Monday, February 28, 2011

Want Telengana ? Then learn Italian...

Is AP (telengana) part of India ?

We have seen time and again the apathy shown by our union government towards states outside of the Hindi belt (with Kashmir being the lone
exception). The concerns of the NE states, especially the recent blockade in Manipur etc. didn’t wake up our government. Now add AP to that list.

Telengana region is simmering with anger and expection. With total paralysis looming and in particular all examinations in the month of March on track for cancellations due to agitations, bandhs etc. Already the Telengana region’s students are handicapped due to school closures many times during the academic year. The problem lies squarely with the Union Government and the congress party.

If only our Congress “Maatha” hadn’t announced a "gift" to the people of Telengana region on her birthday, things would have been lot different. Lack of firmer action and total capitulation to the TRS chief are reasons which are there for everyone to see. It created a monster in TRS and heightened sense of expectation in the people. Now people are crying and demanding that “gift”.

It is high time that people of Telengana focused their agitation on hurting the union government’s interests. Right now, their focus is misguided and is hurting the people of this region alone. By applying pressure and getting all congress MPs to resign from the lok sabha they will surely get “Maatha’s” notice. The next best option is to write a letter in Italian and ask all people of telengana to send it to “Maatha’s” residence. If telengana goes through unbearable times then the fault is mostly with Congress and to some extent with the TJAC which is not smart -- tactically -- in choosing whom to make the target. Instead it is hurting the residents of Telengana only.

Anyone in Delhi listening ?

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Do you know who is Chitresh Srivastava ?

Quiz time again folks… Do you know who Chitresh Srivastava is ? Don’t feel bad. Other than the Indian government no one seems to be aware of him. He is the Indian manager of Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. A study of how the government has gone about the two individuals in the recent foreign currency scam brings to light the attitude of the government and prompts rational individuals like me to wonder, will the UPA stop playing vote bank polities on at least one issue ?

Observe this…

Both the individuals carried foreign currency in the same flight. Both were paid monies by the same organizations, with Rahat as the performer and Chitresh as the manager. They also carried roughly the same amount.

Rahat has pleaded guilty to all the charges, yet our government fails to file even a chargesheet and lets him go and he immediately catches a flight to leave for the emirates.

Chitresh, is facing interrogation, he has not been released. The government opposes his anticipatory bail and indicates that serious hawala networks are behind this. The issues are serious enough to warrant various chargesheets under various sections of law, we are told.

Is it just me, of anyone else equally upset ? Why this different sets of standards for these two individuals ? The Pakistani Muslim is getting the benefit, though he has pleaded guilty; While the Indian Hindu is facing the majesty of law from the UPA government. At the minimum, both individuals has to be treated equally, isn’t it ? What is the basis of confidence for our government that Pakistan will extradite Rahat to us for further trials, when that terrorist nation has done zilch to extradite even the 26/11 perpetrators ?

All the time the Yuvarajaa of the UPA goes around the nation to various campuses, preaching how his government is all inclusive and how no one is left out !

Well tell that to Mr. Srivastava, Rahul…

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan or Gulfam Hassan ?

Recently, a Pakistani Singer was arrested along with his manager as the duo were carrying cash in excess of $100,000 each. Under Indian law, carrying out any amount with you is legal, as long as you declare it to customs on the way out. This is exactly similar to US as well. What followed was a real comedy.

If you are logical like me you would have expected discussions and reporting around, what are the events the singer participated in India, who paid him the money. Do they have the legal resources to acquire such foreign exchange that too in cash ? Is that matched in the legal statements they provided so far in terms of tax returns etc. to Indian authorities ? Simple right ? You couldn’t be more wrong my friend ! Surprised, you should be..

The media, went on a crusade highlighting how this is impacting peace initiatives with Pakistan, tearing your hair out ? Yes, incredibly that is what happened. There were big panel discussions with “intellectuals” like Mahesh Bhat, who with their vested interests of opening up the Pakistani market for Hindi movies toed the erroneous line of “ Hell with national security, he should be released with a simple fine – if required”.

It would be worth it to broadcast the movie SARFAROSH on national television so that the public in general and such intellectuals in particular are made aware of Gulfam Hassan (excellently portrayed by Naseeruddin Shah, btw). A Pakistani singer who only reciprocates the “Aman ki Aasha” embraces with an elaborate plan to increase terrorism in India”. That movie also portrayed excellently, how vote bank politics allows such individuals the freedom to go about it; most importantly how ordinary Muslims are cast aspersions because of such acts by our “officialdom”, a negligible few in the Indian Muslim community and the Pakistanis.

