Katrina hurricane which affected parts of United States has told the horrible tales of state neglect and care. America which preaches to the world about how to manage the community well has ended up in showcasing its weakness. This naked display of callousness is a crude reminder to the entire global community. Its president, George Bush took two days to inspect the site of disaster. He was holidaying as did the vice president, Dick Cheney. The vice president not event bothered to visit the places affected by Katrina. Condolezza Rice, the Secretary of State was shopping for hours to choose the best shoes for $7000 a pair. Such an ineffective America cannot tell the world in future how to address the natural and man made disasters.

Delhi is getting popular day by day as the crime capital of the world. Rape has been reported often. Criminals are not afraid of the law and order. So they go without any fear and rape the woman they want. In the last few months so many reported cases of rape. God only knows how many unreported rapes cases in the capital city. Indian society, which sees women as a status symbol and second citizen, don't take the violence against women seriously. So women who encounter violence and rape dare not report to the police or dear ones fearing social backlash.

Unfortunately the police department takes rape as the problem because of women's over exposure of body. There is no seriousness in them to handle the situation. Immediately after every rape there is hue and cry from police and civil society organisations. This has become a routine affair.

The police department and law enforcing agencies should adopt novel approach to the growing crime against women. Women police personnel in plain clothes should be deputed to go around the city to catch the criminals. Police should be made to handle the women crime cases sympathetically and in a super fast manner. The errant police personnel should be punished suitably.

Unless constructive steps are taken soon, people will lose faith in police completely. Then it will be difficult for the state to get back the confidence of the public.

The anti-Sikh riots that took place after the assassination of Indira Gandhi have been probed for the past 21 years. This long delayed justice is yet another example of typical Indian style of verdict delivery.

As a secular country it is mandatory for the Indian republic to punish the guilty as soon as possible. Delaying the judgement or confusing the public through dilly-dallying verdict amounts to the betrayal of a community. What the job the judicial commission and other crime probing agencies were doing for more than two decades? Just to say no enough evidence? This is a serious setback to those who were feeling happy about the recent judicial activism in the country. The Action Taken Report (ATR) filled by the Government clearly escapes from its responsibilities by giving a one liner bureaucratic answers. Blaming the police & then Governor of Delhi. What was the responsibility of Union Home minister and Prime Minister?

Coming close to the vinding up of Bofors case, anti-Sikh violence enquiry commission is another farce of Indian judiciary that plays to the tunes of rulling political setup. It has become customary for the rulling party to bend the law and rules to their convenience. After the UPA government took over, many cases involving the Congress leaders got cleared in high speed. Same thing happened in NDA government. The comment given is that all the cases were politically motivated and hence there should be political patronage.

The much-awaited visit of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to America is finally over. What he had got from the superpower? The magnanimity of United States shown indirectly in agreeing India as a nuclear power and few concessions in offering civilian nuclear facilities are the twin goodies which P.M had brought home. Are these peanuts good for country’s health in the long run? It needs an in-depth investigation to reveal the real American interests behind the newfound warmth.

For sometime there is a wide feeling among the vital political class and intellectuals of America that India should be fully backed in their future interests. First, the CIA, the premier wing of American world watch pitched tents for India. Through its National Intelligence Council research, CIA suggested to the U.S government to support India. To give credibility to its arguments, CIA said that India being a fast growing economy with strong democracy and anti-terror mindset can be the best bet in Asia. This was not without any strings attached. CIA also feels that China is way ahead of India in the present context and its multiplying growth effect may pose serious threat to American image as an unchallenged don in the world stage. So to counter China, it wants India to be supported, patronised and given a royal status in the White House wishlist.

The Carnegie Endowment Fund for International Peace, a U.S based think tank in its latest report blamed the bureaucrats of America for misguiding Mr. Bush in not going for India as the support base in Asia. It wants the U.S President to grant complete patronage to the world’s massive democratic nation. The suggestions given to the US government by this popular organisation include supporting India for U.N Security Council seat as a permanent member, recognising it as a nuclear power, supplying civilian nuclear facilities etc. It also argues for favours for India to control China’s growing supremacy.

