BOMB hey!!!!!!!!!!

Even the change of name from BOMB-bay to Mumbai didn't ensure,Mumbai would miss its date with the bombs.This time they struck the elite,places considered the safest in Mumbai.The financial capital of India was silenced,at least for a few days.

The world must be mocking at a country which can be attacked though sea,almost an open route into the country.Surely,the Gateway of India was not built with the intention of letting terrorists into the country.I cannot believe the Indian government can have such a lackadaisical approach towards security,especially when it has a volatile,failed state as its neighbor.

The principal opposition the BJP has been crying foul for the past four years saying there is an urgent need for a strong anti terror law.The government refuted these charges,saying that the existing laws needed better implementation.It even repealed the previous law POTA,calling it draconian.After the recent attacks and with a lot of egg on its face,it introduced the NIA which many people say is POTA revisited.The Governments understanding of the role of the opposition is wrong.Both the opposition and the government are like the wheels of a chariot.
One cant do without the other.

India needs to act tough on terror.With the kind of neighbors it has and the state they are in,
India is endangered!!!!!

God bless America!!!!!!!

Amerigo Vespucci,would surely have been a sad man today.The country he discovered,which rose to be a super power is looking like a pale shadow of its old self.Such is the influence of this country,that the world waits for America's next move.

American economy is stuttering and it desperately needs help.Banks are falling by the day.
Bear Sterns,Freddie Mac Fannie Mae,Lehman brothers,Wachovia,Merrill Lynch the list is endless and will only grow further.So where did America falter?.Americans fell for that familiar vice called greed.
In all its years of existence America never really learn its lesson neither did it bother too.
what else will happen if you push all the manufacturing to Asia,rely on the middle east for oil,depend on Mexico for vegetables.This dependence on other countries has cost America dear.What does America really produce today?.

This is what Investment analyst and entrepreneur Dr. Marc Faber has to say :
"The only way to keep that money here at home is to spend it on prostitutes and beer, since these are the only products still produced in US. I've been doing my part."
These are invaluable lessons for growing economies not to depend on other countries for their survival.Today the world saves in America,while America spends.India has 300 bn dollars in forex reserves.China invests in America.These countries need to decouple from other economies to become self sufficient and self reliant.Complete decoupling is impossible,but if this trend continues,every time America sneezes the world will catch a cold.

Americans have abused every form of energy available.They forgot the basic principle that any form of energy is not endless.Today they need a booster dose from the fed to get a struggling economy on track.What Ben Bernanke and his cohorts cant figure out is who would save a drowning fed?.America needs to let its bank fail and give it time to rejuvenate so that they could bounce back.By following this socialistic method of the government stepping into the save institutions the America is harming itself.These institutions will never be punished for foolishly sanctioning loans even when the applicant was not eligible.Sub prime loans were a sin and both the institutions and the public need to pay.The world should not pay a heavy price for the mistakes of a few.

Stock markets across the world are tumbling.Financial markets seem to have entered a sort of menstrual cycle.People realize it is going to be repetitive and painful in the coming months.The middle east,India and China are witnessing a flurry of activity.Expatriates are flocking in large numbers and the developing economies are well on their way to greatness.

The world today realizes the importance of developing countries.
India and China today are showing the world that the sun,well and truly rises in the east and sets in the west!!!!!

It happens Only in India!!!!!!!

The UPA won the vote of confidence in the Lok Sabha.Indian polity has hit a new low.Wads of cash being flashed on the floor of the house,charges of rampant horse trading to influence votes are not the hall marks of any Parliament.Its not just the opposition which lost out,India did too.

The Congress which is the principal member of the UPA must be elated.This was a victory they badly needed after the Left pulled the rug from below their feet.However,this does not justify the use of money or the promise of plum portfolios in the government.why did the congress stick to the left for over year without progressing on the nuclear deal?.They could have gone to the IAEA last year but they chose not too since they wanted to continue in power.This time around the congress realized that the window to push the deal through is receding and if they didn't do it now they could never.

