Month-In-Perspective

KARNATAKA: There was this book by Michael Lobo “Is Christianity a flawless religion?” released in Mangalore, the other day. He is a former physicist at IISc Bangalore. Book is expected to generate lot of debate since it seems to have favoured liberal over literal. Opinions are likely to be polarised, informs a source. However, clergy in Mangalore is confident, that since Christianity is a religion that believed in continuous corrections, if any, there will only be healthy debate with an open mind. Hope and wish that it remains so. The important thing is, all those who are practitioners of any organised religion, be it Christianity, Islam or Hinduism, should always remain open for its own sake. In a continuously evolving world there should be continuous and participative debate among the opinion makers within the faithfuls without any fear of diktats or fatwas. It is the diktats and fatwas which normally vitiate an open atmosphere especially in a country like India where we have at least half-a-dozen practicing religions with its own internal divisions. One important aspect all faithfuls should recognise is, that religion is a man made set of do’s and dont’s and therefore highly imperfect and hence should remain open for correction. This was made at a point of time long long ago, in the past. What was relevant then may not be relevant any more, in that we must have the openness to debate and accept the changed circumstances. Religion has to continuously evolve to the demands of changing times. Only then it will retain its dynamism. Hope, this latest book serves its positive purpose, starting with a premise that all religions are full of flaws.

Surely something may be happening to our great playwright Girish Karnad. Or else he can’t be in the news for repeated wrong reasons. For those who are not aware, Karnad was the 1st Indian after Jawaharlal Nehru, to be the Secretary of Oxford Debating Union (ODU). It was during his tenure, women were allowed, for the first time, to be the members of the ODU. After the Sir V.S. Naipaul bad mouthing episode, he is at it again. This time round our very own Nobel Laureate Ravindranath Tagore. Speaking in Bangalore, the local Jnanpeeth Award winner had reportedly stated that “Tagore was a great poet but as a playwright he was mediocre and second rate.”

Here the point is not whether Karnad is right or wrong. But it was an eminently needless controversy that he created. Even assuming that Bengal’s literary giant was indeed a mediocre and 2nd rate playwright as suggested by Karnad, there is absolutely no meaning in belittling a national icon, who was one of the earliest to get a Nobel Prize for literature, and who is long dead and gone. How is he going to defend himself of the accusation? Besides, this is not an earth shattering discovery, that this will make any difference. Only it showed the gracelessness of the man. It was a purposeless and an avoidable diatribe we could have lived without. Reacting to the Karnad outburst, one Bengali thespian reacted “may be Karnad is feeling insecure” while another remarked “very unfortunate”. Unfortunate, indeed, it was.

TAMIL NADU: The arrest of a small time businessman Ravi Srinivasan for tweeting against the Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram’s son Karti, is prima facie, appears to be high handed, for the simple reason, he was hauled-up by the police at 5.00 in the morning, while he was sleeping. All that he said was ‘got reports that Karthik Chidambaram has amassed more wealth than Vadra’. Although police in Puducherry justified quoting 66-A of  I.T. Act of 2008, which deals with  messages which are “grossly offensive” have “menacing character” or even cause “annoyance or inconvenience”, it was clearly a case of extreme over-reaction on the part of both police and the complainant Karti Chidambaram. In fact an editorial of a Mumbai based English daily called it “The arrogance of power” and accused police in Puducherry of subservience to power. It was indeed a sheer misuse of power by the police to please the son of a powerful Union Minister. Police, simply had no case of pulling a man out of his bed at such an unearthly hour of 5.00 in the morning, for an offence as a tweet, that too with a hit of just 16. The fact is Kartik has allegations of pushing his financial interests using his father’s name and clout. These allegations are still not cleared. So the tweet may after all be true, and if this Kartik does not like the truth, he had better ways to deal with this ‘irritating’ twitter. And police could have, at best called this ‘irritating’ twitter to the police station and warn him or ask him to remove the tweet. Instead they made a laughing stock of themselves by this primitive over-reaction. But then this is how Yeh Mera India is. Such things keep happening where rich and powerful use the law against powerless and police only play as their hand maiden. This has always been happening. Will it ever change? is a question staring at all of us.

