Past societies tried to regulate their way to stability. But it came at a
great cost.
Why Enrica Lexie Is Growing Messier Like The Italian Pasta By The Hour?
Don’t get this wrong. Enrica
Lexie sounds like the latest juicy revelation in the saga of former Italian
Prime Minister Berlusconi,
but it is merely the name of an Italian
vessel embroiled
in a legal and diplomatic tussle
between Italy
and India .
Initially catching little attention
of the western media, the row is now assuming some serious European dimension,
with Italian soldiers demonstrating in Rome
against the detention and legal action against two of their colleagues.
At the heart of the stand off and
‘argy bargy’ is the death of two unarmed Indian fishermen who were apparently
shot down by the two Italian soldiers who were on a anti piracy mission on
board the ship.
The arguments
and notoriously slow legal proceeding in India
has taken a toll, with the two soldiers locked up in an Indian prison and the
ship detained in the Indian port of Kochi
What has been most surprising is
the appalling way both countries have handled the sensitive issue, each one not
without its own hidden compulsions, and public stance each country was obliged
to take.
For the new Italian Prime
minister Mario
Monti , there were more compelling matters to attend with the EU
economic crisis and the economy of Italy itself on the verge of a crisis
situation like that of Greece. However the way the Italians
have come out with out convincing and straight forward explanation of what
happened has not helped the matter and enabled the Indians to react helpfully
to solve the issue.
Besides, the Italian
authorities have also failed to grasp the political compulsions under which the
Indian government had to act in this matter.
For a start, Kerala,
which is the last place people still believe in communism has a party which
lost the recent election with slim margin and has an interest to politicise
every issue in order to win a crucial local election held in March. The ruling
congress party with slim majority and allegations of corruption with the
central government which they lead couldn’t afford to let the legal path take
its own course.
That Kerala
has a sizable Catholic population didn’t help, with Kerala Bishops facing
accusation of taking up for a Catholic foreign country.
Although, never mentioned
publicly, the most sensitive reason for the stiff Indian stance is nothing but
the Italian origin of Sonia
Gandhi, presiding over the Congress Party, currently ruling India
and several states including Kerala as the major coalition partner.
In the current upheaval based on
huge ‘perceived’ corruption with the central government, any effort to resolve
the issue quickly would be perceived as an “order” from Sonia to favour Italy
against the interests of India .
This gives little hope of the
Italian authorities finding a quick resolution of the issue. However the fact
that the by election is now over without serious damage to the image of the
congress party and with a convincing win give everyone some elbow room. There
is also the need to solve the issue before another by election now scheduled
for May.
What can be counted upon is the
good humour and awareness of political sensitivities of the enlightened
judiciary of the ‘God’s own country’ who is adept at playing the judicial game
to everyone’s satisfaction.
Article first published as Why
Enrica Lexie Is Getting Messier Like Italian Berlusconi Affair By The Day?
on Technorati.
Why Can't They Make Them Anymore? Things Those Work!
If you are like me, nothing can spoil your day like a piece
of sliced bread that is not toasted on its top edge. It is so annoying it is
enough to spoil even your weekend when a toaster like contraption can
bring scents to even gaming!
In the 21st century, when we are even capable of discovering
presence of billions of inhabitable
planets and water on mars, why can't we have a toaster which can toast
bread on its full surface? It is in fact a scandal completely demeaning man's
biggest discovery, the sliced bread.
In fact we used to have toasters which toasted all sorts of
bread with out a whimper.That was until we started to get our toasters made in China!
It all started when our toaster suddenly burned out when a piece of crumb caught between the wires and we had to get a new one, made inChina . The problem is that you can't get even a toaster taken for
granted these days if it is made in China .
It is true that they have something about the size of things in China ,
but when they make stuff for Europe , they need to
consider the European sizes!
It all started when our toaster suddenly burned out when a piece of crumb caught between the wires and we had to get a new one, made in
No one ever had to measure their sliced bread, which no one
said is food that we shouldn't love or eat, but I decided to measure mine
to get to the bottom>Iit is a perfect 110 X 135mm, like any common size on
the shelves of supermarkets. Of course there are a few smaller ones and a few
bigger ones, which we had no trouble ever with our old toaster and I never ever
had to include repairing my toaster in things I need to do before I die.
