Archive for July 2016
Kudos to Modi and Where Smriti Irani fumbled at HRD
First of all kudos to Modi and Amit Shah for the cabinet reshuffle. After a long time reshuffle has been performance based. Not able to resolve Rajya Sabha logjam lost Venkaiah his ministry. Falling into one controversy after another and not able to take people along lost Smriti Irani HRD. I never imagined such a performance based axing was possible in India.
None of the pundits predicted even after swearing in that Smriti or Naidu could be moved to different ministries. Now they have nothing to criticize. Policy criticism aside, I applaud PM when it’s due and this is one such case. It shows he has not lost track of the pulse. After 10 years of entitlement politics and policy paralysis, I never thought such preemptive actions were possible in Indian politics.
Coming to the big news; Smriti Irani being moved out of HRD. I agree that not all controversies were Irani’s creation. There were vested interests at play. But where she failed was to quell those controversies in a calm manner. She went confrontational. It could have worked in political fights, but confrontation with youth was never a good idea. She did what perhaps I would have done, fight it out. But with HRD minister, there were different expectations. She should have played smart. Should have gone about making changes without herself getting in confrontational mode. She should have let her surrogates and proxies do the fighting.
Second was the women card. She played it a bit too far. She aped Kejriwal in that regard. It is correct that she was targeted by elites for her acting background, just like BJP has crippled Delhi Govt for last year. But playing victim can only go so far. After a while it shows lack of maturity and inability to handle things. With “Dear” thing she went a bit too far.
She has done some good things at HRD but failed to build her legacy. She has age on her side and with time she will learn how to act smart and take people along. I firmly believe that she has a bright future ahead. Her oratory skills, a key in politics, are next to none. When media talk about her being contender to entitled Rahul Gandhi in Amethi, I just laugh. I believe Rahul Gandhi will be the one who will have to fight it out in 2019 against Irani.
In Reply to Ravish Kumar, NDTV
This is in reply to Open Letter from Ravish Kumar.
Ravish Kumar ji, there was a time when I used to watch your show. It was within last 3 years. You see I am also an emotional kind of guy just like you. To watch a news show, I must be able to respect the news person at some level. I had respect for you and hence I watched your show. For the same reason I like to watch Kapil Sharma and not Comedy Nights Bachao.
Just as a proof that I indeed liked you, here is the link to the article I wrote on 10 Sep 2014. And another on Nov 26 2015. The way you grilled opportunistic Kiran Bedi, I admired you. I liked you as you brought with yourself a real thing, which has gone missing on News Channels. A phonyism has engulfed not just news but society in general; amidst that I saw you a glimmer of hope. Then the black screen happened.
I would be honest; I lost more than a bit of respect for you that day. It was more because the reason you chose to do that. The TRP race. It felt as if you were irritated with the fellow channel that got TRP’s and you wanted that TRP for yourself. I would have liked had you berated against the bad Govt. policies or phony politicians. But the reason you chose was as phony as it could have been.
Now you complain about online trolls. You know when people start complaining about online trolls, is what I call the ultimate stage of phonyism. When you refer to ‘change’ in last 3 years, I know you are referring to the current dispensation. I just want to tell that last 3 years have seen infinite increase in online activity, fake accounts, paid accounts and what not. It is the real reason.
There are stages for success. People get successful and then more successful and then they start complaining about online trolls. Karan Johar was also complaining couple of weeks back on NDTV website about twitter trolls. Any public figure can complain about that. You don’t think Modi gets any less abuse online than you do? Take any public personality, you would be better, I bet.
Today’s letter that you wrote to MJ Akbar, I didn’t like that much. I’ll tell you why. I like upright people. If you hated him becoming minister, you should have said so straight. You went about beating around the bush trying to mock him. The holier than thou attitude doesn’t help Sir.
