Since we have been correcting history/political science text books to suit various ethnic, social and political needs, there is one correction that needs to be made. History books tell us that Nehru, a leader of the Congress “fought” for independence. But there is no information on what dates and which places he did so – and what “fighting” he really did. Making provocative speeches (which every two-bit neta does today) and sending long memorandums to the Viceroy do not count. Could the text books please carry this information? Also if he was such a great freedom fighter, then why was he not sent to the Andamans where the real freedom fighters were sent? Why was he sent to jails with all comforts where he could letters that became books and on which royalty was earned later? I am told that the only fighting that Nehru only indulged in hand-to-hand ‘combat’ – with the Viceroy’s wife on the lawns of the present Rashtrapathi Bhavan. History books also tell us of the great crime Nathuram Godse committed in assassinating Mahatma Gandhi. But they do not tell us that he committed an even greater crime – he shot the wrong man. Who should he have shot – the Great Freedom “Fighter”. History books should also tell us why the Congress that claims to be a Gandhian party did not dissolve itself as desired by the Mahatma. Will the HRD Minister answer all these questions so that our censored knowledge of history is complete? Perhaps the above is the reason why many say ‘istri’ for history. They know that inconvenient facts have been istrified.

Do you know that your bonus payout is taxed at a different rate than your fixed (monthly salary)?

Here is how:

Your bonus is always taxed at your highest tax bracket, while there are various exemptions available which are tax exempt.

1. Your HRA would be 40-50% of your basic. This is tax exempt if you have the proper rental receipts.
2. Employer’s contribution would be 12% of your basic which does not even show up in your IT records.
3. Based on company policy your LTA would be a % of your basic which is also tax exempt. (Say 2%)

So 54-64% of your basic salary is tax free. Assuming your basic compensation is 50% of your gross compensation (may vary based on company policy) this translates into 27-32% of your fixed salary being tax exempt.

This means that rather than a popular myth of income tax being 30%, your effective income tax on any increments (in your fixed salary) would be mere 20-22%

So 1L of bonus taxed at 30% leaves you with 70K, while 1L of additional fixed salary would leave you with 80K extra take home. (~15% higher)

Other merits of having high fixed salary (rather than bonus):

1. Since fixed salary is paid out monthly (rather than yearly/periodically), it eases your liquidity and ability to meet your regular expenses.
2. If you quit your job in the mid-year, no company pays you your due share of the bonus. Hence it’s always beneficial to minimize the receivables.
3. Gratuity/severance payouts are on the basis of your fixed
4. Your bank loan eligibility limit is determined on your monthly take home. So high fixed component makes it easier to buy that bigger car/home that you always dreamed of.
5. Also its beneficial to prepay the loan with a higher EMI, rather than using Bonus to pre-pay (as there are pre-payment penalties etc which you can avoid)
6. At 9% interest rate, and assuming that the bonus is paid annually at the end of the year, you would lose about 4.5% as interest/time value of money alone.

Bonus payouts are also not without merits:

1 Since bonus is often tied to the performance levels (personal + team + corporate), there is usually a very high chance to achieve higher bonus.

2 Being paid as a lump sum amount, it is a great morale boaster. It really helps you make the purchase/investment that you always wanted to.

3 Many companies use bonus as a retention tool, as employees usually wait till the Bonus payouts before expressing their desire to quit. Hence lesser value of the bonus, the more control you would have over the timing of the exit.

Hence don’t fall into the CTC (cost to company) trap; always calculate your salary on the basis of BTE (Benefit to employee) basis. A 119% bonus payout at the end of the year is financially equivalent to the same amount being added to your fixed salary. (15% +4.5%)

Regards,

Ankur Aggarwal

Practice Manager, Corporate Strategy

IP Extension – 66130

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The shift from discounts, cash on delivery, return policies to the fact that its not too risky to shop online is a wonderful change. It addresses the core issue which keeps most shoppers away from websites, while ensuring that e-commerce not mere discount stores.

In the medieval ages, gun powder was the symbol of power and wealth. More the number of guns were shot, the more blackpowder was needed. One of the most important component of blackpowder was saltpeter which was almost exclusively made from Piss (but animal piss this time). http://www.musketeer.ch/blackpowder/saltpeter.html

In the modern era, there were cheaper ways to produce ammonia and nitrous oxides, but that never diminished the importance of these compounds. Ammonia is used even today in Urea and almost all fertilizers, while nitrous oxides are still the most important ingredient of all explosives, bullets and weapons. Its even said that the Allied bombing lead to destruction of several important sites that produced Nitrous oxide. This severely reduced the supply of nitrogen for Hitler and almost all was being diverted to make explosives. This caused a famine which started a chain of events leading to invasion of Russia (for its fertile land and supply of Potato and wheat)

On a serious note:
Employees ofter overestimate their capabilities when they threaten to quit, but one should always remember that the corporation will continue to exist (and hopefully flourish) long after you have parted ways… much in the same way that you will continue to grow and flourish even after you have severed your ties with the current job. The job never defines a person, its just a stepping stone preparing you for bigger and better things (both professionally and personally)

A fisherman puts a dozen crabs in a basket and seals its top. Then no matter who strong the basket is, the crabs team up together and break free. Many lose their claws (limbs) in the process, but it’s a price well paid for the freedom they all deserve.
In the second case, the dozen crabs are left in the same basket, but this time the top is left open. The light from the top of this shallow container is perceived as achievable escape route and all the crabs independently quest towards being the first to reach to the top. In the resulting scramble, they pull each other down and hence no crab is ever able to escape.

Life of a citizen is like that crab trapped inside an airtight container. As Karl Marx once said, “We have nothing to lose but our chains”. A bloody revolution soon followed in Russia which led to purging of Czars. A citizen pushed to the edge has no option but to rebel. An accidental hero is born when the action of this lone desperate man is worshipped by thousands of sympathizers and ardent followers.
So how does any government prevent such an explosive situation? Simple like our fisherman friend, give your citizens/crabs hope. Show them a path through which each and everyone can achieve a respectable comfortable life. Then make sure everybody gets busy pursuing this vision. A point to remember is that it’s the journey, not the destination that keeps a person engaged (and hence under control). When a person believes that their much cherished goals are within reach, they forget all planning, strategy, pledges. This disorganized mass then loses its unity and is easy to control.
India has been a functional anarchy for the past 60 years, but it still survives, why? Unlike the governments in Middle East, citizens witnessed socio-economic mobility. People from the villages moved to the city and escaped the clutches of poverty and oppression from the landlords (zamindars). Education led to creation of a new breed of Indian Middle Class who did not inherit wealth but created one. The government/container is saved because everybody is busy and nobody teaming against it.

