INDIAS WORST JOUNALISTS IN 2014

India's Worst Journalists - 2014 http://www.mediacrooks.com/2014/02/indias-worst-journalists-2014.html#.Uu0KwT1dUgm This is the third edition of India’s Worst Journalists poll; the Razzies for the worst in the business. The poll is conducted every two years (Previously 2010 and 2012). The term “journalists” is being used only technically as people have coined many other names for these unworthies: “Paid media”, “brokers” and even “pimps”. It’s an election year and most of these unworthies will be seen campaigning heavily for the non-performers and the corrupt. That the poll has grown in popularity can be measured by the fact that in 2010 it was just a panel of 7who picked the list, in 2012 there were 938 voters and this year there are 9429 voters. A word about those who exited from the 2012 list: Arnab Goswami may not have won too many back-scratching industry awards but has earned a lot of respect for his integrity if not for his style of TV shows. Vinod Sharma, the HT mouthpiece for Congress, has lost in prominence and therefore wasn’t considered worth the trouble. Vir Sanghvi too has lost all standing as a journalist and the former Radia-stenographer makes some back-door appearances on TV and nothing more. Shekhar Gupta didn’t make it to the winners list probably because he is not in the news anymore and there weren’t any sensational “Raisina hill” type blunders. This is probably because he had to give up overall management of Indian Express and retain his job as editorialist. Poll results and tabulation are appended to this post. Here are India’s Worst Journalists 2014 (2012 ranking in brackets after name): 10. S. Varadarajan (New entrant) Till recently S. Varadarajan or “Varadabhai” as I fondly call him, was the editor of ‘The Hindu’ which is famous for its anti-Hindu articles. Lately, Varadabhai is a TV panellist who helps to continue pounding the redundant theory that Modi abetted the 2002 riots. He came out strongly in support of Rahul Gandhi’s bogus allegations on January 27 with Arnab Goswami. Incidentally, RG stated journalists told him Gujarat govt was involved in the riots. I guess RG just missed naming Varadabhai directly. Peddling opinions as news articles was one of the reasons the anti-Hindu claimed he was sacked from the newspaper. The most hilarious article carried in the The Hindu under Varadabhai was one which more or less claimed the “masculine pose” by Swami Vivekananda was one of the causes of rapes in India. So if Varadabhai ever strikes that pose I don’t want to venture a guess on what’s on his mind. 9. Kumar Ketkar (9) KK stays where he was last time. He retains his old habits of hate-RSS, hate-Hindutva and anything remotely connected with BJP. Of course, most would remember he’s also a former speech writer for Congress. Lately, he’s an “acting” defence lawyer for the AAP party. Following the anarchic acts of Arvind Kejriwal & Co. outside Rail Bhawan in January 2014 Ketkar quickly defended them by telling CNN-IBN India has always been anarchic. He recalled events like the Ayodhya movement to defend Kejriwal’s stupidity. KK has a rare distinction though. He’s one of those media heroes who has been provided police protection following police complaints and threats for abusing a certain caste in Maharashtra. And that contempt is because he hated a certain politician. There’s also a case relating to defamatory articlesagainst the RSS and also abusing judiciary. It’s unlikely the man will change. A hate-filled heart remains the same. 8. Nikhil Wagle (New entrant) Frankly, this media moron is in the bad news not so much for journalism but for his filthy tweets and some allegations by one Nitin Rane. I haven’t watched him on IBN Lokmat nor have I had the misfortune to read anything he may have ever written. Like some others in this list he is most known for peddling of untruths. His most stupid outburst was against the middle class people. Hetweeted in March 2012: “I am surprised by the low IQ of middle class in this country. Their understanding of politics is so dismal that they vote BJP. God save!” In another tweet he brazenly claims “Not a single PM of India has defended communal riots directly or indirectly. If @narendramodi dreams to become PM he should know this!” Of course, this Congress crony apparently backs what Rajiv Gandhi said justifying killing of Sikhs with a great tree falling. While Wagle often screams about corruption, readers and voters are quite aware of his bosses being alleged to be involved in the Coal scam. I don’t see any reason why Wagle why will ever move out of this list. 7. Nidhi Razdan (10) The “Larger picture” has made progress and has gone up the list. If she is angling for a permanent spot among India’s worst then she’s doing just the right things. With a permanent scowl on her face and permanent contempt for some panellists, her show called “Left, right, centre” is nothing more than filler on NDTV. Sort of bench-warming for passing the “buck”. Nidhi delivered one of the most shameful episodes on Indian TV in her mindless rant against a British MP for inviting Narendra Modi to speak in the British parliament. She even claimed she had the right to “question” SC judgements. If you watch the video of that shameless spectacle Nidhi mentions “controversial/controversy” as many times as Rahul Gandhi mentions empowerment or systems in his speeches. A thorough disgrace to journalism. 6. Karan Thapar (6) India’s only “bow-tie” journalist (he often reminds me of thebow-tie killer). He has earned the nickname ‘The Tool’ after infamously ridiculing PA Sangma, the presidential candidate, of being a tool in the hands of some political parties. His standard pose is the dangerous “masculine” pose that The Hindu warns us of as the cause of rapes. Often also called a Paki-Tool, KT sort of proved it when he was handed a quote of Nawaz Sharif about friendship with India. This quote was planted by the Pak news agencies after Sharif became PM and KT grandly discussed the “hand of friendship” on his show. It just turned out the statement was made by Sharif to none other than KT earlier (before Sharif became PM again) and the Pakis made KT a “useful idiot” to peddle that old statement in the midst of LOC violations. The other thing KT is fond of is making others (like Sibal, Jaitley) sit in his chair and play Devil’s Advocate and pay him compliments. His 2007 statement hoping for a “sudden removal of Modi” may hold more interest now in many quarters. 5. Rajdeep Sardesai (3) If Rajdeep has fallen one place it’s only because a bigger disgrace has made a grand debut in this list. “Point taken, fair enough” is now the standard defence RS offers when zapped by a panellist (much like Nidhi’s “larger picture” diversion). From defending Robert Vadra and the Gandhis, RS is now seen as grand campaigner for the AAP party. The number of interviews and promotions of Arvind Kejriwal on CNN-IBN and the whole IBN group would stand as proof. His most famous event in the past two years would be the incompetent interview with Modi on the bus floor. Modi even, deliberately or inadvertently, called him “Sar-ka-dard-esai”. Under RS the IBN group has hit rock bottom with many employees being sacked and the channel hitting new lows in TRP. Quite unfortunate considering CNN-IBN does have some of the best journalists on TV. Rajdeep’s judgement and prudence can be measured by the fact that most of his IOTY nominees have ended up as disasters. If the “top” is bad then no number of good journalists can shore up a failing channel. NATIONAL SECURITY PART 8 BY BRIG HEMANT MAHAJAN http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03eg_G_WCnc&list=UU9_Sx5cV2XFmt-PLCK7zXfg

