Withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan and its geo-strategic implications for India

On February 29, 2020, US signed a peace deal with Taliban, which would entail complete withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan. The peace deal will help US to significantly reduce its economic and human resource costs that are attached with military presence in a foreign country. Given the fragile nature of Afghanistan democracy, the country's future minus US presence, is seen with uncertainty and fear.

Even though US presence in Afghanistan subdued Taliban's influence in the country, its network with international terror organizations like Al Qaeda, ISIS and Pak based groups like Jaish-E-Mohammed and Lashker-E-Taiba remained active. For example, the recent attack on a Sikh Temple in Kabul resulting in loss of 27 Sikh lives, is considered to be coordinated effort of multiple terror outfits. 

With Taliban bidding time for complete withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, changing dynamics in the war ravaged country could be highly disruptive for South Asia. Absence of US troops will give a free hand to Pakistan to dominate Afghanistan. Pakistan's ISI has already played an instrumental role in brokering the peace deal between US and Taliban. The deal has given recognition to Taliban as an authorized stakeholder in Afghanistan's governance. 

At present the terror strikes are limited, however, US withdrawal will remove the pressure valve, which can have a potentially blasting effect. 

China's growing belligerence, coupled with increasing influence of Pakistan in the Afghanistan region, will multiply India's problems. Pakistan's poor financial situation has made it subservient to China's business and geo-political interests in the region. As a result, a joint military op of China, Pak and Taliban against India is highly probable in the next six to nine months. 

Taliban and Pakistan based terror groups have set up multiple joint training centres in southern and central Afghanistan. The purpose will be to launch joint terrorist strikes in different cities of India. As per a recent report by United Nations, nearly 6,500 Pakistani nationals are fighting alongside terrorist groups in Afghanistan.

Prior to withdrawal of troops, US did seek India's help in establishing military presence in the strife torn country. However, Indian leadership looked the other way and now the situation seems more volatile than ever before. Indian military presence in Afghanistan was highly advantageous for the Geo-political security of the region and would have served Indian security interests. Moreover, US was willing to provide financial support and advanced weaponry to India.

According to Dr Subramanian Swamy, benefits of a Indian military presence in Afghanistan significantly outweigh the ensuing costs. On the contrary, costs (in the form of terror strikes) could be significantly high for not setting up military base in the region.  

Hypothetically, India's acceptance of US offer for mediation in Afghanistan would have accrued the following benefits:

• Protection of Indian investment in Afghanistan
• Continuous monitoring of terrorist activities in the region
• Subdued influence of Pakistan in Afghan politics
• Prevention of the formation of a coalition or alliance of terrorist organizations, which could be adverse to India's security interests
• Rise in global standing and India's emergence as a strong regional power
• Control over China's aggressive maneuvers in Ladakh and other border regions.

In national interest, current ruling dispensation needs to realign its strategy towards Afghanistan. Any confusion with respect to India's geo-political strategy and the path forward may result in isolation and instability in the region.

How India's first Prime Minister, Nehru drifted India away from United States after Independence?

Post India's independence, US was ideologically inclined to develop close and strategic ties with India. US perceived India to be a natural partner since both the countries shared democratic values. 

During the same phase, Mao Zedong, leader of CCP, took control of China in a military coup in 1949. This meant a drastic shift in China's political ideology in favor of Communism. Such transition wasn't acceptable to Americans, who then became desperate to expel China out of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and were willing to give this seat to India.

As a result, then US secretary of state, John Foster, made the offer of UNSC seat to Indian Ambassador, Vijay lakshmi Pandit. When the US offer was communicated to Nehru, he declined it terming it as a trap by Americans. Despite America's friendly overtures, Nehru remained adamant over allowing China to retain the UNSC seat, under the pretext that not doing so would hurt Chinese sentiments. 

Apart from UNSC seat, US was willing to include India in its prestigious Marshall Plan which was a dedicated economic recovery package for the entire Europe and Japan after World War II. Acceptance of this offer would have propelled India into the league of developed nations within 10-15 years. However, Nehru declined this offer under the garb of Non-aligned movement, rather he chose to adopt Socialist economic model of five years plan.

Nehru failed to see US preference of India over China, which could have catapulted our country to world stage. On the contrary, he preferred to restrict India's role as that of a regional power in Asia. Nehru's reluctance to accept American friendship convinced US that India is most likely sitting in Soviet camp.  

Therefore, developing relationship with rogue nations like Pakistan became a geo-political compulsion for US. In an era, where world was waking up to a Cold war between two strong blocs, establishing presence in South Asia was essential for US. Consequently, Pakistan became a US ally and received considerable financial aid and weaponry in return, which was grossly misused. 

Nehru's restricted vision and affinity towards socialism stagnated India's economic, political and technological stature in the world. Hope history doesn't repeat!    

CBI Enquiry in Sushant Singh Rajput murder mystery is the need of the hour!

