CBI – is it Central or Congress’ Bureau of Investigation

Fight on Mr. Amit Shah !!!

Well, it is that time of the year for Indian (pseudo) secular media houses again. Their secular credentials are overflowing and if you go by media reports. Entire Gujarat government has been convicted, they have all the evidence for that, in particular Mr. Narendra Modi has been proven guilty. Only thing that is left is whether he will file a mercy petition before the president to commute his death sentence.

Of course, none of this is true. But you get the idea of the “crusade” the media is on, though. Let us look at the situation objectively and then make a decision for ourselves.

Point 1: CBI’s credibility. In recent times the UPA government has mis-used the CBI to suit its political compulsions without any shame or fear. Let us look at the following cases:
• Quottracchi: the flip flop by the CBI even ignoring several court directives to get all international warrants annulled and accounts dfrozen is legendary.
• Mayavathi: when she agreed to support the UPA then immediately the CBI changed its tune in the disproportionate assets and taj corridor case.
• Mulayam SinghYadav: Similarly, the stance CBI adopted changed dramatically depending on whether Mulayam supported the UPA or not.
Now, when the UPA is facing tough time in parliament the CBI is asked to “help out” and CBI suddenly “discovers” evidence against Mr. Amit Shah. Let us look at the “evidence” and the stance that CBI itself has adopted on exact nature of evidence in the past in detail.

Point2: Evidence: The CBI and several media houses are in possession of the call list of Mr. Shah’s phones. There are four calls in the two day period in which a wanted criminal and history chargesheeter, against whom encounter orders are already issued by Maharashtra and Andhra governments, was shot dead by Gujarat police. Yes, if you don’t know who Mr. Sohrabuddin was better educate yourself. It doesn’t mean that he should be killed by extra constitutional means. In India, encounters are legal, btw. The evidence is that the Minister for Home affairs spoke on the phone to Director General of Police, who reports to him in the hierarchy ! That is it, this is the “clinching” evidence that the CBI has. Now, let us rewind the clock back, when Prathiba Patil became the president, there was a case pending against her brother, who organized the killing of a rival Congress party worker. The goons (rowdy sheeters) who were arrested and convicted for the killing (by the congress government) received calls (many many of them btw) from President’s brother. This case also went to the CBI and guess what the agency submitted in the court. “These phone calls made by president’s brother to known criminals do not constitute evidence or enough and necessary proof”. Yes, this is the very same CBI who finds the exact (and much smaller number of calls during those two days) evidence in the form phone calls made by a home minister to an official in police dept. for which he is in charge of as clinching evidence!! Now, do you understand why neutral persons like me are upset at the UPA and the CBI?

Point3: Mr. Amit Shah has run away. Let us look at this in detail. Whenever a citizen of India feels that the investigating agencies have a malafide motive and purpose and an arrest is imminent he or she has a constitutional right to anticipatory bail. Which is precisely what Amit Shah did. So he is “running away” for our ndtv brigade. The CBI which has been having the call list for the past 5 years and is directly investigating the case for the past 6 months issues a notice to Amit Shah at 10am and asking him to appear in roughly two hours ! So when repeated representations for extension of time and wanting to know what the issue is what the questions are as the issue is over 5 years old were only answered with “NO you must appear at this time” -- leave alone Amit Shah, even I would go for an anticipatory bail. There is nothing illegal or immoral in this. It is your constitutional right.

So I request all of you to appraise yourselves of the facts and then form opinions and stances. You will certainly not hear about them in the (pseudo) secular channels (== NDTV brigade) and their intellectual Anglo Anchors (Prannoy Roy bridage). Only thing that is left is the "Chief Justice of the Media Kangaroo Supreme Court of India", Mr. N. Ram to pronounce the verdict. Boy, I am already waiting for that comedy show to unfold !

