Vir Sanghvi's bad karma at play.

We are all familiar with this picture. This was in all the newspapers. So why is it on the blog? What is the purpose?

The man in the picture was a victim of circumstance, beyond his control, we sympathized with him. He became the face of the agony, an innocent victim of riots. He relocated to West Bengal and then back to Gujarat as per newspaper reports. This still does not explain why the picture on the blog?

Vir Sanghvi is doing precisely this through his latest column “Setting the record straight” He is pleading with the readers, that he be judged for his work, have we not judged him for his work? We have always done that. Read through the comments not just on the current article but also any of his previously published articles to get a sense of what the public had to say.

Personally I have agreed with Vir Sanghvi on a couple of occasions, mostly there has been no common meeting ground. You have openly mocked Indians who disagreed with you. You have in your arrogant way to denigrate us used term “Internet Hindus” invented by some other Pinweight individuals in the field of journalism. 

Vir Sanghvi you came through as the ultimate narcissist, intoxicated with the power of easy access to a platform of massive size which you have used to demolish, malign and tarnish reputations of individuals selectively at the behest of your political paymasters. Cannot recall the exact article yet do remember posting comment on your article where had stated that “listen by all means to your political paymaster but not with both your ears, place one ear on the ground to hear the rumblings gathering strength.”  

You ignored good sensible advice since you knew better than us. You were focused on creating the circumstances that have brought you to the present pass. “Why would a journalist seek refuge and retribution from the laws of the land?” I had written in response to that. “When the negative reactions are higher the payments will not be made since the desired results have not been achieved. The paymasters do not tolerate failures and this would lead to redundancy.”

The entire Journalistic fraternity is in the dock today because of the actions of a few. Is that not reason enough to fade away. There is nothing more repugnant than the sight of a man groveling before others in full public view. Retain what ever self esteem is balance if it is. Dignity must not also be sacrificed in defending the indefensible.

In conclusion did you judge the man on merit before calling him a “Mass Murderer” was it supported by any hard evidence? Nothing you have placed before the readers. This is the retribution of law of nature which is indestructible and infallible. Laws created by human are inherently flawed. 

  

I welcome a debate and discussion on this…As always, please keep your tone civil, your language polite…no sweeping generalisations please and no personal abuse.  Thank you.

Practice what you preach!!

Profundity attached to the act of banning a book is incomprehensible. I have never been a supporter of this. Once a book is published and released in public domain it stays in circulation. What purpose does this ban serve? The current issue is of removal of a book from syllabus, the Cabal is out in full force remonstrating loss of Freedom of Expression. More often than not they are guilty of transgressions on this account. We have been at the receiving end, when our comments have either been deleted, or have stayed unpublished, not because we said something outrageous or offensive, we simply did not match their pitch.

 

In the present case the debate is not why the book was withdrawn? The initiator is unacceptable to select few in our society. I have stated my two bits worth and leave it to each and every reader to reach their own conclusions.



“Sab ko ek annkh se dekhna” is an idiom in Hindi for the benefit of those who may not be conversant with this language; it roughly translates to equal treatment. Those who thrive on Black humor would be tempted to treat this as a call to remove an eye of all human beings. More so of liberal secular fanatics, on account of public bawling by them, on withdrawal of the book; “Such a Long Journey” by Rohinton Mistry from Mumbai University syllabus by its VC Mr. Rajan Welukar.

“This is what India’s greatest city has come to. A gawky 20-year-old history student looking for an event to accompany his impending break into politics asks the vice-chancellor (VC) of one of India’s greatest universities to withdraw an award-winning novel that’s been on the syllabus since 2007. Within 24 hours, the VC cravenly complies with the absurd demand. The young man is Aditya Thackeray, son of Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray and student of Mumbai’s famed St Xavier’s College.” So begins Mr. Samar Halarnkar in Hindustan Times his article Who’s your daddy?

Mr. Vir Sanghvi has also published a blog in Hindustan time today on the same subject.Freedom of expression isn’t something we value Who Mr. Sanghvi goes on to say “without the right to offend, the right to free speech would be useless. If everybody approved of everything you said, then why would you need a constitutional guarantee of free speech? If nobody was offended, then nobody would complain.” Well would that not be just great for all of us in this world.

