The (T)Error Saga

In the cold night of Nov-26 Wednesday, when a handful of highly indoctrinated youths from Pakistan managed to sail stealthily through the sea from Karachi to Mumbai in a hijacked Indian trawler with their ‘booty’, the Mumbaikers were very much preoccupied with their daily routine.

Mumbai city, the city that never sleeps had in fact witnessed a horrible game between life and death, when the ‘marine tourists’ were welcomed by the Gateway of India. For those 10 ‘men of darkness’ from across the borders, it took only a couple of hours to assess the ‘fire power’ of the ‘toys’ they were given by their mentors to play with innocent citizens of India.

The ‘dance of death’ orchestrated to the ‘tune of Jihad’ held the whole nation breathless for nearly three days when the terrorists in small groups took control of Oberoi Trident, The Taj Hotel and the Nariman house after turning CST and Cama Hospital premises, the dancing floor of death.

By the time India’s National Security Guards killed all the holed up terrorists in fierce gun battles by Nov-29, nearly 200 souls perished and more than that number injured seriously. It’s hard to believe that just a handful of youths, totting AK-47s can keep a nation with a population over a billion to ransom…

The saddest part of all these is the fact that Indian intelligence agencies have had enough input of this terror plot well before the end of September. Media reports suggest that RAW’s signal intelligence intercepted certain transmissions indicating a LeT strike in Mumbai by sea and the same input was given by CIA Delhi chief to his RAW counterpart. Prabhakar Alok, joint director, IB, had also alerted the Maharashtra government about the LeT plan in a report dated November 19 (DIB uo No. 21/JTF7-Nodal/ 2008(23)-4405). (http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20081215&fname=GInvestigation&sid=1&pn=2)

So what should be interpreted by these facts? A sheer negligence of valuable inputs by the Govt authorities, if were acted upon could have prevented the Mumbai attack thus saving the lives of hundreds…!

I wonder what value does the Indian govt pay to the lives of its common man? It’s paying hundreds of tax payers money to ‘insulate’ all the politicians even from a scratch from the roses in their garden!

Special Protection Group (SPG) which is in charge of security cover for PM and the Gandhi clan (please do not be mistaken by this ‘Gandhi clan’ with our Father of Nation Mahatma Gandhi. It has become imperative now that the surname Gandhi refers to only two living persons in India…and everyone knows who they are) spends an yearly budget of more than a hundred crore for their security.

Then other politicians, both from the ruling and the opposition parties across India whose lives are very ‘precious’ to the ‘growth’ of our nation that, round the clock they are given Z plus security…! And after the Mumbai attack many politicians are in a spending spree to acquire additional bullet and mine proof vehicles to 'steer the nation to the path of 'development without any hassle.

After the attack the ‘Honorable’ Dy CM of Maharashtra ‘proclaimed’ with great pride and composure that “such small things can happen in big cities like Mumbai…” Sir, for you, who are pampered and spoiled by the great ‘Democratic system’ in India, these deaths seem to be a silly thing, but for us who by MISTAKE made you reach in your portfolio, it’s a shocking and fateful reality that a common man’s life comes very cheap in your account.

If these ‘gifted’ and ‘privileged’ people who always live in fortresses built buy the BLOOD, SWEAT, and STRUGGLE of the COMMON MAN in India, cannot ensure the security of people who made them Princes and Queens of this country, what MORAL ETHOS, SOCIAL DISCIPLINE, and DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES they are expecting from US?

Most of the political autocrats in the present system are a shame to India’s real democratic hue. When they coupled with sycophants in bureaucracy, the ugliest and the most repulsive form of politics takes birth. They are the ‘opportunist vultures’ who want to have a ‘political feast’ even over the deaths of innocents.

How badly and hastily our political system in the country needs a thorough revamping is evident from what have had happened in Mumbai. We have seen blood bath in Hyderabad, Ahmadabad, Delhi, Assam etc in past few months. STILL we have not learnt anything…!

