such a cryptic comment mean? Is it simply to defuse the current empasse? People want action not surprises.

The Lokpal Bill Movement is at a very crucial stage. A 74 year old Gandhian is on indefinite fast and there is no time to waste. A quick overview of comments made by some wise persons as also the gist of the interview that Shri Prashant Bhushan and Shri Arvind Kejariwal gave to STAR News Hindi at 4PM to 4:45PM on Sunday clearly shows that if the government wants to sincerely resolve the issue it will have to withdraw the old toothless bill and introduce the Jan Lokpal Bill draft and agree to have a debate in the parliament. For obvious reasons many parties might not like to discuss/debate the bill in public but they must be compelled to make a public commitment that they are indeed against corruption and truly want to punish the corrupt. Put your money where your mouth is.

Merely depending on the Standing Committee may not work. Some very prominent and knowledgeable commentators have often argued against handing over Cabinet responsibility to the so-called GOMs or Groups of Ministers who invariably play the role of delaying decisions instead of expediting them. The general public is understandably wary and even suspects government 'bona fide'.

As brought out in the interview, the government must agree to sincerely work towards passing an effective bill. As Shri Anna Hazare has already indicated, he has many other issues on his agenda such as electoral reforms, right to recall, laws governing land acquisition and the like. If we do not move forward on the Lokpal Bill it is very likely that the general public would view government attitude as unhelpful or worse anti people. Surely, no one wants that outcome. It is imperative that the government acts now if it really wants to address people's grievances.

Govt Explanation

2011-08-16T02:14:00.000-07:00

The press conference by the Mr Chidambaram, Ms Soni and Kapil Sibbal appeared to be a belated attempt to engage in 'legalese'. Being eminent lawyers, they could glibly explain their way out of the current predicament; or say they thought. They may be legally right but the whole question is political. Why cannot the government forward the Anna version of the Bill also to the standing committee of the parliament? The main sticking point is that although there is agreement on 34 of the 40 points or principles, the six points rejected by the govt are the ones that totally dilute the provisions of the bill. Yes others may have an opinion but surely no one would like to bring a 'toothless' Lokpal Bill. Let the parliament reject or modify 'Team Anna' suggestions. What is wrong in bringing senior bureaucrats, ministers, the PM and even the judiciary under the Lokpal? Let it be debated in parliament and rejected through a democratic process. Why is the govt pre-empting the outcome? Do not forget; the people are fed up of corruption and also the namby-pamby ways in which successive govts have handled cases of corruptions. I would request the Home Minister and Shri Sibbal to give the people of India just one simple answer. They know that most (not all) MPs and MLAs declare their assets before contesting an election. We have noticed and the govt can check this that in most cases when we compare the figures over five/ten years, there is a huge increase in their assets in just five years. What is this magic formula by which an MP or an MLA leave aside ministers make so much money when he/she is supposedly busy serving the people of the country? Will the PM like to try answering that? Will you share this magic formula with the Aam Adami? Why when the US and many other European governments have managed to get all details of moneys stashed in Swiss banks, it is only the Indian govt that finds it so difficult and gives lame excuses such as absence of bilateral treaties? I think the govt and many other well informed people have completely under-estimated the extent and scope of people's anger on this issue. If they do not find some effective ways to address people's grievances, our society could face very serious difficulties and our democratic system might come under threat.

Who is afraid of Anna Hazare?

2011-08-15T05:09:00.001-07:00

Unlike numerous other protests that we see in India, the one spearheaded by Anna is not merely raising a regional issue like Gujjar, Telangana, Amarnath Yatra land allotment or even Bhatta Parsole land dispute or Adarsh in Mumbai but one on widespread corruption that has found resonance across the country and across all classes which means that it threatens the status quo and questions the legitimacy of our governing classes. No doubt the UPA has been democratically elected and has every right to continue to rule the country so long as it enjoys a majority in parliament. What the civil society activists are asking is to include their version of the Lokpal Bill for consideration of the parliamentary select committee. Why is the government scared of including it even for consideration is not understood unless it thinks that its mere inclusion would raise uncomfortable issues that will shake the very foundations of our democracy. The simple question is: What does an average citizen do if she or he is unhappy with the way the government is addressing her/his legitimate grievances? How can the government insist that all those who want to protest must first become members of the parliament? Does this mean that an average citizen cannot raise his or her voice against the ruling coalition? Yes, tomorrow, the UPA may arrest all these people for breaking the law but would that resolve the issue? The judiciary will in all probability strike down the government ruling and the civil society activists would once again be free to start their agitation. Would some one explain?

A Lost Cause?

