DMajor Major General Mrinal Suman, AVSM, VSM, PhD, commanded an Engineer Regiment on the Siachen Glacier, the most hostile battlefield in the world. A highly qualified officer (B Tech, MA (Public Administration), MSc (Defence Studies) and a Doctorate in Public Administration), General Suman was also the Task Force Commander at Pokhran and was responsible for designing and sinking shafts for the nuclear tests of May 1998.
One of the most disgusting sights seen in recent times was media coverage of General Pervez Musharraf's visit to India. A leading magazine had invited him as a distinguished speaker.
It was repugnant to see media personnel attempting to outdo each other in fawning over him. He was treated as a peace loving and moderate leader who is a well wisher of India. One TV personality went to the extent of eulogizing him as a beacon of peace for the sub-continent. Another correspondent had no hesitation in calling him as the most erudite Pakistani leader who is held in high esteem in India.
Not one media personality questioned him for initiating Kargil aggression, lest he be offended. No one cared to ask him about numerous Indian prisoners of war rotting in Pakistani jails. Nor was he asked to explain reasons for his failure to stop terrorist training camps and infiltration of jehadis into India. Worst, he was never castigated for the most barbaric and inhuman treatment meted out to Lt Saurabh Kalia and his patrol.
One wonders what thoughts must have passed through the minds of the parents of the late Lt Saurabh Kalia when they saw Indian media going overboard in lauding Musharraf as a sagacious leader and a man whom India can trust. Lt Saurabh Kalia of 4 JAT Regiment was just 22 years old when he was captured by the Pakistani Army on 15 May 1999 along with five other Indian soldiers. Saurabh's patrol was on the Indian side of Line of Control and was the first to detect Pak intrusions in the Kargil area. The patrol was kept in captivity for three weeks and their bodies were handed over to India on 9 June 1999. The state of their bodies bore testimony to the brutal torture which they had been subjected to.
The Pakistanis had indulged in dastardly acts of inflicting burn injuries on them with cigarettes, piercing their ears with hot rods, removing their eyes before puncturing them and breaking most of the bones and teeth. They even chopped off various limbs and private organs of the hapless Indian soldiers besides inflicting unimaginable physical and mental torture. After 22 days of torture, the brave soldiers were ultimately shot dead. A detailed post-mortem report is with the Indian Army.
Pakistan is a signatory to Geneva Convention that governs treatment of Prisoners of War. Article 13 mandates - "Prisoners of war must at all times be humanely treated. Any unlawful act or omission by the Detaining Power causing death or seriously endangering the health of a prisoner of war in its custody is prohibited, and will be regarded as a serious breach of the present Convention. In particular, no prisoner of war may be subjected to physical mutilation or to medical or scientific experiments of any kind which are not justified by the medical, dental or hospital treatment of the prisoner concerned and carried out in his interest." Article 17 further stipulates that no physical or mental torture, nor any other form of coercion, may be inflicted on prisoners of war to secure from them information of any kind whatever.
Musharaf was never asked by the media to explain as to why the perpetrators of such heinous acts have not been brought to book to date. But, why blame media alone? Shockingly, inhuman and dastardly ill-treatment of gallant Indian soldiers has not stirred the conscious of India as a self-respecting country. The Government's response has been totally muted and apathetic. No political party has considered it worthwhile to pressurise the Government to demand explanation from Pakistan or take up the issue with international bodies for crimes against humanity. Although Indian human rights activists and bodies never tire themselves of crying hoarse over trivial and even concocted allegations against the Indian security forces, they did not find the abominable conduct of Pakistani soldiers worth condemning. As regards the Indian public, initial anger, indignation and revulsion have given way to indifference.
Instead of hauling Musharraf before international law commissions for crimes against humanity, India allows him to roam free in India to propagate his anti-Indian views. Even in the recent conclave, he humiliated India by calling terrorists as freedom fighters. It was nauseating, to say the least, to watch the media grovel before a vicious and remorseless enemy. Worse, the media scrupulously avoided asking him any discomfiting question, lest he be embarrassed.
Great nations are distinguished by their self-confidence and self-respect. India fares miserably on both counts. Had such treatment been meted out to Israeli soldiers, Israel would have made Pakistan pay dearly for it. In case US soldiers were brutalized in this manner, the US would have obtained custody of the guilty and tried them in the US for war crimes.
Our response to a matter of national shame has been indifferent and apathetic. It is only a soft state like India that utters a few protesting murmurs and thereafter receives the main perpetrator as a guest of India. It is inconceivable how Indian media could honour a man who dishonoured its soldiers.
Inviting Musharraf to participate in conclave of statesmen and thereafter giving him prime time coverage should make every Indian hang his head in shame.
A soldier is always prepared for the supreme sacrifice. Despite the immense pain of losing a son/husband/father, the family members of every martyr draw consolation from the belief that dying for the country is the ultimate honour for a soldier. However, they expect countrymen to remember and value their contribution to nation's security. Soldiers draw strength from the recognition received from their countrymen.
Special Series: Unsung Heroes : Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
When the nation shows apathy to the fate of Saurabh's party or for the soldiers in Pakistani jails who are still clinging to the hope that India would secure their release, the complete soldier fraternity and their families start wondering whether the country cares for them at all or even whether it is worth dying for it. The nation owes an answer to Saurabh's and the parents of other martyrs for its abject apathy and failure to punish the guilty. A nation has to prove itself worthy of its soldiers' supreme sacrifice.
The glorification of Musharaf has certainly insulted the memory of innumerable soldiers who died for India's future. The media needs to do serious introspection. Not withstanding its desperation for sensational news, Indian media must remember that it owes allegiance to India and its interests.
Major General Mrinal Suman, (retd) AVSM, VSM, PhD directs the Defence Acquisition Management Course for Confederation of Indian Industry and heads its Defence Technical Assessment and Advisory Service. A prolific writer, he is often consulted by policy makers and the Parliamentary Committee on Defence, and is regularly invited to address various industrial chambers in India and abroad. The views expressed here are his own.)
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Thursday, May 7, 2009
New York Times reader comment on India going to the polls, "The world's biggest exercise in democracy"
April 15, 2009 It is truly the greatest show on Earth, an ode to a diverse and democratic ethos, where 700 million + of humanity vote, providing their small part in directing their ancient civilization into the future. It is no less impressive when done in a neighborhood which includes de-stabilizing and violent Pakistan, China, and Burma.
Its challenges are immense, more so probably than anywhere else, particularly in development and fending off terrorism -- but considering these challenges and its neighbors, it is even more astounding that the most diverse nation on Earth, with hundreds of languages, all religions and cultures, is not only surviving, but thriving.
The nation where Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism were born, which is the second largest Muslim nation on Earth; where Christianity has existed for 2000 years; where the oldest Jewish synagogues and Jewish communities have resided since the Romans burnt their 2nd temple; where the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government in exile reside; where the Zorostrians from Persia have thrived since being thrown out of their ancient homeland; where Armenians and Syrians and many others have to come live; where the Paris-based OECD said was the largest economy on Earth 1500 of the last 2000 years, including the 2nd largest only 200 years ago; where 3 Muslim Presidents have been elected, where a Sikh is Prime Minister and the head of the ruling party a Catholic Italian woman, where the President is also a woman, succeeding a Muslim President who as a rocket scientist was a hero in the nation; where a booming economy is lifting 40 million out of poverty each year and is expected to have the majority of its population in the middle class, already equal to the entire US population, by 2025; where its optimism and vibrancy is manifested in its movies, arts, economic growth, and voting, despite all the incredible challenges and hardships; where all the great powers are vying for influence, as it itself finds its place in the world.
Where all of this is happening, is India, and as greater than 1/10 of humanity gets ready to vote, it is an inspiration to all the World.
V Mitchell, New York, NY
Its challenges are immense, more so probably than anywhere else, particularly in development and fending off terrorism -- but considering these challenges and its neighbors, it is even more astounding that the most diverse nation on Earth, with hundreds of languages, all religions and cultures, is not only surviving, but thriving.
The nation where Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism were born, which is the second largest Muslim nation on Earth; where Christianity has existed for 2000 years; where the oldest Jewish synagogues and Jewish communities have resided since the Romans burnt their 2nd temple; where the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government in exile reside; where the Zorostrians from Persia have thrived since being thrown out of their ancient homeland; where Armenians and Syrians and many others have to come live; where the Paris-based OECD said was the largest economy on Earth 1500 of the last 2000 years, including the 2nd largest only 200 years ago; where 3 Muslim Presidents have been elected, where a Sikh is Prime Minister and the head of the ruling party a Catholic Italian woman, where the President is also a woman, succeeding a Muslim President who as a rocket scientist was a hero in the nation; where a booming economy is lifting 40 million out of poverty each year and is expected to have the majority of its population in the middle class, already equal to the entire US population, by 2025; where its optimism and vibrancy is manifested in its movies, arts, economic growth, and voting, despite all the incredible challenges and hardships; where all the great powers are vying for influence, as it itself finds its place in the world.
Where all of this is happening, is India, and as greater than 1/10 of humanity gets ready to vote, it is an inspiration to all the World.
V Mitchell, New York, NY
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Facts about Bofors case: Shy Rao, shameless Singh ! & Public Views !
S Gurumurthy
First Published : 05 May 2009 01:42:00 AM IST
The Quattrocchi case is an embarrassment for the Government of India... The court says we do not have a strong case”. It is not Antonia Maino (aka Sonia) Gandhi defending her Italian friend. It is Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as if she had appointed him as the advocate to plead for Q. “It’s not a good reflection on the Indian legal system,” says the PM moved by compassion for Q, “that we harass people while the world says we have no case.” Singh, who was with the South Commission on a comfortable salary and perks when the Bofors scam rocked the country, seems totally unaware of the facts of the Bofors scam. Here is a short trailer of the scam.
The Bofors scam — pay-off for India’s gun purchase deal with Sweden — broke out in 1987. A third of the Indians living today were not yet born then; and a fourth of the Indians living then are no more alive today. So some history needs to be recalled here. First, the Bofors payoff was exposed by the media and the Rajiv government went all out to suppress the exposure. Including the payoff of $36.5 million to Q, the Bofors deal contemplated three streams of payoff totalling $250 million. Persistent investigations by the media and the CBI brought out the involvement of Q in the gun deal.
The closeness of Q and his wife Maria to Sonia family was always well known.
The Sonia and Maria families spent their weekends and annual holidays together.
They left one’s children in the custody of the other when going out of station. So intense was their relationship. The media found that some $7.3 million from Bofors AB had found its way into Q’s secret bank accounts. Facts began to tumble out testifying that it was fee to Q for swinging the $1.2 billion gun deal for the Swedish gun maker.
Here is how Q got the deal for Bofors.
The Rajiv Gandhi government could not decide for a long time what gun to buy — the British, Austrian or Swedish. The two brokers engaged by Bofors could not expedite the deal. Suddenly, in the second half of 1985, AE Services (AES), a shell company, entered the deal with this offer to Bofors: “Look. If we get you the deal by March 31, 1986, give us a fee of three per cent. If not, don’t pay.” Bofors accepted the offer and signed up with the AES shell on October 15, 1985. Unless Bofors knew that the man behind AES had had the clout to get it done from the Rajiv government, it would never have signed with a shell company.
And AES shell did get the Rajiv government to sign the contract with Bofors on March 22, 1986 — seven days ahead of the target date of March 31, 1986. Within six months, AES got the first tranche of its fee of $7.3 million. Proof emerged slowly that this money finally went to Q, showing he was the man behind the shell.
■ Bofors remitted on September 3, 1986, $7.3 million into AES account number 18051-53 in Nordfinanz Bank, Zurich.
This equalled 20 per cent of the three per cent bribe of $36.5 millions due to AES.
■ Two weeks later (on September 16, 1986) AES delivered $7 million into account number 254.561.60W in the same bank in the name of Colbar Investments — a company controlled by Q and Maria.
■ In April 1987, the Swedish Radio broke the news of bribes in Bofors deal with India. Later, in June 1988, the media published authoritative documents seized by the Swedish police which established the payoff. By now, Bofors scam had become a huge national issue.
■ Forthwith Q and Maria hurriedly shifted their loot, grown with interest, from Geneva to Channel Islands, to New York to Austria. First, on July 25, 1988 $7.9 million moved from Colbar to account number 488.320.60X of Wetelsen Overseas SA, in UBS, Geneva. Next, on May 21, 1990, $9.2 million moved from Wetelson to account number 123983 of IIDCL, Ansbacher, St Peter Port, Guernsey (Channel Islands). Later, on June 5, 1990, $2.4 million channelled into code-named account ‘Robusta’ in Banque Karfinco SA from Swiss Bank Corp, New York. Afterwards, on June 12, 1990, $5.3 million was transferred to code-named accounts ‘Arabica’, ‘Robusta’ and ‘Luxor’ in Austria from Swiss Bank accounts in Geneva.
■ Within six days of the Swiss government giving these details to India in 1993, Q slipped out of India and turned a fugitive, thanks to the Narasimha Rao government helping him to run away.
■ Later, in June 2003, Interpol found that Q and Maria had two accounts, bearing numbers 5A5151516L and 5A5151516M in the London branch of the Swiss bank BSI AG with Euros three million and $1 million.
They were frozen on CBI’s request.
British courts later repeatedly turned down Quattrocchi’s several appeals to de-freeze the accounts.
■ But, on December 22, 2005, the Congressled UPA government U-turned. H R Bharadwaj, the law minister, got the additional solicitor general of India, B Dutta, to go to London to do the dirty job of releasing the amounts.
Can anyone say now that Q is innocent and he just received some charity of $7.3 million from Bofors? Yet the Sonia-led government allowed Q to smuggle the bribe from the frozen accounts. All that the CBI asks of Q is this: Come to India and answer these questions — why Bofors paid him the money; did it relate to the gun deal; what is his relation with Sonia family, AE Services, Colbar Investments and the coded and numbered bank accounts through which the payoff has finally reached him.
Why not Sonia Gandhi just ask him to appear before the court and prove his innocence? Why does she, on the contrary, abet his refusal to present himself before courts in India? It is clear that she will not ask him. Why? Here is the answer: unless Sonia protects Q here, he will not protect her outside. The stakes seem to be too high.
