Author Archives: Dr. Munish Raizada

Indira Gandhi: Symbol of Ills of Indian Politics

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Today (November 19) is the birth anniversery of Indira Gandhi, the late Prime Minister of India.
I have a few observations to make on this occasion.
Indira Gandhi took a strong position and truly owns the credit for creation of Bangladesh. When uncontrolled migration of people from East Bangladesh started increasing, she took this as an opportunity to draw the global attention to this hazard for India. RAW was given free hand to infiltrate in East Bangladesh to turn the tide against Pakistan and when the time for military operations became ripe, she let the army do the rest.

Understandably the Indo-Pak war for in Eastern Pakistan (now Bangladesh) did not please the US. She did not fear the super-power at that time and created the course that was in favor of her own country (India). Even her open distaste for the then US President Nixon was truly daring and remarkable. Despite the convictions that the Secretary of State Henry Kissinger had, President Nixon just hated the lady as well as our country. However, Indira Gandhi was not to be put down too! The 1971 meeting between president Nixon and Indian PM Indira Gandhi was a “classical dialogue of the deaf” as Henry kissinger sensed.
But  Indira’s legacy to India is unfortunately full of ills. Her regimen was a watershed in Indian politics where the preceding era was characterized by men of integrity serving the nation (at least they were not corrupt), like Nehru, Patel, Shastri and many more. She initiated the systematic indulgence of corruption in politics and governance and centralized power around her, belittling the concept of intra-party democracy. The country continues to suffer from these phenomena till today. 
She took socialist economic model to a further height, thereby delaying the liberalization of economy (and the consequences are easy to understand). The nationalization of banks, increasing Inspector -License-Raj are her gifts to the nation, further increasing the state-control on markets, thereby hampering the growth. She was a deeply corrupt politician and was so insecure within Congress party that she ultimately led to her own party. The undemocratic elevation of Sanjay Gandhi was harbinger of family -politics on Indian political landscape. Punjab terrorism was her own creation, but I am happy to note that she crushed it with an iron hand when it went overboard. And who can forget the Emergency!
Note: Nov 19,1835 was coincidentally the birth day of LakshiBai, the Rani of Jhansi! I shall leave it to the readers to indulge in the pleasure of comparison!

Vaccine Project Completed by Mission India Foundation

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Master Divit
October 12,2012: Today is a historic day for all of us at Mission India Foundation. By reaching the milestone of 20,000 vaccine doses, we have achieved a feat that we feel something to rejoice at!
Master Divit (age: 2.5 years) received a shot of Hepatitis B vaccine, marking 20th thousand (20,000) dose. This completes our journey that we started 2 and half year back in the town of Narnaul, Haryana. Mission India Foundation had launched a vaccination drive in this area with an aim to create awareness about the vaccines and make them available to the children in the town and surrounding villages. The journey has been a blend of satisfaction, pleasant cooperation from all quarters and moreover overwhelming response from the community about the vaccines. During this period, children have received important vaccines like MMR, Hepatitis B and Typhoid.
India has a huge vaccine deficits. Its national average of fully immunized kids (against 6 vaccine preventable diseases) is around 45 %, a dismal performance indicator. And then inability to add newer vaccines to its immunization schedule is another missed opportunity. Thus, when we launched the vaccine drive in Narnaul in April 2010, our aim was 2-fold: 1. Focus on those vaccines that the Government has not included in its schedule, ie, what W.H.O. calls Newer and Underutilized Vaccines (NUVIs). 2. Create awareness about the importance of vaccines along with other issues involving health.
Mission India Foundation is thankful to all the help and cooperation it has received from patrons, volunteers, friends, and donors (individuals, private corporations and pharma companies). And needless to say, all the appreciation to its project team and Board of Directors who have served in the past and serving currently: this team work kept us going.
Even though, we have reached our mark of 20,000 vaccine doses, we are still providing inoculations to the kids who are due for in next several weeks.
MIF plans to launch its next program in January 2013 on civic engagement.
Note: I am personally involved with Mission India Foundation, hence a personal joy for me. Mission India Foundation is a registered charitable organization serving in Bhiwani-Mahendragarh loksabha constituency area in the field of rural healthcare and civic engagement. For details: please visit the website: www.mifusa.org

Mother Teresa Exposed!

