Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts
Friday, April 18, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Joke of the week!
Epitome of people preaching to be righteous and moral:
In a brief resignation statement, Mr Spitzer said: "Over the course of my public life I have insisted, I believe correctly, that people regardless of their position or power take responsibility for their conduct.
"I can and will ask no less of myself."
He added: "I go forward with the belief, as others have said, that as human beings our greatest glory consists not in never falling but in rising every time we fall."
In a brief resignation statement, Mr Spitzer said: "Over the course of my public life I have insisted, I believe correctly, that people regardless of their position or power take responsibility for their conduct.
"I can and will ask no less of myself."
He added: "I go forward with the belief, as others have said, that as human beings our greatest glory consists not in never falling but in rising every time we fall."
Sunday, June 3, 2007
DMK-Sun TV rift
Looks like the rift between the media giant and the ruling party is happening after all!
Karunanidhi is celebrating his birthday today. Sun TV was all set to cover the events as usual, but it turned out that it was not to be. Reportedly a high party official from DMK called Sun TV and told them that they need not cover the event as the party has invited Raj TV to do so. Sun TV is also beginning to evacuate its offices at the Anna Arivalayam.
Meanwhile, Raj TV has 'officially' joined DMK. And its Managing Director Raajhendran had said only he had joined the party and not the channel and that the channel would continue to provide neutral coverage as always! Word is going around that DMK is all set to launch as many as 12 channels with the help of Raj TV's expertise. DMK also is launching its own flagship channel 'Kalaignar TV'. Reportedly the yet-to-be launched channel has already purchased the telecast rights of Rajini's yet-to-be released movie 'Sivaji' for a whopping price which even Sun TV was not able to pay.
And Sun TV's coverage of Kalaignar's birthday has been rather mute, and understandably so.
On an offnote, Jayalalitha came out with a statement that DMK had ordered ADMK's headquarters in Royapettah (I think got the location right) as it was flouting CMDA guidelines or some similar nonsense. Jaya had come out strongly against DMK and its mentor Karunanidhi and has said something to the tune of "we will not rest till these perpetrators are brought down".
Karunanidhi is celebrating his birthday today. Sun TV was all set to cover the events as usual, but it turned out that it was not to be. Reportedly a high party official from DMK called Sun TV and told them that they need not cover the event as the party has invited Raj TV to do so. Sun TV is also beginning to evacuate its offices at the Anna Arivalayam.
Meanwhile, Raj TV has 'officially' joined DMK. And its Managing Director Raajhendran had said only he had joined the party and not the channel and that the channel would continue to provide neutral coverage as always! Word is going around that DMK is all set to launch as many as 12 channels with the help of Raj TV's expertise. DMK also is launching its own flagship channel 'Kalaignar TV'. Reportedly the yet-to-be launched channel has already purchased the telecast rights of Rajini's yet-to-be released movie 'Sivaji' for a whopping price which even Sun TV was not able to pay.
And Sun TV's coverage of Kalaignar's birthday has been rather mute, and understandably so.
On an offnote, Jayalalitha came out with a statement that DMK had ordered ADMK's headquarters in Royapettah (I think got the location right) as it was flouting CMDA guidelines or some similar nonsense. Jaya had come out strongly against DMK and its mentor Karunanidhi and has said something to the tune of "we will not rest till these perpetrators are brought down".
Saturday, May 12, 2007
A day of lies, deceit and sycophancy
The celebrations were a two day affair.So my coverage does not end with my previous post. At the Island grounds you saw the UPA in full strength eulogising MK. But what startled me was the extent to which the speakers went to praise MK. Agreed, it was a function to felicitate MK and you can not expect them to lash out at him. But some remarks bordered on shameless flattery.
A few gems:
"....Mr. Karunanidhi was a man who had completely rejected casteism in his personal and political life ...." - I.K Gujral. This is tantamount to praisng Hitler as a statesman.
The DMK thrives in casteism. MK does not even spare his family memners when he chooses to play the caste card. When the opposition charges him for being anti- dalit, he retorts by saying that his daughter-in-law is from that community.
If Subramanya Swamy/Mani Shankar Aiyar/ JJ (or any Brahmin owned Newspaper for that matter) attacks him politically, he dismisses them by terming their allegations "Awaal Budhi".His anti-Brahminism needs no elaboration, he has described his Government as "of non upper castes for non upper castes by non upper castes" in a poem written by him on 2 July 2006 in 'Dinakaran'.
