Sunday 29 January 2012

Election Season in India: A Season of Meaningless Promises


Government is not the owner of the citizen's income and therefore, cannot hold a blank cheque on that income --- AYN RAND

Does the Indian polity understand this? The answer is a big no when you hear them making promise after promise during their recent election campaign. No body wants to be left behind in the race to dole out reservations, quotas, freebies like computers, cows, loan waivers, loans at negligible interest, free power,  food, rations and what not along with jobs to unemployed etc. etc. All state government budgets and the budget of government of India are as it is reeling under the pressure of huge deficits and it seems these governments are hell bent either to resort to
·     massive  loans to fulfill their mad goals leaving nothing for improving the actual             growth trajectory to elevate the living standard of poor
·      raising the prices of electricity, train fares and putting additional taxes on their favourite whipping sectors, the so called luxury goods sector instead of concentrating on austerity measures, thefts and governance inefficiency losses.
·       Job creation for the sake of curtailing unemployment and not based on requirements of the nation, like the similar programs of earlier governments of twentieth century without caring for the impact on economy.
Or if these politicians are aware of their limitations as far as finances availability is concerned and they are promising everythIn all probability the politicians are aware of their limitations as far as finance availability is concerned and they are promising everything just to fool hapless poor Indian voters without meaning any sincerity to these promises.

Monday 16 January 2012

Heard on the Street

Special advice to Finance Minister: Everyday hauls of unaccounted cash in the constituencies where elections have been announced help in retrieving a lot of black money. Since no visible effort in terms of austerity measures on government spending is seen in the forthcoming likelihood of high fiscal deficit, it appears FM is laying all his hopes on these hauls only. To be more effective in his endeavours he should advocate for frequent elections.

In context of country's sudden concern for fight against corruption: 
One politician to another," Civil society, Anna and supporters are impinging on our fundamental right to corruption and corrupt practices. We will fight tooth and nail to thwart their efforts with a weak loophole studded legislature for we don't stand a chance in the courts of justice.

One friend to another:
Fool me once, shame on you,
Fool me twice, shame on me,
Fool me umpteen times, kudos to you,
For you are a great politician.

Wednesday 11 January 2012

Quotas : Election Season in India

Along with distributing doles and freebies to woo Indian voters, political parties are playing all destructive cards like caste, religion, minority etc. to strengthen their vote banks. The poor voter does not understand that the governing class is making a fool of him without sacrificing their own hidden agenda. The latest being the reservation quota for Muslims out of OBC and Maha Dalit out of Dalit quota. This needs a few basic questions to be answered.
  • Why a delay of about 20 years perhaps because Muslim vote bank has got fragmented and all political parties want to increase their share .
  • This is just a pittance. For Muslims it is just about 1 lakh jobs in total government jobs of 10 million (centre and states taken together).
  • In a year it may be 3000 jobs for a population of 230 million or 100 million votes with 95% or more in group C & D. The creamy jobs will go to better placed executive/political class henchmen for the same reason for which upper classes of society have an advantage.
  • The same applies to Maha Dalit quota out of Dalit quota. In their case the political necessity of carving out a new vote bank from within an already existing vote bank has arisen after about 60 years. All political parties of the country are guilty of manipulating vote banks through their henchmen belonging to these classes just on the basis of vote catching rhetoric rather than doing anything concrete.
 Let the politicians not take us, the poor and helpless, for a ride. Let us force them to educate every one of us as per his/her ability for skilled, technical,scientific or managerial job and get empowered to be eligible for higher jobs rather than looking greedily to pittance of doles that are being talked about in return for precious vote which can make or mar any politician. 

 

Shameless Shames of India

Indian Prime Minister says," 40% under nourished children is a national shame".
Rahul Gandhi says," I am ashamed to be an Indian".
500 million citizens below poverty line is India's policy shame.
India amongst most corrupt nations is a political shame.
Scam ridden India is a governance shame.
Indian masses still crying for basic human existence needs even after 64 years of independence is a shame on mankind.
Indian politicians still successfully wooing voters before elections with doles, freebies and reservation sops out of ill gotten personal/party wealth or nation's exchequer is a shame on our democracy.

  • And all these shames after being ruled by congress for more than 45 years at the centre.
  • When all senior politician from various parties have enjoyed power in the states or centre for a minimum period of 20 years and are equally responsible for the mess India is in.

Friday 6 January 2012

Election Season in India Highlights Latent Realities

 “The oppressed are allowed once every few years to decide which particular representatives of the oppressing class are to represent and repress them.” 
― Karl Marx
How true for a country like India where all political parties support criminals and corrupt and have no sympathy for the nation, its citizenry or taxpayers.The last few days have seen the Indian polity at its best worst  where in they give sermons of morality and promises of a corruption free India and when it comes to their survivability in the power game. While one party is busy throwing out dozens of its accomplices and partners of five years of rule on charges of corruption after making best use of their looting capabilities, the others are busy grabbing them in their fold for a couple of thousands of votes. And all for the good of the nation! Hidden agenda: for getting a chance to participate in national loot. Principles and ideals are only meant to fool the public and masses. Can the politicians be honest and sincere for once? Try it once and you you will see the fruits of this piece of wisdom for all times to come.

Monday 2 January 2012

Zenith of Corruption and Nadir of Governance

The recent news of an IAS couple having assets of the order of Rs 350 crores was quite disturbing in itself and only confirmed the extent to which the corruption has made inroads into our system. This certainly is not an isolated case or an aberration in a misconceived honest system but is a true representative sample of  mighty and powerful of Indian government.Saddening still was the fact that our system has only asked for tax and penalty of Rs 45 crores as if it were a case of plain and simple tax avoidance on normal legal earnings. Somebody seems to be showing undue favours in a case where money has been gotten through theft and dacoity. The total salary income of an IAS couple during 30 years of service will not even exceed Rs 3 crores.We need better legal procedures, an honest will to award correct and deserving punishment otherwise all Indians will like to indulge in a loot of Rs 350 crores of ill gotten money,pay Rs 45 crores in taxes and penalties and have the balance Rs 300 crores as legal wealth for making merry at the expense of Indian Government.

Electricity Rate Hike of 50%- New Year Gift to Chandigarh

Chandigarh administration gave a rude New Year shock to its residents by proposing an electricity rate hike of 50%. This proposed hike comes on the heels of  27% hike enforced about six months back. The reason or logic behind this decision is simply economic as per administration. But the reality is far from it and it is a valiant effort by the government to cover up its own management inefficiency in distribution and loss of power through thefts. As per experts distribution and other power losses amount to more than 40% of total power being made available to the Union Territory. We, the citizens of Chandigarh do not want any subsidy, but at the same time do not wish to pay for the department's inefficiency and rulers apathy in controlling theft.