Seriously Sandeep

How not to Address the Naxal Problem

In a rather lengthy article, Manjeet Kriplani discusses the Naxal problem. While she correctly echoes what we all knew–that the Naxals pose the biggest threat to India’s internal security–she quickly bares her sympathies.

Judging from their past experience with development, the tribals have a right to be afraid of the mining and building that threaten to change their lands. “Tribals in India, like all indigenous people, are already the most displaced people in the country, having made way for major dams and other projects,” says Meenakshi Ganguly,

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Pragati: May 2008

The May 2008 issue of Pragati has hit the stands. Liberal nationalism is the theme of the month. Grab your copy now.

Observations on the Rama Setu Issue

A gentleman made an insightful observation on another forum I’m part of. While this observation is not new, it underscores what we all know: post-Independence Hindu society has failed to defend itself adequately. I had to make this post now because the Rama Sethu issue is relatively “alive” in public consciousness.

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Capitalizing an Assassination

Earlier this month, Priyanka Vadra Gandhi met Nalini to “come to terms with her father’s death,” etc. Noble sentiments. A heart-warming gesture. However, not everybody was happy.

Even 17 years after Rajiv’s assassination, the families of most of the 14 victims who died along with Rajiv are yet to get any compensation promised by the Central and Tamil Nadu governments and the Congress party, reports The Times of India.

The promises made to the kin of the victims included cash compensation and jobs for children in government services. What upsets the families is that not only did the government honour the promises, but they didn’t even get a letter from the Congress party or the Gandhi family condoling the death of fellow Congress workers.

Out of their reverence for the lost leader, these poor villagers have been keeping to themselves their sorrow and frustration at the failure of the government and the Congress party to honour the promises.

But Priyanka’s much-publicised visit to the Velloor prison to talk to Nalini, without bothering to meet any of the families of other victims and enquire about their well-being, has angered the villagers. They ask the question: Why doesn’t Priyanka, who is showing sympathy towards a convict in her father’s murder case, not show any consideration towards the victims who died along with her father?

The underlined lines say a lot about the character of the youth leaders who promise a prosperous 21st Century India.

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The Makings of India’s Future Prime Minister

The Crown Prince, heir-apparent, and India’s Prime Minister-in-waiting asks with great gravity:

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi put a poser before non-government organizations (NGOs) and tribal youth cadre of the party during his stay in Chhattisgarh’s insurgency-hit Bastar region - ‘Why is Maoism growing in the state?‘

I find it really funny. But I can understand the Prince’s ignorance. So I’ll point him in the direction of, and the person with whom he can start searching for answers. South, in Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister, Samuel Rajashekar Reddy.

The Way of Universal Brotherhood

We are witnesses to far gorier atrocities than this.

On the day he decided to run away, 9-year-old Coli awoke on a filthy mat. Like a pup, he lay curled against the cold, pressed between dozens of other children sleeping head-to-toe on the concrete floor. His T-shirt was damp with the dew that seeped through the thin walls. The older boys had yanked away the square of cloth… here are 1.2 million Colis in the world today, children trafficked to work for the benefit of others. Those who lure them into servitude make $15 billion annually, according to the International Labour Organization….For among the most cruel facts of Coli’s life is that he was not stolen from his family. He was brought to Dakar with their blessing to learn Islam’s holy book. In the name of religion, Coli spent two hours a day memorizing verses from the Koran and over nine hours begging to pad the pockets of the man he called his teacher.

This atrocity is attention-worthy because it is done in the name of a religion that trumpets universal brotherhood as one of its selling points. But the trumpeteers (Coli’s teacher in this case, and several Mullahs in other cases) are themselves the worst abusers of this selling point. More directly, Islam gives these worthies incredible power over the lives of entire populations.

The Last Hindu Kingdom Bites the Dust

This shows how India gifted Nepal to China. While most in the mainstream media gloat about the victory of democracy, free and fair elections, etc nobody wants to see behind the curtain.

