Jul

31

As his fans prepare to bid him a tearful farewell, several questions remain unanswered, hours after singer Ishmeet Singh’s tragic death by drowning.

1. Ishmeet Singh accompanied a group of 7 who traveled with him to Maldives. The group included famous singer Shaan, and a few other reality show stars. Little has been heard from them so far except a short statement from Shaan.

2. The Dhonveli Resort, the place where Ishmeet and his collegaues were staying at, is famous for surfing and diving and swimming amenities. It is beyond comprehension why this so-called world-famous resort would not have a lifeguard watching guests at all times.

3. What happened? What was the timeline from Ishmeet being pulled out of water and afterwards? Ishmeet is said to have drowned between 5:15-5:20pm Tuesday afternoon. When was he pulled out of the water? Who pulled him out? How? Where was he placed after that? Did anyone try to revive him? How? Did he get a CPR? Was an external defribillator (AED) in place? Was it used?

4. It has been reported that a doctor did try to revive Ishmeet minutes after he apparently drowned. What did that report say? Did it mention any head injury/abrasions? Did the doctor check the pupils, the pulse etc?

5. Did the swimming pool have any safety supplies (like ring buoys or ropes e.g.) at hand? Were there enough warning signs in full view? The resort will now make sure all these things are in place, but were these things in place at the time of the incident?

6. Did Ishmeet suffer from any sudden seizures or any such medical condition that led to him drowning?

7. Was there any alcohol involved? Alcohol consumption is known to increase the likelihood of immersion in recreational water activities. Were there any guests at the swimming pool who were drinking alcohol and were unable to help Ishmeet when he needed their help?

8. Did those who accompanied Ishmeet know that he could not swim? There are conflicting reports mentioning some people taking Ishmeet’s cries for help for a prank. Other reports have mentioned that he was alone in the deep end of the pool with a couple of Delhi family kids at the other end.

9. It has been reported that there is not a single good medical facility or a hospital nearby the resort place. Is this the first ever tragedy that has ever befallen the resort? Sounds a little strange.

10. The asst manager of the resort has told the media that he was not at the facility when this happened. There was no lifeguard at the pool. There was no doctor nearby. There was no medical facility nearby. There was no asst manager nearby. It seems there were no other hotel employees nearby. What were the sponsors thinking having India’s best singers stay at a resort manned by nobody?

Jul

31

What is Pakistan upto?

July 31, 2008 posted by indiatime | 1 Comment

Pakistan is upto its usual dirty tricks, once again playing the extremely dangerous game of backstabbing and hiding behind diplomacy. Over last several hours, Pakistani forces have made multiple attempts to cross the Line of Control (LoC), the third Pakistani mischief this month.

Those recent skirmishes have already killed a few Indian jawans including Mumbai’s Ajit Gaokar, a 34-year old son of a retired mill worker, whose body came home to a grieving family yesterday. Ajit, a 15-year veteran of the Indian army was a Naib Subhedar with the 25 Rashtriya Rifle Regiment.

The same time Pakistani army’s saboteurs were murdering Indian soldiers, its Prime minister was shaking hands with the US president George Bush, begging the US president to give Pakistan nuclear technology.

That kind of duplicitous behavior by Pakistan will, however, not go on for long. The New York Times is reporting that earlier this month, high-level US officials traveled to Pakistan to ’scold’ that country’s spy agency - the ISI, for its associations with militants and terrorists, and for its hand in the Indian embassy attack in Kabul. The actions of the US officials validate earlier claims by Indian foreign office officials accusing the Pakistanis of complicity in those attacks.

The recent bomb blasts in Indian metros, the crossing of the line of control by the Pakistani army, the Pak PM’s diplomacy attempts and the US officials’ visit to admonish the ISI, all of these look may like isolated events in a close timeline. These events are not just not isolated, but they are very closely related. Something is afoot in Pakistan. Whether that is on the Pak-Afghan border or somewhere in Kashmir, we will know very soon.

