The truth behind nuclear deal

In this post I have discussed my apprehensions (which might be in sync with the apprehensions of many fellow Indians ) about India-America-Civil-Nuclear Agreement. My apprehensions could be totally baseless - but, I will remain apprehensive unless there is enough transparency and open discussion on this issue. The way how current Indian Government is shying away from any such discussion (which is irresponsible), is further fueling my apprehensions. I hope that some Responsible Government Stance will soon resolve these apprehensions.

N-Deal: Manmohan’s Stand
For last couple of days our great (and aged) Prime Minister has been talking about the importance of Nuclear Energy Resources in a growing Economy like India. He is quite right that going ahead (in long term, coal and gas can not meet country’s energy demand (which should mean cost and ease of availability). N-energy can possibly meet the Country’s Energy Demand (which is fast growing with the growing economy).
In order to make the N-Energy Resources a possibility, our visionary PM is (hell) bent on finalizing Indo-American-Civil-Nuclear Deal as soon as possible. Though N-energy could be a great thing for India, but is the path (which Indian Govt is following) really in Country’s Best Interests?

What this Nuclear Pact could mean for India?
This pact could mean that any N-Energy plant in India will be set up under USA monitoring (under name of IAEA) . Which will also imply that only USA companies (with some Indian Partnership) will be able to generate and sell N-Energy in India. This will also mean that all the supply of raw nuclear material will come from USA. Which will greatly mean that all Indian Economy will under direct control of USA (Supply of Energy Resources has most powerful direct control on an economy - for example, presently most economies are controlled by Coal, and Crude Oil prices).

* Some people might argue that IAEA is an international organization (and not a USA body). I will remind them that the USA attack on Iraq was done under name of UN (which is an international body). Many word powers were against military action on Iraq. But USA managed to put a USA stamp on their action with their powerful lobbying. Similar lobbying will be possible in IAEA.

Where does India Stand as a Nuclear Power?
Is India already not a Nuclear Power? I was under impression that with “Pokhran Nuclear Tests” we had proven our nuclear mental to the world (at least this is what the erstwhile Indian Government had claimed). We also have an atomic energy plant (In Mumbai). So why do we need to fall prey to USA business tactics? As per some reports, India also has also (secretly) pursued Uranium Enrichment (Enriched Uranium will be needed as raw material for N-power plants) for last few decades.

Possible Limitations on India’s way to Self-dependence
A few limitations on India’s way of becoming an independent Nuclear power could be:
* Unavailability of enough Nuclear Raw Material: If we have limited raw material resources, why should we restrict our choices only to USA? There are many other countries (UK, France, Russia) which can provide Enriched Uranium to India. We also are well aware how bad “Monopoly” is for the consumer’s interests. So, I hope that this needs no mention.
* Lack of technology: Though we have functional atomic energy plants in India, but one of Government’s worry could be our lack of technology (not at par with what USA could provide). But why should not we focus on technology development rather than handing over control to USA? The way how our Missile Man (great Kalam) was sent packing from President office (he really deserved an extension), has made it very clear that current government does not care a bit about “Technology Development”. I think that the Congress Regime is all set to make easy money (with the indirect training expenses which USA companies must be spending on educating the current Government about need to N-energy). But if we have to progress as a country, we need to have in-house technology development (That is how China has emerged as a great world power recently).
* International Pressure: USA may try to put (unreasonable trade) sanctions on India, if we pursue N-research (or dilly dally too much on N-pact). But in today’s open economy it should not be very easy for USA to isolate India. We are emerging as a great market, and throwing out India of the open-trade will be a big blow to USA economy itself.

The (Left’s) Right Way
Though Indian Government has all the rights to go ahead with the N-pacts, the way they feel is right. But, however being a democracy they atleast should have an open debate on this issue before taking any further steps (any further negotiations with IAEA). Also, the details of N-deal should be kept transparent (make it public). In case we feel that our current technology can not help us sail through the (current energy crisis), we should have clause in the N-pact to move out of its obligations at any later time (when we have attained the technology ourselves).

USA’s Interests
USA economy is weakening. They need some way to fill up their treasury. Selling N-energy to developing countries can possibly a big avenue of making money for them. Let us discuss how USA has erred in recent years on economic front.

