India, world's largest democracy, begins voting tomorrow

[Sultan Of Swing]

1. When will justice for 1984 be given?

The anti-Sikh massacre was horrific and inexcusable. But this does not excuse Modi from his own actions. Unlike Rahul Gandhi, Modi had personal involvement with what happened in 2002. Gandhi has also said the riots were wrong and has said the perpetrators should be brought to justice. Modi is a man who actually had personal involvement. What you speak of is something that happened in the Congress party's past, where as we have an actual active perpetrator, Modi, running for election. I just don't understand his appeal, perhaps you could enlighten me.

 

[Sultan Of Swing]

Friend Sultan of Swing,


Being 'Nationalistic' is a plus is it not? Feeling of oneness with everyone.

That isn't what his nationalism is. His is the kind which is exclusive, he describes himself as a "Hindu nationalist", what does that even mean? His actions in 2002 show what kind of nationalism he values.

Maybe everyone has opinions about his involvement in the riots but the highest Court of the country viz. Supreme Court has given him a clean chit and besides majority wants development and minimum corruption where BJP is the only stable alternative available to the Indian citizens.
Personally am no Modi or BJP fan and probably vote 'NOTA -none of the above'

Perhaps the BJP can offer less corruption, who knows. It wasn't too long ago that a BJP president (10 years now, is it?) was accepting bribes though. Both parties seem pretty bad in terms of corruption, it just seems like Congress is the lesser of two evils. Development though, I don't know enough about that, maybe BJP is indeed offering more.

 

[Poeticus]

The anti-Sikh massacre was horrific and inexcusable. But this does not excuse Modi from his own actions. Unlike Rahul Gandhi, Modi had personal involvement with what happened in 2002. Gandhi has also said the riots were wrong and has said the perpetrators should be brought to justice. Modi is a man who actually had personal involvement. What you speak of is something that happened in the Congress party's past, where as we have an actual active perpetrator, Modi, running for election. I just don't understand his appeal, perhaps you could enlighten me.

Perpetrator? What part of the Supreme Court
of India finding the man not-guilty do you not
understand? Personal involvement? No proof
or evidence exists tying the man to the horrors
of 2002 nor has it been brought forward. But
you do realize that there are tons of evidences
not only for 1984 & INC involvement, but also
INC's involvement in current corruption cases
that go into the millions of dollars, right?​

 

[Sultan Of Swing]

Perpetrator? What part of the Supreme Court
of India finding the man not-guilty do you not
understand? Personal involvement? No proof
or evidence exists tying the man to the horrors
of 2002 nor has it been brought forward. But
you do realize that there are tons of evidences
not only for 1984 & INC involvement, but also
INC's involvement in current corruption cases
that go into the millions of dollars, right?​

I suppose, I can't argue against the court. (Except to suggest the court is corrupt, but there isn't anything to support that).

Yes I know Congress has done bad things, both parties have. Could you please let me know what the whole appeal of BJP is though? I don't really understand why so many think an India under BJP rule is any better.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Heavy polling, 10 killed, 6 in Maoist bomb explosion (LS means Lok Sabha, Parliament). Voting in nearly all segments has broken the previous records with a big margin.

60 percent polling recorded in Bihar
83 percent voting as time ends in Bengal
56.26 percent voter turnout in Maharashtra
28% voter turnout in J&K's Anantnag; 24 injured in violence
70 percent polling in Tamil Nadu
Clash in Rajasthan's Dausa during voting, turnout nearly 60 percent
Over 80 percent turnout in Puducherry
Two-thirds electorate cast ballot in Chhattisgarh
Jharkhand records 63.55 percent polling
Young voters lead to good turnout in Jharkhand
Over 60 percent turnout in UP amid violent clashes, boycott
64.4 percent voting in ten constituencies of MP in final phase

 

[Aupmanyav]

I have read and heard that the BJP is getting a lot of support. What is the main attractive feature of their policies, I wonder? Is it the economic side?

Personally, I am not sure how Narendra Modi is able to garner such support after his involvement in the violence in Gujarat in 2002.

