A look at the world of politics, statecraft, diplomacy and books
Travancore,a princely state that tried to become a member of the United Nations after the declaration of Independence in 1947,has always been an example of good governance thanks to the efforts of Sir T Madhava Rao, the Prime MInister in th second half of the nineteenth century. The kings of Travancore devised a novel legitimizing strategy for their rule. They ruled in the name of the Deity, Padmanabha, one of the forms of Vishnu. The kIngs claimed to be the deputy of the deity. Such a political theory was obviously inspired by the political practices of the the Vijayanagara Empire. The wars with the Dutch, the Portuguese and the expanding sultanate of Mysore especially under Tippu Sultan made the kingdom of Travancore an early entrant into the subsidiary alliance and the Rajas of Travancore were firm supporters of the Company like the Mahratta chieftains, Scindia, Holkar and the Gaikwad.
The good administration together with the prosperity engendered by the trade and commerce made the kingdom extremely rich. The discovery of the treasure trove in the Padmanabha Temple reflects this.
Two days back i.e. 30th June 2011, the ante chambers near the sanctum sanctorum of the temple was opened and a veritable treasure trove was discovered. Nearly 1000 golden chains,bag full of diamonds,golden plates, fabulous jewelery,and a numismatists' delight in the form of hundrens of coins dating to the medieval period down to the rulers of Travancore. The inventory of this treasure trove is being done under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court. The Archaeological Survery of India has lost its credibility due to its partisan role and politisised nature of its functioning. In fact the suspicion that many entertain that the ASI and its top brass are involved in smuggling of antiquities makes us extremely apprehensive of any cultural property which is in the hands of the ASI.
The temple was the personal property of the ruling family and therfore the situation in Travancore or Trivandrum is much different from that of TamilNadu where tEmples became state property as soon as the Company established itself. The various instruments of accession signed at the time of Independence are specific to Government property and excluded religious holdings. This being the case the ruling family can make a good case for the restoration of the jewellry to the descendents of the last raja of Travancore. The precedent in this case is similar to that of the Nizam of Hyderabad who was permitted to keep his personal wealth.
The discovery of the treasure trove provides a major opportunity for historians to study a hug cache of historical antiquities. Numismatists must take the opportunity to analyse the coins using the methods that Peter Spufford has outlined in his Money and its Uses in Early Medieval Europe (Cambridge 2009).
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Sunday, June 26, 2011
P Chidambaram and Amnesia: Why the 1984 Riots organised by the Congress Party cannot be forgiven or Forgotten
Yesterday the Home Minister of India said someting no Home MInister of India have ever said: He asked the Sikhs to "forget the 1984 Riots and move on". This plea for amnesia is strange as the job of the Home Minsiter is to ensure the esucity of the State and its citizens. The main reason P Chidambaram made these thoughtless and callous remarks is bacause of the infighting within the Congress and the Home Minister wants to position himself on the side of the dynasty. Even the loose cannon of the Congress party its General Secretary, Shri Digvijaya Singh has not made any remark which rubs salt in the wounds of the Sikh community. P Chidambaram should apologise for his intemperate remarks and all should take a vow never to forgive or forget the black deeds of 1984.
In any civilised society, the Party like the Congress which was responsible for burning to death nearly 15,000 men in New Delhi alone would have been banned from the political field and its leaders proscecuted for organising and participating in the mayhen starting on October 31st 1984. Instead all that the party did was to make man like Jagdish Tytler, H K L Bhagat and Sajjan Kumar minister who even represnted India in the high councils of the world. Even after 27 years not a single person has been convicted for the crimes. Now the Home Minister asks the community to move on. Mr P Chidambaram is forgetting that the people of India have neither forgiven or forgotten 1984 and the Congress will pay a heavy price.
Why this indecent haste to bury the past? The present UPA Government is neck deep in scams, scandals and scum of every kind. After some time these scandals can also be forgotten and the nation asked to move on. The Congress has perfected this art of amnesis because the JNU breed of domesticated "historians" like to brush under the carpet all the crimes of the Congress in the name of fighting "communalism". I ask is not killing such a large number of men belonging to a minority community the worst kind of communal atrocity which even puts the post Godhra carnage to shame. It is shameful the P Chidambaram should say such an unkind thing.
