All about Malaysia

You will be happy to know that obscenity charges against this singer have been dropped by the Malaysian moral police. You couldn't really fault Malaysian authorities when in our own backyard artists like Khushboo are continuously hounded.

Yet, there is a sign that conservatism is on the rise in Malaysia.

In August, pop star Gwen Stefani was told to dress "modestly" for a concert after the National Union of Malaysia Muslim Students protested on the grounds that she would bring an "American hegemonic background," said the group's president, Hilmi Ramli. Last month, singer Beyonce Knowles canceled her Nov. 1 debut concert in Malaysia. [..]

Authorities have required Malaysian rock stars to cut their hair or forfeit the opportunity to appear on TV or radio, and frequently remind Malaysians of the consequences for openly addressing "sensitive" issues such as race and religion. In 2005, the standards were extended to foreign performers, who were required to be covered from shoulder to knees and prohibited from hugging or kissing fellow artists or audience members, jumping or shouting, cursing, or exchanging objects with the audience.

"They have to dress decently ... and behave in a manner appropriate in Malaysia," said Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Rais Yatim. [link]

Student groups are very active supporters of these measures. As Rushdie said in his book Midnight's Children, it is funny that in these cultures students actually clamor for more control!

Of course, none of this really concerns us and according to some, shouldn't concern us. Alas, if only everyone accepted this dictum of national boundaries and statehood vs. identity. We have a situation where if a butterfly flutters its wings anywhere, we get into trouble. There is a pattern and predictability to these things, for instance, all the bloggers protesting against the crackdown on ethnic Hindus are actually ethnic Chinese.

Yeah, okay, calling the economic and social hardships of Malaysian Indian society an "ethnic cleansing" isn't exactly the smartest thing in the world you could do, because 1) no one will take you seriously, and 2) it only offers the Government free ammunition. (Re: Tian Chua.) Also, the people of Darfur would like to have a word with you. It was an outrageous statement, and the Hindraf leaders can't possibly be stupid enough to believe it.

But at the same time... it worked, didn't it? Hindraf's been around since, what, May? Now, I haven't been in Malaysia since February, but I seriously doubt most people even heard of Hindraf. (I did, but never heard from them again.) They were about as effective as, well, a Malaysian opposition, really. [link]

Before coming to the ethnic cleansing claims, one more from the same blogger:

Everyone's dodging the real issue, of course: that Indians have been fucked around more than any other race in Malaysian history. Don't give me that nonsense about how other races have it bad too - no one has it as bad as the Malaysian Indians. It's not even up for debate. The Malays have the bumi thing going for them. The Chinese have the business world practically locked up. (Yes, I'm generalising here. Doesn't make it less true.) What do the Indians have? They don't even have opportunities. (Again, generalising, but you get the idea by now.) So let's not pretend that "we're all suffering equally". [emphasis in original]

However, none of this is surprising or new. It is hardly surprising that only the ethnic Chinese will support the Hindus in Malaysia, just as it isn't surprising that the Chinese will not have too much problems in Malaysia. First of all, ethnic Chinese people control all the powerful and economically advanced states in the region - China, Hong Kong, Taiwan. If Malays mess with Chinese they will get their ass kicked all over South China Sea. What is important is how strongly the Malaysian Government reacted to the allegations of ethnic cleansing:

In a statement reflective of the growing tension in Malaysia over ethnic clashes, the country’s Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi on Sunday offered to resign if the allegation of ethnic cleansing of Indian Tamils was proved. Outraged at the allegations levelled against his government by a local Hindu group, Badawi said the statements were aimed at dividing Malaysia. "I rarely get angry but this time I am very angry and this is something I cannot accept," Abdullah was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times. [link]

This is merely the PR front, action is being taken behind the scenes as well. The Government has ordered the detention of Hindraf leaders. Contrast this with the allegations of genocide in India and the reaction of our people friendly Government.

Whether we can support Hindraf or not, we should be thankful to them for forcing an objective evaluation of terms such as genocide, pogrom etc., which are being thrown around too casually for far too long.

Sagarika Begum's folly

Every time they recover from tough political situations and go back to their usual routine of H-bashing, our liberal intellectuals get another one thrown at their teeth. Since encashable incidents are hard to come by, they have to manufacture different types of shows, TV programs, seminars etc. to keep old issues alive.

