Worst till date?

With the Lok Sabha election fast approaching, we find our political parties busy in doing anything for votes. But it is unfortunate that leaders using foul language are finding much attention by mass and media. Hardly a day passes without seeing television images of our so called representatives spewing venom on their opponents. It is unfortunate that many of our political leaders make inflammatory and indecent remarks during election. Our politicians often make comments which lead to controversies and, sometimes, land them in trouble with the law. They then try to escape saying they meant something else. Freedom of speech is not freedom to indulge in irresponsible talk.

With the 24x7 media straining to break news, such speeches get unparalleled attention. What is worrying is that this oral offensive is neither the outcome of momentary lapses into indiscretion nor an exception. It is becoming an indispensable and accepted part of our political discourse.

This is the worst election so far. The issues relevant to people are not discussed or addressed. The Mud Slinging has reached its climax. Personality wars are raging. Undue importance is given to persons who are born with a particular family name. The electorate is frustrated and the turnout is expected to be very low.What has happened to issues like disease, illiteracy, lack of water, power, roads, lack of jobs, lack of hospitals, lack of schools, high level of corruption, serious pending cases against politicians etc.

The middle class knows only too well that the “crushing under the roller,” “bloodbath,” “Ram temple” and other such remarks are political gimmicks. The so-called elite have no intention to vote and therefore ignore such irresponsible speak. The poor hardly care for the issues on which the noise is made as they are busy with their day-to-day issues. Then for whom these politicians are making these remarks and to whom they are trying to impress? Such statements, at best, may be honey for the ears of those who blindly follow the showy politicians.

The voters should evaluate a candidate’s worth on the basis of not just his or her integrity or ability to serve but also the maturity level to handle criticism. I hope the candidates will understand that they are watched and every home has at least one educated person who can change the opinion of his or her family members when they go to vote.

Election 2009 is one of the worst elections, if viewed in the context of campaigning by some of our leaders. Worse, they are not even ashamed of what they speak. The election will be remembered for Varun Gandhi’s hate speech, Lalu Prasad’s statement that he would have crushed the young BJP leader under a roller had he been the Home Minister, Mulayam Singh threatening a woman official, Uddhav Thackeray calling the Prime Minister names, and Vaiko warning of a bloodbath in Tamil Nadu while supporting a banned organization, Modi and Priyanka episode and now the tussle between Soina and Advani.

images taken from toonpool.com

It needs something else to become no.1

India has won a test series in New Zealand after some 40 years or so..obviously its a great matter of joy, but is the winning margin of 1-0 a true indication of dominance of India? In the last day - a gloomy one - of a tough season, New Zealand had a few bright spots to hang on to. Of course, the series had been lost the day they were bowled out for 197 at the Basin Reserve. For the last three days, it has been all about whether they could salvage a draw, with or without the help of a circumspect India and unpredictable weather.

It was a poor declaration by MS Dhoni when he batted too long, he should have known that the weather could change on the last day. He would have been aware of that and he could have backed his bowlers not to concede 600 or so runs. They made a mistake and New Zealand were able to get out with a draw. If he wanted 600 on board and then attacking field placement then why didn't he do that? Why all were playing like schoolboys and making giggling noise? On day 3 India, had a lead larger than any target successfully chased in the fourth innings of some 1918 tests played in 132 years. Over the world's No. 8 team, one they had bowled out for 197 runs in the first innings of the same Test. Two days later, when the Indian team trooped off the field, they were still looking for the last New Zealand two wickets

India's disappointment was evident at not winning the Test, despite a charismatic spell of legspin bowling from Sachin Tendulkar, who combined really well with Harbhajan Singh. Harbhajan, with 16 wickets, ended as the highest wicket-taker in the series. "Of course it is a bit disappointing not to win this Test," captain MS Dhoni said after the test.

The safety-first approach highlighted India's lack of success overseas. The value of this win was immense and its enormity is beginning to be understood. But India lacked the ruthlessness required to win the test. The hunger to win in each and every situation has always been a trade mark of a champion side be it West Indies or Australia. But India clearly lacked it during 4th day of last match. To become no.1 in world India needs to learn a lesson or two from those champion sides.

The one thing to watch out against is complacency, which seemed to surface now and then, as it did on the fourth and fifth days of the third Test when inclement weather, with the assistance of some aimless drift and tactical looseness, denied India an even more convincing series victory.

After Bush, Wen Jiabao now P Chidambaram

In a shocking incident, a journalist hurled a shoe at Union Home Minister P Chidambaram during a press conference convened by the Congress party to unveil its blueprint to fight terror in India.

Chidambaram was replying to a question posed by a Sikh journalist on the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) clean chit to Congress leader Jagdish Tytler on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. The journalists was apparently not happy by the reply given the minister and hence was insisting on getting clarifications.

