Anti-Cow Slaughter Act thrown to winds: K R Rao

Where have secularists gone?

By Karadala Raghavendra Rao

The Andhra Pradesh Prohibition of Cow Slaughter and Animal Preservation Act – 1972 was thrown to the winds, even as-many-as thirty thousand (30,000) cows were dastardly and reprehensibly slaughtered on  November 9, 2011 on the eve of Id-e-Baqrid. While various Hindu organisations observed haplessly and helplessly.

In fact, almost all states in India, except of course the North-East states of Meghalaya and Nagaland have enacted anti-cow slaughter laws. But, no one ever cares to implement the so-called laws. Most of the cows were slaughtered on the streets in full public gaze in Andhra Pradesh State capital of Hyderabad. Those establishments or organisations vested with the responsibility of prevention cow slaughter have simply turned a blind eye and did nothing to stop the butchery of hapless and holy cows.  As far as the ruling party is concerned, it appears that they are interested only in the vote bank politics and so-much-so, bothered the least in the matter. The media and press who raise a big hue-and-cry even for silly things have maintained a stony silence and totally and shamelessly ignored the whole criminality.

The so-called animal lovers hardly attempted to stop this heinous crime. Well, for that matter, every single political party closed their eyes on this sordid episode. Less said is better about our self-centred political leaders. Not to specially mention,  every party, every organisation, every outfit behaved as nothing happened.  We wonder where all these organisations have disappeared or simply vanished. The Muslims during celebrations of Baqrid, traditionally kill only goats and lambs; are now resorting to slaughter of cows against their own religious tradition. Why? What could be the reason? Maybe it is due to the weak, passive and unassertive pathetic Hindu society. The atrocious act of Muslims is not limited to just Hyderabad but this devious and illegal killings were carried out at many places including Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Bhainsa, Kamareddy, Nizamabad, Kurnool, Kadiri and Kadapa.

It is said that a Muslim religious organisation, the Dar-ul-Uloom, Deoband has actually made an appeal to the Islamic society not to harm holy cows; even then, this brutal sin was committed by  the Muslims.
This is nothing but a challenge not just to the Hindu society but to the nation at large.

The AP Prohibition of Cow Slaughter and Animal Preservation Act – 1972 was actually an improvement to the already existing Act of 1960. This Act even specifies the mode and method of transportation of cows in trucks and vehicles duly taking care to see that the cows are not subjected to torture or suffering during transportation, the Motor Vehicles Act also was suitably amended to incorporate this provision. Committees were formed to review the implementation of the provisions once in every year, and special powers were also vested to the committee. All these acts, committees, powers have gone in vain.

And now, what are we Hindus doing. We conduct and rejoice coronation ceremony of  Saif Ali Khan  Pataudi when his father Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi died. We are eager to bring in Ranganath Misra Commission, Rajinder Sachar Committee to do “justice” to Muslims (sic), while in fact, it is the Hindus who need basic human rights in India that is Bharat.

Let’s co-operate with Hindu organisations, let’s join in their efforts of serving the nation and nation building. Inaction, failure to act, fumbling, indecision, procrastination and dithering will lead us nowhere.
Now is the time for us to act. Time is precious and running out.

Hindus wake up and fight to defend the honour of our beloved Motherland, our culture, our nation and our Dharma.

Source: Organiser

In Kerala, Communist Movement plunging into deepest crisis since inception : S Chandrasekhar

S Chandrasekhar in ORGANISER

The brutal butchering of TP Chandrasekharan has struck at the roots of the CPM, plunging it into the deepest crisis, since the inception of communist movement in Kerala since 1940s. Rebel and popular CPM leader of Onchiyam, in Badagara, in Kozhikode district, Chandrasekharan was expelled from CPM and he formed the Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP).


 
RMP was able to inflict heavy losses to CPM in consecutive polls since 2009. Media reports say CPM had made nine attempts, since then to kill Chandrasekharan, but he miraculously survived. Chandrase-kharan was not lucky on 4 May, when a seven members hit squad butchered him at 10.40 pm, near his home in Onchiyam, with 51 cuts and face totally mutilated.
 
