Even Rip Van Winkle would have felt embarrassed by India’s oddity
It is said that if something looks like a duck, flies and quacks like a duck, then it has to be a duck. But India is an exception. So, when 18 brave heart policemen were killed in Mumbai during 26/11, the whole nation galvanised into one and there was an evident cry of a battle to take revenge. Yet the issue was somehow marginalised to how the police and CRPF intelligence was to be blamed, if not Chidambaram. While that may be true, what has to be realised is that in all our confabulations, we should not forget that those are the Maoists primarily who are responsible for the killings. This may sound simplistic and naive; Home Ministry reports clearly state that in the last few years more uniformed personnel have been killed by the Maoists than by any terror group in J&K or Northeast. It is known that the Maoists have far greater firepower than any other banned terror organisation in India. They have mastered the use of IEDs and pressure bombs to the extent that the Indian security forces are still clueless about how to deal with them even as the mine protection vehicles are proving to be redundant. It is also known that Maoists are far more ruthless than any other subversive organisation and consider killing their adversaries with the worst kind of ferocity and ruthlessness to set examples for the rest. Their objective is not to develop the underdeveloped regions of India but keep them out of bound from prosperous India. Had their intention been to improve the state of people, they would have ideally given books instead of AK-47s in the hands of teenagers and not use them as fodder even while the progeny of the elite Maoist leaders continue to live in opulence. It’s no secret that their real objective is to replace India’s democracy with a ruthless communist regime. It is also known that in the Maoist strongholds, nothing can move without paying extortion money, the extent of which is around Rs.1500 crore a year. Yet when these reports come out, Indian intelligentsia easily scoff them off as government's propaganda and that Maoists are nothing better than poor peasants in destitute.
So what happens to India? Well the fight against Maoists is a litmus test of the very idea of India and would help in drawing the boundaries of liberty and laissez fairer that our democracy has been reduced to. Would someone ask the intellectuals as to who, whether the Maoists or the CRPF would come to India’s rescue if there’s another 26/11 type attack in India? Unfortunately, for Indian intellectuals, whose bravery is never put to test in front of a barrage of AK-47 bullets, its romantic reverie of an ideal revolution will not be broken unless the Maoist attacks, like the Jihadi attacks, would hit the heart of urban India hard. Then helicopters would be used with impunity as was used in 26/11. But till that time babus and netas sitting in Delhi would pretend that there’s no war going on and so Army’s involvement is not needed. Till that time, India would continue to have half a war in which it would fight and yet not fight to finish while the Army would continue to buy weapons for a conventional war, which perhaps would never happen in reality. If the Maoists are so right in their attitude that even the government is confused, then let’s not have any war at all and let them have their leeway if it helps India. But why reduce it to CRPF’s and Chidambaram’s war instead of the nation’s war? Yet, can you expect something better than half a war from half a nation? Not really because for a nation which behaves more often than not like 28 independent states, one can only expect half a war. And the poor CRPF jawan without any idea as to why his government has left him alone to die, would continue to pay with his half or full life while numerous talk shows on television would have burning issues to discuss and ponder for months to come. We call this democracy.
It is said that if something looks like a duck, flies and quacks like a duck, then it has to be a duck. But India is an exception. So, when 18 brave heart policemen were killed in Mumbai during 26/11, the whole nation galvanised into one and there was an evident cry of a battle to take revenge. Yet the issue was somehow marginalised to how the police and CRPF intelligence was to be blamed, if not Chidambaram. While that may be true, what has to be realised is that in all our confabulations, we should not forget that those are the Maoists primarily who are responsible for the killings. This may sound simplistic and naive; Home Ministry reports clearly state that in the last few years more uniformed personnel have been killed by the Maoists than by any terror group in J&K or Northeast. It is known that the Maoists have far greater firepower than any other banned terror organisation in India. They have mastered the use of IEDs and pressure bombs to the extent that the Indian security forces are still clueless about how to deal with them even as the mine protection vehicles are proving to be redundant. It is also known that Maoists are far more ruthless than any other subversive organisation and consider killing their adversaries with the worst kind of ferocity and ruthlessness to set examples for the rest. Their objective is not to develop the underdeveloped regions of India but keep them out of bound from prosperous India. Had their intention been to improve the state of people, they would have ideally given books instead of AK-47s in the hands of teenagers and not use them as fodder even while the progeny of the elite Maoist leaders continue to live in opulence. It’s no secret that their real objective is to replace India’s democracy with a ruthless communist regime. It is also known that in the Maoist strongholds, nothing can move without paying extortion money, the extent of which is around Rs.1500 crore a year. Yet when these reports come out, Indian intelligentsia easily scoff them off as government's propaganda and that Maoists are nothing better than poor peasants in destitute.
