Capitalist India

Via Indian Express

'Delete word socialism from Constitution'


I would like secularism to be deleted also, but this is a start.

Rethiking morality - First Visit

This was originally a reply to JK's post, however it turned out good so I am posting it

The context was of moral policing and I had asked JK his stand on personal freedom by asking whether he agreed with things like incest, bestiality to which he had replied that these things were legally prohibited, this post tries to adress that and the more important question that whether morality is relevant or if it is what are its boundaries.

I am not against hand-holding or hugging or sex or Khushboo right to say anything she chooses.

HoweverI have become wary of term "moral police", it has become a latest mantra for elites to stereotype whoever happen to disagree with them.IMHO terms like "moral police", "Communalist" are just attempt to bulldoze even any reasonable dissension.

Further the arguement that something is "verboten" because it is legally prohibited is putting cart before the horse.

I think that prohibiting anything legally, which is essentially curtailing personal freedom should have a strong reason behind it.

One important position is that of Libertarianism.

Libertarians from what I have understood (I may be wrong ) are against any restriction to personal freedom (subject to that it does not curtail other's personal freedom or cause physical injury).

I think the position is based on the premise that that desire of individual to act on himself overrules anything else. Specifically it rejects or places at a much lower priority society or sanctity of life.

From what I have understood Libertarian position of Society is that of a group based on security, trade and division of labour.

In the same way sanctity of life has little meaning, in comparision to will of individual.

There are many things which do not violate libertarian principle (incest, bestiality, paedophilia, suicide, voluntary cannabalism) nevertheless I do not feel comfortable with it.

Neither quoting religious text is any help, most of religious scripture describe all sort of debauchery, patricide such that reasoning on their basis solely is meaningless.

I admit that I am a prude, and a prude of the sort who didnt mind watching smut in private but will not like to swear in front elders (Does this qualify for hypocrisy ?).

I will like to think that there is something called public decency, which should be observed by everyone.

However I am not yet able to find a coherent basis for it. According to taliban the proper decency is males with beards and women in burqa, libertarian hold (I suspect) "sexy,whisky and democracy" position.

Since I feel disagreement with both the libertarian and, since I hate using moral police, collectivism position, I am still looking for a new stand, (in this my biases are not helping me).

I have a suspicion that their is some basis ,however feeble, behind the conservative view.New morality can be formed by building on that basis.

Natwar Singh: So Long and Thanks for all the fish.

So He is gone,

Well whatever the opinion, I will applaud him for flair of comedy (unintentional ofcourse), the whole "he will go-he will not go" was much more entertaining than current bunch of daily soap operas.His son ofcourse is an improvement upon the old man.

This ofcourse begs the question what took Congress so long, especially considering that as Kapil Sibal (our Minister for Science and Technology) claimed than what Matherani disclosed was known to GOI since quite some time.

One justification could be that it had imagined that this will blow over as others did.

However they did not count on resurgent NDA.But even if this is accepted, the other question which arises is that when it was clear that this was a full forest -fire and not spark in some shrub
why then , was Natwar not immediately thrown out, instead being handled in a blow hot blow cold manner.

This gives suspicion whether there is more to story which appears, does anyone remember Quattrocchi ?

Few specks of light

Via Telegraph

Kalbe Sadiq, vice-president of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board. advocates use of birth control, end of polygamy.

This is without doubt a good sign, I have always taken Muslim intellectualls like Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi with loads of salt, as these worthies do not have any standing among common Muslim.

The above mentioned gentleman, with whom I share common heritage, has much more chances of success in brining reform to Mulims. Slamming him as BJP- Man will not do.

Contrast this with regressive attitude taken by RSS , which more than anything just exhibits lack of ideas and paronia based on seize complex.

This is a shame as in my view RSS is capable of much good , if only they get rid of people like Togadia.

Shocking Mallika Picture !

Via Slimes,

Well no one accuse Slimes of things such as relevance or insight !

