Cyncerity

The Lalgarh story: India's Maoist dilemma

2009-07-07T23:58:00.002+06:00

Read the complete article published at OpenDemocracy right here.

I have tried to incorporate everyone's point of view in the article. However, I do stick to my earlier assertion that the people of Lalgarh are stuck between a rock and a hard place. They have lost faith in the government and political parties and know it is a huge safety and economic risk to fall back on the outlawed Maoists.

Chilling documentary on Mumbai's 26/11 by Channel 4

2009-07-02T20:14:00.008+06:00

Britain's Channel 4 produced a documentary on the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai last year. They have used CCTV footage from the Taj, the Oberoi and VT Station, interviews with civilians and police officers who witnessed the attacks, the initial police interrogation of the captured militant Ajmal Kasab and telephone conversations allegedly recorded between militants on the ground in Mumbai and their controllers in the terrorist outfit, the Lashkar-e-Toiba.

The video is a chilling reminder of the ease with which a handful of gunmen held one of the world's largest cities hostage for over 48 hours. A few interesting points to notice in the video are:

- The inability of policemen at VT Station to tackle two young, inexperienced gunmen due to a sheer lack of security organization at the railway hub and the malfunction of their own guns.

- The militants who are in charge of holding The Taj Mahal Hotel hostage are in complete awe of its interior grandeur. Their controller seems to have to constantly remind them of their mission and not be distracted by what they saw around them.

- The young gunmen seemed little informed about the course of action they were to undertake once at their various locations. One wonders how such a seemingly unsophisticated operation on the ground was so successful.

- The controllers of the LeT have absolutely no concern for their men on the ground - in this case young men who have been promised unending wealth for their families and heaven for themselves.

Channel 4 has unfortunately pulled down the video earlier available on YouTube. Wider reaction in the media regarding its absolute authenticity and the many questions regarding urban security, terrorist recruitment, etc. are still not available.

Fresh thinking: education and security reforms for India

2009-06-19T01:44:00.004+06:00

I should have started doing this earlier. Anyhow, I have been writing for openDemocracy and from now on provide a link to the articles.

This was posted only today. It is a round-up of recommendations commentators in the Indian media have been giving the new government with regard to policies on education and national security.

Lalgarh: Its citizens will suffer the most

2009-06-18T01:01:00.005+06:00

Some initial thoughts on Maoist insurgents taking control of hamlets in West Bengal:

a) Discontent with local police and the high-handedness of CPI(M) cadres had been growing since last year in Lalgarh and the surrounding areas. Villagers have been gathering in large numbers to protest against atrocities committed by both sides. Yet, in the run up to last month's national elections, these developments were over shadowed and almost as if forgotten.

b) With the electoral losses of the CPI(M), people in these parts are emboldened to make their discontent known to all. They have been calling for better governance and gotten very little attention. Hence, their opposition to the police and political parties has allowed Naxals to come in and set up camp.

c) People in rural West Bengal have genuine grievances and no politician has sufficiently addressed them. The ruling party has used force to suppress them and opposition parties use them as fodder to advance their assaults on the current state administration. Now, that Maoists are gaining ground (and Maoists are considered a big threat to national security) all parties have backed out from coming out in support of the people's grievances.

d) The only way to bring back these territories under the rule of law is to send in police and paramilitary forces as no legitimate politician has any credibility in these districts to win the people's trust back. Such an assault will lead to the loss of innocent lives because it seems like the people are resilient. So, the Maoists will be able to continue their penetration of the area while politicians will have to use force as a means of last resort. Whoever orders security forces to enter Lalgarh now might have to give up his seat as there will be significant violence. No one has been able to come up with a practical alternative and till someone is ready to go in and take charge, we will have to sit and wait.

e) Poor governance and so many years of complacency has led to the current conflagration. The people who will suffer the most in whatever course of action is sought will be the people of Lalgarh in the West Midnapore district. They are stuck between ruling parties at the state and centre, between ruling and opposition parties in the state and between an insurgent movement and the security of the nation.

Pictoral essay of life in Pakistan's refugee camps

2009-06-17T00:08:00.007+06:00

The Boston Globe published some insightful pictures of refugee camps in Pakistan. The photographers have focused on the lives of children in these camps.

They cover a wide range of activities at these camps majority of whose residents tend to be displaced women and children. From lining up each day for food, for ID cards, attending makeshift schools, playing with the multitudes of other children, receiving medical aid, the pictures are a vivid account of the multitude of services provided by refugee camps.

The United Nations estimates that approximately 3 million people have been internally displaced due to the on-going fighting in the country's north-western provinces. The humanitarian body is reaching out for help in their efforts to set up enough camps as their current resources will not last for more than a month.

Is Obama repeating historic mistakes in Pakistan?

2009-06-08T14:44:00.003+06:00

Is America repeating a historic mistake by pumping in money to support Pakistan? Will the Pakistani army move out of the country's north-west once the current operation is thought complete and allow militants to grow in influence again?

Praveen Swami analyzes and asks America to be more creative if it really wants to remove the militant threat on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

Ugly Women Get Reprieve - Women's Lib Complete

2009-05-31T20:29:00.003+06:00

"Calling one's wife ugly may soon be considered an offence under a Malaysian law that seeks to protect a woman both physically and emotionally."

So says this report from the Hindustan Times. I'm not sure how this makes much sense because a violent husband may not call his wife ugly in the first place. He may use some other choice words or just launch into the physical violence directly. I also wonder if the 'ugly' is for purely subjective views or objective ones like Susan Boyle's ugliness. Although that is superficial, skin-deep ugliness. What about someone being a really ugly person at heart, like a pedophile intestine-chewing, grave-robbing necrophile? Nope, I guess that is out of bounds too because it might hurt that woman's feelings. The same probably applies to calling a woman fat, balding or telling her she has smelly breath.

I'm guessing the counterpart to this law, you cannot insult a man's penis due to the permanent emotional scarring, should be out soon. Can't let women have all the power in the world now, can we?

Manchester United vs. Barcelona - The Best Team Won

2009-05-31T20:01:00.002+06:00

Manchester United were beaten by Barcelona on Wednesday night in the Champions League final. After the first 8-9 minutes of domination from United, the Barcelona that has played scintillating football all year long showed up and won the game in style. There are a few conclusions to draw from the game:

1) This Barcelona team is the greatest team to have played football together over a full season. There might be greater teams over one single game (think Brazil 1970 but this Barca team probably has that covered too) but none over a season. I tip my hat to the best attacking team and indeed best team in the world.

2) There is no shame to lose while trying to play your own football. United tried that for much of the game and I took pride in that regardless of it being a bastardized version of Barca's play and failing to result in any goals. I took no pride in the lashing out by Vidic and Ronaldo towards the end. If things weren't bad enough already, this didn't make things better, it just drove home the feelings of loss and anger.

3) Pique should not have been sold. It is a big mistake and United will regret it even more if Ferdinand's injury troubles persist. He is past 30 and will play fewer games every season on now. Pique was the rock that Barca's defense was built around and if one watches the game again, count how many times the commentator says, "Pique clears". He has learned his art at United and gone to practice it elsewhere. A very poor piece of business.

4) United's defense as well as the midfield will have to spend a lot of time this pre-season on organization. It has been sorely lacking since March of this year and resulted in the best defence in Europe becoming one of the leakiest. Ferdinand's return hasn't changed things that much so the issue lies in drilling it in. The two goals came from poor closing down by Carrick and Anderson for the first apart from Vidic's mistake and O'Shea not covering the shortest man on the pitch (if not the stadium).

5) Where is Hargreaves?

6) Messi is without doubt the greatest player in the world. Iniesta is the greatest player at Barcelona. The two showed Ronaldo how the game is played. While the erstwhile World Player of the Year threw hissy fits, Iniesta and Messi dribbled through rash tackles and got up every time without an issue. Most importantly they pass the ball. Ronaldo doesn't. To top it all, he attempts to deflect blame from his own performance by blaming Ferguson for tactics. Fuck off Ronaldo to Madrid.

I was strangely disconnected after the game but the loss has sunk in. It is painful and I don't think I'll be able to read any football news till August. Sucks.

Indian media going orgasmic over a certain someone?

2009-05-24T03:08:00.003+06:00

"Oh my god! He knows who Hugo Chavez is? Wow, that just makes him so well-read."

"He took off his shoes before entering someone's house! He offered his chair to a sixty-year old!"

"He reads books! And he buys them from Khan Market!"

This piece in the Outlook about the boy India is apparently in love with is nothing short of brilliant and flattering. The qualities listed above make this 39 year-old ready for the country's top office. One wonders if the author has met any average Indian boy or girl brought up in an urban, middle or upper middle class home. Please do read for a good laugh and perhaps, risk suffering from a complex!

http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20090601&fname=Cover+Story&sid=5

Cleaning Up

2009-05-23T20:49:00.006+06:00

The New York Times had an article a few days back on Pakistani kids hitting the streets of Lahore trying to clean it up. Part of NYT's fetish for Pakistan of the last few months, it does stray from the focus on security. It speaks of a bunch of kids, all of whom sport sunglasses as the photographs show you, going out on hot Sundays and picking up trash in the market places. Apparently, they were sick of their parents and friends complaining about the government's ineptitude.

“The reason the Taliban is ruling Swat,” he said referring to a valley north of Islamabad where Islamic extremists took control this year, “is because they are organized. We need to organize, too.”

So says a Mr. Shahram Azhar. Big targets if they aim to organize from a trash collection society to an organized force that can rival the Taliban in relatively backward areas.

Preposterous as it sounds, there is some basis to the argument. A self-help society in a pure form (commie style) can provide a big boost to confidence and pride in your environment. One thing is supposed to lead to another till you're country of sample population is highly developed, evolved and goes by the name of Scandinavia.

Of course, it is almost impossible to make it work thanks to the cooperative dilemma. Everyone passes the responsibility on and assumes someone else will take care of it. Or the taxes that they pay mean the government will eventually hire some untouchable to clean the streets. Or everyone else is doing it so why can't I? It is a bit of a myth that education and wealth solves the issue because I've seen men step out of 7 series BMWs to relieve themselves (I am assuming they got the car thanks to some level of sophistication but if you know Delhi, you know it stands on very weak grounds). I've seen bottles of water hurled through the air by my own friends, who's education I can vouch for. So I believe it is part of the 'chalta hai' or 'anything goes' attitude that is so infuriating.

I tried a variant of the Pakistani kids' solution to see if any change can be affected. Having lunch at the home of a fellow blogger, one of his guests revealed his efforts to improve the community. He cleans up after people who litter, trying to guilt them into being ideal citizens. Inspired by this concept and his example, I decided to do the same. On a trip to Jaipur, I asked a shopkeeper where his trash-can was so I could throw away a bottle. He took it from me and chucked it into the street. I went and picked it up, pocketed it and told him it wasn't his trash-can. The bloody fool, if not disgruntled was far from gruntled. Nonetheless, to spite me, he threw another piece of trash into the street. I probably should have picked it up too but I walked away.

For every one person I've convinced to do the right thing, there are at least 4 others who behave like that idiot. A 20% strike rate isn't bad but then there's no guarantee that such behaviour continues on. Added to that, my sample size is small and so not too many judgements can be made but it still seems that there is no incentive to act clean. I've seen a cop try to fine someone for littering but let him go with a warning. Of course, they do the same for traffic misdemeanours when they don't posture for a bribe.

I guess one of the key issues is that people don't count the streets, the neighbourhoods as their own. Greater responsibility and ownership may prove more effective than education. The other key challenge is to remain motivated and to sustain enthusiasm for any such project. It is extremely difficult and though I wish the Pakistani kids the best of luck on it, I fear like most rich, urban kids they'll find something else to do on a Sunday afternoon.

The successful case study for them already exists. In Malcolm Gladwell's otherwise horribly pissing off book The Tipping Point, the broken windows example is very encouraging. It relates how New York City was turned from one of the scariest shitholes in the world to the slightly less scary, sometimes shithole metropolis love now. Graffitti on subway cars was cleaned off every night even as offenders would draw it back in the morning. It required immense levels of patience to repeat the 'good act' daily - one that I did not manage against the Jaipuri shop keeper. The payoff for NYC was something clean that people took more pride in and put some effort into keeping clean. Gladwell hypothesizes that it also led a massive reduction in crime rates.

The trite statements are easy to make in this case as the reporter of the NYT article did. Read on to Page 2 and the revelation - it is difficult to be cornier in life. Early days I think to say such things and a good way to make a fool of yourself. But here's hoping they continue and more people around South Asia follow their example. Any visible difference would be fabulous. Who knows, one might even topple the Taliban using it.

Are we all socialists? Are we just confused?

2009-05-21T00:11:00.003+06:00

Are we really this confused and unsure?

An Atlantic correspondent asks whether twenty-something year olds today are in fact socialists. As he points out, these are the same people who supported the Iraq War which was launched by a party and president who fought hard against big government.

Dance of democracy?

2009-05-20T23:27:00.006+06:00

The people have spoken with a decisive voice. The people have voted for good governance. The people have voted for change. The people have proved how vibrant India's democracy is. Since last Saturday, the Indian media and following it the international media have lauded the electoral process in the world's largest democracy.

Ever since a surprised electorate was informed by an even more surprised media that the Congress-led UPA was voted back to power with significant numbers (much to the party and coalition's own shock), all the reasons why Manmohan Singh, his cabinet and the country's grand old party were doing a terrible job at governance have been forgotten.

No one is asking the tough questions post elections as they all celebrate somebody, anybody's victory. Did the nation really come together to bring the Congress back to power as a positive affirmation of the manner in which it had conducted India's affairs in the last five years? I think for many voters it may have been a case of voting for the only viable alternative.

Whatever happened to the UPA's absolute inability to ensure domestic security with multiple bombs going off in cities all across the country, with the Naxalite movement expanding its reach everyday and with militants being able to cross in to India with just that much ease? With the Communists out of the way, the UPA is expected to usher in sweeping free-market reforms. Has everyone forgotten the UPA chairperson commending her mother-in-law for nationalizing Indian banks and saving the country as it steps in to the 21st century? Where is all the talk about a failed industrial and SEZ policy that will not create the number of new jobs as required? Suddenly all the detractors of mammoth policies like NREGA are hailing it as a revolution - will we no longer inquire about where majority of the funds set aside for such schemes disappear to? In the run up to the elections, while the media stalked the Gandhi siblings and made them heroes, there were many who complained of the inability of the Congress party and the country to find next generation leaders outside of political families. Now, the Gandhi son is being hailed as a messiah. All that talk of nepotism has been forgotten once again.

The sudden change in tone and rhetoric of the media and of political commentators is simply remarkable. Unfortunately, it makes a mockery of the historic electoral process the Indian population recently participated in. And it reduces the nation's challenges and necessary policy-making to a defensive activity, rather than elevating the debate around it to a more concrete and wholesome process.

And for those who thought we would never see these people throw their weight around national politics - welcome Lalu, Mayawati and Mulayam Singh to the UPA of 2009.

Kissinger & Obama (Gods) meet in Valhalla to Discuss Hades

2009-05-20T23:18:00.005+06:00

OK, so I'm mixing up mythology a little but I'm sure you get the picture. Clearly some big men are concerned about this.

CONGRESS WINS INDIAN ELECTIONS 2009!! - For Real this Time

2009-05-16T20:00:00.000+06:00

All the phases of voting, the nail-biting tension (for some I'm sure) and truckloads of suspense have resulted in the Congress winning and winning decisively. Congress has won more seats than any single party since they did the same feat back in 1991. It speaks to the fragmentation of India and the shift towards multi-party coalition politics with weakened governments in the last 18 years.

Has the Indian voter realized this process wasn't working too well? I don't think so, I think they felt the UPA were the lesser of all evils and have voted accordingly.

I was a fan of such politics for quite a while, thinking it to be true democracy where everyone has a voice in some form or the other. Pragmatically speaking though it means decisions are slowed and are constantly under attack with blackmailing threats from minority allies that they will back out. The mandate that Congress has gained over the last month means that they will be able to push more policies through. Best of all there is going to be no need to pay heed to the Left. The CPI (M) has been blown to smithereens in West Bengal by Mamta Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress, considered by many to be a mad woman (an euphemism). The Left had reared its head highest during the ratification of the 1-2-3 Act aka the Indo-US Nuclear Pact. India was not going to bow down to an imperialist capitalist nation according to them. Well sucks for you now, Left.

Extremely gratifying is the erosion of power of Mayawati and the BSP in Uttar Pradesh. Congress gained a heck of a lot under the organization, leadership and campaigning of a certain Rahul Gandhi. The man has been vindicated I feel. He has done brilliantly to bring Congress to such a position of power in a state where they have had virtually no presence in recent times. Moreover, the opposition he was up against in Mayawati is not to be smirked at. Going from strength to strength in recent times she was more than just a dark horse for the seat of Prime Minister. That itself was based on her ability to gain upwards of 50 seats and then lining up anti-UPA allies.

We now know that was optimistic but it didn't seem so for the longest time. Her appeal to the Dalit community had grown to encompass anyone poor including Muslims, long a vote bank for the 'secular' Congress. Running Muslim celebrity candidates such as Mohammad Azharuddin and fabulous campaigning by Rahul's best mate, Omar Abdullah, are some simple reasons to point to that the Muslim vote was regained. They were also no doubt aided by the antics of Varun Gandhi and my Mayawati's unbridled lust for central power, distracting her from her home state.

Rahul should be commended for his role in the overall victory and UP's contribution to it. He has said that he does not want to be a cabinet minister and that has its plusses and minuses. He probably should continue in his organizational role as it has done wonders as all can see. Abandoning it now may lead it to unravel overnight. As a cabinet minister though, he will gain the experience for the role he has been earmarked since birth - Prime Minister. He will also have an opportunity to prove he can handle the responsibility and can create a track record to be judged on. Manmohan Singh has asked him to join the cabinet and I feel certain he will this time round.

The question is what portfolio will he get? Surely, it will be something more minor to start with and a subsequent reshuffle landing him a more prominent role as Home Minister or something similar. Very, very interesting.

On the subject of Prime Minister himself, Manmohan is due to be the first back-to-back term PM in India since Nehru. Incredible, if true. To be fair, I'm sure Congress and its allies would prefer either Sonia or Rahul to be PM because it is a dynastic party. Manmohan is a regent who may be redundant. As long as his biggest fans remain Sonia and Rahul, Manmohan will be PM.

The BJP are deserved losers. Much of their campaign was negatively aimed at Manmohan. He is a weak leader, they said. A puppet with no voice of his own. But what was their strong leadership going to provide? Greater communalism than already exists? Alienating what is still nominally the world's strongest power? More hostility towards Pakistan? I don't see their economic policies appealing to anyone but urban businessmen. Not that Congress is much better saying we achieved 6% during a global recession so we rock. Going down to 6% (4.5% according to the IMF) from 9%+ is akin to recession, they must know that.

I still feel though that even though Congress is a hodge podge of everything, it is better than being the uber-nationalistic BJP. The BJP has a major need to re-invent itself much like the Republican Party in the US. Modi is the immediate future and has become a beacon of development. Personally, the spectre of Godhra still hangs over him. They are also counting the costs of defending Varun Gandhi's anti-Muslim statements. Though he won his seat, how many others were lost in the process? A Gandhi-Gandhi future? I don't think so.

The final reckoning should show a strong government without the need to dilly-dally or hold massive referendums on policy making. Stability is key for development and growth and most importantly for inspiring confidence in every walk of life. The people have spoken.

Manchester United vs. Arsenal - Eleven for Number Eleven

2009-05-16T19:43:00.002+06:00

Three-peat. Three championships in three years. Such an impossibly difficult feat that in the last 25 years United are the only team to have managed it. Mourinho got back-to-back titles but Wenger has been unable to go past one at a time. The bedrock for this fantastic performance was laid when Vidic became a starter in the autumn of 2006 and Ronaldo started scoring prolifically. Those two are the reason these three titles can be mentioned.

The game itself was rather boring. United were lethargic, not at all cutting and looking for a glass of champagne and maybe a prawn sandwich or two. Tevez was given a start, no doubt to say goodbye to the home fans once and for all. When he did come off his waves signaled just that. I tip my hat to Carlito for being a fan's footballer. I think we will miss him but if he is replaced adequately either from within our without, then he shall be remembered fondly at best.

Arsenal were a little slow too but maintained possession fabulously. I think Diaby had his first decent game in recent memory. Nasri cut in well from the right flank but Arshavin was largely invisible except for one instance where he drew 4 defenders with him. United's midfield trio of Fletcher, Carrick and Giggs tried to get stuck in but it just led to a fragmented game. Ronaldo, Tevez and Rooney tended to overplay when they did get into attack mode.

Nothing of note to mention other than that. A few incidents such as targeted tackling on Evra, no doubt for his comments after the semi-final. United wanted to start celebrating and Arsenal wanted to start their summer holiday. That's the sort of game it was. A few close freekicks did fill me with tension but Carrick fulfilled his defensive duties well.

Mission accomplished well in this game. O'Shea will need to be on his game against Barcelona and not leave Vidic isolated as he did today. Were Van Persie a better header of the ball, this point would be mentioned a lot more. It does feel though that Barcelona are going from strength to strength while United are ending at an ambling pace. Doesn't bode well for the final.

CONGRESS WINS INDIAN ELECTIONS 2009!! - Maybe

2009-05-16T02:12:00.007+06:00

The title is a little misleading. OK, very misleading as results are not out at the time of writing and pretty much everyone is claiming victory. BJP have one-upped Congress this time by claiming that they will win more seats this year with their allies than Congress won last time round. That is 219 vs. 218. Congress apparently is forecasting a slightly lower figure for themselves but as these were based off some news channel I glanced at, I wouldn't take them too seriously.

Of course such figures are based on the belief of these parties that they allies they covet will get in bed with them. It is an incestual orgy of the worst kind - filled with octogenarian men. Yuck, to borrow a phrase many girls use these days. Here is an example of a few hours of horse-trading or whore-bidding.

Ol' Chief Minister of Bihar jumped in head first by announcing that he will join whichever party that commits to granting Bihar 'special status' if their alliance comes to power. Karat's Wikipedia entry perhaps describes him best.

'Nitish's nickname is Munna. He is a teetotaller.'

It is essentially saying look you need a screw and this is my price and I swear I'll do you all night long if you pay me. Except ol' Munna is the leader of JD(U) which is supposedly part of the NDA, the BJP's alliance. So the analogy really changes from a plain old whore naming her rate, to a mistress who wants more diamonds and moving into the richer man's harem for them.

The old horny men aren't just the BJP and Congress but also the Left aka Communist Party of India. What is truly beautiful about the Left is that they have this carrot being offered to ol' Munna saying, 'Look man I love you, OK. If you back us we'll possibly think about maybe naming you as one of the candidates within our sizeable group who could be Prime Minister if we win. Are we cool?" The Left is kissing a little bit more ass saying Bihar deserves 'special status' without actually saying what that is. It could just be a tag before the name, i.e. 'Special - Bihar'. Or the promise of Bihar getting a different font from the other states on any Indian map or atlas published here onwards. I'm personally leaning towards the latter.

Tragically, it turns out Munna wanted more money for Bihar. All the better for your gaiye-bhainse you know. Congress has said, "Look I'm horny and I'll take any chick right now, no matter how ugly and how much she charges. Unless she's racist like BJP or Shiv Sena because that is so wrong." This of course is just a few days after the PM Manny Singh called Munna racist himself. Just to be on the safe side given all they're saying, they appended their statement quoted 4 lines above:

'He added that Congress had not blocked development in any state. "Congress has not differentiated with any state on the issue of development," he said.'

Also:

'"He (Nitish Kumar) needs to define and specify what he means by special status for Bihar. The UPA (the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance) has always taken into consideration demands when it has released funds for backward states," said Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh.'

Clutch answer. Of course we want you to develop just like we want everyone else to develop. Could be re-written as, "You're all equally special to me. How can you ask me to choose between you?"

BJP is a little taken aback obviously because they thought they had some seats locked in. Of course, they've promised 'special status' and claim they are the only ones who will provide it. Its really sucking for them if Congress is also doing this whole 'promising' thing that's so hep these days. Munna though could be in the fantastic position of having everyone promise to give 'special status' and therefore commit to getting into bed with whoever wins. That really negates his purpose so I'm guessing some new demand is close. Pretty much everyone else should also demand 'special status' to extract some true value. What's the point of standing for elections if you can't sell yourself if you win a seat?

The advantage Munna has of course is that he is promoting a book, released by Lord Meghnad Desai. The title of the book should you care, Special Category Status: A Case for Bihar. Sounds familiar right? Others could do it too if they just plagiarize like Munna allegedly did from a rather pissed off researcher at Jawaharlal Nehru University. Didn't sign the honour code, I guess.

There's going to be a lot more fun once the parties actually know who's won what and who's accordingly the best screw. I hope Congress wins simply because they seem to have a little bit more wisdom about them in basic matters of handling the country. For those who love the BJP because of the development they will bring, I can only say one thing:

They said the same about the Nazis.

P.S. - Munna a teetotaller? Really? In Bihar? How?

Finding the Inner Bigot

2009-05-15T01:01:00.000+06:00

"I'm going to vote for BJP."

"Why?"

"If Congress wins again, the Muslims will soon outnumber the Indians in India."

"What kind of insane are you, man?"

The exchange that took place after the last question was posed requires too much pardoning of French to be acceptable for a family blog such as this. Let's just say I was convinced my friend had lost his marbles.

To be fair, he is a successful businessman at a young age who makes highly rational (and profitable) decisions on a daily basis. Yet he could only (or would only) distinguish between Muslims and Indians. One is a religious group and the other a nationality. They are not mutually exclusive. Though being the world's largest minority they are far from a small group numbering 154 million and being the second largest Muslim population in a country after Indonesia. Take that all you pure Muslim states (I'm looking at you Sultanate of Brunei).

But I am not so different from my friend after some introspection. My attention is drawn to any men wearing salwar kameezes and prayer caps, women wearing burqas, mosques or madrassahs on my way through life. I should not look at them askew and I often don't. I do often look at them with some degree of bemusement and wonder if they are on 'our side' against jihadis and Talibanish elements and the 72 virgins in heaven. I should say don't get me wrong but I'm now in territory where I'm bound to be got wrong so the heck with it. For some measure of safety though, don't get me wrong. I have a whole bunch of friends, Indian and not, religious and irreligious, who have been born and bred as Muslims. I do not qualify or quantify (except here) them by their religion and it is yet to be a source of conflict in my relationship with any of them. All these vast dollops of perspective have not saved me from the bemusement and wonder mentioned earlier.

As part of my singling out of Muslims as a community, I try to have conversations with anyone with a suspicious bearded visage with some hope of entertainment, clarifying their secular credentials and perhaps one controversial moment that can provide lots of the former and disprove all of the latter. While in Ahmedabad, I went to the Jumma Masjid with the aim of being 'touristy' at a 600 year old structure and perhaps meeting some zealots. I managed to get an audience with the maulana who turned out to be an exceedingly kind man. It should be no surprise that he was but I expected someone to thunder down at me. He took in my questions about the history of the venue and explained the reign of Ahmad Shah in some detail. I really didn't hear much as I steeled myself to ask him his views on the Taliban. Foolish, to say the least. He eyed me rather sternly (looking much like a non-gay Albus Dumbledore), judged me as an upstart of the worst kind and then told me the extremists are just that - extreme. He then looked back at what he was reading (I presume the Quran as I had interrupted him while he was praying) and I asked for his leave. It was idiotically putting him on the spot and I received better than I should have.

Not satisfied at the time with asking sensitive questions, I did the same with a cab driver once back in Bombay. He had a beard (as mentioned before I find them conspicuous) and his cab was missing any stickers, statuettes (or idols if you prefer) and any other religious accessories such as beads or what-have-you. I asked him if he was Muslim and he mumbled in the affirmative. I asked him his view on the fundamentalists too.

At this point we were interrupted by, "I never really knew she could dance like this, she makes a man wanna speak Spanish." Hips Don't Lie by Shakira. The cabbie's ringtone. It went off 4-5 times during the ride and while he didn't answer it once, he always waited till Wyclef said 'Shakira, Shakira' before silencing it. A memorable conversation, indeed.

He didn't think the jihadis were in sync with the holy texts. He asked me why I picked on him in particular. I told him he looked religious so I had asked out of curiosity.

"It is the media that forms this image in your head. They show any traditional form of dressing or carrying oneself as a direct link to terrorism. A few rotten apples and they spoil the barrell. I'm just as Indian as you, you know but you thought of me as Muslim. Let me ask you this - how many Hindus did you ask about their feelings towards the Shiv Sena and MNS?"

Good point. I am indoctrinated by the media and by society around me, just like my friend and countless others. If I am to be a little less naive (and not simply blame media and society), I can also see some inherent biases within me probably in my upbringing but at the very least in my surrounding environment. I associate two images very strongly in my head now. It is why I look at men in salwar kameez a little longer for weird behaviour or try to ask my cabbie such questions. It is why I snap a photo of a (modern) madrassah in Bombay. Any Muslims that I don't know well enough to disregard their religion, I consider as some sort of trespasser. Apart from the simplicity of my mind, my prejudice was exposed best by his question of me. I had not nor have I since asked any Marathis about their sympathies towards the Hitler-worshipping, neo-fascist Thackeray organizations.

Such segregation of course is almost a norm in this country. While Manmohan Singh has questioned the secularity of Nitish Kumar for hanging out with good ol' Narender Modi, the Congress has fielded Mohammad Azharuddin in Moradabad, UP with the hope of drawing estranged Muslim voters to a Muslim celebrity. In the midst of it all, a lot of people have lost sight of putting nationality first. Perhaps it is to be expected in such a diverse nation where the population has the attention span of a gnat. Minds are easy fodder for anyone who wants to pervert them, and where divisions along cultural and religious lines can be made, they will be thick as stone. It is virtually the law of this land.

Maybe the simple solution for people like me and my friend, is to listen to Hips Don't Lie as my cabbie was intent on doing. Solid advice, Wyclef.

"Como se llama (si), bonita (si), mi casa (si), su casa." True that.

