Laxman  PRICELESS !!!!

Incidentally congress pulled the rug out of feet of Deve Goda coalition feet saying that it could not support the Sarkar ruling with help DMK the party of of Killers of Rajiv Gandhi .

In 2004 UPA 1 it was different with Sonia being the Chair person .

why Congress Bureau of Invistigation find anything against the people who command them? I am just hoping they don't burn the evidences.

Karuna's brother in Law Masroli Maran was the Telecom Minister in BJP cabinet along with a few more DMK MPs.

When journalist become stooges of politicians the credibility of the profession suffers ,the least they can do is be covert and not overt.Nauseating.Why does Vinod Mehta legitamise such open cronyism in the name of journalism 

PC is still not totally out of woods.Judge O P Saini has accepted that Raja and Chidambram both fixed the Prices of the Spectrum jointly .Price itself has been thrashed by the SC being ridiculously low and thus caused great monetary loss to the Nation and thus undue benefit to a few was given.

Judge has also accepted that both Ministers jointly allowed dilution of Equity .Moot question is could both allow dilution so soon after allocation ? I understand there were certain bindings in the Contract which have not been highlighted .

So the judge has accepted the points but has not accepted the intent to defraud.

Incidentally the gains made by Swan and others were known to the Govt immediately after the Sale .

We will get the copy of full judgement tomorrow and will hear analysis also .
Yes for time being it is some relief for HM and Congress .But what views higher Courts take is in the realm of future .

It is History of fight of Sawmi and NGOs in 2 G Scam that they lost all the battles in Courts even in HC but finally got the orders overturned in SC this week .

Congress can now go to UP proclaiming Victory but with Three adverse Judgments in a row from by the SC hounding it.

How much comfort Congress can take under above circumstances is mute question.And how the Voter reacts will be known soon .

Also what about Raja and DMK ?? How they look their own Raja still in Jail and Kani on bail where as Congress has been let off Scot free ?? DMK will extract its own pound of flesh in the Budget session. Jaya can't bail out Congress as she lacks the requisite number of MPs .

Interstingly after loosing all the battles up to HC it is the SC which overturned all the 2 G Scams cases being fought by Swami and NGOs .

Is Congress out of ICU finally ?? Well it depends upon ones preferences .

Mr. Raman - You are absolutely wrong and I am amazed you writing this sort of "nonsense".

These are people, like you and the media, which is taking India to disaster.  Rot started with the VP Singh and continued with the NDA Government, that institutionlised corruption.  BJP/NDA will go to bed with any body and do any thing to get back to power by hook or crook; selling and buying MPs/MLAs;spin any communal problems to come to power and people like you support them.

What is the net result?  Decision making at the Government level has been weakened!

People like you and Swamis of your World, who has psychosis, waste time of the Courts and the Government on these useless things thus filling the coffers of the Advocates.

In very simple language, people at the village level need to be explained the high handedness of people like you and the eviousness of the parties supported by you, so that they become wiser.

Indian public  owes a debt of gratitude to these three  brave souls-- Shri Vinod Rai, Prof Subrahmaniam Swami  and Shri Prashanth Bhushan--who fought bravely in exposing the misdeeds of  the Establishment and its  shameless flunkies such as  Kapil Sibal, and brought to light  the monumental corruption and misuse of power  indulged in by the Rajas, the Kanimozhis and the like. Undoubtedly,  this was an  outrageous and brazen  looting of the national resource  for private gain and in the process  propiciate the Corporate Sharks . 

H.L. Mencken , whoever he was, seems to me a  super kind of  bloke. He seems to have foreseen the Indian news channel editors.  Don't you , busters, feel the same like sending  some thing by the same mail , seeing Arnab Goswami screaming non-stop, pointing fingers , throwing his hands, jerking shoulders, cutting down mid- sentence  big time editors, top  lawyears , scientists, army generals , least but not last these unfortunate creatures called spokespersons to size, uttering last word on every thing or everyone  be them Salman Rushdie , Salman Khurshid or Salman Butt, or Salman Khan !

 The Ambani"S are known bloodsuckers ,they have sucked Indian blood 25 years back ,when PVC was sold to Indian Consumers for 25000/ton after forcing the then FM Pranab Mukherjee to levy 350% on imported PVC.

Not a single soul who writes blogs on this site will know anything about this and even if they do it will be ignored.

If this is not loot then what is it.Bal Thackeray and other nationalist who call others names have known this as well,as everybody is taken care of nobody bothers.

Now its the turn to loot using Gas as the mode.Govt having taken its share is worried about the imlications if National assets thus barted will bring harsh intervention by the Court.

 Mr Swamy is a very sensible person. The government says that he is a trouble-monger. If I belonged to the government, I would shut up. People wonder why they comment on Mr Swamy.

"In an Oceania of banned books, essays, plays, movies, documentaries, art shows, TV skits and websites" - that is overstating the fact Mr. Krishna Prasad. They have as yet not banned whole goddamn internet.

And having said that I must admit "Tongue in cheek, you could argue that the latest slight is proof that those who live by lawyers are destined to die by them." is rather a good one.

Mr. Krishna Prasad begins well with a pot shot at the 'hack pack'. But don't you think "it is difficult to believe if anodyne arithmetic loaded with IFS, buts and howevers is all our “Monday Morning Quarterbacks” can serve up to explain what is happening." is a little heavy afrter child like simplicity of Vinod Mehta.

 The falling standard of primary education in 
india is a grim reality.The reason is commercialisation
of primary education. If you want to mint money,think of
a Christian saint and start an English medium School
naming it after the saint. Quality,who cares, the parents
are guillible and once they enrol the kid in such school
their job ends.

There are two aspects of this problem. One is policy aspect and other is political aspect. 

The economic policy is a prerogative of the government. A good economic policy translates into votes and a bad economic policy translates into loss. The economic policy in 2g specturum allocation was a good one because it helped the telecom industy of India. More Indians own mobiles than toilets can buttress this point. The only issue with the economic policy was the distortion in FCFS policy to help out some real estate corporates. The loss of 1.76 lakh crores is an arbitrary figure which has no economic sanctity. The auction route for 2g might have earned government good investment but it would have taken the telecom on a different path. The speculation doesn't make sense in terms of economics as it is not an exact science.

Then there is a political aspect for the 2g specturum. The political aspect has to be seen in coalition politics, relations between DMK and Congress, and the Radia tapes. Congress wanted to put the most vocal and powerful coalition member on the mat using the specturum case and it did succeed. With Radia tapes, congress was able to show India that corporates, media and politicians were working hands in glove. It also made sure that blame will be on all the players.No wonder radia tapes included the main politicians from DMK only. 

The only problem came congress way was maverick Swamy. Swami with Bhushan and others used 2g specturum as an opportunity to harass the government. The february 2 decision of supreme court is ridiculous cause it speaks on the economic policy of government which has nothing to do with the corruption. Only way a court case can be make out of 2g if any bribes were taken. Chidu was always safe for congress. The whole controversy would ensure that DMK will not bark for next 2 years. Once the 5 elections will be over, I am loathe to say what congress will do to Mamta Banerjee. Italian Mafia hurts when you least expect. Karunanidhi can write another script for a block buster. 

 Indians do 'atyachaar' in all fields. As for indulgence
in food that too in 'shaadi', no baby, it's only an 'aachar'
and not atyachar to feed the hungry stomach to full.

Modi sought a fresh mandate......

Slght error in the understanding of learned friend (who has no faith in his NAME!!)

Modi meticulously and deliberately unleashed the PRE PLANNED  historical genocide (2002) with all the attendant atrocities and cruelties to massacre thousands of innocent citizens and destroy a section of the citizens of Gujarat with the sole purpose to reap the best harvest in the ensuing STATE ELECTION ( which was not a charity from Modi's personal funds). At best you can praise Modi for his acute and brilliant(evil) understanding of the likes and dislikes of Gujarat's population.

Mind correcting the fundamental biased and prejudiced understanding?

Any comparison between MMS and MODI ( MOCKERY OF DEMOCRATIC INDIA)?

One can only hope and pray,that Krishna Prasad will be different to Vinod Mehta who labelled a sinner like Sonia as a Saint.

 Me thinks, that in many Indian organisation,
there exists a norm that the successor always belittle
the old who is no more there to defend. This is away to
swayaway the the subordinate supporters of old regime, and let them
know that who the 'new boss' is. Madhavan nair may be
a specialized  in rocket technology, but poor in technology
which crafts the 'crab mentality' . Its pathetic to see a hero of
succesful 'Moon Mission' was haunted like this.

Maybe before filing for an election ticket the prospective candidates can be made to answer a set of questions selected from this list.. PISA's Lea(r)ning can be useful in eliminating many...

Cricket lovers’ only wish is that all the three, Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman, make the right decisions about retirement from international cricket. Timing is very crucial, as it is while choosing a shot. Unfortunately, the current series has been disastrous for all the three and there is little guarantee that the one day series will change things for Tendulkar much. Let us only hope that they bid good bye in a cordial way!