The resultant effect has inflicted worst damages on CPM than what Chandrasekharan would have done. Entire Kerala, forgetting party loyalties paid homage to this mass hero. VS Atchudanandan, Ex-CM, Opposition Leader and bete-noire of CPM State Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, laid wreath on his body and described him as a ‘Brave Communist’.
 
Angered by Atchudanandan  describing Chandrasekharan as a brave communist, Pinarayi called the martyred Chandrasekharan a ‘Traitor’. This was condemned by media and several parties, but Pinarayi struck to his stand. Atchudanandan hit back at Pinarayi by saying he is not the final word in CPM and that many, including him, consider Chandrasekharan as a brave communist. He went on to say Pinarayi will meet the same fate of SA Dange who autocratically expelled one third of the central committee members in 1964, paving the way for CPM formation. Later the same Dange was expelled by CPI.  Atchudanandan fired another bomb against Pinarayi by writing to Karat, Yechuri, for revamp and leadership change in Kerala. If not, he said, he was not interested in continuing in Opposition Leader’s post. In a final hammer blow to Pinarayi dominated CPM, Atchudanandan on June 2, when CPM/LDF was facing a crucial by-poll in Neyyatinkara, visited the house of Chandrase-kharan and offered condolences to his wife, son and mother among a sea of RMP and CPM supporters. He also offered flowers at Chandrasekharan’s burial place. There are ground reports that Atchudanandan’s visit on poll day to Chandrasekharan’s house, was a signal to his supporters to vote against CPM in the crucial Neyyatinkara by-poll. Atchuda-nandan feels that if CPM loses there, Pinarayi’s position will be shaky.
 
In another severe set-back to CPM, MM Mani, the CPM strongman in Idukki district for 26 years, boasted at a CPM rally that the party was in the habit of preparing hit-list and eliminating its opponents. He ranted that one was shot dead, another stabbed and a third beaten to death. He continued making vulgar comments against renowned writer and Jnyanapeet Award Winner Mahaswetha Devi, who visited Chandrasekharan’s wife Rema. Media reports say that between 1980 and 1995 almost seven Congress/BJP workers were murdered in Idukki. Based on Mani’s disclosure, he has been charged with IPC 302 (Murder), Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted and he been summoned. Mani also attacked Atchudanandan for creating problems for Pinarayi and calling Chandrasekharan a true communist. Mahaswetha Devi has written to Pinarayi against Mani’s outbursts and CPI has complained to DGP/Home Minister. Karat has hinted at action against him for his ‘Loud Mouth Boast’. The State CPM has also contemplated action. Mani who was in hiding ever since his boast, surfaced on June 3rd and the Idukki CPM has indicated that it will resist party and police action against Mani who built the CPM there in past 50 years. Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, said, Mani is speaking the language of terrorist and that 250 odd Sangh and BJP brave-hearts here have fallen to the swords of Mani like, CPM men. CPI State Secretary Panyan Raveendran has given indications to the CPM that if Mani is let loose, the CPM led LDF will have to bear people’s ire.
 
Police have registered cases against MM Mani in the murder of Congress activist Baby in 1982. Although the State CPM has also indicated of taking action against Mani, Idukki CPM and Mani are defiant and belligerent. While former CPM ideologue Berlin Kunjanan-than Nair has opined that cpm is practising primitive and corporatised communism, CPI State Secretary described Mani as a person devoid of basic communist trait of humanism and of having a killer mindset.
 
Investigations by SIT do not bring any cheers for the CPM and it is cornered and desperate. The Innova car used by the hit- gang has been found abandoned in CPM stronghold of Chokli. The swords, axes used for the savagery have been confiscated from a well in the same Chokli. Rafeek who took the car on rent is in police custody. Rafeek had handed over this car to Kodi Suni who usually does hit jobs for CPM. Several RSS/BJP men have fallen prey to Kodi Suni and his gang.
 
The SIT is progressing on the clear leads that it was Kodi Suni’s gang which killed Chandrasekharan and the conspiracy was hatched at the wedding function of Andhery Sura’s daughter of April 22. Sura, a CPM prisoner is now back in jail after parole. The attack was planned on May 2 and rooms were booked for the hit game and 50 sim cards, 20 phones were arranged. But as TPC was not alone, he was  butchered only on 4.
 
