Pets of congress

Indian parliamentary elections are long over. They are no longer in the public discussions and verdict has been accepted by parties and people.

I saw the election results with detachment because I feel they still don’t represent voice of the awakened educated middle class of the country. Media pandits have determined BJP lost because it is an extremist party and people have rejected extremism. I dispute both assertions but that aside the compeling reason to write this post is to highlight the ridiculousness in the media I noticed.

In particular this post is about CNN-IBN and its on air editor Rajdeep Sardesai. It was kind of humours and shocking to see this individual jumping with joy as poll results were coming out and asking the panel of equally funny creatures he had gathered whether they are ready to celebrate and he could not contain his joy.

It is fine if he agrees with congress party manifesto and supports left. But being a news channel on air editor displaying such partisan influence and bias ON AIR in realtime was just odd to look at. Is he funded by Sonia Gandhi???

I know his wife Sagarika Ghose’s father was a pet dog of congress and lived off of left overs thrown at him but it is ironic and shocking that soo many media channels are willing to ignore what is the public sentiment and spread propaganda of congress. They still are not operating in real business world where they earn by sponsorship of news and programs people want to watch.

Well I am sure the day will come when it will happen but until then Good Night and Good Luck!

- A Thoughtful Citizen.

As expected Conan O’Brien dumbed it down

I don’t know if it is just me but I really liked Leno style mild non-abrasive but intelligent humor.

Conan ruined it for me, he might be funny in some weird sense with forced humor in his jokes but seriously NBC expected him to take Leno’s position??

I want a show with light humor but not a dumb show with toilet humor in it.

Guess will be forced to watch Steven Colbert with his overdone cult show.

Should Blagojevich get Electric Chair??

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081211/ap_on_re_us/illinois_governor

This guy is shamelessly gluing himself to his governor’s chair after such blatant act of corruption. He can get 20 year and 10 year sentences for two corruption charges. Do you think that is enough? after the behavior demonstrated by him. This idiot really believes he is above law.

Why waste tax-payer money to give him food and shelter for 30 years? I don’t want a penny of my tax payments to go towards providing anything other than high voltage electric current through his brain.

It is not a slip-up, it is not a mistake, it is a demonstrated repeated behavior of crime. He would have easily been a serial killer if he didn’t fall in governor’s chair by fortune.

I vote for electric chair for Blagojevich.

-A Thoughtful Citizen.

India Ready FOR WAR?

Public sentiment in India indicates it is as ready for WAR as US was after 9/11. Political party in power has an opportunity to use this public sentiment and take decisive action.

India is ready for war Financially.

Indian ARMY is superior and ready.

Indian public sentiment and support is with decisive action from Government.

An act of war must be responded with WAR?

US must force pakistan to take decisive action because both US and India are not only tied with trade and democracy but through people. I was in pentagon city when plane crashed in Pentagon. I know what US went through. India is going through the same thing. I appeal US citizens to join in one voice and motivate US government. It is time US should stop focusing on narrow timeline but think strategically for long term vision. It might benefit in short term by discouraging military action against southern border of pakistan, but that will just be an extension of failed policy US has been following for years.

India is ready for WAR, IS America ready?

- A Thoughtful Citizen.

IS Rahul Bose a Terrorist?

It is time for Indian population to be more aware and active, we can not tolerate individuals who voice their opinion to trivialize events as important as 26/11.

http://outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20081208&fname=Bombay+Blast+32%2D39%28F%29&sid=11

We need free speech but we must not tolerate voices coming from bollywood which have vested interest and are benefiting from others misery.

In this article this individual Rahul Bose is blabbering without having any expertise on the matter or relevance. He is already worried about police state even before the firings and grenade explosions have ended, but if you dig deeper your realize why, he is running NGO (anti-discrimination NGO, The Foundation) which is funded by various sources including US based funds. With tighter security his NGO can lose its funding, influence and relevance. Because the discrimination he is so worried about against minority community will become a legal technique. It is not discrimination it is called profiling, Police will catch someone or monitor activities of who fits description or associations or affiliations and particiation in activities which unfortunately will involve member of minority community disproportionately. That is not an intentional discrimination but a logical profiling. He is profiting from this and gaining influence do you see this person as a leader a person who would represent you? Who is getting bitch slapped in a movie? He is also actively and enthusiastically jumping on any stage provided to him because this movie is getting publicity from it.

What can we do? well you can not watch any movies in which he has any contribution. Before you go watch any movie check if he has contributed in any fashion go to www.imdb.com and don’t watch it if he has anything to do with it. Make sure your friends know this. Bankrupt this BASTARD.

