Mr. B. Raman is a respected analyst with long experience in Indian intelligence. I have been reading him for a while and have found no evidence of ideological zealotry. Yes, I do think that he has a soft corner for the BJP but I have never felt that has led him to indulge in make-believe propoganda - in his articles, he seems to call it as it is.
In the present article, I see zero evidence of bias. It is a measured, wide-ranging essay from a man who is clearly an expert.
I am a bit appalled at the personal attacks being flung his way. I have a strong dislike for the Hindutva fundamentalists and I have always felt one of their hallmarks is irrational contempt and personal attacks on anyone daring to challenge their fabrications. To the UPA supporters out here, please do not make the same mistake. There are good, honourable people (like Mr. Raman) who disagree with aspects of UPA policies - that is OK. It doesn't render them jerks or madmen or anything. If we don't respect the right to intellectual dissent, then how do we respect democracy?
It is a right wing dumbness to attract voters by raising a bogey of security threats like terrorism in India.
Terrorism is indeed a threat, but only for a few, practically, living in big cities
The terror 60% of Indian face is that of hunger - thats why they vote for those who give them work - even if it pays only Rs.100 ($2) a day.
Right wing commentators like B Raman can be equated with mo rons - for they never realized this. And fools in BJP followed the advice of these buffoons.
I expected this result right after 2004 "India shining" verdict.
What should we call a party ( BJP) who repeated its foolishness - do we want to be ruled them ?
Re: Right wing dumbness
by floatsam on May 17, 2009 09:42 PM
Your stance is similar to the "pratham amongst the mantris" in the UPA setup. There is some genuine concern mixed with pity for the poor but no real affection or respect for them. Such an attitude is an inherently evil one. The poor just become a useful device to fetch votes.
This absence of vision and sterile cultural sensibility is apalling. And added to it is contempt for others. BJP and RSS become communal, and B Raman gets equated with "mo rons". Only a firang degree would do perhaps!
The real work would have come if I-card with a social security number given to all Indians and all poor received direct transfer to their accounts as BJP had envisaged. And implementing the PURA concept to develop road, communications and services networks, per vision document of former Prez Kalam. Such efforts would create thriving rural communities.
But such vision requires emotional content which can come from within the sanskriti, and not the "give them work and fetch their vote" mindsets.
The very fact that NREGS found no mention in this article about Congress victory shows what a WASTE B RAMAN IS.
Interestingly, NREGS - assailed by BJP and NDA as populist - was planned and put forward by a Left economist Jean Dreaze. But Left could not take credit for it as it was not part of UPA govt !! And Left went down in the election !!
These were FACTS even BJP men like Chandan Mitra agreed. But for Raman - all these are not part of his awareness dictionary and he writes columns for rediff, good luck rediff for wasting money on him
According to B Raman's own "judgement" NDA had better chance of coming to power !! See this je rk's earlier article
This columnist is crazy to advocate Free economic zones (SEZ) and further economic privatisation, Cant he see that the people taught a lesson to the CPM because of the terrible human consequences of Nandigram and Singur? The congress ha swon such a mandate primarily because of the National Rural Employment generation scheme...How can anyone be so blind?
Re: A Retort
by floatsam on May 17, 2009 07:16 PM
I am with TMC on this! This is a very valid policy point which unfortunately very few in India understand. This so called SEZ is a policy of Chinese vintage.
It has become a device for political-business nexus to grab land at cheap price at the expense of the ordinary people.
India has high population density and severe shortage of land, most of its agricultural land is in highly fragmented holding.
What India needs is a varied set of institutions both governmental regulatory and competitive private ones to develop land markets. This is an exceedingly complex task but needs to be initiated. For only then aggregation of land holdings to engender agriculture productivty and provide land for urban and industrial development shall take place, and in process provide superior value realisation for the landholders. This market economy approached needs to be premised on the sacrosanct right to private property. This will insure that landholder sells only when he alone decides that the price is right. TMC atleast fulfilled the first condition of vesting decision with landholder!
Our myopic UPA govt run by a government banker with no insight into marketing function has no clue how to develop such land markets and shall NEVER bring meaningful reforms to help the landholders.
Re: A Retort
by Pratham on May 17, 2009 08:37 PM
SEZs per say are not the problem - but forcible land acquisition is.
Kerala has a lot of upcoming SEZs at Kochi. There was not even single agitation because the land was bought by the companies at market prices before announcing SEZs. This must be the way and not the usual path of forcible land acquisition
Re: Re: A Retort
by floatsam on May 17, 2009 09:25 PM
Your "per say are not the problem..." is a widely shared belief and this ignorance enables this Economic Miracle Worker government to get away despite doing nothing. To know the seamier nature of this malaise suggest you google "admiral tahiliani land grab" to get about 0.001 percent of the real dimension.
Price discovery is a very difficult exercise in market economy and we simply do not have properly developed land market.
Your premise that there is no problem because there were no agitation is also a faulty one. Agitation takes place when contending political power can fight for economic injustice. The land losers can be silenced and many a times the dispossessed are told they do not have proper documents to establish privacy rights. This is typically done for tribal population.