* During Cold war, the two super powers (USA and Russia) made most of their money through exports of defense products and defense technologies. After the end of cold war, the world-wide defense expenditures have declined heavily. This meant that USA had to find alternate trades for making money. Since technology was their biggest strength, USA government decided to use their technology for commercial use. We have seen a dramatic growth in technology in last few decades. But most of this technology which we see today, existed in 70s and 80s (ofcourse there have been great development on VLSI front). But, it was restricted for the defense use. Recent IT growth in south-east Asia has delivered a big blow to USA IT companies (who are now cursing the ghost of outsourcing - after all this word “outsourcing was invented by them). And investors are moving out of USA and trading their money elsewhere. This is cause of major worry for USA government.
* In last few years, USA government has made a big effort to take hold of Petroleum business. This could have helped them to fill their treasuries. The invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq (on name of world peace, terrorism and War of Freedom) had more to do with Petroleum than World Peace. USA wanted to lay down some oil-pipelines through Afghanistan (which would have helped some USA companies which have stake in Petroleum business) to connect Middleeast with Asia (for direct oil supply). Also, USA hoped to take a major stake in oil wells with a dummy Government in Iraq. With a puppet government (which could form policies as per USA directives), USA companies could have entered in petroleum market on full fledge. But both these gambles seem to have played against USA. They have lost more money than what they can possibly recover in next decade.

Congress’ Interests
Though Manmohan Singh mentions that he is committed to make sure that India’s energy needs for next decades are met, I suspect (and every one of us has reasons suspect) if his intentions are fair. If there is nothing dirty in the N-pact, why the terms and conditions of the deal have been kept so secret so far? After all it is not a defense deal (it has even been named a Civil-Nuclear deal), which could be of strategic importance (not to make it public). The funniest thing is that Congress have not even bothered to take their allies (in ruling government) in to confidence. Until last week, Mr Singh was confidently ignoring the Left’s Objections (to N-Deal). Now also they do not seem much bothered about Left’s concerns. They are trying to gain time by promising a parliamentary debate (and if needed a review committee). The times of debate (and details of revue committee) have not been finalized and Government has made its intentions very clear that it will not put any talks with IAEA on hold. Which means that they some how wants to sign the deal. What is making Mr Manmohan so much motivated to resolve India’s Energy concerns (Even with ascertaining if the path he is taking is wrong or right). I can smell billions of dollar in Swiss bank accounts.

Left’s Stand
I am not sure if Left’s stand has any ideological angle or they are just trying to show their importance. The addiction of “being felt important” is really bad. It is true that Left has never enjoyed such a powerful position before (in India). So may be they are just showing off their muscles. Pulling out of the government is a gamble for Left. The next government may not need their support or they may emerge even mightier (so its a gamble). Next few days will prove if their stand has any thing to do with Ideology or if it is just a teenage kid acting strange with his physiological changes.

….

4th September, 2007

I am posting this follow up because I personally believe that there may be a lot of truth in the Left’s Fresh Propaganda. In their statements, left does not sound against nuclear technology or against USA (even if they are), but their demand is to stuck profitable (profitable to country - not to few individuals) deal. Manmohan Singh is stuck to his rote of “Enough power for entire country”. If power is going to cost double, will most citizens be able to afford it?

Beware of Blind Dates

Though Blind Dating is an old fashion in USA (and in Europe to some extent), this is relatively a new fashion in India. In India, blind dating is majorly based on the online friendship sites. If you are you one of those who had been enjoying the fun with Blind Dates, then there are some reasons for you to worry about.

Yesterday evening, the “kidnapping episode” of Mumbai Teenager Adnan Patrawala took a dramatic (and tragic) turn, after Mubai Police recovered his dead body from his own car (on palm beach road). It has been discovered that before leaving from his home for last time, Adnan had chatted (on one famous friendship site) with one of his online friends (who called herself Angel). Angel had invited him for a blind date, and had asked him to meet at Inorbit Mall (Malad, Mumbai). After leaving his home, Adnan was never seen again.

Though Mumbai Police is probing all possible angles on this case, it is quite likely that Adnan would have fallen prey to a criminal (under guise of Angel).

So next time you find a blind date online, make sure that you collect about information from him/her. Take down their phone number. Talk to them on phone before meeting them. And keep some one (either friend on family) informed about your plans.

Which Face of India is this?

I have seen different faces of people in India. Some struggling to construct a better India, these faces are not happy but they are hopeful. Some enjoying the privilege of who they are, these faces are really cheerful (but I do not have much hope from them). Some people cursing India, loosing faith in it, and moving out of India. These faces are both cheerful and hopeful (but not truly Indian). Some who have struggled for long (got nothing in return), and finally lost their faith in System (and Life). These faces are rarely happy or hopeful. They just carry on the daily routine (hope never dies).

