Phir bhi Mera Bharat Mahan.
She kind of is running the Congress Party, so regardless of how she got there, she’s justifiably famous now.
No argument.
Of course the largest terrorist act in Canada, the bomb which killed about 300 people on an Air India jet in the mid-80’s, was strictly a Hindu-Sikh thing, no Islamics need apply. Along with that was the murder of Indira (“the other”) Gandhi by her bodyguards, the assault on extremists holed up in the holy Sikh site, the Golden Temple…
It’s a 3-way cluster…something. The amazing thing is how peaceful the Sikh-Hindu thing seems to be in the last decade or so, considering the history. It seems that various religious types have a history of deliberately provoking each other, especially extremist politicians when it gets them points with fanatical supporters.
But yes, this seems to have been a local Indian state’s own little “Pussy Riot” issue. Consider that if the more extreme types had their way 15 or 20 years ago, insulting the flag would have been a crime in the USA - no surprise some laws on the books in India seem a little extreme today.
Actually it’s the opposite. Given the history between Hindus and Sikhs, what’s amazing is how bad it got for a few years. Indira Gandhi herself can probably take a lot of the blame for that.
As for why it’s peaceful now, it’s not that big a mystery. The Indian government killed all the Sikh extremists in extrajudicial “police actions.”
Sub say achha, for visiting anyway.
Just got back from Ladakh a bit ago. Near as I could get to my boyhood stomping grounds, since taken over by Al Qaeda so I had to move west a bit to get the same feel.
Look at how the U.S. has treated citizens that have self-declared as Socialists for years.
I’m sorry if I seem to be too cynical, but in India any “Anti-corruption department” will be more corrupt than the average government agency and any “independent investigation” by a government agency will very quickly become infiltrated by the very department it is investigating and deemed useless.
BTW this is another thing to bear in mind:
India is a gigantic federal union, and state and local authorities may vary widely in how they handle the liberty vs. security equation.
No people are corrupt by birth my friend. In India too, some organizations like the Indian Army, Indian Space Research Organization, Delhi Metro Corporation etc have clean image. And likewise, some have corrupt image.
The proposed bill had the necessary checks and balances to be effective. It is made after extensive consultation across country. And similar laws have proven to be effective in other countries.
About the bolded part, a Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI), with sufficient man power and resources already exists in India. But the problem is that it comes under direct government control. So it can not \ does not investigate its masters(unless directed by supreme court). The essence of the anti-graft movement is to detach the CBI from Government influence.
You didn’t, but you were defending someone who did. And really, if you think pointing out the difference between ‘genocidal style massacre’ and ‘sectarian riots’ is nit picking, your disinterest in accuracy or ‘fighting ignorance’ has been noted right back. Cheers.
Eta: Also, I said what I did because genocidal style massacres did take place in India, in 1947. At the time the intent really was to wipe out a different community. In no situation in India except the one in Kashmir(which is a whole other story) does that hold.
If you’re talking about the Jan Lokpal bill, I’m afraid I’ll have to concur with Mangosteen. The way it has been proposed, it really would turn out corrupt very quickly. You’re right though, CBI should be made more independent. How exactly that would work is not clear to me.
The real problem with India is that we have not yet developed our own institutions. The ones we have are largely colonial institutions, and those were put in place to serve the rulers, not the populace. As Anaamika says, we’re only 65 years old. Give us a hundred or so more to reach the type of corruption the US has 
You’re quite right. In fact, in W. Bengal the current chief minister(a woman) is quite authoritarian and is going crazily overboard with how badly she reacts to criticism. Had someone put in jail for forwarding cartoons of her. Had someone put in jail for asking her a discomfiting question at a rally. These people have been released, but it’s unfortunate that she could do what she did.
Yep, there has been no historical animosity between Hindus and Sikhs, nor is there any now. A Sikh at a Hindu temple or a Hindu at a Sikh gurudwara wouldn’t raise any eyebrows. Hell, sometimes even muslims go to the gurudwara. Here’s a story to warm the cockles
I am talking about what was largely agreed upon in Rajya Sabha by NDA, left and BSP etc but wasn’t allowed to pass by the Congress Party. That there be a Lokpal authority, which receives complaints and does priliminary enquiry. CBI, whose director is independent of government control, which investigates on requests received by Lokpal. A prosecution wing, decoupled from investigation wing. And an independent juduciary.
And this, with proper checks and balances. Shouldn’t be difficult to achieve at all if the government has the will and no vested interests.
Well, that’s kind of the rub.
Achha, toh Aap hamara padosi hai?
I mean Padosi tha?