http://drishtikona.com My online journal with thoughts, opinions, comments and more.. Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:36:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.2 http://drishtikona.com/images/favicon.gif http://drishtikona.com en http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/002192.php http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/002192.php#comments Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:12:07 +0000 Indra http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/002192.php farmers said, "Didi should have agreed to (Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's) talks proposal. She made a mistake - there is no harm in holding talks." "If the government can provide a job for my son, we can think about its proposal. How long can we live in uncertainty?" Who says Mamta bothers about the people at large? Why should an expressway serving as bloodstream of the country's economy be blocked causing problem and loss for truckers and drivers and ultimately inflation when she is not ready to talk with the government? Let us hear what the truck drivers say, "Nearly 80,000 drivers and cleaners in 20,000 trucks have been spending sleepless nights without food and water on the road since August 24. We will incur a loss of Rs 200 crore as goods in the trucks have already perished." "We will request the leadership to open at least one lane of the expressway." "HM needs 2,800 machine parts to manufacture a car. Many trucks carrying these machine parts are held up in Durgapur and Asansol areas. We will keep two of our business units closed tomorrow. We hope the Durgapur Expressway will be open to traffic soon." The factory of Hindustan Motors near Uttarpara has suspended work and has asked its employees not to come. But Mamta is authoritarian and autocrat. Her lone voice is supreme. She threw out Ajit Panja and others who wished to raise independent voice. And people support her and all this because of their disenchantment with leftists. Mamata is resorting to same way of getting her demand as leftists did in past. She is still not showing any hint of yielding: "We will put up road blocks across the state for two hours from 3pm on Friday. This is our way of protesting against the government's refusal to return 400 acres to farmers." "The entire state should know what sort of suffering the unwilling farmers of Singur are being put through by the state government." "Either Nano rolls out and agriculture stays or Nano stops rolling but agriculture stays." "I have pointed out that I am ready for talks, provided 400 acres are returned to the unwilling farmers." http://www.indianexpress.com/story/353584.html Buddha is ready to negotiate and give everything but the 400 acres of land. Buddha is still hopeful. "We are ready to give a package to those who have no livelihood." "It is not possible to bypass political parties. A good number of them (landowners) are absentee landlords. Some of them don't have papers. But a few of them are opposing politically. So it has to be resolved politically." The work at the construction site of Tata Motors has slowed down significantly and there is hardly any chance of getting the plant operative by September end or before Durga Puja as announced earlier. Workers and also officers are scary to enter the plant. Those inside are afraid of revenge action in future by Mamta's party men or goons. For the spectators from far and near, it is a big Indian Tamasa. However, many domestic or MNC competitors must be happy seeing Nano getting delayed right at birth as inauspicious beginning. Media abroad is full with this news. Business Week has covered the story. Mukesh Ambani is the only who have come out against the Mamta's agitation as harmful for India. Mukesh boldly and very rightly considers 'Nano' Project as one of national importance. I have only one question if the state police can handle the protesters in Kashmir or Jammu and treat their action of law and order as serious, why can't Mamta's action be treated as anti-national, obstructive and against the interest of the country? Why can't she be put behind bar for getting the supply line of the country choked? And what Buddha is afraid of? At least Singur will not bring any sympathy even from the voters for Mamta. Now perhaps the people of the country must understand and appreciate that this old way of protest will not only make big FDI in India unattractive but it will also lead to investment drain with most of the Indian industrial houses going abroad in the era of globalization for investment. Let people decide if India is ready for a big role in world economy with its brand of politicians? --- Singur Total ]]> farmers said, "Didi should have agreed to (Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's) talks proposal. She made a mistake - there is no harm in holding talks." "If the government can provide a job for my son, we can think about its proposal. How long can we live in uncertainty?" Who says Mamta bothers about the people at large? Why should an expressway serving as bloodstream of the country's economy be blocked causing problem and loss for truckers and drivers and ultimately inflation when she is not ready to talk with the government? Let us hear what the truck drivers say, "Nearly 80,000 drivers and cleaners in 20,000 trucks have been spending sleepless nights without food and water on the road since August 24. We will incur a loss of Rs 200 crore as goods in the trucks have already perished." "We will request the leadership to open at least one lane of the expressway." "HM needs 2,800 machine parts to manufacture a car. Many trucks carrying these machine parts are held up in Durgapur and Asansol areas. We will keep two of our business units closed tomorrow. We hope the Durgapur Expressway will be open to traffic soon." The factory of Hindustan Motors near Uttarpara has suspended work and has asked its employees not to come. But Mamta is authoritarian and autocrat. Her lone voice is supreme. She threw out Ajit Panja and others who wished to raise independent voice. And people support her and all this because of their disenchantment with leftists. Mamata is resorting to same way of getting