QED: Manmohan Singh today does what Sonia wants like Narasimha Rao did then what she wanted. Yet, there is a difference between how the two obliged her. Rao felt shy to do what she wanted. So he did it stealthily. Singh does what she wants openly and shamelessly. Even, a Sonia family retainer like H R Bharadwaj feels shy to own up the shameless withdrawal of the Red Corner Notice on Q; but the PM owns it proudly. Singh is shameless about what Rao used to feel shy. Why? Unlike Rao, Singh is not an elected prime minister but a nominated one; he is not chosen by democratic process, but selected by the dynasty; he is not backed by the people, but backed by the family. So the shift from shyness to shamelessness, from Rao to Singh
comment@gurumurthy.net
About the author:
S Gurumurthy is a well-known commentator on political and economic issues
Public Views :
Indian Hindu said down below "MMS is the retainer of the private limited family company under the name INC run by mother, son and daughter. What else to expect from MMS. Winston Churchill rightly said that the Indians do not deserve freedom." I am surprised at his inference. Clearly, Churchill was a silly guy to make that statement. What is MMS's servitute good to do with Indians not deserving freedom. The death blow for Indian democracy was given by MK Gandhi when he did not respect people mandate and asked Patel to step down for the sake of Nehru. Though we call India a democracy, it is no where close to democracy - for the people?? of the people?? by the people??? Congress has left the majority poor and illeterate to hijack the elections.
By Sathish
5/6/2009 8:27:00 PM
I wonder why people call MMS a good man. I don't see any good quality in him.
By Sathish
5/6/2009 8:20:00 PM
We christian bas**tards are anti Hindu, anti Indian and are ordered to condemn patriotic Indian's articles by our church and our virgin born fake Jesus christ.
By Tonyt
5/6/2009 8:15:00 PM
Looks like the christian pedophile priests are in to commenting unsing hijada names like debator or even Hindu names. These christian fu**ckers lick the cunt of Sonia and write all nonsense instead of arguing. These unfortunate christian slaves are a pain in the world’s ass. These assholes are brainwashed, in CIA funded Sunday schools to learn English and study a fake religion called Christianity created by a criminal in the fourth centurty. These love oozing animals have eliminated races and cultures with pure genocide and slavery. These christian communal pigs invade all forum like this with abusive comments on commentators, which their genetic nature. As these christian are the rape products of Europeans. These christian bastard who use bombs and explosives in NE have no shame in proclaiming love for humans. These sodomy christians say they are not communals but give the admissions to the state funded colleges only if the hindus convert.
By The debater
5/6/2009 8:07:00 PM
Sonia put her dog Manmohan on the orders of CIA. Rao employed the dog Manmohan on the orders of CIA. For a dog of Sonia eating her shit is very pleasant experience. Unfortunately this Sonia shit eating dog Manmohan is a spy and is detrimental to India. The christian congress party is shameless and consists of all US spies. The next generation of this Italian pro is the gang rapist Rahul Gandhi who will do proud any Delhi rapist. When India is full of Jaichand like Vajpayee who changed the law to allow this Italian pro to stand for election, then what is so great about withdrawing a red corner notice.
By v Subramanian
5/6/2009 7:54:00 PM
MMS is the retainer of the private limited family company under the name INC run by mother, son and daughter. What else to expect from MMS. Winston Churchill rightly said that the Indians do not deserve freedom. After 62 years, the servility of Indians to a family which stole the name of Gandhi through an affidavit with the advice and connivance of the Great Mahatma is bafling. Churchill was prophetic indeed.
By Indian Hindu
5/6/2009 7:33:00 PM
Whenever some comments are made about the dynasty, petticoatwalas immediately pounce upon the person.
By v subramanian
5/6/2009 6:29:00 PM
Looks like the Chaddiwalas have unleashed an entire army of brainwashed, shakha-bred,venom-spitting communal pigs on this forum. the article is about Bofors scam and how conveniently these low-life scums have turned it into a minority-bashing theatre, one can just see here. Chaddiwalas have mastered the art of taking literally any topic on earth and then turn into a communal diatribe. Well trained!
By The debater
5/6/2009 5:45:00 PM
On the one hand, Obama gives millions of dollars as rehabilitation package and on the otherexpresses concern for the Americans suffering because of recession. If he is short of money, why cannot he cancel and stop all allocations made to foreign countries by his predecessors as well as by him for conversions throughout the world and redirect the amount to poor Americans instead of feeding the already overfed NGOs and the religious brokers in the country. Protecting Americans is a serious matter than promoting religious hatred and engineering religious defections and redefections in addition to allowing the religious brokers to amss more fixed and current assets from out of the funds allotted which Obama andhis audience should understand. Are there some senators with some common sense to listen to my suggestion if they are really concerned for American welfare.
By subramanian
5/6/2009 3:53:00 PM
Continued..... Because of the psuedo secularist in India, these things are happening. No wonder if Hindusism (A way of Life) vanishes in the years to come! od save us!!
By giri
5/6/2009 11:32:00 AM
Dr. Singh's shamelessness was evident when he apologised to Sikhs for what happened in 1984 after Indira Gandhi's assassination even though he was in no way connected to the gory incidents. His shamelessness was evident when he did not resign when his 'sub contractors' arranged to purchase confidence votes and the wads of currency notes were displayed in Lok Sabha during the confidence vote on nuclear deal, and now his endorsement of the letting of 'Q ' because of the latters proximity to Sonia. One can wake up a sleeping man and not who pretends to be sleeping . He has overtaken Zail Singh, in subservience. No wonder, after he is ousted from power, he might be nominated for the highest civilian award of Italy, whtever it may be worth for this ' exemplary display of loyalty ' to his Italian boss .
By Karan
5/6/2009 11:28:00 AM
Mr. Vikarm Phadke, what else do you expect from a person who belongs to a religion that does not respect other religions? The very fact that they indulge in conversion shows a. They are insecure about their own religion b. They do not respect other religions at all. To support these idiots, we have many political leaders who are driving this country to hell!. If some one decides to convert on his/her own, we have no objection. Every one has one's own choice! What amazes me is they say they are converting people for their betterment! India had stalwarts like Gandhi, Baba Amte, Vinobha Bhave etc, who never bothered to know about the religion of people to serve them!. It's unfortunate that our culture is fast vanishing! In our country if the income of a temple exceeds a particular figure it gets acquired by government & thoe priests get paid peanuts! The same is not applicable for a Mosque or a chruch. Most of these monies are being used for conversion. Because of the psuedo secula
By giri
5/6/2009 11:20:00 AM
This is such a nice article. Very happy to read it. I hope these voters who vote for Rs 500 and elect such boneless creatures to power realise it atleast once in their life time. They are too much in dark that they cannot be brought out. Mr.Gurumurthy writes in Tuklak also. But i wonder how many read it in states like Tamil Nadu even if it is a Tamil magazine. Most of the population are behind the 1Re Kumkumam run by Kolaingnar family and their TV channels. When will they change? Praying sincerely that I dont end up seeing Congressmen faces atlest for next 5 yrs on TV as ministers at the centre. God save our country!!
By Raj
5/6/2009 10:07:00 AM
It is the last resort of a frustrated person to use foul language, when one does not have any logic, reasoning or conviction of truth. Thats what Mr. Tony has done. May be he is worried that the dirty things of Sonia Antonio Maino, Quattrocchi, and their friends are coming out again and again. May be he wants to use foul language because he he sympathises with the aforementioned "most dignified" people because he is their co-religionist. Sorry for him and for all people who think that there is only One God, One Prophet, One Holy Book, only One Way to God. These are the people who have created the ruckus since nearly so many centuries, starting from the first, continuing vigorously from the fifth and getting more danger afterwards. I wish that our Mother Earth and its inhabitants (humans and all others included, equally) survive these zealots.
By vikram phadke
5/6/2009 8:48:00 AM
BJP coolie Gyrumurthy, get a life. Maybe a Hindu Thief.
By Tonyt
5/6/2009 7:29:00 AM
Except for Dr. Ajay, every thinking Indian knows that THERE is ONLY ONE POWER CENTRE in Congress and that is the FIRST family of Congress. All others are PROXY ACTORS, who can NOT even speak or act independently, as that is the FIRST CONDITION to JOIN Congress party! Well done GuruMurthy - but as usual it is of no USE - like peacock DANCING in Forest - foolish Indians will NEVER realize!
By Ike
5/6/2009 7:03:00 AM
I am glad some readers took me on my comments... Exposes such as this must be geared to exact a price, political, financial, criminal or all of the above. Bad mouthing superlatives tends to reflect back. And no amount of name calling will 'shame' politicians into ethical behavior. Moreover, 'Q' is a politically useless target. The Law Minister HR Bhardwaj is responsible for calling off the red alert by direction to CBI. This article should have called for his head. Calling PM or SG shameless would not cause a correction. The fight should be to force a more independent hand for the (a) investigative agencies, (ii) judiciary and (iii) bureucracies so that they are more fearful of wrong doing than of retribution from politicians. Meanwhile, reasonable commission for fair business transactions should be legal. The outcome of declaring a 3% commission illegal (an impractical self righeous legalese in yours truly's opinion) is wasting the other 97% of the Bofor's $1.2 billion dea
By Dr. Ajay
5/6/2009 4:01:00 AM
Congress treat Terrorists as their " SON-in-LAWS". It is " CONGRESS " who put Indian Muslims into " Beggar " position by declaring favouritsm for " VOTE BANK " & involved in Hindu-Muslim roits for 5 decades. This policy was " Divide & Rule " learned from British. 15th Aug-1947, the day India got Independent Muslims leaders never came out & begged for the Comunity & Discriminate Hindus, Sikhs etc. Muslim Community from Gujarat or Muslim Leaders from country not taking the issue of " Gujarat Roits " in this election, but " CONGRESS " dancing non-stop like " Mujrawalis " on same tune & giving clean chits to all favoured Cirminals from CBI & Courts before the Election is over.
By Dinesh
5/6/2009 3:50:00 AM
Talibaba says, give me $7 million and Talibaba will bring Quattrochchi to India. Talibaba knows how. We Talibabas, we don't fear anybody or any situation. We fanatically follow our Talibaba Holy Book. Ya ilaha il Baba, Tali rasool Baba!
By Talibaba
5/6/2009 2:40:00 AM
What have you to say about two countries' legal systems which both refused to extradite 'Q' to India? Moreover, BJP has no reason to complain because one country did so when they were in power. It would be sheer stupidity to pursue a matter that has not been conclusively proven so far. To politicize such issues at election time is nothing short of opportunism. Let better sense prevail!
By Giju
5/6/2009 12:35:00 AM
Drrrrrrr Singhhh got doctor degreee in western slavery, so he is doing his job perfectly. Its bad fortune to the nation of a billion plus people that we are ruled by such scoundrals. Its our fualt, we talk much but act less. We must act and defeat such forces. We must become leaders and rulers, we have everything in us.
By Bharat
5/5/2009 11:25:00 PM
People who call Advani Racist, tell me why so called secular partys divide people on name of CAST? Pleple who accept corrupt politicans are biggest reason for pathetic condtion of our country.
By Puudo
5/5/2009 10:26:00 PM
As long as guys like Shankar Basavanna Mudhol exist this country is bound to have many more such scams where billions and trillions will get stashed away. If he is ignorant of the facts then let him not show it open forum. In the Reliance case he was acting on the instructions of the then Indian Express owner and when a truce was reached between Mr.Ramnath Goenka and Dhirubhai , his articles were stopped... but the basic facts as brought out by Mr.Gurumurthy remained and still remain. It is not that the BJP Government did not try in bringing the culprits to the book but when you have the agents and loyalists to the CONgress at every layer of the Government machinery how you can expect something to happen in a span of 5 years? The whole world knows about the truth in the so called scams like Jain Hawala or Coffin purchase etc., they were the handiworks of the shameless CONgress goons just to spread malaise against the BJP & NDA. Again this whole Bofors resurfaced not because of Mr. Guru
By Katahavarayan Marma Yogi
5/5/2009 9:00:00 PM
Late Swarn Singh, Foreign Minister of india had once said that, "The only honest politician is the one who has no means of being corrupt, meaning those who do not have access to making easy money are the only once who are 'not corrupt'. We are calling Rajiv and Sonia corrupt because one of their son-of-B minister VP Singh betrayed them for his ulterior motives. Anyways I would prefer 'corrupt' but efficient PMs like Narsimha Rao and ManMohan Singh to racists Advani and the kinds. The writer of this article 'Shy Rao, Shameless Singh' is a paid agent of Jan Sangh, I mean BJP.
By Long Live Man Mohan Singh and N. Rao.
5/5/2009 8:20:00 PM
Gurumurthy's argument is that whether there is a case against Q or not. Yes there is. Amount involved and the years this case has been dragging all another question.
By Krishna Menon
5/5/2009 7:41:00 PM
Congress has nurtured a lot of fiends in their long of rule of 50 years to share the corrupt money. Every one knows it is not so easy to fight the corrupt system. The issue of black money was raised by LK Advani a year ago and by a CPI MP in parliament, much before. The question is why Congress government did not send request for the details to Swiss and Germany? In a democracy, the right time to bring the any wrong doings of government to people’s court is election time and people are judges.
By Ramesh
5/5/2009 6:21:00 PM
Why do politicians want their kith, kin and hangerson in Parliament, because in Parliament numbers matter. Why do they want to be MPs ,as MPs are beyond the pale of the law of the land, no court will touch them. Politics is the first resort for money making. Ideals and loyalty to nation are all bakwas. No MP wants to run a free kitchen, if kitchen is run free it is with ulterior motive. With all natural resources and human resources, the number of have nots have increased. Wealth and power is concentrated in the hands of politicians and their friends who are in all fields.
By vasudev
5/5/2009 6:17:00 PM
Gurumurthy tried blackmailing the Ambanis. It did not work. His long tirades against their various scams involing payment of less Customs Duty on imported plant & equipment fell flat. Bofors is another long running saga. What was his favourite BJP Govt doing when Quattrochhi was still in Malaysia?. Why did the then BJP Govt not persue his extradition. What about his current Black Money in Swiss banks crusade? Where was he sitting with his ideas all this while. Was he only waiting for Election Time? He is nothing but a cheap gadfly. Should be put down with a Fly swatter. Why does he not investigate the Jain Hawala scam again? Is it because LK Advani was one of those involvedin that scam? What about the Coffin Purchase scandal during BJP rule. The list on this side is also endless. Loudmouths like Gurumurthy are only worthy of contempt.
By Shankar Basavanna Mudhol
5/5/2009 4:53:00 PM
Sonia and her brood are the biggest hurdles to the development of this nation. The SRP( Sonia, Rahul, Priyanka) factor is sucking the country dry. Q is a family friend of the Maino's. Did anyone expect some other verdict? I didn't. Of course Q is innocent. It is we Indians who are the real culprits because we are letting this illiterate foreign woman run our country. We have only ourselves to blame.
