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?
It is a coalition of the corrupt and the plunderers. And the Congress – with Chidambaram and Dr. Manmohan Singh as the cheer-leaders, apologists extraordinaire, wise men-with shady dealings – seems to be at the forefront of the effort to plunder the nation at level unprecedented even during the Islamic invasions or the British empire. We are now talking of money being usurped almost at the rate somewhere between 500 Bn to 1 Trillion a year!
Dr. Singh and Chidambaram first tried to bring in the Telecom Secretary who oversaw the 2G scam as the Central Vigilance Commissioner, which was as RED a Herring as any. This effort, frustrated by the lone warrior in the name of Sushma Swaraj who openly dissented. Then Supreme Court – the highest court of law in the country went ahead and started investigating the issues. To which Dr. Singh asked the judges to mind their own business and not meddle with Executive operations. Well, they didn’t anyway and indicted the Government by saying that the hiring of PJ Thomas as the CVC was ILLEGAL! (CVC Scam: The Farce, the Obfuscation and the Lies of Dr. Singh and his Government)
With his pants down, Dr. Manmohan Singh, with his wise-man looks enhanced, came out with the same excuse that my son uses when he is caught red-handed. “Oops, really? I didn’t know about it! Swear! Promise! I had no idea!”. Except that it WORKED on the gullible people of India – educated and uneducated alike – quite unlike the efforts of my son to push such things past me. Dr. Singh failed as well!
Now, the Parliamentary Action Committee with Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi at the helm has found that Dr. Singh was complicit“for giving an “indirect green signal” to former telecom minister A Raja to execute his “unfair and dubious designs” in selling scarce radio waves at throwaway prices.”
Report isn’t saying that Dr. Singh was directly responsible, but he is at least dinged for Dereliction of Duty! In other countries, it is an offense. But we are talking of India – albeit at the highest level – but oh well!
So what do the Corrupt-in-Arms do? They “Reject” the report. Simpdi (Simply) – as the Mallu humorists put it. Simpdi rejected it. QED. No problemo! You may say we are corrupt, well so what… we will NOT believe it! Our moveis teach us to be in an imaginary world.. so we will do our national duty.. dream and live in our LaLa-land.
However, I am angry with Dr. MM Joshi for having been involved in a report that doesn’t go the full length! If you look at the how Dr. Singh and Chidambaram TRIED to pull out ALL STOPS to hire PJ Thomas – the RESPONSIBLE Telecom Secretary DURING the 2G scam – then it is clear that these two gentlemen were DIRECTLY responsible for the scam AND COVER UP! For, I would cover up something ONLY when I am – at least in part – guilty of it. Wouldn’t you? Why would you risk your integrity otherwise??
So, we need to go further. And walking out of the Committee or the proceedings will NOT DO, Dr. Joshi! You have to stay there and FIGHT! Do better than Sushma Swaraj. Nail these bastards until they have no where to go! The ONLY way to fight corruption is to have ZERO TOLERANCE. Simpdi (Simply) REFUSE a way out for the corrupt!!!
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?
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