2011-04-11T08:37:00.001-07:00

When Shri Anna Hazareji began his fast unto death on the 5th some thoughts began to nag me. First, I thought all these candle carrying middle-class urban protesters would disperse sooner than later without achieving very much as happened in the aftermath of the tragic 26/11 attack. Second, I thought the government might not give in because it knew that those protesting did not belong to the well nurtured and protected vote banks. Third, I knew that many English speaking intellectuals or bleeding hearts for our revered parliamentary democracy would cry foul and repeat the same old mantra; ' If you want to change the system, fight and win an election, sit in the Lok Sabha and do what you have to. Fourth, many would suddenly remember that the Jan Lok Pal would become a tyrant and nothing would move as civil servants and politicians/ministers would be frightened into administrative paralysis to take any decision lest an invetigation was launched against them. But perhaps because of the turmoil in the Arab world and daily news reports of how even dictatorial regimes found it difficult to use force to quell such demonstrations and more so because of the elections to the state assemblies in five states, the Central Government decided to give in on the fourth day but not without first making noises about the supremacy of the parliament and the constitution. Some young columnists have also writen in the same vein but I know that they dont remember how Mrs Gandhi trreated all these pillars of democracy in June 1975 because they were still in primary school. The reason why a person like Anna took this unprecedented step at this time is simple. He had learnt after a quarter century long struggle that without arm-twisting the politician, nothing would change. Like Hon. Shri Sibbal has said, nothing may still change. Who would come to the help of the common man or the now famous ' Aam Aadmi' if the Neta felt powerless because of the Lok Pal? The fact is that the middle class, which is totally and comprehensively marginalised and in fact disempowered, cannot do anything to change the system simply because our electoral system is so beautifully managed and manipulated that even if all of them voted en masse, they still cannot dent the system of buying votes to prevent which even the CEC wants more stringent laws but is powerless as leaders promise TVs, money and mobile phones. A friend of mine who has just returned from Tamil Nadu which is in the midst of election fever, told me, "Now the electricity is switched at 10 PM sharp and within minutes unknown and unrecognised persons knock on the doors of rural voters and offer them Rs. 2000 or more to vote for their candidates but no one can prove anything as no one can recognise them. Whenever they want to enhance their pay and allowances or MPLADS funds all our honourable representatives of the people forget ideological and party differences and vote to ensure smooth passage of the bill. Nurturing their vote banks they never fail to support ever increasing quotas in reservations, say nothing about the Jat, Gujjar, Telangana Khap and numerous other such violent protests that are ignited by those in power. They dont care if public property is lost or damaged or public is inconvenienced, all in the name of democracy. They dont lose sleep when precious grain wrots in our FCI godowns and ordinary people buy Dals at Rs. 100 per kilo. They also forget to ratify the UN anti graft resolution for six years, do not sign the necessary protocols and treaties to get details of the money stashed abroad from foreign governments, downplay the losses of 2G scam, blatantly brush off CWG and Prasar Bharati hera pheri and still want the average, educated Indian to have faith in their brand of democracy. Sir, they forget that democracy is not merely holding periodic elections but ensuring the rule of law. Even though not one corrupt leader is in jail they continue to repeat that the 'Law would take its own course', unashamedly call upon the support of an MP in a jail to win a no-confidence vote, openly admit that Rajya Sabha nominations and elected seats are purchased and don't bat an eyelid while declaring a ten to hundred fold increase in their assets every five years and when the Supreme Court asks that this be investigated they simply stonewall the issue. And yet the guardians of this sham democracy do not want a veteran social worker who has no personal axe to grind with any of them to fast unto death because that is coercion, anti constitution, against the hallowed canons of parliamentary democracy. Why dont the common ignorant people understand? Why dont they permit the knowledgeable, well meaning democratically elected leaders to run the country for the collective good of the people??

India

2011-02-17T18:09:00.000-08:00

Dr. Manmohan Singh's meeting with TV journalists came through as a poor attempt whitewash UPA II's weaknesses. Everyone believes that his personal integrity is beyond question but has he already overdrawn on his 'personal honesty' fixed deposits? A national leader must be good but also effective in making his colleagues work as honest and sincere servants of the people. Just being good is not good enough; good has to constantly fight the bad and win. The difference between a manager and leader is while the former may get work out of his followers the latter inspires them to work well beyond the call of duty. It is difficult to see how he can recover from this current tail spin of scams and loss of credibility? Equating the notional revenue loss in the 2G case with subsidy was a very big blunder that is bound to haunt him in the future. His views on compulsions of coalition politics have put DMK in a spot but other partners must also be extracting their pound of flesh. Does India deserve this?

Happy Republic Day

2011-01-26T06:54:00.000-08:00

Happy Republic Day, my fellow citizens. I have resolved to write at least one post a week from now.
The main opposition BJP's attempt to score points on the question of Kashmir by trying to unfurl the Indian national flag at Lal Chowk in Srinagar have not worked out. If the aim was to embarass the UPA it hasnt worked either. Instead of that the J&K question, in my opinion, has been internationalised with the CM and other Kashmiris calling J&K a disputed are/territory. In the old days we used to call it, "To cut your nose to spite your face" I still dont understand the logic of this prank.
On the other hand, the UPA II could well have allowed the flag hoisting with some minimal security and nothing would have happened. Now Pakistan must be happy and thank India for doing its work of keepng the issue alive. When will we learn?? If ever??? Best wishes

The Obama Visit

2010-11-08T23:25:00.000-08:00

State visits are often like grand weddings. They generate much excitement and place huge and complex demands on all participants. But as Kabir once said, after the departure of the bride and bridegroom the ‘Baraat’ becomes lifeless. In fact every one gets back to the realities of the daily humdrum. While the Obama visit was undoubtedly important and he said many useful things, translating words into action is far more difficult.

