A great son of Gujarat, a towering leader of India – Tributes to Sardar Patel

Narendra Modi
31 October 2012, 01:11 PM IST

Today we pay our heartfelt tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his 137th birth anniversary.

It is a matter of immense honour and pride for us that Sardar Patel is a great son of Gujarat. There is surely no need to write about his more than well-known contribution towards India's freedom struggle, but I would like to say that Sardar Patel was a true Satyagrahi who was blessed with a wonderful ability to mobilise the people. His popularity among the farmers and the downtrodden remains undisputed. Coming from a humble background, he rose to colossal heights but never forgot his roots.

His scruples and strict adherence to probity and integrity remained with him throughout his public life. He gave up his lucrative practice as a barrister as well as all material comforts to join the freedom struggle. Even when he became the country's first Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister his tryst with simplicity continued.

When India was on the threshold of winning freedom, there were over 500 princely states. These states were of varying sizes and each ruler had to be engaged with in a very different manner. At that crucial juncture, the enormous task of integrating these princely states fell on the shoulders of Sardar Patel. He embarked on this mission with his characteristic determination and ensured that one by one the princely states join India. The integration of Junagadh in Saurashtra is just one example of his vision to create a united India for which we will be forever grateful to him.

We should remember that it was Sardar Patel's swiftness that ensured that Kashmir was not taken away by Pakistan just a couple of months after Independence. This was the only province with which he was not given a free hand. I am certain that had Sardar Patel got that free hand in dealing with Kashmir's accession to India things would have been very different today. It is not only about Kashmir – I say this very often that had this nation adopted Sardar Patel's Disha the situation in the country would have been very different today.

Like all great men of his time, Sardar Patel has been the subject of immense discussion. But it is indeed beyond our ability to measure and appraise Sardar Patel's contributions in making the dream of India into a reality. Many people have given him various titles. Some call him India's Bismarck others say he is a modern day Chanakya. Sarojini Naidu described him as a "golden jewel hidden inside an iron made strong match box". Some thinkers have compared him to a gentle flower that blooms in Bajrakund. Others have described him as Janak of Vaidehi.

As a student of political science and someone who is passionate about the history of Gujarat and our nation, in my limited understanding I see Sardar Patel as someone who demonstrated in action the principles laid down by Mahatma Gandhi. From his participation in Bardoli Satyagraha of 1924 to the mass movement Satyagraha in Kheda, Sardar Patel assembled the building blocks of the freedom movement that Mahatma Gandhi had envisioned.

As I said, to compare Sardar Patel with any other person would be grossly unfair to Sardar Patel. At this point I remember the words of noted Gujarati poet and thinker Gunvant Shah who said, "Sardar and only Sardar, nothing else!"

Sardar Patel remains immortalised in our hearts and minds and a very simple indication of that comes when, on many occasions even today, you hear: "If only Sardar Sahib was alive!" Go to any part of the country and you will hear this said. People continue to place immense trust and respect in Sardar Patel's ability to steer India out of any crisis.

Ironically, Sardar Saheb has not got his due from the same party to which he devoted his entire life and remained a disciplined soldier of till his last breath. What could be more unfortunate than the fact that Sardar Patel was honored with the Bharat Ratna as late as in 1991, a full 41 years after his demise?

We in Gujarat have always tried to walk on the path shown by Sardar Patel in the last decade and have sought to preserve his ideals for our future generations. In this quest we are building Sardar Patel's 'Statue of Unity' http://statueofunity.in/ as a tribute to this great man! At a height of 182 metres, this statue will be built on Narmada and is envisioned as a pilgrimage centre encapsulating the unity and integrity of India along with its rich culture and heritage. It will also have a high tech museum covering 90 years of India's freedom struggle from 1857 till 1947. I am sharing a video on this initiative. Hope you will have a look at it.

On this special day, I bow to this architect of modern India and great son of Gujarat who has inspired me immensely. I am certain he will continue to inspire the people of our nation in the years to come!

Jai Hind!

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Arvind Kejriwal’s strategy: does he have any other option?

V Mahalingam
31 October 2012, 03:31 PM IST

Open another front, bypass, divert attention, concentrate forces to strike are some of the well-known military strategies which the political class, the media and the pseudo – intellectuals seem to have adopted while reacting to Arvind Kejriwal's exposes. The issue that this individual is raising is corruption and poor governance but people seem to be concentrating on his antecedents, his shoot and scoot tactics, his arrogance etc. Are these issues relevant in the face of the bigger questions being raised by him? Do they reduce the significance of the issues in question in any way? Will anyone even care to listen to a polite and a soft spoken Kejriwal?

Let us answer a few questions honestly. Haven't we reached a point of no return in the matter of corruption in this country? You put a finger in anything and there is wrong doing. Take CWG, 2G, Coal, NGOs, irrigation, power, Defence, Police, Space Research, Wakf Board Land, NHRM, NREGA, Food Grain, Granite, Highways, Oil for food, Hawala, fodder, arms drop, mining, stamp paper, Hasan Ali black money, Provident Fund, KG Basin Oil, the list is never ending. Have the political class and the Government exhibited any genuine concern in putting an end to the endless scams and corruption sweeping the country? Has the situation improved in the last four decades to display any sense of optimism? Does anyone think that the existing laws and institutions in the country will bring to an end this perennial menace through their normal processes? In any case why have these institutions and laws remained a mute spectator to the goings on all these days? Or have we resigned to accept that we and the future generation of this country will have to subsist and perish the way we are today?

To the critics, my question is, does anyone have a better solution to bring about the desired changes and reforms within a definite time frame under the present dispensations? Will the current lot of political parties rise above corruption to bring about good governance? Are Rahul Gandhi, Nitin Gadkari, Mulayam Singh, Mayawathi, Karunanidhi, Jayalalitha, Lalu Prasad or Deve Gowda the solution?

Arvind Kejriwal along with Anna Hazare tried to force the Government to enact the Jan Lokpal Bill to find a way to control corruption. But a political class which thinks that it had made a mistake by enacting the Right to Information Act (RTI) wouldn't want to make a similar mistake for a second time by enacting the Lokpal Bil, something which had been kept in cold storage since 1968. Predictably, all the nine attempts to revive the Bill have borne no fruit till date. The political parties have shown no inclination towards other essential reforms such as electoral, police, judicial reforms etc.  Left with no option, he perhaps chose to take the political route to find a way out. Is there anything wrong in him taking up politics as a means to achieve something which has been eluding him through other means? As is usual, some tried finding fault in this move.

I believe his present strategy has evolved based on his assessment of his own strengths and weaknesses in the political field. This man is not endowed with the type of money or the resources which the political parties in India have. His doesn't seem to have the muscle power which is essential in India to fight an election. Being new to the field, he practically has no established organization or cadre to steer his party forward. There is very little time before the General Elections. If he delays, the pest has the potentials of breeding in geometric progression.

His only strength is the people and that too only if he can wean them away from the corrupt politicians and political parties in the country. For this he needs to make the people realize that what is happening in the name of governance is nothing but anarchy and plunder. The people need to know that the wealth of the country instead of flowing into our land and improving the quality of life of the people is being diverted to fill the coffers of a few. Had all the stolen wealth of this country been utilized for development, the very face of India would have been different. People will have to be helped to see through the smooth talking crooks. It is an irony that the British, a foreign power plundered the country before independence and our own people have taken up that business in full earnest today.

Some are of the opinion that Kejriwal is raising too many corruption issues and is thus losing focus. They feel that he should concentrate on a few issues take them to the court and bring them to their logical conclusion. Sounds logical but see the practicalities. Going by the past, corruption cases involving the high and mighty cannot be brought to a logical conclusion and the guilty punished in any reasonable time. Even if the cases are pursued vigorously, one is not too sure if the prosecuting agencies will produce the right evidences and witness in the courts thus leaving a loophole for the guilty to go scot free. How many worthwhile politicians have been punished in the last four decades? Those who were sent to jail are back to business as usual. If people can be believed, most of them seem to be preparing themselves to fight the next elections. Yes, they are enjoying the fruits of their ill-gotten wealth.

With so many cases of corruption being unearthed almost on a daily basis, if Kejriwal is to bring all of them to their logical conclusion, he will have no option but to shift his bed to the court premises. Imagine the money, time, effort and the legal support needed for the purpose. Exposing every corrupt leader and party at this juncture is essential to shift the mistaken perceptions of the gullible and convince the people of the existing malice. Kejriwal is a whistle blower and it is for the Government or the courts to take cognizance of the issue, investigate the case impartially, prosecute the guilty and punish them. Certainly it is not the job of a common man to run around and bring the guilty to book.

Arvind Kejriwal along with Aruna Roy and others succeeded in getting the RTI passed in 2005. He was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award in the Emergent Leadership category in 2006 for his work related to the movement. He has brought about awareness amongst the people about the corrupt state of our political class and the Government. Given the odds against him, one cannot predict if this awareness will transform into votes in the immediate future. Going by his pronouncements it appears that he may not be averse to honest politicians contesting elections irrespective of party affiliations. If he can succeed in forcing the political parties in keeping the corrupt, the criminal elements and the power brokers out of the electoral battle, he would have achieved a lot. As far as the people are concerned, Arvind Kejriwal is not important but his mission definitely is.

The corruption game has gone on for a bit too long past niceties, patience and any hope of propriety within the political class. It is not a time for dissecting the issue or finding fault with the crusaders. The political class we are told have an unwritten code not to target the family members of politicians. The inferences are unambiguous. In this milieu Kejriwal is fighting a lone battle. Indications are that the political classes are closing ranks cutting across party affiliations to target the activist. Considering the enormity of the problem, may be the country needs many more Kejriwals and earnest workers to take the message to the people. What we need now is focus and targeted action by the society as a whole to fix the menace.

Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) had recommended reduction of power tariff by 23 % as early as 2010 but this had been stalled and the people were made to shell out exorbitant price at a time when the poor and the middle class were reeling under uncontrolled inflation. The prices have now been slashed after a ruckus had been created. This perhaps is the only way to mend things.

The corruption cases raised by Kejriwal seem to have lot in them as subsequent investigations by media reveal. These cases warrant unbiased probe and prosecution. If we do not act now and force a change, it would be a missed opportunity never to be retrieved.

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Happy Halloween and the great sexual turn-ons thrown in!

Omar Qureshi
31 October 2012, 07:34 PM IST

It's Halloween. Tradition time on October 31. When all horror, craziness and sexuality is unleashed before the purity of All Saints Day ( 01^st November). But there's more than horror that' turned me on' in all those slasher flicks. The mandatory shower/ bathtub/ 'make-out' scene. Pardon my hormones, but I loved all horror – simply for the 'pleasure' I got. And most of the youngsters will agree with me. But the real reason horror movies work isn't the horror part. It's the 'sex' thrown in. And this is the 'horrific' truth!

My hormones were going crazy. I needed to 'get off' some of that oozing sexuality of my growing years onto some visual graphic. To get a hand on a celebrity Playboy issue (yes I had the Madonna, Bo Derek, celeb specials) was tough. To get video from the local video library was tougher (Mr Maroo of Shemaroo knew the family really well) and internet and mobile didn't exist. So what was the next best thing? The answer came to me *thunder/ lightning/ flashes* in a filmi way. On Hallow's Eve(n). Or Halloween night.

The new Halloween movie video was out. And some friends, girls and guys from college, made a plan to catch up at a friend's empty apartment – over pizza, popcorn and colas – to spend Halloween together. I thought it'd be another regular 'movie night'. But delight delight! It was more 'fun' than expected!

The movie started with a making-out scene. And then languid caressing-shots of a beautiful, naked woman; before she is slashed to death by her younger brother, who we later came to know as Mike Myers – the deadly, masked killer of the series. But who the hell cared for Mikey? We got totally interested in the plot ('yeah, right!' did you just say?). No wonder it became a cult film – by crikey!

A hot debutante in Jamie Lee Curtis. A lot of sexy baby sitters and plenty of blood and gore. The guys among us loved the hot women. The girls among us began cuddling up, in fear at the gory scenes. It was perfect!

So when Jason slashed, the girl on my right screamed - and held me tight. It was the perfect fix. I became addicted to horror movies. Friday the 13^th followed. Up next were Evil Dead, From Dusk To Dawn, Prom Night, Valentine's Day, Mausoleum, The Night of the Living Dead, Terror Train, Horror Hospital and scores of scary, gory, ghastly, slashy, evil, titillating and fantastic stuff. Of course, there were the class acts too – like – Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula (Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder, Gary Oldman, Anthony Hopkins) – my perennial favourite. Anthony Hopkin's again in Silence of the Lambs. One of my lesser-known favourites The Ninth Gate by the master, Roman Polanski starring Johnny Depp. The superbly crafted scripts of Nightmare on Elm Street (Johnny Depp played a bit part) and Scream (superb ode to horror with Neve Campbell) and the bloody Carrie. The great Joel Schumacher's The Lost Boys with Diane Wiest and Jason Patric. And of course Anne Rice's classic Vampire Chronicles – Interview With The Vampire (Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Christian Slater, Antonio Banderas, Kirsten Dunst) being the best known; a precursor to today's cult Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. But they all had one thing in common. Plenty of sex, nudity and titillating masala. It was the perfect cocktail for date-night (oh yes, that's the name of yet another slasher flick methinks?)

However, with Hollywood not available-on-call, the need to get 'excited' about some other stuff remained. So Bollywood it was. Hey presto! I turned to our very own saudagars of sex and gore – The Ramsays!

Trust me, I went to watch all their incredible stuff. In lame theatres (where were the Multiplexes then?). From a chopped-off hand crawling for revenge (Guest House), to a mini multistarrer (Navin Nischol, Vinod Mehra, Rakesh Roshan, Bindiya Goswami) Hotel (it had superb music); Sannatta (much before Scream); Darwaza; Veerana; Do Gaz Zameen Ke Neeche; Bhoot; Raat; 1920; Raaz … all of it. The production values were tackier, the budgets were low, the sets and SFX were laughable and the hero and heroines sometimes scarier than the ghouls – but the effect was the same. The gals cozied up to me *evil smile*! I got my kicks alright.

Incidentally, I must leave you with the reason why there is so much sex in horror films. A producer once told me, "The film will get an Adults certificate anyway due to the blood and gore. So might as well throw in sex for more traction. It'll make the project more attractive!" That's horror honesty. And it's also cheaper to create.

So you have a Happy Halloween, I'm gathering my flicks. And my chicks….. ooooo!

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Will Yeddyurappa flip-flop?

Naheed Ataulla
30 October 2012, 02:49 PM IST

He is a person who will do what his heart desires. Former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa has announced that 101%, he has made up his mind and packed his bags to move out of the BJP house on December 10, where he has been staying for the last 40 years. 

Even as he talks confidently of launching a regional party and claims of people wanting to give him a second chance as CM, at the back of his mind, fear lurks on the response his new outfit would get. Some of his close confidantes - ministers and legislators - in private admit that it is not a wise move of their leader into which they are also being sucked into. 

So will Yeddyurappa do a last minute flip-flop? His loyalists hope for that and are even doing the spadework of arranging a meeting between the central leadership and him. But it is unlikely that this time, Yeddyurappa will do a turnaround.

He is now in the mood of "cutting off the nose to spite the face.'' Despite, the tall claims of making a comeback as CM, Yeddyurappa with all his years of political acumen is aware that his outfit can only be a nuisance factor to the BJP and Congress. His candidates will have to win on his strength by poaching on the BJP's votes.

More than political reasoning, it is Yeddyurappa's angst and hurt at the BJP not standing by him, which is making him to gravitate towards the new outfit. And it has also become a matter of prestige for him to take the plunge, which he announced several times in the past, but had stepped back. 
His political harakiri has upset his confidantes. In private they admit there is no future in what Yeddyurappa is set to do. They don't want to upset him and have resigned for the political suicide.

In New Delhi, Yeddyurappa's bosses concern is not about his new outfit, but the ripples he would be setting off with his exit. Both had stood to gain through each other's strengths. The heady combination of Lingayats backing Yeddyurappa, Reddys with their money power and the anti-incumbency against the coalition governments from 2004-2008 had worked to BJP's advantage. Both stand to lose that advantage with Yeddyurappa likely to end up as king-maker than having a second stint in power.

 

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From Darr to an illustrious death … an ode to romance!

Omar Qureshi
30 October 2012, 06:52 PM IST

Most say that with Yash Chopra no more, romance is dead. Would that be the case? Or would Yshji refute that when his songs play on and his scenes play out? Because what's creative can never die. And lve grows stronger with passing. It's befitting that his last movie is Jab Tak Hai Jaan – he wouldn't want it any other way. A viewpoint noted from the chautha of this giant filmmaker!

I grew up on Yash Chopra movies!

I learned to paint vivid pictures with my mind.  I learned to caress beautiful women with my eyes, before laying a hand on them. I learned that it was cool to be deeply intense and absolutely okay to carve a bloodied name on my arm – to express love in a darker way.

I learned that poetry was a gift given by God and muses were beautifully clad in chiffon and spoke to you with their eyes.

I was overjoyed to discover that flowers were the aphrodisiac of the mind and that romance could be a greater joy than its more physical manifestation.

Lessons all, from Yash Chopra movies!

Yes! Like him, I fell in love with all his heroines too.

It's a little embarrassing to say, but I did put up posters of Poonam Dhillon (after Noorie) and of Sridevi (after Chandni). And I continued to fall in love. Every time. All the time. It defined my genus. It completed my soul into a whole. It still does.

As I entered the suddenly solemn portals of the hallowed Yashraj Studios, for the Chautha ceremony of this iconic ode to romance, to pay my last respects to the man (who's movies taught me some of the grandeur in my romance, enhancing my inner passion – the Bollywood way) – all I saw (apart from the Who's Who of Bollywood – dressed in a sea of somber white) was this large portrait in the centre of the stage. Wearing his trademark white cap, in a white shirt. Yashji! Or what was his photographic image. I half thought he'd speak. Like his movies did. But God had taken him away. To that giant studio in the sky where actors are made and characters churned and lifetimes earned!

The other eerie factor was that I entered that portal with his Darr heroine – Juhi Chawla (a dear friend for many years). This was the second Yash Chopra 'event' (this was a sad one though) Juhi and I were to attend. And we couldn't help but discuss the tragedy of it all.

I first met Yash Chopra when he was on sets of a smaller of his films, Vijay, yet it was a multstarrer with Rishi Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Meenakshi Seshadri, Sonam and the works. In faraway Marve, at a 5 star resort. He was flamboyant, yet paradoxically shy at the same time. Of course, the perfect host. After which (before Yashraj became a Corporation, a Studio – and movies being shot in secrecy) I was a regular on his sets. The hospitality never found wanting. Be it Darr or Dil Toh Pagal Hai. 

Here again, tragically so, the warmth of the family evident, even in his memorium.  Pamel Chopra (Pam aunty to us), strong, stoic and warm in her grief, greeting one and all. The shy 'Adi' (yes he does exist), the more extroverted Uday … all chips of the ol' block. And rock he was, Yash Chopra!

Always the outgoing one. He and his wife such lovebirds. Always dining out, at their favourite hotels and restaurants. Be it after a 'Filmfare' night at Sun'n'Sand (yes I was there at another table); or celebrating Valentine's Night at an Italian penne joint at Juhu (I was there again) – they were always the perennial lovebirds. And That is something that the elegant Pamela shall miss. Sadly.

And now, sudden as a blink, he's not with us. Except that creativity lives forever and Love can never die. Even though it seems such with Yashji no more. Rest In Peace – King of Relationships! All my beauties thank thee. For I learned my romance from Yash Chopra!

