Our System killed Aarushi

It’s ‘Closing Bureau of Information’, someone twitted. WSJ India put the headline ‘Who Killed #Aarushi?No one, it seems.’ As the news of CBI closing the Aarushi case spread, the angst was quite palpable on the Internet. Many conspiracy theories were floated since the time this heinous crime was committed in May 2008. Many believed, it was an honour killing, while a smaller section of people opined that it was an outsider’s act. At that point only God knew, who the perpetrators were and how Aarushi was killed. Then on June 1, the same year CBI took over the probe in the case. People hoped something would come out. But, after 31 month of so-called Investigation, CBI failed to do what it was meant to do. The tunnel ended without finding any light.

Aarushi’s murder mystery is not the only case where the country’s premier agency, CBI, failed. There are other instances too. Ruchika Girhotra case, clean chit to Moninder Singh Pandher in Nithari case are some of the recent examples where CBI failed to stand up to the expectations. In both these cases the accused were rich, powerful but they never commanded the clout necessary for closure of their respective cases. At least for an observer like me who stands outside the system had the impression that justice will not be denied to the poor & helpless victims of these ‘mighty’. Nevertheless, CBI filed the closure report in Ruchika case saying the allegations levelled against Rathore were unfounded and baseless. The Nithari case also met the same fate. The investigation agency stated it did not find any evidence suggesting the children had gone missing from Nithari as the DNAs did not match.

And that’s not the end to the shoddy work CBI has been doing. The agency in October this year filed an application before the chief metropolitan court in Delhi seeking closure of the Bofors pay off case against Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi. In 1984 anti- Sikh riot case, in April this year, a city court let off senior Congress leader Jagdish Tytler after accepting CBI’s closure report giving clean chit to him. The case of Quattrocchi & Tytler is understandable. Both issues were blot on the ruling party led by the Congress. The clean-chit must have come from the political bosses in the North Block who in turn must have received orders from No. 10.

Policing in multi-cultural country like ours has never been an easy task. Investigation still more difficult & daunting. With poor police-public ratio & obsolete investigation technologies it’s always a Herculean task to unfold the mystery of a crime. If this is not enough Government interference has always been there to use CBI as party’s policy tool to score Brownie points against the opposition. Remember the use of CBI during the UPA 1’s trust vote in 2008. The malaise is epidemic irrespective of the party in power. The harsh reality is that arresting those responsible for committing the crimes being investigated by the CBI, including corruption, is the last priority of any Government, notwithstanding the proclamations of the high and mighty regarding zero tolerance towards corruption. The plain truth is that no Government, irrespective of the party in power, wants an independent investigating agency or, for that matter, any independent institution which may not be willing to toe its line.

As on April 24 this year CBI has 9,000 cases pending in courts. 5,900 staff chasing 9,000 cases. Close to 2 cases each on the head of every CBI staff from Director to the orderly. At any given time there is 30 per cent vacancies in the Bureau. In Delhi alone, there are a total of 1,389 CBI cases pending in courts of which pendency in the six courts of special judges is at 927. Of these, 171 cases have been pending in courts for more than eight years, 51 cases for more than 15 years and 39 cases are awaiting closure for more than 20 years. Additionally, chargesheets have not been framed in 119 cases dealt with by the CBI, as per a Delhi Cabinet note.

Talking about forensic expertise to deal with type of cases CBI does, the recent Medical Council of India (MCI) dictate have also dealt a severe blow to the discipline of forensic science and toxicology. The council slashed by one-third the requirement of qualified forensic teaching faculty in medical colleges across India. The move will cut over 300 teaching posts of forensic faculty in around 300 medical colleges. India is short of over 5,000 medico-legal experts for criminal investigations. Unlike other countries, in India, 90 per cent medico-legal work is being done by simple MBBS doctors with no forensic expertise.