her demand as leftists did in past. She is still not showing any hint of yielding: "We will put up road blocks across the state for two hours from 3pm on Friday. This is our way of protesting against the government's refusal to return 400 acres to farmers." "The entire state should know what sort of suffering the unwilling farmers of Singur are being put through by the state government." "Either Nano rolls out and agriculture stays or Nano stops rolling but agriculture stays." "I have pointed out that I am ready for talks, provided 400 acres are returned to the unwilling farmers." http://www.indianexpress.com/story/353584.html Buddha is ready to negotiate and give everything but the 400 acres of land. Buddha is still hopeful. "We are ready to give a package to those who have no livelihood." "It is not possible to bypass political parties. A good number of them (landowners) are absentee landlords. Some of them don't have papers. But a few of them are opposing politically. So it has to be resolved politically." The work at the construction site of Tata Motors has slowed down significantly and there is hardly any chance of getting the plant operative by September end or before Durga Puja as announced earlier. Workers and also officers are scary to enter the plant. Those inside are afraid of revenge action in future by Mamta's party men or goons. For the spectators from far and near, it is a big Indian Tamasa. However, many domestic or MNC competitors must be happy seeing Nano getting delayed right at birth as inauspicious beginning. Media abroad is full with this news. Business Week has covered the story. Mukesh Ambani is the only who have come out against the Mamta's agitation as harmful for India. Mukesh boldly and very rightly considers 'Nano' Project as one of national importance. I have only one question if the state police can handle the protesters in Kashmir or Jammu and treat their action of law and order as serious, why can't Mamta's action be treated as anti-national, obstructive and against the interest of the country? Why can't she be put behind bar for getting the supply line of the country choked? And what Buddha is afraid of? At least Singur will not bring any sympathy even from the voters for Mamta. Now perhaps the people of the country must understand and appreciate that this old way of protest will not only make big FDI in India unattractive but it will also lead to investment drain with most of the Indian industrial houses going abroad in the era of globalization for investment. Let people decide if India is ready for a big role in world economy with its brand of politicians? --- Singur Total ]]> http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/002192.php/feed/ http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/002190.php http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/002190.php#comments Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:49:47 +0000 Indra http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/002190.php rejected the request and is adamantly sticking to her demand for the return of 400 acre taken from "unwilling farmers" for the Tata plant. Nothing better can be expected from a politician who says, "If other states are inviting you, please go there.… But can you leave with Tata Centre? Can you leave with Tata Indicom?" And there is an Amar Singh, an opportunist of the first order to back, ""If others are calling, please go. West Bengal will say, goodbye, ta-ta." Perhaps Tata was better advised not to meet her. Is it a democratic protest? Perhaps, by the definition it is. But can the politicians appreciate and answer how should the country develop itself with such so-called democratic protests? Many and me too mightn't have agreed with the selection of location in Singur. But once the government has agreed, the work has gone so far, a tight schedule for starting the production has firmed up, the vendors, many of them pretty small ones, have invested and deployed it scarce resources to start supply and the whole lot of customers are waiting for the product, no one must have any right to carry on with such protests. It is entirely an anti-national act and terrorists' approach against development. It just called be called a democratic protest. Tata Motors have done a wonderful job to complete the major construction of a complicated high-tech capital-intensive manufacturing facility for large scale automobile manufacturing in a short time of less than two years against the natural disturbances such as water logging as well as human problem created by regularly organized protests near around the plant and many physical damages to obstruct the progress too. Can the people at large appreciate the mental torture of those working inside the boundary wall under the threat of the protesters? Let me tell from my experiences that under the threatening clouds of such protests and agitations, the rumours reign, people deployed get demoralized, the cost escalates, the productivity deteriorates, and creativity vanishes, problem solving becomes difficult, and the quality of work being undertaken becomes causality and doubtful. How can a country aspiring to be a powerful global economy operate under this political system? Should this be tolerated? And if yes, for how long! Should the next generation not take the stage and throw these unscrupulous politicians out in the Bay of Bengal? Work at the Tata Motors small-car project remained affected with majority of contract workers staying away because of the siege. With hardly a month for Vijya Dasami, there is hardly any hope that Nano will get into the hands of customers? But I am ashamed that Bengal and its people can't find an answer for this chaos created by individualist egos and the resulting adventurous ways of creating hold up for projects. It is the same rotten system that has caused hold up for Posco, Tatas and many others in Orissa, Chhatisgarh, and Jharkhand. I have another question. Where are the 1000 odd unwilling and affected people of Singur? Why is Mamta projecting her own demand as their wish? As reported by many, most of the farmers of Singur don't want the project to be obstructed. But their voices are insignificant in present political system. I still pray for a miracle to see the project starting production fast. Is it not a black spot on the country and its system that Nano, a globally recognized purely Indian innovation is to face this fate? But perhaps in India any thing can happen. It is bad luck India. ------ Ref:Full Singur Stories]]> rejected the request and is adamantly sticking to her demand for the return of 400 acre taken from "unwilling farmers" for the Tata plant. Nothing better can be expected from a politician who says, "If other states are inviting you, please go there.