There is a strong pro-India caucus in the American senate working for India’s presence in the United States most preferred friend’s circle. They also demanded President should give the required support to India. Hearing all the versions, President Bush took decisions that fit the larger interests of his country. He abandoned certain core suggestions like supporting India for U.N permanent seat and not to oppose India-Iran oil pipeline. To divert the Indian demand on the U.N seat, Bush brilliantly drove his points. This is about the wider U.N reforms with limiting the number of permanent members to 20, a fund for supporting democratic movements across the world etc. Indian delegation didn’t fight on the U.N seat and just talked about nuclear facilities. So in a way there is nothing great in the benefits which P.M’s visit has got for the country.

Although the joint declaration signed on 19 July is not of much consequence to India, it must take precautions in future engagements with United States. Regarding the civilian nuclear facilities and India’s agreement to open its nuclear labs for international Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) inspection should be done with extreme caution. Otherwise it will jeopardise India’s scientific and technological talents, which was built with hard labour and sacrifice. Those who criticise the P.M not getting U.S full endorsement on India’s nuclear power status are backing U.S as the sole superpower. Who is United States to recognise India as a nuclear power? India should not expect a certificate from another country for its capability and capacity. Dr. Singh being a political diplomat knows this well and maintained smile on every issue. When the American hosts asked P.M how he liked the lunch on the last day of his much-drummed visit, he said, “I think the main course was, of course, standard American stuff. But the dessert was very much Indian, so India had the last word”. To know the outcome of his visit, one need to wait and see for a while to know who will have the last laugh.

Back home there was a huge hullabaloo before P.M’s deparature. Mainly from the Left parties which was apprehensive of too much of India’s surrender to U.S. They almost came on the way of Dr. Singh’s American sojourn. In a fitting reply to the noises created by Left members, P.M said, “India is not for sale”. It is true that the Left parties record is not good when it comes to the question of non-alignment, national security matters, economic reforms, non-proliferation, nuclear issues, global peace and other critical issues. As the Prime Minister’s American visit was expected to kickoff controversies both inside and outside the country, the External Affairs Ministry did a better homework.

From the day of his arrival in Washington Dr. Singh remained cool, calm and composed. He was aware of what to expect and what not to force on America. In this pragmatic approach he scored brownie points and returned home with full satisfaction. First of all, P.M and his team didn’t expect America to come with open arms to embrace India. Secondly, in whatever capacity U.S agrees to cooperate with India, it is just an addition to the friendship efforts of India and not to antagonise the sole superpower. As far as the American designs to create a wedge between India and China, P.M made it clear before his deparature on Washington on 17 July, “India is not a client state or a supplant” to hear the United States about China. What India needs at this hour of its visible emergence in the international stage is to have genuine friendship with every nation including Pakistan and China. As a land of Buddha and Gandhi, India need to forget and forgive its enemies. This will enhance India's global image and puts its growth in high pedestal in the long run. Worrying too much about American dominance is waste of time if India is set to become a powerful nation in the future. All it need is to develop and strengthen its indigenous knowledge and expertise rather than depending on other countries for even screwdrivers for its nuclear plant.

The Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, Mr. L.K. Advani got embroiled in controversies over their speeches abroad. In order to repay the hosts for invitation both of them praised the local icons. This is nothing unusual. It is important for any guest to say something good about the host. That’s what both of them did. The controversies over their statements are unwarranted. It seems that our political leaders prefer in providing some masala stuff all the time to keep the public in good humour.

While Advani’s stunt created huge uproar in his own party and the Sangh, Singh’s remarks invited brickbats from right and the Left. Both of these parties don’t have any good credentials to criticise Singh because of their knee level bending to Britishers before independence. The right wing leaders like V.D. Sarvarkar and A. B. Vajpayee wrote apology letters to the imperialist rulers, Left leaders took eight years to understand India’s independence. Dr.Manmohan is quickly graduating to a political diplomat. He talks according to the situation and people around him. His image as straight talker has vanished as soon as Sonia Gandhi was looking for the Prime Ministerial candidate. This is nothing wrong and that’s what matter in high political mobility. If he continued to a no-nonsense man he may not have reached the pinnacle of Prime Ministership. be substance which sends honey to the ears of

No doubt Jinnah was a secularist and hardcore Indian nationalist in the beginning. He had a very good rapport with the Hindu leaders without showing his Islamic ideology and religious inclinations. Even he argued the bail petition of Gopal Krishna Gokhale and Mahatma Gandhi in the Bombay High court. But when time passed and the popularity of Indian National Congress grew with Gandhi and Nehru at the hem of national heroism, Jinnah was corrupted by the idea of power. So he chartered his own course with religion as his foundation for future positioning as the leader of masses.