But a new face of India has emerged in recent years (I can get glimpses of it for last few years - not sure if this face existed before). Faces which have lost faith, which have lost hope, and which refuse to carry on their daily routines. They have no strength left in their body and soul to live beyond. This is a sad face. This reflects the sick state of our society. Though we are a fast emerging economy, our foreign investments are souring, we are all set to takeover USA economy by 2050, and all other bullshit - but one truth always remains there to bit me - we can not even satisfy the basic needs of our fellow citizens. There are people in this country dying of hunger, dying of acute poverty, dying of their circumstances. Every year, I hear of farmers (who are the largest community of our Country) committing suicide. And yesterday Six people committed suicide, in one of IT city of India. And surprisingly - this time - not all of them were farmers. So absolute poverty is crossing its boundary too, it is becoming global (within India).

Are you willing to do something to change this face of India (other than turning your face around and forgetting about it as if it does not exist)?

Shilpa Recycled

Motion of most objects in universe is periodic - Earth’s revolution along its axis has a period of 24 hours. Earth’s rotation around the sun has a period of 365 day (you can add 0.25 if you are used to being accurate). Weather changes across the year are periodic. Solar Cycles are periodic. Every one observes periodic mood swings. Probably you know of more periodic things than me.

Coming back to Shilpa - Is her latest success period over? Going by the statistics Shilpa Shetty has a bloom period of seven years (sigh… its really long), after which she goes in to a flop spree. Her first Bollywood hit (Baazigar) was released in 1993. She gave a series of flop movies after that and she had to wait seven years for her next success, Dhadkan. Her recent lime-light romp (thanks to cheap stunts @ Big Brother) came again after exactly seven years. Shilpa holds the credit of working in dozens of flop movies (some of them were super-flop as well) between these peaks of her career.

We all know what kind of cheap publicity stunt led her to recently re-invented stardom. She overnight became a front-page news for world-wide media and PR companies started lining up for fat contracts.

But as per the recent media reports, her bloom period seems to be over. PR companies are no more trusting her public appeal and glamor. She is also facing allegation of breaking in to the marriage of a UK-based Indian film producer (No doubt, Shilpa craves for publicity, but I am sure that she may not like the publicity created by this news).
Now an article in british tabloid, has tried to completely tarnish the false persona around Shilpa. The article criticizes Shilpa for her Zero acting talent (which may be true going by her success ration in Bollywood).
Looks like Shilpa has to now wait for another seven years, for something starry.

Are you a Shilpa fan? My Sympathy with you.

Baahar Aao Munna Bhai

“Baahar Aao” is a Hindi phrase, which means “come out”. Today lot of Indians are carrying this wish on their mind. They want Sanjay Dutt to come out clean (frankly speaking clean or dirty does not matter much to them), as soon as possible.



I am a big fan of Sanjay Dutt. I am sympathetic to him for the personal tragedies as well (specially his teenage struggles). He has been a fighter all along his life and I like fighters (Maradona and Serena add to the list). Sanjay has been sentenced to six years imprisonment (under arms act) - Another fight for him.

But can the personal liking justify impunity from law? Specially when some one is involved in anti-national activities? And what if one’s activities COULD have (but not proven) led to the death of hundreds of people. What if these activities could also have shook the national pride and jerked the National Economy? My opinion is that law is same for all. And no one deserves impunity, even if the crime commited was not as grave as I mentioned above. But, unfortunately a large part of Indian population think otherwise. This the reason that special treatment which Sanjay Bawa is getting in Jail is being positively accepted by public and media. And there are different sections, who are hoping for Sanjay to come out soon, though for different reasons.

Fanfare: Sanjay Dutt has emerged as a great actor in the second innings of his career. Vaastav, Haseena Maan Jaayegi, Daud, Kurukshetra, Kaante, Ek Aur Ek Gyarah are some of the movies which his fans watch again and again. But his master piece has been “Munnabhai Series“, which has won him fans all over the globe. Fans are over-emotional human beings. Some of them never believe that their stars have done have any thing wrong (they smell a conspiracy). Some other believe that stars are above law. But almost of all of them never want their starts to be punished (what a great human bonding). This is the reason, why fans all across India protested court’s decision (do they not know that court are the highest authorities in India?) to sentence Sanjay for six years. They also decided to start a signature campaign to show their support to Sanjay (I hope that this campaign is not secretly sponsored by his film financers).

Film Financers: Though Sanjay’s fans are driven by altuistic motives, there are people who have pure business interests in Sanjay. As of today there is more than 50 crores (INR) of investment on Sanjay’s under-production movies. This sect of people is desperately wanting, Sanjay to come out (and shoot their movies). If we belive in “Money Power: Biggest Power”, then we can hope to see Sanjay out very soon (may be on bail).

