Please judge us!

The Radia tapes in the public domain are just a tip of the iceberg, says Home Secretary G K Pillai while adding that the leaked conversations have nothing to with the 2G scam. When will the real tapes on the 2G scam made public, the bureaucrat said nothing about it.
It brings up a very important point – why is the Government not acting and also not telling the country who are the real culprits. By not taking action, the government seems to be shielding the guilty. Just conducting CBI raids is not enough. It is too late in the day. Anybody can hide file and make relevant changes to the records in record time. Here we are talking about the inaction of (Sonia Gandhi) PM and the system. Should the systematic loot of the country be allowed to go unchecked, is the moot question.
But while the 5,000 tapes are still in government files, what has come out is itself damning. The so-far-released tapes have showed how corporate lobbyist Nira Radia was hobnobbing with top industrialists, politicians and journalists to ensure that cabinet berths are allocated to her briefs and dictating how journalists should write the stories.
Now there is a concerted effort to justify the ugly conversations. Journalists Rajdeep Sardesai jumped in the fray and defended members of the clan - Barkha Dutt and Vir Sanghvi. Why Rajdeep took the task of defending them should be clear as he also figures somewhere on the tapes. The CNN-IBN and NDTV are showing promos of another magazine justifying the lobbying by journalists and claiming that the journalists mentioned in the tapes were the top shots of Indian journalism. What is wrong in lobbying, is the question.
No one has mentioned anything regarding the gifts or free junkets that the journalists get. Please do not look at the bargain and neat barter that has not been revealed. Let the same editors come clean on the freebees they got, or the gifts they received from Radia. Rajdeep argues that the magazines (that carried Radia transcripts) violated principles of journalism by publishing raw data. The journalists concerned were guilty of "professional misjudgement" rather than "professional misconduct", he clarified. So we now have to learn journalism ethics from the Editors' Guild president. It seems that the ones involved are now digging in to teach the world what journalists should do or not do and how they should conduct their business. Great!
Is it alright to let the public relations companies not only dictate stories to journalists but ask them to act as dalals? It is amazing how corruption is now being legitimatized. The ball is now in the court of the people. You, the readers, decide. Please be the judge.

Inter-linking of rivers

Just wondering what has happened to inter-linking of river project...

Date of Publication April 24, 2006 Mid Day

After 3000 kilometers of walking, Bangalore bank manager should be a tired man. But Devaraj, 50, after seven months of walking for the cause of inter-linking of rivers is a contented and happy man.
He wants to rest only after meeting the President A P J Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. "I have walked from Kanyakumari to New Delhi to spread the message of importance of inter-linking of river. I am glad that people have given me such tremendous response. Now I want to meet the President and PM," Devaraja said in New Delhi after meeting Sena leader Suresh Prabhu.
Having already given his memorandum to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Opposition leader L K Advani, Devaraja now hopes to meet Kalam and submit a memorandum giving the response of around 650 schools and colleges including public meetings.
The State Bank of Mysore manager, Devaraja started his ‘padayatra’ on January 12 and reached New Delhi on the eve of Independence day.
Devaraja was joined by Narsimha Setty and Anand in Bangalore but from Kanyakumari he started alone. "All along, people would join me for short duration, but these two have been with me from Bangalore. It has given me a lot of strength," he added.
Devaraja’s is anxiously waiting to see his wife Malathi and son Pritam Dev who is studying to be a doctor. But family reunion has wait till he gets appointment from the PM and even former PM A B Vajpayee.
Covering nine states and 38 districts, Devaraja is filled with emotions when you talk about his experience about the hospitality of the people. "I got rejected also by a few people but most of the people welcomed me with open heart. And most important is that people listened to me," Devaraja said.
Recalling his experience in MP when he was crossing a CRPF unit, Deveraja said he felting talking to the jawans. "I wanted to go in and the sentry told me to stand away. I stood for 10 minutes, he kept looking at me. Then he called us near. Then, he inspected my bag."
The CRPF sentry then sent Deveraja’s pamphlet to his senior officer, who got so impressed that the whole day the dreamer and zealous bank manager was let off.
Spending nearly Rs 50,000, Deveraja has been on leave from SBM. "For the cause of Inter-linking of rivers, I had to do it," he said with emotive eyes.
Braving rain, heat and dust, on an average, Deveraja walked around 15-20 kilometer, seeing the good and tired side of life. Each day, Devaraja would start around 4 am and then would camp by 10-11 am at any village or town. "Then I would rest and recoup and start meeting people of the locality."
Food and shelter were not a problem. "That was not a concern but people were nice."

