Sunday, May 10, 2015

बिहार का मामला

बिहार में नीतिश का पोजीशन दिल्ली में केजरी के जैसा नहीं है --- फिर भी मजबुत तो है। २०१४ में प्रधान मंत्री पद के लिए मोदी के अलावे और कोइ लड़ ही नहीं रहा था। मैदान में कोइ और था ही नहीं। अभी बिहार में नीतिश अकेले कैंडिडेट हैं मुख्य मंत्री के। बीजेपी का कोइ कैंडिडेट नहीं है। जितन तो सिर्फ वोट काट्ने के फिराक में हैं। उनको लोभ है कि हंग असेंबली आ जाए किसी तरह तो बीजेपी वाले शायद भाव दें, अभी तो नहीं दे रहे हैं।

नीतिश ने शायद गलती की --- जब वो २०१३ में बीजेपी से बिहार में टुट गए। उसके बाद गलती किए मुख्य मंत्री पद से इस्तीफा दे दिया। दो दो बार जनता के मैंडेट का अपमान हुवा। अभी भी नवीन का लाइन मेरे को ठीक लग रहा है। वो knee jerk opposition के पक्ष में नहीं हैं। कांग्रेस के पास दुसरा ऑप्शन नहीं हैं। उनको तो knee jerk opposition ही करना होगा। लोकतंत्र का असुल है। लेकिन नवीन उसमें नहीं फँसना चाहते। वो thoughtful opposition का रोल अदा करना चाहते हैं।

नीतिश क्या चाहते हैं? वो चाहते थे मोदी न आवे, आडवाणी आवे, हिन्दु rate of growth को बरक़रार रखे। बीजेपी ने आडवाणी को sideline किया तो इन्होने पगड़ी पहना दी मुलायम को। बीजेपी में अडवाणी और जनता परिवार में मुलायम --- दोनों ही हिन्दु rate of growth वाले हैं।

ये आश्चर्य की बात है। नीतिश खुद development man हैं। फिर?

बिल क्लिंटन का कहना है ---- all elections are about the future. पिछे जो किए सो किए। अब आगे क्या करेंगे -- ये नीतिश को कहना है।

Laloo was the best Railway Minister India ever had. लालु ने १,००० साल पुरानी कास्ट सिस्टम को चैलेंज किया, छोटी मोटी बात नहीं है। उनके समय के शिक्षा मंत्री, और कितने सालों से उनके पार्टी के बिहार यूनिट के प्रमुख (एक ही तो स्टेट यूनिट है) मेरे मामा लगेंगे: रामचन्द्र पुर्वे। मेरी पैदाइश बिहार की है --- दरभंगा।

Nitish has been the best Bihari Chief Minister of my lifetime. But he is about to face his toughest election since 2005.

बिहार का मामला पेंचीदा है। Right now I think it is 50-50. It could go either way.

लेकिन सिर्फ सुशासन कहने से नहीं होगा। विकास का भविष्यमुखी एजेंडा देना होगा जनता को।

२०१४ में बिहार के लोगों ने मोदी को वोट दिया -- गलती नहीं किया। मोदी अच्छा काम कर रहे हैं।

In the market the consumer is always right. That is the premise. In an election, the voters are always right. That has to be the premise.


Thursday, May 07, 2015

Obama's Peace With Iran = Less Threat For Israel

English: Cropped version of File:Official port...
English: Cropped version of File:Official portrait of Barack Obama.jpg. The image was cropped at a 3:4 portrait ratio, it was slightly sharpened and the contrast and colors were auto-adjusted in photoshop. This crop, in contrast to the original image, centers the image on Obama's face and also removes the flag that takes away the focus from the portrait subject. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Barack Obama has had Israel's best interests in mind. All along. I don't doubt Netanyahu's stated intentions, or even his smarts. I am sure there are a bunch of people who think he is smart and all that. But Netanyahu is not the first right wing guy on the planet who will let ideology trump facts. He also comes from the Don't-Confuse-Me-With-Facts school of thought. And he has allies in Congress.

Look, if John McCain was smarter the American people would have figured it out in 2008. Don't let McCain confuse you in that august chamber.

It is not like Iran does not have the extreme right wing. One of them would be the Ayatollah himself. No, I don't think Netanyahu is more to the right than the Aya.

That is formula for combustion, if not for nuclear combustion, then for rhetoric combustion. And we have been seeing that.

Enter Barack Obma, the No Drama Obama. A cool headed guy who still feels the need to prove as to why he ever got that Nobel Peace Prize. Those opposing his Iran moves should apologize now, and profusely so. Suddenly the cloud of a potential existential threat on Israel has subsided. Who did that? Not Netanyahu.

Tuesday, May 05, 2015

Biju Janata Dal And The Land Bill

I kind of like the BJD proposed amendment. Not only it makes political arithmetic sense, it also plain makes logical sense.