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Tharoor Vs Modi, duel of words, of love and more

Sharmila Ravinder
30 October 2012, 07:23 PM IST

An interesting week this with two people I enjoy following on Twitter being at war with each other on a popular social networking site and beyond. It all started when Modi's following on Twitter crossed the all-important million-mark and he thanked his followers for the love and appreciation. Tharoor like a provoked panther whose nose had been gently rubbed with a generous dose of pepper sarcastically sneezed in his ever so articulate fashion, " Alas, most followers aren't fans!" Now, maybe Mr. Tharoor has a point, but there is no guarantee that all of Tharoor's 1.5 million followers are fans too. Was this Mr. Tharoor turning green, for now there is another politician in the 'million' club? A worthy competition in cyber world perhaps that irks Tharoor no end? Frankly, besides Modi and Tharoor, I see no other politician who can amass popular support on social networking forums. The rest are far too boring or far too corrupt for most to be wasting time over, with love or hate alike.

And then the war of words continued between these two men. It was time to hit each other in the most sensitive of areas, below the belt danger zones. Mr. Modi chose to tread on precarious territory in retaliation to Tharoor's tweet and to his resurgence post the Union cabinet reshuffle. Modi quantified Tharoor's love for his lady with a 'figure'. The charming Tharoor, with his impish grin and boyish waves of salt and pepper bristles and with his 'Stephanian' aura brandished his steely sword below Modi's belt. The Union Minister roared, his wife is "priceless", but the Gujarat chief minister needs to be able to love someone to understand that he exclaimed. Tharoor also said his wife was worth a lot more than Modi's imaginary Rs 50 crore". Ouch. Tharoor and Modi are now in a catalytic areas, ones that have caused the great Trojan war, the war at Kurukshetra and the destruction of Lanka. The impetus of love, the test of loyalty and honor have made many men wear fists of fury. The same men who would move mountains and the heavens for their love would think not twice to raze those who ridicule and scorn their lady. 

Fine, I understand Modi's irritation, I understand Tharoor's fury, I understand their choice of words too, albeit both being in extremely bad taste. But, what I fail to understand, is when somebody like Khurshid beats his chest like King Kong and shouts from the mountain top in a voice that can split the trembling oceans below that he can die for Sonia Gandhi, I am extremely bewildered. What kind of a role is Khurshid playing here?  Is he playing the Salman of " Maine pyar kiya" and sending his love messages tied to tender pigeon's claws? Or is he playing a bogus Benhur and would not mind being pulled apart by horses veering off in opposite directions? Whatever act he is indulging in, the pigeon has surely carried the message to 10, Janpath. If the Law Minister of our country can stake his life for the Chairperson of his party in such a theatrical fashion, then there is no surprise why such Law Ministers get promoted to Foreign Affairs after 'alleged' robbery of wheelchairs and hearing devices.

Holistically speaking, neither should Modi have ridiculed Tharoor's love nor should Tharoor have taken a dig at Modi's singularity nor should have Salman been stealing from the specially abled. But, we are far removed from such holistic environments. Politicians by and large (with extremely few and rare exceptions) are the most thick-skinned of all breeds, a shameless lot. They would put a crocodile to shame with their tears, they can make a rose wilt with their fake sensitivity and make legendry thespians like Dilip Kumar appear quite mediocre.  Loyalty, love, faithfulness have no permanent place in their lives. Everybody swims with the current, nobody dares to oppose, it would be perilous for them to do so. Love affairs, treachery, deception and drama in Indian politics are not new. Our Politicians being public figures cannot expect their personal lives not to be dragged into an open arena. If they do, then they better learn to live with disappointments, just like the way we have, when promises in plenty made by our Politicians have not been kept. Its time for us to change. They need to be slapped for their lethargy, corrupt practices and treachery to the public, just like the way Tharoor's wife slapped a Congress worker at Thiruvananthapuram airport yesterday for inappropriate behavior yesterday.

 "Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind

And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind" – A Midsummer's night dream

Follow Sharmila on Twitter @supershamz

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Son of Sardaar

Better known as a dialogue writer than a director, Ashwani Dhir directs his third film, Son of Sardaar - this Diwali's quota of comedy. It looks more slapsticky and the typical over-the top that goes with it. Ajay Devgn seems to be playing a macho character but goes wimpy when confronted by Sanjay Dutt.

With Sonakshi Sinha as lead lady, we can forget all about entertainment in the form of dance because the woman has a knack of juicing the grace out of dance. Just take a look at this!

Interestingly, the only thing that comes through from the trailers about the story is that Ajay Devgn's character has offended Sanjay Dutt's character somehow and the latter is just bidding time before he can lay his hands on the former. And in the process everyone overacts. Nothing about whatever we've been exposed to thus far seems to indicate that we are in for any coherent plot. It is after all, earmarked to be that kind of non-sensical extravaganza.

However, not all seems to be lost as you see some attempt at acting in this song called 'Bichhdan'. Also, there is a promise of relief in the form of Juhi Chawla, but she too can give into excess like some of her adverts show.

Yet, there is only so much hope you can have from a film starring Ajay Devgn and Sanjay Dutt that has to rely on Salman Khan to sell the film. Is this what we have come down to? Really?

Anyway, this one is unapologetically going to thrown in a lot of Punjabi cliches, starting right from the title, promos and down to each song!

Music Reviews:
Milliblog - "This Sardar's son makes good with middling music."
Bollywood Hungama - "3.5/5"
Bollyspice - "2/5"
Apun Ka Choice - "3/5"

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Short-sightedness

VS Sunder
29 October 2012, 05:41 PM IST

Some time ago, I had written a piece about my making a trip purportedly to help  upgrade the curriculum at a university in the north-east but in fact out of a desire to see a good friend in Kolkata who was not very well, and I had said some not very positive things then about the VC of that university. The aim then had been to speak about the highly inaccessible nature of the guest house there. This piece has similarities and differences. For the differences, this was in the south-west, and the organisers had done a splendid job looking out for me.

As part of the year-long activities conducted by my institute as part of its its 50th anniversary celebrations, I went along with two of my former students to conduct a three-day programme aimed at college students affiliated with a university in southern Tamil Nadu. As always, for me to be able to go anywhere, many plans had to be made in advance. The head of the math department at the university in question had made absolutely impeccable arrangements - making sure that I was accommodated at a hotel without steps at the front and with an elevator to take me to my room arranged on the same floor as the restaurant we ate most of our meals in. And he had arranged the lectures in the unique buiding in the university which had a ramp, the lecture hall had no raised dais, etc. And he had arranged for a large SUV-type of vehicle into which my motorised wheel-chair could be conveniently loaded at the back, and which was large enough to take all the resource persons from hotel to university and back. The entire experience was very rewarding, what with close to 60 students, mostly girls, with some traveling almost three hours either way just to listen to such wisdom as we had to offer.

On the day before the programme started, the local HOD asked me about a possible 'inaugral function'. Usually, what these 'functions' entail is an hour or more of long speeches, filled with empty platitudes, by various dignitaries of the university who have nothing to do with the subject of the programme. So I was very pleased when the HOD agreed to my suggestion that we completely dispense with the inaugral function, and instead plunge into the mathematics with minimal fuss. But there was a very small function at the end of the programme, when the VC of the university came to meet the resource people and the students. After he thanked me and my institute for organising this programme at their university and expressed the hope that we would conduct more such workshops in the future, I suggested to him that I hoped to see some more ramps and elevators when I came again. Prompt came the response that I just had to inform them when I was coming and he could arrange to instal a ramp wherever needed. `It only takes a day; a ramp can be easily arranged', he said. Is it not extremely short-sighted to set something like a ramp in place only when some 'big shot' says he is coming and will need it?

If it only takes a day to create a ramp, then why, one wonders, does only one department in the university have a ramp? As one of my younger colleagues said later, 'this is all very well for you when you come, but what about some students who may need it?'. Are ramps and other facilities only to be provided for established senior professionals?

And on the night of the last day of this programme, I learnt that my Kolkata friend had just passed away. Although this may be immaterial to this column, I plead your indulgence while I raise my hat to Somesh, one of the gentlest and most decent of human beings I have ever known, without whom ISI, Kolkata will never be the same.

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Jab Tak Hai Jaan

All roads will lead to the theaters this Diwali to pay tribute to Yash Chopra.

Whether you like the film or not, it will just be an experience to watch his last film along with many cinema lovers. Interestingly, very little is known about the plot of Jab Tak Hai Jaan except that Shah Rukh Khan plays an army personnel. This seems only a backdrop for one of Yash Chopra's fortes - bringing romance alive on screen as Shah Rukh Khan romances Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma romances him.

Sure, it brings a cringe or two seeing him paired against women so much younger. But Shah Rukh Khan is forgiven for romancing women almost half is age for just the energy he brings to his dances. Just look at what he does here at 0:55 in this video. Also, the otherwise lame choreography can be forgiven for that one step, no?

That besides we get to see Anushka Sharma exuberant and Katrina Kaif play a mystical beauty all over again. Despite these predictable elements, something about the promos and faith in Yash Chopra tells me that there will be enough moments created by the three lead actors for this Diwali to be a fond remembrance of the man.

However, I must say that the lyrics of the much advertised poetry by Aditya Chopra are rather blah and more boring lyrics come in the form of 'saans' and 'Challa'

Let's hope this is made up for in terms of dialogue and a solid display of relationships in a dramatic but rooted story - the things that we want to remember Yash Chopra by.

Music Reviews:
Milliblog - "Rahman brings his own sound to Yash Raj and the result is largely impressive."
Music Aloud - "7/10"
dunkdaft - "This, is one good, not great album that it needed to be."
Bollywood Hungama - "3.5/5"
Bollyspice - "3.5/5"
Apun Ka Choice - "3/5"
Happy Sing - "the trio of the greatest lyricist and musician of India with one great director comes out okay, but this is not what was expected of them. Hope things get a little better. But somehow I feel disappointed one year after Rockstar."