Wigan vs. Manchester United - Fab Four to the Rescue

2009-05-14T18:46:00.003+06:00

Bloody Tevez. Just when you've steeled yourself to bidding adieu to a player who runs a lot and does little else, he goes and scores a goal like that. I mean wtf, mate? Why can't you pull out sublime backheel goals every other game you play? Why leave it to your last handful?

United were absolutely pants the first half. The defenders forgot how to attack and while the attackers knew how to attack they forgot where the goal was. Rooney missed a header that you or I could have scored blindfolded. Seriously. It was that easy. Within a minute, Carrick had been set up in a beautiful flowing move that went off his shin and high over the bar. Of course Wigan weren't just sitting back. Valencia was auditioning for a move to Old Trafford and should have scored in the first 2 minutes. Thankfully he can't chip yet. But score they did with a long ball over the top. The striker (who's name is too confusing to write here) nudged Vidic, who slipped, neither knew where the ball went but the striker found it once more and slammed it in. Shame on you Van der Saar for leaving such a gap on your near post.

Credit to Wigan for always giving as good as they got. Not that they got a lot so technically they gave better than they got. Anderson was rubbish for much of his time on the pitch, unable to control the ball or figure out what he wanted to do with it once he had. Evans was being dragged all over the place when he wasn't slipping and falling. On the hour mark came on dear old Tevez. A Carrick mishit, an exquisite powered backheel later and the scores were level. There was still half an hour to play to United resorted to good old fashioned wastefulness. Rooney went invisible. Berbatov became a midfielder. Ronaldo went into striker-who-is-about-to-cry mode. Tevez ran about a lot again. How can such a wonderful player have the shittiest first touch in top flight football? The ball comes in to him, touches his foot and bounces off 10 feet away. Whatever happened to trapping the ball? The rest of the team was following that philosophy although they were trying to lay it off to an outlet player, make space and run into for a receipt pass. Except after the pass they never ran. Idiots.

By comparison the Wigan players closed down and tackled wonderfully. Fantastically motivated and full of energy throughout, they put the champions to shame.

Ronaldo took on a few shots himself all of them going sky high. He managed to incur the wrath of Fergie in the process and had the guts to put up his hands and say "What??" in a gay, Portuguese accent. Mark Hughes has been saying Ronaldo will ruin his knees with his current freekick taking style. Once he moves to Madrid I hope he does have to change the technique. It'll serve the twat right.

The goal came in the 86th minute courtesy of a run by John O'Shea, the crowding of the box for the umpteenth time and a left footed shot by Carrick from 20 yards. The ball went in, I jumped up and shouted and things were rosy once more. United now need 1 point against Arsenal at home to celebrate 3 titles in a row. No mean feat mind you, regardless of how much I bitch about their mistakes.

On the other end I must mention Barcelona. If they haven't noticed United going to pieces when attacked then they are a pub team. Even worse in fact. I'd be licking my chops if I were them right now. Smelling a famous Champions League victory.

The Obama is Funny at Journo/Celebrity Dinner

2009-05-14T00:16:00.002+06:00

Barry makes light of himself and others at the annual dinner for rich people on small or large screens. How cool. How messianic.

Manchester United vs. Manchester City - You Call that a Derby??

2009-05-10T22:45:00.004+06:00

Disappointing. This fixture used to be filled with venom when the likes of Haangeland, Keane, Butt, Wright-Phillips and Barton were in their hey-day. Crazy tackles, sending offs, baying crowds were the norm. Fixtures last year were a little better although much of the attention was on how much respect the City fans would accord the 50th anniversary of the Munich air crash. More forgetful was City completing the double over United last season. At least the favour was returned this year.

The talk before the game was dominated by Tevez's interview given to News of the World. He apparently does not feel part of the Fergie family and has made up his mind to quit the club. It is also of course dependent on David Gill not offering Tevez the deal so it amounts to being let go more than quitting. Whether the interview was real or not, Tevez came out with a point to prove.

The game started off very lackadaisically. It didn't come across as a derby and the intensity was lacking throughout the game. The breakthrough came as Berbatov was fouled some 25 yards out. Ronaldo took his trademark freekick and a slight deflection off the wall wrong-footed Shay Given. One has to say that Ronaldo must be the best long shot taker in the game today. Enough people have written about his technique and that others should adopt it but the hardest thing to replicate is keeping the ball sufficiently low. Try kicking the ball through the laces and watch it launch up skywards. Its an absolute work of art everytime he whacks it on target whether from a freekick or from open play. Powerful swerving shots from distance on target have the added advantage, as today, of striking some luckless defender and making a fool of the keeper. It differentiates him crucially from Messi. Each shot comes with a large element of surprise even though they it shouldn't given how many he takes. When Ronaldo does move, this season or the next, it will be sorely missed to crack open games.

City displayed none of the fight of their manager once the goal was scored. The team virtually surrendered. Fletcher and Giggs ran the midfield competently and the defenders were rarely troubled. Tevez was running riot up front being released multiple times by Berbatov. He cut in from the left at one point and let loose a curling shot reminiscent of Pires. It struck the upright and was hailed as a sign of Tevez's quality and his fight to prove something. Goals prove more than hitting the woodwork. Tevez knows that and showed it. Fletcher kicked a ball in the rough direction of Berbatov who seduced everyone yet again with his touch. The ball hit his in-step, died at his feet, he twirled and found Tevez 20 yards out. Another pair of touches later, the ball was in courtesy of the bar. A great goal and Tevez had proved himself. Won't win him any contracts at United but good stuff. He almost got another trying for an open header. To score it he would have had to risk breaking his skull. That may have won him the contract.

The second half was a staid affair. Ronaldo was taken off after 60 minutes and acted once again like a 3 year old, throwing away the tracksuit offered to him. A player who may have had such a reaction was Rooney who was left out of the starting line up. Here was a man who knows what a derby is and came on with the vigour of the legend who's shirt he now wears, the same man who stood in the opposing dug-out, Mark Hughes. Good to know such belief translates across generations. Rooney made a couple of rough challenges and should have been booked but he's come out of it okay.

A word on Rafael. Piss poor defender. Rash tackles, missing players that run at him. The primary duty of a right back is to defend. If he cannot do that then he is in the wrong position. He could do well as a right winger but frankly I prefer Danny Simpson in terms of defensive ability. Vidic gave him a right rollicking after yet another defensive mishap. With such fabulous defensive stalwarts in the squad, the twins need to be learning more about reading the game than step-overs from Ronaldo.

All in all a quiet game but immensely satisfying. Scoring only 2 goals doesn't help the goal difference chase against Liverpool but the three points go a long way. Four more needed now from 3 games. Any bets the title won't end up at Old Trafford?

Arsenal vs. Manchester United - All Roads Lead to Rome

2009-05-06T19:41:00.005+06:00

Theo Walcott
Wasn't quite as anonymous as he was in the first leg, but that's a bit like saying swine flu is better than bird flu. Poor.

So said the appraisals of the two teams on F365. Appropriate words for Walcott who was indeed anonymous across both legs but also for Arsenal. United may have been more dominant in the first leg but had little to show for it. Arsenal showed up for a greater part of this game (especially the first 8 minutes) but lost by a greater margin. That was always a risk if they were going to attack, leaving more spaces at the back.

I felt pretty negative going into the game. United were starting extremely defensively with Park on the right and Ronaldo through the middle as compared to playing either Berbatov or Tevez. Arsenal pulled their own surprising 4-4-2 with Van Persie up front. Diaby and Silvestre, those 2 legends from the last leg were sadly missing. Arsenal were obviously going to attack and if they got a goal or maybe two, things would be bleak or maybe hellish (depending on which happened).

Arsenal's early tempo and ball-keeping was enviable. The counter-attack in the 8th minute resulted in a goal thanks to young Gibbs slipping, letting Park clip the ball over Almunia. Gotta love the Koreans as JK would say. Young Gibbs never recovered from that and though he only misplaced a couple of passes the rest of the half, his mental condition was weakened enough that Wenger replaced him with Eboue at half-time. One of his misplaced passes though led to a poor tackle by Van Persie. Ronaldo lined it up 40 yards from goal, blasted it as he typically does and somehow beat Almunia. That's two semi-finals in 2 years won by wonder goals from distance. If Wenger was holding his hand in despair after just 8 minutes, he looked on the verge of tears after 14.

United were solid at the back throughout no doubt aided by Arsenal being unable to pass the central midfield in one piece. Ferdinand and Vidic were at their telepathic best. When the third goal came it was courtesy of a corner cleared by Vidic and some quick passing between Park, Rooney and Ronaldo. The ball must have gone box to box in 6 seconds before Ronaldo slotted home his second. Arsenal needed 5 at that point and the game was approaching humiliation levels. Even David Beckham was seen rubbing his hands in glee at the Emirates. The love for the club hasn't left him and despite him training with Arsenal 2 winters ago, it was fun to see him.

And so Evra and Rooney were withdrawn to protect them from getting a yellow card and a suspension for the final. Everything seemed perfect. And then Fabregas burst into the box, Fletcher tackled him brilliantly getting the ball first but bundling Fabregas over and was given a straight red card. I can see how the referee thought it a penalty given his angle but he should have paid attention to the direction the ball went. What is shocking, is that UEFA have no appeal system for a mistaken card. It is myopic and frankly very, very idiotic. Referees are human and make mistakes, mistakes that can be rescinded if they are clear enough in almost every football league on the planet. Why not in UEFA competitions? Stupid.

United will miss Fletcher and it put a massive dampener on the outcome for me. He's been extremely reliable this season and the trio of him, Carrick and Anderson is all action all the time. That trio will now see either Giggs or Scholes come in with a lot of running being lost. If the other finalist is Barcelona, I feel United's fate has been tied to Fletcher's. As he has lost out, so shall United. If the opponent is Chelsea, I see confidence coursing through this team's veins and some brilliant counter-attacking could do the job again.

Onto Rome we go.

P.S. - Giggs is either going bald on his chest or he's shaving pretty well. His lush torso mane was made famous in the 1999 FA Cup Semi-final when he scored that goal against Arsenal. Surely, he hasn't got a complex about it after all these years.

P.P.S. - It is Barcelona. Fun, fun.

The Dilemma of the Flu

2009-05-04T00:00:00.000+06:00

Ireland reports its first case and the death toll in Mexico has reached 19. As American VP Joe Biden advises people to avoid air travel and the WHO debates whether or not to raise its alert level to that of a pandemic, people the world over are still unsure what to make of Swine Flu. Is it merely the latest false alarm following on the heels of the Mad Cow Disease and Bird (Avian) Flu alarms from earlier this century or are the comparisons to pandemics from the last century justified? Nobody knows, and what is more they are unclear as to what attitude they should adopt. Do they remain skeptical of the growing panic such scares typically generate, or is there a genuine cause for alarm?

Nobody really trusts the Press completely on these matters. For long reputed as gross exaggerators, nobody is about to suddenly hang on every word they say. Having cried wolf falsely several times in recent memory, their credibility on such matters is not at an enviable level. And herein lies the problem. Nobody knows as yet whether or not the threat of the flu has passed, so it's highly dangerous to disregard alerts, warnings and advice at this point in time. But because the people don't know how much things have been blown out of proportion, if at all, they don't know what the most prudent way to react is.

Governments though do not appear to be taking any chances and are doing their best at screening, quarantining and advising their citizens on travel while working frantically on a flu shot for this particular strain. They do not seem to want to be in a position where they are accused of taking this as anything but rather seriously. Erring on the side of caution is the name of the game as far as they are concerned.

For the populace though, this is a constant dilemma. They see foreigners getting quarantined in their countries. They see experts warning of a mutation of the virus and returning in a more deadly form (as has happened in Canada). They look at the deliberations of the WHO, which seems incapable of taking a definitive stance on the matter, caught as they are in a similar predicament, between being overly cautious or underestimating this virus. All this enters their deliberations along with the fact that the last time all this happened, it fizzled out in a few weeks.

Both sides could end up saying "I told you so". Everyone hopes the cynical are the ones who say it a few weeks from now, but as of now, nobody really has a clue. As travel plans are put on hold and the demand for pork plummets, as more and more countries report cases, but with apparently no fatalities, the people are as confused as ever. To worry or not to worry, this is the flu.

Park, Evra, Tevez - BFFs If You Ever Saw Them

2009-05-03T22:58:00.003+06:00

Just look at these three. Park speaks Korean. Tevez speaks Spanish. Evra speaks French and some manageable English. The only thing they have in common is their club and that they're 5'5 in height. Somehow they absolutely love each other!

I particularly like Tevez and Park behaving like a familiar, old couple. How cute.

Middlesbrough vs. Manchester United - Stroll in the Park

2009-05-03T22:33:00.005+06:00

It was one of those ho-hum games but in a good way. It didn't lack for entertainment with both sides trying constantly to take it to the other. But United dominated from the word go and the Teesiders were quite resigned to their fate once the first goal went in. They may have to be resigned to life in the Championship too and no wonder based on this performance.

United rung the changes with Scholes and Giggs handed central midfield roles. I was a little surprised that a third member was not stationed alongside them to do the running or 'carry the water'. A little too much disdain for Middlesbrough, I think. Also a cue for Tuesday night that the golden fledlings of yore will not play. Good rotation for Park to start on the right and Macheda up front partnering Berbatov and Rooney on the left. Low pressure situation for the youngster with a weak defence in front of him and experienced forwards next to him.

Good solid passing by United was an omnipresent factor in the game and rather heart-warming. The team will have to reproduce such passing against superior opposition in Arsenal. The first goal, scored by Giggs, was a product of controlled passing around Borough's box. Giggs had so much time that he put his hand in the air, asked for the ball to be played to him, Berbatov had the time to see Giggs and backed out of the way. Giggs controlled and drove it into the right corner. Very, very poor defending by Middlesbrough that such a narrative can even be written.

United attacked constantly for the rest of the half and indeed the game but there were only 2 memorable points. One was Evra hoofing the ball into Rooney's quadrant rather optimistically, only for Rooney to trap it and roll it inside the defender with one touch. A remarkable piece of skill and one reminiscent of Zidane. The follow-up shot was threatening but kept rising. The second was a rather beautiful reverse ball by Rooney splitting the defence for Park to run onto diagonally. Good finish by the Korean and one that he should manage more often.

The one poor player of the day for me was Macheda. Petulant and tried to lash out at opponents with late tackles. To his credit, he didn't play act a la Monsieur Ronaldo (who got some good rest this weekend). Yet he tried too many flicks and turns in the box over the simple turn and layoff/shot. The kid seems promising but not much more to me. Here's hoping he proves me wrong. At the end of the day though, three points won and a clean sheet kept albeit against toothless opponents. Seven more points from the next 4 games and the Premier League trophy is secured for at least one more year.

Manchester United vs. Arsenal - 1-0 to the Champions!

2009-05-02T23:34:00.003+06:00

Hmmm, what does one say when your team beats its greatest rival of the modern day by comprehensively outplaying them on Europe's biggest stage? Take care it doesn't come back to bite you in the ass.

United won 1-0. My team prediction before the game was off a little as O'Shea was preferred to Rafael (wise, wise move), Anderson was preferred to Giggs and Tevez's work against Tottenham won him the starting spot against a major team that he has been pleading for. The team was set up to harry and chase down Arsenal's slick players and that is exactly what they did.

United started extremely positively and the rush of chances came courtesy of Arsenal losing the ball far too easily. Rooney, Ronaldo and Tevez were willing to run at the defenders especially young Kieran Gibbs. He was most impressive though, showing great speed to keep up with the likes of Ronaldo and good presence of mind to make the forwards work for their bread.

The ace in the hole for United was clearly Mikael Silvestre. Selling him was one of the wisest decisions Fergie has made. No pace, no presence of mind and poor reading of the game has turned him into a liability for Arsenal on the pitch. On this night he conspired to make Arsenal all the more jittery, as if the meaning of this game wasn't enough.

The goal when it came showed Arsenal's weakness at marking in the box. The players gravitated en masse towards the ball leaving 3 United players alone on the near side. When the ball came back that way via Carrick and Silvestre, O'Shea had all day to pick his spot. A good goal and it felt there was a lot more to come. As it turns out Ronaldo squandered a golden chance and a couple of more attacks should have yielded more but United ended the half happy, feeling they were on the cusp of scoring once more.

The second half was a staid affair as Arsenal regained some composure. Fabregas dropped back into midfield but isolated Adebayor. The other forwards never tried to get into the game. Few balls were played out wide to Walcott but then he didn't do much with it when he got it. Adebayor was lazy and didn't fight enough for the ball. And may Diaby remain at Arsenal for years to come. He's a 12th man for the other team if ever there was one. Very Silvestre-esque of him to give the ball away consistently.

The second leg now holds a few lessons for Arsenal more so than for United. Conveniently, Silvestre is injured so either Song or more probably Djourou will play in defence. That will deprive United of a crucial edge. Knowing that they must score, Arsenal may opt to play 2 strikers though with Eduardo having injured himself in his cameo I wonder if he will opt for Bendtner. Bendtner won't scare the United defence too much and he drew a lot of ire from Andy Gray on Wednesday. A gaffe by Van der Saar meant that if Bendtner had guided his header goaldwards in the 85th minute, Arsenal could have equalized. For the next 5 minutes Gray harped on about the ease with which that goal should have been scored. If he does play, that is yet another boon to United. I feel though that Walcott will be switched to the left to take on O'Shea. It is the obvious move to make and it is surprising it wasn't made in the game itself. O'Shea is slow and more easily exploitable for Walcott although he will have to cut in and pass/shoot as compared to play the ball behind and cross. But then that is the Arsenal way with wingers so may work in their favour.

United need to nick a goal, hopefully early. The same formation would do just fine and given Giggs and Scholes played the entire game today against Middlesbrough, I don't foresee any role for them on Tuesday night. Closing down Arsenal's midfield is key to force them into mistakes. Also key will be Ronaldo keeping himself in control. He was petulant beyond what I thought was possible but then he produces those magical moment like his 35 yard shot that hit the crossbar. He also spent far too much time in offside positions which meant that players had to hold play up till he was in line for a ball to be played. If the ball is to be played in quickly for best use, he must make the runs in as compared to standing and waiting for it. Against Arsenal at the Emirates the team needs to show its hunger, not behave like foolish kings.

The tie is still finely poised but it sure does inspire some confidence that Rome awaits the champions.

A Prime Minister for India - Part 1

2009-04-28T09:00:00.005+06:00

As India looks for its 18th Prime Minister, it wishes to leave no stone unturned. All parties want to consider all possible candidates for the highest post in the land and this in turn is leading to heated arguments amongst the various alliances and partnerships that have been concocted. What started out as an exciting election season has fizzled out in recent weeks to a rather petty affair. All the 'get out the vote' campaigns notwithstanding, it is safe to say Indians are in no way enthused with the prospects of the present elections and the direction of the national leadership in the country.

Presumed BJP candidate for the highest post in the land, LK Advani, after first fighting off Bhairon Singh Shekhawat's claims to seniority and now troubled by calls for Narendra Modi's primacy, has gone from being first out of the blocks to being back in the pen. He started his candidacy with tremendous vitality and his dynamic forays into the blogosphere and his fight for the youth vote had energized various parts of his base. Very soon though, it all fizzled out into several controversies ranging from Varun Gandhi's communal tirade to money in offshore accounts to Narendra Modi's role in the Gujarat riots.

Advani has looked tired, ineffective and with an inconsistent message he's as far away from No. 7 Racecourse Road as he could have ever imagined in this campaign. While he's sure to be the leader of any post poll, BJP led alliance, his clout has diminished with several high profile calls for Narendra Modi's candidacy having consumed the public's imagination in recent days. It is also not very likely that the BJP with its allies have any significant advantage in the elections, if any at all. This results in a more measured and circumspect Advani, not the one we saw early on in the campaign season. His candidacy should be presumed secure for the moment, but not a very impressive one.

His number one adversary and current Prime Minister Manmohan Singh does not possess the drive or political will that Advani does and considering he's already been PM, does not seem to want it as badly. This has allowed him to play the cool and calm aggressor, even while being the incumbent. Vilifying Advani and Party for their communal stance on most matters and their poor record with terrorism even while they talk a big game when out of power, Manmohan has been an outspoken man in recent times and he's taken the fight to Advani, who thought he could bully him into submission.

Even while dealing with his own party's problems of the Bofors scandal, the situation in Sri Lanka, the economic slowdown and the handling of the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks, Manmohan has received good PR, riding high on the heels of his clinching the Nuclear Deal for India, by coming out strongly against the Sri Lankan government, with his guarantee to solve the economic crisis soon after he comes to power a second time and last, but not least, his very well received meeting with Barack Obama on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in London.

As Rahul Gandhi ruled himself out after the ridiculous, but expected cries for him as PM began, and Pranab Mukherjee said he would never become PM after citing his lack of fluency in Hindi, Singh is sure to be the Congress' PM candidate in any Congress led alliance after the elections. One can only hope Singh does not choose this go around as a befitting time to repay Sonia Gandhi for her shocking about turn on the Prime Ministership after the 2004 elections to award the role to Manmohan. India can do without these theatrics as we have never had a shortage of such stunts. The office of Prime Ministership in a parliamentary democracy might be played down in theory, but in practice the man matters as much as his ideology. Anybody other than Singh leading the Congress Party will be at best a letdown and at worst a dirty trick on the public.

Champions League Semi-Final Preview

2009-04-27T20:56:00.004+06:00

First, I would like to start by saying footballers must be the dumbest breed of human being on the planet. There really can't be anything between their ears. How they managed to vote Ryan Giggs PFA Player of the Year is beyond me. Don't get me wrong, I love Giggs more than is appropriate for a man to show. He has given me more glorious moments over the year than most other players. To me he is the best winger to have played in my lifetime. The Player of the Year award though is meant for the most valuable player of THAT PARTICULAR SEASON. It may have been known as the Lifetime Achievement Award otherwise.

Giggs has barely played this year illustrated by his 12 starts in the league. He has not stamped his authority on most games save for the game against Chelsea at Old Trafford. Has he been rewarded for adapting at the age of 35 from a left winger to a central midfielder? Should it be that surprising given he was always a master passer of the ball with great vision. Giggs has not even been the best player in his own team. Steven Gerrard and Nemanja Vidic are far more deserving winners. Vidic over the first half of the season kept United in the race and was the rock that the clean sheet record was built on. Gerrard has propelled Liverpool to be arguably the best team this year.

It just goes to prove that footballers vote without thinking, accepting the orgasmic praise of a foolish fawning media. Love you Giggs but even you don't deserve this.

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My generation was brought up on the Manchester United - Arsenal rivalry. If you ask fans my age which team they hate most the answer you will definitely get is Arsenal. If you're a Manchester United fan. And vice versa if you're an Arsenal fan. I'd change my name if that weren't true.

United and Arsenal were trading trophies from 1997 to 2004. Formative years in watching and learning football they also instructed in all that was evil about the other side. Arsenal were a violent and dirty side. Their commitment to beautiful attacking football was a farce - it only began with Wenger in 1996. It was not their tradition, not in their lifeblood. They were frauds, pretenders to the throne of the great entertaining champions. That was United's claim to fame.

Of late, Arsenal haven't been challenging for the Premier League so the grand rivalry of Keane and Vieira has lost its zing. The squads have evolved a lot over the last 3-4 years and that hatred has given way to grudging respect in some sense. I can speak of the beauty of Fabregas' vision and the wondrous skill of Van Persie only because I haven't considered them much of a challenge for a while. That is about to change as the two play each other three times in the next three weeks. Good old memories of hating the rival are back.

Onto the games themselves. Giggs was rested over the weekend against Spurs so that pretty much guarantees him an 800th cap on Wednesday. The one spot in defence that is not a lock is right back and unless Brown has made shocking progress in the last fortnight that spot will go to Rafael. Both Rafael and Evra have been weak against players taking them on and going for the cross. Neither of them are able to force the winger to cut inside rather than play behind them. It means more balls being bombed in and greater uncertainty as to the end result. Ferdinand is weaker on the flighted cross and Adebayor and subsequently Bendtner could cause some trouble. I expect Walcott and Nasri to try and exploit this.

In central midfield, Carrick should be accompanied by Fletcher and being at home I think Giggs may not start as Ferguson opts for a 4-4-2. Rooney will cover the left wing and Park on the right. While both will be tasked with tracking back and helping out their fullbacks, Rooney will have the added responsibility of being United's creative force. Berbatov will be the deep lying striker setting up for diagonal runs of Rooney and Ronaldo as well as making his way into the box.

Fletcher should be made to man mark Fabregas. The little Spaniard has been in great form since his return from injury. Playing physically with him and preventing his runs into the box and closing down space for the through balls could shut down Arsenal.

United themselves should look to play physically up front as well. Sagna is good on the right and Gibbs has been most impressive on the other side but down the middle they still seem to be a little soft. Berbatov and Ronaldo can get into the middle, create a bit of panic and if the midfield runners overload the box there's a good chance of scoring. Arsenal conceded to Liverpool with some poor passing from the defence and by not tracking the extra men that floated into the box. To be sure, United are capable of making the same mistake - witness Modric's goal at Old Trafford on Saturday.

This fixture has usually held goals and I expect there to be a few over both legs. 4-3 to United over 2 legs sounds right to me but if the ramshackle defending continues it may be 4-3 Arsenal. Not really keen on watching the pretenders get to the final, so please United bring the A-game.

UPDATE - I may have been a bit cocky by guessing at United's team since it is obvious that even Ferguson doesn't know it. The other likelihood is a 4-3-3 with Giggs replacing Park. Three midfielders in the center with Fletcher either man-marking Fabregas or tracking the right wing. Rooney will still watch the left. The width would be provided by the fullbacks. It all depends on how attacking or containing Ferguson wants to be.

Manchester United vs. Tottenham - Whoohooooo!!

2009-04-26T13:28:00.007+06:00

Almost 8 years ago, on September 29th 2001, Manchester United and Tottenham engaged in a game of football that has since become part of folklore. Spurs were up 3-0 at half-time at Old Trafford. United came out all guns blazing scoring within seconds of the restart. Andy Cole, Blanc, Nistelrooy, Veron and Beckham made up five different scorers for United that second half. It was the comeback to end all comebacks (in the league at least).

Welcome to April 2009. History does repeat itself it seems. The starting line-up for United was surprisingly strong given a massive Champions League semi-final looms on Wednesday night. It betrayed the importance of winning 3 points to Ferguson and the respect that he accorded Spurs. The seeming chink in the armour appeared to be Nani. Spurs of course played a full strength side except for Defoe who lost his half brother to an act of violence. United started off extremely well, passing the ball crisply and getting into the Spurs backline. Rooney and Ronaldo seemed possessed but for all the setting up there was no end product. For all the pressure, Spurs took a shock lead on 29 minutes. Corluka's cross was too high for Vidic and Ferdinand made the grave error of not getting in front of his target. Bent got lucky with the drop of the ball and scored. The defensive errors 3 minutes later bordered on the ridiculous. Evra didn't close Lennon down who had time to cross peacefully. Modric was standing free at the back of the box. Where was Rafael? Oh yes, that's right perfecting his dribbling rather than practicing defensive duties for another week. 2-0 and Old Trafford in the doldrums.

United didn't really press too much for the remaining 12-13 minutes and Spurs gave back as good as they got. Tevez came on for Nani at the start of the second half. To be fair, Nani put in quite a few decent crosses from the left but he was the logical choice to be substituted. Tevez set about chasing the Spurs defenders and the pressure began to tell. The 57th minute penalty given for Gomes tripping Carrick has been denounced as harsh from most quarters. Gomes got a touch on the ball but that can be determined only after watching the replay half a dozen times from different angles. Watch it in real time and it happens so fast there's no way Webb could have spotted it. Either way, Ronaldo dispatched it expertly down the middle. Scholes came on for Fletcher though I didn't think he was needed yet. Fletcher was adding a lot of hustle and may have wanted in on his prediction. On 66 minutes, Rooney got loose down the left, cut in pulled a snapshot and Gomes palmed it into his own net. 2-2 and Spurs shoulder slumped visibly. From then on it was a matter of when not if United would score again. Of course that happened just a minute later thanks to a peach of a ball from Rooney and a diving header from Ronaldo.

Spurs defenders virtually gave up post the second goal and that is really what let United in. Rooney had an outstanding game as the creative force and goalscorer twice over. His status as the No. 10 in the side is justified and his worth is proved by how much of a void is left when he is rested. Moreover, he brings out the best in Ronaldo. The two were playing backheels to each other in the opposition box at the end. When Ronaldo leaves I feel he will miss the instinctive understanding that he developed with Rooney.

Berbatov had a game to forget again. Invisible for much of the game, he almost screwed up the golden chance that Rooney provided him to score. His open header was aimed directly at Gomes. Thankfully he was able to push the rebound in. It was a goal scored very late once again against opposition that had been steam-rollered. Sharp contrast to Tevez who when he scores deals in equalizers and winners. Of course that when is too rare these days. He pressured the opposition well and set up Rooney for one. His introduction was marked as the turning point but I think the entire XI strode out with something to prove in the second half. His introduction was just a symbol of Ferguson shuffling the pack. The gamble paid off because Spurs rolled over to be tickled after 60 minutes.

Defending as they did for the two goals probably gives Wenger some ideas. I can foresee the wings being attacked. Rafael and Evra are both defending like amateurs. Rafael fouls far too many times and could be baited into a couple of yellows. Overloading the box and bombing in crosses should do the trick for Arsenal. Here's hoping that Ferguson has spotted how to plug the same gap.

Political Correctness for a Diverse Democracy

2009-04-24T00:00:00.002+06:00

Having recently been introduced to the concept of political correctness, Indian politicians are having a field day with this new instrument. It fits in wonderfully with their notions of vote bank politics, like a child with a new G.I.Joe for his collection. All this of course only when they catch an opponent in a faux pas. When it applies to them, they feign naivete and ignorance as the situation demands. Never having being known for their great restraint in rhetoric, it becomes a spanner in the works for some, intending to seal their place in history with some choice utterances. Required to now carefully consider what they spew from their mouths, brash claims turn into red faced apologies, preposterous ideologies become regretful assertions that are beautiful proof for the statement that "patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels".