The Samajwadi party decided to bail out the government.Amar Singh played broker and spearheaded this campaign.The Samajwadi party will extract its pound of flesh from the government and you don't need a surgeon to tell you it hurts.The UPA will soon realize the complications of kowtowing to smaller parties in order to survive.The Samajwadi party is in disarray after being voted out of power in UP.It knows the Congress cannot cannot dent its vote base in UP and hence they decided to go with the government.

Omar Abdullah's speech in parliament was eye catching but purely rhetorical.He said that the National Conference did not play any politics on the Amarnath issue.Mr Abdullah suffers from that very familiar disorder called amnesia.Was it not the National conference which commissioned the shrine board?.You don't even admit that you made a mistake when you were in power.Your nothing but a turncoat.The last time you were with the NDA and now you are with the UPA.Regarding your conscience Mr Abdullah,what sort of a conscience differentiates between religion?.Clearly there were lives lost on both sides.Your assertion of backing the secular forces is a canard which stands exposed.

Rahul Gandhi spoke of a widow whose husband had committed suicide unable to bear the debt trap he had got into.Mr Gandhi the nuclear deal alone will not solve kalavati's problems.You will find many Kalavati's even after we receive nuclear energy.The reason being the implementation of policies is so poor in this country,it is beyond explanation.You speak so highly of your National Rural Employment Guarantee Act(NREGA).Do you even know the implications this act has?.
Today it is difficult to run estates or plantations because labor which is essential is in short supply.All the laborers run to cities and register under this scheme only to be guaranteed of some money.
Instead you should have paid the laborers depending upon the work they do.This would ensure that the hardworking laborers who work under stressful,tough conditions are paid well.Mr Gandhi merely touring various areas and understanding issues will not help.
You sit in air conditioned offices with your coterie who are unaware of ground realities that plague the country.

The BJP's position is perplexing to say the least.Mr Advani you were the people who conceptualized and initiated the deal.How can you oppose it just to bring down the government?.
Your reservations about the deal were relevant but like all oppositions it smelt of opportunism.

The left is the biggest loser in all of this.For four years they enjoyed power without responsibility.Today they find themselves out of it and nowhere to go.The future looks bleak and the numbers in the next elections could well be the final nail in the coffin.

Dr Manmohan Singh congratulations,but remember your on a bed of thorns.Its an uncomfortable ride for you ahead.Your party has compromised too much for the sake of this deal.Whether the allegations of horse trading are proved or they remain allegations is to be seen.
Amidst all this, politicians forget the most important point..
"Sanity is not virtue,it is a necessity"!!!!!!

A World in Disarray!!!!!!!

A shrinking,inhospitable world is no more a figment of one's imagination.It is a reality which the world is waking up to.Chaos has crept into the system and nobody seems to notice it since every body's world has shrunk.People are so busy doing what they know that they fail to recognize the seriousness of the situation.

Look at the world around you.Today we are grappling with a shortage of natural resources.
Food an essential commodity is in short supply and receding.Oil is getting costlier by the day and nobody has a clue where it is going next.Water is on the radar next.If the trend continues,our next wars could be over water and food.If this happens it essentially means that all those years of technological advances made amount to nothing,since we are getting back to basic resources which sustained human civilization for so long.

Every country in this day and age wants to go nuclear and have the most powerful weaponry in this world.Each one wants to outwit another and reach the pinnacle which is non existent.Countries like Pakistan and North Korea have jumped onto the nuclear bandwagon,but at what cost?If Pakistan had spent half the amount they spent on defense their country would not have been in the position that it is in today.In North Korea no one dare say a word about Kim Jong 2 for fear of persecution.For the record Kim Jong 2 heads the fourth largest standing army in the world. These countries live in a world far removed from reality.

Look at what happened in Nepal.The Maoists have made sure that monarchy is abolished and taken control of Kathmandu.Does it in anyway solve the problem of Nepal?Tourism was one of the industries that was flourishing in Nepal and thanks to the anarchy there it has taken a beating.Can they even hear Sagar Matha(Mount Everest) weep?.People assume it will stand there for ever but it is shrinking every year.China adds to this by building a road to the peak and all because it wants to show the world that the Beijing Olympics is the greatest spectacle ever on earth.