Almost two dozen top leaders of CPM from Onchiyam, Orkatery and adjoining Kannur are in police net including ex-NGO  Union  State Secretary and Onchiyam Area Secretary CH Asokan. Police have spread net for thirteen CPM men including KP Kunjananthan of Panoor who acted as link between CPM and hit squad.
 
Shijith, a member of the seven-man hit squad who was injured in  the melee and was treated in hospitals in Kannur and who escaped to Mysore has been arrested. Police teams are in Mumbai to arrest Shinoj who is in the custody of CPM supporters. Wide net has been spread for Kodi Suni and Rajeesh, who were also behind butchery of many RSS cadres in Kannur. Abzal who had supplied sim-cards to the hit squad using fake ID cards has been arrested.
 
For several years, RSS has been warning that Kannur Central Jail is a CPM party village. Several RSS men have been attacked here. Home Minister T Radhakrishnan had a first hand experience when he visited Block 5 and 8 of the prison recently. The walls were plastered with pictures of CPM leaders, flags, memorials for martyrs, separate kitchen, TV and mobiles. Mobile jammers and cameras were found destroyed. The jail staff and officials fearing CPM, had given them a free hand
The cornered CPM is letting loose its ire on the Media and Police. Kannur strongman MV Jayarajan embarked on a day-long sit-in outside Koothuparambu Police Station demanding an area committee member’s release. Former Minister Elamaram Kareem have several times threatened the police officers and families of the SIT and cases have been slapped against him. Several CPM leaders have been continuously attacking the SIT officials and spreading false rumours to intimidate and weaken them. CPM has also filed cases in Kerala High Court for contempt proceedings against medias and channels.
In a major deviation, the police is launching foolproof and scientific investigation in the Chandrase-kharan murder. Earlier whenever a murder takes place, the CPM produces some accused. During trial, some are convicted and some released.
 
BJP has demanded re- investigation into the murder of its top leaders KT Jayakrishnan and Pannyanoor Chandran, both of Kannur.
 
Chandrasekharan’s assassination has been giving nightmares and sleepless nights to CPM, than Chandrasekharan alive. Thousands of CPM supporters are flocking to Chandrasekharan’s house and condolence meetings being organised throughout Kerala, shaking the CPM at the grass roots.
 
Apart from Chandrasekharan murder and Mani’s murder boast, two other murders are haunting CPM. The CBI has informed the High Court that CPM is resisting arrest of two CPM leaders involved in Fazal murder case. Fazal, a CPM activist who joined jehadi NDF was murdered by CPM goons. CPM tried to put blame on the RSS, but investigations proved that CPM was the culprit. Similarly two dozen CPM cadres have been charged with the murder of Muslim League activist Shukoor, whose only crime was that he blocked the car of CPM Kannur Secretary P Jayarajan