… But can you leave with Tata Centre? Can you leave with Tata Indicom?" And there is an Amar Singh, an opportunist of the first order to back, ""If others are calling, please go. West Bengal will say, goodbye, ta-ta." Perhaps Tata was better advised not to meet her. Is it a democratic protest? Perhaps, by the definition it is. But can the politicians appreciate and answer how should the country develop itself with such so-called democratic protests? Many and me too mightn't have agreed with the selection of location in Singur. But once the government has agreed, the work has gone so far, a tight schedule for starting the production has firmed up, the vendors, many of them pretty small ones, have invested and deployed it scarce resources to start supply and the whole lot of customers are waiting for the product, no one must have any right to carry on with such protests. It is entirely an anti-national act and terrorists' approach against development. It just called be called a democratic protest. Tata Motors have done a wonderful job to complete the major construction of a complicated high-tech capital-intensive manufacturing facility for large scale automobile manufacturing in a short time of less than two years against the natural disturbances such as water logging as well as human problem created by regularly organized protests near around the plant and many physical damages to obstruct the progress too. Can the people at large appreciate the mental torture of those working inside the boundary wall under the threat of the protesters? Let me tell from my experiences that under the threatening clouds of such protests and agitations, the rumours reign, people deployed get demoralized, the cost escalates, the productivity deteriorates, and creativity vanishes, problem solving becomes difficult, and the quality of work being undertaken becomes causality and doubtful. How can a country aspiring to be a powerful global economy operate under this political system? Should this be tolerated? And if yes, for how long! Should the next generation not take the stage and throw these unscrupulous politicians out in the Bay of Bengal? Work at the Tata Motors small-car project remained affected with majority of contract workers staying away because of the siege. With hardly a month for Vijya Dasami, there is hardly any hope that Nano will get into the hands of customers? But I am ashamed that Bengal and its people can't find an answer for this chaos created by individualist egos and the resulting adventurous ways of creating hold up for projects. It is the same rotten system that has caused hold up for Posco, Tatas and many others in Orissa, Chhatisgarh, and Jharkhand. I have another question. Where are the 1000 odd unwilling and affected people of Singur? Why is Mamta projecting her own demand as their wish? As reported by many, most of the farmers of Singur don't want the project to be obstructed. But their voices are insignificant in present political system. I still pray for a miracle to see the project starting production fast. Is it not a black spot on the country and its system that Nano, a globally recognized purely Indian innovation is to face this fate? But perhaps in India any thing can happen. It is bad luck India. ------ Ref:Full Singur Stories]]> http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/002190.php/feed/ http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/002188.php http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/002188.php#comments Sat, 23 Aug 2008 09:27:52 +0000 Indra http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/002188.php a fallback strategy, though it denies. Very soon in future, Tata Motors can have another plant in perhaps Gujarat, Orissa or Tamil Nadu, this time near a port dedicated for export. I shall like to go back to the downfall of Hindustan Motors near Singur. Though a poor management was the main cause, but the union played the role of a catalyst in accelerating the downfall. It happened with many industrial establishments in West Bengal. Managers got gheraoed, and assaulted, investment stopped, and any productivity raising drive was opposed. Union leaders started running the show and the supervisors got demoralized. It was CPM then. It is Mamata's Congress now. And this war is for supremacy between left and Mamata will be at the cost of the prosperity of the state and its people. Trinamul Congress has presented the first significant opposition to the 31-year leftist rule in West Bengal. But why should few wins in local elections make Mamata so mad, there are miles to go? She would have shown magnanimity and agreed for this plant keeping her options for future projects open. While Tata threatens to withdraw, the Left Front staged a massive rally around the factory site in Singur. But Mamta is not ready to concede and is expected to go ahead with indefinite siege of the Plant. Buddha still hopeful about peaceful agitation. How can with all these protests and agitations outside the boundary wall and a lurking fear of misbehaviour or assault, the employees of a new plant keep on working and solving the teething and complicated technical problems to productionize the manufacturing lines? Unfortunately, Mamta can't understand that. In an ideal case for a country like India and a state like West Bengal, all the political parties would have ensured a congenial atmosphere and provided all assistances to the manufacturer to get the commissioning fast. Tata Motors is already late in putting Nanos in market. The auto lovers of world over are eagerly awaiting and so watching the development. Should it not be criminal offence against the nation and punishable too? Let Mamata as well as Buddha understand clearly the damage has been done. Industrial houses will be hesitant hereafter to commit investment, even when Mamata occupies the CM's chair. Tata Motors will never dream to have any expansion in Singur plant and will set up another plant in better location and surely in other state. One can only be sorry for such a state of madness. And who will be looser? Only the people of West Bengal. Is Ratan repenting today about his decision that he took with all good and honest intention to pull up West Bengal.]]