Sonia Gandhi: Sonia Gandhi has also laid her support to Sanjay and his family in his tough times. This is the biggest surprise of my life. I am not sure what are the basic reasons behind her support. Is she a fan (which I doubt considering her Hindi understanding ability) of Sanjay. Or is this motive political? I will need a few days to arrive at a conclusion. There is a big possibility that by that time Madam might change her mind, and deny any such statement having been issued by her.

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PS: I hope that Sanjay gets bail and finishes his ongoing movies. He might have to serve his sentence, but I am sure that he will come out as a stronger person. He is “Bollywood no 1″ as per me (who else has given so many hits in recent years?).

Sanctifying a Worship Place

“Tirupati Temple Trust” is contemplating on implementing dress-code for women devotees entering the temple. The move has been initiated on a complaint from some male devotee, who got distracted by women worshippers.

What a sad state of affairs. There is a poor soul (probably with his senses completely out of control) who wants to distract his thoughts from women (and may be wine as well) and has taken the shelter in a temple. But he still can not find solitude and mental peace. It is his basic right to demand ban on anything which impedes his way to mental peace.

But as I can sense, the life ahead may not be very easy for this devotee. Women right activists are going to raise a lot of questions. They will ask if people with such mental make up (who are easily perturbed by women around them) really suited to enter a temple premises? Why not to ban the entry of such devotees to temple (rather than forcing a dress code for woman)? If the complaint would have come from a beer bar, or a similar location (may be a market place where wine shops are in plenty), it would have been easier for people to understand the problem. People in general can accept that a men under effect of alcohol can get perturbed, looking at some immoderately dressed women. But, since this complaint has come from a devotee (at the time of performing prayers in a temple), most people are going to raise their fingers (rather than helping the devotee to remain focussed). So even the “pro-women men activists” may join the “women activists” (what a deadly collusion) and start favoring the indecent, immodest female creatures (these modern Ratis).

This is the tragedy of a literate society. They start arguing rationally even over the things, which are not governed by reason. And instead of helping a men to attain mental peace, self control (and Nirvana down the line), women activists (and pro-women men activists) will start arguing with reason. They might even go to the extent of making statements like, “Such people who can not bear the sight of a woman should be put under solitary confinement”.

I can feel the pain of this devotee. And I will fully support the enforcement of dress code for women. But I feel that enforcing the dress code (for women) may not really help much. A beautiful female body will still distract men, no matter how much you cover it. Have you not seen Sushmita Sen in “Main Hoon Naa”? She looks more attractive in Sarees (than she looks in other costumes). The only solution to this problem could be “a complete ban” on women entering the temple (a few extremely ugly women could still be allowed to enter). But probably even that would not solve the problem fully. Women is not the only beautiful object in this world. As I watch on the TV, and read in the reports, these days (not very sure if it never existed in old times) men are getting attracted towards others men as well. We shall ban entry of good looking (well built and healthy - to be more precise) men as well to the temple (why are such people needed at a place of worship? They already have all - what they should pray for?). I know thousands of people who loose their control (give up their principles and integrity) for meager amount of money. Hence, All types of currency (and gold as well) should also be banned inside the temple premises. One last itch - “Delicious Tirupathi Prasadam”. The famous Ladoo of Tirupthi might be too much mouth watering (specially for the devotees under question), we need to ban that as well. Yes, that might constitute a perfect world.

PS: I am a religious person myself. I perform morning prayer and do meditation every day. I follow this routine because it helps me to remain focussed and calm. The little time which I spend in the morning on these activities, helps me to keep my senses under good control all the day. The fact that there are devotees, who get perturbed even during their prayers, really pertubs me. Hence this post.

School or Godown

Two years back, our dear finance minister had levied a 2% education cess (on the total payable tax). The cess yield (which is more than 1 billion US$) was aimed at boosting the primary education system in India. This cess has now seemingly become a permanent feature of the taxation. It will be more honest on government’s part if they stop calling it cess, and rather make it a part of direct tax.
We all know how (in-) efficiently Indian government utilizes the tax revenues. Almost Zero transparency in the administration, even denies the right to know where (or how) the hard earned money of tax payers goes away. But some recent media reports at least give us a little clue about what the “Education Cess” is going in to. A large portion of this money is being spent on maintaining 32,000 buildings (I think it will be in-appropriate to call these buildings as schools, because there are no students enrolled).

Yes, this is shocking but still real. These findings are a part of recent government survey which covered over 11 lacs schools in 35 states and UT. Almost 2.9% of the schools (covered under survey) had no students (and 75 percent of them had no teachers as well). Forty-eight percent of these zero enrollment schools are at primary level. The zero enrollment is highest in Karnatka (almost 25% of total). Though our government has not done much about primary education (which is reflected by the results of survey), I am happy that at least they took the courage of making this survey public.