We are not dependent on the printed versions anymore; we have been liberated from this limiting factor. So does it really make sense to be going to town about a ban on a book? Which we can, and will access via the net, should we desperately desire to read the same.

In order to reach the crux of the matter we would have to understand, what are these people objecting about, is it that the book was withdrawn? Is it that a 20year old Thackeray is involved? Is it that the book has not been banned, so that they could throw vigorous, and prolonged tantrums in full public view?

Televisions channels have also been seized of this and have debated on this subject, results achieved are not along expected lines; Chief Minister of Maharashtra has thrown his weight on the side of the young man.

This brigade; of liberal secular fanatics who are vociferously protesting the lack of Freedom of expression are prone to selective amnesia of incidents, and individuals involved. They are guilty of employing deplorable language towards democratically elected head of a state in India. They practice most intensive censorship; anything that does not match their line of thought is summarily discarded by them. Those who are brave enough to take them on by way of Blogging or through Twitter are referred to in derogatory terms to the extent of being labeled as “Internet Hindus” without bothering to verifying if person follows Hinduism or any other religion.

Some of these votaries have exceeded all civil limits and have even threatened legal action against Blogger from other countries, who dared to criticize them. While one of their breed tweeted in the most disgusting and abhorrent manner about Lord Ram being a divine encroacher before the Ayodhaya verdict. Not a peep was heard from anyone of these self styled Knights in Shining Armour of Freedom of Expression against this dispicable act, guess it is time that one eye of theirs is closed so that, they are not accused of selectivity of the kind that they practice.

Their angst is not towards the book being dropped from the University Curriculum, it is the person who is being credited with the deed. The political outfit is not of their choice emergence of another young gun from a different stable is seen as a threat to their favourite son from their favourite political setup.

These worthies will gladly supplicate before one son. The new son on the horizon gives them the hebbie jebbies!

List of books banned in India is long, there are also instances when the Government of the day has passed laws to overturn judgments of Supreme Court of India e.g. Shah Bano, so this seems an extremely motivated and suspect exercise of shedding copious tears. Others right to Freedom of Expressions should be respected by this gang before they demand it for themselves. Let us convert into one eyed beings, if we do not have the capacity for accommodating differing views.

Common Wealth Shame of India 2010.

I must confess whatever faith I had in our government has evaporated completely. Until last afternoon I was a benign onlooker emitting an occasional scream in disbelief and horror as I watched on TV or read in many a newspaper the utter and total chaos that Common Wealth Games 2010 has come to signify. Poking fun at our collective selves or letting out steam on the twitter by way of inane and insignificant tweets.

I read the following articles in Times of India and Hindustan Times. This got me going and could not restrain myself from putting together this blog.

1. Much good from a bad Games : India : M J Akbar : TOI Blogs http://t.co/HvjPUpP via @timesofindia.

2. Old India has failed New India, again: Vir Sanghvi - Hindustan Times http://t.co/IC9S7he via @AddThis

The stark contrast of content and intent is thought provoking.

Mr. M.J. Akbar concludes his article “A friend pointed out that we have only now begun to notice what happened some time ago: the CIA has taken over India. The CIA provides the core inner ring which pumps blood into the heart of the current ruling class of our country. CIA is: Corrupt Incompetent Arrogant. There is only one reason China is ahead of India; because it is run by the CPC: Corrupt, Perverse but Competent.”

The journalistic competence and ability of this accomplished Journalist makes it a pleasure to read his thoughts and views on the ongoing fiasco called CWG.

Mr. Vir Sanghvi concludes his piece “In 1980, Indira Gandhi recognised that the Asian Games would be a fiasco unless the government got involved at the highest level. Rajiv Gandhi oversaw the preparations, deadlines were kept, the infrastructure survives till today and the Games served as an advertisement for India.But what this government has given us is a complete repudiation of Rajiv’s legacy. The preparations have been handed over to people like Suresh Kalmadi and when ministers have got involved, the task has been left to incompetent windbags. Nor has there been any attempt to find an alternative private sector model.”

