Salman Rushdie Knighthood

The knighthood awarded to Salman Rushdie by the British government is indeed a very courageous decision irrespective of whether it estimated the reactions the awarding of the knighthood to Rushdie would generate in the Islamic world. Britain is now having to deal with violent reactions in the Islamic world and intimidation from Islamist groups. Without getting into the debate on the merits and demerits of Rushdie as a writer, I would like to say that it is the sovereign prerogative of the British government to decide whom to knight. The Islamic countries have no right to dictate to Britain to rescind the decision. Pakistan's Religious Affairs Minister's ambiguous statements, in a way, justifying suicide attacks on Rushdie after this 'honour' being bestowed upon him, are appalling and highly condemnable. The issuing of death fatwas in India against him are totally against the law of the land and encourage violence.The Islamic world should not give undue publicity to Rushdie and his knighthood. Britain certainly shouldn't succumb to these kinds of despicable and violent pressure tactics practised by elements in the Islamic world.

Purdah Controversy

The UPA-Left Presidential nominee Pratibha Patil's statements on the origin of the 'purdah' system in India is historically correct. I can't fathom as to why such a huge hue and cry is being raised in the academic circles and the political arena about her statements. The Leftist historians' criticism about her statements is filled with hypocrisy. They always seem to find fault with historical facts that are even minutely critical of the minorities. This pseudo-secularist corruption and distortion of Indian history by leftist historians and the fact that, in the name of 'secularism', sections of the Indian media too have supported this warped view of theirs is symptomatic of the intellectual corruption and intolerance that exists in this country which states that, any fact, if deemed unacceptable to a fringe section of the society, should be opposed. The 'ghoonghat' symbolised respect for elders and there were practices like the 'swayamvar' in India back then. In all this hullabaloo regarding her speech, the essence of it, relating to social reform, which was very relevant and praiseworthy, has been sidelined, which is unfortunate.

Juvenile Criminals

The present age limit of 18 for juvenile offenders has to lowered to at least 15 in light of increasing number of grisly crimes being committed by individuals below 18 years of age. In spite of committing horrific crimes, they are not punished like the others are because of the fact that they are juveniles. With increasing exposure to the Internet, television and the various ' ills' associated with technological advancements, juveniles committing heinous crimes can no longer be treated with compassion and be let off scot-free without being made to serve time behind bars. Focusing only on the juvenile offenders responsible for the execution of despicable crimes and pleading for their sympathetic treatment is a huge mistake. What about the victims' of such crimes and the plight and mentally horrific state of their relatives? It is time that we focus more on their trauma as well rather than trying to act like Samaritans by demanding an 'understanding' treatment of these juvenile offenders. Tougher penalties will act as a deterrent. Reforming brutal criminals is a utopian idea not efficiently practicable. There needs to be a fear of the law in the minds of these offenders. It is sickening to see juveniles who commit ghastly crimes then turn around to say that they did not know what they were doing.

Celebrity Arrogance !!

It is shocking to see Sanjay Dutt giving interviews to the media flouting the directive applicable to all convicts out on bail. It is a very canny 'public relations' strategy garnered to extract public sympathy at a time when his sentencing is just a few days away. In spite of the judge stating to the convicts not to give interviews to the media, seeing Sanjay Dutt have the audacity to give interviews to the media in the recent past is extremely disappointing and displays the scant regard for court directives our 'celebrities' have and of the 'privileges' at their disposal.

Idi Amin's Legacy

It is imperative that the Indian community in East Africa establish strategic and pragmatic relationships with political parties of various hues belonging to that region. They must form a powerful lobby of their own which will speak about and strive to protect their interests and this is all the more necessary in Uganda because of unfortunate historical reasons. Follies committed in the past by the Indian community shouldn't be repeated and being isolated from politics was one of them. Also,Indians must treat the native Ugandans with dignity, ensure equitable wealth distribution and not treat them as 'second-class' citizens, which was the case, to a certain extent, in the past. There were some reasons for that, one of them being the 'colonial mentality' because of which Indians in Africa were given more rights and privileges by the colonial rulers than their native black counterparts which resulted in some instances of Africans ( Ugandans ) being mistreated by their Indian employers. Therefore, there was some support for Idi Amin's move. The spirit of co-operation and harmony must exist between Indians and Ugandans which can work wonders for the Ugandan society economically and culturally.

A Long Forgotten Community

The suggestion made by the PM's Working Group on J&K that the right of Kashmiri Pandits to return to the valley be made a part of state policy is a welcome but long overdue one. It is indeed a sad irony which reflects very poorly on our society that thousands of Pandits,whose ancestral homeland is Kashmir, have been living as refugees for so many years in their own country, having been forced to flee Kashmir due to the fear of terrorists who have killed so many Pandits. Their plight has almost been forgotten by the civil society, very many NGO's and 'human rights groups' who waste no time in talking about 'minority rights' in different parts of India,that of terror suspects and convicts, but who are conspicuously absent when it comes to talking about protecting the rights of Kashmiri Pundits. I fail to fathom this dichotomy. The government has clearly left them in the lurch and even those few Pundits living in the valley, instead of being provided adequate protection,are targets of terrorist 'ethnic cleansing'. Even while debating the peace process, Kashmiri Pundit representatives are rarely called in to express their views. It is about time that we took concrete steps in all fields to redress blunders of the past and help out the Pundits.