Sushant Singh Rajput woke up in the morning, went for a walk, spent some time on his Playstation, took a glass of juice, went inside his room and then committed suicide?? Even a layman can understand that the suicide doesn't seem to be a perfect conclusion of prior sequence of events. 

Shockingly, Mumbai Police arrived at such a pre-determined conclusion even before it began investigations. The bright and an upcoming actor didn't even leave a suicide note behind, then what was the hurry on the part of the Police to declare Sushant's death as a suicide? 

Only after strong public pressure, Mumbai police was forced to initiate investigation in Sushant Singh Rajput's so-called suicide. Nonetheless, Police summons and consequent interrogation of Bollywood biggies looks like an eyewash to douse the rising flames of justice among public.

In a recent letter to PM Modi, Dr Swamy demanded PM's intervention in the matter as the Maharashtra state government seems reluctant in handing over the case to CBI.  A CBI enquiry will possibly help to restore public confidence in such a sensitive and high profile case. A simple instruction by PM to Maharashtra state governor could possibly do the job. Dr Swamy's intervention will undoubtedly increase pressure on Mumbai Police. According to Dr Swamy, simultaneous investigations by Mumbai Police and Bihar Police is not feasible, therefore, CBI enquiry is the only way forward. 

Ace lawyer, Ishkaran Bhandari, who has fought many cases under Dr Subramanian Swamy, has sent letters to Mumbai Police over the nature of investigations. Through his letters, Ishkaran has appealed to Police to cover the following points in the investigation process:

• The Police shall collect, preserve and inspect all the cell phone data from mobile towers located in the vicinity of Sushant Singh's apartment. Negligence in this regard will result in loss of vital information.
• As per some sources, Mumbai Police didn't even seal Sushant Singh Rajput's apartment after his death. Such a lapse in the investigation process is fraught with risks such as loss of clinching evidence.
• A thorough forensic examination of items such as laptops, smartphones and other gadgets must be done.

Sushant's case has striking similarities with Jiah Khan suicide case. Both actors were in a jovial mood before their so-called suicide and did not exhibit signs of depression, which has been so vociferously claimed as the cause of suicide.

Just four days prior to Sushant's death, his ex-Manager, Disha Salian also died after falling from 14th floor of a building in Malad West. However, Mumbai police completed investigations and declared Disha's death as a freak accident within THREE days. This implies that Disha's case was closed one day before Sushant Singh Rajput's suicide. One wonders what was the reason to close Disha Salian's case in such a haphazard manner?? Is it a coincidence that Disha's case was closed just a day before Sushant Singh Rajput's death? It is another matter that her accidental death also looks similar to Divya Bharti's suicide. 

Interestingly, the late actress' husband Sajid Nadiadwala personally wrote a letter to Home Ministry to impose a ban on circulation of Sushant Singh Rajput's suicide photos. Is this an attempt to suppress evidence that proves Sushant's death as nothing but a cold blooded murder?

Mumbai Police earlier attempted to hush up Sushant Singh Rajput's matter as a mere suicide, which shakes public trust in its ability to conduct an impartial probe. Since, Bollywood is perceived to be close to underworld, Sushant Singh Rajput's case has nationwide implications. Therefore, an impartial CBI enquiry is the need of the hour!!  

Rajiv Gandhi Foundation scam was first exposed by Dr Swamy in 2015

In 2015, Dr Swamy had filed a complaint with Urban Development Ministry regarding RGF's illegal occupation of a building at Raisana road. The building was initially meant to be used as Congress headquarters, however, in 1991, Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, headed by Sonia Gandhi, usurped this prime property located in Delhi. 

Dr Swamy also uncovered the financial discrepancies and dubious funding pattern of RGF. For example, RGF's shady sources of donations (foreign embassies and Zakir Naik) were highlighted many times by Dr Swamy.  

Zakir Naik, known for his provocative and communal speeches, was brainwashing peaceful elements through his channel, PeaceTV. Only after Dhaka Cafe blast, the government woke up to reality and then banned his channel. However, Dr Swamy had already exposed Zakir Naik's ₹50 lakh donation to RGF in 2011, which is now even confirmed by ED's investigations. 

RGF has also received donations from foreign embassies (like China) for a long period of time. These devastating realities of Rajiv Gandhi Foundation were exposed by Dr Subramanian Swamy way back in 2015 and then 2016. Surprisingly, BJP government did not deem it necessary to probe the activities of RGF. 

Following collage provides details of Dr Swamy's Tweets from 2015 till 2020, where he has constantly warned about RGF's suspicious activities.

It is now proved that Dr Swamy is the original whistle blower of RGF scam and in BJP's moment of distress, his exposure has somewhat rescued the party from the current mess. How else, could BJP divert public attention from it's failure to control Covid-19 spread and the goof-up in its foreign policy with China?