Today, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan has been released with just a fine, with
no statement on which hawala network was behind this transaction, who
all funded it -- etc. all hushed up. There is no statement from the government
on why it chose to go with just a fine. There is total silence
otherwise. I suspect, because a famous media house was the firm which
engaged him, this time around. Rahat has himself declared that he always
accepts payments in cash only, has carried it to Pakistan as well in the
past. No press conference on details of investigation around this as well.

Brace yourselves for another 26/11 folks, because this inaction is the
only consistent and firm action that our governments have done. We can
be assured that after another terrorist strike, Pakistan will be even
more sternly warned with such inaction. Meanwhile, the Gulfam Hassans
will have a field day.

Mr. Chidambaram, are you listening ?

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Movie Review: Gaganam (Telugu) also Payanam (Tamil)

My family recently watched the movie Gaganam produced by (Prakash Raj in Tamil as Payanam). This movie was simultaneously shot with the same cast and released together as well. It is a wonderful movie, which is focusing on what is a very real possibility in life in India. Which is Jihadi kidnappings and terrorism in this case they have focused on plane hijacking and related events around it.

Director Radha mohan is quite adept at using situational comedy to keep the audience engaged and has exploited that to the hilt in this movie as well. A plane from Chennai to Delhi is hijacked by 5 muslim terrorists (to free another captured fellow terrorist). The effect this hijacking has on a whole gamut of characters with different attitudes, philosophies is etched very well. Radha Mohan has a tendency to unnecessarily anoint Christianity as a kinder and caring religion vis-à-vis others and this movie also continues that mistake. That minor flaw aside -- it is a gem. The clever plot to free the passengers is also worthy of appreciation. No character dominates the movie with each one making an impact almost in sequence.

How babudom worries about the government of the day and their electoral prospects etc. is brought out without holding any punches. The frustrations of a NSG commando whose capabilities are restrained by officialdom are portrayed excellently by Nagarjuna. Nagajuna should give up “two wife/heroine syndrome” and go for such scripts, but in his defense such ones are rarity as well. The highlight is the scene where the commander of NSG shouts at the potbellied motley crew of IAS kind saying “You are all just old, not experienced” whether the director intended are not, it is a true statement both in real life and based on the situation in the movie as well.

How actors with all their titles etc. are in real life is parodied excellently with “Shining Star Chandrakanth” and an obsessive fan who happens to be seated next to him. Each actor has played the role to perfection, even the air hostess character portrayed by Poonam Kaur manages to convey lot more without saying a word in crucial scenes. Veteran Brahmanandam, shows up in the second half and his impact is the most in the short scenes that are interspersed in that half.

Such efforts need to be recognized so go for it with the entire family. Even if you can’t go -- just buy the ticket and throw it away. The entire team behind this movie deserves it…

Thursday, February 17, 2011

A rubberstamp will be always dirty, Mr. Manmohan Singh….

Like many Indians, I had the (mis)fortune of watching our dummy PM. His conference can be summed up nicely as follows:

• I am helpless
• Not every issue comes to me for approval, even in ministries I am directly in charge of
• There is coalition Dharma
• I trusted corrupt ministers to do the right thing
• I am not as bad as you think..

That is it, this short list above almost completely summarizes his “press conference”. When even his usual ally Arnab Goswami, got fed up; upped his tone and tenor only to be reminded by the NDTV brigade and PM’s media advisor as to how a “decorum” has to be maintained when you are “questioning” the PM. Folks, I can no longer laugh or cry at this poor PM. The only honorable thing for him to do will be admit to the super powers in his party that made him observe “studied silence” while the nation was being looted, then resign. This is the only redemption for him.

The journalists were somehow silent in their follow-up to the wishy-washy answers that were given. E.g. how can Dharma of any kind, shield Adharma? The constitution distinguishes the PM and gives that person the absolute pleasure of keeping or dropping anybody as minister. Why didn’t he do that? Even when you got alerts why did you decide to “trust” specific ministries and ministers? There were not at all probed in detail. It appeared that most of the media was happy that they had the “exposure” to be seen with the PM and left it at that.

To add insult to injury, now the NDTV brigade is singing praises as to how the PM is candid. When one says I am not as big a thief as you think -- there is implicit admission that I am a thief to some degree! Somehow our media slaves are not getting it.

