Mumbai Votes

Mumbai, Please Vote and Vote Sensibly

Mumbai Votes

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Questions for the sitting MPs in Mumbai

These are some of the questions one would like to ask the sitting MPs who are contesting again - Priya Dutt, Milind Deora, Gurudas Kamat, Eknath Gaikwad - all from Congress and Mohan Rawale from Shiv Sena

• Where were you when Mumbai was flooded?
• What did you do after the floods to ensure relief and rehabilitation?
• Why isn't the work on Mithi River not yet completed as per court ruling?
• Why did it need an ex-MP (Dr. Kirit Somaiya) instead of sitting MPs to get whatever work has been done on Mithi cleaning?
• Why haven't the victoms of train blast not yet received the relief promised?
• Why has government gone slow on the blast trials?
• Why have some accused gone scot-free?
• Did you take the Home Minister to task for making your city unsafe?
• Have you given an appraisal of all the work done by you so far?
• How much money have you spent from MP funds on your constituency?
• Central Government promised a huge amount in last 5 years for Mumbai but less than 15% has been received. Why have you not tried to bring the money into the city?
• What have you done for the mill workers who have lost their jobs and now their lands?
• What's your stand against regularisation of slums as done by Maharashtra Government regularly in last 8 years?
• What have you done in last 5 years for the trains and roadways in Mumbai?
• Why is the Bandra Worli Sea Link not yet over?
• Why is that post 2004, most projects pertaining to Mumbai have taken such long time?
• What's your stand on local involvement during Mumbai attacks?
• Why have you not pressed for the removal of top cops, bureaucrats?
• Why did you not speak up during the MNS violence?
• What did you do when anti-Bush protestors in Azad Maidan got violent and damaged public property?

Why BJP?

So far, we have tried to see the glaring failures on the UPA and the Congress party both in Neeti (policies) and Niyati (desires). But this one to see why vote for BJP. What are the policies they promise for a better future? What is their wishlist?

Infrastructure - NDA and specially BJP has already proven that when it comes to infrastructure development, they are possibly the best. Be it the Vajpayee government or Modi government in Gujarat or Nitish Kumar in Bihar or Maj Gen (Retd) B C Khanduri in Uttarakhand. They have brought visible changes in the infrastructure in their states. BJP has already released it's Infrastructure Vision which includes interlinking of rivers, cleaning of Ganga river, giving the much needed push to the road project successful in earlier NDA govt and made to RIP by UPA. They also talk about the fast track in the power reforms.

Economy- Villages are they say are the real India. And in last 5 years, agriculture has been given the raw deal. Isn't it a sad thing that the food provider of the country is dying today because of hunger? BJP has already announced it's package for the farmers. Apart from this, the curbs need to be put on the forward trading of essential commodities. This in a large way was responsible for the farmers not getting the right price. BJP has in its manifesto ahs rightly said that the economy can thrive only when the consumer has money in his pocket (own money and not borrowed like in credit cards). This can only happen with a sympathetic view towards taxations specially for the middle class. Only if the middle class has money, they will be able to spend it. Indian middle class is the largest consumer market in the world and has the strength to turn an economy to positive.

Girl Child Welfare - No country can progress till the time the women in the country are kept away from education. The Ladli Laxmi Yojana successful in BJP rules MP is the scheme which tries to ensure that the girl child is incentivised and empowered for education. The scheme ensures the girl getting cash everytime she moves to the next level in educaiton and a large amount when she complete 12th. This ensures that girl child is given education till then and also that she has means to study further.

Security - BJP has always shown that when it comes to internal security, it does not fall back on vote bank politics. The zero tolerance to terror policy ensures that the accused when caught are given a quick and strong punishment so as to deter others. Many might talk of riots but if you see the NDA rule in centre, there was one riot in entire 7 years whereas we have seen many riot scarred cities in last 5 years or even before NDA rule.