Indians know the realities of South Asian geopolitics even if we sometime forget the constraints that geography puts on us. Simply restating that ‘safe havens for terrorist organisations are unacceptable’ would not get us anywhere. For that to work both India and the US have to severely restrict the political space that the sponsors enjoy. The US is deeply involved in Afghanistan for the long haul and despite best efforts it is not easy for it extricate itself in a hurry. Obama thus has to keep many unsavoury people happy.

Now that the G-20 has become a more active and influential grouping in the much-globalised world, one wonders if membership of the UN Security Council with, but most probably, without a veto would add any real clout to a new member. As we have seen in the past, powerful countries will not wait for the nod from UNSC to take action if that is the only way they can secure their interests.

Although both Iran and Burma were mentioned, every one again knows the limits to which any country can be coerced into accepting global norms. Even after the international investigation found North Korea’s involvement in the sinking of the Cheonan, no action has been taken against the alleged culprit simply because it has the backing of a powerful neighbour. That the country concerned is also a permanent member is incidental.

The recent Sino-Japanese spat over the Senkaku islands also demonstrated the limits of Japanese and indeed American power. Now that China has clearly included the ‘Spratlys Islands’ as its ‘core interests’ it is likely that the smaller neighbours will have to sooner or later fall in line.

Outsourcing was mentioned to please his domestic audience. Surely, Obama knows full well that when a country decides to outsource its less glamorous and low-tech manufacturing to other countries such as the four Asian Tigers and later the People’s Republic of China (PRC) its economy becomes dependent on imports of cheap goods with job losses. In a similar way outsourcing services too becomes tempting because of the lower costs. This is elementary even if experts use a lot of complex jargon to say the same thing. So long as India provides efficient and reliable services at low cost, the developed world will need it. India too needs the US for its hi-tech support. This, however, need not be restricted to only the defence sector. There are many other areas such as agriculture, renewable energy, clean coal, new fuels, education, space and a whole host of doable collaboration projects that would be easier to implement. Problems with LSA and CISMOA and nuclear liability bills can then be resolved more amicably. Some analysts have questioned the need for these agreements as they see no situation in which Indian armed forces would fight alongside their American counterparts and for disaster relief operations one does not need much ‘interoperability’. The US perhaps wants to obliquely tell India that it would in the not too distant future shoulder some very major responsibilities and for that a quasi-alliance type of relationship would be necessary. How India reacts to this would be interesting.

Strengthening people to people contact by sending ever more students to the US and in turn getting Americans to work in India would be one of the priority areas and that would also make joint ventures easier. It would also be interesting to watch how India and the US handle the tricky questions of up to 50 per cent offsets in the huge defence deals that are said to be in the pipeline. Would India dilute its 26 per cent cap in defence industry? Would the US defence majors invest in India with less than 50 per cent control? These are all moot points and would take time to resolve but that should not put brakes on essential and urgent indigenisation of our defence industry.

In the hullabaloo of the visit the Naxal and Bodo killings have received little attention but internal security and prevention of terrorist infiltration are bread & butter activities to which the decision makers must now return because when all is said and done India has to fight these battles on her own.

Urgent Action Needed

2009-01-30T06:56:00.000-08:00

As predicted, Pakistan is washing its hands off the whole affair by bluntly stating that the Mumbai attack was not planned on its soil. While there are some reports of Pakistan planning some action to prosecute those detained under cyber laws it is clear that India has not succeeded in getting Pakistan to act against the prepratators of terror strikes. In a way it is a good thing simply because India can now tell the world that it followed the so called internationally accepted norms and procedures to get to the root of the problem and now that Pakistan has not responded, India is free to take whatever action that may be necessary at the time of its choosing.
India is, of course, free to not say anything further as far as the kind, extent and scope of the action. Any layperson should know that it is time India tightened the noose around Paksitan.
First, it must immediately suspend the composite dialogue and other useless agreements such as the Joint Terror Investigation Mechanism, the various busses and trains running between the two countries and the so called people-to-people contacts. That way the one thing India can make sure is no undesirable person manages to enter India as a legitimate tourist/visitor. India should then suspend all the trade links with Pakistan. It should also declare that any attempt by Pakistan based entities to infiltrate India's international border or the LOC will be met with strong retaliatory action and that Pakistan would be responsible for any consequences. India should also tell the US that it must immediately stop the sale/transfer of sophisticated weapons such as the AMRAAM, JDAM and AAM missiles and F-16 fighters to Pakistan as these are not required to fight the Taliban and Al-Qaeda along Pakistan's western border but are in fact meant to boost Pak military's strength to stave off any military pressure from India. India could also very carefully calibrate its response in terms of sending troops to Afghanistan to protest the thousands of Indians working there to rebuild that war ravaged country. India should also increase its military to military contact with the countries of Central Asia especially Tajikistan where it already has a small contingent of air force personnel at Farkhar. It must also offer these countries training facilities by deputing Indian military instructors and troops for their modernisation. Needless to add that all these countries are also threatened by terrorism that emanates from Al Qaeda and Taliban combine and there is a huge amount of goodwill and affection for India.
Internally, there is an urgent need to take immediate action against all those elements that are presently threatening national unity such the MNS, Sri Ram Sena, SIMI operatives and above all the Maoists and the numerous insurgents in the Northeast. Unless the Central Government sends out a clear signal that it will actually not tolerate any disruptive and sepratist activity it will be difficult to defend our democratic system.