> a fallback strategy, though it denies. Very soon in future, Tata Motors can have another plant in perhaps Gujarat, Orissa or Tamil Nadu, this time near a port dedicated for export. I shall like to go back to the downfall of Hindustan Motors near Singur. Though a poor management was the main cause, but the union played the role of a catalyst in accelerating the downfall. It happened with many industrial establishments in West Bengal. Managers got gheraoed, and assaulted, investment stopped, and any productivity raising drive was opposed. Union leaders started running the show and the supervisors got demoralized. It was CPM then. It is Mamata's Congress now. And this war is for supremacy between left and Mamata will be at the cost of the prosperity of the state and its people. Trinamul Congress has presented the first significant opposition to the 31-year leftist rule in West Bengal. But why should few wins in local elections make Mamata so mad, there are miles to go? She would have shown magnanimity and agreed for this plant keeping her options for future projects open. While Tata threatens to withdraw, the Left Front staged a massive rally around the factory site in Singur. But Mamta is not ready to concede and is expected to go ahead with indefinite siege of the Plant. Buddha still hopeful about peaceful agitation. How can with all these protests and agitations outside the boundary wall and a lurking fear of misbehaviour or assault, the employees of a new plant keep on working and solving the teething and complicated technical problems to productionize the manufacturing lines? Unfortunately, Mamta can't understand that. In an ideal case for a country like India and a state like West Bengal, all the political parties would have ensured a congenial atmosphere and provided all assistances to the manufacturer to get the commissioning fast. Tata Motors is already late in putting Nanos in market. The auto lovers of world over are eagerly awaiting and so watching the development. Should it not be criminal offence against the nation and punishable too? Let Mamata as well as Buddha understand clearly the damage has been done. Industrial houses will be hesitant hereafter to commit investment, even when Mamata occupies the CM's chair. Tata Motors will never dream to have any expansion in Singur plant and will set up another plant in better location and surely in other state. One can only be sorry for such a state of madness. And who will be looser? Only the people of West Bengal. Is Ratan repenting today about his decision that he took with all good and honest intention to pull up West Bengal.]]> http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/002188.php/feed/ http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/002187.php http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/002187.php#comments Sat, 23 Aug 2008 00:13:00 +0000 Indra http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/002187.php "I've made a major investment here ... to move will be at a great cost to Tata Motors and to shareholders." "(But) there is a concern about our people, a definite concern about not being wanted." "It is for Calcutta (Kolkata) to decide if we want to be an unwanted resident or a good corporate citizen of West Bengal." "We cannot operate in this environment." "If West Bengal wants us, we will be very very happy to stay and be part of the state's development." "I have a very soft corner for West Bengal. But now I have the feeling that Tatas are unwanted in West Bengal for whatsoever reason." "If anybody is under the impression that since we have made the investment, we will not move - then we will move to protect our people." "I cannot bring our people and family to West Bengal if they are going to be beaten, if there is going to be violence." Ratan Tata has made all these remarks to answer the questions from the press while he was in Kolkata today about Nano. Singur is certainly the bone in the neck for Tata. But what is happening today in Singur is nothing new to me. All my life in Hind Motor I saw the same happening. And that's why I had wondered when Tata decided to locate this plant for a new car that can revolutionize the manufacturing sector and particularly auto manufacturing globally in West Bengal. Perhaps he wouldn't have imagined the nuisance value of Mamta with Buddha totally sold for the project. Mamta unfortunately is obstinate. She has refused to budge. She wants 'Ratan Tata to concede her demand for return of 400 acre forcibly taken away from unwilling farmers.' She doesn't loose anything. Bengal will loose. But it hardly matters for her. She calls Tata's statements as blackmail when for even a layman it must clear that it is she who is blackmailing. She knows with so much of investment (Rs.15 billion i.e. $375 million) already gone in the project and a timeframe for the start of commercial production announced, it would be tough for Tata to withdraw and go to some other plant. Most of the facilities are dedicated to Nano. Other manufacturing facilities are already short of capacity. Mamta would have asked for whatever she thought as a good compensation for the farmers instead of sticking to one point agenda of giving back the land to the farmers. I am sure it is not the wish of the farmers too. If Mamta withdraws and Tata deals directly with the farmers, the issue can be resolved in just five minutes. But Mamta will not allow that to happen. Unfortunately, it is the battle with CPM that she wishes to win to rule the state. It's Chanakya type resolve to take revenge from Buddha more so from CPM that humiliated her many a time in the past. Unfortunately, CPM because of its dreaded