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Saif-Kareena -- A matter of choice?

Vinita Dawra Nangia
28 October 2012, 08:40 AM IST

Even successful, beautiful Indian women cannot afford to pick the best men; at best, they do what they can do

There was something about the Kareena Kapoor-Saif Ali Khan wedding that didn't ring quite right! Much as I looked for a glow on the bride's face and pride on the groom's, all I saw was a 'let's just do this' look! I was disturbed by an elusive, nagging doubt, an unreality to the situation. What was so disturbing? An age gap of 10 years is no big deal, and married men do go for younger, more beautiful women.

But there seemed a desperate edge to the situation, a kind of 'have-to-will-do!' A person as spontaneous and fun-loving as Kareena deserved a wedding as blissful and fairytale as Kate Middleton's, but she seemed to have been caught in a situation! And her 'Prince Charming' Saif's past loomed large at the wedding in the shape of his 19-year-old daughter Sara Khan.

Sara's presence served to highlight the fact that superstar Kareena was marrying the father of another woman's children, and the high-profile celebrations seemed much like dancing on a family's grave. If it had been a quiet wedding like Aamir and Kiran's, keeping in mind the sensitivities of Saif 's grown children and his own age, it would have been a different matter; the high-profile event spotlighted issues one would normally shove under the carpet. Saif was revealed as a man who had turned his back on his own family, and Kareena a woman with little choice.

Add to that the fact that never after Raj Kapoor and Nargis has one seen the kind of sizzling chemistry that Kareena shared with former beau Shahid Kapoor; it's the stuff dreams are made of; a connect that happens once in many lifetimes. Of course, you move on and life moves on, but there are some things that just cannot be replicated.

Let's face it, a formerly married man with grown children is hardly any single woman's dream dish. Yes, Saif is rich and belongs to an illustrious family, but he comes with a lot of baggage! And ideally, a successful, beautiful and talented woman like Kareena should have had the pick of the best. However, the question is, if not Saif, then who? Kareena's choice is a sad comment on choices that lie before every young, successful, beautiful Indian women — she did not have a pick of the best; she made a compromise, and was compensated with status and wealth. In Bollywood movies, the heroine never marries a divorcee, nor does she chase a married man. However, the desperate reality is quite different. It's certainly not true that the sexiest and most beautiful Indian woman will get the best pick. If she wishes to remain in the reckoning and carry on with her profession, she needs to choose an equally successful man who will let her follow her dreams; this itself narrows down the choice so much as to make it almost impossible. So then you forget the man of your dreams and just do what you need to do — whether it is to settle for second best or break up a home!    

It is now many years since Dream Girl Hema Malini made her desperate choice to marry an already married man with grown children, but we don't seem to have moved on at all! Sridevi walked into Boney Kapoor's marriage and went into hibernation herself, only to emerge years later with a grown daughter and a hit that showed us how much we missed her. Another successful iconic woman, Sania Mirza, also had to make her own compromises to get a man. Priyanka Gandhi too could have done much better for herself.    

Comments a single friend, "So, successful, beautiful Indian women are not the epitomes of ideal emancipated womanhood after all. A person like Kareena seems to be as desperate for choices as I am. The pity is she was gutsy enough to go for a non-entity as boyfriend, but for whatever reasons, has ultimately settled for the beaten path."    

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New faces for a new face of the government

TK Arun
28 October 2012, 03:14 PM IST

The Union council of ministers has got 17 new members, of which two made it straight to the Cabinet, joining five others who got promoted from ministers of state. All the new entrants are from the Congress, save Tariq Anwar who replaced Agatha Sangma as a nominee of the NCP led by Sharad Pawar.  The changes are politically combative, designed to improve the Congress' chances in the next Lok Sabha polls and promote some deserving young leaders without making a fetish of youth. The only change that is jarring to an extent is allocation of science and technology to Jaipal Reddy, whose experience and political sense, which made him a bad fit in the oil ministry, would have benefited a ministry like human resource development.

The most significant part is the absence of some leaders in the council of ministers. Rahul Gandhi will focus on the party. Those party managers close to Sonia Gandhi who had been hoping that his induction into the government would delay the takeover of a new team of party bosses close to Rahul Gandhi have reason to feel let down. Ambika Soni's return to the party organization will have a similar impact on power equations around the party high command.

An unexpected beneficiary of the cabinet reshuffle is Nitin Gadkari. If the Congress reacts to Kejriwal's charges by not only sticking with their accused leader but also promotes him in the ministry league table, can the BJP afford to dump their leader?

The induction of some young faces, young being redefined, for political purposes, as less than fifty, and larger representation for West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh all seek to advance the Congress' political prospects. If Jagan takes away the Reddy support base, the Congress can hope to woo other important groups and they have been given representation.

The induction of strident anti-Mamata leaders from West Bengal into the council of ministers shows that the Congress is willing to take the battle into the enemy's den and will not remain a passive onlooker while politics polarises between the Trinamool and the Left in the state.

It should be seen as a sensible outcome that the party and government leadership has not succumbed to an inane demand to elevate people to the Cabinet merely because they are young.  Those who have demonstrated their leadership potential, working in the organization and getting elected time and again, alone have been rewarded. That is welcome and provides the right incentive for ordinary party workers. If being the son or daughter of a prominent politician proves to be the prime consideration for political promotion in the Congress, it is entirely likely that people who did not pick the right parents will look to some  other party to begin their political career.

But do these changes constitute a makeover for the UPA, widely seen to be struggling to complete its term?

The reality is that the combined depressive effects of a thin plot and a weak script cannot be offset, beyond a point, by a good cast of characters.  The best script and plot can be spoilt, of course, by a shoddy set of actors, but actors cannot, by themselves, create substance for the roles they have been assigned, unless the script gives them the space.

This is where the UPA 2 still has to convince the public that they have a good thing going. The changes it seeks to implement via the Unique Identity Scheme will create the electronic architecture for a radically transformative form of mobile banking. Its rural focus has pushed up real earning of the rural poor, poverty has been declining faster than ever, more and more poor people have access to healthcare, drinking water and sanitation, more women give births in a hospital than ever before, more children study in schools and go on to high school — there are plenty of good things happening out there. But the UPA leadership itself seems to be oblivious to these gains and seems inclined to surrender before charges of corruption and incompetence. A Cabinet reshuffle by itself can hardly break that sense of ennui. For that, vigorous leadership has to be deployed, to boost investment, to get different ministries to take timely decisions and spend the money they have been allocated, to organize farmers into large bodies, cooperatives or producer companies, capable of taking advantage of a sustained rise in the demand for superior foods, to boost capital formation in the economy, to stamp out power theft, decontrol diesel and fertiliser prices.

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The magnificence of the multi-tiered tiffin-box

Santosh Desai
28 October 2012, 06:21 PM IST

If the thali is a bungalow, sprawling in its abundant magnificence, the triple-decker tiffin-box is its apartment version. Not the boxy kind, constructed under some government scheme, but an Antilla of sorts, with the entire building being dedicated towards the gastronomic needs of a single individual. Lunchtime at an office is a time when many grand unveilings take place as these imposing towers of food get extracted from the bags in which they lie sheathed, and reverentially unclasped. Each storey of food is laid out, and the process of gradual discovery begins to unfold. The lighter stuff  floats on the surface, bits of salad, a little katori of dahi, a piece of lime, slivers of pickle. As we move downwards, the food quotient of the box gets dialled up, and the vegetables, dals, rice and chapattis make their appearance. Once in a while, there are little postscripts of thoughtfulness that are thrown in, a laddoo here, a piece of barfi there, depending on the age and the perceived proneness to diabetes of the receiver. 

The tiffin-box beams with metallic pride, three storeys of home that one carries to one's place of work. The design of the tiffin-box recognises that lunch is a serious affair, consisting of several layers of hunger, each of which need a box to itself. The three or four boxes are clasped together firmly with a reassuring click one is packed off to one's destination, secure in the knowledge that whatever might be the uncertainties in the world outside, food would not be one of them. The fulsomeness of the tiffin-box has little to do with the receiver's hierarchy- a full stomach is everyone's right, a fullness that cannot be satisfied by quantity alone but needs the decorum of completeness. The modern idea of a quick business lunch is in reality an act of making do, another one of those official affectations, like drinking black coffee, that one pretends to be comfortable with. A furtive sandwich or a slice or two of pizza eaten carefully is not lunch but a gastronomic mannerism aimed at quietening the body. The western idea of a quick working lunch sandwiches food between layers of office hours, compressing hunger into a task on a job list. The romance created around the relentlessness of work, and the sexiness of being busy is in direct contrast to the rotund and placid recognition of the centrality of food as evidenced as the tiffin-box. The tiffin-box  is a plop of resistance; a squatter's act of fat denial of the idea that work must inundate us with its pressing impatience.

Food lies in the details, and civilisation begins with the smell of pickle. The completeness of the meal is what distinguishes food from nutritional intake; It is what rescues culture from biology. By its very nature, a meal eaten out of a tiffin-box cannot be got over with in a hurry, nor can it be accompanied by power point presentations. It needs to be pondered over, chewed upon and burped after. The idea of eating lunch together takes on meaning only when people bring their tiffin-boxes, for that is when cultures collide with satisfied sounds. Your dhansak gets my gunpowder, and my bhindi is startled by your version, immersed in kadi. 