By Akki
5/5/2009 4:49:00 PM
If Sonia is really patriotic to India and her children also patriotic to india and indian consitution, why they are not advising Mr. Q to come to india and face the judiciary? Because Sonia and her children's patriotism is nothing but bullshit. They are faithful to vatican and Govt of Italy not to India. India is a place for them to enjoy the govt benefit like house, security, car etc etc and when the true responsibility of being indian comes, they show their true colors. Shamelss Manmohan singh also supports them blindly because they gave him an opportunity to occupy the PM post. But Manmohan forgot onething, they didnt give him the chair to simply enjoy but to do all sort of dirty job for sonia and their gang. Our economist has become house servant now. What a pity? Advani shouldnt try for PM chair because the post has lost its value and image due to all dirty work done by Manmohan and his gang for Sonia and her family.
By sriram
5/5/2009 4:34:00 PM
Some one said it is a small amount, happened long time, so forget it. The question is not whether they are small amount or happened long time back or quality of Product. The question is WHO swindled money? The money is swindled by our own LEADER who supposed to give a corruption free government. We have given our nation's key to Prime Minister, to protect our treasure, not to LOOT. Our concern is, if people do not hesitate loot money in defense deals, would they hesitate loot money in social schemes, take bribes favouring deals in India.
By Suresh
5/5/2009 4:07:00 PM
"unless Sonia protects Q here, he will not protect her outside. The stakes seem to be too high". It's a perfect mafia deal. So does congress morph into nothing less than a new age mafia group.
By Anil
5/5/2009 3:39:00 PM
Once again salute you Guru Sir. Your tireless Crusade against this corrupt dynasty and its faithfull and shameless servants is amazing to say the least. But, what is the use? There are still some "creatures" who still root for this dynastical loot and howsoever you cry from the roof tops will go in vain as long as the creatures exist ...
By Katahavarayan Marma Yogi
5/5/2009 2:03:00 PM
" Vinasa Kale Vibaretha Buddi" (When the times are not good, the intellect works in the WRONG direction). Dr.Singh is going through bad times. ( His bad time started wihen he agreed to become PM on Sonia's selfish advice) The sooner he realises this, the better it will be for Dr.Singh. It is better for him to quit rather than serve SONIA who is enjoying power without any responsibility. Can any one list the good deeds she has done for the Country?
By K V NATARAJAN
5/5/2009 1:38:00 PM
Congress party is hight of corruption. To divert peoples attention they shout "communalism-communalism".
By Psudo
5/5/2009 12:37:00 PM
Its unfortunate that the leading national newspapes barring the NIE, sings bhajans on Rahul , Sonia instead of probing them! Sonia must prove that she is not guilty..she must come and face the media and give us an explaination..she is a coward who escapes the media scrutiny by !sending the likes of Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Singvi both of whom are lawyers who are good orators & who can confuse the common man about legal rules..
By Vishnu
5/5/2009 10:17:00 AM
Dr Ajay, are you put up in India?? Dr Ajay I think you are not an VET, so assuming you are an good and reputed doctor, let me ask you. In a Single day, how many poor patients get free treatment from you, with medicines and in some cases Pathological tests too? When you can't treat a single Poor, then how Mr Q along with Sonia can rape my poor brothers of their Wealth,..Dr Ajay you mean to say that just because Bofor's issue is 22 years old we should forget it!!! Then you may ask the Nation to even forget Afzal and Kasab too, Is not Sonia protecting her boyfriend MR Q?? If she is so honest, why she is not influencing Mr Q to come to India and face the trail and get the Clean chit from our Judiciary instead of Protecting him and aiding him...................Dr Ajay there cant be Smoke without fire
By Vikas Patel
5/5/2009 9:42:00 AM
Mr Ravi how can facts be baised!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!....Facts Are Facts and these facts are not cooked up by Mr Gurumurtrhy!! CBI probed it, and you can cross verify all these facts,if you think they are Biased....so Mr Ravi when are you going to Unmask your masters???
By Dinesh Parikh
5/5/2009 9:32:00 AM
Dr. ajay's comments are bizzare to say the least. Does it mean that for every good product that the country/govt. purchases (as it is expected to do), underhand commission can be justified and we can say that the person who is taking the commission is doing the country a favor???????????? If quattorchhi was not there, would the defense dept. not have gone in for these guns, presuming that they were good? It is clear that the decision was already taken to go in for bofors, subject to bofors agreeing to pay the proxy quattrochi or his firm commission. Thats how the corruption in the system works.
By khan
5/5/2009 9:04:00 AM
If it is just a commission and can be ignored as suggested by some readers, then why not 'Q' come to India and answer a few questions of CBI and live happily ever after? Why so much protectionism favoring Mr. Q? Why the hell the PM and the first fmily protecting him with so much vigor? What is at stake? Is there anything more it hidden?
By Raj
5/5/2009 8:38:00 AM
Question is not about the 3% commission, but about the Judiciary,and does our PM sand for and who is he serving ? We have learn from mistakes, take every opertunity to beat corrupt politician. Jsut claiming basi is easy, to defend the same is not easy. I ask my friend what is so biased in his article?
By Raghavendra
5/5/2009 8:19:00 AM
After 22 years, one has to stop beating the dead horse shamelessly... Bofors guns were proven to be good. In hindsight, one might even say that Q did a favour there - both in merchandise quality and a mere 3% commission. Yet, this never ending wrangling over the 'Q & Gandhi' factor for $36 million has prevented the Govt. from buying spares for Bofors guns - virtual $1.2 billions scrap. Is this self righteousness worth keeping India without its Howitzers or other defense acquisitions? You cannot see the forest due to the trees!
By Dr. Ajay
5/5/2009 7:31:00 AM
Mr. Gurumurthy, there comes a phase in every intellectual's life when he contemplates the preposterousness of preaching any further. Whats the point of preaching the truth ? Time and fate are not on the side of Hindus.. there is nothing but disillusionment and despair on our side.
By Mithun
5/5/2009 3:04:00 AM
Your article may have some facts, but I am sorry to say that it is totally biased...
By Ravi Sharma
5/5/2009 2:56:00 AM
First Published : 05 May 2009 01:42:00 AM IST
The Quattrocchi case is an embarrassment for the Government of India... The court says we do not have a strong case”. It is not Antonia Maino (aka Sonia) Gandhi defending her Italian friend. It is Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as if she had appointed him as the advocate to plead for Q. “It’s not a good reflection on the Indian legal system,” says the PM moved by compassion for Q, “that we harass people while the world says we have no case.” Singh, who was with the South Commission on a comfortable salary and perks when the Bofors scam rocked the country, seems totally unaware of the facts of the Bofors scam. Here is a short trailer of the scam.
The Bofors scam — pay-off for India’s gun purchase deal with Sweden — broke out in 1987. A third of the Indians living today were not yet born then; and a fourth of the Indians living then are no more alive today. So some history needs to be recalled here. First, the Bofors payoff was exposed by the media and the Rajiv government went all out to suppress the exposure. Including the payoff of $36.5 million to Q, the Bofors deal contemplated three streams of payoff totalling $250 million. Persistent investigations by the media and the CBI brought out the involvement of Q in the gun deal.
The closeness of Q and his wife Maria to Sonia family was always well known.
The Sonia and Maria families spent their weekends and annual holidays together.
They left one’s children in the custody of the other when going out of station. So intense was their relationship. The media found that some $7.3 million from Bofors AB had found its way into Q’s secret bank accounts. Facts began to tumble out testifying that it was fee to Q for swinging the $1.2 billion gun deal for the Swedish gun maker.
Here is how Q got the deal for Bofors.
The Rajiv Gandhi government could not decide for a long time what gun to buy — the British, Austrian or Swedish. The two brokers engaged by Bofors could not expedite the deal. Suddenly, in the second half of 1985, AE Services (AES), a shell company, entered the deal with this offer to Bofors: “Look. If we get you the deal by March 31, 1986, give us a fee of three per cent. If not, don’t pay.” Bofors accepted the offer and signed up with the AES shell on October 15, 1985. Unless Bofors knew that the man behind AES had had the clout to get it done from the Rajiv government, it would never have signed with a shell company.
And AES shell did get the Rajiv government to sign the contract with Bofors on March 22, 1986 — seven days ahead of the target date of March 31, 1986. Within six months, AES got the first tranche of its fee of $7.3 million. Proof emerged slowly that this money finally went to Q, showing he was the man behind the shell.
■ Bofors remitted on September 3, 1986, $7.3 million into AES account number 18051-53 in Nordfinanz Bank, Zurich.
This equalled 20 per cent of the three per cent bribe of $36.5 millions due to AES.
■ Two weeks later (on September 16, 1986) AES delivered $7 million into account number 254.561.60W in the same bank in the name of Colbar Investments — a company controlled by Q and Maria.
■ In April 1987, the Swedish Radio broke the news of bribes in Bofors deal with India. Later, in June 1988, the media published authoritative documents seized by the Swedish police which established the payoff. By now, Bofors scam had become a huge national issue.
■ Forthwith Q and Maria hurriedly shifted their loot, grown with interest, from Geneva to Channel Islands, to New York to Austria. First, on July 25, 1988 $7.9 million moved from Colbar to account number 488.320.60X of Wetelsen Overseas SA, in UBS, Geneva. Next, on May 21, 1990, $9.2 million moved from Wetelson to account number 123983 of IIDCL, Ansbacher, St Peter Port, Guernsey (Channel Islands). Later, on June 5, 1990, $2.4 million channelled into code-named account ‘Robusta’ in Banque Karfinco SA from Swiss Bank Corp, New York. Afterwards, on June 12, 1990, $5.3 million was transferred to code-named accounts ‘Arabica’, ‘Robusta’ and ‘Luxor’ in Austria from Swiss Bank accounts in Geneva.
■ Within six days of the Swiss government giving these details to India in 1993, Q slipped out of India and turned a fugitive, thanks to the Narasimha Rao government helping him to run away.
■ Later, in June 2003, Interpol found that Q and Maria had two accounts, bearing numbers 5A5151516L and 5A5151516M in the London branch of the Swiss bank BSI AG with Euros three million and $1 million.
They were frozen on CBI’s request.
British courts later repeatedly turned down Quattrocchi’s several appeals to de-freeze the accounts.
■ But, on December 22, 2005, the Congressled UPA government U-turned. H R Bharadwaj, the law minister, got the additional solicitor general of India, B Dutta, to go to London to do the dirty job of releasing the amounts.
Can anyone say now that Q is innocent and he just received some charity of $7.3 million from Bofors? Yet the Sonia-led government allowed Q to smuggle the bribe from the frozen accounts. All that the CBI asks of Q is this: Come to India and answer these questions — why Bofors paid him the money; did it relate to the gun deal; what is his relation with Sonia family, AE Services, Colbar Investments and the coded and numbered bank accounts through which the payoff has finally reached him.
Why not Sonia Gandhi just ask him to appear before the court and prove his innocence? Why does she, on the contrary, abet his refusal to present himself before courts in India? It is clear that she will not ask him. Why? Here is the answer: unless Sonia protects Q here, he will not protect her outside. The stakes seem to be too high.
QED: Manmohan Singh today does what Sonia wants like Narasimha Rao did then what she wanted. Yet, there is a difference between how the two obliged her. Rao felt shy to do what she wanted. So he did it stealthily. Singh does what she wants openly and shamelessly. Even, a Sonia family retainer like H R Bharadwaj feels shy to own up the shameless withdrawal of the Red Corner Notice on Q; but the PM owns it proudly. Singh is shameless about what Rao used to feel shy. Why? Unlike Rao, Singh is not an elected prime minister but a nominated one; he is not chosen by democratic process, but selected by the dynasty; he is not backed by the people, but backed by the family. So the shift from shyness to shamelessness, from Rao to Singh
comment@gurumurthy.net
About the author:
S Gurumurthy is a well-known commentator on political and economic issues
Public Views :
Indian Hindu said down below "MMS is the retainer of the private limited family company under the name INC run by mother, son and daughter. What else to expect from MMS. Winston Churchill rightly said that the Indians do not deserve freedom." I am surprised at his inference. Clearly, Churchill was a silly guy to make that statement. What is MMS's servitute good to do with Indians not deserving freedom. The death blow for Indian democracy was given by MK Gandhi when he did not respect people mandate and asked Patel to step down for the sake of Nehru. Though we call India a democracy, it is no where close to democracy - for the people?? of the people?? by the people??? Congress has left the majority poor and illeterate to hijack the elections.
By Sathish
5/6/2009 8:27:00 PM
I wonder why people call MMS a good man. I don't see any good quality in him.
By Sathish
5/6/2009 8:20:00 PM
We christian bas**tards are anti Hindu, anti Indian and are ordered to condemn patriotic Indian's articles by our church and our virgin born fake Jesus christ.
By Tonyt
5/6/2009 8:15:00 PM
Looks like the christian pedophile priests are in to commenting unsing hijada names like debator or even Hindu names. These christian fu**ckers lick the cunt of Sonia and write all nonsense instead of arguing. These unfortunate christian slaves are a pain in the world’s ass. These assholes are brainwashed, in CIA funded Sunday schools to learn English and study a fake religion called Christianity created by a criminal in the fourth centurty. These love oozing animals have eliminated races and cultures with pure genocide and slavery. These christian communal pigs invade all forum like this with abusive comments on commentators, which their genetic nature. As these christian are the rape products of Europeans. These christian bastard who use bombs and explosives in NE have no shame in proclaiming love for humans. These sodomy christians say they are not communals but give the admissions to the state funded colleges only if the hindus convert.
By The debater
5/6/2009 8:07:00 PM
Sonia put her dog Manmohan on the orders of CIA. Rao employed the dog Manmohan on the orders of CIA. For a dog of Sonia eating her shit is very pleasant experience. Unfortunately this Sonia shit eating dog Manmohan is a spy and is detrimental to India. The christian congress party is shameless and consists of all US spies. The next generation of this Italian pro is the gang rapist Rahul Gandhi who will do proud any Delhi rapist. When India is full of Jaichand like Vajpayee who changed the law to allow this Italian pro to stand for election, then what is so great about withdrawing a red corner notice.
By v Subramanian
5/6/2009 7:54:00 PM
MMS is the retainer of the private limited family company under the name INC run by mother, son and daughter. What else to expect from MMS. Winston Churchill rightly said that the Indians do not deserve freedom. After 62 years, the servility of Indians to a family which stole the name of Gandhi through an affidavit with the advice and connivance of the Great Mahatma is bafling. Churchill was prophetic indeed.
By Indian Hindu
5/6/2009 7:33:00 PM
Whenever some comments are made about the dynasty, petticoatwalas immediately pounce upon the person.
