The Bofors saga

Read the news that the CBI was to withdraw all cases against Ottavio Quattrochi.

Just to refresh: He is an Italian businessman & the prime accused in the Bofors scandal. In 1989, the Govt purchased artillery guns (aka 155mm Howitzers) from a Swedish Gun manufacturer AB Bofors. The scam was that the company allegedly paid kickbacks (about Rs. 64 crores) through Quattrochi (who was the middleman & facilitated the sale, received about Rs. 7 crore as commission), to top Indian politicians to grab this deal. The case which was stuck in legal tangles in India & abroad for the last 20 years has already cost the exchequer a whopping 250 crore rupees! It also cost Rajiv Gandhi the general elections in 1989.

Point: It is in the best interests of our country (and above all the Congress party) to close the cases since they were not heading anywhere except footing a huge bill to the Govt. The only face saver is that the guns had proved their worth in the Kargil Conflict. Hence, it is a sensible move to bury the hatchet, avoid further embarrassment & save tax payers money.

Moral of the Story: This clearly showcases the fact that the CBI is nothing but a mock tool which is twisted & turned time & again at the hands of politicians. The Govt excessively interferes in its functioning & openly & blatantly uses it to its full advantage to get even with its adversaries. The claims that the CBI is a transparent agency are a complete hogwash. Hence, there is no point in criticizing the agency for its role. It is the Govt that should be pulled up for the drubbing. As for this case, it is quite believable that the reason Quattrochi was let off so easily was also because he was a personal friend of the Gandhi’s & being an Italian, quite close to Sonia. Hence it was only imperative & imminent that the cases against him be withdrawn.

The other side: As expected, the BJP is crying foul & accusing the Congress of betrayal. It is apparent that the party is still hanging on to the case because this is their only chance to indict the Gandhi’s (since there were accusations of Rajiv Gandhi’s involvement as well). It is also common knowledge that they could not resolve the case while in power, during AB Vajpayee’s tenure.

But the BJP is no saint. If we reverse the situation, the party would certainly replicate the actions of the Congress. What would it do if it came to power for a double term? Wouldn't it pack up all cases against all of those accused in the Godhra riots (including Narendra Modi) & Babri case???? Yes it would. Period. It may even reopen the Bofors file & get it reinvestigated.

Every party in India works only to fulfil their self-interests & shamelessly use every possible Govt machinery to their benefit. That's the reality & irony of our politics.

India's Achilles' heel

India’s dismal track record of handling terror-related situations has often drawn flak from most sections of society. This non-action is precisely & rightly described as our Achilles’ heel.

Let’s rewind history. As per me, the biggest blunders we committed in tackling terror situations were:

• Release of 5 terrorists in exchange for Rubiya Saeed who was kidnapped by members of the Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) in 1989 (fyi--She is the daughter of Mufti Mohd Saeed, a politician from Jammu & Kashmir, who has held many offices & back then was India’s Union Home Minister).
• Release of 3 terrorists in exchange for 180 passengers on board Indian Airlines flight IC814 hijacked on a cold December evening in 1999 & taken to Kandahar, Afghanistan. The three terrorists released were Maulana Masood Azhar (who soon after, founded the dreaded terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammad), Omar Sheikh (who was later responsible for the abduction & murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl) & Mushtaq Zargar.

In the first case, the Cabinet decision to release Rubiya was taken swiftly within 5 hrs of her kidnapping. Nothing came of the JKLF & its leader Yasin Malik eventually became a part of the separatist political process in the state.

However, my focus is on the latter.

A stunned nation watched the hijack drama unfold. This situation exposed the nakedness of our Crisis Management (which has repeatedly collapsed irrespective of which political party has headed the Govt) - Absence of a National policy to deal with hostage crisis; to add fuel to fire, Pakistan’s apathy towards India; plus the relatives of the passengers creating a racket by staging dharna’s outside the PM’s residence, finally forcing the clueless Govt to succumb to the pressure & release the terrorists. (To an extent, I think this stand diminished the image of a true statesman like Atal Behari Vajpayee. As for the BJP, the ghost of Kandahar still haunts it till date).

So what else could the Govt have done? Take military action? Storm the plane while it was refuelling at Amritsar or send our commandos to Kandahar to secure the release of the hostages much like the way Israel did in Entebbe? Whatever be the Govt’s argument, it is clear that it did not have the gall to fight them & the deterrents for its muteness were - lack of political will; far too many concerns about the international ramifications that our actions might instigate; the subsequent Pakistani response to an attack or the lack of trust in our security forces.

