Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Citizens Forum for Democratic India (CFDI)

Agenda of an Ideal Peoples’ Representative Political Entity in India

Charter
- To uproot corruption of all forms within the Indian State (Internal Governance Ministry – PhD in Socialogy)
- To establish India as a true secular state (Cultural Ministry - PhD in Cultural subject)
- To eliminate crime from all walks of life (Home Ministry – Ex-General from any branch)
- To establish a concrete anti-terror framework within India (Homeland Security – Ex-General from any branch)
- To expedite criminal cases to ensure a speedy justice system (Law Ministry – Ex-Chief Justice of India)
- To establish a strong army equipped with modern ballistics and training (Defense Ministry – Ex-General from any branch)
- To establish a free market (Finance Ministry – Ex-CEO of any Indian Co. employing above 1000 Indians)
- To represent the Modern voice of India in world affairs (External Affairs Ministry – Ex-Diplomat)

Rules
1. Only candidates with genuine Educational Certificates of a Masters degree or above from a reputed University can contest for elections
2. Only candidates with local residence of over 25 years and more need apply.
3. Only tax payers with minimum 5 years of Tax Declarations
4. Any crime record of violence, anger, hate-crime, homicide and corruption in-eligible.
5. No prior experience will not be a constraint for the right candidate
6. Religious, Linguistic, Caste-based references in any political speech, will make the person in-eligible
7. Selection of candidates per seat to be debated on local media, and via polls themselves.
8. Oath of voluntary imprisonment of 25 years for not following the charter.

Monday, December 01, 2008

Mr. PM, what a move!

This is by far the lowest point in Moral-Politics in India. A minister as incompetent as our current FM (whose head was demanded by UPA allies themselves) is sought to become India's Home Minister in its' hour of crisis.

How on earth can we forgive the largesses meted out to farmers when an impending financial crisis was looming. The writing was on the wall, and our FM went about doling freebies when savings were the need of the hour. Rs. 8,00,00,00,00,000/- were sqandered away by our Home Minister in playing appeasement politics. My only question here is "Why he not do so in the first year of power and present a roadmap to earning it back without too much taxation? Why the last year of its' regime?"

The same FM, was extremely docile when India was stuck with Financial Crisis, and immediately ducked under the table and has now been moved to Home Ministry. Where is the accountability?

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Rampant Terrorism: Courtesy UPA

Is this something that many are failing to notice, or are the UPA members so adept at diverting the blame on others when it comes to terrorism?

The chart clearly shows a MASSIVE spurt in terrorism under the aegis of UPA, which incidently overlap a golden phase in global economic environment.

That the UPA has been a collosal failure was evident when Amar Singh & Mulayam Singh were roped in to save the nuclear deal. This coupled with many other reasons centered around UPA have been the reason of trauma & death faced by the common man in India. The UPA govt has gone about doing its' job in the most disastrous manner.

India never looked so vulnerable in the last 15 years.

Bombay: A Terrible Curse!

What a city, Bombay!

A city so immersed in itself, that it doesn’t flinch when politicians change its’ name, it doesn’t bow down when it goes under water, it doesn’t sob when terrorists rip apart its’ heart. Why, because it suffers under a curse that has been “61 years” of making.


Bombay provides India 40% of its’ taxes, it provides the state of Maharashtra practically everything it needs to fund every MH village, every MH town, every MH district, while watching itself degrade down to lawlessness, corruption and imperialism.

A city - where politicians from small town seek to exploit it to such a degree of degradation that it matches their own birth-place. Where politicians believe its’ OK for large cities to face terrorism, where police are given lathis to stop a AK-56 wielding terrorist, where hawkers – for pittance – deprive its’ citizens of side-walks, where labour is given the birth-right to occupy public land, where politicians divide on language, religion, caste & creed.

Bombay, a city that’s looked upon as a treasure trove, from which riches are always taken away, but never returned or added. A chest that every politician dreams of governing, and promises the heavens to the common man to achieve it, but once in power feasts on its’ loins like a hyena.

A city, where journos, try to herd the public by repeatedly providing a medium for political class to calm down the treasure-trove slaves to prevent a revolt.

A city that smiles inspite of this.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Kabhi Alvida Na Keha : Ripped from Little Children

I hated KANK, the characters of SRK & Rani were outright disgusting, hardly a matter of viewing and thoughts. That the movie might have made millions is another matter, as a work of art, its' hollow and fails miserably like most Hindi movies.

Today I watched Little Children and soon realised what Karan Johar had watched before he "wrote" this movie. The unmarried Mardian delivers a story-line that's lacking imagination and depth, at the same time being out-right disgusting and unreal.

Watch the movie Little Children to understand what I'm talking about.

Prime Ministers Office & Home Ministry: Need for dignity & credibility

Prime Minister is a seat occupied by the leader of the party that forms a governement.
- Is Dr. Manmohan Singh the leader? NO!
- Is Dr. Manmohan Singh an emminent representation of Indian Populace? NO!
- Is Dr. Manmohan Singh a hero to be looked upon? Just Maybe!
- Does India deserve Dr. Manmohan Singh as PM? A resounding NO!

Home Minister is a seat occupied by the second-best and regarded as a parallel to the Prime Minister
- Does India deserve a Shivraj Patil? NO WAY!
- Can Shivraj Patil do anything right, ever? NO WAY!

What do Indian Politicians represent?

Narayan Rane, R.R.Patil, Vilas Deshmukh & Sharad Pawar
- Mumbai's primary reasons for mis-development.
- Villagers with basic education and humongous money.
- Highly feudal and rustic.
- Village Leaders.

Manmohan Singh:
- NOT the leader of the government.
- Old man a shadow of his own self from 1991
- Cannot make his own decisions as final,
- Depends on Congress leadership for "passing" his decisions before execution

Narendra Modi
- Hardliner,
- Known human right abuser & has history of acts againsts civil liberties
- Didnt waste 24-hours sensing an opportunity in the national hour of crisis.
- Provided Rs.9000 crore worth of "free money" to a Tatas
- Critized the ATS against their action against the Malegaon Blasts Perpetrators.
- Likely hand in Hawala.

The remainder are not worth even wasting time in criticizing...May God Save India from people like this!

Heros Forever!

Hemant Karkare

Vijay Salaskar

Ashok Kamte

Sandeep Unnikrishnan

Gajendra Singh

We will never forget you.