Gay or pop corn! What’s your choice!

Have you ever thought that in this world of free speech-modern world with Internet, what choices do you have? No choice at all, I can argue. Let me explain.
Do you want to read news but you get what the newspaper gives you and what the reporter gives to the news editor. So you get half baked and half cooked stuff. (Depends what you are eating or reading.) Heard about David Coleman Hadley lately! The evil spy-cum-terrorist, since the National Investigative Agency, got “access” to interrogate the LeT operative in June, became terrorist-cum-spy and finally, just a terrorist.
Firstly, the Indian sleuths landed in the US to quiz this guy who had friends in Bollywood. The Americans just told them, NO. Indian Home Ministry was flabbergasted. Indian diplomacy was on its knees begging Americans to let them talk to this double agent or was it triple agent.
And since then we have been regularly getting ‘news’ that has done so much but his intentions were even more deadlier than his actions. He went to this restaurant and that tourist place and planned to bomb this and that defence establishment. The NIA has systematically been planting news and we have to endure the hot news. Nobody is asking what our RAW and IB were doing when Hadley was roaming around the country or even when he left. They had bloody no idea at all what was happening in the country. But forget all that and think why do we have to face the music every time. We end up reading such good for nothing plants? It is because we don’t have choices and we are forced to read the news or see TV. Changing the newspaper is no choice. The next one is even worse and besides you have got used to reading that crappy paper for far too long.
We have no choice at all. Look at the Common Wealth Games. Ask yourself this question, why were you forced to leave your vehicles at home and hop into car-pools or metro. You were forced to drive in the lane that was too on the damn left side. You looked at the lane in which probably few vehicles would be plying for entire day. And why, because the city police commissioner says you need to take a break, you should.
And look at Metro. You have no choice but to stand in the crowded compartment. You have no choice but to hang in there. If want to exercise your choice or opting for the next train, it will be equally crowded. So no choice but to stand and travel. And if you want to pee. Sorry, they still have not made any arrangements despite the court taking cognizance of the issue. So no choice but to finish your nature business before taking the Metro ride. Even during the journey, you have no choice but to listen to that computer-controlled voice. This is the Yellow line. Don’t cross it. Don’t lean against the door. Give seats to ladies. Listen to Metro orders.
What choice did you have to select the Prime Minister. Nothing, except for a vote and that was not even considered by anyone (read Sonia Gandhi). She just let him continue. There was Rahul Gandhi, if no body else. But sorry, that is not your game. So you use your choice in other country.
Then again, you have no choice when you enter the favourite city mall to see a movie. To start with it, you have no choice but to buy the costly popcorn inside the movie hall. Not only that, the problem is when you enter the mall. The security guy, who hangs around with a blue dress, generously pours his hands over you and you have no choice but to let him ‘feel’ you. There is always a lurking suspicion that the security guys are employing gays. They do their job with such interest that you cannot imagine anything else. Imagine a gay going inside a mall. “Oh man, yes, yes, feel me! Wow. Let me exit and enter again.” This lot must be in love entering anything… No wonder that malls are full. Don’t get disheartened, I give you a choice, pal. If you enter a mall either you must be a gay or love popcorn. What do you pick?

Showing the middle finger to the tapes

It sure rained in November. On a rainy day, a lot happened: Fate of three chief ministers was decided on one single day in November. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar got a thumping majority surpassing the poll pundits and news channels expectations. Andhra Pradesh too got a new Kiran who readily took oath. Karanataka got Urappa batting for more. While of political developments are taking place that require national attention, we get bogged down by the middle finger of actress Rani Mukherjee and no one was playing the talks of Nira Radia with the likes of Barka Dutt and Vir Sanghvi. Ever wondered why!
Because no one wants to tell the truth, is it? While the real stuff is now slowly coming out in the ‘open’, we are still bothered about the middle finger of Rani in a promo of a movie based on the Jessica Lal murder case. It does not require the actress to show her middle finger to attract your attention but nevertheless it will. The film industry gets its say even when it is extremely hot in Delhi in November.
If you observe last couple of movies that made it big on the block buster chart, biggest hits got massive publicity by stirring controversy - getting huge media attention and ending up running to packed houses , for instance, My Name is Khan or 3 Idiots. Actor Shah Rukh Khan tried the name stunt in the US by deliberately using his family name; drawing suspicion of the immigration officials, who asked him a few extra questions. It made news in India. Next came a bigger publicity stunt – he put Pakistan and cricket together, a perfect recipe for controversy. The actor went on to say that Pakistani members were not bought to play in the IPL. Big deal! For the Shiv Sena, it sure was a big deal. They demonstrated in public. The Sena even threatened cinema owners. Before the release, Khan just went to touch the feet of Mumbai show stopper Bal Thackeray, who objects to anything Pakistani or Muslim. The film was released to a big draw. Khan made over Rs 150 crore for uttering two sentences in the right places.
On the other hands, 3 Idiots was plain simple marketing strategy. Aamir Khan made Rs 300 crore. And now the movie on Jessica is hitting headlines for its provocative trailers. The film industry thrives on creating unnecessary controversies. To make money they will do anything, even if it involves showing the middle finger.
As far as the media is concerned, where the real interesting controversies are brewing, you get silence. The Nira Radia-Barka Dutt-Vir Sanghvi-Rajdeep Sardesai tapes have enough masala but you still not get to watch it.
You are still reading the same newspaper or watching the same channel that carries the middle finger story while the editors make away with driving swanky cars gifted by the power brokers - out right corrupt and shameless guys. There was just banter at the Press Club of India that you have not arrived if you don’t show the middle finger or have your tape on the You Tube.