India And Israel- Partners

The visit of a top-level Israeli military delegation to India to discuss counter-terrorism and anti-infiltration strategies is welcome news.It is in India's geopolitical and strategic interest to establish a strong relationship with Israel. India and Israel have made rapid strides over the past few years in the defence arena and that has immensely benefited the Indian military.Israel has had years of experience countering terrorism and has done it remarkably well with dogged determination and resolve.This week is also, coincidentally, the 40th anniversary of the six-day war in which the 19 year old Israel crushed three Arab states led by Egypt, which was trying to threateningly corner the Jewish state.With infiltration attempts rising this year in J&K, the meeting with Israeli military officials will help in providing our military with greater insight in tackling this menace.India's association with Israel must not only be restricted to defence ties but should spread to the agricultural sector too since Israel has made admirable progress on that front and agriculture is in a state of crisis in certain parts of India.

Joint Indo-Pak Anti-Terror Mechanism Failure

The concept of a joint India-Pakistan anti-terror mechanism was never going to succeed and it comes as no surprise whatsoever that the mechanism appears to be fading away.Such mechanisms can prove to be successful only if both the parties who are a part of it are honest and sincerely desirous of peace.Pakistan can never turn off the 'terror tap' till the Kashmir issue is resolved to their satisfaction.India genuinely wants to establish a peaceful relationship but as long as Pakistan continues to use terror as a state policy to weaken India, such endeavours will fail miserably.Manmohan Singh's statement describing Pakistan as a 'victim of terrorism' was a bizarre and humiliating climbdown and another addition to a long list of foreign policy gaffes this government has been responsible for.The foreign policy mandarins in the Indian external affairs ministry who thought this concept would work must have surely been out of their minds.Vigilantly aggressive diplomacy is the need of the hour because the 'terror facts on the ground' in Pakistan and PoK still remain the same.

Border Trouble

The report stating that Pakistan is engaged in the construction of bunkers posts extremely close to the zero line in J & K enabling them to monitor every Indian move is an extremely worrying development. But what is more worrying and shocking is the public response of the Indian government or to put it appropriately, the lack of any effective public response. It looks as if Pakistan is taking advantage of the peace process to strengthen its positions on the international border, thereby helping terrorists infiltrate into J & K. Meanwhile, Manmohan Singh describing China as 'India's greatest neighbour' at the sidelines of the G8 summit in the backdrop of China's recent extremely aggressive diplomatic posturing on Arunachal Pradesh is appalling. With China showing no signs of softening its stand and with reports of alleged Chinese military incursions into Arunachal Pradesh, why is the Indian government bending over backwards to appease China. The Indian government's public response has always been very timid. It is almost as if the government has forgotten the art of vigilantly aggressive diplomacy. We mustn't get carried away hoping for peace like we did in the 50's with the 'Hindi Chini Bhaai Bhaai' sloganeering which only resulted in giving us humiliation.

Nuclear Deal Politics

It is obvious that the U.S.A. expects India to be on their side when it comes to the Iranian nuclear programme issue.It would have to be a very canny balancing act that the Indian government will have to employ.The U.S.A. wants to get as many countries as possible in their camp to squeeze and isolate the Iranians because that is in their national and geopolitical interest.Many U.S.A.senators and Congressmen, more from the Democrat side and some belonging to the Republican camp, are of the view that the nuclear deal can be used as a justifiable reason to exert pressure on India to vote against the Iranians.The awfully messed up Iraq war has only increased Iranian influence in the region making Iran a hugely relevant player in Iraq which has only worsened matters for the U.S.A. That wasn't the case during the secular rule of Saddam Hussain. Yes, for all his ills, Saddam was remarkably secular and a modernist. Now, with him gone, theocratic Iran will play an influential role in Iraq with Iraq being a Shia majority country, mirroring Iran in this case. So, if the U.S. expected Iraq to be a beacon of 'Western style liberal democracy', then that is definitely not going to materialise.The Indian government can't afford to be a fencesitter in the issue of the nuclear deal and will have to take some tough decisions pertaining to our national interests and not let domestic politics dictate Indian foreign policy.