I believe we should have gone ahead with the Military option.

Every Govt deed has a direct repercussion on its people. It is a known fact that terrorist organisations across Pakistan & elsewhere collaborate on numerous areas ranging from planning & executing terror attacks, mujahideen training, weapons & arms dealings, money laundering etc. Its an open secret that the Jaish collaborates with the likes of other radical outfits like Al-Badr, LET, Jamaat-ud-dawa etc among others. Together, they have been collectively responsible for every terrorist attack in our country over the last 10 years (in the Parliament, Akshardham, every major city- Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Hyderabad) that have seen over 1000 people dead.

That’s the irony - To save 180 back then, we’ve sacrificed over a 1000 since.

What worst could have possibly happened if we undertook a covert military strike??? Worst case scenario - they would have blown up the plane & killed all the hostages. But judging the capabilities of our Army, my gut feel says only a few may have lost their lives. So was not to be. In the bargain to save few people then, we accepted the demands of the hijackers & secured the release of the terrorists....those same terrorists who are now responsible for murdering a thousand. And god knows how many more….

My appeal to the Govt - take a stand & be firm on it (as the famous BUSHism goes 'Either you are with us or against us'). Do not let anything come in the way of taking action against terrorists. No vote banks, no diplomacy, no USA, nothing. Nothing should deter you from going after them. There cannot be a middle path!

The Ghost of Pokhran II

The recent furore over the success/failure of the Thermonuclear device tested at Pokhran (called Pokhran II) in 1998 throws open a huge debate on our nuclear capabilities & readiness.

On the one hand is a former DRDO nuclear scientist who claims that the device was a failure and did not give the desired yield. On the other hand, the entire Govt machinery, refuting these allegations.

The Govt’s dilemma is evident & it is running for cover. It had convened special press conferences only to claim that the test was a success & had also gone to the extent of personally attacking the scientist. The Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, the Director of BARC, our former president, the current & former National Security Advisor's & a slew of other Govt entities are supporting this case. And rightly so, because if these allegations are true, not only would it be a major embarrassment for India globally, it would also boost the morale of our hostile neighbours and raise questions on our strike capabilities. This would grossly undermine India’s superiority in the region.

But somehow, when I think about this case, my mind tends to believe that the old man is right. I have seen one of his interviews wherein he seems genuine & talks sense. He does not come across as a person seeking publicity. He is a concerned citizen who is bothered about the failure of the test & is expressing his concern to highlight it so that corrective steps be taken & future testing is done. The only question I have for the gentleman is- Why rake up the issue now, after 11 years? Why not back then?

As a Nation, we want to know the truth. The Govt should set up an independent committee to review the results of the test. If proven that it was a success, good for us. But if proven otherwise, we should firmly test again & as a reprimand to all the people who lied to the country, prosecute them.

Changing the LAW…

Top 10 inclusions/changes in LAW that would strengthen my country & make it a better place:

1. Uniform Civil Code
2. Lok Pal Bill
3. 2 Party system
4. Death penalty for rapists
5. Abolition of Article 370
6. POTA (Prevention of Terrorism Act)
7. Legalize prostitution
8. Do away with Reservations from Educational Institutions
9. Forbid candidates with criminal backgrounds to run for elections
10. Punitive action against Tax evaders

 

India

Top 10 things I currently hate about my country:

1. Our inability to handle terrorism & naxalism.
2. Politicians
3. The Ambani’s fighting over Gas as though its their baap ka maal
4. Reality shows (barring one- Sach ka Saamna)
5. Rising prices
6. The diminishing quality of Bollywood cinema
7. The poor dispensation of justice by the courts
8. The clogging of our cities roads & zero parking space
9. Train journeys in 2nd class
10. Over hype of Cricket & Cricketers

Top 10 things I love about my country:

1. Our Defence Forces
2. Our National Anthem
3. Our growth trajectory to become a super power
4. Our chalta-hai attitude
5. Our Food cuisines
6. Road side tea stalls
7. Our family values
8. Our wedding extravaganzas
9. Our belief in God
10. Our festivals

Diminishing Marginal Utility

I bought a new laptop recently. An absolute masterpiece- The Dell Studio15. As I laid my hands on it, all excited, the sight was as though a child was playing with a new toy for the first time, handling it extremely carefully, literally not allowing anyone else to touch it but only see it from a distance.

