My Kannada Soul

Educating Arundhati-Part 5- Why Kashmir cannot go to Pakistan?-Minority test

Narayana — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 16:30:59 +0000

Arundhati probably does not know. For her benefit I am publishing snippets till she learns these.

Everyday I will publish one snippet till Arundhati’s starts getting it!!!

Today’s lesson:
Why Kashmir cannot go to Pakistan?-Minority test

instead of plebiscite can’t we use minority test to understand which country is more democratic and more likely to protect minority of Kashmir?

At the time of independence, India had 11% Muslim minority. Now it has 14%
At the time of independence, Pakistan had 15% Hindu minority. Now it has 2%.
Won’t this data tell Arundhati how the justice will be served for minorities in Pakistan!!!

Arundhati you need to be factual.

Educating Arundhati-Part 4- Who said “I shall not withdraw an inch but will fight to our last man and our last round.”?

Narayana — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 23:48:32 +0000

Arundhati probably does not know. For her benefit I am publishing snippets till she learns these.

Everyday I will publish one snippet till Arundhati’s starts getting it!!!

Today’s lesson:
Who said “I shall not withdraw an inch but will fight to our last man and our last round.”?

Major Somnath Sharma, PVC

Answer: It was Major Somnath Sharma. First recipient of Param Vir Chakra. Highest award for galantry in Independent India.
Unlike what Arundhati wants India to believe, Kashmir has always been part of India. For 5000 years Kashmir has been cradle for Hindus. Today story focuses on one such brave soldier who defended Kashmir.

Pakistan had been sending mercenaries into Kashmir with a missive to capture Srinagar(1947). Game plan of the mercenaries was to capture the valley and then completely isolate Jammu and Ladakh. India had to move in really fast. Major Somnath Sharma’s company was heavily outnumbered by mercenaries. However despite being in cast on account of an earlier injury, Major Somnath Sharma fought valiantly against the intruder to protect the integrity of Indian mother land. How his company held on Bagdam to prevent progress of 600 odd pakistani mercenaries and thus to prevent fall of Srinagar is now part of army lore. Major was awarded Param Vir Chakra posthumously for fighting to protect Indian territory.
That is one inspiring winner of Param Vir Chakra who believed in unity of India. Casting aspersion that Kashmir was never part of India is a slandar on that noble soul.

Arundhati you need to be factual.

Read Below the citation of the award.(courtesy Indian Army; Refer list of Param Vir Chakra Winners here.



Maj Somnath Sharma  
4 KUMANON (IC-521)  
            On 3 November 1947, Major Somnath Sharma’s company was ordered on a fighting patrol to Badgam in the Kashmir Valley .  He reached his objective at first light on 3 November and took up a position south of Badgam at 1100hours.  The enemy, estimated at about 500 attacked his company position from three sides; the company began to sustain heavy casualties.  
            Fully realizing the gravity of the situation and the direct threat that would result to both the aerodrome and Srinagar via Hum Hom, Major Somnath Sharma urged his company to fight the enemy tenaciously.  With extreme bravery he kept rushing across the open ground to his sections exposing himself to heavy and accurate fire to urge them to hold on.  
            Keeping his nerve, he skillfully directed the fire of his sections into the ever-advancing enemy.  He repeatedly exposed himself to the full fury of enemy fire and laid out cloth strips to guide our aircraft onto their targets in full view of the enemy.  
            Realising that casualties had affected the effectiveness of his light automatics, this officer whose left hand was in plaster, personally commenced filling magazines and issuing them to the light machine gunners.  A mortar shell landed right in the middle of the ammunition resulting in an explosion that killed him.  
            Major Sharma’s company held on to list position and the remnants withdrew only when almost completely surrounded. His inspiring example resulted in the enemy being delayed for six hours, thus gaining time for our reinforcements to get into position at Hum Hom to stem the tide of the enemy advance.  
            His leadership, gallantry and tenacious defence were such that his men were inspired to fight the enemy by seven to one, six hours after this gallant officer had been killed.   
            He has set an example of courage and qualities seldom equalled in the history of the Indian Army.  His last message to the Brigade Headquarters a few moments before he was killed was, ‘the enemy are only 50 yards from us.  We are heavily outnumbered.   We are under devastating fire.  I shall not withdraw an inch but will fight to the last man and the last round.’

Photo Courtesy: Himachal.us

Educating Arundhati-Part 3- How does Kashmir get its name?

Narayana — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 13:44:58 +0000

Arundhati probably does not know. For her benefit I am publishing snippets till she learns these.

Everyday I will publish one snippet till Arundhati’s starts getting it!!!

Today’s lesson:
How does Kashmir get its name?
Kalhan’s Raj Tarangini is one of the historically significant book. Kalhan as you may know was in the court of King Harshavardhana. Kalhana was a Kashmiri Brahmin lived in 12th century AD.

Those who want to know more about Kalhana and Rajatarngini may refer to book written by Mark Aurel Stein titled Kalhana’s Rajatarangini:A Chronicle of the Kings of Kasmir (3 vols). It is published by Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, in 1989.