cadre force has become unpopular. And Congress is trying to take advantage of Mamta's popularity by going on her side after the leftists withdrew the support for its government at the centre. For years, even when she was with Congress, I considered Mamta always a fickle minded and immature politician, perhaps no better than Uma Bharati. Perhaps lately she is nurturing the ambition of Mayawati. I wish with time she would have been a mature politician to think a little more about Sonar West Bengal. A project of Nano's importance must have been a welcome at cost of the sentiments of 400 individuals. Why the sane people of West Bengal are deaf and dumb? Why can't they tell Mamta that they are not with her obstinacy in this case at least? I feel ashamed to see this downfall of West Bengal and its intelligent people who were strong willed to protest against a right cause. Should I assume that the people of West Bengal don't want Nano to be produced from West Bengal and the district of Hooghly becoming a Detroit of a sort? Will soft-spoken Tata meet Mamta and try once more to salvage the situation? May be, the meeting can soften her. I pray to Saraswati (Goddess of Learning) to change Dr. Mamta's mind. Will Brahma help us as he used to do in good old days? ]]> "I've made a major investment here ... to move will be at a great cost to Tata Motors and to shareholders." "(But) there is a concern about our people, a definite concern about not being wanted." "It is for Calcutta (Kolkata) to decide if we want to be an unwanted resident or a good corporate citizen of West Bengal." "We cannot operate in this environment." "If West Bengal wants us, we will be very very happy to stay and be part of the state's development." "I have a very soft corner for West Bengal. But now I have the feeling that Tatas are unwanted in West Bengal for whatsoever reason." "If anybody is under the impression that since we have made the investment, we will not move - then we will move to protect our people." "I cannot bring our people and family to West Bengal if they are going to be beaten, if there is going to be violence." Ratan Tata has made all these remarks to answer the questions from the press while he was in Kolkata today about Nano. Singur is certainly the bone in the neck for Tata. But what is happening today in Singur is nothing new to me. All my life in Hind Motor I saw the same happening. And that's why I had wondered when Tata decided to locate this plant for a new car that can revolutionize the manufacturing sector and particularly auto manufacturing globally in West Bengal. Perhaps he wouldn't have imagined the nuisance value of Mamta with Buddha totally sold for the project. Mamta unfortunately is obstinate. She has refused to budge. She wants 'Ratan Tata to concede her demand for return of 400 acre forcibly taken away from unwilling farmers.' She doesn't loose anything. Bengal will loose. But it hardly matters for her. She calls Tata's statements as blackmail when for even a layman it must clear that it is she who is blackmailing. She knows with so much of investment (Rs.15 billion i.e. $375 million) already gone in the project and a timeframe for the start of commercial production announced, it would be tough for Tata to withdraw and go to some other plant. Most of the facilities are dedicated to Nano. Other manufacturing facilities are already short of capacity. Mamta would have asked for whatever she thought as a good compensation for the farmers instead of sticking to one point agenda of giving back the land to the farmers. I am sure it is not the wish of the farmers too. If Mamta withdraws and Tata deals directly with the farmers, the issue can be resolved in just five minutes. But Mamta will not allow that to happen. Unfortunately, it is the battle with CPM that she wishes to win to rule the state. It's Chanakya type resolve to take revenge from Buddha more so from CPM that humiliated her many a time in the past. Unfortunately, CPM because of its dreaded cadre force has become unpopular. And Congress is trying to take advantage of Mamta's popularity by going on her side after the leftists withdrew the support for its government at the centre. For years, even when she was with Congress, I considered Mamta always a fickle minded and immature politician, perhaps no better than Uma Bharati. Perhaps lately she is nurturing the ambition of Mayawati. I wish with time she would have been a mature politician to think a little more about Sonar West Bengal. A project of Nano's importance must have been a welcome at cost of the sentiments of 400 individuals. Why the sane people of West Bengal are deaf and dumb? Why can't they tell Mamta that they are not with her obstinacy in this case at least? I feel ashamed to see this downfall of West Bengal and its intelligent people who were strong willed to protest against a right cause. Should I assume that the people of West Bengal don't want Nano to be produced from West Bengal and the district of Hooghly becoming a Detroit of a sort? Will soft-spoken Tata meet Mamta and try once more to salvage the situation? May be, the meeting can soften her. I pray to Saraswati (Goddess of Learning) to change Dr. Mamta's mind. Will Brahma help us as he used to do in good old days? ]]> http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/002187.php/feed/ http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/002183.php http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/002183.php#comments Tue, 19 Aug 2008 05:02:19 +0000 Indra http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/002183.php at the bottom of the states in the country. He has, perhaps, hardly touched the peripheries of the problems pending due to decades of misrules in Bihar. I wish he could move fast on land reforms. Bihar recently got an accolade of appreciation from no less a person than Sonia Gandhi for its success in installing user-friendly RTI model. Nitish jumped in sky with it. However, his own DM could put one man into prison for asking some embarrassing information, and another information seeker was asked to pay Rs 6 lakh for documentation cost. Bihar has got few institutes of excellence such an extension of BIT, Chanakya Law University, Chadragupta