This is basic human psychology I  guess. Every new possession is handled with care, while the old ones are lying somewhere unnoticed & uncared for, biting the dust. The economic jargon used to describe this behaviour is called ‘The Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility’. (Read it here - http://www.investopedia.com/terms/l/lawofdiminishingutility.asp). The only material exception to this principle that i can think of is a Car. People usually develop sentiments & are highly passionate about their cars and don’t let them go easily, unless absolutely necessary. But this certainly does not deter them or rob them of the excitement of the new car they purchase.

Hmm…I know she’ll grow old, someday. And then I'll lose interest in her, eventually dumping her without any regrets. Then the hunt would begin for my next laptop with the same excitement & passion as this time. 

The Algebra of Indian politics

I am of the opinion that most of the issues faced by our country cannot be resolved unless our political system is drastically changed. This multi party system has sown the seeds of regionalism deep into the polity of our country. Vote bank & caste based politics based on regional lines are the main reasons for parties to adopt pro-regional policies which on the contrary, generally, are anti-national. The regional parties often have their own state-specific agendas and do not give a damn about national issues. These very parties hold the Central Government to ransom each time the Govt tries to bring about a policy change which could impact their state.

Here are some of my suggestions to some key ministers (of those ministries that are close to my heart) in this Govt & opposition:

Ministry of Home Affairs: Dear Mr. Chidambaram, hats off to you for atleast attempting to strengthen the security apparatus of our country. Policy changes at the Govt level & the actual implementation on ground are totally two different things. My suggestions to you:

• Bring back POTA. Ofcourse, include the safeguards that you have been harping about. But bring it back. I fail to understand your reservations on this law. Your party says that it is draconian in nature. So be it. Its high time we need draconians to rid this country of terrorists & agents. Your opposition to the law is only to protect your vote bank of the minority community, which you fear would switch sides if you implement it.
• Strengthen the Police machinery. Upgrade their weapons. Govt stats show a shortage of Police personnel is our country. Pls tell me, is there a shortage of population in our country?? The main reason for posts remaining vacant is because of the political interference in this process. You need to get rid of this and ensure full transparency.
• Improve coastal security. This has been one of the least focus areas of our security structure. Hence the results are clear. In 1993, it was RDX that was bought to the shores of Bombay via the sea route. On 26/11, it was the terrorists themselves.
• Strengthen the intelligence network. This is the key to the prevention of future terrorist attacks in our country. Again, if there is a shortage of personnel in the agencies, hire them. Fill the gaps. Focus on human intelligence. We are still repenting the actions of our former Prime Minister IK Gujral who committed the biggest blunder ever when he ordered our security agencies to bring back our spies and espionage agents based in Pakistan in 1995. I doubt if Pakistan returned the favour cuz the presence of ISI agents & sleeper cells in India is a known fact. Every terrorist attack throws light on the lack of intelligence sharing & coordination among the security agencies. This needs to be improved.
• Terrorists. Interrogate them, Kill them. No trial, No mercy. We are sick and tired of the Govt trying to project a humane face to the world. We need a dictatorial approach in dealing with them.
• Take lessons. From US, Israel. The Department of Homeland security has been hugely successful in prevention of attacks post 9/11. They’ve changed their standard operating procedures. We need to change ours. Replicate their model. Even if it means enhanced frisking of passengers at Airports. We Indians will simply have to get used to the idea.
• Stop complaining: Stop going to big daddy US for cribbing about Pakistan’s non action against the perpetrators of 26/11. The US has always traditionally, typically, strategically and intentionally wanted a balance of power in South East Asia, keeping their own interests in mind. Hence their favour & military/monetary support to Pakistan and their silence on missile & nuclear proliferation by China. Our new found love for the US (read the nuclear deal & other initiatives) is nothing but coffee house crap.
• Have a defined Kashmir Policy: For as long as I can remember, we have been dragging our feet on the Kashmir issue. The Govt should take a stand. It is futile to even consider Pakistan’s interests in the state. Abolish Article 370, bring the state under the provisions of the Indian Constitution. Do not remove AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Powers Act) unless the issue is resolved. Convert the Line of Control into the International Border if required.

Ministry of Defence: Dear Mr. Antony, your efforts to ease the purchase & procurement procedures for military equipment thereby reducing bureaucratic intervention & red tapism are a known fact. Some other improvements that are required are:

• Close the Gorshkov deal once n for all. Last read, I was shocked to see that the new price of the Aircraft Carrier is pegged at around Rs. 7000 crore as against the initial price of Rs. 3000 crore. Solve this mess and save money which can be effectively utilized elsewhere.
• Focus on Arunachal Pradesh & Sikkim. The Chinese military has been slowly & steadily encroaching on our land. This must stop.
• Ensure that the military is scam free. One scam is enough to dent the image of India’s security forces. Our Army, Navy & Airforce personnel should be given their due respect.