Some significant points on Muslim Reservations by Dr Togadia

Note by Dr Pravin Togadia, VHP International Chief

1. Religion based reservations are unconstitutional as many HCs have given judgments to this regard. 4.5% reservation to Muslims is religion based reservation.
2. Appointment of the Sachhar Committee is itself unconstitutional as its terms of reference are religion based. It is against all Supreme Court judgments on secularism (refer to the 2008 case in Del HC – petition against Sachhar Committee by Rashtriya Mukti Morcha, appeared for them : Advocate P N Lekhi, Justice Thakur & Justice Siddharth Mridul termed the Sachhar Committee ‘Unconstitutional move by the Govt.’)
3. Sachhar Committee report has no reference or study about the actual comparison between Muslim OBC’s educational & economic status and the same of Hindu OBC. The details of their survey limit themselves to Hindu Sc / Hindu OBC / Hindu others / but Muslim ALL. No Muslim OBCs.
4. If there is no study that proves that Muslim OBCs are far behind Hindu OBCs, then how & on what basis the Govt has been giving quota or preference to Muslim OBCs over Hindu OBCs? This itself it invalid & preposterous.
5. Per Sachhar Committee report itself Muslims in 9 states are educationally much more ahead than Hindus.  Why should Muslims get benefit of any quota?
6. The methodology & sample sizes of the Sachhar Committee studies are not up to the international standards for any social or demographic survey. In this situation, any conclusion or recommendation thereof cannot be taken as valid.
7. Sachhar Committee’s conclusion that Muslims in Bharat are economically & educationally backward is invalid. National Sample Survey in 24 states & Union Territories prove that the average Muslim household at national level spends more ( Ru. 40,327) than the Hindu household (40,009) re annual household expenditure.
8. Incidents of infant & child mortality, degree of urbanization & average life expectancy at birth are the three internationally accepted parameters for economical status. In all these three Muslims are not backward. In urbanization Muslims are ahead with 36% than Hindus with 26%. In Life expectancy (crude death rate per 1000: 9.6 for Hindus & 8.9 for Muslims)
9. Sachhar Committee has taken population as the basis of the study & analysis as well as for recommendations. There is a norm for majority that is of 2 children whereas Muslims have exempted from this norm quoting their religion. In such situation, no facilities can be legally & socially given based on the population percentage because the growth rate of Hindus & Muslims re population is not at par due to governmental norms Vs Muslims’ religious vehemence. From 1961 to 2001 total population of India has grown by 134% while Muslim population has grown by 194% and consequently the share of the Muslim population was 10.7% in 1961 which has become 13.4% in 2001. In such a forced disparity on Hindus re population growth norms, Muslims should not be given any facility or quota based on their population. It is against any laws of democracy. The population growth difference between Muslims & non-Muslims was 15% in the decade of 1951 -1961 whereas it has become 50% in 1991-2001 decade. Their unlimited children cannot be burdened on Hindus who follow development norms generally of 2-3 kids.
10.  If the Sachhar Committee is the study & comparison of Muslim & Hindu economic & social status then the said committee should have taken Hindu opinion & experience into consideration. DGP Ohri approached the said Sachhar committee three times, but the said committee purposely ignored the requests for a hearing & his written submission was not even considered in the final report. This means the said Sachhar Committee’s report is intentionally biased & one-sided.

Francois Gautier Demolishes The Anti-Modi Propaganda Machine

writes Kiran Kumar S from Bengaluru.

'Nachiketa Award of Excellence in Journalism' from Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the then Prime Minister of India

It was one of those lazy Tuesdays. But all of a sudden in a matter of just 2 hours, the veteran journalist Francois Gautier started igniting sparks on the social network. For those who don’t know much about Francois, he is a Paris born French man, prolific writer, author of several books, including “India’s self denial”. He has met most of the key Indian political people over the past 3 decades and knows India and Hinduism very well. On the personal side, he has married Namrita, an Indian girl from Delhi and  feels that India has given him so much – spiritually, professionally, emotionally, sentimentally, that he has to repay a little of this debt. He is a very popular pro-Hindu voice out in the journalistic world today. His today’s tweets (Twitter handle: @fgautier26 ) were so sharp and focused, they would literally give a heart attack to the well established and nicely “rewarded” anti-Narendra-Modi cottage industry stalwarts. Because truth when brought out with solid proofs, can demolish even a decade old cottage industry, built with lots of pampering from various influential quarters.

Francois Gautier

Read further.. you will know why.

At a high level, his tweets today were mostly focused on the key names being flaunted by “secular” parts of media in India today, Teesta Setalvad and Sanjiv Bhatt. They are being hailed as the warriors fighting against the “injustices” meted out by Narendra Modi, his party the BJP and their “state sponsored” atrocities.  Since this version has been peddled for 10 years from the unfortunate riots of Gujarat in 2002, almost every segment of our society has in some way been made aware of the “draconian” Hindu “Fascists”.

Francois Gautier with LK Advani

Most of us who follow news from both sides, the pro-Modi and anti-Modi, can easily say that most of this “outrage” is manufactured. It was not like 2002 was the first time Gujarat saw riots. In fact it had seen much worse riots when Indira Gandhi was the PM in 1969. But for the “secular” brigade, 2002 is when the word “riot” even started, as one of my online friend quipped!

Here is the gist of information Francois tweeted, with exemplary research backing them. He methodically demolishes the mountain of lies built by anti-Modi brigade.

