Irrelevance of Indian Communists.

Irrelevance of Indian Communists.

CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat has acknowledged at long last how
irrelevant leftists have become in India in his talk at the conference
on the "Lessons of Empire" at the Cambridge University ( Study Group,
IE,26/10). Their blinkered view of India started at the inception
itself : they opposed the freedom struggle and supported the British
during the 1942 'Quit India' movement ; they started the violent
struggle in Telangana ; they believed that they could ride the
Congress elephant after India's non-alignment tilted towards the
Soviet Union; they refused to condemn China for its invasion in 1962;
they supported emergency imposed by Mrs.Indira Gandhi. They were never
in tune with the nation.

It is not just lack "in theory" about the caste and bourgeoisie but a
total lack of understanding India, its history and its ethos. They
started 'bandh' and 'gherao'. They killed industry in West Bengal and
Kerala. They encouraged infiltration by Bangadeshis. They gave rise to
Naxalites and Maoists with their theory of class struggle. They fought
for 8 percent organized workers and not for 92 percent unorganized
labour. Their irrelevance is their 'karma' – you reap what you sow.
Your remark, ' Indian politics needs the Left parties to re-acquire
their feistiness' looks like the Stockholm Syndrome.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/study-groups/702418/0

October 29,2010.

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What's your message for President Obama on his India visit?

India and the USA share common democratic values and have no conflict of interest. This was noted by Dr.Henry Kissinger immediately after the end of the cold war. However, both the countries have the legacies of the past to contend with - uninterrupted economic and military support to Pakistan which has only one aim - to confront India.The other is, the US investment in China for the last few decades which has made China the second largest economy in the world, which again has one point programme of dominating Asia, if not the world. USA befriended Pakistan and Pakistan to encircle Soviet Union.USA always followed its national interest, not any great ideals. Now that its interest coincides with that of India, it wants to change its policies towards India. US policies towards both these countries affect India in a profound way. The changes, if agreed to by India and the USA, will take a long time to fructify.We should not expect anything spectacular.

The President of the USA comes to India not to solve India's problems but to solve his countries problem. His country wants more employment and export.He seeks to sell military equipment, military planes, passenger planes and to expand role for MNCs in India - in retail business, agriculture ( GM seeds) etc. While Walmart can provide goods at a cheap rate, what happens to the millions of retail small traders ? GM seeds may give more yield, the small farmer has to purchase seeds every time from these seed companies who increase their prices every year.We have to be careful with these issues. The watch word should be : 'hasten slowly'.

The US President has made a big issue out of out-sourcing to our software companies.He forgets India purchases considerable hardware from USA and other countries. Free trade is a two-way street. 

Many, including some think-tanks in USA, have asked him to support India's case for a permanent seat in Security Council. Indian government has asked him to remove restrictions on dual-use technologies.USA is still hesitant.

India should not expect other countries to solve our problems. We have to solve them ourselves. We have the capacity - technical man-power and financial resources.We do not have the will. When the Indian economy grows every country would court India.

October 29,2010.
 
On Thu, Oct 28, 2010 at 6:16 PM, <info@karmayog.org> wrote:

President Obama of USA is visiting India between 6th - 9th November 2010.

During his visit, many issues will be concluded that will impact the ordinary
citizen of India e.g. policies connected with agriculture, outsourcing,
defence, 100% FDI in retail, etc.

 

Governments across the world are getting more responsive to public opinion and perceptions.

There will be extensive media coverage across the world of US actions and statements emanating from the visit. Moreover, Indian ground realities and the repercussions of policies will also be highlighted by the international media. So it would be worthwhile and timely to voice your suggestions in any specific area along with the reasons for those.

 

You may do so by sending an email to the following:
 - The White House - President Obama at www.whitehouse.gov/contact
 - The American Centre at mumbaipublicaffairs@state.gov

 - Time Magazine at letters@time.com
 - The Economist at letters@economist.com
 - The Wall Street Journal at wsj.ltrs@wsj.com
 - CNN at http://edition.cnn.com/feedback/dotcom

Do also post your suggestion on Karmayog via
http://www.karmayog.org/messages/message.aspx?id=3499

 

Regards,

Vinay
www.karmayog.org 

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"Why is Tata funding a Harvard ?"

"Why is Tata funding a Harvard ?".

Your edit (DNA,Mumbai,18/10/10) "Why is Tata funding a Harvard?" should provoke some thought among the industry, academic, political and bureaucratic circles. Why indeed three top industrialists are funding US educational institutions rather than Indian institutions? Of course, one reason, as you have pointed out, is their association with these institutions. The other reason is, again as mentioned by you, the promotion of excellence by the US academic institutions besides the autonomy that they enjoy.

Your suggestion that government needs to move away from running academic institutions will not find favour with the political and bureaucratic circles that enjoy dispensing patronage to their favourites among the teachers and students. Perhaps, these industrialists could have set up new educational institutions on the lines of Harvard with these funds. They could have become new Nalandas and Taxilas of the modern India.