Kalhana described the origin of name Kashmir. Initially this was a lake named Satisar. Name Satisar meant lake of Parvati. There lived a demon named Jalodhbhava who troubled people. Sage Kashyapa did a penance to get rid of the demon from Satisar and was assisted by Vishnu in draining the lake to get rid of the demon. Vishnu took the guise of a boar and bore through mountain to drain the lake. The place where Vishnu struck is called Varaha Mula and Land that appeared after the lake was drained called Kashyappura or Kashymir. The name “Kashmir,” in Sanskrit, implies land desiccated from water: “ka” (the water) and shimeera (to desiccate).The ancient Greeks began referring to the region as “Kasperia” and the Chinese pilgrim Hien-Tsang who visited the valley around 631 A.D. called it “KaShi-Mi-Lo”

Now back to Arundhati. If she feels that this does not get India any close to Kashmir she needs to first start at Israel. Based on old testament which is basically a book of religion if Jews could claim Israel don’t Hindus have more right on Kashmir because there are more historical texts that project a Hindu heritage in Kashmir?

Educating Arundhati-Part 2- Why are stone throwers of Kashmir targeted by Police?

Narayana — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 03:10:09 +0000

Arundhati probably does not know. For her benefit I am publishing snippets till she learns these.

Everyday I will publish one snippet till Arundhati’s starts getting it!!!

Today’s lesson:
Why are stone throwers of Kashmir targeted by Police?

Arundhati was dripping with sympathy for stone throwers who are being targeted by Police. See this video on why these stone throwers are targeted by Police.

Arundhati Roy’s inveigle in Delhi to support Islamic Terrorism was off the facts on so many counts. This was one of them.

Educating Arundhati-Part 1- What are some important dates in Kashmir?

Narayana — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 13:54:54 +0000

Arundhati probably does not know. For her benefit I am publishing snippets till she learns these.

Everyday I will publish one snippet till Arundhati’s brain gets full and I get no more response from her.

Today’s lesson:
What are some important dates in Kashmir?

Best answer: thanks to KVN Doss in statesman

2629-2564 B.C.: Rule by King Sandiman.

2082-2041 B.C.: Rule by King Sunder Sen rules Kashmir.

1048-1008 B.C.: King Nara rules Kashmir.

250 B.C.: Shrinagari (today’s Srinagar is located about three miles from Shrinagari) near the ancient capital Pandhrenatha is founded by Ashoka the Great.

7th century: King Lalitaditya builds the famous Sun temple and formed the city of Pharihaspura.

813-850: Pampore was founded by Padma, during the rule of King Ajatapida

855-883: King Avantivarman builds the town of Avantipur and the famous Sun temple.

883-902: King Shankaravarman builds Shankarapura-pattan (now known as Pattan).

1128-1149: Reign of King Jayasim.

mid-12th: Muslim invasion of Kashmir.

1322 Turks, under ferocious Zulkadur Khan, first invade Kashmir.

1394-1416: Central Asian ruler, Sikander invades Kashmir and brings about mass conversion to Islam. After the tyranny of Sikander was over, only eleven Kashmiri Hindu families survive.

1540: Mirz Haidar, a relative of Humayun (of the Moghul invader dynasty) conquers Kashmir. Kashmir gradually absorbed into Moghul Empire.

1810-1820: Maharajah Ranjit Singh, one of the greatest rulers of India, regains Jammu and appointed his Dogra feudatory Gulab Singh to rule the State.

Mar 16, 1846: The present State is created by a treaty between the British East India Company acting on behalf of the British Government and Maharajah Gulab Singh in Amritsar.

1931: One of the worst communal riots led by Sheikh Abdullah and his Muslim Conference.

1939: Muslim Conference becomes the National Conference.

Aug 15, 1947: India gains independence. The ruler of Kashmir, Maharaja Hari Singh yet to make up his mind regarding accession.

Oct 22, 1947: Pakistan violates the Standstill Agreement by preventing essential supplies to the State, then hoards of armed Pakistani tribesman entered Kashmir.

Oct 26, 1947: Hari Singh signs the instrument of accession, it is no different than the one signed by over 500 other rulers. The accession of Kashmir was accepted by the Governor General of India Lord Mountbatten.

Oct 27, 1947: The first Indian forces arrived in Kashmir to defend against Pakistani troops.

Dec 31, 1947: A highly unconstitutional offer of plebiscite was made by Prime Minister Nehru in the U.N.

Jan 1, 1948: India under Nehru declares a unilateral cease-fire and under Article 35 of the U.N. Charter, India files a complaint with the U.N. Security Council. Pakistan still controls 2/5 of the State.

Jan 20, 1948: The U.N. Security Council in its resolution of establishes the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP).

Jul 1948: Mohd. Zafrulla Khan, then the Foreign Minister of Pakistan and principal Delegate of Pakistan in the U.N. admits to the U.N. Commission for India and Pakistan that the Pakistani Army had been in Kashmir.