Jul

30

Ten famous singers who died young

July 30, 2008 posted by indiatime | 8 Comments

Here are those famous voices whose owners left young, leaving their fans grieving and longing for more.

1. Selena Quintanilla (1971-1995) - The Mexican-American singer, also known by some as the Mexican Madonna, rose to the top of the billboard charts. But that was in 1995, the same year she was murdered by one of her own fans.

2. Ritchie Valens (1941-1959) - American singer most remembered for his classic ‘La Bamba’, died in a plane crash in Iowa.

3. Buddy Holly (1936-1959) - American singer who is also hailed as a pioneer of rock and roll. He is known for hits such as Peggy Sue Got Married. Buddy Holly died in the same plane crash that killed Ritchie Valens. (The 1959 plane crash tragedy inspired the famous song The American Pie, a 1971 hit).

4. Patsy Cline (1932-1963) - American country music singer, also died in a plane crash

5. Julia Vega (1968-1985) - Young singing sensation from Philippines, died young of pneumonia, most probably a complication of a neurological condition.

6. Yukiko Okada (1967-1986) - Japanese singing idol who took her own life

7. Frankie Lymon (1942-1968)- African-American teenage singing idol, the lead singer of The Teenagers, remembered for such songs as Why Do Fools Fall in Love. Died of drug overdose.

8. Viktor Tsoi (1962-1990) - Korean-Russian singer, also known as pioneer of Russian rock, was killed in a car accident.

10. Ishmeet Singh (1989-2008) - The rising star of Indian music, young Ishmeet’s life was cut short by a freak drowning accident on the coast of the Maldive Islands.

Jul

29

Ishmeet Singh (1989-2008)

July 29, 2008 posted by indiatime | 40 Comments

ishmeet.jpgIshmeet Singh Sodhi, the velvet-voiced sensation from Ludhiana, who rocketed to fame winning the ‘Star Voice of India’ show last year, is no more. Ishmeet died in a drowning accident in Maldives, where he was currently traveling to appear in the ‘Star Voice of Maldives’ show on August 1st.

A teen superstar with a huge promise, Ishmeet wowed India’s audiences with superb renditions of popular old and new songs, winning praise and respect for his original voice, and for his natural singing talent. He hadn’t had any classical training in singing and still managed to do the improbable, when he defeated several other classically-trained and capable singers, to win the crown of fame in Star TV’s famous reality show.

“…Swift as a spirit hastening to his task
Of glory and of good, the Sun sprang forth
Rejoicing in his splendour..”

- P B Shelley (The Triumph of Light) -
the great English poet who himself died of drowning

Jul

29

Raj Bhavsar is finally a US Olympic gymnast

July 29, 2008 posted by indiatime | 4 Comments

Raj Bhavsar, the Indian-American gymnast from Houston, is going to Beijing. Until yesterday, he was still going as an alternate, but now he will be competing for the medals, representing United States in the men’s gymnastics.

For Bhavsar’s olympic story, this latest twist, a sweet one this time, came yesterday when Paul Hamm, another member of the US Olympic team, withdrew from the team, saying he was less than 100% fit for the events, and that he had still not recovered from an injury sustained a few months ago.

27-year old Raj Bhavsar almost made the Olympic team back in 2004, but missed being chosen in the main contingent, and had to be satisfied with being an alternate. He almost gave up on his Olympic dreams, but worked hard on a comeback anyway. At the 2008 trials, he once again missed the certain birth by an extremely narrow margin, and once again had to settle for being an alternate. But that was until yesterday.

Raj is the third Indian-American and the first Indian-American male gymnast to compete at the Olympics. Cyclist Alexi Grewal (1984 gold) and female gymnast Mohini Bhardwaj (2004 silver) were the other two.

Here’s Raj Bhavsar, speaking about his dreams, about not giving up…

Jul

28

A group of experts at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center have published some advice on how to avoid getting cancer from cell phones. And although they don’t exactly say that in the title, that’s what they mean. So here are ten little things to remember that will save you a lot of headache (literally) in later life.

