Showing posts with label Member of Parliament. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Member of Parliament. Show all posts

Sunday, June 21, 2015

पप्पु यादव: Persona Non Grata?



पप्पु यादव तो जैसे Persona Non Grata बन के रह गए। ना नीतिश-लालु चाहते हैं और ना ही NDA वालों। उनका ground reality क्या है वो जाने वो और जाने उनका भगवान --- मेरे को नहीं मालुम। लेकिन लालु (the best Railway Minister India ever had) ने बड़ी चालाकी से जंगल राज का बिल्ला पप्पु के गले में लगाके पप्पु को कोशी में बहा दिया। किसी को पता भी नहीं चला।

वैसे मेरा भी नाम पप्पु ही है ---- मेरे रिश्तेदारों को सिर्फ मेरा वही नाम मालुम है। पप्पु भगत। एक बार मैं जब हाई स्कुल में था तो एक दोस्त घर के बाहर आया पुछने। बाहर दादाजी बैठे हुवे थे। दोस्त ने मेरा नाम दिया: "परमेन्द्र।" दादाजी ने उनको भगा दिया: "आगे जा के पुछ। "

लेकिन मेरे को कोशी में मत बहाइएगा। राजनीतिक कोशी में। हम गंगा किनारे ही ठीक हैं। राजनीति की गंगा।

Airhostess complains of Pappu Yadav harassment
MP Pappu Yadav misbehaves, flings papers at deputy speaker
RJD MP Pappu Yadav calls doctors 'executioners'
Pappu Yadav acquitted in Ajit Sarkar murder case
Pappu Yadav helped Kim Davy get away?
CBI arrests Pappu Yadav in Gurgaon
Sarkar murder case: SC notice to Pappu Yadav on CBI plea
Expelled RJD MP Pappu Yadav floats new party
RJD leadership expels Pappu Yadav for 6 years


Sunday, May 18, 2014

Nitish Should Give 10 More Years To Bihar

English: Flag of Janata Dal (United) of India
English: Flag of Janata Dal (United) of India (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I think of Nitish Kumar as a Prime Minister in waiting, because he has been the top performing Chief Minister in India. I talked yesterday in terms of a JD(U), RJD, Congress alliance. But even that might not be necessary. Nitish could go solo and do well. He could earn a 60+% majority in the Bihar assembly next year.

The PM chair might have been taken by Modi. But the country does not have a clear Opposition Leader. There is only one person who can fill that void. And that person is Nitish. I am aware he is not a MP. He does not need to be. He can be Chief Minister and the top Opposition Leader at the same time.

The people of Bihar love him so much they snuffed out all possibilities of him moving from Patna to Delhi. That is why they gave him only two seats. They don't want to lose him. The people of Bihar have given him a clear mandate to continue in Patna, and he should respect that mandate, the janadesh.

He has a comfortable majority in the Bihar assembly right now. His party will get a 60+% majority on its own next year. In 2018 his party will get 20+ MPs. In 2019 his strength in the Bihar assembly will only get better. Then in 2022 the people of Bihar will give him 40 MPs so he can lay a claim to the throne in Delhi.

Until then he gets to act the Opposition Leader to Modi in Delhi. Modi has been good for business, and that is also important, but the same Modi has been rather weak on the human development index, and there Nitish is strong.
Enhanced by Zemanta

Friday, September 03, 2010

I Have Become A Cloud Person


Sometimes I can talk like I were someone still looking for a career, as if I am still trying to figure out what to do with my life.

During Obama 08, Jordan Thomas, the founder of Brooklyn For Barack, once insinuated that I was not showing interest in running for public office myself because I did not have the option to run for president some day. Jeff Kurzon, the founder of Manhattan For Obama, at an Upper East Side rooftop party at the residence of a Harvard Law classmate and family friend of Barack, Terrence Yang, said the country should amend its constitution so I could run for president some day. Whereas I was posing as a guy who just so happens to be excited about Barack, and as soon as it is done and over with, I was going over to my startup. I did raise the 100K I said I would raise for my startup's round one. The company was in my name because all you need is a social security number to do that. But the money was in my partner's name ("Are you sure you want to trust me with all this money?") because I was out of status. I was going to regain my status down the line somehow and turn it into a joint account.

I was born into a political family on both sides. They made me House Captain in Class 5, and again in Class 10. A year and a half later they offered to make me School Captain for being the obvious candidate although they did not want to. After high school I became Vice General Secretary to a political party with two MPs. Someone who was a central committee member and hence junior to me is currently a cabinet member in Nepal.

I came to America. I came, I saw, I conquered. Within six months of landing I got myself elected student body president at the number one liberal arts school in the South: Bible Belt. They had to amend the constitution so I could run as a freshman. I shared that story with Jeff at the rooftop party.

I was a Deaniac in 2004. My enthusiasm for Obama is well documented right at this blog.

Why tech entrepreneurship? My backgrounds have played larger roles in my life than I would have liked. I relate to my family, to NYC, to my work. I have had to drop high school and college as institutions like stones into sea water. I was born in India, but did not grow up there. In Nepal you generate hostility when you look like me. Kentucky cured me of what my idea of America was.

Bill Clinton is a telephone guy. The internet is my telephone. Bill Clinton is the ultimate reunion guy. He likes to go to all sorts of reunions. He is constantly reconnecting socially. Me? I don't see me going to high school and college reunions. It is called being Madhesi in Nepal, being nonwhite.

Perhaps there are post-ISMs individuals.

To get myself elected student body president within six months of landing, I had to have been super social. I must have shaken many, many hands. But the person today, I have atrophied social muscles.

I have had to drop so many identities, so many social circles. I draw such sustenance from the net, that somewhere along the way I became a cloud person.

I have no desire to stop being a cloud person, but at some point down the line I want to actively reclaim my social self. For that NYC is my chosen place. If you love people, this is the city to be. Perhaps this city will let me reclaim my social self.

When you are rootless like I feel I am, NYC is the place to be.

Tech entrepreneurship is not an option right now. I don't have a green card. I could blog. I could do the Iran work. Those are some options. And those are good options. Iran intrigues me.

Enhanced by Zemanta