I sympathize with you that your mother was called names on twitter and your channel name was abused, but that is how social media has grown. If you want blame, blame twitter for not controlling such accounts. Blame the IT policy for that. Blame courts for not censuring people online. But don’t play a victim card here Sir. When people with money start playing victim card to online trolling, it doesn’t seem nice.
It’s like a slap on the face of poor people with real problems.
How Manmohan Singh tainted his own legacy
Growing up in late 90’s and early 2000’s, I came to know about Manmohan Singh. Everyone talked about him with respect as the man who liberalized India’s economy. How he helped the nation out of a potential bankruptcy by his economic vision.
Then came 2004 and I saw Manmohan Singh accompanying Sonia Gandhi to meet the President to stake claim to form the Govt. Few days later, I saw Sonia Gandhi accompanying Manmohan, who became an unelected PM. Then came the swearing in ceremony, I saw a humble man who was thankful to Sonia Gandhi more than to the nation. It was understandable, as nation didn’t choose him, Sonia did.
UPA 1 went without major hiccups. Nuclear Deal was the first time people saw Manmohan’s political acumen. And he was rewarded by public with a second term. Though he did not choose to stand for election this time too. Amidst this, UPA 2 began and all hell broke loose. The scams of UPA 1 tumbled out one by one and Manmohan Singh cut a sorry figure. It was not his cabinet but UPA cabinet. He didn’t appoint the ministers; he himself was appointed.
The desire he had to stick to his chair (I can’t blame him completely, who wouldn’t want to remain PM of India), did him in. From the golden legacy, he became the PM of one of the most corrupt Govt. ever in India. His decision to remain silent was not his decision, it was his compulsion else he would have been thrown out from PM chair. He chose to remain in the chair. I agree that he didn’t make money out of it, but he catered to his ambition to remain as PM. This was his corruption. He sold his soul and shielded his corrupt cabinet.
When he said, “Compulsions of coalition politics”, he would have hoped to divert blame to the coalition partners. But he was himself the biggest culprit. It was not due to compulsions of coalition politics, he was being blamed due to his own greed for the PM chair. The devil in him was compelling him to continue to turn a blind eye to corruption and stick to the chair.
Who started out during my childhood as a man who liberalized India, ended up being head of the most corrupt Govt and a morally bruised soul. How the might fall!
7th Pay Commission: Why are Govt Employees not happy?
On an average pay commission hikes are done every 10 years. Thus 70 years since independence equals 7 pay commissions roughly. When I read that 7th Pay Commission recommendations were being accepted and it will cost Govt around 1lac crore per year (0.7% of GDP), I thought it was a bonanza for Govt employees. Average pay hike is 23.5%. But I am hearing about resentment among junior employees, non-IAS civil servants and defense personnel w.r.t the pay hike. Most of us would be confused as to the reason. Let me demystify.
- The resentment is always there as the union leaders want to give an impression that they are fighting for more for the employees.
- Govt. improved upon 6th Pay Commission recommendations in 2008. (And hence same was expected this time, given the fact that Govt. employees form the core of the vote bank for BJP.
- It was a wrong time for the announcement. Dal/vegetable prices are at all time high at this time of the year. Hence feeling is that pay hike would go mostly towards inflation. This is not the case in reality. Govt. could have chosen a better time when new crop came in and prices were down.
- Entry level basic pay has been hiked from 7000/- to 18000/-. Unions demand more. But it’s also unjustified demand. Commission concluded that entry level Govt. employees are already getting better than corresponding private sector ones. Hence entry level pay hike %age is not as high as was expected.
- Junior level employees (Drivers etc.) want more. But as commission concluded, a Govt. driver gets 30000/- now, while market cost of a driver is around 15000/-. How high can we pay for the same job? Hence it’s wrong to blame the commission and Govt. here.
