ARE WE SAFE IN OUR COUNTRY ?

This is very relevant topic today. Lovy has asked me to write on this. I am narrating a write up of a citizen in Bombay.

Since last 3 years there have been about 8-10 terrorist attacks in India claming more than 550 lives and injuring
1000+. Whenever this kind of situation arises (happens every other month) THE politicians come in public eye, show some Sympathy over the victims and their relatives, make promise of punishing the culprits and assure that a disaster will never happen again in future. We as a citizen move on, thinking things will improve in time to come.

But how much are the promises true, if the government had to do anything they should have done that at the time of 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blast not decades later(anyways there are no strict anti-terrorism laws here). In today’s, The Hindustan Times newspaper a police senior officer was quoted saying “I won’t be surprised if more bomb blasts happen in the next few days” (woo!! I am proud at least some insider is honest) later the same officer went further to say “until a few years ago we had a clear pattern of security threat around the independence day and the republic day. Kashmir militants trying to create havoc in J&k and everywhere, insurgent groups in the north-east creating trouble and the naxals in central India; but that has undergone significant change and the scenario is much more complex”.

People who genuinely want to help the victims will next time think not twice but millions of times as the bombs were planted at a place where people crowd after a disaster like this…2 bombs exploding in the compounds of two different hospitals.

Are we the citizens safe? No I don’t think so… we live in Fear especially if you live in a metro city but let’s not underestimate the other smaller cities taking in mind the September 2006 bomb blasts at a mosque in Malegaen burying 40 lives and injuring 100+. Each time people board a train in Bombay they have fear in their mind….the images of 7/11 flash their mind…each time they are in a crowded market, they fear seeing the cycles parked near by…. We all know the government tightens the security only when there is a bomb blast just for few days as things start to cool until there is another blast.

One thing we don’t understand, India maintains the third largest military force in the world, and India ranks #2 in the world for having the most number of bomb blasts after Iraq. What is the military for? I think formerly for the welfare of its citizens, but yeah 23 blasts in 24 hrs……Circus hai kya?

So what do we do:-
Flee the country?
Don’t get out of your house
Stop visiting crowded places
Trust the government?

GENERALS ! COME FINISH THE UNFINISHED AGENDA

This is a call to all Generals in the country. If i call Generals, it does not mean army generals only. This is a call to the Generals from all services. General in my term means , people of excellence who have remained at the top positions and who have commanded respect in the institutions in their respective fields before retirement.

Generals from bureaucracy, Army, Navy, Air Force, Police, Judges, CEO's of private and publis institutions and people from all walks of life, industrialists, businessmen etc. People who have had an impeccable record and whom their people look upto as examples of excellence and integrity.

This is no time to relax, play golf, watch TV, read newspapers and play a game of bridge. Today is the time for them to come into ACTION. In normal circumstances, you could have relaxed, the way you wanted and you are doing so. But unusual circumstances demand unusual solutions. We have had enough of Politicians, who are corrupt, criminals, tainted and agents of big industrial houses. Are they worthy to define the future of India ? Your future, my future and our children's future ? CERTAINLY NOT. Let us not allow them to disintegrate our great country on the lines of casteism and religion. They are parasites who enjoy on taxpaers money and keep 60% of our entire police at their disposal for their own personal security.. The police, who should have been in the field to protect ordinary citizens, is at their beck and call. If people are maimed in bomb blasts, they are hardly bothered. It is happening almost everyday because we are termed as a SOFT state.

We beleive in Democracy and vibrant democracies have always survived like USA & UK. But today India's democracy is not vibrant. IT IS DEAD. Democracy in India is used by these politicians as a tool to create and maintain their vote banks.

Come together on a common platform. Forget your egos and fears for the sake of your country. Make a Political Forum or a Political Party which stands for integrity, discipline with real values. But before that, you will have to do a lot of spade work. Coming elections are out of reach. Go to the people, aam admi. Listen to his problems and greivances. Try to solve them in best possible manner and win their trust. People should realise that you are a class apart from politicians who make false promises and forget after winning them. A JOURNEY OF THOUSAND MILES BEGINS WITH THE FIRST STEP. Your efforts today on the ground level will give you results in the next general elections. e.g. yr 2014. But their is always a beginning. Better late than never.

Be the icons, whose names will be enshrined in the annals of history. People will remember you that these were the people who REDEFINED & REINVENTED India.

WITHDRAW PERSONAL SECURITY TO LEADERS- SEE RESULTS

It’s the same story all over again. A bomb blast followed by a polity, talking tough and giving us tall stories of being proactive. Only to forget their words the minute they are uttered. The blasts in Delhi and the political-speak thereafter was no different. Our netagan made a beeline for the blast sites, promised the victims money and called for stringent action. The speeches and drama over, they made a beeline for their ‘laal batti gaadis’ and sped away. Leaving the aam janta to rescue the aam aadmi. Importantly, has it ever occurred to our leaders why terrorists continue to blast cities in India and India alone?