The middle east is still a hotbed with Iran,Palestine,Israel and Iraq in a state of unrest.
Countries like Zimbabwe who had a glimmer of hope after gaining independence have taken a step backwards.Today violence and fear grips Harare.Robert Mugabe wants to stay in power at any cost.America grapples with its own issues.A weak dollar has not helped their cause and the worlds super power has to find a way out.

Malaysia and Thailand have their own problems with lower rice yield.the yield is so low that it is not enough produce to feed its own people.In addition to this they have to deal with natural disasters which have caused much misery and pain in that region.Tourism was flourishing but it will recede once the spending power decreases.

These are just a few countries mentioned.Every country is fighting a battle of its own and in this battle the real losers are the natural resources.They are taken for granted and the result is there for all to see.A greener cleaner world is a myth that exists in the minds of the people.Chaos and anarchy is the order of the day and it is here to stay because of a mindset that does not see the larger picture.

God left this world a long time ago!!!!!Its time for the people to leave too unless they want to welcome him back into their lives......

Sports in India---A dream gone sour!!!!!!

Sport signifies something beyond courage,ambition and power.Its the celebration of the human spirit.Its just the sheer purity of sport that fascinates the mind.The competitiveness sets the adrenalin racing not only among the participants but also among hordes of people watching it.Sport i truly believe is the purest and cleanest form of entertainment.

As is customary India is a paradox,where sport is a formality.Sportsmen in this country either die in penury or lead a life which knows no joy.Every sport in India is badly managed.Cricket,which so many people revere in this country is also badly managed.It is marketed well and hence the obvious flaws are pushed under the carpet.

The BCCI has made sure that anyone who plays the game ends up rich.Money is a great leveler.Do people even know how the selectors are treated?.The contracts given to selectors and their treatment is pathetic.Look at the cricket pitches across India.Almost every pitch across India gives you the feeling that it will turn on day one giving spinners the edge.Is this really the way forward?.

The only thing positive about the BCCI is that its an independent body.It practically means no intervention from the government or any other body.This in turn translates to better control and decision making becomes quicker.Red tape is reduced although no transparency is added to the process.The other heartening thing is the battery of fast bowlers India is currently producing.This is certainly because of the MRF pace academy setup in Chennai.This is what good planning and execution can do.It certainly produces positive results in the long term.
This is the same thing China did with its gymnasts.It set up good academies and that's how we see an abundance of gymnasts from China.

The worrying thing is the situation with other sports in India.Most are headed by politicians.
Priyaranjan Das Munshi heads football,V.K Malhotra heads archery.Boxing,rowing tennis and a variety of others are all headed by politicians who know nothing other than mismanage it.


What's Das Munshi's great contribution to Indian foot ball?.Forget about the Indian teams ranking how many decent foot ball stadiums do we have?.Baichung Bhutia went to England to play league football.He ended playing for the third division and for most of the matches he was a substitute?.Can the situation get more disturbing that this?.

If sportsmen do not find the resources every sport will die a silent death.Sunita Rani was accused of doping during the commonwealth games in Australia.The IOA authorities did nothing and simply stood like dolls.Later she was cleared of all the charges,was garlanded in an empty stadium and given back her medal.Where is the accountability of those officials who accompanied the team?.Shouldn't they pay for their folly.Nothing of that sort happened and Suresh Kalmadi continues to head the IOA.

Take tennis and the recent fiasco surrounding it.How can any body question Leander Paes commitment to the sport.It is unmatched and incomparable?.Imagine the state of tennis when a 21 year old rookie like Karan Rastogi points fingers at Leander Paes.At such a young age you need to let your racket do the talking and not the mouth.

P.T Usha,MC Marykom,Milkha Singh and many others have risen from abject poverty knowing, very well that they are getting into a mismanaged mess called Indian sports.Their courage and determination is exemplary.The government of Indian has disregarded all their achievements and has treated them like second class citizens all through.

Sport in India will continue to die a silent death.Drastic measures are required along with the political will to resolve this mess.Impotency is nature's way of telling us "Sorry no hard feelings please".
Potency will return to all the sports bodies only when they are released from the clutches of the government and are allowed to function as independent bodies with the government overlooking the operations.As long the spiders remain,the cobwebs will only increase!!!!!!!!!!.

Budget of convenience...

