NSG: A Foreign Policy Faux Pas?

India launched a major offensive for NSG membership, with the PM going planet hopping and making an all out bid for the elusive membership. The incumbent government went so far as to risk its face in case of failure and probably has gone in slumber over the issue after the outcome has been decided. Should the government not gone in for such high profile campaign? Should it have been more defensive and less confident of India's chances? Has the NSG outcome distanced India from Permanent Seat at UNSC?

Could India have skipped NSG all together?

1. India has long aspired to permanent seat in UNSC, and NSG membership could become a major step forward in the direction. NSG membership will be another stamp on India's non-proliferation credentials and India's nuclear capabilities - necessary bullet points for future UNSC offensive.
2. In order to live up to the commitments made on Paris Climate Accord, India needs nuclear technology at much faster pace than being outside NSG allows her to acquire.
3. it's a power position, indispensable asset in international diplomacy. Didn't China just enjoy the power of position by blunting India's efforts.

Should India have opted for more modest bid than the high decibel campaign led from front by the PM?

1. Before answering his question, let's consider the situation. India is not the member of NSG, and thus India must get other countries to vouch for her entry to the cartel. While our Foreign Minister is highly competent, the PM does wield much greater influence today in international polity, and only he could have secured support of leading powers - so much so that, more than 30 countries actively demanded discussion on India's entry to the high table.
2. It was Modi-Obama joint statement, by dropping the mention of South China Sea, that ensured that China's opposition was not hardened. Modi's meeting with Xi, on sidelines of SCO, also helped in the moderation of China's nerves, if not their stand. Unlikely any other leader could have achieved half the distance traveled.

Has India failed miserably in her campaign?

1. Yes, in the eye of Indian public, India has; for the campaign conveyed a sense that Seoul was the goalpost to be reached and not a milestone to be passed by. We forgot that Seoul was the first step to mount the offensive, and step that should help India chart out future course with better clarity and greater conviction. But then, does our opinion on matters we understand least count?
2. No, the primary objectives of the Seoul plenary have been achieved.

What has Seoul offensive achieved for India?

1. Seoul plenary of NSG has brought opponents and opposition to table. Till before Seoul meet, opposition to India's NSG bid was muted and concealed, no one quite aware of the posts that each of 48 member countries held. The major offensive by India ensured that opponents were out and the opposition - issues raised - became clearer. The credit for this goes to China as much as it does to India, as other countries opposing India's bid could rally behind China.
2. To India's credit, India could bring the opponents and opposition to table without hardening their stance - a BIG achievement given China's concerns.
3. Also, India could get her supporters more vocal and more decisive in speaking on behalf of India. India and her supporters are today in much better position to plan future course than they have ever been.

Are we today farther from UNSC permanent seat than before?

1. NSG outcome would not directly impact UNSC aspiration - it would only help build the momentum. Let's wait till the final word on NSG before passing verdict on UNSC.

Agreed while India has many pressing problems at home to attend to, but there as no choice to be made between the two - It as not like problems at home were ignored for NSG bid, it's never one for the other! Government did take many important policy decisions during the last week when NSG was all hyped up!

Why Modi or BJP cannot have a role in CBI raid on Principal Secretary of Delhi?

For all the clamor that Mr. Arvind Kejriwal is raising about CBI raid, it is nothing mre than a veiled attempt at garnering eyeballs, and underlining his importance and relevance to national polity. Why BJP or Modi cannot have any role in the issue is easy to identify.

1. GST: It is common knowledge that Goods and Service Tax is one of the most important reforms that Modi and his team wants to see through. Modi and BJP or NDA would not do anything at this juncture to further jeopardize already beleaguered tax reform. It would be foolhardy to believe that Modi would give an issue on platter to Kejriwal, of all people, to raise a hue and cry and risk GST.
2. Congress: Modi and NDA ministry had Congress and Gandhis on mat on National Herald issue. Modi is not the one to let off an adversary so easily off the hook. Just when the nation was ridiculing Gandhis for disrupting parliament, and public opinion was broadly gathering pace against Gandhis, present dispensation would not want to divert attention of people and media away from national herald.
3. Corruption: After losing battles in Delhi and Punjab, once again the corruption and Gandhis became the central issue pushing aside all the talk of intolerance and the protests by award returnees. Why would Mod give lease of life to his opponents?
4. Arvind Kejriwal: Delhi elections are off by more than four years, and parliamentary elections by more than three years. Kejriwal is no immediate threat to Modi or BJP. It does not make any sense for Modi to target Kejriwal now, and help him remain relevant to national polity. Knowing that his relevance would only strengthen his electoral chances in Punjab.
5. DDCA: The current parliament session ends on 21-december, and six days delay in supposedly DDCA files would not have had material impact on any probe, with or without jurisdiction, that Delhi government may be conducting. Even if this were the purpose, the timing of the raid makes it hugely impossible.
6. CBI: The investigation relates to pre-Kejriwal era, and hence cannot cast doubt on Kejriwal’s claim to probity. Shiela Dixit has now largely become irrelevant in national politics or even in Congress. So if Modi or BJP initiated raid proceedings; it’s poor sense of timing, unlikely with Modi.