By v subramanian
5/6/2009 6:29:00 PM
Looks like the Chaddiwalas have unleashed an entire army of brainwashed, shakha-bred,venom-spitting communal pigs on this forum. the article is about Bofors scam and how conveniently these low-life scums have turned it into a minority-bashing theatre, one can just see here. Chaddiwalas have mastered the art of taking literally any topic on earth and then turn into a communal diatribe. Well trained!
By The debater
5/6/2009 5:45:00 PM
On the one hand, Obama gives millions of dollars as rehabilitation package and on the otherexpresses concern for the Americans suffering because of recession. If he is short of money, why cannot he cancel and stop all allocations made to foreign countries by his predecessors as well as by him for conversions throughout the world and redirect the amount to poor Americans instead of feeding the already overfed NGOs and the religious brokers in the country. Protecting Americans is a serious matter than promoting religious hatred and engineering religious defections and redefections in addition to allowing the religious brokers to amss more fixed and current assets from out of the funds allotted which Obama andhis audience should understand. Are there some senators with some common sense to listen to my suggestion if they are really concerned for American welfare.
By subramanian
5/6/2009 3:53:00 PM
Continued..... Because of the psuedo secularist in India, these things are happening. No wonder if Hindusism (A way of Life) vanishes in the years to come! od save us!!
By giri
5/6/2009 11:32:00 AM
Dr. Singh's shamelessness was evident when he apologised to Sikhs for what happened in 1984 after Indira Gandhi's assassination even though he was in no way connected to the gory incidents. His shamelessness was evident when he did not resign when his 'sub contractors' arranged to purchase confidence votes and the wads of currency notes were displayed in Lok Sabha during the confidence vote on nuclear deal, and now his endorsement of the letting of 'Q ' because of the latters proximity to Sonia. One can wake up a sleeping man and not who pretends to be sleeping . He has overtaken Zail Singh, in subservience. No wonder, after he is ousted from power, he might be nominated for the highest civilian award of Italy, whtever it may be worth for this ' exemplary display of loyalty ' to his Italian boss .
By Karan
5/6/2009 11:28:00 AM
Mr. Vikarm Phadke, what else do you expect from a person who belongs to a religion that does not respect other religions? The very fact that they indulge in conversion shows a. They are insecure about their own religion b. They do not respect other religions at all. To support these idiots, we have many political leaders who are driving this country to hell!. If some one decides to convert on his/her own, we have no objection. Every one has one's own choice! What amazes me is they say they are converting people for their betterment! India had stalwarts like Gandhi, Baba Amte, Vinobha Bhave etc, who never bothered to know about the religion of people to serve them!. It's unfortunate that our culture is fast vanishing! In our country if the income of a temple exceeds a particular figure it gets acquired by government & thoe priests get paid peanuts! The same is not applicable for a Mosque or a chruch. Most of these monies are being used for conversion. Because of the psuedo secula
By giri
5/6/2009 11:20:00 AM
This is such a nice article. Very happy to read it. I hope these voters who vote for Rs 500 and elect such boneless creatures to power realise it atleast once in their life time. They are too much in dark that they cannot be brought out. Mr.Gurumurthy writes in Tuklak also. But i wonder how many read it in states like Tamil Nadu even if it is a Tamil magazine. Most of the population are behind the 1Re Kumkumam run by Kolaingnar family and their TV channels. When will they change? Praying sincerely that I dont end up seeing Congressmen faces atlest for next 5 yrs on TV as ministers at the centre. God save our country!!
By Raj
5/6/2009 10:07:00 AM
It is the last resort of a frustrated person to use foul language, when one does not have any logic, reasoning or conviction of truth. Thats what Mr. Tony has done. May be he is worried that the dirty things of Sonia Antonio Maino, Quattrocchi, and their friends are coming out again and again. May be he wants to use foul language because he he sympathises with the aforementioned "most dignified" people because he is their co-religionist. Sorry for him and for all people who think that there is only One God, One Prophet, One Holy Book, only One Way to God. These are the people who have created the ruckus since nearly so many centuries, starting from the first, continuing vigorously from the fifth and getting more danger afterwards. I wish that our Mother Earth and its inhabitants (humans and all others included, equally) survive these zealots.
By vikram phadke
5/6/2009 8:48:00 AM
BJP coolie Gyrumurthy, get a life. Maybe a Hindu Thief.
By Tonyt
5/6/2009 7:29:00 AM
Except for Dr. Ajay, every thinking Indian knows that THERE is ONLY ONE POWER CENTRE in Congress and that is the FIRST family of Congress. All others are PROXY ACTORS, who can NOT even speak or act independently, as that is the FIRST CONDITION to JOIN Congress party! Well done GuruMurthy - but as usual it is of no USE - like peacock DANCING in Forest - foolish Indians will NEVER realize!
By Ike
5/6/2009 7:03:00 AM
I am glad some readers took me on my comments... Exposes such as this must be geared to exact a price, political, financial, criminal or all of the above. Bad mouthing superlatives tends to reflect back. And no amount of name calling will 'shame' politicians into ethical behavior. Moreover, 'Q' is a politically useless target. The Law Minister HR Bhardwaj is responsible for calling off the red alert by direction to CBI. This article should have called for his head. Calling PM or SG shameless would not cause a correction. The fight should be to force a more independent hand for the (a) investigative agencies, (ii) judiciary and (iii) bureucracies so that they are more fearful of wrong doing than of retribution from politicians. Meanwhile, reasonable commission for fair business transactions should be legal. The outcome of declaring a 3% commission illegal (an impractical self righeous legalese in yours truly's opinion) is wasting the other 97% of the Bofor's $1.2 billion dea
By Dr. Ajay
5/6/2009 4:01:00 AM
Congress treat Terrorists as their " SON-in-LAWS". It is " CONGRESS " who put Indian Muslims into " Beggar " position by declaring favouritsm for " VOTE BANK " & involved in Hindu-Muslim roits for 5 decades. This policy was " Divide & Rule " learned from British. 15th Aug-1947, the day India got Independent Muslims leaders never came out & begged for the Comunity & Discriminate Hindus, Sikhs etc. Muslim Community from Gujarat or Muslim Leaders from country not taking the issue of " Gujarat Roits " in this election, but " CONGRESS " dancing non-stop like " Mujrawalis " on same tune & giving clean chits to all favoured Cirminals from CBI & Courts before the Election is over.
By Dinesh
5/6/2009 3:50:00 AM
Talibaba says, give me $7 million and Talibaba will bring Quattrochchi to India. Talibaba knows how. We Talibabas, we don't fear anybody or any situation. We fanatically follow our Talibaba Holy Book. Ya ilaha il Baba, Tali rasool Baba!
By Talibaba
5/6/2009 2:40:00 AM
What have you to say about two countries' legal systems which both refused to extradite 'Q' to India? Moreover, BJP has no reason to complain because one country did so when they were in power. It would be sheer stupidity to pursue a matter that has not been conclusively proven so far. To politicize such issues at election time is nothing short of opportunism. Let better sense prevail!
By Giju
5/6/2009 12:35:00 AM
Drrrrrrr Singhhh got doctor degreee in western slavery, so he is doing his job perfectly. Its bad fortune to the nation of a billion plus people that we are ruled by such scoundrals. Its our fualt, we talk much but act less. We must act and defeat such forces. We must become leaders and rulers, we have everything in us.
By Bharat
5/5/2009 11:25:00 PM
People who call Advani Racist, tell me why so called secular partys divide people on name of CAST? Pleple who accept corrupt politicans are biggest reason for pathetic condtion of our country.
By Puudo
5/5/2009 10:26:00 PM
As long as guys like Shankar Basavanna Mudhol exist this country is bound to have many more such scams where billions and trillions will get stashed away. If he is ignorant of the facts then let him not show it open forum. In the Reliance case he was acting on the instructions of the then Indian Express owner and when a truce was reached between Mr.Ramnath Goenka and Dhirubhai , his articles were stopped... but the basic facts as brought out by Mr.Gurumurthy remained and still remain. It is not that the BJP Government did not try in bringing the culprits to the book but when you have the agents and loyalists to the CONgress at every layer of the Government machinery how you can expect something to happen in a span of 5 years? The whole world knows about the truth in the so called scams like Jain Hawala or Coffin purchase etc., they were the handiworks of the shameless CONgress goons just to spread malaise against the BJP & NDA. Again this whole Bofors resurfaced not because of Mr. Guru
By Katahavarayan Marma Yogi
5/5/2009 9:00:00 PM
Late Swarn Singh, Foreign Minister of india had once said that, "The only honest politician is the one who has no means of being corrupt, meaning those who do not have access to making easy money are the only once who are 'not corrupt'. We are calling Rajiv and Sonia corrupt because one of their son-of-B minister VP Singh betrayed them for his ulterior motives. Anyways I would prefer 'corrupt' but efficient PMs like Narsimha Rao and ManMohan Singh to racists Advani and the kinds. The writer of this article 'Shy Rao, Shameless Singh' is a paid agent of Jan Sangh, I mean BJP.
By Long Live Man Mohan Singh and N. Rao.
5/5/2009 8:20:00 PM
Gurumurthy's argument is that whether there is a case against Q or not. Yes there is. Amount involved and the years this case has been dragging all another question.
By Krishna Menon
5/5/2009 7:41:00 PM
Congress has nurtured a lot of fiends in their long of rule of 50 years to share the corrupt money. Every one knows it is not so easy to fight the corrupt system. The issue of black money was raised by LK Advani a year ago and by a CPI MP in parliament, much before. The question is why Congress government did not send request for the details to Swiss and Germany? In a democracy, the right time to bring the any wrong doings of government to people’s court is election time and people are judges.
By Ramesh
5/5/2009 6:21:00 PM
Why do politicians want their kith, kin and hangerson in Parliament, because in Parliament numbers matter. Why do they want to be MPs ,as MPs are beyond the pale of the law of the land, no court will touch them. Politics is the first resort for money making. Ideals and loyalty to nation are all bakwas. No MP wants to run a free kitchen, if kitchen is run free it is with ulterior motive. With all natural resources and human resources, the number of have nots have increased. Wealth and power is concentrated in the hands of politicians and their friends who are in all fields.
By vasudev
5/5/2009 6:17:00 PM
Gurumurthy tried blackmailing the Ambanis. It did not work. His long tirades against their various scams involing payment of less Customs Duty on imported plant & equipment fell flat. Bofors is another long running saga. What was his favourite BJP Govt doing when Quattrochhi was still in Malaysia?. Why did the then BJP Govt not persue his extradition. What about his current Black Money in Swiss banks crusade? Where was he sitting with his ideas all this while. Was he only waiting for Election Time? He is nothing but a cheap gadfly. Should be put down with a Fly swatter. Why does he not investigate the Jain Hawala scam again? Is it because LK Advani was one of those involvedin that scam? What about the Coffin Purchase scandal during BJP rule. The list on this side is also endless. Loudmouths like Gurumurthy are only worthy of contempt.
By Shankar Basavanna Mudhol
5/5/2009 4:53:00 PM
Sonia and her brood are the biggest hurdles to the development of this nation. The SRP( Sonia, Rahul, Priyanka) factor is sucking the country dry. Q is a family friend of the Maino's. Did anyone expect some other verdict? I didn't. Of course Q is innocent. It is we Indians who are the real culprits because we are letting this illiterate foreign woman run our country. We have only ourselves to blame.
By Akki
5/5/2009 4:49:00 PM
If Sonia is really patriotic to India and her children also patriotic to india and indian consitution, why they are not advising Mr. Q to come to india and face the judiciary? Because Sonia and her children's patriotism is nothing but bullshit. They are faithful to vatican and Govt of Italy not to India. India is a place for them to enjoy the govt benefit like house, security, car etc etc and when the true responsibility of being indian comes, they show their true colors. Shamelss Manmohan singh also supports them blindly because they gave him an opportunity to occupy the PM post. But Manmohan forgot onething, they didnt give him the chair to simply enjoy but to do all sort of dirty job for sonia and their gang. Our economist has become house servant now. What a pity? Advani shouldnt try for PM chair because the post has lost its value and image due to all dirty work done by Manmohan and his gang for Sonia and her family.
By sriram
5/5/2009 4:34:00 PM
Some one said it is a small amount, happened long time, so forget it. The question is not whether they are small amount or happened long time back or quality of Product. The question is WHO swindled money? The money is swindled by our own LEADER who supposed to give a corruption free government. We have given our nation's key to Prime Minister, to protect our treasure, not to LOOT. Our concern is, if people do not hesitate loot money in defense deals, would they hesitate loot money in social schemes, take bribes favouring deals in India.
By Suresh
5/5/2009 4:07:00 PM
"unless Sonia protects Q here, he will not protect her outside. The stakes seem to be too high". It's a perfect mafia deal. So does congress morph into nothing less than a new age mafia group.
By Anil
5/5/2009 3:39:00 PM
Once again salute you Guru Sir. Your tireless Crusade against this corrupt dynasty and its faithfull and shameless servants is amazing to say the least. But, what is the use? There are still some "creatures" who still root for this dynastical loot and howsoever you cry from the roof tops will go in vain as long as the creatures exist ...
By Katahavarayan Marma Yogi
5/5/2009 2:03:00 PM
" Vinasa Kale Vibaretha Buddi" (When the times are not good, the intellect works in the WRONG direction). Dr.Singh is going through bad times. ( His bad time started wihen he agreed to become PM on Sonia's selfish advice) The sooner he realises this, the better it will be for Dr.Singh. It is better for him to quit rather than serve SONIA who is enjoying power without any responsibility. Can any one list the good deeds she has done for the Country?
By K V NATARAJAN
5/5/2009 1:38:00 PM
Congress party is hight of corruption. To divert peoples attention they shout "communalism-communalism".
By Psudo
5/5/2009 12:37:00 PM
Its unfortunate that the leading national newspapes barring the NIE, sings bhajans on Rahul , Sonia instead of probing them! Sonia must prove that she is not guilty..she must come and face the media and give us an explaination..she is a coward who escapes the media scrutiny by !sending the likes of Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Singvi both of whom are lawyers who are good orators & who can confuse the common man about legal rules..
By Vishnu
5/5/2009 10:17:00 AM
Dr Ajay, are you put up in India?? Dr Ajay I think you are not an VET, so assuming you are an good and reputed doctor, let me ask you. In a Single day, how many poor patients get free treatment from you, with medicines and in some cases Pathological tests too? When you can't treat a single Poor, then how Mr Q along with Sonia can rape my poor brothers of their Wealth,..Dr Ajay you mean to say that just because Bofor's issue is 22 years old we should forget it!!! Then you may ask the Nation to even forget Afzal and Kasab too, Is not Sonia protecting her boyfriend MR Q?? If she is so honest, why she is not influencing Mr Q to come to India and face the trail and get the Clean chit from our Judiciary instead of Protecting him and aiding him...................Dr Ajay there cant be Smoke without fire
By Vikas Patel
5/5/2009 9:42:00 AM
Mr Ravi how can facts be baised!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!....Facts Are Facts and these facts are not cooked up by Mr Gurumurtrhy!! CBI probed it, and you can cross verify all these facts,if you think they are Biased....so Mr Ravi when are you going to Unmask your masters???