Aug 13, 1948: UNCIP adopts a resolution on Kashmir accepted by both India and Pakistan. Pakistan is blamed for the invasion of Kashmir and is instructed to withdraw its forces from Kashmir.

Jan 1, 1949: Amidst great tension, one minute before midnight, India and Pakistan concluded a formal cease fire agreement.

Jan 5, 1949: Almost a year after Nehru’s offer of plebiscite, the UNCIP passes a resolution that states that, “The question of accession of the state of Jammu and Kashmir to India or Pakistan will be decided through the democratic method of free and impartial plebiscite”. However, Pakistan has yet to comply with the earlier resolution and withdraw from the State. Also, Pakistan is now busy changing the demographic composition of the State.

1949: Not withstanding the opposition by several authors of the Indian Constitution, including Dr. Ambedkar, its chief architect, Article 370 was inserted in the constitution of India. This article is meant as a temporary measure, to be in effect until the formal constitution of Jammu and Kashmir is drafted.

Jun 1948: Sheikh Abdullah declares, “We the people of Jammu and Kashmir, have thrown our lot with Indian people not in the heat of passion or a moment of despair, but by a deliberate choice. The union of our people has been fused by the community of ideals and common sufferings in the cause of freedom”.

1949: Following the cabinet decision taken by the Abdullah Government, Hari Singh steps down. Hari Singh’s son, Karan Singh is named his successor.

Apr 1950 UN Security Council appoints Sir Owen Dixon as the UN representative in place of UNCIP to find expeditious and enduring solution to the India-Pakistan dispute over Kashmir.

Oct 1950: General Council of the National Conference demands elections to create a Constituent Assembly.

Sep 1951: Elections for the Constituent Assembly are held The National Conference wins all 45 seats unopposed.

Oct 1951: Constituent Assembly of the State of Jammu and Kashmir is inaugurated.

Nov 5, 1951: The Constituent Assembly is given four tasks by Sheikh Abdullah which including the accession to India.

Nov-Dec 1951: Karan Singh steps down as the ruler, and is elected by the Constituent Assembly of the Jammu and Kashmir State as Sardar- i-Riyasat (Governor).

1952: Jana Sangh begins campaign called “Ek Vidhan Ek Pradhan” (One Constitution, one leader) and demands that the State of Jammu and Kashmir be totally integrated into India and that the people from the other States be able to visit Jammu and Kashmir without a passport.

1952: Jana Sang leader Shyamaprasad Mukherjee dies in a Kashmiri Jail under mysterious circumstances.

Aug 9, 1953: Sheikh Abdullah is arrested. He had turned corrupt and autocrat. He tried to hold India for ransom by giving increasingly anti-India speeches and preserve his power.

Feb 1954: Under the leadership of Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED Constituent Assembly of the State of Jammu and Kashmir ratified the State’s accession to India.

May 14, 1954: The President of India promulgates the Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order placing on a final footing the applicability of the other provisions of the Indian Constitution to Jammu and Kashmir.

1956: Constitution (Seventh Amendment) Act 1956, the category of Part B State was aboilished and Jammu and Kashmir was included as one of the States of India under Article I. However, Article 370 of the Indian constitution is still retained.

Jan 26, 1957: After the formal inauguration of its constitution, the Constituent Assembly dissolves itself.

1958: All-India services extended to J and K through an amendment in Article 312.

1964: Sheikh Abdullah released from the prison.

1965: Pakistan attacks India, in operation code named, Gibraltar. The defeat of Pakistan results in the Tashkent Agreement between the two countries.

Mar 30, 1965: Article 249 of Indian Constitution extended to Jammu and Kashmir whereby the center could legislate on any matter enumerated in state list (just like in any other State in the Union). Designations like Prime Minister and President of the State are replace by Chief Minister and Governor.

1971: Pakistani attack on India results in the third war between the two countries. Pakistan is completely defeated, over 90,000 of its men surrendered.

1972: India and Pakistan sign the Shimla Pact. Two agree to respect the line of control until the issue is finally resolved.

Feb 24-25, 1975: Following an accord signed by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Sheikh Abdullah on February 24, 1975, Jammu and Kashmir is made a “Constituent Unit” of India on February 25, 1975. Through this accord Indian Parliament reaffirms its right to legislate on any matter concerning the territory of the State.

1977: National Conference wins the first post-Emergency elctions.

1982: Sheikh Abdullah nominates his son, Farooq Abdullah as his successor setting up a political rivalry between Farooq Abdullah and his brother-in-law G. M. Shah.

1986: In one of the most shameful acts of religious massacre, several ancient historical Hindu temples are destroyed and scores of Hindus were killed in the city of Anantnag. Chief Minister G. M. Shah looses power to his brother-in-law Farooq Abdullah.

1990-1991: In a spate of terrorist violence, 2400 people have died so far, and 300,000 people have been driven out of their homes. Pakistan’s involvement in this carnage of violence is beyond doubt.

Why you shouldn’t have said what you said

Narayana — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 19:19:50 +0000

Arundhati Roy, The Nihilist Taliban has tried to clarify why she said what she said as per this link in Churumuri. Here is a strong antidote for Arundhati’s dope. I have quoted this text of her response from Churumuri and provided reality check to her through my indented comments.