If the current mess, in which our premier investigation agency is, persists, Aarushi’s killer will never be nabbed. We will have many more Nirupama Pathak. Innocent & poor will always be prey of ‘Pandhers’ roaming freely in our society. It’s high time now government must free CBI from its clutches. Vacancies should be filled immediately. Also need of the hour is better forensic technologies, that must be made available sooner the better. CBI needs teeth not just to show but also to bite when needed. Remember, as William Shakespeare wrote in King Lear, "Fear of death is worse than death itself". Time has come when our investigative agencies should inculcate confidence in the hearts and minds of the aam aadmi. At the same time, perpetrators must fear death. India can’t afford to have a ‘clueless’ CBI.

LESSONS FROM BIHAR POLL RESULT

His nickname is Munna, he is an engineering graduate and a teetotaler and today the 59-year-old Nitish Kumar is Bihar's man of the moment. But how he did the magic! Let's decipher..!

Bihar has shown the way, Development can fetch you votes as well.

It is high time leaders doing identity/ religion based (RJD, BJP) politics should re-think & re-invent their ideology.

Nitish Kumar successfully eroded the basis of the RJD’s electoral advantage by, first, winning over a section of the Muslims and, secondly, by retaining the support of the upper castes as well via the BJP. It was clever tactics where the BJP was made to act strictly in accordance with the script written by Nitish Kumar by excluding the minority-baiters and also keeping the upper castes on board.

3 cards, which worked for Nitish were Women empowerment, MBC & good law and order.
There is definitely dent in Lalu’s Muslim-Yadav equation. Nitish lured Muslim at least towards JD(U) candidate & softened their stand towards the whole NDA.

Nitish Kumar made it abundantly clear that he has nothing to do with its pro-Hindu agenda. Nitish Kumar ensured that Bihar remained riot-free throughout the last five years. And Bhagalpur riot convictions was a feather in his cap.

Lalu-Paswan failed to see writing on the wall. They failed to see Muslim voters have evolved since Ayodhya. They know what is good for them.

It was election based on Imaginary vs Real issues. On the one hand Nitish was ready with his implementation card at the same time RJD & INC were scaring minorities with Gujarat (Modi) ghost. Issues in Gujarat found no taker in Bihar.

Congress\ Rahul Gandhi's claim that Nitish misused funds sent for Bihar hurt the Bihari sensibilities. Nitish's rebuttal found takers as he said it's not Centre's\Congress's money.
Nitish evoked Bihari pride\ sub-nationalism in place of Lalu's parochial rant for Backward Caste & for M-Y.

No taker for Dynasty politics….Rabri, Sadhu, Subhash all out.

Barkhagate & after..!