Ministry of External Affairs: Mr SM Krishna, it is the failures of our foreign policy yoy that has resulted in hostility from most of our neighbours.

• Engage Pakistan. One petty neighbour has been bleeding us for over 20 years now. And we don’t know what to do. We haplessly wait for another tragedy to occur. The basic problem is the fact that Pakistan does not fear India, the way they fear the US or even Russia. Soon after 9/11, the US threatened Pakistan that it would bomb it to the stone age if the latter did not support them on the War on Terror. Pakistan obliged. They dumped their long standing ally The Taliban. Not once did they ask US to give ‘evidence’ of Osama Bin Laden’s involvement in the terror strike. The same does not apply if they are dealing with India. Their Internal Security minister makes a mockery of our dossiers each time at press conferences. Pakistan must obey India if we are to maintain peace in the region. There cannot be a balance of power in our neighbourhood. India has to be the sole superpower.
• Deal with China. China is a potential threat. It is also a potential ally. Define a policy on dealing with them specially on the vexed border issues. Why can’t we see China as a possible procurer/supplier of military equipment? The world over, countries that deal in arms trade, rarely enter into conflicts with each other.

I have always been pro-BJP. For some reasons, I actually believed them when they coined the phrase ‘The Party with a difference’... But over the years, my belief has dwindled. Like many others, I was rooting for the BJP to come back to power in these Lok Sabha polls, but was quite happy with the results since the Congress had a majority by itself which in turn saw the marginalisation of some regional players and a reduction in their bargaining powers.

Mr. LK Advani: You have clearly lost your marbles. Pls retire from active politics. Your policies aint doing the BJP any good, not to mention your image battering. The blunders of the election (Varun Gandhi saga, criticism of Dr. Manmohan Singh, feigning ignorance of Jaswant Singh’s visit to Kandahar) need to be forgotten and corrective steps taken. Also, your protectionism of Arun Jaitely is unwarranted. He should be rapped on the knuckles for the failure of the party’s election strategy & campaign. I am in total agreement of your 'pseudo-secularism' gyaan, which highlights the hypocrisy of the congress party. But the fact remains that you need young blood in the party, leaders that can counter the growing influence & impact of a Rahul Gandhi. As on date, the BJP does not have the slightest chance of making a comeback in the next general election. It might even take a beating in the upcoming Assembly polls. The solution- stop the infighting, project some new faces, and be a constructive opposition.

Ms. Mayawati: If you have any remnants of shame, you must pay back the country the crores of rupees of public money that you have squandered in constructing the parks in UP. You deserve to go to jail. The Central Govt is a mute spectator. Only one institution that can take you to task is the Supreme Court.

Implementing the suggestions mentioned above need a change of heart and strong political will. Will this Govt deliver on its promises? Only time will tell.

My take on cinema

I am a movie freak. It is one of my best ways to kill time... even if it means watching a flick over n over again...(I have Troy & Pirates of the Caribbean on my laptop n I must have seen them over 20 times cuz they are my favs). Some others that I can quickly think of are... Forrest Gump, The Godfather, The Departed, A Few Good Men, Saving Private Ryan, Black Hawk Down, Notting Hill etc.

For quite a while now, I have been watching offbeat Indian cinema, clichéd as the ones made exclusively for the ‘multiplex’ audiences. These movies are somewhat better off than the regular masala flicks, not to mention the intensity of the actors which makes me come to the point- actors like Shahrukh Khan, Saif, Salman (the entire Khan clan except Aamir) are grossly over rated and over hyped....So dear Khan(s), the way I see it, you are successful only because you were destined to be & certainly not because you are exceptionally good on screen.

It is evident that you guys do not, infact, can never match the acting prowess or the brilliance of a KK Menon or an Irrfan Khan.... My point is further justified by the fact that none of these guys have won National Awards as yet. I feel other mainstream actors like Ajay Devgan (Company & Legend of Bhagat Singh I thought were his best performances) & Sanjay Dutt (fantastic in Vaastav) are far better.

I can hardly remember the last time I went to a theatre to watch a khan movie. Its best to catch them on some movie channel a few weeks later, absolutely foc!!!