By Dinesh Parikh
5/5/2009 9:32:00 AM
Dr. ajay's comments are bizzare to say the least. Does it mean that for every good product that the country/govt. purchases (as it is expected to do), underhand commission can be justified and we can say that the person who is taking the commission is doing the country a favor???????????? If quattorchhi was not there, would the defense dept. not have gone in for these guns, presuming that they were good? It is clear that the decision was already taken to go in for bofors, subject to bofors agreeing to pay the proxy quattrochi or his firm commission. Thats how the corruption in the system works.
By khan
5/5/2009 9:04:00 AM
If it is just a commission and can be ignored as suggested by some readers, then why not 'Q' come to India and answer a few questions of CBI and live happily ever after? Why so much protectionism favoring Mr. Q? Why the hell the PM and the first fmily protecting him with so much vigor? What is at stake? Is there anything more it hidden?
By Raj
5/5/2009 8:38:00 AM
Question is not about the 3% commission, but about the Judiciary,and does our PM sand for and who is he serving ? We have learn from mistakes, take every opertunity to beat corrupt politician. Jsut claiming basi is easy, to defend the same is not easy. I ask my friend what is so biased in his article?
By Raghavendra
5/5/2009 8:19:00 AM
After 22 years, one has to stop beating the dead horse shamelessly... Bofors guns were proven to be good. In hindsight, one might even say that Q did a favour there - both in merchandise quality and a mere 3% commission. Yet, this never ending wrangling over the 'Q & Gandhi' factor for $36 million has prevented the Govt. from buying spares for Bofors guns - virtual $1.2 billions scrap. Is this self righteousness worth keeping India without its Howitzers or other defense acquisitions? You cannot see the forest due to the trees!
By Dr. Ajay
5/5/2009 7:31:00 AM
Mr. Gurumurthy, there comes a phase in every intellectual's life when he contemplates the preposterousness of preaching any further. Whats the point of preaching the truth ? Time and fate are not on the side of Hindus.. there is nothing but disillusionment and despair on our side.
By Mithun
5/5/2009 3:04:00 AM
Your article may have some facts, but I am sorry to say that it is totally biased...
By Ravi Sharma
5/5/2009 2:56:00 AM
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Pakistan's pants are on fire'.......US Lawmakers
Washington, May 06, 2009
Several US lawmakers have questioned President Asif Ali Zardari's ability to control Pakistan with one of them comparing the country to a man whose pants are on fire but who does not realise the danger.
When one's pants are on fire one has to do two things to survive, said Democrat Gary Ackerman as a House panel on Tuesday questioned Richard Holbrooke, US special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan on America 's strategy for the troubled ally.
"First you have to realise your pants are on fire. Then you have to do something about it," he said. "Let me be blunt. Pakistan's pants are on fire... but they seem convinced that if left alone or attacked piecemeal, the Islamist flame will simply burn itself out. That hope is, at best, folly."
Even now with insurgents a mere hour's drive from the capital, Ackerman said he suspected that among the senior officers of the Pakistani military that "bedrock belief is still that Pakistan's real enemy is India remains untouched by events."
Holbrooke urged Ackerman and others to speak with Zardari about their concerns while he is in Washington suggesting that the US has overreacted to the situation in Pakistan "when statements of concern became predictions".
The US should try "to dispel a self-fulfilling sense of pants-on-fire syndrome. It is not a failed state. It is a state under extreme stress," said Holbrooke.
"Now he said the pants really are on fire, and I understand exactly what he (Ackerman) said. But I also think it needs to be put in the perspective of what we're trying to achieve," he said.
"Pakistan as such is of immense importance to the United States strategically and politically, that our goal must be unambiguously to support and help stabilise a democratic Pakistan headed by its elected president, Asif Ali Zardari," Holbrooke said.
Several US lawmakers have questioned President Asif Ali Zardari's ability to control Pakistan with one of them comparing the country to a man whose pants are on fire but who does not realise the danger.
When one's pants are on fire one has to do two things to survive, said Democrat Gary Ackerman as a House panel on Tuesday questioned Richard Holbrooke, US special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan on America 's strategy for the troubled ally.
"First you have to realise your pants are on fire. Then you have to do something about it," he said. "Let me be blunt. Pakistan's pants are on fire... but they seem convinced that if left alone or attacked piecemeal, the Islamist flame will simply burn itself out. That hope is, at best, folly."
Even now with insurgents a mere hour's drive from the capital, Ackerman said he suspected that among the senior officers of the Pakistani military that "bedrock belief is still that Pakistan's real enemy is India remains untouched by events."
Holbrooke urged Ackerman and others to speak with Zardari about their concerns while he is in Washington suggesting that the US has overreacted to the situation in Pakistan "when statements of concern became predictions".
The US should try "to dispel a self-fulfilling sense of pants-on-fire syndrome. It is not a failed state. It is a state under extreme stress," said Holbrooke.
"Now he said the pants really are on fire, and I understand exactly what he (Ackerman) said. But I also think it needs to be put in the perspective of what we're trying to achieve," he said.
"Pakistan as such is of immense importance to the United States strategically and politically, that our goal must be unambiguously to support and help stabilise a democratic Pakistan headed by its elected president, Asif Ali Zardari," Holbrooke said.
Obama has distorted vision of Pak-India ties ....says a Pakistani writer
M Ashraf Mirza
Is Pakistan’s perception of India as the mortal threat ‘misguided’ or President Obama’s vision about South Asia especially the Pak-India relations is ‘distorted’? It’s the pertinent question that has arisen in the minds of many Pakistanis after Obama’s comment at his Press conference in Washington marking completion of his 100 days in office. His assertion that there is ‘some recognition in Pakistan just in last few days that the obsession with India as the mortal threat to Pakistan has been misguided’ is simply startling and doesn’t represent the realities on the ground. It’s not clear what has made the US President to reach this conclusion since India is as hostile to Pakistan today as it was before. Issues of Kashmir, Siachin, Sir Creek and water remain unresolved. India’s clandestine activities to destabilize Pakistan are also very much persistent. India is pouncing on Pakistan’s neck and is sparing no effort to undermine its sovereignty. President Obama’s conclusion is misplaced since India remains as pugnacious today as it was yesterday. What has motivated Mr Obama to reach this conclusion is not known. Has India held out an assurance to the US that it will not create any problem for Pakistan? If so, the US should have convinced India to resolve the Kashmir and other contentious issues lingering between the two countries.
Pakistan has, in fact, lived with Indian hostility, aggression, belligerence and malevolence since its inception over six decades ago. India attacked Kashmir and occupied it through military action in violation of the Partition Plan creating Kashmir issue, which the world recognizes today as the nuclear flashpoint. It withheld Pakistan’s share of weapons and funds accruing from the pools of British India at the time of partition. India attacked Pakistan in 1965 and the two countries fought intense aerial and tank battles for seventeen days. The biggest tank battle after the War War II was fought at Chowinda near Sialkot in this war. India had earlier overrun Rann of Katchh in Sindh. It occupied Siachin Glacier and the two countries are since engaged in military conflict at the highest battleground on earth. India launched naked aggression against Pakistan and dismembered its eastern wing to create Bangladesh in 1971. India has built Baghlihar and Kishenganga dams on the rivers allocated to Pakistan under the Indus Water Treaty to deprive Pakistan of its rightful share of water in order to stifle its agriculture sector. Contrary to the US President’s comment, Interior Minister Rehman Malik has told Parliament’s closed-door briefing on the security situation of Pakistan last week that India is grossly involved in supporting miscreants in Balochistan with money and arms. He has proven India’s involvement in interference in Pakistan’s internal affairs with the help of charts and documentaries. Obama’s contention is also against the evidence that Pakistan provided to the President Bush during his visit to Pakistan about India’s dirty role in Balochistan through the number of Consulates that it has opened in the Afghan cities and towns all along the border with Pakistan. It also negates Pakistan’s stand at the recent tripartite summit where Pakistan had provided evidence about India’s conduct. His remark is also belied by the Indian interference in Balochistan where RAW is actively engaged in destabilizing the province through provision of funds and weapons to certain disgruntled elements. The motive of this action is unambiguously clear and that is to undermine Pakistan’s security, stability and sovereignty. And yet President Obama has the audacity to say that Pakistan’s perception of ‘mortal threat’ from India is ‘misguided’. He has rather ridiculed Pakistan’s genuine fear of India’s mortal threat to its existence as a sovereign country by terming it as its ‘obsession’. A cursory look at India’s conduct since its independence reveals its ugly face. It has remained at loggerheads with all its neighbours in one way or the other. It created Tamil Tigers over quarter of a century ago, which Sri Lanka is still fighting with to restore its writ across the country. It created, funded, trained and equipped Mukti Bahini to create insurgency in East Pakistan and ultimately resorted to brazen military aggression to dismember Pakistan’s eastern limb. It stifled Nepal economically and toppled the Nepalese governments time and again. India and Bangladesh also have had border skirmishes. Bangladesh is also crying over the dams India is building on the rivers flowing into its territory. India is, in fact, too ambitious to establish its hegemony in the region to assert itself as the regional power with political, economic and military influence over the regional countries. Its arrogance stems from its geographical size and military prowess. It still dreams of Akhund Bharat. It seems that Obama is also obsessed with India’s so-called democracy, where minorities’ miseries are unprecedented. They are living under constant threat of political, economic and physical elimination. It’s Indian brand of democracy, where thousands of anti-Muslim riots have taken place killing hundreds of thousands of the Muslims. Over a lac of Sikhs were killed in the riots following assassination of Indira Gandi. It’s India where Christians priests are burnt alive in their vehicles by the extremist Hindus. Yet India is a sacred cow in the eyes of the United States. Understandably, however, Pakistan is faced with insurgency like situation in some tribal agencies and Swat. Balochistan is also somewhat disturbed area. The responsibility of this situation, however, devolves on both the US and India. US invasion of Afghanistan is primary cause of Pakistan’s woes, which have since been deepened as a result of provision of funds and weapons by India to the renegade elements here and there. As long as US and NATO will remain in Afghanistan, Pakistan will not be able to heave a sigh of relief. The answer to Pakistan’s predicaments, therefore, principally lies in the American withdrawal from Afghanistan. The Bush administration had not studied the Afghan history before embarking on the mis-adventure of launching aggression against Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks on Twin Towers and Pentagon. It had also not learnt lesson from the fate of the erstwhile Soviet Union.
That’s why it has failed to gain control over the landlocked country despite lapse of seven years. It’s now trying to pass the on buck to Pakistan. President Obama’s observation that the US wants to respect Pakistan’s sovereignty is also inconsistent with its conduct. The drone attacks are not only grave violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty but are also counter productive in the anti-terror war. If he is really interested in making secure and stable, he should better provide Pakistan with the tools of stability such as sophisticated military hardware and substantial economic assistance in the form of grants rather than loans.
He should better learn from President Reagan’s doctrine of fighting war instead of following President Bush, whose miserly and stingy behaviour has, in fact, led to the prolongation of the war on terror. It’s also for this reason that the menace of terrorism has escalated across the world over the years.
Is Pakistan’s perception of India as the mortal threat ‘misguided’ or President Obama’s vision about South Asia especially the Pak-India relations is ‘distorted’? It’s the pertinent question that has arisen in the minds of many Pakistanis after Obama’s comment at his Press conference in Washington marking completion of his 100 days in office. His assertion that there is ‘some recognition in Pakistan just in last few days that the obsession with India as the mortal threat to Pakistan has been misguided’ is simply startling and doesn’t represent the realities on the ground. It’s not clear what has made the US President to reach this conclusion since India is as hostile to Pakistan today as it was before. Issues of Kashmir, Siachin, Sir Creek and water remain unresolved. India’s clandestine activities to destabilize Pakistan are also very much persistent. India is pouncing on Pakistan’s neck and is sparing no effort to undermine its sovereignty. President Obama’s conclusion is misplaced since India remains as pugnacious today as it was yesterday. What has motivated Mr Obama to reach this conclusion is not known. Has India held out an assurance to the US that it will not create any problem for Pakistan? If so, the US should have convinced India to resolve the Kashmir and other contentious issues lingering between the two countries.