True Heros, Now & Forever

Curbing Terrorism: 3-point agenda

A: Bombay Metropolitan Region: 29th state of the Indian Union
Primary Agenda & Motives
a. This would be the resurrection of a catastrophic blunder that occurred when Bombay was split into two, with the island city being handed over to Maharashtra.
b. Civic administration shall be taken over by the BMR. One state, one administration. BMR state-elections shall be for both state & civic functions combined.
c. Political representation based on economic status & population of BMR. (min 9 max 20 – reduce seats in Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra & UP accordingly)
d. Debar anyone who is NOT domiciled in Bombay for more than 25 years from contesting elections.
e. State principles independent of language, religion, caste or creed.
f. Defence of BMR a responsibility of the state of BMR.
g. Status Quo on Financial aspects.

B: Maharashtra State Re-constitution
a. With the separation of BMR, the remainder of Maharashtra will be re-constituted as a state for Maharashtrians with reservations & cultural rights for Marathis.
b. All demands for Marathi Asmita applicable to Maharashtra.


C: Autonomous region of Kashmir
a. India declares war on Azad Kashmir.
b. Azad Kashmir shall be defeated and will become “Special Administrative Region” of India (or Pakistan, if they want).

c. Work along-with a “democratic” Pakistan in nurturing its’ economy back to health.

Sunday, November 02, 2008

Raj Thackeray : 1. Why Hindi?

Note: Since the national "Hindian" media is far too biased, Raj Thackerays' message has been wrongly communicated to meaning "Spreading Hatred" and "Anti-North Indian". That's not true. This series of blogs is meant to counter the mindless attack that's been unleashed by criminal politicians, rogue television channels (Sahara, India Today group and the countless Hindi channels). More importantly this is meant to clarify the underlying simmer thats' meeting with disgust from the online community.

Raj Thackeray started his campaign against "Cultural Violence" that has been unleashed by North Indians, by questioning the stature of "Hindi" and its' imposition upon Maharashtrians.

To start off, here are some parallel voices from India & Beyond (In reverse order to ensure continuity):

8. Hindi Imperialism: Article in Time Magazine

7. UNESCO: UNIVERSAL DECLARATION ON LINGUISTIC RIGHTS: A must read for all the experts appearing on CNN-IBN, Times Now etc, heres' what the UN has to say about preservation of a regions linguistic rights.

6. Did you know, the constitution of India is committed towards eradicating the use of English, and replacing the same with Hindi? [Indian Constitution Articles 343 - 351] Whether you speak Punjabi, Gujarati, Tamil or Marathi, you would never sound better than anything that speaks Hindi as his/her mother-toungue, and therein lies a natural disadvantage to get jobs, especially government ones!

5. "Making a language (Hindi) that is the mother tongue of a region of India the official language for all the people of India is tyranny. We believe that it will give benefits and superiority to one region (the Hindi-speaking region).... Danger to the people of Tamil Nadu because of Hindi becoming the official language of India is great" - C. N. Annadurai, Chief Minister of TN. [Complete Story & Mouthpiece for Tamil Sentiments about Hindi] [Recent Headlines from TN]

4. The 1940s, 1950s and the first half of the 1960s witnessed many anti-Hindi pro-tests in the form of public meetings, marches, hunger strikes and demonstrations before schools and Central government offices; black flag demonstrations greeted Central government ministers. Most of these were organized either by the DK or the DMK and the general public supported them fully. There were hundreds of such protests from Tamil Nadu and thousands were jailed. Several hundreds were injured when police used lathi-charge to disperse the peaceful protesters. Lal Bahadur Shastri, the then PM, even though supportive of the pro-Hindi group, came up with a set of compromises that denied Hindi the "sole national language" status, realising the seriousness of the issue. [Complete Blog]

3. The Hindi language has been projected as the language of Hindus and the language of the nation by both secular and Hindu nationalists. This paper examines challenges mounted against Hindi by the Dalit resistance movement during the past few decades. We argue that this challenge is part of the construction of Dalit identity which is defined in resistance and opposition to Brahmanism. In Dalit discourse, Hindi is viewed as a symbol of Brahmanism and thus a reminder of Brahmanic oppression. The Dalitist challenges to the dominance of Hindi appear in various forms; one such challenge is calling into question the numerical legitimacy on which the claim of Hindi as the official language of India is based. Rao (2001), commenting on a news report on the demand for creating a separate state of Mithilinachal for the speakers of Maithili, argues, ‘"Hindi" is not one language…. Rajasthani, Bhojpuri, Braj Bhasa, Avadhi and Mithili [sic] are deliberately misrepresented as `dialects of Hindi" when these are in fact independant [sic] languages with different scripts and grammars, and many pre-dating the Brahmins" Hindi’. - [Complete Paper @ NYU Linguistics Dept]

2. "The Hindi movement of nineteenth century intertwined with the cow-protection movement culminated in the naked manipulations of the constituent assembly debates and won the state-language status. But it was the tragic end of 'Godan', forecasted very early by Premchand!" [Complete Post]

Hindi, mis-represented as above is as mythical as many beliefs held by Hindus, and as the reality sinks in with the advent of knowledge and atheism, do we still deserve to be herded in this fashion?

1. Similiar Voice from Karnataka. "What's astonishing about the migrants is that instead of respecting the culture and language of the state which saves them from hunger, they misbehave and impose their language and culture on the local population - a behavior entirely unacceptable anywhere in the world. In advancing the "they are Indians too" argument in support of Hindi speakers when they are clearly culprits of linguistic and cultural crime, the media and the central government give the impression that Hindi speakers "are more Indian" than Marathis, Kannadigas and every other linguistic people in India". [Read blog]

"In 2005-06, seven of the nine states with PCNSDP higher than the national average, viz, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Punjab and Tamil Nadu, are non-Hindi states (Table, col 3). Similarly, of the nine states whose economies grew at a rate higher than the national average over the period 1980-81 to 2006-07, five states – Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu – are non-Hindi states. Two of the remaining four states, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand, were created only in the year 2000 and in terms of economic performance their parent states – Bihar and Uttar Pradesh – are placed near the bottom, with ranks of 16 and 18 respectively"

Sensex at 8K

Ha!

There goes your de-coupling out the window Mr. FM. Make Shankar Sharma the FM instead, atleast when he reads "Danger" he doesnt translate it to "Go Ahead". What a mischief, what a fool we've (ordinary investors) been made. The dream team played real good poker, they convinced us to put everything on the table and didnt have the courtesy to say "Sorry" when we had our a$$es bared. That's Indian leadership!