So why did Kejriwal react the way he did?

1. Because that’s what he knows best. For the upcoming elections in Punjab, there is a desperate need to play victim, and hide his failures behind the garb of political victimization. Taking the protests to PM’s door is what helps him hog prime-time attention. With his antics, he remains the most talked about CM in India. While it is no secret that there are many who have been doing great work in their respective territories – CMs of Tripura, Orissa, MP and Bihar (to name a few) have positively impacted the fate of their respective states, without the theatrics.
2. While the raids were not meant to investigate Kejriwal’s regime, his reaction makes one wonder – is there something to worry about?

All said and done, Congress must be grateful to CBI and Kejriwal for deflection of spotlight from their leaders.

Fun Lokpal Bill

In order to prevent Cruelty and Atrocities Inflicted upon the ruling class, the government has decided to introduce ‘Fun Lokpal’ bill in the ongoing session of parliament.

While, the menace of Cruelty Against Rulers (CAR) has plagued mankind ever since man organized himself in society, its advent in India dates back to less than three hundred years. Historically CAR has not affected Indian Society to a great extent, owing to Indians intrinsically being more docile race and credulous beings. We, Indians, had culture of reverence towards rulers. This again seems logical from the fact that most of our Gods were from ruling class only. It is a matter of investigations that whether Gods took incarnation as rulers, or the rulers were elevated to Gods due to reverence of Indians.

CAR was perhaps the first instance of western influence on Indian society. Indians learned to be cruel against rulers as retaliation to their cruel acts on Indians. While we celebrate our martyrs, and they deserve to be celebrated too; we must acknowledge the fact that our martyrs inadvertently left behind the legacy of Cruelty Against Rulers.

During British rule, CAR took the form of direct and violent attacks on the ruling class to peaceful agitations leading to emotional atyachar on the hapless beings. Perpetrators of CAR invented many novel ways to harass unsuspecting victims of ruling class – they approached courts, they staged ‘Dharnas’ and Fasts, they took out candle marches, and many other such cruel and militant acts led to continuous unease and oppression for the ruling classes. Post-independence, there was a brief period when there were amicable relations between the ruling class and the masses. But soon the bonhomie between the two gave way to militancy on part of the masses. In aftermath of ‘emergency’ – a benevolent act of Late Mrs. Indira Gandhi to save the nation from complacent and peaceful existence – Mr. Jayprakash Narayan started ‘Navnirman’ agitation. And with that began another era of oppression of and atrocities against the ruling classes. Ruling classes, always being in minority, found few sympathizers in the nation; and was left to face the ire of masses without any support from judiciary or executive arm of the nation. While administration, defence, judiciary and executive arm did what lay in their power to facilitate ruling classes; their voice was often subdued in response to the chorus of so called intelligentsia and social activists.

The ruling class struggled hard to maintain decency in face of all the allegations, and continued its sacred work of managing national wealth as their personal assets. The ruling class harbored genuine fears of national wealth once again being plundered by foreign rulers (worried for the fact that liberalization may result in another East India Company!). This fears resulted in stashing away the billions, hidden from public glare, to Swiss and other banks. Such genuine and sacred act of protecting nation at the expense of personal integrity was projected as Corruption by self-styled guardians of morality. This was often used as the biggest weapon by populace misguided by the domineering and predatory instinct of its leaders.

