Different truths about Crimea and Ukraine crises

Crimea a part of Ukraine,  is in news these days. A part of Ukraine a former state of USSR is in crises with a section of population wanting to be part of European Union while the rest wanting to be with Russia. However, the news regarding the crises leaves one confused as different news channels are acting as propaganda machinery for the respective countries or interests.

1: The BBC and CNN are reporting that Russia has send troops in Crimea a port city of Ukraine and has virtually taken control of the area. The US president and NATO a group of European countries and US are threatening Russia with economic sanctions in case it interfered in the internal affairs of Ukraine.

2: Russia today, however, presents as entirely different picture. Russian today Anchor was saying,' US policy makers seem to be living in 5th century. They think themselves as ancient kingdom of Athens who can interfere and take control of other countries. The Athens was defeated in its effort' the anchor said. Russia today was broadcasting US threat of economic sanctions was a bluff. The US was under 16 trillion dollar debt and it is raising its debt ceiling. The European countries are also in dire economic state and are in no position to help Ukraine.

About Syria the Russia today said that the UK soldiers are fighting against the existing regime and are supplying arms with humanitarian aid.
 Now who is speaking the truth only the time can tell or we can say that history would be written in favour of the victor.

The Frank View point: Finance minister lies of Black Money

The Frank View point: Finance minister lies of Black Money: Yesterday I was hearing to budget speech of the Union Finance Minister, Chidambram. He said that Indian government had started proceeding i...

Finance minister lies of Black Money

Yesterday I was hearing to budget speech of the Union Finance Minister, Chidambram. He said that Indian government had started proceeding in 65 cases to impose penalty on tax evaders who had deposited their money in foreign banks.
The statement was strange. The Finance minister was projecting as if these were simple cases of tax evasion. Most of the cases in which money has been stashed in foreign banks are criminal cases.  The money deposited by politicians and middlemen in various foreign banks is generated from arms and other government deals. It is corruption money and cases of these persons should be dealt as criminal cases under sections 420 of the IPC and prevention of corruption act.
Here are some facts about how serious the present Union government has been in dealing with cases of bringing back Indian corruption money stashed in foreign banks.

1: The UN convention against corruption adopted a resolution declaring corruption money stashed in foreign banks as illegal on December 14, 2005. As per the resolution countries now had right to claim back black or corruption money stashed in foreign banks.

2: However, to be a part of the resolution every country had ratify the resolution in its own parliament. Many countries as US and Germany immediately ratified the resolution in their parliament and forced the Swiss Banks in Europe to handover the corruption money of their countries. US also imposed a penalty on Swiss Banks for keeping the corruption money of their country.

3: The Indian government waited for six years to ratify the resolution. The government of India ratified the resolution in May 2011 almost the last days for fixed by UN for ratification.

Why did the government of India wait for such a long time to ratify UN resolution against corruption 

1: Just of give time to Indian corrupt to take out lakhs of crores out of Swiss banks and adjust somewhere else

Is is shameful that even now our Finance minister is terming the money taken out of country as tax evasion and not a criminal act.

Flawed Urbanization

A new Chandigarh is being developed around Chandigarh, the only planned city of the country. Already the satellite townships like Mohalli, Zirakpur and Panchkula are killing Chandigarh. You can witness long traffic jams in Chandigarh that were not a part of Chandigarh culture about a decade ago. This new Chandigarh being developed by Punjab government would prove as a last nail in coffin.
The new Chandigarh is being developed on fertile agriculture land around the City beautiful. The costs of plots being offered is beyond the reach of common man.
Why cant the government look for some barren lands in hinterlands of the state and develop some more cities like Chandigarh away from the old Chandigarh. This would generate employment of people, create new business centers, decrease the cost of urbanized land and create more planned cities that can have planned industrial areas.
Interestingly after independence the besides, Chandigarh no new city has been developed in the entire country. The entire exercise of urbanization has been happening in the form of colonies of satellite towns around existing cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkatta or Ludhiana. The flawed urbanization has killed the said cities and reduced them to the most badly managed urban centers in the entire world.
It is high time the state or union government think of creating some new cities like Chandigarh in the country.

The British legacy continues in India

Tomorrow 'His Highness' the president of India, Pranab Mukerjee is coming to Dharamsala. The kind of arrangements being made for his arrival are shocking and awful wastage of public funds. A description:
About thirty VIP cars would accompany his highness from Gaggal airport to temporary campus of Central University Dharamsala at Shahpur. He would arrive in a chartered plane from Delhi to Pathankot. From Pathankot his highness would come in three helicopters. While two helicopters would be parked at Gaggal airport, one helicopters would hover the sky while president and the team accompanying him would travel 20 kms on road.
A special team including that of media is accompanying the president. The occasion is simply the 2 nd annual convocation of Central University Himachal Pradesh that unfortunately does not have its own campus. The president is going to stay for convocation for just 2 hours to distribute degrees to about 240 students and cost of the entire exercise would be around Rs 2 crores.
Besides the President, the Chief Minister Himachal Pradesh and governor Himachal Pradesh would be participating in the convocation. This means additional wastage of funds on making arrangements for these VVIPS and entire administrative machinery of Kangra district looking after the VVIPS and ignoring the common people.
Why cant the president of India come simply, interact with students and distribute degrees to them. Why the country has to bear the burden of this colonial legacy of Vice Roy's or representatives of the throne.

Poor Janarthan Dewedi suffers for speaking his mind for the first time

The poor Janarthan Dewedi, the congress general secretary and former Hindi teacher, for the first time was able speak his mind and express his internal feelings. He talked of reservation on the basis of economic criteria. He might have got the courage of expressing his views publicaly on a sensitive issue like reservation only after a discuss with the congress vice-president, Rahul Gandhi.
However, strong opposition by caste lobbyists forced congress to beat a hasty retreat over the issue. The congress President Sonia Gandhi had to come out with a statement in favour of existing system of reservation and poor Dewedi has not been seen since then.
Every political leader in private conservation admits that an elite has been created in schedules castes and OBC's that is taking the benefits of reservation. The poor in power castes are not getting any benefits. But nobody is ready to take any step over the matter.
However, in case Rahul Gandhi wants to prove himself as a leader he has to take some courageous steps rather than calculating every thing on vote parameters.

Feudal democracy or democratized feudalism

Himachal today witnessed its 44th Statehood day. However, had democracy in real sense prevailed in the state. The Chief Minister, Virbhadra Singh was on a 5 day winter sojourn to Kangra district from January 21 to January 25. First of all the term winter sojourn smacks of feudal character. The term, Winter Sojourn of CM, projects him as if a feudal lord was coming to give audience to his subjects residing in lower areas.
During the five day stay of CM at Kangra the entire district administration followed him day and night. None of the senior officials or head of departments was available in his office and general public had to suffer.
Why should people go to the CM for petty works when they can get them redressed at the DC or SDM levels.
During the rallies the CM was addressed as Raja Sahib due to his status as former ruler of Rampur state. The congress leaders exhibited such sycophancy during their political speeches that can put to shame any common man.
When will people of Himachal get rid of this feudal democracy or democratized feudalism.