Showing posts with label BJP. Show all posts

The day a U S couple got arrested for Kissing!


Few Americans know that there still is a Connecticut law in force in Hartford, which states It is illegal for a man to kiss his wife on Sunday. At least one American couple couldn't believe itself when the pair were hurled in to a police vehicle  for kissing in public on a Sunday!

This bewildered couple was not in Hartford but was visiting Kerala, an Indian State which takes great pride in calling itself  God’s Own Country, where laws written by Gods are still Gospel truth.

In fact the local police chief, who happened to be a lady, was simply enforcing an Indian law which makes it illegal for anyone to kiss in public on any day, when the couple, unaware of the local law, kissed before a camera at the request of a journalist who was covering an unusual event.

Anti Kiss of Life protesters being chased by police.
The event which was christened as Protest By Kissing was organised by a Facebook group called Kiss of Love, exemplifies the Indian struggle to catch up with  modernity. This unusual protest by breaking an age old law was a public reaction to the high handed puritanical moral policing of the BJP of Prime Minister Modi, whose members had ransacked a local hotel for allowing its customers to kiss and romance.

The unusual media coverage the event received in India and the way the whole episode sort of fissile out show the double standard on morality most Indians can’t shed despite the progress the country has achieved.

Though initiated by a group of people with progressive views on liberty and freedom of speech and expression active on social media, the movement soon gained political overtones inevitable in one of the politically conscious states of India.

The  puritanical moral policing was an act of the BJP, backed by India’s Hindu religious fundamentalists, who aim to grab the power from the Congress party who currently govern Kerala.
On the other hand, Kerala’s communists who are constantly fighting off the BJP has seen a political opportunity.

The result was that the Kiss of love event which was organised to be held peacefully was opposed and disturbed by various organisations under all of these political set ups, forcing the police to remove the handful of the participants even though the government did not intent to enforce the law.

The disruption by the political parties were organised with an eye on the coming election so as to position themselves on the right side of the kissing divide. But it clearly demonstrates the hypocrisy of a society which wants to align itself with the  free and liberal outside world.

Though this was an isolated incident which occurred in Kerala, a state  politically and socially ahead of rest of the country, the approach of the BJP which has succeeded in grabbing power at the national level by unifying and concentrating the votes of the Hindus who form the majority, in holding on to the archaic social set up of India is what worries the progressive minded in India.
New York Times cartoon on the success of Indian Mars Mission.

Incidentally this was reflected in a cartoon by the New York times on the occasion of the success of India’s Mars mission, which lead to widespread protests and  eventual apology from the paper.
Kiss of Love Facebook Group.


Meanwhile, the Kiss of Love brigade of Kerala has actually claimed success of their movement and promised to regroup and continue their efforts to change the social attitude of their countrymen  regarding freedom to love and expression of love. 

Did fighting Indian corruption rob Sonia Gandhi’s UPA of victory in the 2014 election?

Amid all that euphoria of the massive election victory of the BJP, when the whole world was impatiently watching the steps of its would be Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, what captured the attention of the media was a  bizarre thanks giving meeting organised by it.


Several senior leaders of the BJP who won the recent election assembled to felicitate Baba Ramdev, who was conspicuously absent from the meet and media glare, who helped them win the election by his  blessings, which were more mundane than divine.

However the party can neither acknowledge nor felicitate the sources of the massive funds behind its campaign so openly, though someday somehow favours will have to be returned. For now, one Indian, who set out to expose and prevent corruption in India is languishing in the Tiharjail.

Arvind Kejeriwal and his AAP were broke even before he found he had no money to bail himself out. He had acknowledged long time back that his party had no funds to take on the NDA and the UPA in the parliamentary election, a political reality glaring at him he refused to see before setting out on his mission.

Hello India, Welcome to the Club of Religious Governance!

Let us face it, the Indian parliament election of 2014 has clearly enrolled India among the countries ruled by their religious  majority  where all other religions have only a minority status.

The Bharathiya Janata Party, a party widely perceived to be  based on Hindu Ideology and agenda of Hindutwa has won a landslide victory in the election of 2014, the results of which were announced today. The party has won a clear majority Of 283 seats and their National Democratic Alliance a total of 337 seats.

It would hardly be of concern if the massive majority was spread across the country because landslides in politics are nothing to write home about.

It is the localisation of the un opposed power of the BJP, as is clear from the CNN IBN graphic which changes the nature of governance of India.
With Narendra Modi's Victory, India chooses to go back to the Power of One http://ibnlive.in.com/home_america.html

There are no representation of opposition in several  states in India, which comprise a large chunk of the Indian population concentrated on an equally large part of the Indian land mass. It is as if India has been physically divided again.