A great economist and polite he is. Mighty India's PM has now reduced into a clerk.

Week after week passes but he does not appear on the front pages newspapers. Only emerge is his Govt’s magnificent loot of public money.

He neither speaks nor explains his position on the burning issues country facing now.

I wonder does he think his job only to go PM office in morning with lunch-box and coming back home in evening to play with grand children.

No public speech on any matter, no authority in decision making. I am surprised why he dwells in this humiliating situation. Why he allow himself to get disgrace by Queen’s sycophants. He has already achieved so much in life and its high time leave the stage with grace.
 

The Honble Supreme Court in its order in cancelling of 122 licences had made out that Raja did not heed PC "s advice before he issued the 122 licences.Raja took the decisions on grant of licences arbitarily.

Though Sindhu Kullars advice on auction of spectrum was mentioned in the order as well.

Citing these the trial Court gave PC the benefit of doubt.

Nothing for the Congress to feel elated,what if Raja who is being made the fall guy were to stand up and spill the beans on what transpired.

DMK has dumped Raja and the guy hasnt even applied for bail.There is a whole lot of muck which is yet to emerge.

Dr Swamy looked shaken after the order ,he is not done with it as yet.Hang on.

Boo's work appears to be sensitively shared observations and anecdotal sharing... Ah.. she's married to Sunil Khilnani.. the outlook columnist.. that is news.. maybe that explains the extra-attention Outlook is bestowing on her..

Thanks for this review.. one had heard of her, now one knows her.. and it does promise to be an interesting read.

crisp and delightful section...

ms/mr bonita

what was the recorded age when he joined the the academy.  if it was 1950 and that was used subsequently in all his promotions then 1950 should be the correct year.

if it was 1951 and that was used in all his promotions then that should be the correct year.

if, in 2008 when the general was elevated to army chief, what was the year of birth considered.  i suspect that if it was 1951 the general may not have qualified.

i still maintain that the army should have settled it by themselves.

this review seems to be a quickie.. apparently carrying excerpts from the author's profile and brief summary of the book both encapsulated on the book jacket...

and the book cover is nauseating enough to put one off...

Soon, it may not be just the media alone that is impatient.

With all that dieting she preaches, does the feminist author Rujuta look all that slim?

appears to be a quickie.. has he earned the biography.. and how many would shell out Rs 499 (minus discounts) to read this is a moot point...

"Demand"?

Actually, if not for a watch-dog 21st century media, Ambani would have 'had his way' with the ministers a long long time ago.

One of the legacies that MMS is soon going to leave behind, after almost one decade of sky-high GDP growth, is going to be his failure to keep up his promise of 7% GDP towards education. IF kept, this would have automatically led on to the improvement in skills etc. Instead, here is a man who insisted on concentrating only on women education.

At least, the future generations will hopefully remember what unaccountable politicians can do to spoil their lives.

more power to Sujay.. lets hope he remains uncorrupted by the lure of mainstream commercial cinema..

The real defenders of a democracy are not its high profile netas, but ordinary citizens like Vinod Rai, Prashant Bhushan, Swamy and you and me.

I hope Anwaar is listening.

Interesting write up! Gandhi said India lives in its villages. Rural Indians are those who keep democracy’s wheels running.

With large majority of Indians still living in villages they are the ultimate deciding force in election. Their understanding of issues is often different from those TV anchors appearing at prime time to shout that what India should know this night.

Rural Indians mostly form their opinion by local administration, regional newspapers, village talks, election time rallies etc. Usually entire village cast vote for one party or person.

Here comes a need of strong national leader who can convey complicated misdeeds of government or opponents in simple language of rural population.

Currently neither BJP nor Congress has any national leader who go beyond regional or language barrier to appeal people across the nation.

In 1999 I had just passed out school and went to attend one of Vajpeyee’s rallies. It was a massive public meeting of more than one Lak people. Though I had little understanding of the then politics I remember crowd just loved Vajpeyee with huge cheering and clapping.  Vajpeyye with all his humor and spontaneity spoke on various issues including foreign policy to economic matters. He was able to convince people with his great orating skills. I have listened Sonia Gandhi and Advani also in public meetings but none can match Vajpeyee.

Mahatma Gandhi, with his simplicity and power to communicate complex ideas in simple language, brilliantly established link with ordinary Indians. Nehru and Indira Gandhi were also pan Indians leader who could sense the pulse of the masses

As politics becoming elitist and dynastic, there is a serious dearth of leaders who can be called as people’s leaders.

Though there are regional stalwarts with powerful support like Mayawati, Mamta, Jaya, Yeddi, Nitish Kumar, Narendra Modi, one can see there are numbers of politicians at significant positions in Center who have almost zero mass support. These are top lawyers, Howard-Oxford returns, broker-cum-sycophants who can speak well in air conditioned conference hall and TV debates but can not even fetch thousand people in a public gathering.
 

This is the kind of reporting eulogising the judiciary, that actually misinforms the public about its inherent inefficiencies.

A man is now in prison - but as an 'under-trial'.

If not for media pressure, this man would have been on bail or even acquitted a long time ago.

If this man is guilty, why are his accomplices in the crime - Kanimozhi ( a woman ) and Tata ( a revered 'industrialist ) not accompanying him in jail? In the answer to that question, lies stinking rot at the heart of Indian democracy - the slothful, corrupt, ineffecient, and unaccountable judiciary.

however broad the vision of the maker (or other-wise) today's films ironically have a shelf-life of at most two weekends.. after which it gets replaced by the next block-buster at the multiplex and shoved aside to line up for its satellite channel release..in earlier days repeat value made masses throng to the theatre, today even word-of-mouth works.. but in a one-sided way - keeping people away from the theatre..

The most disgraceful person to occupy the highest chair in India can retire peacefully now.

After all, he has made enough money for his party without even wetting his feet! And of course, enough anti-male laws in the Indian constitution that will please the feminists in his party for decades, without even alerting any male rights activist.

fabulous anecdote.. confirming that successful editors have at least 6 holes in their head and their visa for earth is issued in hell!

 The Muck fell back on the face of the Muck Raker himself!

Supreme Court Judgement on the 2G PIL is welcome. But following things remains to be adressed.

> The media has made this suspension of the licences as if corruption & the corrupt has been punished. Not so. It is strange that the SC has not ordered the government to fix responsibility for this huge loss to the exchequer to the tune of ` 1.76 lack crore & punish the guilty.

> Suspension of unified license for 2G spectrum allocation by Raja really do not punish those who entered in to conspiracy with him. It is clear that the court accepted the fait accomplii of making only Raja a scapegoat. The licences were given way back in 2006. Eshtablishes players has already reaped benefit of cheap lincences obtained through illegal means. Most of the new players & even an eshtablished giant industrial house has traded off spectrum cornered illegally in name of equity infusion & went home with huge premiums. As far as I can make out , the court is silent on these spectrum traders &  they will be allowed to get away with their windfall trading profit. This effectively aproves  premium on illegal act.

> The court in their wisdom went out of its way to remark that the Prime Minister was in dark while it was evident even to a casually interested person while all this was happening that the PM, then FM , the entire  cabinet was in the loop. The PM on several occassion justified what happened & confirmed the no loss Sibal theory.

> Sending back the Chidambaram issue back to the special trial court is in way giving total releif to him. Maximum  the trial court may do is to order an enquiry against him. Then this enquiry , chargesheet , trial , verdict by the junior court , innummerable appeals to the superior courts at every stage of these proceedings etc. may effectively see him through his natural political life. ( The maze of enquiries , innumerable cases , appeals  etc. for the last 10 years in Gujarat riot cases has  created enough confusion & smoke screen that Modi is  now being promoted as a PM option while not even a delequent daroga has not ben  meted out justice, will serve as an example ). Chidamabaram is a political light weight but a business circle heavyweight which will serve him in good stead.

>The court has not commented on the delequent corporates nor has prescribed any restriction on them in government dealings. The biggest gainer of this verdict is those companies who were allotted these now cancelled 122 unified licences.

 Can Oulook post the entire judgement so that we can understand the reasoning behind the decision?

you meant 'Moved Substantially Forward' in HIDING money so the owners like your masters will not be caught?

How can we trust a judiciary that acts ONLY on media pressure?
And keeps A Raja infinitely in jail merely as an 'under-trial'?
While it does not even punish the other accused, such as Tata ( coz hes too rich ) and Kanimozhi ( coz shes a woman )?
 

 Thank you sir. I hope you continue to keep the spotlight on this important issue. 

>>> This must be very disappointing for many in this forum.

Many in this forum must have been enthralled after hearing this news!

who says judiciary is independent?

 Bloody communists. If you don't have political  cheerleaders, dramatists, foreign blooded, muslim bashing, hindu mullahs, dalit daughters, jats, pure sikhs, blah blah blah in your ranks, you have no reason to be cry baby. If there are no takers of class wars fiction, India can't change its politics and media for you. 

 woo woo woo

I won't say I told you so. The court order has specially designed to help Chidambram. 

