Politicians who shouldn't appear on TV....

Desi Pundit, India, Politics, Society 21 Responses »
Oct 042009

… because  they evoke violence in non violent people.

I am mostly non violent.

But, there are times when i watch or hear TV – not often, because I have severely curtailed news viewing since 26/11 – that I have this desire to reach through the screen and ‘bajaofy some poeple, kaan ke neeche “. I can’t help it. It is instinctive. It has nothing to do with their politics or the parties that they represent. It has more to do with who they are and the ‘snake oil salesmanship’ that oozes out of their entire being.

I am sure that I am not alone in finding the bulk of the political class unbearable. But, these especially get me thinking of violence against my poor TV set. So in no particular order of their ability to irritate are my top nominees

Ravi Shankar Prasad – ‘let me tell you my good friend ” he starts, and then the whole conversation derails. He is patronizing, dogmatic and just the kind of person you don’t want to listen to. the kind of older uncle you have, who says ‘what do you know – when i was your age….”

Rajiv  Pratap  Rudy – if I was casting, he would be the used car salesman. His handling of Tharoor and Parrikar have been seriously bad – reeking of envy rather than opinion & have ended up making his party seem even more inept.

Manish Tiwari – I am quite sure that every time this man turns up in public and opens his mouth – he loses his party supporters. He is seriously irritating, ill informed and blunders where idiots fear to tread.  The first search result when you search for him is this, and what it says is apt for him :

Content will come here.Content will come here.Content will come here.Content will come here.Content will come here.

Abhishek Singhvi : the kid in class who wants to get the eye of the teacher, the one who will bring her a flower or an apple. Smart, the way a school debater is, and just as blinkered. Life is not about scoring points, nor about defending the indefensible – it is about the courage of conviction.

Brinda Karat : EVerytime I hear her, i have the urge to throw something heavy at the TV screen.  The kind of person who, along with her husband, has destroyed the ideological ingrity of the Communists.  When I hear her on China, I want to ask her “where do your loyalties lie ”

Ram Vilas Paswan - His desire for power has been so great, that he can fight on any side of the issue; maybe even simultaneously . He epitomizes the line ” how do you tell a politician is lying; his lips are moving” – more than anyone else i can recall in polity

Which of them get your goat ?

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Austerity 09 - Random Thoughts

Desi Pundit, India, Politics, Society 6 Responses »
Sep 162009

It has been interesting to see the Government at work. And, although there is a tremendous amount of twittering (as opposed to tweeting) and sniggering - austerity not a bad idea. With the kind of National Debt that we are carrying, and with the kind of expenses we are gonig to incur – it’s a good idea to cut down on ‘unnecessary’ expenses.

Just after the last crash – the dot com crash – the company i was working for faced a down turn. a memo went out requesting  all senior personnel to cut down travel and fly economy when they had to. Most people cribbed, cringed and flew business – till they saw the founder Chairman traveling economy. From the next day everyone fell in line. But, this was not about just air travel or 5 star stay – it was about cost cutting across the length and breadth of the organisation – including slashing budgets and  shedding jobs. It would have been difficult to achieve those in a smooth manner – if the more visible symbols of spending were not pruned.

At around the same time – i had a conversation with a friend of mine who is in the armed forces. We were both in Hyderabad at that time. I was at a place called Amruta Castle and he was at one of the Taj properties. We bumped into each other when he came to collect his ‘men’. He was amused that a Head of Business fora large media company would be staying in the same hotel that non commissioned officers from the armed forces were put up. He was even more aghast when i told him that my CEO stayed there :) It was OK for him – he didn’t have to pay the bill. What was surprising was the sense of ‘entitlement’ – i found that kind of odd !