I for one has no hesitation in saying, "keep up the good fight Mr. Amit Shah, I am with you. I don't care what your idealogy is, what religion you belong to, the fight you are on, is for all citizen's of India and their rights against an abusive government and its authority" (== UPA & CBI).

Minister with a Mandate ? Dream ON, India !!!

Our foreign minister SM Krishna was recently back from a trip to Pakistan to initiate a “dialogue” with Pakistan. Even before the fumes of his flight had disappeared into a sky he suffered the ignominy of being called “unprepared, without a mandate, constantly taking orders on the phone from Delhi” & “When a minister has a clear mandate to negotiate we will.. we can wait” from his Pakistani counterpart in a press conference.

Now there is a huge hue and cry in the media about pak minister’s undiplomatic gaffe and how it will have repercussions for our relationship etc. About, insult India has suffered etc. Hmm… It is not Pakistan that has insulted India, but our own government and most importantly the SPM ! If anything, we owe a debt of gratitude to Pakistan for having brought the nation’s attention to a huge problem in the UPA.

How, in a “high command” based culture of Congress party we can expect anyone to have a mandate to do anything? Even our PM doesn’t have that ! He has to tolerate, Chidambaram’s incompetence and pseudo intellectual stances on the Home Ministry (still way better than the moron Shivraj Patil prior), monumental corruption of A.RAJA, intolerable Sharad Pawar, Praful Patel combo etc. Not to mention, minister for WestBengal DIDI. How can he look at himself in the mirror everyday and still decide to live is a mystery to me.

This is a party, where in every CM has to call Delhi everyday to get permission to go to the bathroom every morning ! Even panchayat candidates are decided and lists released by the High Command. Even our PM candidly admitted that when said so, he would gladly vacate the seat he has so nicely warmed up for yuvarajaa Rahul !

Now, why they decided to engage Pakistan is still a mystery to me. That terrorist nation has time and again operated outside the limits decency and diplomacy. Even americans are having a tough time getting it to toe our line. I for one, believes that there is a think-tank in the UPA, sorry it is one individual (Maatha Sonia), who believes for Indian Muslims to be appeased, the government has to engage Pakistan in a “peace dialogue” no matter what the consequences are. What we saw is the “tip of the iceberg” in the line of thinking that exists in the Pakistani establishment, which is well aware of this line of thought in the UPA. This has led to an arrogance, with a permanently smug attitude that for their “vote banks” UPA will talk to us no matter what.

This attitude of the UPA is doing the most damage to Indian Muslims, there are millions of them, who are as much of a patriot as anyone else. Who genuinely care for and pray that no harm should come to this nation. They are the ones who are bearing the brunt of criticism and are cast aspersions all around and pay the heaviest tax of all in India. It is in the interest of thsi nation that the silent majority of all religions speaks up and makes politicians aware of the costs of playing such games.

Else, why would you want to talk "peace" with a terrorist nation that is only interested in a “piece” of India ? Explain it to me, I am willing to listen….

Only positive outcome of this visit was to highlight the Master-Slave relationship that exists in the Congress party. Minister with Mandate in a congress government, Dream on India !!

PS: SPM == Super Prime Minister

What do U want to be, NRI, NRI or NRI ?

After returning to India what do you want to be, NRI or Indian ? 

IN this topic I want to present to you the dilemma, today’s NRIs seem to be going through when they want to take that earthshaking decision – yes, that of returning to India. We have to understand the past, the India we left behind, the future – the India of today well to make an informed choice. Since my family had gone through this (though without any heartburn both ways) I thought it would be a topic to resonate with… I have held several talks with my colleagues in my company in USA regarding this as well. 

This article is a collection of those experiences as well. When I decided to move back to India in 1999, the immediate family and the society was in disbelief. “What happened? Is your career not going well? Did the stock tank?” were the routine questions that people wanted answers to. The fact, someone can make this decision in good faith was unfathomable to them! Most were not willing to believe that I moved back to India, because I wanted to in my own free will. Trust me folks, it was an easy decision to make for me and should be so for everyone as well. 