We the citizen of India have not learnt the hard fact that even after all these acts of terror in various forms, our leaders who we foolishly thought would be our warriors to defeat
all the threats to our sovereign country are in fact fit to wear only bangles in their hands…

For all those politicians who are intoxicated by the power of politics, it will be wise to realize that billions of young souls, with hearts of steel driven by blood of sheer courage, are growing up. And better you DO NOT DARE TO LOOK INTO THEIR EYES AS YOU WILL SEE THE RAGING SOULS OF THE VICTIMS STARING AT YOU, WHICH YOU ARE ACCOUNTABLE FOR…

Long Live The Fallen Heroes

Mamata's 'NO NO', Modi's 'NANO', Farmers' OH NO!

The high voltage sabre rattling and political showdown by Mamata Banerjee over the land transfer issue at the proposed Tata Motor's Nano project site in Singur, West Bengal, have in some other way given chance to Gujarat CM Narendra Modi to be the cynosure of eyes from the industrial big shots in India.


Narendra Modi wasted no time to open up a smooth road for Ratan Tata to Gujarat, when the Tatas applied a 'sudden brake' to the Nano project in Singur due to the protests from Trinamool Congress activists. Ratan Tata atlast found a saviour in Modi who offered land and infrastructure to make Tata's small Nano roll out in a big way.


Modi should be really good at mathematics if not atleast in complex calculations, that he clinched the Nano deal with the Tatas pushing aside other competetors such as Andhrapradesh, Maharshtra, Haryana and Uttarkhand govts.


Ratan Tata said that the Gujarat govt acted at a great pace to facilitate the required land and infrastructure for setting up the Nano plant in that state.


Tata Motors officials said that the location of Sanand, some 30 km from Ahmadabad and its proximity to the Ahmadabad-Rajkot highway makes it a strategically ideal site.


The plant will be spread over about 1,100 acres, and will produce around 250,000 units initially and can expand to 500,000 cars annually, added the officials. It is expected that the project will generate over 10,000 direct and indirect jobs once the production swings in.


From Tata’s point of view, the site in Sanand is a good bargain as the land is already in the possession of state govt. That means no political drama like the one they faced in Singur will be staged.


With all these developments, the one who loses face is none other than Mamata Banerjee. She is being looked upon by various political parties as a ‘red signal’ to West Bengal’s industrial growth. Mamata’s claim that she had in her mind only the transfer of farm land from the Singur site to the farmers who was unrelenting to the West Bengal govt's compensations in exchange of their lands, is at the moment does not come to her help.


According to sources in the Trinamool Congress, the party wanted Tata Motors to return land earmarked for social infrastructure like schools, clubs, retail space, etc. from the 997 acres plot to farmers.


But the West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee repeated that the state government could not return land under the 1892 land acquisition law that the state government had invoked to acquire it, and which is Okayed for the Nano plant.


A scorned Mamata like some school kids complaining to the class teacher of being pinched by some naughty souls, went to meet President Pratiba Patil along with Samajwady Party's Amar Singh, to cry out how the Communist party and Ratan Tata deceived the 'Aam Admi' in West Bengal. Had the wonderful and most commonly played game in politics-'The Blame Game' not been invented, all the politicians in our country would have had a dry run for cover!


Arjun Singh of course is a king maker. It was proved when he easily maneuvered the UPA boat through the troubled waters during the July 22 confidence motion. Mamata also knows this pretty well. So what should have she had her in mind when she looked at the strategist in Amar Singh? Whatever it may, it would be premature for Mamata to dream that the newly worked out strategies can poke a hole in the Communist bastion in West Bengal.


Now a couple of questions loom large in the air in West Bengal. What would the Budhadeb govt do with the ‘empty’ land in Singur? Will those farmers who did not accept compensation from the govt in exchange of their land get their land back? After all, all the ‘hulla bulla’ in Singur was based on the land transfer issue, so what will be the climax?


