India must be grateful to Julian Assange and his WikiLeaks. But for the expose published in the Hindu, few of us would have realised the depths to which Indian politics has descended. Many of us knew that the corrupt, criminal dynsatic fascist Party, the Congress will try to buy the votes in order to survive the political crisis caused by the withdrawal of support by the Left. Afterall did not Narasimha Rao, in whose Cabinet Dr ManMohan Singh was the finance minister not survive the full 5 years by bribing the MPs. Only the JMM group in Parliament was procecuted for the crime and even that rather half heratedly.
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/interview/article1559476.ece?homepage=true
In the interview with the Hindu whose link I have provided here, Julian Assange has answered a range of questions. It is certain that he takes the Freedom of Expression extremely seriously. After the WikiLeaks bombshell it will be impossible for any one to claim that the Great Powers are motivated by the desire to protect Human Rights and Dinity. Just see what Obama is doing in Libya.
Only one Indian politician come out squeaky clean in the WikiLeaks episode. Hon'ble Narendar Modi, the Chief MInister of Gujarat did not cringe before the US officials who raised questions about alleged human rights violations in the post Godhra days. He rightly rebuked the diplomat by saying that the US record on human rights is virtually non existent. I think, India will certainly benefit from the like of Hon'ble Narendar Modi. He is a true patriot and he deserves our respect. I wonder why the US diplomats do not ask the Congress to account for its criminality in 1984. This itself shows that US is selective in its approach to Human Rights.
Julian Assange has exposed the corruption in Indian political life and he will certainly go down as the one single individual after Gandhi who has changed the course of Indian politics.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
MONEY POWER IN INDIAN POLITICS AND THE WIKILEAKS EXPOSE
It is a truth universally acknowledged that Indian Dynastic Democracy is criminal, corrupt and runs on the fuel of ill gotten wealth. The likes of Laloo and Mulayam, the Yadava duo have ensured that crime and political power walk hand in hand, step by step. The recent revelations by Julian Assange in his US diplomatic cables expose is only symptomatic of a political system is which the most cynical manipulation of the electorate by the distribution of cash has been instutionalised.
I have often written that the main cause for political corruption in India is the dynastic fascism that seems to be inherent in the very psyche of the people. I remember that when Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister the famous scandal called the Nagarwala Affair took place on the eve of the 1971 election. That scandal involved only 60 lakhs, but what is really sinister aboput the whole affair was the fact that all those connceted with the scandal including the Judge and Migistrate who tried the case in court died in rather mysterious circumstances. I have written elsewhere that Ramachandra Guha in his India Since Gandhi ignored the scandal and I expected him as an honest historian to draw attention to the event that marks the first signs of the corruption and crime in the Indian political life.
In South India under the great Dravidian dispensation bribing the electorate has become a part and parcel of the electoral process. Jayalalitha may scream against Karunanidhi, but the fact remains that her party too indulges in this shameless practice of bribing the electorate with nose rings, mixies, saris and cash. Wikileaks has exposed the fact that in Tirumangalam election M K Alagiri ensured victory by bribing the electorate. T R Baalu who won from Sriperumbadur in the last elections is said to have distributed Rs 5000 for each vote. Where does all this money come from? The Indian electorate by participating in this charade called Indian Democracy is an accomplice in its own victimisation. The electorate will rail against corruption but is an active accomplice in the creeping criminalisation of Indian political life. Afterall Laaloo Prasad Yadava, D P Yadava, Mulayam Singh Yadava, and sundry other criminal-politicians have all been elected to the Lok Sabha. In Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry liquor, money and sarees are distributed by party workers on the eve of the elections. In fact political parties are finding inventive ways of subverting democracy in India.
The other revelation that made headlines is the fact that MPs were bribed on the eve of the trust vote during UPA I a trust vote that was held after the so-called Left withdrew support after the Indo-US nuclear deal. Steven White, a US Embassy official recorded seeing chests opf money in the house of a Gandhi family courtier called Satish Sharma. A sum of 50 to 60 crores is estimated and Ajit Singh's party the RLD may have received bribes. What is surprising is that none of the mainstream media brought out the fact that Narashima Rao's government survived its full term in office due to the bribes paid out to the JMM and Shibu Soren was even procecuted for the crime of taking bribes and then arranging the murder of Jha, his private secretary who was a witness to the whole affair. Crime and Corruption go hand in hand.