Well, the faith in Indian Corporates and the foundations of this economy have been completely shaken, what looked like a country full of Buffets and Gates, is not increasingly looking like characters from the movie "Traffic". Every second day, an industry representative is making statements about alms (read bailout) being given to his/her industry. Real-estate, MF, NBFC, Airlines, Oil Cos, Metals, Non-metals and Exporters (well the list would have been shorter the other way round) are all out with a bowl in their hand. Why, Udayan even tried to distance himself with the hollow "bullish" sentiments that hes' been trying to steer, and should take a large part of the "moral" blame if small investors are running for cover. Most experts barring Shankar Sharma, are almost ready to form the "Yes I fucked up, but dont blame me.org" NGO.

In a world of serious coupling, and global reach, it would have been foolhardy to think that storms are only regional. No! This is a global economy in crisis, and we have to take part in the healing process, and if ever India needs to show its' leadership in the world economy.

Kumble Retires!

Old NPAs are being weeded by the BCCI and we are supposed to believe that "Cricketing greats are bidding adieu"

Kumble, if anything, was a prime beneficiary of a twisted "region-based" selection committee that is hell-bent on pushing players that represent their sporting zone or unit. That Kumble played for 18 years is quite amazing, since he bats like a moron, screams at other players when hes' bowling like a frustrated house-wife, and himself fields like a 50-year old. Yes, hes' a thorough gentleman, but that's his education, what qualities does he possess / did he possess to make him into a great sportsperson - none.

What is really disgusting is that while Vishy Anand was achieving the greatest Indian Sports feat, there was NO live telecast, nor any site streaming "live action" especially given that Chess is the simplest sport that can be brodcast using text. Those moves that Anand made were worth hours of debate and understanding, and we missed it completely, instead we cheer for "Jumbo".

Lets' just put up another statistic of "Kumble's run saved off his own bowling v/s the decibels he blurted out when his (disgustingly) straight deliveries were whacked and went past the nearest fielder at the speed of light". Just compare this to the great Vishy Anand and you'd know what I meant in the opening.

Thanks Kumble for being part of Indias' Cricket Team for 18 long years, but No Thanks.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Bharat Ratna: Vishy Anand

Vishwanathan Anand, retained the World Chess Championship challenge. Vishy has whipped Kramniks' a$$. Ok, that's my frustation of watching Kasparov making those higher than nigh statements after a really strong battle against a young Vishy eons ago. But that's history!

Vishy Anand, ruled the board in game 11, and gave away atleast two opportunities to take a more sombre line and take the game to a draw. That Kramnik fought very hard to make a opening towards a decisive end is highly commendable, he truly is the next superstar of Chess, but will probably never make it, as there's one bright shining light at the end of the tunnel, making him look ever so dull, and its' called the "Zillion watt Vishy Anand".

Emotions aside, a 6.5 - 4.5 drubbing marks the gaping hole that has developed between Vishy Anand, and the rest of humanity, its truly awesome to know that person at the pinnacle is an Indian.

Hes' by far India's true Bharat Ratna! Congratulations Vishy!

Friday, October 17, 2008

Love will keep us alive

Thanks Swapnali!

I was standing
All alone against the world outside
You were searching
For a place to hide

Lost and lonely
Now you’ve given me the will to survive
When we’re hungry...love will keep us alive

Don’t you worry
Sometimes you’ve just gotta let it ride
The world is changing
Right before your eyes
Now I’ve found you
There’s no more emptiness inside
When we’re hungry...love will keep us alive

I would die for you
Climb the highest mountain
Baby, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do

I was standing
All alone against the worlk outside
You were searching
For a place to hide
Lost and lonely
Now you’ve given me the will to survive
When we’re hungry...love will keep us alive
When we’re hungry...love will keep us alive
When we’re hungry...love will keep us alive

Love will keep us alive - Eagles

Friday, October 03, 2008

Remembering Toni

That's Lori Loughlin from Secret Admirer (1985), a teenage romantic comedy that more than made an impression. It was a beautiful cold night, and the whole movie, rather Toni, left me more than spell-bound, something that I kinda experienced very early on in my life.

The movie is really about Toni, and Lori plays the role to perfection, it hurts to know they are two different persons, rather ones' a character and anothers' a person, what shame.

I searched high & low for my own Toni, but I guess dreams always end when day breaks, and so it did for me. The harsh realities about what some girls represent, gosh, its' quite a pessimistic future for innocence and the quest for true love.

But then, life is full of surprises, admist the pessimism, Swapnali happened...

All said, I thought it wont be a bad idea to thank Lori Loughlin for giving me a truly unforgettable experience, of unconditional true love, the spirit of kindness, and the joy of togetherness.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Shopping Season 08: Endgame Begins!

The Grand Finale: Bear (B) vs Bulls (W) Championship of the Decade!

W: Chidambaram goes to town with "DECOUPLING"
B. Indian Inflation soars to double digits

W: Indian Markets Hit 21K
B: Seriously Deepening Credit Crisis Emerges through thick Clouds

W: Indian Real-estate market continues to clock a 50%-80% growth rate
B. Indian Rupee Starts with Super Slide

W: Indian FIN-MIN announces a 70K Crore Farmer Loan Waiver
B. US Economic Crisis Grips the American Financial System

W: India gets' entry into the Global Nuclear Club
B. Indian Economic Growth Forecast Downgraded to 7.2% for FY09 & 6.X% for FY10

W: Reserve Bank garners praises from WB & other states for its' exemplary role in fore-seeing economic crisis.
B: Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns, Merrill lynch, Washington Mutual, Wachovia, AIG, B & B & Fortis disappear from the world in their true sense.

W: Crude hits the sub-$100 mark twice
B: Indian stock markets apes the road show currently going around the world to hit a new bottom for 2008

W: US Congress approves $700 Billion package, in an hope to control the storm.
B: US Congress sprays the $700 Billion package with monumental clauses.

Those were the moves so far, and in this game of chess, the end-game is approaching faster than anyone can visualize. There is only ONE outcome, a draw or a stalemate were ruled out way back, now from here on, its' winner takes all.

A few developments that will catalyse the end in Indian Context will be:
1. The Indian Shopping Season begins tommorrow, and you can almost taste the sense of thrill in the air, Honda City launches its' brand new edition, Real Estate in Mumbai finally relents, Malls, Traders, Brokers who were busy preparing for war during pitupaksha will finally begin their stampede from tommorrow. Diwali 08, has to see a strong buying season for the end-game to go in the favour of the bulls.
2. Crude has shown signs of relenting and possibly settling steadfastlily below $100, this will give the government a possible hope of doing election politics and bring down fuel prices, another crucial factor for the bulls.
3. Mutual Fund houses have been holding the Indian markets from a steep dive, but if the buying season's demand on liquidity leads to redemption pressure, it will be a major boost for the bears, they will have won 50% of their battle.
4. The US bailout is entering rough waters, especially given the fact that US faces elections soon, things can take a bad turn very quickly in the US, WE KNOW THAT FOR SURE!
5. Real-estate developers are facing a serious credit-crunch, if they start defaulting, then it'll possibly be the begining of an Indian Sub-Prime, rather an India Super-Prime Mortgage Crisis.
6. Reserve Bank of India is not lending support to the rupee even at 47:1, it possibly means they have read the writing on the wall, worst is yet to come. (Why do I see the bears dancing with joy?)