Friday, May 16, 2014
Posted by Unknown

Why Does Its Manifesto Make Not Just the BJP but Everyone Else Too So Nervous?

BJP has finally released a Manifesto on the election day. The Congress party and others have questioned the delay and BJP has come with enough plausible explanations which have been ridiculed by various opponents.

As one congress leader put it, If the BJP can’t take out a Manifesto in time how are they going to manage the country’s affairs?

But  the real reason for the BJP to be so defensive and nervous about publishing its manifesto well before the start of the election instead of putting it off till the last moment is in the Manifesto itself.

Perhaps the simplest of explanation is that with the reference to Ayodhya and Article 370, the BJP Manifesto resembles the proverbial Wolf in Sheep’s clothing.

The BJP was not sure if, for the one billion voters of India, it will look anything but a dressed up version of the old wolf they have shunned twice. The party obviously didn’t want to scare them away by the inevitable media exposure, scrutiny and debate the Manifesto would have generated in the crucial weeks before the election.

Monday, April 07, 2014
Posted by Unknown

Can India’s Antony Be Its Next Dark Horse Prime Minister?


Let me say this, I barely know A.K Antony except that we both hail from ‘God’s Own Country’, the little piece of beautiful land on the tip of the Indian Peninsula, the marvellous beauty of which  is preserved by its  anti development politics.

Not a political analysts by any stretch of Imagination; for that matter not even someone who lives anymore in the country, there are no pretences of erudition either in this. As a common man whose eyes and ears are not shut to the abundance of information incessantly pouring on to the a screen in front of me, I simply exert my fundamental right to venture a wild guess of my own.

In fact It is Antony’s own words during a recent campaign which points to this inevitability.

Criticising the  Marxist Communist Party, his main political opposition in Kerala, Antony has predicted that the CPM will be forced to support the UPA , the ruling  alliance  to form the next government, as they did in 2004.

The CPM  has not only vehemently denied this, but is strongly harping on the wishful idea of a “Third Font”, a political salad bowl of nuts, leaves and weeds, hardly palatable to the Indian masses.

Indians are fed up such exotic diet, meted out to them by several coalitions who only unite to fight and wither away in the past, lacking common ideology, purpose or will to govern.

The current “Third Front” so far remains merely as a photo session, with raised and clutched hands of as many leaders of regional parties as the number of those who want to be the Prime Minister of India, which has become a ridiculous icon of the fast crumbling idea of the Union of India.

Nevertheless, manifestation of  a political Phobia against the Bharathiya Janata Party,  which has unite the scattered opposition in the past, is in its highest pitch this time, thanks to a brazen and aggressive campaign of BJP’s self appointed prime ministerial candidate Modi himself.

If this manifested in the previous two elections as a force to prevent the BJP, a party with a hidden Hindutwa agenda to push minorities to second class, this time it is working as a formidable force to prevent a dictatorial Modi from grabbing the Prime Ministerial chair of India.  

Abetted by such concerns within the country’s minorities and even within the BJP itself, various anti Modi campaigns  by various forces, especially by the newly formed Aam Admi Party of Arvind Kejeriwal, can end up with the Third Front  grabbing a significant number of parliamentary seats, despite various opinion polls predicting otherwise.

Moreover, the gap between the results of opinion polls and political reality in Indian parliamentary election (different from the state elections influenced by local and regional forces), could be wider, given the massive financial influence exerted on the Indian media ahead of this year’s election.

All these factors can add up to a situation quite similar to 2004, as being claimed by Antony, perhaps less rosier than what is hoped by Rahul Gandhi, his party’s vice president and its potential nominee for the position of the Prime Minister.

Given the extreme and publicised ambitions of each of the leaders of the Third Front to become the PM, it is unlikely that they can agree upon one, especially if the combined strength is likely to be less than that of the UPA.

It  will also be not entirely unrealistic to expect  the two lady Chief Ministers to keep themselves out of the front, certainly due to the presence of their arch enemies and in any case as none of their male counterparts will concede them the coveted position of the Prime Minister.

In such a scenario, the combined determination of  everyone to Keep Modi out of power, for the good of the nation and their own political survival can crystallise in to a support of Sonia Gandhi’s UPA in forming the next government.

Rahul Gandhi, the vice president of  the Congress Party is will be , at best a very reluctant Prime Minister, who will much prefer to be its ideologist and party builder till at least another election.