The idea is not to be selling any financial products/ponzi schemes but to help one set realistic financial goals and work towards achieving it. One of the biggest problem I see in India is mis-selling of products by agents who care only about their commissions. As a result the pyramid schemes are sold as entrepreneurial ventures, the saving schemes are sold as insurance and tax saving schemes rob the individuals of their precious little savings.

If this initiative is successful then probably I could rope in a few more friends to provide a similar service in Delhi and Mumbai. Also you could be doing a great service to your friends and colleagues if you could request your HR to permit me hold a seminar in one of the company’s conference halls or maybe even man a temporary booth in your cafeteria. I would be glad to provide my credentials for the same.

1. Kingfisher airline: Anybody who has flown on Kingfisher (before the crisis) would agree that this airline was a class apart when it came to customer service. However the airline was unable to charge a premium to cover the cost of the service and the airline has gone broke.
2. Ever walked into Big Bazaar, well how can one possibly walk in there? The aisles are so cramped and crowded that even a dash from entrance to exit takes 15 minutes. The constant noise of public announcements will make your ears bleed and the queue in front of the billing counter never seems to end. Yet it is the most successful (and talked about) super market chain in the country.
3. Almost any good club in India takes pride in imposing very stringent entry barriers for its customers. The clubs that screens it clientele (based on looks, perception of being loaded, hefty entry charge, cover charges etc.) are always overbooked. While the club next door that even offers “happy hours (50% off on drinks) and other discounts is always half empty.
4. I guess it’s not only the youth in the country, who is masochist. Most pricy fine dining restaurants will have long waiting queues. I swore there was a restaurant in Park Street who made me wait for 15 minutes even when the establishment was half empty.
5. Audit firms that are customer centric are only inviting trouble. Sometimes it’s good to be cold and professional in all your dealings.
6. My undergraduate school and my post-graduate school treated me like shit and spared no occasion to remind the entire batch (not just me) that how they are a disgrace to the prestige of the institute. Yet they continue to receive 1000 applications for every seat they have to offer. Employers flock around these campuses because the bruised (crushed) ego makes them ideal employees.
7. I know so many people who continue to curse the PSU banks for their ancient infrastructure, short operating hours, and the attitude towards customers in general. Yet they continue to bank with them.
8. One of the reasons for the decline to mature companies is that they are so much focused in serving the existing clients that they miss out on the new business opportunities.
9. Almost all the cloth stores in India have a sign that says that the store does not have any return policy, guarantee that the garments will not shrink after wash or that the colors will not bleed. Yet we have not stopped purchasing from them.
10. Walk into any big firm and you would see that PR (Public Relations) department focusing not on improving the public relations but limiting the damage that the company’s policies and statements have on its finances.

“Low cost” businesses ignore the clients because it reinforces their image of being able to provide the best price, no frills service for its customers. ‘Premium/Luxury’ businesses ignore their customers as part of their well thought off strategy to maintain exclusivity. It’s only the mediocre that are stuck with no plan or strategy that end up providing excellent service to their clients because they have nothing better to do.
Good guys always finish last.
So show a little spine and get rid of customers that make no economic sense to serve. Customer service is just one of the components of the Value proposition. Well positioned, quality offering which meets the clients requirements is the key to success.

Further reading: http://www.economist.com/blogs/schumpeter/2012/03/how-deal-muppets

BTW http://www.indiagetonline.in/ (a google/hostgator initiative) allows you to register a *.in domain and host it for one year for free. However your PAN card is required for the registration (most other domain registration website don’t require your PAN number.

The product was reasonably priced, promptly delivered and matched the description and quality that I had anticipated. However what made the real difference is the presentation.
1. It was a beautiful carton and the packaging was not only aesthetically pleasing but also functional.
2. It came with a handwritten note (from one of the co-founder) along with a lovely envelope thanking me for the purchase and wishing me the best.
3. It came with a small handcrafted scented wax-terracotta lamp.

I have always emphasized that when Indians shop online, they seek value for money. Discounts and coupons are an easy way to satisfy this need of the customers, but it is not a sustainable one. What makes you really stand out is the way the e-commerce store handles the order. This handwritten note and diya would not cost much, but they definitely add this personal touch which any online biz lacks.

One should remember that Indian middle class is quite mobile and online stores are a great way to ensure that the family traditions on those special occasions are maintained. (and yes if you add birthdays and festivals, we have something or the other every second week). I wish I could gift my parents/in-laws a product that i bought in a clearance sale at a throw-away price. However I would be much more comfortable gifting them something that was nicely packaged, parceled and delivered without any hassle.

BTW Indian handicrafts make a perfect gift for all occasion (esp. if you want to gift it someone from a different culture) and my friend Shivam has agreed to post a video of dokra casting being sculptured live along with a note of various indian tribal cultures and their unique handicrafts. I would also insist that him to order something from the website and learn from the experience.

The street vendor can recite his entire Cash-Flow statement, Balance sheet (how much is in his inventory, how much debt he has taken, how much credit he has given, how much money he has put in etc.) and his P&L. However EPFO takes a year to do these calculations and ever after those, they make a royal mess.

Today I got a mail from my payroll department with my EPFO balance. However that came with this Disclaimer:

“The calculation excludes the interest component & this mail is for your information only.”

Considering that interest rate in India is 8.5% and I have been working since 2004, this information was actually misleading and worthless.

Hence I logged into the EPFO website. The site keeps on crashing, it has no way to get an online statement, paper statement or even call up someone who would know this information. Finally through miracle of god I was able to access: http://www.epfindia.com/membbal.html . After fiddling around for 10 minutes, I was able to get this information:

“Your EPF Balance as on 03/03/12 is XXX (Accounts updated up to 31/03/2011)”

What is that takes them one year to update the records? Last year they discovered a huge pile of unaccounted cash-pile (which they disbursed as a bonus/extra interest payout) which they later on discovered was because the interest rates were not accrued properly. Such Goof-ups for an organization that manages savings for over 100 millions souls is totally reckless and unacceptable.

1. 1% processing Fee: 11,000/-

2. Payments for 6 months @30,614 p.m. = 1,83,683/- (4 years tenure)

3. 2% Pre-payment penalty: 19.912/-

4. Principal Left after 6 months 9,95,602/-

Total Payments: 12,10,197/- or a loss of 1,10,197/-

Of this he is able to recoup 30,373/- by reinvesting in a 6% FD of the same bank. This reduces the total loss to 79,824/- (or 7.26% of the borrowed sum)

I have always advised people to either borrow from friends/relatives or take a bank overdraft. Because there 15% interest means 15% and you will never have situations where you end up paying 7-8% for a couple of hours. Remember banks are predators who pose as friends.

Wife: “Honey, I want you to whisper dirty things to me.” Husband: “Kitchen, living room, bathroom…”

—-
How is Christmas like a day at the office? You do all the work and some fat man in a suit gets all the credit!