My question is, what is so attractive about Modi and the BJP that would lead Indians to vote for him? He seems a bit too nationalistic for my liking, ..

BJP is basically a Hindu party and is likely to form the next government. It does not mean that it is an anti-Muslim party. It had an incident free six-year rule earlier.

Muslims have, sort of, come to terms with Narendra Modi. Courts have exonerated him of any complicity in Gujarat riots. US and some other western countries also placed bans on Modi, which have now been revoked due to political compulsions. And if they have not, then it is the least of our worries.

Modi has done fairly well in Gujarat. BJP has always supported progressive economic policies. He is not supposed to be corrupt in total contrast to the present ruling combine. His nationalism is one of the things that attracts people. Of course, the real situation will be revealed only on May 16 when the results are announced.

Modi arrives in Varanasi to submit his candidature (that was yesterday, unprecedented, gets Congress thoroughly frightened):

 

[Aupmanyav]

Unlike Rahul Gandhi, Modi had personal involvement with what happened in 2002. Gandhi has also said the riots were wrong and has said the perpetrators should be brought to justice. Modi is a man who actually had personal involvement. What you speak of is something that happened in the Congress party's past, ..

Modi's personal involvement has not been proved by the Special Investigation Tribunal appointed by the Indian Supreme Court. The tribunal said that Modi did what was necessary without any delay. The neighboring states ruled by Congress did not send requested forces to Gujarat. Congress has shielded their people who were involved in the Sikh riots for the last 30 years. Just saying that they are sorry does not suffice. Gujarat riots also are past. The world has moved on.

 

[Aupmanyav]

.. he describes himself as a "Hindu nationalist", what does that even mean?

It wasn't too long ago that a BJP president (10 years now, is it?) was accepting bribes though.

He is a Hindu and a nationalist. BJP also has Muslim nationalists (Shah Nawaz Khan, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi), as Congress had at one time (Abdul Kalam Azad and Khan Adbul Gaffar Khan).

Yes, there are corrupt people in both the parties. The difference is that fingers point to even the ruling Gandhi family. Commissions surface in all big contracts. Modi is one person who is seen as the one who can control this.

 

[zenzero]

Friend Sultan Of Swing,

Congress is the lesser of two evils

It appears you are biased towards Congress as everyone knows BJP president was caught on tape taking only Rs 1,00,000/-[ approx <$2000 ] Whereas the Congress 's involvement as per some estimate upto Rs 176,000 crore, .

Yes, agree that corruption has become a way of life since Congress has been ruling since Independence except for around 13 years of others.

Love & rgds

 

[Aupmanyav]

Rs.176,000 crore is the most recent biggest single scam in coal-mines allotment in which Man Mohan Singh (as is his habit) remained a mute spectator. The others are listed here:

 

[zenzero]

Friend Aupmanyav,

Sorry never could read beyond crore or 1 with 7 zeros but this is 15 digits.
Just a question. This figure must be for the 10 year Congress rule, could you tell me what was the total GDP for those 10 years and what is the percentage of that GDP that money was taken out of circulation if am to assume that the corrupted took away money from Government coffers. So after taking out this figure from circulation as black money how much is left with us as white??

Kindly help me with this mathematics, was always poor in it!

Love & rgds

 

[Aupmanyav]

My mathematics also was never much good. They say the black money component is some 50% of the total. For example, if I sell my house I will generally take 50% in white and 50% in black. That way I do not have to pay more as tax on 'capital gains', the buyer has to arrange only half in white. The image tries to list all major cases since independence.

 

[zenzero]

Friend Aupmanyav,

Since it appears that the country has Modi as the only alternative. Do you have any idea if those black money come out of the closet or it will increase if BJP/Modi comes to power.

Love & rgds

 

[Aupmanyav]

7th phase of Indian elections over. 89 constituencies in 7 states. With that election in 438 constituencies out of 543 over, i.e., 81% of the election. Despite temperatures hovering around 105 F, there was up to 15% increase in voting. In the next two pahses, elections will be held in Andhra, Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar (mainly) on 7th and 12th May. Results on 16th may.