There is another reason for the haste in burying the crime of 1984 comitted by the Congress Party: The Nehru Dynasty was in power and as long as that dynasty is in power such crime will take place and by making a Sikh the Prime Minister of India-- a dummy Prime MInister at that--the Congress cannot hope to cover up it gory, bllod filled past. India intellectuals are ever ready to apologise for the Congress Party but people will remember.
I hope 1984 is not forgotten and we will keep the memory of the horrible crime alive even if the Ramachandra Guhas of the world conspire to consign the memory of 1984 to the River of Lethe.
In any civilised society, the Party like the Congress which was responsible for burning to death nearly 15,000 men in New Delhi alone would have been banned from the political field and its leaders proscecuted for organising and participating in the mayhen starting on October 31st 1984. Instead all that the party did was to make man like Jagdish Tytler, H K L Bhagat and Sajjan Kumar minister who even represnted India in the high councils of the world. Even after 27 years not a single person has been convicted for the crimes. Now the Home Minister asks the community to move on. Mr P Chidambaram is forgetting that the people of India have neither forgiven or forgotten 1984 and the Congress will pay a heavy price.
Why this indecent haste to bury the past? The present UPA Government is neck deep in scams, scandals and scum of every kind. After some time these scandals can also be forgotten and the nation asked to move on. The Congress has perfected this art of amnesis because the JNU breed of domesticated "historians" like to brush under the carpet all the crimes of the Congress in the name of fighting "communalism". I ask is not killing such a large number of men belonging to a minority community the worst kind of communal atrocity which even puts the post Godhra carnage to shame. It is shameful the P Chidambaram should say such an unkind thing.
There is another reason for the haste in burying the crime of 1984 comitted by the Congress Party: The Nehru Dynasty was in power and as long as that dynasty is in power such crime will take place and by making a Sikh the Prime Minister of India-- a dummy Prime MInister at that--the Congress cannot hope to cover up it gory, bllod filled past. India intellectuals are ever ready to apologise for the Congress Party but people will remember.
I hope 1984 is not forgotten and we will keep the memory of the horrible crime alive even if the Ramachandra Guhas of the world conspire to consign the memory of 1984 to the River of Lethe.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
SLUT WALK IN INDIA
The proposition that India is a dangerous country for women cannot be gainsaid. The number of cases of violence against women in states such as Haryana, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh is increasing. In Mayawati's Uttar Pradesh alone over the past month or so more than a dozen case of rape have been reported and in the Lakimpur incident it appears that even the police were involved. In Delhi women, particularly the young ones find it difficult to lead a life free from sexual harassment. So I agree that public attention has to be directed toward the menance of sexual predation. Having said this, we have to examine the motivation behind the "Slut Walk" which is being organised by a few women in the national capital. Yesterday on TV channel, Headlines Today, I watched the debate on this issue and would like to respond to it.
I wish the women behind the Slut Walk take up real issues that pertain to the conditions of the girl child in India today instead of making a splash in the name of post colonial ideologies of gender and identity. One remarkable way of depoliticising any society is to police the terms of the debate within which a society negotiates with its constituent elements. Post colonial forms of individual choice based on sexual preference, gender, and identity skit the issue of social change by taking the problems of society out of the realm or domain of organised politics and placing them squarely within the framework of individual choice and identity. Unfortunately, the vaporisation of post colonial theories in our so-called Institutions of higher education has resulted in the elite women of Indian society mimicking western feminism and thy simply ignore the reality that confronts the girl child in this hell called India.
The women who have organised the Slut Walk claim to represent Indian women. I am certain that they are not aware of the real conditions faced by women in India and are resorting to sensational methods which only skit the real issue and trivialize the abominable conditions faced by the girl child. Are these women aware of the fact that India ranks among the highest in terms of maternal mortality? What are they doing to create public awareness about it. Are they aware that in India dowry deaths have become so common that it does not make news anymore. Slut Walks of the sort that these pyts (pretty young things) are organising will make things even worse for the girl child. Are these women aware of the declining sex ration and female fetishist that is rampant in north Indian societies. How will the Slut Walk help in making even women aware of the horrid reality of female feoticide that is taking palce all over India. By asserting their idividual right over collective destiny, the organisers of Slut Walk are playing havoc with the future of the girl child in India because of the conspiracy of silence over the real issues facing the girl child in India. I wish that the articulate and obviously educated young women take the plight of their less fortunate sisters more seriously.