- Resentment is that higher posts people (including IAS cartel) are earning huge as compared to junior and mid level employees. Their hike was highest, around 25%, while junior employees got the smallest 14%. This resentment can be justified to an extent. IAS lobby are the one calling the shots, the exclusive golfers club as some call it. But then these are the brightest people available. Even in private jobs, salaries are skewed towards top level jobs as agree to it or not, there is a fight to get best people, which are a scarce resource. Govt. could have done some parity to preempt this however.
- Defense personnel are left behind. With the pay commission recommendations, allowances for civilian employees have become more than defense personnel is few cases. This could have been avoided. For example, hardship allowance an army officer will get for serving in Siachen is less than that of a civilian working there.
Mostly the resentment is that hike is skewed towards the top. Govt. has form committees to address the demands, as is the norm. I feel once the employees will get increased salary in July, most of the anger will go away and smiles would be back. The fact is as salary base increases %age hikes get smaller. Same happens in private sector. So %age hike in 7th pay commission might look less than that of 6th. But 1lack crore bonanza is huge when compared to paltry 20k crore by 6th pay commission.
Salman Issue: Bollywood gets creative
Bollywood has been caught in a dilemma. Their track record of taking high moral ground has come back to haunt them. They can’t speak against Salman. It would hurt their financial interests. They didn’t say anything against Salman on hit and run and invisible man. However they have spoken when similar things were done by politicians. They spoke when similar things were done outside their Bollywood and social circle. They were chatty on social media and in press conferences. They are chatty no more.
They have decided to get creative on this issue. They have to interact with media on daily basis and when the question is posed, they have to say something. So below is the compilation of the creativity of Bollywood on this issue.
1.
Shahrukh Khan: “I myself speak such a lot (inappropriately), Who am I to judge him on this? Personally speaking, I don’t think I am anyone to comment on this. I am so inappropriate myself. I have said some really wrong things also”
2.
Varun Dhawan: “I do not want to join anyone’s agenda to further the controversy; I am close enough to Salman to tell him my view point in person. When one knows someone personally, why would they say anything publicly about them?”
3.
Nagma: “There was No way he meant it the way it sounded. He should not have made this comment in public”
4.
Subhash Ghai: “It is very disgusting translation by someone. He just said one thing that it is a human agony he went through. He was talking about a metaphor. He is just a child and I know he respects women like anything.”
5.
Priyanka Chopra: “First of all, you should be asking the person who made this comment. A lot has been said about the Salman issue. I don’t want to add to the noise. I would rather bring notice on real women issues.”
6.
Rakhi Sawant: “I promise you that Salman Khan hasn’t said anything like this. Salman has only done the lip movements while somebody else has dubbed on it.”
7.
Vikram Bhatt: Silence. Was disgusted with KRK for anti-women remarks. Now he says this, “Salman Khan makes one comment and the whole world chases him, What about KRK? He will perpetuate lies and continue to do so”
8.
Pulkit Samrat: “Actors usually remain unaffected with controversies. As an individual, it also teaches you how to be strong and bounce back. Salman Khan is the biggest example of being strong and truthful. He has always bounced back.”
9.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui: “He used the comment metaphorically. The discussions on it are over and there is no point in repeating it and asking questions about it.”
10.
Aamir Khan: Silence. He was earlier hurt by intolerance. But when he himself used ‘balatkar’ for comedy in 3 Idiots. What else can we expect from him?
11.
Anushka Sharma: Silence. To her twitter trollers were misogynists, but sees no wrong in her Sultan co-star.
12.
Deepika Padukone: Silence. Times of India, cleavage controversy was bad. But now nothing.
13.
Kalki Koechlin: Silence. Nothing from women abuse crusader.
14.
Farhan Akhtar: Silence. Mard Farhan shared stage with him during IIFA.
15.
Karan Johar: Silence. Was deeply hurt when Udta Punjab was censored. Attends IIFA with Salman.
16.
Mouni Roy: ‘Naagin’ of small screen said this, “Every girl wishes to debut with Salman Khan”
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