1. Do not allow kids younger than 5 to use cell phones. (Yeah, find other ways to ruin their lives). The cell phones (all of them) emit radiation that penetrates a kid’s brains several times more than it does yours or mine. So unless you’re sure that you have a thick-skinned 5 year-old and you see in him tomorrow’s parliamentarian, just take that cell phone away from the kid.

2. If you or your spouse is pregnant, then TELL THEM NOW to stop using cell phone constantly with a developing fetus inside, especially a purse close to their bodies (Trust me, I have seen more than a few examples of new parents putting the cell phone close to their newborn so the relatives could hear the baby crying).

3. The farther the cell phone is from the body, the way the radiation affects you is dramatically less. From 2 inches from your body to 3 feet, the radiation effect gets reduced by at least a factor of 12.

4. Many people sleep with their cell phones in pockets or under their pillows or on their bodies. Keep it away, at least while asleep.

5. When you keep your cell phone in your pockets, keep the keypad towards you (most people do exactly the opposite). That will point the radiation field away from you instead of towards you pointed right into your vital organs.

6. Longer the cell phone conversation, longer you’re exposed to unfriendly radiation fields. There are known cases of people found dead after speaking on cell phone for days at a stretch without any food or drink.

7. If you’re getting a signal, just give it a break (unless you’re already facing a life-threatening situation, of course). The more attempts the phone makes to contact signal towers, more radiation it is exposing you to.

8. Every phone has an Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) rating. Know what your cell phone has. And the nest time when you upgrade that instrument, get one that has a lower one.

Yes, the Pittsburgh advisory has 10 suggestions, but I’ve resisted putting a couple more here, especially the one about not using cell phones in public to avoid giving second-hand exposure. Yeah, how could someone who does not give a hoot about their own health, care about the health of their fellow passenger in a bus or a train? The Pittsburgh doctors will change that one once they visit India. Until then, we can still use the rest of their wisdom.

Jul

28

Narco tests for terror investigations

July 28, 2008 posted by indiatime | Leave a Comment

One of the highlights of last week’s serial bomb blasts in India was the intensity factor. The blasts in Bangalore as well as those in Ahmedabad turned out to be low-intensity blasts, with the bombs carried to their destinations mostly on bicycles. Within hours of the bomb blasts, police in a few other cities found unexploded car-bombs, those that were a lot more dangerous and destructive, but did not go off as planned or found before they were supposed to.

The terrorists’ tactic of exploding multiple low-intensity bomb blasts seems to be borne out of several factors - design, development, deployment, delivery - the usual Ds. For the last bombs, it seems more like the case of a delivery issue than anything else. The successful use of inconspicuous bicycles to deliver the deadly dose, and the unsuccessful use of car-bombs (that were found unexploded and diffused later) throws light on how quickly the terrorists cells seem to be adapting. Such intelligent adaptations are seldom a hallmark of a fringe group or a bunch of disgruntled religious zealots angry with past communal riots. Such decisions come from an authority higher than those who actualy would eventually be found to have placed the bicycle bombs on the streets.

For those higher-ups to make such successful decisions, it must be necessary to collect some surveillance, gather intelligence, analyze and interpret it. Which tells us that there usually is a longer planning phase that determines the right tactics to be used depending on local conditions. The question is who are the people that roam our streets as you and walk walk down to the market or to the shopping mall or take a stroll in the evening? Who are the people who are surveying our communities as the little children play outside and the elders chat on the street corners?

To determine all that, the investigative agencies should, from the very beginning, add one more tool to their arsenal. And that tool is the narco-tests. It would be worth taking a look whether various suspects, or suspects from different locations, lead to common threads or point in the same direction. So imagine if 50 totally unrelated people, after taking the narco test, tell us that they took their basic and advanced courses in bomb-making and surveillance at a school administered by by Pakistan’s Intelligence agencies, in a certain place located somewhere on the map in Pakistan, that normally not-so-reliable narco-tool suddenly starts looking like the real deal.