The finance minister presented the budget on the floor of the house in the last week of February.
It is most likely the present government's last budget considering the fact that elections are due next year.It is but natural that the budget smells of populism and freebies signaling that elections are inching closer.

The finance minister waived off 60000 crores for farmers.These would benefit farmers who have less than 5 acres of land.Mr Minister what is the message you are sending to the honest farmer who has been diligently repaying the debt?.You make him look like an idiot because of your populist measures.You have provided temporary relief to farmers but you still have not tackled the root cause.Can you explain why the farmer ended up in a financial quagmire wherein he could not repay his debts?.was it not because of your faulty governance and pricing policies?.If loins are being poached in a reserve you take measures to tackle the poachers and not put the lions in cages and let the poachers roam freely.

Mr Chidambaram you have set a poor precedent for the successive governments.Every government after this would want to follow your populist methods and commit sacrilege in the name of governance.Farmers in turn will expect every government to take the same steps.Have you even thought of the consequences this can have in the long run?.Your government is already importing contaminated wheat from Pakistan.In the name of the kisan and the aam aadmi you have fooled the people of this country into believing that this please all budget is the way forward.

You have also increased defense spending.A country's defense equipment must act like a deterrent to other countries scheming against us.Is that happening?.India rushes to sign a MiG 29 deal with Russia only when Pakistan is assured of F16's from the U.S.A.As the defense spending has increased through the years,most countries in our neighborhood have gone nuclear.The problem is your focus is so much on buying that you have neglected your indigenous institutions.Your institutions like NAL,BHEL,HAL are now producing equipment for poor African countries and the likes thereof.

What is the ratio of the number of people in the country to the number of IIT's and IIM's?.In 50 years of independence we have a few institutes of repute but compared to the growth of our population we don't have a chance of balancing the two.how many international students come to our country to study other than poor nations which cannot afford basic amenities?.You disregard all this and run after quotas appeasing people who you treat as mere vote banks.

Along with Dr Manmohan Singh and Montek Singh Ahluwalia,Mr Chidambaram you represent the planning commission which was supposed to usher in a new era of development in our country.Alas all you have to your credit is a populist budget which stinks of appeasement touching every section of the population.

Mr Chidambaram the success of policies lies in its implementation.Intent will always supersede content but to be successful you need both!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pakistan---- Bullet Vs Ballot

Elections, that's the one word Pakistanis were eager to hear from a long time.Finally its happened and Pakistan voted. In its 60 years of independence,Pakistan has never changed its government through an election.That's an example no democracy would want to emulate.

Pervez Musharraf stuck around for too long without doing much other than worsen the situation with lots of help from his psychotic cohorts.If he had done half the work like a Fidel Castro had,he would have been the most revered figure in his country by now,but Pakistan is no Cuba.Its a strange concoction in which even a dictator feels helpless.

Islam may be the religion of the majority but even this does not act as a binding factor in Pakistan.
That's the reason Waziristan,SWAT,Sindh and the others appear disjointed from each other although all of them are in Pakistan.

Benazir Bhutto returned from exile and was immediately assassinated.The same forces she nourished turned on her.The media portrayed Benazir as some saint who sacrificed her life for Pakistan's tomorrow.She had 16000 acres of land in Sindh.No one from the media questioned that fact.A hen would not lay 16000 eggs in its lifetime.Can you imagine the level of corruption prevalent?.Added to these are the numerous corruption cases against her husband Asif Ali Zardari.Was she really the change Pakistan wanted?.

After her death the PPP,Benazir's party anointed her 17 year old son as its successor.This move defied logic.A 17 year old greenhorn will lead a party and that too in turbulent Pakistan?.So basically party ideology and ethics are nonsensical.Its just the bloodline and lineage that matters.

Nawaz Sharif also made a quiet comeback amidst all this.I wish he was a little more "Sharif" as his name suggests.So now the perpetrator of Kargil will vie for another shot at forming the government and improve Pakistan?.Even a 2 year old kid can read into this and nod his head in disbelief.

Until people vote for faces and names,democracy will continue to continue to falter as far as governance is concerned.Ballot boxes should be filled with respect to ideology and performance and not shenanigans.