Pratap Bhanu Mehta in the Indian Express writes: he world is looking to India on many dimensions: its economic prospects, cultural visibility and its own political example. There is a sense that, despite some serious challenges, the momentum of history is on India’s side. The future is only India’s to lose. But there is also tremendous apprehension in different parts of the world about the Indian state’s ability to leverage this opportunity to its full advantage. In meetings across the world, whether in Asia or the United States, the usual homage is paid to the Indian growth story. But shortly thereafter, the frustrations begin to emerge." Read More
Torching freedom Posted by: manish on Saturday, April 12, 2008 - 10:51 AM
The Indian Express writes: "CPM was right in saying Chinese companies shouldn’t be victims of security paranoia. But since the party has decided that Chinese communist sensibilities must be protected from a handful of young Tibetans, it invites very sharp questions. The first question is: why does the CPM think India’s democracy must carry the torch for China’s Olympian intolerance?" Read More
Arun Shourie in his four part series (Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV) shows that how the so called dream team of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P. Chidambaram has mismanaged economy during the last couple of years. "The Budget is a symptom also of gross mismanagement of the economy. Apart from the fact that reforms have been at a complete standstill ever since this ‘dream-team’ of ‘reformers’ took office, their management has brought the country back into the vicious cycle of high interest rates, declining growth, and inflation."
Arun Shourie in his four part series (Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV) shows that how the so called dream team of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P. Chidambaram has mismanaged economy during the last couple of years. "The Budget is a symptom also of gross mismanagement of the economy. Apart from the fact that reforms have been at a complete standstill ever since this ‘dream-team’ of ‘reformers’ took office, their management has brought the country back into the vicious cycle of high interest rates, declining growth, and inflation."
The Indian Express reports that Bangladeshi author, who was a refugee in India, left India. Nasreen was targeted by Islamic fundamentalist, and the our government's way of providing security to her was to put her in a virtual house arrest. Every right thinking Indian should be very sad today as we turned our back on a sharnagat.
In a question asked in the Rajya Sabha, Home Minister Shivaraj Patil said "We should look at the scale (of Naxal violence) and not exaggerate it and create fear". He clarified his statement by stating that only 300 police stations out of over 14,000 in the country have Naxalite activities. At the village level, only 14,000 of them are Naxal infested.
I guess, Mr. Minister should tell this to the families of Police personnels who laid their life fighting this red menace. Also, the next logical question should be how many villages/police station should be affected before we call it a real problem?
Moreover, going by the logic, terrorism in Kashmir would also look trivial.
Economic Times reports that an exhibition on Aurangzeb was forcibly shut down by police (see video). What is happening to the freedom of speech and expression? Where is the outrage?
Kanwal Sibal in the Indian Express writes: "Tibet is at the heart of our border problem with China. Hu Jintao can well declaim that China’s stability is dependent on Tibet’s stability, but how can this be achieved if China refuses to deal with the Dalai Lama and keeps conflict alive by laying periodic claims to Arunachal Pradesh? Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s January visit to Arunachal Pradesh elicited the usual Chinese protest against trespass into their territory. Although the protest was at a middle diplomatic level, it does reveal the iron in China’s posture and its indifference to Indian public opinion." Read More.
Bold monks Posted by: manish on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 03:32 PM
The Indian Express writes: "Tibet is at the very heart of the deep distrust between India and China. The Sino-Indian dispute over the boundary, which in reality is the Indo-Tibetan frontier, is very much part of the Tibet question. The 1962 border war was the inevitable consequence of the failed Tibetan rebellion and the Dalai Lama’s escape to India in 1959. Given the ever-expanding stakes in a cooperative relationship with China, India cannot let Tibetan protests on its soil get out of hand." Read More.
We need to look at this issues based on our national interest and not how Chinese are going to react.
Ramesh Ramanathan in the livemint.com writes: "Beyond voting, there was little scope for the average citizen to really engage in affairs of state in India. Until 1992, when we got the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments dealing with rural and urban decentralization. With the 73rd amendment, every rural voter got an opportunity to actively participate in local issues through the powerful concept of the gram sabha (village assembly). This singular act of placing the citizen at the centre of the governance architecture captured the essence of democracy. However, in a remarkable display of constitutional one-sidedness, the 74th amendment offered no such parallel platform for the urban voter." Read More