There has never been a repeat of 9/11 in the US or a 7/7 in the UK. Why? Because the terrorists know only too well that if they mess with these two countries they will be hit and hit hard. Remember how the Americans ravaged Afghanistan in their war against terror. India on the other hand, is a soft target. It lacks the essentials needed: political will. Afzal Guru is alive, notwithstanding the Supreme Court awarding him death. A top British counter-terrorist expert highlighted three important aspects to counter terror. One, there is no place for holding a candle for human rights in the terror fight. Two, heightened round-the-clock surveillance. Outlining the security measures in London, he disclosed that every person was under watch --- at airports, railway and tube stations, streets, stores, restaurants, hotels and cafes. At any given time, the security agencies could reel out the time a person entered X place, where he went, what he did, ate and shopped, where he boarded a tube, where he got off, which street he walked down, right down to the time when he went to the toilet. All through discrete cameras and “hidden human intelligence.” Three, tough terror laws. The Terrorism Act 2006, drafted in the aftermath of the 7 July 2005 London bombings has highly controversial terms: capture those planning acts of terrorism, glorification of terrorism or encouraging the emulation of terrorism is a criminal offence and those who give or receives training in terrorist techniques be prosecuted. More. It enables the police to search any property owned or controlled by a terrorist suspect as also detain suspects after arrest for up to 28 days (though periods of more than two days must be approved by a judicial authority). Besides, UK has also dealt with internal threats from terrorism through a secret law enforcement training programme known as Operation Kratos.

In India, we only talk big about terror. But do nothing. And we all know, talk is cheap. Our answer to terrorism goes like this: the Prime Minister calls an emergency Cabinet meeting and avows we need tougher laws, doled out in routine hand-outs. The Home Minister fights terror by changing his clothes three times in three hours. The UPA allies’ counter-terror by demanding that if the ban on SIMI has to continue then the Hindutva outfit Bajrang Dal too should be banned. Arguably, before asking for Patil’s head should not the Prime Minister have sacked Lalu, Mulayam and Paswan for espousing the SIMI cause? Scandalously, they visited Azamgarh to sympathise with arch-terrorist’s Basher’s family! What of them?Faced with a strident Opposition berating the UPA for being ‘soft on terror’ prior to the General & State Assembly polls round the corner, the Central Government suddenly discovered the virtues of putting in place a tough anti-terror law. So out of magician Veerappa Moily’s Administrative Reform Report they waved POTA –II. Only to hastily back-off within 24 hours. Thanks to its allies crying foul. It would pinch their Muslim vote bank. Besides, POTA 1 didn’t halt the attack on Parliament or the Kandahar fiasco. To detract attention they now advocate citizenship for illegal Bangladeshi migrants. Sadly, when our polity paints internal security in religious hues, what can one expect? All stand guilty. For the Congress and its allies Muslim appeasement has become a safe sanctuary for inaction. For the BJP pacification of the Bajrang Dal is to keep its Hindu patron saint image intact. As long as they can remain in power, the country be damned. Let the terrorists kill and maim the billion plus population. It does not matter. Only retaining power by hook or crook matters. None ponder that if there are no people who will vote for them?Yet the security farce continues. To show that it is acting the Union and State Governments have mooted ‘time bound’ police reforms. Sic. No matter we have heard this ad nauseum post all attacks.

The truth is that our netagan really couldn’t care less. For them national security ends with ensuring their Y, Z and Z-plus security. As long as they are secure in their homes, offices and person, the aam aadmi can rot in hell. Has anybody realized that more than 60 per cent of our police force is protecting the netagan from the very janta which votes them in? Why do politicians scramble for security? It is a status symbol as enshrined in the Orwellian principle of being more equal than others. Carried to such absurd heights that besides themselves, their children, samdhis, son-in-law, grand children down to the khansama et al are ‘protected’ by the tax payers hard earned money. And we call ourselves a democracy, feudal is more like it. Think. Delhi’s sprawling area of 1485 sq. kms has only a police force of 57,500 and one helicopter to guard a population of 1,59,26000, wherein each cop works a 16 hours shift. On the other hand, New York’s expanse of 1212 sq kms. has a work force of 37838 to protect a population of 8274527 (half of Delhi’s), 7 helicopters and works only 8 hours shift.

Unless our politicians experience the danger the aam aadmi experiences daily, of not knowing whether he will return home, no solution to fighting terror in India can be found. Take away all the security paraphernalia of our netagan, let them live the daily fear like the aam aadmi and the terror trail will diminish. Suddenly, the laws will get tougher in proportion to the decrease in security they enjoy. Nowhere in the world does any country provide security to anyone else but the highest Constitutional authority. In the US, the President is guarded by a very discrete secret service and in Britain the MI6 takes care of the British Prime Minister.

But why blame the politicians alone? After all the people get the Government they deserve. Why do we vote for them? Knowing full well that they are going to do nothing for us. Yet election after election the story is the same. If its Monday, we will vote for Congress, Tuesday BJP, Wednesday, Mayawati, Thursday, Lalu, etc. etc. Never mind that they are ek hi thaali ke chatte batte. Needless to say till the time the aam aadmi refuses to translate his words into action he will have to continue to suffer. We need to realize that the netagan and terrorist are two sides of the same coin. Both venal and ruthless out to inflict maximum damage in minimum time. For the former it’s the battle of the ballot for the latter a war of the bullet. The recent blasts stand testimony to the fact that when push comes to shove only the people help one another. The time has come to kick these politicians out and lead from the front. We need only one man to change the system. Hitler, Napoleon, Abraham Lincoln, Churchill did it. So also Mahatma Gandhi. Why not us? ----

DISASTER MANAGEMENT- LEARN FROM CHINA

We all are aware about the floods in Bihar, which has led over 2 million rendered homeless, hundreds dead and vast areas of property damaged-- this is India's Katrina. Yet rescue and relief measures remained painfully short, the National Disaster Management Authority is still ill equipped to make a substantial difference and our national and state leaders continue to play politics over the graves of dead people in floods. We as a nation, it saddens me to say, still do not seem to learn from our mistakes and therefore condemned to repeat them.

