GOVT SHOULD ACT TOUGH

The series of racial attacks on Indian students in Australia are appalling to say the least. The students have been attacked without any provocation. It is indication of growing frustration and non-tolerant attitude of Australians against India which is emerging as a powerful economy. This sort of racial discrimination deserves severest condemnation by all countries. Our government should put extreme pressure on the Australian government to arrest the culprits and take quick action as per the law. The Indian government should warn the Australian government that if such incidents are repeated the country will be declared an unsafe destination. The BCCI and IPL should also issue an advisory, that cricketers from that country shall be disqualified from playing future matches if the racial attacks against Indians are not stopped.

EXPERIENCE MATTERS THE MOST

This is with reference to the article by Shri R. Jagannathan, executive editor with DNA,-’Why UPA-2 May Bomb’. His observation that the stronger the government, the weaker the performance is not correct. The performance of government depends on who is at the helm of affairs. In 1991 we had Narasimha Rao's cabinet,Vajpayee's 1998 team and Man Mohan Singh in 2004. In spite of them having weak numbers in LS they all performed very well because their vast experience and understanding of the problems at gross root level. Though in 1984 Rajiv Gandhi had massive majority in LS, he did not have the administrative experience when he became the PM of the country. There fore his performance has nothing to do with the LS numbers. He was a visionary and dynamic PM is a different matter, but he was lacking in experience. He became the PM, even without the experience of a minister of state. He was around 40 years of age at that time. The other three referred PMs age were almost double of that of Rajiv Gandhi when they became prime ministers. They all had tons and tons of experience in public life. The UPA led government will provide better governance and there will be economic performance and reforms. And there fore UPA-2 will not bomb as long as Dr. Singh is at the helm of affairs.

PUBLISHED IN DNA NEWS PAPER ON 28-05-09.

MAMATA IS SETTING A BAD PRECEDENT

Ms Mamata Banerjee should re-examine her decision to run the Railway ministry from Kolkata.The Railway ministry, for various strategic reasons has been head quartered in New Delhi . Her decision of opening of a ‘camp office’ in Kolkata, apart from increasing the burden on the exchequer, is also a bad precedent. Like her, if other regional party’s powerful ministers also set up their camp offices in their respective state capitals, there will be chaos at New Delhi with regard to administration of those ministries. If she is so interested in building her party she should take cue from Mr. Rahul Gandhi and stay away from power and concentrate on party work.

APPEARED IN DNA NEWS PAPER ON 28-05-09.

MANMOHAN HAS NO EXCUSES NOW

The support of LEFT, maverick supremo of AIDMK, irresistible Lalu’s RJD, the opportunistic SP, JDS, JMM and the LJP, the fence sitters - TRS and the regional parties of Tamil nadu other than the DMK, has become irrelevant in the formation of UPA government at the center. This is a great opporunity for the UPA.Manmohan Singh is now free of interference from these rejected parties.During his last term,he had the Herculean task of convincing allies of every move he made. Most of his time was spent on keeping the flock together. Now he is free of that burden. The condition could not have been better. The time has come for him to deliver the promises made without offering any excuses.

APPEARED IN DNA NEWS PAPER ON 26-05-09.

HDK SHOULD FOCUS ON STATE POLITICS

After having failed to get the ministerial berth in the UPA government Mr. Kumara swamy is in a dilemma to retain or not retain his LS seat. There is nothing for small regional parties to do at the center after the Congress party got more than 200seats in the recently held elections to the parliament. Now the Congress is in a position to dictate terms on its chosen partners. JDS has failed in its election strategy in Karnataka when it missed a golden opportunity offered by the Congress for pre-poll alliance. Had both the parties fought the LS election toghter, things would have been different and the Congress would have happily offered him the ministry of his choice. JDS is non-existent in rest of the country and there is no possibility of revival at national level because of lack credible leadership at state level. Hence, it is desirable that he retains his assembly seat and strengthens the party in the state, since he enjoys the goodwill of people of the state for the developmental work done during his tenure as Chief Minister. He has the capacity to build the JDS, as an alternative to two national parties in the state of Karnataka.