Pakistan has, in fact, lived with Indian hostility, aggression, belligerence and malevolence since its inception over six decades ago. India attacked Kashmir and occupied it through military action in violation of the Partition Plan creating Kashmir issue, which the world recognizes today as the nuclear flashpoint. It withheld Pakistan’s share of weapons and funds accruing from the pools of British India at the time of partition. India attacked Pakistan in 1965 and the two countries fought intense aerial and tank battles for seventeen days. The biggest tank battle after the War War II was fought at Chowinda near Sialkot in this war. India had earlier overrun Rann of Katchh in Sindh. It occupied Siachin Glacier and the two countries are since engaged in military conflict at the highest battleground on earth. India launched naked aggression against Pakistan and dismembered its eastern wing to create Bangladesh in 1971. India has built Baghlihar and Kishenganga dams on the rivers allocated to Pakistan under the Indus Water Treaty to deprive Pakistan of its rightful share of water in order to stifle its agriculture sector. Contrary to the US President’s comment, Interior Minister Rehman Malik has told Parliament’s closed-door briefing on the security situation of Pakistan last week that India is grossly involved in supporting miscreants in Balochistan with money and arms. He has proven India’s involvement in interference in Pakistan’s internal affairs with the help of charts and documentaries. Obama’s contention is also against the evidence that Pakistan provided to the President Bush during his visit to Pakistan about India’s dirty role in Balochistan through the number of Consulates that it has opened in the Afghan cities and towns all along the border with Pakistan. It also negates Pakistan’s stand at the recent tripartite summit where Pakistan had provided evidence about India’s conduct. His remark is also belied by the Indian interference in Balochistan where RAW is actively engaged in destabilizing the province through provision of funds and weapons to certain disgruntled elements. The motive of this action is unambiguously clear and that is to undermine Pakistan’s security, stability and sovereignty. And yet President Obama has the audacity to say that Pakistan’s perception of ‘mortal threat’ from India is ‘misguided’. He has rather ridiculed Pakistan’s genuine fear of India’s mortal threat to its existence as a sovereign country by terming it as its ‘obsession’. A cursory look at India’s conduct since its independence reveals its ugly face. It has remained at loggerheads with all its neighbours in one way or the other. It created Tamil Tigers over quarter of a century ago, which Sri Lanka is still fighting with to restore its writ across the country. It created, funded, trained and equipped Mukti Bahini to create insurgency in East Pakistan and ultimately resorted to brazen military aggression to dismember Pakistan’s eastern limb. It stifled Nepal economically and toppled the Nepalese governments time and again. India and Bangladesh also have had border skirmishes. Bangladesh is also crying over the dams India is building on the rivers flowing into its territory. India is, in fact, too ambitious to establish its hegemony in the region to assert itself as the regional power with political, economic and military influence over the regional countries. Its arrogance stems from its geographical size and military prowess. It still dreams of Akhund Bharat. It seems that Obama is also obsessed with India’s so-called democracy, where minorities’ miseries are unprecedented. They are living under constant threat of political, economic and physical elimination. It’s Indian brand of democracy, where thousands of anti-Muslim riots have taken place killing hundreds of thousands of the Muslims. Over a lac of Sikhs were killed in the riots following assassination of Indira Gandi. It’s India where Christians priests are burnt alive in their vehicles by the extremist Hindus. Yet India is a sacred cow in the eyes of the United States. Understandably, however, Pakistan is faced with insurgency like situation in some tribal agencies and Swat. Balochistan is also somewhat disturbed area. The responsibility of this situation, however, devolves on both the US and India. US invasion of Afghanistan is primary cause of Pakistan’s woes, which have since been deepened as a result of provision of funds and weapons by India to the renegade elements here and there. As long as US and NATO will remain in Afghanistan, Pakistan will not be able to heave a sigh of relief. The answer to Pakistan’s predicaments, therefore, principally lies in the American withdrawal from Afghanistan. The Bush administration had not studied the Afghan history before embarking on the mis-adventure of launching aggression against Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks on Twin Towers and Pentagon. It had also not learnt lesson from the fate of the erstwhile Soviet Union.
That’s why it has failed to gain control over the landlocked country despite lapse of seven years. It’s now trying to pass the on buck to Pakistan. President Obama’s observation that the US wants to respect Pakistan’s sovereignty is also inconsistent with its conduct. The drone attacks are not only grave violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty but are also counter productive in the anti-terror war. If he is really interested in making secure and stable, he should better provide Pakistan with the tools of stability such as sophisticated military hardware and substantial economic assistance in the form of grants rather than loans.
He should better learn from President Reagan’s doctrine of fighting war instead of following President Bush, whose miserly and stingy behaviour has, in fact, led to the prolongation of the war on terror. It’s also for this reason that the menace of terrorism has escalated across the world over the years.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Getting India’s money back from tax havens-Arun Shourie & Public Opinions
Stupefied by the string endorsement all across the country of the demand that the money looted from India must be brought back, the Congress has tied itself in knots.
Its spokesmen — led, as will be clear from the arguments they have advanced, by four lawyers — have given five reactions:
● Why is Advani taking up this matter now, on the eve of elections?
● The G20 meeting was not the proper forum for taking up the issue.
● There is doubt about the figures.
● Why did the BJP government replace FERA by FEMA, and thereby make the offences compoundable?
● Is Advani not unwittingly alerting those with illegal money abroad to spirit it away from Switzerland to other tax havens?
● What was the NDA doing when it was in office? In any case there is doubt about the figures.
The reactions betray panic as even the littlest reflection would have shown the ‘arguments’ to be indefensible. Let us consider them one by one.
Why is Advani taking up this matter now, on the eve of elections?
The fact, of course, is that Advani took up the matter with the prime minister in April last year. He wrote to Manmohan Singh soon after it became known that the Government of Germany had succeeded in obtaining names of persons who had stashed money in the LGT Bank in Lichtenstein. The reply that P Chidambaram, the then finance minister, sent him showed that the government intended to do little except keep going through the pretence of taking some steps. Soon thereafter, we were alarmed to learn that a senior official of the finance ministry had written to the then Indian Ambassador in Germany not to press the Germans for release of the names of Indians in the list that they had obtained from Lichtenstein — lest the Germans take offence and conclude that they were being pressurised and their bona fides were being questioned! (This information was later confirmed by report filed by Amitabh Ranjan in The Indian Express of March 31, 2009.) Subsequently, we took up the matter in Parliament also. And yet the evasion, “Why now?”
The G20 meeting was not the proper forum for taking up the issue
This customarily self-serving rationalisation was put out by one of the Congress party’s lawyers and spokesmen. At this very time the party was trying to insinuate that, actually speaking, the prime minister had taken up the matter at the G20 Summit. As its spokesmen could not point to any statement he made either at the Summit or at a press meet by the PM that followed, they drew solace from a passing reference to the matter in the speech he had made at the dinner hosted by Gordon Brown.
In any case, if the G20 Summit was not the right forum for taking up this matter, how is it that in the communiqué that the G20 leaders issued on April 2, 2009, in paragraph 15, entitled, “Strengthening the Financial System,” they pledged themselves “to take action against non-cooperative jurisdictions, including tax havens. We stand ready to deploy sanctions to protect our public finances and financial systems.
The era of banking secrecy is over. We note that the OECD has today published a list of countries assessed by the Global Forum against the international standard for exchange of tax information”.
Were they also, in the view of the Congress party, acting inappropriately when they made such a strong commitment in their communiqué at the Summit? And recall that no sooner had they issued the threat of imposing sanctions that countries which had been blacklisted by the OECD that very day began declaring that they would indeed sign up on the agreement to exchange tax information, and that includes evasion.
In any case, there is doubt about the figures
As is its custom, the Congress is trying to cover up the basic question of the money which has been looted from India and is lying in tax havens, by raising questions about the precision of figures and estimates. This is exactly the kind of legalisms with which persons like P Chidambaram and other legitimisers were fielded to cover up the loot from Bofors.
In its paper, “Overview of the OECD’s Work on International Tax Evasion,” the OECD itself lists studies that state that there are $1.7 trillion to $11.5 trillion which are today parked in tax havens. This paper of the OECD has been widely reported in the Indian press.
The basic point is: even if the amounts are just a few scores of billion dollars and not one and a half trillion dollars, why should they not be brought back to India? And the fact is that other countries, much smaller countries with none of the pretensions of being a superpower, have succeeded in getting their money back. Even as of October last year, when the OECD released its paper, little Ireland had succeeded in recovering almost a billion Euros through an investigation into offshore banks.
Given that even small countries like Ireland have got money back, is it not a shame, is it not an outrage that, as of Saturday last, April 18, 2009, The Times of India, should be quoting the Swiss Ambassador to India as stating on record that till now, the Swiss government has received no request — not even a request — from the Indian government? The real question is different: can the money looted from India be brought back to the country when the attitude of the government continues to be as determinedly inactive as that of the present government? Can the government which allowed Ottavio Quattrocchi to take his money out of banks — where it was lying frozen on court orders — be trusted to bring back the loot that is lying in Swiss banks and other tax havens? Can the government which prostituted the CBI so that he may get away from Argentina be trusted to bring the loot back?
Why did the BJP government replace FERA by FEMA, and thereby make the offences compoundable?
Again, the Congress is relying on the short memory of its audience. The fact of the matter is that no one had been pressing more for the replacement of the harsh provisions of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) than the Congress itself. The changes were being contemplated since 1996. The demand for doing away with the harsh provisions came to a crescendo during the government of V P Singh when FERA came to be used for interrogating captains of industry — like S L Kirloskar — under harsh circumstances. As news reports of that period themselves indicate, the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) which was approved by the government in July 1998, was on the lines of a draft which had been prepared under the leadership of the preceding finance minister, P Chidambaram. Even today, you can go to the website of Rediff, go to their dispatch of July 25, 1998, on “FEMA, Money Bills: Cabinet nods, Parliament’s turn next,” and you will read, “The Bills were broadly on the lines of a draft prepared under the leadership of then finance minister Palaniappan Chidambaram.” In any event, there is no mystery about the reasons on account of which the law was changed. They are well set out in the following passage: “Until recently, we had a law known as the Foreign Exchange
(Regulation) Act. Its object was to conserve and augment the forex reserves of the country. The way to hell, it is said, is paved with good intentions.
Like many well-intentioned laws, FERA paved the way to disaster. FERA created a flourishing black market in foreign exchange. It brought into the economic lexicon the word ‘Hawala’. Illegal forex transactions became the fuel for the growth of crime syndicates with transborder connections.
“FERA also became a tool of oppression.
Successive governments persisted with FERA and added COFFEPOSA and SAFEMA.
International markets do not respect draconian laws that run counter to common sense. India’s reserves, far from being augmented, dwindled at an alarming rate… Mercifully, FERA was buried finally on May 31, 2000.” When and where was this written? In an article that appeared in The Indian Express on August 25, 2002. Who wrote the article? None other than P Chidambaram!
Is Advani not unwittingly alerting those with illegal money abroad to spirit it away from Switzerland to other tax havens?
Another clever little statement by yet another clever lawyer of the Congress party! Would the looters who have stashed away money in tax havens from India still need to be alerted after Germany got the names from Lichtenstein as long ago as last year? Would they still need to be alerted after Germany offered to furnish the names to governments that asked for the names? Would they still need to be alerted after the United States got the names from the leading bank of Switzerland, UBS in February this year, and got it to submit to paying a fine of $ 800 million to boot? Would they still need to be alerted after the G20 leaders, including Manmohan Singh as the Congress would like to remind us, declared their determination to get the tax havens to disgorge the names? But such is the confusion in the Congress party and such the brilliance of its lawyers that all it can do is to seek to deflect the nation-wide demand for getting the loot back from tax havens by such witticisms!
What was the NDA doing when it was in office? In any case there is doubt about the figures
Leaders of the Congress party would be better advised to ask, “During that very period, what was the Congress party doing, what were its lawyers and leaders doing, to thwart the efforts of the NDA government to uncover the names of persons who had looted the country even on defence deals like Bofors?” But even if the NDA had done nothing — whether on terrorism or money abroad — is that any reason for not hurrying to avail of the unique opportunity that has arisen now? Even while replacing FERA by FEMA, the NDA government made sure that it would have an additional two years to file prosecutions under FERA. And it filed 2000 cases against those who were under investigation before FERA lapsed. The reason for doing so, a reason that is well known to lawyers in the Congress party, was that, when a prosecution is filed it is adjudicated according to the law which prevailed at the time at which the case was filed.
These are the very cases which the Congress later on did not pursue.
The fact of the matter is that it is now that the unique opportunity has arisen to get the loot back: Germany has succeeded in getting the names; the US has succeeded in getting the names; the G20 leaders have pledged themselves to ensure the end of bank secrecy; countries that had hitherto refused to share the requisite information are pledging to do so — within a week of their names being published by OECD in the list of countries that were dragging their feet on the question, Costa Rica, Malaysia, Philippines and Uruguay pledged to enter into the relevant agreements.
Conclusion
There is a real fight ahead: a fight in the national interest, a fight that will have to be waged doggedly to get the names from the tax havens and to get the amounts back to India — as tax havens will not easily part with their route to lucre. And not all countries will be eager to wage the fight — so many rulers in Africa, in Latin America, to say nothing of the princelings of China — will be loath to see the fight succeed. So, determination and leadership will be required of India, and persistence, and forging alliances with civil society in Europe and elsewhere.
Nor are bilateral agreements any substitute to multilateral pressure. With close to seventy tax havens, decades will pass before agreements are concluded with each haven, even as money is spirited from the haven that has signed up to the one that is holding out.
As has been correctly emphasised, a consensus is already emerging across the country.
Leaders outside the political realm, parties such as the CPI(M), SP, BSP, JD(U), AIADMK have all demanded that the government act energetically to get the names from the tax havens and to get back the amounts. Instead of quibbling, the Congress would be well-advised to endorse the consensus, and act on it.
Not joining secular forces on even so secular an issue?!
Opinions:
These are the same leaders who: 1) Stealing the money from the people and after they have done that 2) Get all the major landmarks in the country named after them. What is the other name of "rape"? Congress Raj - specially in its current form.
By Anil
4/25/2009 2:03:00 AM
See what has happened to Vidarbha farmers to whom MMS had personally assured big help which was ultimately pocketed by congress people under the very nose of MMS & he conveniently kept quite.Same thing happened with 'Sarva shiksha abhiyan' & 'rojgar hami yojana' which were declared with much fanfare.This clearly shows even MMS is not different from other corrupt congressies. This makes obvious why congress has negative reaction.Being in absolute power for long time ,they have big interest in the stake.
By ckdandekar
4/24/2009 6:50:00 PM
The communists are the greatest betrayers and anti-nationals since they have their loyalty to China and will sell india to china any day. Corrupt congress and allies have trillions of dollars looted black money in swiss and german banks and only BJP has promised to bring back the trillions dollars within 6 months and to distribute the money to majority poor hindus. further BJP has promised to abolish all minroity privileges and to amke all indians equal unlke corroked congress who made minroity muslims and chsirisnas as super citizens and made majority hindus beggars in the country.ALL MAJORITY HINDUS MUST JOIN THIS INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT AND VOTE MASIVLEY FOR BJP AND ALLIES TO KICK OUT CORRUPT CROOKED NEHRU DYNASTY AND ALLIES FROEVER FROM OUR HOLY LAND. TIME TO ACT AND SAVE THE NATION HAS COME NOW.
By V.Mehta
4/24/2009 2:22:00 PM
Why majority hindus and patriotc indians must vote as if fighting for their independence from looters and anti-nationals? The fourth front is a bunch of criminals and looters and if given a chance they will sell the country for a few million dollars.What about UPA partners? All the partners of congress, namley Laloo, Mulayam and Paswan are at each others' throats and communists are the greate betrayers and anti-nationals since they have their loyalty to China and wills ell india to china any day. Corrupt congress and allies have trillions of dollars looted black money in swiss and german banks and only BJP has promised to bring back the trillions dollars within 6 months and to distribute the money to majority poor hindus. further BJP has promised to abolish all minority privileges and to make all indians equal unlke Crooked congress who made minroity muslims and chsirisns as super citizens and made majority hindus beggars in the country.ALL MAJORITY HINDUS MUST JOIN THIS INDEPENDENCE M
By V.Mehta
4/24/2009 2:21:00 PM
If Congress comes to power it will try to make it another "bofor saga" as Indian people in general are "guilty of forgiving" when they should not and this has been the cause of their downfall. They need to take more responsibilty in choosing who is to be their leader that can help them look forward.