Take the way China handled its spate of crisis before the Olympics. When the Tibet issue blew up, the chinese leaders made a hash by using the baton and the gun to brutally quell protests. They hardly seemed to care, what the world thought. But soon after when earthquake struck in may, 2008, and over 15 million people were badly affected, the entire nation acted as one and won the world's praise. Chinese President visited the spot personally and supervised relief operations. People from all over China volunteered to help out and donations came pouring in. It was a forerunner for the Olympics success to follow.

In contrast, India's political leadership let us down on 2 of the major crisis that could have shown what a great country we really are. The Jammu & Kashmir crisis was allowed to boil for so long that it succeeded in pushing the valley to the brink and only now the govt has been able to put some balm. All right, so J & K was our Tibet. Should not we as a nation have learned from it, so that when the next crisis hit us, we would react as the Chinese nation did ? Bihar's sorrow was our chance as a nation to show that our hearts beats as one and that we, as a nation, are capable of compassion, generosity and responsibility. We could have helped Bihar in every possible manner as far as relief and healthcare was concerned, but we failed everytime.

Our leaders should take classes from the Chinese leadership. They would be most glad to give our leaders classes to nail us down in the eyes of the world.

WALL STREET MODEL CRUMBLES

After a breather, let us discuss the greatest problem, the world is facing today. Financial Crisis. I think this is the biggest crisis, specially for USA after 1930's depression, which has propped up again. It has encircled almost the entire world. Financial markets as on today are inter-linked. If America fails, it sends jitters all round the globe. All the stock markets in the world today, are in shambles.

Three of America's top 5 investment banks have disappeared over the past 6 months. Two of them recently, Bear Stearns and now Lehman Brothers and Merrrill Lynch have followed.

Atleast Bear and Merrill found a buyer, the former with support from the Fed. Lehman had to file for bankruptcy. Only Goldmam Sachs and Morgan Stanley are left standing. Many will wonder, for how much longer ?

These are ( or were ) no ordinary firms. They represented the pride of America's financial system. They attracted the brightest, from the top business schools. They were held up as models of good management, producing returns on equity that were the envy of their counterparts in other sectors.

Today Wall Street's reputation is in tatters. It is legitimate to ask: how on earth did the boards, the top management and the collection of brains down the line manage to bring 3 of the top firms to their knees ? As somebody who worked for one of these defunct investment banks, i will 1st let out a little secret : I was'nt bowled over by the talent at these places. Much of the research was mediocre---no more than a rehash of numbers and arguments provided by the firms themselves. Investments were made or recommended with a casualness that took one's breath away, considering the sums involved.

Most of the blame being laid is, at the doors of the CEO's. Others subscribe the investment bank's collapse to the autocratic styles of their CEO's. This too is glib. If the CEO's autocratic style is indeed the problem, most corporations the world over should be failing.

No, with Wall Street, the cause of failure has elsewhere : the basic business model had come to be seriously flawed. Investment banks started off as brokerages and then branched off into underwriting of securities and advisory services. None of thse businesses requires large amounts of funding. When commissions on these businesses declined, investment banks started setting aside bigger and bigger sums gor proprietary trading. From proprietary trading, investment banks moved on to private equity. They started betting their own capital on risky assests---and illiquid assests. Worse they chose to increase leverage to very big heights. Lehman Brothers had one deal that killed Lehman, was the acquisition of a property investment co. at the height of the property bubble.

The investment banks thought that they had the expertise to manage asset risks. The moment their is uncertainty about the value of assets, access to high funds is cut off--- and this triggers collapse.. Two, in the presence of high leverage, managers have very high incentive to take huge risks, If the gamble works out, managers get big rewards. If they fail it is shareholders who get wiped out.

The demise of 3 top investment banks has several implications. 1st it calls into question the standalone model of investment banking. For most capital market activities, a stable base of funds makes sense. Banks with their access to deposits are better placed to succeed.

Secondly, leverage in banking itself may have to fall from the present levels. Thirdly, when investment bank comes to be part of banks, investment banking too comes under the purview of central bank regulations..

Wall Street, they say, reinvents itself every few decades. This time around it's its not so much reinvention as disappearance.

A BREATHER- STAY FOCUSSED- GOLDEN CROWN IS YOURS

Today again i am going to give a " breather " after hard talk on politics and Delhi blasts. I think we all need breathers after hard talk and after discussing concrete jungle of politics which is so confusing in our country. When there is a marathon, for people of my age, we do need breathers or rest for a while, before we move on towards our goal or destination.

Anyone who aspires for excellence and dares to rise above mediocrity would have to defy conventional and sterotyped living. Doubtless, he would face criticism, hostility, and even ridicule from the ordinary folk and the world around him.

In fact, his authenticity and inner power would ensure that these morbid forces drop off by themselves, as if naturally. However after surmounting resistances and prophesis of doom from the world around, the aspirant, even if highly meritorious and also clear of his priorities, could, in certain cases, finally succumb to his own mental confusions or formations and to various doubts or uncertainty as to the worthiness of his goal. These damaging factors could creep unnoticed and nourish themselves in the fallible human psyche and finally prove to be his undoing.

When confronted with various doubts from within, especially as to the substance of progress actually made, the aspirant would do well to remember that advancement in any worthwile field, including spiritual, cant be tangibly measured. Unknown to himself, he may have scaled great heights and it would just be a matter of time before the tough efforts put in, start flowering.

