EDITORIAL

Friends
Yet another independence day came and went into history. As a nation we are 62 years old or do we say young India has turned 62. As we look back how have we traversed as a nation during the last six decades and more, is an issue of multiple dimension. We are politically independent alright, but how independent are our people, close to some 117 crores?
Speaking to the nation from the ramparts of Red Fort, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called upon the people to stay committed to strengthening the unity and integrity of the nation, by carrying every one along the path of development by creating an environment of consensus and co-operation. He reiterated that India’s progress can be real only when every citizen benefits from it, since every Indian has a right over our national resources. While mentioning about the deficient monsoon and the availability of adequate stock of food grains, he expressed the ardent desire of the government that ‘not even a single citizen of India should ever go hungry’. He also spoke of the resolve to root out malnutrition from the country by strengthening ICDS. NREGS was another area, he stated that allocation shall be increased to cover bigger areas and make it more transparent and accountable. Talking about the physical infrastructure he informed that NHAI has initiated action for construction of 20km of National Highway everyday. He mentioned about the uneven regional development and the special attention needed for north eastern states.
He spoke of elections to J & K, and the victory of democratic forces despite pressure from militants and separatists. With best of intention and programmes for the public, the benefit cannot reach the people if the government machinery is not free of corruption. Concluding, he reiterated the resolve of his government to move-ahead despite the doubts in some quarters about the ability of the country to attain its true potential.
Of course he was only giving the brighter picture of the country while not getting into the debate on a kind of balance sheet of past years and the experience on the ground. Despite having a better numbers in the Loksabha, coalition partners are calling shots favouring their region and party, which the Prime Minister is not in a position to stop and make them fall in line. Although, he is emboldened by his own stronger position, his handling of opposition and his ability of taking opposition along leaves much to be desired. The problem he had with the opposition in his earlier stint has continued.
Road construction is an area that failed rather badly in his earlier stint. The so-called initiative of NHAI that 20 km per day road shall be laid is a huge disappointment. There is this NH17 & NH48 being made into 4 lanes, totaling only 37 kms, should have been completed by Dec 2007, but even by Dec 2009 it is not likely to complete. This is the status all over India. It does not require the intelligence of an economist from London school of economics to tell that roads are the real prime-mover of socio/economic development.
Of course, BJP as is their wont only looks for softer area to attack the P.M, especially the joint communiqué with Pakistan in Egypt. His insistant stand that Pakistan too is a victim of terrorism has made him a bit of pariah in his own party. His very strong point is, he is honest and has no personal programme of aggrandisement of either power or money. But he can be irritating to lot of people who likes a consensual approach rather than sticking to his own point of view especially in matters of foreign affairs.
Of course, while it is true that NREGS has certainly brought some sunshine into the lives of rural folks, there has been massive erosion of resources due to the inherent loopholes, where middlemen looted the money meant for poor. The fresh and increased allocation has only increased the possibility of such pilferage without proper mechanism in place to check the loot. Thus although there are good intentions, the follow up is really bad. Its been the same story for all its 62 years. It’s the delivery that failed rather than the desire to perform.
Month began with the death of some 10 persons in a Christian village outside Lahore in Pakistan. Alleging desecration of Quran, hundreds of Muslims marched to the village-Azafi Abadi-a predominantly Christian hamlet and burnt some 70+houses and looted over 100 houses. Police fired on the marauding mobs, which killed some 3. Seven bodies were pulled out of some burnt houses, with another about 70 houses yet to be cleared, which shall greatly increase the number of casualties. Attacks in Pakistan against Christians is a recurrent problem. In fact this is the second violent attack in less than a month’s time. Problem in Pakistan or any Islamic country, it is difficult to prove the innocence of those accused of alleged desecration of Quran or alleged utterances against prophet. This is an extremely dangerous situation. Only way to live there is to submit to the terms of society around you, democracy or democrazy. Pakistan shall remain Pakistan, a state of continuous uncertainties.
A British Pakistani, Anjum Chowdhary and some of his supporters have publicly demanded that Queen Elizabeth be prosecuted for the genocide of thousands of innocent Afghanis. They hold Queen responsible for the sanctioning of British troops sent to Afghanistan. The correctness or otherwise of British troops’ presence in Afghanistan may be a debatable issue, but for a British Muslim to ask for the prosecution of the Queen of England is the height of gracelessness. Of course as only to be expected British law makers have taken offence at this chicanery of Islamist extremists and in all probability shall act against this stupid group.