So what happens to India? Well the fight against Maoists is a litmus test of the very idea of India and would help in drawing the boundaries of liberty and laissez fairer that our democracy has been reduced to. Would someone ask the intellectuals as to who, whether the Maoists or the CRPF would come to India’s rescue if there’s another 26/11 type attack in India? Unfortunately, for Indian intellectuals, whose bravery is never put to test in front of a barrage of AK-47 bullets, its romantic reverie of an ideal revolution will not be broken unless the Maoist attacks, like the Jihadi attacks, would hit the heart of urban India hard. Then helicopters would be used with impunity as was used in 26/11. But till that time babus and netas sitting in Delhi would pretend that there’s no war going on and so Army’s involvement is not needed. Till that time, India would continue to have half a war in which it would fight and yet not fight to finish while the Army would continue to buy weapons for a conventional war, which perhaps would never happen in reality. If the Maoists are so right in their attitude that even the government is confused, then let’s not have any war at all and let them have their leeway if it helps India. But why reduce it to CRPF’s and Chidambaram’s war instead of the nation’s war? Yet, can you expect something better than half a war from half a nation? Not really because for a nation which behaves more often than not like 28 independent states, one can only expect half a war. And the poor CRPF jawan without any idea as to why his government has left him alone to die, would continue to pay with his half or full life while numerous talk shows on television would have burning issues to discuss and ponder for months to come. We call this democracy.
Read these article :-
the current president George Bush and spoke about a series of issues, including bailout packages for the US auto majors. The situation of the US auto sector is even worse than that of India, as the auto majors are begging for bailouts, with all urgency! The accused in this case are the three Detroit giants – Ford, GM and Chrysler, whose financials are getting worse, every passing month! The three automakers have asked for a $50 billion package from the US government, which will help them combat the current crisis. Interestingly, this figure doesn’t include the additional $25 billion which the government has agreed to grant to the automakers to produce energy efficient vehicles.
crunch. To overcome one such problem, Tata Steel, has finally laid down plans to merge its Britain based unit Corus by next year. The merger would make the group the second largest steel producer, next only to the Luxembourg based ArcelorMittal. The move has been taken to cut down on input costs and to save up to 350 million pounds. The merger puts thousands of jobs at risk as issuance of pinks slips seems inevitable. Nevertheless, given the current economic situation and feasible synergies of the alliance with Tata Steel’s construction-related assets which are likely to gain from Corus in the UK and Tata steel contributing through supply of raw materials, it does make sense for Ratan Tata to go ahead in the best interest of the company. 
car and is easy to drive. Being an automatic, it will be very convenient during rush hour. 
bought 28 ounces of gold, in 1982 it bought less than two ounces of gold (in 1980, one Dow Jones only bought one ounce of gold). At present the Dow still buys 12 ounces of gold and although this is down from its purchasing power of 44 ounces in 2000 (yes, the Dow has lost in gold terms or in “real” real terms 72% since 2000!), it is far from where stocks usually bottom out after major secular up-trends end. Simply put, in 1982, stocks were dirt cheap (P/E 7, dividend yield 7%) whereas now stocks are still pricey. Moreover, aside from so many other conditions, which were far more favourable in 1982 (debt-to-GDP only 130% compared to current debt-to-GDP of 350% ex unfunded liabilities, saving rate of 12% versus current saving rate of zero, MF cash positions of almost 15% compared to 4% now, et al) commodity prices and interest rates - the latter were then at over 15% on long- term Treasuries compared to around 4% now - were about to enter long term down-trends that would lift the valuation of equities, boost corporate profit margins and lift corporate earnings. However, these conditions no longer exist today! Interest rates will only decline further if there is a deflationary bust – not exactly a positive for equities. Also, whereas commodities could decline quite sharply in the near term should global demand collapse (major economic slump) the long term trend would seem to be on the up, courtesy of money printer Ben & stock manipulator Hank. Lastly, whereas in 1982 corporate profit margins were at depressed levels, today they still seem to be – from a historical perspective – close to record levels. So, all in all, I very much doubt that the current stock market strength is the beginning of a long-term uptrend. I would, therefore, use market rebounds around the world as a selling opportunity.
favouring the lifting of the moratorium on drilling in the US and trying to garner public support on the issue, the fact that Democrats are against such a lifting of restrictions, has created a new loggerjam of a debate between the two parties and their representatives.
have wanted; but how does one put across the fact that oil may one day run out when, er, it perhaps would never! OPEC’s latest report estimates that between the years 1995-2003, new discoveries improved recoveries by 138 billion barrels. Production has already increased by 26% as compared to the 1960s. By 2020, oil production is likely to cross 1600 billion barrels annually. If such is the case, as Dustin Hoffman asks lovely Mrs. Robinson, where lies the problem? Demand honey, demand. Demand for oil would [should?] far outstrip supply in the coming years. Oil has become a necessary evil for us; it is guzzling down our, and my, bank balances like nobody’s business, yet you can’t imagine life without it. Goddammit, I can’t! And there lies the need to cut across to alternative or quasi-alternative fuel. This dire need to make black gold less ‘necessary’ so that it can become a much subdued ‘evil’ has given rise to numerous technological breakthroughs in alternative fuel technology, giving cars that can run on electricity, hydrogen, E 85 (85% ethanol and 15% gasoline), nuclear, solar, et al. Hybrids have shown some promise too. India has seen its first hybrid in the form of Hero Honda Civic. But considering that these alternatives are yet to convert into truly marketable solutions, aren’t we moving a bit too slow? Moreover we seem to have many technologies posing as possible solutions, but do we have ‘the’ solution in sight?