When someone has him on the mat, he uses his Brahmastra.His typical reply will be.. " Just because I am from a backward community, the parties are targetting me"
Recently when anarchy ruled the roost during local body elections, the State Election
Commissioner , Mr Naresh Gupta, came under fire. MK sprang to his support by saying ." Other than the fact that he is an OBC, he has not done any wrong"
These are some of the most recent instances. It might take years for me to compile the complete list of his slurs and I have better business than doing that.
.."Mr. Karat said, he was also a champion of federalism.." .
MK is someone who maintains that the reasons for demanding a separate Dravida Nadu are valid even today. And a person who makes no bones about his separationist ideology is praised as a champion of federalism.
Its intersting to note the reaction of the opposition to this golden jubilee. AIADMK has termed it fake (Jaya TV terms this Poli Ponvizha..). They have a point. MK was elected to the assembly for the first time in 1957. But his tenure has not been continuous. . A look at the DMK website that chronicles his stints as MLA will show that from 1984-89 he was not a member of the legislative Assembly( from 84-86,he was a memebr of the now defunct Legislative council, a state eqivalent of the Rajya Sabha) .He resigned as MLA in 1991 when AIADMK swept to power. He did not attend a single assembly session from 2001-06.I still am at a loss to understand how they arrived at 50 years.
The DMK had invited the president to preside over the function. But JJ raised these points and appealed to the president not to come. When , during her last tenure, JJ invited president Kalam to the assembly, MK strongly objected saying the president should not come and praise the anti-people, anti-democratic JJ government. This government is not any different from its predecessor when it comes to being anti-democratic or anti-people. So it was an opportunity for JJ to take revenge.
President Kalam, after it became apparant that he is not getting a second term , has been remarkably bold. He first returned the Office of Profit bill(that primarily was a Save Sonia bill) , and fearing that he may not give a Bihar- style assent, the Congress refrained from dismissing the UP govt. Continuing that trend, he declined the DMK's invitation to attend the celebrations citing "foreign engagements".
The tamasha did not stop there.In a move that must have sure given Mr Kalam some qualms, JJ mischievously issued a statemnt thanking him for 'entertaining her appeal and declining MK's invitation'. There is never a dull moment when it comes to a spat between JJ and MK.
So in effect, the very fact that he has completed 50 years has been called to question. It is only fitting that a person who has relied on deceit, lies and misinformation for decades to keep him in power has chosen the same to splurge with public money.
A few gems:
"....Mr. Karunanidhi was a man who had completely rejected casteism in his personal and political life ...." - I.K Gujral. This is tantamount to praisng Hitler as a statesman.
The DMK thrives in casteism. MK does not even spare his family memners when he chooses to play the caste card. When the opposition charges him for being anti- dalit, he retorts by saying that his daughter-in-law is from that community.
If Subramanya Swamy/Mani Shankar Aiyar/ JJ (or any Brahmin owned Newspaper for that matter) attacks him politically, he dismisses them by terming their allegations "Awaal Budhi".His anti-Brahminism needs no elaboration, he has described his Government as "of non upper castes for non upper castes by non upper castes" in a poem written by him on 2 July 2006 in 'Dinakaran'.
When someone has him on the mat, he uses his Brahmastra.His typical reply will be.. " Just because I am from a backward community, the parties are targetting me"
Recently when anarchy ruled the roost during local body elections, the State Election
Commissioner , Mr Naresh Gupta, came under fire. MK sprang to his support by saying ." Other than the fact that he is an OBC, he has not done any wrong"
These are some of the most recent instances. It might take years for me to compile the complete list of his slurs and I have better business than doing that.
.."Mr. Karat said, he was also a champion of federalism.." .
MK is someone who maintains that the reasons for demanding a separate Dravida Nadu are valid even today. And a person who makes no bones about his separationist ideology is praised as a champion of federalism.
Its intersting to note the reaction of the opposition to this golden jubilee. AIADMK has termed it fake (Jaya TV terms this Poli Ponvizha..). They have a point. MK was elected to the assembly for the first time in 1957. But his tenure has not been continuous. . A look at the DMK website that chronicles his stints as MLA will show that from 1984-89 he was not a member of the legislative Assembly( from 84-86,he was a memebr of the now defunct Legislative council, a state eqivalent of the Rajya Sabha) .He resigned as MLA in 1991 when AIADMK swept to power. He did not attend a single assembly session from 2001-06.I still am at a loss to understand how they arrived at 50 years.