Institute of Management, IIT and Institute of Fashion Design all in Patna. Perhaps very soon Nalanda University will start operating. All these institutes will certainly change the image of Bihar. However, it will not help the students of Bihar very much. Where are the professional colleges, ITIs and polytechnics that are required in hundreds to take care of the population of the students in Bihar? Look at Andhra Pradesh that I knew as laggard during our IIT's days. It has now 685 engineering colleges. Why can't the state look into the reasons that don't attract any investor to come in Bihar, when other states even Orissa are getting hundreds of private engineering colleges? Can one imagine total drainage of the state's money going to other states where most of the boys and girls are going for their engineering and other professional education? Why are these institutes mushrooming in other states but not in Bihar? The whole country is buzzing with activities in SEZs and manufacturing clusters, in construction for hospitality sector, retail and tourism. However, the technocrat CM and his party head outright rejected the concept that has been universally accepted by all states. Are they the only socialists or the messiah of the farming community of Bihar? Sugar industry and food processing could turnaround the economy of some region. However, new entrepreneurs are still shy of coming in Bihar. Perhaps, because of a system called 'rangdari' or poor work culture of the people. Railways projects at Chhapra and Madhepura, if executed properly, could propel Bihar as a significant player in manufacturing sector because of the vendors that it may breed. But it is getting delayed because of the who-takes-credit tussle of Lalu and Nitish. And who knows after the next election, if Lalu remains to pursue the project? NREG Scheme could have helped Bihar significantly but for the corruption. Bihar wanted to make the workings of the scheme more transparent by e-enabling it. However, it has got stuck with certain confusion. While the Bharat Nirman is electrifying all the rural habitants in the country, Bihar's performance is dismal because of the bitter fights between the ministers in Delhi and that in Patna. What does news such as 'Bihar clears investment proposals worth Rs 71,289 crore' say, when nothing is visible on the ground? I wish the people of Bihar find a way out through praying the Gods, but as judiciary proclaims even Gods can't bring about the desired change. Why are the people so helpless? ]]> at the bottom of the states in the country. He has, perhaps, hardly touched the peripheries of the problems pending due to decades of misrules in Bihar. I wish he could move fast on land reforms. Bihar recently got an accolade of appreciation from no less a person than Sonia Gandhi for its success in installing user-friendly RTI model. Nitish jumped in sky with it. However, his own DM could put one man into prison for asking some embarrassing information, and another information seeker was asked to pay Rs 6 lakh for documentation cost. Bihar has got few institutes of excellence such an extension of BIT, Chanakya Law University, Chadragupta Institute of Management, IIT and Institute of Fashion Design all in Patna. Perhaps very soon Nalanda University will start operating. All these institutes will certainly change the image of Bihar. However, it will not help the students of Bihar very much. Where are the professional colleges, ITIs and polytechnics that are required in hundreds to take care of the population of the students in Bihar? Look at Andhra Pradesh that I knew as laggard during our IIT's days. It has now 685 engineering colleges. Why can't the state look into the reasons that don't attract any investor to come in Bihar, when other states even Orissa are getting hundreds of private engineering colleges? Can one imagine total drainage of the state's money going to other states where most of the boys and girls are going for their engineering and other professional education? Why are these institutes mushrooming in other states but not in Bihar? The whole country is buzzing with activities in SEZs and manufacturing clusters, in construction for hospitality sector, retail and tourism. However, the technocrat CM and his party head outright rejected the concept that has been universally accepted by all states. Are they the only socialists or the messiah of the farming community of Bihar? Sugar industry and food processing could turnaround the economy of some region. However, new entrepreneurs are still shy of coming in Bihar. Perhaps, because of a system called 'rangdari' or poor work culture of the people. Railways projects at Chhapra and Madhepura, if executed properly, could propel Bihar as a significant player in manufacturing sector because of the vendors that it may breed. But it is getting delayed because of the who-takes-credit tussle of Lalu and Nitish. And who knows after the next election, if Lalu remains to pursue the project? NREG Scheme could have helped Bihar significantly but for the corruption. Bihar wanted to make the workings of the scheme more transparent by e-enabling it. However, it has got stuck with certain confusion. While the Bharat Nirman is electrifying all the rural habitants in the country, Bihar's performance is dismal because of the bitter fights between the ministers in Delhi and that in Patna. What does news such as 'Bihar clears investment proposals worth Rs 71,289 crore' say, when nothing is visible on the ground? I wish the people of Bihar find a way out through praying the Gods, but as judiciary proclaims even Gods can't bring about the desired change. Why are the people so helpless? ]]> http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/002183.php/feed/ http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/002179.php http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/002179.php#comments Thu, 14 Aug 2008 11:53:24 +0000 Indra http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/002179.php But can we evaluate Mayawati by the work done when she was the chief minister of the largest state of the country at least four times? I wish Mayawati had at least done some real grassroots level work to improve