" DONT QUIT " , offers the needed guidance, inspiration and motivation. The message is on stealing oneself to carry on and not backtrack, when he may be just a step away from " The Golden Crown ". This process is true persistence and reflection of clarity within. This ensures that the seeker naturally obviates all external impediments and more importantly, saves himself from those mental formations, which indeed go to make or maranyon's progress and thus his ultimate destiny !

VIEWS OF PATRIOTIC AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER

I am sending you below speech of Prime minister of Australia, John Howard. It has been sent to me by my son, Sandeep. I wanted to share the speech with you people. Please do not misunderstand. These are not our views as we are a " secular " country. Majority of muslims in india are nationalistic, barring a few. Please dont measure the entire community with the same yardstick

Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia , as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks.
Separately, Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques. Quote: 'IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali , we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians.' 'This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom' 'We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society . Learn the language!' 'Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.' 'We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.' 'This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, 'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'.'
'If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted.'

STORY OF TWO SHOOTERS

It is an irony of indian politics that cops who lay down their lives to fight terrorists get peanut compensation after their matyrdom. A sportsman in india keeps getting crores and lakhs, when he is alive.

There is no denying the fact, that police force all over India is mostly corrupt and hand in glove with gangsters and criminals. But there is always a silver lining. There are a few cops like M C Sharma, who lay down their lives, fighting terrorists. Yes, i am talking about recent delhi blasts. At the time when most fathers have stayed beside their sick son's hospital bed and look after their son, who is down with dengue, Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma, rushed to Jamia Nagar from the hospital to raid a house, where terrorists were holed up. He had not gone home for 3 days, rushing from hospital to office and back and his wife expected him to return on friday evening. But home they brought, the warrior dead.

Sharma was undoubtedly Delhi police's top shot terror fighter. Winner of 7 gallantry awards, including the President's Gallantary Medal and 150 police rewards, was also credited with killing 35 terrorists and arrest of 80 others.

There was no big operation in the anti-terror cell which could be executed without Sharma and he delivered. Some of the cases, he will be remembered for, include the Parliament Attack, Red Fort shootout and Diwali serial blasts. Top cops were envious of him.

The entire nation is mourning the martrydom of Inspector Sharma. Its rare that police force gets such an appreciation and salute that is otherwise reserved for the armed forces. The reactions of the people and the anchors on the news channels were sad, moist and genuine.

On the other side is another shooter Abhinav Bindra, the olympian, gold medalist in shooting. He got cash rewards to the tune of Rs. 1.66 crore and other goodies. The common factor between these 2 heroes is, that both are Indian. The biggest uncommon, difference is that our Police Hero's family got only 5 lakhs compensation.

What a contrast between these 2 heroes ? One living with 1.66 crore and with a great future ! And the other dead, with family getting only 5 lakhs and future most uncertain !

GOLDMINE-INSIDE YOU

Today, i am going to write a lighter note again to break the monotony of politics and economy. We must not forget that we cant be isolated from realities of life e.g. today's political turmoil and global economy, which dictate our lives and our future. Besides writing on politics and economy is my forte.

There is no gold mine as rich as your own past experience. All your talents, wishes, and interests are hidden there. Study them. Dig them out. Study which skills and interests they utilised, no matter how long it takes or how monotonous it becomes. Mining your own gold is hard work, but like any other kind of mining, it pays big. Mining your talent is unlimited. You might find a vein that will shoot you to the top. Its been done thousands of times. Ask yourself, what do i want to be doing 10 years from now ? Where do i want to be ? Every small achievement that meant something to you should be written down. Whether it meant anything to anyone else, does not matter.

All your achievements---- recent or long ago----required several, usually many of your skills or traits. Go back and study these skills. If you have one strong skill which alone wont make a career, consider adding, fine tuning or adapting something to it. There are schools that teach any skill. Dont overlook them. More and more evidence proves that everyone of us with a normal mind and body have veins of pure gold buried deep down, inside waiting for some clue to recognise them . Develop them and harness them.

HAPPINESS IS TODAY AND NOW

I may have bored you, writing pages on politics and lately on economy and business. Today i am going to write on us, i mean all of us.

We want to be happy all the time. We worry all the time about being happy. Our obsession with happiness prevents us from being happy. A New York investment banker needed a vacation badly. His phychiatrist recommended him that he should take a break or he will break down. The banker went to a fishing spot in a remote mountain location. He bought himself the best designer fishing clothes and gear, including designer bait. He went to a spot recommended by his resort manager. As he relaxed with his fishing rod in his hand and a pipe in his mouth, he saw a local old man settling down some distance away. The banker struggled to catch a fish. But the old man was reeling them in at regular intervals and releasing them back into the river.

The old man saw the perplexed look of the banker. He cheerfully invited him over to where he sat and showed him where the fish were. The banker was very impressed and asked the old man, what he did for a living. The old man replied that he did nothing. He just fished and relaxed. The banker was surprised. He told the man, all the things he was missing in life by not being a professional, like him, in the great city.

The old man asked the banker, what are your plans for future ? The banker said : I will make lots of money, marry and have children.

What comes after that ? asked the old man. Oh ! I shall relax and spend all my time fishing, the banker said. Can't you see that's what i am doing now, the old man responded, why do i need to struggle like you.

We all have a long laundry list of worries. We have them all our lives. Can we predict what will bring us joy and when ? It is very difficult for us to predict when we are likely to be happy. On the other hand, it is very easy for us to say when we shall be worried, which is almost all the time.

We worry, when we have no money. We also worry when we have money. We worry if we have no children, we also worry when we have children. Our wealth and children quite often are the cause of many of our problems. Our worries multiply when our children emulate us.