The DMK had invited the president to preside over the function. But JJ raised these points and appealed to the president not to come. When , during her last tenure, JJ invited president Kalam to the assembly, MK strongly objected saying the president should not come and praise the anti-people, anti-democratic JJ government. This government is not any different from its predecessor when it comes to being anti-democratic or anti-people. So it was an opportunity for JJ to take revenge.
President Kalam, after it became apparant that he is not getting a second term , has been remarkably bold. He first returned the Office of Profit bill(that primarily was a Save Sonia bill) , and fearing that he may not give a Bihar- style assent, the Congress refrained from dismissing the UP govt. Continuing that trend, he declined the DMK's invitation to attend the celebrations citing "foreign engagements".
The tamasha did not stop there.In a move that must have sure given Mr Kalam some qualms, JJ mischievously issued a statemnt thanking him for 'entertaining her appeal and declining MK's invitation'. There is never a dull moment when it comes to a spat between JJ and MK.
So in effect, the very fact that he has completed 50 years has been called to question. It is only fitting that a person who has relied on deceit, lies and misinformation for decades to keep him in power has chosen the same to splurge with public money.
Golden Jubilee Gift
The function to mark the 50 th anniversary of Mk's tenure in the legislative assembly passed off peacefully, much to the relief of Chennai. The city was under siege with thousands of buses swarming the city from early afternoon and gridlocking OMR(Old mahabalipuram Rd), ECR and GST road. I had to visit a friend in Thiruvanmiyur and was bracing myself for the worst.
All the IT companies thought they were smart in asking their employess to leave by 3 since the function was to begin at 6. But, the real problem started with them as thier buses combined with those carrying the DMK men in throwing traffic completely out of gear. The trip from Sholiganallur to Thiruvanmiyur depot that normally takes 20 mins took me an hour and a half. Imagine the plight of those who had to reach Parrys.. You had the DMK buses lined all along from the LB road junction till Uthandi on ECR. Their men were atop buses( when the seats inside were empty) hooting and howling. The drivers had contempt for traffic rules and were just honking their way. Well, that could be attributed to cadre enthusiasm and would'nt have been any different had it been a function to felicitate JJ. But, this does not justify their unruly behaviour.
I stayed put at my friend's place till the function started and started at 7.30 wanting to beat the return traffic. But the traffic was no better in the Thiruvanmiyur area. It was still overflowing with buses. It was a nightmare till SardarPatel road. But once past SP road, the traffic was very smooth and well regulated. That motorists and IT company buses chose not to ply at this time greatly contributed. This was the story on the ECR side. But I am told things were much worse on the GST road side with VVIP convoy movement. With the grade separator work in progress at Kathipara, the last thing motorists wanted was a VVIP convoy movement during the evening peak hour. I am told Wallajah Road was closed to traffic. Thank god, I was not anywhere near Kamaraj Salai Or Anna Salai.
There was also a report in The Hindu that the DMK men had a brawl with the owners of an Adyar restaurant and ransacked it(the restaurant was not named).Long Live Democracy.
All the IT companies thought they were smart in asking their employess to leave by 3 since the function was to begin at 6. But, the real problem started with them as thier buses combined with those carrying the DMK men in throwing traffic completely out of gear. The trip from Sholiganallur to Thiruvanmiyur depot that normally takes 20 mins took me an hour and a half. Imagine the plight of those who had to reach Parrys.. You had the DMK buses lined all along from the LB road junction till Uthandi on ECR. Their men were atop buses( when the seats inside were empty) hooting and howling. The drivers had contempt for traffic rules and were just honking their way. Well, that could be attributed to cadre enthusiasm and would'nt have been any different had it been a function to felicitate JJ. But, this does not justify their unruly behaviour.