I write this from Srinagar, Kashmir. This morning’s papers say that I may be arrested on charges of sedition for what I have said at recent public meetings on Kashmir.
I said what millions of people here say every day.

Come on.. Give a correct picture ..majority of 4 million muslims in the valley may nod with you.. But what about majority of 3 million in the neighboring Jammu who have a different view of things. Don’t they also have a say in your ear!!!

I said what I, as well as other commentators have written and said for years.

Bogus claim. Give me the facts. If you are considering Gilani as another commentator you are so wrong here.

Anybody who cares to read the transcripts of my speeches will see that they were fundamentally a call for justice.

I did not read the transcript. There was no transcript available. If the transcript were available let us know. I watched every second of your video including your call “someone’s mobile phone is ringing”. You were pathetic. You did not have facts but got lost into your usual rhetoric. What were the two hoodlums with torn jeans by the side of you!! Were they there to ensure you sang like a parrot anything dictated by Taliban?

I spoke about justice for the people of Kashmir who live under one of the most brutal military occupations in the world; for Kashmiri Pandits who live out the tragedy of having been driven out of their homeland; for Dalit soldiers killed in Kashmir whose graves I visited on garbage heaps in their villages in Cuddalore; for the Indian poor who pay the price of this occupation in material ways and who are now learning to live in the terror of what is becoming a police state.

Madam, You did not speak about Kashmiri Pandits in that speech!!You never had that on agenda? But made up that only when Kashmiri Pandits who bore the brunt of Gilani’s ilk asked for justice. That too your first reaction was Kashmiri Pandits grievances were false and Panun Kashmir was bogus!!! Why are you claiming sympathy with Kashmiri Pandits now???. You say Kashmir is one of the most brutal military occupation. Who gives you this authority to rank what is most brutal? Who else is there on the list and what is the rank of Kashmir? How about Tibet? Do you think it is not an occupation? How about Ireland? How about Palestine? How about Israel as a country in asia? What about Chechniya and Ugyurs in China? What about Jaffna in Srilanka? Or streets of Juarez in Mexico? Or FARC in Columbia or Basque in Spain? Now tell me which of these regions have been having free elections. What about the already “Azad” Kashmir on the other side of the border. Did Gilani tell you how many elections have been held in the Azad Kashmir?Azad Kashmiris have been taken for a ride by Azad Punjabis. Did Gilani want that? Is that the Azadi Gilani wanted and you concur? Your comments on Dalit soldiers and putting them on garbage pile shows what kind of women you are!! The soldiers paid a heavy price for protecting my freedom and hence I would always cherish them in my heart. No amount of equating them to thrash will make my respect for them go away. Who is the Indian poor you are referring to.. You should have gone a miles east from Shrinagar to see the real poverty manufactured by this Taliban. There are 300000 thousand refugees in their own mother land. A land they have more claim like native Indians have claim in USA. Their rich 5000 year history of tolerance have been used to subjugate them into refugeehood by the hoodlums of Gilani whose cause you are trying to espouse. Indian poor are paying the price for the adventures of Gilani and his ilk and it was not because they wanted to send police to the valley just for fun. Police are there to keep peace lady. If police had not gone in 1947 we would have had Gilani begging in street from Punjabis as is happening now in the west of Kashmir. In a way rest of India has sacrificed to keep Indian Kashmir still tolerable. What was your war cry along with those Taliban..Nanga Bhukha Hindustan. Jan Se Pyara Pakistan. Why don’t you renounce your citizenship and go to Pakistan and be the one of the wives of a taliban who will understand your version of justice better than educated and informed. Do you know what kind of evil people you are bedding in Kashmir. You seem to be completely devoid of any principle!!!

Yesterday I traveled to Shopian, the apple-town in South Kashmir which had remained closed for 47 days last year in protest against the brutal rape and murder of Asiya and Nilofer, the young women whose bodies were found in a shallow stream near their homes and whose murderers have still not been brought to justice.

I know .. I know. You are great at writing stories and picking up fiction as fact and then weaving innuendos. I refuse to buy this time. I repeat what you said. Their bodies were found in a shallow stream near their homes (fact) and whose murderers have still not been brought to justice(fact) also note additional facts here – commission of J&K government concluded that rape by security was a fiction (yes the same government that enjoys article 370) Investigation also concluded that her taliban brothers could be suspect in that killing!!! Did you speak to her brothers and believed what they said!!! Why only Nilofar Aasiya. Why not Ganga, Jumna and Jeejabai who got raped in the valley by these goons of Taliban. Yes you can not put a name on Hindu victims. Simply put a number and tell your guardian angels in western press that Gilani’s men raped 300000 Hindu women .. every single of them whom you find living in squalor in Jammu and Delhi and in between.

I met Shakeel, who is Nilofer’s husband and Asiya’s brother. We sat in a circle of people crazed with grief and anger who had lost hope that they would ever get insaf—justice—from India, and now believed that azadi—freedom— was their only hope.