Strong Leader - Today the country needs tough decisions. Does the country have the time to wait for 27 blasts for a Home Minsiter to be changed? Does the country need a cabinet without Finance Minister when it is facing recession? The answer is no. The country needs a leader who can lead from front and can take quick decisions. L K Advani is the strong leader India awaits. Though opposition likes to talk only of Kandahar, one should look at Parliament Attack or the hostage crisis at Akshardham Temple in Gujarat. In the first case, the accused were brought to books in record time and in the second case the entire hostage crisis was resolved strongly in less than 6 hours. Shows that L K Advani does not waste time in taking strong decisions.

This election is about a change. And change is what India needs. India today needs the BJP more than it ever did.

Knowing the PM

While the NDA PM candidate L K Advani has spent most of his life in public life and so there is ample amount of information on his life, one hardly knows of PM Manmohan Singh's career before 1991. So what better to do on a weekend and understand the professional roots and natural loyalties of the PM.

One look at his writings and speeches before 1990 and one gets a clear understanding that he actually was a fan of the Nehruvian style of economy. Infact some of his preferred writers and teachers were communists. His early essays and his speeches specially on Government control over prices are indicators of his liking towars the license raj.

If we then move to his days as bureaucrat, the greatest impact on his professional life as admitted by him was P N Haksar, then advisor to Indira Gandhi and known by most as the key person behind the license raj, nationalisation of banks, ties with USSR, bringing bureaucrats including intelligence services under government control. He also has been credited with the start of darbar culture in Congress and the grand split in Congress which over a period of time led to Emergency.

In the meantime, right from early 70s to mid 80s, Manmohan Singh was a crucial figure in economic affairs of the country holding various positions as Finance Secy, Reserve Bank Governor, Member of Planning Commission. This period which many analysts recall as the darkest period in Indian economy, was complete with high inflation, a huge debt trap and stories of financial corruption in various ministries. Manmohan Singh at that time seems to have behaved just like a bureaucrat with no desire to do things the right way. Some of the 'highlights' of his tenure in various positions are

Highest rate of inflation - 30%
Creating the cartel culture in 1973 under the guise of nationalising wholesale trading of foodgrains

He showed his first signs of loyalty towards Gandhi family by first joining Chandra Shekhar government as an advisor when Rajiv Gandhi led Congress supported it and later by resigning when the support was withdrawn. This period if we all remember was the time when India was grappling with serious issues on internal security, economic doom and rising caste-religion conflicts. But to Manmohan Singh, loyalty to family was more important than loyalty to country's call in distress.

And now he wants 100 more days to repair the economy. Believe him at your own risk.

Blackmailing the voters

Serve, Please, Appease, Buy.. we have seen it all. Now comes threaaten. Never heard of voters being blackmailed. But 2 senior ministers in Assam have crossed this milestone too.

"You must remember that we will be minister even after the Lok Sabha elections," said Congress minister Rockybul Hussain to an election rally in Nagaon. That sounded more like the hooligans on the street. Another minister Himanta Biswa Sarma offended the electorate in Barpeta when he said, "If Congress candidate is not elected from this seat, it would be difficult for them to set up the medical college which chief minister Tarun Gogoi had announced before the elections."

Jai Ho for Democracy

Dining with the enemy

Am avoiding the usage of much used phrase 'Sleeping with the Enemy' since I am talking about a lady. This is about the worst kind of political oppotunism.

Remember who and why was I K Gujral's government brought down in 97-98? Well, by Madam Sonia and Congress on issue of relationship between DMK and LTTE and their indicment in Rajiv Gandhi murder. Nearly a decade later now, Sonia finds it okay to digest Karunanidhi's statement heralding LTTE and Prabhakaran as a hero. But no words from Sonia, just because she needs his support to remain in power.

This is the opportunism of the worst kinds. Parties and politicians might have shown political or even social lack of ethics. But this is just a case of personal ethics and the Gandhi family is found seriously lacking those ethics. I wonder how a family which can't stand upto their own kin's 'murderers and their supporters', can stand up for the safety, security and self respect of the Indians.