I stayed put at my friend's place till the function started and started at 7.30 wanting to beat the return traffic. But the traffic was no better in the Thiruvanmiyur area. It was still overflowing with buses. It was a nightmare till SardarPatel road. But once past SP road, the traffic was very smooth and well regulated. That motorists and IT company buses chose not to ply at this time greatly contributed. This was the story on the ECR side. But I am told things were much worse on the GST road side with VVIP convoy movement. With the grade separator work in progress at Kathipara, the last thing motorists wanted was a VVIP convoy movement during the evening peak hour. I am told Wallajah Road was closed to traffic. Thank god, I was not anywhere near Kamaraj Salai Or Anna Salai.
There was also a report in The Hindu that the DMK men had a brawl with the owners of an Adyar restaurant and ransacked it(the restaurant was not named).Long Live Democracy.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Really?
What nonsense!?!
The state's exchequer being plundered to the dismay of the taxpayers to honour this guy who has already been honoured enough in the past with golden pen, etc,.
The Hindu is proud it seems. Absolute sycophancy!! And for no apparent reason too.
And as usual major traffic diversions.
Whenever any of my friends in US say they hate India and US is lot better, I argue with them to the hilt. But at times like these, I wonder....
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Chennai Masala 2
Ek gaaw mein ek kisaan.....
In a coup of sorts, Jayalalithaa, campaigning for the Samajwadi Party, addressed a rally in Allahabad in Hindi. Yes, Hindi.. you heard it right. I am being unjust to the lady by comparing her speech with the famous Ek gaaw mein scene in an old Bagyaraj movie. But, whenever a southie speaks Hindi, you cannot but avoid the comparison. She reportedly delivered a hard hitting, 15 minute speech in chaste Hindi . The crowd responded with shouts of 'Jayalalithaa Zindabad' which reportedly left 'Manya' Mulayamji blushing :)-
Karunanidhi's Pearls
Known for his penchant for writing dialogues, MK recently responded to the Supreme court's refusal to vacate the stay on OBC quotas by angrily saying that the "fate of 100 crore people cannot be left to two men".I wonder if there was any other statement made by any other person -dead or alive- that even comes anywhere close to this gem.
According to MK, a two judge bench can decide only on cases involving two people. To decide on OBC reservation, which according to MK involves over a billion Indians, you need a bench with a billion judges. Assuming that we find a billion judges and constitute a bench, Mk will not have any problems if they too refuse to vacate the stay. That is because, his pimary objection is to the number of people sitting in judgement and not their judgement.Fair enough.
Days later, a two judge bench of the Madras High Court upheld the abolition of the Common Entrance Test (CET) for admission to professional colleges in TN. They lauded the government for its efforts to ensure 'social justice'. How come these two can decide the fate of 6 crore Tamilians? Will MK oppose this? If this is not double speak, what is?
Politicising Fishermen Deaths
There have been recent incidents of Tamil fishermen being shot dead in the high seas. This disturbing trend,coming in the backdrop of renewed military might of the LTTE, is unabted.MK, meanwhile slammed the Sinhalese govt for firing unprovoked and in true filmi style , warned thatTamilians will not remain mute spectators. ( His typical statements go like this... " innumum madhiya arasu tamizhanain ratham kodhipadhay paarthu kondu irukkadhu endru ninaikiren. Rajni can consider hiring MK 's services for Sivaji).
The Lankan govt categorically denied any involvement in the firings and explicitly stated that its navy has been instructed not to fire on Indian fishermen transgressing the international waters.Meanwhile, there were reports that the Sea Tigers, the naval arm of the LTTE, could be behind the killings to sour relations betwen the two countries. The PMK, MDMK and the DMK which were vociferous in pinning the blame on the Lankan govt, chose not to react .
Now, the DGP of Tamil Nadu has confirmed that the Sea Tigers were behind the killings. How are the LTTE sympathisers planning to respond to this shameful, cowardly act?
Media Mania
It was a bumper fortnight for the media and the Ash-Abhi wedding was the most important event on earth. Headlines Today started the build up a week before the wedding, concentrating on details as silly as the amount of Mehendi to be used for the ceremony. The other channels were no better. They had the temerity to gate crash and attempt to intrude into the privacy of celebrities, but when chased away by the security gaurds , they paint the town red with complaints of high handedness.
The media's single grouse seems to be " What is preventing the Bachchans from even sharing a single pic of the couple?". Well, that's a fair question. But it's the prerogative of the Bachchans. If they choose to dump the media, what's preventing the media from returning compliments? They cannot ....because, news on the Bachchan wedding sells. And to drive their business, they want the Bachchans to oblige and compromise on their privacy. I am no defender of the Bachchans. They need the media for promoting their films, but want them out of the wedding. That speaks volumes for their character. It's a lesson for the media and I bet they would not have learnt it.