The dynastic fascist party the Congress and its criminal acolytes who call themselves the "secular parties" are primarily responsible for the corruption and criminalisation of Indian political life. I wish Baba Ram Dev all success in his noble venture.
Predictably all political parties involved in the corruption are crying foul. However the diplomatic cables were not meant to be made public and hence the Embassy staffers had no motive for making up allegations. As far as Tamil nadu is concerned I know from personal experience how corrupt the place is. Even Vice Chancellorships of Tamil Nadu universities go for a price of 5 to 10 crores.
I have often written that the main cause for political corruption in India is the dynastic fascism that seems to be inherent in the very psyche of the people. I remember that when Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister the famous scandal called the Nagarwala Affair took place on the eve of the 1971 election. That scandal involved only 60 lakhs, but what is really sinister aboput the whole affair was the fact that all those connceted with the scandal including the Judge and Migistrate who tried the case in court died in rather mysterious circumstances. I have written elsewhere that Ramachandra Guha in his India Since Gandhi ignored the scandal and I expected him as an honest historian to draw attention to the event that marks the first signs of the corruption and crime in the Indian political life.
In South India under the great Dravidian dispensation bribing the electorate has become a part and parcel of the electoral process. Jayalalitha may scream against Karunanidhi, but the fact remains that her party too indulges in this shameless practice of bribing the electorate with nose rings, mixies, saris and cash. Wikileaks has exposed the fact that in Tirumangalam election M K Alagiri ensured victory by bribing the electorate. T R Baalu who won from Sriperumbadur in the last elections is said to have distributed Rs 5000 for each vote. Where does all this money come from? The Indian electorate by participating in this charade called Indian Democracy is an accomplice in its own victimisation. The electorate will rail against corruption but is an active accomplice in the creeping criminalisation of Indian political life. Afterall Laaloo Prasad Yadava, D P Yadava, Mulayam Singh Yadava, and sundry other criminal-politicians have all been elected to the Lok Sabha. In Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry liquor, money and sarees are distributed by party workers on the eve of the elections. In fact political parties are finding inventive ways of subverting democracy in India.
The other revelation that made headlines is the fact that MPs were bribed on the eve of the trust vote during UPA I a trust vote that was held after the so-called Left withdrew support after the Indo-US nuclear deal. Steven White, a US Embassy official recorded seeing chests opf money in the house of a Gandhi family courtier called Satish Sharma. A sum of 50 to 60 crores is estimated and Ajit Singh's party the RLD may have received bribes. What is surprising is that none of the mainstream media brought out the fact that Narashima Rao's government survived its full term in office due to the bribes paid out to the JMM and Shibu Soren was even procecuted for the crime of taking bribes and then arranging the murder of Jha, his private secretary who was a witness to the whole affair. Crime and Corruption go hand in hand.
The dynastic fascist party the Congress and its criminal acolytes who call themselves the "secular parties" are primarily responsible for the corruption and criminalisation of Indian political life. I wish Baba Ram Dev all success in his noble venture.
Predictably all political parties involved in the corruption are crying foul. However the diplomatic cables were not meant to be made public and hence the Embassy staffers had no motive for making up allegations. As far as Tamil nadu is concerned I know from personal experience how corrupt the place is. Even Vice Chancellorships of Tamil Nadu universities go for a price of 5 to 10 crores.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
DMK Congress and the Absurdity of Alliance Politics in Tamil Nadu
The last week has seen the histrionics between the two most corrupt political parties of India united by the ideology of dynastic fascism, the Congress and the DMK, engage in a bout of public posturing. Like thieves, who are partners in crime, both the political parties cannot afford to discard each other. The DMK is dependent on the Congress for survival in Tamil Nadu and the regime of Sonia-Singh is woeful;ly dependent on the support of the DMK MPs. Therefore one cannot exist without the other. The public declaration that the DMK has withdrawn support to the UPA regime is just that-- a declaration without any meaning. Given the fractured nature of the verdict in the last General Election, it is but natural that all major political parties in the state are attempting to stitch up an alliance. In this game, Ms Jayalalitha seems to have the advantage, at least for now. Her alliance with the mercurial and utterly unreliable Vijay Kant stems from the cold realisation that the vote bank of both is virtually the same and therefore it is in their mutual int erst to join forces. In the last Parliamentary election, Vijay Kant undecut the vote share of the AIADMK and by bringing him on board for a price of 100 crores, Jatyalalitha has stanched the hemeoraging of her vote share or so it appears. Like any mercenary, Vijay Kant is up for grabs. If the Congress offers him a better deal both in terms of seats and money, he will certainly leave the AIADMK alliance.