GUJARAT: Narendra Modi may be the Best Chief Minister of India incorporated, but he too can put his foot in his mouth. He had absolutely no business to drag Shashi Tharoor’s wife into any political discourse. His comments of ‘50 crore Girl Friend’ was absolutely in bad taste. In his own way, he has earned respect, of course besides some brick-bats, but that certainly do not give him licence to talk anything he fancies. He must stick to his brand of development politics, where he is respected and taken seriously, controversy surrounding him apart. In fact, if he attacks less his opponents, and goes about in his inimitable style to portray as a no-nonsense political leader of Gujarat, he can forever remain, “Hriday Samrat” of Gujaraties. That can also do lot of good to the national politics, due to its multiplier effects.

MAHARASHTRA: There was this news that Maharashtra government decided to give an additional Rs: 10 lakh per jawan of CRPF and para military forces who died in action fighting Naxals in the state. As per the central government provisions there is a grant of Rs:15 lakh per person. And the decision of the state government is certainly wholesome one, to increase it to Rs: 25 lakhs. Among the depressing news of corruption and scandals of all kinds, this gesture on the part of the government in Mumbai, certainly sings paeans to the ultimate dignity and value of human sacrifice. It will send positive signals on the responsible public posturing by elected government. It bodes well for the society and should encourage all state governments to do its bit for all people who lay their life in the call of their duty.

The controversy surrounding the Nobel Laureate Sir Vidiadhar S Naipaul, an Indian origin person from Trinidad was a storm in the tea cup. He was being awarded the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ by Literature Live in Mumbai. He was always been a writer who inspired differing and sharp reactions. His views on India and Indian Muslims have been rather sharp at times. He was unsparing and unkind.  His observations were stark. He could be right and wrong at the same time. He was right because what he said were true, but was partly wrong, because he did not try to reason out for what he stated. He said ‘India is dirty and dusty. Indians shit in open, almost everywhere and are not apologetic about it’. He had roundly called India an ‘Area of Darkness’. But he is a writer, and as writer, he has his opinions and he was entitled to it. By nature, we Indians are self critical. We accept criticism with a pinch of salt. We don’t generally react violently. But playwright Girish Karnad had his own take. He used the occasion to attack Sir Naipaul head-on.  He was called to the function to present his views on theatre, instead it was a diatribe and strangely he took up the Muslim issue. His complaint was ‘Sir Naipaul accused Muslims as invaders, but did not talk about their contribution to the later day Indian music’. Quite frankly, if Girish Karnad was talking about the lack of appreciation of Indian music by Sir Naipaul, then his broadside had no relevance at all. He simply bad mouthed a guest who was invited by Karnad’s own ilk. In the event not only the organizers were deeply embarrassed but even Sir V.S. Naipaul left India with a bit of bitterness. When he said in the aftermath of this controversy that ‘I shouldn’t have come to India at all’, did convey his unpleasant memory of this ‘last trip’ to the land of his ancestors. Here it is important to note what Gurucharan Das, a former Corporate honcho and presently a writer of repute. Das had reportedly stated ‘The question we should be asking is why it takes us 10 years to build a road and 15 to get justice. The case of Rajat Gupta in the U.S. took only 2 years. If we fix the legal, political and bureaucratic institutions, China will have something to worry about’. Now this is somewhat getting real, isn’t it?

If the police in Puducherry are what they are, can they be different in Maharashtra? Aren’t both Indians primarily?

Salman Khan, a Hindi film actor was reportedly summoned 82 times by the Bandra Magistrate’s Court since last 7 years but did not attend even once, however found time to perform at the police function during Diwali. This Khan was involved in a drunken driving case in 2002. Now its 10 years old and allegedly Mumbai police is just not interested in securing a conviction of this actor Khan. And come to think of it, this accusation comes from a former policeman, IPS officer-turned-lawyer Y.P. Singh. So, the rot in the system is all pervading. It is so very clearly visible. If Alister Pereira’s case can be finished, rightly or wrongly, in 15 months-time, and that of Nooriya Haveliwala’s case can be completed in 2 years time, why is Salman Khan case is dragging beyond 10 years with no end in sight? Isn’t Y P Singh right when he asked, “Who is the big boss of the Mumbai police, RR Patil, the Home Minister, or Salman Khan? Oh my poor Mother India.

