In Defence of Arvind Kejriwal

Balajee · Feb 15, 2015

Kamla said: ↑

Dear Balajee,

I always like to know your take on the present day politics. A sort of dependence that has grown over the years reading your snippets!

Must add that I personally am not very well informed about the present day politics in India. Yes, daily I do check out the headlines on the online dailies from our country and am roughly informed about the climate that prevails there. But thanks to you, Kamalji and our recent addition to this group, Akanksha, I get the insight of it and what the common man or the man who matters is thinking.

It was very interesting to go through this thread with animated inputs by so many of our members. I do not qualify to give out my views, but I am definitely taking away a lot of info. Am still confused and a bit discouraged from all that I read.

Cannot our huge and one of the highest populated country provide One Able Leader?

L, Kamla
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Kamla good question but I believe that leaders are products of their society and if you want better leaders we need a better populace particularly voting populace that is aware of what it needs and can use the vote as a weapon to make leaders deliver the goods. That's exactly what has happened in the Delhi elections with the voters sending a clear message that the ruling cl;ass should get its act together, that they are tired of an opaque politics from above and want a kind of politics that is transparent, clean and starts from the grassroots and moves upwards without severing its links with the roots.

steve · Feb 16, 2015

Balajee said: ↑

Hardly a great advertisement for the country and the PM should have realized that.
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I think so. Such a lapse of judgment (or two) in an otherwise fine innings at the PMO so far.

steve · Feb 18, 2015

The story about the suite.

Meet the man who gave PM Modi the

"My son's wedding was the first event our family was celebrating since my father's death two years ago. I met him (Prime Minister Modi) and insisted that he attend the wedding as an elder of the family. While accepting the suit as a gift, he told me that he (Prime Minister Modi) was very busy for the next two to three days, but promised to wear it. But he also said that he would give the suit to charity. I said that his accepting the suit from me was a big honour in itself, and it wasn't important for me as to what he did with it after wearing it," Rameshkumar said.

"The fact is that Modiji wore this on the day of my son's wedding on January 26. It was a blessing for us. There can be no price attached to this," he added.
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nemesis · Feb 19, 2015

steve said: ↑

The story about the suite.

Meet the man who gave PM Modi the
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And it is fetching a crore+ rupee, the proceeds of which goes to some schemes. Now we can see Indian MSM not so much interested in focusing on the suit news.

The choose the news that 'suits' themselves.

Balajee · Feb 19, 2015

nemesis said: ↑

And it is fetching a crore+ rupee, the proceeds of which goes to some schemes. Now we can see Indian MSM not so much interested in focusing on the suit news.

The choose the news that 'suits' themselves.
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It looks like an attempt to save Modi's face. It may fetch crores but stilltat would be chickenfeed for cleaning Ganga. Ganga can become cleaner simply by putting ddown the government's feet on factories releasing effluents into the river and sewerage getting dumped in it.instead of some multicrore plan.What we need is stricter environmental policing.

armummy · Feb 19, 2015

steve said: ↑

Frankly I was shocked to learn of this. My jaw dropped when he called the US PResident by first name in public. He could have said that they are friends to the extent that he calls the President by first name in private. He did not need to "demo" it to us. Most Americans and Westerners will be uncomfortable with this.

Anyway, I blame the MEA and that Foreign Secretary/Staff should have guided the new PM. It was good that she (the Foreign Secy) was let go. New Presidents and PMs are OK not to be on top of protocol when they start out.

I think some things like this for a new leader in office may be forgiven as a few missteps while learning on the job so long he is OK with the rest of his work. In case of our new PM I will say this is just a little bit of "getting carried away". Most reasonable people should forgive the new PM who is from a modest background just now hobnobbing with the world leaders.

P.S. The new Foreign Secretary (who was the US ambassador before this assignment) has good rapport with the PM and you may not see such lapses any more, IMO.
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If you see modi , he is more in advertisements . This is not a slip up. This is carefully orchestrated drama in order to position himself as an equal to Obama. Old foreign secretary is no where responsible , she and foreign minister don't figure in modi's list of consultants . He relies on his image management gurus .

Anyway this is my opinion .

nemesis · Feb 19, 2015

Balajee said: ↑

It looks like an attempt to save Modi's face. It may fetch crores but stilltat would be chickenfeed for cleaning Ganga. Ganga can become cleaner simply by putting ddown the government's feet on factories releasing effluents into the river and sewerage getting dumped in it.instead of some multicrore plan.What we need is stricter environmental policing.
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Some says, the tumbler is half full. The others see the half empty space. Modi says, the glass is half full with water, and half full with air.

Akanksha1982 · Feb 20, 2015

Balajee said: ↑

It looks like an attempt to save Modi's face. It may fetch crores but stilltat would be chickenfeed for cleaning Ganga. Ganga can become cleaner simply by putting ddown the government's feet on factories releasing effluents into the river and sewerage getting dumped in it.instead of some multicrore plan.What we need is stricter environmental policing.
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When will people take responsibility of their acts? The Ghat's are filthy with people washing their clothes, throwing all the pooja samagris in the river etc. should be stopped and that is to be done by common man and also the so called religious people. The concept that all sins are washed if one bathes in Ganga need to be cleared from minds of people. Sins don't get washed just like that if no penance is done and if the same sins are continued after bathing from Ganga.

Where we lived we had a grocery store run by a Jain family. There were a lot of complains from people about him charging high price, taking advantage of shortages in market, mixing different things, weighing less etc. I had heard that they had gone to Jail during the emergency. Yet, in the local Jain temple, the family donated huge amount of money every year and used to go on pilgrimage every year. I doubt God is pleased or accepting of such behavior.

Balajee · Feb 20, 2015

Akanksha1982 said: ↑

When will people take responsibility of their acts? The Ghat's are filthy with people washing their clothes, throwing all the pooja samagris in the river etc. should be stopped and that is to be done by common man and also the so called religious people. The concept that all sins are washed if one bathes in Ganga need to be cleared from minds of people. Sins don't get washed just like that if no penance is done and if the same sins are continued after bathing from Ganga.

Where we lived we had a grocery store run by a Jain family. There were a lot of complains from people about him charging high price, taking advantage of shortages in market, mixing different things, weighing less etc. I had heard that they had gone to Jail during the emergency. Yet, in the local Jain temple, the family donated huge amount of money every year and used to go on pilgrimage every year. I doubt God is pleased or accepting of such behavior.
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Akanksha as they say boond boond se banta hai sagar. In the same way it is little acts of contamination by ordinary joes that add up to pollution of not only ganges but other rivers too. If we stop dumping our garbage, washing our clothes dyed with chemicals in the river and prevent sewerage from going into the river half the battle is won. Of course industrial effluents must be prevented from coming into the river too,l People call Ganges Mother but have no consideration for their mother getting poisoned.

nemesis · Feb 21, 2015

I wish to hear from @balajee his opinion about this news article.

TOI exclusive on corporate espionage: What triggered the crackdown - The Times of India

A glance of Ajit Doval's blog shows that he has criticized Modi in the past, yet, Modi had no qualms in bringing him into the corridors of power.