the education and skill levels of the downtrodden class too instead of just raising statues of Kansiram and making all members of her clan millionaires through her benevolence. Can she openly declare wherever she goes that all the children in the age group of 6-14 years in SC, and ST must attend school, and she will finance them till they keep on studying? Last month's trust vote benefited Mayawati the most. The egoist Karat with all his inferiority complex couldn't debate and discuss the pros and cons with highly mature Man Mohan. Instead Karat with other leftists rushed to seek Mayawati on his side to defeat Man Mohan on a wrong issue. Mayawati and her sycophant lieutenants started working overtime to push her to the ultimate height. Unfortunately, by some fair and fowl means, Man Mohan won and the dream dashed. Why is Mayawati in so much hurry? If the politics of India do not undergo some drastic restructuring, she will automatically get what she wants. Unfortunately, none of the national political parties have any charismatic leader who can hit at the core of the people's heart and impress upon that they must make the national parties strong enough so that when in government it can take some necessary reforms to take the country ahead instead of wasting time in managing many odd allied parties headed by whimsical persons. Advani is still not acceptable to Muslims neither to many Hindus too. Sonia's charm is fading. Rahul is still to learn the tricks and prove. In such circumstances, Mayawati is working hard to reach her goal faster. With sarbajan she is trying to break her casteist image. Mishra, Akhilesh and now Natwar are trying to make her image transformed and acceptable to all social groups. According her enemies, Mayawati is interested in the projects such as Taj and Ganga Expressways that she can milk well. And she manipulated to choose the contractor of her choice such as JP Group. She is no more Manuwadi and aims to bring all caste Hindus in her fold. She is now kind to Krishna and has allotted Rs 250 crore to development of Mathura and Vrindavan. I wish one day she does something for Varanasi too. Mayawati is also charming some media biggies to build her case. Swaminathan S Anklesaria Aiyar writes, 'The world will love Mayawati as PM'. Prabhu Chawla has brought her on cover page of India Today and wrote the story, 'Can She Rule India?' I don't know what must be the ingredient of a prime minister? Is honesty and integrity essential or necessary? Should India go for a prime minister of Man Mohan Singh caliber who becomes victim of ultimate obedience or should India try Mayawati if she picks up the job properly and does justice by default? After all, if the country can tolerate Dev Gowda as Prime minister, why can't it bear with Mayawati? How does it matter if she is one with assets worth Rs 52 crores or multiple of it, all accumulated in four years, and the highest income tax payer among the politicians and that too out of the money her so-called bhaktas have donated? Will it make the politicians bolder to declare higher assets in affidavits for the next election? Will it lead to legislation by those who rule for themselves and by themselves to make them out of the reach of the judiciary? Mayawati may be arrogant, crude, and even abusive, besides being corrupt. But who is not? Voters who matter have come from a social system where 'uppari aamdani' is respected and adored. She may hardly believe in internal democracy in party. But still she commands unparallel respect among her men and she will keep on getting it with a majority of deprived India. Mayawati is ambitious to the extreme. If Mulayam can build his hometown, why should Mayawati not do it better? I wish she could accommodate some great brains of India in her durbar, and they will love to do that. However, I don't think she is comfortable with established celebrities and prefers sycophants as other politician community as whole does. Interestingly, she has now selected a successor too who is eighteen years younger to her in age.("The name will be disclosed only when I am dead".) But why's that? As Prabhu Chawla opines 'with diminishing clout of the national parties, Mayawati may be a natural winner.' I don't know if I shall be able to see her ultimate rise (or political death). ]]> But can we evaluate Mayawati by the work done when she was the chief minister of the largest state of the country at least four times? I wish Mayawati had at least done some real grassroots level work to improve the education and skill levels of the downtrodden class too instead of just raising statues of Kansiram and making all members of her clan millionaires through her benevolence. Can she openly declare wherever she goes that all the children in the age group of 6-14 years in SC, and ST must attend school, and she will finance them till they keep on studying? Last month's trust vote benefited Mayawati the most. The egoist Karat with all his inferiority complex couldn't debate and discuss the pros and cons with highly mature Man Mohan. Instead Karat with other leftists rushed to seek Mayawati on his side to defeat Man Mohan on a wrong issue. Mayawati and her sycophant lieutenants started working overtime to push her to the ultimate height. Unfortunately, by some fair and fowl means, Man Mohan won and the dream dashed. Why is Mayawati in so much hurry? If the politics of India do not undergo some drastic restructuring, she will automatically get what she wants. Unfortunately, none of the national political parties have any charismatic leader who can hit at the core of the people's heart and impress upon that they must make the national parties strong enough so that when in government it can take some necessary reforms to take the country ahead instead of wasting time in managing many odd allied parties headed by whimsical persons. Advani is still not acceptable to Muslims neither to many Hindus too. Sonia's charm is fading. Rahul is still to learn the tricks and prove. In such circumstances, Mayawati is working hard to reach her goal faster. With sarbajan she is trying to break her casteist image. Mishra, Akhilesh and now Natwar are trying to make her image transformed and acceptable to all social