And comes another news “Delay in filing FIR allows history-sheeter to get bail.” A Mumbai date lined news informs that an FIR was only registered after the cops were pulled up by Joint Commissioner of Police (JCP) (law and order) during a Grievance Redressal Day (GRD). Reportedly despite repeated pleadings by the landlord of a house rented to a known local crook, the police took 3 months to register an FIR, by which time the culprit managed the bail, instead of the jail, that he deserved. Chembur police station, a Mumbai suburb, had received a complaint from the house owner regarding the illegal activities by the tenant, who took it for residential purpose and claimed in court with the help of forged receipts that he paid for the property and has bought it. When the owner approached the police station with a cheating complaint, police just didn’t act until JCP pulled them, when owners met JCP at a GRD. Police, reportedly feigned ignorance of the past of this history-sheeter, which prima facie is unbelievable. As a matter of routine, their files are full of such details of habitual offenders, and this man R R Pandian had many cases in different police stations of the same North Eastern region of Mumbai. But, as is the rule, police are on friendly terms with these cheaters, who keep the police happy. This is another aspect of our police force. Keep police happy and they will let you do happily what you do, legal or illegal.

Hanging of Mohd Ajmal Amir Kasab brings down the curtain on the uncertainty on the lone accused caught alive in the 26/11 massacre in Mumbai. Of course death sentence per se may not be the solution to the problem of heinous crimes. But this is kept in vogue only with the hope that ‘a death sentence’ can act as deterrent. The debate about the right or wrong on the issue apart, the devastation caused by this Kasab and his gang is unprecedented. That Pakistan was the perpetrator of this crime was never in doubt, but if this Kasab was to be killed in action, India would have no case against Pakistan. Just like they denied Kasab being a Pakistani, or that Faridkot is in Bangladesh, they would have outright rejected that the 26/11 mayhem was made-in-Pakistan. Poor Tukaram Ombale’s soul, where ever it is, may now really Rest in Everlasting Peace, but for whose heroics of catching this Kasab alive, this case would have been largely an open and shut case. Of course, even so late in the day, after all details have been put in public space, Pakistan is still trying to find alibi’s, how not to receive the dead body of this terrorist Kasab. As expected, Kasab’s handlers in Pakistan are already on record having threatened India that they will attack Indians and Indian targets for having hanged Kasab. It is extremely sad that Pakistan never seem to learn any lessons.

Every one of us has to die one day, sooner or later. So did Bal Keshav Thackeray at 86, known to his admirers as Bala Saheb. The cartoonist turned politician was, by any stretch of imagination, a powerful force to reckon with. There is a whole lot to write about, the man and his life. His baby, the Shiv Sena was born in 1966 to serve the cause of Marathi Maanoos. There is absolutely no doubt that the objective of forming the Shiv Sena was indeed to serve the cause of Marathi people in Mumbai. For whatever reasons, it is indeed true that, youth among Marathi speaking locals were not getting the employment opportunities. They were not getting employed by the growing private enterprises of then Bombay. So, the son-of-the-soil theory was the only way to force the issue. Bal Thackeray through his party Shiva Sena indeed forced the issue, and as the cliché goes, rest is history. It was an emotive issue and it found resonance across the Bombay landscape. There is absolutely nothing wrong in the son-of the soil theory. Development must reach everybody and son-of-the-soil must get it first. Of course, this is a very simplistic view. In reality this can be more complex. Only problem with this theory is the possible violence and possible strong arm tactics. Shiv Sena is credited with using violence and strong arm tactics liberally. This approach did give result and slowly the incidence of violence and strong arm tactics became less and less, as the ordinary Mumbaikers were getting empowered. But violence unfortunately, remained a part of Shiva Sena culture and nobody complained, least of all Mumbai Police. Thus when Bal Thackeray died, the city, that never sleeps, went into coma, out of fear. The arrest of two girls for the so-called 'twitter offence' is a reflection enough about Shiv Sena & its chief. Anybody that did not keep their establishment closed were badly attacked to make them comply. Of course, Shiv Sena as a political party has grown from strength to strength, despite some Aaya Rams and Gaya Rams. Bal Thackeray despite his writings against the dynastic politics of Nehru/Gandhi family, ended up just doing that. First he promoted his nephew Raj Thackeray, when he tried to wield greater power, he promoted his son Uddav. Now he has even anointed his grandson Aditya. Of course the dynasticism is a national malaise of Indian politics. Probably BJP and communists are the only parties that has not openly practiced, except in few cases. Without Bal Thackeray, how Shiv Sena can proceed, is a loaded question. As we end it is appropriate to reproduce a tweet “No debate if he was a good or bad guy. At least he was a person who stood for his beliefs. May his soul rest in Peace!"