The fact that India remains a dangerous country for women should make us sit up and take notice. But Slut Walks will not make India safe for young girls. The solution lies in what Dr B R Ambedkar said--educate, organise and agitate. Tamashs like slut walks are mere spectacles
I wish the women behind the Slut Walk take up real issues that pertain to the conditions of the girl child in India today instead of making a splash in the name of post colonial ideologies of gender and identity. One remarkable way of depoliticising any society is to police the terms of the debate within which a society negotiates with its constituent elements. Post colonial forms of individual choice based on sexual preference, gender, and identity skit the issue of social change by taking the problems of society out of the realm or domain of organised politics and placing them squarely within the framework of individual choice and identity. Unfortunately, the vaporisation of post colonial theories in our so-called Institutions of higher education has resulted in the elite women of Indian society mimicking western feminism and thy simply ignore the reality that confronts the girl child in this hell called India.
The women who have organised the Slut Walk claim to represent Indian women. I am certain that they are not aware of the real conditions faced by women in India and are resorting to sensational methods which only skit the real issue and trivialize the abominable conditions faced by the girl child. Are these women aware of the fact that India ranks among the highest in terms of maternal mortality? What are they doing to create public awareness about it. Are they aware that in India dowry deaths have become so common that it does not make news anymore. Slut Walks of the sort that these pyts (pretty young things) are organising will make things even worse for the girl child. Are these women aware of the declining sex ration and female fetishist that is rampant in north Indian societies. How will the Slut Walk help in making even women aware of the horrid reality of female feoticide that is taking palce all over India. By asserting their idividual right over collective destiny, the organisers of Slut Walk are playing havoc with the future of the girl child in India because of the conspiracy of silence over the real issues facing the girl child in India. I wish that the articulate and obviously educated young women take the plight of their less fortunate sisters more seriously.
The fact that India remains a dangerous country for women should make us sit up and take notice. But Slut Walks will not make India safe for young girls. The solution lies in what Dr B R Ambedkar said--educate, organise and agitate. Tamashs like slut walks are mere spectacles
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Ramachandra Guha's "New Political Gurus":A Critique
The prolofic Indian intellectual, Ramachandra Guha has published an article entitled "India's New Political Gurus" in the latest issue of Newsweek (June 20th 2011). The main purpose of this rather pointed intervention in the Indian debate over corruption and the role of the so called civil society activism spawned by the like of Dr Kiran Bedi and Anna Hazare is to belittle and trivialise the common Indian before the elite Newsweek reading audience of the world. As a historian, at least having some academic training in social and environmental history, one can expect Dr Ramachandra Guha to show a modicum of integrity in his analysis. However what he comes up with is only a tendentious piece of reportage for an American audience which is both fale in its approach and apologetic in its tone.
The likes of Baba Ramdev have entered the political space only because during the course of the last 60 years since Independence the politicians have rendered Indian democarcy into a dynastic fascist regime it is today. The COngress party started this trend in the years following the split in 1969 and today the party is only an appendage of the Gandhi-Nehru family. What Ramachandra Guha hides from the rest of the world that itn was the Nehru dynasty that strarted praticing massive corruption on a scale that essentially made India into a third world kleptocracy. The Nagarwala case, the Oil import scandals of the 1980,s the Bofors Scandal and of of course the present season of 2G Spectrum Scandal and a host of other scandals are all the creations of the Congress Party with support from their allies like the DMK. Ramachandra Guha completely distorrts the context when he cleverly shields the Congress Party from any balme for the scandals. I was really shocked when in his massive 800 odd page book India Since Gandhi we do not find any discussion on the criminal pogrom of massacre organised by the Congres Party in the days following the excecution of Indiara Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards. So Dr Ramachandra Guha is extremely economical with the truth.
The emergence of men like Baba Ramdev upsets western educated aritocrats like Ramachandra Guha because they represent the India that is srtruggling to keep afloat unlike the middle class that battened itself with the pickings of liberalisation and its concomitant corruption. Baba Ramdev articulated his stand against the monstrous corruption in India using the rhetoric of India religion and myhology--a rhetoric that Nohandas Gandhi had perfected. Comaprng Corruption to demons from the rich reporoire of India myhology and making people aware of their inherent human and constitutional rights using the idiom of morality and religion is what every teleevalgalist in the USA does. When Baba Ramdev articulates a similar argument, the Ramachandra Guhas of the world must paint them in dark colours of superstition and reaction.