The Taslima Nasreen issue has opened up like a bad boil too painful to be ignored but not yet ripe enough to be squeezed. Like most other issues, the intellectuals have taken a compare and contrast approach to this. Of course the control incident in this case is that of M F Hussain, the lecherous dude and a potential stalker of film star Madhuri Dixit (he bought all the tickets at a theatre for a show of Aaja Nachle in UAE - almost reason enough to keep him away).

Now, there are several ways to deal with the Taslima fiasco. We understand the political leanings and compulsions of CNN-IBN. They could simply report it as news, without resorting to analysis. That would be an honorable escape. They could even report it and as a footnote mention the fascist threat to Hussain - thus maintaining a semblance of neutrality.

Instead, CNN-IBN, spearheaded by their star reporter Sagarika Ghose, has embarked on a campaign of bizarre rationalization of the issue. It is quite obvious that Sagarika Ghose is way out of her depth and knowledge of the issue she is dealing with. To rationalize something, you gotta have a sound knowledge of it. She does vaguely understand the dangers of treading too far:

Can a religious tradition, which is as great and magnificent as Islam be damaged by something written by a writer? Whether it's the Danish cartoons or this Taslima case, can they really damage a centuries-old religion? [link]

Quite obviously the participants went round and round instead of answering her. Perhaps Mr. Owaisi has the answer to her in this video. Watch the last portion, Owaisi not only rejects Taslima's withdrawal of certain pages from her book, but confidently suggests that Taslima will surely make mischief in future as well.

Sagarika has obstinately refused to call a spade a spade. Contrast this with the unambiguous and intense criticism meted out to other parties. BJP has been excoriated for no uncertain terms in the past. As a matter of fact, most reports of Taslima coverage starts with BJP bashing. For instance, BJP capitalizing on Taslima controversy etc. Is that really the central issue here? Also to be noted, a complete insulation of Congress from all these controversies.

She also hosted a chat with readers. Here are some of her comments from the chat (strangely titled The issue isn't Taslima, the issue is freedom, raising deep metaphysical questions):

Freedom of expression does have its limits and the limits are generally laid down by the Indian Constitution when it comes to public actions and speeches but when it comes to art, I believe that freedom is absolute.

As Nehru said, freedom is indivisible. (Ed. If the dude believed in it, he certainly didn't practice it - several books critical of Nehru were banned and still remain banned).

Taslima the individual is not that important, but what she represents IS of great importance. (Ed. Ayn Rand fans will have something to say about this)

A number of Muslims have spoken out on the need for her to stay in India: there are many liberal and moderate Muslims who oppose the fundamentalist forces within their own community very strongly. (Ed. Example please?)

Protests against artists are all politically organised. If you went to an exhibition and saw a painting of a nude Saraswati, what would you do? Immediately lead a morcha against the artist and start screaming for his murder? No, right? (Ed. Could an equivalent rhetorical question about other religions be asked by the host?)

Husain does not just face legal cases: many groups have issued death threats on him, said they want to gouge out his eyes and behead him. I wish such anger was reserved for the corrupt and the criminal, not directed at those who harmlessly paint pictures or write books. (Ed. Encounter killing? Hmmm)

I think religion only becomes stronger is artists are free to question it in whatever way they want.

Democracy is not only about casting votes. It is about abiding by certain values: values of social equality, artistic freedom, engagement in civil society, and participating in public life. Sitting secluded in our own homes, trapped by suspicions about everybody is not democratic behaviour. (Ed. Must she spoil it all by throwing in such plebeian stuff with alarming regularity?)

The best Sagarika can hope for is for the issue to tide over so that she can go back to Gujarat election covering. She can rationalize or right-size the issue in her mind and feel justified in her political belief, but her rationalizations will not be acceptable to those they are targeted at.

Aaja Nachle! Wait!

Aaja Nachle, which is supposed to be Madhuri Dixit's comeback vehicle etc. etc., has been banned in UP by the Mayawati Government. A nationwide ban is in the works, although there is a possibility of a compromise, a la Taslima Nasreen. All this because of a single allegedly casteist line in the movie's title song.

As far as we could tell, the offensive line was this:

Mohale mein kaise mara mar hai
Bole mochi bhi khud ko sonar hai

The lyrics are as atrocious as the transcript from where we got the above. A loose translation:

There is hullabaloo in the neighborhood
The cobbler is claiming to be a goldsmith

This is somewhat surprising, it would be a stretch to call the line casteist. Traditionally a lot of leather workers could be Dalits (since caste Hindus would not have anything to do with leather), but a large percentage are also Muslims and sometimes MBCs. In any case, the reference here is to the vocation and not to the caste - one of the sad facts of the complexities in the caste system.