For small Nano it has really made it big with all the hype and controversy that surmount it from the beginning itself.


It would rather bear a slogan painted on its body when it rolls out from Gujarat stable…

Mamata’s NO NO, Modi’s NANO, and the Farmers’ OH NO!

Mission Kashmir

There was a time when the Kashmir valley was as calm and strikingly beautiful as Kashmiri women in their traditional dress. The Dal Lake which flows like a loosened, glowing hair of a beautiful lady used to be tickled by umpteen numbers of houseboats carrying wide eyed tourists from all over India and abroad. Those were the golden era of Kashmir and its people. But those happier times have been put to death by piercing machine gun bullets, shot both from 'patriotic' rifles as well as 'anti national' rifles.

Now what one can see in the face of Kashmiris is a haunting fear and desperation for being dragged between insurgency and counter insurgency. Extremist elements in the valley have always been on the look out for a bait to create a communal divide among Kashmiris. So when the issue of transferring around 39.88 hectares of forest land to Amarnath Shrine Board arises, Kashmir once again starts bleeding.

Political parties such as BJP, PDP and the Hurriyat are taking advantages of the volatile situation in Kashmir. Their over enthusiasm to fish in the troubled waters of Kashmir will only further deteriorate the situation. These parties are playing the inflammable communal card to gain political mileage. For nearly two months Kashmir has been on the boil over the land row. Supporters of Amarnath Shrine Samithi blocked the Jammu highway in protest against Government’s revoking of land transfer to the Shrine board after widespread protests from the PDP and Hurriyat.

This blockade resulted in the economic slowdown of the valley as this is the only link to connect Kashmir to other parts of India. The Muslim population in Kashmir had a feeling that Hindus wish to break their economic back bone. This feeling, infact, proved to be decisive brush for those who want to paint Kashmir in communal hue.

The call to all fruit growers in Kashmir to cross the LoC to sell their produces in Muzzaffarabad caught the authorities by surprise who until that moment pretended to have not seen or heard about the highway blockade by the Hindu groups. Situation really went out of control when the police tried to prevent the mob lead by separatist leaders from crossing LoC on Aug 11. The ensuing police firing to disperse the agitators resulted in the death of separatist leader Abdul Aziz Sheikh and five others.

The very next day Kashmir saw unabated violence and arson in which 21 people died. The overall death toll has reached more than 26. Though a relative calm prevails in Kashmir now, the tension is not yet over.

J&K government has called both Hindu and Muslim factions to the negotiating table in an effort to ease the mistrust between the two communities.

Pakistan sponsored terrorism to divide the Hindu Muslim harmony in the region is gaining ground once again. The sporadic firing to Indian military posts from across the boarder was part of ISI plot to push in terrorists to the valley to unleash fresh terror.

The ‘Azad Kashmir’ slogan that had been a constant nightmare for both the Army and the Indian government was not much heard about in the last 13 years. But the same proverbial demon has again awakened recently, sniffing the rottening atmosphere in the valley.

According to media reports, the protest rallies were marked with astonishing anti India sentiments and an increasingly ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans. But Mr. Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, one of the Hurriyat Conference leaders says this does not mean that Kashmir should be made a part of Pakistan. According to him people were trying to express their resent over the entire system that prevails in J&K even after 61 years of independence-of the countless rapes of women by the Army, of oppression, of tortures, of people go missing without any trace etc etc.

The resonating ‘Azadi’ slogan will prove to be a detonator to a wide spread ‘anti India explosions’ if the govt lacks prudence in taming it. The separatists’ call for an independent Kashmir will send similar waves to other parts of India with devastating effects. This will prompt similar demands from the whole of North-East as there is so much anti India feelings among people. The Maoists movement is gaining ground in North East with local militia actively joining hands with Maoists in subversive designs against Indian government.