I can ramble on and on, bottom line, bring out your pop-corn and start embracing news - whatever it means to you - because, times will never get more exciting again in this lifetime.

Friday, September 05, 2008

Goodbye IE, its' Firefox+Chrome for me...

Blogging this via Chrome, it a genuine piece of brilliance that can only come from Google. The interface is clean and extremely intelligent, you can almost feel the amount of thought that has been poured into it, by folks who have a long history of producing brilliant internet apps.

Firefox has its place in the sun, rather it'll dominate my net-browsing sessions for a simple reason: addons. Nothing beats Firefox, not right now.

Makes me wonder what IE really has to offer?

Monday, September 01, 2008

XPS Finally Arrives

XPS 1530 is now part of my prized earthly possesions. The purpose of which is to help me stay put in this fast changing tech environment. My old PC, although still a worthy workhorse, was finding itself w/o support increasingly these days.

The goods and the bad about my new XPS,
Good
1. Its' Cool, Happening and very very powerful.
2. Vista is a toy so far, lets' see with Visual Studio and Eclipse running side-by-side...would be worth finding out.
3. Only game I tried was FSX, and it didnt perform very well, its' not a huge jump in terms of graphics performance...I've seen the things it had to offer.
4. Vista is paid for...and I am really patting myself for it. Besides the good looks, its' a real 21-st century OS, it almost feels like theres' a small little technician whos' able to guess what's wrong or where I can find some help. Beat that those so-called Linux "mainstream" OSes, you are still way outside the planetary system.
N. Cant remember the number in this list, doing this through a gadget?

Hell, I'll end this emotional outburst, and get back with a better review when I find some time.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

CRR & Repo-rate actions of RBI

Dr. Y.V.Reddy announced the Credit Policy, and boy did the markets react or what? 550 points shaved off, and Udayan Mukherjee, the ever-optimistic bull, sounded gloomy for the first time I must add, in the years that I've followed him.

The last thng India needed was a tighter environment for equities, and th RBI with its' CPR actions has done just that. Interestingly Dr. Reddy outlined the following three reasons for Inflation:
1. Supply-side shortages - Fiscal policy issue.
2. Demand-side shortages - Monetary policy issue
3. "High-availability" of credit - Monetary policy issue

What he did not mention is the weighttages or the percentage contributions to Inflation of the above. Mr. FM has already clamped down on futures market in most food-grains like rice, oil etc. Besides the export of most of the "inflationary" commodities is already either banned completely or is curbed substantially.

The demand-side is where the action lies. By artificially inducing an environment to spend less, by making consumers pay much more (opportunity costs) for items is depriving the nation of consumerism. Why not simply remove the subsidies on farming and let the market then pay for the same? Inflation is a right-ful concern, but so are the basic needs of this generation!

Lastly, the diversion of funds from the sytem into the bank safe would mean the same, everyone has to shell out much more just so that poor sections can afford commodities that are having an intrinsic high value. That India is turning out to b a clamp for people with aspirations is very clear from the current actions of the RBI. This country is for labourers and black-money-proponents. Any other section is just meant for sucking value out of, to feed the classes above.

Highly disappointing day for the Indian Growth Story.

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Remembering Ayrton Senna

The year was possibly late 80 or early 90, a time when India had not woken up to satellite television, and the world was still dark for an average Indian. The only window to sports outside were glossy sports magazines, and boy they left impressions.

One such magazine landed with me, and I was introduced to the phenomenon of racing called "Ayrton Senna". A wonderful story about a man, his machine and his sheer skills to rule speed. An ultimate boy wonder, a legend, and Ayrton Senna was at its' very pinnacle. The fascination grew to fanaticism when Ayrton Senna started appearing live on television sets and life seemed good when races captured the imagination of both the mind and heart.

The move to Williams was filled with excitement of witnessing history fortnight-after-fortnight. Senna's' wheels didn't turn to compete, they had only one goal, to win, and win with a margin. It appeared sometimes, he raced not with mortal racers but something far more than that. An era was unfolding.

Then the fateful day, the light suddenly gives way to darkness. I had never shed tears out of sheer grief till that day. It felt like something so dear to you and someone you took for granted has been so mercilessly taken away, that you are left hopeless.

Till date, I have never been able to accept any F1 driver as the champion, as the real champion lays in peace and the second-best continue to drive.

Rest in peace O lord.

Two cities under attack, will India reply?

This is serious!
Lets' vow not to forget the last two days. This no reality show that we are entertained with, nor are the victims and their wounds that are being aired live meant for TRPs. This is for real, if India was ever reeling under a need for definitive long-lasting action, its' now. For all the words that will be poured on this issue, I am shamefully adding mine, but in my case, I've an action plan.

1. Spend one hour daily surfing the internet for terrorist sites and newsboards. There is no doubt those behind the blasts are using the WWW for coordination. A billion eyes can surely catch them in the act.

2. Serious censorship is required on people like Mayawati, who try to communalize things like the Nuclear Deal! Senseless acts are causing India grave harm.
3. In-tolerance exhibited by Gujarat needs toning down, maybe its' time India learns its' religion management well.

4. Bring in watch-dogs for religious schools - dharmashalas, madrasas, convents et al. There needs to be a strong move to either ban them completely, or to bring them under tight scrutiny. Its' mindless to allow Education to be mixed with religion, especially charities.

5. Media should simply start ignoring these events. The only thing sought by the perpetrators is publicity, panic and fear. The media is giving them exactly these on the platter.

6. Restrain politicians from linking these events to politics. It started within an hour, with Mr. Advani asking for bringing back POTA. No act has ever been misused than POTA. it deserves to be abolished, and Mr. Advani should do some explaining what actions his' party's state-govts took when the intelligence about attacks was given to them.

7. Forget #6. That's impossible, I think the people of this country have to take upon themselves to rid the country of this menace.