Although I personally have advocated against narco tests before due to their controversial and inconclusive nature, in this case, these tests do have a definitive value. And apart from the fact they they just might yield some hidden gems, they can also act as great deterrents for those who are thinking or planning any future attacks. And to those who might be concerned about whether this is getting closer to any torture tactics, the cops too, should adapt to a new delivery mechanism for the narco tests. Instead of injecting the suspects with narco-serums, let’s just mix it in coke or pepsi and offer it with chips.

Jul

27

With multiple succesive serial bomb blasts occuring daily in highly populated Indian metros, India, is now ever so softer target for terrorists as never before. Indian investigative agencies excel in postmortem investigations, but they lack the intelligence arm that would allow them the luxury of a warning signal before anything bad happens. Until then, here are my ten suggestions for the metropolitican public in India that feels vulnerable and defenseless against sudden terrorist strikes.

1. Community watches : No matter how the terrorist build the bomb, they need to deliver it. Major tragedies canbe averted and lives can be saved, if they’re caught or at least seen before delivering it. India’s metros have community groups like Ganesh festival groups in Mumbai or Durga Pooja groups in Kolkata. These civilian groups can take it upon themselves to watch every nook and public corner of their communities for any unusual activity. A million watchful eyes are better than those of a handful of cops.

2. CCTV :Many western metros are now completely under the coverage of closed circuit TV cameras, catching everything that goes on in public. With top priorities like terrorism, financing such measures should not be an issue. As long as the CCTV comnaies are not owned by those in the parliament.

3. Education police :India’s cops are still under-educated about terror watches and activities and need a lot more orienting their minds towards identifying situations. A good watchful cop can save a thousand lives in a big metro before an incidence happens. The cops also need to be trained in emergency measures after such incidences, something that can help reduce or minimize casualties.

4. Educating Public :They say public has a short memory and whoever they are, they are so damn right. Add to that TV media with a short memory and you have a slumber party of sorts going on with people back to their happy-go-lucky weekend. Indian public still does not fuly comprehend the motives of the perpetrators who wish to destroy the Indian way of life.

5. Educating politicians :Within minutes of the blasts, members of the ruling coalition were seen speaking about the Gujarat state government’s law and order capabilities. That’s a dangerous thing to do. These smooth-talking congress-loyalists seemed like they were taking political advantage of a heinous tragedy. That’s just plain wrong. It may be a political issue later, especially during the elections, but this, here and today, is no place and time for that.

6. Quick, forceful and swift justice : Home minister Patil expressed sympathy and support for the victims of the tragedies. The only thing that can bring a semblance of a smile on those faces is if the people who destroyed their lives are brought to face a swift and sharp justice. Words, especially the mumbling ones, from the home minister would mean very little.

7. Border security : India’s threat is not home-grown terrorism but the one that is cross-border, insurgent and supprted by the neighboring rogue nation that the entire planet knows to be the breeding ground of world terrorism. India needs to seal its border with Pakistan, down to a milimeter, literally, no matter how hard that task is.

8. Taking charge :It is often said that offense is the best defense. That adage is true of wars as well. While a big nation might perceive terrorist threats as ‘threats’, the terrorists view these things as their ‘wars’. India needs to adapt itself to that thinking where it starts thinking of these threats as ‘military attacks’. For those who argue that the terrorist do not represent a state nation but a mentality, the only thing I would say is to stop kidding themselves.

9. Economic and cultural isolation :India needs to economically and culturally isolate those who support and fund the tragedies that claim Indian citizens’ lives every day. We play cricket with Pakistan in the morning and a few hours later we tell the world it is a terrorist nation. People’re thinking we’re either foolish or just plain paranoid.