The common factor both Kashmiris and people in North East rue about- the Indian government’s laxity in providing socio-economic stability and governance. So the ‘solution’ to end anti India movements cannot be administered through the barrels of guns. Simple common sense, a bit of practical approach and greater feelings of responsibility towards its citizen are the essential combinations to make that ‘wonder drug’ that heals the ‘anti India syndrome’.

Government authorities and various political parties who speak volumes on the ‘integrity’ factor of Kashmir, and the separatists who preach for an independent Kashmir have often forget one core factor in common- the very fate of innocent Kashmiris who did no sin other than being born in an enchanting abode named Kashmir.

Hey mere Khudhaah, mere Kashmir ko aman dilade! Ameen...

SOS...the earth is sinking

US government's most ambitious missile defense programme, according to US officials, is meant to protect the world from hostile enemy missiles. But can this 'shield' protect the world from its deadliest enemy-Global warming?

Articles on global warming and climate changes have been occupying the media space for a long time. Top officials from world countries are busy nowadays debating this 'hot' topic in various international summits.

Latest inputs from the scientist community point to a link between warmer climates and an increase in devastating rainstorms. Heavy rainstorms will be more common in future as warmer climate results in abundance of moisture for condensation. (See Climate Change: When It Rains It Really Pours)

According to Brian Soden, associate professor at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science, warmer climate boosts the intensity of heavy rainstorms.

The UN Climate Panel fears that such shift in the rainfall will pave way for heavy floods that could wash away crops and will badly affect the livelihoods of millions in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

The Arctic region that is the buttered side of the earth has been melting drastically over the years. Besides, glaciers and other ice capped parts of the world too are on the boil. These contribute to sudden rise in sea level. If the current situation prevails, The Day After Tomorrow will be a true experience for most of the coastal cities around the world.

The menace of global warming does not limit in rising sea level alone. It has severe implication on the entire eco system. Oceanographers got a 'sting' when they found out that jellyfish population increases due to increase in the sea water temperature. This is a bad omen since it points out to the depletion of Oxygen level in the oceans. Gradually, most of the marine life will be forced to take an 'eternal sleep' on the laps of the oceans.

The main culprit behind global warming is green house gases that are being pushed out by burning fossil fuels. Thanks to a heavily industrialized world and ever demanding consumerism. The more fossil fuel we burn the more fire the earth will breathe out.

The only thing that would prevent global warming from spreading its deadly wings is finding alternative sources of energy other than fossil fuels. The whole crux on this aspect lies in saving energy by all means.

Energy conservation and pollution control should be the key word for all economies in the fight against global warming. The whole human race has collective responsibility in this mission.

Even simple gestures like switching from incandescent lamps to less energy consuming fluorescent lamps, using laptops instead of computers and switching off electrical devices when not in use will make a huge difference in the 'save energy ' mission. These simple practices will cut down huge amount of heat radiation being emitted by the household across the globe.

Prominent environment protection organizations including Greenpeace, have been indulging in various awareness campaigns against global warming and other climatic issues.

It does not cost us anything to do something to save our Mother Earth. If we do not act now, then it will be too late...it is now or never...

And lo, the 'crude' war in the Arctic is born...

Don't be surprised to see some of the fishermen in the Arctic region striking a pose with Russian naval crew with a heavily armed naval destroyer ship in the background...

Russian navy has sent a few vessels from its Northern fleet quite recently to the Arctic region. We are not fools to believe Russia's claim that it is worried about the safety of its fishermen folk venturing to the Arctic region, and the naval vessels are meant for the latter's safety.

A geological survey report that claims the presence of huge reserve of natural gas and crude oil beneath the thick ice blanket of the Arctic region has caught the attention of both the US and Russia by the wind.

Russia wants to bolster its claim of sovereignty over the North Pole as soon as possible which has huge potential for tapping the oil reserve. An estimated 1,670 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, in other words around two third of the active gas reserves in the entire middle east, and 90 billion barrels of oil is lying untapped in the North Pole.