Indian National Security part 12 by Brigadier Mahajan (Retired)

COASTAL KARGIL A POSSIBILITY- ADMIRAAL ARUN PRAKASH

तर समुद्रातील 'कारगिल'ला सामोरे जावे लागेल! - निवृत्त नौदल प्रमुख अरुण प्रकाश यांचा इशारा भारताच्या सागरी संरक्षणासाठी १६ विभाग काम करत आहेत. परंतु या विभागामध्ये समन्वयाचा अभाव असून भारताने सागरी संरक्षणाच्या बाबतीत वेळीच उपाययोजना केल्या नाहीत तर, भारताला लवकरच समुद्रातही कारगिल युद्ध लढावे लागेल, असा इशारा निवृत्त अॅडमिरल अरुण प्रकाश यांनी शनिवारी गोव्यात दिला. फोरम फॉर इन्टिग्रेटेड नॅशनल सेक्युरिटी (फिन्स) या संस्थेतर्फे 'भारतीय किनारपट्टी आणि बेटांची सुरक्षा व विकास' या विषयावरील दोन दिवसीय राष्ट्रीय परिसंवादाच्या उद्घाटनाप्रसंगी अरुण प्रकाश बोलत होते. या वेळी गोव्याचे मुख्यमंत्री मनोहर पर्रिकर, इन्टिलिजन्स ब्यूरोचे माजी संचालक अजितकुमार डोव्हाल, निवृत्त लेफ्टनन्ट जनरल डी. बी. शेकटकर, इंद्रेश कुमार, माजी न्यायमूर्ती आर. एन. एस. खाण्डेपारकर आदी उपस्थित होते. अरुण प्रकाश म्हणाले, मुंबईवर झालेला २६-११ चा हल्ला हा, सागरी सुरक्षिततेच्या अभावामुळेच झाला आहे. सागरी सुरक्षिततेसाठी जॉईन्ट ऑपरेशन केंद्र तयार करण्यात आले आहे. मात्र, या केंद्राला सागरी सुरक्षिततेबाबत दैनंदिन गुप्त माहिती मिळत नाही आणि जी माहिती मिळालेली आसते, ती पडताळून पाहिलेली नसते. सागरी सुरक्षिततेबाबत राज्याच्या पोलिसांनी ही जबाबदारी कोस्टल पोलिसांकडे न ढकलता, त्यात लक्ष घालावे. सागरी सुरक्षिततेमध्ये बेटांची सुरक्षा हा सुद्धा महत्त्वाचा विषय आहे. देशाच्या एकूण 'एक्सक्लुजिव इकॉनिमिक झोन' पैकी ५० टक्के भाग बेटांनी व्यापलेला आहे. शत्रू राष्ट्रांचे या तीनही झेडकडे लक्ष आहे. बेटे आणि सागरी सुरक्षेबाबत काम करणाऱ्या विभागांमध्ये समन्वय निर्माण करण्यासाठी एक स्वतंत्र यंत्रणा निर्माण करण्याची आवश्यकता आहे, असेही अरुण प्रकाश यांनी सांगितले. पर्रिकर म्हणाले की, कोस्टल पोलीस सुरू करणारे गोवा हे देशातील पहिले राज्य आहे. सागरी विषय हा खूप महत्त्वाचा विषय आहे. त्यामुळे गोव्यात कोस्टल सिक्युरिटी संदर्भात एक अभ्यास केंद्र उभे केले जाईल, त्या ठिकाणी अभ्यास करण्यास फिन्सने लक्ष घालावे. तसेच देशाच्या सुरक्षिततेसाठी वापरली जाणारी उपकरणे ही शत्रू राष्ट्राकडून खरेदी करू नयेत. यात चीनच्या उपकरणांचा वापर करणे टाळावे. डोव्हाल म्हणाले, नेपाळ, भूतान आणि म्यानमार या राज्यांच्या सीमेवर एक लाख ४१ हजार जवान तैनात आहेत. पण भारताच्या ७ हजार ५०० किलोमीटर सागरी किनारपट्टी असलेल्या भागासाठी फक्त बारा हजार पोस्ट गार्डची पदे आहेत. यामधील ४ हजार पदे रिक्त आहेत. त्यावरून शासन सागरी सुरक्षेवर किती गंभीर आहे, हे दिसते