Now Swamy wants to go to the High Court. He must have plenty of time since he lost his job at Harvard.

How can we trust a judiciary that acts ONLY on media pressure?

And keeps a man infinitely in jail merely as an 'under-trial'?

And does not even punish the other accused, such as Tata ( coz hes too rich ) and Kanimozhi ( coz shes a woman )?

"A Delhi court on Saturday dismissed Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy's plea to prosecute home minister P Chidambaram in the 2G case."

This must be very disappointing for many in this forum.

Obviously, the Defence Minister must step down.

I hope people realize that many people who support UT are people who migrated to metros and to safeguard themselves they say UT. They are failing to realize that to safeguard themselves they have to become local when locals are fighting for a cause they should fight with them

I really still don't why Hyd'bad should become an UT on what basis??

THere should have been more clear explanantion about the criteria that was used to determine 8 Union Territotires

By the way, Mr Natarajan, our film industry actually owes its popularity to what you call the darkest days of socialism. Even in their most escapist moments, they reflected the ethos & values of a socialistic worldview. To a great extent, that's what appealled to post- colonial audiences across the Third World.

"Strong anti-communal remarks from M Karunanidhi seem to have upset some sanghi morons!"

And it takes so little to gladden the jihadi morons!! Any half-wit mouths any stupid statement against Modi and Gujarat, and our miyan runs to him with garlands!!
 

A pleasantly surprising peice from Mr Bachchan! Nuanced & candid...especially where he ackowledges the fact that it's hardcore calculated economics behind this new found appreciation of Indian cinema abroad, more than anything else.

However, one has to disagree, that the powers-that-be in Hollywood are keen on casting our stars in their productions. Apart from a stray Om Puri, Irfan Khan or Aishwaria Rai, where do you see any of these big Indian stars featuring in major Hollywood productions. And mind you, even Om Puri or Aishwaria Rai fail to get meaty roles, except, of course, if the movie is Indi-centric.

Meanwhile, wannabes like Anil Kapoor, after much fussing & fawning, manage to get blink and you miss it kind of roles - the kind they would never play in a A-grade Bollywood movie - and then go around town shouting from the rooftop about it.

Meanwhile there are a few recognisable Indian origin names in the US entertainment industry - Night Shymalam, Kal Penn...even a Freida Pinto seems to be steadily and surely finding her way to stardom (though, at the risk of being labelled politically incorrect, one suspects it has something to do with a name that sounds less alien to western audiences). Hollywood, thankfully, is increasingly color-neutral (In fact, possibly, more color-neutral than our Indian Film Industry!) So there is more scope for actors who are shades darker by varying degrees to make a mark there now.

There are also a few 'exports' like Shekhar Kapoor & Ayesha Dharker who seemed to have made some headway. But  we seem to be a long way from producing our first major cross-over star like Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan. That, probably, would mark our arrival on the world stage!

Then again, do we really have to bother, when our movies already seem to have swept audiences off their feet in nations / regions as diverse as Japan, Africa, Middle East & Central Asia. Arguably, we already have the largest global footprint for any film industry in the world.

TN Vaidyanathapura,

A long post to stay zilch.

There are only two times in an officer's career when his age becomes important.

a) At the time of joining the Academy when he has to satisfy the min/max age criteria.
b) At the time of promotion to Army Cdr as he must be less than 58 years old i.e. have 2 years of residual service left.

Whether, Gen VK Singh was born in 1950 or 51 makes no difference in both the above cases. Since the govt's entire case is based on an error in his application in 1966 (at the age of 14 or 15), it needs to be determined if he obtained any material benefit in giving a wrong DOB. The answer is NO.

The next question that logically follows is WHY are the government and, if newspaper reports are to be believed, two previous army chiefs so determined to have a DOB of 1950 recorded in the face of a mountain of documentary evidence to the contrary. This is something that needs to be answered and I am sure the SC will ask this very question.

Poverty is a scary thing and that too in India. It haunts you forever no matter you made efforts and proved to be lucky enough to come out of it! It continues to scare you!

 Bey-sahara Cricket Council of India :-) Kya faraq partha hai - bahut murghe hain bazaar mein.

Oh! So Pushpa knew all along that JJ and Vijayakanth were going to fall apart? What a clairvoyant genius too, she is, then?

Either that, or this JJ sucker is trying to cover up her gender-casteist icon's temper tantrums.

 Katju has forgotton Tamil Nadu.has he forgotton what happenned when a paper published a Poll report and recently when a weekly was attacked for certain(inflammatory) writings,thought legal redressal was the way out.

No person in India is straight

Karunanidhi the Great Patriot & Secular face of India !!!!

Here is the man who opposed Hindi as the National langauge so violently & even made a political issue to come to power. [Talks about interest of the Nation]

Here is tha man leading a party only based on casteist principle. [Talks about Communal harmony]

Here is the man whose party is soaked in corruption. [Talks about Congress as the best option]

Great country, worst leaders.

 Glad Sahara has put the arrogant BCCI in is place.Sahara has a point for sure.The BCCI President and Nita Ambani wanted the IPL to be run the way they wanted it to.

Rules for auction were bent ,the MI and CSK decided to retain 4 players of there original team and left the other franchises to suck thumbs.

Thus far all the other 5 Franchises looked on as Nita and Sreenivasan got away with murder,basic norms or those which were framed when the IPL came into exsistence were violated flagrantly.

Subarto Roy blew up money by sponsoring the Indian team by paying the BCCI millions,this made the average cricketers Millionaires.

If Nita and Sreenivasan want to run the IPL they can do it by getting Reliance and India Cements to sponsor IPL and help out the BCCI.Catch these two doing it.

Excellent post! Nowadays, the market is flooded with motley devices. Ipad is one of them. I totally agree on what was posted above that everyone loves them! Who wouldn't? In my opinion, the advantages of having an Ipad outweigh its disadvantages. Why do I say it? The fact that everybody will be technologically-oriented, information will be easily accessed by just a touch on the device. Moreover, for the kids, it could be the gadget to hone their creative skills. Have you heard about this accessory of Ipad called nomad brush? The said accessory will develop the creative minds of the youngsters plus it also serves as a learning tool for budding artists testing out and refining their skills. Now, that sounds really fantastic, isn't it?

 With regard to the raging controversy of the army chief’s age everyone is blowing it up unnecessarily.

It is a simple matter really and the government can ascertain the actual date of birth from the hospital records where the army chief was born or check his application form when he applied to the Indian Army. With this record it is easy to determine whether the army chief was guilty of declaring a false age. If he is found guilty punishment must be meted out to him as per law. If somebody else has played mischief then that person/entity must be brought to book. I hope the authorities would consider this suggestion.

i am unable to fathom how and why the media is playing this issue the way it is being played.

all of us provide our date of birth in any application form where it is required and at the end we acknowledge that it is true and the organisation can take action if our information is found to be false.  in the army chief's case i suspect that he wants to eat the cake and keep it too.  till his elevation to army chief position he seems to be happy with 1950 as his year of birth as it would give him an edge over others.  after reaching this position he now wants to revert to 1951 so that he can continue for one more year as army chief.  

i am sure the army chief knows that at each stage of his promotion his 1950 birth year would have been considered and why did he not object then.

ultimately we must remember law is equal to everyone and the fact that he is army chief should not matter.  

if this is how the army handles a simple matter like a date of birth and wants to blow it up, then i shudder to think how it would handle more critical issues concerning the security of the nation.

it would be gracious if the army chief puts an end to this fiasco.

>> If a person accused of murder is acquitted, it does not imply murder did not take place.

Don't teach logic to the Jehadis. Their Madrassa instructors have told them it is worthless.

"NCP to Stay With Cong Even After 2014"

Looks like AI bribery case is really serious afterall. Who best to defend NCP than Congress !

Trust Congress party to do such things. It is in their blood.

"The conspiracy theory was demolished when the trial court acquitted the two master minds of the so-called conspiracy."

The acquittal just means there is insufficient evidence to hold them guilty. If a person accused of murder is acquitted, it does not imply murder did not take place.

What is  Kashmir's freedom movement anyway except a simple extension of the theory of pakistan? One that firmly believes that Muslims will not or can not live with any other group of people. If Sanjay kak had no axe to grind, simple professional ethics would demand that  he cover the nature of this demand for aazadi as Islamic separatism and their methods as terrorism , even if he had no thought for total ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Hindu's from the valley at the hands of muslims.  At best he can be described as a useful idiot. Actually his film should be seen by more people and this is your key to understand his propoganda documentary :  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBcPkbtqSbQ&feature=related 

>> This from a party which is considering giving a party job to B S Yeddyurappa!