As far as Indian secularism is concerned less said is far better. Either we have people who play politics over the lives of people or we have vote catchers who trumpet secularism during elections. Rarely we find secularists in reality.

Advani being a shrewd politician played his cards well in Pakistan. First he felt sorry for the Babri Masjid demolition, secondly he projected himself as the peace broker between the subcontinental rivals saying that he was behind the invitation to Mushraff to Agra summit, thirdly and mostly critically he showered praises on the father of Pakistan – Jinnah.

The Islamic clerics are known for issuing fatwas which encroach into the private lives of people. Recent fatwa which created much heat and dust is against the ace tennis star,, Sania Mirza. The Hyderbadi sensation who is climbing the popularity chart bursts fastly is the recent victim to the whims and fancies of Maulanas and Mulawis.The fatwa issued against her skirt wearing inside the tennis court. Then what she can wear to play tennis? Do they want her to wear burqa and face the opponents with her racket? These simple commonsense the Islamic clerics don't understand. It is hard hitting on the liberal values of Indian ethos which was painstakingly built in after the independence. Religion which is suppose to be a private realm of individuals in a secular country like India should be given a chance to issue orders to common people. More significantly it is only the Islamic clerics who operate in a highhanded fashion often in the country. None of the other religions entertain their leaders and pujaris to dominate the social scene. Why only Islam? It is because the people who follow Islamic faith adhere to religious values strongly or the religious leaders act as self-appointed spokespersons of the community? It needs a lot of investigation into this matter.

Sania's case has brought the uncontrolled Maulanas into limelight. They wield enormous powers without being discipline and exercising their religious duty properly. It is high time that the government brings these clerics to book and provide the necessary safety to the citizens at the earliest. The Muslim community is one of the highly exploited communities in the world and in India particular. Apart from the religious leaders, politicians too exploit the innocence of the Muslim people by invoking vote bank tricks. As the religious fever can bring in votes enbloc to a party, several political parties compete for Muslim votes by adopting various techniques. Laloo Prasad Yadav in Bihar and Mulyam Singh Yadav in Uttar Pradesh are the best examples. For the past fifteen year they have been able to reap the benefits of religion and case based politics. Although their record is well know, the national parties especially that of Congress and Left are not know to the majority of the public.

The Indian National Congress which espouses the cause of secularism in the country is firm in appeasing the Muslims for its own benefits. It is understandable that the Muslims needed concessions and extra attention aftermath of partition. Now it almost six decades of division of the subcontinent, does India need to continue this minority special treatment? Most of the minority development programmes are misused by the creamy layer of minority communities. Whether minority educational institutions or health centres, now increasingly they are used commercially to the benefits of individuals and some families. It is high time that the state stops the minority special treatment and start uplifting the real poor people across communities.

In absence of the real and timely programmes which addresses the trouble of needy sections of the country, there will be social tensions surely. It will also help the communal elements to ascend to power once again. The BJP which talks about Hindu sentiments and progress is also engaged in playing minority politics. Understanding the inevitability of Muslim votes, Atal Behari Vajpayee played to the gallery of Muslim clerics during his campaign in the last parliamentary elections. He blankly announced that one lakh Muslim teachers will be recruited to teach Urdu across India. Although this promise was an overblown utopia, it did create some sensation among the Muslim population of the country. Again, BJP is involved in nominating Muslim members who basically don’t have any ideological moorings into the party to show that it too has Muslim patronage and support. RSS, the parent body is not cognizant of the minority bending attitude of its political wing – BJP. It was left to bring in Muslim votes to keep the government going. Unfortunately all the appeasement and promises didn’t work for BJP in the last parliamentary elections.

The Left parties which champion the minority development is too blind to the real troubles faced by the Muslim community. In West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura where the Left parties in the ruling seat do seem to work in favour of them. There is gloomy situation in the Left ruled states regarding the status of minority communities.

