On 21/8/2010 in Lok Sabha there was a demand from Laloo Prasad Yadav and some MPs that the government pay salaries to imams of government-aided mosques on the basis of Supreme Court verdict in 1993. It is not known how this verdict came about. Laloo Prasad Yadav did not raise the issue when he was Railway Minister and member of UPA. Bihar elections are coming near and that may be the reason for raising the issue.
Tag: Indian Elections
Reservation in private sector
The Government of India wants 5% reservation for SCs/STs in private sector. Reservation in government jobs itself is a bad idea. Once the reservation begins there will be demand for increase in percentage and extension to other communities like OBCs. It will divide people. There will be further demands to be declared as OBCs or STs. We know the damage done by Gujjar agitation.
Reservations began for a period of 10 years. They got periodic extensions and more people came under reserved category. SCs/STs changed a lot over the years but reservations continue. Then came OBC reservations.
If government thinks that companies benefitting from government incentives have to reserve seats it should stop incentives.
End of India?
USSR was a superpower. It split into 15 countries in 1991.
What was once Yugoslavia is now seven countries.
India can end up like USSR and Yugoslavia.
Large parts of India are not under government control. There is trouble in Kashmir. Different groups extort money in North-East. They call it taxes. Muivah who wants sovereignty for Nagalim is given z plus security. Many districts are under Naxal control. Separatists are active in Punjab.
Defence by MPs of their demands
MPs have come out with defence of their demands for increase in salary and benefits. In my previous article I had proposed that salaries of MPs be made Rs.86,000/- p.m. and their allowances and benefits be abolished and I stick to that. There are two types of MPs: Lok Sabha MPs and Rajya Sabha MPs….
BJP, JMM and Jharkhand
On 28/4/2010 BJP withdrew support to Shibu Soren led government. It was to submit a letter to the governor of Jharkhand the next day. Shibu Soren’s son Hemant Soren stepped in. He wanted BJP to continue to support. Shibu Soren will step down. Hemant Soren will be CM. BJP did not agree. Hemant Soren proposed that CM can be from BJP.
BJP had candidates to be CM. BJP forgot about withdrawal of support. Now the discussion was who should be CM. One candidate was opposed to coalition with JMM. The chance of becoming CM made him forget about it.
Some MLAs in JMM are opposed to BJP CM. They were not ministers in Shibu Soren government and they have no hope of becoming ministers in BJP led government. However they do not have enough members in their groups to cause a legal split.
Baba Ramdev and BJP
Baba Ramdev’s decision to found a political party and contest 543 Lok Sabha seats in 2014 has the BJP worried. BJP President Nitin Gadkari has appealed to Baba Ramdev not to go ahead with the project. BJP is worried that Hindu votes will be split.
BJP and Baba Ramdev have some things in common. Both want Hindu Rashtra. Both talk of getting back black money in foreign banks.
Baba Ramdev knows the political parties in India. He has seen BJP’s rise and fall. He does not expect much from BJP.
BJP has alliance with various parties. It has no plan to contest 543 Lok Sabha seats in 2014.
Baba Ramdev wants death penalty for corruption, rape, dowry death, cow slaughter and terrorism. Many in India will oppose death penalty for cow slaughter. BJP would not like to have death penalty for corruption.
Indian democracy is a joke
There is more to democracy than elections. In democracy all are equal. What happens in India is what George Orwell wrote in Animal Farm.
In India some are more equal than others. They have reservations in government educational institutions, government jobs, rural and urban bodies, Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies. Students in general category who have 92% marks do not get seats but in reserved category get seats with 45% marks. The reservations were meant for 10 years but continue after 60 years and more categories are added. People who are pampered claim they need empowerment.
When something needs to be done for equality no effort is made. Law allows Muslim men to have four wives. Champions of women’s equality have done nothing against it. Married men who are no Muslims have become Muslims to enter into second marriage without divorce.
Cut motion and government fall
rollback price hike. UPA allies have opposed price hike.
If a cut motion is passed the government falls. Many have commented that no party wants elections and cut motion will not be passed. Some parties may not like to vote with BJP. They are wrong. The unity shown by the parties on budget day may repeat. Left Front has said the price rise is not a political issue, it is a people’s issue. They will remind people that Congress voted with BJP to pull down V. P. Singh government. In politics there are no permanent friends or enemies.
Women and reservations in legislatures
Reservation for women in rural and urban bodies should not have been there and should go.
Reservation will mean women from families of existing legislators will become candidates. It will not help ordinary women. To say that even if they are family members they are women is not a sound argument.
Women who are competent win elections. Indira Gandhi became prime minister. Pratibha Patil became president. There have been many women chief ministers. Some of them are leaders of their parties. All of them succeeded without reservations. Reservation for women in legislatures will mean incompetent women will become legislators.
Vote counting on 16/5/2009
It was supposed to begin at 8.00 a.m. and over by 10.00 a.m. However even till midnight many results had not been declared. What caused the delay? If the counting for all Lok Sabha seats did not begin at 8.00 a.m. why it did not begin? If it began at 8.00 a.m. why did it…