India gifts Nepal to China

Balbir K Punj

The UPA Government can now flaunt one more ‘achievement’ along with inflation, deceleration in rate of growth and industrial production, and minority appeasement. The latest addition to this list is the gift of Nepal on a platter to China. With Communist China under virtual global siege for its horrible record on human rights in Tibet, the success of armed Maoists in Nepal should come as a heart-warmer for China’s President Hu Jintao.

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What they Teach You at JNU

The JNU marsh breeds uniform offsping in an assembly line fashion. Although unrelated, this “op-ed” is a close cousin of Sagarika Ghose. Template again. The directive from the top seems to be: bat for Mayawati, and the Dalits but yell at her when she creates trouble for the Congress party .

The op-ed is not even worth a read. In passing, what baffles me is the credentials of these worthies. They have some impressive-sounding degrees, are professors, lecture, write, and other good things. In the process, they shed their commonsense.

Mayawati seemed to go back to political square one as she took on Tikait recently — from one that targets the ‘bahujan’ to one that speaks to the ‘sarvajan’.

Those loyal to the BSP believe that this shift was necessary to tame Brahminism.

The day you put those ideology-filled books and enter the world to translate words into action, the world appears far different from what was described in the books. Admittedly, the BIMARU states still suffer pathetic “social imbalance” (Note to self: can’t believe I used those words). However, “taming” Brahminism is way off the target. The logical question is: what influence does “Brahminism” hold in today’s politics? If anything, the dominance of Brahmins–”upper castes” if you will–is rapidly diminishing. In passing, it is not incorrect to say Mayawati, not the BSP is the only Dalit force in India. Like other political stars, she’s going the personality-cult politics way. Name one successor to Mayawati. Take her away–and I don’t mean it in Karan Thapar’s “sudden removal” way–and the BSP will disintegrate in no time.

If you’re from JNU, you need to pitch in those mandatory two lines about the Communal forces.

In 1989, the resurgence of the BJP was marked by an aggressive sectoral mobilisation of upper caste Hindus against the Muslims around the demand of a Ram temple at Ayodhya.

According to this logic, all Hindus who want the Ram temple to be built are upper caste. And the rest of the article doesn’t matter.

She has Lost it

It’s raining Tibetan protests worldwide. I have equal love for China and Pakistan. But what’s wrong with the Verbal Terrorist?

NDA leader George Fernandes and author Arundhati Roy will join hundreds of Tibetans in a torch relay parallel to the Olympic flame run in the Capital on Thursday.

The Verbal Terrorist has featured countless times on this blog. Several readers had concluded that she is a staunch Communist. But I still claim she’s a plain opportunist with sub-zero creative writing skills–that includes her only “book.” From railing incoherently against imperialism (needless to say it only means USA) to calling Bush (?) a monkey, she has suddenly woken up to the fact that China has unfairly treated Tibet. A sudden strike on her conscience perhaps? Or fear of missing out on her share of the limelight? Or has she just lost it?

Progenitor of a New Calendar

Great men are known for greater quirks. So it is with Karunanidhi–I leave his greatness to both your imagination and evaluation. A brief background before this.

In the Hindu tradition, one of the ways greatness is measured is by suffixing pravartaka (literally, converter, precedent-setter etc). Sages were honoured with titles like Gotra Pravartaka (givers of the lineage name). A similar honour goes to the most famous Shatavahana Gautamiputra Shatakarani (Shalivahana). The traditional Hindu calendar used till date in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra is among others (and not many remember or know its historical significance) to mark his victory over Vikramaditya. In a way, the current use of this calendar immortalizes Shalivahana.

With this Act, Karunanidhi perhaps aspires to something similar.

A Bill declaring the first day of the Tamil month ‘Thai’ as the Tamil New Year day was unanimously passed in the State Assembly today. The Tamil Nadu Tamil New Year (Declaration Bill 2008) was introduced in the House by Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on January 29 and it was passed unanimously today. Earlier, members of various political parties lauded the Chief Minister for introducing the Bill. According to the statement of objects and reasons of the Tamil Nadu Tamil New Year (Declaration) Act 2008, the Governor in his address to the House had announced that in view of the consensus amongst almost all Tamil scholars that the first day of the month of Thai is the first day of the Tamil year, the Government had decided to declare the first day of Thai as the Tamil New Year Day.

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