Then all of a sudden he hurled a shoe at the Home Minister. Everybody present was shocked by the incident.

The shoe missed Palaniappan Chidambaram, who lent back to avoid it. He later smiled and asked security guards to take the reporter out of the room.

"Please take him away," the minister said after the missile was thrown at him. Congress party workers immediately took the white turbaned journalist away.

This was the latest incident of show-throwing as a mark of protest against political leaders, including former President George W Bush and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.

Was it over reaction or the true anguish of people....whatever it be, but this kind of act shouldn't be tolerated, because it's not only the insult of Home minister but it's a insult of whole country.

Be ware of these politicians!

1.Actor-turned- politician Sanjay Dutt on Tuesday said he was not surprised by the Supreme Court’s decision to disallow him from contesting the upcoming general elections.“I was not surprised by the Supreme Court’s decision. I respect the decision of the honourable court. I am a law-abiding citizen and I really appreciate that the honourable court had absolved me from Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (TADA),” Dutt told reporters.

On July 31, 2007, he was sentenced to a jail term of six years for illegal possession of firearms acquired from terrorist acquaintances, who were responsible for the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts.

2.The man accused of engineering anti-sikh riots in 1984 has just got a clean chit. As expected former Union Minister Jagdish Tytler has been let off by the CBI (Central Bureau Of Investigation) in its final report. De-sealing its final report in the case in the court, the CBI pleaded that the case against Tytler, the Congress' candidate from the Delhi North East constituency, be canceled. "The Sikh vote has never been a problem. They have never voted against me - there is no question of the 1984 riots and the allegations against me," said Tytler. Lately Congress was feeling the heat for the 1984 Anti-sikh massacre from BJP and section of the Media , and wants to do away with it , the best idea was to use the "CBI" to clear the name of Mr.Tytler , So if no one is responsible for the massacre , then how did it happened, we have "N" no reports which tells that Congress leaders were responsible for the killing, What should we do with that report ? If BJP is responsible for 2000 riots then Congress was for the 1984 , so a pot should not call the kettle black.

3.Indian media has created a new leader for the BJP and for the Hinduithava factions , with out any help from the BJP, They have managed single handily made a big issue of a small speech give in a remote place. It should be noted that nothing has happened from his "inflammatory" speech till date!! All the "News" channels are flashing that it is a drama , but one thing they are forgetting is that the drama was created by them and not by any one else, if any one in India have watched the "News" channels for the past 10 days would repeat the speech from heart. it was really funny, the way the Congress spokesperson was talking to a "News" channel, it clearly showed that he was frustrated, angry, and dose not know what to do (i.e. Helplessness). The media and the UP government did not expect the turnout (one estimate 10000 people), and was literally take back by the support Varun got.

These are three incidents of this week which forced me to think about today's politics. So we should teach a lesson or two to these politicians who by raising people's sentiments and creating divide in society want to earn cheep and fast popularity for their own interests.

Too Many Prime Ministers

The General Election 2009 is not dominated by any personality. It is the complete absence of a figure such as Barack Obama, Sheikh Hasina, Indira Gandhi or even an Atal Bihari Vajpayee. We have leaders, but no one who drives popular choices at the national level. There are so many Prime Ministerial candidates in the battle ground of 2009 elections.

On January 24th, 2009, Manmohan Singh underwent cardiac bypass surgery at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. Following the surgery, speculation of alternate PM candidates arose both within the Congress and amongst coalition partners. In an attempt to quell such speculations, Sonia Gandhi announced that Manmohan Singh is the UPA coalition's Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2009 elections. United Progressive Alliance is projecting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as the Prime Ministerial candidate in the elections. Following the August 2008 confidence vote victory for the current government, Congress is seeing the right person in Manmohan Singh to lead it to the battle field of the 2009 elections. He is having Clean image, better economic knowledge and is acceptable to all, but weak leadership can go against him if Congress couldn't come up as single largest party.

National Democratic Alliance The main opposition, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its coalition partners in the National Democratic Alliance, announced that their candidate for prime minister would be BJP party leader Lal Krishna Advani, the Leader of the Opposition. On January 23, 2008, leaders from BJP and other NDA parties convened to officially elect him their candidate. No other party or alliance has announced a prime ministerial candidate. Strong leadership quality is his strength, but less faith of minorities can go against him.

Third Front a motley group of regional parties, as well as the Communist parties, have been striving to form a third front to counter the BJP-led and Congress-led alliances. Among the members are the United National Progressive Alliance, India's Left parties and the Bahujan Samaj Party. Once again, the media has speculated that Mayawati, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, could potentially be projected as the front's Prime Ministerial candidate, but no official move has taken place yet. If Mayawati's party can win enough seats, she has openly stated that she would be willing to take the support of the national parties to become Prime Minister. The factor of being a 'Dalit' can go with her. Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar has indicated that he is also a possible Prime Ministerial candidate post elections.