मोदी का Land Acquisition
Trying Hard To Understand The Nitish Viewpoint On Land Acquisition
Land Acquisition: मोदी माँग रहे है तो दे दो
Land Acquisition Bill: The Details
Modi Should Be Allowed Land Acquisition



मैं समझने की कोशिश कर रहा हुँ। नवीन कह रहे हैं ---- आप किसान हैं, आप के पास जमीन है, उसका बाजार में भाव ५ लाख है, तो फैक्ट्री बिठाने के हिसाब से कोइ आएंगे तो वो उस जमीन को १५ लाख में खरीदेंगे --- ये मोदी कह रहे हैं ---- नवीन कह रहे हैं, पैसा दो १० लाख, बाँकी के ५ लाख के उसी फैक्ट्री में शेयर दो। ये कोइ बुरा सुझाव नहीं है। ऐसा नहीं हो सकता कि ये फैसला किसान पर छोड़ दो? वो चाहे तो १५ का १५ नगद ले ले --- या १० का नगद और ५ लाख का शेयर ले ले।

Land bill jolt to govt: BJD opposes, AIADMK may follow suit
The Centre’s hopes to pass the contentious land bill took another hit as Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janta Dal (BJD), a party that had earlier supported many government legislations, unequivocally announced on Saturday that it would oppose the bill. ..... J Jayalalitha’s AIADMK, the second-largest party in the Opposition camp after the Congress, is also “inclined to oppose” the land bill that has led different Opposition parties to join hands to dub the government as “anti-farmer”. ...... “We had welcomed the land bill in Lok Sabha. We even said we are happy with it. But happiness doesn’t mean that we will support it. We will oppose the land bill when it comes in Parliament,” Bhartruhari Mahtab, BJD’s Lok Sabha wing chief ...... If the BJD and the AIADMK joins the Opposition ranks against the bill, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) -- even with the help from an array of fence-sitters like the BSP and the NCP -- would not be able to reach the majority mark of 123 in the 244-strong Rajya Sabha. The Opposition strength, including the SP, BJD and the AIADMK, stands at 148, while the entire the NDA is just 69. ...... The BJP is 66 MPs short of majority in a Joint Session of both Houses of Parliament. The Congress has already waged a war against the bill that would make it easier to acquire land for crucial infrastructure projects. ....... The proposed bill exempts projects related to defence, rural housing and power, along with industrial corridors, from the requirement that 80% of the affected landowners must agree to a sale. ...... The stand of the BJD may come as a rude jolt for the government as it had incorporated as many as four demands of the Odisha-based party through amendments to the original bill
We will back land bill if Centre make changes: BJD
the BJD opposed the land acquisition ordinance as it demanded that the land losers should have a stake in projects for which their land is acquired
Land Bill: Government mulls joint session in parliament for legislation as some parties change stance
BJD had walked out of the Lok Sabha the last time the bill was debated, after the government accepted four of nine amendments the party had proposed. ...... "Four of our amendments were accepted but we want an important amendment, giving a stake to landholders in any economic enterprise accruing from acquired land, to be accepted" ...... It has been liaising with 'like-minded parties' Trinamool, AIADMK and the Left to push for the amendment." ..... BJD has 20 MPs in the Lok Sabha. By voting against the bill in both the Houses, BJD may push the government into calling a joint sitting of both the Houses. ..... That appears to be the only way of getting the bill cleared quickly, something the Modi administration wants to achieve as a mark of its ability to get cracking on reform. "If we get stuck on this, so early in our tenure, it will derail everything. Time is of essence," said a senior Cabinet minister. ..... Determined to clear the land bill, the government apparently sees a joint sitting as the only way out.
Jairam Ramesh Sees Secret BJP-BJD Deal on Land Bill
Explaining reasons behind Congress’ opposition to proposed changes in Land Acquisition Act, Ramesh said there were guidelines in the existing law that the Government would return the acquired land if it is lying unused for five years. However, there is no such system in the new law, he pointed out....... Similarly, the mandatory “consent” clause and Social Impact Assessment (SIA) will not be in the new Bill where ownership of land continues to be vested with the Government, he said....... Ramesh said that while the original Act has provision of securing the consent of 80 per cent affected people before land acquisition, the new law will abolish the provision.
Congress wants BJD to oppose land acquisition bill
Centre deciphering Opposition strategy to pass land bill
Amidst indications that the Modi regime would explore the option of a joint Sitting of both houses of Parliament as a last resort for the passage of the land acqusition bill, there are apprehensions within the government that this is easier said than done. ....... The government is keeping an eye on all possible strategies that the Opposition could consider for stalling the bill's passage or rejection in the Rajya Sabha ...... The government was hoping that parties like the Samajwadi Party, BJD and AIADMK, which run state governments, would warm up to the bill. However, with the Janata Parivar merger, the SP may find it difficult to take a stand which is not in line with its allies — the JD(U) and RJD, which are likely to use the bill to target the BJP ahead of the Bihar elections. ...... The Samajwadi Party has 15 MPs, the AIADMK 11 and BJD 7 in the Rajya Sabha. Senior ministers have been reaching out to parties as part of an exercise to garner support for the legislation ...... Parties which may not take an unbending stand against the bill are waiting to see if the government will bring in more changes. "We are expecting more amendments to the bill.

We want the land owner to be made a share holder in economic activity for which the land is acquired

," said BJD's B Mahtab. The government has been arguing that compensation was left to the state government. ........If the Shiv Sena, which had abstained from voting in Lok Sabha, backs the government, the NDA's numbers add up to 395 in a joint sitting of nearly 760 members. However, according to sources, the government is unlikely to act in haste and may focus on bills like GST and black money before taking up the contentious land bill. ........ the Congress launched a website called "zameenwapsi.com" as part of its agitation against the bill.