In all our ‘worship’ of things that are powerful and our acceptance of all sorts of ‘entitelment’ – we forget that governments are also organisations. in tough times, they have to cut costs, freeze pay, slash budgets , cut expenses. Also, with drought looming -spends in other areas are going to rise. Drought relief, food procurement, health – etal are going to see increased spending. Like any good organisation – Government too has called for belt tightening. And it starts with ministers and MP’s. They are “leaders’ and it is about time they led from the front. It is not about air travel or business class – it is a message that will, hopefully, go down from top to bottom across the board – from the judiciary, to the armed forces; from the bureaucracy to the PSU’s – stop wasting our money on non-essentials.  Whether it is paper wastage, electricity, water, fuel, phone – whatever – cut costs – because the money is going to be used elsewhere. Let’s not knock symbolism – it has an effect.

Finally, hats off to Sonia Gandhi for putting her money where her mouth is and travelling economy. This is the kind of action on which moral authority is built !

To Rahul, the advice would be follow Gandhiji and travel second class (non AC) – preferably unreserved – if you really want to see India !

And, to Jayanti Natarajan – sweetie – austerity on expenses does not mean austerity in humour :) get a funny bone. I can almost see your pursed lips when i read this :

“The party strongly disapproves the statement of the minister. It is unacceptable, not respecting political or any other sensibilities,” said Congress spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan.

This primness was in response to Shashi Tharoor - who shot his mouth off on twitter – little realising that it i s a public forum, in a nation without humour – to a journalist, :)

On the micro-blogging site Twitter, veteran journalist Kanchan Gupta of the Pioneer asked Tharoor: “Tell us minister, next time you travel to Kerala, will it be cattle class?” Tharoor replied: “Absolutely, in cattle class out of solidarity with all our holy cows.”

While the exchange is cute and all that – there is no ‘off the record’ on platforms like twitter – next time you want to be smart use SMS :)

And, finally finally – wouldn’t it be nice if the Congress laid down a dictat – and imposed it with an iron hand – no corruption till the drought is over.

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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: , , , , , , ,

Elections 09 - Random Thoughts

Desi Pundit, India, elections 11 Responses »
May 192009

Lots of people, lots of personalities – and some very random thoughts :

  1. Did anyone do a dimple share analysis. I wonder how many youth votes got converted by Rahul & Priyanka’s dimples :)
  2. Can Modi’s speeches attract entertainment tax – he is possilby one of the best orators – if you like the equivalent of a Head Prefect in a school debate, score points.
  3. Was there a shoe lash vote?
  4. Is the difference between Rahul and Varun, the difference between Sonia and Maneka ?
  5. Should we all buy shares in TV set manufacturing companies – given that it swung TN to the DMK ?
  6. Has the South Mumbai chaterati realised that outrage is not a substitute for involvement. Get off your collective butts and do something. shooting your mouth off in a TV studio is not action, it is hot air.
  7. Do Pranay and Barkha own shares in the Congress Party – why were they behaving as though they won. Distance, sweeties, Distance.
  8. If the CPI(M) does not believe in resignations – does it mean that their inept leaders will turn up in a gunny bag somewhere – in lots of pieces  ?
  9. Will Advani actually turn up on the first day of Parliament and face MMS on the other side – especially after those terrible personal attacks ?
  10. Will Lallo be the speaker ? it will be good fun to see him control the House :)

Dekthe rahiye, the Dance of Democracy – only on Parliament TV :)

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Posted by gargi at 9:14 am Tagged with: , , , , , , ,

Elections 2009 - Negativity Loses

Desi Pundit, India, Politics, elections 25 Responses »
May 172009

So, it is over. And, the Congress is the single largest party and how :) I can’t stop smiling.

What is incredible, is the maturity of the Indian voter. They saw saw through all the crap, the political cynicism, the power grabbing dash of the third and fourth front, the negativity of the BJP – and they voted. They voted out those who were harping on irrelevant issues, those who ran negative campaigns and those who cynically exploited their sentiments. So BJP is down, AIDMK is out, the Left is out, Laloo and Paswan are out – and development is in.

The man who has never run for Parliament – Dr.Manmohan Singh – has had a bulk of the country voting for him. It’s good to know that my vote counts :) . I am not sure that the Congress would have done so well if they did not project him as the next Prime Minister.

