The Indian budget every year has always been an eagerly awaited event. For many decades, the best minds in economics, finance, tax, business and industry throng the media house to analyze the provisions shared by the Financial Minister.
Sometimes major events completely disconnected may be data points for the plans of the different powers around the world. The challenge is to discern what purpose they serve? More critically, what are we moving towards?
When the US Ambassador threatened India's "Strategic Autonomy" policy over India's friendship with Russia - much more than meets the eye was at stake. Let us unpack how the Ukraine war has fundamentally changed the US and the world. And why are we here anyway?
Central Bureau of Investigation has approached the External Affairs Ministry with an unusual request. It wants to facilitate the visit of a Pakistani family to India. It is the family of Khan Bahadur Qurban Ali Khan, was the first chief of the Special Police Establishment (SPE).
In the upcoming Golden Jubilee celebrations, CBI will be honoring its past directors. Since Khan was the Chief of CBI predecessor, he is being given the honor as well. In fact, interestingly, CBI has one block in its Ghaziabad Academy. Now, it so happens that Khan Bahadur Qurban Ali Khan also happens to be one of the founding fathers of the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) – Pakistan now-monstrous and dreaded intelligence organization.
SPE was started in 1941 by the British government to investigate cases of bribery and corruption in transactions of the War and Supply Department of India, which was set up during the course of World War II. Its headquarters were in Lahore and Khan, who was then superintendent of the war department, was made its chief administrator.
After the end of the war, it was felt that a central agency was needed to investigate cases of bribery and corruption by government employees. The Delhi Special Police Establishment Act was brought into force in 1946 and Khan headed this department till partition, after which he migrated to Pakistan and was appointed the inspector general of North West Frontier Province (NWFP), now known as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Many Indians are not happy at this invitation, but I feel it is perfectly fine. He was one of the architects of CBI as well although it hasn’t really done well – because of it being a proxy for the political establishment.
Strangely, both the organizations that he was involved in the formative years – CBI and ISI have gone way off their intended course. ISI has become THE establishment in Pakistan; CBI has become completely servile to the establishment. Shows that founding fathers don’t really matter. If anything, Khan was not much of an influence, for he leaves behind a schizophrenic legacy in the shape of CBI and ISI – two diametrically opposite agencies in terms of their ethos!
The Indian budget every year has always been an eagerly awaited event. For many decades, the best minds in economics, finance, tax, business and industry throng the media house to analyze the provisions shared by the Financial Minister.
When the US Ambassador threatened India's "Strategic Autonomy" policy over India's friendship with Russia - much more than meets the eye was at stake. Let us unpack how the Ukraine war has fundamentally changed the US and the world. And why are we here anyway?
This visit of India left me with many questions. Many observations and inputs from different people and sections. Food for thought that I have tried to contemplate on and make sense of. Sharing all that with you.
When you analyze the last 60 years of the economic miracles of Singapore, South Korea and Malaysia versus the continued impoverished Indian economy, you get very interesting lessons. Can Indians have the wherewithal in them to do in one generation so that the coming generations may rise?
Every Sunday AM (US Time)/ PM (India time), we send out a weekly detailed newsletter. We also share other insightful notes during the week. Its free. Do sign up and share with friends!