Please Mr. Manmohan Singh, for the sake of this nation “speak up and resign”. If you choose to be a rubberstamp, then you can’t but be dirty….

Saturday, February 12, 2011

The Curious case of the missing “R”

Indians have adopted English as their own and have attached various notions around it. You are “Educated” & “Classy” if and only if you “tippy tongue” your way while speaking it. English has various local influences depending on the Region whether it is “How are you doing, Yaar ?” to “Eeendeeiyaa is my country” with “Yemmu”, “Hecchoo” replacing M & H respectively. It is hilarious as to how this Indinglish has evolved. The most comical one is the main focus this article. Quiz time, folks.

Let us see how many of you can identify the below:

1. Badae
2. Mo Kaa pa Kaa
3. Kantaavesee
4. “Thae maeku payuva kaattyu”
5. Ayan
6. Veekaa
7. Equaiya


Give up ? The answes are….

1. Birthday
2. More car per car
3. Controversy
4. “Then Maerku paruva Kaatru” (தென் மேற்கு பருவ காற்று == south west monsoon in Tamil) an NDTV Hindu anchor who is a tamil girl was trying to fit into the Indinglish scheme of pronunciation and ended up with this. But at the same time has no problem pronouncing all French names with all the native nuances in the same program :-(
5. Iron
6. Weaker
7. Require

Notice a pattern, somehow, in Indinglish if you pronounce the R in all its glory then your English is not correct! Tearing your hair out, well unless you are a “native” in this language you will not get it when spoken to by folks, especially the women folk seem to be well adept at this tippy tongue language during their college days. It is hilarious and sometimes the effort required to match the local pronunciation with the actual word requires lot of thought !!!

I would be curious to understand the basis for this “R” less English pronunciation; it certainly makes my life colorful. I will leave it at that.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Don’t worry Mr. TATA every sinner has a future…

Recently, Mr. Ratan TATA in an interview to a magazine expressed his angst at being asked 15cr for starting an airline and he rejected it as he said that “I can’t go to sleep at night, otherwise” there was deafening applause for that all around and on the face of it, appeared well deserving too..

Alas, now revelations have come about Ratan’s not so clean initiatives through Ms. Radia and today a letter written by him to Mr. Karunanidhi praising A Raja for clear headed policies in the telocom ministry and in effect recommending him for a second term.

Whatever credibility the TATA group had was destroyed by this; add to this his conversation promising a hospital and better facilities to an existing one, in exchange for “understanding” from the telecom minister. Now everyone is shocked, but except yours truly…

Why I am not surprised? The origin of success of the TATAs is the license Raj, where in they kept every private player from the industries they were in. Let us look at them Power generation and distribution for Mumbai, Automobile manufacturing, Locomotives & Steel. These are the anchors and cash cows for the TATAs and every private player who tried to get in had felt the hidden hand of TATAs in not getting licenses… This singular reason alone is enough for me to have my doubts about “Integrity”. It took an Ambani to better them in their own game (that is another story indeed…).

Today, he has given another interview expressing his desire to be known as a “clean business man”. All I can say is “You start on that initiative now… Don’t worry Mr. TATA every sinner has a future…”

Thank you Mr. Ameena Khan…

How many of you know Mr. Ameena Khan, recently he did yeomen service to this country. Well, what did he do, is he an RTI activist or NGO King or advocate for minority rights. Well none of that, but he still had done great service to this nation. He blew the lid off as to why Prathiba patil was picked for the post of president by the Italian Maatha.

Mr. Khan is a minister in the congress government of Rajasthan, recently in a some party forum in his constituency, when an issue was raised as to how come people who have worked for the party are not getting anywhere, he candidly replied pointing out the case of Prathiba Patil. He disclosed that in the congress party, more than service to party loyalty to the first family alone will get you places. He thundered “Prathiba Patil, became president because of her loyalty to Gandhis and the fact that She cooked and cleaned in Indira’s kitchen so well…”. Well sit down folks, this is what he actually said. Of course, the “High Command” has acted with alacrity and he has been removed as minister.

On my part, I want to extend sincere thanks to Khan for clarifying what is the unspoken truth in congress party. It is a real comedy, when congressmen express indignation and shock at another recent incident that of a personal security officer wiping the shoes of Ms. Mayawati in UP. Well, what can you say, the BSP students have learnt from great professors in this party of sychopants….