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Indians have a great sense of reverence for Mother Teresa. The popular impression is that Teresa was a foreigner lady who came to our country and devoted her life to the service of mankind. She did, no doubt, serve the sick and poor people by providing a healing touch, love and care. However, there was much more than that. She had an incentive in her heart to serve such people: a motive to bring these people closer to God. But the problem is that she wanted them to be closer to her chosen God (Jesus) by weaning them from their current faith.

I strongly believe that we (Indians) need to expose the mis-deeds of Mother Teresa -who in the name of serving the poor and destitute- exploited the situation to CONVERT their faith. This is a highly despicable act.
Please spare time to read this article. I start with an incidence: Mother Teresa  shamelessly tried to save one American guy -Mr Keating -who donated millions of dollars to her charity working in India. Mr Keating had looted public money and was being convicted for the crime in USA. The communication between Teresa and the American court will give you an insight about the morality of this lady whose deeper design was to convert Hindus and others to Christianity.
I got interested in this incidence as a mention came in the book “Hindus Under Seige: The Way Out” by Subramaniyam Swamy. Then I did some Google search on this and came across these 2 articles which help us connect the pieces.
1. What Mother Teresa wrote to the USA court and the reply she got: http://howgoodisthat.wordpress.com/2008/07/13/charles-keating-gave-other-peoples-money-to-mother-teresa/
2. Well, you will naturally ask who is this swindler who donated millions of dollars to Teresa:! So, here we go: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Keating
It should be remembered that the harshest criticism of  Mother Teresa has come NOT from India, but from outside. This also reflects the vacuum of Indian academia to analyse something that is against the wind! Christopher Hitchens exposed her well. Has Indian media done it ever? Just google it and see yourself.
http://articles.nydailynews.com/2000-08-27/gossip/18143751_1_mother-teresa-keating-calcutta

http://www.quora.com/Was-Mother-Teresa-corrupt
Mother Teresa was a catholic nun and was a  proselytizer. That is plain and simple. She served you with compassion, but dug at your faith also! So, figure out what is the bigger solace for you!
Remember what Swami Vivekanad said hundreds of years ago: “Every man going out of the Hindu pale is not only a man less, but an enemy one more.”

3 ways to improve Economy of USA

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In this short video from Learn Liberty website, Harvard Economist Jeff Miron explains 3 simple ways to revive the economic recession of USA (whose impact will naturally be global).
1. Cut entitlements: That is, Government should decrease spending on Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security. In other words, cut down on welfare to an extent.
2. Freeze new Governmental regulations on businesses so that businesses can focus more on creating products.
3. Simplify Taxes and go for purchase-tax: The current income-tax based system has grown into a complex system resulting in a huge bureaucracy, proliferation of tax-professionals and needless to say, people have to devote a substantial amount of time to track their taxes and compliance.  Miron urges that the current cumbersome system be abolished and replaced by a simple flat tax that everyone pays on consumtion (ie, when I buy an item from market).
By the way, Faitax organization has also been pushing for similar reform.
Here is the video:

 

Fair Tax Movement in USA

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The Tax system of USA- like many other countries- is not an easy one. It is pretty complex. This leads to proliferation of CPAs and Government departments.
I recently came across a movement that is catching up, albeit slowly: FairTax.
Needless to say, Fair Tax advocates simplification  of taxes, based upon retail sale. So rather than paying the taxes on your income, you pay tax only when you buy something (some items will have no taxation). FairTax is advocates a 23 % flat tax for every one  and it says that will result in revenue-neutral state, but gradually it will result in revenue plus if Govt takes adequate measures.
Yesterday I happened to hear Libertarian candidate for the Presidential elections 2012, Mr Gary Johnson– who is being described as fiscally conservative and socially cool! He clearly advocated Fair Tax as a solution for the US economic woes!
The Fair Tax looks interesting. 

Freedom Team of India

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Logo of Freedom Team of India

We are looking for leaders who want to transform the Indian system of governance and politics. The current political parties- starting form Congress and BJP to regional forces like DMK, BSP and Samajwadi Party (SP) – have no short term or long term vision and perspective to curb corruption, deliver better governance to an extent that it brings succor to us. Their economic policies are at the best socialist. The free-market concept and ideas of liberty do not appeal to them , as they want to continue vote-ban politics by offering populism, quotas and catering to interest groups.
India needs a revamp of the system where democracy can thrive on the principles of freedom of expression, liberty and free market policies.
We need leaders who are willing to join hands to bring revolution to India. Here is the link for Freedom Team of India. This is not a chat group, nor a think tank. This is a political group (not yet a political party). I invite you to have an in-depth study of the concept.
www.freedomteam.in

Real Test of Democracy

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How should our elected representatives behave and work? Does winning an elected post entitle them to indulge in corruption and self-serving activities? It seems that some people join politics to serve the society , whereas others join to fill their coffers. The real test of democracy is how strongly it works at the grass root level. In Narnaul district, on the same day newspapers have reported two contrast news items about our elected Sarpanchs (village Heads). The Hindi daily Jagran reports on July 10, 09.