No surprise that the stuck pigs have no problem when the Congress that gives party and government positions to the like of Bhagat, Tytler, Kamal Nath and Sajjan Kumar, gives Bharat Ratna and PM ship to Rajiv "Big Tree" Gandhi talks about Gujarat.

But if BJP talks about corruption in Congress, they start moaning like stuck pigs.

Irreverent,

>> World History and the present-day success of US and Israel is the proof that the best way to deal with the bigot-laden elements of 'these minorities' is to hit back hard.

Such bitterly hateful comments can come only from a self-confessed genocide supporter.

>> "I won't allow minorities to be hunted like they were in Gujarat" - Karunanidhi

World History and the present-day success of US and Israel is the proof that the best way to deal with the bigot-laden elements of 'these minorities' is to hit back hard. Otherwise, it doesn't take them much effort to turn urban spaces into branches of their Tora Bora headquarters. One doesn't need to see beyond Afghanistan and Egypt to understand this.

The Gujarat riots were unfortunate but was a fit response to the jehadi apologists whose first reaction to the Godhra carnage was "..they had it coming".

>> Good to see Karunanidhi so strongly against communalism.

No surprise that you appreciate comments by someone who called Lord Ram a drunkard and wanted to see his birth certificate. Nothing less is expected from you.

Strong anti-communal remarks from M Karunanidhi seem to have upset some sanghi morons!

 Recently Karunanidhi made a brilliant statement-"IF Rajiv were to be alive today, he would surely forgive those who killed him". No one human being has so far deciphered what the above statement means.

His speech today comes a close second to the above statement in terms of clarity and purpose.

 "if BJP comes to power, one cannot forget that another Babri mosque demolition could happen," he said."

Babri Masjid was demolished in 1992. BJP came back to power in 1999-with the help of DMK. And yet the dude is shamelessy talking about not forgetting Babri Masjid. And there are idiots in this forum who believe what he says and applaud him for taking a strong stance against communalism.

In other news, Dawood Ibrahim discussed his efforts on curbing terrorism at anti-terrorism conference He said that we still have long way but his efforts will eventually get us there.

This from a party which is considering giving a party job to B S Yeddyurappa!

" Yeddyurappa's action comes against the backdrop of counselling by RSS leaders at Hubli last week asking him to wait for some more time and also advice by top BJP leadership to come clean from the corruption cases he faces. The BJP high command had earlier told Yeddyurappa to keep cool till the conclusion of assembly elections in five states."
 

 ". I won't allow minorities to be hunted like they were in Gujarat,"

Let us see. Gujarat riots happened in Feb 2002. DMK quit the NDA only in Apr 2004. So for full two years, DMK allowed minorities to be hunted like they were in Gujarat. 

The only person who beats Karunanidhi in speaking nonsense is Kapil Sibal. Sometimes the contest between them is too close a call.

The headline is in quotes. They should have added Bhatt's name to it. The conspiracy theory was demolished when the trial court acquitted the two master minds of the so-called conspiracy.

The Palyboy CEO talking about ending pornography is more believable than Maunmoron Singh lecturing us on curbing corruption. 

"He said the government carried on the policy "which was enunciated during the NDA regime. There is nothing wrong with the policy"."

First Sibal and now Diggi Raja. It is a new tactic by Congress. Expect this to come from Renuka Chowdhury/Tiwari for few more days. Congress thinks that if they repeat this 100 times, people will believe. it.

Amit,

>>  lampooning of other faiths from you is not kosher.

Give an example of my lampooning of other faiths.

"Good to see Karunanidhi so strongly against communalism. If only he were equally strongly against corruption."

It is supporting Congress. It neither against communalism nor against corruption.

Good to see Karunanidhi so strongly against communalism. If only he were equally strongly against corruption.

It is good to see the Prime Minister leading the fight against corruption :-)

A review petition would be appropriate. Companies who purchased licenses in good faith should not be penalized.

  It is good to have confidence in ones strength but it's foolishness to call any opponents weak. Chinese spy network, intelligence and reverse engineering (and manufacturing) skill is far better than India. Some recent reports (available on net) suggest that Chinese have (and have been stealing) stolen very sensitive technologies from the US (that includes design for low yield nuke weapon, missiles, stealth etc.). I’d rather not judge their defense equipments capability by comparing those with mere toys and DVDs tech. I guess comments are made to make Indian people more relax.

  It is good to have confidence in ones strength but it's foolishness to call any opponents weak. Chinese spy network, intelligence and reverse engineering (and manufacturing) skill is far better than India. Some recent reports (available on net) suggest that Chinese have (and have been stealing) stolen very sensitive technologies from the US (that includes design for low yield nuke weapon, missiles, stealth etc.). I’d rather not judge their defense equipments capability by comparing those with mere toys and DVDs tech. I guess comments are made to make Indian people more relax.

A review petition would be appropriate. Companies who purchased licenses in good faith should not be penalized.

It is good to see the Prime Minister leading the fight against corruption :-)

Good to see Karunanidhi so strongly against communalism. If only he were equally strongly against corruption.

"Good to see Karunanidhi so strongly against communalism. If only he were equally strongly against corruption."

It is supporting Congress. It neither against communalism nor against corruption.

Amit,

>>  lampooning of other faiths from you is not kosher.

Give an example of my lampooning of other faiths.

"He said the government carried on the policy "which was enunciated during the NDA regime. There is nothing wrong with the policy"."

First Sibal and now Diggi Raja. It is a new tactic by Congress. Expect this to come from Renuka Chowdhury/Tiwari for few more days. Congress thinks that if they repeat this 100 times, people will believe. it.

The Palyboy CEO talking about ending pornography is more believable than Maunmoron Singh lecturing us on curbing corruption. 

The headline is in quotes. They should have added Bhatt's name to it. The conspiracy theory was demolished when the trial court acquitted the two master minds of the so-called conspiracy.

 ". I won't allow minorities to be hunted like they were in Gujarat,"

Let us see. Gujarat riots happened in Feb 2002. DMK quit the NDA only in Apr 2004. So for full two years, DMK allowed minorities to be hunted like they were in Gujarat. 

The only person who beats Karunanidhi in speaking nonsense is Kapil Sibal. Sometimes the contest between them is too close a call.

This from a party which is considering giving a party job to B S Yeddyurappa!

" Yeddyurappa's action comes against the backdrop of counselling by RSS leaders at Hubli last week asking him to wait for some more time and also advice by top BJP leadership to come clean from the corruption cases he faces. The BJP high command had earlier told Yeddyurappa to keep cool till the conclusion of assembly elections in five states."
 

In other news, Dawood Ibrahim discussed his efforts on curbing terrorism at anti-terrorism conference He said that we still have long way but his efforts will eventually get us there.

 "if BJP comes to power, one cannot forget that another Babri mosque demolition could happen," he said."

Babri Masjid was demolished in 1992. BJP came back to power in 1999-with the help of DMK. And yet the dude is shamelessy talking about not forgetting Babri Masjid. And there are idiots in this forum who believe what he says and applaud him for taking a strong stance against communalism.

 Recently Karunanidhi made a brilliant statement-"IF Rajiv were to be alive today, he would surely forgive those who killed him". No one human being has so far deciphered what the above statement means.

His speech today comes a close second to the above statement in terms of clarity and purpose.

Strong anti-communal remarks from M Karunanidhi seem to have upset some sanghi morons!

>> Good to see Karunanidhi so strongly against communalism.

No surprise that you appreciate comments by someone who called Lord Ram a drunkard and wanted to see his birth certificate. Nothing less is expected from you.

>> "I won't allow minorities to be hunted like they were in Gujarat" - Karunanidhi

World History and the present-day success of US and Israel is the proof that the best way to deal with the bigot-laden elements of 'these minorities' is to hit back hard. Otherwise, it doesn't take them much effort to turn urban spaces into branches of their Tora Bora headquarters. One doesn't need to see beyond Afghanistan and Egypt to understand this.

The Gujarat riots were unfortunate but was a fit response to the jehadi apologists whose first reaction to the Godhra carnage was "..they had it coming".

Irreverent,

>> World History and the present-day success of US and Israel is the proof that the best way to deal with the bigot-laden elements of 'these minorities' is to hit back hard.

Such bitterly hateful comments can come only from a self-confessed genocide supporter.

>> This from a party which is considering giving a party job to B S Yeddyurappa!

No surprise that the stuck pigs have no problem when the Congress that gives party and government positions to the like of Bhagat, Tytler, Kamal Nath and Sajjan Kumar, gives Bharat Ratna and PM ship to Rajiv "Big Tree" Gandhi talks about Gujarat.

But if BJP talks about corruption in Congress, they start moaning like stuck pigs.

What is  Kashmir's freedom movement anyway except a simple extension of the theory of pakistan? One that firmly believes that Muslims will not or can not live with any other group of people. If Sanjay kak had no axe to grind, simple professional ethics would demand that  he cover the nature of this demand for aazadi as Islamic separatism and their methods as terrorism , even if he had no thought for total ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Hindu's from the valley at the hands of muslims.  At best he can be described as a useful idiot. Actually his film should be seen by more people and this is your key to understand his propoganda documentary :  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBcPkbtqSbQ&feature=related 

"The conspiracy theory was demolished when the trial court acquitted the two master minds of the so-called conspiracy."