In any case, Rahul Gandhi, who has taken the brunt of the political rhetoric and criticism from each of the leaders of the Front, (Remember Amul Baby?) is not someone, the elderly Prime Ministerial aspirants of the front will accept without some heart burn and loss of face.

That is where A K Antony and his stature within the party and his consensus building talents will come to the aid of all Modi haters, perhaps as a silver lining on the dark clouds the next election threaten to bring over the great nation of India.  

If that happens, the leaders of the CPM which Antony NOW says will have no choice but to support the UPA,  will be more than happy to support him, even forgetting the party ideology.

Many of them, after all,  are his compatriots  from God’s Own Country.


Sunday, April 06, 2014
Posted by Unknown

Is India Heading Towards the Best Decade For Investors?

A congruence of recent political development in 
India auger a period of stability and growth 

Despite the relative success of the first UPA government of Sonia Gandhi and Dr Manmohan Singh, heralding reforms and forward looking policies encouraging foreign investors, the second term which will end this year had shaken investor confidence in India.

The bottom line is, unlike their first term in power, albeit with the support of the Indian Left, the UPA is a minority government without real law-making clout in its second term which will end this year.

The government was virtually handicapped warding off waves of anti-corruption sentiment, set off by an irresponsible CAG who went on presuming mammoth losses on the Government's populist policies, which the opposition rode to stall law making and policy implementation, abetting national growth.

Despite all this, the UPA2 still has produced an impressive above 5 percent GDP growth while the U.S. and Europe by and large reeled under a double dip recession.

A congruence of recent political developments in India, however, auger a period of stability and growth in the coming decade which savvy investors will look forward to.

India, a Democracy of the People, for the People, By the Gifts.

Allegations of bribery of the electorate by Obama administration were raised by Romney after he lost the last US Presidential election. He might have been very close to be true had it been any election in India.

Electorate in India are won by timely gifts of anything from a kitchen grinders to a laptops to the electorate or even promises of such gifts if elected to power. In every state election, political parties declare the gifts in their manifesto.

In a national election, gifts are more subtle and the UPA chair person Sonia Gandhi has understood this weakness of the Indian electorate more than anyone else.

Sonia won the last election by forcing the Finance Minister Chidambaram to divert $ 13000 Million to write off farmer loans and distribute unemployment benefit under a minimum work assurance scheme.

Sonia and the UPA has put in place measures to capitalise on this by ensuring direct credit of cash subsidies in to bank accounts and the food security bill (which the BJP has stalled so far) which will be put in place well before the election by an ordinance if everything else fail.

There are however other reasons why the UPA will return to power and possibly with a better mandate, ensuring good investment climate and growth rate.

Corruption has different meanings in Indian Politics and Indian Life.

For 1.3 billion people of India, corruption is a way of life and something they can't live without. Paying a few bucks to get a rail ticket or cooking gas or college admission for a child is taken for granted, which the most agitated anti corruption protestor can't deny not having ever done.

Again, Sonia Gandhi has learned this truth and has put in to great use, to win regional elections, by supporting tainted popular leaders accused of corruption, though not always proved and punished.

Though no leader has ever lost an election in India because he or she is accused of corruption, fight against corruption is the only activity of parties in opposition, to stay alive and relevant till the next election, creating hurdles for governance at the cost of growth and development of the country.

Despite all the moralistic clamour by the urban elite, privy to high wages, who can't get the benefit of infra structure and services from the lower paid public sector, which the political opposition plan to ride on and use as an election plank, as corrupt leaders have been re elected in several states.

With administrative reforms within the party and better care in choosing candidates, UPA is closing this electoral ploy of the opposition, determined not to lose the election on this account.

Next Indian Election of 2014 Already Won by the UPA!

BJP sort of lost the election when, propped up by the Hindutwa organisation RSS and an Indian origin business lobby in the US, Narendra Modi, self proclaimed architect of development and BJP leader foisted himself as the next Prime Minister of India.

As a matter of fact the next election has already been won by Sonia and her UPA by a sort ofHara-kiri conducted by the BJP recently in their conclave in Goa, also saving the US administration a major dilemma.

Despite propaganda by thousands of misguided urban Indians who hang around social media and have no clue of reality of a billion villagers, Modi's ploy backfired when one of the real architects of BJP and its perennial Prime Minister in waiting , Advani revolted.

The problem is the anti Muslim tag of Narendra Modi by condoning a riot in 2002 leading to the death of thousands of Muslims has stuck with Modi, no matter what development he has claimed.