CONGRESS SHOLUD CHANGE FOCUS IN KARNATAKA

The lackluster performance by the Congress in the state compared to superlative performance by the party at all India level needs severe introspection by the state as well as Central leadership.The Congress in other parts of the country was able to convince the voters to a large extent various policies implemented by the UPA alliance in the last five years.The state leadership as miserably failed in this respect. Although the Congress was in power in the state for most of the time since independence,the agenda of development was at snail pace. We have seen accelerated development when non Congress government is in power. Some of the most underdeveloped district in the state are Gulbarga,Bidar,Bellary and other parts of Hyderabad Karnataka which were the bastions of the grand old party for many decades but there was no development in those region.The leadership should change its focus if it wants to gain more seats.

APPEARED IN TIMES OF INDIA ON 23-0509

THE CENTER SHOULD BE HEAD STRONG

The DMK is putting unreasonable demand on the Congress leadership in respect of quantum of ministers and for the port folios for them. The situation in 2004 was different when Congress had only 140 plus MPs and LEFT parties consisting of more than 60 MPs extended outside support and hence the Congress had enough cushion and the freedom to allot as many ministries to its allies. The Congress,now, has emerged very strongly with 206 seats. There are experienced and capable candidates within the party who could not be accommodated in the previous ministry are to be accommodated now . More over, the performance of some of the ministers of DMK, in the previous tenure was below average and the Congress is justified in refusing to have them in the cabinet. The Congress should not buckle under pressure and stick its formula in the ministry formation.

The PM should factor in the unreasonable demand of DMK, when trying to find a solution to vexed cauvery dispute and the newly erupted Hogenkkal controversial power generation issue.


APPEARED IN DNA NEWS PAPER ON 25-05-09

CONGRESS SHOULD ACCOMMODATE LALU

The Congress has sidelined the RJD supremo after the drubbing of RJD in he LS polls. The RJD could get only 4 seats as compared to 20 plus seats it had in the previous parliament. Some section of Bihar Congress leadership is against to have RJD in the new UPA alliance. Mr. Lalu’s track record as Railway minister for the past five years was excellent. The RJD chief has defended the UPA alliance many a time when it was facing difficult situation including the nuclear deal. He has regretted the decision of his party not forging a pre-poll alliance with the Congress. Mr.Lalu is a quick learner and he will re-establish his roots with voters of Bihar in the coming days and emerge stronger. Keeping in mind the of long term association he had with the Congress, the Congress should accommodate in the ministry.

APPEARED IN DNA NEWS PAPER ON 22-05-09.

'LEFT' DAYS ARE OVER

The voters of West Bengal and Kerala deserve special congratulations from every Indian for rejecting the 'hammer and sickle' party in the recently held Lok Sabha elections. Mr. Prakash Karat after assuming the post of general secretary of the CPM, started behaving in dictatorial manner without taking the senior leaders into confidence either in the matters of national importance or in the internal matters of the party. The first one being the opposition to the nuclear deal with US and withdrawal of support to the UPA government at the Center. When Mr. Somanath Chaterji refused to resign from the post of speaker for the same issue, he unceremoniously ousted the highly respected parliamentarian from the party. The voters of these two states have observed his tyrant style and rightly rejected the party.

While addressing an election meeting, some time back, Mr.pranab Mukerji had said that basing on the LS seats he Left had in 1952 (15) and the seat they had in 2004 (64) it will take 250 years for them to form government at the Center. If one takes the number seats they have in LS now ,it will take more than 600 years to form government at the Center. That is very good news for young India.If the LEFT is not going to change their thinking.attitude and idealogy, they are rest asssured that their days are over.

APPEARED IN DNA NEWS PAPER ON 20-05-09