Pakistani Mindset

2008-12-15T08:14:00.000-08:00

Having spent a long time in the Indian Air Force and with two of the country's most well known think tanks I found myself interacting with a number of Pakistani officials, civilian and military scholars and on two very vital issues this is what they always said.
When told that Pakistani adventurism affects the well being of Indian Muslims they said they did not think the fate of Indian Muslims was their concern. In fact they have little love for them. Some of them blamed the Indian Muslims for not going over to Pakistan.
When told that India's patience was running out expecially after they stabbed us in the back at Kargil after the now famous and land mark visit of the then Indian PM AB Vajpayee who also made it a point to visit the Minar-e-Pakistan implicitly offering India's good wishes to that country, the response was that Pakistan may go down but it will drag India down with it. Such is the pathalogical hatred for India among the elite intellectuals of Pakistan. So can we expect them to hand over Masood Azar or Dawood Ibrahim or any other terrorist easily?

What Now?

2008-12-14T09:06:00.000-08:00

There is much anger and talk of action against Pakistan. At the sametime our leadership is trying to tell the world that India is not planning any military action against Pakistan. What then can we do?
First: Shut the gates. I know that people-to-people contacts are good but this is not the time for such confidence building measures. India cannot afford to allow even a single criminal or terrorist or their sympathisers to slip into Indian teritory through the bus or train route. Every intelligence and police agency knows that it is impossible to ensure 100 per cent success in surveillance. So the answer is to simply suspend the contact for a while. Also increase surveillance on the land, sea and air space so that the terrorists cannot intrude or infiltrate by cutting the border fence while the Pakistani Rangers provide them covering fire from their post right across the border and violate the cease-fire as they have done 33times this year.
Second: If the US, UK and other Western powers really wish to assist India thay must first weaken and isolate the Pakistani Army and the ISI. To do this, these powers must immediately suspend their military assistance and contact with the Paksitani Army. Do not give them the promised 18 F-16 fighters and spares for the other 34 that theyalready have. Do not give them the surveillance planes that Sweden'sSaab Ericson is selling them. Pressurise China to at least temporarily suspend military aid to Pakistan. Instead of giving Pakistan billions of dollars in economic aid give them food and grain like India received under the PL-480 programme but not cash because the ISI will use such financial assistance to train more jehadi terrorists.
Third: India must tell all its friends that unless thay bring tangible eeconomic, political and diplomatic pressure on Paksitan by literally ostracizing it from the international community India will have to reconsider its ties with them. Also tell Bangladesh that unless it pays heed to India's repeated requests to close terrorist and separatist camps in that country India would be compelled to close down normal trade which would mean that Bangladesh will not even get protein and other food supplies from India and its access to Nepal would be severely restricted.
Fourth: China does not have diplomatic contact with any country unless that country first accepts Taiwan as an integral part of China. It is time India told the world that unless they deal sternly with Pakistan India's support to them cannot be taken for granted. Countries likeDubai and Saudi Arabia where many dangerous criminals enjoy sanctuary must also be told that if they do not desist from playing this double game India will have to recall all its workers even if it means a major loss in foreign remittances. Surely, a resurgent India that can waive off huge farmer loans can absorb such losses and all middle class Indians would be ready to make such sacrifices if they see that the governments and politicians lead by example.
Fifth: India is going through a serious economic crisis so it can put on hold all the huge military hardware that it had planned to import. Such a suspension will, I am sure, jolt these powers out of their comlacency and force them to take India's requests seriously.
Finally, India needs to unequivocally tell the world that this time it is not business as usual. India will take concerted action wherever needed. Even if half of these steps are taken immediately, thePakistan Army will feel isolated and feel the heat of international, and especially US opprobrium without whose support it cannot sustain its bravado. India can support the international war on terrorism even without being contiguous to Afghanistan.We cannot expect the world to take notice if we do not demonstrate our resolve.

A Nagging Question!!

2008-12-03T09:23:00.001-08:00

One question that you may help answer. If the arrested terrorist is indeed a daily wage earner from a poor family of Faridkot Pakistan, then how is he fluent in English? Could he be a Pakistani Navy Marine Commando operating under an assumed name?