10. Military action : This is the only decisive, final and long-tem solution that will free India of a terrorist issue for generations to come. Doctors will tell you that the best way to address a threatening cancer is most often surgery or nuclear medicine. India can get back to its yogic and meditation techniques for later rehabilitation.

Jul

26

High time for decisive military action

July 26, 2008 posted by indiatime | 2 Comments

Within less than 24 hours of the Bangalore bomb blasts, another Indian city, Ahmedabad, was today the scene of about 17 bomb blasts. The latest reports mentioned more than a dozen dead and a several dozens injured. The blasts took place at around 6 pm in residential and shopping areas, including areas that comprised of Gujarat state chief minister Narendra Modi’s constituency.

Although the condemnations reactions are swift and coming from all the quarters, India’s home minister seemed a little fazed and under pressure speaking to the press. He seemed surprized and angry at the suddenness of the attacks, now 2 serial bomb blast episodes in two of India’s biggest metros.

Every other metro will be on high alert now and there is a probablility that nothing may happen innear future. Then, within a few weeks, we will be hearing of another such episode, dozens more innocent lives lost, dozens more maimed for life. The question on everyone’s minds is how long do we take this cowardly shit from the bastards who call themselves Allah’s soldiers, in turn giving a bad name to their own religion as well.

Why did the terrorists strike this week? There’s a reason for that. The terror network was counting on the ruling coalition losing the confidence vote in Delhi, hoping that the destabilized nation will be further destabilized with a lame duck coalition at the center. Although the ruling coalition won the vote, it seems that the go-ahead signal had already been given to the sleeper cells to initiate the attacks. That means two things. That they are active sleeper cells in every Indian metro, ready to strike the local populations within a few hours of a go-ahead signal. And that there is a go-ahead signal coming from a central place, probably outside the country, somewhere in Pakistan.

Although the investigative agencies will figure out the faces and identities of those who perpetrated the bomb blasts of today and yesterday, the masterminds will still be out of our reach, toasting their new horrific deeds, and shaming their own God.

It is time India stand up to this cowardice by Pakistan and invite our smaller and weaker neighbor for a head-to-head confrontation on the borders near India’s northwest. The only way Pakistan can ever learn a lesson in humility is if India’s mighty military strikes a decisive and a definitive blow in the heart of the terrorist demons, driving the stake through and through. This has gone on for too long and we’ve suffered too much. No more. Time has come for India’s sleeping lion to awake and roar at its full strength.

Thousands of years ago, on the fields of Kurukshetra, warrior Arjuna told Lord Krishna why he was confused and in a dilemma about fighting the cousins and brothers he so wanted to live peacefully with. In what is undoubtedly the oldest known of words of military wisdom that any supreme deity ever spoke about, Krishna asked Arjuna to destroy the demons and fulfill his calling, that of the greatest warrior of his era.

India needs a decisive step to step into the big league as a leader of nations, and that step is not an industrial one, not an educational one, not a cultural one. For India, that Superpowerdom will not come from winning Olympic medals or winning Cricket matches or making Bollywood movies. It will not come from postmartems of past terrorist activities. It will not come from erecting Gandhi’s statues and it definitely will not come from having hundreds of serial soaps on TV.

India’s superpowerdom will come when it forever silences the ugly demon that keeps raising its head and stabbing India’s back ever and ever again. Every little kid knows that the support and finances for terrorist activites in India come directly from Pakistan. It is time to go in and take control and stop this nonsense once for all. Our children and grandchildren and the rest of the world including the suffering souls of September 11 will thank us if if we did this tomorrow.

India can do in 7 days what the US has not been able to in last 7 years. We know who the culprits are, we know where they live, and we’ve known their ways for centuries. But to achieve that goal, India must summon the courage to open the trump card it has fought so hard to hide. It is time to invite our bravest and the best to enter Pakistan and finish this cat and mouse game with a lion’s fist. A sleeping lion gets his name not because he sleeps but because he acts like a lion when he wakes up.