8. Trace IPs, Ball-bearing sales, gelatin sales, cycle sales. Every citizen should note who in his neighbourhood has which vehicle, and who comes back without his vehicle after blasts. The nation needs to take responsibility.

9. If there are ghettos where the perpetrators live, then the entire ghetto is a culprit. All neighbours should be charged with crimes against humanity, and atleast lose their dignity, if not serve term or fine.

10. Lets' spread the word about the beautiful country, society, community we are all part of, lets' make hatred an endangered species.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Trust Vote: Thoughts

1. Bihar is blessed with some of the best politicians and brains within this country.
2. Crowning of the Congress GenNext is inevitable...
3. Congress successfully applied the time-tested methodology of "Use a thorn to remove a thorn", hell if it took money to bring brain-dead folks to toe the govt line, so be it. If MPs were indeed given money, it would represent the best investment UPA ever did.
4. Karated - A new phrase meaning, "to fall flat on your face on a rock-hard surface, while trying to maximize your ill-gotten fame". Undue lobbying almost always leaves you Karated.
5. Only P. Chidambaram has an organic human brain amongst all the politicians, remainder are just brain donation beneficiaries.
6. Do not surf using Linux, as that might corrupt your floor finish. No its' not absurb, atleast not to Mayawati, and her twistd logic.

Steal @ Croma, Malad

I saw one of the best deals in town on offer at Croma. A 32-inch Sony Bravia "V" series going for 39990. Yes, you heard it right, this is one of the best televisions in town and is going at a 15-20 % discount because Sony has launched a new line.

Go for it, the TV I've mentioned is technically superior to the LGs and Samsungs of the world.

Friday, July 18, 2008

That's the way the cookie crumbles

Inflation @ 12%
IIP @ < 8% (!!!)
Crude @ $130 (Riding down from $150)
Sensex @ 13K
Nifty @ 3850

What a story it has been in the last 35-40 days. Its' been all the way down south for all the bulls, their horns and their hoofs. Its' a no-hold-barred contest to hit rock bottom.

When even amateur economy watchers such as me can predict an imminent fall such as the one above, it becomes amply clear that bubbles and media-hype are true realities in todays day and age. Why even Idli-Dosa-Sambaram was tom-tomming his "de-coupling" theory, and one bull-rally (a hedge agasint the falling $ really) in crude & other commodities, and voila he forgets how "de-coupling" is even spelt.

What a dream team we had...but I guess they took the dream part too seriously, they kept dreaming while the Indian boat sailed through calm waters and into a torrential storm in the midst of no-where.

Good Luck in Elections!!!

Monday, May 26, 2008

Mumbai Indians: Les Miserables


What a team!

Disgusting, old, uncompetitive and above all pridelss! There is nothing to write about the character of this team. Its' is so very unrepresentative of Mumbai, a city of great talent, vision, dreams and hopes. The Mukesh Ambani XI unfortunately was allowed to use the name of a city, that never was meant for wealth-inheritors.

This city represents the go-getters, and for people who've got it easy, it will always be an alien. The Mukesh Ambani XI has done it again, a shameful defeat from the jaws of victory, that the Mumbai crowd poured its' heart into supporting this retirement plan for all current and future discards speaks greatly about the city, rathen than the team that used its name.

Hard Luck to you Mukesh Ambani XI, good luck next year!

Friday, May 23, 2008

Innocence Bleeding


Aarushi Talwar, a 14-year school student is butchered in the middle of the night in her own bedroom. Six days later, her father is arrested as the main accused. The TV channels are again at it, with 24/7 reporting (?) of the same clips over an over again. What led her father to take life away from his own daughter can possibly be never known, its' really difficult to imagine what a person like him really is made of.

That said, its' really the gruesome manner in which a father takes away life, shameful day of modern India.

My condolences to the innocent life lost to a moment of anger. My your soul rest in peace.

Monday, April 14, 2008

Inflation + IIP + Credit Cruch = Black Tuesday

What a week it's gonna be, expect the "leaders" to be down by 5%-7%, this on the back of some grave dangers that Indian Economy seems to be entering. Already there are news about "Food Riots" happening in various countries being reported by CNN (not a frivolous channel like Times Now or IBN-Vernacs etc.)

The earlier post about IIP hits home the underlying dangers lurking disclosure around 12-May. The Inflation has not only taken the steam out of the market, the FM+PM dream team appears exhausted by the unrelenting challenges thrown at the. By all accounts it appears to be in vain, rather like the last ditch efforts by a ship-crew trying to plug far more holes in it's walls than they possibly could imagine.

The farmers' subsidy, that golden liquidity, India has at its' disposal is about to be dispersed, and will be sucked away within days by hoarders, black-marketeers and politicians alike. Furthermore, credit-crunch all over the world means a 5% fall in Shanghai Composite, and a 3.5% one for HangSeng.

Wait and watch as the gloom of tuesday catches one and all on possibly the turning point of Indias' Bull Run.

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Remembering Timothy Treadwell

Timothy Treadwell, a person who made a huge impression on wildlife enthusiasts all over the world, is remembered with fondness today, not for the controversy, or the tragic end, but for a way of life he discovered that billions never would. Stepping over that line that separates us - ordinary mortals - from that *something* that takes us ever so close to nature.

Leading the way with example, his unconventional approach to humanity and wildlife is as refreshing as most great people I've read about, alas he lived in times, where humans are hell bent on breaking the rules of nature and very little recognition goes by way of people who take the path less travelled.

I know you found peace, and pray that I find mine. Rest well.

Friday, April 11, 2008

Euphoria over IIP: Welcome to Fool's Paradise

7.4%

That's the latest inflation figure!

However as always, the business news channels are going ga-ga over the superlative performance of Indian Industrial Production in February. Hence its' worthwhile ruminating on the reality behind this numbers.

A. Overall growth, as shown in the sheet, is actually above the September 2007 mark in only 5 out of the 20 odd sectors, that means compared with September 2007 almost 15 sectors have either gone flat or bust. However, capital goods have indeed bucked the trend, and emerged as a sector with some real positive outflow. That's partially because government spending and most likely due to capacity planning initiatives for the next financial year. Overall, the gloom has only got darker. We did witness a slowdown in feb last year as well, which was cyclical, but this time its more genuine and almost out of the blue.

B. Sectoral: Manufacturing, is the darling of all industries, its' witnessing a major correction. Isnt a growing sector supposed to be going up? Comparing the feb numbers to last year same time, is correct, but factually speaking, we have declined over the feb figures as well.