This formulation makes your stomach churn in total disgust at the level of superficiality and sycophancy exuded by this individual. The focus is on what has been attempted to be projected by this author.

Mr.Sanghvi wants us to believe that India is in a perpetual state of conflict.

“These days we hear a lot about the clash of the two Indias — the India of the villages vs the India of the cities; deprived India vs shining India, etc. This conflict is undeniable but we are neglecting another clash between two other Indias which is subtler but no less significant. The unprecedented level of public anger over the screw-ups in the preparations of the Commonwealth Games (CWG) can be best understood if we see it as a clash between two Indias.”

He stops miday after alluding to M.S.Gill the Minister for Sports his age and background. Overlooking the fact that the responsibility goes right to the top; that is the Prime Minister who happens to be senior by a couple of years, and shares the background with Mr M.S.Gill.

All this while he conveniently overlooks the fact that there is a very heavy imprint of the presiding deity of Congress party in appointing the PM and the Sports Minister. The blame for the ongoing unparalleled accrual of indignity and shame is the net result of poor decision making and total inert state of government in India.

The much maligned old India that is being used as an alibi to gloss over our present predicament is an enduring gift from our first Prime Minister and it is his legacy which is being carried forward. We do hear and read on a daily basis the GDP growth and the ever north ward movement of sensex. These have been touted as the two great beacons of performance of our Government. Nothing could be further from truth than the above two symbols.

On one end of the spectrum are the exploits and achievements of entrepreneurial India, where many an achiever is in the age group as our Prime Minister or Minister for Sports. It is not the age that matters; it is the ability, dedication and conviction for the cause that is defining and makes India shine. One India is producing results on a daily basis which pose challenge to the largest and most ambitious economies and people on this planet. Where as those who are appropriating these successes as their own are in fact squandering away in most disdainful manner the hard earned monies, image and goodwill.

Let the author not exonerate Government, Congress party or its high command by singling out a few individuals, who for all practical purpose hold their current position with the unambiguous blessings of the powers that be of the Congress Party. We should not shy away from facts and candidly admit that governance in India is non existent under the present dispensation. Glaring examples are placed to refresh malfunctioning memory cells, and cure selective amnesia. 2G spectrum scam, rotting food grains 60,000mt, 37% Indians below poverty line, ever proliferating slums in our metros, naxal violence and of course last but not the least Kashmir.

Objective was to showcase India, we have achieved the converse. Let me conclude we the people of this country are indignant in extreme, with all the might at our disposal do repudiate this image. This could be the image of our government and congress party. this is not of us and our country.

Do we have it in us??

This is in response to "Take the battle into the enemy’s camp" by Vir Sanghvi in Hindustan Times dated Feb 23rd 2010.


Vir Sanghvi, Congratulation, you indeed have broken the mould, while majority from your profession are still advocating jawing as a viable means to overcoming a serious issue of terrorism.

The four scenarios put forward by you are absolutely valid and do not need any extra grey cells in any of us to accept these. Yes the willingness of Pakistan is an established fact known to one and all in this country.

I wish during the course of your conversation with the Prime Minister you would have reminded him that Morality is not a seasonal fruit that is available in a fixed time frame or a migratory bird which visits India and its political setup on any predetermined date. If morality was to be the bench mark of Indian government then it has failed miserably on this score. Selective use of this idiom in case of tackling terror will cause more destruction.

While a lot of Indians are going to focus on what is written by you and shall ignore the implicit message that is contained in this article. Open armed conflict with Pakistan on the issue of terror is a given it is only a matter of time and the events leading to it.

26/11 is a paradigm shift in how India is going to be challenged by the terrorists with active support from our neighbour, let us not delude ourselves any more. The level and intensity in terms of targets, causalities and prominence of the complex(s) and individuals is what will determine our response to such an event.

India must reflect in all seriousness, do we want an endless number of Indians as victims of terror, do we want to be a nation with a large number of War Widows and Orphans, or sacrifice a small number in covert actions. We are going to lose a number of Indians in this effort of containing terrorism in this country.