The regime in poweer very cleverly manipulated the rather simple minded Baba Ramdev and tried to create a very public split in the ranks of the growing anti corruption movement in India. The other crusade against corruption, Anna Hazare is more to the taste of Ramchandra Guha. He has gathered around him some media friendly faces like Arvind Kejariwal and Kiran Bedi and this crew is projected as the very backbone of the crusade against corruption. In fact Baba Ramdev is the one whose movement will go forward and Anna Hazare and his crew are now busy debating whether the Prime MInister should be brought under the aegis of the Lok Pal Bill.Baba Ramdev has rightly identified foreign bank accounts of Indians as the major source of unaccounted wealth and wants the Government to nationalise the ill gotten wealth stashed abroad by the corrupt Indian politicians. In a recent raid on the "ashram" of the Afro headed "saint" Satyanarayana Raju, more than 100 kilos of gold bars and 400 kilos of silver were found. There is enough black money within India for the Government to seize and Baba Ramdev is being very reasonable when he demands the return of this wealth.
Ramachandra Guha did not make any attemt to hide his glee at the brutal crackdown on the unarmed men, women and children on the night of June 4th 2011 when the regime of ManMohan Singh sent its police to attack the grounds where the peaceful demonstration was taking place. The brutal crackdown against Baba Ramdev drew the attention of the Indian Supreme Court to the unlawful act and Ramachandra Guha does not mention the criminal actions of the regime in power.
Guha calls Baba Ramdev "reactionary". I think by using the language of the Congress Party to stiganatise all its opponents as "communal" reactionary, "anti national" etc Ramchandra Guha has shown himself to be a publisist of a corrupt, criminal regime.
The likes of Baba Ramdev have entered the political space only because during the course of the last 60 years since Independence the politicians have rendered Indian democarcy into a dynastic fascist regime it is today. The COngress party started this trend in the years following the split in 1969 and today the party is only an appendage of the Gandhi-Nehru family. What Ramachandra Guha hides from the rest of the world that itn was the Nehru dynasty that strarted praticing massive corruption on a scale that essentially made India into a third world kleptocracy. The Nagarwala case, the Oil import scandals of the 1980,s the Bofors Scandal and of of course the present season of 2G Spectrum Scandal and a host of other scandals are all the creations of the Congress Party with support from their allies like the DMK. Ramachandra Guha completely distorrts the context when he cleverly shields the Congress Party from any balme for the scandals. I was really shocked when in his massive 800 odd page book India Since Gandhi we do not find any discussion on the criminal pogrom of massacre organised by the Congres Party in the days following the excecution of Indiara Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards. So Dr Ramachandra Guha is extremely economical with the truth.
The emergence of men like Baba Ramdev upsets western educated aritocrats like Ramachandra Guha because they represent the India that is srtruggling to keep afloat unlike the middle class that battened itself with the pickings of liberalisation and its concomitant corruption. Baba Ramdev articulated his stand against the monstrous corruption in India using the rhetoric of India religion and myhology--a rhetoric that Nohandas Gandhi had perfected. Comaprng Corruption to demons from the rich reporoire of India myhology and making people aware of their inherent human and constitutional rights using the idiom of morality and religion is what every teleevalgalist in the USA does. When Baba Ramdev articulates a similar argument, the Ramachandra Guhas of the world must paint them in dark colours of superstition and reaction.
The regime in poweer very cleverly manipulated the rather simple minded Baba Ramdev and tried to create a very public split in the ranks of the growing anti corruption movement in India. The other crusade against corruption, Anna Hazare is more to the taste of Ramchandra Guha. He has gathered around him some media friendly faces like Arvind Kejariwal and Kiran Bedi and this crew is projected as the very backbone of the crusade against corruption. In fact Baba Ramdev is the one whose movement will go forward and Anna Hazare and his crew are now busy debating whether the Prime MInister should be brought under the aegis of the Lok Pal Bill.Baba Ramdev has rightly identified foreign bank accounts of Indians as the major source of unaccounted wealth and wants the Government to nationalise the ill gotten wealth stashed abroad by the corrupt Indian politicians. In a recent raid on the "ashram" of the Afro headed "saint" Satyanarayana Raju, more than 100 kilos of gold bars and 400 kilos of silver were found. There is enough black money within India for the Government to seize and Baba Ramdev is being very reasonable when he demands the return of this wealth.