The story of growth is highly debatable in the Indian context, especially given the fact that 70% Indians still earn Rs. 35 or less per day, and almost the same percentage spend less than Rs. 20 per day or less. That means the merely ensuring that they are sustained is gonna become a huge challenge

What it means for the common man is that, life just got tougher still. The government doesnt care a damn about the majority of its' populace, and is hell-bent on making India a capitalist country. Forget the government, the statistical organisation has presented charcoal in form that it almost might pass off as a diamond. A look around will clearly tell you what the real situation is. Real estate is booming, sucking away capital meant to fuel this growth. The serious growth inhibitor that it has become needs to be understood by the modern day government.

Today Kapil Sibal can go on air and talk about China having 8+ inflation and also cite that other third world counties are also going through the same inflation worries. However, one shudders to think what might happen if Oil crosses $120 and Indian government in its' bid to perform well at the next elections forgets its' fundamental duty - of sowing the seeds of a free market - and instead indulges in exceses to farmers and alike.

It's really a shame we are in such a situation inspite of 3 notable economist minds being at the helm. Let's hope and pray they get their policies right, and in connivance with the ever smart RBI help us ride this tide.

Saturday, April 05, 2008

Positive Atheism

A MUST READ

Beautiful article, that goes into an in-depth analysis of what Atheism (Acceptance of Reality), is all about. It's not about disrespecting God, NO! Its' all about realising and recognising the bare and hard facts, and then living a life with that knowledge in a positive way.

Review: Dum Laga Ke - Malad, Link Road

I discovered this restaurant by chance, when we ordered biryanis at my friends place. To my sweet surprise, the biryani's were not the messy ghevda based ones, but authentic mughlai biryanis. Then, one friday, we all decided to eat out for lunch, and that was my second visit. That day, I had Egg Biryani (Tawa-Style), and have had the same 3 more times in the last two weeks.

Besides the above, there is a good variety of biryanis', tandoor based items, and a lot of the non-vegetarian stuff, which my dad loved. Me, being a lacto-ovo veggie, had to satisfy myself with just Egg biryani, paneer biryani and veg biryani.

Bottomline, if you love your biryanis', this place is a must visit.

A word of caution, this place is supposedly a franchisee of Borivali Biryani Center (BBC), but BBC is far worse than Dum Laga Ke, in terms of quality, and service.

Monday, March 17, 2008

Please not Lehman Brothers!

The US Markets are in a bad mood, Sunday was Bear Stearns, today there are loud rumors about Lehman Brothers, no less. Apparently, DBS Bank has circulated an internal email barring its' employees from taking fresh positions with LEH as the the counter party.

This and the fresh memory of Bear Stearns, and the remarkably resemblance of LEH to BSC's last two weeks has triggered a major sellof in LEH stock. However one particular news that may calm the markets is that the Feds latest move will enable even Investment Banks to avail of emergency funding from FED similiar to what commercial banks enjoy today. That will certainly help LEH get that crucial short-term backing. Tomorrow, would be a crucial day for LEH, when they announce their Q1 earnings. My sincere hopes are pinned on some solid positive news from LEH about their performance in Q1'08.

Bear no more!

Bear Stearns went down far more quickly than anyone anticipated. Rather, we in the emerging markets are not quite able to digest such kind of swiftness in action. A company with an 85-year long history and having weathered the great depression, falls from grace within two weeks!!!

That's a developed market, no speculation - only action. J.P.Morgan got probably a sweet deal, rather ensured that the deal was sweetened for them to be interested.

Spare a thought for the 14K employees of BSC, I've experienced exactly what they must be going through right now, actually worse, when my company Cyberspace wound up without blinking an eye (all thanks to rogues siphoning off funds meant for an IT company into funding their main brokerage business).

I guess the writing was on the wall, and as my previous post on 15-March outlined, Monday did indeed proved to be a Black Monday globally.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Sarabjit Singh: Life under threat due to Stupid Media

There is an unprecedented explosion of "News Channels" in the country...these are faceless mouthpieces of vested interests, and have little role in Nation-building or anything as such.

The worst form of reporting these days is coming from the Times Group, especially their tabloids and the disastrous news channel Times Now. It was this channel that went haywire over the "Kashmir Singh" news-story and in their over-enthusiasm, stepped on national security. Their acts ended in shame, when they got a live confession from Kashmir Singh and aired it nationally. I can remember watching that bit of "news" on Times Now, and the first thing that came to my mind, is these idiots have all but signed Sarabjits' Death Warrant.

It was a relatively no-news, that a teenaged Kashmir Singh was kept in prison and released by Pakistan under International Human Rights Acts, after a good 30-odd years. Yes the family was thrilled, but the country? Questionable! I for one, never got the big euphoria around this whole Kashmir Singh saga. For one, that its' a drop in the ocean. The mutilation faced by Indian-POW as early as the Kargil War, is fresh in my mind, besides this, countless fishermen are not spared when they land up in Pakistani waters. The same country butchered its' own Prime Minister, and then blasted his daughter on a election campaign trail. Further, proof of this non-event was given by Kashmir Singh himself, when he opened his mouth on National media. A spy going to town confessing about his profession? And Indian Media airing it? What brains are running these channels?

Indian government should have stepped in immediately upon his release, and given him a thorough understanding of his role with the media of this country, albeit, its all too late, the pakistani establishment must be feeling thoroughly violated over these statements, and as a balm and also a lesson, is plotting to murder a priosoner of 18 years.

The Indian Government owes it to its' military, para-military & intelligence personnel to ensure Sarabjit Singh is spared, and released. Whether it takes big-bucks, or an exchange of a pakistani-militant. Please Do what it takes to bring Sarabjit Singh back, a few million should be enough, after all, the country is in dire-straits, and we are merely paying the price of release of an Indian, who's a father, a brother, and a son to a middle-class Indian Family.

All said, I just wish we had finished the agenda in 1971.

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Bear Stearns Bailout

What a story! The blue-eyed boy is in trouble!

There's a high-possibility of 17-March-2007 being the blackest Monday on the bourses worldwide. Bear Stearns is facing a basic issue, it doesn't have money to pay back investors. The long-term outlook for BS is not so bleak, however 17-March & 27-March would be two significant days in the history of this bank.

Back home, India does seem fairly decoupled, except being pulled into the acute liquidity crunch that the world is facing. It may not be a bad time, to relook at some of our own practices. Indian Realty prices have moved more than 3X over 2003 base, which if they havent already, make Indian banks seriously revalue the impact of their housing portfolio. ICICI bank, already reported upto $250m losses in sub-prime related issues. Indian story is good, solid but the termite attack has started, more than anything the FM's "decoupling" theory is gonna be seriously tested soon.