Close on the heels of Jawaharlal Nehru's great-grandson serving time in the cooler for hate speech, we have our very own Munnabhai turned convict turned Samajwadi Party General Secretary Sanjay Dutt in the docks for his "sexist" and "condescending" remarks against the second most powerful lady in the country, Bahujan Samaj supremo and UP Chief Minister, Maha Maya. While the affectionate sentiments one associates with a jhappi (hug, in Munnaspeak) and pappi (kiss) are only in keeping with the wonderfully chummy history of the SP and BSP, Dutt is nowadays expected to manifest his benevolence to female opponents in more mature and enlightened ways. So say our national gurus of political correctness.

Dutt's boss though, Mulayam Singh Yadav, could not care less for this new fad. In fact, he wishes to do away with the entire language in which this fad is typically present, one of India's two official languages, English. Yadav also does not care for this modern day hindrance to civilized agriculture, the computer. Even in this great age of moronic proclamations, this ranks right up there up some of the best that Bal Thackeray, Lalu Yadav and Vaiko have had to offer. While the opposition does not seem to have many qualms with these assertions, they lay their political incorrectness allegations against Yadav's derogatory stance on women. Yadav, in a brilliant move, has countered this by recruiting well known woman lover Nafisa Ali, into the fold. The opposition, defeated and dejected, has trained its sights onto other opponents now.

In the south of India this new fad is non-existent. Historically flippant on the issue of PC; Tamils especially, have other priorities. We have anyone and everyone weighing in on the situation in Sri Lanka without a care in the world as to the veracity of their claims. Having feigned concern for the last six months, people now simply speculate on the well being of LTTE chief Prabhakaran. With bold claims on what grievous damages they might inflict on civil society in case of any harm to this little known man, anyone with access to a mic has held forth on this topic. While there is agreement across the political spectrum on this issue, politics is the art of the possible, and hence differences must be identified. These differences though do not lend themselves to scrutiny under the banner of political correctness. There is no need, as political discourse here is so removed from civilization as we have come to know it that futile attempts at PC are like spitting into a tornado.

Is there another example of a country that has the brazenness to debate the status as a terrorist group of an organization that is directly responsible for killing one of its former Prime Ministers? While there is no semblance of a societal conscience in India, our degraded politicians will argue in peace, delusional and unconscionable to the last. With an intelligentsia and a Fourth Estate too meek to question this absolute atrocity, attention instead is continuously paid to trivialities and farces. In the starkest of ironies the only person left to address this issue is one of the single greatest advocates of this ridiculous position itself, Jayalalitha. It is like Hitler asking Churchill to be upset with Mussolini for supporting Hitler. Where is the need for political correctness?

Manchester United vs. Portsmouth - Relief Abounds

2009-04-23T12:20:00.010+06:00

So it seems Ferguson's dropping of the FA Cup and thus the ephemeral quintuple has been vindicated for one week at least. United dominated Portsmouth with an expected result in a season where expectations have rarely been fulfilled. 2-0 sounds about right if one had to guess the scoreline before the game although if the team could create so many chances they should have put more away. This though is the age old story of this club. Two years ago, when they scored 83 goals in the league and scoring for fun there were still accusations of wastefulness and missing 4-5 simple chances every game. This season has been more austere, built on defence (you wouldn't seem to know it if you only started watching a month ago).

The line-up was more familiar than against Everton. Most of the kids were banished and Scholes, Giggs, Rooney and Ronaldo took up their places. Anderson retained his starting spot and 'Hallelujah' had a good game. Boy does he need a few more of these. With vision reminiscent of his partner Scholes, he rolled the ball perfectly for Giggs on the left who centered for Rooney to slot in. 1-0 after 9 minutes and that should have been game over. Of course it wasn't because United didn't score again till the 82nd minute. Nice to calm the nerves what with a giant robot dancing Crouch trying to get in between our defenders. United's passing really needs to become more consistent and finishing too. Shooting straight at the keeper should not happen as often as it does with this team. The major benefit for all to see was a clean sheet even if it was against a largely toothless team. It should inspire some confidence in the backline and the goalkeeper and make scoring one goal an efficient way to win again. Losing two right-backs in one game though does not help. The responsibility now rests on young Rafael unless Brown makes a quick comeback - he is apparently training already. Expect United to be bombarded from that side in coming games.

The real relief of course comes from the Liverpool-Arsenal 4-4 at Anfield. Liverpool's second 4-4 in a week and they have taken on the mantle of kings of entertainment (I want it back for United). I did not see the game but apparently Arsenal had 4 shots on target. All 4 fell to Arshavin. All 4 resulted in goals. Three of them were directly from mistakes by the defence and the fourth was a fast break when Liverpool were at the other end trying to score. Such piss poor defending deserves a whacking and both teams were guilty of it. Marking was thrown out the window and passing to an opponent in your penalty box seemed to pass for clearing the ball. Here's hoping both teams can manage to continue such defending for a while. If Liverpool manage it for another game and drop more points surely the title is sealed. If Arsenal can be so generous come Champions League time, then United are in with more than a shout.

The negative side of course is that both teams were scoring for fun. They do not stop attacking and have players capable enough to put the ball away with just one chance. Arshavin is cup-tied for the Champions League and many thanks to UEFA for that. The all important clean sheet from last night may do United some good. Enough good to get another against Tottenham on the weekend and 3 more points. If that dominance can be re-established then they should be more secure against Arsenal too in 3 season defining games.

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Madness from Pepe which is a must see. United came close to signing him before Madrid decided to splurge an ungodly amount of money on him.

Loco!

Mad as Hell - The Only Response to the Taliban Juggernaut

2009-04-21T14:19:00.008+06:00

In Pakistan, people are finally, ‘mad as hell.’ For too long, the ‘mad as hell’ platform has been monopolized by the far-right Islamic extremists. In a country, where everything is wrong, being ‘mad as hell’ will bring you closer to the people than trying to defend the present status quo ever will. For a short time, Nawaz Sharif was ‘mad as hell’ about the deposition of the Chief Justice (read: disqualification of his brother), and the laurels and popularity his stand brought him, across the length and breadth of the Punjab cannot be disputed. Altaf Hussain and the MQM are always ‘mad as hell’, and they continue to enjoy the unqualified support of the majority of Karachi’s inhabitants. The same applies to the Balochi nationalists, the Sindhi nationalists, and generally ‘Pissed off Pakistanis’ across the political spectrum. But by far, the Taliban and the rest of the Islamic extremist network have definitely ruled the ‘high blood-pressure’ roost. And it has paid dividends. They have excelled in homing in on key grievances among peoples in the areas of the country who are the most entitled to being angry, the peoples who have consistently been marginalized and alienated by the leadership and leading institutions of this country.

The result of the rightward shift of this country since the Zia days, is that this country’s liberal intelligentsia, has also been marginalized. Finally, however, they seem to have woken up, and are, at last ‘mad as hell.’ The Nizam-e-Adl regulations in Swat, the resultant institutionalization of Taliban control, the flogging video, have finally brought out their rage. One columnist writes, “We do not want to live in a society where anyone is flogged, where anyone’s limb is hacked off, where anyone is stoned. Period.” Another writes, “No more waiting and seeing! We have already wasted a lot of time over this. It’s now a matter of life and death of the people, nation, state and the country. It’s time to take the terror tangle head-on.” Yet another claims, that the Nizam-e-Adl bill, “passed by the political parties present in the assembly on that disgraceful Monday in April is pure and simple appeasement by a weak government, by parties who have abandoned their principles.”

Meanwhile, in the Senate, lawmakers are showing their anger as well…finally. After the shameful display last week in the National Assembly, when the Nizam-e-Adl bill was passed in a day, and Sufi Mohammad, the broker of the Nizam-e-Adl deal from the Taliban side, our government’s apparent “ally” in Swat, declared all legislators who voted against the bill “Non-Muslim”, the MQM senators were quick to show their anger, pleading with the Senate Chairman, “Mr Chairman please tell us whether we sitting here are non-Muslims and whatever have been doing for the last one and half year was un-Islamic?”

Even Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the leader of the Islamic political party, the JUI, usually so supportive of the Taliban and their ilk, seems at least worried, declaring, “The process of enforcing Sharia in Swat is incorrect.”

Yes, they are all ‘mad as hell.’

The reason? There is no state more marginalizing and disenfranchising than a Taliban state. Liberals will, of course, be non-existent, ethnic parties will be irrelevant, and given Sufi Mohammad’s recent rants against democracy, parliaments, judiciaries, and all institutions of the modern nation-state, even political Islamists will lose their place. So, everyone’s feeling the pinch. Good for them. About time too.

But two key players in the political landscape, two very key players, remain in their Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne attires, refusing to acknowledge the dire situation and the need to don the cape of unwavering confrontation and uncompromising action. The ruling Pakistan Peoples’ Party, and the leading opposition party the Pakistan Muslim League, which also runs the Punjab the largest province. In the current political configuration, they firmly hold the reins of power and influence, and fear doing anything to lose their grip. Far from being ‘mad as hell’ they seem rather content. Prime Minister Gilani is bending over backwards to please the extremists, defending Sufi Mohammad’s statements against democracy, the constitution, the Supreme Court etc, saying, “there are many people who do not believe in democracy.” It’s a sad day when the prime minister of a democratic government defends such a position taken by the de facto authority of one of the regions that falls under his supervision. Meanwhile, the Muslim League prefers to dodge the issue, falling back on anti-Americanism, declaring the end of American drone attacks as the key to ending the Taliban onslaught, thus framing the Taliban’s position as a mere defense reaction to American aggression, as opposed to describing the Taliban for what they are, militant barbarian expansionists.

This confusion and inaction from the two biggest political players is infuriating. The Pakistan Muslim League have done much to earn the committed support of the people of Punjab, and if the League choose to take a firm stand against the Taliban and Islamic extremism, they do not stand to lose this base. In fact, a strong position on their part could well help bring around a lot of people who are currently on the fence regarding the threat posed by the Taliban. They have nothing to lose, and the country has everything to gain if they take a stand. The PPP, ever since their dramatic failure regarding the Long March, has retreated into such a cowardly posture, that they refuse to acknowledge the opportunity they have right now. Let’s face it: the current peace deal in Swat will not last. This is the TNSM and the Taliban we are talking about. In fact, the current expansion of operations by the Swat Taliban in Buner and Mansehra clearly demonstrates that the deal is really only being held up by the government. This is the time therefore, that they should be vilifying the Taliban, their expansionist intentions, and their perverse brand of Islamic justice. They should be showing how, in the peace deal they sincerely pursued they have been betrayed by the other side, expose the other side for what they are. This is their chance to be ‘mad as hell.’

The two leading political parties benefit the most from the present status quo, and seem unwilling to acknowledge that the way things are going presently, this current political landscape will very quickly disappear. The two main parties are allowing themselves to be held hostage by vocal minorities and political setbacks, where as they need to show some leadership. The left is outraged; the right is concerned, so if the center takes a stand, there is a good chance the rest will fall behind them. The time is now, people are waking up to the danger, to the fact that barbarians are not just at the gates, but have already breached the walls, and are in our heartland, in our cities, in our neighbourhoods, permeating every porous inch of our world, ready to bring an end, a dramatic end to the nation, the identity, the way of life, that we hold so dear. The leaders can now choose between being the Neroes of our tragic downfall or the Churchills of our glorious resistance. The time for the leaders to be ‘mad as hell’ is now.

Manchester United vs. Everton - Serves You Right

2009-04-20T22:51:00.003+06:00

The elusive dream of the quintuple is gone with an odd quadruple possibility left in its place. Ferguson made his priorities well and clear yesterday when he fielded 8 changes to his starting XI from the team that took on Porto. I had no problems playing Rafael and Fabio as full-backs because Ferdinand and Vidic were there in between to lend stability. No such judgment was displayed in other parts of the park as Anderson and Gibson got central midfield. At this point I felt the game was up and handing Macheda a first start wasn't a very convincing move. Wellbeck was handed a place on the wings along with Park. Wellbeck may suffer for his versatility because I feel he is better through the middle with a much better touch than Macheda, more pace and more skill. Macheda is better at being a battering ram even at his tender age and it will negatively impact Wellbeck.

The game itself was nothing to write home about. Everton played some classic long ball football. It was repeatedly knocked up with Cahill and Fellaini the target men. Osman was his usual snarling self getting on the end of some knockdowns and lashing it goalwards. United passed well but there was no end product. Passing around the box without shooting makes you no better than Arsenal and frankly that's not very good. The Everton defence was marshaled well once again by Jagielka who improves with every game. In case you forget or do not know, this man was a central midfielder who played in goal for 20 minutes against a rampant Arsenal team and kept them out before being converted to a dominating and excellent centre-half by David Moyes. He got lucky when Mike Riley didn't give a penalty for a misjudged lunge on Wellbeck. If it were given, the assumption is United would have scored.

Of course, as most reports will tell you the match seemed destined to go to penalties as soon as it had begun. United huffed and puffed but never tried to blow the house down. Tevez was awful once again. If Wellbeck and Macheda stand to get a better chance should Tevez leave then I feel it is best he is gone. He does not justify a spend of 32 million pounds, not with such play. He is an Argentinian Dirk Kuyt at best and at worst he's an Argentinian Craig Bellamy. Berbatov may indeed be another Veron. Lovely first touch and nothing else to follow. These guys need to wake up and soon. To take nothing away from Tim Howard, the two penalties he saved were taken lackadaisically. Like I said, the assumption for the penalty shout was that if given United would have scored. That is a stupid assumption and one that should not have been in the team's mindset. Everton kept their heads well about them and deserved the win. May they now beat Chelsea in the final. I always believe if you have to lose, lose to the guy who'll win it all. Feels better losing to a champion than to another loser.

The nonsense on the pitch really does not excuse the manager. Wenger complained too but then he complains about the pitch in every game that Arsenal loses. Ferguson gambled on his team selection and lost big. It is ironic that this is the week he chooses to lambast Benitez on his disrespectful gesture towards Blackburn and then turns around and disrespects THE OLDEST CUP IN ALL OF FOOTBALL by selecting a juvenile team. To be sure, he's done it before a few times but in the semi-final? Really? If the team wins the game, everyone applauds a shrewd choice and belief in the young 'uns. If you lose the game as it turned out you get accused of screwing with a football institution. I really don't want to see Benitez's reaction mainly because it means a continuation of this ridiculous blood-feud these two have on. I'm hoping Wenger is right that mind-games have no effect because at this rate I think Fergie will lose.

He may still be justified in his actions if the team beats Portsmouth on Wednesday and the league on May 24th. With one fell swoop, his mistake can be erased and order restored. Or he will carry the blame forever more of the dream season surrendered.

NBA Playoff Expectations - Western Conference

2009-04-19T13:37:00.003+06:00

Utah Jazz - A year after losing to the Lakers in 6 games Utah was expected to fight for the 2 or 3 seed to avoid meeting the Lakers till the conference finals at least this year. Unfortunately that's not how things have played out. With several injuries to the roster, the Jazz have fallen off a cliff after the All Star break and barely made the playoffs with the 8 seed. They now meet a Lakers team that has only goal in mind, the Championship. Utah is expected to be nothing more than a speed bump for the Lakers, but the Jazz play very hard on their home floor, and taking last year's series to 6 games should give them some hope of prolonging the series this time too.

New Orleans Hornets - They have arguably the best point guard in the league and one of the most dynamic and talented players around in Chris Paul. He is to this team what D-Wade is to the Miami Heat. They were an early season dark horse to go very far in the playoffs, but they haven't been able to replicate last season's performance in the regular season and doing so in the playoffs (where they took the San Antonio Spurs to 7 games in Round 2) will be even harder. While they have not much to lose, they play a surprise number 2 seed in the Denver Nuggets who have much more to prove. Expectations are not high, but Chris Paul is known to win games all on his own.

Dallas Mavericks - A few weeks removed from fighting the Phoenix Suns for the 8th seed, the Mavs, as I write, have taken game 1 on the road from the 3rd seeded Spurs. This raises expectations for them and shows they had a lift and momentum coming in. While they still chase that elusive championship, now with a veteran point guard, they don't seem to get bogged down by a sense of expectation. Dirk Nowitzki and the talented players who surround him can just go out and play their natural games without worrying too much, because nobody knows whats to expect of them. It's worked well in their favor so far and could take them a long way. Kenny Smith believes they'll make the conference finals!

Houston Rockets - In one of the most exciting Round 1 match-ups, the Rockets take on the Portland Trailblazers. Game 1 just concluded with the Rockets shutting down Brandon Roy n co. to take it on the road. With their alleged star, Tracy McGrady out, not much was expected of the Rockets, and as with the Mavericks they seem to overachieve when nothing is expected of them. Ron Artest has been a revelation and with Yao getting far more touches inside with McGrady out, the team seems to think it's got a winning combination, even with rookie point guard, Aaron Brooks (who's had an excellent debut tonight). Nobody knew what to expect out of this series, other than close games, but people might have underestimated Houston's vastly greater playoff experience and versatility. They could even be considering a long Round 2 with the Lakers for all you know.

Portland Trailblazers - By consensus, they are the most exciting team in basketball. A popular dark horse pick to give almost every western team trouble, it's likely their playoff infancy will let them down (as we've already seen in Game 1). They have a mature beyond his years and exciting leader in Brandon Roy and have nothing to lose. They've beaten the Lakers twice this season and beaten the Spurs and Rockets on the road. Nobody underestimates them, and that could play against them, as teams bring their full effort to games. While they're just happy to make a 4th seed entry in the playoffs, this season could be capped off with a long Round 2 against the Lakers.

San Antonio Spurs - They didn't make their traditional post All Star Game push to the top of the standings, but nevertheless finished with the 3rd seed in a tough Western Conference race. Their odd years' ('99,'03,'05,'07) luck might have run out with a spate of injuries (Manu Ginobili being the obvious one) and a group of veterans who are all past their best. Tony Parker is the only young gun and he'll have to do a lot of the heavy lifting to give San Antonio a shot in the arm it sorely needs. They've won it all so many times before, nobody knows what drives this team. The hunger for a championship cannot be compared with a team like the Cavaliers or the Lakers, so one must consider them a solid, professional group of champions that would just like to do the best it can. Losing Game 1 at home to the Mavericks has not been a good start.

Denver Nuggets - Not one person can honestly say they expected this team to be the number 2 seed in the West. After trading for Chauncey Billups they seem to have acquired a new lease of life and while they only won three games more than last year, they have a new attitude about them and that makes one helluva difference. They expect to finally end their Round 1 futility in the playoffs (they last made it to Round 2 in 1994) against the Hornets. This season will be really special if they were to make the Conference Finals and give, possibly the Lakers, a run for their money there. They have high hopes for themselves and they've played like it. Billups is a veteran leader and sees around him a cast of special players who he thinks can go far.

Los Angeles Lakers - It is not too much of a stretch to say that if the Lakers don't win the championship, their season will be considered a colossal failure. They've played with only one goal in mind (they lost the home court advantage to the Cavaliers) and that is to improve on last season's trip to the finals and go all the way this year. They have all their pieces in place, and Kobe Bryant has no more excuses. It's championship or bust, as simple as that and Bryant will be the first one to say so. No team this year even comes close to the expectations the Lakers have on their shoulders, and while that can be hard to play with, the Lakers will look to use that as added incentive, one which they far too easily ceded to the Celtics last year. There are no two ways about it and the Lakers should play with an intensity that shows as much.

Rum, Cigars and a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts

2009-04-18T20:43:00.003+06:00

Ah Qooba. How far are you from having your exile ended? Not too far if Barry keeps going the way he is.

Speaking at the Organization of American States (OAS), Obama said he was willing to hit the bar with Raul Castro and discuss human rights, free speech, drugs, migration and economic issues in between downing Jaeger bombs. Castro was pretty happy to reciprocate saying, "Your place or mine?". Its been so refreshingly astounding for Latin American leaders that even the one who froths most at the mouth amongst them, Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, seemed to forget the smell of sulphur that emanates from any American and thought it was JC himself back to absolve man's sins. What else could lead to such a facial expression?

Much of the American antipathy towards Cuba is because Cuba was once the prodigal foster son of the US. It produced rum-a-plenty, the finest cigars in the whole world and had the best casinos when Las Vegas still consisted of one horse-watering hole. It was the perfect vacation spot whether you were in Florida or off in bitterly cold New York. It was so coveted as an island state that blood and guts Teddy Roosevelt ran up a hill with a volunteer brigades scaring the hell out of the Spanish. The rise of Castro was not so bad until he nationalized the state and allied himself with the Soviets, an unacceptable slap in the face for the US. If ever a country had been betrayed by one it fought for, nurtured and exploited in equal parts here it was.

And now with Barry at the helm, it may all just be consigned to the rubbish bin that is history. Decades of embargoes have left Cuba more impoverished than it was in 1959 but it has led to no political upheaval. Increased remittances, visits of Cuban-Americans back home will lead not just to further development of Cuba but may also plant the seeds of upheaval should the government not further liberalize. The obvious model to follow is that of the Chinese with a strong grasp maintained over the press and political freedoms while slackening the hold on free enterprise. It may buy the Castros some more time in power but at least the American policy of hurting the people for their leaders' actions will be repealed. Of course, this is only possible once some initial agreements are made or the 50 year old embargo will stand.

Hopefully this is some intricate ploy of Barry's to reform the Monroe Doctrine. He started making his promises early on ready to hurt the sentiments of political advisers who thought rapprochement with Cuba was ringing your death knell in the most sacred of states, Florida (try looking past the rather quick fulfillment of a campaign promise). Black caucus members of Congress made a visit just a few weeks ago praising the hospitality of Cubans everywhere who have ever existed. This contrived love fest has driven away GOP hardliners but big deal they were already sharp-shooting. The key benefit is the look of lust on Chavez's face. A few more such events and the Western Hemisphere will sit in America's back pocket again and Monroe's name will be replaced by Barry's.

Marriages made in heaven...

2009-04-17T13:37:00.002+06:00

We have a unique system of getting young people (who might other wise indulge in shameless activities such as dating, being in relationships, making out, hooking up, having sex, what have you may) hitched in India. Young here means since the time they hit puberty or some godforsaken age like that. It is a system that has been tried and tested over centuries and even in 2009, at the height of human civilization, it is considered the sacred method of finding your partner for life, as they like to put it.

Such a foolproof method that binds two people, not remotely in love with one another, into a life long relationship that is meant to be born out of love works in a very sophisticated, yet simple manner. It can be replicated anywhere and works like a charm to cure people of their frustrated, lonely lives. All you need is a list of questions.

Here are some if you are a boy or a concerned associate of the young boy, looking for a 'suitable' girl:

1. What is your family's socio-economic history? Do you have some loaded uncles or aunts? What chunk of your parents hard-earned money and savings are you going to blow up so my acquaintances and I can have a party of our lifetimes, and essentially I never have to work again?

2. Why just that much money, yaar? Your parents didn't plan for this glorious day since the time you were born?

3. Can you cook four meals everyday?

4. In between cooking meals can you do the dishes, wash clothes, keep our house (which your parents will be gifting us) neat and tidy?

5. How many sons will you bear and rear?

6. What do the stars say about your future? Do they align with mine? No, my astrologer has to say they align with mine, because yours has probably been paid off!

7. Do you have male friends? Why? Do you have any friends? Why?

8. You can read and write! Well, you won't need any of that for sure.

This is just the preliminary round. If the girl and her poor parents make it through, the questions get tougher.

For the young girls, if you have not figured it out by now - you don't get to ask questions! All you get is a marriage made in heaven!

Porto vs. Manchester United - From the Frying Pan into the Fire

2009-04-17T01:01:00.006+06:00

Okay, so I was wrong. And over-pessimistic about Manchester United. Again. In my defense, I don't think you can blame me knowing my nature on the game and the last 6 weeks in football. United beat Porto in Portugal 1-0 if you don't know the result already (blasphemy!). Ronaldo scored in the 7th minute with a 40 yard longer. No-one thought about closing him down and he didn't think twice about taking it on. The ball kept swerving to the left at breakneck speed. Helton had little chance of scoring. It was the high-point of the two-legged tie for United.

The passing was good for the first 20 minutes or so. United kept the ball well and one touch passes were working. Rooney had been stationed out wide on the right essentially to track back and keep an eye on Cissokho, the marauding Porto left back. The ploy worked as Porto's left wing was kept relatively quiet. Anderson proved quite a different player to the one I blasted last week. It was heart-warming to see Ferguson give an absolute rollicking to Anderson during a treatment break for a Porto player. He ran his heart out, tackled well and passed better though still gave the ball away too often. Carrick was guilty of the same virtues and sins. European football reminds you why its recognized as the pinnacle in most every knockout stage game. If your team gives away the ball, it can take forever to regain it. That level of technical ability was on display from a club which has the financial means of a Bolton Wanderers. Expect more Porto players like Hulk (to United perhaps?), Lucho Gonzalez, Cissokho and Rodriguez to move for bigger pay-checks this summer.

Truthfully, this was a game where Porto probably should have scored. Van der Sar was flapping a bit. The full backs weren't on top of their game. The midfield gave the ball away too many times. Berbatov up top had the kind of game that the Guardian called it his best game and his worst game in two separate articles, clearly polarizing viewers with his astonishing ability followed by lack of end product. For everything that malfunctioned there were two crucial things that stood out for me.

1. Rio Ferdinand is the arch-organizer at the back for United. He exudes confidence that few could dream of doing so with such accomplished superstars on the pitch. He strode out repeatedly onto the ball and played a pass further up into midfield. It takes acute skills to read the game so beautifully that you intercept passes galore. It also takes confidence on the ball to move into midfield and successful attacks often start in this way. Most importantly he gave Vidic the confidence to what he does best in turn, which is be the best central defender in the world. It is ironic that he needs a calming presence next to him for that and obviously undermines his claim to the aforementioned position. There will be doubters but even without red-tinted glasses I feel these two make the best central defensive pair of the last 20 years.

2. Wayne Rooney proved for the bazillionth time that he will give up all for his club. Played out wide on the right just as in Barcelona last year, he tracked back diligently nullifying the wing-back and his partner in crime. He was a menace going forward playing quick passes, receiving them on the run or cutting infield when he saw a space develop. He provides inspiration for others like few can make claim to. Ronaldo may have scored the wonder goal but Rooney kept United in the frame on both ends of the pitch. One must wonder if he can be shaped into a Zidane like deep number 10 as compared to a regular in-the-hole striker that is so popular these days. He could be even better if he became both destructor and creator instead of finisher.

Given these two, United were still too nervy towards the end. 10 men got behind the ball alright but shots and crosses rained in from all directions. Clearly those Porto bastards had no feeling for the heart condition of fans in India. It still surprises me that they didn't put one past United late on as the vulnerability seemed to grow rather than diminish. The memory of 2004 is vivid. Costinha's goal came so late and was so distressing that I may have broken a table in protest. No goal, no broken furniture this time.

Next ahead lies Arsenal. The match up that means so much to so many in my generation will play out at least three times in the 4 weeks and possibly four times in the next 6. I shall be honest, I fear the worst. United are a tiring team unable to buy a clean sheet domestically while Arsenal are unbeaten in 19. The semi-final legs will be English and everything that word carries with it. A proper review is due soon.

NBA Playoff Expectations - Eastern Conference

2009-04-16T17:25:00.003+06:00

Let’s take a break from all the inconsequential news stories out there (LS polls and cognizance of the Naxal threat in India, a lawyer for Kasab, a slipper at Advani, the end of the financial crisis?) and turn to something far more significant : the NBA playoffs. While it may not match what their fans expect, every team entering the playoffs has its own set of expectations. Here’s what we can guess they are for the teams in the Eastern Conference.

Detroit Pistons – in a rare personnel miscalculation, Joe Dumars traded his team’s engine (Chauncey Billups) for the volatile Allen Iverson, and oh how the Pistons have fallen. A year after finishing with the league’s second best record and making their now customary trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, they’ve had a 20 game drop to finish with the 8th seed in the East and barely make the playoffs. While expectations are low, this team still retains a lot of its weapons from years before. Nobody thinks they can dislodge the mighty Cavaliers, the NBA’s best team, but nobody would be surprised if the Pistons showed some resilience and took this series to a hard fought 6 or even 7 games.

Chicago Bulls – having with one poor effort arranged for a playoff matchup against the defending champion Celtics as opposed to the Orlando Magic, Chicago has only itself to blame. With a team that was only sometime ago being considered on par with Portland for young talent, the Bulls have no excuse for finishing the season with a .500 record. Their post-season expectations mirror their underachieving regular season as guard Kirk Hinrich beautifully captures when he says, “We’re excited to be in the postseason. We’re going to try to get ready.”

Philadelphia 76ers – their season ended the day Elton Brand was ruled out for the remainder of it. Having contrived to avoid the Celtics in the first round, it is possible that they might fancy some chance of an upset of the young, but still formidable Magic. While they are 0-3 against the Magic this year, Iguodala (led the league in averaging almost 40 mins a game) and co. should really want to prove themselves as worthy of a sixth seed, and a team better than its .500 record might suggest.

Miami Heat – D-Wade gets a chance to put some icing on his already legendary comeback and this team only goes as far as he does. If there is a one man team in the NBA, this is it, and if there is one man you don’t want to face in the post-season, that would be Wade. The comparisons to the 2006 Lakers squad on Kobe’s shoulders have been made ad nauseam, but the Heat don’t have to play the Phoenix Suns in the first round (Lakers took a 3-1 lead and then lost the next three). We can all expect some fireworks in their series against the Hawks, and anything from then on is a bonus.

Atlanta Hawks – a year after pushing the Celtics to 7 games in a first round matchup, more was expected of the Atlanta Hawks than they’ve managed to deliver. That said, they’ve secured home court for their first round series and have drawn a team (see above) that cannot do them much damage other than a certain No. 3. They should be looking to cruise through Round 1 and then repeat their Round 1 performance of last year in Round 2 this year. That would be a pretty decent post-season outing.