Is it not a better option to have trained men and women engage terrorist outside the geographical boundaries of India, rather than on our own soil. Interdiction is an acceptable option as against retribution of which we seem to be absolutely incapable due lack of political will.

India wants peace great! India does not war fantastic! India must act and create the environment for both of these desires to fructify, not by seeking assistance or merely basing it on hope! India must initiate positive action and now! Not learning from history is a sure recipe for disaster waiting to revisit us.

This is not war mongering, this is accepting and facing the challenges that our neighbour has been throwing at us for the last 3 decades or so. The time is upon us to counter this comprehensively and decisively.

Why would a journalist seek refuge and retribution from the laws of the land?

This is in response to a blog by Mr. Vir Sanghvi in Hindustan Times date July 27th 2010. "Defamations and redressals"


Mr. Sanghvi. Is unnerved, the overwhelming negative response that he receives on most occasions. This blog is the outcome of that, he wants retributions, however cannot term most negative comments as defamatory.

There are two aspects to this blog.

1. The essence or the soul. The deep seated part!

2. The printed word or the body. The superficial part!

It would be convenient to focus on the printed part express myself and move on, but that would not really do justice to what the author is attempting to say. So let us begin by addressing the first part, the essence and soul.

Mr. Sanghvi is feeling vulnerable and is unable to state so in clear terms. The monopoly of taking potshots at others over a long period of time emboldened him, he graduated to ambushes, and later to mounting all out attacks on anyone that he wished, or as commissioned by the political paymaster. A fair number of journalists made common cause and banded together into groups as Mercenaries. Their services were available to a select group willing to pay the demanded price. All this was being done from a very secure and impregnable fortress. The targeted individual was unable to strike back ; protest letter s to the Editor were summarily dismissed for want of evidence or on the basis of Freedom of Speech and Expression and at times as Journalistic creative composition. Appearance on Electronic media utterance and disparaging remarks made on other went unchallenged due to common reasons.

Spread of net and advent of Blogs now enable the aggrieved party to rebut often level counter allegations. Blogging has enabled the independent objective observer to register his protest! The game plan is all too apparent, he has jumped into the fray to correct the imbalance which individuals like Vir Sanghvi enjoyed previously.

Moderators were introduced on the web sites and Blogs ostensibly to filter offensive and objectionable post, the real purpose was to control contrarian views. Initially the positive posts were extensively used as testimonials; which was good for the business, over a period of time negative reactions from the public increased manifold, though successfully kept at bay on his web site or his Blog; has failed to instill that sense of security and immunity which was originally there. When the negative reactions are higher the payments will not be made since the desired results have not been achieved. The paymasters do not tolerate failures and this would lead to redundancy.

We thought we were up against a man who had it in him to take as good as he gave, unfortunately the turning of the tide has made him to scream in a very loud voice Defamation, Redressal and demands retribution.

Now incase these comments do not appear on this blog I am free to publish this on any site which offer free blog services. The reach of net + blog should not be subject to censorship.

Require a Large Domestic Constituency for Peace with Pakistan

This is in response to Peace cannot be built on Pak’s lies in the Hindustan Times Dated July 31st 2010.

The subject of India-Pakistan relationship cannot be addressed in piecemeal or fragmented manner. We are dealing with a hostile neighbor whose raison d’être is our destruction. We must review this subject keeping in mind the complete history of last 63 years. It bears testimony to our complete lack of policy towards this nation, we more often than not suffer cerebral seizure; Two events standout where we could have resolved the outstanding issues conclusively with Pakistan.

1. 1971 when we held more than 90,000 Prisoners of War.

2. 1999 Bus ride to Lahore by Mr. Vajpayee.

Unfortunately documents pertaining to 1971 need to be de-classified before a final judgment can be passed on what went wrong and why we missed that opportunity? 1999 is something which unfolded before our eyes, is comparatively recent, betrayal or should one say the reciprocal action from Pakistan of foisting Kargil on us has scarred our psyche to a great extent. Public hostility was limited even after this, since our well trained and capable Men in Uniform reclaimed the areas that were surreptitiously occupied by infiltrators from Pakistan.