The acquittal just means there is insufficient evidence to hold them guilty. If a person accused of murder is acquitted, it does not imply murder did not take place.

Trust Congress party to do such things. It is in their blood.

"NCP to Stay With Cong Even After 2014"

Looks like AI bribery case is really serious afterall. Who best to defend NCP than Congress !

>> If a person accused of murder is acquitted, it does not imply murder did not take place.

Don't teach logic to the Jehadis. Their Madrassa instructors have told them it is worthless.

 With regard to the raging controversy of the army chief’s age everyone is blowing it up unnecessarily.

It is a simple matter really and the government can ascertain the actual date of birth from the hospital records where the army chief was born or check his application form when he applied to the Indian Army. With this record it is easy to determine whether the army chief was guilty of declaring a false age. If he is found guilty punishment must be meted out to him as per law. If somebody else has played mischief then that person/entity must be brought to book. I hope the authorities would consider this suggestion.

i am unable to fathom how and why the media is playing this issue the way it is being played.

all of us provide our date of birth in any application form where it is required and at the end we acknowledge that it is true and the organisation can take action if our information is found to be false.  in the army chief's case i suspect that he wants to eat the cake and keep it too.  till his elevation to army chief position he seems to be happy with 1950 as his year of birth as it would give him an edge over others.  after reaching this position he now wants to revert to 1951 so that he can continue for one more year as army chief.  

i am sure the army chief knows that at each stage of his promotion his 1950 birth year would have been considered and why did he not object then.

ultimately we must remember law is equal to everyone and the fact that he is army chief should not matter.  

if this is how the army handles a simple matter like a date of birth and wants to blow it up, then i shudder to think how it would handle more critical issues concerning the security of the nation.

it would be gracious if the army chief puts an end to this fiasco.

Excellent post! Nowadays, the market is flooded with motley devices. Ipad is one of them. I totally agree on what was posted above that everyone loves them! Who wouldn't? In my opinion, the advantages of having an Ipad outweigh its disadvantages. Why do I say it? The fact that everybody will be technologically-oriented, information will be easily accessed by just a touch on the device. Moreover, for the kids, it could be the gadget to hone their creative skills. Have you heard about this accessory of Ipad called nomad brush? The said accessory will develop the creative minds of the youngsters plus it also serves as a learning tool for budding artists testing out and refining their skills. Now, that sounds really fantastic, isn't it?

 Glad Sahara has put the arrogant BCCI in is place.Sahara has a point for sure.The BCCI President and Nita Ambani wanted the IPL to be run the way they wanted it to.

Rules for auction were bent ,the MI and CSK decided to retain 4 players of there original team and left the other franchises to suck thumbs.

Thus far all the other 5 Franchises looked on as Nita and Sreenivasan got away with murder,basic norms or those which were framed when the IPL came into exsistence were violated flagrantly.

Subarto Roy blew up money by sponsoring the Indian team by paying the BCCI millions,this made the average cricketers Millionaires.

If Nita and Sreenivasan want to run the IPL they can do it by getting Reliance and India Cements to sponsor IPL and help out the BCCI.Catch these two doing it.

Karunanidhi the Great Patriot & Secular face of India !!!!

Here is the man who opposed Hindi as the National langauge so violently & even made a political issue to come to power. [Talks about interest of the Nation]

Here is tha man leading a party only based on casteist principle. [Talks about Communal harmony]

Here is the man whose party is soaked in corruption. [Talks about Congress as the best option]

Great country, worst leaders.

 Katju has forgotton Tamil Nadu.has he forgotton what happenned when a paper published a Poll report and recently when a weekly was attacked for certain(inflammatory) writings,thought legal redressal was the way out.

No person in India is straight

Oh! So Pushpa knew all along that JJ and Vijayakanth were going to fall apart? What a clairvoyant genius too, she is, then?

Either that, or this JJ sucker is trying to cover up her gender-casteist icon's temper tantrums.

 Bey-sahara Cricket Council of India :-) Kya faraq partha hai - bahut murghe hain bazaar mein.

Poverty is a scary thing and that too in India. It haunts you forever no matter you made efforts and proved to be lucky enough to come out of it! It continues to scare you!

TN Vaidyanathapura,

A long post to stay zilch.

There are only two times in an officer's career when his age becomes important.

a) At the time of joining the Academy when he has to satisfy the min/max age criteria.
b) At the time of promotion to Army Cdr as he must be less than 58 years old i.e. have 2 years of residual service left.

Whether, Gen VK Singh was born in 1950 or 51 makes no difference in both the above cases. Since the govt's entire case is based on an error in his application in 1966 (at the age of 14 or 15), it needs to be determined if he obtained any material benefit in giving a wrong DOB. The answer is NO.

The next question that logically follows is WHY are the government and, if newspaper reports are to be believed, two previous army chiefs so determined to have a DOB of 1950 recorded in the face of a mountain of documentary evidence to the contrary. This is something that needs to be answered and I am sure the SC will ask this very question.

A pleasantly surprising peice from Mr Bachchan! Nuanced & candid...especially where he ackowledges the fact that it's hardcore calculated economics behind this new found appreciation of Indian cinema abroad, more than anything else.

However, one has to disagree, that the powers-that-be in Hollywood are keen on casting our stars in their productions. Apart from a stray Om Puri, Irfan Khan or Aishwaria Rai, where do you see any of these big Indian stars featuring in major Hollywood productions. And mind you, even Om Puri or Aishwaria Rai fail to get meaty roles, except, of course, if the movie is Indi-centric.

Meanwhile, wannabes like Anil Kapoor, after much fussing & fawning, manage to get blink and you miss it kind of roles - the kind they would never play in a A-grade Bollywood movie - and then go around town shouting from the rooftop about it.

Meanwhile there are a few recognisable Indian origin names in the US entertainment industry - Night Shymalam, Kal Penn...even a Freida Pinto seems to be steadily and surely finding her way to stardom (though, at the risk of being labelled politically incorrect, one suspects it has something to do with a name that sounds less alien to western audiences). Hollywood, thankfully, is increasingly color-neutral (In fact, possibly, more color-neutral than our Indian Film Industry!) So there is more scope for actors who are shades darker by varying degrees to make a mark there now.

There are also a few 'exports' like Shekhar Kapoor & Ayesha Dharker who seemed to have made some headway. But  we seem to be a long way from producing our first major cross-over star like Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan. That, probably, would mark our arrival on the world stage!

Then again, do we really have to bother, when our movies already seem to have swept audiences off their feet in nations / regions as diverse as Japan, Africa, Middle East & Central Asia. Arguably, we already have the largest global footprint for any film industry in the world.

"Strong anti-communal remarks from M Karunanidhi seem to have upset some sanghi morons!"

And it takes so little to gladden the jihadi morons!! Any half-wit mouths any stupid statement against Modi and Gujarat, and our miyan runs to him with garlands!!
 

By the way, Mr Natarajan, our film industry actually owes its popularity to what you call the darkest days of socialism. Even in their most escapist moments, they reflected the ethos & values of a socialistic worldview. To a great extent, that's what appealled to post- colonial audiences across the Third World.

THere should have been more clear explanantion about the criteria that was used to determine 8 Union Territotires

I hope people realize that many people who support UT are people who migrated to metros and to safeguard themselves they say UT. They are failing to realize that to safeguard themselves they have to become local when locals are fighting for a cause they should fight with them

I really still don't why Hyd'bad should become an UT on what basis??

Obviously, the Defence Minister must step down.

"A Delhi court on Saturday dismissed Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy's plea to prosecute home minister P Chidambaram in the 2G case."

This must be very disappointing for many in this forum.

How can we trust a judiciary that acts ONLY on media pressure?

And keeps a man infinitely in jail merely as an 'under-trial'?

And does not even punish the other accused, such as Tata ( coz hes too rich ) and Kanimozhi ( coz shes a woman )?

Now Swamy wants to go to the High Court. He must have plenty of time since he lost his job at Harvard.

 woo woo woo

I won't say I told you so. The court order has specially designed to help Chidambram. 

 Bloody communists. If you don't have political  cheerleaders, dramatists, foreign blooded, muslim bashing, hindu mullahs, dalit daughters, jats, pure sikhs, blah blah blah in your ranks, you have no reason to be cry baby. If there are no takers of class wars fiction, India can't change its politics and media for you. 

who says judiciary is independent?

>>> This must be very disappointing for many in this forum.

Many in this forum must have been enthralled after hearing this news!

 Thank you sir. I hope you continue to keep the spotlight on this important issue. 