Needless to say, the media is calling it Mayawati's ban, but there is more to it. As we have mentioned several times before, the establishment is trying their level best to destroy Mayawati's stronghold on Dalits. The common line of attack is to hold her to a fictitious standard of Ambedkarism, i.e. pure dogma. For instance, while covering the Gujarat riots, a CNN-IBN program showed a Dalit MLA praising Modi. The reporter concluded that by supporting Modi the MLA was letting Ambedkar down!

The second line of attack is to create numerous law and order problems. SP has staged N-number of protests in UP, reducing the state to a permanent state of anarchy. Even the recent blasts are suspect, the only blasts in which a domestic group claimed responsibility. Mayawati responded to this by chastising the IPS officers very strongly.

Rumor has it that the Samajwadi Party with the sponsorship of Congress is causing all these troubles. A certain vote bank is acting as facilitators.

The movie ban is a third line of attack. Mayawati's strength is also her biggest vulnerability, she must of necessity show the largest bleeding heart for reasons of political expediency. As you can see above, to pick out that line from a noisy Bollywood caper requires some doing. The issue was first brought to light by the Indian Justice party - a known collaborator of Congress. Mayawati was appraised of the situation and she stayed neutral, asking her advisers to watch the movie and pass a verdict. When the verdict came out as guilty, her hand was forced.

The ban shows Mayawati in somewhat poor light while staving off some pressure from the Taslima Nasreen controversy. A grand strategic maneuver, if there was any.

One of Samajwadi Party's innumerable protests
in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. This is
supposed to be a secular protest by pensioners.

This gotta be a first

Angry Congress workers on Wednesday smashed window panes and broke furniture at the party office for the second consecutive day after a former city mayor was denied a ticket to contest the Assembly elections. Supporters of Himmat Singh Patel also tore posters of Congress leaders at the Gujarat house, city office of the state Pradesh Congress Committee here, party sources claimed.

They said Patel had sought a ticket from Rakhiyal seat. Earlier in the day, Congress workers owing allegiance to two other leaders were involved in a scuffle at the Ahmedabad Collectorate where they had gone to file nominations. Even on Tuesday, supporters of Congress leaders who were denied party tickets had smashed few window panes and wooden panels at Gujarat House. [link]

They wrecked their own party office! Reminds you of street dogs fighting over a bone.

Mr. Karunanidhi! How ironical!

It took a lot of courage for the Indian diaspora in Malaysia take to the streets in such large numbers. Perhaps their true condition led them to this desperation.

Malay police used tear gas and water cannons on a 10,000 strong rally on Sunday. Over 200 ethnic Indians were detained for their protest, demanding equal rights. Meanwhile, Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmed Badawi warned that he may invoke a security law, allowing indefinite detention without trial to halt street demonstrations.

But a Tamil minister in Malaysia has called the protests a farce. Samy Vellu, The President of the Malaysian Indian Congress denied he was out of touch with the increasingly agitated Indians in Malaysia. "They are just levelling unfounded excuses in order to popularise themselves. I considered them. They are not fighting for the Indians. They are fighting to create a problem,” said Vellu. [link]

It does not look likely that this incident will have any significant impact on Malaysian politics.

Interestingly, the protesters were not demanding special rights or even quotas. As a matter of fact, they were just calling for an end to discrimination and scaling down of some of the privileges enjoyed by the ethnic Malay-Muslim majority.

Karunanidhi made a feeble protest and an appeal to the PM. He didn't write a poem though. We recommend a very fine book for Mr. Karunanidhi, written by Amitabh Ghosh. To paraphrase an immortal line from the book: Minority love is not transitive. One may love his minorities, without his love being reciprocated elsewhere. Just a few months ago Mr. Karunanidhi had announced a 3.5% hard quota for the relatively affluent ethnic Muslim community in Tamil Nadu.

The most bizarre part

November 25th is the designated international day for the elimination of violence against women. For some reason, not much was heard from our intellectuals, who usually celebrate such auspicious moments such as international puppy day, international save whale day etc.

