PAUL WOLFOWITZ
Remember Paul Wolfowitz? Former deputy defence secretary of George W. Bush? Of course, he is best known as the prime architect of Iraq invasion. Now this fellow is going to be the next president of World Bank. He's Bush's choice, and Bush can only choose according to his own tastes and sensibilities.
Wolfowitz is a hard-headed hawk who is responsible for shaping the neoconservative policy of imposing American hegemony in a unipolar world. No wonder the European Union has grudging support to this appointment.
The World Bank, already a hate figure, especially in thirld world countries, is expected to wreak a fresh bout of havoc with Wolfowitz as its chief.
MRINAL BOSE
Friday, March 25, 2005
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
FOR GOOD JOURNALISM'S SAKE?
Rajdeep Sardesai, the most visible of Indian TV reporters, has left Pranoy Roy's NDTV to get his own news channel. He says he has to do it for the sake of good journalism.
Why an explanation? These days, new channels are coming up almost every month and most of them are simply boring clones of the existing ones. It looks like anybody can get a TV channel if he has some money.
It has been quite a while that Rajat Sharma, a newspaper journalist-turned -TV reporter, had his own news channel called India TV. Plain, without any new or novel idea, limping ever since its very inception, it is now trying to thrive on all kinds of tasteless sleazy stories.
Of course, Rajdeep is a solid and savvy reporter who can hook up audience with his bold and open take on anything and anybody. But can he remain the same when he would also have to pursue the business side of his channel as its owner?
MRINAL BOSE
Rajdeep Sardesai, the most visible of Indian TV reporters, has left Pranoy Roy's NDTV to get his own news channel. He says he has to do it for the sake of good journalism.
Why an explanation? These days, new channels are coming up almost every month and most of them are simply boring clones of the existing ones. It looks like anybody can get a TV channel if he has some money.
It has been quite a while that Rajat Sharma, a newspaper journalist-turned -TV reporter, had his own news channel called India TV. Plain, without any new or novel idea, limping ever since its very inception, it is now trying to thrive on all kinds of tasteless sleazy stories.
Of course, Rajdeep is a solid and savvy reporter who can hook up audience with his bold and open take on anything and anybody. But can he remain the same when he would also have to pursue the business side of his channel as its owner?
MRINAL BOSE
Friday, March 18, 2005
US DENIES VISA TO MODI
These days the US denies visas to Indian citizens at random, and quite arbitrarily. So when I heard the news of Narendra Modi, the Gujrat chief minister, being refused visa, I wondered if it was the extension of the same process. But Modi, his notoriety notwithstanding, is a well-known poltical persona. How could he treated on par with ordinary Indians like us? The US embassy comes forth with the reason: Modi violated religious freedom, whatever it means.
I have ambivalent reaction to this episode. First, I've a problem in accepting US's high moralistic posture. Look at its doings the world over, Iraq in particular: it has systematically demolished nations, cultures, civilizations, populations without a care for world opinion. Can it take action against Modi on atrocities it's itself accused of, on a larger scale?
But then I'm a bit amused too. Despite his heinous act, Modi has not yet been dumped by either the people or the history. The US's action is a step to that end, though in a farcical way.
MRINAL BOSE
These days the US denies visas to Indian citizens at random, and quite arbitrarily. So when I heard the news of Narendra Modi, the Gujrat chief minister, being refused visa, I wondered if it was the extension of the same process. But Modi, his notoriety notwithstanding, is a well-known poltical persona. How could he treated on par with ordinary Indians like us? The US embassy comes forth with the reason: Modi violated religious freedom, whatever it means.
I have ambivalent reaction to this episode. First, I've a problem in accepting US's high moralistic posture. Look at its doings the world over, Iraq in particular: it has systematically demolished nations, cultures, civilizations, populations without a care for world opinion. Can it take action against Modi on atrocities it's itself accused of, on a larger scale?
But then I'm a bit amused too. Despite his heinous act, Modi has not yet been dumped by either the people or the history. The US's action is a step to that end, though in a farcical way.
MRINAL BOSE
Friday, March 11, 2005
PRO-ACTIVE SUPREME COURT
Indian democracy is ailing and in grave condition now. As if to save its disgraceful death, the Supreme Court, India's highest judiciary, now directs the Jharkand Governor to hold majority floor test on 11th in stead of stipulated 15th.
