07-26-2007, 02:36 AM
Arun Nehru articl ein Pioneer
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->It's advantage Congress
The presidential election is finally over. Ms Pratibha Patil has been elected as the first woman President of India. <b>The UPA-Left presidential candidate has defeated Mr Bhairon Singh Shekhawat with a margin of over three lakh votes - about 10,000 more than expected by her party's poll managers - thanks to cross-voting in her favour in some States.</b> The presidential election has been a no-contest, as the numbers were always in favour of the UPA and its allies.
During the election, the BJP-led NDA failed to perform as a team. After wresting the advantage from the UPA on the issue of Ms Patil's 'loans and defaults' and the adverse public reaction to her, the NDA gave away the advantage. Worse, some of the NDA allies were even embarrassed and reluctant to identify themselves with the BJP during the election, fearing the loss of minority votes. And this applies to the JD(U) in Bihar and the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal.
This confusion may well continue for the election of the Vice-President, and if the Left does not create complications to divert attention from its own internal battles, the Congress has a good opportunity to launch a political counter-offensive. <b>The result of the presidential election has strengthened the Congress and its coalition partners, isolated the BJP from its allies and will help the strengthening of the eight-party UNPA.</b>
The effects of all this will be felt in Gujarat, which will be witnessing Assembly election in the next few months. Confused thinking within many power centres of the BJP will help the Congress in its battle against Mr Narendra Modi, one of the best Chief Ministers in the country. <b>And if the Congress does well, the Left parties' drift towards the UNPA as a viable alternative may be delayed.</b>
The Left has made no secret of its preference for a non-BJP, non-Congress coalition, and this makes theoretical sense. But I wonder if this will take place if the Left shrinks to 40-45 seats, from the current level of 65 seats, in the next election. Every political group, be it the UPA, the UNPA or the NDA, is under pressure as are individual parties, for, anti-incumbency factors make political honeymoons unpredictable. Can Ms Mayawati's BSP and Mr Parkash Singh Badal's Akali Dal survive for two years in office and retain their popularity? <b>In my opinion, as things stand at the moment, the contest is between the UPA and the UNPA. The NDA is a distant third.</b>
Coming to the economy, it continues to prosper. Clearly, India is a land of opportunity for those who can think ahead. Also, the future is with those with a positive mindset. Those looking for negatives will find them in plenty and will be a spectator to events. They will miss the bus. Infrastructure is the key to success and this is where the main responsibility of the Government is, both at the Centre and in the States. In this connection, archaic laws pertaining to land usage - both agricultural and commercial - and residential rules need to be reviewed. The reality of economic growth should be taken into account.
We have seen utter chaos in Delhi on the issues of demolition and sealing. I do not know how all this activity has helped the country to progress into the future. We, in Mehrauli, continue to look at MG Road and the partially demolished buildings where nothing has been done to clear the debris. Other buildings have been sealed and are awaiting the law court's decision. Everyone, including the media, has lost interest in the issue which may have resulted in a loss of revenue of over Rs 1,000 crore to the Government in taxes, besides leading to unemployment of many thousands.
We talk of the rule of law, but to take corrective action a decade or two after the event takes place makes little sense. And has any public interest been served by these demolitions? Land reforms are only one part of the infrastructure story and as we grow at the rate of eight per cent plus, we need activity on several fronts. Industry initiative and effort will have to be supported by the Government.
No Government can survive by taking a negative attitude on growth. Any punitive steps taken will drive away investors to other locations. An excellent example would be of Kerala where the CPI(M) Government pursues a punitive policy towards certain industrial houses. I think this will result in an electoral disaster in the next election. The voting public wants reforms and progress, and has little interest in some Left leaders settling their personal problems. West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee cannot be faulted for Nandigram, which, sadly, was more of a creation by the local CPI(M) cadre which control the rural areas. The Left has flexed its muscles on the issue of the President and we have seen what happens when a panic decision is taken.
The stock markets have a logic of their own, but I am amazed at the foreign experts and the brokerage houses who appear with their stories of gloom and doom. It is time the SEBI took a closer look at these experts, and at the buying and selling patterns of these brokerage houses. You will observe that most change their assessment with market movements. Speculation and corrections are part of the market, as are charging bulls and retreating bears. It is a tribute to the Indian investor that he has shown confidence in the market and not reacted to panic news from interested parties.
The reality is that we are growing at the rate of eight per cent to nine per cent a year, we have the best demographic pattern and a middle class in excess of 300 million people, and we are adding 30-40 million every year to this class. Should anyone be surprised that hundreds of Indian companies are acquiring assets abroad, and all things Indian have been making their presence felt in the global market over the past 10 years? The colonial hangover is over and there is a growing pride in things Indian. We are often described as an "emerging market", but the reality is that we emerged many years ago. The Indian MNC is making its presence felt in the 'developed' world.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->It's advantage Congress
The presidential election is finally over. Ms Pratibha Patil has been elected as the first woman President of India. <b>The UPA-Left presidential candidate has defeated Mr Bhairon Singh Shekhawat with a margin of over three lakh votes - about 10,000 more than expected by her party's poll managers - thanks to cross-voting in her favour in some States.</b> The presidential election has been a no-contest, as the numbers were always in favour of the UPA and its allies.