Whatever happens, I sincerely do hope that Bear Stearns rides this uncomfortable times unscathed. Else, lets' be prepared for a worldwide-market blood bath.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Nifty: Meter Down!

Nifty is Falling and no, its' not me, or my wishful thinking. Rather its' a sad realization that we are not there yet. A 25% fall doesnt quite happen in a matter to 10 business days, not in the developed markets , atleast not unless there is something fundamentally wrong in the economy.

Ironically the market is going down without any domestic reason. There is no doubt that with oil hitting $ 107+/barrel, inflation is gonna have a field day in India. A country, where oil prices are controlled, will be in for some really interesting political games in the offing. Its' hardly 10 months for the official elections, and anyones' guess on the number of actual days.

With this background and a weak Congress, I see NO support for the markets from here on, the Rs.1 bn cash kitty with Reliance Mutual Fund, or the collective Rs.10 bn (guess) with the Indian MFs. They are gonna let FIIs make some handsome returns.

The redemption pressure on MFs is likely to begin post-march, once the tax seasons' over, people are gonna take one hard look at the disappointing sensex, and likely to cash in / book their profits. Another looming crisis is the real-estate bubble. Where is the support for real-estate prices in a falling market. I see a crisis, if the real-estate even cracks by 15%, thats gonna make banks shiver in their pants. Its' likely that overall Home-loan portfolio in India, given its' overall rating, is no better than the sub-prime borrowers in the US. It's just that in US, atleast they are known to be sub-prime, in India, they are all within wraps.

Overall a very interesting situation is panning out, day traders are gonna have one helluva party. Enjoy your earnings season, Mr. Bear.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

The new face of India

Indians awoke to a rude shock on Monday Morning. Black Monday it was indeed, the Indian Hockey Team losing to Great Britain, and thus losing a berth to play at the Olympics. That, the Indian Hockey Federation doesnt give a damn if Indian Hockey is relegated or derecognised was made amply clear by the President, K.P.S.Gill's retort, to not expect "Quick Results".

Hell, this is a 70+ old man, who can never relate to what the real India currently is. Its' the youth that are driving the country and they are far superior a breed to manage, run and achieve results in a manner its' completely unknown to this wise old man.

To me, he represents the scum of India that really makes up for the bottom most part of Indian Society. An adminstrator so in love with his post, that he's willing to sacrifice the pride of a nation, to achieve petty goals. One only wonders, how do the grey heads of India become so morally corrupt and shameless. I cannot think of any other word than Shame to describe the manner in which the IHF has gone about their business.

I think this is the time to think afresh and make a serious attempt at reviving the old hockey days. To start with, India should simply re-introduce field hockey the way it used to be played. On a grass surface. Make no mistakes, the techniques of grass hockey cannot be different from that of turf hockey. Its' far better to have a confident team, than to have a set of proven non-performers. Players within the national league, should be good players in both forms of the game. Theres' no point in adapting to turf hockey, it will only lead to more K.P.S.Gills and we should sincerely avoid that.

The Premier Hockey League, once its' played on grass, will not only attract poor and wealthy alike the turf will no longer be a barrier to young players from all corners of the country.

Lets' atleast make an attempt to achieve results inspite of K.P.S.Gill, just like Indian Economy is booming inspite of the Government.

India Calling: Toyota Corolla Tenth Generation

Toyota has long launched the 10th generation Corolla in various markets, including Japan, US, Australia, South Africa, Jamaica and quite a long list. Looking at Bombay Times these days one wonders if this beauty is gonna make it to India before FY09 hits us.

From the reviews and raves about this tenth generation babe, it looks like a apt answer to the undue dominance of the Honda Civic in the entry-level B segment.

This babe really rocks in looks, and that only echoes what the experts say about this package of energy. I mean, digital speedometers, climate control, and chic looks are some of the highlights of this beauty, who knows the next thing you see me, I might just have been lucky.

Saturday, March 01, 2008

Definition of a Finance Minister: P.Chidambaram

What a Man!

Sir P.Chidambaram, he represents soneone that probably every business studen dream of...right at the top of the pyramid. The sole King of the most vibrant economy on this planet, making him the true governor of the fate of this earth.

No exaggerations, I am truly awed by the phenomenal magic show brought to life by Sir PC. And NO, I'm not talking about the 2008-09 budget, it was a damp squid, probably constrained by the petty political partners of Congress and its' own ranks. But, for all observers, there was one truly savouring experience of watching a Man blessed with wisdom, passion and a true sense of bold-spirit go about his job in the most professional manner known in this country since ages.

If Laloo is hailed by some firang university, it probably just proves that the west is already brain drained, they have no clue where the blast force of India lies, they are instead left praising her exhaust pipes.

Here is a man, who being a lawyer and a politician slashed the daylights out of self-propagated business news channels. Anyone who wanted proof why business channels should be watched in mute mode (perhaps only as a cheap replacement to BloomBerg or the likes) the post-budget interviews by Raghav Behl, NDTV Lead Anchor (who atleast got a finance brain with him) and the Zee Business News anchor (she's most likely to resign) only made it ever so clear.

One is left wonderiing, if only India had 520 more Sir P.Chidambarams, then India would not only hit that coveted double digit growth, but would so quickly become the best place to live on this planet.

Thank you very much, for being India's Finance Minister.

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Letter to editor@ibnlive.com

Sir,

Thank you for an insightful, liberal and by far the most complete debate on the “Events targeting North-Indians in Mumbai” today (Sun, 10-Feb-2008).

I have been seeing some rather disturbing reporting by north-regional channels (SP Influenced– Sahara, Sensationalist – Aaj Tak, India 24x7, India TV and surprisingly IBN7) and also the times group in Mumbai (Mumbai Mirror).

Is there no accountability left in journalism, and why isn’t anyone questioning the strong northern (one person / group only) influence on the above mentioned channels? Why isn’t anyone questioning the rights of such regionally-focused & biased reporting under the guise of “National TV”?

Please carry on with the quality of reporting and the debates, because your channel is the only hope for liberal minds of our country.

Lastly, I just wish to register my thoughts on the agitation started by MNS, its’ aptly described as “Gutter Politics”, especially after hearing the spokesperson go on every channel in a futile attempt to spread the hatred. I am convinced that, even if Mumbai was comprised of 80%-90% Maharashtrians, these same parties would have made caste / creed as the agenda, and we would have had equal violence under the guise of agitation.

I also wish to appeal to you, to cut-down on MNS, SP, Amar Singh & Raj Thackeray (What's their contribution to India?) related news, Hate Politics needs to be nipped in the bud, and instead, we are providing a breeding ground for the same.