राष्ट्रपति से मिलने के लिए सरपंच के संग महिलाएं गईं:
नारनौल, जागरण संवाद केंद्र : राष्ट्रपति प्रतिभा पाटिल के बुलावे पर जिले के गाव कोथल खुर्द की महिला सरपंच रोशनी देवी शुक्रवार अपराह्न उपायुक्त ए. श्रीनिवास के साथ दिल्ली के लिए रवाना हुईं। उनके साथ उनकी मंडली की 18 महिलाएं भी गई हैं। राष्ट्रपति 11 जुलाई को इस जत्थे से भेंट करेंगी। 11 जुलाई को राष्ट्रपति से मुलाकात के बाद यह टीम शाम तक नारनौल पहुच जाएगी। मालूम हो कि गाव कौथल खुर्द की महिला सरपंच रोशनी देवी व उनकी मंडली द्वारा शराबियों के खिलाफ छेडे़ गए क्रातिकारी अभियान से प्रभावित होकर ही राष्ट्रपति प्रतिभा पाटिल ने उन्हे बुलावा भेजा था।

इस महिला मंडली की कार्यशैली अनूठी थी, जिसके कारण यह चर्चा में आ गई। इस समूह ने गाव में सार्वजनिक स्थल पर शराब पीने वालों पर अंकुश लगाने के लिए मंदिर के नाम 500 रुपये की पर्ची काटनी शुरू कर दी थी, जो शराबियों पर बहुत भारी पड़ी। वास्तविकता भी यही है कि इसी कारण यह समूह ज्यादा कारगर साबित हुआ। हालांकि इसके अलावा उन पर नैतिकता के आधार पर भी शराब को छोड़ने के लिए दबाव बनाया गया। इसका नतीजा यह हुआ कि अब गाव में शराब पीकर घूमने वालों पर पूरी तरह अंकुश लग चुका है। इससे भी बड़ी बात यह है कि महिला मंडली इस उद्देश्य की पूर्ति के बाद भी शांत नहीं बैठी है और दायरे को बढ़ाते हुए सामाजिक बुराइयों के खिलाफ भी अभियान चलाना शुरू कर दिया है।
गबन के आरोप में ग्राम सचिव व सरपंच नामजद:

नारनौल, जागरण संवाद केंद्र : गांव दोचाना के सरपंच धर्मपाल एवं ग्राम सचिव उमेश चंद पर अदालत के निर्देश पर धोखाधड़ी एवं आपराधिक षडयंत्र रचने के आरोप में मामला दर्ज किया गया है। सरपंच और सचिव के खिलाफ गांव के ही एक पंच द्वारा अदालत में इस्तगासा दायर कर उसके एवं कुछ अन्य पंचों के फर्जी हस्ताक्षर कर ग्रांट लेने का आरोप लगाते हुए उनके खिलाफ मामला दर्ज कराने की अपील की गई थी।