Coming back to the news channels, I can atleast excuse HT, but CNN IBN was criminal in its coverage. Despite flogging the wedding to the hilt, it ran a debate on whether the media was right to over hype the wedding. Double speak is not confined to politicians.
In a coup of sorts, Jayalalithaa, campaigning for the Samajwadi Party, addressed a rally in Allahabad in Hindi. Yes, Hindi.. you heard it right. I am being unjust to the lady by comparing her speech with the famous Ek gaaw mein scene in an old Bagyaraj movie. But, whenever a southie speaks Hindi, you cannot but avoid the comparison. She reportedly delivered a hard hitting, 15 minute speech in chaste Hindi . The crowd responded with shouts of 'Jayalalithaa Zindabad' which reportedly left 'Manya' Mulayamji blushing :)-
Karunanidhi's Pearls
Known for his penchant for writing dialogues, MK recently responded to the Supreme court's refusal to vacate the stay on OBC quotas by angrily saying that the "fate of 100 crore people cannot be left to two men".I wonder if there was any other statement made by any other person -dead or alive- that even comes anywhere close to this gem.
According to MK, a two judge bench can decide only on cases involving two people. To decide on OBC reservation, which according to MK involves over a billion Indians, you need a bench with a billion judges. Assuming that we find a billion judges and constitute a bench, Mk will not have any problems if they too refuse to vacate the stay. That is because, his pimary objection is to the number of people sitting in judgement and not their judgement.Fair enough.
Days later, a two judge bench of the Madras High Court upheld the abolition of the Common Entrance Test (CET) for admission to professional colleges in TN. They lauded the government for its efforts to ensure 'social justice'. How come these two can decide the fate of 6 crore Tamilians? Will MK oppose this? If this is not double speak, what is?
Politicising Fishermen Deaths
There have been recent incidents of Tamil fishermen being shot dead in the high seas. This disturbing trend,coming in the backdrop of renewed military might of the LTTE, is unabted.MK, meanwhile slammed the Sinhalese govt for firing unprovoked and in true filmi style , warned thatTamilians will not remain mute spectators. ( His typical statements go like this... " innumum madhiya arasu tamizhanain ratham kodhipadhay paarthu kondu irukkadhu endru ninaikiren. Rajni can consider hiring MK 's services for Sivaji).
The Lankan govt categorically denied any involvement in the firings and explicitly stated that its navy has been instructed not to fire on Indian fishermen transgressing the international waters.Meanwhile, there were reports that the Sea Tigers, the naval arm of the LTTE, could be behind the killings to sour relations betwen the two countries. The PMK, MDMK and the DMK which were vociferous in pinning the blame on the Lankan govt, chose not to react .
Now, the DGP of Tamil Nadu has confirmed that the Sea Tigers were behind the killings. How are the LTTE sympathisers planning to respond to this shameful, cowardly act?
Media Mania
It was a bumper fortnight for the media and the Ash-Abhi wedding was the most important event on earth. Headlines Today started the build up a week before the wedding, concentrating on details as silly as the amount of Mehendi to be used for the ceremony. The other channels were no better. They had the temerity to gate crash and attempt to intrude into the privacy of celebrities, but when chased away by the security gaurds , they paint the town red with complaints of high handedness.
The media's single grouse seems to be " What is preventing the Bachchans from even sharing a single pic of the couple?". Well, that's a fair question. But it's the prerogative of the Bachchans. If they choose to dump the media, what's preventing the media from returning compliments? They cannot ....because, news on the Bachchan wedding sells. And to drive their business, they want the Bachchans to oblige and compromise on their privacy. I am no defender of the Bachchans. They need the media for promoting their films, but want them out of the wedding. That speaks volumes for their character. It's a lesson for the media and I bet they would not have learnt it.
