MODI(FIED) VISITS

It was a spectacular treat to the eyes – the overflowing crowd of cheering Indian expatriates who poured into the Dubai Cricket Stadium to hear Prime Minister Sri. Narendra Modi, stands testimony to NaMo’s popularity among the  People of Indian Origin, all over the world. That the Ruler of United Arab Emirates  skipping  protocol,  accompanied by his brothers’ went to the airport to receive Sri.Narendra Modi goes to indicate his charisma and reach. His visit to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque at Abu Dhabi has been received well by all, ( including those who are skeptical about his secular credentials ). The decision of the Emirates Government to donate land for the construction of a Hindu Temple, towards respecting the religions feelings of the huge expatriate community, is another sweet diplomatic success.

Previously the Madison Square Garden in the United States,  saw a sea of humanity congregating to listen to the electrifying speech of the oratorical Prime Minister, which sent current waves not only among those present, but also for scores of others who viewed and heard him through television.

NaMo’s  speeches  are  indeed  mesmerizing. He  has  mastered  the  skill of  carrying the audience with him -  whatever  their  strata  and wherever the venue be.  The crowd goes gaga on seeing him, and applauds every  phrase and sentence spelt out by him. This overwhelming reception was never accorded to  any other Indian Prime Minister on foreign soil,  for some decades now.  Sri. Narendra  Modi  is  undoubtedly  the  most  popular  Prime    Minister  ( after Pandit Nehru )  among  the  People  of Indian Origin, and  has  emerged  as  a  highly  respectable  figure  in  the  eyes  of  other  Governmental  Heads,  spread  across  all  continents. 

Back home, lampooning cartoons and criticisms are doing the rounds criticizing NaMo’s constant foreign visits. The bottom line is that he is globe trotting  with the sole purpose of  bringing business investments into India, and  which  on materializing would usher a bountiful economic  reward  for  India,  India  Inc.,  and  its  subjects.

A sulking opposition unleashes verbal cannonade on Sri. Modi on various  issues, encompassing governance and non governance issues. The hue and cry raised on the Vyapam scam did not seem to have had any effect on the electorate of Madhya Pradesh where the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, headed by its Chief Minister Sri.Shivraj Singh Chauhan, has  swept  the  recently  concluded local body polls, decimating  the  Congress.

Now the litmus test for Sri.Narendra Modi  lies  in  the  state  of  Bihar, where elections are due shortly.  Whether  Bihar  will  get  seduced  by his  “ awaas “  and charm is to be seen. If it happens then the devastation caused by the NaMo Tsunami would leave the opposition battered. 

Let the people of Bihar decide and choose their “ netas “ purely on merit.  

Jai Hind.

                                                =======

Honour the Bravehearts’

The time  has  come  for  the  Government  of  India  to  accept  the demand for One Rank One Pension (OROP) put forth by the members of the armed forces, ex servicemen. It is but strange to understand as to why this long pending claim has  not  been  approved  and  cleared  by the  Government,  which  is  just  and  very  reasonable.  

Our  military  is  one  of  the  most  well trained,  disciplined force  in the world, whose men serve the nation with true patriotism. Further  they perform  a  plethora  of  duties,  during  periods  of  war  and peace. Their  efforts  in rushing to the aid of people at times of natural calamities  like  floods,  earthquake,  tsunami  etc are beyond comparison  and  deserve  the  highest  praise.

It  is  true that  they  are  honoured  ( posthumously in some cases ) and their  services  recognized with  gallantry  awards  at  regular  intervals. That  would  go  to  satisfy  their  service  achievements, but  not  to cover  the extra mile of satiating their financial adequacy, post retirement.