How can we trust a judiciary that acts ONLY on media pressure?
And keeps A Raja infinitely in jail merely as an 'under-trial'?
While it does not even punish the other accused, such as Tata ( coz hes too rich ) and Kanimozhi ( coz shes a woman )?
 

you meant 'Moved Substantially Forward' in HIDING money so the owners like your masters will not be caught?

 Can Oulook post the entire judgement so that we can understand the reasoning behind the decision?

Supreme Court Judgement on the 2G PIL is welcome. But following things remains to be adressed.

> The media has made this suspension of the licences as if corruption & the corrupt has been punished. Not so. It is strange that the SC has not ordered the government to fix responsibility for this huge loss to the exchequer to the tune of ` 1.76 lack crore & punish the guilty.

> Suspension of unified license for 2G spectrum allocation by Raja really do not punish those who entered in to conspiracy with him. It is clear that the court accepted the fait accomplii of making only Raja a scapegoat. The licences were given way back in 2006. Eshtablishes players has already reaped benefit of cheap lincences obtained through illegal means. Most of the new players & even an eshtablished giant industrial house has traded off spectrum cornered illegally in name of equity infusion & went home with huge premiums. As far as I can make out , the court is silent on these spectrum traders &  they will be allowed to get away with their windfall trading profit. This effectively aproves  premium on illegal act.

> The court in their wisdom went out of its way to remark that the Prime Minister was in dark while it was evident even to a casually interested person while all this was happening that the PM, then FM , the entire  cabinet was in the loop. The PM on several occassion justified what happened & confirmed the no loss Sibal theory.

> Sending back the Chidambaram issue back to the special trial court is in way giving total releif to him. Maximum  the trial court may do is to order an enquiry against him. Then this enquiry , chargesheet , trial , verdict by the junior court , innummerable appeals to the superior courts at every stage of these proceedings etc. may effectively see him through his natural political life. ( The maze of enquiries , innumerable cases , appeals  etc. for the last 10 years in Gujarat riot cases has  created enough confusion & smoke screen that Modi is  now being promoted as a PM option while not even a delequent daroga has not ben  meted out justice, will serve as an example ). Chidamabaram is a political light weight but a business circle heavyweight which will serve him in good stead.

>The court has not commented on the delequent corporates nor has prescribed any restriction on them in government dealings. The biggest gainer of this verdict is those companies who were allotted these now cancelled 122 unified licences.

 The Muck fell back on the face of the Muck Raker himself!

fabulous anecdote.. confirming that successful editors have at least 6 holes in their head and their visa for earth is issued in hell!

The most disgraceful person to occupy the highest chair in India can retire peacefully now.

After all, he has made enough money for his party without even wetting his feet! And of course, enough anti-male laws in the Indian constitution that will please the feminists in his party for decades, without even alerting any male rights activist.

however broad the vision of the maker (or other-wise) today's films ironically have a shelf-life of at most two weekends.. after which it gets replaced by the next block-buster at the multiplex and shoved aside to line up for its satellite channel release..in earlier days repeat value made masses throng to the theatre, today even word-of-mouth works.. but in a one-sided way - keeping people away from the theatre..

This is the kind of reporting eulogising the judiciary, that actually misinforms the public about its inherent inefficiencies.

A man is now in prison - but as an 'under-trial'.

If not for media pressure, this man would have been on bail or even acquitted a long time ago.

If this man is guilty, why are his accomplices in the crime - Kanimozhi ( a woman ) and Tata ( a revered 'industrialist ) not accompanying him in jail? In the answer to that question, lies stinking rot at the heart of Indian democracy - the slothful, corrupt, ineffecient, and unaccountable judiciary.

Interesting write up! Gandhi said India lives in its villages. Rural Indians are those who keep democracy’s wheels running.

With large majority of Indians still living in villages they are the ultimate deciding force in election. Their understanding of issues is often different from those TV anchors appearing at prime time to shout that what India should know this night.

Rural Indians mostly form their opinion by local administration, regional newspapers, village talks, election time rallies etc. Usually entire village cast vote for one party or person.

Here comes a need of strong national leader who can convey complicated misdeeds of government or opponents in simple language of rural population.

Currently neither BJP nor Congress has any national leader who go beyond regional or language barrier to appeal people across the nation.

In 1999 I had just passed out school and went to attend one of Vajpeyee’s rallies. It was a massive public meeting of more than one Lak people. Though I had little understanding of the then politics I remember crowd just loved Vajpeyee with huge cheering and clapping.  Vajpeyye with all his humor and spontaneity spoke on various issues including foreign policy to economic matters. He was able to convince people with his great orating skills. I have listened Sonia Gandhi and Advani also in public meetings but none can match Vajpeyee.

Mahatma Gandhi, with his simplicity and power to communicate complex ideas in simple language, brilliantly established link with ordinary Indians. Nehru and Indira Gandhi were also pan Indians leader who could sense the pulse of the masses

As politics becoming elitist and dynastic, there is a serious dearth of leaders who can be called as people’s leaders.

Though there are regional stalwarts with powerful support like Mayawati, Mamta, Jaya, Yeddi, Nitish Kumar, Narendra Modi, one can see there are numbers of politicians at significant positions in Center who have almost zero mass support. These are top lawyers, Howard-Oxford returns, broker-cum-sycophants who can speak well in air conditioned conference hall and TV debates but can not even fetch thousand people in a public gathering.
 

The real defenders of a democracy are not its high profile netas, but ordinary citizens like Vinod Rai, Prashant Bhushan, Swamy and you and me.

I hope Anwaar is listening.

more power to Sujay.. lets hope he remains uncorrupted by the lure of mainstream commercial cinema..

One of the legacies that MMS is soon going to leave behind, after almost one decade of sky-high GDP growth, is going to be his failure to keep up his promise of 7% GDP towards education. IF kept, this would have automatically led on to the improvement in skills etc. Instead, here is a man who insisted on concentrating only on women education.

At least, the future generations will hopefully remember what unaccountable politicians can do to spoil their lives.

"Demand"?

Actually, if not for a watch-dog 21st century media, Ambani would have 'had his way' with the ministers a long long time ago.

appears to be a quickie.. has he earned the biography.. and how many would shell out Rs 499 (minus discounts) to read this is a moot point...

With all that dieting she preaches, does the feminist author Rujuta look all that slim?

Soon, it may not be just the media alone that is impatient.

and the book cover is nauseating enough to put one off...

this review seems to be a quickie.. apparently carrying excerpts from the author's profile and brief summary of the book both encapsulated on the book jacket...

ms/mr bonita

what was the recorded age when he joined the the academy.  if it was 1950 and that was used subsequently in all his promotions then 1950 should be the correct year.

if it was 1951 and that was used in all his promotions then that should be the correct year.

if, in 2008 when the general was elevated to army chief, what was the year of birth considered.  i suspect that if it was 1951 the general may not have qualified.

i still maintain that the army should have settled it by themselves.

crisp and delightful section...

Thanks for this review.. one had heard of her, now one knows her.. and it does promise to be an interesting read.

Boo's work appears to be sensitively shared observations and anecdotal sharing... Ah.. she's married to Sunil Khilnani.. the outlook columnist.. that is news.. maybe that explains the extra-attention Outlook is bestowing on her..

The Honble Supreme Court in its order in cancelling of 122 licences had made out that Raja did not heed PC "s advice before he issued the 122 licences.Raja took the decisions on grant of licences arbitarily.

Though Sindhu Kullars advice on auction of spectrum was mentioned in the order as well.

Citing these the trial Court gave PC the benefit of doubt.

Nothing for the Congress to feel elated,what if Raja who is being made the fall guy were to stand up and spill the beans on what transpired.

DMK has dumped Raja and the guy hasnt even applied for bail.There is a whole lot of muck which is yet to emerge.

Dr Swamy looked shaken after the order ,he is not done with it as yet.Hang on.

A great economist and polite he is. Mighty India's PM has now reduced into a clerk.

Week after week passes but he does not appear on the front pages newspapers. Only emerge is his Govt’s magnificent loot of public money.

He neither speaks nor explains his position on the burning issues country facing now.

I wonder does he think his job only to go PM office in morning with lunch-box and coming back home in evening to play with grand children.

No public speech on any matter, no authority in decision making. I am surprised why he dwells in this humiliating situation. Why he allow himself to get disgrace by Queen’s sycophants. He has already achieved so much in life and its high time leave the stage with grace.
 

Cricket lovers’ only wish is that all the three, Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman, make the right decisions about retirement from international cricket. Timing is very crucial, as it is while choosing a shot. Unfortunately, the current series has been disastrous for all the three and there is little guarantee that the one day series will change things for Tendulkar much. Let us only hope that they bid good bye in a cordial way!

Maybe before filing for an election ticket the prospective candidates can be made to answer a set of questions selected from this list.. PISA's Lea(r)ning can be useful in eliminating many...