Jul

26

Watching Shahrukh Khan and his little friends recently, in their ’smarter than 5th grader’ show, I was reminded why most of India’s promise and potential of smartness gets extinguished before the 5th graders turn into adults.

India’s education system can brag about a lot of good things. Great teachers. Diligent and obedient students. Cheaper cost of advanced education as compared to many other countries. An eclectic social mix of students acquainting children with their melting pot communities. One of the worst aspects of that same educaiton system however, is how we assess our success or failure imparting it.

One of the questions Mr. Khan posed to his contestant the other day, was about India’s Science day. Specifically, what it was observed for. Of course the adult contestant did not know about it and the 5th grade kid answered it, writing that the 28th February was observed as to remember C. V. Raman, the great Indian physicist, the man behind the Raman effect, a discovery relating to light scattering.

Raman was educated entirely in India and started his light scaterring discovery voyage on a return cruise from the west, thinking about the deep blue color of the mediterranean ocean. Eighty years later, Raman effect is now a part of India’s history (as well as the world’s history, of course), forever etched in a fraction of people’s memories by us all observing a National Science day. So, the last great thing that happened to Indian science was 80 years ago, when C. V. Raman was felicitated by a Nobel prize in 1930. At around the midpoint of then and now, in 1968, another Indian called Har Govind Khorana, did bag a nobel in science, but he was an American by then. Abnd of course, S. Chandrasekhar, Raman’s own nephew, claimed the Physics prize in 1983, but he too, was an American by then.

So, when someone brings up the topic of a day eighty years earlier still being celebrated as our science day, it begs the next question as to why the superpower of the 21st century has not had a single momentous and indigenous contribution to any science-related discovery? So there was no such thing as Raman effect at all?

Jul

25

Six low-intensity bomb blasts in six places rocked Bangalore this afternoon, killing at least one woman and injuring more than a dozen others. The low intensity of the blasts explained the comparatively lower number of casualties on a crowded Friday afternoon. But the blasts are a clear signal to Indian authorities that terrorists can strike at will in a major Indian metro.

Shakeel Ahmad, the state minister for home affairs, reiterated the need for creation of a central federal investigative agency on the lines of the FBI. So far, the investigative agencies have been sifting through the bomb wreckage to find clues. All that is known so far is that all the bombs were triggered using timers.

Jul

25

Times are hard for the communist party of India, these days. Earlier this week, the party lost a unique chance to topple the ruling coalition government. Day before, their polit bureau fired the speaker of India’s house, one of their most senior colleagues. Today, roof fell over Achutanandan, the chief minister of Kerala. Achutanandan escaped unhurt, but the roof of his bedroom fell over the area of his bed, where he normally rests his head on a pillow. Whatsaved the chief minister was an instinct to take a shower in the adjoining bathroom.

The government sources told the prss that a portion of the roof, about a square meter in size, fell on Achutanandan’s bed, adding “…If someone was lying on the bed, then it would have injured him…”. This is the first time the Kerala government sources have admitted that the chief minister routinely lies in his bed.

Less than a year ago, Achutanandan became the first communist CM of Kerala to visit the famous 800-year old Sabarimala shrine in the western ghats. Now that his devotion to Ayyappa seems to have paid off, chances are Achutanandan will soon be undertaking another 3-hour trek to the shrine.

Jul

24

British businesses get pointers on India

July 24, 2008 posted by indiatime | 1 Comment

The UK-India Business Council, an organization that works for improving the bilateral trade between the two countries, has announced new ‘etiquette classes’, or India 101 for British businesses. Here are some of their suggestions coming directly from the council :

1. Don’t kiss Indian women during goodbyes and while saying hello - okay if done at other times. And by the way, that goes for Indian men, too.

2. Opening gifts in a hurry when Indian hosts are still in the room - Make sure no Indian is in the room or wait until the last Indian has left the room. When saying goodbye to the last Indians leaving the room, do not kiss them.