He starts off with a full fledged attack on Teesta Setalvad, the Padma Shri “awarded” leader of this bash-Modi cottage industry. He presents a Hindi video in which Teesta Setalvad ‘s former colleague Rais Khan has made startling revelations about filing false affidavits.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=IN&v=92thZReqqf4

Teesta Setalvad ‘s former colleague Rais Khan has made startling revelations by filing an affidavit before the Nanavati commission… extracts from his first ever TV interview.

Then he features another video, this time showing Yasmeen Sheikh, the Best Bakery Case prime prosecution witness, who has accused Teesta Setalvad on camera, of forcing her to lie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgcPfZfRULg

Yasmeen Banu Sheikh, a prime prosecution witness in the Best Bakery Case in her affidavit dated 17/06/2010 to the Chief Justice Mumbai High Court has accused Teesta Setalvad for forcing her to lie in the Trial court at Mumbai.

The same Yasmeen’s statements are shown here in Gujarati.
http://www.scribd.com/dharmanext/d/74291592-Teesta-Setalvad-forced-me-to-lie-Best-Bakery-s-prime-prosecution-witness-Gujarati

Then Francois exposes how Teesta Setalved withheld the truth about Pandarwada graves, focusing a  Headlines Today journalist’s affidavit.

http://www.scribd.com/dharmanext/d/83619014-Teesta-Setalved-withheld-truth-about-Pandarwada-graves-Headlines-Today-journalist

Headlines Today journalist Rahul Singh has alleged in a affidavit submitted to the Dy. Superintendent of Police, Lunawada that Teesta Setalvad did not tell him that the Pandarwada graves were legal. She did not inform him that she had not taken proper permission from the authorities to dig up the graves and that she knew that the bodies were buried by the police with proper procedure

Francois then shows us more details about Teesta Setalvad, CNN-IBN’s Rajdeep Sardesai & the truth about Pandarwada grave digging case.

http://dharmanext.blogspot.in/2012/03/teesta-setalvad-rajdeep-sardesai-truth.html

Exhumation of the dead bodies without prior permission of the competent authorities constitutes an offence under sections 192 (fabricating false evidence), 193 (punishment for false evidence, 201 (causing disappearance of evidence), 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 295 (A) (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings) and 297 (trespassing on burial places) of IPC.

Now back to Rais Khan. He accuses Teesta Setalvad of being connected to Muslim fundamentalists and threatening him. Even 4 or 5 Burqa clad women were used to warn his wife to “restraint” him.
http://www.scribd.com/dharmanext/d/73540719-Teesta-Setalvad-connected-to-Muslim-fundamentalists

Raiskhan Aziz Khan Pathan has written to the Chief Justice of the Mumbai High Court seeking his help in view of the threats he has received from Muslim fundamentalists on behalf of Teesta Setalvad.

Not just that. Rais also claims his email ID is hacked by Teesta Setalvad. Maybe he became too much of a “whistle-blower” against the well funded cottage industry making a living out of demonizing Narendra Modi.

http://www.scribd.com/dharmanext/d/74290418-Teesta-Setalvad-hacks-ex-employee-s-Email-ID

Teesta Setalvad hacks ex-employee Rais Khan’s Email ID – Police Complaint from 9^th September 2010.

It gets more ugly now. Franocis Gautier exposes how Teesta Setalvad ‘s NGO paid Gujarat Riot witnesses – Bank Statements. And these paid folks were paraded by Indian media as “genuine” victims all along. What a shame!
http://www.scribd.com/dharmanext/d/75120547-Teesta-Setalvad-s-NGO-paid-Gujarat-Riot-witnesses-Bank-Statements

Teesta Setalvad ‘s NGO paid Gujarat Riot witnesses. Ex-employee of Teesta Setalvad ‘s Citizen for Justice & Peace (CJP), Rais Khan’s Bank Statements.