Worry follows desires just as night follows day. Just as desires have no end, worries too are endless. Do these worries have a purpose ? NO. We forget to enjoy our life now. We never get to enjoy life later. Either we enjoy it here and now, or never. Find happiness being in the present. Be conscious, completely aware of what is happening at the moment. Be happy with whatever you do. Happiness will be yours to keep.

SMALL OASIS IN A BIG DESERT

A Little World, a Mumbai based company, which has come up with a unique idea, turning a regular mobile phone to play the role of a bank's branch, is a liitle oasis in a big desert, India.

Faced with the challenge of creating affordable solutions to enable penetration of banking in rural areas. ALW as is called in a short name,, came up with this solution. The equipment costs not more than Rs. 30.000, through which a bank's branch becomes functional and offers facilities like depositing / withdrawing money, eloctronic money transfer, crediting of pension money and also having an online passbook.

Other things that make up the branch are a printer-cum fingerprint scanning machine, cash box to store upto Rs. 1 lakh in cash and a high resolution camera. The mobile phone can can store data upto 50.000 customers, including the entire identification profile comprising a picture and 6 fingerprint templates among other details.

Under this, the bank ties with 3rd parties like ALW's clients Zero Mass to conduct business in far-off areas on behalf of the banks.. All the mobile phones have latest security features and are connected to ALW using GPRS technology. The ALW server is in turn connected to to the core banking server of the client bank due to which a a transaction is made possible just like it happens in any conventional way.

ALW has tie-ups with all the major GSM mobile phone operators in the rural areas. It has got tie-ups with 24 banks to operate their banking operations in REMOTEST and UNSERVICED areas across 18 states.

Christened as ' Zero Platform ' for branchless banking based on a mobile, a branch is typically set up in the village grocery store or panchayat office.. Equipments like the printer and cameras are connected to the mobile phone using Bluetooth technology and the entire system has been designed so that it can function even during power cuts, which the villages usually experience.

In a short span of a year, ALW has set up over 2,800 branches across the country and has plans to increase to 5000 branches by year end. The accounts are opened free for a period of 10 years and it currently boasts of over 12 lakh accounts, with 20,000 accounts added everyday. Ifail to understand why others in the same space have not made use of existing technologies which offer great growth opportunities due to low capital expenditure.

The customers are encouraged to use the account for electronic money transfer, insurance premium payments, depositing of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme wages and pension funds in the account.

ALW gets a certain amount as technical fees for rendering its services and also get percentage of commission for each deposit and withdrawal transaction made at the branch. Railway ticket booking has also been started as a pilot project.

HATS OFF TO THE NEW COMPANY AND TECHNOLOGY to meet rural banking needs of the poor.

WORLD'S TOPPERS- BUREACRATIC RED TAPISM

I have discussed lot of politics in my previous blog pages. Now lets talk about business and economy. This is specially for our business community.

That India should continue to be close to the bottom of the heap on ease of doing business ranking does not shock as the country compares very poorly with the benchmark on every possible parameter. Barring a few spurt of reform measures in recent years, business and the conduct of commercial activities continue to face bureacratic impediments. Which is why, after being seen as reformer one year 2006-2007, the country now 2007-08 lags many other less developed nations that are moving fast to cut bureacratic controls. India continues with its low ranking among 181 countries----122 in the latest edition of World Bank Finance Corporation's--- doing business report against 120 in the previous edition.

Countries that offer the best conditions to do business undoubtedly are the ones with least number of impediments and costs, e.g. Singapore, New Zealand, USA and Hong Kong. So they retain top rankings year after year. More importantly, they are constantly working at easing regulations. Singapore, for instance, despite being seen as the best place to do business, year after year continued its reforms process. Between june 2007 and june 2008, Singapore further simplified its online business start up service. New Zealand introduced a single online procedure for business start-up, lowered the corporate income tax.

India in comparison, did very little to make the country a more attractive place to do business. All it managed to do was ease hurdles to foreign trade. Many of the reform measures that could make material difference to a business are hanging fire.. Labour laws in india are most backward. For example, to start a business in india, a businessman needs 13 procedures against one in countries such as New Zealand, Sri Lanka and even Bangladesh. Getting construction permits in india takes 224 days and a businessman needs to complete 20 procedures, in contrast, Denmark needs 6.

Payment of taxes too is cumbersome process in india. Businesses are required to make as many as 60 payments in a year,, which takes 271 hours in a year to prepare and filing tax returns. Contrast that to just 2 payments businessmen are required to make in Sweden a year.

Why NRI's get disgusted and return back, are the reasons as mentioned above. JAI HIND RED TAPISM.

" CHANGE YOUR CLOTHES MR SHIVRAJ PATIL--- CAMERAS ARE ON "

Even as television channels aired bonechilling frames of the mayhem caused by saturday's blasts, Union Home Minister, Shivraj Patil may have been raiding his wardrobe for clothes " suited " for the occassion. After all it is not everyday that he gets an opportunity to showcase his painstakingly-tailored suits. Mostly matched with the shoes of the same colour.

So, as the terrorists mocked at the law enforcement and intelligence agencies by triggering serial blasts, Mr Patil took a cue and turned a serial dresser to keep pace. On a day when, you thought that Home Minister of the country would be too busy with phones ringing around him, Mr Patil changed into atleast 3 different suits in as many hours. Sporting a white suit at the CWC meeting at 6.30 pm, he seemed to have made a dash to his home after hearing the blasts.---to change into a dark-coloured suit, possibly for the benefit of the cameras waiting outside for his usual " run of the mill " byte. By 10.30 pm, when he arrived at the blast site for a customery inspection, he had found the the time to change into a white suit yet again----no, not the one he wore at the CWC---- to project a more solemn. Ofcourse, each look was complemented with his perfectly gelled hair.