During the election, the BJP-led NDA failed to perform as a team. After wresting the advantage from the UPA on the issue of Ms Patil's 'loans and defaults' and the adverse public reaction to her, the NDA gave away the advantage. Worse, some of the NDA allies were even embarrassed and reluctant to identify themselves with the BJP during the election, fearing the loss of minority votes. And this applies to the JD(U) in Bihar and the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal.
This confusion may well continue for the election of the Vice-President, and if the Left does not create complications to divert attention from its own internal battles, the Congress has a good opportunity to launch a political counter-offensive. <b>The result of the presidential election has strengthened the Congress and its coalition partners, isolated the BJP from its allies and will help the strengthening of the eight-party UNPA.</b>
The effects of all this will be felt in Gujarat, which will be witnessing Assembly election in the next few months. Confused thinking within many power centres of the BJP will help the Congress in its battle against Mr Narendra Modi, one of the best Chief Ministers in the country. <b>And if the Congress does well, the Left parties' drift towards the UNPA as a viable alternative may be delayed.</b>
The Left has made no secret of its preference for a non-BJP, non-Congress coalition, and this makes theoretical sense. But I wonder if this will take place if the Left shrinks to 40-45 seats, from the current level of 65 seats, in the next election. Every political group, be it the UPA, the UNPA or the NDA, is under pressure as are individual parties, for, anti-incumbency factors make political honeymoons unpredictable. Can Ms Mayawati's BSP and Mr Parkash Singh Badal's Akali Dal survive for two years in office and retain their popularity? <b>In my opinion, as things stand at the moment, the contest is between the UPA and the UNPA. The NDA is a distant third.</b>
Coming to the economy, it continues to prosper. Clearly, India is a land of opportunity for those who can think ahead. Also, the future is with those with a positive mindset. Those looking for negatives will find them in plenty and will be a spectator to events. They will miss the bus. Infrastructure is the key to success and this is where the main responsibility of the Government is, both at the Centre and in the States. In this connection, archaic laws pertaining to land usage - both agricultural and commercial - and residential rules need to be reviewed. The reality of economic growth should be taken into account.
We have seen utter chaos in Delhi on the issues of demolition and sealing. I do not know how all this activity has helped the country to progress into the future. We, in Mehrauli, continue to look at MG Road and the partially demolished buildings where nothing has been done to clear the debris. Other buildings have been sealed and are awaiting the law court's decision. Everyone, including the media, has lost interest in the issue which may have resulted in a loss of revenue of over Rs 1,000 crore to the Government in taxes, besides leading to unemployment of many thousands.
We talk of the rule of law, but to take corrective action a decade or two after the event takes place makes little sense. And has any public interest been served by these demolitions? Land reforms are only one part of the infrastructure story and as we grow at the rate of eight per cent plus, we need activity on several fronts. Industry initiative and effort will have to be supported by the Government.
No Government can survive by taking a negative attitude on growth. Any punitive steps taken will drive away investors to other locations. An excellent example would be of Kerala where the CPI(M) Government pursues a punitive policy towards certain industrial houses. I think this will result in an electoral disaster in the next election. The voting public wants reforms and progress, and has little interest in some Left leaders settling their personal problems. West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee cannot be faulted for Nandigram, which, sadly, was more of a creation by the local CPI(M) cadre which control the rural areas. The Left has flexed its muscles on the issue of the President and we have seen what happens when a panic decision is taken.
The stock markets have a logic of their own, but I am amazed at the foreign experts and the brokerage houses who appear with their stories of gloom and doom. It is time the SEBI took a closer look at these experts, and at the buying and selling patterns of these brokerage houses. You will observe that most change their assessment with market movements. Speculation and corrections are part of the market, as are charging bulls and retreating bears. It is a tribute to the Indian investor that he has shown confidence in the market and not reacted to panic news from interested parties.
The reality is that we are growing at the rate of eight per cent to nine per cent a year, we have the best demographic pattern and a middle class in excess of 300 million people, and we are adding 30-40 million every year to this class. Should anyone be surprised that hundreds of Indian companies are acquiring assets abroad, and all things Indian have been making their presence felt in the global market over the past 10 years? The colonial hangover is over and there is a growing pride in things Indian. We are often described as an "emerging market", but the reality is that we emerged many years ago. The Indian MNC is making its presence felt in the 'developed' world.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->