FAKE INDIAN CURRENCY NOTES NEW FORM OF TERROR BY PAKISTAN & CHINA

बनावट नोटांचा सुळसुळाट पाकिस्तान /चीन कडुन एक नवीन प्रकरचा दहशतवादच भारतीय रिझर्व्ह बँकेने इसवीसन २००५च्या आधी जारी केलेल्या सर्व चलनी नोटा येत्या काही काळात रद्द करण्याचा निर्णय घेतला आहे. काळा पैसा खणून काढणे आणि बनावट चलनी नोटांना आळा घालणे, हे या निर्णयामागचे दोन मुख्य हेतू आहेत. २००५ हे वर्ष यासाठी की, तेव्हापासून प्रत्येक नोटेच्या मागच्या बाजूला मधोमध ती नोट जारी झाल्याचे वर्ष छापण्यात आले आहे. याचवेळी, इतर अनेक वैशिष्ट्ये नोटेत समाविष्ट करण्यात आली होती. तेव्हा नोटांवर असे वर्ष छापले नसेल तर त्या नोटा रद्दबातल होतील. सध्या १२ लाख कोटी रुपयांचे बनावट चलन भारतीय अर्थव्यवस्थेत घुसले असल्याचा एक अंदाज आहे. रिझर्व्ह बॅंकेच्या आकडेवारीनुसार, बॅंकेच्या वेगवेगळ्या शाखांमधून चार लाख बनावट नोटा उघडकीस आल्या. 2000-2001 मध्ये दहा लाखांत तीन बनावट नोटा, असे प्रमाण होते, ते दहा लाखांत आठ इतके वाढले आहे. रकमेच्या ५-१० टक्के इतक्या किमतीच्या बनावट नोटा सध्या वापरात आहेत, असे मानले, तरी हा आकडा खूप मोठा होतो. भारताची अर्थव्यवस्था उद्ध्वस्त करायला तेवढ्या पुरेशा आहेत. बनावट नोटांचा सुळसुळाट हा एक प्रकरचा दहशतवाद आहे. पाकिस्तान भारताच्या विरोधात करीत असलेल्या करवायांमध्ये या गोष्टीचाही समावेश आहे. पाकिस्तानकडे तंत्रज्ञानकुशलता असल्याचे आढळून आले असून, त्यामुळे खऱ्या आणि बनावट नोटा यांच्यातील फरक ओळखता येणे अवघड बनले आहे.पाकिस्तानात नोटांचे अधिकृत सरकारी छापखाने भारतीय नोटा तंतोतंत छापण्याची काळजी डोळ्यांत तेल घालून घेत असल्याने 'अवघा रंग एक झाला' आहे. अशावेळी, बनावट नोटा छापणाऱ्यांनी २००५ नंतरच्या सुधारित नोटांची नक्कल अजून केली नसेल, असे समजणे, ही आत्मवंचना आहे. देशातील सर्व सुरक्षायंत्रणा जप्त करीत असलेले बनावट चलन दोन टक्केही नसते. तेव्हा जवळपास नऊ वर्षांपूर्वीच्या नोटा रद्द झाल्याने बनावट चलनाच्या तस्करीला कितपत धक्का बसेल, हा प्रश्न आहे. आयएसआयचे षड्यंत्र क्वेट्टा (बलुचिस्तान) येथे पाकिस्तानचा प्रेस आहे. तेथे भारतीय चलनाच्या बनावट नोटा छापल्या जातात. कराची, लाहोर व पेशावर येथील प्रेसमध्येही बनावट नोटा छापल्या जातात व "पकिस्तान इंटरनॅशनल एअरलाइन्स'मार्फत बनावट भारतीय नोटा नेपाळ, श्रीलंका आणि बांगलादेश येथे धाडण्यात येतात. नेपाळमध्ये अशा नोटांची वाहतूक करणारी व्यक्ती सापडली. तिच्या चौकशीतून आयएसआयच्या या षड्यंत्राची माहिती बाहेर आली. बनावट नोटा भारतात चोरट्या मार्गाने आणण्यासाठी नेपाळच्या भूमीचा वापर करण्यात येतो. ढाक्यात पाकिस्ताचा एक राजनैतिक अधिकारीच बनावट नोटा वितरित करताना सापडला. त्याला अटक करण्यात आली. त्याने आपले बांगलादेशातील "हुजी' या दहशतवादी संघटनेशी संबंध असल्याची कबुली तेव्हा दिली. मैत्री व सद्भाव यासाठी सुरू करण्यात आलेल्या थर एक्स्प्रेसमधूनच बनावट नोटा भारतात आणल्या जात होत्या. गेल्या वर्षी बनावट नोटा भारतात घुसविणारे अनेक जा्ळी उघडकीस आली. काही महिलांना व मुलांना हे काम सोपविले जाते व जितक्या रकमेच्या बनावट नोटा ते भारतात आणतील त्याच्या दोन टक्के रक्क्म त्यांना बक्षीस म्हणून द्यायची, असे हे कारस्थान चालू अस्ते .भारताच्या अर्थव्यवस्था उद्ध्वस्त करायची, हाही आयएसआयचा डाव आहे. त्यासाठीही बनावट नोटांच्या शस्त्राचा उपयोग करण्यात आला; अशा प्रकारच्या कारवायांत दाऊद टोळीही गुंतली आहे. या नोटांची छपाई, कागदाचा दर्जा व त्यावरील गव्हर्नरची स्वाक्षरी हे सर्व इतके तंतोतंत असते, की खोटी व खरी नोट यातील फरक कळणे अवघड होते. 