What public tweeted for Barkha

RT @maheshmurthy: Bad enough 4 @bdutt to b incompetent, causing deaths in Kargil 99 & Taj 06 bit.ly/dbwz48 much worse to be integrity-less
@BDUTT ur Audio with Nira reveals everything... Well We all knew that was secret, now is in open.
Wiretap on lobbyists,journalists reveal backroom deals & networks of power reflecting how dis country is run. Its sad day@bdutt
@BDUTT hahahahahahaha bechari
@BDUTT I think u better stop expressing authoratative views on other matter till ur scam clears up.
@BDUTT Sorry, you shouldn't have got into the mess. You lost credibility, can't help it. Just sad
@BDUTT well thts the very thing most tweeps feared after hearing ur voice on the tapes.tht ur objectivity & independence hd been compromised
@BDUTT but what about your and vir's recorded conversations..r u going to have a program on that 2..???????
What is incomprehensible or unacceptable is the fact that the media who has comments on everything is super quiet on @BDUTT. #barkhagate
गोलमाल है भाई सब गोलमाल है !!!!! @bdutt @virsanghvi @ndtv #india #scam
I don't know whether @BDUTT is guilty or not.. But surely now she has had a taste of her own medicine. Sensationalism, that is.. #barkhagate
@BDUTT Mind boggling article @OPEN - Response from ur side2 shallow! Free Media now looks even more imp. You to for sure would loose face.
RT @ayubsami: @bdutt Barkha Dutt is talking about PM's integrity. What about her own? Hello NDTV! Some introspection time.. #barkhagate Bravo Open!
RT @bhaskarchat: The type of open lobbying @bdutt @virsanghvi did with corporate lobbyists are punishable in the US. Can anyone file cases in India?
RT @whistlepodu: @BDUTT @sinmani On Sunday 6 Pm there will be a Candle light march at India gate for the Sacking of Barkha from NDTV and Vir Sanghvi from HT
@BDUTT it appears u hv actively helped form UPA govt -- how wud I ever believe that u will be impartial while reporting against the govt
@BDUTT Is it ethical for a you to act as an interlocutor between two political parties just becoz u want to get more information?
RT @roadside__romeo: @jhunjhunwala @BDUTT barkha has fled to pakistan & appiled 4 asylum on arrival at karachi airport,amid fear of being stoned 2 death in
@BDUTT Did you convey DMK's message to Ghulam Azad/Ahmed Patel after ur convs with Ms Radia? Is it ethically OK 2 becom part of the story?
@NDTV: @BDUTT Today you must be hurting badly. - The X Tapes, obviously authentic, has ripped the fig leaf of... http://bit.ly/dw9u4E
@bdutt mam sm1 4m ajtak told me ur n vir's name way back in may..I asked 4 clrifiction 4m u n vir on twitter bt didnt get any reply..cont
@bdutt always looked after u 4 ur integrity..bt whn circumstances put a question mark on it..feel like I cheated myslf..
@BDUTT Brakha mam, cnt believe u support A Raja..dnt knw mamwht shud i say..read open today.I dnt mind u supportin sm decent prsn..bt Raja??
@BDUTT pls explain your role during that time. Why the hell u have to make azad talk to someone in DMK? From newsbreaker to newsmaker?
#Barkhagate Narayan Rao Group CEO/ED, NDTV "we reserve the right to take appropriate action" I hope he meant against @bdutt & not openmag
RT @sinmani: #Radia tapes are shameful.. cant belive the arrogance of @virsanghvi @bdutt!! i'll never ever read counterpoint or watch ndtv again!
RT @sinmani: @Javedakhtarjadu ur take on ur favr. anchor @bdutt #radia tapes scandal? Such self righteousness on screen but a congress broker otherwise!
The bigger they think they are, the harder they fall. How does one say schadenfreude in Hindi? @bdutt #barkhagate
@BDUTT y dint you make the X tapes as a breaking news ???
@BDUTT What goes around, comes around . Kargil War 1999. Taj 26/11/08 #india
@BDUTT Unless I have missed, NDTV has not done even ONE story of BReaking News on the 2G story - not even one !