Ramachandra Guha did not make any attemt to hide his glee at the brutal crackdown on the unarmed men, women and children on the night of June 4th 2011 when the regime of ManMohan Singh sent its police to attack the grounds where the peaceful demonstration was taking place. The brutal crackdown against Baba Ramdev drew the attention of the Indian Supreme Court to the unlawful act and Ramachandra Guha does not mention the criminal actions of the regime in power.
Guha calls Baba Ramdev "reactionary". I think by using the language of the Congress Party to stiganatise all its opponents as "communal" reactionary, "anti national" etc Ramchandra Guha has shown himself to be a publisist of a corrupt, criminal regime.
Friday, June 17, 2011
CIVIL SOCIETY AND THE LOK PAL BILL; WHY WE NEED A DEBATE
The concept of civil society evolved in eighteenth century Europe when the socilal organisation based on the 4 estates started disintegrating under the twin impact of secularization and economic changes engendered by the Industrial Revolution. Groups of professionals loosely associated with political factions, coffee shops, newspapers--constituting what Habermas would later designate as the public sphere--started asserting their point of view against the entrenched political and social elites. The newly emergent groups were called civil society and political philosophers like Voltaire and Rousseau and even Montesquieu termed as civil society those organised and articulate members of society that struggled for political and economic rights, freedoms and were at the forefront of what in the last century came to be called the Human Rights movement.
India does not have a civil society in the real sense of the term and if we are to apply the western concept of civil society then it is the caste based social organisations such as the Khap panchayants which constitute civil society. Along with the Khap Panchayants we can include sectarian and identity groups, bhajanna mandalis, charity organisations and the like. We harly hear any of them ever making a political demand. Civil society in India, particularly parts of northern India, are bastions of social evil and nothing good can ever come out of Indian civil society.
Suddenly we have the media speaking of Anna Hazare and his designer dress wearing cohorts as the "civil society". I find this situation absurd. 5 self appointed front runners cannot appropriate for themselves the right to speak for the dispossessed masses and who gave them the right or the mandate to represent the non political calsses. I agree that the Congress led UPA II is a corrupt regime and I have always said that the dynastic fascist Congress Party will always remain corrupt and criminal. The only way to get rid of corruption and criminalization of India is to get rid of the Congress Party by any means possible. A Lok Pal will not be able to reign in corruption. See how the Cong res managed to appoint P J Thomas as Chief Vigilance Commissioner even though he stands ac cued in a number of criminal cases. We have a situation in which the Courts at different levels alone seem to stand for decency and justice. Now this present Lok Pal bill as suggested by the Regime in power will take the Prime Minister out of the purview of the Lok Pal.This immunity to the PM does not exist even in the Constitution and by asking for a Lok Pal the so called civil society activists have further insulated the Office of the Prime Minister from proper political and judicial accountability.
There is another problem about the concept of civil society. The more articulate members of the so called civil society are always on the defensive over the issue of the RSS. The RSS represents a point of view and in a democracy it has the right to express that point of view. How can Arvind Kherjiwal call that organisation "communal". Is the Congress Party not a criminal organisation given its track record in 1984 and the present 2G scam. I feel that Corruption, dynastic fascism and criminalisation all stem from the Congress Party and the fight for a better and more civilised India should mean a struggle to liberate India from Congress rule.
India does not have a civil society in the real sense of the term and if we are to apply the western concept of civil society then it is the caste based social organisations such as the Khap panchayants which constitute civil society. Along with the Khap Panchayants we can include sectarian and identity groups, bhajanna mandalis, charity organisations and the like. We harly hear any of them ever making a political demand. Civil society in India, particularly parts of northern India, are bastions of social evil and nothing good can ever come out of Indian civil society.