Strangely, tiffin-boxes that are carried to school tend to be more circumspect creatures, restrained in plastic parsimony. Elaborate tiffin-boxes are looked down upon, even if they are freely shared from, and the feeling of being a bit of a wimp accompanies those with tiffin-boxes that are too fussy. At this stage in life, the invisible presence of the mother that hovers around the Indian child, food in hand, is one where the child is eager to escape and school gives just that opportunity. Besides, having to lug around quintals of school books in the bags they are laden with, makes the idea of heavy lunch-boxes unattractive. The school tiffin is valued most when it is an exotic affair, rather than an elaborate one. Through college of course, it is unthinkable to carry tiffins; how else could one hang around the canteen all day?  Things change when one starts working, and the pull of domesticity as well the recognition that great home cooked food has its advantages begins to sink in. The urge to experiment gradually gives way to a robust acceptance of the familiar, as we become creatures of habit and regulation, 'settling down' in life with more contented waists. The dabba becomes a part of this ritual of domestication, an acceptance of where the centre of gravity in our lives is really located.

Perhaps the most dramatic recognition of the need for this centrepiece of domesticity is the industry that has sprung up around the lunch dabba. The Bombay dabba, the world famous face of this industry, is a product of efficiency,  converting the artisanal distinctiveness of each individual tiffin into a standardised template. It compresses intent into effect, losing some flourish, but retaining the essence. It caters to ritual with its own arcane counterpart, using a mysterious set of symbols to connect familiar food with the body of a loved one. Getting a dabba delivered from home gives us the sense that we have not left at all, and that there is an invisible thread that does not snap when we defect to another world 5 days a week morning to evening. 

The magnificence of the multi-tiered dabba lies in its refusal to heed the call of time or fashion. It sits with portly equanimity in the midst of any context, and claims priority over all else. Food comes first, all of it, down to the salaad, the small piece of papad, the lone barfi and a nibble at the green chilly pickle. The world may be large and it may be round but as long as it revolves around a tall, magnificent tiffin-box, it can never be entirely incomprehensible. 

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How should we judge Rajat Gupta

Abhijit Bhaduri
27 October 2012, 01:00 PM IST

The last few days have seen two role models demolished. We have had to rethink our notion that our role models have to be super human. They cannot display human failings. There is collective disbelief that people who have shown courage and compassion have had feet of clay. We like to think of our role models without flaws. It makes it easy.

The human brain grapples to balance the black and the white. When we read about a criminal getting convicted we do not want to know how compassionate they were. We do not believe that they could have a momentary lapse of reason. No punishment is too harsh for them. Yet, when it comes to others we are convinced that it was a small lapse in an otherwise flawless person. So the normal strictures of crime and punishment need to be diluted.

It is not easy to find role models who excel at their work, lead exemplary lives, are faithful husbands, loving fathers, display humility, donate to charity, are even-tempered even when provoked, and never let their libido rule. Then when we discover their "derailers", we displace them from the pedestals and go in search of the next role-model.

Lance Armstrong lost all the seven Tour de France titles. Longtime sponsors Nike, Oakley Sunglasses, Trek Bicycles and Anheuser-Busch dropped him last week. Armstrong had to step down as chairman of Livestrong, the cancer awareness charity he founded 15 years ago after surviving testicular cancer. The  Foundation has raised nearly $500 million to fight cancer.

Was it a momentary lapse of reason? Should one transgression be forgiven? Would we have viewed Lance Armstrong more leniently if the doping scandal had been uncovered after one Tour de France victory? Lance, it seems, knew all along what he was doing.  When asked what would happen if he were found to be guilty of doping. The sponsors would go away. And went on to add:

"And the faith of all the cancer survivors around the world. So everything I do off the bike would go away too. And don't think for a second I don't understand that. It's not about money for me. Everything. It's also about the faith that people have put in me over the years. So all of that would be erased. So I don't need it to say in a contract you're fired if you test positive. That's not as important as losing the support of hundreds of millions of people."

Rajat Gupta too has a bio and a set of achievements that are exemplary and flawless. B Tech from IIT Delhi ('71), joined Harvard Business School in 1973. In 1994, became the Managing Director of McKinsey for three terms. He was advisor to UN, advisor to Bill Clinton's philanthropy. In 1997 he co-founded the Indian School of Business. He served as Chairman of the Board of Associates of the Harvard Business School and was a member of the Board of Governors for the Lauder Institute of Management & International Studies at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. Additionally he served on the Dean's Advisory Council at the MIT Sloan School of Management and on the advisory board of Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management.

"His contributions have made a real difference in the lives of literally millions of people around the world." Said Bill Gates in his defence. Deepak Chopra, the former Bristol-Myers Squibb CEO Peter Dolan, and the CEO of pharma giant Abbott all wrote personal testimonies to Judge Rakoff to take a lenient view of Rajat Gupta's case in view of his contributions. Rakoff said, "He is a good man but the history of this country and the history of the world is full of examples of good men who did bad things."

Psychologist Robert Hogan talks about the bright side to our personality and a dark side. The bright side has the enablers that affect our every day choices and behaviour. The dark side has "derailers" that could come in the way of our success. A "derailer" is a strength that is overused. For instance, confidence in one's ability is a strength. But beyond a point confident is viewed as arrogance. People get hired for competence and fired for personality.

Speaking of derailers, let us not forget DSK better known as Dominique Strauss-Kahn. Last year he had to resign as the head of the International Monetary Fund. DSK, 63, a silver-haired economist, is seeking to throw out criminal charges in an inquiry into ties to a prostitution ring in northern France with the legal argument that lust is not a crime.

People look for four qualities in their leaders: Integrity, Judgement, Competence and Vision. Of this integrity is most important and is treated quite separately from the other three. People will be more lenient when leaders display lack of vision, competence or even poor judgment. Steve Jobs was an amazingly talented but flawed individual who was known for his volatile outbursts as well as his "reality distortion" skills. Since his integrity has never been questioned, Jobs is viewed more indulgently as a cranky genius, impatient with social niceties.

Integrity is fairly binary. People assume we have it unless we give them reason to doubt. People like to be reassured that the person in charge won't take advantage of his or her position—won't lie, steal, play favorites, or betray subordinates. Unfortunately, many do. When keepers of our trust, there is disbelief. We go back in history to see if there were obvious signs that we had overlooked. For a while we become cynical about role-models in general.

Unfortunately when it comes to integrity, people are unforgiving. Integrity has no shades of grey.

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It's all about delivery

R Edwin Sudhir
27 October 2012, 02:20 PM IST

Bangaloreans have every right to crib these days. There are too many things going wrong which affect the quality of life, that elusive thing we all desperately look for and only a fortunate few are able to find. There's uncleared garbage, gridlocked traffic, paralysed administration… Dateline Bangalore is not what it used to be some years ago when the stories were all about a boom town creating a digital revolution.

But there's hope, there always is.

And it lies in RTI and Sakala. If the first is about information, the second is about action.

The Karnataka (Right Of Citizens to Time Bound Delivery Of Services) Bill, 2011, a long name for Sakala. Citizens who've used it vouch for the good idea it is, but also add quickly that people who deliver the services are not so enthused about it.

That's only to be expected, isn't it?

For years, they've been used to doing things at their own pace, which could be speeded up by a couple of factors too well known to bear repetition here. And now, along comes Mrs Murthy or Mr Rao who have the assurance their work will be done within a certain time-frame or the defaulting officer will be penalized.  That's a radical change in the work flow, and no one likes radical changes, least of all government officials.

Sakala was needed to get files moving and papers signed. It's a shame we needed it in the first place because it's an admission that these things were not happening earlier.

Nevertheless, the government is adding more and more services under Sakala and very soon, we may need a full-fledged ministry to monitor it. So be it, if that's what it takes to get work done.

Carping critics have been saying, as expected, that it's unrealistic, not feasible and babus will find a way to sabotage the idea. They have a point. The entire process of governance has been rooted in leisurely execution – be it issuing a birth or death certificate or clearing a building plan – or the culture of corruption where things move miraculously at warp speed after the required exchange of money.

However, times are changing. RTI showed the way that we have a right to know about actions which affect the public at large. And Sakala is showing the way that we have a right to expect service within the time it takes to deliver it.

It's up to us to use them in the war against slothful service. It's perhaps time to appoint a chief delivery officer in civic and state administration.

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Find a new formula, Mr Mallya

Shobha John
27 October 2012, 07:05 PM IST

Dr Vijay Mallya doth protest too much. His spleen-venting over recalcitrant Kingfisher Airlines employees and the media is not doing him any good. People have seen him for what he is -- an uncaring employer who cares two hoots for the people who gave their sweat and blood so that his airline would get the tag of a luxurious airline. Seriously, Mr Mallya, one would have thought that a man of your background, with your good tastes and refined sensibilities, would also look after his employees like his own. Instead, all that we have seen in recent months when his airline employees went without salaries was a man slowly stripped of all his finer qualities to end up as a belligerent and arrogant man.

Nothing wrong with arrogance, though. It is needed in some measure if one wants to run a successful business and be an employer whom people take seriously. Rarely does a mild-natured man make a dent, either on his friends, his employees or his bosses.

But when there's a fall and in Mallya's case its been steep, arrogance only begets anger. His recent statements only prove that he has learnt little from his fall. On October 26, when Forbes came out with its new list of 100 richest people in India, Mallya was ranked 73rd as his net worth was $800 million, down from 49th last year when his fortune was $1.1 billion. Fortunes rise and fall in the world of business. What's important is to learn lessons from it. Instead, Mallya tweeted: "Thanks to the Almighty that Forbes has removed me from the so called Billionaires list. Less jealousy, less frenzy and wrongful attacks". But seriously, Mr Mallya, these are the very same people who celebrated the good times you doled out to them. And what is there to complain about? You have had a good deal all this while. Don't forget that the ministry of civil aviation has been hugely generous and indulgent during your bad times, giving you a long rope before suspending your airline's license and even shunting out Bharat Bhushan, the Director General of Civil Aviation, an honest IAS officer, who asked uncomfortable questions over your airline's safety standards. Surely you can't complain about that.

If matters have come to a head, it's also because of Mallya's wrong business decisions. An airline can't be run like a liquor business. Sure, he gave people a taste of luxury and they will remember him for it. Especially the attentive valets who made passengers feel very special. But they will also remember the shabby way he treated the very same employees who made that luxury possible.  