You may also have come across this piece of news, which incidentally didn't find a lot of space in Indian newspapers. Well, with due sympathies to the victim, this is what struck us most about the incident:

Last year a 19-year-old woman in the eastern town of Qatif appealed against a sentence of 90 lashes for the crime of khulwa (seclusion) with a man who was not related to her. Her lawyer argued that meeting a former friend in a shopping-centre car park, to retrieve a photo of herself that she feared would upset her fiancé, was scarcely so grave an offence. Moreover, this “crime” was far outweighed by the fact that the two friends had been interrupted by seven youths, who abducted them at knife-point and allegedly gang-raped both of them, repeatedly. [from The Economist]

The newspaper does not say whether all the seven perps took a fancy on the man too or only some of them. Please note that certain types of sexual orientation is punishable by death in those countries. The seven men have been sentenced to prison terms. The conclusion is extremely disturbing.

This is nothing new, unusual and cruel punishment of rape victims keep getting reported from that part of the globe quite frequently. Our Government is in fact seriously contemplating enacting a law, barring uneducated women below 30 from emigrating to those countries. A sad fact for our collective conscience that we can not provide meaningful employment to so many aspiring people. Maybe socialism will work someday, who knows. We remain hopeful.

Didn't see it coming, did you?

Quota politics does it again and again and again .....

Opinion Poll: Should Sagarika Ghose be asked to leave India?

No, this is not a poser, this is a serious and sincere question. A lot of people hate Sagarika Ghose (for the record, we don't). There is a bonafide Sagarika Ghose hate group on Orkut. So, whether you are allowed to stay in the country becomes a matter of public opinion?

Yeah, yeah, we know. She is a citizen and Taslima is not. But since when did citizenship become an issue anyway? We have MPs whose citizenship is suspect. We also have ..... well, never mind.

You could argue that the opinion poll is merely an open minded discussion. Sorry, no dice. Would you have an opinion poll on the validity of female infanticide? How about Sati? Being a mainstream channel, CNN-IBN can not conduct an opinion poll which borders on contempt of the constitution, leave aside basic humanity and decorum. Taslima Nasreen (unlike millions of her fellow countrymen), is a legally permitted resident of India. You simply can not question her stay, till the time the Government voids her visa.

Welfare of the family

Security Risk?

An apartment in Bombay sells for Rs. 34 crores. A socialist sheds tears. Articles and editorials follow. The usual stuff, in a country where hundreds of millions go hungry, this is outrageous. Must enact more laws. The long hand of social justice must reach out. The Government knows best. The Government, the only one, most merciful.

Recently, a 2,000-odd-square-foot flat in Mumbai sold for a reportedly record-breaking Rs 34 crore to a private individual. Almost at the same time, the Congress party headquarters in New Delhi were shifted from Akbar Road to a plot, on Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, the market value of which is some Rs 100 crore but which was handed over to the Congress for Rs 2 crore.

The different pricing mechanisms used in each case, Mumbai and New Delhi (the first based on free market forces, the second on state patronage), exemplifies the huge difference, the deep chasm between the private citizens of this country and any element of the sarkar that we have elected to govern us. [link]

As we noted before, the mammaries of the welfare state never failed to squirt milk in the right direction. For every law, there are five hundred exceptions (just like our constitution is basically a series of amendments, no rules - just exceptions). These exceptions direct the process of social justice with better precision than NASA's spacecrafts.

Generals might rule the roost across the border but here they are steadily getting downgraded. Robert Vadra may figure on the list of VIPs exempt from security checks at airports but the army, navy and IAF chiefs are simply not considered important enough to be granted this privilege. "(But) ministry of civil aviation and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security have stated that according exemption to service chiefs will lead to similar demands from some other authorities," added Antony. The minister's answer, of course, left the armed forces disappointed. "It's ridiculous. This means the people entrusted with the security of the nation, the service chiefs, cannot be trusted," said a senior officer. [link]

The Secular Party's election symbol then

The Secular Party's election symbol, now

Industrialization in West Bengal: Nandigram and beyond

Have you heard of Mahabharat Motors? How about the Xenitis Group of companies? Amar brand of PCs and peripherals? Arjun brand motorcycles, Xpression range of bikes? Well, these are the new age industrial entities coming up in West Bengal, based on the SEZ model. Among these, only the Amar PCs and peripherals are in production, with a revenue of several hundred crores. The rest are in planning phase.

Mahabharat motors has a Chinese partner, Zongshen, while Xenitis will tie up with Guangzhou Motors to produce the Xpression range of motorbikes. An interesting diversification for a PC manufacturer in the latter case.

But the common thread in all these cases (apart from the Communist Government of West Bengal, of course), is the Indonesian conglomerate - Salim Group. Salim group seems to have an insatiable appetite for land.