Reel to Real Rang De Basanti

2008-12-03T08:27:00.000-08:00

I salute the youth of India. The emotional outpouring of Indian youth at Mumbai, New Delhi and many other metros of the country is reminiscent of the anger and frustration of the youth of that iconic movie Rang De Basanti except that this time it is real. For once the leadership will have to take note of this anger and show some sincerity in tackling the terror threat. Our political leadership is understandably shaken to its roots. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Achyutanandan, Deshmukh and RR Patil have all shown their true colours by making insensitive remarks. They, the politicians, are upset because the reaction of the educated urban youth that they had tried to divide on cast, language, religion and regional issues have at last realised that the political leadership is not honest. Our leaders are used to protests of the union leaders, Gujjars, opposition parties and the farmer type of rallies on the road but never have they seen this type of unity on the streets without any political party mobilising protesters by getting busloads of them from their constituencies. This protest is not organised for garnering votes. It is an ultimatum, a wake up call to them to pay heed or face an instant popular revolution which is quite different from the AIMS students' protests or the 1990 anti Mandal agitation.
This time the youth cannot be taken for granted. It is also totally wrong to read an artificial rural-urban or India-Bharat divide in this gathering of the youth. I am sure given a chance and some mobility those in our villages would also join these young people. The fact of the matter is that the people of India have had enough. To say that this time the Mumbaikars are up in arms because the city's elite was targeted is also completely off the mark.
The terrorists tried to destroy what is dear to all of us; our history, our culture and our national symbols of dignity, quiet resolve and the special ethos of Mumbai and other cities where everyone instantly comes to the aid of his or her compatriot. They are fighting for their buddies their brothers and sisters be they Dabbawals, cops, daily commuters or ordinary citizens. If the country's political leadership fails to get the real message and treats these protests as any other rallies of the past then only God can save them. Clear messages coming today were a loud and resounding 'NO' to corruption, cowardice, dynastic politics, inaction, vote bank politics, false promises, geriatric leadership, shielding of criminals and many other ills that we are all familiar with.
I am sure that even if this sounds somewhat emotional and even dramatic there is a strong sense of real hurt in these young minds. They are hurt to the very core of their beings. The Hindus, Muslims, Parsis, Sikhs, Christens, young housewives, young mothers with babes in their arms have demonstrated their resolve to cleanse the country's political system. If you don't do it Mr Neta they will and then you may not like their methods.

Mumbai 26/11

2008-11-30T21:17:00.000-08:00

Indian citizens are understandably angry at their leadership but not paying taxes or indulging in divisive talk will certainly not help.
What we must do is demand the sacking of all those who failed to prevent the attack starting with the Home Ministry bureaucrats, and bosses in other organisations which failed to act on the intelligence available. Maharashtra CM and his Deputy should have been sacked long ago when they refused to heed the PM's advice to take action against people advocating divisive policies, aka MNS Chief and all those who sat on the fence or tacitly supported him.

Of Commandos and Bravery

2008-11-28T20:32:00.000-08:00

Like many millions I also watched the Taj/ Trident/ Oberoi/Nariman drama unfold on TV. Bravo NSG, Bravo Marcos and Bravo all the police personnel, RAF, CRP and many other unsung/unseen heroes who the average citizen not know, has never heard of and will never find out about. At 63, I feel proud of the younger generation of our armed forces and paramilitary organizations, who through their sacrifice, allow us all to hold our heads high.
To those who think India is spending too much on its armed forces, to those who want to downsize the army- as if it was like any other industry or business or municipal unit- my request is think again.
Most important: From all accounts there were some 29 Pak and 11 Bangladeshi nationals involved in this audacious terror strike. I have talked to many of my buddies who like me are former combatants, fighter pilots, commandos, paratroopers and the like: and all of us think that Pakistan Army has once again followed its age old and proven method of using regular armed forces members, in this instance, perhaps marine commandos, in Mujahideen disguise exactly as it did in J&K 1947, Punjab and J&K 1965 and Kargil 1999. There is little point in calling the ISI Chief to India. He will simply deny his involvement and claim that the LeT are rogue elements not under the control of the ISI.
Even more important: The Pak army/ navy personnel may have already gone back after doing the preliminary work of landing the "terrorists". (Remember, according to TV reports, the cell phone that once belonged to the journalist Sabina Sehgal Saikia was last traced to Raigadh in Konkan an area known to be frequented by the Mumbai underworld)We cannot sit tight till we find out what happened to the others. The NSG has after all killed only 10 or 12 terrorists. Police and government authorities must not relax their vigil until each of the 40 or more is accounted for. Believe me: we will all have another serious incident like this again in a few days if we dont take action now. The way these men carried their rucksacks, secured the dinghy and handled their weapons and kept our elite commandos engaged for 60 hours is proof that they are Pakistani Army/Navy Commandos or were trained by such professionals. Pak army hand is therefore clearly evident.
We must do our utmost to put more pressure on our political leadership to act and to act fast to create/ change/revamp our anti-terror apparatus so that we send a clear signal to the future terrorist that he will not succeed.