The Chairman of National Commission for Scheduled caste is in trouble for the alleged, not so sweet, act of his son Sweety, who was also found in possession of three unlicenced fire arms. So, its not only the Rs one crore bribe, alleged to have been demanded by Sarobjit Singh alias Sweety, but also the crime under Arms Act that has really made the continuation of his father as Chairman of NCSC untenable. It was indeed a ‘son-stroke’ as a paper commented. Of course, the father Buta Singh has remained defiant despite demand by many quarters to quit. Those who have seen the photograph of Sarobjit alias Sweetie being led by the police along with other 3 accomplices, would agree that, father Buta Singh has really taken care of his sweet son to grow truly circular, and that son simply did not deserve any consideration. Law should take its relentless course. It is son’s like these, probably also supported by their parents, whether actively or passively, who are the real leaches of society. There must be hundreds of cases of these progenies of ministers and politically appointed chairmans of various corporations, looting the system. In this particular case, the contractor of supplies Ramarao Patil, allegedly supplied poor quality products to the commission and benefited himself several crores. This demand for bribe was ostensibly to set right all alleged wrongs by the contractor, allegedly with the knowledge of the NCSC chairman. So here are two ‘gentlemen’ who are having a gala life at the cost of members of poor and powerless scheduled caste. Isn’t it something that always happened? Rich and powerful becoming richer at the cost of poor and vulnerable. This is India at 62.
That Buta Singh couldn’t have been a clean man was evident, when Bihar government ordered a high level probe into the contract worth Rs. 900 crore given to some incompetent firm for the construction of embankment along Bagmati river in 2005. At that time Bihar was under Presidents rule and Buta Singh was the governor and recently there was a major breach in the embankment and many were rendered homeless. Thus, for him to claim innocence in the sweety bribery case is like Chori aur sina jori!
So, suddenly the events are catching up with Musharraf. Pakistanies do not want him. Yes he did try to bite more than he could chew, and now chicken has come home to roost. In the interest of Pakistan, he should be forced to leave. For all the 62 years, Pakistan was always used by its Army and army backed ISI, and Musharaff is the chip of same block. If Pakistan is hoping to return to true democracy, then Musharraf should be exiled.
Emran Hashmi’s story is not something that has happened for the first time. Such stories have always been there, which means, there have been problems with some Muslim gentlemen in getting flats on rent in Mumbai. But the community never really tried to address the issue thread bare, because they never tried to face the truth. In the past we had heard Shabana Azmi saying that Muslims did have problem of renting houses in Mumbai, while Nasiruddin Shah denying it outright. Its people like Mahesh Bhatt who tries to fish in the troubled waters for some self publicity as if he is the only guardian of people’s sentiments. There are problems, yes and no, but the community has to come to grips with the ground conditions. There are unaddressed issues. Of course for media, its always sensation that matters, and that is how an U.S. panel has put India on watch list. They again as usual read without books. India is one of the finest place for religious co-habitation. Look at it without pre-conceived notion. Under the surface of little aberration, it’s a wonderful place, and those Indians who keep blaming they too know it too well, that there cannot be another better place for them to live and flourish. People like Hashmi, who is hardly known, Buta Singh, in the past cricketers like Mohd. Azaruddin and Kirmani, have all raised the bogie of minority tag when it suited them. They have all got on with life, since not much ice was cut. They are trouble makers, who try to test the water and then give up not finding many supporters. Here it is in order to quote Salman Khan who had reportedly observed "If religious profiling indeed is happening, Hashmi would not have been where he is today. Similarly, Salman, Amir and Shah Rukh Khan would not be what they are today". Well said. Now where is Mahesh Bhat and his media friends?
There was this small news item"Gujarat Governor designate DN Dwivedi is dead". The septegenarian Congress leader for almost four decades, Devendra Nath Dwivedi was appointed, only a fortnight ago, to the gubernatorial post. But before he could take it up he succumbed to some liver complications at a hospital in New Delhi. For long Raj Bhavans were thought to be "oldage homes" for those retired and tired politicians and bureaucrat friends of the government in power, as a parking slot. These politicians and babus, who enjoyed good things of life at the cost of the nation all through their life still wants to continue it until they kick the bucket, courtesy the political parties, when there are hundreds of deserving, men and women, yet roughing it out without opportunity, only because they are not well connected, politically, financially or socially. That is another sad dimension of Yeh Mera India.