@BDUTT please dont do this ma'am..it just makes it worse..ur defending the morally indefensible..
@BDUTT u get paid by congress who which wanted to get rid of raja this time.that is the reason.just tell us is the voice urs?
@BDUTT my sis wanted to be like u. She had ur pic as DP but everything has changed now. Accept it nd retire.
@BDUTT apni to aise vaise kat jayegi tera kya hoga munni jo badnaam ho gayi lol!!!
@BDUTT BTW, there is a thesis that the Open Story today was orchestrated by the Govt to deflect attention from PM. Any thoughts?
Last time @bdutt & @ndtv sued blogger, had post deleted bit.ly/dbwz48 What will they do now: sue earth & delete the web?
Why has @bdutt suddenly woken up at 3 AM to tweet of her attack on Raja? We are not debating Raja here. Insomnia coupled amnesia perhaps.
@BDUTT what about moral responsibility?
@BDUTT do you guys go after narendra modi and RSS because they refuse to pay you money like your pals nira radia and A.raja do?
@BDUTT Journalism is retrieving & broadcasting, not seeking & exchanging or simply peddling info. Ur take on this is same as that of Raja.
What public tweeted for Barkha
RT @maheshmurthy: Bad enough 4 @bdutt to b incompetent, causing deaths in Kargil 99 & Taj 06 bit.ly/dbwz48 much worse to be integrity-less
@BDUTT ur Audio with Nira reveals everything... Well We all knew that was secret, now is in open.
Wiretap on lobbyists,journalists reveal backroom deals & networks of power reflecting how dis country is run. Its sad day@bdutt
@BDUTT hahahahahahaha bechari
@BDUTT I think u better stop expressing authoratative views on other matter till ur scam clears up.
@BDUTT Sorry, you shouldn't have got into the mess. You lost credibility, can't help it. Just sad
@BDUTT well thts the very thing most tweeps feared after hearing ur voice on the tapes.tht ur objectivity & independence hd been compromised
@BDUTT but what about your and vir's recorded conversations..r u going to have a program on that 2..???????
What is incomprehensible or unacceptable is the fact that the media who has comments on everything is super quiet on @BDUTT. #barkhagate
गोलमाल है भाई सब गोलमाल है !!!!! @bdutt @virsanghvi @ndtv #india #scam
I don't know whether @BDUTT is guilty or not.. But surely now she has had a taste of her own medicine. Sensationalism, that is.. #barkhagate
@BDUTT Mind boggling article @OPEN - Response from ur side2 shallow! Free Media now looks even more imp. You to for sure would loose face.
RT @ayubsami: @bdutt Barkha Dutt is talking about PM's integrity. What about her own? Hello NDTV! Some introspection time.. #barkhagate Bravo Open!
RT @bhaskarchat: The type of open lobbying @bdutt @virsanghvi did with corporate lobbyists are punishable in the US. Can anyone file cases in India?
RT @whistlepodu: @BDUTT @sinmani On Sunday 6 Pm there will be a Candle light march at India gate for the Sacking of Barkha from NDTV and Vir Sanghvi from HT
@BDUTT it appears u hv actively helped form UPA govt -- how wud I ever believe that u will be impartial while reporting against the govt
@BDUTT Is it ethical for a you to act as an interlocutor between two political parties just becoz u want to get more information?
RT @roadside__romeo: @jhunjhunwala @BDUTT barkha has fled to pakistan & appiled 4 asylum on arrival at karachi airport,amid fear of being stoned 2 death in
@BDUTT Did you convey DMK's message to Ghulam Azad/Ahmed Patel after ur convs with Ms Radia? Is it ethically OK 2 becom part of the story?
@NDTV: @BDUTT Today you must be hurting badly. - The X Tapes, obviously authentic, has ripped the fig leaf of... http://bit.ly/dw9u4E
@bdutt mam sm1 4m ajtak told me ur n vir's name way back in may..I asked 4 clrifiction 4m u n vir on twitter bt didnt get any reply..cont
@bdutt always looked after u 4 ur integrity..bt whn circumstances put a question mark on it..feel like I cheated myslf..