Conflict Resolution

2008-09-05T05:11:00.000-07:00

Of late, there has been much anger amongst the minorities in India. There also appears to be a concerted effort to instigate this or that community to raise non-existent issues so that the overall intrnal security environment is spoilt.
Why cannot the UPA or for that matter any other government simply appoint proportionate numbers of ministers from the minority communities, say 15 Muslims, three Christians, and two Sikhs over and above those that may already be in the government? The new ministers will be equally efficient, honest, knowledgeable, ignorent, corrupt and patriotic but they will give their respective communities the feeling that some of their representatives are indeed part of the government and working for alleviating their conditions. This in my opinion will be one simple, inexpensive and easy way to win their hearts and minds and reduce avoidable conflict. Merely changing the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sanghatan logo from the Hindu (?) lotus to include a Cross and Crescent will not appease anyone but in fact infuriate even the normally peace loving and quiet Hindu. Woth a try isnt it? Worst that can happen is some more taxpayers' money down the drain but that is a small price to pay for peace!!!

2008-09-05T05:03:00.000-07:00

BORDERING ON COWARDICE?
Air Cmde (Retd) RV Phadke

Two recent incidents along India’s borders should have caused serious concern to our security establishment. Immediate action was certainly warranted but nothing happened. It seems the decision makers in the government were, as usual, preoccupied with other pressing issues. The full-blown protests in Jammu and the Srinagar Valley no doubt, appeared as if they had gone completely out of control but the government was conspicuous by its absence. Add to it the fortnight-long floods in Bihar, communal violence in Orissa, (Maoist claim that they killed the VHP leader), the ongoing land agitation at Singur, and the government’s cup of woes is overflowing. Even so can India afford to neglect its security?

Concurrently with the J&K agitation, the Pakistani Army decided to violate the five-year old cease-fire on at least 31 times so far. The sub-plot of one of those was the 17-hour long hostage crisis near Jammu in which seven (?) innocents were killed by the Jihadi terrorists that had succeeded in infiltrating the International Border (IB), mind you, not the LOC. The other less publicized but perhaps more deadly was the report that Indian engineers and construction workers from Bihar had attempted to repair/strengthen the Kosi river dam on the Nepal border way back in April/May this year. They were, however, threatened and chased away by the local Nepali population and hence could not carry out any repairs to or strengthen the dam which finally breached two weeks ago and flooded half of Bihar causing 50 deaths and rendering over 3.5 million, homeless. Going by our past experience the refugees will not be able to go back to their home and hearth for months if not years. Many will run to big towns and cities and add to the woes of the already creaking urban infrastructure. Such things, however, continue to happen with sickening regularity.

Taking the infiltration issue first, Indian authorities have known for years the Pakistani army’s time-tested tactic of providing covering fire to infiltrating Jihadi terrorists. This time the infiltration was across the IB and not the LOC. Pakistan cannot be allowed to harp on the ‘Kashmir is a disputed territory’ line again and again. And yet besides expressing concern the Indian government did nothing. The National Security Advisor Shri Narayanan, in an interview to a TV channel even said that the problem in J&K was not as serious as it was made out to be. I am sure those who lost their near and dear ones and the four children and their mother that lived on a few gulps of water for 17 hours with three terrorists threatening them with a gun would think otherwise. Another TV channel has now released footage of Infrared pictures of some 500 terrorists waiting to cross the IB; the BSF has confirmed that. With this kind of evidence if proof is at all needed, the Indian army and the air force should have promptly razed the subject Pakistani post to the ground and only then opened the DMO Hot Line. Does India need more provocation?

Similarly, the Bihar engineers and workers should have been provided armed protection and the repairs to the Kosi dam carried out in good time. No body can now be expected to buy the lame excuse that the Nepali government was preoccupied with their own problems and hence did not have the time to attend to these ‘minor’ issues. Some years ago China had suddenly released excess water from one of its dams that caused flash floods in the Sutlej and destroyed lives and property in Himachal Pradesh. Then too nothing happened.

What is the need to keep a million-strong army (navy and the air force) if any neighbor can thumb his nose and get away killing innocent Indians? Is this what we mean by ‘zero tolerance’ to terrorism? Is this the way to protect and safeguard the territorial integrity of India, an oath that every government functionary takes?