Graham Ford As India's Coach

Graham Ford, if appointed India's next coach, would be an ideal candidate to replace the hard-nosed Australian Greg Chappell, whose term was marked by controversies. Ford's record as South Africa's coach speaks for itself, with South Africa winning 9 out of 11 test series and 63% of their ODI's during his tenure as coach. His calm and composed demeanour, keen technical eye, willingness to spend time with players to iron out their technical flaws, his reputation being that of someone who prefers to stay and work in the background and let the players do the talking had earned him the tag of being a 'players' coach' during his stint as Natal's and South Africa's coach. Jonty Rhodes, Shaun Pollock and Lance Klusener all hold him in high regard since he worked with them in the early to mid 90's while coaching Natal. All this is what Team India desperately needs, after being bruised and battered by the Chappell experience of the last two years. The fact that he has the backing of captain Rahul Dravid and most other players and also since John Emburey,the other contender,doesn't have very impressive coaching credentials should ensure that Ford gets the coaching job.

Sri Lankan Conundrum

The Indian government has justifiable reasons to be concerned about China and Pakistan making substantial inroads into Sri Lanka by helping the Lankans out militarily in their fight against the LTTE. India is having to deal with the influx of so many Sri Lankan Tamil refugees, some of whom might be LTTE sympathisers.This is proving to be burdensome.It was only inevitable that India would be faced with this geopolitical and strategic conundrum. The emergence of coalition politics and various compulsions that are associated with it are just not conducive to India developing a comprehensive geopolitical vision designed to solely safeguard our enlightened national interests.Hence, the government appeases the DMK by not supplying Sri Lanka with offensive militarily capabilities, thereby forcing the Lankans to look elsewhere, consequently letting our neighbours gain a foothold in Sri Lanka.The diktats of regional parties and domestic issues influencing the foreign and strategic policy of India is a dangerous trend.

Double Decker Buses Rule !!!!!!

Double decker buses have been an integral part of Mumbai city's transport system and also of the lives of many Mumbaikars. These buses are simple yet elegant in their appearance. There is an 'old world charm' about these buses that makes it a delightful experience to travel in them which is why so many Mumbaikars have wonderful memories of double decker buses etched in their minds. These buses have also provided efficient service to Mumbaikars and continue to do so by accommodating more people than their 'single decker cousins'. Hence, the welcome decision to retain rather than discard double decker buses.

Stray Dog Menace

The BMC's proposal to set up dog homes on the outskirts of Mumbai is a very sensible and heartening one. All of us want Mumbai to be transformed into a modern and well developed city. Great cities all over the world do not have lakhs of stray dogs roaming around on their streets posing a constant threat to the lives of innocent citizens. Sterilisation policy has failed badly since the stray dog population has only increased and so have the number of dog bite incidents, resulting in the deaths of people. The animal rights groups also shouldn't have any problem with this idea since it doesn't involve culling, just a transfer of the stray dog population from the streets to dog homes where they will be taken care of and sterilised. It is 'early days' yet but I hope this proposal gets the 'green signal' and is implemented since it is in Mumbai's interest. Now, I know, the implementation of a particular proposal is an excruciatingly long process on most occasions in India, unfortunately. But from the look of it, this idea seems a good one. Strong willed state backing should help in a big way.

Revamping Of Mumbai's Railway Stations

The proposal to construct Western-style railway stations in Mumbai sounds very alluring.The state of infrastructure in some of our railway stations is absolutely pathetic.The citizens too need to shoulder some blame for this. Pragmatic commercial use of the rail land can go a long way in making the railways a financially self-sustaining unit.The thought of swanky malls and other commercial establishments in Mumbai's railway stations that will make the stations appear modern, developed and in sync with today's world is fascinating.It is a praiseworthy but ambitious proposal which needs strong-willed backing from the state political class and the railway authorities.If the proposal is accepted, it is Mumbai's image which will get a boost.

Bangladesh: The New Terror Hotspot

The emergence of Bangladesh as the new breeding ground of terrorism puts India in an extremely tight spot. India is caught between a rock and a hard place. The Indian government's focus must not remain only Pakistan centric when it comes to security matters, internal and external. With the world relentlessly putting pressure on Pakistan to crackdown on its terror infrastructure, Bangladesh, which was once a reasonably secular nation, has quietly become a haven for terrorist groups of all hues, ranging from ISI backed, anti-India Islamic extremist groups to the North-eastern terror outfits, which plan their strategies from safe houses in Bangladesh. It is indeed a pity that this is happening in a nation which we helped create. The proliferation of terror groups on the eastern front as well is a grave security concern. The only silver lining, probably, is that the current Bangladeshi regime seems more willing than the previous one to root out terror.

Arunachal Pradesh Is India's

China investing in communication technologies, increasing its asymmetric warfare capability, rapidly modernising their military and relying on high-tech information for cyber war signals that India must not go overboard and tread cautiously in its endeavour to establish friendly ties with China- 'Once bitten,twice shy'. The Chinese clearly have hegemonistic designs on Asia and India is a potential rival. With the Chinese having adopted an aggressive stance on Arunachal Pradesh by refusing to grant a visa to an Arunachal Pradesh IAS officer coupled with the construction of the Qinghai-Tibet railway and border roads,India must resolutely state its position 'loud and clear' of Arunachal Pradesh being an integral part of India, without compromising needlessly. In spite of knowing the Chinese position fully well, it is difficult to fathom why the Govt invited this embarrassment.