Anuj Dhar who is writing a book "CIAs Eye on South Asia" had filed an RTI application addressed to the PMO. One of the questions was "If any post-mortem was conducted on the former Prime Minster Lal Bahadur Shastriji’s body in India to ascertain the causes of his death and if not, the reason thereof". All Indians know that he died in Tashkent, a day after signing the declaration on 11th Jan 1966. There has not been a last word said on his death, and had left many question unanswered, despite Smt. Shastri’s allegation of foul play and demand for a post mortem. The PMO has reportedly answered only two of the 8 questions asked in the RTI application, saying that it has only one classified document pertaining to the death of Shastriji, which is exempted from disclosure under the RTI act. PMO sent the balance questions to MEA, which further referred to MHA, who in turn referred to Delhi Police and National archives. As it appears, the whole issue has been handled without much seriousness and no wonder, Sunil Shastri, the younger son of the late Prime Minister called it "absurd" and a "silly joke". He has a very pertinent question "How can you treat the question of the mysterious death of a sitting Prime Minister so casually by referring to a district police (Delhi), instead of the Home Minister, Prime Minister or even the President?" That brings us to the "only one classified document which is beyond the RTI scanner". What is that?
Proposal to bail out Air India has been in the media, yet to be acted upon by the PMO. Whether the PMO will after all bail it out of the financial mess it has created itself, is still not known. But the socio/economic thinkers are divided on the issue. Being a public sector enterprise Air India is a victim of bad management, excessive ministerial and bureaucratic interference, especially in revenue and personnel matters, and of course mindless trade unionism, with staff strength far in excess of actual operational need, besides uneconomic fleet strength without any meaningful cost benefit analysis. The solution to the prolem of Air India is to sell the national career to some private companies, who shall surely manage it better.
With all opposition parties, going hammer and tong on the issue of Indo-Pak Joint Communiqué in Egypt, the Ministry of External Affairs has come under sharp focus. There is a discernible rumbling, whether the present incumbent at MEA Mr. S.M. Krishna is a right choice as the minister? This question, making its round in the Delhi’s corridors of power, do have its takers.
Grapevine says SMK is PM’s choice, since SMK is apparently non-assertive and would push PM’s line of approach. This particular angle of thinking has many takers. As is made out by the rumblings around corridors of parliament, the MEA at the moment is only obsessed with U.S. and Pakistan, since this is what occupies our PM, the most. So what is up at MEA with new foreign secretary Nirupama Rao taking up, and Shiv Shankar Menon probably joining PMO? Would MEA under SMK become irrelevant?
"If a candidate contesting an election was obliged to make his asstes public, why the same law cannot be made applicable to the higher judiciary, especially when it is the elected representative who has the primacy of making the law" was the argument put forth by the opposition while debating the newly drafted bill on Judges (assets and liabilities declaration) Bill. No wonder one news paper even commented. "Judges aren’t from Mars, are they?". UPA government has been talking to the Supreme Court judges about their disclosure of assets, which was opposed by some of the judges including the chief justice, who agreed that the disclosure would be made, but shall not be available for public scrutiny as it would compromise their independence, was their stand. It was this particular clause that enraged legally oriented law makers to question the very basis. It was like a favour judiciary was asking the executive for the exclusion.
Once you ask for such a favour, where is the independence of judiciary left? But why in the first place they are asking to be exempted from public scrutiny? Aren’t they equal to all else in the public domain, although they do sit in judgement on the entire political class including the highest executive of the land, the President of the country? Yes indeed, the special status simply does not give them any special privilege and they too in all fairness, should not look for one. Its only when they have nothing to hide their moral authority is the strongest and this is what truly empower them to the hallowed position of Supreme Court justices. Hope they all see the truth of the point that is being made out.