For Christmas this year, I got the usual: a shirt and a piece of a$$ …both about two sizes too big!

2. Avoid sites with a tall grasses and undergrowth. Although such areas look beautiful and scenic, but the tall grasses hide the branches, stones and uneven underlying surface beneath them. Not to mention it is a potential fire hazard and home for various pests and reptiles.

3. Near Water: Almost all pictures of landscape involves a house near a stream/water body. But building a temporary accommodation near them can be tricky for an amateur. A) Oceans (and large rivers like Ganges) are prone to high tide. So if you have not accounted for it, then water would seep into your tent and wake up exactly at midnight. Ponds/Lakes also should be avoided because of 2 reasons. Firstly water means pests and secondly you might be right in the path of the animal movements. Most large animals are habits of creatures and would drink for the same spot irrespective of your claims on the territory.

4. The ideal spot should be at a certain elevation from the surroundings (so that the water drains away) on a terrain that is flat. Remove any pebbles, undergrowth/twigs.

5. If camping in the desert/snow then take wind direction into account. Also it would not be a bad idea to sleep in a area where you don’t get buried under by the morning.

6. If a level ground is not available then sleep in the incline such that your head is at the elevation relative to the feet.

7. You are there to enjoy nature and not destroy it. Hence please use a pre-existing site so that the damage to the nature is minimal. Also once you are done, please pick all the litter and bury it/carry it back. (Don’t burn it, most forest fires are a result of un-attended camping fires)

8. Last but not the least. Be far far away from bon fire. Most portable tents are made of synthetic material and even a casually flying ember can burn big holes in your tent even before you can bat a eyelid.

9. Protect against dew: The minute precipitation in the night can cause a lot of inconvenience and even breathing problems. Hence please cover the vent at the top of the tent.

10. It’s never a bad idea to spray some pesticide on the site before unfolding the tent.

11. Take good care of the tent flooring. Good modern portable tents have a plastic sheet sewed to the tent. Please make sure there are no holes/cracks. Also cover the holes/cracks and even the stitching seams with a plastic tape.

12. Secure the tent. Even though the whole things looks steady, it’s as light as a kite and it can fly. The harness and stakes are given for a reason. Use them.

2. Sleeping bags

3. yoga mat

4. Avoid blankets/shawls of any sort. I prefer jackets and socks for warmth and they save weight too.

5. Matchsticks. remember to distribute them in 2 different bags to prevent them getting damp

6. Liquor/cigarettes should be avoided… cigarettes are a fire hazard and liquor can cause dehydration

7. Spare set of socks is a must. It is always good to have an extra t-shirt, shorts/trackpants

8. Odomas cream for protection against leeches and a can of baygon spray (cockroach version) for the sleeping area

9. Swiss army knife

10. MTR Packets (I could never cook a decent meal during treks and sometimes we forgot to bring the right ingredients or the water is scarce making things undercooked. however food for 3 persons is going to be consumed in just one meal. BTW don’t be surprised to know that breakfast and evening snacks are a meal in itself.

11. Torchlight (1 for every 2 persons): Most people forget to pack it.

12. Hat/cap + sunscreen . cannot emphasize enough.

13. Jacket, gloves and whatever you need to keep yourself warm.

14. Energy bars. chikki, chocolate, sugar candies are always welcome

15. Avoid fruits and vegetables. Carry things which provide high calories, can be eaten raw and completely (mangoes with their big stones are strict NO NO)

16. Electrolyte. I would recommend 4packets per person per day.

17. Fully charged mobile phones. One can get cell receptions in the unlikeliest of the places. Plus they are a good source of music.

18. Camera but avoid tripods.

19. Medicine kit esp. band-aids

20. Bags: Typically I would recommend a guy carrying a full 10-20L backpack while a girl carrying a simple school bag. Call me sexist but any other combination and girls will slow you down.

21. Shoes: Need to be comfortable, waterproof, with good grip.

22. 2 1-L plastic bottles (no metal bottles no thermos flasks) If you can get a trekking sipper go for it.

23. Walking stick. There are aluminum trekking sticks. Expensive but worth it esp. on the way back.

Last but not the least distribute your items across multiple persons. This way even if one bag gets lost/the person carrying it becomes slow the whole group can still manage it.

1. Corporate Governance
2. Transparency
3. Accounting practices

I guess through their corporate names the management is trying to obliterate these very concerns.

1. You have faced power-cuts up to 10hours a day!
And yet, it’s no big deal for you.

2. Even though the hottest party spot/pub in town says “Admit Over 18, Drinks over 25″ You have been inside and have enjoyed a beer, being underage.

3. Living in the most posh colonies, you get to hear, “Aloo, Bhindi Pyaaz, Tamatar le loo”… And you hear women asking the vegetable vendor “Bhaiyaa aapne free dhaniya nehi diya!” [Even with Half a kilo Carrot]

4. You have Driven rash and Broken Signals more times than you can count. Doesn’t matter whether you have a license or not.

5. Every teenager knows at least one “ghunda” on whose name he can jump around all day.

6. You have seen your relative or family member bribing a policeman at-least once.

7. You have been to Big Chill at-least once.

8. When a car accident occurs, instead of solving the problem quietly, either one of the drivers would start with.. “B******, meri gadi maar di, ab tu ruk, mein teri marta hoon” or something kinda.

9. In the 90′s you have been to India Gate and around 2000-2002 you have been to Ansal Plaza more times than you can count.!

10. Mocha,CCD,Barista,Hookah,24×7 are like your favorite hangouts.

11. You just love socializing.

12. You speak or hear the word “setting” or “jugad” at-least once a day.

13. When you stare at a school bus, you see students talking of the phone, care free OR Chilling out listening songs on the Ipod.

14. A meter working in a Auto – Miracle! And hear statements like..
# Gas nahi hai
# Gaadi waapis dene ka time ho gaya
# Wahan se waapis ki sawaari nahi milti
# Wahan jaam (traffic jam) mein kaun fasega

15. All guys have at-least been to Pallika bazar and they all know why. Well, even the girls are starting now.

16. This is the place when you actually feel like slapping the same traffic policeman who caught you yesterday… Because today he’s on his bike without a helmet or talking on the phone…

17. Qutub Minar, Red Fort, Lotus Temple are just for tourist. You havn’t been to more than two of these.

18. Past Midnight? Hungry? Go to a Five Star, The Airport or the only hangout in south, 24×7. Where the FUCK will the West,East and North Delhi people end up? No nearby joint.