Jammu & Kashmir- The Never Ending Issue

2008-08-17T02:25:00.001-07:00

Two articles, one by Swaminathan Anklesariya Iyer in TOI (Sun 17 Aug) says give the people of Kashmir a choice and let them go if they so desire; another one in IE by Sudheendra Kulkarni laments about how Indian leaders wasted three opportunities to clinch the issue in 1947 Nehru, 1971 Indira Gandhi and in 1988 Rajiv Gandhi. Can we really give the people of the Kashmir valley the choice to secede from India and form an independent entity? Will it be viable? Will not the powerful neighbour China and its henchman Pakistan swallow it sooner than later? Who will guarantee its safety and territorial integrity? Who will defend it? How will a small vulnerable landlocked country survive? Will tourism alone be sufficient to feed its people? What will happen to India's safety and security? Will not its loss make the already strategically important but vulnerable region a play ground for other powers to bring pressure on India through, military, economic and ecological means? How will India ensure that the source of its water in the Himalayas is protected? Since Iyer is essentially talking only about the people of the valley, what happens to Laddakh and Jammu? What happens when Pakistan occupies the Siachin heights and threatens India through Laddakh? While successive Indian governments have no doubt messed up the situation in the J&K for many decades simply giving up the fight is surely not the answer.
Taking the other extreme view, can India really solve the problem simply by deploying more and more troops and police? Yes, India could have forced ZA Bhutto to agree to an honourable solution in 1972 when it held 93000 Pakistani prisoners but can we do it now? Are we in a position to force a military solution on Pakistan? What will be the Chinese role in such a confrontation? Are we strong enough to face a two-front threat now or in the future? What if anything has been achieved by the PM's inactivity? What will BJP achieve by further fuelling the wrath of the people of Jammu? How will they solve it if they were holding the reins at New Delhi? Why has the Central Government failed to convince the people of Jammu and Kashmir that the so called 'forest land' was not transferred but only diverted and that too for a emporary purpose and that there has never been an economic blockade of the Valley?
Why should the Muslims of the valley be so touchy about the ASAB being given a small piece of land for Hindu pilgrims? Finally, isnt there a strong, popular, visionary and wise Muslim leader in India that can convince his people to stop the protests? Arent there any secular Hindu leaders in the UPA that can convince the people of Jammu to drop their protests and not mix other issues such as stepmotherly treatment at the hands of J&K government and the number of their representatives in the J&K Assembly?
If we cannot find a leader young or old can we really complain?

Another Independence Day

2008-08-17T02:00:00.000-07:00

Two days ago, another independence day, special for some but not for those who struggle to survive.
The weekly magazine 'The Week' (17 Aug issue, page 34) spoke of cases of starvation in the Bundel Khand area of MP, where due to a five-year long drought people are starving. For a woman with four children, salt and roti once every few days is regular meal and when she gets an onion it is a feast. The visuals confirm the story. What is, however, not explained is the role of the local government. The village, however remote, is still in central India, not too far from a mis-size town like Mahoba, Banda, Jhansi and Chitrakoot. I wonder what the local government machinary is doing? Where is the Zilla Parishad, the Panchayat, the District and Block Development Officers and finally the Collector. Dont they read these reports? Dont they get information from their own subordinates? How is it that the Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme has not touched this area? Why are the local NGOs and other well off people not helping? Will someone ask the MP CM to answer? Does he not think that the Aam Aadmi is his responsibility?
I want to do something about this; at least help a few for a month or two until their health is restored so that they can once again start searching for some employment that will give them some money to eke out a living, but how do I do it? Last but not least, the well known eighty something year old social worker Nanaji Deshmukh runs an ashram in nearby Chitrakoot and is known to have done much work to bring succour to the local people. Where is his organisation? It is difficult to believe that his people dont know the ground reality in his backyard!!

Near Miss

2008-06-12T06:29:00.000-07:00

Playing golf at Wellington which is at about 6500 feet AMSL is great fun and the course is challenging both in terms of physical effort because it involves some steep climbs and golf skills. On 14 May 2008, we had finished playing 12 holes and stopped for a cup of tea at the WGC. As usual I lit a cigarette with my tea and soon resumed the game. But something didnt feel alright. I felt my neck muscles and tendons a bit stretched and the chest felt full as if the lungs were inflamed. There was no pain so we continued and finished the remaining four holes, spent some time at the club house and returned home to my friend Harry's lovely house.

Had another shower but the 'odd feeling; remained. My Dr wife checked my BP which was alright and so was the pulse, but had no appettite nor felt sleepy. Finally at about 4:30 PM that is some four hours after the discomfort began, went to the MH and the ECG confirmed that everything was not alright. The Dr called it coronory insufficiency and I was diagnosed as suffering from 'unstable angina'. After spending five days in the ICU with the usual ration of medicines that are invariably given in such situations I was transferred to AF Command Hospital at Bangalore, which we reached at 1430 on Monday 19 May but there being no bed in the ICU I waited at the casualty sitting on a plastic chair for over four hours before I was finally in an ICU bed. All this while I was completely asymptomatic as the discomfort/neck muscle stretch had disappeared the second day at MH Wellington.

I was scheduled for an angiogram the next day. The stern no-non sense type of Nursing Officer asked if I was prepared for the procedure to which I said ,'yes'. But little did I realise that 'prepared' was a euphemism for getting rid of all the body hair as the cathetar is inserted in a vein in the groin. So off I went to the staff bathroom and did as told and after a cold shower came back to the bed. Thank God I am a man. Cannot imagine what women go through routinely depilating whatever areas of their bodies they want. In fact the whole experience is so humiliating. Ugh.