2010-11 या आर्थिक वर्षामध्ये 435,607 बनावट चलनी नोटा विविध पोलिस कारवाईत जप्त करण्यात आल्या, असे रिझर्व्ह बँकेनेच जाहीर केले होते. तरीही 500 व 1000 च्या बनावट नोटा बँका, एटीएम यांच्यामधून तसेच रोजच्या व्यवहारांतून मिळण्याचे प्रमाण कमी झालेले नाही. पाकिस्तान, नेपाळ, बांगलादेश, अफगाणिस्तान, हॉलंड, बँकॉक येथे बनावट भारतीय नोटा छापण्याचे अनेक रॅकेट्स सक्रिय आहेत. या षड्यंत्रामागे पाकिस्तानची आयएसआय ही गुप्तहेर संघटना मुख्य सूत्रधार आहे. बॅंकेची क्रेडिट कार्ड व ई-मनीचा जास्तीत जास्त वापर नोटांचे वर्गीकरण करणारी यंत्रे; तसेच एटीएम येथे बनावट नोटा उघडकीस आणणारी यंत्रणा बसवावी, अशी सूचना रिझर्व्ह बॅंकेने नेमलेल्या एका समितीने केली आहे. ही सूचना चांगली आहे. बॅंकेची क्रेडिट कार्ड व ई-मनीचा जास्तीत जास्त वापर करावा, अशीही एक शिफारस करण्यात आली आहे; परंतु भारतातील वैविध्य आणि आर्थिक, सामाजिक व शैक्षणिक वास्तव लक्षात घेतले, तर अशा प्रकारचा बदल सावकाशच घडून येईल, हे स्पष्ट होते. देशातील आर्थिक निरक्षरतेचे प्रमाणही मोठे आहे. त्यामुळे ही सूचना लगेच व्यवहारात येणे अवघड आहे. चलनातील नोटा प्रसिद्ध करताना त्यात सुरक्षिततेची जास्तीत जास्त खबरदारी घेतली जावी. बनावट नोटा तयार करण्यास अवसरच मिळणार नाही, अशा रीतीने साच्यात योग्य ते बदल केले पाहिजेत. देशाची अर्थव्यवस्था दुर्बल करणे; तसेच दहशतवादी कृत्यासाठी पैसा उपलब्ध करणे ही बनावट नोटा तयार करणाऱ्या टोळीची मुख्य उद्दिष्टे आहेत. बऱ्याच वेळा एटीएम यंत्रातून काढलेल्या नोटाच बनावट असल्यचे ग्राहकांच्या लक्षात येते व ही बाब तो बॅंकेच्या निदर्शनास आणून देतो, तेव्हा बॅंक त्या जप्त करते. वास्तविक बॅंकेने पोलिस ठाण्यात यासंबधी प्राथमिक माहिती अहवाल (एपआयआर) दखल करणे अपेक्षित आहे. तसे झाले तरच याचा उगम कुठे आहे, याचा शोध घेण्याची प्रक्रिया सुरू होईल. रिझर्व्ह बँकेने २००५मध्ये चलनी नोटांच्या छपाईतंत्रात आमूलाग्र बदल केला. ते अत्याधुनिक तसेच अचूक केले. मात्र, अर्थव्यवस्थेला बसलेल्या काळ्या पैशाचा किंवा बनावट चलनाचा फास त्याने सुटेल, अशी वेडी आशा बाळगण्यात अर्थ नाही. मुळात त्यासाठी खंबीर राजकीय इच्छाशक्ती हवी. बनावट चलनाला आळा घालण्यासाठीही बँकांमधील अद्ययावत यंत्रसामग्रीशिवाय सीमेवरचा कडेकोट बंदोबस्त महत्त्वाचा असतो. 2005 पूर्वी छापलेल्या आणि चलनात असलेल्या नोटा कायदेशीर असल्या, तरी 1 एप्रिल 2014 पासून त्या बाजारात मात्र चालणार नाहीत. 1 एप्रिल 2014 ते 30 जून 2014 अखेर म्हणजेच तीन महिन्यांच्या कालावधीत 2005 पूर्वीच्या चलनी व्यवहारात असलेल्या सर्व नोटा जनतेने बॅंकातून बदलून घ्याव्यात, अशी रिझर्व्ह बॅंकेची अपेक्षा आहे. 1 जुलै आधी जनतेने 2005 पूर्वीच्या सर्व चलनी नोटा बाजारातून काढून घ्यायच्या आणि त्या बदलात नव्या नोटा द्यायच्या असा रिझर्व्ह बॅंकेचा निर्धार आहे. पाकिस्तानने पाचशे आणि हजार रुपयांच्या बनावट-खोट्या नोटा छापून त्या नेपाळ, बांगला देश मार्गे भारताच्या चलनात आणल्या. पण या बनावट नोटा नेमक्या किती रुपयांच्या चलनात असाव्यात, याचा अंदाज काही रिझर्व्ह बॅंकेलाही नाही. बनावट नोटांच्या सुळसुळाटामुळे निर्माण झालेल्या समस्यांवर उपाययोजना करायसाठीच रिझर्व्ह बॅंकेने अशा बनावट नोटांचे उच्चाटन करायसाठीच हे पाऊल उचलले आहे. या निर्णयाने बनावट नोटांना काही प्रमाणात आळा बसेल यात शंका नाही. मात्र, पूर्णपणे ही समस्या संपेल, असा खुळा आशावाद कोणीही मनात बाळगू नये. बनावट नोटा भारतीय चलनात आणण्याचे देशविरोधी शक्तींचे षड्यंत्र आहे. या संकटाचा मुकाबला करण्यासाठी अनेक व्यापक उपाययोजना आखल्या पाहिजेत.

