That's how the saying goes. Today I feel it definitely comes in twos.
The US was making noises that sounded distinctly like war drums to me. Obama seemed to be doing a Bush. I had nightmarish, heart sinking feelings of déjà vu. I was worried, felt helpless, scared and angry. I felt sure the Brits were all set to do the US's bidding.
But, "British MPs have voted AGAINST military intervention in Syria", screamed the headlines. Thank goodness. I can't help feeling relieved.
Good on you Brits. I'm so glad you've decided to await the UN report on who used those chemical weapons before deciding on further action. I feel your moral authority, which had suffered tremendously during the past few years has managed to gain back some lost ground.
As for the second piece of good news, it is personal. With over a hundred people asking to review ten copies of "Never Mind Yaar" at Goodreads, I've made more available at Blogadda. So HURRY! Claim your copy now.
Showing posts with label BBC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BBC. Show all posts
Friday, August 30, 2013
Monday, February 21, 2011
Manmohan's interview with TV News Editors
Everyone in India seems to be talking of Manmohan Singh's interview with major Indian TV news channels plus international ones like Al Jazeera, BBC, CNN . From all comments on various blogs I gathered that many ordinary folk seem to be disappointed with what he had to say. I watched it online and quite frankly, was impressed.
Remembering he is in a coalition government and is therefore beholden to other parties, I think he is a wonderfully stabling influence. His economic policies since Narasimha Rao's days (under whom he was finance minister), have helped more Indians prosper than any other person’s. His background, and therefore his strength, is finance.
Where corruption is concerned, I agree that he is weak, making excuses for not taking people in power to task, sometimes, even rewarding them with promotions. Every TV editor asked him what he was doing re corruption of some person in power or the other and his answers never said he'd be able to recover the lost revenues or make that person accountable by asking him or her to resign. To know someone is corrupt and not insisting on making that person accountable makes Manmohan as guilty as if he committed the crime himself. His answers were, to my mind, a bit helpless except when he declared that after the budget session (not now, but sometime in the future) there would be a reshuffle of his entire cabinet.
But here’s the problem – Manmohan’s policy on corruption might be weak but everyone is agreed he isn’t corrupt himself. His economic policies since Narasimha Rao's days have helped more Indians prosper than any other person’s. So many Indian politicians have been accused of corruption by the media; so many use strong arm tactics to subdue Indians who question them; who are communal by nature - which means they aren’t concerned about the well being of all Indians except the ones who belong to their own community; and too many whose economic policies have never been as strong as Manmohan’s.
Summing up,
So many comments I’ve read indicate that the Indian public isn’t impressed with Rahul Gandhi – the PM in waiting!
Secular Indians definitely don't want a communal minded party (only our community and damn the others) to come to power.
I feel Manmohan is
. honest, astute and has sound economic policies. Those are the sum of his leadership skills.
. He is weak on corruption
. I'm really not sure what he plans to do about terrorism, inflation and the environment.
. He blames the Congress coalition partners for compromises he has to make and for having to overlook corruption.
. The public is wary. Nobody believes him.
What can we do to change the situation? Do we solely depend on our news reporters or can we, the public, do something? And if so, what, that would be effective?
Can we keep showing Manmohan that we are not going to let up our pressure on corrupt individuals in politics till he is forced to take action and not just mouth platitudes – that it is the public he is more accountable to rather than his coalition partners and his party members?
Do we have any other options besides waiting for a candidate who will open up the economy like Manmohan has, is perhaps stronger than him when dealing with corruption in his own party or in the coalition, and last, but not least, someone who deals strongly with terrorists and the environment?
Yes we do. We can protest in unity; make our presence felt. The key word is UNITY. It shouldn't be that as soon as there are threats to someone's life, property and loved ones, the rest of us quietly move away. It takes time to build such unity. How? We need a well thought out action plan.
The link to the interview with Manmohan was provided by Patrick French in his blog (blog link: http://www.theindiasite.com/looking-people-in-the-eye-manmohan-singhs-press-conference/)
This is the link to MANMOHAN'S ENTIRE INTERVIEW:
http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/news/pm-manmohan-singh-s-q-a-with-editors/191098
Remembering he is in a coalition government and is therefore beholden to other parties, I think he is a wonderfully stabling influence. His economic policies since Narasimha Rao's days (under whom he was finance minister), have helped more Indians prosper than any other person’s. His background, and therefore his strength, is finance.
Where corruption is concerned, I agree that he is weak, making excuses for not taking people in power to task, sometimes, even rewarding them with promotions. Every TV editor asked him what he was doing re corruption of some person in power or the other and his answers never said he'd be able to recover the lost revenues or make that person accountable by asking him or her to resign. To know someone is corrupt and not insisting on making that person accountable makes Manmohan as guilty as if he committed the crime himself. His answers were, to my mind, a bit helpless except when he declared that after the budget session (not now, but sometime in the future) there would be a reshuffle of his entire cabinet.
But here’s the problem – Manmohan’s policy on corruption might be weak but everyone is agreed he isn’t corrupt himself. His economic policies since Narasimha Rao's days have helped more Indians prosper than any other person’s. So many Indian politicians have been accused of corruption by the media; so many use strong arm tactics to subdue Indians who question them; who are communal by nature - which means they aren’t concerned about the well being of all Indians except the ones who belong to their own community; and too many whose economic policies have never been as strong as Manmohan’s.
Summing up,
So many comments I’ve read indicate that the Indian public isn’t impressed with Rahul Gandhi – the PM in waiting!
Secular Indians definitely don't want a communal minded party (only our community and damn the others) to come to power.
I feel Manmohan is
. honest, astute and has sound economic policies. Those are the sum of his leadership skills.
. He is weak on corruption
. I'm really not sure what he plans to do about terrorism, inflation and the environment.
. He blames the Congress coalition partners for compromises he has to make and for having to overlook corruption.
. The public is wary. Nobody believes him.
What can we do to change the situation? Do we solely depend on our news reporters or can we, the public, do something? And if so, what, that would be effective?
Can we keep showing Manmohan that we are not going to let up our pressure on corrupt individuals in politics till he is forced to take action and not just mouth platitudes – that it is the public he is more accountable to rather than his coalition partners and his party members?
Do we have any other options besides waiting for a candidate who will open up the economy like Manmohan has, is perhaps stronger than him when dealing with corruption in his own party or in the coalition, and last, but not least, someone who deals strongly with terrorists and the environment?
Yes we do. We can protest in unity; make our presence felt. The key word is UNITY. It shouldn't be that as soon as there are threats to someone's life, property and loved ones, the rest of us quietly move away. It takes time to build such unity. How? We need a well thought out action plan.
ORGANISE, THEN MOBILISE
The link to the interview with Manmohan was provided by Patrick French in his blog (blog link: http://www.theindiasite.com/looking-people-in-the-eye-manmohan-singhs-press-conference/)
This is the link to MANMOHAN'S ENTIRE INTERVIEW:
http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/news/pm-manmohan-singh-s-q-a-with-editors/191098
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Business in India - A bumpier but freer road
We all know now that to get the full picture on anything we need to visit many sites. My favourite news channels are - Al Jazeera, BBC, CNN, India Today, the Times of India and any others I come across. When an author is neither acting precious nor projecting blind patriotism or promoting his or her own angle, but simply ALL the facts, I immediately feel like trusting his or her judgment. Take this one by The Economist - http://www.economist.com/node/17145035 - gives the pluses and minuses of doing business in India.
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