And if wearing his incompetence on his full sleeves was not enough, the minister came up with an empty declarations to " punish the guilty " and rehearsed appeal to maintain calm and harmony.

Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi had shared the information with the prime minister, the home minister and the natiional security advisor, warning them that the plot to target Delhi could be in the final stages. Obviously, the warning failed to prompt the centre to sit up and take a note.

Mr Patil,, in any case, never had any answer in the fight against terror. He is opposed to most of the tools that the agencies must have to effectively tackle terror. He is against tough interrogation, he is against smart laws, and even the use of harsh language against the evil doors. And his breathtaking reckneless has left gigantic bull's eye on the backs of innocent citizens.

WELCOME STEP BY SUPREME COURT

A series of steps and observations, which have come from the Supreme Court vis-a-vis various unrelated cases over the past few days, constitute a welcome coincidence. They indicate the apex court is serious, now more than ever, about judicial accountibility. That the judiciary can no longer afford to maintain its credibility by resorting to judicial immunity, as if it was a natural privilege, is clearly implicit in the apex court's announcements. The recommendations of the Chief Justice of India to initiate impeachment proceedings in Parliament against a Calcutta High Court judge found guilty of " financial misconduct " proves the court is dead set on taking the problem of corruption in the judiciary head on. A similar intent has empelled it to hand over the matter of alleged involvement of 34 sitting judges in the embzellement of providend fund monies to the CBI for a probe. Similarly the CJI has also allowed the CBI to question 2 Punjab & Haryana High Court judges, who have been linked to the bribery scandal.

All this would however, make a sense only if it led to institutionlisation of judicial accountibility. The centre must not dither any longer in getting the Judges Inquiry Bill, 2006, passed by Parliament.The legislation would lead to the establishment of a national judicial council, made up of sitting judges, to probe allegations of judicial misconduct and legimately recommend impeachment where required.

But judicial accountibility can be truly built into the system only when the recruitment and transfer of both SC and high court judges-- currently the exclusive preserve of the highest judiciary-- become amenable to public control. A consensus on the need to set up The National Judicial Commission ( NJC ) must swiftly be evolved. The NJC which would regulate recruitment and transfer of judges would consist of senior-most members of higher judiciary as well as the executive. Judicial autonomy is, doubtless, an imperative to protect the the conscience-keepers of Constitution from the clutches of electrol politics.

If the judiciary becomes responsible and corruption free, i am sure, the next step would be to clean the govt. functionaries and make them accountable. Impartial judiciary is the backbone of any democracy. If certain high profile cases of bribery are given a verdict which leads to the removal of corrupt politicians and bureacrats from the govt, and they are barred to take any post in future, i am sure a lot will change and only impeccable people will come forward to lead the nation. Today these impeccable people are sitting at home, afraid of goonda raj prevalent in politics.

CORRUPTION- NEED TO DO SOMETHING DRASTIC

Talking of probity in public life in india, which has been recognised as the 9th most corrupt country, seems like an attempt at breeding vegetarian tigers. In fact, at any given point of time, the society approves of certain values. If we look at the tolerance level towards corruption in our country today, we will find that one has to be corrupt to be successful in public life. This holds true both for public and private sectors.

We need a free and responsible media and judicial activism to keep indian democracy alive and kicking. Parliament should initiate the cleaning up process, a hope cherished by millions of indians. But as of now, this is highly unlikely. Rather than holding a debate on rising prices, our politicians are more bothered about holding state wide bandhs over the issue. This shows their sense of responsibility.

A journey of thousand miles begins with a single step. If we are able to come together, create public opinion and set up a strong institutional framework, we can certainly work out the solutions. There will be some check if all govt. functionaries and judges are made to declare their annual assets. This combined with the implementation of making CBI totally independent, without any political interference, can yield results.

CBI should have the powers to counter check the assets declared by govt. functionaries. And if assests are found inproportionate, CBI should have the powers to arrest them immediately and a time bound judiciary should give the verdict. The govt. official found guilty, should be thrown out of the job and his assets be forfeited. A time frame of maximum 1 month should be taken by judiciary to declare the verdict on the guilty official.

Moving one step forward, criminal proceedings should be launched against the corrupt offiicial and he should be sentenced to jail, without any chance, being given to him to move to the higher court. There should be a special act for this.

Thrown out of job, his assests forfeited and going to jail thereafter will be a big detterent for any other govt. official to deal in corrupt practices.

Public opinion has to be initiated. It does not come on its own. If people of Jammu, can force the govt, to change its stance on Amarnath issue, then why cant we, if all the nation gets on one platform to launch a anti-corruption drive ?

TALE OF TWO INDIAS

When finance minister Chidambaram presented the budget, he was proud to declare GDP growth of more than 8% and projected that it will rise to 10% next year. India has completed its " Golden Quadrilateral ", a multi-lane highway that links New Delhi to the north, Calcutta in the east, Chennai in the south and Mumbai in the west.The collective wealth of of india's 311 billionaires jumped 71% last year.

But for india's rural and urban poor, the difference between them and the wealthy only got wider and deeper. Last year india slipped from 124 out of 177 countries to 127, according to United Nationd Human Index. Life expectancy is 7 years less than China, and 11 less than Sri Lanka.