Not only paying, Teesta and company also tutored witnesses per Francois, in this “The Truth behind Best Bakery case” document proof.
http://www.scribd.com/dharmanext/d/73349980-The-Truth-behind-Best-Bakery-case-how-Teesta-Setalvad-tutored-witnesses

Raiskhan Aziz Khan Pathan an ex-employee of Teesta Setalvad ‘s Citizen for Justice & Peace (CJP) has filed an affidavit on 26th September, 2011 with the Chief Justice of Mumbai High Court for the re-trial of the Best Bakery case. He has in his affidavit to the Chief Justice narrated the whole sequence of incidents – of how witnesses were brought to Mumbai, kept in Bhindi Bazaar, and tutored by Teesta Setalvad for giving false testimonies in the court. He has also requested the court to direct forensic science labs to do lie detector / polygraph test of himself & Teesta Setalvad to bring the truth before the court.

Then Francois exposes the most serious crime of Teesta Setalvad. Her perjury in the highest court of the country, the Supreme Court.
http://www.scribd.com/dharmanext/d/93780947-Teesta-Setalvad-s-perjury-in-Supreme-Court

Francois presents document that Teesta Setalvad committed perjury by signing Zaheera Shaikh’s affidavit which was filed in the Supreme Court in CRL.M.P. No. 1250-1253/2004

Not enough of Teesta’s exposure already? Francois says no, and presents us a list of the criminal allegations against Teesta Setalvad, with neat click-able reference links. In this article, Rais Khan, Yasmeen Sheikh, Rahul Singh, Zaheera Shaikh’s cases are described and Teesta fully exposed.
http://teesta-setalvad-evidence.blogspot.in/

Then Francois switches the gear and shows us from the SIT report itself, how Congress, Teesta Setalvad, Sanjiv Bhatt & Times of India colluded against Narendra Modi. This is extremely dangerous for democracy, particularly when journalism is colluding with seemingly blatant liars to topple a democratically elected Chief Minster and his government. Just count the number of journalists in this SIT report extract
http://www.scribd.com/dharmanext/d/93001838-Congress-Teesta-Setalvad-Sanjiv-Bhatt-Times-of-India-colluded-against-Narendra-Modi-SIT

SIT Report names Gujarat Congress leaders Shaktisinh Gohil and Arjun Modhvadia. It also links Nasir Chippa to Sanjiv Bhatt’s desire to put “pressure” via various Delhi influential points. It shows that Sanjiv Bhatt arranged an appeal from Hasan Jowher, of NGO SPRAT. Later it was circulated to Shabnam Hashmi, Teesta Setalvad, Himanshu Thakker (Journalist), Leo Saldana (Journalist) and Nasir Chippa to put pressure on the Amicus Curiae. It also brings out Congress Legal cell’s advocate K.Vakharia’s name. It then names Mihir Desai, Teesta’s lawyer and Manoj Mitta, journalist of Times of India, as being in touch with Sanjiv Bhatt. Finally, links of Bhatt to Shubhranshu Chaudhary, another journalist is noted.

Then he brings in a different topic, by presenting us with a critique of Gujarat Riots SC bench Justice Aftab Alam’s thoughts on Secularism. This is relevant considering the “minority” tag being pampered extensively by those employed in the anti Modi cottage industry.
http://dharmanext.blogspot.in/2012/04/critique-on-justice-aftab-alams.html

He (Judge) accepts, “An over-emphasis on community specific rights does not seem to do any good to anyone, not even to the minority groups. It is argued that it only serves to strengthen the walls separating the minority from the majority and acts as a barrier for the members of the minority community to join the national main stream education and the avenues that open up from there.”

Then Francois presents us some entertainment wherein Teesta “Liar” Setalvad runs away from TV debate Meenakshi Lekhi made Teesta run away from a debate so effortlessly.. That’s what happens when a castle built of lies is exposed by the knowledgeable.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jO83vKg6P9s

The last two links presented here are probably the most controversial. Now Francois goes all out against Teesta Setalvad and Arundhati Roy, for concocting the stories and how they are fully discredited in the realm of true justice. He first shows us how Teesta Setalvad is the champion of anti-nation and anti-Hindu NGO industry in India.
http://dharmanext.blogspot.in/2008/11/teesta-setalvad-champion-of-anti-nation.html

Even so, the bench comprising the CJI (Chief Justice of India) queried, who is this Teesta Setalvad? Is she a spokesperson of these persons or petitioners?”, “There is one article that appeared (written by her). If she is representing these persons (Godhra accused) we do not want to hear them,” the bench said. The Chief Justice was particularly disconcerted over allegations that hearing on post-Godhra cases were fixed in such a way that it gets adjourned.