Why will Mulayam Singh's manefesto work?

Mulayam Singh's SP came up with the most reggresive manifesto ever created. It generated a lot of criticism all over. But one look at the manifesto and Mulayam's base catchment area of voters will show why the manifesto can work well for him.

Mulayam Singh does not really care for the voters residing in cities and smaller towns. His base is the rural voters and specially the Madrasa bred rural Muslim vote. This section of the society has always thwarted attempts to modernise - be it English education or be it computers in Madrasas. Remember the time Murli Manohar Joshi tried to modernise them and bring them at par with other educational bodies? He was vehemently opposed by this section. They have been huddled into thinking that anything modern is anti-Islam.

For this section, English and computers are nothing but Zionist conspiracies. And so for this group, the manifesto might actually be sweet sound and they could posisbly end up voting for the SP.

PM and democratic values or lack of it

I won't allow Advani to be the PM candidate
Shun the independents because they trouble Congress
Mayawati should not think of becoming the PM

The above words which were used to show the PM's bravdo actually do nothing but show his background. He was a bureaucrat to start with and at heart still remains one.
The statements made above plus his reluctance to contest elections prove that Dr. Manmohan Singh might have become the PM of the 2nd largest democracy by luck but his core values are still not accustomed to democracy.

His bureacratic background ensures blind loyalty to his bosses (read Gandhis) and a desperation to cling on to the chair at any cost and avoid opposition by hook or crook. That also possibly explains the lack of acocuntablity that one has seen in the state of affairs. No one is allowed to question him and his govenment on terror attacks, recession, price rise, unemployment, lack of progress in infrastructure development etc.

Please answer Teesta

The cat is out of the bag. While nobody can justify riots and killings, few people went overboard in talking about 2002 post Godhra riots. No, I am not saying this. The Special Investigative Team which owes no allegiance to Gujarat Government is saying this.

The SIT team on 13th April said that Teesta and few other NGOs raked up false cases, tutored witnesses and more. The SIT has found no truth in atleast 3 high profile cases inclluding the alleged rape and foetus killing of Kausar Bano.

Whether this was to shame Gujarat government or to fill their own pockets can be anybody's guess.

This brings us to the larger question. Should not likes of Teesta be brought to books and punished for playing with the law of the land. It is sad that the so-called activists and guardians of Indian democracy and secularism stoop so low to fulfill their political, professional and financial greed.

Source - Times of India, Tuesday, 14th April 2009

Brave words, Mr. PM?

After a period of nearly 2 years, the PM spoke tough. Last time the PM spoke tough, he had to eat his own words. Remember the exchange about Left's bark and bite and how the PM had to retreat. And this time against L K Advani. But what the Manmohan Singh forgot was that brave words which are not backed with facts are seen as acts of desperation. Let's take a look at lack of facts in his swipe against Advani.

If Manmohan Singh as so pained by Babri demolition, why did he cling on as Finance Minister for 4 years after that incident? He was the number 2 in Narsimha Rao govt but he did not do anything during the demolition or riots after that. Maybe being a habitual helpless one, he was helpless then too.
Congress rakes up Kandahar every time the word terror is mentioned. What they forget is that the policy of bowing down to terrorists was started by their friend Mufti Mohd Sayyed who released terrorists in exchange of his daughters. And later Narsimha Rao continued the tradition by giving safe passage and packed biryanis to Mast Gul, the dreaded terrorist. And if the PM forgot, he was the key member of the cabinet then too. The Kandahar incident was a sad one and for an avid supporter llike me, a wrong decision. But does one wrong decision justify the terror attacks for last 5 years and Congress' and their allies refusal to stop playing minority appeasement politics.
PM says he is not a man of words but of action. Then please ask him, where are the reforms he promised? Where are the roads NDA started? How is it that inspite of having a 'dream financial team' and an eminient economist as PM, India is in terrible reccession, unemployment and price rise? What action did PM take against tainted ministers? What about action against Afzal Guru? The only time a minister was kicked for non performance was when Madam demanded after 4 yrs of inaction in case of Shivraj Patil. And PM says he is a man of action.
Finally, his statement that he would have resigned had Nuke deal not gone through. It is sad that our PM does not think suicide of thousands of farmers, 27 bomb blasts and a terror attack leaving more than a thousand dead or growing number of unemployed youth was a blot on his reputation. The promise to George Bush is more important to him than a promise to this country. Loyalty to 10 Janpath seems more important to him than loyalty to the nation.