19. You have an example of Delhi being unsafe for women after Midnight. And now even for men.

20. You wont be surprised if you find some old lady bargaining at a SALE.

21. Young or Old, You have played street football in the rains and have ended up breaking some glass.

22. You first abused real bad when you were around 10 years old.

23. Your Dad’s really good friends with at least one Public Figure.

24. Library is virtually non-existent unless you go to British council or American Library or Max Mueller Bhavan

25. Deepavali means every house is illuminated to such an extent that you wonder if its a competition of illumination and cracker bursting is so continuous that it is difficult to imagine one moment of silence on Diwali.

26. You have had the most RANDOM plans. Like reaching for a movie show which starts at 1pm, at 12:55pm and just hoping that gods left some tickets for you and your friends.

27. You have been warned by your parents at-least once that going at public places like Malls, isn’t safe, Cuz there might just a BOMB in that place.

28. Being from DPS, Modern or now even Goenka is like the SHIT.

29. You glare at people who call Gol-Guppa’s- Pani Puri!
And you always ask the vendor “Bhaiya yeh Gol-Guppe Aate ki hai ya Sooji ke?”

30. If in school, Your conti got busted by cops, teachers or a combination of both.

31. You’ve had school cancelled due to cold, summer vacations preponed due to heat and have at least thrice evacuated your school building after tremors.

32. You’ve hit 120 kmph at Nelson Mandela Marg.
And after crossing it, you might end up saying ” FEEL AA GAYE”. OR, You have raced up the DND and taken the U turn back.

33. You have been to a wedding in a Mehrauli farmhouse and have hit Nasha later on.

34. You have taken the 10 rupee Call Center cab/ Qualis from anywhere to Gurgaon/Noida.

35. You have seen a child with crutches begging on the Red Light RUN fast when the light turns green!

36. Almost every Delhi-ite understands Punjabi to an extent. May he belong to any region. PUNJABI unites everyone

37. You call the waiter in the restaurant “boss” & tack on “yaar”/ “bhai” to almost every sentence.

38. Rajender Da Dhaba’s got better chicken than Taj. You’ve at least tried it once! And you just might see a BMW, a Porsche OR a Peugeot parked outside it!

39. You have surely heard of “Chor Bazar” but never been there.

40. You use the word and have described practically every other person on the planet as “Vella”.

41. ‘KAROBAR’ = ‘Car-O-Bar’ i.e. drinking in the car….Hell yeah! thats what we live for!

42. You often see Middle Aged Aunties wearing Gucci shades and holding LV bags having Gol-Gappas in GK (Near Prince Pan) or Bhelpuri in South Ex along with Diet Coke !

43. Miranda house and CJM are two places where u’ll see people from different school/colleges hang out.

44. In the 90s, movie at Chankaya, momos at Yashwant Place and Hot Choc Fudge at Nirula’s = ULTIMATE Fun.

45. School students here, have gone to school, so early in the morning, it being Dark!..REAL Dark And you’ve attended those 3am GROUP tuition’s during your boards!
Haha.. Spookky! Lol.

46. Almost every Delhite has witnessed a DTC bus brawl turning into street fight.. Yet fun! OR the DTC bus over-speeding/breaking traffic rules/ or disc breaking.

47. You have probably been to Gurudwara Bangla Sahib @ 4 in the morning. Or even at 6 ‘cuz you were out on a day-bunk!

48. When everyone from the Auto Driver, Vegetable Vendor, Grocery Store guy, Watch-man, Salesperson to just any ‘guy’ is referred to here as ‘Bhaiya’

49. You refer to East Delhi as Jamuna ke Us Paar.

50. You refer to AIIMS as Medical.

51. You dont buy tickets for a music concert or cricket match, but try to take the help of your friend’s Dad, who happens to be the PA to the under secretary of the deputy secretary of the chief secretary of the Minister of State for Khadi.

52. You overtake everyone from the wrong side and stare into his/her eyes while doing so.

53. You call Gurgaon & NOIDA as illegitimate cousins of Delhi!

54. Most of you have at least two cars; your drivers have scooters and mobiles.

55. As soon someone tells you abut an important political development, you whip out your mobile and whisper into it as if you have access to the Prime Minister’s OFFICE!

56. You know that a farmhouse has nothing to do with cattle or farming.

57. You used “contacts” for everything, from getting movie tickets to restaurant bookings to playschool admissions.

58. You didn’t find ‘Monsoon Wedding’ funny. And Laughed your ass off when you watched ‘Dilli 6′

59. You’ve probably used the word ‘Tota’ to describe ANY Random-Hot-Chick that just passed by! ‘Phew!

60. You have had Anda parantha outside Vikram hotel and Bun Omelet at Dhaula Kuan at least once!

61. Almost anyone except a Delhi-ite is a “Chutiya”

62. DESPITE of all the goods and bads.
You still Love Delhi. =]

And you want more.

Opponents of ASFPA must read the autobiography of an ex-IPS officer, Shri E.N. Ram Mohan, titled Simply Khaki. Mr. Rammohan was last DG of the BSF (1997-2000) and had served for extensive periods in the North-East and J&K. In the book he states that every political party, particularly in the North-East and Kashmir has a militant unit which comes into play when that party is in the opposition. Insurgency is therefore a political issue which ALL political parties are responsible for creating and nurturing.

Instead of asking for the ASFPA to be repealed, why doesn’t anyone, including human rights activists, central/state governments and the media have the guts to ask for withdrawal of the army in toto from internal security duties? Or let us have another alternative – if any state wants the army for insurgency operations, without ASFPA, the Home Secretary and the DG Police of the state will be sent home for incompetency and the army commander will function in both those offices. Or better still, President’s rule will be declared in the state and martial law declared. Done? Every political party wants ASFPA to be repealed when in the opposition but needs the army to hold their pants when they are in power. Will media even have the courage to state openly that using the army internally signifies failure of all politicians, police and bureaucrats? I challenge anyone to counter my views openly. I am of course assuming, but am open to correction, that media has the courage to publish this letter. It is lack of this courage to express true public views, that has led to “hate sites” which are now clownishly attempted to be censored.

ASFPA opponents may note this story that explains the issue neatly. A human rights NGO worker, a TV journalist and a tough old soldier were captured by terrorists in Kashmir. The leader granted each one last request. The HR NGO worker said, ‘Well, I’d like one last plate of tandoori chicken.’ The leader nodded to an underling who left and returned with the chicken. The HR activist ate it all and said, ‘Now I can die content.’ The TV journalist said, ‘I want to record the scene here and what’s about to happen. Maybe, someday, someone will see it and know that I was on the job till the end.’ The leader handed over a video camera and the journalist filmed as he spoke. He then said ‘Now I can die happy.’