Sonia and Manmohan's combined charm has worked. Now I would like to ask Advani who is weak? Definitely Advani's weak and he should think about retiring and playing with his grandchildren. Instead of addressing the real concerns of India which have always been poverty, employment, better living standards, farmers etc, they have focussed on hate speeches, personal attacks, communal politics, trivial and non-essential dead issues like ram janma bhoomi, rem sethu, amarnath, terrorism etc which the common man doesn't give a damn about. Rahul Gandhi has shown more wisdom, honesty and political maturity than all the trash talking BJP top leadership put together. It just shows two young leaders in sharp contrast. Rahul who has come of age, can speak on a wide range of political issues and problems. Second is Varun who can only propel himself into limelight by making controversial hate speeches. Its clear that Varun is not anywhere near the new emerging modern and capable leaders like Scindia, Pilot, Deora and Rahul and Omar. In their hands i am confident India will be in safe hands and progress faster. Varun better learn from them or perish
D. Goel Pkl. afternoon 320pm, Sunday May 17,2009. Sri B. Raman is very concise in his analysis why Advaniji's pleas against Congress involvement with colossal Mega-corruption and most abject knuckling down before terrorists over yrs. could not give him the chance to ruleIndia , yesterday.According To Raman the reason is Advani was only addressing his own committed followers and that too perhaps sans South and East of India.He also failed to give one positive thing he would do immediately if he were in the governance...So vituperative abuse sounds well on the rostrum but hardly wins Votes. Like wise Raman's perspicacious underlining of contradiction between Corporate-Reforms under UPA,ahead, and Mamta Banerji's total opposition to creation of special Industrial Zones so cherished by higher Investment reformers would create tensions in case Mamta is not weaned from her visceral reactions to industrialization,itself D. Goel
Rrigginngg Is King!! Clear RriggginnggOf Elections via Kangress appointed CEC Everybody who was troublesome for Congress has lost: Left Down 50% Mayawati's BSP: Down 50% (Even though she was expected to do extremely well)
Jayalalitha: Last time 0 this time up, but not much at all, even though expected to do well Laloo & Paswan(Had given Congress only 3 seats): Down 70% Shiromani Akali Dal: Down 50%
Chiranjeevi: Expected to do very well in AP, crushed
On Other hand: AP, Kangress expected to get smashed, sweeps. Kangress needed to get a foothold in UP, Bihar, was unthinkable earlier but again, has happened Kangress needed to crush BJP, whereever they had established a foothold: Orissa, BJD unexpectedly sweeps In Bihar, Nitish gets so much success, it has upset balance between him & BJP. So he will start thinking of ditching them
UPA gets close to majority AND no one suspects that its rigged. Kangressi Channels(NDTV, CNN-IBN) are exact in exit poll predictions, everyone else is wrong (Ha!) Chief Election Commissioner has won it for Kangress. Just like the West-Indian umpire handing cricket series over to Australia.
NET RESULT, inspite of TERROR ATTACKS, PRICE-RISE, MINORITY APPEASEMENT, by putting rubberstamps in all important positions, Kangress has won...
Kangress actually winning in UP. Huh??? Thats a no-brainer.. Thats RIGGINNGGGG
Wait for next wave of terrorism & price-rise. It is about to begin now..
Re: Rrigginngg Is King!!
by myvoice on May 17, 2009 03:02 PM
If you are not able to sleep peacefully because of Congress' victory, please take some sleeping pills and dont cook up rubbish stories here...
Re: Re: Rrigginngg Is King!!
by Cool ChandraThakur on May 17, 2009 03:32 PM
I would have been happy if Mayawati or even DeveGouda were to be PM through fair elections.
Indira started use of money power in Indian elections. That led to current rise of criminals & dalaals in our polity
Now Congress has moved ahead in the game by Rigging This will one day lead to violence & civil war.
We are becoming another PAK.
Wait for next wave of terrorism & price-rise. It is about to begin now..
I understand.. you wont answer any points just make stylish remarks.
Anyways your party is now in power. The real loose is Indian democracy Does it matter by what means??
Re: Re: Re: Rrigginngg Is King!!
by kareem on May 17, 2009 05:17 PM
good , fantastic thought..vajpai and modi won because of money power??dear not because of money power but brain power, indians are not foolish ..think positively, u want to goback 12th century ,where jehadis stay now??then vote for modi and advani..and cry yourself..
Re: Re: Re: Re: Rrigginngg Is King!!
by Mahavir on May 18, 2009 10:21 AM
Kareem - Agree 100% with what you said. But noticed that you gave a wrong examples. It would be correct to say that 'Do not vote for modi and advani if you want to go back to 12th century', bu looking at the support of Cangress to terror (Afzal guru, reservation based on relegion).
Re: Rrigginngg Is King!!
by Sachcha Hindustani on May 17, 2009 08:45 PM
You NDA lovers edigest the victory of secular parties. You NDA mouth pieces have so many stories.
Re: Believe in Jesus. You and your family will be saved
by manik ghoshal on May 17, 2009 02:13 PM
Khans and Johns, rejoice! The 'divide Hindus and let Mlechas rule' has succeded again thanks to the caste and language divide in India. One thing people have to realise that 98% Muslims voted for Pakistan, and now they are voting for Congress to save their a.... But they will start voting for Islamic parties as soon as they have a few more percentage. 3 seats have been won by Islamic parties in Assam for the first time after independence! Next time there could be more candidates in the bordering districts of WB where their population could be nearing 50%.