Will the DMK break with the Congress. As I have said both parties need each other. If the Congress following the line of the Yuvaraj, Rahul Gandhi, decided to go it alone then it will get just one IT two seats and this party is riven with factions. The man who calls himself Home Minister of India, P Chidambaram (this Harvard zero was defeated in the General Elections but got the returning officer to issue him the certificate) wants his son Karthik to succeed him and is doing everything to undermine the Congress. G K Vasan heads another faction inherited from his father G K Moopen. With factionalism rampant in the party and with a vote chare of 11-15% the Congress is hardly in a position to play hard ball.
The DMK is staring defeat in the face. The issue of Corruption will play a role, even though Tamil Nadu politics is a dirty cess pool of filth, corruption and crime. The DMK has a vote share of 29 to 31 % and hence if it enters into an alliance with a major Party it can hold on to power. However fighting alone the DMK will not be able to get a decent figure in terms of seats. The PMK like the DMK and teh Congress is a dynasty based political formation with a support base of Vanniyars in Northern Tamil Nadu. In Pondicherry because of the revolt of N Rangaswamy, the Vanniyar vote will go to the new party launched by N Rangaswamy and if AIDMK enters into an alliance with Rangaswamy, the NR-AIDMK alliance will grab power.
The next moves will be watched. Ground realities favor AIADMK and if it holds on to the Alliance and target the Karunanidhi Family rule for crime and corruption then the AIDMK has a chance. However, as we know the worst enemy of AIADMK is the General Secretary herself. Her inability to compromise with the smaller parties and her imperious style of functioning can alienate the electorate. I remember seeing her candidate fro a Parliamentry seat sitting on the stage on a plastic stool while she was seated on a splendid throne. The electorate did not like this scene.
If AIADMK is able to stitch up a good alliance then it has a chance of winning the upcoming polls.
Will the DMK break with the Congress. As I have said both parties need each other. If the Congress following the line of the Yuvaraj, Rahul Gandhi, decided to go it alone then it will get just one IT two seats and this party is riven with factions. The man who calls himself Home Minister of India, P Chidambaram (this Harvard zero was defeated in the General Elections but got the returning officer to issue him the certificate) wants his son Karthik to succeed him and is doing everything to undermine the Congress. G K Vasan heads another faction inherited from his father G K Moopen. With factionalism rampant in the party and with a vote chare of 11-15% the Congress is hardly in a position to play hard ball.
The DMK is staring defeat in the face. The issue of Corruption will play a role, even though Tamil Nadu politics is a dirty cess pool of filth, corruption and crime. The DMK has a vote share of 29 to 31 % and hence if it enters into an alliance with a major Party it can hold on to power. However fighting alone the DMK will not be able to get a decent figure in terms of seats. The PMK like the DMK and teh Congress is a dynasty based political formation with a support base of Vanniyars in Northern Tamil Nadu. In Pondicherry because of the revolt of N Rangaswamy, the Vanniyar vote will go to the new party launched by N Rangaswamy and if AIDMK enters into an alliance with Rangaswamy, the NR-AIDMK alliance will grab power.
The next moves will be watched. Ground realities favor AIADMK and if it holds on to the Alliance and target the Karunanidhi Family rule for crime and corruption then the AIDMK has a chance. However, as we know the worst enemy of AIADMK is the General Secretary herself. Her inability to compromise with the smaller parties and her imperious style of functioning can alienate the electorate. I remember seeing her candidate fro a Parliamentry seat sitting on the stage on a plastic stool while she was seated on a splendid throne. The electorate did not like this scene.
If AIADMK is able to stitch up a good alliance then it has a chance of winning the upcoming polls.
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