The leader turned to the soldier and asked, ‘ Havaldarji, what is your final wish? ‘Kick me,’ said the soldier. So the leader kicked him. The soldier rolled to his knees, pulled a hidden pistol from inside his vest and shot the leader dead. He emptied his sidearm on the shocked terrorists and with an AK-47, from an already dead terrorist, sprayed the rest. In a flash all of them were dead. The HR NGO worker and the journalist asked him, ‘Why didn’t you just shoot them all in the first place? Why did you ask him to kick you?’ ‘Because’ replied the soldier, ‘if I had shot first, you two would have reported that I was the aggressor and the root cause of all the blood shedding in Kashmir! Now you know why the army needs AFSPA. Go tell this to the world.’

A year ago one of my female colleagues was really delighted by Micromax Bling. She loved its square shape, the fact that it had a square screen with 2 crystal buttons with a mirror. She felt that it was like a nose powder box and was the latest fashion accessory that should be added to her purse. She actually bought one and was quite happy with it. Her only dissatisfaction was that “The phone is not pricy enough. I would have loved it even more if it was 5,000/- more expensive.”

Similarly for my mother, less is more. All she is looking for a phone with a good battery life, strong reception during her travel, few buttons and big font size in the display (so that she can function even without her glasses). She does not want a smart phone. It’s not that she is averse to technology; she just associates a phone with telephonic conversations. Any why shouldn’t she STD rates in India are as low as 20-50p (4,500 paisa = 1 USD). Plus you don’t have to pay any monthly commitment/subscription fee.

She does not want a touch screen: because she would rather use an application over the laptop then over a tiny weenie screen. Also her ear-rings (in spite of the proximity sensors etc.) have a tendency of muting her conversation (or a similar mischief). She would rather use an application over a laptop where everything is clearly visible than over a phone.

A business phone (like blackberry) is counterproductive because the key size is too small without the glasses.

Till recently she had a simple nokia phone with a standard 12+3 button format and a color screen. However now she does not want it because her maid has a similar phone.

I am sure there is a huge market for expensive phones with easy to use features.

Money does not multiply inside a piggy bank, hence no MBA school would recommend you this strategy of trading your liquidity for nothing. Yet the piggy bank strategy has been working for centuries. Simply because ones propensity to spend is directly correlated to the cash at hand. So often the only way to save is by setting aside some money.

A good friend of mine once said (in a very different context): “boys never grow up… they only trade their toy cars for more expensive ones”. A 15 year home loan, a 30 year insurance plan is a big boys version of a Piggy Bank which saps ones liquidity. EMIs forces the family to set aside its surplus for the rainy day and enforces a great deal of financial discipline.

If you never understood why people take so much pride in home ownership, think of it as one giant piggy bank where the family has been pouring each and every Rupee it could spare for the past 5-6 years.

Here are some of the salient features of the plan:

It is a 30 year plan where for the first 15 years, I would have to shell 1Lakh rupees every year and after 30 years (Nov 2041), I can expect:

1. Guaranteed benefit of 2,488,809/-: Now that is not really a return because it works out a return of 2.135% I guess my savings bank account can deliver more.
2. Same can be said about life cover because the returns one gets a return of 6% on the investment irrespective of the fund performance.
3. If the fund delivers 8% p.a. returns then after 30 years you get a 4.8% return or 45Lakh.
4. If the fund delivers a 10% returns then after 30 years you get an 8.7% return or 109Lakhs.
5. There is a surrender value: You invest 3 Lakhs over 3 years and you get 1L guaranteed in the 4 year. Even if your fund delivers 10% returns, you get 2.8Lakhs. So basically there are severe penalties for premature withdrawal.

Here is my analysis:

1. PPF gives me 8.5% guaranteed. So my returns from PPF match HDFC’s optimistic scenario.

2. If I die even 29 years 11 months and 29 days from the start of the policy, instead of getting 109 Lakhs return, I get only 55 Lakhs. So HDFC will ROB me of 50% of my savings.

3. PPF allows me to take loan/do a premature withdrawal (after 4 years) without any significant penalties. While in HDFC I do not only lose my interest but also the money I have invested.

4. PPF allows me to set the contribution level based on my financial situation. While HDFC will charge a huge penalty if try to delay/reduce my annual payment.

All these make me wonder WHY on EARTH will I invest in HDFC? But again there is no dearth of fools in the planet.

PS: Although PPF is a 15 year plan, you can extend it in 5 year blocks till your end of life.

We have all heard of fertilizer subsidy, fuel subsidy, LPG subsidy and the PM even mentioned that the 2G scam was also a subsidy. But we now have a new subsidy that is self perpetuating – sex subsidy – also called BPL – which will ensure that generations of Indians will continue to be BPL and produce even more BPL candidates. If someone claims to be BPL and cannot even support himself and needs the government to provide handouts then why should such a person be allowed to marry or even have children? So that more people can be brought into this world who are BPL ab initio and will vote for his caste-wallah neta? So let BPL be given only to those who are single and the moment he gets married or has children, he loses his BPL status. And any children, legal or illegal, will not be entitled to BPL subsidies. This should apply with retrospective effect. Children of BPL will not be eligible for BPL. In one generation we will wipe out BPL. That is the only way to end this vote garnering gimmick at the cost of tax payers. Otherwise BPL will only be a government sponsored sex subsidy scheme.

Cavemen have given up their freedom for civilization, law and order. Marriage constraints our personal life. Home mortgage EMI takes away our financial freedom, employment bonds/service contracts takes away our professional freedom. Why is it that everyone talks so much of freedom but they part with it so easily? The moment we plan, commit, agree to something we tie ourselves up and give up our freedom.

Hence I think freedom is ability to choose one’s constraints.

The English language has some wonderfully anthropomorphic collective nouns for the various groups of animals. We are all familiar with a Herd of cows, a Flock/Clutch of chickens, a School of fish and a Gaggle of geese. However, less widely known is a Pride of lions, a Murder of crows (as well as their cousins the rooks and ravens), an Exaltation of doves, an Army of ants, a Swarm of bees, Troop of monkeys, etc.
Now consider Baboons. They are the loudest, most dangerous, most obnoxious, most viciously aggressive and least intelligent of all primates. And what is the proper collective noun for a group of baboons? Believe it or not … Congress! Now ‘congress’ is also used to denote that familiar nocturnal activity that results in families. No wonder the country is probably being ‘congressed’?!

Owls, considered wise in western culture, are given the collective noun – ‘Parliament’ – presumably because parliament is a group of wise people. But owls – ie ulus – have a negative image here in India. Now if you translate “parliament of owls” into Hindi – you get “uluon ka sansad”!! Look how the translation also retains the cultural image!

Parliament is famous for forming Committees – that’s the collective noun for vultures! Again so appropriate! Incidentally the various collective nouns for politicians are – FIB, CHAOS, EXPENSE, SHAME & CORRUPTION. Now can Lokpal do anything to a congress of baboons and an uluon ka sansad, before the country gets ‘congressed’ and only the vultures are waiting for the pickings?

