ChinmayC Blog

Nagpur: The final Report of the Two-member Inquiry Commission appointed in January, 2011 to look into the Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society scam was tabled in Maharashtra Legislature by a hesitant Government yesterday. The Report names three ex-Chief Ministers of Maharashtra in same roles, one former CM in the role of revenue minister and two existing cabinet ministers in the roles of urban development ministers for giving political patronage to the Adarsh society in Mumbai. It names about twenty top existing and retired bureaucrats for illegal ownership of flats, nepotism and favouritism, and blatant violation of housing rules. Citing the classic saying that ' a man needs just five and half feet of land finally' the Report terms the Adarsh as a tale of absolute greed and corruption and the most shameful act for a progressive state like Maharashtra. The high drama and suspense leading to tabling the Report started, in fact, from 19th of April, 2013 when the Commission had ...

Anna Hazare Breaking His Fast Fight against corruption in India got the long sought after boost as Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament, passed the Lokpal Bill today afternoon. The Anti Corruption ombudsman Bill or the Lokpal Bill has almost become an Act pending the President's nod. Anna Hazare, the crusader against corruption, has given up his 7-day long fast and his followers at his native village Ralegan Siddhi and all over the country are celebrating. After disastrous defeats in four assembly elections the Congress led UPA Government has something now to draw inspiration from. Maybe it was already inspired by the certainty of it as the Government countered the US in a telling manner following the most peculiar case of Devyani Khobragade. A diplomat humiliated, and a lady harassed and insulted by American cops. Thanks to the sheer absurdity the conspiracy theory is gaining ground in India. A big apology from Uncle Sam is what the whole of India want now. One mor...

After a day long debate when political parties shook off their ideological differences Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament, passed the Lokpal Bill or the Anti Corruption ombudsman Bill this evening. Getting it passes here was the most difficult and crucial part due to the number game, and now passing it in Lok Sabha seems to be a formality, most probably tomorrow itself. Therefore we are likely to finally have an anti corrupt law. And Anna Hazare is set to call off his fast the moment history is made. The Indian government has accepted all recommendations made by the joint select committee to make way for a strong bill. However the debate between Lokpal and Jokepal Bill continues. No human being is perfect, so how could a Bill be perfect. And in India you may have the absolutely perfect plan, but implementation in this god forsaken country is always typically imperfect. Anyway, we can still celebrate with the fact that we do at least have a law against the corrupt. ...

If the Anti-corruption Ombudsman Bill or the Lokpal Bill is passed by Rajya Sabha on Monday and it finally becomes a law who will get or take or claim the credit? An interestingly competitive game seems to be picking up fast. On the positive side due to this game the Bill is almost sure to be passed. Politics of the most unprecedented or even weird kind is unfolding in Delhi. Normally after almost winning an election members of the concerned political party start fighting between themselves for the prime posts and indulges in horse trading to get the magic majority. But this time in Delhi no party is willing to take the plunge. BJP, just 3 short of majority, refused to try form the government saying it would support Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) that stuck to its principle of not extending or taking support of any party. Congress offered unconditional support to AAP last evening. Today Kejriwal did go to meet the Lt Governor after being invited to discuss formation of g...

Anna Hazare congratulated his erstwhile chief lieutenant in the movement against corruption, Arvind Kejriwal for the latter's spectacular debut political performance in Delhi assembly election. He said that Kejriwal would have become Delhi Chief Minister if he had his continued support. Anna also reiterated his earlier observation that elections could be won without tons of money. But then, Anna would never become politically aligned or support any political party. We saw how pained he was when Kejriwal decided to form a political party and how he almost gave up his movement. However, it is obvious the crusader against corruption took some positives out of this development. Anna decides to resume his mission. Anna Hazare announced his resolve to continue the fight for the much debated Anti-corruption Ombudsman or Jan Lokpal Bill. And today, the mass leader began one more of his famous fasts unto death at his native village Ralegan Siddhi in Maharashtra. Other reasons are also th...

Of the five Indian states that went to poll counting for the north eastern state of Mizoram was taken up today. And the intensely introspective Congress party managed to make it 1-4 as a saving grace. On the momentous day yesterday BJP roared back to power in Rajasthan with three fourth majority, swept Madhya Pradesh and managed to retain Chattisgarh too. Only Delhi has a hung assembly with BJP being the single largest party. There is lot of uncertainty here as Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) cannot afford to ally with any party on principle of fighting corruption. And it cannot have full faith in its winning candidates because the lure of political power and money might tempt them to defect to BJP. Therefore AAP is not taking any chances now. In this much touted Semi Final for General Election 2014 BJP defeated Congress 4-1 and is getting emboldened to take the ruling coalition and all Congress ruled states like Maharashtra by the throat. Meanwhile in south Africa it wou...

It was expected though not entirely predictable--in both cases. Over the last few years Congress came to be identified with corruption thanks to various scams of the ruling coalition. Anna Hazare started the movement against corruption and rocked the whole of India--particularly Delhi. The BJP constantly attacking Congress on corruption and moving around Anna not exactly supporting or opposing him somewhat escaped being clubbed with corruption or Congress. Then BJP launched Narendra Modi as the Prime Ministerial candidate. Add to it the unabated inflation. For the four states that went to Assembly polls in November-December, 2013 these factors possibly led to a wave for change with record voting percentage in most states and BJP beat Congress 4-0, almost. It was a sweep in BJP ruled Madhya Pradesh and a grand comeback in Rajasthan. BJP ruled Chattisgarh was also retained after a tough Congress fight that happened largely due to the recent Naxal attack on its leaders. Arvind Kejriwal w...

We, talking about our generation specifically, grew up with the history of Mahatma Gandhi—how he made India independent through complete non-violence a movement based on truth and how the greatest Indian leader of all time was assassinated on the fateful day of 30 th January, 1948. We grew up with Nelson Mandela hearing about his movement against the racist policy of Apartheid in South Africa based on the same Gandhian ideals, later watching him go about his noble ways and hearing his inspirational speeches—in India and everywhere. How he finally won like Mahatma Gandhi ending Apartheid and becoming the first black President of South Africa in 1994. He has been our Gandhi live and heart wrenchingly we lost him on Thursday evening, the 5 th of December, 2013—losing a continuous source of leadership, indomitable spirit and inspiration. Of course, we knew that he had not been keeping well for the last few months being in and out of the ICU, and that he had reached the ripe age of 95. Bu...

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