The Sonia Gandhi government takes exception to this order, and raises questions about the jurisdiction of the court. One is surprised by Lok Sabha speaker's criticism of the court. But this is how the powers-that-be behave when it is not co-opted by the judiciary.
The governor, however, organised the test in accordance with the court's order. But it proves to be another excercise in flouting the order in a calculated manner. The legislators, surely of the Shibu Soren camp, created ruckus every time the speaker stared on its agenda, and an adjounament followed. After three adjounments, the speaker fixed the test on the 15th in an open vindication of the governor's earlier decision.
But the scenario takes an unexpected twist in late evening. Shibu Soren submits resignation as chief minister to Governor, and his opponent is being called to prove his majority.
Of course at the behest of who else but madam Sonia. But democracy is already mauled, and this is no redemption.
Can you discern that the history is now repeating itself?
MRINAL BOSE
Indian democracy is ailing and in grave condition now. As if to save its disgraceful death, the Supreme Court, India's highest judiciary, now directs the Jharkand Governor to hold majority floor test on 11th in stead of stipulated 15th.
The Sonia Gandhi government takes exception to this order, and raises questions about the jurisdiction of the court. One is surprised by Lok Sabha speaker's criticism of the court. But this is how the powers-that-be behave when it is not co-opted by the judiciary.
The governor, however, organised the test in accordance with the court's order. But it proves to be another excercise in flouting the order in a calculated manner. The legislators, surely of the Shibu Soren camp, created ruckus every time the speaker stared on its agenda, and an adjounament followed. After three adjounments, the speaker fixed the test on the 15th in an open vindication of the governor's earlier decision.
But the scenario takes an unexpected twist in late evening. Shibu Soren submits resignation as chief minister to Governor, and his opponent is being called to prove his majority.
Of course at the behest of who else but madam Sonia. But democracy is already mauled, and this is no redemption.
Can you discern that the history is now repeating itself?
MRINAL BOSE
Friday, March 04, 2005
DEMOCRACY'S BAD DAY
An interesting thing about India is that every politician here swears by democracy, but few really practise it. The current example is the action of Syed Sibtey Razi, the governor of Jharkand, who asked Shibu Soren, an ally of the government in power to form a government ignoring the NDA alliance which had already proved his majority status. His logic: he had stability factor in his mind, not the numbers. What a way to subvert democracy!
But surely it could not be the governor's personal decision. He's a known Congressman, a long-time faithful to Gandhi family, and has been awarded the Governorship just because of his closeness to Mrs. Sinia Gandhi. Obviously, he acted as his master prompted. The idea was to instal the pro-Congress government in a hurry, and thus allow it some time to buy some independent legistators so it could prove its majority in time on the floor of the assembly.
But the action has backfired now. The Bharatiya Janata Party, in an unbelievable show, had assembled all of its 41 supporting legistators in Delhi and paraded them before the President. It asked the President to take action against the governor, and instal the deserving party in power.
You perhaps know that the President did not take any action against the erring governor and just asked him to advance the date when Shibu Soren was to prove his majority on the floor.
MRINAL BOSE
An interesting thing about India is that every politician here swears by democracy, but few really practise it. The current example is the action of Syed Sibtey Razi, the governor of Jharkand, who asked Shibu Soren, an ally of the government in power to form a government ignoring the NDA alliance which had already proved his majority status. His logic: he had stability factor in his mind, not the numbers. What a way to subvert democracy!
But surely it could not be the governor's personal decision. He's a known Congressman, a long-time faithful to Gandhi family, and has been awarded the Governorship just because of his closeness to Mrs. Sinia Gandhi. Obviously, he acted as his master prompted. The idea was to instal the pro-Congress government in a hurry, and thus allow it some time to buy some independent legistators so it could prove its majority in time on the floor of the assembly.
But the action has backfired now. The Bharatiya Janata Party, in an unbelievable show, had assembled all of its 41 supporting legistators in Delhi and paraded them before the President. It asked the President to take action against the governor, and instal the deserving party in power.
You perhaps know that the President did not take any action against the erring governor and just asked him to advance the date when Shibu Soren was to prove his majority on the floor.
MRINAL BOSE
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