Swine flu, as only expected, has found country’s health apparatus all at sea. Of course, after the initial scare mongering, it seems to have settled down like every under-preparedness, coupled with general apathy of the people and of course the sensationalising media, as if they are the only saviours and people with public concern, and then Babus and Politicians giving their take on the imbroglio. Poor Union Health Minister Azad appears to be doing his job better than most health ministers of States, although health is the state subject. Swine flu has been there for some months in some foreign countries. Our health managers did not have anything in place to pre-empt any pandemic break. And suddenly a death in Pune, and hell broke. Media was at hand to cry hoarse, accusing the hospital, the government and what not. Suddenly the whole country was scarred. The problem of Malaria or T.B. is far more serious and its been there ever since the public health awareness came about and there is no scare mongering. So why this suddenly heightened scare mongering by the media and the not so professional handling by the state health apparatus? Besides good part of Indians are swayed by these verbose response of the electronic media and media briefing by the government. As it appears, it does not look all so serious, some initial steps are needed to protect ourselves and life goes on. So at the end of the day, is it the huge population that we have with poor sanitation facility that is at the core of the problem?!
Have you heard of the latest joke of the year! A Pakistan born British MP is attempting to patent "Chicken Tikka Masaala" as a Scotish origin dish. Labour MP Mohd. Sarwar has recently tabled a motion in Britain’s Lower House of Parliament claiming the "Chicken Tikka Masaala" originated in the Scotish City of Glasgow. This dish was once crowned as Britain’s national dish. Of course, the British ‘Daily Telegraph’ has dismissed the claim as "preposterous" in its New Delhi date lined release. Although not much need to be read into it, being a total travesty of historical facts, one only wonders, why world takes India so much for granted is an uncomfortable thought that crosses the minds of all Indophiles.
There was this small news item "Industry wants Bharat Ratna for Dilip Kumar". Big names like Rajnikanth, Shah Rukh khan and some others have made a public appeal to the powers that be that the legendary thespian be bestowed with the Bharath Ratna for his contribution to the world of cinema.
How well placed is this demand, is debatable. Dilip Kumar alias Yusuf Khan is an Indian from Peshawar. His roles in the evolution of Hindi films is a subject of huge writings, but to be a Bharath Ratna, only for that, leaves many questions unanswered. To be a Bollywood icon and to be a Bharath Rathna is not the same thing. A public office that Dilip Kumar held in 1980, was that of Sheriff of Bombay (now Mumbai). As Sheriff of Bombay, he had hosted a dinner for the visiting Pakistani cricket team. Normally in such meetings, Indo-Pak relation could have been a normal subject of discussion and casual chat. Although what transpired in the dinner meet is not available verbatim, a report by the WEEK did publish a Pakistani cricketers comment. "Yusuf Saab spoke like a Pakistani ambassador" conveying thereby, that he represented Pakistan rather or better than India. India and Indians have given this Dilip Kumar alias Yusuf Khan unparalleled love and the thespian earned his millions in India. But what about his loyalty?
Whither justice vis-a-vis judgment has been an oft repeated exclamation in the sensitive section of the civil society for quite some time now. The latest Supreme Court judgment that "kicking of a daughter-in-law" or "threatening her with divorce" does not amount to ‘cruelty’ is simply retrograde by any standard of comparison. Criticism of the apex court judgment of Justice SB Sinha and Cyriac Joseph has come in for sharp criticism from across the political spectrum so also from legal fraternity. Asking the government to ‘urgently’ file a review petition, Brinda Karat, CPM leader & MP has observed, and rightly so, that this judgment has all the potential to be an open licence for the already increasing domestic violence to increase further. Yes the government has to act ‘suo-moto’ to stop the operation of judgment lest the culprit escape the law.
And this justice Cyriac Joseph, who was the Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court was allegedly involved, according to CBI, in tampering the Bangalore based forensic lab’s C.D. on sister Abhaya Murder case. As we all know, Abhaya murder case hit the head lines some 17 years ago, where a sister, Abhaya had reportedly witnessed immoral activities involving the male and female clergy of a church in Kottayam, Kerala, was allegedly done to death by all partners involved in the immoral activity. All these alleged criminals, according to the CBI are from the same Knanaya community of Justice Cyriac Joseph. According to the Forensic Lab visitors book, Justice Joseph had come to the lab and had met Dr S. Malini, the Asstt. Director, who was involved in the preparation of C.D. of Abhaya Murder case. Now if Justice Joseph had opined that "kicking of a daughter-in-law" does not amount to cruelty, its not surprising that he had allegedly attempted to help his community members to escape the punishment for allegedly killing an innocent helpless female. May be Justice Cyriac Joseph thinks that sister Abhaya was in a wrong place at the wrong time and therefore his friends need to be saved. Isn’t it the same story, where might is right. What has the religion to do with the human crookedness?!