Orlando Magic – while they’ve lost some crucial games they could’ve won over the course of the season, third seed sounds about right for this team. They have the most dominant big man in the game today in Dwight Howard and with a near 60 win season, there will be expectations. Philadelphia shouldn’t pose much of a challenge, but Orlando aspires to more than just a second round appearance. It all hinges on how badly Dwight Howard wants it. When he’s playing at his best, this can be a very dangerous club. They should expect to give both Boston and Cleveland a run for their money. Howard needs to show he can get it done in the post-season.

Boston Celtics – for a defending champion, they’ve been a bit under the radar this year, thanks to some high profile injuries and a season for the ages in Cleveland. At the same time, this is a 62 win team and remains one of the best defensive clubs in the league. Anything short of a repeat performance will be considered a letdown considering it is apparent that their championship window was only a three year stretch. Ray Allen is 32 and KG at 31 is showing the signs of all those years of toil. They expect to have KG back for game 1 of the Chicago series and with him should expect to be in the NBA finals again, if not to win it all and repeat as champions.

Cleveland Cavaliers – That the Cavs have improved 21 games in a single season and have the best record in the league, with the most imposing home court to boot, should be enough to convince anyone of Lebron James’ candidature as MVP. This unbelievable turnaround itself should please most Cavs fans, but having made a trip to the NBA finals with a far lesser team following James’ magical and otherworldly game 5 performance against Detroit in the 2nd round in 2007, anything short of a championship will be considered a disappointment. If you keep in mind that James is a free agent at the end of next season, Cavs fans would think a championship is the only way to keep James at Cleveland. They have been the best team in the NBA for the stretch of the season and they will want to show in the post-season that their record was no illusion.

Friedman Starts School of Diplomacy - World Immediately Regresses to Stone Age

2009-04-15T12:09:00.005+06:00

Tom Friedman, Esquire is at it again using manatees to bring up random words and joining them in a sentence with verbs and adjectives. The magic words of the day are 'diplomacy' and 'lever'; here is the introduction to his op-ed.

It would consist of a single classroom with a desk and a chair. At the desk would be a teacher, pretending to be a foreign leader. The student would come in and have to persuade the foreign leader to do something — to pull this or that lever. At one point, the foreign leader would nod vigorously in agreement and then reach behind him and pull the lever — and it would come off the wall in his hands. Or, he would nod vigorously and say, “Yes, yes, of course, I will pull that lever,” but then would only pretend to do so.

The student would then have to figure out what to do next.

Hmmmmmm. How much smack did Friedman score before writing this paragraph?

“Mama, don’t let your children grow up to be diplomats.”

This is not the great age of diplomacy.

Pearl or swine? Oink oink. What is the definition of great age of diplomacy for him? A time when everyone kept their promises no matter what?

Once you look past Friedman calling all mothers 'Mama' whether they're his own or not, you realize the man may have a point. If you're going to indulge in nation-building do it the right way and not some half-assed attempt like Iraq. The decision to clear out Afghanistan was made 8 years ago and he might remember the catalytic event that led to it. Pakistan is a by-product of its own deficiencies and the crumbling of the border between the two countries, leading to a merged rebellion force gaining ground all round. So Friedman seems to be right, plain old sweet talking by smooth diplomats won't work and some old fashioned blood and iron will be needed to forge the foundations of these two countries. Is it possible in the current scenario? I don't know but I hope Friedman or someone else does.

And in the case of the strong states — Iran and North Korea — we would have to generate much more effective leverage from the outside to get them to change their behavior along the lines we seek. In both cases, though, success surely would require a bigger and longer U.S. investment of money and power, not to mention allies.

No shit, Sherlock. Though at what point, diplomacy wouldn't be leading the charge stumps me. How does he plan to use leverage without diplomacy? Friedman seems to think these are the first countries unwilling to follow through on a promise. Won't engaging with Iran diplomatically be the first step to getting them to a negotiating table or should the Security Council keep barking threats out to them? Kim Jong Il in that last bastion of Stalinism knows exactly what he is doing. He gets the attention of the world with his histrionics and then pulls out another set of bargains. Very effective. How about using more leverage on China to force Kim to the table? Figuring out the right carrots and sticks to use on all parties concerned is a crucial part of diplomacy. If successful, he can even sneak in a few of his own students well versed in the art of watching levers being pulled in all directions.

Papa Bear vs. Slim Shady - Bring it On!

2009-04-14T18:06:00.006+05:00

Chief Feminist in the US and Ruler of the Giant Amazonian Women, Bill O'Reilly has sprung brilliantly to the defence of Sarah Palin and women all over the world. Apparently, while O'Reilly was watching BET for research late one night he came across Eminem's single "We Made You", where young Marshall Mathers raps about a bunch of celebrities who's only claim to fame is that they are celebrities.

While out on his bra-burning protests, O'Reilly stopped to defend the honour of Sarah Palin who is so clearly being objectified in this odd-rhyming-of-words-to-a-beat aka the worst form of entertainment. Fellow blogger Clovis The 'Big Pimpin' Barbarian may disagree with the latter part of the statement. Ol' Bill while taking up the cause of the gentler sex seems to have insulted an entire race in the process. Well done, sir.

But O'Reilly is most upset at the left Mainstream Media (MSM) who have not sprung to the defence of his beloved Sarah simply because she is a conservative. Those hypocritical fools obviously look after only their own like Ellen DeGeneres, Jessica Simpson, Portia Del Rossi and Lindsay Lohan who also make an appearance in the song. Oh wait, they didn't protect them either. Damn you lazy MSM.

And so what if Bill isn't really consistent in his praise for women? (My favourite is when he says a woman can always have a C-section or such stuff and hence is never at risk during child birth) At least he sticks to the line when it comes to not criticizing Eminem or rap for glorifying gun culture. Clearly, the US doesn't suffer from lax gun control so why would Bill mention that? Only immigrants would mishandle a gun.

Oh and the word that is asterisked out is 'nail'. Ah Begorrah, only randy sailors should use such a word.

Sunderland - Manchester United

2009-04-12T19:23:00.005+05:00

This kid pops up again. He better keep track of his family jewels because they look like they might get crushed with such celebrations.

The game itself was quite awful. United held the ball fine for the first half an hour and Rooney really is the creative God at Old Trafford. He stuck to the left wing while Tevez and Berbatov ran around (strolled in Berba's case) not doing too much again. Rooney's cross in the 18th minute is being described as perfect but to me there was some luck involved in Scholes' header. Its come off the top of his head instead of being guided in off his forehead. After that United seem to drift off making mistakes more frequently. Vidic's backpass was daft and Evans had no idea of the centered ball bouncing off his toe and almost into his own goal. Credit to Sunderland that they kept attacking although it was to be expected being at Sunderland and the relegation battle that they're stuck in.

It further proves that since United lost to Liverpool, every team has been willing to attack rather than sit back. I'm not certain what the team will amble across the line with this season but the club needs Hargreaves back or a replacement for the next season or it may as well be written off right now. I'm jealous when I look over at the other top English clubs and see Mascherano and Essien (not convinced by Song at Arsenal). If the club does sell Ronaldo to Madrid this summer, they should demand Gago moving in the opposite direction with Higuain. All the potential that Anderson showed last year seems to be just that - potential. He has regressed tremendously. His range of passing has shrunk, he doesn't tackle as cleanly and hardly makes any forward runs. Its almost a terror to try and watch him slip a through ball because he gets the weight of the ball so wrong so often. I wonder how he's managing to impress Fergie in training that he still makes the bench more often than Darron Gibson.

This lack of midfield bite is the reason all teams starting with Blackburn when the clean sheet streak was broken have attacked so effectively. Where are the two banks of four of both midfield and defence? Who is closing down the gaps in front of the defense? There seems to be a lack of organization and commitment. Granted, Sunderland's goal didn't come through the center but they managed to bypass it all and go down the wings! Foster flapped like a bird and Kenwyne Jones scored. Hurrah, another United keeper with promise who will fade away. Its led to one paper claiming United are willing to bid 22 mn pounds for Victor Valdes (such levels of stupidity are unprecedented even from tabloid hacks).

So United did score again late on. Rooney took a long shot, it rebounded he recovered and set it up for Carrick. Carrick doesn't shoot as often as he should. He gets good power on them and they're usually on target with the bonus of getting deflected which is a much easier way of scoring goals. This pinball attack worked in this case with the golden boy Macheda apparently side footing the cannonball shot. It looks a simple ol' deflection but to Macheda's credit he did try to move his feet around a bit as the ball came to him. I think he was trying to trap it, got it awfully wrong and then realized he'd actually got it awfully right. If a significant portion of his attempts to trap the ball inadvertently result in goals, I'm all for the lack of skill. As it stands, I'm still to be convinced of his other skills on the ball though he does use his physique well and makes a nuisance of himself. His obsession with his gelled hair does not bode well nor does his clear admiration for Ronaldo, the King of Prima Donnas. He needs to pick a better role model like Wes Brown. Colour his hair orange but play the part of the consummate professional for the rest of his career.

Next up, the FA Cup and Everton. Everton have conceded three goals to Villa while scoring three themselves. They will win corners, cross incessantly and between Cahill and Fellaini the United defense is going to get molested. Fun times ahead.

P.S. A sign of what I think about United's chances of beating Porto, it never occurred to me to even think of that as a game before the FA Cup semi-final on Sunday. Fun times indeed.

Shoes at PC - In Keeping With The Times

2009-04-07T15:45:00.006+05:00

After an Iraqi journalist enlightened the entire fourth estate worldwide on an effective way to express its frustration with leaders, more and more journos have picked up on this brilliant mechanism. Trendy Jarnail Singh, not to be left out of this recent shoe throwing binge at our beloved politicians had his own shot today at venerable Congress boy P.Chidambaram, but like his mentor, failed to make contact with the intended target.

After Bush's narrow escape, the question was asked if India's own politicians were nimble or reflexive enough to duck and avoid such objects hurled at them. Today our honorable Home Minister has answered the question in a stunning display of quickness of mind and limb that was hardly expected of him. Bemused by the antagonism on display by the above mentioned Jarnail Singh, PC calmly took the event in stride without the fluster one can expect from say a Pranab Mukherjee.

A technique that is now spreading like wildfire and leaving older journos wondering why they hadn't thought of it themselves all these years (when you had such excellent targets like John Major, Indira Gandhi, Gerald Ford etc.), shoe throwing should only be a forerunner to what is sure to be more exciting stuff like long range spitting or a pen disguised as a water gun. Middle East messiah Muntadhar Al-Zaidi showed the way..and who is Jarnail Singh to not follow?

But like all good Christians Jarnail was quick to regret his explicit show of emotion while sticking to his stance on the issue. The issue of course being the letting off of one Mr. Tytler in connection with the 1984 Sikh Riots.

Much shall be written on society's frustrations coming out on its leaders and how restraint is now an unknown commodity in the civilized world. Security shall be beefed up by having all press conferences in the nude so that there would be nothing to hurl (other than a well aimed parabola of spittle of course). Journalists will be arrested and tried and jailed and released and then worshiped by their countrymen. Politicians and leaders will begin to spend more time in the gym (both for nude press conferences as well as to improve flexibility). Over and above all, shoes will begin to have tracking devices in them so as not to miss their intended targets anymore. Through all this, we will, as George Bush said in a pun for the ages, be shown our souls.

Manchester United - Aston Villa

2009-04-05T21:55:00.008+05:00

I CAN ONLY SAY A FEW WORDS. TAKE A BOW, SON TAKE A BOW! - Andy Gray on Federico Macheda scoring in the 2nd minute of injury time

The title race is back on but its been on for 2 weeks ever since Fulham beat United at Craven Cottage. Liverpool came close last afternoon to dropping two precious points but the combination of Gerrard and Benayoun popped up in injury time to score that vital goal. Three points in the bag and Benitez claiming the pressure was on United. How right you are, senor. The pressure has been on since Liverpool came and thrashed United on home turf by 4 goals to 1. There was pressure to rebound at Fulham without the colossus that is Nemanja Vidic, and the team succumbed badly. I had said in my post on the agonies of a sports fan that one is not redeemed till your team wins again. I've been suffering since March 14th and it was close to lasting till April 11th. Not anymore.

United played absolutely awfully. They played with composure only after the first goal was scored in the 14th minute for a few minutes and then once again after the 75th minute. Villa's midfield generals Barry and Petrov patrolled brilliantly, winning tackles and providing easy passes for their pacy young trio of Young, Agbonlahor and Milner to attack. United were gifted an indirect freekick by Milner's lack of judgement when back-passing. Either way its extremely difficult to convert these and Ronaldo was definitely helped by the awful positioning of Friedel and Nicky Shorey being 5'6 and on the line.

Villa's response was typical of their general play with Barry again winning the ball and crossing brilliantly for Carew to nod in. United are missing Vidic and his imperious presence in the air. The folly of starting Gary Neville in the center of defense was proved fairly early on and he switched positions with O'Shea at right back but that didn't help matters much. Neville is most certainly on his way out of the game. He does not have the pace to deal with the Agbonlahors and Youngs nor the jumping ability to deal with a Carew. It was heartening to see him put in his trademark tackle on Agbonlahor but it was a rare instance for applause. He was at fault for Villa's second goal as well according to me. Ronaldo lost the ball lazily, that's fair but why was Neville pressing Petrov near the halfway line when Carew was peeling off into space on his side? It was an obvious pass to Carew who eventually ambled up to the box before crossing for Agbonlahor. Yet another header, yet another memory of Vidic missing.

United didn't seem capable of getting back without the invention of Rooney. Ronaldo acts like a cry-baby far too early in a game if United is losing and its frustrating. Nani had a couple of decent crosses but dribbled horribly and gave nothing else. Tevez ran his guts out again but doesn't have the pace to get past defenders. I welcomed Macheda coming on to the pitch in the 61st minute for Nani, knowing only that he was a day over 16 when signed from Lazio. This kid will do great things. His physique is huge for a 17 year old much like Rooney was when he was 16. Ronaldo scored somehow in the 80th minute with a dribbling shot which barely got past Friedel. He was indescript the entire game except for his two goals (if that makes any sense). At that point, I was willing to accept the single point.

Martin Tyler asked Andy Gray some minutes later would United play to win and risk the loss? Absolutely, this is Manchester United was the gruff response. The other teenage substitute striker Welbeck had a good chance at 88 minutes but Friedel saved well. Just a little before, the always excellent Jonny Evans slid in beautifully to prevent Young getting the ball and an open goal. It was to fall to Macheda though to win honours between these two young, attacking clubs. He gathered the ball, shaped to shoot, danced in on the left before dragging the ball back to his right, curling it in even as he lost his footing and fell. A fantastic goal, on debut, in injury time after two consecutive losses and putting his club back on top of the table with his family standing at the same corner he scored at. Could a dream get any dreamier?

The title's destination is not decided yet. In fact, United have shown repeatedly over the last 3 games that they are vulnerable to any team that is willing to attack them, which will be every team now. We're missing Hargreaves and Vidic. Confidence in defense and the keeper have been severely eroded and some clean sheets are needed to sort that out. Let's stand back though and witness the birth of a star that is Macheda.

Update - The reaction to Macheda's goal is incredible. Words may have failed Andy Gray but they're not failing some fans.

Take Care of Your Beard, My Son

2009-04-04T17:02:00.004+05:00

The good old Supreme Court in India is at it again. The Right Hon. (is that used in India?) Markandeya Katju ruled that 'growing a beard was akin to promoting Talibanisation in the country.' The case before him was that of a student Mohammad Salim petitioning to keep his beard while his school, Nirmala Convent Higher Secondary School in Madhya Pradesh, essentially said, "Shave or Death!" (or maybe "... Bugger Off!"). Of course along with these statements, the court also said that if you're at the school, follow the rules or leave, which is really what this matter is about to begin with.

The defence argued that 'sporting a beard was an indispensable part of Islam'. Justice Katju had this classic comeback, "But you [Justice Khan] don't sport a beard". I wonder if he was complimenting his practice of Islam or insulting his ability to grow the fuzz on the cheeks. No doubt he was twirling his own moustache (if he has one), drinking some wine and unveiling his Gallic villain laugh, "Haunh, haunh, haunh". Pulling the age old French positive liberty arguement of no-one displaying any religious liberty whatsoever in public schools, Katju argued for 'balanced secularism'. All-India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat President Zafarul Islam Khan called Justice Katju’s remarks "unfortunate".

I'm surprised he didn't say, "Who are you? Telling an entire religious community whether they can shave or not. You daft git."

Justice Katju may also have missed meeting a Sikh to date. The most obvious example of a community that displays its religion openly, I'm certain no Indian school has asked them to shave lest it lead to the Khalisatnisation of India. If Katju truly wants to achieve 'balanced secularism', let him make sure everyone is on an even platform. No beards for Muslims or Sikhs. No prayers for Hindus or Muslims. Of course, he may claim he's not trying to target Islam but just taking issue with an aspect that he associates with fundamentalist terrorist groups from Afghanistan and Pakistan. So is he then tasked with interpreting the religion and what makes a good Muslim? Is that why he told the counsel that he didn't sport a beard and did fine as a Muslim? Is that the argument for allowing Sikhs to sport beards, because it makes them better practitioners of the religion? If he feels Muslims growing beards to follow their Prophet's tradition is foolhardy then he should take another look at Sikhs growing beards to differentiate themselves as saint soldiers for Aurangzeb to target directly.

It is a difficult decision to make, to say the least. It obviously goes beyond following school rules as Sikhs have always been allowed to flout it. How does he then favour one minority over another on such a ridiculous basis? It is not possible in India to stifle religious traditions and beliefs. Attempting to do so can only lead to trouble. Justice Katju may continue to sip his French wine and guffaw his Gallic "haunh, haunh, haunh" but his ruling may alienate a major community and accelerate any Talibanisation that worries him so.

A Government By The People... All of India Running for Parliament

2009-04-03T00:10:00.009+05:00

Abe Lincoln's description of a democracy is something most people accept and adhere to. In the largest democracy in the world though some people seem to want to go back to the Greek definition and go back to being the government themselves by taking things into their own hands. They intend to achieve this by seating themselves in Parliament house by running for MP instead of standing back and merely voting. While a very noble gesture that is to be lauded, in the current scenario it is nothing more than a farce. Not that India has had very many great leaders since the days of Morarji Desai, it's just that we get a bit queasy when every random chappie decides to run for office.

Attempting to do so in the upcoming general elections are a number of well meaning, incompetent celebrities from fields other than politics who think they can replicate their past successes (or in some cases failure) in serving the public as elected officials.

Of course heading this list would be escaped convict Sanjay Dutt. A man of lofty values and an impeccable record in civil life, he is the epitome of the well meaning, clueless, delusional cadre of celebrities we have in our country. With such unbeatable logic like "If Navjot Sidhu can run, so can I", who is to argue with the man? The Supreme Court however, probably our last bastion of civilized life, nipped his candidacy in the bud. His wife Manyata, that veteran politician (the "Grand Old Dame" of the SP, she's called), will replace him in Lucknow. The gracious Dutt has instead been named as the General Secretary of the Party.

Far more understated has been the candidacy of that elder statesman of Indian cricket, Mohammed Azharuddin. A revered captain of unquestionable integrity with an unblemished sporting career that bodes well for his political career, he will be fielded from Moradabad. The residents of this UP town may not know what's in store for them, but nobody doubts Azhar's intentions, just like during his playing days.

Another well intentioned run for Parliament is Mallika Sarabhai's. This wily old minx decided to take on the master in his den, squaring off against L.K. Advani in Gandhinagar as an independent candidate. While nobody questions the credentials of her family , one of India's premier names, it would be one thing if she were a Caroline Kennedy. It is a whole other matter to run simply on the goodwill one has in public. If she were to oust Advani as an MP, it would be the biggest political upset in decades. Few are betting on that happening though.

Some others with political aspirations include former cricketer Madan Lal (Hamirpur, Congress), an executive from ABN-Amro in South Bombay and Tamil actor Vijaykant, and with Navjot Sidhu and Jaya Prada already Members of Parliament, it won't be very long before Parliament sessions begin to look like the IIFA awards. Thankfully, Govinda has put a spanner in the works by deciding to not run a second time.

The framers of our constitution were not far-sighted enough, providing, gratuitously, a provision that 12 members of the Rajya Sabha be "nominated by the President of India from amongst persons who have special knowledge or practical experience in the fields such as literature, science, art or social service." Little did they realize that in modern India, such expertise in those fields automatically qualified you for representing the people at the central level. Truly, a government by the people.

Munnabhai apologizes to India

2009-04-01T09:34:00.002+05:00

Sanjay Dutt was barred from contesting elections by the Supreme Court yesterday. On hearing the news, Dutt let out a broad smile that endeared him to all in his Munnabhai films, and gracefully accepted the news. He called a press conference and said, "Forgive me for having made such a public embarrassment of myself. I committed a crime that haunts me everyday and one which I will never be able to live down. It is unacceptable to ask for the public to forget about it, even if we didn't live in times when terrorism was such a ready and present danger. I thank my stars that I not in jail and that is enough for me."

When quizzed about his wife Manyata standing in his place the big man responded, "Politics are about the right person to represent the populace. If I cannot stand, it should not mean that she is a replacement. She has no experience whatsoever and would be unknown if she weren't married to me. For that matter, I have no experience. I am only an actor as my good pal Govinda says. My hairstyle changes every week as does my beard these days. Let's be honest, I can't even act properly - I'm only here because my father made it as an actor. I've never really spent much time in Lucknow as I've lived mostly in Bombay. I'm going home and I'm making another Munnabhai film which should smoothen everything out again. Thank you once again."

Amar Singh sat by his side through the entire press conference refusing to speak. He felt Sanjay could handle himself well enough and said the right things. On hearing the Supreme Court order, Pappu Yadav the notorious Bihari gangster instructed his lawyer to withdraw an appeal for a stay so that he could stand for elections. Having allegedly murdered Ajit Sarkar while a sitting MP, he refused to use the loophole that allowed stays on convictions for sitting MPs and MLAs. Pappu's sense of remorse was a profound moment in Bihari politics. He went as far as discarding his nom de guerre 'Pappu' and is on the lookout for a fresh nickname to start over. 'Bunty' is leading the reckoning.

Pappu's magnanimity was needless as it turned out. In the ruling over Sanjay Dutt, the Supreme Court also made an obiter dictum, ruling that stays would not be granted on convictions for sitting MPs and MLAs. They are to be classified as the rest of the population in being held responsible for their crimes and will not be allowed to stand for elections. After all, being a politician cannot be the only occupation a man can take up. It has been applauded far and wide as a ruling filled with wisdom beyond its years.

APRIL FOOLS!!!

It is all bullshit. Yeh India hai meri jaan.

Fink-Nottle Tries to Register to Vote

2009-03-31T13:55:00.010+05:00

Last week, I decided to get my act together and register to vote. A little procrastination later, I had filled in my form on Jaagore.com, figured out the material I needed to carry for identification purposes and was feeling well and truly satisfied with myself. The next day at work I printed out my forms, got my passport photographs taken and carefully assembled all the papers. Following some more dilly dallying I finally made the trip down to the local Municipal Corporation Wednesday morning on my way to work. I asked my cabbie to make the requisite stop and he turned and asked me if a water pipeline in my flat had gone bust. I said nothing of the sort, I just want to register to vote which led him to snigger more than he should have. He also told me I must be living in some dreamland if I expected the place to open before 10:30 AM. Sure enough, upon reaching I was told it won't open till 10:30 AM and I could wait around. Instead, I went back to the sniggering cabbie and asked him to take me to work.

Thursday, I had some time off in the afternoon. At 1:45 PM, I left for the Corporation and was there within 15 minutes. It is a decrepit old compound with some construction work on one of the newer buildings that houses staff. The building that held the registry office was of course the oldest, seemingly built in the revolutionary heyday of the late 1940s. I walked in to the compound like a lost duckling unsure of which way to waddle to next. A short man with a big mustache (as is so often the case) called me to sign into a register. I said I wanted to register to vote so he waved me up a flight of rickety wooden stairs. This staircase could have played a lead role in a movie about a haunted house with its extreme creaky sounds including some new ones I had never heard before. Once on top it was a large landing which served as a corridor, hall and balcony all in one. There were two windows with a long snaking queue from the window furthest away. I got into this queue behind a short young man who must not have been much older than I. Two kids of 18 or 19 stood in line behind me, one with a pimpled face and the other with a chipped tooth. I went up to the first window where two very bored looking men were sitting drinking tea, surrounded by so many sheafs of paper that one could visualize the forests they once were. I asked them if my papers were in order. One of them snatched them, flipped through the forms and then handed me a new empty form. I told him I had already filled it out but he said I had printed it out so the registration officers would think I hadn't written a thing. They needed to see ink on the form to be assured it had been filled out.

Reluctantly I took the same form and filled it out again. The neatness and ease of reading a printed form was obviously all in my head as the bureaucrats would prefer the scrawl of a million different hands. The two kids in line behind me were flipping through photocopies of their forms. I asked them if that was necessary. Pimply said if I didn't have a photocopy they'd send me back. Why? They stamp the photocopy to attest as a receipt. It also serves as a replacement form if they end up losing my original form. Of course, there was no mention of my having to follow up on the lost form and providing this attested copy. I decided to follow their advice, asked them to hold my spot in line and ran across the street to make copies.

I returned after a few minutes, copies in hand and was glad to note the line had moved forward quite a bit. I also found three new people immediately in front of me. Apparently, they had gone for lunch asking someone else to hold their place in line. I glanced once again at the kids behind me and this time they were looking at their identification proofs which also bore stamps and signatures. I asked again if that was necessary. Apparently if I didn't get them attested they weren't valid. Desperately asking for how I could get them attested, I drew blank stares from everyone around me. The kids said they're doctor stamped their papers. An old man a good deal ahead of me quietly told me to go to the building next door to room 24 and they would stamp it. I thanked him profusely and made a run for it. Finally finding the room, they gave me looks of disgust. Not only was I asking them for a tremendous favour I had not brought the original proofs of identity. The gentleman gave me a stern talking to for being such a fool but then quietly signed the papers and sent me to the stamping authority next door. The crisis was averted.

Relieved, I made my way back to discover the line hadn't moved forward at all. A man of about 60 was gesturing wildly telling everyone to stand in their lines and shouting at a young woman who had dared to cut ahead. Self-appointed authority figures can be found anywhere, I guess. He then focused his wrath on a couple that were taking a break from the heat of the queue to lean against the banister, disrupting the snaking queue. Turning into an orator, he rhetorically asked why does a young couple get to rest while an old man stands diligently in line. The old man in question smiled toothlessly and the rest of us smiled in response. A moment of levity in the heat.

At any given moment there were 5 people at the registration window thrusting their forms forward. Most people carried not just their forms but those of their family members too. The kids behind me had exhausted most topics of conversation and were now discussing Harry Potter. I was not just frustrated but needed to get back to work. The Muslim woman in front of me with her burqa covering all but her glasses told me it was taking so long because they had no computers in there. I refused to believe her but the man in front of her told me he was here to pick up his election card and it was his third visit. Each time he waited for hours got to the front and they physically searched for a card to match the 10 digits or so on his receipt. Each time he was turned away and told to return in a few days.

It struck me only then that pretty much everyone around me was Muslim and from the labour/lower middle class. It sounds like a classist judgement it goes a long way to explain their patience and my frustration. They smiled when telling me there weren't any computers and how they might dramatically reduce time. They understood better than me that some automation could also lead to greater order in all the chaos. The man trying to collect his election card pointed my attention through a side window. A well dressed man in his 40s was seating himself across 2 officials and accepting a cup of tea. He had apparently just paid a bribe and won himself an express ticket to registration. The man waiting with me just smiled and told me to try my luck if I had the money. After all why was I the odd one out in the queue? Flabbergasted, I considered the proposition. It took more resolve than I expected. And then just to make things better, out of the blue walked in 8 all in burqas of varying ages led by a religious Muslim man with a long beard. They got in line a few spaces ahead of me along with a family member who had been waiting. It was after 4 PM and clearly my turn wasn't going to come that day. The kids behind me joked that they could watch a movie and return and still be in the same place in line. I gave up and walked away desperate to get back to work and not to mention some air conditioning. The self-appointed authority figure just about to get his own turn called out to me telling me not to give up so easily. I told him I just needed a drink of water.

There were still four more days for me to try my luck. Friday was not possible due to work and I was traveling on the weekend. Monday morning I tried again reaching at 9 AM but the queue had begun 2 hours earlier. I did not have the time to stand in line for 3-4 hours and had to return. I am chastened by my experience but really it is my fault for trying only at the last minute. I am now an educated man without a vote, the kind I love to rail against - a hypocrite. In 5 years, I hope to value my right as much as those who lack so much in resources but make up for in belief.

UPDATE - Now that I look back, I realize a community of sorts was formed that day. We were all in it together, braving the heat, taking time off from work, all trying to exercise our franchise. It was spontaneously formed, and it goes a long way to explain why people held spots for others for hours, gave advice to prevent repeat trips whether it was something as simple as photocopying or attesting identity. It also explains why the self-appointed orator asked me to have patience. I was abandoning the community when I walked out and perhaps he saw that.

An Ode to the Motor Vehicle

2009-03-30T21:35:00.007+05:00

I contemplated writing an obituary for Pontiac when GM announced that the make was being cut a few months ago. The truth though was that it had died long ago. Pontiac had been making unmemorable cars for almost 20 years. The Firebird, the GTO were long gone, belongings of a bygone era. "A failure of leadership “from Washington to Detroit” over the years has led the industry to the brink of collapse", paraphrases the New York Times on Obama's ultimatum to the US car industry. He speaks not just of mismanagement of finances (unsustainable pension payments) but of the production of gas-guzzlers that are expensive to drive (read oil prices exploding last year) and costlier still on the environment. There is little to say on their mismanagement that has not been said already.