Coming back to the news channels, I can atleast excuse HT, but CNN IBN was criminal in its coverage. Despite flogging the wedding to the hilt, it ran a debate on whether the media was right to over hype the wedding. Double speak is not confined to politicians.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Chennai Masala
This section will have a quick round up of newsworthy events . I will try to update it on a weekely/ fortnightly basis
Sun and Sky dont see eye to eye
Never shy of brushing the wrong side of the law,Sun TV has done it yet again. It is flatly denying signals to Tata-Sky, a rival DTH operator, in order to ensure the success of its own DTH service due in July. Despite the Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) ruling in favour of the Tata-Sky JV, Sun TV is refusing to budge. Interestingly, TDSAT, comes under the Ministry of Telecom headed by none other than Dayanidhi Maran !!! It may be noted that Maran was accused of trying to arm twist the Tatas into a partnership- for rolling out DTH services with SunTV last year -which the Tatas firmly resisted.
Narayana Murthy is a traitor
Kannada zealots have plummeted to new lows. They want the Infosys Chairman 'thrown out of ' Karnataka and if possible, out of India. This outrageous demand is in response to NRN's reported remarks on the national anthem.During a visit by President Kalam last week to the Infosys Mysore campus, an instrumental version of the national anthem was played. When NRN was asked why the anthem was not sung, he is reported to have said that singing the anthem might make the foreign trainees in the campus uncomfortable. I am at a loss to undertsand the logic behind this, nevertheless, NRN has promptly apologized. Not content with that, the zealots are pouring scorn over him and are gunning for his blood. They are urging the govt not to provide any more land to Infosys and say Karnataka will be are better off without Infosys. All this at a time when Infosys reported revenues in excess of 13000 cr for the year ended 06-07 and a net profit over 4000 cr for the year. The ever increasing headcount now stands at a little over 71000.
Bounty Time
Talking of profits, its bonanza time for IT employees as salary hikes are normally given in April. They (me included :)- )are watching the financial results of their companies with bated breath to see if they can rake in some moolah. In the war for talent, salaries are expected to go up by 12-15% but P Chidambaram will ensure that the hike is offset by inflation, additional surcharge, cess and what not. Guess what? This additional cess is to fund the OBC reservation bill. Heard of double jeopardy?
CD row
Tech savvy-ness and the BJP seem poles apart. Hi-tech misadventures- be it the hidden cameras in Tehelka or the glitzy India Shining campign- have landed the party in a spot of bother and history has repeated itself. The party is accused of circulating CDs with communally inflamatory content in Uttar Pradesh, where the polls are underway. The self appointed custodians of secularism are up in arms and have petitioned the EC to de recognize the BJP and the EC has promptly served a show-cause notice. Sensing that things are boomeranging, the BJP has disowned the CD .I wonder where these parties are when the DMK indulges in majority bashing and particularly Brahmin-bashing. BJP CD Transcript
For the not so busy, read the transcript and post your comments on the content.
Sun and Sky dont see eye to eye
Never shy of brushing the wrong side of the law,Sun TV has done it yet again. It is flatly denying signals to Tata-Sky, a rival DTH operator, in order to ensure the success of its own DTH service due in July. Despite the Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) ruling in favour of the Tata-Sky JV, Sun TV is refusing to budge. Interestingly, TDSAT, comes under the Ministry of Telecom headed by none other than Dayanidhi Maran !!! It may be noted that Maran was accused of trying to arm twist the Tatas into a partnership- for rolling out DTH services with SunTV last year -which the Tatas firmly resisted.
Narayana Murthy is a traitor
Kannada zealots have plummeted to new lows. They want the Infosys Chairman 'thrown out of ' Karnataka and if possible, out of India. This outrageous demand is in response to NRN's reported remarks on the national anthem.During a visit by President Kalam last week to the Infosys Mysore campus, an instrumental version of the national anthem was played. When NRN was asked why the anthem was not sung, he is reported to have said that singing the anthem might make the foreign trainees in the campus uncomfortable. I am at a loss to undertsand the logic behind this, nevertheless, NRN has promptly apologized. Not content with that, the zealots are pouring scorn over him and are gunning for his blood. They are urging the govt not to provide any more land to Infosys and say Karnataka will be are better off without Infosys. All this at a time when Infosys reported revenues in excess of 13000 cr for the year ended 06-07 and a net profit over 4000 cr for the year. The ever increasing headcount now stands at a little over 71000.