Surely there is nothing wrong with this, maybe we are just too paranoid. But just the above scenario gives us very uneasy feelings. This feeling is compounded by the astonishing claims by secular intellectuals in the aftermath of the Nandigram fiasco.

So, let's put this into perspective, as comrade Brinda Karat would say.

A shady Muslim company from an Islamic theocratic nation
+
Mostly Muslim victims of land grab
+
Communist cadres of unknown religion
= Soft Hindutva.

Meanwhile, comrade Mrs. Karat spun a very interesting theory in her Devil's advocate interview. According to her, before the cadres recaptured Nandigram, about 3,500 people (mostly Muslims and Dalits) had been driven out by the Maoists. Apparently these are still living in camps. Where did these people come from? Before January this year, Nandigram was a nice quaint little village, no reports of any faction planning to evict any other group. As soon as the SEZ was announced, there were huge protests. Then the first round of violence happened in March. Buddha backtracked and said there would not be an SEZ any more. November saw the second flare up.

Something does not add up here. It is quite likely that the commies have propped up illegal immigrants from Bangladesh in order to add a moral spin to their tale.

The King and the Commie

Watch the Spanish King put the Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez to his place in what must be one the most ironical moments in world politics. Hugo kept on interrupting the Spanish Prime Minister, rather rudely, and insisted on calling the previous Spanish leader a fascist. The Spanish PM retorted by saying that Azner had been elected by a democratic process. But the boorish Hugo just wouldn't let go, until the Spanish king asked him to shut up. Watch Chavez sulk like a grounded school kid.

Meanwhile Hugo is showing all signs of turning out to be a fascist-communist leader. He is hell bent on turning Venezuela into a banana republic. A massive constitutional amendment is on the cards. This issue has already led to violent protests in Venezuela and brutal Police action against students.

When he is not hyperventilating against the capitalistic evil forces, Hugo Chavez is seen in the company of such illustrious world leaders such as Ahmedinejad of Iran and Fidel Castro of Cuba. Hugo is a serious threat to world stability.

Rain rain go away, little Ahmed wants to play

Massive cyclone claims thousands in Bnagladesh. Vulnerable parts of India were mercifully spared. Once again, like the great Bihar/Bangladesh floods, completely ignored by media. Other important events such as the coronation of India's crown prince is going on.

Okasa? WTF?

A mysterious man called Okasa, clean incidentless apprehension of alleged perps and their immediate confession about "foreign" hand. Add three identical green towel wrapped heads in the video. A real kidnapping or hoax?

Buddha 1, Buddha 2

When the Taliban destroyed two Buddhist statues in Afghanistan in the spring of 2001, there was an international outcry. But similar incidents are now occurring in northwest Pakistan, where radical Islamists recently blew up a sculpture of Buddha in broad daylight. [link]

The cracks were more prominent in the state's socio-intellectual conscience. Bengal's intelligentsia, which has always been a Left bastion, hit the streets and compared Bhattacharjee to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

“People were peacefully protesting when they were fired at by the CPM cadres. An 11-year-old boy was shot in his head. He’s okay now but he can't go home since his home in ashes,” renowned director-actress Aparna Sen said. [link]

When a nation of freeloaders meets credit culture....

... the result sometimes is not pretty.

Meet the media's latest flogging horse: ICICI bank!

So, the story goes as follows. An honest to God hardworking individual took out a personal car loan. He paid 26 installments, all on time. Then it happened. His financial situation took a turn for the worse. He defaulted on two payments. Just two! Imagine that! All hell broke loose. His car got repossessed and sold.

If you asked the man on the street, nine out of ten times you would hear choice expletives about the bank. Turn the question on its head and ask the same man, how would he like to get defaulted on a loan from him? Chances are he will give you a funny look. How dare you!

Granted that these financial institutions are sometimes using questionable tactics to recover loans. It is also true that even the Police are sometimes hand in glove with the banks, thus grossly abusing their power. However, it is alarming how no one is raising a basic question. Can a bank morally expect its loans to be paid on time? The answer should be a resounding yes.

Yet the media is exploiting popular sentiments by projecting images of money lenders who operate in the unorganized sector. The "victims" of ICICI bank are nothing like the hapless rural debtors who have no choice. Usually these are urban area folks who could not manage their finances well. Quite frequently these people are scam artists or live way beyond their means.