The public sacking of Rick Wagoner is long overdue but that it has had to come from the President of the United States shows the sort of mess the company is in. Wagoner saw it coming and was making appearances on the Colbert Report advertising the Chevrolet Volt which was supposed to make all the pain go away. Colbert's jokes about plugging the Volt into his Hummer led to an unnatural laugh from Wagoner. The Damocles sword has clearly hung over his head for too long yet I cannot feel any sympathy for him. Men like him have destroyed the car, making it an expensive means of conveyance rather than a work of art as it used to be. He along with others have betrayed the legacy of industry stalwarts from Henry Ford to Enzo Ferrari and John DeLorean to Lee Iacocca. What must Iacocca be thinking when he sees the company he led through an exhaustive bailout in 1979 being commanded to merge with Fiat? Fiat itself has been run into the ground by the latter generations of the Agnelli family. Why should they survive as one entity? Mercedes Benz and Chrysler was a disastrous marriage just 10 years ago. Few have the right to hold their head high in this fiasco.

I am incensed most that the car as we have known it is dying out. Vehicles like Tata Nano dominate the Indian news while other hybrids such as the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic have been doing the rounds for some time. For all their worldy benefits they do not make the heart skip a beat. The curves were lost some time ago. Cars used to emote from every line. The Jaguar E-Type was the definition of sexy for the 1960s with icons such as George Best closely associated with its buxom shape. There is no grill like that of the Corvette Stingray, no doors like those of the Gullwing, no unbridled roar like that of the V8 under the hood of the GTO. For all the world's GPS satnavs there is no technologically groundbreaking car like the Citroen DS with its headlights that moved where you wanted them to and a hydraulic suspension system that is still marveled at. I don't think I can fall in love with a car in its first scene in a movie like I did with the Alfa Romeo in The Graduate. Nothing to change the English language as the Duesenberg did in the 1920s spawning the word 'doozy'. And in some cases, words cannot do justice to the ephemerality of the Mercedes-Benz 500 K Roadster. Maybe that is why I love it most and always will.

There will be the Porsches churned out year after year, mechanical precision inside and out. Ferraris will always come out red and the Aston Martin will try to remind us of days gone past. Audis have managed to turn simplicity into style. They give me some hope. The trend though has been one of ugly cars that beg to be remodeled after 3 years and to fade away in junk yards. They do not hold any magic that would appeal to an enthusiast to have them restored. Masses of Corollas and VW Golfs ready to be compacted. Even the progress of technology only serves to highlight how the vintage cars I treasure now may not be around in 30-40 years. Every car that comes with a processor is now serviced by computers more than by people. I requested a car restorer to give me an apprenticeship to restore vintage cars at his shop. He told me bluntly that I was not an artisan and it is only they who can do the very specialized jobs of moulding these aged beasts back in one piece. Every year there are fewer and fewer skilled men with the ability and willingness to work on them. It leaves me with a heavy heart to know that something I love so may not be around for too much longer. I feel bad for future generations who may be left with derivatives of the Tata Nano and little else because of choices that leadership, management and millions of others made on vehicles without souls. Any number of ultimatums from Obama will not roll back the clock. I am lucky, as apparently it is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.

Why only Gandhi?

2009-03-24T14:35:00.005+05:00

The media frenzy surrounding Varun Gandhi's inflammatory speech last week and its ramifications leave me baffled. Every time a commentator starts taking us through the transcript of the young politician's speech, the reaction of the Election Commission and bytes from leaders on all sides of the political spectrum, the argument boils down to one point of contention. How can a great-grandson of Jawahar Lal Nehru, a member of India's first political family make such anti-minority remarks? Did he not learn anything from his family's legacy? Does he have no respect for the Gandhi name? Some feel he is a right-wing avatar of his father Sanjay Gandhi, who sent shivers down the spine of every Indian man during the Emergency days of the 1970s. Others observe that Varun was not brought up at 10 Janpath, hence how can we expect him to hold the same regard for constitutional fundamentals such as secularism as supposedly his cousins do?

One minute. Let us pause and think. What are we saying here? Varun Gandhi should not have said what he did because he is Jawahar Lal Nehru's great-grandson, Indira Gandhi's grandson? Why is he being measured by a different moral parameter, when day in and day out we hear similar rhetoric (less or more restrained) from politicians and leaders all over the country? Is it not reason enough that you want to serve the people of India, hence you must respect the ideals that founded this country? Any politician making ludicrous statements like those of Varun Gandhi must be held accountable.

The strength of a leader cannot be measured by the force of his speech-making. Content matters. Unfortunately, in a nation where a vast sum of people ready to cast their vote are not educated or politically astute, it is easy to get swayed by charisma alone and the appearance of being strong (not that this has not happened to some degree when an electorate is educated and politically astute). Hence, it is up to the liberal media and public to voice their concerns when we hear speeches of hate from people claiming to lead our country and give direction to our future. There is no point in making comparisons between cousins or kin. If Rahul Gandhi has not made anti-Muslim remarks, he did once give his family all the credit for making India an independent country. For someone aspiring to be Prime Minister, it is advisable that he take some history lessons.

Politicians use false rhetoric and try to divide the electorate on religion, caste, ethnic or class based differences when they fear losing or when they can think of nothing concrete to offer. More than moralizing why a Gandhi would say what he did choose to, it is better we ask ourselves why do we let such men and women scare us? And once we are comfortable embracing our differences as an asset, we must try and help those countrymen who are still swayed by the last names and fiery speeches of their leaders. So raise your voices when you hear such rubbish, start a campaign, direct the media's attention to such nonsense. And do it for one and all - Gandhi or Gandhi.

You Go Obama Dawg!

2009-03-21T20:06:00.003+05:00

Just watch this! I could not come up with a better way to describe my sentiments than the title of this entry I read on another blog.

Lalu You Legend!

2009-03-20T22:35:00.003+05:00

Catch the Emperor of the Railways back when he was a simple house-husband to the truly powerful Rabri Devi. His hair still stick out from his ears like tiny antenna and the bufaaalllo (or gaai, bhainse if you prefer) are crucial bystanders.

Gimme My Money!

2009-03-20T09:23:00.003+05:00

I've just read that the House of Representatives has overwhelmingly passed a new law levying a 90% tax on bonuses paid out at rescued firms. It seems an easy end to the furor that has been generated by AIG wanting to pay upwards of $160 million in bonuses to certain employees that have met or exceeded performance targets as decided last year. One could leave aside how unethical those bonuses may be as enough has been said and written on it. The people wanted their pound of flesh (literally: Senator Grassley of Iowa preferred they commit suicide though he has retracted that now, half a pound will do) and seemingly they will get some of it.

The issue with this form of compensation is that the finance world has long viewed bonuses as the key component of their take home salary. It lent an entrepreneurial and competitive touch and was supposed to be a great incentive for individuals to maximize the profits of the company and thus themselves. Its painfully obvious now that it was all misaligned because the individual traders aren't paying out millions to cover the losses their trading positions made. To be without a bonus though, is for a banker to be reduced to the earthworm level of the masses. How will they be able to differentiate themselves with the same basic salary (still a good deal higher) as that of an accountant or a marketing executive? How will they pay for cases of Grey Goose and all those cocaine fueled binges? For over twenty years, the bonus has been accepted as the reason for entering finance and for working 20 hour days. If they let go of it, they might as well move back to Iowa and watch the cows graze.

Hence the rush of chief executives down to Washington to protest in feeble voices against this bill. Some Republicans remember that their party motto is "No Taxes, No Abortion" and have voted against it but most have turned traitors to the cause. They cry out loud, "Give our employees incentive to work or they shall leave us for other better banks or worse yet sit around and mope!". Except there are no other banks left to accept employees. And as for the incentivization, if the bank manages to pay bailout money back and owes less than $5 billion, the bonus tax goes down considerably. Hooray for a long term incentive that binds the bank and the employee to a very clear target. Of course, the bill could well be illegal as it is applied retroactively and may get stuck in court or repealed. But it'll sure shake up Wall Street. Bankers everywhere must be saying, "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."

Iftikhar Chaudhary's Long March Back- Part 2

2009-03-16T14:36:00.003+05:00

The Punjabi middle class and intelligentsia: Many of the lawyers and leaders would love to claim that the whole nation united for change yesterday. The fact of the matter is, they did not. This day belonged to the people of Punjab, with a handful of people from Balochistan and NWFP. Sindh stood resolutely behind the government, and Karachi’s people remained quite disinterested, pleased to see that for once their city was not at the center of the tension. But yes, this was all about Punjab, and that is in no way a criticism. For what we have witnessed in the Punjab is the rise of a new force for political and social change. The Lawyers Movement has brought together the new burgeoning Punjabi urban middle class, with the urban elites, giving them a political consciousness and a political enthusiasm. They are both willing and able to come together to bring about change, and so they are a very potent force for the future. We finally have a middle class that is convinced of democracy and public participation, and is willing to fight for it, come out on the streets for it, as they did in large numbers yesterday, and we also have an urban elite that is willing to join them. Now, all they suffer from is a lack of leadership. Their leaders unfortunately, are predominantly people like Imran Khan and Qazi Hussain Ahmed, reactionary right-wingers, who wish to take this country in the wrong direction with their ardent anti-Americanism, and their dangerous religious populism. It’s time the progressive segment of society acknowledged the power and potency of this new class, and gave it some kind of positive direction. Men like Aitzaz Ahsan really need to be catapulted to the front of Pakistani politics, to give them the leadership they really need, because we know from yesterday, that what the Punjabi middle class wants, they can get.

Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhary: Of course, there can be no doubt the big winner from this drama was the man himself, the deposed and now restored Chief Justice. Throughout all this, I marveled at the fact that Iftikhar Chaudhary remained totally silent. He could have come out, riled up the people, and tried to force some agitation but he did not. He has shown remarkable restraint, something we rarely expect from our leaders. This one man has proven himself a giant. The government did not want him back, the army did not want him back, and the US did not want him back. None of the powers-that-be were hoping for his return. But, yet all have been forced to give way. Many of Pakistan’s experts were of the opinion that the movement to restore him did not have any lasting traction, and after last years’ election and ousting of Musharraf, the movement would fragment and he would become irrelevant. But that did not happen. Many disagree with his judicial activism, or find his politicization of the judiciary worrisome, or even distrust his character, but they cannot doubt the grip he has on the political imagination of our people, and hence the power he wields to bring the entire establishment to its knees. His return represents the victory of the people against the establishment.

The people are joyous. Different people hope he will take on different segments of the establishment. Some hope he will put Musharraf on trial (well I certainly wish he could, at any rate, thought I doubt it). Others hope he will revoke the National Reconciliation Ordinance and delegitimize Zardari’s presidency, look into the Missing Persons cases, even prosecute the MQM in Karachi for the violence of May 12th. Some even claim he will bring increased foreign investment to Pakistan. People see him as a panacea for all Pakistan’s problems.

The reality is he is not. And no, there is no guarantee that things will get better now.

Quite the contrary.

The conflict between the PPP and PML-N is far from over; there is yet more chaos to come. The Long March exposed clear schisms between Sindh and Punjab that do not bode well for the future. The pro-Islamist crowd still leads the Punjabi middle class. Zardari is still very much in power, albeit isolated. The economy is still in a downward spiral. And moreover, the dangerous Taliban continue to expand their hold over this state. We do not even know where Iftikhar Chaudhary stands on these issues, and we hope he does not take the line of his right-wing supporters in Punjab, making the war on the Taliban even more difficult. Finally, the army still reigns supreme within the establishment, and continues to play its own political games. In fact the great unanswered question remains: what role did the Army play in all this? Some speculate that the army helped orchestrate all this, and has even been involved in deals with Iftikhar Chaudhary and Nawaz Sharif. I myself do believe the army had an important role to play, but that we will understand better as time reveals further facts about what transpired behind the scenes these last few days.

Yet in spite of all this, I think for this one day, the cynics and pessimists must acknowledge one thing, that this could have gone a lot worse, and that on this one day, regardless of whatever was going on behind the scenes, people came out in large droves, believing they could make a difference, zealous in exercising their democratic right to hold their leaders responsible, and confident they could change the political face of this country, and they did just that. So today, the people can give themselves a pat on the back. This was Pakistan’s ‘Yes we can’ moment, and the people should be proud.

Iftikhar Chaudhary's Long March Back- Part 1

2009-03-16T14:24:00.005+05:00

And so once more, the ides of March have proven historic for Pakistan. After a very long time, the Pakistani people, yearning for good news, starving for something positive, pleaing with their deities for a reason not to give up all hope can actually say, something went right. On this day, many heroes were anointed, many villains were shamed, but more than that, a tense Pakistani populace can heave a sigh of relief, that among all the possible disasters that could have resulted from this confrontation, the only possible positive scenario, possibly the least likely eventuality at that, is the one that actually happened. The protests could have turned violent, but they did not. They could have been hijacked by more aggressive, more militant elements but they were not. Possibly disastrous confrontations in Islamabad were avoided. The police could have kept up with the suppressive tactics that they engaged in right up till Sunday morning but they backed off. Zardari could have continued emulating the ways of Musharraf and authoritarian dictators of years past, but he was halted. Most dangerous of all, the army, sensing instability, could have seized the opportunity to throw out the civilian government once more, but they chose not to. Instead, the army laid low, Zardari backed off, the protests were peaceful, positive and celebratory for the most part, and they got what they came out for without having to resort to violence or aggression, as most people would have assumed was inevitable. Lahore bore witness to one big party with a big cause.

Zardari and his coterie have clearly lost big in this whole drama. Taking on the Sharifs and pretty much the entire Punjab the way he did was just a monumental mistake. Zardari was never someone the public could have had much faith in. But his style of governing thus far had been based on consensus and compromise, which I believed was the smartest way to bring a stable political set-up to this country. However, this approach that he applied everywhere else, was distinctly absent in Punjab. He and his Punjabi lieutenant Salman Taseer went after the Sharifs and paid for it. Zardari ended up resorting to the same strong arm tactics of dissolving assemblies, rounding up opponents, arresting people by the hundreds, curbing the media and suppressing all political activity, that Musharraf did, and his efforts met the same fate. The only difference was he did not have a powerful army establishment behind him so his chances of getting away with such a power grab were even less. How blinded was he by his own power, one wonders. Zardari and his minions Salman Taseer, Rehman Malik and Farooq Naek, have always been viewed by most of society with great suspicion if not outright hostility. Now they have cemented their places as villains and targets of universal public ridicule and rage. I hope some of them, especially Salman Taseer who has proven to be a real arrogant menace, depart as soon as possible. One thing is for sure, the Zardari government is now tottering towards its own collapse, as even people within the PPP have made their objections to their leadership clear. He is a wily man, no doubt, I do not see him getting out of this one.

Several figures have emerged as clear victors in this tumultuous drama.

Nawaz Sharif : While I fear this man, his tendency towards belligerent confrontation, his Punjabi regionalism, his right wing tendencies, and his resultant close alliances, with those elements that I fear most in the Pakistan political spectrum, the Islamists, I still have to give him the credit he is due. When Zardari picked what columnist Irfan Hussain called, his presidential ‘panga’ with Sharif, he clearly underestimated the populist strength of this man. Governor Salman Taseer mocked him, doubting his ability to bring out the people. But bring them out he did. And how. On 15th March, he showed his mettle and his following. He spoke directly to the civilian government, to the establishment, and to anyone else who doubted him, telling them that he was the only leader other than the late Benazir Bhutto who can really bring out the people, the only other leader with that populist strength, and no one should forget that. As he defied house arrest orders, to arrive at GPO chowk in Lahore, to lead 40, 000 people, even those with minimal respect for Nawaz, including myself, could not help but be impressed. Moreover, the fact that he did not do anything to turn the crowd violent or too aggressive deserves commendation. That Nawaz got involved in this movement for the sake of his own power prospects, that he was willing to take Pakistan to the brink in his confrontation with Zardari is without doubt, and is a matter of concern. But he handled the situation very deftly yesterday, and clearly won this latest battle in the endless war between him and the PPP, decisively.

Prime Minister Gilani: Prime Minister Gilani has been the butt of countless jokes since Zardari chose him as his powerless puppet prime minister. Yet throughout this conflict, he has staked a position separately from the president, stuck to his guns, and been at the center of all possible reconciliation efforts, refusing to allow Zardari to close the doors on compromise. Gilani made both his discomfort with Governor’s Rule and his interest in seeing the judges restored clear. Negotiating with Zardari, Kayani and the Sharifs, Gilani kept the door opened to a resolution thorough, and finally, many speculate it was him and Kayani who pressured Zardari to accept the Chief Justice being restored. Gilani has finally come into his own, and is not the same puppet prime minister everyone ridiculed anymore.

Sherry Rehman, Raza Rabbani, Aitzaz Ahsan, Safdar Abbassi, Naheed Khan: These five figures from the PPP, have proven that there are people of principle still left in Pakistani politics. By leading the Lawyers’ Movement, Aitzaz Ahsan lost all his political clout within the PPP once Zardari and his gang took over the party after the February elections. But he stuck with his position on the judicial issue and today it has paid its dividends. Moreover, he is no more alone as a PPP member with serious public reservations regarding the Zardari leadership. Indeed he is joined by several others who were very close to Benazir Bhutto and were at the core of the party before. Naheed Khan and Safder Abbassi both stalwarts of the PPP have come out with the lawyers against the government. Raza Rabbani and Sherry Rehman both senior members of the PPP also resigned their positions in protest at the tactics and strategies of the Zardari leadership. Former Information Minister Sherry Rehmans principled stance against the government’s actions against the media was especially impressive, as it is not often you see someone with such a high cabinet position resign purely on the principle of prior guarantees she had made to the people. Amidst the hypocrisy and opportunism that characterizes Pakistani politics such stances are rare and refreshing.
(This entry is broken into two parts)

Forgotten and Forlorn. The Heart of British India's Capital.

2009-03-12T14:48:00.012+05:00

A few steps down the narrow strip of road with just enough room for a tram track running down the middle, and several thoughts and questions crossed my mind. There was an instant reaction in some corner of my brain to everything the eye saw. To borrow the old cliche, time had stopped still in the neighborhood that lay before me. Early 19th century homes of concrete and brick, with gigantic archways, Greco-Roman colonnades, decorative balconies overlooking the street below, lined the narrow strip of road. The homes were once residences of the landholding, cultural elite of the city. Yet the archways, the pillars, the balconies all reeked of decay, degeneration and loss.

On approaching one such building, now converted in to a charitable hospital for old women, an eerie silence hung heavy over the vast property. The freshly painted yellow majestic pillars, storey-high, tightly shut windows seemed to hold in them stories of a vibrant past and a history of its passing away. Attempting to go closer to them felt like a violation of a long, preserved status quo. I stepped back and moved on, down the street.

Once called the heart of my city, these lanes seemed lost in time. Was this really the same city I called my home? The difference between where I had lived and grown up and this locality I had stepped in to on that day, seemed too much to reconcile. What did the residents of these parts make of the areas I lived in? Did they ever visit them? How had I not been here before? How did I never visit these parts? If this was once the heart of my city, why had I never seen it? To not discover the roots of a place one likes to call home seemed like a gross injustice and a loss of all sense of semblance.

A few steps further down the by-lanes led to the discovery of more hidden architectural marvels. 'Marvels', as I had not imagined I would encounter such structures here. 'Marvels' since I could not help but think what kind of manpower, planning and resources it must have taken in the 19th century for locals to build them. 'Marvels' that now lie uncared for, unkempt and bleeding. There were so many ways of restoring these places, opening them up to the public, allowing people like me who had grown up on the other side of the city to come and have a look at their heritage. And no one was saying it had to be done for free. It annoys me sometimes when I think how we let go of preserving our heritage and feeling proud of it so easily. How can we be so flippant about it? And then everyone complains how the city has nothing to offer anymore… The vitality that once characterized the 'heart' of my city is lost. I hope we do not lose the symbols that make up our memory of ourselves as a metropolis completely.

A New Era for Indian Politics

2009-03-12T14:26:00.003+05:00

9 political parties came together today to form the Third Front, positioning themselves as an alternative to the UPA and NDA, the Congress and BJP led alliances respectively. In doing so, the Left Front, along with major regional parties like AIADMK and BSP seem to have initiated a new era for Indian politics, one removed from the two national party based alliances of the past.

While India has had coalition governments for a long time now, a viable third alternative to the UPA and NDA is something quite momentous. A Third Front formed the government briefly after the 1996 elections, but its political capital was meager and chances of survival rather low. With the current mix though, it is a whole different story and Indian politics are likely to be altered for a long time to come.

Not only do people believe a Third Front will take away a number of votes from the two major alliances, but there is serious talk of the Third Front actually having the numbers to come to power. This is still an unlikely scenario with the current group of parties, but with a few more choice allies, things could turn decisively.

They will be very strong in UP(80 seats) with the BSP. They will get more than a decent share of seats in both Andhra (42) with the TDP and Telengana Rashtra Samithi and Tamil Nadu (39) with the AIADMK. In the 62 seats up for grabs between the two Communist bastions Kerala(20) and West Bengal(42) it is safe to assume another 45 seats for the two Left Parties. With the JD(S) in Karnataka, and if they can lure the BJD in Orissa(21) and possibly the NCP in Maharashtra (48), they would be competing in a serious way in all populous states with the exception of Bihar.

This is an unprecedented situation in Indian politics and one that is sure to lead to a number of exciting scenarios on counting day and during the formation of government. While it is still up to the Third Front to decide on a Prime Ministerial candidate (a decision that will give it even more legitimacy), the numbers look encouraging for them in several ways. Indian politics just became an even bigger mess!

A Storm Brewing?

2009-03-07T02:33:00.001+05:00

Political trouble and instability continue to brew on all sides of the Indian border. The latest news of turmoil comes from Pakistan and Bangladesh, after Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Nepal and Burma have all been subject to domestic, often war-like conflicts and clashes in the last few years.

Terrorists struck at a symbol close to the heart of any person in the sub-continent in Lahore earlier this week. Meanwhile, Bangladesh had already been reeling from a rebellion of the Bangladesh Rifles who protect and guard the country's borders. Their attempted mutiny left not just the populous country vulnerable, it also left one side of the border with India unsecured and insufficiently unmanned. In the duration of a week, India has received multiple warnings of the fragile political nature of states on its periphery. And in the duration of that very week, the lack of deliberation regarding India's role in the sub-continent or its foreign policy in general has been exposed.

When civil war engulfed Sri Lanka, freedom was curbed in Burma or Maobadis took over power in Nepal, what was India's collective response? A series of extremely delayed gestures of concern, which by their timing immediately put the many smaller, less powerful states around India on the front foot and severely undermining its geographic and economic might.

The Ministry of External Affairs (at whose helm is a gentleman who wears many a hat for the current administration, thus displaying his amazing multi-tasking abilities at running the country), the Opposition and not even the group that calls itself the country's watch dog - the media, seem to miss a coherent, practical, evolutionary foreign policy agenda. Nuclear deal done, a deep slumber seems to have set in. Meanwhile, India's neighborhood continues to burn.

What we need to fear is not perhaps a full blown armed conflict in the short run. Our neighbours are too weak to unleash that. The real threat is the ability of disruptive forces in the region to destabilize India's domestic security and society. Refugees entering India from porous borders along Nepal and Bangladesh add not just another mouth to feed but another person to protect, another child to put in to school and another job to create in a country with an already dismal Human Development Index count. The spillover effect of human rights abuses on Tamils in Sri Lanka has caused a furore in the southern state of Tamil Nadu and threatens to hold captive political alliances and negotiations in India's upcoming general elections. All of these will add up to make India a state bleeding at too many points to remain focused on its own development.

The External Affairs Ministry along with the elite Indian Foreign Services needs to sit down and chart out an agenda for India's role in South Asia at the earliest. Individual Prime Ministers have dealt with our neighbours as per their political exigencies. If India truly aspires to be a superpower, it must start gaining some respect and clout in its own backyard before trying to make its mark on global affairs. Otherwise, the storm brewing will creep closer and closer to India's borders and make us take two steps backward for each foot forward.

The Mist Clears - Third Front Announced

2009-03-02T14:36:00.003+05:00

The plot thickens. As the CEC announces a 5-phase Lok Sabha polls beginning on April 16th, till the 16th of May, Former Prime Minister of India, H.D Deve Gowda (remember him?) has taken it upon himself to answer some of the questions I asked in my previous post. He announced today the composition of the Third Front, an issue I was duly concerned with. It appears this Third Front will include the CPI, CPM, Deve Gowda's JD(S), Jayalalitha's AIADMK (already aligned with the CPI) and the RSP.

Others are sure to join this third front, as a counter to the two dominant coalitions, the UPA and NDA. As to who they might be, we are as yet uncertain. Mayawati's alliances are sure to be the topic of much debate in the days to come. She is an ascendant national figure and would have the political capital to expect the Prime Ministership if she were to be a member of a Third Front that came to power. Without a clear front runner for Prime Minister, any Third Front will be mired in internal squabbling much like the last time we had a similar situation(1996).

In West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress has alligned with the Congress against the Left Front. In UP, the Congress and SP are yet to agree on seat-sharing, but with Mayawati expected to be dominant there once again, that might be an inconsequential debate.

Permutation, Combination - Musical Chairs in the Largest Democracy

2009-02-26T14:50:00.004+05:00

For a student of democratic politics, India offers a stunning sample for observation and analysis. The diversity is simply incredible, with innumerable number of regional parties leaving several ways to get to power. That the Congress consistently won a single party majority in this playing field is testament to the power of the Nehru/Gandhi family. In recent years though, an absolute majority has been nothing more than a fancy dream for most, with coalition governments being the only feasible option. This is unlikely to change in the coming elections or in years to come.

With elections quickly approaching, coalition formations have begun in full earnest and this year offers some tantalizing possibilities. The ruling UPA was expected to take a hit after the Mumbai terrorist attacks in some state elections, but swept to power in Rajasthan and Delhi. The BJP, while having made progress since its disastrous showing in the last general election, does not appear to have the momentum it wanted going into the last two months before the election. We have at least 10 individuals with some kind of claim on the Prime Ministership, and nobody has any idea which coalition is going to come to power this time around.

The Left Front pulled out of the UPA and now has nowhere to go really since it is ideologically opposite in every way with the BJP and its allies. Railway Minister and India's most famous politician Lalu Yadav has made momentous proclamations of the Left and Congress being 'natural allies', but this has mostly fallen on deaf ears.The Left has currently allied itself with Jayalalitha's AIADMK. She and her party in turn allied with the BJP in the last go around and were chiefly responsible for its drubbing with their unbelievable score of 0 seats in Tamil Nadu. Her rival Karunanidhi and his DMK are anything but happy with the ruling UPA (thanks to the situation in Sri Lanka) and might like to reconsider their alliances for the elections.

In UP we have Mayawati and her Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), temporarily pally with Congress and co., but with strained relations of late. She is sure to be the head of any third front that emerges, but as to who will comprise this third front we are quite clueless. The BSP is known to have no particular ideological bias, so one cannot rule out a deal with the Left (Imagine Maya and Jaya vying for power!). Her chief rival Mulayam Singh Yadav and his Samajwadi Party stepped in to support the UPA government when the Left pulled the plug, but have since conducted talks with Sharad Pawar and his Nationalist Congress Party(NCP) for an alliance for the election.

Sharad Pawar in turn is known to be on very good terms with Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray. Shiv Sena of course is known for its alliances with the BJP and other right wing groups. We also have Sanjay Dutt joining the Samajwadi Party, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat asking the BJP to consider him, Anil Ambani and Ratan Tata recommending Gujarat CM Narendra Modi for Prime Ministership and our current Prime Minister's failing health to consider. To top it all off, Congress spokesperson, the legendary Abhishek Singhvi, has recommended George Bush for the Bharat Ratna and has claimed responsibility on behalf of UPA for the success of Slumdog Millionaire.

As is evident, there is no shortage of excitement in our vast and thriving democracy. Things are only sure to heat up further. If you can keep up with this mad, mad world out there, you are a true student indeed!

Hillary, where art thou?

2009-02-18T14:40:00.006+05:00

Current Madam Secretary and former First Lady of the United States, Hillary Clinton is on her first overseas tour as America's top diplomat. Having visited Jakarta and Tokyo, she is now on her way to Beijing. There is one Asian capital though that is conspicuously missing from her schedule, New Delhi. The reasons for not making time for this visit are yet unclear and the move is being widely criticized.

New Delhi's absence from Hillary Clinton's itinerary is slowly giving rise to concerns that the Obama administration does not have India high up on its list of foreign policy priorities. These fears would not be unfounded. After the overtures of the Bush administration and the goodwill it managed to garner in India, Obama should make all efforts to take this relationship forward, regardless of Democrats who don't favor the Nuclear Deal between the two countries. It would only be the obvious next step in Indo-American relations.

America and India have grown ever closer with similar foundational ideologies and political and strategic values. As I have written here earlier as well, there are almost no pitfalls to a deeper strategic alliance between the two countries. They have only to gain by allying further. India is sure to be one of America's most important allies in the years to come and Obama should have made a better start to his relationship with India.

Sending an envoy (Holbrooke) alone does not cut it, to a country Obama assured was going to be an important ally of America's during his term. Holbrooke was appointed primarily for the Afghanistan and Pakistan problem and the Kashmir issue (on which India has time and again resented third party intervention) was lumped in with his more important duties. He is not the man to take Indo-American relations forward in a broad and meaningful manner.

Hillary Clinton is well known in India from her time as First Lady of the US and is said to be quite fond of the country. Having her visit as a follow up to Holbrooke's visit would have given the Indian government as well as the public opinion here just the indications it was looking for for a new, dynamic relationship between the two countries. She would have assured America's sustained cooperation on counterterrorism efforts as well as other strategic, cultural and commercial aspects of the relationship. To an easily skeptical Indian public, this would have been an excellent way to get the ball rolling.

India has been for years looking for greater cooperation from the US on counterterrorism efforts. Mere sympathy will not do any more. It does not want to be lectured on the Kashmir problem any more either. It wants the US to keep its borders open to its citizens looking for work. America by all indications will become the largest exporter of arms to India in the next few years. In all other investment indicators as well, the US is sure to lead.