@BDUTT Brakha mam, cnt believe u support A Raja..dnt knw mamwht shud i say..read open today.I dnt mind u supportin sm decent prsn..bt Raja??
@BDUTT pls explain your role during that time. Why the hell u have to make azad talk to someone in DMK? From newsbreaker to newsmaker?
#Barkhagate Narayan Rao Group CEO/ED, NDTV "we reserve the right to take appropriate action" I hope he meant against @bdutt & not openmag
RT @sinmani: #Radia tapes are shameful.. cant belive the arrogance of @virsanghvi @bdutt!! i'll never ever read counterpoint or watch ndtv again!
RT @sinmani: @Javedakhtarjadu ur take on ur favr. anchor @bdutt #radia tapes scandal? Such self righteousness on screen but a congress broker otherwise!
The bigger they think they are, the harder they fall. How does one say schadenfreude in Hindi? @bdutt #barkhagate
@BDUTT y dint you make the X tapes as a breaking news ???
@BDUTT What goes around, comes around . Kargil War 1999. Taj 26/11/08 #india
@BDUTT Unless I have missed, NDTV has not done even ONE story of BReaking News on the 2G story - not even one !
@BDUTT please dont do this ma'am..it just makes it worse..ur defending the morally indefensible..
@BDUTT u get paid by congress who which wanted to get rid of raja this time.that is the reason.just tell us is the voice urs?
@BDUTT my sis wanted to be like u. She had ur pic as DP but everything has changed now. Accept it nd retire.
@BDUTT apni to aise vaise kat jayegi tera kya hoga munni jo badnaam ho gayi lol!!!
@BDUTT BTW, there is a thesis that the Open Story today was orchestrated by the Govt to deflect attention from PM. Any thoughts?
Last time @bdutt & @ndtv sued blogger, had post deleted bit.ly/dbwz48 What will they do now: sue earth & delete the web?
Why has @bdutt suddenly woken up at 3 AM to tweet of her attack on Raja? We are not debating Raja here. Insomnia coupled amnesia perhaps.
@BDUTT what about moral responsibility?
@BDUTT do you guys go after narendra modi and RSS because they refuse to pay you money like your pals nira radia and A.raja do?
@BDUTT Journalism is retrieving & broadcasting, not seeking & exchanging or simply peddling info. Ur take on this is same as that of Raja.
What public tweeted for Barkha
RT @maheshmurthy: Bad enough 4 @bdutt to b incompetent, causing deaths in Kargil 99 & Taj 06 bit.ly/dbwz48 much worse to be integrity-less
@BDUTT ur Audio with Nira reveals everything... Well We all knew that was secret, now is in open.
Wiretap on lobbyists,journalists reveal backroom deals & networks of power reflecting how dis country is run. Its sad day@bdutt
@BDUTT hahahahahahaha bechari
@BDUTT I think u better stop expressing authoratative views on other matter till ur scam clears up.
@BDUTT Sorry, you shouldn't have got into the mess. You lost credibility, can't help it. Just sad
@BDUTT well thts the very thing most tweeps feared after hearing ur voice on the tapes.tht ur objectivity & independence hd been compromised
@BDUTT but what about your and vir's recorded conversations..r u going to have a program on that 2..???????
What is incomprehensible or unacceptable is the fact that the media who has comments on everything is super quiet on @BDUTT. #barkhagate
गोलमाल है भाई सब गोलमाल है !!!!! @bdutt @virsanghvi @ndtv #india #scam
I don't know whether @BDUTT is guilty or not.. But surely now she has had a taste of her own medicine. Sensationalism, that is.. #barkhagate
@BDUTT Mind boggling article @OPEN - Response from ur side2 shallow! Free Media now looks even more imp. You to for sure would loose face.
RT @ayubsami: @bdutt Barkha Dutt is talking about PM's integrity. What about her own? Hello NDTV! Some introspection time.. #barkhagate Bravo Open!
RT @bhaskarchat: The type of open lobbying @bdutt @virsanghvi did with corporate lobbyists are punishable in the US. Can anyone file cases in India?