The angiogram is a simple procedure but the room and the apparatus looks intimidating. Within minutes of inserting the cathetar the Dr had announced that the circumflex artery of the heart was totally blocked. Another one was less than 60%' and the rest were normal. The good news was, collateral arteries in fact capillaries had begun supplying blood to the affected area quite efficiently. When it came to putting a stent to open the block, the Dr found that the plaque that was obstructing the circumflex artery was just too hard and so he had to leave it alone. Since the collaterals were so efficient I did not need a bypass and conservative medicine would be enough. The blockage had apparently happened some years ago and I was blissfully unaware of it. The only symptoms were a mild ST wave depression in the ECG/TMT and mild hyper tension for which I was on medication for about four years. I was soon wheeled out and told to take all medicines, pace out my daily routine and walk as much as I could comfortably do, carry a Sorbitrate in case of emergency. Change life style!! But how does one do that at 62? I don't drink nor eat meat, used to smoke four to six cigarettes a day for over 44 years but usually remained resonably active with lots of walking and golf. And thats what saved me I think!! Luckily there was no infarct and hence no damage to the heart. Moral of the story: DO whatever you like but in moderation and avoid smoking. The medicines especially Ecosprin that is given for thinning blood causes GIT upsets, Ramipril bad cough and Clopid, Statin and Metroprozol have their own side effects which one has to live with!! I am trying to find some suitable alternatives though!!

So I am back in circulation in Pune and hope to play as much golf as possible. My Guardian Angel saved me. Finally the day after the episode, I experienced a unique sense of liberation, a feeling of freedom. Been there done that has acquired a new meaning altogether.

Lecture on BBC

2008-01-20T00:28:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, that is on 19th Jan, I heard a very interesting lecture on BBC World by J Craig Venter in the Richard Dimbleby series. It was not only thought provoking but also very informative and inspiring. The Doctor, the founder of J Craig Venter Institute that has been doing great work in the area of human genome mapping, said that the current century will be the DNA century and scientists are close to further developing ways of using microbes and synthetic genes to produce bio fuels that will go a long way in meeting the challenges of global warming and environmental concerns. Some may, however, baulk at the idea of using synthetic genes and artificially created microbes for mitigating problems created by us human beings.
Dr. Venter also emphasised prevention rather than cure. He said the scientist must find new ways to use science to prevent disease and other problems than spending huge amounts og money on healthcare. How would the world cope with the estimated 9.5 billion people in the next fifty years?
A lecture well worth watchng. Any views?

Day-To-Day Problems

2008-01-19T23:39:00.000-08:00

Like most people I also face some daily problems that need attention and immediate correction.
The biggest one is the ever increasing traffic that is becoming almost impossible to negotiate without losing my cool.
I live on the Eastern end of Pune in Keshav Nagar near Mundhwa a bustling congested village and although our locality is really clean and green, outside it is a different world. The roads are bad, crowded with cyclists, vehicles of all types including dumpers, concrete mixers and JCBs, and above all large herds of buffaloes that take their own time to clear out. The main road joining the Solapur and Ahmed Nagar highways passes close by. Towards Magarpatta a fast burgeoning locality the road is choked with parked taxies and heavy vehicles carrying construction materials and of course the ubiquitous three-wheelers. Towards Kharadi another fast developing area the traffic is equally bad as you get close to Ahmednagar highway. The third way out is to go through Mundhwa village through Ghorpadi which involves negotiating two railway level crossings or through Koregaon Park North Main Road, the entrance to which is blocked for road repairs for almost two months. To add to my woes, the main Solapur highway from Hadapsar to the Race Course sports a so-called BRTS, short for Bus-Rapid-Transit-System, which has reserved the two central lanes, one each way for busses only which means that for long periods of time the two designated lanes are practically empty while all sorts of vehicles and others jostle for space on the two outer narrow lanes that are left for road users other than PMT local buses. If a road roller, bullock cart or a slow tractor decides to enter this melee then it takes up to fifteen minutes or more to cover a kilo meter or so. Everyone around is usually impatient to cross this slow moving traffic jam while two and three wheelers are trying to overtake from both the left and the right side. At night almost all cars and trucks and of course buses speed blazing their headlights on full beam blinding the oncoming traffic, a sure recepie for disaster and road rage. The authorities are not bothered simply because they live in another part of Pune. The least the PMC can do is to force car and other drivers to drive on 'dipped' headlights and post at least two cops at every crossing point. Prohibiting veavy vehicles during say 8AM to 9 PM may also help immensely. The filling point near the Hadapsar police station where scores of water tankers queue up to fill their tankers and the 'weigh bridge' near Noble Hspital on Magarpatta road where numerous trucks turn in and queue up for weighing are two major nuisance areas that daily cause huge traffic jams. I believe it is time we collectively raised our voice to do away with the BRTS that gives priority to buses at the cost of other legitimate road users all of whom have an equal right of passage. I invite residents of these areas to respond with their suggestions and ideas to improve the situation. With regards and safe driving. Please dont lose your cool!!!