NARENDRA MODI & NATIONAL WAR MEMORIAL

Nothing can be more ironic that more than six-and-a-half decades after Independence from British Colonial Rule, India still honours its war heroes - soldiers who have sacrificed their lives in defence of their motherland - by placing wreathes at a memorial that was added on to a relic of the British Raj. Modi promises India its National War Memorial The Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate in New Delhi was and remains an after-thought, rather than a true National War Memorial to honour the memory of more than 20,000 soldiers who have died on duty. No less ironical is the fact that India Gate, an imposing monument on the central vista in the heart of the national capital, was built by our colonial rulers to honour Indian soldiers who died fighting for the British Empire during World War I. Independent India's rulers, principally the Congress, never thought it fit to erect a monument equally, if not more grand, to honour the memory of our soldiers, airmen and sailors who died since 1947. Instead, they chose easy and lazy route of installing the Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate. Wreaths are placed there in the most desultory manner to supposedly honour our Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen who laid down their lives to preserve Independent India's Freedom, Honour, and Dignity. We perfunctorily salute the 'Unknown Soldier' but fail to remember the soldiers who died battling India's enemies. Each of them had a Name, a Face, a Unit/Regimental Identity. But all that has thus far been of no consequence to the Political Masters of Independent India, principally the Congress. What remains is a sense of bitterness among the loved ones left behind by our men in uniform. It is not that there has never been a proposal for a National War Memorial. Indeed, this proposal has been made time and again but governments have dragged their feet. Even when an effort has been made to revive the proposal, there has been dogged resistance by the bureaucracy and the Delhi Urban Arts Commission which instinctively rejects anything that may alter the colonial vista as conceived and executed by Lutyens. A half-hearted political leadership has done little to overcome that resistance. The last time we heard about the proposal was two years ago when Defence Minister AK Antony said hurdles in the way of building a National War Memorial had been removed. Since then there has been total silence. The absence of a National War Memorial rankles deeply with those who gave their sons to fight and die for the nation. More important, it has resulted in a poor appreciation of their sacrifice among generations of Indians. We are no doubt proud of our Armed Forces, but that by itself is insufficient. As a nation we owe an immeasurable debt of gratitude to our men and women in uniform. A National War Memorial to honour the martyrdom and perpetuate the memory of the bravest among them would be a small token of acknowledging that debt of gratitude. Yet, we have failed to do so - as a result, there is a gaping hole in our collective memory as a nation, a blot on our collective conscience as a people. BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi was referring to this gaping hole in our collective memory, this blot on our collective conscience, when he eloquently spoke about how we have failed to honour our soldiers by not building a National War Memorial. "There is no country in the world where there is not a war memorial. India has fought several wars, thousands of our soldiers have been martyred, but there is no memorial to honour their sacrifice," Modi said at the event to mark the 51st anniversary of Lata Mangeshkar's soul-searing song 'Aye mere watan ke logon'. More than a lakh people, among them thousands of war veterans and hundreds of families of martyred soldiers, who attended that event in Mumbai endorsed Modi's view by applauding him for saying what few if any politicians have said from a public platform till now. True to their creed, Modi's critics have been prompt to twist and turn that statement and mock at him. Modi does not know that there is a war memorial called Amar Jawan Jyoti, said some. Others crudely reminded him about the war memorial at Kutch he inaugurated. Then there were some who spoke of the various war memorials in the States. Given their jaundiced vision, Modi's critics missed out on the stones and boulders, small pillars, occasionally white-washed and inscribed with names like 'Major Shaitan Singh', that dot our side of India's border with Pakistan and China. They are memorials too, immortalising the valour of our martyred soldiers at the spot where they fell, fighting till the end. But are the scattered memorials in the States, the stark monuments to Major Shaitan Singh and thousands of others, the Amar Jawan Jyoti dwarfed by the majestic India Gate, the street corner testimonials written on rusting tin plates, the roundabouts named after our bravehearts, enough? Is that all we owe to our Armed Forces? Is that sufficient to inculcate a sense of gratitude among the masses, to teach our children to be upright and patriotic, to showcase the bravery of our soldiers for the world to see? It is downright silly and plain stupid to mock at Modi for raising an issue that has been long festering, causing agony and pain among our soldiers, airmen and sailors: The absence of a National War Memorial. It is silly to remind him of the scattered memorials - he inevitably visits each of them whenever he is in their vicinity. It is stupid to mock at him for "getting his GK wrong" because Amar Jawan Jyoti is at best an apology for a National War Memorial, listed as the 'Tomb of the Unknown Soldier' in tourist pamphlets. Modi believes in enshrining the memory of each martyred soldier collectively at a single memorial. It is in the fitness of things that such a memorial should be built in New Delhi, in a large and open space, far more grand than any other memorial, yet sombre and dignified. The US has the Arlington National Cemetery and the Vietnam War Memorial to honour its soldiers. Similar memorials exist in other countries. In fact, a memorial in Colombo honours the soldiers of the Indian Peace-Keeping Force who died in Sri Lanka, the names of each one of them etched in stone forever. Sadly, those names are not known and heard of in India. The National War Memorial which Modi envisages will similarly enshrine the memory of our heroes, the names of each soldier, airman and sailor who has died fighting for India since independence etched in stone so that future generations do not forget them. Their memory will become a source of inspiration and strength; it will rally round every Indian whenever the nation faces a crisis. India awaits a National War Memorial. Modi has let it be known that this wait shall be over when he becomes Prime Minister. His critics can eat crow... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome! This World War II Memorial honors each of the 16 million Americans who served in the Armed Forces of the U.S., the more than 400,000 who died, and all who supported the war effort from home. Symbolic of the defining event of the 20th Century, the memorial is a monument to the spirit, sacrifice, and commitment of the American people. The Second World War is the only 20th Century event commemorated on the National Mall's central axis.