RT @whistlepodu: @BDUTT @sinmani On Sunday 6 Pm there will be a Candle light march at India gate for the Sacking of Barkha from NDTV and Vir Sanghvi from HT
@BDUTT it appears u hv actively helped form UPA govt -- how wud I ever believe that u will be impartial while reporting against the govt
@BDUTT Is it ethical for a you to act as an interlocutor between two political parties just becoz u want to get more information?
RT @roadside__romeo: @jhunjhunwala @BDUTT barkha has fled to pakistan & appiled 4 asylum on arrival at karachi airport,amid fear of being stoned 2 death in
@BDUTT Did you convey DMK's message to Ghulam Azad/Ahmed Patel after ur convs with Ms Radia? Is it ethically OK 2 becom part of the story?
@NDTV: @BDUTT Today you must be hurting badly. - The X Tapes, obviously authentic, has ripped the fig leaf of... http://bit.ly/dw9u4E
@bdutt mam sm1 4m ajtak told me ur n vir's name way back in may..I asked 4 clrifiction 4m u n vir on twitter bt didnt get any reply..cont
@bdutt always looked after u 4 ur integrity..bt whn circumstances put a question mark on it..feel like I cheated myslf..
@BDUTT Brakha mam, cnt believe u support A Raja..dnt knw mamwht shud i say..read open today.I dnt mind u supportin sm decent prsn..bt Raja??
@BDUTT pls explain your role during that time. Why the hell u have to make azad talk to someone in DMK? From newsbreaker to newsmaker?
#Barkhagate Narayan Rao Group CEO/ED, NDTV "we reserve the right to take appropriate action" I hope he meant against @bdutt & not openmag
RT @sinmani: #Radia tapes are shameful.. cant belive the arrogance of @virsanghvi @bdutt!! i'll never ever read counterpoint or watch ndtv again!
RT @sinmani: @Javedakhtarjadu ur take on ur favr. anchor @bdutt #radia tapes scandal? Such self righteousness on screen but a congress broker otherwise!
The bigger they think they are, the harder they fall. How does one say schadenfreude in Hindi? @bdutt #barkhagate
@BDUTT y dint you make the X tapes as a breaking news ???
@BDUTT What goes around, comes around . Kargil War 1999. Taj 26/11/08 #india
@BDUTT Unless I have missed, NDTV has not done even ONE story of BReaking News on the 2G story - not even one !
@BDUTT please dont do this ma'am..it just makes it worse..ur defending the morally indefensible..
@BDUTT u get paid by congress who which wanted to get rid of raja this time.that is the reason.just tell us is the voice urs?
@BDUTT my sis wanted to be like u. She had ur pic as DP but everything has changed now. Accept it nd retire.
@BDUTT apni to aise vaise kat jayegi tera kya hoga munni jo badnaam ho gayi lol!!!
@BDUTT BTW, there is a thesis that the Open Story today was orchestrated by the Govt to deflect attention from PM. Any thoughts?
Last time @bdutt & @ndtv sued blogger, had post deleted bit.ly/dbwz48 What will they do now: sue earth & delete the web?
Why has @bdutt suddenly woken up at 3 AM to tweet of her attack on Raja? We are not debating Raja here. Insomnia coupled amnesia perhaps.
@BDUTT what about moral responsibility?
@BDUTT do you guys go after narendra modi and RSS because they refuse to pay you money like your pals nira radia and A.raja do?
@BDUTT Journalism is retrieving & broadcasting, not seeking & exchanging or simply peddling info. Ur take on this is same as that of Raja.
@BDUTT talking to all hues of politicians okay...but those tape almost sound like you are acting as conduit between congress & DMK via Nira
@BDUTT Every explanation you give on Twitter will be torn apart tomorrow, when day breaks, and you would be made to look more culpable.
@BDUTT If Ashok Chavn should resign on accusations and prove innocence, as does Raja and as should Yeddy, then why not should Barkha Dutt?
no @bdutt defamtion is not won so easily. u need to works the black rugs. and believe me you will fail
BDUTT hahaha staying with politicians u've learned their language very well..now using it for ur own defence!!LMAO