It is one thing if a Chinese made toaster is not up to the
mark and can't do the job even on a piece of bread of standard size. However it
is totally different and unpardonable when even a new one with a very reputed UK
brand, which we bought in full confidence to replace the Chinese one won't
toast the bread all around. It is a real shame, it is scandelous!
It is not clear who to blame for this fiasco. Obviously the
Tories are not going to accept the blame on top of every other mess from granny
tax to petrol scare they are charged with. It is amazing, how a reputed company can goof up on simple
things like these. It is very clear no one tested the toaster by putting a
slice and toasting it. In any case no one tasted how the toast came out. So
much for customer satisfaction which is forgotten and doesn't matter any more
as purchasingdecisions are made on the web these days.
Obviously, the toaster must have undergone every test of
safety including placing it along with the debris of Titanic to see if it will
stand water because Insurance pay out is something companies have to worry
about.
As for my toast, why should giving up the simple joy of a
nicely and fully toasted Wharburton's smooth white bread or start my day
cursing a toaster which is not man enough? Time to throw out the toaster and
look for something proper, surely there ought to be others. Still it is amazing
anyone had to blog about something so simple and mundane you shouldn't have to
give a second thought about.
Article first published as Why Can't Things Just Work as They are Supposed to Anymore? on Technorati
Article first published as Why Can't Things Just Work as They are Supposed to Anymore? on Technorati
What Can a Billion People Do With a Frustrated Army Chief?
When an army chief gets cross
there is nothing much you can do, as the Indians are learning the
hard way. In neighbouring Pakistan
If in the chaotic and non
decisive India
no one seems to know what to do, it’s because the saga of the Army General B K
Singh, who is about to retire is a complex one.
First there was this issue
regarding his real age arising out of two different dates entered in the
military records. Unbelievable it is, no one really knew or could decide how
old the commander of the vast army protecting 1.3 billion Indians was until the
Supreme Court turned down a case he filed against the government.
The row which did go on for the
better part of last year between the General and the government which ended up
in court and in a serious loss of face for both parties, gave the general
impression that India
Then there was this ‘bomb’
of a bribe of $3.5 Million the general was offered by another retired general
for favouring purchase of substandard trucks for the military. Totally out of
expected conduct of an army chief, Mr Singh revealed the offer for the bribe to
a national daily which promptly chose to publish it without blinking an eye.
This caused great shock inside
and outside the country and an uproar and commotion in the parliament which
demanded explanation as to why no action was taken by the general or the
defence minister to whom the matter was promptly reported.
But what has happened today, by
the leak of an official letter the general had written to the Prime Minister
listing the pathetic state of lack of modern equipment and vulnerability of
Indian defences has created unprecedented political upheaval and expression of
anguish and strong demand for sacking of the general.
However, the Indian government,
which is playing hosts to a meeting of the BRICS
will be greatly embarrassed to take any action against the general right away.
Even though all three events look
to be related and involving General Singh, the reality is stemming from the
fall out from the 2G scam the Indians political parties chose to politicize out
of proportion for partisan gains, resulting in total inaction by the government
machinery, especially in the ministry of defence, which is wary of accusation
of corruption.
After all General B K Singh may
be doing the country a great service in bringing home the realities of dealing
with defence budgets, expenditure, need for secrecy and integrity of human
beings, all mutually opposing factors in real life.
Indians, who generally think they
have nothing to learn from anyone else, have to learn the virtue of moderation
if they need to feel secure under the protection of a great army!
Article first published as What
Can a Billion People Do With a Frustrated Army Chief? on Technorati.
Will Someone Spare Anna Hazare a Copy of “Don Quixote” by Cervantes?
Anna
Hazare is playing ‘Don Quixote’ again without reading the novel. If he will
care to read, perhaps he will realise the futility of his own
actions in his old age.
“Many
critics came to view the work as a tragedy in which Don Quixote's innate
idealism and nobility are viewed by the world as insane, and are defeated and
rendered useless by common reality”
There is none so blind as those
who won’t see and Anna Hazare and his team won’t see that their game of “Don Quixote” is not fair on
1.3 billion Indians!
There are striking resemblances.