All of this cannot be achieved at a low level of talks any more. To a country aspiring to be on par with China, America cannot get by placing India alongside Pakistan anymore. The Republicans understood this. India should be on Obama's top 5 foreign policy priorities. The Democrats' typical foreign policy towards India is one of distrust and patronizing. This is incongruous in today's age. The earlier Obama understands this the better. Hillary should have visited New Delhi. It would have been a significant follow up to the nuclear deal between the two countries. She's missed her chance and the seeds of concern have been sown. Let us hope this is righted as soon as possible. It is in both countries' interests.

The Question of Domestic Security

2009-02-17T15:24:00.001+05:00

With bombs going off in Indian cities at regular intervals, increasing violence from fringe groups on the extreme left of the political spectrum, destabilizing protestations from secessionist groups in neglected states and after the shock and awe of the attack on Mumbai last November, domestic security concerns have become essential to which way urban Indians, at least, may cast their vote. A rational decision will not be easy to make for these voters.

No definite and comprehensive internal security agenda has been put forward by any political party even after November 26, 2008. The rhetoric from leaders on all sides of the political spectrum has consisted of the same vitriol against foreign terrorists trying to destabilize the country, without much Parliamentary debate on coming up with practical policy proposals. After a shake up at the top of the Home Ministry in late November, certain new measures have been taken by the Congress led UPA government.

Firstly, the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) has been hurriedly amended along the lines of and despite the failure of previous anti-terrorist laws such as POTA in achieving their intended goal. The new amendment is a clear instance of the Indian state's knee jerk reactions to questions of national security. The UAPA as it stands now is more draconian than any previous anti-terrorist law as it allows authorities to detain suspects for 180 days, the definition of who is a terrorist or anti-state actor remains ambiguous, suspects cannot appeal for bail and most importantly the law can be blatantly misused by the executive and security forces as there is no independent body (including the judiciary) which will monitor its use. Secondly, a Multi Agency Centre has been set up by the Home Ministry to share intelligence twenty-four hours and across the country's various intelligence gathering agencies. Thirdly, the ministry has urged all states to increase the manpower of their individual police forces as many positions lie vacant and also allocate a senior level officer to only gather local intelligence. Fourthly, NSG hubs are being created in all the four metros; Indian Reserve Battalions are being raised in various states along with counter insurgency and anti-terrorism schools. Fifthly, a Coastal Command is being set up to protect the country's large and vulnerable coastline from illegal penetration.

The Congress-led UPA's reaction to crude bombs blowing off in Indian cities last year was largely one of confusion and indifference. After the Delhi blasts, we saw the encounter and arrests at Jamianagar, post which no concrete results from an investigation have been made public. After Mumbai, the UPA reacted precisely in the manner in which the BJP-led NDA had chosen to react after the attack on Parliament during its tenure. Both have offered a draconian, anti-terrorist law as a palliative and some shuffling around of departments and officials in the central and state home ministries. Based on the reactions we have seen from both the major coalitions, it will not be preposterous to say that at the central level, we will have no major difference in outlook towards domestic security from either camp.

The NDA may position itself as hawkish on security, yet under their tenure we were no better off than we are now on the question of domestic safety. What may turn out to be a more prudent approach while deciding on which side to vote for if domestic security is a major concern for the voter, would be to keep a look out for who is tipped to be the Home Minister and National Security Adviser under either government. A capable, rational and indefatigable leader in-charge of domestic security may be a better bet than voting along party lines this time around. If you fear the BJP will remain soft on right-wing, vigilante groups such as the Bajarang Dal, then the Congress may lapse in to a deep slumber regarding national security in order to not disturb the status quo.

A few important issues to take note of while deciding would be:
External terrorist threats are essential to monitor, yet more people die in India each year due to clashes between groups born within our borders. The next government must have a comprehensive program to bring fringe violent groups in to a dialogue with the Indian state to curb down this violence. A million mutinies at home only make us weaker and less coordinated as we try to tackle the threat from beyond our borders.
Secondly, the strengthening of domestic security forces in terms of providing better training, equipment, allocation of funds and human resource management. Our internal security agencies need a complete revamp, so look out for candidates with a plan to tackle the same.

Voters must emphasize that political parties address these broad issues in their campaigns. Or else, simply based on historical precedent, we will not receive a concrete agenda and policy from either coalition. In the coming days of the election campaign, watch out for which side addresses the issues outlined above comprehensively, so we all may feel safer and more secure.

No Deal for Swat...Please!

2009-02-16T22:17:00.005+05:00

The Zardari government perplexes me. To my mind there seems little doubt that this is the only unequivocally secular entity in the Pakistani political realm, and hence has no internal qualms with tackling the Taliban menace. Moreover, the Zardari government has gone to great lengths, to try and draw the attention of the public and the intelligentsia to the barbaric reign of terror being unleashed upon the people of Swat by the Taliban and the political outfit they work under in Swat, the TNSM. So therefore, I wonder, why this new agreement with these jihadis? How is this wise?

The government is claiming this to be a big victory. Under the agreement Sharia law is being formally established as the law in the Swat and Malakand region, provided the TNSM helps establish stability there, and also supports a new local administration which will be established in Swat, operating under Sharia law, with the consensus of all players in Swat. The TSNM's militant wing, the Swat Taliban, has also agreed to a 10-day ceasefire and to cease burning down schools. This agreement may I add, has almost no chance of working.

This is not the first attempted peace agreement in Swat. In 2008 a deal was struck with the TNSM, requiring them to “hold the local government…in high esteem, work for the peaceful implementation and enforcement of Sharia law, condemn attacks on the government, and cooperate with the government to establish the law and restore peace." We see, here that this is not the first time we’ve offered them Sharia law as an olive branch. The logic of the Pakistani government would seem to be that, under the new system, the TNSM will get their demand for Sharia law, but this will be Sharia law, to the extent it falls within the limits of the Pakistani constitution, as this region would still be part of the Pakistani state. Hence, this would not be much more than a change in appearance, as all that will happen is, in exchange for peace, judges within these areas, will move from having the title ‘Judge’ to having the title ‘Qazi’, a nominal difference at best. They have attempted this kind of compromise before, and it will not work.

This is because these people do not have any interest in falling under the control of the state and constitution of Pakistan. These are not simple clerics, who feel their religious imperative urges them to establish an Islam-based legal system in Pakistan. This is an armed revolutionary movement bent on control and establishment of their own system under their own supervision.

Moreover, they’ve seen this tactic from the Pakistani government before, and they are wise to it. Sufi Mohammad, the leader of the TNSM has already made clear, that the condition must be added that Sharia court decisions in Swat cannot be verified by or appealed in the courts of the rest of the state judicial system. This, of course, means that without any supervision or provision for appeal, the courts will run based on whatever law the strongest group within Swat, that being the TNSM/Taliban, chooses. The constitution would be irrelevant. This, of course, is a condition that the Pakistani government would never be willing to accept. If it does, they would effectively be partitioning Swat from Pakistan. If it doesn’t, well, the TNSM/Taliban will claim that the government is not committed to true Sharia, and not committed to following with their deal, just as they claimed in the last peace agreement of 2008, and thus will be “compelled” to take up their arms once more, and the terror will resume.

Only this time, it will prove to be even worse. With this level of acceptance from the government, these Jihadis will gain more public legitimacy than ever before. With the government itself accepting their fight as a struggle for Sharia, and further, publicly declaring their demand for Sharia legitimate through this deal, the government is allowing them to shape the public appearance of this conflict. So, when this agreement will fall through, as it inevitably will, the TNSM and Taliban will be able to use the public legitimacy their cause is being given, to blame the government for betraying their legitimate cause of Islamic law, and further fuel public opinion in the rest of Pakistan against the government. Many feel one of the main reasons the government is being driven to this agreement is that the government itself is incurring massive losses and yet does not even have the support of a public mandate for fighting the Taliban militarily. Therefore, they are driven to other solutions. However, this option is doomed to failure. The agreement will not only fall through soon enough, but the agreement will give the Taliban and the TNSM’s position further legitimacy, and give them an opportunity to turn the public opinion even further against the government’s armed solution.

I implore President Zardari to abandon this unwise strategy. You have tried these tactics before. They have not worked. In fact from Musharraf’s countless failed peace deals, to the failed treaties last years, the state has always been weakened further in relation to these terrorists in these deals. Watch their activities. Listen to their rhetoric. They have no real interest in compromising with the government. They have no intentions of subordinating to, or even coexisting with, the Pakistani state. For them, such agreements are only stepping stones towards further legitimacy and further control, and only help ease their path towards the dominant position they wish to take, piece by piece, over the whole of this tottering nation, Pakistan.

Congress' Repartee

2009-02-16T10:25:00.003+05:00

Alarmed and dismayed by Krishna Advani's aggressive self promotion, the bumbling UPA has chanced upon a golden opportunity to redeem itself in time for a comeback. As I write, UPA odd job man, the right honorable Pranab Mukherjee has begun delivering his plans for a brief shopping spree in the next few months.

Euphemistically called a Budget, Mukherjee has been called upon by his superiors to avail of this useful instrument of governance to appeal to the populace by telling them how great they are for voting UPA the last time. With elections just a few months away, the UPA has started slowly in its javelin throws with Advani and co. Having Pranab as Finance Minister is a masterstroke intended to bung it right back in to the contest.

Appearing in this position for the first time in the lifetimes of all the authors on this site, Mukherjee is sure to have a ball in his second coming. Last seen in similar surroundings in 1984, Mukherjee has returned in order to make a distinct point. That the UPA government has within its ranks, people younger than Advani, who have governed 25 years apart. In the geriatrics world, this is like being Michael Dell.

Today's symbolism should not go unnoticed. A quarter century of ineptitude later, Mukherjee is going strong. With all the sops he will hand out today, Advani should know he has a fight on his hands.

To Vote or Not To Vote..

2009-02-12T23:01:00.000+05:00

Exercising your right to vote for the first time must feel liberating and empowering. Millions of Indians will be first-time voters in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The issues that determine their vote will be of interest to political pundits, academicians, soothsayers and the public at large.

The expected large number of young voters in this year's elections will have grown up in a post-Partition, post-Emergency, post-Liberalization era. They essentially do not carry any scars from the trauma of Partition, they did not form their political ideas around the time of the Emergency and in its immediate aftermath and they have spent the majority of their years in a state deregulating the economy and cutting red tape. Instead, these voters have grown up in an age dominated by politics of caste and religion, an age of cellular phones, the Internet and cable TV, an age of soaring aspirations and growing disparities.

What will be the foremost issues determining the nature of their vote? Is there a clear choice for the first time voter between the different mainstream parties or coalitions for that matter on issues of ideology, economy, security, foreign policy, or do we see overlaps that will put the voter in a conundrum?

Please post individual issues you feel young voters will have on their minds as comments to this post. We can expand on them in future posts and write about where the major parties stand on them.

Stating the Obvious

2009-02-12T22:31:00.000+05:00

Breaking News: After 76 days since the Mumbai attacks, the shocking truth is revealed that “some part of the conspiracy” behind the November attacks did indeed take place in Pakistan.

Needless to say the entire of Pakistan has been caught blind-sided by this revelation. Pakistan? Terrorism? Is that even conceivable? Isn’t terrorism an entirely Zionist Jewish phenomenon, along with other such cataclysmic conjurations as imperialism, Hitler, money, women’s rights and malaria? What about Amar Singh, who Zaid Hamid claimed with such authority, was the real perpetrator? Could Zaid Hamid, a man who has presented us with such astounding truths as the Zionist plan to destroy the nuclear family, actually be mistaken? For the Pakistani media, this is all unthinkable. From Zaid Hamid to Shaikh Rashid to Aslam Beg, civilian, political and military "experts" alike have pitched in their two cents in a media campaign to absolve Pakistan entirely of any responsibility in this, or indeed any terrorist attack. Alas, the truth however has no doubt shaken their convictions to the core. Or, perhaps, using their well-honed skills of logic and reasoning that they employ in their daily rants, they could successfully convince an alarmed Pakistani population that truth itself is a Zionist conspiracy, and must be avoided at all costs. I look forward to their next move.

I could go on blasting Pakistan’s media and so-called intelligentsia and finding reasons to laugh at the fact that the Pakistani government has taken 76 days to state the obvious. However, put into context, this announcement is indeed quite significant.

There is, in all likelihood, little doubt within the circles of power in Pakistan, that India’s accusation backed by pretty much almost every other country, that the Mumbai attacks were planned and prepared in Pakistan, is an accurate one. This does not mean that other countries may not have been involved. And the Pakistan government’s current diffused responsibility strategy, blaming a wide network of states for involvement in the attack, although primarily being done in its own self-interest, may well have some truth to it. However, there is still the admission of responsibility by the Pakistani government of actions taken on its own soil. One look back at Pakistan history, and we have almost never admitted to Pakistan’s involvement in any such attacks in the past. Whereas, we have taken action against elements involved in attacks in India before, this action has been superficial at best, as it has never come with the open admission of these elements’ actual involvement in terrorism on Indian soil. Even that beacon of peace and reconciliation with India, Pervez Musharraf, would never have done so. The lack of such statements goes hand-in-hand with the lack of interest to actually target and rein in these terrorist elements working from within Pakistan.

The reason? The Army

The Pakistani army, in the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks made clear their continuation of their position as protector to Jihadi outfits based in Pakistan, especially those that do not have ambitions or motives within Pakistan, and especially squared (just to give an idea of how special this relationship is) those whose destructive ambitions lie on the other side of the eastern border. Indeed you had leading officers from the army declaring the terrorists “patriots.” When the Pakistani government tried to cooperate with the Indian one, offering to send our ISI Director-General, the army refused. When one of Pakistan’s most senior cabinet members, national security adviser, Mahmood Durrani dared admit that the surviving terrorist Ajmal Kasab was indeed from Pakistan, there were very swift moves to have him removed from his post. After the attacks, the Pakistan army’s primary interest was in shifting troops to the eastern border with India, instead of hunting down any perpetrators. Indeed, the Taliban’s offer to help the Pakistani army in a war against India was not roundly renounced by the army. So, with the army taking such a resolute position against any acceptance of blame, and any real cooperation at all, and given the power the Pakistani army wields in Pakistan’s internal political structure, for the government to be able to make such an announcement, indicates a considerable shaking of the internal status quo within these power circles. Somehow the army must have compromised on its stance. Someone must have made them do so.

The person? Richard Holbrooke.

The Pakistani government’s statement comes on the heels of the new American special envoy’s first visit to Pakistan. And on his visit, Holbrooke visited not just the Pakistani civilian leadership, but also the military leadership, and, most significantly, he met with the Director General of the ISI, the wing of the army with the closest ties to the Jihadi outfits. The meetings were described as “frank,” by the government’s spokesman. In diplomatic terms, frank, is never a word for calm, affable and non-confrontational talks. Holbrooke, clearly came with an agenda. The pressure was applied; the American position was made clear. And the results are there for us all to see today. The army has been made to cave.

So, from this perspective this statement of the obvious by the government is very significant. The American government has clearly weighed in on the side of the civilian government, and is clearly taking an active interest in Pakistan’s internal power structure. Key arrests are already being made following up from that statement. There may finally be an opportunity for Pakistan’s leadership to take some concrete action against the Jihadi outfits. For this, we thank you Mr. Holbrooke. Let us hope this opportunity is not squandered.

Yes, We Could?

2009-02-11T22:07:00.000+05:00

Strapping young agent of change Lal Krishna Advani has begun announcing all over the place his honest intentions of running for Prime Ministership of India. Taking a cue from his beloved contemporary Hussein Obama from across the world, our man has begun early, and in earnest. With such novel techniques that no one in India had ever heard of before, like advertising in the Pakistani media, in American blogs and others, the shrewd, youthful leader of the opposition is covertly insinuating himself into our collective minds.

A johnny come lately for most of his short life (he missed the boat circa 1965), he has finally got the break he was waiting for. Kept in the shadows of his venerable, slightly older(about to start pushing middle age)mentor AB Vajpayee, the young man was a quick study and showed signs of his statesmanlike qualities early on in his apprenticeship. Political irrelevance for the better part of half a century did not get him bogged down like his detractors believed. Steadily maturing, preparing himself for the first major challenge of his life, Krishna, as he shall soon come to be known, is now a role model for all budding kindergarten politicians.

Appearing to run on the most novel of all ideas in India, national security, he is a shoo in for the play pen at No. 7, Race Course Road. His theme is a supreme intellectual achievement in a land that has never been introduced to the idea in its 7000 year history. A juvenile priest, he has been a strict adherent to the Spartan philosophy of life, euphemistically called Hindutva. His cult has grown slowly over a few short years, much in keeping with dear Obama's across the Pacific. The similarities are striking. With few hair on their skull tops, these two modern day marvels have set their hearts on changing the world. India is lucky to have one of its own.

With all the enthusiastic zing of a child in a sweetshop, just like he did a few short years ago, Krishna is rearing to go. Having addressed concerns of his fellow incarnate Ram to the ignorant and impudent press, he is now free of trivial burdens and all set for the long haul. Minor threats like those of his stepbrother Shekhawat appear to have died down and he looks to be ready to launch his juggernaut for all to see and clap. India loves fresh faces and new ideas and Krishna will take full advantage, unlike all who have come before him. Appealing to minority groups like Hindus and the farmer community, his novel techniques are sure to garner surprise constituencies on D-Day.

Unfazed by resounding defeats in Rajasthan and UP, to name a few (defeats that would have been the last nail in the coffin for lesser mortals), he beams with a refreshing optimism. With beginner's luck and a newcomer's naivete, this young man will go rolling home. Home in this instance being the aforementioned play pen.

He is now counting on you, the wonderfully discerning voters, to provide that "shoo" that would get him across the finish line come auction day. Please help him in this endeavor by staying at home and watching him on TV alone as he thanks his infant sons Narendra Modi and Arun Jaitley for their birth that brought such untold joy into his life. As for India, she should be happy with her ability to constantly reinvent herself and allow for people of all ages and backgrounds to contest free and fair elections that are a testament to her enduring ideals and learned populace. Here comes Krishna. Yes! We could....

In the world's largest democracy, circa 2009?...

2009-02-11T01:01:00.000+05:00

1. On any given day, women in the world's largest democracy must refrain from stepping out to share an alcoholic beverage or in some cases even a chat with associates that belong to the opposite sex. If sighted, she is socially doomed for life as such 'fast' women destroy the moral fabric of a free state whose foundation was based on an exemplary struggle by and for the emancipation of men and women equally. Yet, in the world's largest democracy, it is a woman who is head of state and it is a woman who essentially controls its politics. This large democracy then must also be a land of hypocrites. "A woman is a mother, she is a wife, she is a sister", is an oft-quoted remark in this land. Is a woman just that? Is she not a human being? The minute she has an identity not associated with being some one's mother, some one's wife and somebody else's sister, this land of liberty, equality, fraternity erupts and goes in to a neurotic tailspin. The land of the free is also a land of the insecure.

2. There is a 52.2% chance that a woman in this country of GDP growth at 9% is not literate. The average amount a woman earns is one-fifth of what the men do. Yet each year, women outperform men in school-leaving exams across the country. Women in the poorest of villages are the reason why a healthy micro-credit industry thrives in this country.

3. The gargantuan democracy is obsessed with discussing the grandiose idea of India. Yet it misses, overlooks and sometimes suppresses the gross injustices meted out to the economically immobile and more tragically to its women, which ever income group they may belong to. If for the poor woman her daily bread and her physical security are major concerns, for the more fortunate it is the constant struggle to be able to make her own choices.

4. A woman here is not then just a mother, wife and sister. She is the one who must bear the scars of the trials and tribulations that a society calling it self democratic, fails to be so in practice.

5. A change in the condition must begin somewhere. We can hope and act such that tongue in cheek efforts such as these , combined with real emancipatory programs will one day allow women at every strata experience not just the idea, but a truly democratic India

The Agonies of a Sports Fan

2009-02-09T20:30:00.000+05:00

"It's a depressing world out there these days, nobody will deny." So it says on a site not a million miles away from here. Those words are resoundingly true and sports can make things so much worse. Being a sports fan opens you to the world of hope, wishing that the team or player you support so dearly wins the battle that they're embroiled in. Victory brings unbridled joy, a feeling of euphoria that is matched by little in life. Its a different matter that it vanishes when the next battle appears over the horizon (a fortnight in Formula 1, a week in football and 2 days in a Grand Slam). Yet the lows are crushingly depressing and one wishes the earth would open up and swallow you whole.

Making an emotional investment in a sports team is most often unintentional. One watches the team or individual play, finds some aspect to connect with whether it is nationality, locality, spirit, style of play or as is the case with the 'glory hunter', the simple art of winning. Games (or races or matches) are watched and before you can say "Zinedine Zidane", you're addicted. Posters go up on the wall, discussions turn to debates to arguments to fisticuffs. A moment of madness where one day you took more than a passing interest turns into a life-long curse, the inability to stop supporting your losing team is Death by a Thousand Cuts. Spare a thought for Boston Red Sox fans who went 86 years without winning the World Series. Worse yet, spare a thought for Chicago Cubs fans, they are still to win their first in over a 100 years.

It is worse still to smell victory of the ultimate goal and watch it snatched away. I went to a pub with my friend the Arsenal fan for the 2006 Champions League final where they were playing Barcelona. Arsenal had their goalkeeper sent off after just 18 minutes and at that point there seemed little they could do to stop a rampaging Barcelona. But they scored before half time and played a solid game, threatening to score more. An inspired substitution led Barcelona to score in the 76th and 80th minutes to take the lead and the biggest title in club football. The sucker punch he felt was visible as he stood rooted to the spot, unable to comprehend how life could be so cruel. Perhaps 10 minutes gives you some time for it to sink in. What of Bayern Munich fans who led for 85 minutes against Manchester United in the 1999 final only to have 2 goals scored in the final 2 minutes of injury time. Could words put into perspective the hollowness they must have felt? No words could describe the joy I felt as my team overcame impossible odds to win. 10 years later I'm trying to understand my rivals' position.

Worse still is losing at home. The last race of last season, the Brazilian Grand Prix, was perfectly set up for a duel to the finish. The leader for much of the season, Lewis Hamilton, lined up 4th on the grid with the challenger, Felipe Massea, in pole position. Hamilton's 7 point lead seemed almost unassailable. Only an Act of God could have saved Massa. Sure enough, the heavens opened as they often do during Brazilian Grands Prix. The events that followed on the last lap, will be remembered forever. Conspiracy theories on how much Timo Glock was paid to slow so dramatically on the last lap for Hamilton to sneak away with the Championship in Massa's homeland will prove difficult to counter. How many Brazilians in the stands kept control over their emotions as they actually went through the incredible highs of the first Brazilian champion since the immortal Senna to the inevitability of defeat within minutes? How many hearts broke watching Massa weep uncontrollably on the podium, his flawless victory in the race turned meaningless by the loss of the Championship?

At least India's collapse to Sri Lanka in the 1996 Cricket World Cup Semi-Final was due to our ability to snap defeat from the jaws of victory. Or in this case, crumble when a challenge was posed. Tens of millions of television sets were turned off when Jayasuriya got Sachin. All hope was surrendered well before the Eden Gardens crowd decided to add some pizzazz to the occassion. But though we lost, we didn't reserve the despair that we do when we lose to Pakistan. As in the 1st Test Match at Chennai in 1999, when Sachin brought us to the brink of victory with a glorious century. Rarely has such a collective mass plumbed such depths, as all Indian cricket fans did that fateful evening when 4 were lost for 2. Losing to the most hated neighbour, who always has that patch of greener grass, is perhaps worst feeling. Derbies become legendary for the fighting spirit with which they are imbued, but to lose them means surrendering bragging rights to friends, work-mates, in some cases even siblings, for what could be an indefinite period of time if you're particularly unlucky (or if your team is particularly poor).

Yet for all sports fans, there can still be worse to come. For a supporter of a team that wins big and wins often, a loss can be so unexpected that its jarring. As a Manchester United fan, I go through this when my club refuses to turn up and loses to Debry County or Coventry City. Clearly, it is the same for some others. Said Joe Queenan, "New York [Yankee] fans whining about their sporting disappointments to the vast American public -- poor Don Mattingly never got to play in a World Series (boohoo) -- is like Romans whining to the Gauls just because they once lost a battle to Hannibal. No, it's like Julia Roberts complaining that her teeth are too big. No, it's like a billionaire complaining about his eczema; sorry about the scales, Mr. Big Stuff, but you've still got all that money." Queenan obviously misses the point. When your team loses, all previous victories no matter how grand, are washed away (Does anyone remember the Pats were 19-0 last year or do they remember the Giants winning the Superbowl?). It ruins the day, the week, maybe the year and in some desperately sad cases, the century. In fact, it is ruinous until an opportunity for redemption is secured and the ephemerality of victory can be tasted.

The Privileges of a Sports Fan

2009-02-09T16:08:00.000+05:00

It’s a depressing world out there these days, nobody will deny. Sports is one thing though that keeps our spirits high, gives us something to cheer about on occasion. It has all that we celebrate of life and more, allows us to live vicariously for those brief, but glorious few hours, and its highs and lows remain with us indefinitely, inspiring us and leaving us wishing for more.

That it did all this in last Sunday’s Australian Open Final is undeniable. Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer gave us another classic Grand Slam final and indeed we are quite privileged to see two such amazing athletes battle for supremacy of their sport.

Not since Borg-McEnroe have tennis matches been awaited with such bated breath and been the cause of so much speculation, expectation and intrigue. This is a rivalry for the ages, a titanic struggle between two ultimate athletes. That we might yet have a long way to go in this rivalry is a mouth-watering prospect for all of us.

Few will doubt that with his win, Rafael Nadal is now the best tennis player on the planet. He has got here the hard way, and it is truly a testament to his perseverance, his hard-earned, versatile all surface game, his unbelievable physical fitness and supreme mental toughness. When he first appeared on the scene, Federer was all the rage, with talk of invincibility and GOAT (greatest of all time) status. Nadal has, over a quick three years, put paid to those notions.

Nobody should doubt Nadal’s legitimacy as the premier player in the world today. He has beaten Federer more often than not, on all surfaces, and especially in the big matches. McEnroe once said he would chase Borg to the ends of the earth; Rafa has done much the same with Federer. As one sports writer put it, “Rafael Nadal is not the No. 1 because Federer is having an off year. He is not the No. 1 because a champion is fading. He is No. 1 because he has taken on and beaten the best, time and again on the biggest stages tennis offers.”

Soon after Federer embarked on his 4 year, hell on the loose tear through men’s tennis, it was almost inconceivable that we would ever get to this stage. There was talk of him reaching Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam titles. It was only a matter of time before he won the French Open and then he would surely be the greatest player this sport had ever seen. For his fans, they got all they wanted. Complete annihilation of his opposition in final after final. For neutral observers, apart from the aesthetic quality of his game, it was getting tedious. Andy Roddick and Lleyton Hewitt were mere pretenders to Federer’s crown, a real challenger was needed and the world got one. Rafael Nadal fit that role perfectly. He raised the stakes for Federer and thereby legitimized his greatness by the sheer force of his challenge. Every victory over Nadal was hard earned for Federer and as the rivalry was becoming legendary, the prism with which we began to view Federer’s greatness was unalterably shifted.

It is unusual in a sport for one supreme talent to face another in his own generation. Typically, an extraordinary talent has a lopsided career with very few challengers. We wish we had seen or could see legitimate challengers to Michael Jordan, Michael Schumacher, Tiger Woods, Valentino Rossi and Sergei Bubka and now we want Michael Phelps to have one. In Federer’s case we wished for it and got one. Nobody will doubt that Nadal is Federer’s equal on the court. Perhaps not in terms of talent alone or in an aesthetic sense, but when the point is played, Nadal can match Federer every bit of the way. This is extremely rare to see in sport, and we are privileged to see it happen.

For Nadal fans, it is an amazing story that their man has come from seemingly nowhere to heroically disturb and stymie Federer’s march to immortality. In many ways it is the ultimate achievement against the odds; the quintessential example of an underdog champion (though he can no longer be considered an underdog). It is a phenomenal effort and I do not believe there is a parallel anywhere else in the sports world. We have been witness to something extremely unusual and amazingly inspiring.

For Federer fans, while their man might well have 18 Grand Slams by now were it not for Nadal, they should welcome the Nadal challenge and accept it for what it is. It is a clarion call to Federer to raise his game even more, dig deep, stare adversity in the face, stomach the Nadal challenge and triumph, so as to assure his greatness and his name in the history books.It will make him more human, his losses more tragic, his achievements more heroic. Make no mistake, if Federer does not again beat Nadal in a Grand Slam final, several people will be reluctant to place him alongside the likes of Laver, Borg and Sampras. If he cannot consistently beat his main rival in his own time, wherefore does he become the greatest player of all time? Federer’s genius deserves this test and we are lucky to see him challenged like this. It will be the ultimate test of him as a player and champion.

This will be the next chapter in this ongoing saga that we’re all witnessing from Melbourne to London to New York: two supreme athletes and talents battling it out tooth and nail to etch their own names in history. The ending matters only to them; we are witnesses to the means alone. Heaven only knows what they have in store for us. That it remains a friendly and healthy rivalry, given what’s at stake, is only further testament to the rarefied heights these two have taken themselves and their games to. Indeed, we are very lucky.

An acclaimed sports writer had similar sentiments the morning after the Australian Open Final:
“After their effulgent Wimbledon encounter much was spoken about how these two great athletes were by themselves reviving interest in the sport, especially here in the United States. Many fans who had neglected tennis for so long had welcome home their prodigal son of sports and were once again interested in its happenings. Surely, there has never been a duo who so represent tennis - or any sport - in such a fine manner. And if that match seven months ago is indeed considered the greatest display of tennis in a century then the post-match ceremony yesterday will certainly be remembered as the ultimate graceful nod to sportsmanship. Federer's tears and Nadal's sincere embrace and words for his rival will only solidify and crystallize this brilliant period in tennis history. And it leaves us all begging for more, wondering what other gifts these two wondrous athletes will bequeath to future generations of tennis followers. “

Beckhaaaaammmmm!!