By Anil
4/24/2009 2:02:00 AM
By the looks of all responses from Congress heavy weights and its bleeding heart supporters, it appears they are still dragging their feet on this important issue when they should have been proactive. Actions speak louder than word and this says it all who is here to plunder India, fill up their kitty when at the same time shouting at the top of their voice that they are working for the "aam admi". Those unsuspecting and honest citizens who still supporting Congress and its allies should think twice before casting their votes to bring them back.
By Anil
4/24/2009 1:50:00 AM
Vasu mate, listen. If this (black money) is not an election issue, then maybe who pregnated your mother and you were born, should be an election issue. Really intersting, isn't it mate? Cool off mate and don't shit in your pants.
By Charlie
4/24/2009 12:15:00 AM
Mr Advani's demand to bring back illegal money to India is a welcome sign. It is stupid to question the timing, yes it is a poll issue and all those who oppose this are bureaucrats and ministers. Too much of mughal, than british and than congress rule has made average Indian stupid and naive. They cannot even ask for their fundamental rights. Dr Robot singh is a shame of country and Sikhism that boasts of bravery. This tooth less dog is always waggling his tail.
By Concerned Indian
4/23/2009 9:15:00 PM
Brilliant article, the mask of Congress party and nehru Dynasty has been torn apart.Such a shame that world renowned economists and PM Robot Singh and Chidambaram were working for their own family and personla welfare and welfare of the Sonia Maino fmily and not for the majority poor of more than 800 million people. The very fact that even now UPA and Sonia Maino government led by PM MM Singh has not asked for releasing the names of indians holding billions of dollars in swiss and german banks shows that they are actively colluding with the himalayan looting of the nation for the past 60 years.Now BJP and NDA must promise all Indians and hindu voters to bring back the looted black money of trillions of dollars back to india and distribute the money to all poor majority hindus and Majority Hindus must vote massively for BJP and allies to kick out Nehru Dynasty forever from our holy land
By V.Mehta
4/23/2009 9:29:00 AM
THIS ISSUE, ALONG WITH FARMER'S SUICIDE & TERRORISM SHOULD BE THE KEY ISSUES FOR DETERMINING THE POLL RESULTS. THESE ARE CORE ISSUES, WHICH ATTACK THE VERY ROOTS OF OUR SURVIVAL AS A NATION, SO ALL THINKING PEOPLE SHOULD GET BEHIND PARTIES FORCING FOR URGENT ACTIONS ON THESE PRESSING ISSUES.
By Ike
4/23/2009 8:08:00 AM
vasu we have very big topic around us ...Leaglised Islamic Terrorism spreading like a Cancer.and this topic can only be handled by BJP and BJP only let MODI come in power,he will answer these Jehadies in a manner they deserve. this half male MMS will do noting but make India a Hijda Country
By Abdul
4/22/2009 5:47:00 PM
I fully suppport BJP on this. Please publish the list of all account sin All national news papers.
By Pushkar
4/22/2009 5:23:00 PM
Those politicians and business who are in this devilish game of stashing away money to safe accounts in foreign banks, are worse than Islamist terrorists of al Qaeda, Lashkar e Toiba, etc. and their co-conspirators within India who are causing so much death and devastion in India. If the present government has done little to counter terrorism in advance or to capture and speedily try and punish terrorists, we cannot expect that it could have brought back the money . In the first place, they allowed the crime against the nation with the kind of meaningless procedures and ineffective laws and a collusive administration merely pleasing the politicians. Total hypocrisy and duplicity of these politicians warrants that they must not be voted to come to power again.
By Muthubalan
4/22/2009 3:29:00 PM
The BJP has completely run out of election issues so it has with the blessings of Arun Shourie,Yashwant Sinha and Arun Jaitley tried to create a red herring about which they have very little information.Such issues always have some emotional appeal to a certain class of voters and causes confusion in the mind of others.What a waste of time !
By vasu
4/22/2009 3:18:00 PM
The expose reflects on the dishonesty of P M and his stooge P Chidambarm. They are the crooks who are responsible for all the economic ills of the country. They were the archetects of stock market manipulation which made smuglers, drug mafia and anti-nationals to play havoc on Indian economy. Though these nefarious activities were in their knowlledge, the duo pretended that it did not exist. With the cooperation of other crooks in the cabinet, they coolly swindled thousands of crores in Spectrum G-2, Satyam, and even from hapless Tsunami victims and Union Carbide gas victims. The perverted media pampered them as intellectuals. What Quetterochi looted, pales into blue compared to What PM & PC combo did to the country. It is a shame that they are asking for another chance to loot the country. For their shameful economic misdamnoers they should jailed for life.
By R.Krishnan
4/22/2009 3:15:00 PM
Shame on Congress. What else you can expect from the 'HONEST" Dr.MMS and his boss Sonia who has no patrotism for this country. Probably the previous FM and his relatives would be topping the list there.
By vasudevan
4/22/2009 1:39:00 PM
Today or tomorrow or day after, its' going to happen..Illegal money stashed over seas will be exposed. This is a good thing emerged during this ongoing recession.
Its spokesmen — led, as will be clear from the arguments they have advanced, by four lawyers — have given five reactions:
● Why is Advani taking up this matter now, on the eve of elections?
● The G20 meeting was not the proper forum for taking up the issue.
● There is doubt about the figures.
● Why did the BJP government replace FERA by FEMA, and thereby make the offences compoundable?
● Is Advani not unwittingly alerting those with illegal money abroad to spirit it away from Switzerland to other tax havens?
● What was the NDA doing when it was in office? In any case there is doubt about the figures.
The reactions betray panic as even the littlest reflection would have shown the ‘arguments’ to be indefensible. Let us consider them one by one.
Why is Advani taking up this matter now, on the eve of elections?
The fact, of course, is that Advani took up the matter with the prime minister in April last year. He wrote to Manmohan Singh soon after it became known that the Government of Germany had succeeded in obtaining names of persons who had stashed money in the LGT Bank in Lichtenstein. The reply that P Chidambaram, the then finance minister, sent him showed that the government intended to do little except keep going through the pretence of taking some steps. Soon thereafter, we were alarmed to learn that a senior official of the finance ministry had written to the then Indian Ambassador in Germany not to press the Germans for release of the names of Indians in the list that they had obtained from Lichtenstein — lest the Germans take offence and conclude that they were being pressurised and their bona fides were being questioned! (This information was later confirmed by report filed by Amitabh Ranjan in The Indian Express of March 31, 2009.) Subsequently, we took up the matter in Parliament also. And yet the evasion, “Why now?”
The G20 meeting was not the proper forum for taking up the issue
This customarily self-serving rationalisation was put out by one of the Congress party’s lawyers and spokesmen. At this very time the party was trying to insinuate that, actually speaking, the prime minister had taken up the matter at the G20 Summit. As its spokesmen could not point to any statement he made either at the Summit or at a press meet by the PM that followed, they drew solace from a passing reference to the matter in the speech he had made at the dinner hosted by Gordon Brown.
In any case, if the G20 Summit was not the right forum for taking up this matter, how is it that in the communiqué that the G20 leaders issued on April 2, 2009, in paragraph 15, entitled, “Strengthening the Financial System,” they pledged themselves “to take action against non-cooperative jurisdictions, including tax havens. We stand ready to deploy sanctions to protect our public finances and financial systems.
The era of banking secrecy is over. We note that the OECD has today published a list of countries assessed by the Global Forum against the international standard for exchange of tax information”.
Were they also, in the view of the Congress party, acting inappropriately when they made such a strong commitment in their communiqué at the Summit? And recall that no sooner had they issued the threat of imposing sanctions that countries which had been blacklisted by the OECD that very day began declaring that they would indeed sign up on the agreement to exchange tax information, and that includes evasion.
In any case, there is doubt about the figures
As is its custom, the Congress is trying to cover up the basic question of the money which has been looted from India and is lying in tax havens, by raising questions about the precision of figures and estimates. This is exactly the kind of legalisms with which persons like P Chidambaram and other legitimisers were fielded to cover up the loot from Bofors.
In its paper, “Overview of the OECD’s Work on International Tax Evasion,” the OECD itself lists studies that state that there are $1.7 trillion to $11.5 trillion which are today parked in tax havens. This paper of the OECD has been widely reported in the Indian press.
The basic point is: even if the amounts are just a few scores of billion dollars and not one and a half trillion dollars, why should they not be brought back to India? And the fact is that other countries, much smaller countries with none of the pretensions of being a superpower, have succeeded in getting their money back. Even as of October last year, when the OECD released its paper, little Ireland had succeeded in recovering almost a billion Euros through an investigation into offshore banks.
Given that even small countries like Ireland have got money back, is it not a shame, is it not an outrage that, as of Saturday last, April 18, 2009, The Times of India, should be quoting the Swiss Ambassador to India as stating on record that till now, the Swiss government has received no request — not even a request — from the Indian government? The real question is different: can the money looted from India be brought back to the country when the attitude of the government continues to be as determinedly inactive as that of the present government? Can the government which allowed Ottavio Quattrocchi to take his money out of banks — where it was lying frozen on court orders — be trusted to bring back the loot that is lying in Swiss banks and other tax havens? Can the government which prostituted the CBI so that he may get away from Argentina be trusted to bring the loot back?
Why did the BJP government replace FERA by FEMA, and thereby make the offences compoundable?
Again, the Congress is relying on the short memory of its audience. The fact of the matter is that no one had been pressing more for the replacement of the harsh provisions of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) than the Congress itself. The changes were being contemplated since 1996. The demand for doing away with the harsh provisions came to a crescendo during the government of V P Singh when FERA came to be used for interrogating captains of industry — like S L Kirloskar — under harsh circumstances. As news reports of that period themselves indicate, the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) which was approved by the government in July 1998, was on the lines of a draft which had been prepared under the leadership of the preceding finance minister, P Chidambaram. Even today, you can go to the website of Rediff, go to their dispatch of July 25, 1998, on “FEMA, Money Bills: Cabinet nods, Parliament’s turn next,” and you will read, “The Bills were broadly on the lines of a draft prepared under the leadership of then finance minister Palaniappan Chidambaram.” In any event, there is no mystery about the reasons on account of which the law was changed. They are well set out in the following passage: “Until recently, we had a law known as the Foreign Exchange
(Regulation) Act. Its object was to conserve and augment the forex reserves of the country. The way to hell, it is said, is paved with good intentions.
Like many well-intentioned laws, FERA paved the way to disaster. FERA created a flourishing black market in foreign exchange. It brought into the economic lexicon the word ‘Hawala’. Illegal forex transactions became the fuel for the growth of crime syndicates with transborder connections.
“FERA also became a tool of oppression.
Successive governments persisted with FERA and added COFFEPOSA and SAFEMA.
International markets do not respect draconian laws that run counter to common sense. India’s reserves, far from being augmented, dwindled at an alarming rate… Mercifully, FERA was buried finally on May 31, 2000.” When and where was this written? In an article that appeared in The Indian Express on August 25, 2002. Who wrote the article? None other than P Chidambaram!
Is Advani not unwittingly alerting those with illegal money abroad to spirit it away from Switzerland to other tax havens?
Another clever little statement by yet another clever lawyer of the Congress party! Would the looters who have stashed away money in tax havens from India still need to be alerted after Germany got the names from Lichtenstein as long ago as last year? Would they still need to be alerted after Germany offered to furnish the names to governments that asked for the names? Would they still need to be alerted after the United States got the names from the leading bank of Switzerland, UBS in February this year, and got it to submit to paying a fine of $ 800 million to boot? Would they still need to be alerted after the G20 leaders, including Manmohan Singh as the Congress would like to remind us, declared their determination to get the tax havens to disgorge the names? But such is the confusion in the Congress party and such the brilliance of its lawyers that all it can do is to seek to deflect the nation-wide demand for getting the loot back from tax havens by such witticisms!
What was the NDA doing when it was in office? In any case there is doubt about the figures
Leaders of the Congress party would be better advised to ask, “During that very period, what was the Congress party doing, what were its lawyers and leaders doing, to thwart the efforts of the NDA government to uncover the names of persons who had looted the country even on defence deals like Bofors?” But even if the NDA had done nothing — whether on terrorism or money abroad — is that any reason for not hurrying to avail of the unique opportunity that has arisen now? Even while replacing FERA by FEMA, the NDA government made sure that it would have an additional two years to file prosecutions under FERA. And it filed 2000 cases against those who were under investigation before FERA lapsed. The reason for doing so, a reason that is well known to lawyers in the Congress party, was that, when a prosecution is filed it is adjudicated according to the law which prevailed at the time at which the case was filed.
These are the very cases which the Congress later on did not pursue.
The fact of the matter is that it is now that the unique opportunity has arisen to get the loot back: Germany has succeeded in getting the names; the US has succeeded in getting the names; the G20 leaders have pledged themselves to ensure the end of bank secrecy; countries that had hitherto refused to share the requisite information are pledging to do so — within a week of their names being published by OECD in the list of countries that were dragging their feet on the question, Costa Rica, Malaysia, Philippines and Uruguay pledged to enter into the relevant agreements.
Conclusion
There is a real fight ahead: a fight in the national interest, a fight that will have to be waged doggedly to get the names from the tax havens and to get the amounts back to India — as tax havens will not easily part with their route to lucre. And not all countries will be eager to wage the fight — so many rulers in Africa, in Latin America, to say nothing of the princelings of China — will be loath to see the fight succeed. So, determination and leadership will be required of India, and persistence, and forging alliances with civil society in Europe and elsewhere.
Nor are bilateral agreements any substitute to multilateral pressure. With close to seventy tax havens, decades will pass before agreements are concluded with each haven, even as money is spirited from the haven that has signed up to the one that is holding out.
As has been correctly emphasised, a consensus is already emerging across the country.
Leaders outside the political realm, parties such as the CPI(M), SP, BSP, JD(U), AIADMK have all demanded that the government act energetically to get the names from the tax havens and to get back the amounts. Instead of quibbling, the Congress would be well-advised to endorse the consensus, and act on it.
Not joining secular forces on even so secular an issue?!
Opinions:
These are the same leaders who: 1) Stealing the money from the people and after they have done that 2) Get all the major landmarks in the country named after them. What is the other name of "rape"? Congress Raj - specially in its current form.
By Anil
4/25/2009 2:03:00 AM
See what has happened to Vidarbha farmers to whom MMS had personally assured big help which was ultimately pocketed by congress people under the very nose of MMS & he conveniently kept quite.Same thing happened with 'Sarva shiksha abhiyan' & 'rojgar hami yojana' which were declared with much fanfare.This clearly shows even MMS is not different from other corrupt congressies. This makes obvious why congress has negative reaction.Being in absolute power for long time ,they have big interest in the stake.