This is an action ITEM if you are wondering what you can do in the wake of terror attacks and how to stop their sympathisers from succeeding in allowing more mayhem in India. This is a start.

I intend to post ACTION ITEMs that a common citizen can do on regular basis, please post your comments.

-A Thoughtful Citizen.

Kerala chief minister, demented??

I was surprised and amused by the sequence of events that took place with Kerala chief minister. Why did he think he has a right to just show up at martyr Major Sandeep Unnikrisnan’s house.

Regardless of circumstances would you like an uninvited guest showing up at your home and before he comes police shows up with sniffer dogs to comb the area of your house? After he was kicked out he had the audacity to make the statement he made which was not just insensitive but moronic.

Later he claims he has no reason to apologize and then another press appearance where he babbles in broken English and points to his own head and says Major’s father is gone mad. Granted since he is illiterate probably he meant to say Mr. Unnikrisnan was mentally disturbed but this CM could not construct a simple sentence. How are these illiterate people governing a state which claims 100% literacy rate??

After seeing Major Unnikrisnan’s mother talking to her son for one last time and showering her love on her loss for one last time I doubt any eyes were left dry, then excuse me but how can this BASTARD of a CM get away with this? Keralite’s it is your turn throw this guy out. Kerala politicians from CM’s own party you have a chance to become CM throw this guy out. Use it, its a god given gift to you, show your leadership.

As I am writing this I see Naqui making even more amusing comments and showing disbelief and surprise at people questioning competence of politicians. Dude that is democracy .

If we can not hold politician’s accountable at this juncture when will we? If we don’t I will lose my faith in Indian democracy.

-A Thoughtful Citizen.

Ratan Tata – calling for lower rates

Ratan Tata in self admitted uneducated view called for lower rates and tolerance for inflation in the wake of slowing Indian Economy.

India has seen in bygone era of license raj intolerable levels of inflation and pathetic attempts to circumvent it by populist measures. Inflation in Indian economy is already at astronomical levels.

Indian economy is slowing but is still expected to keep healthy pace of 6-7% of GDP growth. Agreed with rising workforce if the growth rate is not higher unemployment numbers are likely to go up but that is not an excuse to ignore inflation.

With election looming and a prominent industrialist calling for lower rates it is unlikely it will not happen. If oil prices stabilize around $70-$80 a barrel and global credit availability remain at the level inflation might prove a non-concern but with inflation at 8% if it is not lowered India will start seeing negative growth.

Lowered rates are sure to help in economic slowdown but I would say better way to spur growth and lower unemployment would be to increase infrastructure building efforts which are in dire need anyways. But Lalus in the government who can even eat grass meant for cows!!! Can Indian government do that???

Pakistan Can not Exist in its current form

http://thoughtfulcitizens.wordpress.com/pakistan-can-not-exist-in-its-current-form-2/

Thank you for the show – Fareed Zakaria GPS

Hi Fareed, I want to thank you for your show today. It was the first US media analysis of the events unfolding in Mumbai which I believe was so packed and concise with mature discussion I can not imagine a better one. Thanks for your candor with which you began the show by saying it was an LeT attack and possibly some elements of Pakistani government was involved.

I was glad Mr. Tata is showing leadership at the time of such crisis, economic liberalization has already effectively distributed good deal of influence in the hands of private leaders and Mr. Tata putting his stature, credibility and integrity behind the criticism of current weak government will have long lasting implications.

I was suspicious that Mr. Kissinger would try to characterise this in a gray shade considering US interest in western border of Pakistan but he came out with the most precise characterisation possible of Indian interest and motivations in the region and displayed his dismay over radical military elements of pakistan and their irrational fears. I suspect those fears have less to do with territorial integrity of pakistan and more to do with personal economic interest of those radical military factions which have benefited from the conditions in which they have pushed pakistan into. I believe this is an opportunity for US and India to collaborate, I also see this as an opportunity for Pakistan leadership at least what is left of it to root out radicalised military and intelligence elements with help of US and India. I doubt India wants a failed neighboring state regardless of which political party is in power and it has been demonstrated by both major national parties when they were in power.

This is another 9/11 moment of the war on terror and it must be utilized effectively by both US and India, pakistan has been center of terrorism for decades irradication of radical elements from this region finally might create an environment where we can claim legitimately “mission accomplished”.

Please accept my support and well wishes for the family you have in Mumbai for the ordeal they had to go through. I personally have many friends and loved ones fortunately none I know of personally have succumbed to this dastardly act of terrorism.

-A Thoughtful Citizen.

Response to – Being Muslim in India

http://alaiwah.wordpress.com/2008/10/25/being-muslim-in-india-today/

 

Hi Samina, hope you will not take an offense to my attempt to directly contact you and communicate with you about your article.