Another possibility arising in last few days could be the 'Secular Front' formed by Lalu Prasad Yadav's Rastriya Janta Dal (RJD), Mulayam Singh Yadav's Samajwadi Party (SP) and Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Jansakti Party (LJP). Any of them could arise as the candidate for top job depending upon their seats. Lalu and Mulayam is having those 'skills' and experience while Paswan is again a 'Dalit' leader.

IPL and we the ppl

Of course, the IPL is not merely a domestic tournament. It is a life-altering phenomenon in cricket. It is domestic only in the sense that it is controlled by the BCCI, which also benefits the most from it; but it has felt like an unstoppable force, with the power to affect every aspect of international cricket. In so many ways, it already has. And that's why the attention of the cricket world has been riveted on the discussions, or rather the lack of them, between the IPL's organisers and the Indian government over the security arrangements.


There was no way the world’s largest and most complex election exercise would not have got priority over a splurge of Twenty20 entertainment. At the same time, the organizers were left with no choice. There was no other space for the tournament in the international calendar, and the cost of not holding it was immense. But with the government refusing to provide a categorical assurance about security, and in fact giving every indication that it would prefer the tournament to be postponed, the risk of going ahead with it in India as scheduled was even greater.

However, this will be the first time a domestic tournament will be held abroad from start to finish. The IPL brought about a revolution in cricket in its first year. Will the second season lead to another? Its relocation is having both, positive & negative aspects.

What we stand to loose:

The relocation is a huge setback for the IPL. It was a tournament founded on the concept of city loyalties, and the finest aspect of the first season, apart from the quality of the cricket, was the response it generated from local fans. The money was made from television, but the real success of the tournament was felt in the stands. Taking the games away would be to deny them their natural habitat.

India would have showcased its higher security prospects and thus would have created positive environment to organize high profile sports events such as commonwealth games, Asian games and cricket world cup which is hit by recent terror activities in the region.

BCCI has been said to loose Rs.200 crores due to its relocation. At any given point of time, IPL would have 10,000 people working on the tournament. They would have consuming 30,000 rooms in hotels and 10,000 airline tickets for the purpose of the tournament, India stands to loose it.

As a positive,

it might provide a template for, and hasten the process of, Pakistan's home games being played in England or elsewhere. And if the tournament succeeds beyond drawing eyeballs on television, it could end up expanding the IPL's base and providing a tangible alternative for all subcontinent teams in these uncertain times. Even the most loyal Indian supporters will agree that these parts are far more chaotic and inherently prone to security lapses than the developed nations. The bombings in London in 2005 were an exception.

Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner, has said the South African economy will benefit enormously from staging the lucrative Twenty20 tournament. Speaking at a press conference in Johannesburg, Modi suggested the influx of players, coaches, support staff, media and spectators would inject many millions into South Africa over the league's five-week duration.

But in the end it is as inconceivable to think of cricket without India as it is to imagine India without cricket. Not only is India cricket's economic powerhouse, but despite all the flaws of its administrators and the excesses of its fans, nowhere else is the game more alive, more vibrant, and followed more passionately. The IPL happened to get its timing wrong, but for its own sake, cricket must return home.

Sometimes a controversy ends well, and this is one of those. No major bruises, though the Congress is left looking a bit sheepish. When the first ball of the second IPL is bowled, cricket aficionados in the country will be saluting Modi, Pawar and Jaitley.

Nano wheels hit Indian roads

Tata Nano, the world's cheapest car with a huge following, made its commercial debut on Monday but the Rs 1,00,000 price tag that drove it to fame may not stay for long.

From today onwards, the product will be available in the showrooms. There will be three versions - the base version , which is the one Tatas promised to the people of India and two upper tier versions. But u have to pay more if you want a Radio, an A.C. or other facilities in your car for the base version.

According to market research firm Crisil, Nano's price reduces the cost of ownership of an entry-level car by 30 per cent and to below three times the cost of owning a motorcycle. "This will make the car affordable to an additional 14 million families, including a section of 58 million two- wheeler owners," Crisil said.

While the Nano will not affect the other compact cars in the market, it will create a new segment of buyers, mainly those who want to upgrade from two-wheelers to four wheeler.

But it remains to be seen the people's interest in it,when the market is very low and people are losing their jobs due to recession and much of them are forced to sell their cars due to less income, no one can predict about the future of the Nano.

Also the environment related issues are with it, at the same time when Indian roads are full and blocked with the traffic, is it wiser to put 1 million new cars on the Indian roads?

http://www.tatamotors.com/