The ineptitude of the Congress, with its head half way round the world reveals that it’s nothing but a mama mia cabal, unable to function without hanging on her petticoat. It is an ice-cream pack, party size but wrapped in family size for only one family. And the rot started way back in 1969. Insecure and uncomfortable with those who had their own political base, Indira Gandhi went all out to destroy real Congressmen like Bahuguna, Vasantdada Patil, Jagjivan Ram, etc. Those who were installed in positions of authority were those who had no link whatsoever to the realities on the ground and could only function when the going was good. When the that starts hitting the fan they get mired in their own. And even end up putting their foot in the mouth, some even managing both!

There is not a single senior Congressman with experience in dealing with real politik. They are all political spoons, who cannot even win their own seats. Contrast this with the days of Nehru when CMs like Morarji Desai, CB Gupta, Kamaraj, Mohan Lal Sukhadia, G.B. Pant, R.S.Shukla, B.C.Roy, Srikrishna Sinha, were bosses in their states and even Nehru could not wag a finger at them. Look how with more than 400 MPs and half the country younger than him, Rajiv Gandhi messed up. He had no anubhav. And where is the current Yuvraj – not a peep out of him. Why he is uncomfortable in coming out with his views on the current snafu? And can we expect such an escapist to lead a nation? What happened to the four-headed hydra that is supposed to take decisions?

In some form or the other a Lokpal bill will definitely be passed by Parliament. However this Lokpal is only an apex level investigative authority who will act when a complaint is made. How different he will be from the CVC or CBI or whether the same fate befalls this office remains to be seen. There is no point having an investigative office when the system allows the corrupt and criminals to get in. That drain must be blocked with an effective net – NOTA.

If NOTA gets the highest votes, all candidates in that constituency lose their deposits. If such a candidate wants to again participate in the by-elections, his party will have to bear pro-rata cost of the election. That will solve the cost questions that are always raised. This is for all elections – from Gram Panchayat to Lok Sabha. Once the people know that their vote now really counts, watch the turnover at the polls. We can also progress to voting on the net or even mobile booths. This will solve the inertia problem that now exists and which netas want to continue by making it cumbersome to vote. The idea is to bring the polls to the people and not make people to go to the polls. Once there are a billion Lokpals such a system will be very difficult and costly to subvert – power will be in the hands of the people. The apex Lokpal will have fewer complaints.

It is perhaps the power that NOTA can wield that is making politicians and even the media, which is part of the establishment mafia, keep peculiarly silent on this issue.

The First World War, called the Great War acquired its premier ordinal global status only in 1939 after WW II started. Similarly when, how and why the Great Indian Mutiny aka Sepoy Mutiny acquired the appellation ‘First War of Independence’ is not very clear. But then, which was the second? Why not call it just the War of Independence? It would appear that the Congress wanted its freedom struggle to be ‘recognized’ as the ‘Second War of Independence’ though all-out wars can hardly last more than a few years. The independence ‘struggle’ proper took more than three decades.

Why did the Sepoy Mutiny fail? Compare the current nation-wide participation in the Anna Hazare campaign. The mutiny had no central leadership, identity or plan. Separate uprisings at various places on hearing of similar events elsewhere pursued their own agenda. But the most critical reason is that there was no means of mass communication. Thus the mutiny could not acquire the critical mass required for success. Telegraph came to India only in 1869. Contrast this with the manner the Anna campaign has all means of internal communications and external publicity. Without this it could have never become what it is. If JP had got this publicity in 1975, history would have been different. No wonder the Government wants to clamp down on electronic media. Let alone India, even the world is watching the Second (or is it Third?) War of Independence – with the Government being a very good comedian. Only the heroine is missing.

Fantastic post retirement get rich scam – with media help! Annual newspaper subscription is Rs.149/- . That is just Rs.12/- per month. One month’s raddi is about 3 kg which is Rs.9-10 per kg depending on season. That is 27/- per month giving me a profit of 15/- . A whopping 125%! With 1000 subscriptions it will be 1000/ per day, profit 600/- , or Rs.2,19,000/- pa on an investment of 1,49,000/- Is this taxable? The paper need not reach me – the newspaperwallah will also become a raddiwallah or they can set up business right next to each other. The break-even subscription cost is Rs.324/- per year. At that price, subscription = raddi (@ Rs.9/- per kg, BEP is Rs.360/- @ Rs.10/-) and you get to read a paper free. This is raddimathics, not taught even at Harvard!
Effort – write just one cheque. But will Jayanthi Natarajan approve of all this? Solution – the newspaper publisher will pay me directly with post dated monthly cheques – no need of even printing the paper! A perfect example of a ghost-cum-havala business. Similar business already there – selling IPO abridged prospectus after stripping (financially appropriate!) application form even before issue opens. Is my scam ok, or is it like the joke of a businessman (ethnicity secret to be politically correct) who wanted to print invitations for his daughter’s marriage. Printer quote – 500 cards will cost Rs.10/- each, 1000 will be Rs.8/- each and 5000 will be Rs.6/- each. Ethnically secret man asks printer – how much to order so that it is free?!!

Recently I found a dirty tactic used by Club Mahindra in the Central Mall, Bangalore. They have a pre-paid parking and the patrons are expected to pay for the parking before entering. This enterprising agent would be right next to the collection booth and would ask for your phone number and name. Hence giving an illusion that it is to ensure that the mall authorities could reach you in case of any issue/incident with your car. My friend just happened to peep into the form where he was entering the data to see a small logo of Club Mahindra. He raised a huge issue and tore few of his forms and pamphlets, however I don’t think that would have deterred him from not continuing his pursuit.

Similarly they have a lucky draw scheme in which everybody is a winner. They would say that you have won a 2 nights stay in one of their remote properties. However the fine print translates into the fact that one has to make a reservations atleast 2 months in advance, plus it has to be a week day of the off season. Also they would charge a 1000/- per night for water and electricity (I don’t consume so much water and electricity for the entire month).

In the words of our local escort and guide:

“In today’s world we devote a disproportionately high time in disaster prevention and recovery. However most disasters are usually preceded by major incidents. Major incidents are preceded by incidents -> minor incidents -> Near Misses -> Significant Events -> Events.

However we are so engrossed in firefighting the major incidents that we forget to root cause them. Usually a disaster is a result of series of minor issues that were detected early on, but the people were too busy to address and rectify them.”

Then he went about explaining me the various safety measures deployed and also how every event (no matter how insignificant) is recorded and analyzed. Also how that helps NPCL design better and safer plants etc.

Corporate promotion apart, what I really felt was that this philosophy could be really employed in our everyday life. Rather than trying to locate the last straw that broke the camel’s back, we should really try to do something to the rest of the burden the camel was carrying.