Suddenly we have the media speaking of Anna Hazare and his designer dress wearing cohorts as the "civil society". I find this situation absurd. 5 self appointed front runners cannot appropriate for themselves the right to speak for the dispossessed masses and who gave them the right or the mandate to represent the non political calsses. I agree that the Congress led UPA II is a corrupt regime and I have always said that the dynastic fascist Congress Party will always remain corrupt and criminal. The only way to get rid of corruption and criminalization of India is to get rid of the Congress Party by any means possible. A Lok Pal will not be able to reign in corruption. See how the Cong res managed to appoint P J Thomas as Chief Vigilance Commissioner even though he stands ac cued in a number of criminal cases. We have a situation in which the Courts at different levels alone seem to stand for decency and justice. Now this present Lok Pal bill as suggested by the Regime in power will take the Prime Minister out of the purview of the Lok Pal.This immunity to the PM does not exist even in the Constitution and by asking for a Lok Pal the so called civil society activists have further insulated the Office of the Prime Minister from proper political and judicial accountability.
There is another problem about the concept of civil society. The more articulate members of the so called civil society are always on the defensive over the issue of the RSS. The RSS represents a point of view and in a democracy it has the right to express that point of view. How can Arvind Kherjiwal call that organisation "communal". Is the Congress Party not a criminal organisation given its track record in 1984 and the present 2G scam. I feel that Corruption, dynastic fascism and criminalisation all stem from the Congress Party and the fight for a better and more civilised India should mean a struggle to liberate India from Congress rule.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
BABA RAMDEV AND POLITICAL CORRUPTION IN INDIA; THE STRUGGLE INTENSIFIES
India is presently ranked very high in the list of the most corrupt counties in the world. Only Nigeria and Burkina Faso rank a few places below. With such a d distinguished ranking, may I add that the leadership of that corrupt government headed by Sonia and ManMohan Singh even want a place at the high table of diplomacy and statecraft. I have said so several times on this blog and else where that India does not deserve a security council seat given its track record of governance. Having said that let me get back to the question at hand.
A very powerful civil society movement against corruption has begun in India: this movement is partly inspired by the example of the Arab Resistance against corrupt and tyrannical regimes and partly by the disclosures made by WikiLeaks. Those who rail against WikiLeaks are unaware of the positive role played by this organisation in inspiring people across the world. All corrupt and criminal regimes such as the one in power in India, have learned to fear WikiLeaks. A Yoga Guru from the north India state of Uttar Pradesh has become the unlikely leader of the anti corruption movement and the Government of India unleashed the most barbaric acts of repression against him on the midnight of June 4th 2011.
Baba ramdev, a well respected Yoga Guru, gathered a crowd of nearly 100,000 men women and children in the Ramlila Grounds of New Delhi after getting permission from the Government. The regime was so rattled by the movement started by Baba ramdev that it deputed 4 senior Government ministers to negotiate with him. It appears that the Government of India put up a presence of negotiations in order to prepare the ground for an all out attack. Like the Night of the LOng Knives, the Congress regime unleashed its police against the followers of Baba Ramdev who were badly beaten up by the police. It must be stated very categorically that the demonstration against corruption was both peaceful and disciplined. The regime had absolutely no justification for the brutal mid night attack. The Baba himself was arrested and sent out of Delhi. The Supreme Court of India is likely to rule that this action on the part of the Sonia-ManMohan Regime was both unconstitutional and illegal.
The real reason for the panic reaction on the part of the dynastic regime in power is because for the past few years a series of scams have dented the image of the government and corruption has become a huge political issue in India. The Political Party the DMK, a South Indian regional party and a partner in the coalition in power lost the elections in Tamil Nadu solely to the public perception that the present government was irredeemably corrupt. The daughter of the former Chief Minister, Mr Karunanidhi is presently in prison awaiting trial as she was exposed as a recipient of kickbacks from the 2G Spectrum scandal in which telecom mobile licenses were issued to favored few without going through due process. It has been estimated that nearly 5.5 billion dollars were taken as kickbacks in this scandal alone and much of this ill gotten wealth is invested in tax havens like Virgin Islands, St Kitts, Swiss banks and the most favored destination of Tamil politicians, Mauritius. The corrupt Government of India refuses to take any step to get back the money on the spurious argument that going after ill gotten, illegal wealth stashed abroad is against the double taxation agreements. A totally false and baseless justification for complicity in crime. I must say that the US Treasury was able to get the notorious Swiss bankers to reveal the names of American holders of Swiss accounts and Baba ramdev wants the Indian Government to make a serious effort to retrieve India's wealth in foreign bank accounts.
