PM speaks to Brown; says he can't sleep at night-India-The Times of India
I don't know what is wrong with our Prime Minister. As the reluctant architect of the economic reforms that kick-started the new Indian age, he had a lot of respect in my eyes. Once he became a puppet PM, he doesn't seem to exhibit his own brand of leadership, if there ever was something like that. A few days ago he had made the silly statement that CEOs should take smaller salaries and had drawn the ire of the entire business community (and all sane people). And now this. It is difficult to believe that such a brilliant man has been reduced to this pathetic state.
Nobody is labeling India a terrorist haven. In this age, it is the unfortunate truth that terrorists mostly are of a single religious persuasion. Everybody knows that not all members of that faith are terrorists. But it is common knowledge that most terrorists are from that faith. If even well-educated and otherwise normal people from that faith are taking the path of extreme religious hatred, there is something seriously wrong.
And if our hon'ble PM can't see this or worse, refuses to see this, there is something wrong with him also. The problem exists; symptoms are for all to see. He, as PM of the most populous democracy, must try to solve the problem. He can't mouth statements like these any more.
If he can't sleep at night, he must do something about it. Like drink a glass of hot milk or take a sedative. That is the least he can do.
I don't know what is wrong with our Prime Minister. As the reluctant architect of the economic reforms that kick-started the new Indian age, he had a lot of respect in my eyes. Once he became a puppet PM, he doesn't seem to exhibit his own brand of leadership, if there ever was something like that. A few days ago he had made the silly statement that CEOs should take smaller salaries and had drawn the ire of the entire business community (and all sane people). And now this. It is difficult to believe that such a brilliant man has been reduced to this pathetic state.
Nobody is labeling India a terrorist haven. In this age, it is the unfortunate truth that terrorists mostly are of a single religious persuasion. Everybody knows that not all members of that faith are terrorists. But it is common knowledge that most terrorists are from that faith. If even well-educated and otherwise normal people from that faith are taking the path of extreme religious hatred, there is something seriously wrong.
And if our hon'ble PM can't see this or worse, refuses to see this, there is something wrong with him also. The problem exists; symptoms are for all to see. He, as PM of the most populous democracy, must try to solve the problem. He can't mouth statements like these any more.
If he can't sleep at night, he must do something about it. Like drink a glass of hot milk or take a sedative. That is the least he can do.
4 comments:
Surrounded as I am by people from this faith in their traditional style, as well as a few Kashmiris thrown in at my workplace, I can well understand the anguish behind your post.
At the same time, I also recognize that the feeling of insecurity is mutual between them and the rest of us.
Even 4-5 years ago, I had witnessed a situation where a friend from them, asked me to help him find a house and wanted an area where there were other minority communities so that in case of disturbances he would be comparatively secure. And this, as I said before, was 4-5 years ago.
What do you think is the solution?
If you were the PM, what steps do you think you would have taken?
Just for the sake of argument (even the guiltiest man is entitled to a defense) let us look at the other side of the issue:-
1.
The "silly" statement that CEOs should take smaller salaries was made AT the behest of the FICCI which had hosted the speech.
Kenichii Ohmae, the celebrated Japanese management guru has said in his book, The Borderless World that the difference between the salaries of the top honcho and the entry level staff should not exceed 17 times. ( I don't know how this number was arrived at).
A leading Bangalore-based IT company's leadership group, for example does not enjoy the kind of salaries like in some other companies. They practise many of the precepts of Mr. Ohmae.
So, the solution probably lies not in lowering the CEO's salary but of hiking those of the lower echelons so that the difference between the two is narrowed. In stead of making the CEOs poorer, let us create more millionaires out of the lower classes, and the whole economy booms.
However, considering that the issue of pay and perks is market-driven, this particular statement of the PM has little relevance, unless the Leftists succeed in bringing up some ordinances to axe the CEO's pay.
2.
In the immediate aftermath of apprehending the culprits hailing from our own backyard, chances were high that a backlash against this community might erupt.
Just as what happened when Mrs. Gandhi was assassinated and the entire Sikh community was left sick and bleeding.
Recollecting his own feelings from that occasion, and to protect the innocents in all the communities, he must have said what he did, because, such a backlash would engulf the entire nation and result in a bloodbath everywhere. While formulating a long-term strategy to solve the terrorism will take some time, what is urgent is to prevent any problems of such backlash.
3.
All right, all right ! Let us oust this puppet.
Who else do we bring in his place? Narendra Modi? Or Bal Thackeray? Unfortunately, the likes of Sardar Patel are not around when we need them the most.
Aram,
The solution, that is easier said than done, IMHO, is education and economic prosperity across the world. I feel the main underlying reason for this animus is ignorance. If somebody's told that the world has trampled upon them and that is why they are so and if they are uneducated to think for themselves, they surely would do all these things. Why would somebody give up one's life to correct some injustice that can be sometimes make-believe? But these Kafeel cases make me think sometimes that the problem could be religious itself, as so many people around the world think. Visit littlegreenfootballs.com and you will see what many people think.
Thanks for the comment.
iznogoud,
Welcome to my blog-dwelling and thanks for your comment.
1. I agree with you. As we more or less observe, disparity breeds hatred between haves and have-nots. But I see that you agree with me about the essence of the "silliness" in his statements.
2. Unlikely. If the event is not local, nobody can cause a backlash against any community. A majority of the Indians are not that internationally tuned. Incidentally, Indira Gandhi is said to have retorted "Isn't India secular?" when asked if having Sikh bodyguards wasn't dangerous.
Repercussions can happen at an international level. It can go from visa rejections based on religious lines to increased targeted screening at airports (Traveling while Muslim - similar to driving while Black in the US) to just being subjected to increased surveillance wherever Indians go. Though this has been going on since 9/11, it looks like it will be further intensified. Even harmless looking grandmas won't be spared the extra checkup.
3. Very difficult to answer. I used to think that the BJP was a good choice over the sycophantic Congress. But both parties seem to utter the same things at similar situations. I hope a country like ours of a billion plus people still has some good leadership left in it.
" The solution, that is easier said than done, IMHO, is education and economic prosperity across the world. "
Absolutely !
Education indeed is the key.... the right kind of education, that is and not the madrasa type.
As I once observed in an earlier comment, ಮನೆಯೆ ಮೊದಲ ಪಾಠಶಾಲೆ, ಜನನಿ ತಾನೇ ಮೊದಲ ಗುರುವು.
The women of the community need to be empowered, educated, and given their due importance as in other communities.
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