 Me thinks, that in many Indian organisation,
there exists a norm that the successor always belittle
the old who is no more there to defend. This is away to
swayaway the the subordinate supporters of old regime, and let them
know that who the 'new boss' is. Madhavan nair may be
a specialized  in rocket technology, but poor in technology
which crafts the 'crab mentality' . Its pathetic to see a hero of
succesful 'Moon Mission' was haunted like this.

One can only hope and pray,that Krishna Prasad will be different to Vinod Mehta who labelled a sinner like Sonia as a Saint.

Modi sought a fresh mandate......

Slght error in the understanding of learned friend (who has no faith in his NAME!!)

Modi meticulously and deliberately unleashed the PRE PLANNED  historical genocide (2002) with all the attendant atrocities and cruelties to massacre thousands of innocent citizens and destroy a section of the citizens of Gujarat with the sole purpose to reap the best harvest in the ensuing STATE ELECTION ( which was not a charity from Modi's personal funds). At best you can praise Modi for his acute and brilliant(evil) understanding of the likes and dislikes of Gujarat's population.

Mind correcting the fundamental biased and prejudiced understanding?

Any comparison between MMS and MODI ( MOCKERY OF DEMOCRATIC INDIA)?

 Indians do 'atyachaar' in all fields. As for indulgence
in food that too in 'shaadi', no baby, it's only an 'aachar'
and not atyachar to feed the hungry stomach to full.

There are two aspects of this problem. One is policy aspect and other is political aspect. 

The economic policy is a prerogative of the government. A good economic policy translates into votes and a bad economic policy translates into loss. The economic policy in 2g specturum allocation was a good one because it helped the telecom industy of India. More Indians own mobiles than toilets can buttress this point. The only issue with the economic policy was the distortion in FCFS policy to help out some real estate corporates. The loss of 1.76 lakh crores is an arbitrary figure which has no economic sanctity. The auction route for 2g might have earned government good investment but it would have taken the telecom on a different path. The speculation doesn't make sense in terms of economics as it is not an exact science.

Then there is a political aspect for the 2g specturum. The political aspect has to be seen in coalition politics, relations between DMK and Congress, and the Radia tapes. Congress wanted to put the most vocal and powerful coalition member on the mat using the specturum case and it did succeed. With Radia tapes, congress was able to show India that corporates, media and politicians were working hands in glove. It also made sure that blame will be on all the players.No wonder radia tapes included the main politicians from DMK only. 

The only problem came congress way was maverick Swamy. Swami with Bhushan and others used 2g specturum as an opportunity to harass the government. The february 2 decision of supreme court is ridiculous cause it speaks on the economic policy of government which has nothing to do with the corruption. Only way a court case can be make out of 2g if any bribes were taken. Chidu was always safe for congress. The whole controversy would ensure that DMK will not bark for next 2 years. Once the 5 elections will be over, I am loathe to say what congress will do to Mamta Banerjee. Italian Mafia hurts when you least expect. Karunanidhi can write another script for a block buster. 

 The falling standard of primary education in 
india is a grim reality.The reason is commercialisation
of primary education. If you want to mint money,think of
a Christian saint and start an English medium School
naming it after the saint. Quality,who cares, the parents
are guillible and once they enrol the kid in such school
their job ends.

Mr. Krishna Prasad begins well with a pot shot at the 'hack pack'. But don't you think "it is difficult to believe if anodyne arithmetic loaded with IFS, buts and howevers is all our “Monday Morning Quarterbacks” can serve up to explain what is happening." is a little heavy afrter child like simplicity of Vinod Mehta.

And having said that I must admit "Tongue in cheek, you could argue that the latest slight is proof that those who live by lawyers are destined to die by them." is rather a good one.

"In an Oceania of banned books, essays, plays, movies, documentaries, art shows, TV skits and websites" - that is overstating the fact Mr. Krishna Prasad. They have as yet not banned whole goddamn internet.

 Mr Swamy is a very sensible person. The government says that he is a trouble-monger. If I belonged to the government, I would shut up. People wonder why they comment on Mr Swamy.

 The Ambani"S are known bloodsuckers ,they have sucked Indian blood 25 years back ,when PVC was sold to Indian Consumers for 25000/ton after forcing the then FM Pranab Mukherjee to levy 350% on imported PVC.

Not a single soul who writes blogs on this site will know anything about this and even if they do it will be ignored.

If this is not loot then what is it.Bal Thackeray and other nationalist who call others names have known this as well,as everybody is taken care of nobody bothers.

Now its the turn to loot using Gas as the mode.Govt having taken its share is worried about the imlications if National assets thus barted will bring harsh intervention by the Court.

H.L. Mencken , whoever he was, seems to me a  super kind of  bloke. He seems to have foreseen the Indian news channel editors.  Don't you , busters, feel the same like sending  some thing by the same mail , seeing Arnab Goswami screaming non-stop, pointing fingers , throwing his hands, jerking shoulders, cutting down mid- sentence  big time editors, top  lawyears , scientists, army generals , least but not last these unfortunate creatures called spokespersons to size, uttering last word on every thing or everyone  be them Salman Rushdie , Salman Khurshid or Salman Butt, or Salman Khan !

Indian public  owes a debt of gratitude to these three  brave souls-- Shri Vinod Rai, Prof Subrahmaniam Swami  and Shri Prashanth Bhushan--who fought bravely in exposing the misdeeds of  the Establishment and its  shameless flunkies such as  Kapil Sibal, and brought to light  the monumental corruption and misuse of power  indulged in by the Rajas, the Kanimozhis and the like. Undoubtedly,  this was an  outrageous and brazen  looting of the national resource  for private gain and in the process  propiciate the Corporate Sharks . 

Mr. Raman - You are absolutely wrong and I am amazed you writing this sort of "nonsense".

These are people, like you and the media, which is taking India to disaster.  Rot started with the VP Singh and continued with the NDA Government, that institutionlised corruption.  BJP/NDA will go to bed with any body and do any thing to get back to power by hook or crook; selling and buying MPs/MLAs;spin any communal problems to come to power and people like you support them.

What is the net result?  Decision making at the Government level has been weakened!

People like you and Swamis of your World, who has psychosis, waste time of the Courts and the Government on these useless things thus filling the coffers of the Advocates.

In very simple language, people at the village level need to be explained the high handedness of people like you and the eviousness of the parties supported by you, so that they become wiser.

PC is still not totally out of woods.Judge O P Saini has accepted that Raja and Chidambram both fixed the Prices of the Spectrum jointly .Price itself has been thrashed by the SC being ridiculously low and thus caused great monetary loss to the Nation and thus undue benefit to a few was given.

Judge has also accepted that both Ministers jointly allowed dilution of Equity .Moot question is could both allow dilution so soon after allocation ? I understand there were certain bindings in the Contract which have not been highlighted .

So the judge has accepted the points but has not accepted the intent to defraud.

Incidentally the gains made by Swan and others were known to the Govt immediately after the Sale .

We will get the copy of full judgement tomorrow and will hear analysis also .
Yes for time being it is some relief for HM and Congress .But what views higher Courts take is in the realm of future .

It is History of fight of Sawmi and NGOs in 2 G Scam that they lost all the battles in Courts even in HC but finally got the orders overturned in SC this week .

Congress can now go to UP proclaiming Victory but with Three adverse Judgments in a row from by the SC hounding it.

How much comfort Congress can take under above circumstances is mute question.And how the Voter reacts will be known soon .

Also what about Raja and DMK ?? How they look their own Raja still in Jail and Kani on bail where as Congress has been let off Scot free ?? DMK will extract its own pound of flesh in the Budget session. Jaya can't bail out Congress as she lacks the requisite number of MPs .

Interstingly after loosing all the battles up to HC it is the SC which overturned all the 2 G Scams cases being fought by Swami and NGOs .

Is Congress out of ICU finally ?? Well it depends upon ones preferences .

When journalist become stooges of politicians the credibility of the profession suffers ,the least they can do is be covert and not overt.Nauseating.Why does Vinod Mehta legitamise such open cronyism in the name of journalism 

Karuna's brother in Law Masroli Maran was the Telecom Minister in BJP cabinet along with a few more DMK MPs.

why Congress Bureau of Invistigation find anything against the people who command them? I am just hoping they don't burn the evidences.

Incidentally congress pulled the rug out of feet of Deve Goda coalition feet saying that it could not support the Sarkar ruling with help DMK the party of of Killers of Rajiv Gandhi .

In 2004 UPA 1 it was different with Sonia being the Chair person .

 Laxman  PRICELESS !!!!

 "if BJP comes to power, one cannot forget that another Babri mosque demolition could happen," he said."

Babri Masjid was demolished in 1992. BJP came back to power in 1999-with the help of DMK. And yet the dude is shamelessy talking about not forgetting Babri Masjid. And there are idiots in this forum who believe what he says and applaud him for taking a strong stance against communalism.

In other news, Dawood Ibrahim discussed his efforts on curbing terrorism at anti-terrorism conference He said that we still have long way but his efforts will eventually get us there.

