Deal or No-Deal – The Big Game

The politicians of world’s largest democracy are playing a game. The game is called “Confidence Vote”. The biggest challenge in this game for the two teams fighting each other is to hoard maximum players in their camp. The camp that has atleast 271 players is bound to emerge as winner of  the game. It is a game of ego, honour, deals on deal, money, loyalty, power and bargaining. This game will be played in Delhi inside parliament between UPA and NDA+UNPA on 22nd July.

Need for this game aroused because UPA wanted to go for a Nuclear Deal with Superpower America. As the deal is with America, it is imperative that America-loathers will certainly play a spoil-sport. And the Indian politicians are well known for their role as Killjoy. Again some points that I failed to understand. If these points are part of a pyschological test that the politicians are made to undergo, I am sure each will fail.

1. Left(Communists) withdrew its support to UPA on this issue. If the government falls, Left is in no position to make the government on its own. Either BJP or Congress will be part of the government even if general elections are held. Left can’t have an alliance with BJP and will never want to see BJP in power. So what is the point in making a government unstable?

2. Left are known for their anti-American policies. I am happy that the Left are not in power else millions of Indians currently working in call centres and IT industry would have remained unemployed. Imagine what progess India could have made in the last two decades.

3. Some said that the Nuclear deal will contribute to only 3% of India’s energy needs. What they mean is that our scientists are not capable to improving the performance, 3% of 113 billion population, who will benefit from Nuclear power, is a very small number and we have an infite number of renewable sources of energy.

4. Thomas Friendman, autor of The World is Flat is wrong and his masterpiece that says that the world is a level playing field should be banned. We will use goods bought from America and visit America for holidays but wont do any business with America. We don’t want Bill Gates, an American, to spend 26 billion $ for fighting HIV in India. Let these HIV infected patients rather die without treatment.

5. Some say that the deal is anti-muslim. Bush led America attacked Iraq, a muslim nation. Therefore, Bush is anti-muslim. The deal is with Bush led America. Therefore, the deal is also anti-muslim. We will oppose the deal even if Obama replaces Bush. So, the entire America is anti-muslim. What a logical conclusion!!

6. BJP wanted the deal when it was in power but if it supports the deal now, the government wont fall and it will not get an oppurtunity to share power. BJP as an oppurtunist is now anti-deal. Who cares about the deal? We want power.

7. If the two camps are offering 30 crores to each MP to buy support, then whats wrong when a government officer asks for a bribe of just 30 rupees?  

8. Opposition says that Inflation is too high and the government policies are responsible for the surge. What they mean is that if elections are held now, it will be free of cost or opposition will sponsor the elections in order to save money and curb inflation. Assuming that they dont want subsidies on essential goods to be lifted .

9. Three-Fourth of energy needs in France are fulfilled from Nuclear Reactors. Does that mean France is a banana country? India’s coal reserves will last for another four decades only. What will happen after that?

There is a huge gap between words and deeds. Only the confidence vote will decide whether it saves the blushes for Manmohan or will bring a lot of embarassment to the country.

Budget Highlights 2008

It was the last budget of the current UPA government and it was presented by none other than the record-holder P Chindambaram. Mr. FM was well aware of the consequences. If it’s a feel-good one, people and media will take no time to declare it a populist and election-oriented budget. If it’s not, the government will be criticized for working for the well-being of a particular section of the society and anti-incumbency wave will wipe out their hopes of getting re-eleceted in the forthcoming by-elections. PC made a wise decision and his budget looked much like his party’s election manifesto.

Here’s a compilation of some important points of this budget.

Budget 2008

Whose Mumbai is it?

The first two weeks of february generated a lot of heat in Mumbai. MNS chief Raj Thackeray popped up a question which created a lot of chaos in the city. Politicians and Media kept the issue open for a long time, started a blame-game, challenged each other and then left the entire episode inconclusive. Keeping an eye on the entire issue as a mute spectator so far, I have some suggestions and points which i feel should have been considered.

1. In 1983, 70% taxi-owners were Maharashtrians, the figure is 10% today. Where are those ppl? or is it that the number is stagnant and others have outnumbered them?

2. If there are lot of illegal slums used as shelter by migrants in the city, then who provided them electricity and water for daily living.

3. When nobody bothers about observing the lane discipline and lowering the traffic and accidents, then why does the goverment spend a lot maintaining them. It is comparitively easy to make Mumbai a city like Shanghai but hard to discipline the citizens for not converting it into Dhaka.

4. Constitution was written in 1950, more than 55 years ago. So, when are we going to make an amendment in it? Are we waiting for the situation to go out of control?

5. One politician who raised his voice was none other than our Railway Minister, Lalu Prasad Yadav. Why don’t Lalu take a ride in local train from Thane to Dadar during the peak hours as a common man? Lalu can make arrangements for his 9 childrens in Bihar but not everybody can. Mumbai continues to lure them for money.

6. Kolkata and Delhi are other Metropolitan cities much closer to UP and Bihar. What is so special in Mumbai? What is here which is wooing parties like SP and BSP? What does these parties mean by slogans like “UP hamari hai, ab Maharshtra ki baari hai” and “UP to jhaanki hai, Maharashtra abhi baaki hai”?

7. What measures have been taken to provide jobs to poors in UP and Bihar? Is there lack of political will that stops these states from catching up with other states?

8. Why does it always happen with people from UP and Bihar and not others?

9. Why don’t we make such hue and cry in US where Indians are called Browns and are victim of hate-crimes?

10. Who should be held responsible if a situation like July 26, 2005 arises in the city?

11. What should a farmer of Vidarbh region, belonging to the same state, should expect from politicians who are busy all the time solving only the problems of financial capital of the country?

I am not an ardent supporter of MNS and I fully condemn the way this situation is handled but you can’t make someone think what is bad or what is good unless and until he is a happy man. Till then, such things will only bring shame to the country. We haven’t understood gravity of the situation and our lackadaisical attitude is akin to something written on an illusory blackboard with a non-existant chalk.