The Goa episode resulted in the split up of the NDA alliance , destroying any chance of BJP putting up a fight to regain power from the UPA. The departed partner JDU has claimed :

People are scared of even talking of Bihar's asmita (pride). This is not good for democracy. I say this with a sense of responsibility. An entire party has been bulldozed in the name of workers and cadre. Whoever criticizes gets abused on Twitter and Facebook. Abuses are heaped on journalists as well as others, who don't agree with a particular viewpoint or join in the propaganda. Is this democracy? What happened to right to dissent?

Monsoon Havoc Is More Votes for the Ruling Party In Disguise.

The Indian Monsoon, which bring in the rain every year to sustain agriculture has a great effect not only the economy, but also the national elections.

Traditionally, If the Monsoon is good in an election year, a happy electorate will be with the government with lower food prices and all round prosperity. As the Monsoon this year is more than good, despite havocs and death, the UPA can rest assured of a cheerful mood with the electorate.

Pending Reforms and Projects Can Only Move Forward.

Dr Manmohan Singh and his government which is on a life support by warring local parties with vested interest to complete the current term, in fact has a free hand now to push reform agenda and stalled projects. With nothing to lose and only an election to win, such actions will fill the rest of the term, paving sound foundation for economic development.

Things can go wrong in political calculations. However for India, if the pro capital BJP will somehow garner the power and win the election, Indian business will only stand to gain.

Either way the coin flips in the Next election, foreign investors with capital stand to gain in the India Story , at least for the next decade.


Reach Author Shred Pillai On Google

Has Lal Krishna Advani Just Saved India From a Fascist Future?



If L K Advani of the Indian political opposition BJP has done any favour to the ruling UPA alliance, it was his consistent attack of Dr Manmohan Singh, depicting him as a weak Prime Minister. Advani's strategy however backfired in the last election, because a lot of Indian's didn't buy his insinuation.
Many have seen Mr Advani as a divisive figure
who exploited Hindu-Muslim tensions

Now , L K Advani has proved, by his recent political flip flops, how he himself could be the weakest Prime Minister India can have, if he is ever elected, reminding everyone of his inherent lack of character and moral strength.

After all no one has forgotten how, Advani, as Indian Home Minister had sent back terrorists in Indian prison to Pakistan, succumbing to a terrorist highjack of an Indian flight.

Despite all that, in a way, L K Advani might have transformed himself to be the saviour of secular India by his obstructive politics, fully aware and conscious of the ultimate repercussions of his political moves, first by ostensibly skipping the Goa conclave of his party and then by resigning from key positions.

Omar Abdullah: "If his opinion didn't matter to you yesterday why is his resignation a crisis for you today?"
The recent political drama enacted by Advani and his party men, who first ignored him by huddling up in Goa without him and falling at his feet next day, has exposed their moral and intellectual bankruptcy.

By ostensibly declaring the elevation of UP Chief Minister to a campaign position which has never existed in Indian Politics with great hoopla, the BJP has chosen Narendra Modi  as the next Prime Minister of India, if elected to power.

Despite pretences to be otherwise, even novices in politics can see through the ploy of BJP. However they wrongly assume Modi is India a la fashion "Indira is India" clamour of the era of Prime minister Indira Gandhi.


By failing to recognise the looming danger of fascism cloaked in the religious movement of Hindutwa, the BJP leaders have shown themselves to be a lot without real moral strength.

Many have seen Mr Advani as a divisive figure who exploited Hindu-Muslim tensions, remembering him for the campaign he led to have a Hindu temple built on the site of a destroyed mosque in the ancient northern city of Ayodhya.

In many ways, Mr Advani and Mr Modi, leader and follower-turned-adversaries, mirror each other: both are hard line and polarising leaders of their own generations. Only now, one appears to be ranged against the other, and at stake is the future of the BJP.

They have all, including L K Advani, succumbed to the power of Hindutwa, loaded out in votes by its owner and disposer RSS, a political set up disguised as a religious body, to which each of them has politically mortgaged their integrity and independence.

Though ostensibly the clamour is against Narendra Modi, who can't recognise the damage he does to himself and the Indian political balance by his demeanour and pronouncements, the real villain and danger is the agenda of RSS.

In fact, by creating several hurdles to prevent the investiture of Narendra Modi as secular India's prime minister by RSS, albeit to leave another chance for himself to usurp the position, Advani has, at least for now saved India from the turmoil of a few fascist years and bloodshed that is bound to ensue.
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Posted by Unknown

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