The recent terrorist attacks and the fact that no information or intelligence is forthcoming from the local Indian Muslim population is indeed a matter that needs to be examined. There was no India/Hindu/Muslim concept till the 19th. century. Many are not aware that Mohammed Ghazni, one of the most reviled persons by some political parties, had an army that was one-third Hindu with half a dozen Brahmin Generals. However history books are doctored to hide this. In the 1430s, King Devaraya II of the Sangama dynasty that ruled Vijayanagar held a council meeting to find out why his army did not do well against the Muslim Bahmani kingdom. The conclusion was that Muslims were not allowed to join his army. He immediately changed the rules. In fact after Ashoka the most renowned ruler of India is definitely Akbar and he never salted away wealth in Islamic countries like “patriotic” Indian leaders today do in Swiss Banks.
The Indian Muslim divide goes back nearly 200 years. It was in 1837 that the British introduced English and removed Persian which was, from around 1300, the official language of the rulers in India. Overnight Muslims became jobless and even powerless and to some extent they felt that the Hindu majority had a role to play in this. The British killed two birds with one stone. One – they brought in their language (which perhaps they may be regretting now) and two they strengthened their divide and rule policy. The seeds of the Muslim League and partition were sown in 1837. The next blunder was made by Mahatma Gandhi. In 1919 when the Caliph was removed he unnecessarily supported the Khilafat movement. Even Islamic nations were not worried about the Caliph. This gave the Indian Muslim an extra-territorial identity, and in the very next year one of the worst communal killings – the Mopallah Rebellion in Kerala took place.
Partition was the next event. Although it is stated that it took place on the basis of religion, the truth is that it was a result of the egos of Nehru and Jinnah. If it was on the basis of religion then it was not clean. Nehru did not want 40 million Muslims to leave India as otherwise Pakistan would have been justified in asking for more territory – ie Kashmir. It was contiguous to Pakistan and had a Muslim majority. But Nehru did not want his Kashmiri Pandits to become refugees, while he hardly was concerned about the Punjabis, Sikhs and Sindhis. We therefore had an unnecessary sham partition. To woo Muslims the “secular” agenda was formulated which became a political vote catching formula. A few castrated posts like President, Vice President etc were also thrown to the minorities. Not a single Muslim officer was recruited into the intelligence forces by the “secular” Congress government from 1947 to 1977. To further strengthen the minority vote bank, at the cost of the country, millions of Bangladeshis were allowed to remain in India as Mujibur Rehman refused to take back anyone who came before 22nd.March 1971. In fact an agreement which was not then revealed was signed. Many state governments bordering gave these refugees ration cards and voter status provided they left that state. The descendants of these refugees could well be the local links for the brains located in Pakistan and Bangladesh. We are seeing the results of all the above in the last 15 years.

RELIGION AND TERRORISM
There seems to be mistaken notion that the link between religion and terrorism is something recent. Far from it. Religious terrorism is as old as religion itself. First there was only one religion – the oldest – Hinduism. Was Hinduism a peace loving religion? Not if you go by its two most well known epics – the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. In both there are wars whose duration and numbers involved were substantial. The next was Judaism. But Hinduism and Judaism were separated by vast distances and it would be interesting to know when they came to know of each others existence. Buddhism, Jainism and Zoroastrianism came about almost simultaneously. While there was probably no religion in Iran then, we do not know whether the birth of Buddhism and Jainism was entirely peaceful.
The non-violent transformation of Hinduism came during Ashoka’s reign. Within 200 years came the first invasion by the Kushans. It was around this time that Christianity came into existence. There is no history to show that there was any organized violence on the basis of religion till 600 AD. In any case Christianity spread to the west – to Europe and did not encounter Hinduism till 1498 AD. It is only after the birth of Islam, whose meager adherents found that everyone beyond Saudi Arabia already had a religion – hence forced conversion to your God was the only method to spread the name of your God. It was the first religion to have a term for “religious war”. And it was to counter Islam that the first religious wars – the Crusades – were fought in the 11th. and 12th. centuries. It was only after Spain and most of Europe was freed from Islam that Christianity started looking for other areas – Asia and the Americas. Unable to counter the Christian kingdoms Islam turned east towards Central Asia and India.
Religions have had strange relationships in the last two wars – Germany had an Islamic ally in the First World War – Turkey and a Buddhist-cum-Shinto ally in the second war – Japan. Germany’s main foes in both wars were all Christian nations. Islamic nations were protected by Christian allies – but that is only because of a new dimension in religonomics – oil. Thus we now have a strange balance – with the militarily and economically strongest being Christian nations who depend on the oil on which Islam literally sits! Both with about 2 billion adherents. India, with its Hindu majority and more Muslims than all Islamic nations except Indonesia (which ironically was once Hindu) and China with Shintoism are the balancing items in this act. Is God laughing?
- T.R.Ramaswami

Why will India never be secure? Because security is a function of discipline and we Indians are the most indisciplined, particularly the law makers and law enforcers. Everyone wants rules for security but would try to avoid following them if it were possible. Here is one simple rule. Let it made compulsory that anyone, starting from the President downwards, who enters a public place – ie railway station, airport, mall, restaurant, shop, public transport, school, college, religious place, public buildings, offices, and certain other designated areas must always have a photo-cum-address identity proof. This can be a driving licence, passport, voter identity card etc. In the case of passport/voter card a photocopy may be sufficient. Let this document be put in a transparent plastic folder and hung around the neck like some companies insist for their employees. The only place where you don’t have to wear this is on the road and in your house. Do this only in the 20 top cities. Too tough? But security is a tough task.
Another aspect of our security is the knee jerk over-reaction after an event. You find gun-toting police everywhere, security metal detecting door-frames installed, frisking, opening of bags, boots of cars etc. In a few days the metal detecting door frames will stop working, the police will disappear and the frisking and opening will reduce to a mere formality. What is required is a sustained, constant, upward moving security drill, with 3-6 months for each stage to be implemented before moving to the next one. With no exceptions. Each one must be announced and implemented with full vigour till the entire process is literally drilled into our psyche and becomes involuntary like breathing. That’s the test of discipline. Let us start by abolishing ALL exceptions to frisking at the airport, including the President, and of course the one and only Robert. Will we have the guts to do this? If not, then don’t even talk about security.

How many blasts have taken place in the last 15 years? – Here is the list which may not be complete but still sufficient – Mumbai (1993), Coimbatore, Lucknow, Jaipur, Varanasi, Mumbai (2006), Malegaon, Hyderabad, Delhi, Kabul, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, New Delhi (2008), Malegaon (2008), Modasa, Assam.
However we find that all the attention has been directed only to the Malegaon blast and we hear nothing about the rest. Why? Because the Malegaon blast was an unsecular blast. All the other blasts were evidently secular according to Secular Maataji, whose temple is said to be located somewhere in New Delhi.