NATIONS SECURITY AT THE ALTER OF VOTE BANK POLITICS

Food for thought..... Nation's Security Overlooked for Individual Gains! By Lt Gen Prakash Katoch Issue Net Edition | Date : 20 Jan , 2014 It is amazing how issues of national security are given the short shrift in India. Whether it is by design or inadvertent can continue to be guessed. That there is political interference is without doubt but whether such interference is because of mere vote-bank politics, mafia links or external pressures is the moot point, latter being the most dangerous. Recently, a gentleman put his comments on Facebook after meeting a CRPF soldier on leave from the Maoist insurgency area. As per him, there are many instances where Maoists nabbed by CRPF have to be let off because of political pressure. This would well be the case where local politicians are ready to look askance to matters of national security despite the Maoists insurgency being described as the biggest threat to national security. But if the local politicians look for the support of the Maoists to retain power, it does not stop there. In fact it goes all the way up through the political spiral right to the national apex. While foreign links and massive funding of NGOs, politicians and political parties in India may never be investigated including the instant case of NGO Kabir because of calculative assessments to stay in power& That is the reason terrorism and insurgency thrives in India undermining the blood and sacrifices of the security forces. That is why political parties brush aside even statements by idiotic so called political leaders that soldiers are meant to die. That is why a fledgling political party now governing Delhi, while claiming to be the most righteous in the country, does not even rebuke its members for openly preaching secession against the Indian State much to the glee of our enemies and those who want continued instability and a weak government in India. While foreign links and massive funding of NGOs, politicians and political parties in India may never be investigated including the instant case of NGO Kabir because of calculative assessments to stay in power any which way, we really should heed Ashley Tellis of Carnegie Foundation saying, India being subjected to terrorism suits many &&&. India is a sponge that absorbs terror. Take the recent case of Delhi Police claims to evidence that Pakistan based terror group LeT is attempting to recruit operatives in the riot hit district of Muzaffarnagar. As reported, the Delhi Police had even arrested two persons in this connection; Mohammed Rashid and Mohammed Shahid from Mewat in Haryana. The arrests were made after locals of Muzaffarnagar had alleged that Rashid and Shahid had approached them to discuss carrying out kidnappings and other nefarious activities. As per media reports, the IB had been tracking the movement of these two, who had already visited Muzaffarnagar six times since end of riots in September last year at the behest of Abdul Subhan, a leader of LeT. Then came news that MHA had capped the issue by saying there was not enough evidence. This, by a small news item inserted in an inconspicuous part of newspapers. Unfortunately in India, it is very easy to switch viewer attention quickly from one event to the other. A dispassionate analysis would tell you that the powers that be have successfully used these tactics through a TRP hungry media an event suddenly brushed aside and forgotten (read erased). Therefore, for days on end, full media glare was shifted to Bollywood stars gyrating in the Saifai festival, the deaths and status of the Muzaffarnagar camps and the so-called multiple countries educational tours of some jaundiced politicians, only silver lining being the lucky correspondents who also got to visit the same countries covering the exploits of the scoundrels. So the import of the LeT, which is the covert arm of the ISI, making inroads into Muzaffarnagar area got lost in all this, buried along with the debate about the propriety or otherwise of an IB official telling Rahul Gandhi that the ISI was trying to contact the Muzaffarnagar riot victims. Incidentally, according to teachers and schoolchildren who attended the 16th Rashtriya Katha Shibir (overall 12,000 children from many States of India including Nagaland, Meghalya and Arunachal Pradesh), many who are flocking relief camps in Muzaffarnagar are not even from the rioted area, have not suffered any loss or damage (lives, houses or property) but are lured by the declaration of Rs 5 Lakh compensation. It is very apparent that Kerala is on the priority list of Dawood Ibrahims D-Company. But given the state of affairs in the country, why crib about import of the LeT making inroads in Muzaffarnagar getting lost. Look at the Kerala headquartered Popular Front of India (PFI), formerly known as NDF, whose cadres donned uniforms and have picked up weapons years back. Media quoting both R&AW and IB sources have been reporting that PFI has links with Al Qaeda and LeT, both these terrorist organizations having made inroads in Kerala. In October 2008, security forces killed four LeT recruits from Kerala in Kupwara (northern Kashmir) in an encounter while they were trying to cross over to Pakistan, obviously for advanced weapons and ideological training. A raid on a PFI leaders house in Kerala during 2010 had unearthed publicity material related to the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Counterfeit Indian currency minted in Pakistan worth several crores have been confiscated at Keralas international airports, much more possibly comes through other avenues. It is very apparent that Kerala is on the priority list of Dawood Ibrahims D-Company. The killing of four PFI cadres in Kupwara was not, however, the first spotlight on what the PFI is up to. As per media reports, ISI infiltration into Kerala first emerged in 2006 post the arrest of Muhammad Fahd of Al Badr (Pakistani national) with roots in Kerala, along with weapons and IEDs, possibly linked to the two bombs that went off in Kozhikode on March 3, 2006. More significantly, in 2010, raid on another PFI leaders house revealed ISI plans to monitor preparedness of the Navys Southern Command at Kochi. Seized documents also gave details of counter-terrorism drills held by security forces, and about huge sums of money being pumped into the PFI. Last April, 21 cadres of PFI were arrested in Kannur district attending a terrorist training camp, along with country made bombs and a human dummy. Kannur incidentally happens to be just one terror centre of the many operating in the region. Obviously, ISI and other ISI-linked terrorist organizations have been operating in Kerala for years. Despite all this, PFI does not figure in the MHA list of banned organizations in India even as they run terrorist training camps, some even in uniform and handling weapons. Both the State and the Centre have gone soft on the organization. Very conveniently, there is no laid down criteria for putting an organization on the banned list. All is left to the whims and fancies of the political leadership. So why has the PFI not been banned over the last decade? So is it only because of votes, to keep the State coalition intact or Ministers from Kerala including the current Defence Minister, or a combination of all these factors? Whatever be the case, such precedence encourages others to follow suit, latest example being the fledgling AAP, already tolerating members issuing statements averse to the security of the nation and the security forces, and even openly preaching secession. These are dangerous precedents that any self respecting country can hardly afford to overlook. &politicians who have used Hawala for sneaking money out are under ISI and LeT blackmail. This is logical assessment since Hawala is being managed by Dawood Ibrahim who is intimately linked to the ISI. Much more revealing is the article Corrupt netas LOOT India dated 6th January 2014 on rediff.com that talks of Rs 73,00,00,00,00,00000 having been siphoned out of India by corrupt politicians. Though the Jain Hawala racket of Maharashtra is mentioned, it is a fraction of the overall amount given in the article. Veteran R&AW officers appreciate that politicians who have used Hawala for sneaking money out are under ISI and LeT blackmail. This is logical assessment since Hawala is being managed by Dawood Ibrahim who is intimately linked to the ISI. The assessment also gives this as the likely reason for India going soft on terror. Obviously they comply for fear of exposure and possible end of their political career. So that is the story of Indias counter terrorism policy. Given the higher than the mountains, deeper than the sky China-Pakistan relationship there is no reason that such information is not being shared by the ISI with the ý¶‰hè (Chinese Secret Service), so our soft stance in face of Chinese belligerence. Chinese strategy always aims to target the minds of the political leadership of adversaries. What better Gordian Knot then blackmail of grave financial misdemeanors. To this end, the recent allegation by the former Home Secretary of the current Home Minister favouring a D-Company individual can hardly be brushed under the carpet