AIT or You did not know , So we did it for you.

Via Nizhal

Following are some excerpts from eminent historian Stanley Wolpert

Our knowledge of the earliest history of our linguistic ancestors is derived from over a century of patient reconstruction of their "Urheim" by philologists such as Friedrich Max Muller (1823-1900)

We have no archaeological evidence for the first centuries of India's Aryan age (from about 1500 to 1000 B.C.), but . .


. . . we have been able to piece together some picture of the era from Aryans' religious "Books of Knowledge," or Vedas . . . The Rig Veda itself, however, is unconscious of that journey and of the Aryan "invasion" of India . . .

This would have been amusing but for the unfortunate part that most of educated indians and almost all bloggers will say something like this

if(not_concerned_with_poverty OR concerned_with_hinduism)
{
NOT_MY_BUSINESS(go back to sleep) ;
CALL_COMMUNAL_PROPOGANDA(go back to sleep);

}

There is ofcourse no antidote to indiffenrence and you can not argue with some one who is intereseted is conspiracy theories than debate.

Natwar : Begining of the end ?

Via Rediff

Natwar sacked from key Cong panel,

So has the blessed lady decided to grasp the nettles and call the old man's bluff.

What got Sonia Gandhi's goat ,in my view, was sheer impudence displayed by Natwar Singh and Jagat Singh. Instead of showing traditional congress chicanery, not only Natwar Singh did not resign, his son had the temerity to attempt implicating the lady in the scandal.

I think in addition to his arrogance, Natwar must have thought that his unflinching loyalty to dynasty will hold him good steed. What he doesnt realize is that Gandhi dynasty uses loyals almost in the same manner as I use toilet paper (occasionaly, otherwise like all patriots I do it "indian way")

Sure it does reward loyalists, but it is only to keep them in good humour and hence it is just some thing which is convenient.However once loyalist is embarassment or hindrance , dynasty does not waste time in discarding the concenrned person.

By being such a pain in unmentionable part, Natwar is, in effect,bazooking any possibility of returning at a later date.

Still it remains a mystery to me, why Natwar is not being dragged away from his chair.
Despite his and his son cocking a snook.
Why ? Is it karma or Is it some conspiracy ?

More in rediff We are ready for CBI probe: Jagat Singh (Bluff, by the way I dont like persons with shaved head unless it is done in Tirupati)

And in indian express Natwar Singh must be shown the door,

Mr Gupta raises a pertinent issue which is of acts of omission and comission done by Natwar Singh during his stint as External Affairs minister, however I am nonplussed to read his conclusion that Dr Manmohan Singh should show him the door.

I do not think that Mr Gupta is unaware of the real authority , Mr Manmohan Singh ,poor man, can not sack a peon if he wants. What I do think, however, is that he is trying to shield the blessed lady,as he is haunted by the spectre of communalists ruling over New Delhi, this incidentally seems the line of NDTV.

While I do not mind anyone hating BJP, (as some one said "Frankly dear, I do not give a damn"), I resent the fact that these baiters, who indulge in cloak and dagger stuff, proclaim to show "the whole truth" and this tripe is accepted by the public.

Update: Via Rediff

Natwar may be dropped: Cong leader

PM backed Natwar ouster from key panel

"..........Union Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal bluntly stated that the minister without portfolio should take a cue from the steering committee's decision.

"Natwar has an acute mind, he understands subtleties of the game," Sibal told reporters, adding that the minister, in the eye of the storm over the Volcker issue, has to himself decide whether or not he should stay in the government in the wake of his removal from the party's highest policy making body.

Stating that it was for Natwar to understand the signal, he said the party was above individuals.
He, however, added that Natwar's removal did not mean that he was guilty.
"It is for the Justice Pathak Inquiry Authority to decide who is guilty," he said, adding that the committee's decision was a political decision....."

Again , why can't you the moron out !
And then this is a political decision, nothing to do with things like propriety or morality