 

It is very obvious a religious minority with starkly different customs and ritual will stand out and considering India’s past, Moghul invasion of India and later on partition of Pakistan would leave majority of the population suspicious and doubtful of the minority left behind. It is a fact I am not going to dispute it.

 

Muslims are seen differently at times in India for good or bad.

 

I just wanted to comment on your take of madrasa education of Muslims. I am quoting you here,

 

“what spaces other than madrasas are available for thousands of believing Muslims who choose to get educated and still retain their Muslim-ness. “

 

I do not understand why you think a believing Muslim can not get formal education and still keep his/her muslim-ness intact? I must confess I have not taken pain to read Koran, my general understating of this faith stems from conversations with Friends, Documentaries about Islam and interviews of Islamic scholars who can communicate in my opinion the philosophical idea and not mythical stories. I am not sure whether you consider them Muslim enough? but assuming you do let me move on.

 

I am a Hindu by philosophy I chose that word consciously over the word religion, I rarely ever go to temple. I have objection to the idea of organized religion because any faith based ideology with collective intelligence of masses which is generally very low can be converted to an organized mob with little or no difficulty by arousing emotions. I dislike the idea of Temple, Mosques or for that matter any religious institution which can create a parallel authority to elected government by organizing masses on the basis of pure faith because there is no rationality involved.

 

Practicing Hindus who do not get formal education but instead chose to educate themselves in religious scriptures are generally very poor and belong to the lower rung of the economic hierarchy in the society. I am a brahmin and I can tell you I know lot of fellow brahmins who by profession preach and practice religion and religious rituals. Number of people in this profession is continuously dwindling and most who are in this profession live in abject poverty with no representation in government or society just like many Muslims who live on the fringes of society because of their illiteracy and prejudices injected in them by religious authorities who do it for means of their own survival and selfish reasons.

 

Do you really think a Muslim getting formal education will lose his/her muslim-ness? I think just like many factions of Hindu religious beliefs who have lost touch with its philosophical underpinnings and are left with only rituals and rhetoric, Islam preached in majority of the institutions in India have completely lost its roots. Islam used to be a faith with strong emphasis on scientific education and innovation, commerce and trade. It is not starkly different from other abrahmic religions like Judaism at the core philosophical level.

 

Is wearing certain clothes or praying 5 times a day facing a certain direction or certain movement of hands or repetitive chanting of religious scripture written in a mideavel language not understood by the person and which can be interpreted in thousands of ways really the defining aspects of Islam? Why is it forbidden to print or draw or create idols of god? I would speculate above all it is a means of creating an amorphous religion which has no race, color, gender, nation or meaningless rituals, but still thousands every year make the arduous journey to Kaba to see a stone? Was it really the intended purpose or may be the purpose was to set a goal in life of a Muslim to lead a pious and constructive fruitful life. God is amorphous because he has no nation no country no defined place on earth, he is every where so why Saudi Arabia has the privilege to host god? You can be sitting at gateway of India looking at the ocean and talk to god you don’t need to go to Saudi Arabia’s corrupt kingdom which is using oil money to create Muslim slaves all over the world to stay in power and enjoy all the sins  forbidden in Islam.

 

A hard liner Hindu might question my own Hinduness but most thoughtful will realize and do realize that is why number of Hindu kids being sent to varanasi to learn Sanskrit is dwindling. They realize it is for their own betterment. Government can not keep giving handouts to unproductive population for indefinite time period.

 

There are many other religious minorities practicing religion originated from the same areas e.g. Parsis and they belong to the ruling class in the population with disproportionately more wealth and influence and deservedly so. Are they less parsi ? because they put strong emphasis on education and economic betterment and self reliance? I do not think they are less religious.

 

Educated Muslims like you must assimilate themselves with conscious efforts to reduce the obvious and perceived differences and retaining the philosophical ideas behind Islam. I am sure that will be good for them and that will be good for the country. And trust me you will not be less Muslim and you will have discovered a very strong and long lasting root of Islam, which will preserve this faith and remove the stench and stigma of fundamentalism and terrorism from its face.

 

I am very confident any thoughtful Muslim regardless of education or intellectual level will think twice about what I wrote and religious establishment will be enraged because I am hitting them where it hurts. If more Indian Muslims think about what I wrote they will lose their control over the community and their means of earning in spite of being unproductive burden on the society.

 

If you think I am making any sense I invite you to visit my blog on http://thoughtfulcitizens.wordpress.com/ and share your ideas.

 

Best Regards,

A Thoughtful Citizen.