There are three reasons why this is happening. First and foremost, India is hardly an isolated example of financial institutions using goondas to recover loans. Consumers in emerging economies simply do not have enough credit history. There have been credit card crisis in almost all emerging countries - South Korea, Taiwan - you name it. All these countries have resorted to strong arm tactics and perhaps still do. Secondly, silly Government regulations and lack of infrastructure prevents financial institutes from recovering money using legal means. If a bank were to fight out every case of loan default in an Indian court of law, it might as well pack up and leave. Third and perhaps most significant for India, banks are obligated to make politically mandated non-performing loans to certain vote banks. This puts pressure on banks to increase their recovery rates in areas where they can. After all, personal finance remains a cut-throat business. As a side point, lack of infrastructure and institutional support actually prevents these banks to reach out to rural customers, the type who easily fall prey to loan sharks.

In a nation weaned on entitlement for generations, banks like ICICI seem like an ocean, free for the dipping by one and all. People tend to consider bank loan defaults like a victimless crime. If you enjoy a good or service, you got to pay for it. If your future finances are not reasonably secure, you could always take out a loan default insurance. Better still, take the public transport, while you work out a way to make more mullah.

Of course there is a far more sinister side to all this hoopla about ICICI bank while various money lenders in the country continue to use inhuman methods to recoup their loans, such as slavery, bondage etc. A brief look at the history of ICICI bank reveals that this is a professionally run institution, meaning it is not managed by a family. This bank has emerged as the top commercial bank in the country. As a matter of fact, ICICI bank has quite a few women in their top leadership. However, the success of the bank may prove to be its downfall. The political establishment is beginning to discover ways to seek rent from this new windfall. The media is just acting as cheerleaders to a process by which the fortunes of this institution will finally fall into the hands of the only kind of business that survives in socialist India, namely a family run conglomerate.

Meet Achmed

Besieged

Mass exodus as CPM men lay villages to waste

Pioneer report from battle zone Nandigram

Hungry men, women and children, rendered homeless after CPI(M) cadre began to shoot and bomb their way into Nandigram this week, wailed in despair as the early winter fog lifted on Thursday morning. Having escaped the Marxist marauders with noting more than their lives, they cowered pitiably under whatever shelter they had found. Many were not so lucky: They have been spending the past many nights on the open sodden grounds of the local BMT High School.

Hundreds continued to arrive in an unending queue of vehicles of all sorts -- caught in a mass exodus, the likes of which this part of the country has probably not witnessed since the days of Partition.

Wives and children bade tearful farewells to husbands and fathers rushing back to the 'frontline' to take up positions against the invading CPI(M) cadre. A few km away, armed Bhumi Uchhed Pratirodh Committee (BUPC) members, who have been resisting acquisition of farmland since January, prepared for the last stand.

According to the Tehelka types, this is not truth. This doesn't merit frothy editorials or collective sighs at the demise of democracy.

' As it were I'd never had anything to do with the Congress'

Sure. All of a sudden senior Congress leaders, business bosses and controversial artists can't seem to get enough of Tehelka.

[All images linked directly from various Tehelka offshoots: Tehelka Foundation, Tehelka Art for Freedom Auction, Tehelka Critical Futures, Tehelka Edu Summit, Summit of the Powerless and various other mumbo jumbo. There is more, check out these websites.]

Incredible Bihar

Red Alert: India's Big Communist Threat

The communists are not content with making a mockery of an elected Government. The hypocrites won't even take it to the polls. Unelected members of the party have gatecrashed into the constitutional process.

Recently Mr. Karat came out with their global agenda. Read coverage by Offstumped and Sandeepweb.

This is about time the issue gets its due attention. Quite clearly the communists have no intention to respect the constitution. Communism rejects the idea of democratically elected Governments. We amended our constitution once and added socialism to our already long moniker. Perhaps another amendment is in order, just in case the commies manage to usurp power.

Even if they do come to power, what exactly do we get back in bargain? Do they even have a road map (aside from sending India back to medieval ages)? West Bengal has one of the worst PDS systems. Kerala ranks high in certain social indicators but the reasons could be very different. Recently there was a spate of farmer migration from Kerala to Karnataka.

Some people believe that the communists are above corruption. Well, think again.

AHMEDABAD: Ending days of politicking and speculation, Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad finally got its new director on Friday. Samir Barua, who is a professor at the institute, will succeed Bakul Dholakia.

Fifty-seven-year-old Barua, who will be the first alumnus of the premier B-school to become its director, pipped a number of candidates to the post. The race had hotted up with talks of Barua, who is the son-in-law of CPI strongman A B Bardhan, pitted against another high profile candidate, advisor to Union finance minister Parthasarthy Shome. [link]