Can Walmart really help us beat inflation?

Mike Duke, CEO of Walmart Stores, would like us to believe that allowing companies such as his to retail farm produce here will help control food price inflation, which is increasingly becoming a source of discontent among our people.

Duke’s argument: A good part of our food produce is wasted as it travels from the farm to market, because we do not have a well-developed supply chain and adequate cold storage facilities. By allowing foreign investment in multi-brand retail, India will be able to tap into the expertise of global retailers such as Walmart and cut wastage of farm produce, which, in turn, will boost supplies and help contain inflation.

Several newspapers took Duke’s suggestion quite seriously. Some even headlined it, because they are as ignorant about the reality in their own country as a foreigner of Duke’s kind.
Duke is not the first to make such a suggestion. The ad campaigns by our homegrown retailers such as Big Bazaar and Reliance Retail also make similar assumptions.

That if consumption of potatoes totals 100 tonnes and the farmers are producing the same amount but are able to reach only 80 tonnes to market (because the rest is wasted in transit), then demand exceeds supply and triggers an increase in prices. Companies such as Walmart, Duke would tell us, will help ensure much than 80 tons actually reach the market, cut the demand-supply gap and reduce inflation.

If we, for a moment, concede ground to Duke’s line of argument, we may still ask what happens when consumption grows to 110 tonnes. Unless potato production grows to the same level, a gap between demand and supply could trigger a price rise. So the solution then would be to produce more, and I doubt if Walmart or other organised retail firms can help here.

The real problem lies elsewhere. Food prices are going up because cost of producing food is going up. Seed and fertiliser prices have gone up more 50 per cent in the past three years. Diesel prices and power tariffs have increased in a similar manner. Farmers are paying more and more for water, which until some years came almost free.

If that is not enough, hiring farm labour has become a nightmare for producers. Earlier this month, mills in Maharashtra agreed to pay cane-cutting workers 23 per cent more than the rate negotiated for 2009-10. As my colleague Harish Damodaran at Hindu Business line put it: “Sugarcane is not an exception: The story is the same, whether one is hiring hands for transplanting paddy, harvesting wheat, picking cotton or plucking apples. And it is not just labour rates, but actual scarcity.”

The only way we can contain food prices in the face of rising input costs is by enhancing productivity.

We need to figure out how to produce more with less water; how to mechanise production at a cost that is less than hiring labour. We will need to make technological breakthrough with respect to crop yield. I do not remember when was the last time we came up with a new variety of paddy or seeds for common vegetables, except for the controversial Bt brinjal.

It is a pity that focussing on the real problem is not a priority for the government, for our ministers Sharad Pawar and Subodh Kant Sahay, who are busy hosting visitors such as Duke. And then there are journalists like us who are always so ready to fall prey to fallacious recipes such as the one that came from the Walmart chief on Monday.

RAHUL MAHAJAN is natural outcome of a weak PM!

I have seen eight of the fourteen PM India had since the independence. But never before I have been ashamed of any Prime Minister. Manmohan Singh is a nice human being. A great economist. A caring father & a loyal husband. But India does not need any one of these characteristics. We need an administrator who can rule the country with great care & an iron fist whenever situation arises. In the last six years PM has hardly been seen on the front page of any newspaper or cover page of any magazine other than the Oath ceremony or trust vote. Which type of PM he is, who never ignites confidence in the people of this country.

His failures are many and success few. Be it Kashmir, Diplomacy, Inflation, Corruption, Naxalism, CWG Mess….the Blue Turbanator has always punctured our expectation to the extent to believe India don’t have any constitutional position like the Prime Minister! When the Kashmir is burning God only knows where Manmohan Singh is! Or if he is there he must be sleeping. Doesn’t as a citizen of this country we have a right to expect that he speaks out…at least something. Mr. Prime Minister your lackadaisical attitude is leading us to believe that you might be branded as the weakest PM India ever had. Let me warn you, your image is eroding faster than expected. Forget Deve Gowda or Gujaral, they never posses the mandate you have. Sir, it’s your constitutional obligation to ignite faith in the people of this country which unfortunately is eroding. As the Prime Minister candidate we have given you the mandate to rule or ‘mis-rule’ not ‘miss-rule’. India is getting the impression that they have elected a PM who is constitutionally obliged to serve 10 Janpath. We are feeling cheated, left out in lurch.