Then he presents us with a damning proof of how Arundhati Roy and New York based Human Rights Watch NGO spiced up Gujarat riot incidents.
http://dharmanext.blogspot.in/2009/09/arundhati-roy-human-rights-watch-godhra.html

Among the most morbid canards, the novelist Arundhati Roy’s vitriolic article (Outlook magazine, May 6th, 2002). She describes the event which precedes Ehsan Jaffri’s death (extract):

…A mob surrounded the house of former Congress MP Iqbal Ehsan Jaffri. His phone calls to the Director-General of Police, the Police Commissioner, the Chief Secretary, the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) were ignored. The mobile police vans around his house did not intervene. The mob broke into the house. They stripped his daughters and burned them alive. Then they beheaded Ehsan Jaffri and dismembered him…

Wait a minute. Jaffri was burned alive in the house, true — is it not awful enough? Along with some other 41 people. Not enough? But his daughters were neither “stripped” nor “burnt alive.” T. A. Jafri, his son, in a front-page interview titled “Nobody knew my father’s house was the target” (Asian Age, May 2nd, Delhi ed.), felt obliged to rectify:

Among my brothers and sisters, I am the only one living in India. And I am the eldest in the family. My sister and brother live in the US. I am 40 years old and I have been born and brought up in Ahmedabad.

There we are, reassured as regards Ehsan Jaffri’s children. He had only one daughter, who was living abroad. No one was raped in the course of this tragedy, and no evidence was given to the police to that effect.

The Gujarat Government sued Outlook magazine. In its May 27th issue, Outlook published an apology to save its face. But in the course of its apology, the magazine’s editors quoted a “clarification” from Roy, who withdrew her lie by planting an even bigger one: the MP’s daughters “were not among the 10 women who were raped and killed in Chamanpura that day”! From Smita Narula to Arundhati Roy, “four or five girls” had swollen to “ten women,” equally anonymous and elusive. 

After reading and watching all these, if you are still a person who remains a firm believer of Teesta Setalvad, Sanjiv Bhatt, Arundhati Roy and their well funded anti Modi cottage industry, we can only say God Bless!

(Writer an Political Analyst, Techie by Profession)

A word of Cauion for India; writes LK Advani

A WORD OF CAUTION FOR INDIA

A recent addition to my personal library is a glossy, picture book titled – “100 CITIES OF THE WORLD : A journey through the most fascinating cities around the globe.”

As I glanced through the Contents listing the hundred, Continent-wise, I was struck by the fact that India’s capital, Delhi, was not included in this list. The two Indian cities mentioned in the Asian tally of twenty two were Kolkata and Mumbai.

For Indian readers, a more interesting addition to my library this week is a thought provoking book by Ruchir Sharma, head of Emerging Market Equities and Global Macro at Morgan Stanley Investment Management. In this book titled Breakout Nations, the author, who is based in New York, affirms that “the astonishingly rapid growth over the last decade of the world’s celebrated emerging markets is coming to an end. The era of easy money and easy growth is over. China, in particular, will soon slow, but its place will not necessarily be taken by Brazil, Russia or India, all of which have weaknesses and difficulties often overlooked in the inflated expectations and emerging markets mania of the past decade.”

Ruchir Sharma

This book identifies “graft driven inflation” and “crony capitalism” among the weaknesses and difficulties that can be a damper for India’s high expectations.

Referring at some length to the series of scams that have surfaced during the U.P.A. regime the author writes that when he wrote about this for a Newsweek cover story he was dubbed a party spoiler. Top government officials told Sharma, “such cronyism is just a normal step in development, citing the example of the robber barons of nineteenth century America.” “Prime Minister Singh, asked privately about the corruption problem, supposedly told people not to spoil India’s image by going on and on about this.”

This particular chapter dealing with our problems starts with Europe’s nineteenth century fascination with India’s well-known magic show, the Rope trick. The caption significantly given to the chapter is “The Great Indian Hope Trick”!