Sonia Gandhi

Sonia: Queen of hearts
Sonia Gandhi – the name is enough. Devi, mahadevi, Congress president, UPA chief, Super Prime Minister, Edvige Antonia Albina Maino… call her by any name, it still remains Sonia Gandhi.

From Mahatma Gandhi, Sarojini Naidu, Pandit Jawarhar Lal Nehru, Lala Lajpat Rai, Sadar Patel to even Indira Gandhi have not achieved what Sonia Gandhi has, occupying 10 percent of Congress history. All the past presidents of the Indian National Congress enjoyed no more than a single term or a double term at the most. Sonia as 59th president has come to occupy 10 percent of 125 years of the Indian National Congress and the country.

The last word in Indian history belongs to Sonia nee Maino. From a small town Italian girl to super mother India, Sonia has come a long way.

Sonia was named the third most powerful woman in the world by Forbes magazine in 2004. She was also named among the Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world for the years 2007 and 2008.

In the last 12 years as party president and ever since she entered India with husband Rajiv, Sonia has seen many ups and down.

Sonia was up, close and personal with her mother in-law Indira Gandhi, watching the days of Emergency from the shadows of grand old lady. Then she saw her mother in-law fight back fierce opposition and become Prime Minister again in 1980.

After the assassination of Indira Gandhi, it was Sonia that took her mother in-law to AIIMS. And later when Rajiv was readying to join politics, she is believed to have opposed him.

In a brutal turn of events, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by the LTTE, leaving Sonia with son Rahul and daughter Priyanka. The nation was with her in grief.

While the Congress won the 1991 elections, she herself stayed in the background. But was cajoled into joining the Congress party in 1997. A year later she became the party president with much drama behind closed doors.

After trying hard and failing, Sonia took up the challenge of ‘India Shinning’. With limited resources at her command and low morale of the Congress leaders who had not seen power for over 12 years, Sonia launched a campaign, which seemed like if the Congress was running with crutches. Ambitious leaders like Sharad Pawar and P A Sangma were gunning for the Congress party after having branched out criticising her foreign origin. The Congress had not won central elections under her presidentship. The party started attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party with gusto.

“India was not shining!” The Congress started saying.

But Sonia keeps ears on the ground. She has developed an excellent understanding of politics. It is visible from a simple example. This correspondent happened to interact with Sonia Gandhi at a tea party hosted by the Congress president. She walked up and started chatting. This correspondent started explaining the flaw of the Congress attack in its fight against the BJP. The argument was the Congress should not take it upon itself to elaborate whether India was shining or not, rather the Congress should talk of the common man. “You should talk about what is the state of the Common man,” this Correspondent explained to the Congress chief. She looked up, nodded while eating fried potatoes. After a few more sentences, Sonia was gone. But the changes could be seen after a week or ten days of campaigning. The Congress was indeed talking of aam admi.

The Congress with the help of 14 odd parties shot back with a bang reviving the party giving a boost to the sagging morale of her coterie and Congress workers. The party got down to serious business of running the affairs of the nation.

From the closed precincts of 10 Janpath, the lady with a limited edition smile oversees the functioning of the country without the official mandate of running the day-to-day affairs. For that, Manmohan Singh was selected immediately after the Congress leaders threw their weight behind Sonia.