NEW DELHI: Kejriwal is everywhere from Robert Vadra, to Salman Khurshid, to Nitin Gadkari, in matter of weeks. Now he has hit the richest Indian Mukesh Ambani and his company the Reliance Industries Ltd. Whole of India is privy to the fact, that Ambanies have a great deal of influence on the working of central govt., whether Congress ruled UPA or the BJP ruled NDA. In the past there were instances of copies of legislative papers being found in the drawers of the resident RIL managers stationed in New Delhi, even before it became a public knowledge. These resident representatives are basically P.R. professionals, who are adapt in handling people and situation with appropriate baits. Their reach is long and very penetrative. So, if RIL has succeeded in getting Mr Reddy booted out of petroleum ministry, since he was an inconvenient minister, it only proves an obvious point. RIL is all powerful, like Arvind Kejriwal kept repeating in past few days that Mukesh Ambani has stated in private that “Congress is in my pocket”.

The famous K.G. Basin, where the national property gas is being drilled by Reliance Industries Ltd of Mukesh Ambani, is having a revenue sharing formula. This formula includes investment by RIL and the production target. Greater the production, greater the revenue for the national exchequer. But as is the wont, the private sector, especially RIL wants to make more money for itself. It has increased investment in the infrastructure, to deny larger share for the state, but increased infrastructure has not increased the production. So RIL wants to deny the govt share from two sides, one by increasing the investment unilaterally and then not increasing the production also unilaterally.

Of course, they can hide behind the ‘technical jargon’, and we have interested politicians and babus joining them in agreement. But fortunately for India, Jaipal Reddy did not fall in line and became a ‘foul’ guy for both the RIL and their obliging government patrons. He had to go, courtesy the Prime Minister. On the top of this subversion RIL is demanding a price rise. Any rise at this stage will only give windfall gain to RIL, and right enough, Reddy wanted CAG to step in to conduct an extensive performance audit, to see irregularities, if any, including the higher cost claim by RIL. But all came to a naught because of the ‘intervention’ by the aam aadmi government of UPA II. Having dumped the RIL ‘bêite noire’ Jaipal Reddy, the new incumbent Veerappa Moily was only too keen to drop the whole idea of audit, insisting to go by the ‘agreement’ between the Central Govt. & RIL, national interest or no national interest. This is exactly for the same reason that FDI is suspect and hence not welcomed. Do you harken Dr Manmohan Singh, the economist Prime Minister?

Problem with Ram Jethmalani is, his being a lawyer. He sees everything from the legal prism. While his stand about Nitin Gadkari, his party president, cannot be faulted, his observation on Rama, whom, most Hindus look upon as God and Maryada Purushottam, cannot stand the scrutiny. He should at least express regret to those agitated Hindus who are pained by his irresponsible utterance. As a responsible senior lawyer and an M.P., he is duty bound, not to tinker with religious feelings. It was indeed very provocative. There are ‘N’ number of explanations to prove Jethmalani wrong. But see the catholicity of this country. There have been no violent demonstration by any section of Indians, no death threat or even any diktats on Jethmalani not even complaints to the police that he has hurt the sentiments of people. Except one Mandeshwar Swami Shamdas Maharaj of Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, announced an award of Rs: 5 lakhs to anybody who spits on the face of Jethmalani. That, although very uncivil, is certainly a non-violent form of protest like throwing footwear.  Of course, hurting the sentiments of Hindus in India or anywhere else is passé. That is how everybody who utters things against Hindus goes unchallenged. That makes some people and groups bold to keep tinkering with the feelings of Hindus. It was Habib Tanvir who had observed that ‘Brahmins are children of prostitutes’, and a periodical from Delhi carried stories suggesting that Rama and Krishna, the Hindu Gods, were gays. Except some public protest nothing happened. That is how this Syed Sarwar Chisti, of Ajmer Sharif Dargah, while addressing a socio-political forum Popular Front of India, in Mangalore used harsh words against some of the Hindu organisations like RSS saying it has to be suppressed and that if Modi becomes Prime Minister all Muslims will become terrorists. This is flagrantly provocative and unreasonable. Has any Hindu taken to street to condemn this, in a country where they constitute 80%? But look at Pakistan. An Islamabad date lined report informed ‘Hindu rights activist in Pakistan shot at”. And she is a lady. Her only crime was, she was fighting for human rights of minorities – both Muslims and non Muslims. Of course it is another matter that hardliners in Pakistan even wanted to kill a 14 year old Muslim girl, Malala Yousafzai, for advocating education for girls. But the tragedy is Muslims in India have not condemned it.   