Steering away from negativity, on a dispassionate perspective, we should agree in unison, even though with chagrin and dismay,  that hundreds of  crores of precious taxpayers’ money has been ( is being ) gobbled up by repeated scams of various hue and stature. Added to that is the siphoning of funds earmarked for developmental activities / projects at different bureaucratic levels. They have all gone down the drain and reached wrong destinations.  This undesirable practice, which is looked down with abhorrence by the  people  has  permeated  into our system for  some  decades  now,  showing  no  signs  of  abatement.

The slogan “ Jai Jawan ., Jai Kisan “ implies the principle that the members of the military and farming faculty should remain in good stead and be duly recognized and rewarded.  Unfortunately we are facing the inglorious  fact  of  hundreds of farmers committing suicide,  due  to diverse  reasons,  triggered  by  both  natural and  man made  factors. This  pitiable  state  is  an  affront  not  only  to  them, but  also  to  the nation.     

The Government of India should seize the opportunity now, see reasoning and rise above parochial political considerations and take a policy decision on implementing the One Rank One Pension for the service personnel to whom every Indian should bow with respect and regard, as our peaceful living is attributed to their stressful yet sincere service on the nation’s borders, safeguarding our boundaries from inimical external forces.

Give them their rightful due right now – is the clarion call of support from WE THE PEOPLE  OF THIS GREAT NATION  TO  IMPLEMENT  ONE  RANK  ONE   PENSION SCHEME ( OROP )

Jai Hind.                                          

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                -------------                                              

                                                                               

               

                                                               

Peoples’ (Mis)representatives’

The ongoing Monsoon session of Parliament has so far  been  a washout,  with no business being transacted due to the disruptive tactics of the opposition parties. Nothing  but  imbroglio,  the  session  is  most   likely  to  be  a  naught,  a  total  logjam, The august  house which  has seen  stalwarts, selfless  patriots  and  statesmen  of  worth,  resembles  a  noisy grocery market, with  charges and counter charges being  hurled  from both the Treasury and Opposition benches.

The indecent, indignant  behaviour lowers the decorum of the house manifold. The Members of Parliament are indulging  in  literal  verbal  cannonade  on  the  floor of the house and  their conduct   is  rather  maladroit.

This unprecedented mayhem let loose on the well of the Parliament House by the “ respected, dignified  members of Parliament “  makes  a mockery of democracy and a betrayal of  trust  reposed  by the  citizens of this country on them. Seeing their audacious behaviour irritates and  angers the  common man.  Making  colossal waste of public money running to crores unabashedly, without a sense of responsibility and guilt  cannot  be  pardoned  by  any measure of  saner thinking.

Adding fuel to the fire is the demand by  the  MPs’ for increasing their salaries, when they already enjoy a host of perquisites and privileges. This  is  wholly  untenable  and  unjustified.  Is   it  a  bonus  for  their detestable  conduct?  

Congress, the  main opposition party takes extra pride in gloating over  the  disruption  of  the  proceedings, when  they  had  raised  a hue  and  cry  over  similar disruptive practice  resorted  to   by  the BJP led NDA, when  UPA  was  in  power. At  that   juncture, they had advocated observance of decency,  gave  sermons  on  upholding the dignity of the house. They had derided, denounced the then opposition members in strong terms, when they are unleashing pandemonium at  free will presently.  Can  there  be  a  better  example  of double  standard  in  letter  and  action  by  the  Congress?

If  the  grand  old  party  of  India  and  the  other  opposition  parties had  allowed  the  house  to  function  and  cornered  the  Government on vital issues through healthy discussions, then it could  have  been  a  turnaround  for  them  in  public  domain. But they do not practice what they preached to the BJP led NDA opposition,  while  occupying  the  reins  of  power.

To  sum up, Parliament is the highest temple of our democracy, which should witness healthy deliberations, constructive debates towards fostering the interests of the country and  the  wellbeing  of its  people. To obstruct its functioning is a sin ( whoever does it  ) against the nation and its subjects, which does not go well in the eyes of the masses, whose pent up anger will boomerang against them and will echo with virulent force in the ballot boxes.

Jai Hind.

                                                          *******