See, how Rahul Mahajans & Rakhi Sawants are filling the void you have created in the media. They are counting your weakness as their blessing! Unfortunately we unlike West don’t have firms to measure weekly approval rating. I can bet your’s would have touched nadir within a year of UPA –II. Please do something for this country sir. Your proverbial “Aam Aadmi” is in great trouble. Pressed by monster headed inflation, pissed off with mess in the CWG, ashamed by rampant corruption, fearful of Naxals. We have voted for ‘haath’ not your ‘laat’. Please don’t let Rahul & Rakhi eat up your legitimate space. Wake up Sid!

WikiLeaks and continuity

The Reaction of revelations on Wikileaks was unbearably lighter than we have a right to expect — not because the story isn’t sensational or troubling enough, but because it’s too troubling, a mess we cannot fix and therefore prefer to forget…. The mental model on which most investigative journalism is based states that explosive revelations lead to public outcry; elites get the message and reform the system. But what if elites believe that reform is impossible because the problems are too big, the sacrifices too great, the public too distractible? What if cognitive dissonance has been insufficiently accounted for in our theories of how great journalism works…and often fails to work?

Why did I stop!

Haven’t written anything since long…started blogging in Hindi sometimes in 2008. But could not carry it much forward. Laziness coupled with professional commitment…excuses, nothing important to write, lack of ideas….many reasons which I have made of late in my defence. But none of them was convincing enough to stop me forever. Though they were successful me holding me temporarily. I am at it again….will write…what are journalist meant to do!

Is Madhuri Gupta, so different..!

I have little sympathy with Madhuri Gupta – the Indian mole from foreign services who betrayed the country for revenge or money or both. I am sure most of us are going to express plenty of dismay at the sad development. And the development is sad all right, deal as it does with sold out patriotism. Reprehesible as Madhuri’s act may be, just think about it. Exactly what has Madhuri done? She has indulged in the worst kind of betrayal – the betrayal of the country for money. What do you think every other mantri, every other government babu and every other Indian is indulging in today, if not betraying the country? What right does a corrupt country like ours have to expect only Madhuri to be above board? Isn’t she merely a member of the same corrupt population? Who is not betraying his country for money? The policemen whom you have to bribe if you want to file an FIR? The Government mortuary keeper you need to bribe in order to claim the dead body of your child who died in an accident? The ayahs whose palms need greasing if you want to take your new born baby out of the government hospital? Sundry petty officials whose beaks need considerable wetting before you get your motor license, passport or ration card? The tax man who needs his consideration to give you your refund check? The inspectors who for the right consideration will give you a fire-safety clearance irrespective of your violations? The municipal officials who will regularize your illegal construction for a consideration? The Government regulators who would not approve or accredit that engineering college unless you pay that sum he writes out on a slip of paper? The bank manager who will not release that government approved loan without a consideration? The IPL honchos who will not let you win your bid fair and square? The private secretary or the peon of the Minister who will not let you into the latter’s room without your slipping that Rs 500 or Rs 100 bill respectively? The Minister who will place every conceivable obstacle in the path of your project in his constituency unless you grease his machinery first? Or the one from under whose beds one recovers suitcase full of cash? The judge who may give you a favourable judgment for a fee? So why should we be surprised if a frustrated lady in External Affairs dispenses national secrets for a consideration, whether revenge or money? What is it in her conduct that is so very different from the rest of us as a people? Yes, we may fancy ourselves to be superior to Madhuri Gupta because we did not sell ourselves out to an outsider. But come on, it is simply that her job involved being in Pakistan. Had she been posted within the country, she too would have still sold her country, like all the rest of us. Is her offence any worse than all those who have stashed away some ridiculous sums running into lakhs of crores of rupee equivalent in the Swiss banks, which we hear so often about? When our politicos and other heavyweights siphon the wealth out of the country, where exactly is the difference between Madhuri and these others? Yes, what Madhuri has done is sad and reprehensible – but to my mind no more and no less reprehensible than all the rest of us who are forever bleeding the country dry. If as a people we are truly shocked at Madhuri, we have no option but to look inwards and join hands to clean the system that we live and grow up in.