Attack on Parliament, mobilization of troops a long stand off, followed by bomb blasts on a regular basis across India, routine statements of condemnation, usual suspects we accepted from the authorities in India, were treated with the skepticism that they deserved. The scope for improving relations with Pakistan was still very highly and the public support was there for this exercise.

Post 26/11 all this has changed decisively. The phantom of numerous bomb blasts, were visible in flesh and blood to all in India and overseas for the first time and over a period of nearly 72hours when not just Mumbai, the whole country was held hostage. Denials of Pakistan have been blown away with a firm finality. Relations with Pakistan will be bench marked henceforth with the severity of punishment, the time taken by that country to punish the culprits in its custody, as also those who remain free.

Disconnect between the people and UPA Government headed by Congress is self inflicted, this is not restricted to just the educated class. Congress took a very strident stance towards Pakistan and Terror during the general elections 2009, tough on terror and no dialogue without cession of terror from Pakistan, coercive diplomacy, paid due dividends and ensured victory at the hustings, yet it also engendered an extremely rigid public opinion, absence of retribution has further hardened the sentiments of the Indian public.
The other faux pas committed by the Government of Indian are.

1. Alacrity displayed for acceptance of Non State Actors nomenclature for the participants of 26/11.

2. Joint Terror mechanism.

3. Victim of terror tag for Pakistan is the result of generosity from our UPA Government.

4. Fiasco at Sharm-el-Shaik.

5. Introduction of Baluchistan.

6. Dialogue only way forward.

7. The latest discourse of inability to attain great power status due to hostile relationship with a small nation.

The above stated reasons are sufficient for sustaining the disconnect between the people and the Government of India.

Wikileaks have not come as a surprise to us, have we not been shouting this ad nauseum, at best it reveals the murky dealing of USA and Pakistan in Afghanistan. The latest incident in Islamabad cannot be pushed aside by either pointing a finger at Pakistan or at Mr. G.K. Pillai, this exercise in futility should never have been initiated.
UPA government has not till date come up with any confident and complete response as to what they hope to achieve thru these dialogues with Pakistan.

Terror cannot be contained by a dialogue process. Great Power status cannot be held hostage to relationship with a neighbor, it flies in the face of logic, our progress so far has not been because of assistance rendered by Pakistan. The umbilical cord was cut in 1947 or as your colleague in HT says we were “Separated at Birth” Great Power status is not defined solely in terms of economic growth, there is Military might which contributes significantly, the ability and will to exercise this might judiciously, finally the political will to propagate and view all relations thru the prism of Supreme National interest.

Improving relations with Pakistan will have to wait; in the meantime we will need to devise a comprehensive policy for this. Unfortunately this cannot come from the serving bureaucrats as most are subservient to the governing dispensation. The Political class in our perception is not equipped to formulate the foreign policy given the levels of education that they have. We need a group of individual well versed in foreign relations they could be superannuated diplomats who somehow seem to find their voice once free of the Government control to name a few Mr. Kanwar Sibal, Mr.K.C Singh, Mr.G. Parthasarthy and Mr. Lalit Manshing. In conjunction with defence analysts like Mr. Raja Mohan, Mr. Bramha Chellany, Mr. Maruf Raza and a few retired Generals and High Rank officers from Indian Air Force and Navy could come up with a policy document which could be implemented by this government, foreign policy is a continuous process and not something that can be changed by the future Governments, they may change tack or focus the substance cannot change.

Finally the domestic political discourse also must be moderated; the shrillness, the viciousness and the Secular Vs Communal debate must end for it does not contribute to our unity at all. To become a great power we require Rule of Law, higher level rating on Human development indices, eradicate corruption, education, health and infrastructure. GDP growth alone will not be the correct measure of Great Power we have 500 million Indians whose status is below the poorest of the poor on the African continent.