The Congress Party has been in power for most of the time since Independence and one dynasty, the Nehru dynasty has controlled the party. It is believed that the Congress in neck deep in political corruption and hence will both unwilling and unable to act against political corruption. Even so the savagery of the attack against baba Ramdev has shocked the entire nation and the Congress and its alliance partners will pay a very heavy price in the next elections. As I have said right at the very beginning of this blog, Indians are used to corruption and bad governance, unlike the Chinese who expect a degree of honesty and patriotism from their Government. Yet the attack on a spiritual leader with a huge following has resulted in a sea change in the mood of the people.
The peaceful protestors were beaten up and nearly 75 of them very seriously injured. TheMahatma, Baba Ramdev himself was pushed from the dais and barely escaped with his life.A corrupt and criminal government has shown that it will use force against its own people who protest against corruption.
A very powerful civil society movement against corruption has begun in India: this movement is partly inspired by the example of the Arab Resistance against corrupt and tyrannical regimes and partly by the disclosures made by WikiLeaks. Those who rail against WikiLeaks are unaware of the positive role played by this organisation in inspiring people across the world. All corrupt and criminal regimes such as the one in power in India, have learned to fear WikiLeaks. A Yoga Guru from the north India state of Uttar Pradesh has become the unlikely leader of the anti corruption movement and the Government of India unleashed the most barbaric acts of repression against him on the midnight of June 4th 2011.
Baba ramdev, a well respected Yoga Guru, gathered a crowd of nearly 100,000 men women and children in the Ramlila Grounds of New Delhi after getting permission from the Government. The regime was so rattled by the movement started by Baba ramdev that it deputed 4 senior Government ministers to negotiate with him. It appears that the Government of India put up a presence of negotiations in order to prepare the ground for an all out attack. Like the Night of the LOng Knives, the Congress regime unleashed its police against the followers of Baba Ramdev who were badly beaten up by the police. It must be stated very categorically that the demonstration against corruption was both peaceful and disciplined. The regime had absolutely no justification for the brutal mid night attack. The Baba himself was arrested and sent out of Delhi. The Supreme Court of India is likely to rule that this action on the part of the Sonia-ManMohan Regime was both unconstitutional and illegal.
The real reason for the panic reaction on the part of the dynastic regime in power is because for the past few years a series of scams have dented the image of the government and corruption has become a huge political issue in India. The Political Party the DMK, a South Indian regional party and a partner in the coalition in power lost the elections in Tamil Nadu solely to the public perception that the present government was irredeemably corrupt. The daughter of the former Chief Minister, Mr Karunanidhi is presently in prison awaiting trial as she was exposed as a recipient of kickbacks from the 2G Spectrum scandal in which telecom mobile licenses were issued to favored few without going through due process. It has been estimated that nearly 5.5 billion dollars were taken as kickbacks in this scandal alone and much of this ill gotten wealth is invested in tax havens like Virgin Islands, St Kitts, Swiss banks and the most favored destination of Tamil politicians, Mauritius. The corrupt Government of India refuses to take any step to get back the money on the spurious argument that going after ill gotten, illegal wealth stashed abroad is against the double taxation agreements. A totally false and baseless justification for complicity in crime. I must say that the US Treasury was able to get the notorious Swiss bankers to reveal the names of American holders of Swiss accounts and Baba ramdev wants the Indian Government to make a serious effort to retrieve India's wealth in foreign bank accounts.
The Congress Party has been in power for most of the time since Independence and one dynasty, the Nehru dynasty has controlled the party. It is believed that the Congress in neck deep in political corruption and hence will both unwilling and unable to act against political corruption. Even so the savagery of the attack against baba Ramdev has shocked the entire nation and the Congress and its alliance partners will pay a very heavy price in the next elections. As I have said right at the very beginning of this blog, Indians are used to corruption and bad governance, unlike the Chinese who expect a degree of honesty and patriotism from their Government. Yet the attack on a spiritual leader with a huge following has resulted in a sea change in the mood of the people.