And to make matters worse, Mallya came to Greater Noida for the Indian Grand Prix attacking the media for suggesting that he might stay away from it to avoid having his private plane impounded. Considering that he wasn't seen for weeks despite the numerous protests and angst the employees went through, they could be forgiven. Mallya said cuttingly, "You believe that Indian papers have any credibility?" Does that mean he has? That's smart considering he's been promising to pay his employees all these months and after the wife of one employee committed suicide over her family's dire financial position. That's smart considering three months salary has been promised after employees threatened to agitate at Greater Noida. 

But he doesn't seem to care. After all, he's here to enjoy Formula One. As he said, "Let's enjoy it." But what will he do once the deafening roar of these adrenalin-inducing cars dies down, once the stadium is emptied of spectators and he has to face the Rs 7,500 crore debt burden and think of new avenues to run his beleaguered airline? Think about it, Mr Mallya, think about it.

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Surface is a gamble for Microsoft

B Pradeep Nair
26 October 2012, 01:54 PM IST

People in China are the first in the world to lay their hands on Microsoft's Surface tablet. That speaks volumes about the importance of the communist nation, one of the largest PC markets in the world, in the game of oneupmanship. In India, eBay has announced pre-order bookings. Since it's only being imported from the US and not officially made available, Microsoft will not offer any warranty on the product.

What makes Surface different is its operating system. It doesn't run on Windows 8. It runs on a tablet variation of it, called Windows RT. Of course, both Windows 8 and RT are vastly different from the earlier versions of Windows. The most noticeable is that the screen has tiles instead of icons. These tiles can extract app data in real time. The apps are also called Metro apps, which have greater connectivity to the internet and synchronize easier with other devices via the cloud.

Windows 8 and RT aren't the same; there are plenty of differences. The RT is a stripped-down version of Windows 8, and is powered by ARM chip that is designed for mobile devices. Windows RT is not available as an upgrade;  you will have to buy a new device that comes bundled with the OS.

The legacy apps (meaning, apps that run on older versions of Windows) will not run on RT. It doesn't support Windows Media Player. Even apps that run on Windows 8 may not run on RT. And which are they? The only way to find out is to go to the Windows Store and see if it has the apps you need. Only apps from the Store will run on Surface. And there aren't many. The big plus point is that you will not have to worry on the security front.

A lot of us have grown up on the current versions of Windows. Now, Windows 8 and RT are a generational shift in terms of features, and there's the big question of how users will adapt to it. 

Undoubtedly, Surface is Microsoft's bid to catch up with Apple. It has an OS similar to iOS in terms of functionality, like the locked-to device and cloud integration features. But is the RT too late?

Probably conscious of that, the company has tried to outdo in other areas. One, by making available the product in China ahead of in the US. Apple products generally come to China later. Two, some hardware specs of Surface compare much better to that of iPad. 

Surface is wider at 10.8 x 6.7 inches compared to iPad's  9.5 x 7.3 inches making visual contents better appealing to the user. Surface has more storage space for the same cost of iPad. It has a stereo speaker compared to iPad's mono.

This is a turning point for Microsoft, when Google and Apple are embroiled in a bitter fight. Will Surface provide a third dimension to the tablet wars?

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Generics: Superiorly or Spuriously?

Anoop Kohli
26 October 2012, 02:24 PM IST

"Mirror, mirror, on the Wal-(Mart),

 Who is the best seller of us all?"

Multibrand retail by the world's largest chain set foot in India with thunderous applause by the industry, and the government as the much-needed step to bring in further economic reforms, and FDI in crucial sectors. It could well have been majority holding by the country, but it was still worth it to learn new lessons in targeted farm produce, storage and coming to terms with the nuts and bolts acquiring, assimilating and setting massive supply chains. For the first thirty years after independence the country struggled with famine, starvation, and during the second half, conditions remained more or less the same, because there was no infrastructure or a genuine will to handle bumper crops that were allowed to rot lest the market prices fell. To sell cheap is as bad for the economy as is inflation. The farmer was confused. A good harvest actually lowered his rates, a bad one hardly got him anything. He was not allowed so easy an access to markets for the best deals, and to learn from international markets how to rotate his crops for the best national interests as well as rewarding remunerations overseas. If economics is not all about production, supply and pricing, then what else is it? This country clearly failed in any policy by any government to handle agriculture production, storage, distribution so as to  trade in it profitability. Agriculture and agriculture based products are 60-70% of our GDP. The bargain sounds good in the sense that we shall get some cues as to how we should have done it on our own. Economics, as it has been joyously defined by some, is a subject whose sole purpose is to give employment to the economists.

The question today is how to do some more good to the Indian pharma, that entirely on its own, under tremendous government red tape, rose to give standard quality drugs at perhaps the cheapest rates worldwide, even to become the globe's largest producer of generic drugs.

Circumstances helped. There were no patent laws on pharma  molecules for quite some while, but the spirit and entrepreneurship of this industry pounced on the opportunity of producing many so-called branded generics, initially winning the market by their low pricing for the country's needs, and now ready to take off to some of the largest markets in the world. Let me add, that those parts of the world do need it, inasmuchas they needed outsourcing to this country in software.The question quite clearly is, that whereas "branding" in retail and consumer goods is laudable ,  (if we are following the capitalist theme), why should "branding" be done away with in drugs and pharmaceutical sector. "Branding" is in fact core to competition,  that gives the right stimulus to the manufacturer who is ready to sweat it out in the so-called global village market. In a developing country like India, brand identity is perhaps the best way to assure adequate competition both in terms of quality and pricing. No manufacturer, innovator or retailer can survive without the driving force of his product identity. That's why you have "Wal-Mart" here than lesser known retailers.

To force the Indian pharma to shed its instincts to compete by pushing them in the same bland basket of "generics" is the best way to kill it instantly. The contrast stands out more  when multibrand retail is being hailed as an economic stimulus. It is difficult to explain such contrasting policies at the same time, in what are two essential groups of commodities. Does the simultaneous opening up of the insurance sector from 26% to 49% have a bearing? - to lessen the burden of foreign entrants with the government in some sort of agreement that its own people be treated more cheaply, when the Indian pharma is the largest and cheapest in the world, and still providing good quality. This also comes at a time, when quite a few multibillion churner brands will be falling in the so-called "patent pit", when they can now be  legitimately  manufactured by companies other than the one with the original patent. Indian companies would be quite geared up for this, finally with benefits to local and international markets with their competitive pricing and quality.

Today, there are many Indian branded generics that have FDA approval. Though original patenting and clinical trials may take time, companies have captured the market though change in formulations as "extended release", "mouth dissolving" anxiolytics and analgesics. A particular company seems to have almost cornered a world No.1 intramuscular analgesic by replacing the adjuvants, thereby making the injection almost painless. It sells.

Political rhetoric aside, there are many ways to make a drug or medical therapy affordable. To tamper with the dynamics of certain industry that may give the economy a take-off, is just not done. Add to that the well-known statistics that roughly 25% of medicines in the market are spurious. If quality checks can't be done now, will it be easier when all is to be sold as "generic", and further approval for 3-1/2 year courses for village doctors? Well, if the final goal is to reduce total carbon emissions of this country, perhaps this policy seems to have some meaning!

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A raw GIFT, handle with care

Rajiv Shah
26 October 2012, 07:25 PM IST

Finally, after considerable endeavour in Gandhinagar Sachivalaya, I was able to lay my hands on what is being regarded as "feasibility study" of chief minister Narendra Modi's dream project, Gujarat International Finance Tec-city. It's called "Building a World-class Finance Centre in India: GIFT". It was handed over to me by a senior state bureaucrat, who told me it is a "rare document, not meant for circulation", hence I should return it after going through it.

Prepared by topnotch international consultants, McKinsey & Company, I tried to get it from several sources, including bureaucrats in the state urban development department, which is supposed to be responsible for the project. All of them promised that they would give me a copy, even directed those handling the special purpose vehicle, GIFT Company Ltd, set up for building the finance city, to "do the needful". I got a few phone calls from GIFT Company Ltd executives promising they would "look into the matter", but all in vain. After scanning through the study, I was convinced why there was so much reluctance all around. I found that a senior financial expert of Gujarat government was right when he told me during an informal talk – that GIFT is a "sheer waste of time, energy and money" if it is at all meant to be a financial city.

Being built next to river Sabarmati just about 10 kilometers away from Ahmedabad, Gujarat's business capital, GIFT is under implementation in partnership with Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS). Two GIFT towers are almost ready, and an exhibition complex is being built by a body that has little to do with finance – India International Textile Machinery Exhibition Society, which claims to be a non-profit organization serving textile engineering industry and textile industry through international exhibitions. An organization which has booked office space in one of the two already constructed towers, too, has also little to do with finance. It is Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission (GERC), the state authority meant to regulate power tariff for various categories of consumers. All of this reminded me what Sam Pitroda, architect of telecom revolution in India, had said about GIFT during his visit to Gandhinagar in January 2011 – that the proposed finance city was in danger of turning into a real estate hub. My curiosity in getting the feasibility study only intensified. Meanwhile, Amitabh Bachchan has bought a piece of land next to GIFT, and many say, many top babus have followed suit.

The study was prepared in September 2007 and has been marked "confidential" for reasons better known to the state babudom. Its concluding remarks try to show big dreams – they say, financial services in India are "poised for dramatic growth over the next decade, creating close to 15 million jobs by 2020", and with the "right building blocks in place, GIFT, with its unique value proposition of world-class infrastructure at unmatched price points, can potentially evolve as a financial hub and capture a significant part of this opportunity".