I have no regrets about my life in US and now in India, I enjoyed both of them in equal measure. I was not shying away from taking decisions while living in the US with the thought “Will this be a waste if I return to India or why waste money, as I am returning to India anyway?” Similarly, in India now, I do not worry about safety, security corruption etc. 

The key to success in taking the decision and as well as in your life in India after that, is determination. Take a stance and stick to it… Decide whether you want to move to India for professional or personal reasons. Decide the importance of each category and temper your decisions based on the weightage. There will be significant issues you will have to consider e.g even the same company you worked in the USA will operate under different rules… Education systems are different, people you hire into your household and office come with a set mind and priorities. It is time to reset your expectations and enhance your awareness all around, to be successful. 

 1. Reset your expectations: With your “NRI” status don’t expect to waltz in and the society to be subservient and hand things over in a platter for you. There has been a section of Indian society that holds its own against the very best in the world and now with resurgence, they have increased in numbers. So “Let me tell you how to…” it is a wrong choice in mentality in most issues. 

 2. Housing etc. be prepared to be shocked. It might surprise you to know that by and large indian middle class lives in Larger houses. Yes, it is not a mistake average apartment in the league that NRIs will compete will be twice the size of the ~1700 sft house you are used to in USA. 

 3. The league you attempt to live amongst has always existed in India, only now you are equipped financially to get close to them. So shed any arrogance.

 4. Things take time, get used to it, this is the biggest change in mindset that is required.

 5. Balance your privacy expectations and responsibilities. Yes, relatives will drop in unannounced and you may perceive them as a pain but they also are the first ones to show up during an emergency as well… This more true in India than in USA.

 6. Distinguish your clothes and dress appropriately. In general, what is food for one is poison for another. What might be a regular high-school attire might fall into the category of provocative lingerie in a society, where in people put a towel on the shoulders even if they are in a nightie that is thick enough to be bullet proof ! This is similar, to your life in USA where you changed your attire consciously to blend in. When in Rome dress like Romans do, “don’t stick out like a sore thumb” is a good motto always in life.

 7. Temper your expectations in schools. Here teachers will often deliver a blunt message asking your kids to step up. Understand their motive, which is to do good by your kids.. Don’t go around lecturing how the whole system is bad and how it needs to change etc. If you firmly believe in that, then your only choice is to stay in USA or start your own school. It is as simple as that. Educate your kids, that there are smarter kids around and get used to life. Stop hugging your younger ones every day in front of the school gate and apologizing to them for sending them to school every day. Don’t expect a big graduation ceremony when your kid goes from first grade to second grade ! The level to which mediocrity is celebrated in India is much lower than in USA !

8. In India, the clinical way with which you approached things in USA will NOT work. Here people are not just some bots, to whom you tell what needs to be done and expect them to do and get out. You have to build personal social capital with all. Whether it is staff at home or at work this rule is the same. In that HR in India shamelessly apes the USA and have forgotten what that H stands for. Appreciate folks for their personal side as well, show constant empathy and showcase your personal experiences when it comes to mentoring. These are lot more successful techniques specific to achieving success in your processional life in India.

Last, be determined to see it through. Just rewind the clock back when you moved abroad, you were determined to make a life out there isn’t it. Now you need to have the same determination to succeed.

 A NRI after the move back to India is still an NRI, it is up to you to decide whether the NRI after the move is “Nicely Reconciled Indian” or “Not Reconciled Indian”. For this reconciliation there is a lot of stepping up in terms of attitude, adjustment and most importantly respecting the local culture/tradition. E.g. though you knew English when you moved to the USA you picked-up phrases and even an accent. But when you move back to India and to a different state what are you prepared to do, be determined to learn the language and culture. You will only be a better person for it. 

 Only in rare cases an NRI becomes an Indian, my appeal is to you all to become nicely reconciled Indians… (NRI)