जानकारी के अनुसार गांव दोचाना के पंच मदनलाल ने अतिरिक्त मुख्य न्यायिक दंडाधिकारी की अदालत में गत 6 जुलाई को एक इस्तगासा पेश कर सरपंच एवं ग्राम सचिव पर मामला दर्ज करने के लिए पुलिस को आदेश देने की गुहार लगाई थी। मदनलाल ने इस्तगासा में बताया कि ग्राम पंचायत दोचाना के सरपंच धर्मपाल ने विभिन्न तारीखों में पंचायत पुस्तिका व कार्यवाही कमेटी रजिस्टर में उसके तथा कुछ अन्य पंचों, महिला पंच देवी और मुमताज अली तथा सुरेश कुमार पंच के फर्जी हस्ताक्षर कर एवं अंगूठे लगा कर प्रस्ताव पारित कर लिए। जबकि उक्त पंचों के सामने इस प्रकार की कोई बैठक हुई ही नहीं थी। सरपंच धर्मपाल ने पंचायत के सदस्यों का कोरम पूरा दिखाने की नीयत से प्रस्तावों पर फर्जी हस्ताक्षर कर लिए थे। ऐसा कर सरपंच ने सरकार से ग्रांट भी प्राप्त कर ली। इस्तगासा में यह भी कहा गया कि ग्राम सचिव उमेश चंद ने भी सरपंच धर्मपाल से फर्जी हस्ताक्षरों के माध्यम से पारित इन प्रस्तावों को अटेस्ट करके इस अपराध में सरपंच का सहयोग किया है। पंच मदनलाल ने इस संबंध में पुलिस महानिदेशक एवं अन्य संबंधित पुलिस अधिकारियों को भी शपथ पत्र के साथ एक शिकायती दरखास्त भेजी थी, किंतु पुलिस ने उस पर कोई कार्रवाई नहीं की। शिकायतकर्ता पंच मदनलाल के अधिवक्ता सुरेंद्र ढिल्लो ने बताया कि अतिरिक्त मुख्य न्यायिक दंडाधिकारी की अदालत ने मामले की गंभीरता को देखते हुए गत 6 जुलाई को धारा 156 सीआरपीसी के तहत इसे नारनौल सदर थाना में भेज दिया था। जिस पर कार्रवाई करते हुए पुलिस ने सरपंच व ग्राम सचिव कि खिलाफ गत बुधवार को भारतीय दंड संहिता की धारा 419, 420, 467, 468, 471, 406 व 120 बी के तहत मुकदमा नंबर 159 दर्ज कर लिया है।

I Save Lives Daily!

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“I save lives daily.”
Are you a doctor?
No, because I am a vegetarian!

Do see the documentary ‘Our Daily Bread” by Nikolaus Geyrhalter. This silent documentary is a powerful depiction of how the food industry – vegetarian as well as meat- works in a high tech manner. Sensitivities of the animals are of least concern as we have a bigger task ahead: feed the humanity!

Recession Time in USA: Airline for Pets!

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petsThe USA and the whole world is under economic recession. So is the news I hear all around and I am not doubting the veracity of this either! I am not an economic expert, but I can feel that the way jobs are being lost.

Whatever, but come July 2009 and you will see an airline service being launched exclusively for animals. Yes, for pets only! Pet Airways will fly only animals!
The website declares: “A Pet Airline where pets fly in the main cabin, NOT in cargo.”
Sounds wonderful!

Without offending animal lovers and animal right activists, I am amused at this news.
The web link is: http://www.petairways.com/

Corruption: the Major Issue for Elections

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Corruption is the major issue for the upcoming LS elections, but it should not surprise the countrymen that political parties are just not talking about it. Instead, the national and regional political parties are busy aligning and re-aligning, shuffling and re-shuffling their stands! Purpose: How to increase the bargaining power so that in post-poll market, they will be able to raise the bar. Raise the bar for ideals, and principles! No, raise the bar for extracting maximum for the power-sharing.

The three fronts are emerging: i) BJP and its allies making NDA, ii) UPA now representing mainly Congress as all the allies have deserted it, and iii) Third Front: a conglomerate of various parties who do not believe in pre-poll alliance and are not ready to even guess until elections are over because they will weigh the possibilites after the results are out. Expect these self-serving parties to do the task of nation-building!

My fellow countrymen, leave your notions of party ideologies, shake the boxes of your affiliations! These are parasites who are sucking our blood, draining our (tax payers’) money and just busy politicking! Not to disparage the honest and sincere political leaders, I must say that unless the whole vision of what politics is all about, our democracy will remain in peril. We need elected leaders who commit to nation building by focusing on education, health, better public and civic administration, national security and integrity, social security for the all (particularly underprivileges masses), economic security, etc. We do not elected leaders who have come to understand that politics is all about indulging in populistic measures and making false promises!

The only solution for the short term:

1. Come out and vote on the day of voting!

2. Vote for candidates based upon the track-record, performance and profile. Do not be swayed by caste and party affiliations.

3. Destroy Regional Parties: Vote for candidates who can provide clean leadership. Throw these small regional parties out of the window as they are going to pollute the post-poll environment by extracting their flesh. These regional parties should not have any stake on the national issues! They were created to fulfill local aspirations and at national level, they will at the best create instability by producing a hung parliament!

Until political reforms are brought in so that the menace of cross over (dal badal) , unholy post-poll alliance is checked and pol parties are disciplined, these short term measures will at least give some relief to stabilize our democracy.