@ Zenzero, I think Modi will try to reduce corruption and black money. The earlier BJP government did not do much. I think Modi would like to go down in history as the person who changed India.

Political betting scene in India (Rate in Delhi/Rates in Mumbai to one Rupee): Modi 0.38/0.16, Rahul Gandhi 7.75/12, Mulayam Singh (Uttar Pradesh) 20/40, Mamta Bannerjee (Bengal) 20/40, Arvind Kejriwal 500/400.

In case BJP and allies do not get a clear majority and other do not accept Modi: Rajnath Singh 2.50, Mamta Bannerjee 6, Jayalalitha (Tamilnadu (12, Ram Bilas Paswan 18, Rahul Gandhi 20, Arvind Kejriwal 650.

 

[zenzero]

Friend Aupmanyav,

Where do you get these figures.
It appears you are close to Men in Black!

Love & rgds

 

[Aupmanyav]

Well, men in black are all over India. We are not strangers to them. At times, we too participate in these transactions. However, these figures are from newspapers, Hindustan Times mostly, which is the largest selling English daily newspaper in Delhi.

 

[zenzero]

Friend Aupmanyav,

True when the country are run by such people what else can be expected from the followers?

Love & rgds

 

[Aupmanyav]

The bodo (tribals of part of Assam state) extremists have killed 32 Bangladeshi immigrants. The violence is political and not communal. Here is a good description.

"Now, observe the political maneouvres which have been going on. Mohilary was angry with sitting MP SK Bwiswmutiary, who was denied a ticket in favour of another candidate from their party, the Bodo Peoples Front (BPF), state Transport Minister Chandan Brahma. Bwiswmutiary, publicly unhappy over this slight, put up his own candidature. So Pramila Rani Brahma, on her part angry over the MP's perceived insult of her brother, recently made a statement that the BPF candidate would have a tough time winning because the non-Bodos had consolidated behind Sarania. This raised the temperature between Bodo and non-Bodo groups.

It is the old, old Indian political game of vote banks and the bogey of minority (in this case majority) consolidation. Into this mix has entered the deadly arm of the National Democratic Front for Bodoland (Songbijit), the diehard anti-talks faction of the separatist militant group, which has sent in roving bands of hit quads and carved a swathe of death and arson in Kokrajhar and Baksa districts. The targets this time are alleged illegal Bangladeshis, while the targets by extension are other illegal Bangladeshis and Nepalese immigrants across BTAD (whose numbers, say Bodo leaders, has been rising exponentially). The NDFB prefers them gone and figured this would be a good time to escalate matters."
Politicising West Assam violence will be recipe for disaster - IBNLive

 

[zenzero]

Friend Aupmanyav,

It is not strange that millions have been allowed to cross the border mostly by paying few rupees at the border?
Why do they cross?
who allows them?
how do they get settled?

Am sure if GOI wants to settle the migration issue it can be done.
If Naxalism could be weeded out of West Bengal and Khalistanis from Punjab, is this a big issue?

Love & rgds

 

[Aupmanyav]

It is not strange that millions have been allowed to cross the border mostly by paying few rupees at the border? Why do they cross? who allows them? how do they get settled?

Muslims vote for anti-Hindu parties. So, ALL parties other than BJP do not mind influx of Muslims for short-term gains ignoring how it will affect the future. This includes Congress and its breakaway parts, Nationalist Congress Party and Trinamula Congress, Communists, the so-called 'Other Backward Classes' parties - Samajvadi Party (Socialists - in name only), various Janata Dals (People's Parties, there are a whole lot of them), and the so-called 'Dalit' parties - Bahujan Samaj Paty, and Loktantrik Janata Dal. All of these parties are one person/one family parties. Muslim votes mean success or failure for them. Add to that corruption that is permitted in Border Security Force which is supposed to guard the India-Bangladesh border. Bangladeshis cross because of better livelihood opportunities in India, either jobs or intrusion in reserved forests which they clear for cultivation. Many of the politicians and mafia bosses in border regions are Muslim. They give fake identity papers to these infiltrators which allow them to claim Indian citizenship. Mohammad Taslimuddin of Kishanganj (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammed_Taslimuddin) is one such example.