The plight of the ruling classes was further intensified with the Right To Information Act. This act resulted in violation of the secrecy, and in information blackmail. This also necessitated continuous vigil on part of the ruling classes to ensure that no thread of evidence is left behind after working for the society so diligently and benevolently. They continuously lived through the nightmare of being exposed, whereas their intentions were pious and respectable. Also the public movement kept attracting youth, and many leaders from all walks of life, giving continuous headaches to the ruling classes. To further legalize all the intellectual violence perpetrated against the rulers, the demand for ‘Lokpal Bill’ was intensified. Rulers were once again pushed to wall, and had to consent to the public demand – though accepting only conditions that remotely affected the unbiased and unabashed working of the rule. The ruling class, in all earnest, tried to keep itself out of the purview of ‘Lokpal Bill’ so as to lend a sense of stability and continuity to the long held tradition of protecting nation from any unholy influence. But to its dismay, powered by the support of strongly prejudiced population – leaders of ‘Jan Lokpal’ bill staged another agitation taking people of India by storm, and fuelling hatred and loath towards the ruling class. The ruling class has been trying hard to lift the society above this politics of hatred, and lead it to the peaceful co-existence where neither party – rulers and masses – interfere in other’s affairs.

Even after making all the efforts to make people see reason, the government had to succumb and let go of its right to live freely. But as a last ditch effort to save the nation from malaise of its moral police, the government has introduced this ‘Fun Lokpal’ Bill. The bill aims to remedy all the ills of the society. It once again restores power to ruling classes, and once again gives us chance to elevate some future (or current) leader to the status of God.

Some of the salient features of Fun Lokpal Bill are –

• ·        It vests ‘Right To Imprison’ with the rulers – A rulers harassed by any ‘Right To Information’ activist can use this clause to imprison the activist. The modes of imprison can be a police custody, or even a personal custody.
• ·         It provides for the sovereign guarantee for the funds stashed by rulers anywhere in the world. In case of any litigation requiring the ruler to return the funds to society, it would be compensated by the national treasury. This clause also provides for a likely possibility of ‘National Treasury’ being incapable of fully compensating the loss. In such eventualities, the government will be required to borrow money from other countries, or can make payment through promissory notes guaranteeing payment at some later date. The promissory notes can be post dated up to 200 years (considered to be the period of 7 generations).
• ·         It vests power to forcibly end fast of a militant activist making demands of curtailing powers of the ruling class.
• ·         It aims to unite the ruling class by instituting a clause that any attack on a member of ruling class will be treated as the attack on the entire ruling class. (Though many members of ruling class feel this clause is unnecessary)
• ·         It requires the ‘Jan Lokpal’ to seek permission of the Prime Minister’ to proceed against the Prime Minister. Similarly it requires assent by the concerned judge before proceeding against him.
• ·         The law also gives 24-Hour immunity to the rulers from any form of legal action. This ensures that the ruler shall have 24 hours’ of time to set his house in order, to remove any trace of evidence of his acts. In extreme cases (extreme cases are defined as the cases affecting the Prime Minister or the central ministers), the immunity will be for 24 days.
• ·         The concerned person will be free to leave the country during the period of immunity.
• ·         In most unfortunate events when a member of ruling class is subjected to legal action, he shall be free to choose the jury of his choice without any prejudice to the outcome of the case.
• ·         The government will bear all the expenses related to such legal process as he may be subjected to.
• ·         In an innovative move, the bill includes a clause for witnesses – a witness testifying against the member of ruling class will serve the sentence of three years in rigorous imprisonment. This clause has been incorporated to ensure that only the most sincere of the so called social activists can dare to destabilize the nation.
• ·         The bill also provides for the postal stamps to be published in memory of all those rulers who have been victim of ‘Cruelty Against Rulers’.

Divide People... Not Land!

Division of land - in whichever context - has been fraught with fear; be it between states, provinces, or on a micro level between communities and even among siblings. Precursor to such a division, as well as aftermath of the division has invariably been bloodstained. We, as a nation, have been witness to a nightmare at the time of partition - by dividing land between Hindus and Muslims. We have been close ally to Bangladesh in its partition from Pakistan. Mahagujarat Andolan for creation of Gujarat or Maharashtra - Karnataka animosity does not date too far away to be forgotten.

Today we hear clamor from north for independence - for an independent state of Kashmir. While the rest of the country relishes fruits of development, increased employment opportunities, raising living standards - Kashmir looks on, as a bystander. Youth seek work, old seek peace and promise. Men and women seek respectable work and inclusion in the larger Indian society.