It even suggests big business is poised to take on this opportunity, estimating, GIFT "could do" a business to the tune of 13 to 18 billion US dollars by 2020. And for this, the study offers lavish advise on what all the government should do to make GIFT feasible – systematically roll out "a comprehensive infrastructure plan"; offer investors competitive price for 80 million feet of office space; rapidly institute "enabling tax policies and regulations to attract key clients"; and put in place "single-window clearance system for clients" to "facilitate approvals."

However, on the most crucial factor of human resources, on which a finance city should be primarily based, the study shows up its doubts on GIFT transparently. It says, "Based on expected local talent supply projections, GIFT is likely to face a severe talent gap in the medium to long term." It underlines, "Gujarat faces a severe shortage of talent, with a shortfall in the number of higher educational institutions, low enrolment rates in English medium schools, and perceived reluctance on the part of senior management to relocate to Gujarat." Further: "Gujarat compares well with other Indian states on overall enrolment rates, it still lags behind on educational infrastructure compared to some of the leading states."

Fishing out statistics, it argues, Grade A institutes are particularly very few, adding, "Discussions with a few potential investors indicate that many senior mangers are reluctant to relocate to Gujarat." Then, it goes on to advise the government to work out a frantic strategy to overcome the problem.

In its "benchmarking exercise" for GIFT, too, the feasibility study ranks Ahmedabad in poor light compared to major Indian cities. Quoting a Government of India study prepared by Percy Mistry on making Mumbai an international financial city, the study says, in "attracting sustainable local economy", Ahmedabad's international ranking is a poor 0.6 on a scale of 10, compared to Mumbai's 4.7, Delhi's 2.8, Channai's 1.0, Kolkata's 1.6, Bangalore's 0.9 and Hyderabad's 0.9. Pune equals Ahmedabad. In "highly developed infrastructure", Ahmedabad ranks 2.7, compared to Mumbai's 4.7, Delhi's 3.7, Chennai's 3.8, Kokata's 3.2, Bangalore's 3.2, Hyderabad's 3.1 and Pune's 3.3. Only in "good quality of life", Ahmedabad's rank is 2.7, which is almost equal to Mumbai's 2.9, Bangalore's 2.9 and Delhi's 2.6, though worse than Chennai (3.8), Kolkata (3.8) and Hyberabad (3.0). In overall weightage, Ahmedabad ranks 1.8, which is worse than the seven other major Indian cities.

McKinsey's ranking doesn't differ much from Percy Mistry's. In conducive business environment, it ranks Delhi as best with 9.7 on a scale of 10, with Mumbai coming next with 7.2, Bangalore 5.3, Pune 4.0, Hyderabad 3.6 and Chennai 3.2. It offers Ahmedabad just 1.8 points. In Gross city domestic product, Ahmedabad's ranking of 2.4 is worse than Mumbai's 10, Delhi's 8.2, Kokata's 6.9, Chennai's 3.7 and Hyderabad's 2.9.

The situation is no different in number of suitable graduates and engineers every year, or telecommunications bandwidth, or power, or roads, or banking activities. Only for "cost of living" and "office space average rental rates", Ahmedabad ranks best with 10. For some inexplicable reason, the consultants do not analyze the rankings. They only say that "no Indian city compares strongly with existing and emerging international financial centres", claiming this is the reason why GIFT is "well-positioned to capture a significant portion of this opportunity."

Yet, it mentions "key threats" to GIFT. These come from Singapore, a "thriving capital market", and Dubai, which has a "very proactive regulatory authority with a do-what-it-takes attitude." It warns, "Given its proximity to Mumbai and the presence of large population of Indian origin, Dubai represents a major threat to GIFT."

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Will a new order emerge from these ruins?

Alok Tiwari
25 October 2012, 12:31 PM IST

It may be early days to say what kind of space Arvind Kejriwal has made for himself and his proposed party in the political universe of the country. What is clear, however, that within a short span he has succeeded in delegitimizing the existing political set-up. Thanks to his exposes and follow-ups by the media, today India looks like fountainhead of crony capitalism. Practically every major party and its leaders appear involved in making a fortune through sweetheart deals facilitated by helpful governments. Political corruption has always existed but its scale and extent seen now are unprecedented. In sector after sector-telecommunication, aviation, mining-it appears resources have been given away illegitimately. Everywhere, some politician or the other has gained.

Now the trail has gone all the way to the first family of Congress and top leadership of BJP. The response of both parties indicates they are completely rattled. Congress has been clumsy in defence of Robert Vadra. His own silence on the matter (after the unforgettable "Mango people…" gaffe) has not helped. Partymen do not know whether to leave him alone as private businessman that he is or to rush to his side.

Digvijay Singh has taken to asking counter-questions to Kejriwal. For a veteran from ruling party, those questions reflect badly on his own government. After all, if there are any problems with funds coming into Kejriwal's NGO, what are all the government agencies doing? Questioning Kejriwal and his wife's long tenure in Delhi as IRS officers is also laughable. Officers do not transfer themselves. If the couple has stayed in Delhi in violation of department's policy, then people who were supposed to shift them but did not have more to answer for. Finally, by saying he has information on wrongdoing by relatives of Atal Behari Vajpayee and L K Advani but not revealing it, Singh not only shields criminal acts but also actually confirms what Kejriwal has been saying: that both ruling and opposition parties are hand-in-glove.

About Salman Khurshid, the less said the better. He retains his job only because Sonia Gandhi finds it tough to act against him while doing nothing about Vadra. His losing his temper at the press conference, his talk of blood and gore followed by lame explanations have all been in poor taste. Wife Louise has come out with a long piece on how tough it is being a neta in this country (as if someone is holding a gun on their head to be politicians). There is still no explanation, however, of why forged letters were used to get money sanctioned for their trust and to certify its activities. They can say they had no knowledge of forgery. That makes them complicit at worst or asleep at the wheel at best. Either way, Khurshid comes out unfit to be country's law minister.

BJP is in no better shape. The questionable allocation of government land to party chief Nitin Gadkari's trust by NCP leader Ajit Pawar has exposed the nexus between parties. The complex web of fake companies investing in Gadkari's business ventures seems to have written money laundering all over it. It doesn't help that the biggest revealed source of funds into Gadkari's sugar factory is from a company that benefited both under BJP-Sena and Cong-NCP governments. Gadkari's response has ranged from gag order across party to saying his ventures benefit farmers to asking the government to probe. He too has not explained why was it necessary to create nearly two dozen shell companies, all having his servants and underlings as directors, to bring in funds.

With both major parties in doldrums and smaller parties not gaining any stature, Indian polity appears headed for a period of uncertainty. Kejriwal's work thus appears destabilizing. Some have asked whether loss of legitimacy by established political parties is a good thing. The optimist in me makes me believe it is. May be, it is part of the creative destruction that may lead to something better. Kejriwal or his party may not have the organization or the means to fill in the vacuum they are helping create. But some visionary leaders among existing parties can do so.

The field is right now open to any party or leader serious about dumping the old order. It may mean rising against established leadership of the party and demanding greater internal democracy. It may mean bringing in electoral reforms so that parties and leaders do not need tonnes of money to contest elections. It may mean acting against some they have held as demigods. Right now, it appears there is no untainted politician. If there are any, they are too marginalized and weakened in their parties. They need to shed their helplessness and speak up. Or walk out. These times are not for fence-sitters.

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Why is our media not “exposing” Zee’s extortion of Naveen Jindal????

Prashant Panday
25 October 2012, 04:27 PM IST

We have today entered an era where nothing unseemly remains under wraps for long. Corruption scams are being exposed by the day. Without doubt, the brunt of this is being faced by the politicians; most of whom are scurrying around trying to cover their misdeeds. Civil society activists are at the forefront of these attacks; pulling down one and all with their "connecting the dots" kind of evidence. In the middle of all this are the thousands of media outlets that populate India. Without doubt, media outlets have amplified the exposes, bringing them to hundreds of millions of households. They have no doubt played a stellar role. But the question that needs to be asked now is: is media sucy a holy cow that exposes cannot be conducted against corrupt elements within the industry? For if it is not, then the silence over the Jindal sting on Zee News is completely unacceptable.

Yes, you heard it right. The sting was conducted not by Zee on Naveen Jindal's company Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL), but the other way round. The story goes that Zee News had unearthed dirt on Jindal's coal block allocations and had threatened to air the story. Apparently, the channel was willing to scuttle the story if Jindal agreed to a Rs 100 crore advertising deal with Zee News (and all along we thought that TRPs determined advertising rates and revenues!). Apparently Jindal refused to pay up and instead managed to trap Zee in the middle of the extortion. Apparently, Jindal's company recorded the meetings with the Zee News editor, Sudhir Chaudhary. The tapes exist and Jindal has filed a police complaint (see, this is the right thing to do! Not the way our activists accuse politicians…..only on media….without any real follow-ups with the cops or the courts). Apparently, the complaint is against the redoubtable Subhash Chandra, Chairman of Zee Enterprises and his son Punit Goenka, the CEO of Zee Entertainment.

The matter has been investigated by the Broadcast Editors Association (BEA) and the editor of Zee News has been suspended from the association. This shows that prima facie, there is evidence of truth in Jindal's assertion. However, Zee group has backed its editor and has refused to sack him.

The moot question here is not about what happens to this editor. The moot question is why our media – with all its holier-than-thou attitude – is not playing up this huge scam. Everyone knows that media is the 4^th estate, the 4^th pillar of democracy. If media itself is corrupt or abuses its powers, what kind of damage does it do to the democratic processes? If all media outlets ringfence the errant news channel, and prevent the flow of information to the public at large, then how can this be an ethical practice? As ordinary citizens of this country, we deserve to know which media we can trust and which we cannot. Why is everyone trying to shield Zee? Why not expose it the way TV channels love to expose politicians? Why these double standards? Doesn't this lead us to ask the question: are the rules different for media?

The fact is that there is as much corruption in media as there is in any other sector in the country. Its sad really that its difficult to find a single place where corruption hasn't made its presence in India. We have seen accusations being hurled at anti-corruption activists themselves – so much so that they are now being investigated by their own groups. There are enough and more charges against Ramdev – the self professed anti-corruption leader and yoga guru. If now media also behaves like gangbangers, then it's a sad day indeed.