SECULAR HYPOCRISY
Recall how netas and even the media scream that terrorists have no religion. Now how does this tie up with the plea that Mohammed Afzal should not be hanged during Ramzan? Here is a case where the police have been able to produce evidence to convince the court of his guilt. Now letting him go would be a blow to the police. And since he is a man convicted of a terrorist act, ipso facto he has no religion and Ramzan has no meaning for him. If secularism is so important, then why did such considerations not come into play when the Sankaracharyar of Kanchi was arrested on Diwali day, the most auspicious religious festival of Hindus? Evidently secularism is the art of boot-licking the minorities to garner votes.

SUCKULARISM
I write with reference to Mr. Balbir Punj’s article “A 17-year 48-act farce” (Asian Age 4 Dec 2009). Mr Punj is right – Muslims and Christians are able to do in Hindu majority India what they will never be able to do in each other’s country and even in their own country. India is secular not because that word is there in the Constitution but because the majority are Hindus. Secularism has become “suckularism” because certain political parties, particularly the Congress suck up to minority vote banks because they ejaculate votes every five years. Let the Congress answer one question – if Jinnah wanted a separate country for Muslims, as is taught in school history, why were all Muslims not sent to Pakistan? That’s because Nehru was worried that if this was done then Pakistan may have got Kashmir and he did not want his Kashmiri Pandit jathwallahs to become refugees. He did not mind Sikhs, Sindhis and Punjabis being thrown from their lands.

SECULAR RUBBISH
Over the past few days we heard a number of “secular” leaders mouthing inanities like how the “non- secular forces” have been defeated etc. The fact is that no party can claim to be secular, as the country itself is not yet fully secular. Secondly, if the carnage in Gujarat in 2002 was a non-secular act how about the slaughter of Sikhs in 1984. It appears that a Congress slaughter is secular while an RSS/BJP slaughter is non-secular. Incidentally will Mr. Manmohan Singh have the secular courage to ensure that some justice is done to those who lost their relatives in 1984. After all some of the alleged accused are now MPs in his own party.

SECULAR TERRORISM
At last terrorism is also going secular. The media has the courage to use headlines like “Hindu Terrorism”. Perhaps they will soon develop testicles to also write about “Islam Terrorism.” If all Muslims are not terrorists and terrorists do not have any religion then why is this rule also not applicable to Hindus? Maybe because we are secular. There is another aspect regarding the daily and front page publicity given to Col. Purohit. Evidently the ruling party is using it an election propaganda to check the BJP. It is also stated that the netas, bureaucrats and the police are using the issue to keep the armed forces silent on the Pay Commission issue. Perhaps the police and particularly the Mumbai police, which forms the ATS, need to be reminded that it was the army that held its pants up during the police mutiny in 1980. In fact the “coffee-table” book on the Mumbai police does not have one word on this as it would probably spoil the aroma.
But let me state something in defence of Hindu terrorism. I have no objection to the term provided the media also uses the term “Islamic Terrorism.” Looked at from one perspective this country has been subject to Islamic terrorism for more than 1000 years from the days of Ghazni. So what if Hindus have started retaliating? What riles the Islamic world and many Muslims in India is that even after ruling India for more than 600 years they were unable to convert more than 30% – the only country which they could not turn Islamic in entirety. Half of these converts went to Pakistan and Bangladesh. We made the mistake of not having a clean partition on the basis that is taught as history in schools – that Jinnah wanted a separate country for Muslims. If that is so then why are there more Muslims in India? That’s because Nehru did not want all Muslims to go to Pakistan. If they did then Jinnah would have been justified in asking for more land and ideally Kashmir should have been given to Pakistan with ALL Muslims. But Nehru did not want his Pandit jathwallahs to become refugees – which they are now.
To sum up we are paying for the biggest mistake in modern Indian history – that of Nathuram Godse – he shot the wrong man.

SECULARISM, JINNAH AND GANDHI
I write with reference to the letter “Not A Secular” by Mr. Shailesh Kumar (BS 8 July 2005). Mr. Kumar states that Jinnah was not a secularist although he did not want the clerics to have a say in the government. However Mr. Kumar seems to have forgotten that it was Gandhi who gave the Indian Muslim an extra-territorial identity by unnecessarily supporting the Khilafat movement. This incident, sometime in 1919, which involved the Caliph, was not even considered important by several Muslim nations. By this one act Gandhi made the Indian Muslim feel that he was a Muslim first and an Indian second. In fact, soon after came the Moplah rebellion in Kerala when several Hindus were slaughtered. Hence any incident anywhere creates an issue here even if several Muslim nations keep quiet. A case in example – the ban on Salman Rushdie’s novel.
Regarding Jinnah’s violent methods – if we had used violence to fight for our freedom, as advocated by Bose, we would have got it at least 25 years earlier and there would have been no partition. Gandhi’s non-violent method delayed independence and is the main reason for our “soft state” image.

MUSLIMS, INTELLIGENCE AND WAHHABISM
I write with reference to the article “Need to recruit Muslims in Intelligence agencies” by Mr. Mobin Pandit. It may be pertinent to note that from 1947-1977, not a single Muslim was recruited in the higher ranks of the intelligence agencies by the so-called secular Congress government as they were considered “untrustworthy”. This has been revealed in several books by spooks who worked in these agencies. In fact it was Morarji Desai who changed the policy but since he was there only for a year, one wonders whether it was again changed thereafter.
As regards the Wahhabism and the Deoband School, it may be noted that more than 50,000 Indians, concentrated in Bihar and UP have given Arabic as their mother tongue in the census. This is not surprising and the history behind this is intriguing. It goes back to the 16th. century when Naqshbandi Sufism was brought to India by Sheikh Ahmed of Sirhind (1563-1624). Thereafter the lines connect to Syed Ahmad of Rae Barreilly (1786-1831) who was influenced by both Sheikh Waliulah of Delhi and Muhammad ibn Abd-al Wahhab of Nejd, Saudi Arabia. It was Syed Ahmad who was responsible for creating the Three Patna Families, whose descendants/followers are the foremost practitioners of Wahhabism in India. In fact, during British Raj, this group funded and maintained a terrorist group in the Mahbun mountain range, west of the Indus in the present Swat province in Pakistan. This group was called the “Hindustani Fanatics” who were planning a jihad which can only be launched from dar-ul-Islam (land of Faith) on the dar-ul-harb (land of the unfaithful). For more details one should read the superbly chronicled book – God’s Terrorists – The Wahhabi Cult and the Hidden Roots of Modern Jihad – by Charles Allen.

- T.R.Ramaswami