groups. According her enemies, Mayawati is interested in the projects such as Taj and Ganga Expressways that she can milk well. And she manipulated to choose the contractor of her choice such as JP Group. She is no more Manuwadi and aims to bring all caste Hindus in her fold. She is now kind to Krishna and has allotted Rs 250 crore to development of Mathura and Vrindavan. I wish one day she does something for Varanasi too. Mayawati is also charming some media biggies to build her case. Swaminathan S Anklesaria Aiyar writes, 'The world will love Mayawati as PM'. Prabhu Chawla has brought her on cover page of India Today and wrote the story, 'Can She Rule India?' I don't know what must be the ingredient of a prime minister? Is honesty and integrity essential or necessary? Should India go for a prime minister of Man Mohan Singh caliber who becomes victim of ultimate obedience or should India try Mayawati if she picks up the job properly and does justice by default? After all, if the country can tolerate Dev Gowda as Prime minister, why can't it bear with Mayawati? How does it matter if she is one with assets worth Rs 52 crores or multiple of it, all accumulated in four years, and the highest income tax payer among the politicians and that too out of the money her so-called bhaktas have donated? Will it make the politicians bolder to declare higher assets in affidavits for the next election? Will it lead to legislation by those who rule for themselves and by themselves to make them out of the reach of the judiciary? Mayawati may be arrogant, crude, and even abusive, besides being corrupt. But who is not? Voters who matter have come from a social system where 'uppari aamdani' is respected and adored. She may hardly believe in internal democracy in party. But still she commands unparallel respect among her men and she will keep on getting it with a majority of deprived India. Mayawati is ambitious to the extreme. If Mulayam can build his hometown, why should Mayawati not do it better? I wish she could accommodate some great brains of India in her durbar, and they will love to do that. However, I don't think she is comfortable with established celebrities and prefers sycophants as other politician community as whole does. Interestingly, she has now selected a successor too who is eighteen years younger to her in age.("The name will be disclosed only when I am dead".) But why's that? As Prabhu Chawla opines 'with diminishing clout of the national parties, Mayawati may be a natural winner.' I don't know if I shall be able to see her ultimate rise (or political death). ]]> http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/002179.php/feed/ http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/002167.php http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/002167.php#comments Mon, 04 Aug 2008 01:40:53 +0000 Indra http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/002167.php 'The Nano: Tata's Costly Promise' in the latest issue of Business Week has raised the same doubt. The engineers of Tata Motors have taken a task to prove that Indians too can innovate and create a world-class product that others can envy. All of us must consider ourselves a stakeholder in the project and provide the moral support if not anything else. Nano is small and rugged enough for rural India. It will help the aspirations of many getting realized with fuel efficiency of 23 kms or more for a litre of gasoline. I find many farming families with better yield and minimum support price of the produce can afford it. What can be a better offer? As reported, the demand already is already outpacing the potential supply expected from the plant. Engineers and manager of Tata Motors, as promised are working overtime using all means at their disposal to innovate ways to produce Nano at the promised price. And that is the reason of my earnest appeal to Mamta. Her political gain through these protests and demoralizing effects of the management staffs working on the project will be just meager compared to the huge loss the nation and not the company will have, if the project doesn't succeed. And time is a great factor today for that. Very soon the competitors including Bajaj and Renault tie-up are also coming out with the competing products. West Bengal will loose second chance of being a major player in auto industry. ------------ Latest Mamata's Menance August 24: Singur siege date -Plan to surround Tata Motors site and keep away 'outsiders' Singur divides businessmen as Tata Motors faces fresh Trinamul fire]]> 'The Nano: Tata's Costly Promise' in the latest issue of Business Week has raised the same doubt. The engineers of Tata Motors have taken a task to prove that Indians too can innovate and create a world-class product that others can envy. All of us must consider ourselves a stakeholder in the project and provide the moral support if not anything else. Nano is small and rugged enough for rural India. It will help the aspirations of many getting realized with fuel efficiency of 23 kms or more for a litre of gasoline. I find many farming families with better yield and minimum support price of the produce can afford it. What can be a better offer? As reported, the demand already is already outpacing the potential supply expected from the plant. Engineers and manager of Tata Motors, as promised are working overtime using all means at their disposal to innovate ways to produce Nano at the promised price. And that is the reason of my earnest appeal to Mamta. Her political gain through these protests and demoralizing effects of the management staffs working on the project will be just meager compared to the huge loss the nation and not the company will have, if the project doesn't succeed. And time is a great factor today for that. Very soon the competitors including Bajaj and Renault tie-up are also coming out with the competing products. West Bengal will loose second chance of being a major player in auto industry. ------------ Latest Mamata's Menance August 24: Singur siege date -Plan to surround Tata Motors site and keep away 'outsiders' Singur divides businessmen as Tata Motors faces fresh Trinamul fire]]> http://drishtikona.com/archives/indian_politics/002167.php/feed/