It is an irony, that in the past, farm suicides in Vidharba crossed 400 in one week. The sensex crossed 11000 mark and Lakme Fashion Week issues 500 passes to the media. All happened in the same week. A powerful disconnect. There are millions of farmers in Orissa, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh and many more states, where average income is considerably below, the national poverty line of $ 650 a year.

The govt. is less interested in helping the poor, as it is increasing military spending and building a" Blue Water " Navy. India has purchased Jaguar bombers and is negotiating purchase of 66 Hawker Fighter bombers for $ 1.43 billion. The price of a single Hawk could supply a lifetime of clean drinking water to 1.5 million people.

In india, growth has been restricted to relative narrow band of industries, like high-tech. In the countryside where 75% population lives, living conditions have worsened. According to UN Development report, inequality in india, has grown faster in the last 15 years, than in the lasr 50 years. The jobs available are mostly to the literate people and the well schooled. In rural areas, more than 55% people are illiterate. It is shocking to learn as per independent report, that per person food availability today, is lower than, the famous bengal famine of 1942-43.
It is very common for rural family members to eat alternate days. The result is more than 48% of indian children are underweight.

Urban slum dwellers fare little better. " In village we demolish their lives and in the city their homes ". In the same week, their are fashion shows, and the stock market does well, almost 5000 urban shanties are torn down in Mumbai.

Are we doing something for the poor ? I ask these politicians in the govt. All these poverty eradication programmes are a sham. Means to make money for politicians and bureacrats, on the death bed of the poor.

" WISE INVESTMENT BY NEHRUS "

I am thankful to Dr. Manchanda for his inputs. It is said that Moti Lal Nehru, the great grand maternal grandfather of Rahul Gandhi, donated his house called Anand Bhawan to Congress party.

By coincidence or design, it has become the wisest investment he made. By making Rahul Gandhi, the general secretary, of the Congress, the party has tried to capitalise on that investment, many many years back. Rajiv Gandhi was similarly crowned " prince in waiting " in 1981, and within hours of Mrs. Gandhi's assasination, Rajiv Gandhi was chosen to lead the party. Not one senior leader of the party dissented.

The pattern had already been set. The Congress has passed on from being Mahatama Gandhi's party to being the " jagir " of the Nehrus. And the freedom fighters and their heirs had reduced themselves to being courtiers.

Inner-party criticism stops at the doors of 10, Janpath. The monumental follies of Rajiv Gandhi, for instance, in reversing, the Supreme Court's shah bano verdict and sending our own army to Sri Lanka to fight the Tamil Tigers, in attempt to cover up the Bofors scandal, are never pointed out in the party. Yet the Congress, is naming every corner of the country after Rajiv Gandhi. It did not allow the people of Hyderabad to name the new airport after NT Ramarao and it was replaced by naming Rajiv Gandhi airport at the last moment.

The Congress is not only choosing to live under the shadow of Nehru-Gandhis, but also going out to obliterate any other name from the annals of history. Giants of the freedom struggle like Sardar Patel, Netaji Subhash Chander Bose, Gangadhar Tilak and also many imminent leaders are confined to the corners. But every govt. scheme, every airport, every national building etc, is named after the Nehru-Gandhis.

The climate of sycophancy, that such culture allows, is dangerous and inconsistent with a healthy Democracy.

BREAKING NEWS : A special screening was done for film " Rock On ", yesterday for the ist family of india, which included, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka & Robert Vadera. Last evening, the "Sarkari " auditorium, popularly known as Mahadev Auditorium in delhi was a veritable fortress, because the FIRST FAMILY of India , converged there for a special screening of the above film. Instead of the usual samosas and coffee, the snacky bites were catered by a 5 star hotel. I sometimes wonder, whether these politicians have a heart ? I suppose " No ". 25 lakh people in Bihar homeless & thousands killed due to floods. Are they immune to national tragedy ? Before becoming a politician, these people must be going to a heart surgeon, to get their hearts out of their body. Because, if they have hearts, then emotions come by nature and hearts do weep on human tragedy, of such a scale, specially when you are at the top of the pyramid. You dont go to for special film screenings. Ofcourse, you lead your normal lives. But you dont " Rock On " on Bihar tragedy.

CANT BJP & CONGRESS COME TOGETHER FOR NATIONAL INTEREST ?

Does either the Bjp and Congress believe seriously that in the forseeable future, it can win majority on its own to ensure stability to India ? The era of coalitions has made it painfully clear that makeshift alliances are unsuited for purposive governance. What then is the remedy ?

Today conditions have changed. Regional parties like BSP of Mayawati are gaining ground. It is not good for our country. Personal ambitions of becoming prime minister of india by a tainted regional parties is not acceptable, neither the boneless third front, in which all are prime ministerial candidates.

Only a federal party can save the nation from disintegrating. How can a federal party be formed ? The steps are simple. To carry them out can be difficult due to ego problems of 2 mainstream parties, BJP and Congress. It is however not impossible.

First, a party programme must be formulated that addresses the most important common concerns of the nation. Next, a constitution for a federal party must be framed which allows the federating parties to retain their respective identities at state level, but compels them to unite at the parliamentary level, to contest parliamentary polls under a single symbol. This would be a trasitional stage. The acceptance of common election symbol would seem to bring electoral advantage.This would preclude defections and post poll horse-trading. In other words, a federal party would be an institutional mechanism for enforcing democratic functioning among political parties.