Shame on you, Mr. PM

Media and EC under scanner now for Model Code of Conduct

EC and Media which passed strict remarks against Varun Gandhi are now under Model Code of Conduct scanner. The nation is watching on their reaction to the hate speech by AP Congress Chief Srinivas. He has said that he will chop of hands of anyone who dares touch minorities. This is as serious a hate speech as Varun Gandhi's. Similarly Laloo too has said similar words.

The ball is in the court of the media and EC. This is their chance to show they aren't biased. Their chance to follow the Model Code of Conduct.

Pre Poll Alliances v/s Post Poll Alliances

Now that the elections are in the phase where all parties have sounded the war cry, one needs to see how alliances are shaping up and how it impacts Indian polity.

Cut to 1998 when NDA formed the government. Since they did not have the requisite numbers they dto build post pall alliances with AIADMK, TDP and TMC. This resulted in governance taking a backstage and survival became the key. Similar thing happened with the last UPA government. Since UPA was a post poll alliance, opportunism was more rampant than policies and governance. The result is for all to see. India wasted the momentum built by NDA government between 1999-2004. No major reforms could be pushed and government was always under threat from Left, DMK, JMM etc. One of the biggest calamities of this post poll alliance was that India for time in history had so many tainted ministers.

But now remember the period 1999-2004. NDA had come to power as a pre-poll alliance and this helped in smooth functioning of the govt and passage of most bills and policies. India for the first time in history saw an impressive infrastructure building and economic reforms.

This time the 2 major alliances are UPA (Congress + NCP + DMK + TC) and NDA (BJP +INLD + Akali Dal + Shiv Sena + JDU + RLD + AGP). Rest all the 3rd and 4th fronts are a bunch of opportunists. If they have a say in next government, corrupton and nepotism will increase. So in view of betterment of the country, one should vote only for pre poll alliance which have been together and are powerful even today.

Youth Leadership

He is 38 yrs young. Has been oe of the youngest MPs chosen for the best MP award by fellow MPs. His constituency is the 4th largest in India. He has been fore-front in talking about Chinese agressive designs on AP. He has been one of the stellar performers in the current Lok Sabha. A lecturer in Botany, does he look like someone who can lay claim to being a youth leader and a barometer of youth's aspirations in India? Can you predict who can it be?

Tough, isn't it? No, it's not one of those handpicked from a dynasty and now hailed as our saviour and media has never or at the best hardly spoken about him.

The name is Kiren Rijiju. Never heard of him, right?Stumped, aren't you? But yeah, this person is Kiren Rijiju, MP from Arunachal Pradesh. A father of 3, he is also the National Secy of BJP. To compare his performance with the crowned prince of Indian politics, have a look:
Special Mentions in current session - Rijiji 9 and Rahul 1
Questions - Rijiju 184 and Rahul 3
Private Member’s Bills - Rijiju 6 and Rahul none
Participation in debates - Rijiju 72 debates and Rahul 2

And the similarity between Kiren Rijiju, Shah Nawaz Hussain, Dr. Sudha Yadav, Dharmendra Pradhan etc is that they are all young and all come from an ordinary family. None of these people had a dynasty to back them. So next time before you think that only the dynastic Babalog brigade can bring a change, think hard and twice. And do spare a thought for these young leaders who have not got their slice of fame.