But, the Congress victory cannot be discussed without discussing the BJP campaign. This is the second election that they have lost on their campaign.

Didn’t they learn from last time? India is not the USA. negative campaigns don’t work here. Calling MMS names possibly put off BJP voters, and propelled Congress supporters to brave the heat and vote. Just as last time around personal attacks on Sonia Gandhi worked in her favour, this time around personal attacks on the PM worked in the PM’s favour – especially when he retaliated.

Funnily enough, at the end of this Campaign I still don’t know what the BJP was promising. I don’t have the time to trudge through miles of policy documents – most of the electorate doesn’t. I knew what the Congress was promising. I didn’t read their policy documents either – but their advertising was fairly precise. I knew that the BJP was promising us Advani as PM -at least the campaign that stalked me on the web did. They were promising that they weren’t the Congress – but what did they stand for ? The only thing I heard was Ram Mandir, and Varun Gandhi – the first reminded me of why I have always found the BJP dangerous – their leadership cannot control their own mobs. If anything the latter put me off the BJP more than ever before. And, towards the end when they started saying Modi next PM – I began wondering if the BJP was sabotaging its own campaign.

Why did they use Modi so much – he may gather crowds, he may even entertain crowds – but it will be interesting to see if those are converted to votes, or are people turning up to get entertained ! Rahul Gandhi obviously converted shows to votes, did Modi ?

Why didn’t the BJP harp on Development more? Especially, the development in the states of HP, MP and Gujarat – and the fact that these are honest administrations. Why did they run such a negative campaign on rising prices. Why didn’t they tell us how they would have cut prices or simple things, for example, like LPG under Rs.50 or Rice at Rs.20 – and communiatec this effectively.

Finally, the BJP needs to understand that India is changing. Caste, religion may be important, but in the personal space. I am not sure that people want it in the public space. I don’t want a Party that targets my fellow citizens on their beliefs. I don’t want to see mosques being destroyed and churches being burnt. I don’t want to see fellow citizens being murdered because they pray differently. I don’t want to see women getting beaten up because they live their life as they see fit. I don’t want imposed morality ! and, that is what I perceive the BJP to stand for. Against personal choice and freedom. To be electable they need to move back to the inclusive middle ground that Vajpayee had created

Ultimately the election comes down to this – who are we, and what do we – as the people – stand for. and, we voted for the Party that stood for us.

I am so proud of the Indian voter ! and I think that we will have a Good Government :)

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Posted by gargi at 7:39 am Tagged with: , , , , , , , ,

Why I am Voting Congress ...

Desi Pundit, India, Politics, elections 90 Responses »
Apr 252009

Manmohan Singh
Because of only one man, and that man is Dr.Manmohan Singh

Elections 2009 is not about televised debates, it is not about grandstanding, it is not about security, and it is not about black money. It is a level playing field for all parties on these issues, as far as i am concerned. If the UPA faced 26/11, the NDA had the Parliament attacks; if the Congress has the Sikh riots, the BJP has Gujarat, if the Congerss is accused of black money, the BJP has the Pramod Mahajan issue.

So what does it boil down to? why does Manmohan Singh get my vote, even if he is not contesting :

…because it is the economy stupid ! and there is no other person I trust more to navigate us out of the financial whirlpool created by Wall Street greed and White House stupidity.

The trioka of Jaswant Singh, Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie – the best BJP brains in economics – don’t really inspire confidence. They didn’t when they handled the finance/disinvestment portfolios in the last Government, and they didn’t when they were in opposition. Their flip flop policies are not what the country needs at this time. The only BJP person who comes across as a competent manager of the economy – tho’ not at Dr.Singh’s level – is Mr. Narendra Modi, but his politics scare me. I am terrified of fascists – and he is one.

I would not vote for the communists if you held a gun to my head – seriously. It is better to die instantly than to have West Bengal happen to you.

That leaves Mayawati. I don’t think that she knows what her economic policies are.