Bounty Time
Talking of profits, its bonanza time for IT employees as salary hikes are normally given in April. They (me included :)- )are watching the financial results of their companies with bated breath to see if they can rake in some moolah. In the war for talent, salaries are expected to go up by 12-15% but P Chidambaram will ensure that the hike is offset by inflation, additional surcharge, cess and what not. Guess what? This additional cess is to fund the OBC reservation bill. Heard of double jeopardy?
CD row
Tech savvy-ness and the BJP seem poles apart. Hi-tech misadventures- be it the hidden cameras in Tehelka or the glitzy India Shining campign- have landed the party in a spot of bother and history has repeated itself. The party is accused of circulating CDs with communally inflamatory content in Uttar Pradesh, where the polls are underway. The self appointed custodians of secularism are up in arms and have petitioned the EC to de recognize the BJP and the EC has promptly served a show-cause notice. Sensing that things are boomeranging, the BJP has disowned the CD .I wonder where these parties are when the DMK indulges in majority bashing and particularly Brahmin-bashing. BJP CD Transcript
For the not so busy, read the transcript and post your comments on the content.
First Salvo Part 2
The law providig 69% reservation in TN , over and above the 50% ceiling that the SC has repetedly emphasised, was mischieveously included in the 9 th schedule by JJ. Laws under 9 th schedule are beyond judicial scrutiny. It was envisaged my Nehru for initating land reforms but soon became a tool in the hands of the politicians who incuded as many as 274 laws under it !!!! The SC has questioned the legality of enacting laws at will and including it in the ninth schedule and this is giving sleeps nights to the likes of MK.
When MK resorts to political stunts, you can rest assured that all is not well.He fears that the quota law in TN might be struck down. He is pre empting the SC by upping the ante against it. A mouth watering confrontation with the judiciary is on the cards. Will keep you guys posted.
Tail Piece: The latest on 27% OBC quota...IIMs have been asked to withhold their admission list till April 21. The HRD ministry is bending over backwards to get the stay vacated. The IIMs meanwhile have announced that if there is no communication from the centre even after 21 st, it will go ahead with the admissions without the additional 27% reservations and without increasing the intake
When MK resorts to political stunts, you can rest assured that all is not well.He fears that the quota law in TN might be struck down. He is pre empting the SC by upping the ante against it. A mouth watering confrontation with the judiciary is on the cards. Will keep you guys posted.
Tail Piece: The latest on 27% OBC quota...IIMs have been asked to withhold their admission list till April 21. The HRD ministry is bending over backwards to get the stay vacated. The IIMs meanwhile have announced that if there is no communication from the centre even after 21 st, it will go ahead with the admissions without the additional 27% reservations and without increasing the intake
Monday, April 9, 2007
Diarios de motocicleta
This is one movie that I had been keeping away from. I knew the movie was about Che Guevara one of the revolutionary South American socialists. Too be frank I did not have any interest in learning about why Che revolutionized south America in the fifties and the sixties, along with Fidel Castro specially in a “doccumentry”. I was hence prejudiced about the film and hence did not even care to give it a chance.
Somehow fate brought me together with the film one lonely cold night. It’s a beautiful film and extremely well made and is not an advert to socialism or how Che Guevara brought about a revolution and certainly not a doccumentry. It is about a road trip that Che and his friend took in the early fifties from Argentina to Venezuela right after graduation from medical school. It took them close to 12 months to complete the journey the movie chronicles the events that happen along the way. It’s a very well made movie and extremely touching as well.
I went on to read up on Che Guevara. If you are wondering who this guy is I am sure you must have come across him on the back of some T-shirt sometime in your life and wondered the same then.
This got me thinking about the socialism concept and why it was so required in the fifties in India, South America and any third world country and probably going back a little further the early twenties in Russia. The plight of an overwhelming number of people was really bad as compared to a major few. It was a strong cause for socialism. But my feeling is that neither a purely socialistic society nor a purely capitalistic society would work in a modern economy. That’s why I feel that the Indian constitution was way ahead of its time. But the principles are far from being adopted. The rules are being bent so as to help causes such as Murli wrote home about! We need some sort of revolutions and some foresighted people to rally around what our constitution really is about!
Che was assassinated by the CIA sometime in 1967 because the Americans where shit scared of his revolutionary ideas, the way he was implementing them and of course the fact that he was a proclaimed socialist. I can never understand the fear of the American politicos on this and why they have tried and keep trying to twist socialist countries.