By ckdandekar
4/24/2009 6:50:00 PM
The communists are the greatest betrayers and anti-nationals since they have their loyalty to China and will sell india to china any day. Corrupt congress and allies have trillions of dollars looted black money in swiss and german banks and only BJP has promised to bring back the trillions dollars within 6 months and to distribute the money to majority poor hindus. further BJP has promised to abolish all minroity privileges and to amke all indians equal unlke corroked congress who made minroity muslims and chsirisnas as super citizens and made majority hindus beggars in the country.ALL MAJORITY HINDUS MUST JOIN THIS INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT AND VOTE MASIVLEY FOR BJP AND ALLIES TO KICK OUT CORRUPT CROOKED NEHRU DYNASTY AND ALLIES FROEVER FROM OUR HOLY LAND. TIME TO ACT AND SAVE THE NATION HAS COME NOW.
By V.Mehta
4/24/2009 2:22:00 PM
Why majority hindus and patriotc indians must vote as if fighting for their independence from looters and anti-nationals? The fourth front is a bunch of criminals and looters and if given a chance they will sell the country for a few million dollars.What about UPA partners? All the partners of congress, namley Laloo, Mulayam and Paswan are at each others' throats and communists are the greate betrayers and anti-nationals since they have their loyalty to China and wills ell india to china any day. Corrupt congress and allies have trillions of dollars looted black money in swiss and german banks and only BJP has promised to bring back the trillions dollars within 6 months and to distribute the money to majority poor hindus. further BJP has promised to abolish all minority privileges and to make all indians equal unlke Crooked congress who made minroity muslims and chsirisns as super citizens and made majority hindus beggars in the country.ALL MAJORITY HINDUS MUST JOIN THIS INDEPENDENCE M
By V.Mehta
4/24/2009 2:21:00 PM
If Congress comes to power it will try to make it another "bofor saga" as Indian people in general are "guilty of forgiving" when they should not and this has been the cause of their downfall. They need to take more responsibilty in choosing who is to be their leader that can help them look forward.
By Anil
4/24/2009 2:02:00 AM
By the looks of all responses from Congress heavy weights and its bleeding heart supporters, it appears they are still dragging their feet on this important issue when they should have been proactive. Actions speak louder than word and this says it all who is here to plunder India, fill up their kitty when at the same time shouting at the top of their voice that they are working for the "aam admi". Those unsuspecting and honest citizens who still supporting Congress and its allies should think twice before casting their votes to bring them back.
By Anil
4/24/2009 1:50:00 AM
Vasu mate, listen. If this (black money) is not an election issue, then maybe who pregnated your mother and you were born, should be an election issue. Really intersting, isn't it mate? Cool off mate and don't shit in your pants.
By Charlie
4/24/2009 12:15:00 AM
Mr Advani's demand to bring back illegal money to India is a welcome sign. It is stupid to question the timing, yes it is a poll issue and all those who oppose this are bureaucrats and ministers. Too much of mughal, than british and than congress rule has made average Indian stupid and naive. They cannot even ask for their fundamental rights. Dr Robot singh is a shame of country and Sikhism that boasts of bravery. This tooth less dog is always waggling his tail.
By Concerned Indian
4/23/2009 9:15:00 PM
Brilliant article, the mask of Congress party and nehru Dynasty has been torn apart.Such a shame that world renowned economists and PM Robot Singh and Chidambaram were working for their own family and personla welfare and welfare of the Sonia Maino fmily and not for the majority poor of more than 800 million people. The very fact that even now UPA and Sonia Maino government led by PM MM Singh has not asked for releasing the names of indians holding billions of dollars in swiss and german banks shows that they are actively colluding with the himalayan looting of the nation for the past 60 years.Now BJP and NDA must promise all Indians and hindu voters to bring back the looted black money of trillions of dollars back to india and distribute the money to all poor majority hindus and Majority Hindus must vote massively for BJP and allies to kick out Nehru Dynasty forever from our holy land
By V.Mehta
4/23/2009 9:29:00 AM
THIS ISSUE, ALONG WITH FARMER'S SUICIDE & TERRORISM SHOULD BE THE KEY ISSUES FOR DETERMINING THE POLL RESULTS. THESE ARE CORE ISSUES, WHICH ATTACK THE VERY ROOTS OF OUR SURVIVAL AS A NATION, SO ALL THINKING PEOPLE SHOULD GET BEHIND PARTIES FORCING FOR URGENT ACTIONS ON THESE PRESSING ISSUES.
By Ike
4/23/2009 8:08:00 AM
vasu we have very big topic around us ...Leaglised Islamic Terrorism spreading like a Cancer.and this topic can only be handled by BJP and BJP only let MODI come in power,he will answer these Jehadies in a manner they deserve. this half male MMS will do noting but make India a Hijda Country
By Abdul
4/22/2009 5:47:00 PM
I fully suppport BJP on this. Please publish the list of all account sin All national news papers.
By Pushkar
4/22/2009 5:23:00 PM
Those politicians and business who are in this devilish game of stashing away money to safe accounts in foreign banks, are worse than Islamist terrorists of al Qaeda, Lashkar e Toiba, etc. and their co-conspirators within India who are causing so much death and devastion in India. If the present government has done little to counter terrorism in advance or to capture and speedily try and punish terrorists, we cannot expect that it could have brought back the money . In the first place, they allowed the crime against the nation with the kind of meaningless procedures and ineffective laws and a collusive administration merely pleasing the politicians. Total hypocrisy and duplicity of these politicians warrants that they must not be voted to come to power again.
By Muthubalan
4/22/2009 3:29:00 PM
The BJP has completely run out of election issues so it has with the blessings of Arun Shourie,Yashwant Sinha and Arun Jaitley tried to create a red herring about which they have very little information.Such issues always have some emotional appeal to a certain class of voters and causes confusion in the mind of others.What a waste of time !
By vasu
4/22/2009 3:18:00 PM
The expose reflects on the dishonesty of P M and his stooge P Chidambarm. They are the crooks who are responsible for all the economic ills of the country. They were the archetects of stock market manipulation which made smuglers, drug mafia and anti-nationals to play havoc on Indian economy. Though these nefarious activities were in their knowlledge, the duo pretended that it did not exist. With the cooperation of other crooks in the cabinet, they coolly swindled thousands of crores in Spectrum G-2, Satyam, and even from hapless Tsunami victims and Union Carbide gas victims. The perverted media pampered them as intellectuals. What Quetterochi looted, pales into blue compared to What PM & PC combo did to the country. It is a shame that they are asking for another chance to loot the country. For their shameful economic misdamnoers they should jailed for life.
By R.Krishnan
4/22/2009 3:15:00 PM
Shame on Congress. What else you can expect from the 'HONEST" Dr.MMS and his boss Sonia who has no patrotism for this country. Probably the previous FM and his relatives would be topping the list there.
By vasudevan
4/22/2009 1:39:00 PM
Today or tomorrow or day after, its' going to happen..Illegal money stashed over seas will be exposed. This is a good thing emerged during this ongoing recession.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
It's the terrorism, stupid; not India: US message to Pak
24 Apr 2009, 0424 hrs IST, Chidanand Rajghatta, TNN
Print Email Discuss Share Save Comment Text:
WASHINGTON: The United States will institute benchmarks that Pakistan will have to meet, including scaling down its confrontational posture
against India, if Islamabad is to earn the massive foreign aid Washington and its partners are lining up, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton indicated on Thursday. ( Watch )
The benchmarks will include moving troops from its border with India to its insurgency stricken areas to fight its homegrown terrorism problem, Clinton suggested, following up on the broad US prescription and advice to Pakistan that its grave domestic situation, and not India, constituted the biggest danger to its existence.
Clinton provided the assurances about benchmarks at the urging of some lawmakers, but said she would prefer they remain an executive decision rather than legislative so that the administration would not be paralyzed. Some of the benchmarks would be classified, but the administration would share them with Congress.
"You know, on a simple measure, is the Pakistani military still amassing hundreds of thousands of troops on the Indian border, or have they begun to move those toward these insurgent areas?" Clinton explained at a Congressional hearing, citing the example of one such benchmark. "What kind of kinetic action are they taking? How much? Is there increasing up-tempo or not? Is it sporadic, so they start in and then they move back?"
"I agree with you completely that we need the internal benchmarks," she told an anxious lawmaker, adding the approach would be across the government. "The intelligence community will have certain measurements; the Defense Department will; we (the State Department) will look as well."
The Pakistani government — and some of its supporters like Senator John Kerry — has opposed legislative benchmarks, especially those which condition US aid to Pakistan ending its sponsorship of terrorism against India, saying they are humiliating. But lawmakers on the House side are against giving Pakistan a free ride given what they say is its history of double-dealing.
"I've been around this place 40 years. My experience with Pakistan during all that time is that it has always been Pakistan, which means it's a country of dealmakers, but they don't keep the deals," said Congressman David Obey. "I have absolutely no confidence in the ability of the existing Pakistani government to do one blessed thing."
Other members also complained about Pakistan's double-dealing – paying lip service to fighting terrorism while cutting deals with extremists. "How do we succeed in Pakistan if the Pakistanis themselves are either unwilling or incapable of making the tough choices and taking the tough action needed to confront the insurgency?" asked one Congressman.
Following up on President Obama's assurance that there will be no blank checks for Pakistan, Secretary Clinton also re-iterated what has become a virtual mantra in Washington in recent weeks: Repeated advice to Pakistan that it is not India, but Islamabad's own home-grown terrorism that posed an existential threat to it.
In an indication that US aid to Pakistan will be contingent on its India policy, even if it is not incorporated into legislation, Clinton said US officials have been "spending countless hours in really painful, specific conversations," to convince Pakistan of the changed situation. Pakistan was slow to understand this, she suggested.
"Changing paradigms and mindsets is not easy," Clinton told anxious lawmakers, adding, "I want to underscore the feeling we get, which is that if you have been locked in a mortal contest with someone you think is your principal — in fact, only — real enemy, and all of a sudden circumstances change, it just takes some time."
Similar policy prescriptions and sentiments (It's not India, it's home-grown extremists) were expressed at a Harvard lecture earlier this week by General David Petraeus, chief of the US Central Command with oversight of Pakistan and the middle-east, indicating that US interlocutors are all reading from the same page.
"The existential threat" facing Pakistan "is internal extremists and not India," Petraeus said in the speech at the Kennedy School of Government, adding such an idea was "intellectually dislocating" for the institutions of Pakistan fostered on decades of projecting confrontation against India.
Over at the White House, spokesman Robert Gibbs said the Pakistan crisis was taking a lot of President Obama's time. Defense Secretary Robert Gates too chipped in, asking Islamabad to recognize the danger and take action.
On her part, Clinton told lawmakers there is a growing understanding of the changed circumstances within the Pakistani leadership.
"Now, there are no promises. They have to do it (act against extremists)," she warned.
Print Email Discuss Share Save Comment Text:
WASHINGTON: The United States will institute benchmarks that Pakistan will have to meet, including scaling down its confrontational posture
against India, if Islamabad is to earn the massive foreign aid Washington and its partners are lining up, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton indicated on Thursday. ( Watch )
The benchmarks will include moving troops from its border with India to its insurgency stricken areas to fight its homegrown terrorism problem, Clinton suggested, following up on the broad US prescription and advice to Pakistan that its grave domestic situation, and not India, constituted the biggest danger to its existence.
Clinton provided the assurances about benchmarks at the urging of some lawmakers, but said she would prefer they remain an executive decision rather than legislative so that the administration would not be paralyzed. Some of the benchmarks would be classified, but the administration would share them with Congress.
"You know, on a simple measure, is the Pakistani military still amassing hundreds of thousands of troops on the Indian border, or have they begun to move those toward these insurgent areas?" Clinton explained at a Congressional hearing, citing the example of one such benchmark. "What kind of kinetic action are they taking? How much? Is there increasing up-tempo or not? Is it sporadic, so they start in and then they move back?"
"I agree with you completely that we need the internal benchmarks," she told an anxious lawmaker, adding the approach would be across the government. "The intelligence community will have certain measurements; the Defense Department will; we (the State Department) will look as well."
The Pakistani government — and some of its supporters like Senator John Kerry — has opposed legislative benchmarks, especially those which condition US aid to Pakistan ending its sponsorship of terrorism against India, saying they are humiliating. But lawmakers on the House side are against giving Pakistan a free ride given what they say is its history of double-dealing.
"I've been around this place 40 years. My experience with Pakistan during all that time is that it has always been Pakistan, which means it's a country of dealmakers, but they don't keep the deals," said Congressman David Obey. "I have absolutely no confidence in the ability of the existing Pakistani government to do one blessed thing."
Other members also complained about Pakistan's double-dealing – paying lip service to fighting terrorism while cutting deals with extremists. "How do we succeed in Pakistan if the Pakistanis themselves are either unwilling or incapable of making the tough choices and taking the tough action needed to confront the insurgency?" asked one Congressman.
Following up on President Obama's assurance that there will be no blank checks for Pakistan, Secretary Clinton also re-iterated what has become a virtual mantra in Washington in recent weeks: Repeated advice to Pakistan that it is not India, but Islamabad's own home-grown terrorism that posed an existential threat to it.
In an indication that US aid to Pakistan will be contingent on its India policy, even if it is not incorporated into legislation, Clinton said US officials have been "spending countless hours in really painful, specific conversations," to convince Pakistan of the changed situation. Pakistan was slow to understand this, she suggested.
"Changing paradigms and mindsets is not easy," Clinton told anxious lawmakers, adding, "I want to underscore the feeling we get, which is that if you have been locked in a mortal contest with someone you think is your principal — in fact, only — real enemy, and all of a sudden circumstances change, it just takes some time."
Similar policy prescriptions and sentiments (It's not India, it's home-grown extremists) were expressed at a Harvard lecture earlier this week by General David Petraeus, chief of the US Central Command with oversight of Pakistan and the middle-east, indicating that US interlocutors are all reading from the same page.
"The existential threat" facing Pakistan "is internal extremists and not India," Petraeus said in the speech at the Kennedy School of Government, adding such an idea was "intellectually dislocating" for the institutions of Pakistan fostered on decades of projecting confrontation against India.
Over at the White House, spokesman Robert Gibbs said the Pakistan crisis was taking a lot of President Obama's time. Defense Secretary Robert Gates too chipped in, asking Islamabad to recognize the danger and take action.
On her part, Clinton told lawmakers there is a growing understanding of the changed circumstances within the Pakistani leadership.
"Now, there are no promises. They have to do it (act against extremists)," she warned.
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