2009-02-06T18:45:00.000+05:00

David Beckham is derided by all who watch and care about football. The man is known as a walking commercial and for most it is difficult to see beyond that. His football is rarely discussed anymore. Its sad for a player who once finished 2nd in the voting for the World Player of the Year. He was at the peak of his powers while at Manchester United. He was the least talented of the famous midfield consisting of Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Roy Keane and himself but he carved out a niche for himself. His runs up and down the right wing were lung busting. He often clocked 13-14 km a game, about 25% more than most others. His vision was impeccable, understanding and creating flowing moves all over the park. Known mostly for his crossing, his passing along the ground was just as good but rarely acknowledged by critics. His pivoting movement was a work of art and was crucial for him to wrap his foot around the ball ekeing out that much more spin from the ball. And then there was his right foot. It would appear a wand, allowing him to place the ball at will at the feet or on the head of anyone he chose. It was good enough to be preserved in bronze for posterity.

He was vilified for being sent off against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup. Given the option of leaving for Italy, he stayed and faced his demons head on with United fans backing him every step of the way. He won 6 Premier League titles, 2 FA Cups and a Champions League in his time at United. Things went awry on July 1st, 2003. Beckham signed for Real Madrid and my adulation turned to unbridled hate. I was angry that he would leave even though its long been clear that he was sold against his will. I hoped he would fail and be shown up as a fool on the pitch. I wished he would never score a goal, never win a game and if lucky break all his metatarsals. It was an immature fan's way of dealing with the loss of such a treasure. I couldn't accept that I would not hear the commentator screaming "Beckhaaaaammmmm!!" as he curled in yet another trademark freekick for United.

Beckham didn't win any trophies for years at Real Madrid. His travails after Manchester United though have taught me his true value. He was a consummate professional who still approached games like a child during recess. Watching him come off during the quarter final against Portugal in 2006 illustrated just how much England meant to him. The tears wouldn't stop as his injury made him redundant on the field. The responsibility that he tasked himself with led him to resign from the captaincy when he had no need to do so.

Steve McClaren dropped him from the England squad. Fabio Capello dropped him from the Real Madrid first team. What has made Beckham special over and above his physical qualities is his strength of character. He trained harder and won his spot back in the Real Madrid team. He fought for every ball, every inch becoming a crucial member of the team as they finally won the Primera Liga. He forced McClaren to recall him on the strength of his performances. He's been belittled for moving to the footballing backwaters that are Major League Soccer.

His loan move to AC Milan appeared to be a poorly disguised shopping holiday for his wife. Yet Beckham has defied the odds again. He's scored twice and set up two with his crossing in 4 games. Playing alongside such accomplished passers as Andrea Pirlo and Clarence Seedorf, he's still able to shine. He's managed to keep Ronaldinho on the bench, no mean feat. He has also set up a deserved and record equalling 108th cap for England next week. Through the last 3 years, Beckham has made me appreciate what I couldn't see when he was at United. His best quality was never his right foot. It was always his will to play at the very top no matter who criticized him, who dropped him and who was better than him. So few have been the centre of attention for peripheral reasons but he's never lost focus of the game that gave him everything. His legs and lungs have both begun to give way and he seems older than his 33 years. He hasn't given up yet and never will. When his time in professional football finally comes to an end, may we remember that above all else.

Give me hope, Davos

2009-02-03T12:15:00.000+05:00

And so they gathered in Davos, hailing from all corners, leaders one and all, representing all quarters; innovators one and all, convening to conjure up new ideas to rescue a planet in peril; statesmen one and all, joining hands to give the world a dose of optimism when the future looks bleakest. A grim world looks to its best, brightest and most powerful, for a reason not to despair, for a reason to hope.

But this was not to be. These titans of our time spent their days in the Alps, ringing the alarm bells that had already been rung, pointing fingers at those who had already been assigned blame, stating the obvious regarding the need for solutions and cooperation, obvious because it has all been said before. Davos was a four-day recapping of all that has been said and done before, all that even we laymen knew from before.

Much of the four days were spent conducting a roasting of the United States and bankers. This I am sure was not very hard, since these were the two least represented parties at the forum. President Obama was conspicuously absent from the event, and from the ‘big bad’ American banks, only the CEO of JP Morgan was in attendance. I am surprised the audience did not pelt him, given the vitriol directed the financial services industry

Gordon Brown and Angela Merkel, representing the two biggest European economies, both spoke of the dated nature of the current international economic institutions, and the need for a new international economic regulatory system. In response, I would like to say, “Gordon, Angela, No DUH!!” We have been hearing this same statement repeated ad nauseum since the recession set in. However, there has been no progress in this direction; in fact, things have been moving in the reverse, as an every-state-for-itself attitude has mainly been the order of the day.

Perhaps the best example of this is the United States stimulus plan which was also the subject of concern and consternation. The $900 bn dollar plan, including massive public works programs, tax cuts, and bailouts for ailing American industries, has drawn the ire of other states because of its essentially America-centric protectionist nature. With local industries being subsidized and with material for public works programs coming only from local sources, foreign companies realize that they face the prospect of significantly reduced business within the United States. Angela Merkel has accused the US of neglecting the needs and demands of the international economy. However, we must be cognizant of the fact that these states are only looking out for their own countries’ stakes in the world’s largest market. The US after all has two models before them. Germany and the United Kingdom. The UK chose to abandon its base industries and specialize in the service sector, a move that has proven disastrous. On the other hand, Germany has maintained a strong indigenous manufacturing base, so they can withstand the storm of the financial systems collapse. So, if anything Merkel should understand the impetus to revive the indigenous industries, through stimulus and protectionism. But in an every-country-for-itself scenario, that is not to be.

That being said, however, there seems to be a lack of imaginative solutions in the US stimulus plan. They have essentially replicated aspects of different contrasting plans of the past, and in doing so, may not be emphasizing enough on the significant aspects of any single scheme, enough for it to make a difference. The challenges of the current financial system collapse are so unprecedented, and the nature of the present economy so different from prior experiences, I wonder whether, the US government has really understood what it is trying to solve. It seems in many ways a plan to hurriedly stop the bleeding. However, there is a need for major reforms and changes to the way the economy is run. We have seen little of this. As William Galstone of Brookings Institution writes, “haste precluded a serious consideration of structural change.”

The representatives from the world’s top economies at Davos provided us with no leadership for the future. Perhaps, befittingly, some of the only forward-looking thinking and action came from the newcomers, the small Gulf states. The representative from Qatar, spoke of a new program Qatar has launched called the Global Cooperation Project which is dedicated to understanding the new set of challenges the world is facing today. This is the key. We need to invest a lot in actually understanding the nature of the beast we are confronting, before any drastic ventures. As Arif Naqvi of Abraj, also from the Gulf said, “People are looking for the solution but don’t yet have the question formulated.”

A Law of Love

2009-02-01T13:38:00.000+05:00

"If only people freed themselves from their beliefs in all kinds of Ormuzds, Brahmas, Sabbaoths, and their incarnation as Krishnas and Christs, from beliefs in Paradises and Hells, in reincarnations and resurrections, from belief in the interference of the Gods in the external affairs of the universe, and above all, if they freed themselves from belief in the infallibility of all the various Vedas, Bibles, Gospels, Tripitakas, Korans, and the like, and also freed themselves from blind belief in a variety of scientific teachings about infinitely small atoms and molecules and in all the infinitely great and infinitely remote worlds, their movements and origin, as well as from faith in the infallibility of the scientific law to which humanity is at present subjected: the historic law, the economic laws, the law of struggle and survival, and so on--if people only freed themselves from this terrible accumulation of futile exercises of our lower capacities of mind and memory called the 'Sciences', and from the innumerable divisions of all sorts of histories, anthropologies, homiletics, bacteriologics, jurisprudences, cosmographies, strategies--their name is legion--and freed themselves from all this harmful, stupifying ballast--the simple law of love, natural to man, accessible to all and solving all questions and perplexities, would of itself become clear and obligatory." - Leo Tolstoy

So spoke Tolstoy, in his 'Letter to a Hindu' one of the inspirations for Mahatma Gandhi and the movement he then spawned. Tolstoy speaks so easily of freedom from dogmas, to let go of all that one has grown up with, the thoughts and experiences that bind families and communities together. It hits me like the anthem of a hippy, like "All You Need is Love" blasting in a concert hall. So completely illogical. How do we reconcile the peace and love that religions preach with the wars that they have inspired throughout history? We cannot stop drawing morals and teachings from them, from visiting centres of prayer and speaking of God in awe inspiring terms. And for the non-believers, there is always some belief that they will fight for. A person can love but a people cannot. A person cannot make war on his own but a people can, and do so all the time. The fact is that humanity thrives off anger and violence. It allows us to scare off rivals, fight for what is ours and what we believe is ours. Humanity just got lucky when Gandhi managed to pull off a peaceful independence movement. It is an aberration because the love that Tolstoy speaks off is for an evolved species to practice, one that we are not and cannot practice sustainably.

Roger and Rafa - Take VII

2009-01-31T09:40:00.000+05:00

The greatest rivalry in all of sports is renewed on Sunday at Melbourne Park. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will do battle for the 7th time in a Grand Slam Final. There are few things in sport today, if any, that people would rather watch than a Federer-Nadal battle royale. It is the perfect rivalry, with a complete contrast of styles, temperament and demeanor. The five year age difference is not paid much heed to.
They've faced each other from Shanghai to Dubai, Miami to London, but they've never played in Melbourne. Six Slam finals across Wimbledon and the French Open, they now square off at a hardcourt slam at the Aussie. Nadal has held the edge till now, but few are betting against Federer capturing his record-tying 14th Grand Slam today.

Regardless of Nadal's physical state and well being for the final, I don't believe he is quite ready to defeat Federer on hard-court over five sets, especially with Federer being in the kind of form he has showed over his last two matches. Like he did at Wimbledon, he will get closer slowly, and perhaps eventually be able to take on Roger on all surfaces on an equal footing, for the present I don't believe that is happening.

Rafa is still very conservative on hard courts. Preferring to play 8-10 feet behind the baseline against the big hitters and concentrating solely on a defensive strategy to win him points. Hitting the ball when it is on the decline, with loads of topspin he gets caught out on hardcourts in a way he doesn't on clay or on grass, where he has become far more aggressive over the years, playing now from inside the baseline. Federer on the other hand, hits the ball while it is still on the rise, giving him automatic zing, and of course he can hit all the shots in the book with angles that defy the laws of physics and differential equations. Federer looks hungry and will be aggressive from the start. Rafa's serve might keep him in the match longer than you might expect, but not enough to seriously hurt Federer.

The rivalry is only three years old and we're sure to have several more matches between these two greats. The first one on hard-court though should be a letdown. Rafa's not quite ready. Federer in straight sets.

Tamils for LTTE

2009-01-31T09:04:00.000+05:00

Much in keeping with my colleague's previous post, I must expand on the syndrome he talks about to include Tamils for LTTE in the discussion, for it is much the same scenario here, as the one he describes in Pakistan.

The Sri Lankan army's advances are now well documented, and by all accounts the LTTE has taken a massive beating, if not suffered total annihilation. In Tamil Nadu people are up in arms. Yesterday a self proclaimed great advocate of the Tamil cause decided his own life was worth taking in response to the decimation of the LTTE and ended up in self immolation. Today great numbers of law students are picketing the Sri Lankan consulate in Chennai. While the scale of protests might not be in the same league as those in Pakistan, what is being protested is even more disproportionate. Regardless, my point here is to consider why people are so quick to espouse causes that appear to be quite removed from their immediate surroundings.

Why do people find it far easier to protest actions occurring in far off lands and not protest any similar injustices in their own? And it is not simply the government here, but the public as well. The DMK and these protesters do not seem to be very perturbed by the plight of Tamils in front of their eyes on the streets, but deem it a matter of life and death that some Tamils in another country are in trouble.

It is almost as if it is far easier to protest these injustices in a far off land, knowing that no action is required of oneself, while if one were to consider the plight of people in our own surroundings one would need to take responsibility and act. Protesting comes easy. Action does not.

People are quick to jump to the defense of people of their own religion, ethnicity, race and kin, but if some action was called for on their part all this attachment they feel would quickly turn to indifference.

It is a rather surprising syndrome to say the least. The two examples we've mentioned do not by any means exhaust similar occurrences the world over, but they serve as two clear examples of how groups of men and women behave when it comes to social causes.

Pakistanis for Gaza

2009-01-30T10:48:00.000+05:00

As 2008 came to a close, the world responded with as much fanfare and celebration as the recession/depression/bankruptcy/'whatever economic crisis condition your country is in' allowed. However, for the unfortunate people of Gaza, there were no celebrations. Instead, the city was turned into a war zone by an invading Israeli army. Hundreds of people lost their lives in the assault. Throughout the Muslim world, enraged protesters took to the streets of the big cities, showing their solidarity with the plight of the Palestinian people in the face of wanton destruction. The people of Pakistan were not to be outdone. Scores of people turned out for protest marches around the country, even including a children's protect in Karachi. Organized by the Islamic political group, Jamaat-e-Islami, the protest in Karachi was quite a sight as scores of young children held imitation corpses and placards expressing hatred for Israel and the USA, while chanting violent slogans. Both the compassion and anger of the Pakistani people was there for all to see. Seeing the level of passion with which Pakistanis were willing to come out on the streets, in support of their Palestinian brethren, was admirable. It did not matter how distant the conflict was and how the conflict had next to no impact on the people of Pakistan, these committed folk were out there, showing the world, that its problems mean more to Pakistan’s people, than Pakistan’s own problems.

To these angered protesters, it did not matter, that a war was taking place within the heartland of their country. The people have responded with silence and disinterest to the fact that one of Pakistan’s most breathtakingly beautiful and serene regions has been transformed into a zone of chaos, bloodshed and persecution. These folk are not going to be restricted by the concerns of their own country. The daily news of scores of people being killed in Swat does not faze them. Word of dozens of people being torched alive solely on the basis of their political affiliations does not concern them. The stories of local leaders being publicly executed and then their bodies being left hanging in the middle of public markets for days on end as an example to others, does not worry them. The alarming news that the local government cannot even stop the burning down of schools all across the region by these militants does not sway them. These men and women of Pakistan are far too focused on the problems of Gaza, to take heed as the Taliban continue their drive to bring their own version of hell to bear upon the people of Swat, and soon on the rest of Pakistan.

The Pakistani people have clearly shown their unparalleled level of selflessness and sense of self-sacrifice to the world. It does not matter that our nation faces an existential threat, that our peoples are being put through untold suffering, and that a cancer of unprecedented malignancy is spreading through the body of our country without any hindrance. This sacrificial middle and upper class of our society, the only segment of our country that can resist the danger from the north, will ignore its own plight to show support for others facing difficulties. We are a nation to be proud of, a people characterized by such empathy, such commitment, such selflessness. Let it be known, around the world, the people of this crumbling state Pakistan are willing to give themselves wholeheartedly for any just cause around the world, except for their own. Truly with this attitude, I am sure God must be smiling down upon us and our nation will live long and prosper. Pakistan Zindabad!

India and the US - A New Hope

2009-01-28T21:56:00.000+05:00

India's relationship with the US has come a long way in recent years. From the Clintons' love for the country to the Republicans' understanding of India's strategic benefits to America's own interests, the Cold War days of mistrust and deep suspicion between the two countries' diplomats are for the most part a distant memory. That India is increasingly being used by the US as a counterweight to China has gone from being a purely academic conjecture to a more explicitly understood fact. Barack Obama's overtures to India are in keeping with recent American governments' overly friendly policies toward India. While Indians are aware of America's reasons for a close relationship, they are confident of their independence and place in the world and so have no qualms about them and are happy to take what they get.

The US is nowhere more popular abroad than in India. While there are several plausible reasons for this, the fact that they are both large, diverse and young democracies is a foundation for many other similarities. Both countries also share a distrust of China, at least at the popular level. Being ideologically similar also renders them close. While Democrat governments have tended to harp on human rights issues and development, as is their wont, the Republicans have treated India in more Realist terms, and Indians have for this reason tended to be more forthcoming when Repubicans have been in power. The last few years are a clear indicator of this. George Bush for all his other shortcomings (if I may call them so, euphemistically) was a great friend of India's. However history remembers him, Indians will remember him for getting us the nuclear deal.

Barack Obama seems to understand India's strategic influence in the future world order and will surely only improve upon Bush's efforts to court India and possibly make it one of America's closest allies in the world. India and the US need each other. The Cold War years were a false start in many ways, with only the brief but glorious respite of Kennedy and Nehru's friendship. Thankfully the ambiguities of that relationship never turned to hostility at any point. Things were only waiting to take off. All the signs for them to do so now are evident. Let us hope it leads to a better, safer world at the very least.

How much is too much?

2009-01-28T14:08:00.000+05:00

India is home to one of the fastest growing pharmaceuticals manufacturing industry in the world. Estimated to be worth at least $ 4.5 billion, it produces a combination of bulk drugs and pharmaceutical formulations. 60% of the bulk drugs produced are exported, the United States and Russia being the largest buyers. Over 20,000 registered drug manufacturers operate in India. Apart from the 250 large companies that control most of the drug formulation market in the country, the rest are all small and medium enterprises. The growth of India's pharmaceutical manufacturing industry is much reported in the international press and discussed with pride at global business and medical summits. While there is much to be proud of, a critical element threatens to become a major roadblock in the industry's long term sustainability - the damage to human life and environment from irresponsible manufacturing processes.

Only 28 km outside of Hyderabad is the 440 acre industrial estate of Patancheru. Home to some of the largest drug manufacturers in the state of Andhra Pradesh, it is also infamous as one of the 24 critically polluted areas in the country. Countless surveys of water bodies in the region, innumerable complaints from locals regarding the hazardous qualities of the water and after being classified as a polluted area, Patancheru was recently hailed as a 'Golden Land' by some state publications, for its contribution to the state's GDP and increasing real estate prices.

Recently, an extensive independent survey of the streams flowing near Patancheru by scientists from the University of Gothenberg, Sweden revealed some baffling conclusions. Treated waste water from the Patancheru Enviro Tech Ltd, a treatment plant where about 90 drug companies dump their residue was found to contain enough anti-biotics for a city of 90,000. Lakes upstream from the treatment plant contain similar levels of anti-biotics. Since so many drug manufacturers are concentrated in the region it is very difficult to monitor which companies are responsible for the dumping. The potent cocktail found in the water contains at least 21 different pharmaceutical ingredients.

Besides the obvious damage to human beings and animals who use the water from nearby streams (tributaries of the Godavari), there is also a growing concern that the prevalence of the concentrated ingredients in water bodies may give birth to drug resistant bacteria. Such bacteria can severely reduce the medical effectiveness of these drugs as they spread beyond the region. 'An ecological sacrifice zone', Patancheru now boasts of the highest concentration of pharmaceutical ingredients ever detected in the environment.

India has an outdated Environmental Protection Act, passed in 1986 based on guidelines set by a UN Conference on the Human Environment in 1972. According to the local head of the pollution control board, a Mr. R. Tiwari, the law in India does not require screening for pharmaceutical residue at the end of the water treatment process. President of the Indian Bulk Drug Manufacturer's Association, calls the survey spurious and recommends that locals use water transported from other parts of the state through pipes. Meanwhile, the manufacturing, dumping, polluting, killing goes on. Better regulation, concern for the human and natural environment and improved manufacturing standards remain the real problem.

The Army of the Pure - I

2009-01-27T21:18:00.000+05:00

It is has often been joked, that whereas other countries have armies, Pakistan's army has a country. This is probably the most accurate appraisal of Pakistan’s predicament.

Pakistan suffers from an identity crisis, one that the establishment has attempted to resolve through imposing upon Pakistan the identity of a national security state. If security was the key premise for Pakistan's existence, a security apparatus was the vital organ holding up the country, protecting it from all that dares tear it apart. The most obvious enemy in this regard lay to the east of Pakistan, the state from which these Pakistani Muslims fled for protection, the state of India. Right from the 1950s, the army and its civilian allies settled on labeling India a perpetual existential threat to Pakistan, describing Kashmir as a symbol of Indian aggression, and determining that all decisions and actions in Pakistani policy must be made based on an underlying rationale of this constant Indian threat. The logic following from this constant national security crisis is that if national security is at the core of Pakistan's well being, then the organization best suited to deal with the national security threat is best suited to be in charge of Pakistan's well being. From this, the army was able to derive its power, and, as the years went by, the army developed a sense of entitlement, that became embedded in the thinking of most army officers.

Pakistan’s first military ruler displayed his disdain towards other institutions of the country in his patronizingly titled autobiography “Friends not Masters,” in which he makes his “dislike of both politics and politicians” plain. This sense of entitlement in the army, and contempt for the political institutions that competed with the army for control, meant the army made every effort to keep the politicians away from any serious hold on power, except those politicians who depended on the army, and ruled within the framework the army set for them. There have been three moments, when the army has had to relinquish this control.

Firstly, there was the 1971 war, in which the Pakistani army was decimated and unable to take the reins of the country and reconstruct it. This burden fell upon the civilian leadership headed by Zulfiqar Bhutto. Bhutto had the opportunity at this point to relegate the army to a permanent position of subordination to the civilian government, an opportunity he squandered, while at the same time treating the army leadership with contempt. The army took time to rebuild, and shake off the skeletons of the ‘71 war, an experience that, as Stephen Cohen claims, left the army with a thirst for retribution against all those who they claimed participated in bringing about the humiliation of the army. The army retook control of the country from the civilian leadership with a vengeance, even having Zulfiqar Bhutto hanged. The civilian political leadership was swiftly dismantled.

The second moment came when the rule of General Zia ul Haq came to an end, with the population demanding a return to civilian leadership under the daughter of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto. The army understood that the immense unpopularity that Zia ul Haq had accumulated meant that the army needed to take a back seat to the civilian leadership. However, the army quickly devised a new strategy to dismantle the new leadership. The army used its weapons and money to pit a whole host of political groups, on the national and local level, against the Bhutto government. Leaders like Nawaz Sharif, emerged as unrelenting opponents of the Bhutto government on the national level, while on regional and local levels, Islamic groups as well as ethnicity-based organizations destabilized the country, rendering the Bhutto government completely ineffective. Thus, the army turned into the patron of the opposition, ensuring that no civilian government could take any meaningful control of the country. Finally, when its own creation Nawaz Sharif, began to show resistance to the army, and attempted to consolidate political control, the army assumed direct control once more.

The third moment came last year. A series of dramatic events swept the nation, turning popular opinion against military rule, as was demonstrated in national elections in which the politicians supported by the army were roundly defeated. Once more the army was compelled to cede control, this time, to the husband of Benazir Bhutto, Asif Zardari. However, unlike in 1971, in both 1988 and 2008, the circumstances surrounding the army’s departure were less dramatic, and the army’s position was not as weak, which is why the army was able to keep one hand on the reins of the country, without deeming a need to compromise much.

It seems clear that the army and the current government are at odds with each other. Firstly, the current leadership comes from a family that has always been at loggerheads with the army. Secondly, this government has shown that they are not willing to tow the army’s line on Afghanistan and India, two areas that the army considers its domain. Several incidents have made the differences between the two sides quite apparent, including the government’s unsuccessful attempt to bring the army’s intelligence agency under more direct civilian control, and the publicly evident rift between the two sides on how to handle the crisis ensuing from the Mumbai terrorist attacks. Given, the history and mindset of the army, and the current tension between the army and civilian government, there seems little doubt that the army would want to take back control. It is just a matter of choosing the right time and creating the right circumstances to give itself the necessary public justification. How India, Islam and the Taliban fit into the army’s mindset and strategy will be the subject of my next entry in this series.

We, the People of India, in our Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic Republic; For Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity

2009-01-27T13:04:00.000+05:00

The most sacred document in the Republic of India begins with these ennobling words. Words, that fell silent yesterday as the country marked the 59th year of adopting its Constitution. Liberty, Equality and Fraternity - after 62 years they do not stop a mob of educated thugs from assaulting their fellow citizens, whether it is a group of girls getting a few drinks at a pub or school children and their parents celebrating the glorious republic in Nashik.

Defenders of our faith, guardians of our culture - who authorized these titles for hooligans? There are 18 official regional languages in India and many more dialects. Every citizen is free to express themselves in any one or more of them. That is the diverse and unique cultural heritage of our country. If children in Nashik wish to sing songs in Bhojpuri, then so be it. Any persons who are not members of their school have no business opposing their choice of language and least of all beating them up and vandalizing the school property. Far from preservation of culture, such actions of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena amount to criminal behavior at the least. The words from our Constitution stare at the state of affairs and the words from our Constitution seem silent.

"The ways employed by our boys may be debatable but their objective was absolutely right and justified... We will continue to fight against asatya, adharma and anyay even if some of our men have been arrested. This is a small price to pay for a larger cause."
- Such is the concern shown by our fellow citizen, a Pramod Muttalik, now President of the Shri Ram Sena and former convenor of the Bajrang Dal. Mr. Muttalik, just to remind you and your cronies, curbing any Indian's freedom to express themselves is 'anyay'. Assaulting women by beating them up and dragging them by their hair is 'adharma'. And claiming to defend a culture whose ethos of tolerance you choose to ignore, 'asatya'. And if you wish to be Shri Ram's Sena, then do ask yourself - would Shri Ram dare to attack a woman in the manner in which you have insulted so many? Your organization clearly has neither read the Ramayana and definitely not laid its eyes on the Constitution of India - the very document that gave birth to the country whose morals you have set out to defend.

You reject the verdict of the people in Jammu and Kashmir, calling the elections 'wrought with fraud'. The very political party you hope to bring back to power through your efforts of cleansing us of all evil refuses to acknowledge your legitimacy to save its own thorny record of allowing groups such as yours to spring up in the first place. You and your brothers are an aberration who must realize that there is no room for your hooliganism in our country. It is best you retire and re-educate yourselves. This time do read the Ramayana and the Constitution of India with sincerity and attention. So words from both do not feel silenced. Let words become deeds.

Talibaning Our Way to Superpower Status

2009-01-26T16:21:00.000+05:00

India, feeling rather left out with the Taliban holding sway in two of its neighboring countries, seems to have given rise to its very own version of the legendary Afghani group. The choice of name for this group might irk a few, but as it is in the name of the lord, Sri Ram Sena shall do. Forced to take up the role it has assumed due to incompetence on the part of the majority of Indians, it acts as a modern day Knights Templar, protecting the sanctity and holiness that is supposed to pervade this great land. Its rise is inevitable, and the current secular, infidel government should know it. Mild shout outs to not "Talibanize India" are nothing more than a futile PR effort. One does not imagine Najibullah requesting Mullah Omar to not Talibanize Afghanistan, does one? The infidel government must learn from history. There is no stopping Talibans. And the Indian version will restore India to the greatness that is its due.

Indians awoke to the rather glorious news yesterday of two young women being assaulted in a pub in Mangalore by a group of 50 strapping youths of the said Sri Ram Sena and the litmus test had been passed. People who previously doubted India’s resolve and toughness to tackle such grave national problems like feminine alcohol consumption, intermingling of people within its citizenry who professed different faiths, and a scant regard for the clothing of their bodies within particular sections of society, have now been won over. Our men had boldly defended the country's ideals and we were once more on the right path; the path that will inexorably lead us to our destined status as a superpower. What! Two women keeping India back like this? Never! Not on our watch said these brave young lads. They will be worshiped and suitably honored for their intrepid actions. Bharat Ratnas are in store.

Our forefathers had intended the sexual repression of this country for this very reason. Such visionaries all. Who would have thought it would come to this? But as prescient as they were in their wisdom of keeping a populace so repressed, their decrees had not been completely executed. How else do you explain the existence of two such renegades within the ranks? Shamelessly flouting all known standards of superpower like behavior. Thankfully they were nipped in the bud. Otherwise one does not know how far this could have gone. We have traitors amongst us, beware! They do not wish to see India become a superpower. Such evil elements must not be allowed to exist in our society. Thanks to the valor of our boys, the menace is being reigned in.

Working within the confines of the brilliant program of “moral policing”, as they are unfortunately forced to call it due to immature citizens who do not know what is good for them, they are slowly ensuring India’s cleansing and setting us on the fast track to attaining greatness. All previous superpowers are put to shame with this one act of superhuman bravery and resourcefulness. None of them can name a single instance of such self-sacrifice on the part of its citizens. They must have lacked the foresight and temerity that young Indian men possess in such abundance. But with commendable modesty, a hallmark of our boys, they termed their noble actions a "small thing".

One should not underestimate the sense of purpose and self-sacrifice with which our boys acted. As one clearly thankful citizen, paying due respect aptly put it, "it was a spontaneous uprising against girls flouting decent Indian morals". So proud they made us all these chivalrous young men. With the unimaginable fortitude and strength of will it takes to physically assault a member of the fairer sex they set an example for all young men to look up to. They make up only a handful of the youth that India is so happy to possess, but let us not be mistaken, their bravery will be contagious. Soon we shall see valiant young men all across the country acting with a similar cognizance of the country's direction and they will all do their bit towards the common good. All other countries would be envious of us, having as we do, troves of such young lads, waiting to give up all self indulgences and act in the best interests of the country. We should be rather thankful. Years and years of meticulous training have provided us with an opportunity the likes of which our forefathers never saw, but envisioned for all of us, being as they were, so compassionate and caring. Winston Churchill might very well have meant his historic words for this particular band of brothers, so that one day, when their work is done, we shall all proclaim, “Never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few”.

We still have some way to go, by the look of things. Certain evil elements continue to exist and flourish in all parts of the country. They will be rooted out no doubt. It is a war of attrition, but if people all over were to act with the alacrity with which we saw our young men act yesterday, the menace will quickly fade. Nothing must come in between us and our dreams of greatness. This storied, ancient and diverse civilization is once again rising, let the world know. The true bearers of the faith rose yesterday and others shall soon follow. Ladies and gentlemen, India, the next superpower.

Mr. Holbrooke Goes to Islamabad/Kabul

2009-01-26T14:57:00.000+05:00

Welcome Mr. Holbrooke, to the theater that is Pakistan and Afghanistan, a troupe of non-state actors, stateless actors, stated actors, unstated actors, and others without clear roles, engaged with each other, both through cooperation and conflict, in constructing a whole host of charades to perplex the world with, while they themselves continue to follow their own scripts behind their presented scripts. Sounds confusing? Well, obviously. This part of the world has confused and confounded everyone for decades now, especially the Pakistanis and Afghanis. Those who have claimed to be able to comprehensively explain the entire situation in this region are committing the dangerous sin of oversimplification. So, instead of committing this grave mistake Mr. Holbrooke, I would just give you a briefing on a few of the major players.