Why you did not meet SHO Shafeeq Ahmed and SI Gazi Abdul Kareem? These were the first ones to investigate this case!!You could have heard their side of story too. You will not! You will pick up what you want to hear. Inefficiencies in Indian Legal Administration is not just in Kashmir. They are there everywhere in India. Azadi will not solve any of this. What you need is azadi from clogged minds. Clogged in belief that everyone around is a rapist and wannabe thug and hence manufacturing violence against society is OK. This form was once called “Nihilism”. All your action so far are from the copy book of Nihilist. So call yourself Nihilist. And then you will see your western support disappear.

I met young stone pelters who had been shot through their eyes. I traveled with a young man who told me how three of his friends, teenagers in Anantnag district, had been taken into custody and had their finger-nails pulled out as punishment for throwing stones.

It is now confirmed. You are a Nihilist. You want to throw stones. Did you also hear the story of security man who lost his eye and had to return to the garbage pile in Cuddalore. Tell it to your supporters that “Stone throwing” is their birth right!!! One day they will quote a hadith and throw stones on your nanga bhukha self because you did not wear a burkha

In the papers some have accused me of giving ‘hate-speeches’, of wanting India to break up.

What some.. Everyone of them saw that hate speech. Some have reported. What is the “accusation” part here.

On the contrary, what I say comes from love and pride. It comes from not wanting people to be killed, raped, imprisoned or have their finger-nails pulled out in order to force them to say they are Indians.

Add here love and pride for people who raped 300000 Hindu women, who want to kill more more Nilofers and Aasiyas and blame security forces. Love and pride for the stone throwers. You should really be proud of them. These stone throwers can identify Dalit from Cuddalore among many uniformed men and take out his eyes in a one stone using a stone like boomerang!! You should be really proud of those skills

It comes from wanting to live in a society that is striving to be a just one.

Define the just one.. Is it a society were Sharia is enforced where you would have got married before your puberty to a war lord so that your “Children of Lesser God” got never written.

Pity the nation that has to silence its writers for speaking their minds. Pity the nation that needs to jail those who ask for justice, while communal killers, mass murderers, corporate scamsters, looters, rapists, and those who prey on the poorest of the poor, roam free.

I agree there are many more in the line before you with more graver sins. So in effect you are misusing this position to do the unthinkable and expect justice to be served in a queue system where your name will never come up in your life time. That is another tactic from Nihilists. So you are a Nihilist with sympathies to Taliban. Let us see how western press reacts to this rechristening of Arundhati.

Is Kashmir an Integral part of India? A response to Arundhati

Narayana — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 16:59:25 +0000

This is response to Ms. Arundhati Roy’s recent comment that “Kashmir was never part of India”.

Ms. Arundhati,
I am a rationalist. I need reason before I make up my mind. I had almost made up my mind. But now since I have got confirmation I wanted to record it ..So this blog post!!!
It is strange that I read your essays. All of them!! From title to appendix and beyond. Your written words are magical. They are like the Kerala Monsoon you described in your first and only novel. They have no reverence to anything but wet everything they lash up on!! Your catharsis numbs the sharpest brains and words weaved together carry the zombie brains into the world where there is only skullduggery!!
In my more recent life, I realize that I am getting this guilt trip more too frequently. Every time you open your mouth I get another cathartic guilt trip to the hinterlands of Nagaland, to the cherubic tribes of Bastar and so on. I am now addicted to your essays laced with dopey analogies and selective quotations. Like a clever lawyer who presents only her side of story.
Addiction is bad! However tell it to an addict!!! Only way to get out of addiction is to have a powerful life changing experience on account of addiction. Something like slaying your own angel in one of the addiction binges!!! I was totally hooked to your dope that drizzled from likes of Outlook in all its torrential fury. But thank you for throwing me a life boat. Your statement that “Kashmir is not part of India” rehabs me completely. I am totally wide awake and full of my rationality!!
Madam, you are so very wrong. Both as a citizen of India (they should put you in jail, you are a traitor) and an author.
I am not sure of exact clauses to book you under law. There must be something similar to pledge of allegiance we keep repeating day in and day out in USA. Since constitution of India was a cut and paste job I am sure there will be similar pledge you would be in violation.
But as an author, you are clearly at fault of not knowing the history. Do you know why Kashmir was the only state with special state not enjoyed by any of the 500 odd rags that got stitched into Indian quilt. Look no further, it was a Kashmiri in the guise of prime minister of India who ensconced a special status for his own state!! 1946, Gandhi’s poster boy “chacha” had lost nominations in 13 of 19 provinces to become prime minister (Vallabbhai Patel was undisputed leader to be heading India at that time)
Chacha had made plans to return to Kashmir and was busy fomenting trouble in the valley by openly fighting war of words with King of Kashmir Maharaja Hari Singh. Hari Singh was in favor of joining Indian union.
But suddenly all that changed and after currying favors with another hoax who called himself “Father of Nation” Nehru suddenly became choice unopposed for the post of prime minister of India surprising everyone. That is when Maharaja Hari Singh developed cold feet. And Nehru idiot allowed a special clause!! It is this yuck of family that has been curse of India. It is this family that created Kashmir problem. If Nehru was from Gujarat we would have Azadi struggle in Gujarat. If Nehru was from Calicut. We will have azad Calicut. Take away special status.. Kashmir would have got integrated into India in no time!!! So rational explanation here Chacha made sure that Kashmir was a separatist entity to which he can parachute when Chacha’s deficit in cranium department become apparent. But it is sad that Gandhi got killed and Patel died and “Chachwad” got firmly ensconced to give “Nanga Bhukha Hindustan” to Arundhati’s dope!!!
That brings this essay back to you Arundhati. You seem to be living in a hallucination or you are about to enter into menopause where harmones play spoil sport and create a make believe world where you think your own whim is a gospel from Mt Ararat.
I stop buying your weed. I am fully recovered. I no longer crave at the corners of “outlook” to imbibe on your next essay laced with dope that almost I believed to be gospel. Not anymore. Here we part our ways. You go to jail and I go back to real life!!