Referring to the increasing investment by Indian entrepreneurs abroad, Ruchir Sharma writes:

“As soon as companies from emerging nations start expanding their interests abroad, it is usually celebrated as a giant step for the whole country. But in India the moves suggest that many companies are going abroad in part to avoid the problems of doing business in the home market. Lately businessmen in Delhi and Mumbai have been complaining ever more bitterly that the cost of starting new businesses in India has gone up dramatically over time because of the sharp increase in the number of demands for government payoffs. Investment by Indian business has declined from 17 percent of GDP in 2008 to 13 percent now.

“At a time when India needs its businessmen to reinvest more aggressively at home in order for the country to hit its growth target of 8 to 9 percent (foreign investment is well below the required totals), they are looking abroad. Overseas operations of all Indian companies now account for more than 10 percent of overall corporate profitability, compared with just 2 percent five years ago. Given the potential of the domestic marketplace, Indian companies should not need to chase growth abroad. (In 2010 more than a third of Indian households had, by local standards, a middle-class income equal to between $2,000 and $4,200, up from 22 percent in 2002½ But just over half the earnings of India’s top-fifty companies are now ‘outward facing’ or dependent on exports, global commodity prices, and international acquisitions.”

In his latest interaction however, with a group of eminent economic thinkers (reported in today’s Indian Express), Ruchir Sharma has been more optimistic about India.

***

A sector in particularly bad shape these days is the airlines sector. You talk to any section of the Air India staff – pilots, airhostesses, or any other – and you will hear endless complaints. And this is in an airline which when I first traveled on when I become an M.P. way back in 1970, had an excellent reputation all around the globe. Even private airlines like Kingfisher are facing a serious crisis.

So, it was a delight to learn that the newly constructed Indira Gandhi International Airport has been reckoned as the sixth best airport in the world, and in a certain specific category the second best. The evaluation has been done by the Airports Council International, a worldwide association of airports having 575 members operating over 1633 airports in 179 countries.

Passing through this newly built airport which caters both to domestic as well as foreign services, I was impressed by a beautifully sculpted tableau of the twelve postures which add up to the well known Yoga exercise of Surya Namaskar. The sculptor, I discovered, is one Ayush Kasliwal of Jaipur. Hearty compliments to G. Subba Rao of G.M.R. who must have conceived it, and the artist who has executed it.
It did remind me of the rumpus raised by some perverse politicos when Shivraj Singh Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh initiated a massive programme of Surya Namaskar in the schools of the state. Those objecting to the exercise said that the State Government’s proposal was anti-secular. It is believed that since January this year lakhs of students in more than 6000 schools have been doing Surya Namaskar in the state.

TAILPIECE

This blog begins with a reference to Ruchir Sharma’s book Breakout Nations. The prologue to this book is a caustic comment on the sort of vulgar decadence that seems to be infecting the life style of the affluent here. Sample these opening paragraphs:

It’s been a long time since the farmers left the “farmhouses” of Delhi, and though the name lives on, it now describes the weekend retreats of the upper class, playgrounds on the fringes of the city where unmapped dirt lanes wind through poor villages and suddenly open onto lavish mansions with sprawling gardens and water features; in one case I even came upon a garden with a mini-railroad running through it. This is the “Hamptons” of Delhi, the city’s party central, where event planners will re-create Oscar night, Broadway, Las Vegas, even a Punjabi village for the home-sick, complete with waiters in ethnic garb.

On a foggy night in late 2010 I made my way to one of these famously decadent bashes, where the valets were juggling black Bentleys and red Porsches, and the hosts invited me to try the Kobe beef they had flown in from Japan, the white truffles from Italy, the beluga caviar from Azerbaijan. It was hard to talk over the pulsating techno-beat, but I managed to engage in a chat with a twenty – something son of the farmhouse demimonde – he was a classic of the type, working for his dad’s export business (it always seems to be “exports”), wearing a tight black shirt, hair spiky with grooming gel. After determining that I was a New York – based investor back in town to search for investment opportunities, he shrugged and remarked, “Well, of course. Where else will the money go?”

“Where else will the money go?” I left the Party around midnight, well before the main course was served, but the comment stayed with me.

L.K. Advani
New Delhi
April 30, 2012