The battlefield for the war on [insert term here depending on what party you are and what side you are on] lies in the north western regions of South Asia.

For the Afghani Government, this is the War for Survival. The Afghani government is threatened on every front by the Taliban menace. Recent reports by NATO show that the Taliban are not just a threat in Southern and Eastern Afghanistan but have now become a threat within Kabul itself. Moreover, there is sufficient evidence to show that even within the Afghani government there are elements covertly profiting from supporting the Taliban as they destabilize the government and the country.

For Al-Qaeda, the notorious international terror network, this is the front for the War on Attrition. For Al-Qaeda, this region of disorder and discontentment is the perfect place for them to train, recruit, strategize and accumulate weapons and money, to prevent depletion, and continue to plan and carry out terrorist attacks around the world.

For the Taliban, this is the War on a Fragmented Opposition. The Taliban wish to control this region unopposed, and expand beyond this region to capture and control as much of Afghanistan and Pakistan as possible. The expansion is in all directions, and the opposition therefore comprises a variety of actors, fragmented across the region, including NATO, the Pakistani and Afghani governments, and local tribal rivals, among others. I challenge the wisdom that today’s Taliban is a loose term for different Islamic extremist militia of largely Pashtun origin looking to exert control over different parts of this region. As I see it, these are no small localized operations, but instead there is clear coordination and unity of purpose and even strategy, an issue that I will discuss subsequently in another blog entry.

For the Pakistani government and the Pakistani army, two separate entities, the force being fought against is far less clear. The civilian Pakistani government has made its secular leanings clear, and is committed to fighting the Taliban threat within Pakistan, a War on the Taliban as it were. However, it finds itself fighting a war opposed by its own people. At the same time this war pits it in many ways against it own army. The Pakistani army, is, on the surface, fighting the War on the Taliban as the lead ally of the United States, but is increasingly showing a greater interest in pursuing the War on India. Behind this gravitation from one front to the other is, what could well be a different war, being fought by the army against its own civilian government, as it hopes to keep control of the country. This is a struggle in which they see the Taliban as a vital asset. Hence the Pakistani army seems to be fighting three different wars on different levels, a subject I shall deal with in subsequent blog entries in this series.

Mr. Holbrooke is entering a situation where he cannot be clear who his friends and enemies are, and what his assets and liabilities are. The only truth he can be certain of is that the threat of Islamic militant extremism has grown much stronger in this region than it has been in a long time, and somehow, he needs to unravel this mess of characters in order to re-write a script for success and stability in this region. We wish him the best of luck.

The Perils of Bypass Surgery

2009-01-24T22:04:00.001+05:00

Our honourable 76 year old Prime Minister Manmohan Singh underwent bypass surgery earlier today. I do hope the procedure went well and that he recovers soon. However, and please forgive me being an absolute prick for such a serious matter, I cannot wrap my head around the limitless attention its received in the media. All day long today, the indigenous news channels have only carried dramatic pictures of our glorious Prime Minister giving thumbs up signs, marching to and fro with purpose all the while playing a heartbeat (very strong I might add) for a soundtrack and with sine waves moving across the screen. When the segment finally does get under way a lot of random people on the streets are interviewed as they presumably take time out on their Saturdays to build coloured sand sculptures of Manmohan (as above) or go pray for him in multiple temples, mosques and gurudwaras. (If the non-believers are praying somewhere too for him, do forgive me for leaving you out)

Apart from my obvious amusement, I'm really struck by where so many multitudes of well wishers have come from. Although I am being assured (by 27-28 different news monkeys) that they are spread across our vast nation and come from all socioeconomic backgrounds, most seem to come from the Punjab. Sadly, even in such a grave matter our over-arching communalism comes shining through. His title of 'Pradhan-Mantriji' is often swapped for 'Sardar Manmohan Singh' no doubt to inspire religious divides. Sensing my obvious unease at having such little information, the always excellent NewsOnline24 produced the sextobox! Six boxes on one screen so that I could see his extended family, a token surgeon pundit, an external view of the hospital, a seemingly random gurudwara, images of Manmohan when his arteries were slightly less clogged and most importantly his stand-in for the day Pranab Mukherjee. Spontaneous applause followed from my hands and I can only hope other appreciated this marvel as much as I did.

Of course, having such an able deputy as Pranab fills the heart and arteries with warmth. At 73 he's really quite young and has a bright career ahead of him. As our acting Prime Minister, I have a lot of faith in his ability to learn the art of prime ministering on the job. He might decide this is a good time to get one over the old man in policy and declare a war or two in the six weeks allotted to him. The fire of youth runs too strong in him but its probably better than having an 81 year old fogey like L.K. Advani in office, though to his credit he is the next Obama with his blog and jazzy website. I think though I'll settle for the 76 year old with the perfect mix of energy and wisdom. And so I hope he recovers soon, lest my painfully small brain gets overloaded by the excitement that his condition has caused.

We Won't Get Fooled Again

2009-01-19T14:52:00.000+05:00

It's not entirely certain when exactly all of humanity began to wait for 20th January, 2009. The reasons for this hardly need enumerating. They are plentiful and obvious. The horrors of the Bush presidency are well documented and by all accounts are a time to be forgotten, both for America and the rest of the world. Barack Obama enters office with higher expectations than possibly anyone in history.

The witching hour is nigh and the last thing I want to do is bring everyone back to earth with some good old fashioned cynicism. The past eight years though, unfortunately, caution all of us against too much hope or expectation. While the world's wishes are with them, let Obama and his team know we will not again be let down in the manner we were. However unreasonable the expectations, we will not stand for failure and futility. The world cannot afford it. The world needs change, it can't have more of the same. The lyrics of a very powerful song say all I want to say. We won't get fooled again.

We'll be fighting in the streets
With our children at our feet
And the morals that they worship will be gone
And the men who spurred us on
Sit in judgment of all wrong
They decide and the shotgun sings the song

The change, it had to come
We knew it all along
We were liberated from the fold, that's all
And the world looks just the same
And history ain't changed
'Cause the banners, they were all flown in the last war

There's nothing in the streets
Looks any different to me
And the slogans are replaced, by-the-bye
And the parting on the left
Is now parting on the right
And the beards have all grown longer overnight

I'll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I'll get on my knees and pray
We don't get fooled again

As Jim Morrison once said, "We want the world and we want it now". Unreasonable, I know, but nothing short of this will do.

Let us not be saying in a few months time :

Meet the new boss
Same as the old boss

A Great Eight Years

2009-01-18T19:54:00.000+05:00

On Tuesday, January 20th the much awaited Age of Obama will finally begin. I wonder what is more eagerly awaited though, Obama's entrance to the Oval Office or Bush's exit. The past 8 years have been eventful to say the least. The fiasco in Florida and Fox calling the election for Bush seems like it happened a decade ago. And it did. Since then we've seen a President holidaying on his ranch, 9/11, Enron & WorldCom, Taliban and Al Qaeda, Mullah Mohammad Omar and Osama Bin Laden, an Axis of Evil, non-existent weapons of mass destruction, a President clearing brush on his ranch, Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, a Vice President shooting friends in the face, drilling in Alaska, a financial boom that made billions, Katrina, water-boarding, a financial meltdown that lost trillions and a President driving a pick-up trick on his ranch. I have missed plenty I'm sure but it still gives a flavour of what my generation has grown up with.

I don't believe we would look forward to Obama if the last eight years hadn't been such a great roller-coaster ride. Maybe Bush garnered so many votes in 2000 because the Clinton years had been relatively boring what with the Cold War over and no real global competition. Bush took the world out of the staid 90s and led us stumbling through the defining 00s. Perhaps, history needs us to shake up once in a while and go through some life altering period of time just to make things interesting again. It gives us something to talk about and lets the youth be cynical with a vengeance. It created a strong divide between those who agreed with Bush's policies both economic and foreign and those who consider them foolish.

Sadly, the debate is ending with most people lined up against Bush now. But as the man finally recedes into the shadows with the lowest approval ratings since the beginning of time, let us pay him some well won tributes. His facial expressions were always classic and his faux pas are legendary. He has spawned at least 2 films (that I know of) during his time in the White House. The Daily Show and Colbert Report thrived off his work. Spare a thought for the likes of Chester A. Arthur or James Garfield, such boring men that we barely know who they are. They are not judged by history at all. Bush once said that history will judge him and it seems it will do so cruelly (though justly). There are enough indictments against him and many more that will be made but let us not forget Bush gave us eight years of entertainment with at least a few more to follow thanks to his hard work. For that, I tip my hat to President Bush and look forward to the next American President that frustrates us and makes us laugh in equal measures, and one who drives us to search and discover hope again.

Satyameva Jayate

2009-01-11T22:05:00.000+05:00

Truth alone triumphs. So goes India's national motto.

With Ramalinga Raju now in penitentiary (and refusing his meals we are told!), the brutal irony of that motto, in the present circumstance, seems to be lost on a number of people. It is almost as if that line from the Upanishads was a forewarning of Raju's delusional mind and his horrendous actions that have left a once proud company in ruins. Maybe we should not have translated the Sanskrit. Satyam the company was meant to triumph. So believed Raju and so it was.

India had enough problems on its hands. It could have done without the horror show we've witnessed over the last 5 days. An icon of industry, a pioneer in the BPO field, a great firm built over more than two decades now lies in tatters. 53000 (even this is possibly inflated)lives have been directly affected. What are Satyam's employees to do? What of their families? Millions of shareholders have seen their stock worth plummet, both through direct ownership of Satyam stock as well as through the fall in the stock exchanges; inevitable given Satyam's effect on the exchanges. Who is answerable to them? Satyam's board had long vanished before the government decided to supersede what was left of it. Are the new board members expected to feign remorse? How shall they be held accountable for what is none of their doing? They shall be judged solely for their management of affairs from here on. But what of the grave crimes that have been committed already?

Warren Buffet called derivatives financial WMDs. As we are increasingly seeing, any financial instrument is a WMD in itself. Ramalinga Raju has proved this beyond doubt. One man's Satyam has destroyed thousands of lives. What he deemed to be Satyam was what it became. He chose cash balances for the company, operating revenues, debts outstanding, accrued interest and by proxy, the stock price. Satyam was in Raju's mind alone, it did not exist as such anywhere else. The satyam (truth) about Satyam was something completely different. It was a bunch of lies cooked up by a delusional man who has lost all sense of reality and has been, by his own admission, for some years now, living in his own fantasy land.

He is answerable for what he has done.

Let us hope for once we mete out suitable punishment to Messrs. Raju and family and whoever else our justice system finds to be involved. Let our national motto be affirmed in the way it was meant to be. Let satyam, as in truth, triumph. Let not Satyam, as in Ramalinga Raju, triumph.

Baba to PM: A Perilous Journey

2009-01-08T22:56:00.000+05:00

"Rajiv Gandhi was prime minister when he was 40 and his son Rahul Gandhi will follow his footsteps."

"This is the course of history and it is irreversible."

India's Minister of External Affairs, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, speaking at the 2009 Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (a summit honoring Non-Resident Indians and People of Indian Origin), sealed the future of the country's top job. As an 'indispensable' member of the current Cabinet of Ministers and a known confidante of the Gandhi family, Mr. Mukherjee's words serve as a genuine precursor of what is to be the country's fate. India's news networks and newspapers also picked up Mr. Mukherjee's byte and the comparison to a newly elected, young leader of another democracy and Mr. Gandhi have begun to flow freely. Clearly, they seem to believe youthfulness alone implies change.

Mr. Mukherjee's words also serve as inspiration to the young majority of India's population. Finally, a genuine reason to not bother contemplating a possible foray in to public life in the future. If it is the irreversible course of history that at the end of the day, 10 Janpath shall rule India, then any effort to become a politician and aspire to reach the top will be counterattacked. To those who wish to argue by saying becoming a politician does not imply one must solely aspire for the Prime Minister's seat, then you're missing the point entirely.

Kathmandu I'll soon be seeing you, And your strange bewildering time

2009-01-05T20:21:00.000+05:00

New Year's Eve in Kathmandu is dark. "Load-shedding ka system hai, sir" exclaimed our cab driver as we rode down the city's main street to get some dinner. Sixteen hours long - the average power cut. After a good meal in a fancy French restaurant affordable to expats, diplomats and tourists, if you navigate your way through the dark streets once again to find a bar in the city's hip district, be prepared to see a sea of leather-jacket and denim wearing sea of men.

Expecting too much in a city recently going through major political change? I was not unaware. "Now that we have democracy, governance is declining and corruption increasing" quipped another cynical resident. So was the monarchy better? Laughter, and a sigh.

People want to get on with their lives. Democracy is great everyone echoed, and it seemed a big enough change for the residents to handle. They do not want government interference in other aspects of life. A case in point is religion. Visiting the Pashupati (Shiva) Temple Complex amidst a tussle between the Communist government that wishes to replace the shrine's South Indian priests for the last 300 years, with newly appointed Nepali ones (the intention is not to be anti-Indian as it may seem the government clarifies), I expected heavy security, slogans, chaos. The visit went smoothly. In fact more so in my opinion amidst the absence of touts pestering believers to pay for special offerings being made to God by the priests. Since there were no priests at the temple that day, there was no room for brokers. Local volunteers and a handful of security guards managed the crowds. The evening hymns echoed through the complex, sung as is the routine by a local devotee and no high positioned priest. No one seemed to care about the political game that was at play with the temple as its centerpiece. Yes, to many the Shiva idol needed the care it received at the hand of the priests each day. Besides that little bit of remorse, there was no sign of any desire for a change in life within the complex. In the prostrations of the believers there was a sense of relief to be there, whether priests or not, despite politics or not.

Identity politics as exemplified in the case of the Pashupati Temple controversy, corrupt politics as seen in the complaints of the people, interest no one. And both threaten the peace and security of not just Nepal, but states in South Asia. In Kathmandu one can witness a crumbling of daily life as it is continuously infringed by the enforcement of identity other than that of being a citizen of a new democracy and by an establishment of a corrupt public system.

By my troth, I care not

2009-01-05T19:07:00.000+05:00

It has been 10 days since Israel began its campaign against Hamas and by proxy the Gaza Strip. Palestinian estimates say at least 400 people are dead, many, perhaps most of them civilians. I've read blame apportioned to both parties for instigating it. Both sides have apparently broken the terms of the truce and what better way to counter the truce at this stage than by entering full fledged combat. I read that Israel has killed 452 Palestinian children since 2004 and have lost 11 children of their own in the same period. Astounding statistics no matter who you are. Yet the only emotion, indeed the only reaction I can draw out of myself, is one of apathy. Sympathetic apathy at best. I'm trying to understand why that is the case.

Every few years, months if we are so lucky, a conflict erupts with Israel and one of its eternal enemies. Everyone knows who started it... it was the other guy. It dates back millennia and at this rate may continue on for a few more. I think part of my apathy is derived from the fact that I can understand both points of view. The Holocaust was so destructive and evil that I will never begin to relate. Sixty years on, the memory of victimization is still heavily played but more often in Hollywood than anywhere else. The Palestinians have been disavowed of their own land by those damned Jews. Generations of them have grown up in refugee camps so we must sympathize with them. Fighting to regain your home or fighting to defend your home. Both noble ends which I most definitely wish India did more often. So my equal and opposite action and reactions cancel each other out.

Maybe the approach to the solution is all wrong. The very recently late Samuel Huntington put forth his famous Clash of Civilizations theory in 1993. Why don't they turn this theory into practice? Line up all available armed forces of both Israel and Palestine and duke it out to the end. Let us have all the labels fighting each other together. The aggressive, victimized Jewish bullies against the freedom fighting, victimized Palestinian terrorists. Heck, throw in everyone else who has a quibble with Israel. Maybe then this irritating distraction will cease to trouble the world. People won't crib about how the US is silent yet again on Israel's aggression or the Arabs remaining mum on bus bombings in Tel Aviv. There won't be anything for them to be silent or vocal about. The entire trite and oft repeated conflict will cease to trouble us. No more scrolling past pictures of crying families and plumes of smoke on the BBC or New York Times. Apathy can give way once again to genuine concern about the state of the American auto industry. 452 Palestinian children killed by the Israelis don't deserve to dominate the news over Chrysler's $4 BN loan, do they? Right? I thought not.

India - Holier Than Thou

2008-12-31T13:30:00.000+05:00

It is a well established fact in both academic circles as well as in the public discourse that India is weak on foreign policy. This weakness, kicked off in splendor by Nehru running to the newly formed UN on the Kashmir issue in the early years of India's independence, has lately been front and center in the news. While the country's citizens wait with bated breath on what particular steps the Government will take in response to the Mumbai terrorist attacks, the opposition has severely criticized what in their view has been a rather mild response until now.

Calls for forceful and bold moves on the outward have come from retired government and army persons, who having failed to act in even close to so belligerent a manner are now quick to criticize their successors. These calls, ranging from a suspension of the composite dialogue to a call for bringing back the military option to the table, do not appear to elicit much response from the government, which seems keen to march to its own drumbeat. Having prematurely taken off the military option from the table, it appears to be floundering between considering at least upping the ante by mobilizing along the border on the one hand and asking for more international support on the other.

India’s reaction to foreign policy crises is like a stuck tape recorder, repeating worn out clichés and stating equivocal policy steps. Unable to come up with a coherent and effective reply to almost any crisis, it moves from one to another coming up with suitable steps along the way that are considered seriously for about 15 days before all necessity dies down and the status quo is established once again.

It is a recurring source of amazement and consternation to all concerned as to why India, famous for its Machiavellian internal political struggles is perennially unable to replicate the shrewdness in international relations. What is it that precludes India’s foreign ministry and its hordes of diplomats from embracing a more robust foreign policy stance and acting in an explicitly tough manner? This answer has eluded analysts since India’s independence and there are no signs of an answer any time soon.

A retired general had this to say about India’s weakness in the foreign policy sphere, “India suffers from a weak strategic culture; most of our political leaders conjuring up the idea of a morally superior India professing peace and harmony in a world where nations indulge in cut throat competition. Value based politics is morally superior, but as we all know, that does not reflect the international realism.”

India’s recent condemning of Israeli action in the Gaza strip is an excellent case in point. This is no time for a country, in the course of reacting to the largest terror attack on its soil, to be condemning anybody else’s military actions. Nobody condones entirely what Israel is doing, but it is strategically weak for India to take a moral standpoint on the matter. India should be keeping the military option on the table, it should be considering strikes against terror camps in PoK and elsewhere, it should be learning a lesson in counterstrikes from the Israelis and formulating its own devastating reply to the terrorists.

This is no time for moral posturing and a ridiculous obsequiousness to god knows whom; Iran? Saudi Arabia? It is high time India knew its friends from its enemies and engaged in realistic foreign policy. No longer must it remain holier than thou.

On "Stateless" Pakistanis

2008-12-23T18:54:00.000+05:00

So today “stateless” Ajmal Kasab, the surviving member of the 26/11 terrorist attack team beind held by Indian authorities, has written a letter to the Pakistani High Commissioner, claiming his Pakistani nationality and even asking the Pakistani government to assist him in legal proceedings. Meanwhile Ajmal Kasab’s father has come on television from Pakistan claiming Ajmal to be his son. And furthermore, the Pakistani media has even searched out and found the village where Ajmal Kasab hails from in Punjab in Pakistan. Even Pakistan’s opposition leader, Nawaz Sharif, a far more belligerent fellow than the present government, has asked the Pakistani government to just accept that this “stateless’ Ajmal Kasab is from Pakistan. So we can hardly blame the Pakistani government for still claiming they have seen no adequate evidence to show that “stateless” Ajmal Kasab is from Pakistan. This is what they do best: finding novel and increasingly bewildering methods for denying the obvious. For the Pakistani government, reality is just a challenge best ignored.

As Pakistan’s government continues to lose credibility in the eyes of the entire international community, the country is losing allies across the globe, or at least losing the respect of allies, whatever semblance of respect the government had to begin with. In the recent UN Security Council ruling regarding the Jama’at-ud Dawa, all eleven member countries, including such Muslim members as Libya and Indonesia supported the bill, and even Pakistan’s perennial ally China voted in favour of the resolution. From Pakistan’s biggest critics to its most stalwart allies, the whole world is saying to the Pakistani government: for God’s sakes, do something.

Pakistan’s isolation and international humiliation is apparent. Yet, at the end of the day, Pakistan is still, for all diplomatic purposes, a sovereign state, and needs to be treated as such. No doubt the Pakistani government has proven ineffective at best in proving that they are sincere in breaking down the terrorist networks and bringing the terrorists to justice. And no doubt, India has every reason to be dissatisfied with Pakistan. Yet, at the end of the day, the Indian government needs to give the Pakistani government a little more to work with. Evidence and intelligence does need to be shared and shared in a way clearly visible to the public. A simple letter from a terrorist under intense interrogation cannot, in any scenario, be considered adequate evidence to justify military action, even if it contains the absolute truth. Why is this evidence sharing so necessary, when the responsibility of this Pakistan-based organization seems so obvious, and the danger it poses to the world seems so clear? Because, to a Pakistani population deeply suspicious of the words and intentions of other states, especially their historic enemy, India; all this is not so obvious. This is a delicate situation. These rogue terrorist elements may be operating from Pakistan because of the complicity and duplicity of Pakistan’s government, armed forces and intelligence services. Yet, if Pakistan’s government were to go after them, with no real explanation or attempt at selling the war to the Pakistani people, such a war would suffer the same fate of unpopularity and ineffectiveness the war in Waziristan has suffered. Once more, popular perception would characterize such a crackdown as another questionable war on Pakistan’s own people, for another foreign non-Muslim country. There needs to be a very visible display of cooperation and evidence and intelligence sharing on India’s behalf so that, to some extent at least, the Pakistani people’s suspicions can be assuaged. Perhaps India feels that it should not have to be this understanding of Pakistan’s situation, given this scenario. Perhaps they are right, but it definitely is in their best interest to be. And as for the Pakistani government; Ajmal Khasab:Stateless? Get Real! And Take Action.

Welcome to the 21st Century

2008-12-15T17:16:00.001+05:00

Nation-states are formed when a state is established on the principle that the people or the nation is the sovereign within a state. However, the notion that a nation is the sovereign in a state, means any other nation is seen as an ‘outsider’ to that nation. Nations feel threatened by other surrounding nations within their states and other nation states and the need arises to ensure the nation’s security. National security, an idea built on an “us vs them” conception of the position of the nation, became the logic behind making the nation-state as strong as possible, to ward off any threats to the security of the state. Powerful elites used the idea of national security to consolidate control over the nation-state. The idea of national security depends on the presence of threats, enemies and conflicts, and, when national security comes to dominate a state’s policy the security apparatus of the state, that is the army etc, become among the most preeminent institutions within the state, as the guardian’s of the nation’s security.

Throughout the nineteenth and twentieth century, as nationalism spread, and nation-states formed all over the world, so did the idea of national security become a focal point of state policy around the world. The new international system was dominated by ideas of balance of power, alliances, and encirclement, strategies that were used to ensure a nation-state’s security against potential threats from other states.

However, with the end of the Cold War, the apogee of the old international system, a new international landscape has emerged. New challenges have come forth, such as international terrorist networks like Al-Qaeda, which belong to no single nation-state, and which no strategies of enriclement, balance of power, and state-to-state confrontation can eliminate, as the failures of George W. Bush's War on Terror made strikingly clear. In this new world order, states confer parts of their sovereign control to international institutions, co-dependency on both a regional and a global level is accepted, and security and stability of a state cannot be ensured through treating everything beyond the nation-state as a potential threat to the nation. With the twentieth century the ‘us vs them’ philosophy, the dictum of the national security state had died.

It is time that the peoples and states of South Asia realize this as well. The country of Pakistan is in an especially problematic position. A country built on the very ideal of national security, that the Indian Muslim population required security from a Hindu-dominated Indian state, Pakistan’s existence was premised on national security, and hence, so was the direction the country took. The state apparatus right from the beginning was taken over by the army, and since then the military has continually used external enemies as a rationale to perpetuate its power. Pakistan is a state devoid of an internal identity, and merely exists, on the premise that the people within its borders need to be protected. Hence, all policy is built around manufacturing ‘us vs them’ scenarios, and adopting strategies accordingly. From confronting Indian aggression, to preventing Indian and Afghani encirclement, to holding up against American hegemony, Pakistan’s establishment depends on constant external conflicts, and uses it to keep the nation in line.

Today, Pakistan is a failing state, unable to find its place in the world of the twenty-first century. The horrific attacks of 26/11 in Mumbai, the culpability of Pakistan’s security apparatus, and the ineffectiveness of Pakistan’s fledgling civilian administration, along with the paranoia of conspiracy and encirclement in the Pakistani people, all speaks volumes of the state of this nation-state.

On the other hand, we have India. India is a state, so vast, diverse and multi-faceted that it is difficult for the state to create a comprehensive narrative and identity, of what the Indian nation is. Yet, in spite of its massive problems, popular sovereignty prevails, and India is a state on the fast-track to taking its place among the most powerful and influential states in the twenty-first century. If it is to do this, the one thing it cannot do is behave like a twentieth-century power. True, there is a need for the government of India to take a stand against the terrorist attacks of 26/11. Yet, in the aftermath of the attacks, a newly awakened elite speaks of solutions such as increasing the power of the state to promote national security within the country, as well as take military action against Pakistan. This is the wrong conversation to be having in the twenty-first century, and will only help undermine any real effort the country wants to make in fighting terrorism, and ensuring the safety and prosperity of India.

The condition and position of Pakistan should be a strong warning to India, not to fall into the trap of moving any further in the direction of a national security state. The people of Pakistan need to realize that the condition of their country is primarily their own doing, and blaming the rest of the world, will be its own undoing.

Leaderless

2008-12-10T23:03:00.000+05:00

Indians, as I write about them, defines a very small sub-group of a populous nation. Definitely urban, university educated, upper middle class and mostly born in the 1980s. The last feature is important as it defines us as being a generation of Indians who do not carry the scars of Partition, of wars, of the Emergency, of the horrors of caste, sectarian and religious violence of the late eighties and early nineties. (Kargil and Gujarat seem anomalies to us that we hope are not repeated in our lifetimes.) The factor that has really left a scar on many of us is the complete absence of inspiring leadership ever since we can recall conversations and reports about our country and its contemporary politics.

A unifying voice, a leader ready to stand by countrymen first and party later, a thinker any one of us (as defined above) would like to sit down with and pick their way of planning and processing if I may put it down literally. Our generation has tragically not seen any policymaker and political leader rise to such standards. Over the last decade we feel enthused to unleash the creative energy within us in every other field besides political affairs.

‘I cannot even imagine which party I would vote for next year.’ – A pertinent conundrum at every gathering. Over the last three years I know some who have asked bureaucrats, academics and business leaders – ‘What advice would you give to a young Indian wishing to run for elections, become a political leader?’ After smiles of pity at our naivety, the answer has shockingly been– ‘Why?’

Not only do we have a situation in the world’s largest democracy that a large section of its educated youth has not seen a single political leader they can trust, we also have a situation where considering a run for political office, big or small, is laughed upon.

So will one person already part of the state’s policy making apparatus step up and show us that we must not despair? Can we have an honest, rational, unifying leader? And can we seriously consider joining their line of work?

You Say You Want A Revolution...

2008-12-08T01:37:00.000+05:00

You say you want a revolution...
Well, you know
We all want to change the world...

India has never in its glorious and storied past had a people's revolution. It has never happened. The independence movement itself went on far too long and in several disparate avatars to be seriously considered a revolution in the traditional sense of the word. The notion of India coming together as a country is an absurd one to say the least in that it has no obvious precedent. Homogeneous solely by religion as the land of the "Hindus" and at times hardly even that, there has been a distinct lack of a common, uniting, societal factor almost throughout its history.

Even 60 years on from independence there is a glaring vacuum in most Indians' minds as to what such a uniting factor could be. It is not just that nobody would have an answer for such a question but that most people are yet to ask themselves this question. What is India's national interest? What are its collective aspirations? Why indeed does it exist under the rubric of a state? What, if any, are the factors that might unite an Assamese, a Malayali, a Gujjar and a Garhwali?
Jawaharlal Nehru in his oft quoted 'Tryst with Destiny' speech gave India a sense of purpose it badly needed after the centuries of foreign rule. But would not India need clearly stated ideals and principles, more elaborate than sovereignty and secularism, upon which these senses of purpose would have to be built? A distinct sense of collective aspiration has emanated from most, if not all great powers in the world, in history. India has been unique because of its extreme diversity and such collective ideals are hard to come by. And so India's diversity precludes any talk of a people's revolution. What kind of a revolution would we want if not a people's revolution? We must be careful what we wish for;

You say you want a revolution..
We all want to change the world
But when you talk about destruction
Don't you know that you can count me out..

In light of recent events, impulse would have us believe that a concern for national security might fill this aspirational void we have on our hands as a country. But what does national security mean in relation to India? Is it an extension, in the form of a sum being greater than its parts, of individual and communal security? Or does it end with individual and communal security itself? When there is no clearly defined national interest what would national security entail exactly? If we were to consider national security as a collective aspiration, how would we go about it?

If India is to emerge as a strategically important power in the world as has been suggested and is becoming increasingly evident, these questions will have to be answered. This will have to be an individualistic movement as we strive to create a national interest, the lack of which presently, does not allow us to have a national revolution. To use a Gandhian cliche to make my point, " You must be the change you wish to see in the world". If Indians individually would become intolerant of violence, this is sure to lead to a slow, but steady societal revolution that we all desire. In this of course, the rich and the privileged will have to lead the way like in all other endeavors. A people's revolution in our country is unprecedented, but that is not to say it shall not be possible in the future. As we integrate more and more, a national interest will emerge. In this we ask for your help....

You say you got a real solution
Well, you know
We'd all love to see the plan
Don't you know it's gonna be all right...all right...