That takes us to the book ‘Amen’ by sister Jesme. What she has written, strangely the media has under played, is not abnormal. Behind every religious bigotry there is human dimension. We are all humans first and Hindus, Christians or Muslims later. If the establishment thinks that forced celibacy is the done thing, the victims will always find escape routes, away from the public glare. Probably every established system is aware of it, but do not want to admit. We all want to run away from the truth. Of course society should stand by people like sister Jesme, who had the courage of her conviction. True that she lived two lives. But then again she is human too, but mustered enough strength to tell the world, her side of the story. She should be honoured and congratulated. We need such people in the world to live longer and stronger. Her family disowned her, her faith disowned her. But since the world has not lost its sanity she is still around, hale and hearty. We need to invoke the almighty to grant her the power to endure and live her life at her own terms. Amen.
The decision of MCOCA court in Mumbai to drop the charges under stringent MCOC Act against Sadhvi Pragya Singh and Lt.Col. Purohit and others in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case has come as a huge set back for the Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) and as a relief to the accused. The observation of the designated Judge Y B Shinde of the special court that these persons do not belong to any organised crime syndicate and there is no other case against them anywhere filed, therefore it should go back to the purview of the session court, appears to be in place. This means the accused can approach the court for bail and the case can go on. The fall out of the development is that, while case can go on, state has lost a chance to enforce its judgment, right or wrong.
Development politics or politics of development was always there with most of our political parties. For all the 62 years, all governments state or central have practiced selective apartheid in approaching development issues when it comes to areas and states belonging to opposition parties. The latest BundelKhand Development Authority (BDA) is no exception. While Rahul Gandhi, the initiator of the proposal is to be commended, its difficult not to agree with Mayawathi of UP and Chawhan of MP that the proposal is politically inspired, since there are many regions worst than BundelKhand. While not disagreeing with the chief ministers of both (U.P & M.P) states, it is eminently possible to agree on the modality on the ground, how all concerned states and centre can agree to plan and execute with only development of the region as the goal. The authority (BDA) can be constituted with members of from all affected states and centre, if all are serious about the development only and not politics. This will show maturity of our leadership. Hope some wisdom prevails on all concerned.
Critics of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh insist that, humility is his strong trait, behind which he hides a calculating mind. How many Indians believe it to be true? But the very fact that some have thought of talking about his calculating mind has really set the tongues wagging.
These critics point out that former Prime Minister late PV Narasimha Rao was the one who pulled Sardar Manmohan Singh from anonymity and made him the Finance Minister of India. The rest we all know, how between them they revived our economy and ushered the country into a development pace hitherto unseen. From then on Mr. Singh grew from strength to strength to become the Prime Minister, back to back, for the second time. However, Mr Singh the PM, apparently do not want to remember his days with the late PVN Rao. The story is that PVNR’s grandson was in the capital recently to meet Prime Minister Singh, after having got the appointment to meet. But our most educated, humble, meek Prime Minister cancelled the appointment in the last minute and refused to meet N V Subhash, the grandson of late PVNR, without assigning any reason. Subhash returned to Hyderabad a dejected man. Grapevine has it that NV Subash wanted to meet Mr Singh to discuss the possibility of having a memorial named after his grandfather on the occasion of his 89th birthday. According to the family sources they thought Mr Singh would be grateful enough to remember his association with late PVNR and would help in the matter. With hundreds of memorials all over the national capital, it wouldn’t have been difficult to manage if Mr. Singh desired, was the family logic.
But political equations having changed in favour of the first family of the Congress party, and since PVNR was not in the good books of the family in later years, Mr. Singh apparently thought that any concession to the memory of late PVNR would not be looked upon kindly by the family. Therefore to secure his present position, Mr.Singh dumped the man who was responsible for his complete transformation, say his critics. Keep smiling. It could be true.