Lalith Bhanot’s standard of cleanliness

Narayana — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 13:26:07 +0000

Lalith Bhanot defended filth in Common Wealth Games village saying it is common Indian standard. I am shocked what kind of filth does the humble tax payer of India have on his pay roll. When will this asshole bureaucrat get fired?

I recently got to see the pictures of what Lalit Bhanot called commonplace. Shocking!!! Repulsive!!!
India needs to fire the bureaucrats who make such comments

Picture Courtesy : BBC

New Song for Commonwealth

Narayana — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 15:54:19 +0000

The new song that is being rounds in Bangalore is more apt.

It is also set to the tune of “Kamana Billidu Kamanu Kattide” nursery rhyme of Karnataka.

Enjoy.

Fallen bridge at Common Wealth Games at New Delhi!. As told to us by Kalmadi slowly things are falling into their place!!!

Poem description
***********
First Para

This poem is set to the tune of “Kamana Billidu Kamanu Kattide”… a popular nursery rhyme in Karnataka.
The poet is describing the falling of the bridge as symbol for the corruption. He uses clever world play to convey that this bridge in real life was leading to main stadium.

Second Para

Poet describes various shoddy constructions which may not withstand wind. He also recounts how rains played havoc with games preparation and not to forget the Dengue Fever scare.

Third Para

In third para he uses a clever worldplay. New Zealand team had to vacate their accommodation because they found workers had defecated inside!! Poet uses that incident as an allegory to the corruption scandals unraveling.

Fourth Para

“Andada Chandada” is Kannada equivalent of Manhoar, the first name of India’s sports minister. Poet also is using syllables in the last name of CWG Delhi Chief to probably convey different meaning.. I am not sure of it though

Photo courtesy: Guardian. UK

Who was responsible for liberalization of India?

Narayana — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 20:12:21 +0000

1991 was a watershed year in Indian history. I need not tell you how the change in economic policies stabilized India which was on the brink of collapse.
I always wanted to know how the sea change in government’s attitude to free enterprise came about.
Galbraith had been prophetic about India when he said something like Congress party changing its economic policies after emptying the coffers. Well emptying of coffer did happen and then suddenly black marketeers of yesteryear became champions of free economy. A gentle sardar came from nowhere to become Finance Minister. He was relieved of popular pressure for having to seek popular vote for the things he would set about doing in coming years!!. Policy changes a 50 years of democracy could not bring about happened in matter of months if not days!!!

I kept wondering about this through my college. I met with a professor in college who incidentally was on the panel of liberalization mooted by Rajiv Gandhi. This professor, whose name I would like to keep secret had taped conversations of panel advising some of the bitter medicine which later PV Narasimha Rao had to administer to the country. This professor who had exposure to working in the west as academician had many powerful friends in IMF and World Bank. He told the class when India went bankrupt because of the congress policies, we were forced to open our markets as a precondition to any of the rescues World Bank or IMF devised at that time to save India. He also said choice of Manmohan as Finance Minister was dictated by World Bank/IMF and it is neither vision of PVN nor benevolence of Gandhi family that got Manmohan his chair as FM. He also said there was a confidential agreement signed by Government of India and IMF/World Bank which dictated every step for liberalization and possibly nominated a finance minister who was acceptable to west. This was too much!! I debunked the professor and his conspiracy theory. After some 10 years when I had become NRI a thought occurred to me if the professor was really right. I toyed the idea of filing a RTI petition to summon the agreement if any made by Government of India and World Bank/IMF as professor was arguing. But I did not make much progress on that.

However something unexpected happened this July. After many scandals World Bank decided to be transparent and suddenly changed its policies. In July World bank came out with new way of transparent functioning. They declassified tons of documents in the public interest. And I thought why shouldn’t I dig through these documents to check if professor was right. So this weekend I dug through voluminous documents and found some agreement between Government of India and World Bank which provided step by step procedure for liberalization!!!! I am producing my verdict based on this.