The peaceful protestors were beaten up and nearly 75 of them very seriously injured. TheMahatma, Baba Ramdev himself was pushed from the dais and barely escaped with his life.A corrupt and criminal government has shown that it will use force against its own people who protest against corruption.
Monday, June 6, 2011
THE ATTACK ON BABA RAMDEV: THE POLITICAL FALLOUT
My regular readers would have by now realized how accurate I was in predicting the response of the UPA Government. I also pointed out that the statements made by the so-called civil society chatterers would embolden the Government to act in a reckless manner. The mid night attack on the Mahatma's satyagraha was an absolute disgrace. I think given the fact that the dynastic-fascist party the Congress is in power, we can call the mid night attack the Night of the Long Knives" the night when German thugs flexed their muscles before the advent of totalitarian rule in Germany. I had expected this response and was not surprised at what transpired. I think the Baba needs political advice and he should have been told that the fork tongued congressmen will try and deceive him.
The attack showed very clearly that the Sonia-Rahul-ManMohan dispensation is out to protect the holders of black money and are willing to use the arm of the state to crush all those who raise uncomfortable questions about the money plundered by politicians and deposited in Swiss banks and other tax havens. The Government or the regime acted too smart and thereby exposed intentions before the whole world. Now the issue of Black Money will become a huge political issue and the Congress stands as a protector of the Corrupt. I would not be surprised if this perceptions influences the electorate in the same manner as did the Emergency in 1977. The political advisors of Sonia-Man Mohan have handed the BJP a political issue on a silver platter and I hope the faction ridden BJP does not turn this into another liability as they did with the victory in Karnataka.
Baba Ramdev is a highly respected spiritual leader with a large and impressive following. The lathi charge on the followers and the brutal attack on women and children was witnessed by the whole world. The action by the police was uncalled for and the suo moto intervention by the Supreme Court will have consequences. I do hope that in the interest of the Nation Baba Ramdev keeps the BJP at an arms length and does not let that faction ridden outfit hijack his agenda. The next General Election will see the Baba Ramdev phenomenon at least in Northern India.
Even the Anna Hazare camp has come out in support of the Mahatma. I blame them for falling for the divisive tactics of the "secularists". The RSS is not a banned organization and so how can the support of the RSS for such a major political issue be battered away for the sake of New Delhi's domesticated civil society activists. I wonder why Arunditti Roy who jumped to the defence of Dr Binayak Roy is silent over the brutal attack on Baba Ramdev. Is it because she is on the side of the Establishment.
All democratic forces must condemn unequivocally the barbaric attack Mahatma Ramdev and the UPA regime has only dug its own political grave by its crimes.
The attack showed very clearly that the Sonia-Rahul-ManMohan dispensation is out to protect the holders of black money and are willing to use the arm of the state to crush all those who raise uncomfortable questions about the money plundered by politicians and deposited in Swiss banks and other tax havens. The Government or the regime acted too smart and thereby exposed intentions before the whole world. Now the issue of Black Money will become a huge political issue and the Congress stands as a protector of the Corrupt. I would not be surprised if this perceptions influences the electorate in the same manner as did the Emergency in 1977. The political advisors of Sonia-Man Mohan have handed the BJP a political issue on a silver platter and I hope the faction ridden BJP does not turn this into another liability as they did with the victory in Karnataka.
Baba Ramdev is a highly respected spiritual leader with a large and impressive following. The lathi charge on the followers and the brutal attack on women and children was witnessed by the whole world. The action by the police was uncalled for and the suo moto intervention by the Supreme Court will have consequences. I do hope that in the interest of the Nation Baba Ramdev keeps the BJP at an arms length and does not let that faction ridden outfit hijack his agenda. The next General Election will see the Baba Ramdev phenomenon at least in Northern India.
Even the Anna Hazare camp has come out in support of the Mahatma. I blame them for falling for the divisive tactics of the "secularists". The RSS is not a banned organization and so how can the support of the RSS for such a major political issue be battered away for the sake of New Delhi's domesticated civil society activists. I wonder why Arunditti Roy who jumped to the defence of Dr Binayak Roy is silent over the brutal attack on Baba Ramdev. Is it because she is on the side of the Establishment.
All democratic forces must condemn unequivocally the barbaric attack Mahatma Ramdev and the UPA regime has only dug its own political grave by its crimes.
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