Thousands of Indian students go to USA, UK, Canada and even to Australia for higher studies spending millions of dollars. Indian educational institutions with the same standards of excellence and autonomy could prevent this outflow and give our students insight into our problems and how to solve them. This is something for our businessmen and politicians think it over.

http://www.dnaindia.com/opinion/editorial_why-is-tata-funding-a-harvard_1454109

( A response on the editorial in DNA,Mumbai dt.October 18,2010.

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Plolice & the Stone throwers.

Police are the front-line of defense of the state but they are also front-line of inter-face with the people, especially in a democratic state. They have to be friendly with people and help people.It is not an easy task as criminals and their supporters have a lot of influence on them either because of money power or because of political pressure.

The police force has to have proper training, sufficient mobility, adequate remuneration, skilled legal support and functional autonomy as well as accountability to be effective.

As far as the situation in Kashmir is concerned, the police there have to have mohalla committees in every area as was constituted in Mumbai to prevent riots. The police have to have their ears to the ground.

Secondly, they have to use tear gas and rubber bullets, and firing should be the last resort. They have to meet the parents to prevent their children from not only from throwing stones but also to impress upon them the need prevent the children from jeopardizing their future - without attending schools.

Thirdly, there has to be a massive educational effort through the radio, TV and print media about the situations in Jammu & Kashmir state of India and Pak-occupied Kashmir as also economic and political situations in India & Pakistan.

Jammu & Kashmir joined India legally and constitutionally, and it is ruled through an elected legislature. All these facts have to be brought to the notice of the people of Jammu & Kashmir as well as the people of India, Pakistan and the world.

The Soviet Union collapsed not merely through its inner contradictions but also through the media directed towards the Soviet people by the West highlighting the promises of Communism and the reality - no democracy, no consumer goods, bread-lines in contrast to the West.

The Indian state and even the media have not done their duty by the nation.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100724/jsp/nation/story_12720934.jsp

( A response on the issue of 'police inability to control stone throwing in Kashmir' posed by Karmayog. The story in Telegraph, Calcutta, explains the situation.)

October 7,2010.

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Aodhya - A New Dawn ?

Ayodhya – A New Dawn?

It is highly commendable that the India Abroad (Oct.8) has provided the gist of the verdict on Ayodhya and the various shades of opinion on it.

The judicial verdict of the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court which divided the Ram Janma Bhoomi- Babri Masjid land into three parts can prove to be the new dawn of amity for India if all the people accept it as a starting point for the reconciliation between Hindus and Muslims of India. If the Muslim community hands over their portion to Hindus as a goodwill gesture and Hindus build a masjid at a mutually agreed site, it would be a fitting tribute the fraternity envisaged by the Constitution of India. It will have the same effect on the country as that of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission constituted in South Africa by the great visionary Nelson Mandela. The Commission provided the catharsis and laid the foundation for the social, economic and political renewal of South Africa.

The three-judge bench of the Court has to be applauded for the justice and the fair-play displayed like the great King Solomon of Isreal or the legendary Chakravarti Vikramaditya of Ujjain, who started a new era in India.

Of course, the judges have not given the verdict on just the possession of land by the Sunny Central Board of Waqfs.That is an easy option as we all know that possession is nine points in law. That is why the secular establishment and the Muslim clergy maintained that they would abide by the decision of the court and all others too should do the same. However, the court took into account the archaeological and historic evidence as well. One judge said that the masjid was constructed on the ruins of a temple and the other two maintained that it was built after demolishing a temple. One of judges said masjid was not constructed according to the tenets of Islam.

Some historians with leftist and Islamic orientation still do not accept the fact that Muslim kings have converted temples into mosques. History records many such events. Nothing else explains the lack of magnificent temples in North India while South India boasts a number of such temples. Somanath Temple in Gujarat was one of them and it was reconstructed at the initiative of Sardar Vallabhabhai Patel, the first Deputy Prime Minister of India.

Many churches in Europe too have been turned into masjids by Muslim rulers and the most important among them are in Istanbul ( formerly Constantinople) in Turkey and in Cordoba, Spain. Hagia Sophia, a basilica of the Orthodox Chruch was constructed by the Emperor Constantine in 360 AD in Constantinople, and when in 1453 Sultan Mehmed II conquered the city, he converted it into a mosque. Later, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the modern Turkey, turned it into a museum in 1934. Similarly, the Cathedral of Cordoba built in 600 AD became a mosque in 784 when the Moors occupied Spain and later in 1236 it was turned into a church by King Ferdinand III.

The judgment of the high court should put an end to the grievance of the Hindus while it gives an opportunity to the Indian Muslims to disassociate themselves from the wrong-doings of the kings who happened to be Muslims. Jihad is not the essence of Islam but brotherhood is. Holy Koran mentions many prophets sent to the world by God and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, an Islamic scholar and the first Education Minister of India explained that Hindus too are 'of the Book', not kafirs ( unbelievers). 21st century should be a century of tolerance and acceptance of diversity as the world is a village now, if not a family.

Indian Muslims who are born and brought up in the ethos of liberty, equality and fraternity proclaimed by the Constitution of India have a challenge and an opportunity to be the flag bearers of change and reformation of Islam in the world highlighting the liberal and democratic side of Islam.

http://www.indiaabroad-digital.com/indiaabroad/20101008/?pg=13&pm=1&u1=friend

October 6,2010.

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