 ". I won't allow minorities to be hunted like they were in Gujarat,"

Let us see. Gujarat riots happened in Feb 2002. DMK quit the NDA only in Apr 2004. So for full two years, DMK allowed minorities to be hunted like they were in Gujarat. 

The only person who beats Karunanidhi in speaking nonsense is Kapil Sibal. Sometimes the contest between them is too close a call.

who says judiciary is independent?

>> "I won't allow minorities to be hunted like they were in Gujarat" - Karunanidhi

World History and the present-day success of US and Israel is the proof that the best way to deal with the bigot-laden elements of 'these minorities' is to hit back hard. Otherwise, it doesn't take them much effort to turn urban spaces into branches of their Tora Bora headquarters. One doesn't need to see beyond Afghanistan and Egypt to understand this.

The Gujarat riots were unfortunate but was a fit response to the jehadi apologists whose first reaction to the Godhra carnage was "..they had it coming".

 Recently Karunanidhi made a brilliant statement-"IF Rajiv were to be alive today, he would surely forgive those who killed him". No one human being has so far deciphered what the above statement means.

His speech today comes a close second to the above statement in terms of clarity and purpose.

The Palyboy CEO talking about ending pornography is more believable than Maunmoron Singh lecturing us on curbing corruption. 

>>> This must be very disappointing for many in this forum.

Many in this forum must have been enthralled after hearing this news!

"A Delhi court on Saturday dismissed Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy's plea to prosecute home minister P Chidambaram in the 2G case."

This must be very disappointing for many in this forum.

>> Good to see Karunanidhi so strongly against communalism.

No surprise that you appreciate comments by someone who called Lord Ram a drunkard and wanted to see his birth certificate. Nothing less is expected from you.

"Good to see Karunanidhi so strongly against communalism. If only he were equally strongly against corruption."

It is supporting Congress. It neither against communalism nor against corruption.

"Demand"?

Actually, if not for a watch-dog 21st century media, Ambani would have 'had his way' with the ministers a long long time ago.

 The Muck fell back on the face of the Muck Raker himself!

 woo woo woo

I won't say I told you so. The court order has specially designed to help Chidambram. 

why Congress Bureau of Invistigation find anything against the people who command them? I am just hoping they don't burn the evidences.

PC is still not totally out of woods.Judge O P Saini has accepted that Raja and Chidambram both fixed the Prices of the Spectrum jointly .Price itself has been thrashed by the SC being ridiculously low and thus caused great monetary loss to the Nation and thus undue benefit to a few was given.

Judge has also accepted that both Ministers jointly allowed dilution of Equity .Moot question is could both allow dilution so soon after allocation ? I understand there were certain bindings in the Contract which have not been highlighted .

So the judge has accepted the points but has not accepted the intent to defraud.

Incidentally the gains made by Swan and others were known to the Govt immediately after the Sale .

We will get the copy of full judgement tomorrow and will hear analysis also .
Yes for time being it is some relief for HM and Congress .But what views higher Courts take is in the realm of future .

It is History of fight of Sawmi and NGOs in 2 G Scam that they lost all the battles in Courts even in HC but finally got the orders overturned in SC this week .

Congress can now go to UP proclaiming Victory but with Three adverse Judgments in a row from by the SC hounding it.

How much comfort Congress can take under above circumstances is mute question.And how the Voter reacts will be known soon .

Also what about Raja and DMK ?? How they look their own Raja still in Jail and Kani on bail where as Congress has been let off Scot free ?? DMK will extract its own pound of flesh in the Budget session. Jaya can't bail out Congress as she lacks the requisite number of MPs .

Interstingly after loosing all the battles up to HC it is the SC which overturned all the 2 G Scams cases being fought by Swami and NGOs .

Is Congress out of ICU finally ?? Well it depends upon ones preferences .

A great economist and polite he is. Mighty India's PM has now reduced into a clerk.

Week after week passes but he does not appear on the front pages newspapers. Only emerge is his Govt’s magnificent loot of public money.

He neither speaks nor explains his position on the burning issues country facing now.

I wonder does he think his job only to go PM office in morning with lunch-box and coming back home in evening to play with grand children.

No public speech on any matter, no authority in decision making. I am surprised why he dwells in this humiliating situation. Why he allow himself to get disgrace by Queen’s sycophants. He has already achieved so much in life and its high time leave the stage with grace.
 

The Honble Supreme Court in its order in cancelling of 122 licences had made out that Raja did not heed PC "s advice before he issued the 122 licences.Raja took the decisions on grant of licences arbitarily.

Though Sindhu Kullars advice on auction of spectrum was mentioned in the order as well.

Citing these the trial Court gave PC the benefit of doubt.

Nothing for the Congress to feel elated,what if Raja who is being made the fall guy were to stand up and spill the beans on what transpired.

DMK has dumped Raja and the guy hasnt even applied for bail.There is a whole lot of muck which is yet to emerge.

Dr Swamy looked shaken after the order ,he is not done with it as yet.Hang on.

The real defenders of a democracy are not its high profile netas, but ordinary citizens like Vinod Rai, Prashant Bhushan, Swamy and you and me.

I hope Anwaar is listening.

This is the kind of reporting eulogising the judiciary, that actually misinforms the public about its inherent inefficiencies.

A man is now in prison - but as an 'under-trial'.

If not for media pressure, this man would have been on bail or even acquitted a long time ago.

If this man is guilty, why are his accomplices in the crime - Kanimozhi ( a woman ) and Tata ( a revered 'industrialist ) not accompanying him in jail? In the answer to that question, lies stinking rot at the heart of Indian democracy - the slothful, corrupt, ineffecient, and unaccountable judiciary.

you meant 'Moved Substantially Forward' in HIDING money so the owners like your masters will not be caught?

Now Swamy wants to go to the High Court. He must have plenty of time since he lost his job at Harvard.

How can we trust a judiciary that acts ONLY on media pressure?

And keeps a man infinitely in jail merely as an 'under-trial'?

And does not even punish the other accused, such as Tata ( coz hes too rich ) and Kanimozhi ( coz shes a woman )?

Karunanidhi the Great Patriot & Secular face of India !!!!

Here is the man who opposed Hindi as the National langauge so violently & even made a political issue to come to power. [Talks about interest of the Nation]

Here is tha man leading a party only based on casteist principle. [Talks about Communal harmony]

Here is the man whose party is soaked in corruption. [Talks about Congress as the best option]

Great country, worst leaders.

>> This from a party which is considering giving a party job to B S Yeddyurappa!

No surprise that the stuck pigs have no problem when the Congress that gives party and government positions to the like of Bhagat, Tytler, Kamal Nath and Sajjan Kumar, gives Bharat Ratna and PM ship to Rajiv "Big Tree" Gandhi talks about Gujarat.

But if BJP talks about corruption in Congress, they start moaning like stuck pigs.

Incidentally congress pulled the rug out of feet of Deve Goda coalition feet saying that it could not support the Sarkar ruling with help DMK the party of of Killers of Rajiv Gandhi .

In 2004 UPA 1 it was different with Sonia being the Chair person .

Karuna's brother in Law Masroli Maran was the Telecom Minister in BJP cabinet along with a few more DMK MPs.

 The Ambani"S are known bloodsuckers ,they have sucked Indian blood 25 years back ,when PVC was sold to Indian Consumers for 25000/ton after forcing the then FM Pranab Mukherjee to levy 350% on imported PVC.

Not a single soul who writes blogs on this site will know anything about this and even if they do it will be ignored.

If this is not loot then what is it.Bal Thackeray and other nationalist who call others names have known this as well,as everybody is taken care of nobody bothers.

Now its the turn to loot using Gas as the mode.Govt having taken its share is worried about the imlications if National assets thus barted will bring harsh intervention by the Court.

One can only hope and pray,that Krishna Prasad will be different to Vinod Mehta who labelled a sinner like Sonia as a Saint.

Maybe before filing for an election ticket the prospective candidates can be made to answer a set of questions selected from this list.. PISA's Lea(r)ning can be useful in eliminating many...

Boo's work appears to be sensitively shared observations and anecdotal sharing... Ah.. she's married to Sunil Khilnani.. the outlook columnist.. that is news.. maybe that explains the extra-attention Outlook is bestowing on her..

crisp and delightful section...

and the book cover is nauseating enough to put one off...

however broad the vision of the maker (or other-wise) today's films ironically have a shelf-life of at most two weekends.. after which it gets replaced by the next block-buster at the multiplex and shoved aside to line up for its satellite channel release..in earlier days repeat value made masses throng to the theatre, today even word-of-mouth works.. but in a one-sided way - keeping people away from the theatre..

The most disgraceful person to occupy the highest chair in India can retire peacefully now.

After all, he has made enough money for his party without even wetting his feet! And of course, enough anti-male laws in the Indian constitution that will please the feminists in his party for decades, without even alerting any male rights activist.

fabulous anecdote.. confirming that successful editors have at least 6 holes in their head and their visa for earth is issued in hell!