Whenever the cries for dividing land become audible, we should realize that there is some injustice perpetrated, or at least it is perceived to be so. Kashmir issue has already cost thousands of lives. The issue is not only fueled by continued mistrust between India and Pakistan, or by militants and separatists in the region; but equally by the lack of political will, and presence of political ill-will of powers that be. The region plagued by the continued strife and loss of lives, wealth and opportunities would surely look forward to empathetic response to its plight from the nation of which it happens to be a part. Just about when war cries were dying down, and violence seemed to be on lower ebb; a few reckless acts on the part of some miscreants in armed forces, and mishandling of the issues by the administration evoked unprecedented response from the populace. Never, not even in the times of high militancy, was public response so powerful and so demanding. This time, it was not militants with AK47s that Indian army was up against. It was against the stone-pelting youth and unarmed women and children with cries of 'Intifada'. It is almost four months now, and the sentiments of Kashmiris do not seem to relent.

What has brought Kashmir to this impasse? Lack of development, and lack of employment opportunities are surely a reason. But at the root of it all remains one reason that has plagued India almost since independence - political indifference. Political insensitivity to the issues and needs of the society have cost India more than perhaps any other single reason. How else can we explain the loss of thousands of metric tons of food grain when starvation deaths are common in the country? How long can we ignore the reckless expenditure and shameless corruption in CWG when we are unable to provide quality primary education and minimum acceptable medicare to millions in rural India? How justified is it to seek Permanent Membership of UNSC when security back home is the hostage of Naxals?

I am definitely not against CWG or UNSC, but I surely want to have other concerns well addressed too. Post-Independence, we had highly idealist leadership - often un-pragmatist too. Then came the era of populist leadership in Seventies. It was only a brief phase during Eighties that one party - BJP started attracting intellectuals and pragmatic nationalists in political fold. But come Nineties, and there was hardly anything differentiating the two major political parties. Populist and divisive politics again took the center stage. Though the economic liberalization and globalization has helped the society largely move out of political stranglehold, politicians will remain relevant as long as governance remains a necessity - forever. This makes it all the more important to chose leaders we deserve (or, have been choosing leaders that we deserve only!).

It is time we divide people - identify people in political corridors who are sensitive to human misery, and are sensible enough to act before it is too late. It is time we realize we need to draw a line between people who would work for India and who would work for their self aggrandizement. We as nation need to demarcate people as good and as bad, and afford them responsibility to steer the nation to the glory it deserves.

Yes, it is time we divide people, and give the job of nation to those who would not let the land be divided!

Divide Land... Not People!

The nation waited with bated breath. Everyone quite unsure of what one's first reactions would be and what they should be. Each one had one's own version of possibilities and probabilities. We waited for the Verdict with an uneasy calm.


And, finally, Lucknow Bench of Allahabad Highcourt ruled - in favour of people, in favour of tranquility and peace, in favour of unified and strong India. The court ruled - against so-called secularists, against pseudo-secularists, against so-called nationalists, against HINDUS and against MUSLIMS who wanted to be known more by religion and less by nationality, against Congresses and BJPs, against RSS's and BMACs and Vaqfs.

Political masters of the nation, once took India by storm - drew a possibly in-erasable line between two equally great cultures. It once looked like a divide no less than the one caused at the time of partition. Almost every Indian was a Hindu or a Muslim before he was an Indian. Heads rolled - not only in the castles of power, but also in streets (sadly, literally!). Secularists became Pseudo-Secularists, and Nationalists became Fundamentalists. The divide that led to ghettoism in urban areas and mutual mistrust in community. The divided that reduced Indians to 'Vote Banks'.


The divide that took scores of lives for us to realize the importance of cohabitation. Thousands of Indians sacrificed their lives - in post demolition riots, in Mumbai bomb blasts, in Godhra carnage, and in post-Godhra riots - to teach us a lesson: Together We Stand, Divided We Fall. We lost so many of us to the politicization of religion, and to the greed for power.


Perhaps, the shock of Godhra and of Post-Godhra (Irony of this nation! Violence helps us see the futility of the same!) made us see reason. India has moved on! Today, we see political rhetoric centered more on development and less on religion. Major politicians running shy of expressing their religious underpinnings - at least in public. Major political parties showing respect more to judiciary than to Votebank (At least in public!). Militant Hinduism and Fundamental Islamist have finally come to pass.


The court ruling dishes out what India craved for - put the nonsensical issue behind us, and let us traverse the path towards a great nation together. The ruling gives all the concerned parties - something to rejoice, and something to share. It provides everyone with the responsibility to carry on the good work done by the esteemed judges, and gives hopes to more than a billion Indians. It helps us instill our faith in Democratic, Independent, and Strong India.


What the ruling does not give - is anyone a reason to create chaos in the society, and perhaps excitement to the voyeuristic minds. Thank GOD (i.e. Everyone's GOD!)!