Entry to Parliament and Primer Minster’s post is possible sans popular support; peace with Pakistan would require that ingredient in a very wholesome measure. Hoping for a pragmatic rather, than a dogmatic approach from the UPA and its media brigade!

What does America have to hide?

This is in respose to the article by Mr.Vir Sanghvi in Hindustan Times What does America have to hide?

Your hypothesis accepted, the reaction from the Indian side would have been instant compliance of the demand from the USA. We belong to the mind set where every wish of the US is a command for us.

We are digressing from the facts by focusing on the US in the case of David Coleman Headley. Probability or rather we should say it is certain that this individual is an American undercover operative. US would most certainly protect its other assets which are deployed in the AFPAK region. This man furnished minimal information to FBI or CIA or DEA about the possible terror event happening in Mumbai on the basis of which intelligence input were provided to the Government of India. 26/11 proved to be a paradigm shift in terrorism not just in India, world over. The intensity, audacity and the accuracy, with which the attack was carried out, must have taken the American agencies by surprise and there after he seems to have been placed under enhanced surveillance by FBI leading to his arrest and conviction.

The crux of the investigations is that FBI by now has the names, ranks of the serving officer from the Pakistan Army, Navy and ISI. This just about leads us to the most volatile situation; disclosure would lead to an instant armed response from any self respecting Nation in the estimations of the US Agencies. India is not in that category because the present dispensation lacks the will and courage to walk that path. Any armed conflict however brief will directly impact US fight on terror in AFPAK, this is unacceptable to USA.

The deficiencies are inherently with us and our establishment, let us not absolve ourselves, nor indulge in chest beating or point accusing finger at US of A, making it out to be a great betrayal of Himalayan proportions.

The questions we need to be asking of our Government? Here are some for which we need to have answers.

Why a comprehensive investigation has not been carried out for 26/11? In the face of the following facts or premises!

1. Terrorists involved were foreigners, presumably on their first mission to Mumbai India. Even the most highly trained commandos do stray and struggle in the urban settings on foreign lands to reach their targets.

2. Mumbai incident should not be seen simply as a terror attack. It was a behind the lines commando operation.

3. The individuals involved were not highly educated?

4. GPS used, are not homing devices therefore a reading of 5 or 10 minutes plus or minus for a degree could mean a parallel bylane and not necessarily the target lane. Yet the terrorist reached their targets with uncanny accuracy.

5. Video recording of a street or a lane form either end would disorient even the best trained commando in a foreign land.

6. Cities look different under different light conditions. If the videos shown were shot during the day, then they would not serve as effectively during the night and vice versa.

7. Navigating on high seas one has to be trained by a person who has the experience of having been on the high seas (Navy), no army man can train another person for sea operations.

8. LeT most definitely does not have the requisite expertise to train terrorists in all areas of operation, hence personnel from the armed forces have to be involved and their finger prints are visible in 26/11 attack.

9. Landing at a designated point along the coast is possible with the help of the GPS, yet it cannot take you to your destination with pinpoint accuracy. Local assistance cannot and should not be ruled out. Even incase of Aircrafts where INS is used (Inertial Navigation System) The aircrafts on Auto pilot would stray by a few fractions of a degree and altitude of a 100ft above and below.

10. The ease with which, the terrorists moved around and took up positions in the Hotels again points to some sort of local assistance, it is not possible for a person who goes into a large property to get to designated spot without any guidance. The terrorist were not exposed to super deluxe hotel properties prior to their attack on Mumbai we can safely assume.

11. Even if Headley is extradited to India given the state of affairs in our country could we hope for an expeditious trial and closure?

The world is full of inequality, when we are unable to offer equal treatment to our own citizens in this country, why are we expecting to be treated as an equal by the US. Equal treatment cannot be demanded, it has to be earned and we unfortunately have done nothing that entitles us for special treatment. Compassionate ground may be valid for us to hand out top jobs of our country. USA may empathize with us, unfortunately will not compromise its supreme national interest.

Let us pledge to work harder, learn to fight our own battles, have the basic intelligence to decipher, when other country provide us with intelligence input, instead of issuing weather man reports and later claim actionable intelligence or otherwise.