Indian National Security part 11 by Brigadier Mahajan (Retired) (+playlist)

Indian National Security part 11 by Brigadier Mahajan (Retired) (+playlist)

HOW INDIAN DOCTERS LOOT PATIENTS

HOW INDIAN DOCTORS LOOT PATIENTS Dr.B.M. Hegde has written two books and it is a must for every one to read.'What doctors do not study in Medical colleges' Now he is bold to reveal all these. This is from Dr. B M Hegde. Wonder how much is widespread and how many are merely a few black sheep. How Indian Doctors Loot Patients. Most of these observations are either completely or partially true. Corruption has many names, and one of civil society isn't innocent either. Professionals and businessmen of various sorts indulge in unscrupulous practices. I recently had a chat with some doctors, surgeons and owners of nursing homes about the tricks of their trade. Here is what they said 1) 40-60% kickbacks for lab tests. When a doctor (whether family doctor / general physician, consultant or surgeon) prescribes tests - pathology, radiology, X-rays, MRIs etc. - the laboratory conducting those tests gives commissions. In South and Central Mumbai -- 40%. In the suburbs north of Bandra -- a whopping 60 per cent! He probably earns a lot more in this way than the consulting fees that you pay.2) 30-40% for referring to consultants, specialists & surgeons. When your friendly GP refers you to a specialist or surgeon, he gets 30-40%. 3) 30-40% of total hospital charges. If the GP or consultant recommends hospitalization, he will receive kickback from the private nursing home as a percentage of all charges including ICU, bed, nursing care, surgery. 4) Sink tests. Some tests prescribed by doctors are not needed. They are there to inflate bills and commissions. The pathology lab understands what is unnecessary. These are called "sink tests"; blood, urine, stool samples collected will be thrown. 5) Admitting the patient to "keep him under observation". People go to cardiologists feeling unwell and anxious. Most of them aren't really having a heart attack, and cardiologists and family doctors are well aware of this. They admit such safe patients, put them on a saline drip with mild sedation, and send them home after 3-4 days after charging them a fat amount for ICU, bed charges, visiting doctors fees. 6) ICU minus intensive care. Nursing homes all over the suburbs are run by doctor couples or as one-man-shows. In such places, nurses and ward boys are 10th cl-ass drop-outs in ill-fitting uniforms and bare feet. These "nurses" sit at the reception counter, give injections and saline drips, perform ECGs, apply dressings and change bandages, and assist in the operation theatre. At night, they even sit outside the Intensive Care Units; there is no resident doctor. In case of a crisis, the doctor -- who usually lives in the same building -- will turn up after 20 minutes, after this nurse calls him. Such ICUs admit safe patients to fill up beds. Genuine patients who require emergency care are sent elsewhere to hospitals having a Resident Medical Officer (RMO) round-the-clock. 7) Unnecessary caesarean surgeries and hysterectomies. Many surgical procedures are done to keep the cash register ringing. Caesarean deliveries and hysterectomy (removal of uterus) are high on the list. While the woman with labour -pains is screaming and panicking, the obstetrician who gently suggests that caesarean is best seems like an angel sent by God! Menopausal women experience bodily changes that make them nervous and gullible. They can be frightened by words like " and "fibroids" that are in almost every normal woman's radiology reports. When a gynaecologist gently suggests womb removal "as a precaution", most women and their husbands agree without a second's thought. 8) Cosmetic surgery advertized through newspapers. Liposuction and plastic surgery are not minor procedures. Some are life-threateningly major. But advertisements make them appear as easy as facials and waxing. The Indian medical councilhas strict rules against such misrepresentation. But nobody is interested in taking action. 9) Indirect kickbacks from doctors to prestigious hospitals. To be on the panel of a prestigious hospital, there is give-and-take involved. The hospital expects the doctor to refer many patients for hospital admission. If he fails to send a certain number of patients, he is quietly dumped. And so he likes to admit patients even when there is no need. 10) "Emergency surgery" on dead body. If a surgeon hurriedly wheels your patient from the Intensive Care Unit to the operation theatre, refuses to let you go inside and see him, and wants your signature on the consent form for "an emergency operation to save his life", it is likely that your patient is already dead. The "emergency operation" is for inflating the bill; if you agree for it, the surgeon will come out 15 minutes later and report that your patient died on the operation table. And then, when you take delivery of the dead body, you will pay OT charges, anaesthesiologist's charges, blah-blah-Doctors are humans too. You can't trust them blindly. Please understand the difference. 11) Young surgeons and old ones. The young ones who are setting up nursing home etc. have heavy loans to settle. To pay back the loan, they have to perform as many operations as possible. Also, to build a reputation, they have to perform a large number of operations and develop their skills. So, at first, every case seems fit for cutting. But with age, experience and prosperity, many surgeons lose their taste for cutting, and stop recommending operations. 12) Physicians and surgeons. To a man with a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. Surgeons like to solve medical problems by cutting, just as physicians first seek solutions with drugs. So, if you take your medical problem to a surgeon first, the chances are that you will unnecessarily end up on the operation table. Instead, please go to an ordinary GP first Prof. B. M. Hegde, MD, FRCP, FRCPE, FRCPG, FRCPI, FACC, FAMS. Padma Bhushan Awardee 2010.Editor-in-Chief, The Journal of the Science of Healing Outcomes,Chairman, State Health Society's Expert Committee, Govt. of Bihar, Patna.Former Prof. Cardiology, The Middlesex Hospital Medical School, University of London, Affiliate Prof. of Human Health, Northern Colorado University, Retd. Vice Chancellor, Manipal University, "Manjunath"Pais Hills, Bejai. MANGALORE-575004. India