There was this report in a Mumbai based daily ‘Big Fish and their Swiss Chocolates” describing the expose by IAC of some very big names in India Inc., and their money trails. According to Prashant Bhushan and Arvind Kejriwal, a list of some 700 names having some Rs: 6000 crores in Swiss Banks is with the central government. But govt. has failed to make it public for reasons best known to them. IAC alleges that govt. raided only some small fries and didn’t do anything with those big names. Big names are indeed big names – Mukesh & Anil Ambani, and mind you, in all the 40 odd years’ history of RIL no media men dared to expose any of the misdeeds of Ambani family. There have been small mention of big issues often, but like a storm in the tea cup Ambanies have always brushed them aside with nonchalence. It was given, only to the likes of Kejriwal, with that unquestioned integrity to put Ambanies and their ilk in dock.

Of course, as usual all cried hoarse, and denials galore followed. But strangely nobody decided to take any legal recourse for defamation. But why? May be there is more to it than what eyes can see. IAC even dragged the current incumbent in the Rashtrapathi Bhavan.  Kejriwal dared the former Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee “On what basis did FM decide who are to be raided and who are not? Why Ambanies were not raided?” Of course, the first citizen of the country may have to find some ways to explain it out, now that the cat is out. It has always been in the air that Pranab Mukherjee is a person who knew too much on too many people for too long a time, but frankly did too little to expose them and hence did too great a disservice to the  country than any central minister.

As for Kejriwal, they were only allegations, may be well articulated and may be even very pertinent, but did not have solid evidence to prove his point. But there is absolutely no doubt that he has done what should have been done all along, expose the misdeeds publicly. He even accused the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) of money laundering, a charge Bank has not countered. But only issued a press statement that “it takes compliance with the law, wherever it operates, very seriously”. Reportedly HSBC is preparing to pay $ 1.5 billion in fine, in the United States, for breaking money laundering rules. Besides, in its home country, Britain, it is being seriously investigated for Revenue & Customs violations reportedly against some criminal clients in their off shore branch in Jersey. So surely Kejriwal is not whistling for wind. His questions and accusations are loaded.

                                                                                                 

WORLD: The visit by former Bangladesh Prime Minister and the current opposition leader, Begum Khalida Zia is a welcome sign in the growing Indo-Bangladesh friendship under the present Prime Minister Shiekh Hasina. Ever since the assassination of Mujibur Rehman, and the rise of Zia-ur-Rehman, there has been a steady rise of Pakistani backed anti-India sentiments and activities by politically supported fundamentalists. There may be some differences between India and Bangladesh in sharing some physical resources like river water, or transit line for India to its north eastern states, so also the huge migrants issue around the border areas of India, the fact remains Bangladesh became a nation from being East Pakistan, was entirely due to Indian help. This fact should never be forgotten. Although this fact should not lead to any exploitation by India against the interest of its smaller neighbour. In fact India should try its best to make life comfortable to Bangladesh as an elder brother in the region. It is true, the MEA at New Delhi lacks imagination in trying to be proactively friendly with all our neighbours, it is also incumbent upon Bangladesh leadership to live up to its obligation to be supportive of India’s concerns, especially the one’s backed by Pakistan’s ISI, on the Bangla soil. Khalida Zia has been the one who lived by these anti-India support base. Her coming to India on her own is a welcome development and should bode well for both countries, with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina actively involved in friendly dialogue with India. Yes there are irritants, as normally it can be, but nothing is beyond redemption. The reportedly successful visit of Begum Khalida Zia is a good sign. Long live Indo- Bangla friendship.

Hurricane Sandy came and wrought havoc to the devastation of New York and its neighbourhood, with some 60 dead and US $50 billion lost in destruction. Fortunately for Obama, his party, despite lingering doubts, was not spoiled. He scored an emphatic victory over Mitt Romney, the Republican aspirant to the White House. Did the incumbent president deserve another stay of 4 more years in the White House? Could only be of academic interest, in the aftermath of the Nov. election to the U.S. presidency. It is reported that among some 30 countries that made public its  preference, 29 opted for Obama with only Pakistan not preferring him. So Sandy or no Sandy, the goodman has come back to the most powerful global address. Knowing the man, it can safely be said that, what he didn’t do in the first 4 years, unpleasant, but good for the country and for the world, he can be trusted to do it, this time round. Four years may be long in terms of days, - 365x4=1460. But everything needs an incubation period. In the event American-public-coloured, Hispanics and Asians, besides a fair number of whites-said a resounding ‘yes’ to the tall man with a funny name, Barack Hussain Obama. After all U.S.A belonged to all of them not just Anglo Saxons! Two cheers to American citizens for standing by a good man, who deserved to win.