For a starter like Alonso Quijano who
adapts the name Don Quixote, Anna who
is 74, must have been reading too many books on chivalry (certainly not “Don
Quixote”) while all that corruption was going on under his nose for all these
years. It is not clear though what has woken him up to the ‘menace’ of
corruption he must save his country from, even if he has to give up his life
for that!
Arvind Kejriwal, who acts as if
he has been secretly offered and aspire to the post of Lokpal of India, fits
very well in to the role of the illiterate and gullible Sancho Panza, the squire of Don
Quixote, who was offered the post of the governor.
Kiran Bedi, the frustrated and
very first woman police officer of the prestigious IPS
cadre of India
There are of course several minor
characters, Rocinante
the skinny horse of Don Quixote and Rucio, the donkey of Sancho Panza included, in the team of
Anna Hazare.
Like Don Quixote, Anna and his team, in their wild dreams pick on
anything they can which don’t retaliate, to blame for the epidemic of
corruption in India while the real causes and reasons lie elsewhere and beyond
the combined intelligence of the whole team.
The very notion that corruption
is the biggest problem the nation is facing and getting rid of it must be the
priority and there is only one way by entrusting a super cop who has the life
and death power over 1.3 billion people to do it, all ideas propped up by Anna
Hazare and his team, show how close Anna’s hallucinations are to those of Don Quixote.
For one thing, ‘corruption’ is in
the vein of Asian culture which is based on spirituality and in pleasing gods by
offerings to get along in life. It is in the blood of Indians. An honestly
conducted survey among 1.3 billion Indians to find someone who has never been
part of a corrupt act in life is likely to draw a blank. But then again honesty
is not easy to find.
In fact corruption in India
Many of these are natural and
unavoidable in a vast nation like India
In reality, while the bribes were
considered an ‘acceptable means’ to make up for the measly income in the public
sector, the recent surge of foreign funds has aggravated the problems in urban
life, exploding the difference between the
haves and have-nots. This is different
from the commercialisation of education, medical and other services. The
corporate corruption involving the government is of different nature as well.
In effect, all these can be
contained by a Lokpal is not logical. The recent actions by the supreme court
sending central ministers to Jail also prove that nothing more than the
existing system is required if the government and everyone empowered is willing
to act conscientiously without interference or intimidation.
What then is the justification of
blaming and picking on a ‘minority’ coalition government, which has tried to
give the cleanest governance India
Kejrival’s naming
of 14 ministers, based on mere media reports, as corrupt and Anna Harare’s
demand that they be sent to jail by August smacks of accusation, trial and
punishment all by mere imagination and shows the dangers of an all powerful
Lokpal which cannot be acceptable in any democracy.
It is interesting that the ‘real’
politicians who have managed to sabotage the Lokpal bill like Mamta Banerjee or
strong men like Mulayam Singh Yadav whose newly elected government has
appointed members with criminal background has not been challenged by the new Don Quixote of Indian politics.
Anyone who has listened to Anna
Harare’s recent speech also can’t miss the lack of sound reasoning and racist
overtones of his backers with a political agenda.
Like Don Quixote, Anna always chooses a nice sunny weekend for his
pursuits. It is not surprising that young girls who like the fragrance of the
candles looking for a chance to light some are always out to watch and applause
the escapades. But it looks like Mumbaikars are busy running their lives and
have no time for such madness!
Article first published as Will
Someone Spare Anna Hazare a Copy of “Don Quixote†by Cervantes? on
Technorati.
Paybookclub Content Box
Get this Free auto refreshing Content Box for your website Now!
If you are looking for free content for your web site, it is right here.To increase your Google Page Rank and page hits, get this free auto updating content box on your page. Just copy and paste this code in your page html and watch your site updating with free and fresh content without you lifting a finger.
<div style="margin: 0 auto; width:100%; height:400px;">
<object type="text/html" data="https://paybookclub-v2.herokuapp.com/timelineOriginal.php" style="width:100%; height:100%; margin:1%;">
</object>
</div>
If you want to see how fresh content is generated automatically everytime your page is visited, please download our Paybookclub Cash for Content App and sign up. Then try posting your content on Public Timeline and click the "Monetise" link. You can see how your content will appear on thousands of web pages simultaneously in our content boxes. Dowload and try our free app now!