You also read through the document and clarify if my conclusions are right. If you try to go to World Bank site and get the documents on your own you may get confused and may not know where to look .. What you should look for is a Structural Adjustment Loan(SAL) Agreement. India asked SAL to tide over imminent default in 1991. I believe Manmohan was still not the FM when SAL was sought.
The link for obtaining the loan agreement from World Bank site is here

Now read through the document titled Conformed Copy – C2316 – Structural Adjustment Loan – Loan Agreement (English)

Jump to the section titled Schedule 4. This section lists out the things borrower (i.e. India Government ) should do if he needed this loan!!!

I have listed out those conditions below.

1. That the Borrower has introduced in its Parliament a Bill to
amend its Sick Industrial Companies Act of 1985 (SICA), satisfactory
to the Bank, providing, inter alia, for the following:
(a) improving the criteria for determining sick industries;
and
(b) strengthening the Board for Industrial and Financial
Reconstruction (BIFR) created under SICA and improving and stream-
lining its functions and procedures.
2. That the Borrower has specified, in respect of its National
Renewal Fund established for the purpose of financing unemployment
insurance and redeployment and retraining for public and private
workers, all relevant details including, inter alia, its objectives,
scope, structure, operations, sources and methods of funding,
criteria and mechanisms for providing support to workers and, nature
and amount of such support.
3. That the Borrower has issued guidelines under its Industries
(Development and Regulations) Act 1951, as amended, clarifying that
industrial licensing decisions in respect of projects and facilities
located within less than 25 kms of cities of over one million
population will be based solely on environmental, safety, land-use,
congestion, urban planning, and other related considerations.
4. That the Borrower has adopted a plan of action, including a
timetable for implementing such plan, satisfactory to the Bank, to
deregulate and decontrol the steel industry, such plan to provide,
inter alia, for the removal of price and distribution controls.
5. That the Borrower has:
(a) completed a review of the relevant laws and regulations
governing labor relations and transfer of land, the role of state
and local governments in industrial restructuring, and the proce-
dures for liquidation under the Borrower’s Companies Act of 1956, as
amended;c (b) based on the recommendations of such review, formulated
a policy, including a timetable for implementing such policy,
satisfactory to the Bank, to facilitate the process of adjustment by
industrial firms, including rehabilitation, winding up and
liquidation, taking into account the need for adequate safeguards
for workers, including programs for redeployment, retraining, and
appropriate compensation where necessary; and
(c) begun the implementation of such policy in accordance
with such timetable.
6. That the Borrower has adopted appropriate measures, as may be
required or necessary, in order to provide automatic approval for
the import of capital goods in projects requiring such imports,
where the CIF value of such imported capital goods is less than 50%
of the total value of plant and equipment (net of taxes) required
for such project and does not exceed Rs. 100 million.
7. That the Borrower has adopted appropriate measures, as may be
required or necessary, to abolish the following restrictions imposed
by its Reserve Bank since October 25, 1990:
(a) cash margins requirement for imports;
(b) the requirement that capital goods are importable only
with foreign financing; and
(c) the preferential queuing system for approval of letters
of credit.
Page 11
8. That the Borrower has adopted appropriate measures, as may be
required or necessary:
(a) to implement a program, satisfactory to the Bank, to
reduce and eliminate the availability of foreign exchange at the
official exchange rate to its public sector agencies for importing
those products with respect to which imports by the private sector
have been permitted solely with the use of Eximscrip;
(b) to further reduce the list of products with respect to
which its public sector agencies have the exclusive monopoly to
import so that private sector imports relating thereto are permitted
and such monopoly is retained only for the following products and
such other products acceptable to the Bank; petroleum products;
fertilizers; oilseeds; cereals; and certain fatty acids and acid
oils; and
(c) to require its public sector agencies, in respect of the
import of products for which private sector importers are required
to use Eximscrip, to also use Eximscrip from the date private sector
imports are permitted pursuant to clause (b) of this paragraph 8, or
to adopt an action plan, satisfactory to the Bank, to reduce and
eliminate the availability of foreign exchange at the official
exchange rate to its public sector agencies for such imports.
9. That the Borrower has adopted appropriate measures, as may be
required or necessary, to permit such intermediate items, except
items related to health, environment and security, as set forth in
Appendix 2-B (Restricted List) of the Borrower’s Import and Export
Policy, 1991-93 (hereinafter “Import and Export Policy”) correspond-
ing to at least two-thirds of the domestic production of such goods
to be freely importable using Eximscrip or using Open General
License under Appendix 6 thereinafter “Open General License” of the
Import and Export Policy.
10. That the Borrower has adopted appropriate measures, as may be
required or necessary, to permit the import of all unlisted capital
goods with Eximscrip whether or not such Eximscrip is earned by the
exports of the importing firm.
11. That the Borrower has eliminated licensing requirements for
imports of such capital goods, except capital goods related to
health, environment and security, included in the Capital Goods
Restricted List as set forth in Appendix l-A of the Import and
Export Policy corresponding to at least 50 percent of the aggregate