Nevertheless the lady is sensitive to public criticism. She resigned from even the Parliament in 2006 and even from the National Advisory Council after the controversy of ‘office of profit’ erupted. Though she won with a thumping majority, with her resignation she won the admiration of crores of people.

Winning with a better margin, the UPA is in its second term. Today, Sonia Gandhi is untouchable, unreachable and inaccessible.

Many MPs hope that Sonia would remember their name, pass a smile or even pose for a photograph if she happen to campaign in their constituency. She rules with an iron fist. A member of Parliament from Andhra Pradesh approached ‘Madam’ to remind her of some work. An irritated Sonia snapped her finger and curtly told the MP not to bug her. The MP apologised profusely and withdrew from scene.

Sonia Gandhi is strict to her Congress folk, dictatorial to a point, and ruthless in her calculations. She runs the party and the government in the same vein. Supported a group of trusted lieutenants Congress leaders like Ahmad Patel and Oscar Fernandes and few friends, she successfully runs a vast organization and keeps a tab on the performance of the government.

However, what is lacking is that she is not meeting enough party workers. Even press interviews have been limited. She is not open to meeting second rung leaders. At times, even Cabinet ministers are vary of paying her a visit.

“A Cabinet minister also thinks twice before meeting her. The agenda of the meetings has to be clear. They don’t want to get on the wrong side,” says a leader privy to the things.

Nobody in the party has the guts to pick up a call and place a call to 10 Janpath. Ditto for walking into Congress president’s office on Akbar Road that rarely opens or even inside the Parliament of India. The Congress has virtually given its spine to counter the power that the baton wields from number 10.

Building Dreams

Sonia has adopted a cautious approach, never over committing and delivering to the people. “The Congress never promises the moon. It is working on plans and has been delivering. From Right to Information to Women’s Reservation Bill, Sonia brand of giving in phases is visible in the UPA,” commented an anti-Sonia leader who branched away from the party.

Far from being ‘Gungi Gudiya’ as some reports made her out to be, Sonia is sharp, quick on the up take and keeps feet on the ground. In difficult situations, she has a point of her own.

Recently, when the Prime Minister’s office was going off track on the right to education, Sonia set the record straight by writing a simple letter to Manmohan Singh. It was enough indication to the Prime Minister sitting in his South Block office.

Her compassion and understanding for the Indian things have taken her places. According to the All India Congress Committee website, her interests include reading Indian contemporary, classical and tribal art, Indian handlooms and handicrafts and, both folk and classical music.

Killing the Opposition

Perhaps, Sonia realises that the best way to ward off opposition is not to give in to the game of lowering the level of attack. Her enemies have silenced down. The Bharatiya Janata Party “foreigner” attack has lost steam. It has stopped being an election issue. “She stuck to her stand of being an Indian widow earned her admiration from within the BJP also. Indians being emotional, the foreigner issue was a non-starter,” remarked a senior journalist Sunil Chawake.

There are reports that President A P J Adbul Kalam had called certain court files against Sonia Gandhi and had even sought advice from Constitutional experts, but legally there was nothing stopping Sonia from becoming the Prime Minister. After the elections results of 2004, Congress leaders in the Parliament’s central got up to swear allegiance by the name of Sonia, it was getting clearer by the second how the party had fallen and was towing the line of the Gandhi.

However, amid the bitter opposition, Sonia decided to let things rest in peace and gave up the thought of sitting in the prime minister’s chair. It was a sacrifice, non-the-less that elevated her status to that of a devi. Now the devi is planning to pass the baton to her son Rahul, reportedly being pushed into the political arena. The prime minister’s chair is ready for him, but he is taking his time. While media and Congress folk are always speculating when Priyanka will take charge, but the family keeps such decisions close to its heart. The queen of hearts likes to keep her cards close to her heart.

BJP - down but not out

The driver becomes the driven. After steering the nation with aplomb during its India Shining phase, the Bharatiya Janata Party of today is steadily losing steam. Hit by a series of flop decisions and plagued with over ambitious leaders, the BJP is battling to remain in the centre of the Opposition.

The fall and fall of the party with a difference does not seem to stop. As the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh installed Maharashtra unit chief Nitin Gadkari at the Ashok Road Headquarters, it was hoping that things would improve. Even after six months in the chair, Gadkari finds his job an uphill task of keeping the party going. Sources say the biggest challenge Gadkari faces is to keep its partners in good humour besides taming the five-star leaders.