3. Do not talk down, or patronise Indian colleagues and business partners - Your country, Great Britain, is in no position or shape to do so. Yes, we ruled this bloody country, but that was during your grandfather’s times. Don’t forget it’s 2008, and we all work for Mittal. .

4. Indians are not always punctual, so be patient and flexible. - What the f*** did the council tell you just a moment ago? Do not patronize bloody Indians. They are never puncutual, so you Brits need to understand that.

5. Say ‘Namaste’ with a slight bow and palms together - You do this one time, and you have won the stupid Indians. They will kiss your feet once you say namaste with a bow. But again, do not kiss back.

6. Indians may call on weekends for discussing business, so don’t be offended - These lungiwallahs and pungiwallahs have no idea how the civilized world spends its weekends. Allow your big heart to forgive them for working so hard and being so ignorant. With your help, they will hopefully catch up to the civilization soon..

7. India has a rich and diverse cultural landscape; a land of huge opportunities - Yeah, we couldn’t take everything home before 1947. Wish Gandhi hadn’t distracted us with his attire last time.

8. Don’t display affection in public - Offer to display affection in private. But first you must bow and say ‘namaste’. Bow when you meet. Bow before you cheat.

9. Flattery and complimenting are an important way of putting people at ease - Bow and flatter. Then you’ve got these guys by their balls. But don’t patronize.

10. Standing with hands on hips is considered rude - India is a strange country that has yet to catch up with civilization. Standing with hands on hips is our classy way to look hip, but in India, you must close your palms and say ‘namaste’ and then bow. Bloody desis still follow their jungle customs.

Jul

23

Top 10 players of Indo-US nuclear deal vote

July 23, 2008 posted by indiatime | 1 Comment

The Indo-US nuclear deal made a big bang in the parliament yesterday, with UPA, the ruling coalition surviving the confidence vote with the help of cross-voters from the opposition. The opposing BJP cried foul by showing bundles of one Crore Rupees as evidence of last week’s horse-trade. The communist party which had initiated the drama, looked dejected, possibly despaired with the realization of having opted out of power. The Bahujan Party explained their defeat away by accusing India’s upper castes of keeping a Dalit woman out of the nation’s top spot.

Amidst the long drama, the usual colorful suspects did not fail to make their mark. In a speech that wil go down as one of his career’s best, Laloo enthralled the supporting and opposing members alike, in a firebrand display of political wit that, showed what had made Rabdi Devi fall in love with him years ago.

Three members of BJP took the proceedings to a new climactic turn by displaying wads of cash they accused the ruling party’s friends of bribing them with. Their target was Amar Singh, the adopted brother of Indian superstar Amitabh Bachchan, and a witty and bright man who in his own right, is a superstar of his own world.

Here are the few characters that must take the bow for making yesterday a day to remember

The Cross-voters:

1. Somabhai Patel :

father’s name: Ganda Lal (no, not Ganda Ghal)
Member, Committee on Absence of Members (knows where absent members’ playroom is)
Favourite Pastime: singing

2. Babubhai Katara :

Sports: 5000-metre sprinter at the University level (helped him run from BJP yesterday)
arrested: for human trafficking and immigration fraud

3. Brijbhushan Sharan Singh :

Favourite Pastime: Reading books which inspire national sentiments (read Bajpayee’s poems day before)

4. Chandrabhan Singh :

Social Activities: Got the statue of Awanti Bai installed at Station Chowk
Favourite Pastime: Reading Ramayana, Bhagvad Geeta and Mahabharat etc

5. Haribhau Rathod :

Special Interests: study of Nomads (soon to be a nomad himself)

6. Manjunath :

Interests: Running educational institutions to help the poor

7. Sangliana :

achievements: two non-MIZO persons have so far adopted the name Sangliana as their own through legal processes

The 3 who accused the ruling coalition of horse-trade tactics:

1. Faggan Kulaste :

Activities: encouraging tribals to keep alive their cultural activities by forming several committees