Kannada news papers in Coastal Karnataka had carried a news item "Malabar Muslim State: Demand Terrorists" Quoting e-mails emanating from UAE, papers reported that some terror groups had demanded the Kerala government to form a Muslim state carved out of Kerala state, failing which the group shall carry serial blast all over the state. The e-mails have been received by news papers so also Kerala Police cyber cell. Accordingly precautions have been taken, the report stated. Report also mentions about the Pakistani independence day celebrations in districts of Kerala like, Kasargod, Kannur, Calicut and Wayanad, by hiosting Pakistani flag and by exploding pyrotechs. But strangely local English dailies were totally silent about the issue, but they were at hand to write front page news and editorials about a dress code in a local college, where the Burqa became a subject of heated debate. Our English media and their Muslim friends had nothing to say on the demand for ‘Malabar Muslims state’ but were crying hoarse about an insipid scarf issue. This is the same media and their men and women who had made a purely local pub attack event in Mangalore into a national catastrophe. Something is seriously wrong with our English print and electronic media.
Like the Sanjiv Nanda case, (BMW hit & run case) where Judge was worried about the education, his age and future, and hence reduced his sentence, even Sweety Singh, of 1 crore bribe scandal, also profited by Judge's ‘very kind’ heart. The special CBI judge SP Hayatnagarkar granted bail to Sarobjit alias Sweety Singh and 3 others on the ground that ‘if they are kept in jail they would become hardened criminals and may commit more serious crimes’. Oh! How sweet! What a gracious consideration! You take one crore bribe and you get such a kind judge, or could it be that the kindness was bought! Or else why such kindness is not available to all those petty criminals and those arrested under trumped up charges, allegation of being naxal and sympathisers of naxals etc. who are rotting in our over-crowded jails? There should be hundreds and thousands of such detainees who truly deserved consideration but did not get it. In fact a good % of alleged naxalites have become hardened militants because they were arrested and treated badly by the system. Yes, when money speaks, many people go dumb and some even become 'kind'. Oh! Poor mother India.
Something is wrong with criminal justice system. Ejaculating into a six year old girl child’s mouth is an abominable offence by any civilised standard. But a 65 year old paedophile has been let off with hardly any punishment, ostensibly because " he is an old man. Supreme Court Justices Markandeya Katju and Ashok Kumar Ganguli had observed "Budhe ko kyon jail bhejna chaahtey ho". Because the criminal is old. Can he be let off? Would the judge react the same way, if the girl child was his daughter? Is it only because, except the prosecution, there was no body to defend this hapless child? How tragic sometime it is to be at the receiving end of justice in India?
The news that "Fake made in India Drugs came from China" should not surprise any. Like Pakistan, China too will remain an adversary to see that India too is destroyed, physically and economically. If Pakistan looks at India as a Hindu majority nation and hence to be troubled, China wants no competition to its super power status in the region. If Pakistan encourages fake Indian currency besides other terror troubles, China tried with drugs, besides spreading its military tentacles in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka to cock-a-snook at India. In this particular case, China has reportedly admitted that chinese pharma companies were involved in shipping fake drugs labelled "Made in India" to Nigeria. Matter came to light when Nigerian authorities seized a huge consignment of fake anti malarial generic drugs and got in touch with Indian authorities, after seeing the ‘made-in-India’ label, but port of origin being Chinese. Although Nigeria has referred the matter to Interpol, Indian authorities seem to be sleeping. They should take it up with W.T.O. and other international trade foras, instead of just asking our missions abroad to be more alert. The Chinese paranoia has been confirmed by the publication of a recent article by a Chinese strategist how India should be balcanised into many fragments. Hope our U.S. and Pak centric foreign policy makers have time to ponder on this "enter(ing) dragon."
If Maya is promoting herself and her former mentor Kanshi Ram with hundreds of statues all over U.P., Karnataka CM’s initiative in the "Positive Statue Politics" needs to be commended. Recently in an effort to improve neighbourly relations Yediyurappa, the Karnataka CM took the initiative of installing the statue of Tamil Poet- Saint Thiruvalluvar in Bangalore with Karunanidhi unveiling it. It was a long pending wish of Tamils living in Bangalore. Tamil Nadu too returned the favour by unveiling the statue of Sarvajna, the Kannada poet. This is a positive development and should bode well for better socio-political bonhomie between these states. Of course being a ‘pucca’ politician Yediyurappa may be looking for Tamil vote bank in and around Bangalore.
Having completed 62 years as a free nation, it is only fair that some assessment of the status of the nation is made. In Focus we have tried to dwell into it with a cross section of opinions to make it more representative. Hope readers shall find it interesting. Do revert with your thoughts. Rest of issues are as usual.