What I would like is for Zee to be publicly shamed. The sting tapes have apparently been sent by Jindal to various TV channels. These TV channels owe it to their viewers that they play the tapes out. Since not all in media are corrupt, it would help if the ethical channels publicly debated the issue; accepted blame wherever required; and re-committed to stand by the cause of their profession. By hiding the tapes and by scuttling the publicity, media outlets will be guilty of cheating their audiences. It amounts to massive abuse of their powers. This is worse than pronouncing the innocent guilty. It is like pronouncing a guilty innocent. How is it fair that the innocent has to stand media trials, but the guilty owners of media don't have to in a similar way? This is shocking to say the least.

Not playing the tapes would bring disrepute to media. It would put a question mark on the good work done by hundreds of other media outlets. There are always a few black sheep, a few dirty apples, in every flock or basket. The right way to handle them is not by hiding them. It is by exposing them and throwing them out. The quality of the rest gets established even more strongly. That is the only way out for India's media industry. They need to expose Zee News' completely unethical practice. They need to public denounce its conduct.

And what about Mr. Subhash Chandra? He should be the first one to come out and salvage the pride of his otherwise reputable media empire. Subhash Chandra is India's Rupert Murdoch. Just like Murdoch took the unprecedented step of shutting down "News of the Word" (accused of breaking privacy norms in the UK), so should Subhash Chandra consider shutting Zee News down. This is the only way responsible and ethical business leaders behave. Equally, it would be correct for the Government to order an inquiry into the affair, the way the UK Government did so. And the rest of the media industry must support this inquiry – not call it a witch-hunt or some such thing.

The news is that Press Council of India (PCI)Chief Markandey Katju has asked the News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) headed by Retired Justice JS Verma to conduct a thorough investigation into this murky affair. Naveen Jindal has released the tapes to all media outlets. The ball is now in the media's court. Will it prove to be fair in its commitment to fight corruption or will it play a parochial role here?

The real truth is that there is a strong stench coming from inside media now. If proven true, Zee News will sink the credibility of the entire TV news business. It might even give an opportunity for the Government to impose curbs on media. It is best that the matter is handled maturely by all media players…..the black sheep must be exposed and culled. That is the only way forward….

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It's not just about Lance

Amit Karmarkar
25 October 2012, 07:17 PM IST

"Son, you never quit."

In his book It's Not About The Bike, Lance Armstrong quotes the above inspirational line from his mother on a number of pages. Moral of the story being never accept defeat.

Isn't it ironic that Armstrong indirectly quit his fight against USADA and invited defeat? The empire around his cancer recovery and cycling heroism is crashing. 

Now, when we hear inspirational stories in the future we are likely to turn cynical or take it with a pinch of salt. Please understand, the USADA-Armstrong saga has affected not only the cyclist but also the way we would perceive super heroes.

Athletes taking dope has a strong connection to our everyday, routine thinking. Of course, most offenders get drawn into it by drug suppliers (who will tackle this mafia?). But they break the law because of strong belief/suspicion that their fellow rivals are on dope. Even we ask this question in our daily lives: 'If 'He' can get away with this, why can't I do it?'

Armstrong's case is unprecedented in the doping history. There have been champions like Marion Jones, Ben Johnson etc who were stripped of their crowns. But their cheating didn't last too long. Armstrong's lasted for almost 14 years. That's some longevity. Though the cycling authorities can take credit for catching the cheats, the amount of time they took is a sad commentary on their fidelity.

The majority Lance's millions of supporters who bought yellow wristbands and contributed to his charity initiative must be feeling cheated. The USADA and UCI vedict could also change thinking process, and hence characters, of these millions.

Do they still believe in miracles? Do they still believe that winning by fair means is possible?

If the answer to the above questions is negative, the fallout of the Armstrong saga is bigger than what we could imagine. It will affect the spirit and soul of human endeavour.

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Gadkari’s plight a Narendra Modi plot?

Prashant Panday
24 October 2012, 10:27 AM IST

See how beautiful the plot is. By using Kejriwal the Joker (short for Joker in the political pack), Narendra Modi is ensuring a win-win for both. Kejriwal gets to prove that he is not afraid of attacking the BJP, thus establishing that he is not anti-Congress alone. And Modi gets to see the back of his detractor and party President Gadkari, thus paving the way for his ascent to PM in case a chance arises. Maybe this is the allegation that Digvijay Singh recently made…..that Joker was merely the B team of a faction within the BJP. He hadn't elaborated then and most TV channels and newspapers didn't speculate on it either, but it sure appears to be true….

When I did research on this Diggy accusation, I was surprised that there was already some speculation on this theory. So I am not the first one writing on this L In fact, DNA carried a story four days back "Nitin Gadkari worries; Narendra Modi's joy" in its online edition (maybe following Diggy's TV statement). There were also a number of stories after the May national executive meeting of the BJP held in Mumbai, in which Narendra Modi "won" convincingly over Gadkari. By removing Sanjay Joshi from the party, Modi asserted his clout within the party. But he could still not be sure. With Gadkari slated to get a second term as BJP President (the rules were amended specifically for him it would seem) with the RSS backing him as well, Modi was a worried man. His recent meetings with the RSS in Nagpur and the spate of revelations against Gadkari could be driven by that fear.

The faction that Kejriwal allegedly represents is the Modi-Jaitley one against the Gadkari-Advani-Sushma one. So many PM candidates within the BJP we are told….but just see how they are teamed up against each other! I would rather have one anointed heir! The theory of a factional struggle gets strengthened when one considers maverick lawyer and BJP MP Ram Jethmalani's recent "suo motu" proclamation that Modi is a better PM candidate than all the others in the party. What provoked this pronouncement? This was hardly an isolated incident. Jethmalani had only a few days earlier said that he would ask for Gadkari's resignation if Joker did so. Is he working in tandem with Joker? He also said that he possessed "evidence" against Gadkari but he was waiting to verify it. Verifying it or waiting for the go-ahead from Modi? The series of moves made by Jethmalani clearly point to the two coteries in the BJP.

Lets get one other fact right. This entire "scoop" against Gadkari is hardly a media scoop. Several media outlets have been provided the inputs for the story. A few days back, NDTV's Sreenivasan Jain had aired an intereview with Gadkari in which he touched upon these precise points. Then TOI followed it up with a much better researched story yesterday. Once that happened, all media pounced on it. Today, every media outlet is claiming that it was the first one to get the facts. Times Now claimed last night that it was its RTI application filed in August this year that finally brought the muck out. This is not how a "scoop" breaks. If it's a genuine scoop, it would break exclusively on one outlet. This is more like someone (Modi?) feeding ready made information to a select few media outlets. All of media is being used. And abused. By Narendra Modi and his coterie. Call this smart politics? Maybe, but with what results for the party?

Here's more. Some time back, there was speculation that Modi would cut loose and set up his own party. That was the pressure he mounted for Sanjay Joshi to be sacrificed. Such shrewed tactics are completely in line with what one knows of Modi. One knows that from history. Once he's made up his mind, he doesn't give up easily. One remembers how a young Haren Pandya, a "dynamic" leader of the BJP and considered by many to be a direct challenger to Modi was bumped off after being denied the ticket from his constituency. By throwing out the prosecution's case that Pandya was murdered by some assailants from Hyderabad to avenge Godhra (was CBI being misused by the BJP central government even then??!!), the High Court pointed to the political conspiracy theory that has many takers in Gujarat. Pandya's two sisters and father have accused Modi directly for Pandya's murder and have demanded a fresh probe. Modi's involvement was never established, but what points to a possible link is that Pandya had started to squeal on Modi's sinister handling of the post-Godhra riots and had secretly deposed before the Citizen's Tribunal comprising several eminent judges. As per a Hindustan Times story of May 11^th 2012, "One of the judges on the citizens' tribunal, justice Hospet Suresh, told Hindustan Times Pandya had alleged that Modi asked the police not to take action against the rioters. Modi allegedly gave the instruction during a meeting with top police and government officials on February 27, 2002, the day the riots started after the burning of a train coach near Godhra station." Clearly, Pandya was an irritant who had to be taken care of.

One also knows of the fall out between Modi and Advani with Modi denying Advani the permission to launch his most recent yatra from Gujarat. Why was Modi turning against his former mentor? The speculation is that Modi didn't want Advani to be in the contention for the PM's post should it become available to the BJP.

"Connecting the dots" as is the new mantra of investigations these days, one would have to conclude that there are reasonable grounds to assume that Gadkari's plight is the doing of Modi's PM aspirations. Those who croon for Modi as PM should take note of the man's Hitleresque characteristics. This is precisely the way many of the world's biggest despots conducted themselves; blunting or crushing any form of protest against them. Does the country need a PM like him?

For his part, Joker has to think of which path he is treading on. Is this the political strategy he wants to adopt? Is this why Anna refused to back his political plans….surely Anna would have known his political game plan? Well, all of this is now starting to unravel. Not only is the needle of suspicion pointing towards Modi and his coterie, there is also a needle pointing at Joker. Joker has never spoken against Modi in spite of there being several cases of alleged corruption against him. Joker never bothered to criticize Modi for failing to appoint a Lok Ayukta in the state for 8 years as well. So there are some strong reasons to believe that Joker is not the BJP's B team, but Modi's.

The real truth is that Gadkari finds himself in the cross-hairs of Modi's gunfire. Modi's making sure that he remains the only contender for the PM's post if it comes BJP's way. Gadkari is nothing but an inconveneient hurdle….getting him out of the way is a necessity. But what Gadkari and his team do now remains to be seen. Will they play-up Nitish Kumar's even more against Modi? Will they play on his Marathi manoos reality and get Shiv Sena to attack Modi? Wait and watch….this promises to be fun!

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