NO WAR MEMORIAL TO LAY WREATH IN INDIA

No place to lay the wreathJan 29, 2014· · S.K. SinhaThe need for a National War Memorial for soldiers, sailors and airmen has been under examination for over half a century, but nothing has materialised so far thanks to bureaucratic hassles and political indecisivenessThis Republic Day, I watched the Indian high commissioner ceremonially lay a wreath at the impressive Indian Peace-Keeping Force war memorial in Colombo. Sri Lankan Navy buglers suitably participated in the solemn function.The names of 1,000 Indian soldiers killed in Sri Lanka are inscribed in golden letters on black granite at the IPKF memorial. I knew some of the officers whose names are inscribed there. They made the supreme sacrifice at the altar of the folly of our political leadership. This war was not in defence of our nation nor for promoting our national interests. Irrespective of any faulty decision of the political leadership, the soldier acting on it in his line of duty and making the supreme sacrifice is a national hero and his memory must be honoured. The IPKF contingent returning from Sri Lanka faced hostile demonstration and black flags in their home country when they landed in Tamil Nadu. J.R. Jayawardene, the late President of Sri Lanka, had asked for Indian help in dealing with the LTTE and that set a chain of events in which the Indian Army was fighting the Tamil Tigers. President Ranasinghe Premadasa wanted the IPKF to quit Sri Lanka and the IPKF was withdrawn. In 1993, he invited India to put up an IPKF war memorial in Colombo for which he earmarked a site. Little later he was assassinated by the Tamil Tigers. The IPKF memorial was completed in 2010. The memorial for Sri Lankan soldiers killed in the war against Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam is not far from this site. For their soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice for their country, the US has Arlington in Washington, the UK has the Cenotaph in London, France has the Arc de Triumph in Paris and in our neighbourhood, Bangladesh has one in Dhaka and Sri Lanka has a memorial in Colombo. The British not only included the Indian soldiers in their war memorial in London, but also memorials near battlefields in countries like France, Italy and Egypt. When the capital of India was shifted to New Delhi, they built India Gate in the heart of Lutyens’ New Delhi to honour the memory of Indian soldiers killed in the Third Afghan War and the First World War. They quit India soon after. But they built war memorials for the soldiers who laid down their lives near the battlefields at Kohima and Imphal. The former is perhaps the prettiest war memorial in the world. It is on a terraced well-maintained lawn with names of soldiers along with their religious symbols inscribed on small brass tablets in rows in lush green grass. The entrance has an arch with the following touching words inscribed on it: “When you go back home tell them of us, for their tomorrow we gave our today.” Over 80,000 Indian soldiers have died in various wars we have fought since Independence. There is no National War Memorial for them in New Delhi. The need for a National War Memorial for soldiers, sailors and airmen has been under examination for over half a century, but nothing has materialised so far thanks to bureaucratic hassles and political indecisiveness. As deputy adjutant-general in early Seventies and, five years later, as adjutant-general in late Seventies, I was closely associated with the National War Memorial project at a prime place in the heart of the capital, where both our and foreign dignitaries could place wreaths. After our great victory in the Indo-Pak war of December 1971, Indira Gandhi desired to lay a wreath at a memorial for our martyrs of that war. We rigged up a temporary war memorial under India Gate with a rectangular platform with a soldier’s rifle embedded in it upside down and steel helmet above the butt. An eternal flame was also put up on the top of India Gate. This arrangement has continued to this day pending construction of a proper war memorial. This strengthened our case for a proper national War Memorial at that site. After a quarter of a century, we got government approval in principle for a national war memorial to be constructed there. A striking design in the middle of the roundabout was approved by the Cabinet in 2009. Work has not started as Sheila Dikshit, the then chief minister, raised objection saying that the people of New Delhi will be denied a popular picnic spot. There are many parks nearby, like the Lodhi Gardens, open space in Purana Qila and the huge Jawaharlal Nehru Park. In fact, there is a valid case to stop picnic near India Gate as picnickers litter the area. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has made many populist promises which seem almost impossible to implement. Among these is to demolish bungalows with large compounds in Lutyens’ Delhi and put up high-rise apartments for the poor. He may well come up with the idea of having high-rise apartments near India Gate and shelve the national war memorial project. We have a lame duck government at the Centre, which has always shown a marked inability to take decisions. In view of all this we may find that the national war memorial project may remain in cold storage. However, if our parliamentary elections throw up a strong Prime Minister with a reputation and proven record of an achiever, someone who gets things done and has consideration for the military, a national war memorial can come up soon.The writer, a retired lieutenant-general, was Vice-Chief of Army Staff and has served as governor of Assam and Jammu and Kashmir