Saturday, April 7, 2007
First Salvo
The reservation rage is back.The 2 judge bench of the Supreme Court consisting of Justices Arijit Pasayat and Lokeshwar Singh Panta, in a stinging verdict, has stayed the quota coteries' plans to push through the 27% reservation this academic year.In a particularly embarrassing observation, the court said "Nowhere else in the world is there competition to assert backwardness and then to claim we are more backward than you."It went on to add "Differentiation or classifications for special preference must not be unduly unfair to the persons left out of the favoured groups".
The court did not stop with that. It said "Though it is submitted that the number of seats available for the general category is not affected, that is really no answer to the broader issue. If there is possibility of increase in seats in the absence of reservation, it could have gone to the general category"
Now, cut to Chennai. March 29,2007. TN CM is in Mahindra City inaugurating the new BMW factory. Hearing the stay order, he dashes off to Anna Arivalayam , gets into a huddle with his allies, expresses 'shock' over the verdict and calls for a TN banch on Mar 31 (Sat).
Mar 31, Chennai. Typical bandh rituals Sun TV declares it a massive success and proudly announces that TN was completely shut down. Jaya TV meanwhile reports the difficulties of stranded passengers and flays MK for causing 'inconvenience' to the people (Ironically, JJ is against the SC verdict, but blames the stay on the inefficient handling of the case . ADMK boycotted the bandh accusing the TN govt of 'indifference' towards protecting 'Social justice'.
I had a nice time watching these channels as their news bulletins were more comical than any comedy show on air.Taking a cue, AP shut down on April 4. And Gemini TV and ETV took over from Sun and Jaya.
Back in Delhi, parties flay the SC order. Close followers of Indian politics will be hardly surprised that the very parties that extensively quote the SC judgements when it comes to Ayodhya or the Gujarat riots,unashamedly question its authority. Indian politics thrives in double speak and hypocricy. The better you are at it, the farther you go. And our 'netas' know that well.
Barely had the Arcot veerasamy vs madras High court spat ( where he compared the courts to a 'Katta Panchayathu' and demanded that the judges be shown their place. Google search for details:)-) died down , the TN govt(which is synonymous with the DMK) has , by calling the bandh,mounted pressure on the SC. MK, the master demagogue, conveniently (mis)interpreted the people's unwillingness to take on the DMK hooligans as a public endorsement of his stand and gave himself a pat on his back.
But ever wondered why MK is so unnerved? I'll answer that next week....
The court did not stop with that. It said "Though it is submitted that the number of seats available for the general category is not affected, that is really no answer to the broader issue. If there is possibility of increase in seats in the absence of reservation, it could have gone to the general category"
Now, cut to Chennai. March 29,2007. TN CM is in Mahindra City inaugurating the new BMW factory. Hearing the stay order, he dashes off to Anna Arivalayam , gets into a huddle with his allies, expresses 'shock' over the verdict and calls for a TN banch on Mar 31 (Sat).
Mar 31, Chennai. Typical bandh rituals Sun TV declares it a massive success and proudly announces that TN was completely shut down. Jaya TV meanwhile reports the difficulties of stranded passengers and flays MK for causing 'inconvenience' to the people (Ironically, JJ is against the SC verdict, but blames the stay on the inefficient handling of the case . ADMK boycotted the bandh accusing the TN govt of 'indifference' towards protecting 'Social justice'.
I had a nice time watching these channels as their news bulletins were more comical than any comedy show on air.Taking a cue, AP shut down on April 4. And Gemini TV and ETV took over from Sun and Jaya.
Back in Delhi, parties flay the SC order. Close followers of Indian politics will be hardly surprised that the very parties that extensively quote the SC judgements when it comes to Ayodhya or the Gujarat riots,unashamedly question its authority. Indian politics thrives in double speak and hypocricy. The better you are at it, the farther you go. And our 'netas' know that well.
Barely had the Arcot veerasamy vs madras High court spat ( where he compared the courts to a 'Katta Panchayathu' and demanded that the judges be shown their place. Google search for details:)-) died down , the TN govt(which is synonymous with the DMK) has , by calling the bandh,mounted pressure on the SC. MK, the master demagogue, conveniently (mis)interpreted the people's unwillingness to take on the DMK hooligans as a public endorsement of his stand and gave himself a pat on his back.
But ever wondered why MK is so unnerved? I'll answer that next week....
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