domestic production of such goods.
12. That the Borrower has abolished the requirement that importers
actually use the items imported.
13. That the Borrower has adopted appropriate measures, as may be
required or necessary, to abolish the Limited Permissible List as
set forth in Appendix 3 to the Import and Export Policy and to
revise such Policy so as to permit any item not included in any of
the Appendices to be imported with the use of Eximscrip.
14. That the Borrower has adopted appropriate measures, as may be
required or necessary, to abolish the preference provided by its
Director General of Supplies and Disposals in the procurement of
goods to domestic suppliers over the duty paid price of imports.
15. That the Borrower has removed export licensing, canalization
and minimum export price requirements for all products except those
included in a negative list, satisfactory to the Bank, with respect
to which such requirements are retained.
16. That the Borrower has completed a review to reform the customs
tariffs and, based on the recommendations of such review, has: (a)
adopted a medium-term plan of action, including a timetable for
implementing such plan, satisfactory to the Bank, in order to
simplify the structure of tariff rates so as to substantially reduce
Page 12
their variability and the incidence of exemptions and partial
exemptions, minimize the use of specific tariffs, and substantially
reduce the average and maximum levels of tariffs; and (b) reduced
the maximum level of customs tariffs to a level satisfactory to the
Bank.
17. That the Borrower has:
(a) adopted a plan of action, including a timetable for
implementing such plan within a period of three years from the date
of such adoption, satisfactory to the Bank, in order to:
(i) eliminate budgetary transfers and loans to
central public enterprises deemed to be sick
under criteria set forth in SICA, as such
criteria may be amended;
(ii) eliminate budgetary plan support through loans
and equity for public enterprise investments
except in the energy, transport and other
infrastructure sectors; and
(iii) limit government guarantees of central public
enterprise borrowings to those enterprises
engaging in essential infrastructure,
exploitation of oil and mineral reserves, and
strategic activities; and
(b) begun the implementation of such plan in accordance with
such timetable.
18. That the Borrower has: (a) adopted a plan of action, including
a timetable for implementing such plan, satisfactory to the Bank, in
order to initiate the closure or winding up of unviable central
public enterprises in accordance with existing procedures; and (b)
taken all necessary steps, satisfactory to the Bank, in order to
require central public enterprises deemed to be sick under criteria
set forth in SICA, as such criteria may be amended, to be referred
to BIFR for assessment of their prospects and subsequent rehabilita-
tion or winding up and that all such enterprises meeting such
criteria have been referred to BIFR and the procedures for such
assessment have been initiated, except in respect of those enter-
prises for which closure and winding up proceedings have already
begun prior to requiring such enterprises to be referred to BIFR.
19. That the Borrower has completed the divestment of at least 20%
of the equity of selected central public enterprises satisfactory to
the Bank so as to yield a sum of at least Rs. 25 billion.
20. That the Borrower has adopted a plan of action, including a
timetable for implementing such plan within a period of three years
from the date of such adoption, satisfactory to the Bank, to
increase the private equity share in profitable central public
enterprises to at least 49 per cent, including preparation of a list
of such enterprises.
21. That the Borrower has adopted measures, satisfactory to the
Bank, to gradually reduce the Statutory Liquidity Ratio required to
be maintained by Scheduled Commercial Banks, in a manner consistent
with the reduction of the Borrower’s fiscal deficit, such measures
to be implemented beginning in April 1992.
22. That the Borrower has completed a review to reform the
financial system and, based on the recommendations of such review,
has adopted a plan of action, including a timetable satisfactory to
the Bank, to gradually reduce and eliminate interest rate subsidies
in direct credit schemes, such plan to be implemented beginning in
April 1992.
23. That the Borrower has introduced in its Parliament appropriate
legislation, satisfactory to the Bank, to confer on the Stock
Exchange Board of India statutory powers to operate as an indepen-
dent regulatory body, including power to investigate with due
diligence.
Page 13
24. That the Borrower has adopted a plan of action, including a
timetable for implementation, satisfactory to the Bank, to reform
the trading mechanism of stock exchanges, including a system of
national clearing and settlement and setting up a central depository
trust.
25. That the Borrower has adopted a plan of action, including a
timetable for implementation, satisfactory to the Bank, for setting
up of mutual funds in the private sector, and has begun the
implementation of such plan in accordance with such timetable.

Oh.. My.. These conditions look like preview of the things that happened to India afterwards.. under the great visionary leadership of Congress “Mutsaddhi”s.. So whom should we give credit for liberalized India.. To Congress? To Manmohan? To PV? Or Galbraith who predicted such a liberalization after country’s coffers were emptied by Congress party, or to the World Bank as these documents amply convince me beyond any reasonable doubt.
I am still searching for that elusive document where Government of India is said to have accepted nomination of Dr. Manmohan Singh as FM. I am still not sure if that exists.. But whatever I found so far is shocking enough. Every step taken by India government later has been laid out in this agreement the pauper government signed on!!!

Please circulate this to fellow Indians..Let us stop genuflecting to the tradition and start setting the records straight. For history is condemned to repeat if we do not learn from it.!!!