Government 09 - Random Thoughts

Desi Pundit, India, Politics, Society, elections 14 Responses »
May 232009

I was stuck in a massive traffic jam two nights ago – idiot drivers taking u- turns everywhere. Rick drivers, professional drivers, car owners – everyone in Lokhandwalla Mumbai decided that the roads belonged to their fathers, and behaved likewise. The result was no movement for atleast 15 minutes. A lockjam had taken place and the word that kept popping into my mind was gathbandan - a word popularised by the NDA Government led by Vajpayeeji to mean an alliance – but which came to mean a lockjam in the last UPA government. I know that gathbandan means alliance – but for me, for some peculiar reason, it always meant a lockjam. It possibly also reflects my own attitudes towards alliances :)

So in a way I am glad that this current Government doesn’t need a gathbandan - it needs support, it needs to carry the Parliament along, but it doesn’t need to go into battle blindfolded, and with its arms and feet tied.

Yesterday the new Government was administered the Oath of Office. some random thoughts :

  1. It must have been a bitter sweet day for the Gandhi parivaar – vindication of a long, hard struggle to reclaim lost ground. They have made the Congress electable by focussing on the Party – and letting a Professional run the Government. I would really like to see the Party revive in other parts like Karnataka, MP, and WB – before they start looking at Government. Let’s be honest – other people can run the Government – only the family can revive the Party ! Victory in the elections plus the surrender of the LTTE – must have made the 21st of May all the more poignant .
  2. What is the DMK upto – kids, nephews, nieces and loyalists. If they don’t want to go into wilderness after the death of Karunanidhi – he is not immortal – then they need to stop making it an extended family business. It was seriously embarassing to see such a demand for the Family !
  3. good to see the non performers go – the thought of Arjun Singh handling HRD ministry was enough to make one want to throw up. Hope that someone with respect for the nation’s Human Resources takes over the portfolio – with one of the younger baba log as MoS (Pilot would be so good for that)
  4. Interesting to see that 6 ministers took the oath not to ‘God’ but to the Constitution. makes my heart swell with pride.
  5. Good to see that tainted Ministers are not in. Atleast, so far ! would like that entire concept of tainted ministers to be history
  6. Would like to see Local Self Government – both the Panchayati Raj and City Governance – at the core of this Government’s policy. Decentralisation is the key to Development. And decentralisation is not to the State Government but to local Government
  7. Sad to see Mr.Advani walk alone into Parliament . I don’t like his politics, never have. If he had not moved so far away from his core sense of Values – he and his cabinet may have taken the Oath instead of MMS and his cabinet.
  8. i would like to see someone younger and more in tune with modern Economics and Financial markets in charge of the Finance Ministry. but, it looks like a Political appointment
  9. I saw a picture of Mamta Banerjee – she had combed her hair and was smiling :) gosh what a turnaround. If the women politicians smiled more , and tried less to be men, maybe there will be more of them in Parliament. Too much Testerone is an nasty trait in men, in women it is a complete and utter turnoff.
  10. Everyone loves a winner – i hope that the UPA sees this as a mandate for development – not for them, and doens’t get overconfident and trample on everyone around
  11. Finally, the citizens in the North Eastern States, Kashmir, and Naxal infested areas – have turned out in large numbers – braving militants, boycotts and the like – to vote for tomorrow. it would be such a beautiful gesture if the new Home Minsiter scarps the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, releases Dr. Binayak Sen – and brings socio economic development to the Naxal controlled areas. Open dialogue with those who want peace and development. Go after those who want violence. it is sad that in the nation that advocated non-violent protest – people like Dr.Binayak Sen and Irom Sharmilla are targetted !

Little things are big things :)

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Posted by gargi at 10:14 am Tagged with: , , , , , , ,

And Justice for All?

India No Responses »
Jul 172006

A couple of years ago to almost the day , a young lady called Manaroma Devi was picked up by the armed forces, under the extremely repressive Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). The state was Manipur, the armed forces was a detatchment of Assam Rifles and with a few hours Manorama Devi’s raped, tortured and bullet ridden dead body was recovered. Two hears since her death – there is no justice for her family. All one has is a glib statement that she belonged to a paramilitary organisation (not proven) , and a one man judicial committee that led the probe into her death. Last year this time, in another part of the world, a young plumber called Jean Charles de Menezes was shot dead by the London Metropolitan police who suspected that he was a terrorist. And almost to the date that he was killed the Police chief in London has decided not to charge any policeman with the killing. And then there are the scores of nameless people caught in the last 15 or so years, across the world, under the suspicion of being terrorists. No trial, no sentance, no closure. We don’t know if the guys there are guilty, innocent or a smoke screen. They are almost in limbo land. Maybe, there needs to be? a slightly more fast tracked legal system to deal with this sort of thing. A panel of judges, a team of investigators, more public accountabilty. After all, if the purpose of all this is to tell society at large ‘don’t worry the guilty will be punished, the innocent protected, and the average citizen will walk safe’ then systems across the world are failing. Unless systems across the world get geared for delivering justice, i really don’t see any abatement of terror. If i was the family of Manorama Devi or John Menzes – i am sure that by now i would be burning with rage at the system that bereaved me and showed me no justice. Delhi riots, Gujarat riots, Godhra train burning, Bombay Blasts, Nelli Massacre, Diwali Blasts ……. all of this have one thing in common – justice is yet to be delivered. The System may have some idiot foot soldier in custody confessing to the crime, but where are the big wigs brought to trial (forget trial, where are they even charged). Succor for the vicitms, punishment for the guilty, a sense of security, and justice for all – is this really too much to ask of the modern Republic? other reading: PUCL’s analysis on the AFPSA – here, A collection on the Gujarat Riots – here? sadly, there is nothing on Nellie apart from statistics !

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Posted by gargi at 9:50 am Tagged with: , , , , , , , ,
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