2. Ashok Argal :

Activities: Participation in community marriage ceremony of Jatav Samaj

3. Mahavir Bhagoda :

Special Interests: Helping and serving needy old widows (a widow-cleaner, if you will)

Special mention:

1. Amar Singh: The brain behind the coalition that saved Sonia Gandhi’s party, he once said this about her

“…When Prakash Karat (of the communist party) goes to meet Sonia Gandhi, it’s called suhaag raat, but when we go to meet Sonia Gandhi, it’s called balaatkaar…”

2. Somnath Chaterjee: the speaker had promised India’s press that he would make a decision on his resignation on the 22nd. When the press pressed him about it, he quipped “…I just told you the date, I didn’t say what month or year….”!

Jul

22

MPs from hell

July 22, 2008 posted by indiatime | Leave a Comment

A new concept in reprieve seems to be emerging on the backdrop of India’s most important political vote happening in the parliament this hour. Six members of India’s parliament, have been granted bail for the purposes of participating in today’s confidence vote. Five of those will be supporting the government (at least supposed to), and one will be opposing.

Those who are being released from prison for today’s vote include India’s most notorious criminal politician Shahabuddin, a member of parliament from Bihar. But he is also the one politician the ruling government can trust the most. Why? Because Shahabuddin’s crime career spans a murder conviction, multiple kidnappings and many other crimes against communist opponents, the same party that put the current government in today’s precarious position by withdrawing its support. Shahabudding has a history of escaping from the police, and once even contemplated fleeing to Pakistan for refuge.

Another MP cum convicted murderer whose support the ruling party will be counting on is Pappu Yadav aka Rajesh Ranjan. He is in prison for murdering a left-wing opponent, an autobiographical detail that makes him an important ally in today’s confidence vote. Pappu Yadav is making the best of his free time today, enjoying moments with his wife Ranjeeta, also a member of parliament (who represents LJP).

Shahabuddin and Pappu Yadav, both convicted murderers, represent RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal), a party that supports the government. Both hail from Bihar.

Sorry, I’m not done with the list of convicted murderers yet. There is yet another convicted murderer from Bihar, an MP called Surajbhan Singh, who represents LJP (Lok Janashakti Party). He has already been convicted for murdering a local farmer, and faces at least 3 dozen other cases including murders, extrortions, kidnappings and torture.

Another MP out of jail today is Atique Ahmad, a Samajwadi party MP from Uttar Pradesh, who has been charged but not yet convicted for the murder of a local politician from the Bahujan party. But Ahmad has several other murder charges and accusations against him, all relating to various local politicians. Ahmad is expected to vote for the ruling party today, but has been courted heavily by the opposition and may vote against the government.

Yet another MP out of jail today is also a Samajwadi party MP from Uttar Pradesh, and he may also vote against the government and was being courted heavily by the Bahujan party in recent days. His name is Afzal Ansari and he is in prison on charges of murdering a BJP politician. He too, is a free bird today, and may vote along with other BJP members, against the Congress government. Afzal Ansari’s grandpa, Mukhtar Ahmad Ansari, was a leader of the Congress party (the same party whose government Afzal is trying to bring down today), and at one time was the president of Indian National Congress in 1927.

The sixth and the last MP who is out of jail on this auspicious day in Indian politics, is an MP from Uttar Pradesh. He is Umakant Yadav, a gangster and a hoodlum by profession, and was arrested last year hiding inside Chief minister Mayawati’s official residence. This Yadav is from Mayawati’s Bahujan party, and although expected to vote against the government, he is said to be wooed by the ruling coalition in recent days.

No matter how many they murdered or extorted or kidnapped or tortured or grabbed land from, India’s constitution has already a vote of confidence in our jailed MPs. We believe in reprieve and redemption. And if you think that’s just too ridiculous, take heart in knowing that you may not be alone. And then marvel at this amazing experiment in democracy we have here.

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