Let’s vow that only Gujarat remains an exception.

Regards,

Milind Kolekar
(A Marathi-speaking Indian)

Sunday, February 03, 2008

Raj Thackeray's Campaign against North Indians

Yesterday, most national channels were beaming speeches by Raj Thackeray. Amongst other ideas aired by Raj, the most notable were as follows:
  • Lack of representation of Maharashtrians in Indian Railways.
  • Introduction of Tax-free status to Bhojpuri Films in Mumbai and other parts of Maharastra!!!
  • Steady flux of migrants from UP & Bihar.
  • Factual description of misplaced loyalties of Amitabh Bachhan, who represents Samajwadi Party.
  • Request to celebrate Chhat Puja as a state-event in Maharashtra by SP Politicians..
I must say I can relate to the frustration that Maharashtrians face at the violation of cultural sanctity in the face of the influx. Migration to Maharashtra is rampant from not just North, but all parts of India. However the target of the speech is clearly North Indians, especially UPites & Biharis.

Lets' not forget that the only gift these poor migrants from the north have given Mumbai, is the public squatting and shameless shitting in the open. This more than anything, clearly reflects their culture and the state of affairs in their state. The face of politics in UP and Bihar is even worse than these migrants, gun-totting gangs, force ballots and total disregard for life. No surprise the sanctuary of Maharashtra is looked upon as heaven.

Being a good 1500 KMs away, Maharashtra has evolved based on a completely different set of values, ones that respect life, one-another, and believes in living life to the fullest. Now, contrast that with the lawless, sub-human, crime-infested regions that the migrants come from.

I've toured some part of Harayana, Punjab, Delhi, Himachal, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Goa. Nowhere have I seen such rampant infestation of UPites & Biharis, and the crown goes to Tamil Nadu, where I couldnt find even one shop named Shah Bros or the likes. Bottom line is that the whole of India is made of states that purports a unique socio-cultural aspect. There are numerous examples of cultural santuaries being prevalent across India, be it housing societies barring muslims or non-vegetarians, or villages not allowing entry to certain castes, or be it the aryan-dravidian debate. We all love to be surrounded by people of our kind, who speak our language, who behave like us, who share our mindset and most importantly who share similiar values.

Cities as an expection is highly desirable, hence the great melting pot that Mumbai is, is the best sign of Modern India, but the ugliness within it, shouldnt be covered under the guise of fairness.

My one question to Mr. Potato & Mr. Puppy is why are your states unable to stop this out-flow of the poor? Isnt this the biggest blot on your politics? How shameful does one need to act to be called as one from your state?

The need of the day is to bring in a comprehensive plan to bring Bihar & UP out of their rut, what Mr. Anil Ambani and Mr. Amitabh Bachhan are doing for the state is truly commendable. The plan to rescue UP & Bihar should be taken along the lines of curbing Bird-Flu within West Bengal, containment should be the mantra, and surely states which boast of a superb irrigation and great human capital can do much here. The more I think of this problem, the more I see logic in the preferential railway job allotments (they do need these benefits), and at the end of the day, a poor man regardless of where he lives needs to be given a helping hand and a lot of care.

Having said this, I wouldnt like to see Maharashtra as being the place as host to these refugee camps.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Indian sub-prime crisis in the making?

Stock markets have fallen, (for good) by about 25-30% in the last fortnight. Thats' still early days, we are yet to catch-up with the complete sell-off targets, that FIIs and the real movers of Indian markets have on their minds. It's quite obvious that the very liquidity that is hitting the markets is very much locked in the highly over-valued real estate market.

Unless this liquidity is unlocked, there is very to no hope in getting the liquidity back into the system.

However, it should be noted that unless people realize that fundamentally, when a miniscule apartment sells for 1/2 a million, its' time to leave either the city, or the markets.

Whenver the liquidity in real-estate is triggered, rest assured that Indian banks are gonna start announcing losses just like their US counterparts. Remember, even Indian banks have been dispensing 90% loans, even a 10-15% fall in real-estate might trigger an amazing real-estate crisis, rather a banking crisis, watch out, we are very close, and the ice is wafer thin ahead.

Dear FM, PM, et. al: Leave the Capital Market Alone

Why is Indian Government trying to bail out an super highly sold, unviable and unprofitable Capital Market?

Indian Government and the Finance Ministry need to answer this question, in the most candid manner possible. They owe it to the millions of people who do not have demat a/cs but still pay VAT, the millions of salaried class government employees earning a pittance while still paying income tax.

Why does the government want to lose the precious capital, and help FIIs earn far better returns instead of waiting for the deluge to be over. By constantly baby-sitting the stock markets, the government is encouraging callous investors. Why is LIC investing in bear markets, by using investor money, when they never pay more to policy holder on the back of a bull market.

Farmers kill themselves for the want of pity amounts, and the government turns a blind eye. Come FIIs in trouble, and greedy "investors" wanting support to book profits, the DIIs come in an bail them out.

Indian market is just that a creche for rich and HNIs, it is far far away from being a free and fair open market.

Monday, January 21, 2008

Black Monday - 21Jan2008

Indian Markets can excite you more than any reality show or sports t.v. ever can. Today was one such days, the numbers themselves probably spell disaster, however once you start imagining the carnage in the lives of those unfortunate ones who were highly leveraged in this bull market, it dawns on you as one of the biggest reality shows in the nation.

There were punters, horse-traders, and pure betters who were begining to take hold of Indian Markets, and would go home tonight to lick their wounds and perhaps with the knowledge that Indian Markets are just that, another set of emerging markets where mayhem and chaos rules roost.

Watching the action live as it unfolded was extremely exciting, but seeing 21-Jan being permanently etched in Indian Stock Market history was extremely satisfying too. For the record I lost about Rs. 5K held in ULIP, but I can afford to smile. Not many can.

The usual set of monkeys were freely making predictions about the future, and how the markets will bounce back. These shameless experts are only good at reading numbers that are past-tense, to even take their word about the future is foolhardy. Its' not surprise that Indian Markets crashed, after all, India isnt on Planet Jupiter, its' on terra-firma and every other nation can dictate the course in Indian Financials.

Valuations are now suddenly the flavour of discussion, however the "fundamentals" many take for granted are about to be questioned. No one in their sane mind would be able to predict the extent of US recession (if any) and its' impact on Indian markets, yet the euphoria doesnt abate.

Let's hope and pray that just like the stock markets, the real-estate markets would firmly head towards where it belongs. It's high time....