All the five countries that surround the Arctic region, i.e. US, Russia, Canada, Norway and Denmark are hyper active in their efforts to gain supremacy over the North Pole. Russia has some geographical advantage in this 'treasure hunt' as most of the gas is concentrated in the so called Russian territory. But Denmark has already disputed Russia's claim.

But the worrisome aspect in all these is the very existence of the otherwise calm and pristine Arctic region is being threatened by the 'treasure' which it holds in its belly. Environmentalists have already come to the foray to prevent any sort of drilling efforts in the Arctic region.

The whole of Arctic region experiences an incredible rate of 'melting' due to global warming and sudden climatic changes. The environmentalists fear that any drilling efforts in the region will further poke holes in its fragile 'ice sweater'.

There is every possibility that the US will find a 'sledge' to reach out to the North Pole to dig its hands deep inside. With Russia sending battle ships to the region to claim supremacy, now it is US's turn to flex muscles.

The cold war, between the world's two super powers and sworn enemies (Russia and US), ended in early 1990s. But who knows whether tomorrow sees an all-out 'crude' war between these two giants over the 'milky patches' of this tiny planet...

Please refer to Arctic Contains Big Supply Of Oil, Natural Gas, Review Finds.

The 3G mob-olution

Global telecom service providers have received a soothing 'ring tone' from DoT (Department of Telecommunication) of India on Friday (Aug 1, 2008).

The government’s decision to allow foreign players in the 3G spectrum will see a revolution in the Third generation mobile telephony in India.

The 3G technology encompasses multimedia oriented services. So with the help of a 3G compatible mobile phone, you can make video calls, access broadband internet and even watch various TV channels without any hassle.

In the initial leg of implementing the 3G project, state owned BSNL and MTNL will be given spectrum to start all India service. Global telecom players can enter the competition four months later. If everything goes fine, the 3G service will reach consumers by the next financial year.

Each Global company is required to shell out at least Rs-4600 crore to take part in the spectrum bidding. According to Telecommunication and IT minister A Raja, the government can earn Rs 30,000 to 40,000 crores through the spectrum bidding.

Leading telecom vendor Ericsson hails the government's 3G policy and hopes it will 'delete' the urban-rural digital divide. MNCs such as AT&T, Sprint etc have already shown their interests to have a piece of the spectrum pie.

Qualcomm, CDMA technology innovator, says that the 3G policy will benefit the entire wireless communication environment.
So all the tech savvy people will now have one more gadget other than an iPod and a bluetooth headset to juggle with-the 3G mobile phone!

Please refer to : http://www.businessstandard.com/india/storypage.php?autono=330256

N-credible India!

Indian PM Manmohan Singh has reasons to smile now. The boiling Indo-US nuclear deal issue has been a thorn to Mr. Singh's Prime Ministerial crown for long until the UPA government won the July 22 confidence motion.

He proved to the opposition and the Left that they cannot keep the government on ransom by blowing the nuclear issue. Manmohan Singh in fact did a dare devilry act by facing the confidence motion at a time when the government is drawing flak from all quarters due to the price spike.

It was a win-win situation for both the UPA and the Left, who was eyeing for a third front with Mayawati in the driving seat.

But despite Left's working out on complex political equations and calculations, UPA boat sailed through the troubled waters with ease. Thanks to a highly skilled and very calculative Amar Singh (Samaj Wadi party) who 'captained' the UPA boat to the shore.

The saffron brigade also suffered heavily when some of its MPs swapped sides. Some indulged in cross voting and some abstained from the confidence motion. The so called 'sting' where BJP MPs were seen flashing bundles of currency during the confidence motion allegedly offered to them by Samaj Wadi party leaders did not come to BJP’s favor.

With the confidence motion chaos over, Manmohan Singh can hurry up the nuclear deal with the US. If the deal makes through, Manmohan Singh will make history as the deal will be surpassing a 34 year old embargo the US has imposed on India after the first nuclear explosion India conducted in 1974.