In short, there is no single party in India which takes up the cause of the suffering people – whether minority or majority. This religious quantitative connotation should go off. An equal treatment should be given to all the citizens. If there is any special treatment, it should be for the people who are really needy. It is the right time for India to move towards the status of successful democracy.

Mumbai was devastated by the historic rain in July this year. Everyone, rich, poor, men, women, adults, children were affected. Even the filthy rich business people understood the drawbacks of the much celebrated city of Mumbai. They faced horrible situations. No flight or train movement for days. More shock came when they were compelled to walk miles as there is no possibility of any vehicular movement on the roads. Food and other essentials were not available. Office going couples couldn’t reach home because of the water filled roads. On the way to home they saw terrible scenes. Dead bodies, floating cars, crying children and each road was looking like a mighty river. That was not the end of horror for the Mumbaikars. When they reached home there was no electricity, no food, and no water. What else can be more stunning for the residents of the city which is trumpeted as the commercial capital of India? Is this sad city is going to catch up with the shining Shanghai? All dreams pipered by some utopian politicians.

A month later, the super power America faced the disastrous Katrina hurricane. The same desperate condition faced by the people of Mumbai was seen in the faced of New Orleans people in the Katrina affected country side of America. Whether America or India, the basic facilities are ignored by the state. It is told that the New Orleans tragedy is a deliberate carelessness of the American government because of the black predominance there. In both ways, America polity showed its lowest character to the world. What is the use of a government when it cannot help its people when they are affected by disaster?

Now it is the turn of Delhi where there is continuous rain for days. Although the intensity of rain is not to the level of Mumbai, it is important that the civil administration take note of the condition in advance. They should not wait till the Mumbai like situation to arrive. For name sake Delhi is projected as the best city. Agreed, Delhi got many advantages including a vast green cover and broad roads. But what is the use of potholed broad roads. Many of the important roads are in unusable condition. Politicians are equally responsible for this mess as bureaucrats. In total they failed the city in providing the basic amenities.

Should the civil administration wake up to the reality of roads which are potholed and bad shaped or allow it to deteriorate till it faces the horrific death and destruction? One has to wait and watch the next tragedy or go smooth with the work done by the late realized government.

Naxalites are the revolutionary communists who have taken up arms to destroy the state machinery. In this process, they tied up with the local people. Mostly they operate from villages and interior forest areas. The naxalite corridor extends from Nepal to south of India. Starting from Nepal border it goes via Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Chattisgarh, Maharastra, Orissa to reach Andra Pradesh in the south. Initially it used to be money collection activity. Now it is slowly spreading as an extremist menace.

Jharkhand, Chattisgarh and Andra Pradesh are worst affected states. Blocking the developmental activities, Naxalites are aiming to create a communist country out of their arms and ammunitions. Tragically, Nepal is fast surrending to the Left politics. With the increasing dominance of Left parties, it is dangerous to allow the Naxalites any leverage.

Andra Pradesh experience is a good lesson for the state governments and central government not to entertain any extremist organisation in discussion. The past experience shows the peace talks are only extra time given to these organisations to prepare to strike again. The break time will help them to rearm and strike with much strength. This strategy which the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) used to do in Sri Lanka. Whenever they lose their cadres in large numbers in the fight with the army, they will announce ceasefire and go for talks. The Indian government should understand this tactics of the terrorist organisations and act on time.

The state should use all means and machines to crush the naxalite violence out rightly.

The United States of America is putting all efforts to isolate Iran for opposing its supremacy. New found method is to collect many countries in its favour. America is pressurising, compelling and even threatening other nations to tow its line in the issue of separating Iran in the international arena. When the ultimate verbal force was applied on the Indian prime minister during his U.N general assembly visit, little benefit the US has got. Later the foreign minister, Natwar Singh has categorically refused to bow to the US strategies. He said that the Iran issue should be tackled through consensus.

Whichever way we look at it, US is going to lose its world image as the powerful nation which can bring any country to its circle.

The Left parties in India are once again resorting to trade union politics. Today's all India strike called up the left trade unions is the mess which the communists parties are trying to create in the country again.

Apart from unproductive trade unionism, the left parties are interfering in Nepal affairs. To interfere in another country's internal matters and that too Nepal which share open border with India is a dangerous signal.

Without waiting for a minute the government should act seriously on the deviant left politics. Otherwise it will jeopardise the national security and economy strongly.