Both the Congress and BJP are multi-state parties. They are best positioned to reinvent themselves as federal parties. The formation of single federal party covering the whole nation would attract votes. It will bring stability to the nation and keep at bay, regional parties who have personal agendas. It is more desired for BJP and Congress to come together, as they share the same ECONOMIC agenda.

Let party and personal egos overide the national interest

50 CRORE SKILLED INDIANS BY 2022. CAN IT HAPPEN ?

India's talent crunch is a familiar story. So is india's large army of the unemployed and the unemployable. What is new is an ambitious scheme to give both stories a shared fairytale ending by creating, the world's largest pool of skilled manpower- 50 crore skilled indians by 2022. That number would be larger than the population of either Europe or the US that year.

Indian industry has been trying to enlarge the available pool of skills, with both CII and FICCI, pitching in with varying degrees of vigour and efficacy. The Planning Commission came up with what it thought was a grand scheme, to set up 50,000 skilled development centres over the Eleventh Five Year Plan ( 2007-2012 ). The National Skill Development Council appointed by the prime minister, comprising experts like CK Prahalad, Nandan Nilekeni, and many other experts has come up with a new game-plan proposal to create, within a short period of time, no less than 2 lakh skill development centres by making use of the existing stock of public educational institutions above the high school as pyhsical infrastructure , private enterprise, bank credit, budgetary outlays and tax breaks, besides philanthropy.

The boldness of the scheme's ambition parallels that of the Golden Quadrilateral national highways project and the Pradhan Mantri Sadak Yojna announced by the previous NDA govt. When these schemes were launched, they looked like so much tall talk. Today multi-axeled trucks and tractors haul the roads, showcasing indian prosperity over these very real roads.

Now, we have to see, whether such a big masterplan prepared by the present govt, takes shape on the ground or it remains on the paper only. The key lies with honest govt. and honest bureacracy, on which the indian public has put a big question mark.

BIHAR FLOODS- INDIA'S SHAME- OUR HEARTS WEEP

I would like to share an article with you, read in as column in a newspaper. The Prime Minister reacted to the flood crisis on august 28, ten crucial days after, the flooding began in Bihar. Too few army rescuers have been sent by centre, and too late. State police is missing from rescue and relief sites. There is a complete collapse of support from local govt. and panchayat officials. Relief distribution is so unplanned and tardy that the able-bodied get relief again & again and the weak watch helplessly.

Dalits in flood effected areas are finding that they are last to be evacuated or given relief. The administration acts thru mukhias and sarpanches, who mostly belong to forward castes and care more for their own kin and caste fellows. A dalit said " We have nothing to eat, Even the snails we were eating, have been carried away by the flood waters ". The boatmen, demand bribes to give dalits a place in the rescue boats. One dalit said " As if, we do not count ". The well to do get away in boats. The boats never come back. When the rich have left, the poor are surviving by boiling leaves and drinking the concotion. There is no drinking water as the wells are submerged in floods. To add salt to the wound, the Industries Minister Mr. Yadav, who is in charge for flood relief camp is on inaugration spree, cutting ribbons with great fanfare. Inaugrating a relief camp is a ridiculous idea.

Is it the same country, where more priotity is given to join NSG ( nuclear members club ) and floods are forgotten.


I think we are a billion people. Politicians dont care, if a few thousand people die here are there.

NARENDRA MODI- ANOTHER SARDAR PATEL IN THE MAKING ?

Narendra Modi, Chief minister of Gujarat has been elected twice. He is the longest serving Chief Minister of Gujarat. He changed Gujarat from a below average state to a most developed state in india. As per the independent surveys, conducted by centre and western agencies, he has been chosen " THE BEST CHIEF MINISTER ". Ratan Tata rightly said " if you are not in Gujarat, you are not in India ".

He introduced many new programmes for the poor. His prograame was called Panchamurat ( 5 nectars ). It includes Jal Shakti, harnessing of water resources. Gyan Shaki, quality and coverage of education among the poor. Jan Shakti, development of human resources. Urja Shakti, power of energy sources. Raksha Shakti, security & well being of the people.

His Govt. has won 80 international awards, mainly given by UN and UNESCO. A senior leader of congress at the centre has compared Modi's efforts and has said, if Gujarat is not taken, as a part of India, then today's Gujarat is at par with Singapore and Malaysia.

During his tenure Gujarat has a 10% GDP, for the last 5 years, the highest among all states in india. All 18000 villages have round the clock, power, with internet broadband. Agriculture sector grew from 8000 crores to 34000 crores.

During the recent Ahemdabad riots, he was most calm. He never allowed even a single communal incident. His police cracked the bomb blast case in a record time, which has been acclaimed by centre also.

I think. he can be a good candidate for a Prime Minister of India, given a chance. He can transform India, like he has transformed Gujarat. He has that iron fist, which India demands today. Not soft policies of congress govt. at the centre.

ATTACK PAKISTAN !

This is the most opportune time for india to attack pakistan. The roots of the terrorists, lie in pakistan. It is the harbinger and breeding ground of all terrorism in india and the world. Why dont india and USA get together at this point to wage a war against a terror state ?

Pakistan these days is in shambles. Without any leadership. Fighting their own battle with home grown terror.Its own existence at stake !

If we want to eradicate all kinds of terror from our country, this is the most opportune time to attack pakistan, with or without USA. We have done 3 blunders in the past. Time has come to repair our blunders.

Once, Pakistan gone, terrorism, will come down quite drastically in india, specially in Kashmir. Muslim kashmiris will lose their father. And if the father is gone, you become an orphan. And orphans cant do anything without a father.