The partners have all left or are on the verge of making silent exit from the National Democratic Alliance. The ones who are still swear by the dispensation, partners have either been marginalized in their respective regions or a struggling for survival. Exceptions apart. The NDA’s 13 constituents are no match for the formidable UPA combo of the Congress party.

As soon as the NDA was formed, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). But it was the India Shining phase and regional parties were eager to join and stick together. But after the unceremonious ouster in 2004, many constituents ran away in one go. Those who stayed have either been marginalised or on the decline.

Today, major partner of the BJP, the Shiv Sena stands weakened by the Thackeray family. Raj wanted to lead the organization but uncle Bal Sahib had plans for his son, Uddhav. The inevitable happened with Raj forming his own outfit, MNS. Even the party’s Hindutava poster boy, Jai Bhagwan Goyal, split and formed his own political party.

“The Thackerays have only a single agenda. To keep its Maharashtra vote bank entact. It was losing its all-India appeal of the guardians of Hindu religion. There was no point in staying with the Shiv Sena. So I formed a political party comprising workers from North India. Today, the Shiv Sena is totally weak. It has nothing to do with the BJP,” says Jai Bhagwan Goyal. The result was a very weak Shiv Sena in Maharashtra.

Shiv Sena is not a lone story. Other smaller parties, Asom Gana Parishad – Assam (1 MP), Nagaland People's Front-Nagaland(1 MP), Uttarakhand Kranti Dal-Uttarakhand, actually never really mattered at the National level for the BJP and were just used to add to the total tally of constituents.

Gone with the wind

However, for the other strong outfits, the party was over, a long time ago. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (including PMK and MDMK), Lok Jan Shakti, Telangana Rashtra Samithi and the National Conference branched away. And so did single-member parties like Indian Federal Democratic Party, leave early.

The late movers were Biju Janata Dal and Indian National Lok Dal. BJD left the alliance just over a month before the 2009 elections and INLD left due to seat sharing disagreements during Haryana assembly elections 2009.

The others are all leaving too. The reasons may differ but the common point is departure from the great idea of alternative governance. The Rashtriya Lok Dal – once fiercely opposed to the Congress party - is cozying to the Congress’ led UPA and likely to join the coalition before Uttar Pradesh goes to polls in 2012.

While RLD the choice is for political survival, for Jharkand Mukti Morcha it opportunity – to make money, to explore options and keep the Congress law makers in high spirits. The BJP didn’t see it coming and landed in a spot after pulling the rug from its own feet in Jharkhand. JMM’s Shibu Soren led government was shown the door after BJP withdrew support. Ironically, Gadkari was eating dinner with Soren when his son was voting against the party-led anti UPA motion in the Parliament. Technically, the Telugu Desam Party was never a part of the NDA. It gave ‘outside support’. It is still outside the realm of the power circle.

The exception is Shiromani Akali Dal. It is sticking together Led by Parkash Singh Badal. It is the only NDA partner which is in power. Member of Parliament Harsimrat Kaur Badal, daughter in-law of Prakash Singh Badal was all support for BJP. She gave a forceful speech at Chandni Chowk against the UPA, signaling her party’s stand. SAD is happy with the BJP.

Tough task

Gadkari’s task as party president was to stop its outflow and contain the internal wrangling. The start was good and he even managed to rope in renegade leader Jaswant Singh, who was thrown out of the party after raising a revolt against party PM-in-waiting L K Advani. Homecoming of Uma Bharati is very much on the cards but Kalyan Singh and even Govidacharya are a distant thought.

“Don’t ask me the fine things. I will let you know when things materialise ,” he told this correspondent when asked if Uma Bharati would return to the BJP. Gadkari however, preferred to remain tigh-lipped on other controversial issues. But it looks positive and remains positive, at least on the surface of it.

Unable to lead in difficult times, the BJP picked up the agenda set by Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav. It went into the Bharat-bandh idea floated by Yadav while on the other hand its tie-up with JD (U) in Bihar is still going through a breakup phase. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar does not like the faces of Gujarat Chief minister Narender Modi and BJP youth MP Varun Gandhi. The party insists otherwise. Both the parties are looking for independent political space but may remain together for want of other buddies. “We have fought five elections together with the BJP. We will do so now,” Sharad Yadav told this correspondent.

“Tum to age age chal rahe ho,” says Sharad Yadav on the Left and the Right Centre attraction. A new combination can take place, he added.

After taking over the party reigns, Gadkari is still finding his north. “In the last six months, I have toured 24 states and held around a dozen and half press conferences. I am meeting everyone. We will fight inside and outside Parliament.” The BJP may be out nevertheless it is not out, not now.