I can understand it if Karat & Co. can high light the real legal and technical problems that might arise by signing the deal rather than opposing it just because they don't like USA. Let Karat and party suggest a viable alternative for power starved India. Look at France and see where they get most of their power from. What are our options? If horse trading is taking place in Delhi, then who is responsible for it? How many people know that our R & D is stagnated because of restrictions on import of equipments from the west due to dual useage clause ? To avoid such problems we need to overcome restrictions. How can we maintain 8-10pc growth if there is power shortage. So time to decide whether to love China or hate USA !
A sea change in their attitude is quite palpable. I see no sense in calling them anti- this and that. As far as I can see, if you call the leftists pro-chinese, then congress and BJP wallas are clearly pro-america or american agents like some bloggers call them.
But the truth is somewhere in between. Every party has a view of the world and no one is right or wrong, but everyone working towards national interest as they see it and one has to take a decision depending on where one stands.
But I seem to believe, nuclear deal with america is NOT in the long term interests of India. We need to develop our own forms of energy and only then we can truly become a superpower else we will always be seen as an american poodle an also looking at chinese defensively as opposed to, confidently.
RE:Leftists are Nationalists too- so is BJP and CONG.
by Tom Dick on Jul 20, 2008 08:33 PM Permalink
While agreeing to most of your view Mr. Sivaprasad, my question is how long should we wait to develope our own energy. Thorium is our hope but it is going to take a long long time before we can harness it. Do we have 'unlimited' time in our hand to wait for new and unproven energy resources? Thousands of young engineers and technicians pass out every year but without power at reasonable price, we will not have industry to offer them jobs. Besides, all agreements will have a 'termination clause'. So if we are not happy, invoke that clause. Iam just expressing my feelings as a lay person. Thanks.
Unlike British Parliamentary practices,where the post of Speaker is apolitical, in India it was the political person elected to the post of Speaker.He is first elected on a party ticket, then unimously or through election, elected to the post of Speaker. Once he is elected, he holds the constitutional position. He should become apolitical in terms of running the Parliament. One cannot expect the Speaker to cut off all his relationship with the Party which elected him to the parliament. This is asking for too much. He will definitely have allegiance to the party, but then through his conduct in the House he would demonstrate that he is neutral to the proceedings,favouring none,leave alone his party members. Today a different situation has arisen in which Karat chose to include the name of the Speaker in the list of party MPs withdrawing the support. Karat was right or wrong in including the name of the Speaker, is debatable.When time comes, parliamentary niceties apart,the Speaker can tender his resignation and rejoin the opposition or treasury bench to save or oppose the Govt. There no impropriety involved. Karat was right when he included his name and Somnath was equally right when he refused to toe the party line. As an individual he held certain views or principles based on which he has acted. It may be differences with Karat on certain issues or he does not wish to vote along with the communal forces. Nobody has read his mind,these are just an observation of the issue.
RE:The Speaker is a constitutional position - Somnath was right
by Prem Mohan on Jul 20, 2008 08:01 PM Permalink
Mr Somnath Chatterji can stay on in parliament and cast his vote in case of a tie.
In Britain too the speaker is first elected to parliament on a party ticket.
Its wrong to suggest/assume that dalits are with Maya.They are with every party. Very resently in the Karnataka Assembly elections, she failed to open her account. BSP is very much a regional party.
Dear Mr Prakash Karat& Mrs Brinda Karat, Pls don't prctice communism any more in India. Give up such things now and learn Chinaism - a real swadeshi. They have invited everyone from across the globe to China to do buisness,share the profitability, do for the progress of their nation, welfare for the people, stability to the country and sustaining the progress,etc. You peple are fake.Your team has become a bunch of jokers with no idealism or anything. Its better to call you all a bundle of senseless fellows. We thought U 2 B a learned person but we were proved 2 B Wrong.God can only save U. Sorry, U all don't believe in any God or so. But Jyoti da do perform Kalipooja in his area and in his house. A bunch of hypocrites!!!!!
Somnath Chatterjee's argument that as a speaker he is above party politics does not hold water when he says that CPM should not vote with BJP. It clearly shows his hatred for BJP. This means he is not above politics but a third rate opportunist.
I SALUTE SOMNATH CHATTERJI FOR TAKING A BOLD STEP. THE REAL MAN IN INDIA. NOT ONLY THAT HE SAID IF ITS A TIE HE WILL VOTE FOR THE UPA. KARAT WAS THE MAN IN A HURRY. HE IS ALLERGIC TO USA SO MUCH SO THAT HE WANTS TO LET INDIA GO TO DOGS. PM MR. MANMOHAN SINGH IS POLITICIAN BUT A MAN WHO WANT TO SEE INDIA RISING TO HIGH LEVEL IN THE WORLD. WHEN THE PRICE RISE THE LIKES OF KARAT BLAMES THE GOVERNMENT BUT WHEN NUCLEAR ENERGY IS REQUIRED BY OUR COUNTRY HE BUTTS IN. WHY? HE DOESN'T WANT INDIA TO GO AHEAD OF CHINA. KARAT YOU HAVE FAILED ..... YOU WANT CREDIT WITHOUT DOING ANYTHNG. I FEEL BASU AND THE POLITBUREA OF CPI SHOULD IMMEDIATELY LOOK AND JUST TO GAIN PUBLICITY HE SHOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN MATTER TO SUCH EXTEND. BJP WILL BE HAPPY .. AND LAUGH AT HIM FOR THE FOOLISHNESS. KARAT YOU ARE IN MESS TOGETHER WITH THE PARTY. MAYA/GOWDA/ADVANI ARE EYING THE PM CHAIR ONLY. THEY DO NOT HAVE ANY GOOD AGENDA FOR INDIA OR FOR THE PEOPLE OF INDIA. THAT LEAVES ...... KARAT IN A TOTAL MESS MY FRIEND........
In Kerala the importance of Kasera {Kursi}or the Chair is the focus. The older the chair the longer a person wants to hold on to that tightly. These Elders should be teamed as a core group and provide guidance for future progress of the Nation. Like Speaker's post they should relinquish party membership. Even a Communist may like to pray when he becomes old. Non-believing Party may not permit the old person to make prayer or to visit a place of worship.
RE:Speaker
by Prem Mohan on Jul 20, 2008 08:00 PM Permalink
Although I heartily dislike Mr Somnath Chatterjee because of his communist antecedents, I would like to point out: (1) The speaker has a vote only in the case of a tie. (2) I don't think he will need work from the Congress. He may become an ambassador or governor, but the poossibilities are remote. If it is just money that he wants to earn, there are many ways of doing so.