As per the government's version the signing of the N-deal will ensure energy security and expensive nuclear technology to India. As per the agreement the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will enable India to receive sufficient Uranium for its civil nuclear reactors from the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) which has 45 countries as its members.

But many Indian scientists and diplomats oppose the deal fearing it would clip India's Nuclear sovereignty. According to Mr. Yogesh Tiwary, retired IFS officer (Indo-US Nuclear Deal: A Curtain Raiser -III by Yogesh Tiwary) the clauses in the Indo-US prohibits India to conduct further nuclear tests even if situations demand so. Further, India cannot re-process spent fuel from the reactors without prior consent. This means further complication and Increase in the cost of storage of spent-fuel (Indo-US Nuclear Deal: A Curtain Raiser -II by Yogesh Tiwary).

The deal will stand cancelled automatically in the wake of a fresh nuclear test by India. In that case India has to return all the nuclear fuel, technology and equipment it has received from the Nuclear Suppliers Group.

Mr. Siddharth Varadarajan in his article 'The truth behind the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal' warns that India's alliance with the US will force India to re-draft its economic and strategic polices in the line of American interest.

So whether the Indo-US nuclear deal is a 'boon' or 'bane' for the future of India is something that all of us should wait and see. After all...seeing is believing...

India under siege?

Indian psyche now seems to get accustomed with the term 'Terror strike'. The term has become so familiar nowadays that it has become the most common thing happening all over India.

It can be assumed that the terror strikes are very 'democratic' and 'secular' in nature - Sinister motive Of the people (terrorists) For the people (innocent Indian citizens) and By the people (those who carry out the attacks) in which people belong to various caste, creed, religion, gender and age fall victims...

Within a span of just three months more than 105 people lost their lives-Jaipur blasts that claimed 63 lives in May-13, Bangalore blast in July-25 where one person is killed and the latest one in Ahmedabad in July-27 which snatched 24 lives without any mercy.

The common factor in all these blasts - The govt and intelligence agencies were unaware of the plot and couldn't prevent it...

If anyone who believes that terrorists will spread pamphlets and video conferences much ahead of their strikes then he or she should be slogging in a fool's paradise.

Right after each strike there was no dearth for 'theories' and 'assumptions' both from political parties and intelligence agencies about the 'who did that for what' part. It's a shame that even after two months of the Jaipur (Pink city) blasts the police is still in the dark about the key suspects.

Terrorists are employing all sorts of new techniques or methods to carry out their mission from simple bicycle laden bombs to car bombs with lethal accuracy and co-ordination.

Sarcastically as per newspaper reports an outfit named Indian Mujahideen sent E-mails to news agencies warning of possible terror strikes.

Intelligence agencies point their fingers on Pakistan's involvement in all the terror attacks in India. But the point is terror attacks will not come down by the blame-game.

Why our intelligence agencies fail to tackle these serious issues? According to Mr.Ajit Doval, former IB director, 'systemic convergence of intelligence' should be the key word in intelligence gathering. That simply means integration at several levels of information gathering and sharing between various agencies such as RAW, IB, CBI etc.

We Indians are not fools. The best brains are here and we know that. If our 'men in uniform' require new gadgets and technologies to combat terror, our bureaucracy should be able to provide all that is required. Our country is spending hundreds of cores to purchase VVIP aircrafts to fly bureaucrats. Why can’t the government spend a few cores to secure the lives of citizens and instill confidence in them?

Instead of spending huge sums for hike in the travel allowance and dearness allowance of politicians spend some to increase the basic salary of our 'men in uniform' who always brave bullets and explosions while on duty.

So is India under siege? No!

War against terror is a collective responsibility. The blood does not have any communal colour-it's red for all caste and religion...We cannot be intimidated by the acts of a few fanatics...because we are the Indians who had the will power and perseverance to oust the mighty British empire for the cause of freedom.

Let's pray for the departed souls of innocents and vow that we stand united for each other all time.

Bharat mata ki jai.