Samajwadi Party does not exist for me. It stands for crooks, terrorists and murderers.

So that leaves me with a Party that i am deeply disappointed with, but not enough to punish myself by voting for the rest. I am hoping that the next 5 years give me alternatives that are worth voting for.

( I haven’t mentioned Mr.Advani – that’s because i think that he is uniquely inept. Nero level inept. And, i seriously don’t know how someone who is so not there has ended up leading a major political party. And it is tragic for the BJP that the only person who inspires confidence is also a person who makes people like me very, very nervous – Modi!)

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Posted by gargi at 4:57 pm Tagged with: , , , , , ,

Tasleema Nasreen Stays

India, Politics, Society 1 Response »
Nov 252007

It is not often that one gets the chance to praise the Central Government. This is one of the rare times, and the reason is their conduct on the Tasleema Nasreen issue. This is the Government position :

“The right to grant permission to stay in India is a Central government prerogative that has been given by UPA government to Taslima. Once granted, the person has the right to reside anywhere in India,” party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said.

Noting that the West Bengal government had no jurisdiction to force anyone to change their place of stay from West Bengal to anywhere else, Singhvi said Rajasthan government had no jurisdiction to force her relocation.

“Those who practise arbitrarily cannot preach to us. It is the Central government which has now given Taslima appropriate facilities,” he added.

I think that one of the the fallouts of both Nandigram & the aftermath of the Calcutta violence, has been the blurring of lines between the terror tactics of both the Fascists & the Communists. The BJP & the CPI (M) have become mirror images of each other, and the veneer of ‘national interest’/'interest of the poor’ has been stripped away to reveal them for what they truly are, bully boys with an agenda as an excuse.

It was truly funny to see the BJP claim the moral high ground for freedom of expression in the Tasleema Nasreen case. As Amit points out in India Uncut

“Does this mean you no longer have a problem with MF Hussain?”

The Congress is coming out of the cesspool that has been the last six months of Politics, smelling of roses!

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Posted by gargi at 12:12 pm Tagged with: , , , ,

Falling for the Same Trick Twice

India, Politics 20 Responses »
Mar 242006

Sonai Gandhi pulls it off the second time around, and comes out smelling of roses. Forget what the political commentators say – talk to the rickshawalla and dukanwalla and the bai.This gives the family a great opportunity to leave Delhi and camp in UP. And by the way if 44 odd MP’s have to resign on the issue – it looks like a mid term poll. Which really may not be a bad thing for the Congress. And of course, Sonia Gandhi, private citizen can hit the campaign trail a whole lot earlier than the rest in Parliament. The BJP has come off looking like the Indian cricket team – snatching defeat from the jaws of victory – may be a new improved tactic would be not to get so personal and strident when dealing with Sonia Gandhi – especially if they don’t want to make a martyr of her.

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Posted by gargi at 9:07 am Tagged with: , , ,

Zero Sum Game

India, Politics 1 Response »
Mar 232006

Everytime the Congress hands the BJP an advantage, the BJP reciprocates in kind. Between The Congress’ bungliing in many cases has been countered by the BJP’s foot in mouth and auto canibalism problems. And then the focus on non issues – office for profit _ the Congress gifted this one to the rest – ; jinnah – wtf was Advani thinking of; terrorism, Bush’s visit – the list is fairly long.Its almost as thoguh everything is becoming bi polar for the heck of it. Why isn’t some one raising a stink on 2 more MIG pilots dead, why isn’t there a furore on the lack of a trickle down effect, why isn’t there a uproar on the state of the criminal justice system, why isn’t there a walk out on backward classes and farmer suicides. And all these are cross party issues. Where are the policy based arguments? All this posturing seems to be aimed at just one thing – keep all our attentions diverted from the real issue – where is our tax money going? ? This is a very effective zero sum game. Balance of power remains constant, and the electorate gets screwed in the bargain

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Posted by gargi at 9:37 am Tagged with: , , ,
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