Without doubt, BJP's policy has been to drum beat against Congress scams, which will help the party to dodge serious questions regarding it's failures. Five years have passed since Dr Swamy exposed Rajiv Gandhi Foundation scam, however BJP only woke up now??

While the government has set up an inter-ministerial committee to investigate the RGF matter, BJP's track record suggests that real action still looks like a daydream. 

Raghuram Rajan's past conduct as RBI Governor is questionable

Former RBI Governor, Raghuram Rajan inflicted serious damage to Indian economy due to his flawed monetary policies. Rajan's prescriptions to contain inflation hampered growth in the MSME sector. 

For example, raising repo rates, to counter inflation, subjugated demand for business loans, which deteriorated the investment climate. Simultaneously, Rajan had reduced the interest rates on domestic saving schemes (such as FD, NSC etc) that led to erosion of incomes of retired personnel and low-income households.

Lower interest on savings dis-incentivised households to invest in saving schemes, which dried up availability of funds for businesses, as savings are a major source of domestic loans. 

Few business enterprises used interest arbitrage to earn profits. For example, they availed loans from foreign banks at lower rates and then lent money to domestic players at prevailing interest rates in the market. Therefore Rajan's monetary policy benefited foreign lenders and diminished the financial flexibility of local businesses. 

Despite Rajan's global exposure and previous work experience, his knowledge and application as an economist is below average. He has been propped by a cartel which plans to control the flow of finances across the world. 

Dr Swamy had already warned about Rajan as a servant of foreign masters who want to wreck Indian economy. His recent tweet also corroborates that Raghuram Rajan is just a poster boy who lacks originality and his statements will fail to garner any traction in US. The tweet is given below:

Assessing Rajan's past conduct is essential to make a judgement about his seriousness to deliver for the country.  So let's delve deeper and under the facts behind Dr Swamy's remarks on Rajan: 

Rajan is a green card holder

Nothing wrong if someone holds a green card, however, continuing to renew American citizenship while holding a high post in government of India is unacceptable. Renewing American citizenship means that Rajan's heart still lies America and as a result, he will not be able to do justice to India.

Rajan wanted to introduce Islamic banking

As an RBI Governor, Rajan was fanatically in favour of Islamic banking and was keen to set up dedicated Islamic banks across India. However, his proposal was scuttled due to Dr Swamy's timely intervention. 

Hushed up ED's probe into Aircel-Maxis Scam

As an RBI Governor, Rajan tried his best to hush up ED's investigations in the Aircel-Maxis scam. The agencies were trying to establish money trail of Karti Chidambaram's firms in Singapore. Rather than cooperating with ED, Rajan alerted Chidambaram about ED's movements. This single act of Rajan motivated Chidambaram to attempt tampering of evidence. 

Leaked sensitive information to private individuals via personal e-mail address

During his tenure, Raghuram Rajan has also shared some sensitive information on Indian economy through his personal e-mail address. This is totally unbecoming of the post of RBI Governor, rather it is treachery against a country that gave respect and  honor to Rajan. 

Rajan is a member of Group of 30

Raghuram Rajan is a member of a US based group known as "Group of 30" (www. group30.org) whose main objective is to maintain US dominance over world economy. Therefore, Rajan's concern over Indian economic matters is a farce.

Despite the above evidences, Rajan continues to enjoy goodwill among media friendly channels and leaders of the past regime. His recent rants are meant to gain attention in order to fulfill a pre-defined agenda. 

References:

Unpublished letter of Swamy to Rajan accusing him of trying to hush-up ED’s probe of Aircel Maxis scam 

Swamy – Six reasons on why Rajan’s term should not be renewed

Dr Swamy's life is an open book, cynics are playing politics

Dr Swamy is one of the most highly scrutinized politicians of modern India. Being an anti-corruption crusader and Hindutva warrior, curiosity about his life is natural, however, curiosity shall not transform into cynicism due to over-analysis.

Dr Swamy's forthright views on different matters have always tormented his adversaries within and outside BJP. Since his opponents don't have anything concrete to target him, they run malicious social media campaigns to dent his public image. However, public also has a responsibility to not indulge in trivial allegations based on rumors. One must have the ability to understand subtle differences and not end up as victims of propaganda.

In a world of fluctuating political perceptions, hired spin artists twist Dr Swamy's honest views and past associations to suit the agenda of their paymasters. For instance, Dr Swamy's friendship with Rajiv Gandhi has been twisted multiple times to show him as a Congress man, which is a blatant lie deliberately spread to poison naive minds. 

Even during Chandrashekhar's time, Dr Swamy was first offered PMship by Rajiv Gandhi which he refused because he knew the pitfalls of accepting such an offer. Former PM PVN Rao had also invited Dr Swamy to join Congress, however, he politely declined, stating that Congress is a family holding party and PVN Rao was a tenant. 

Despite several attempts, Dr Swamy avoided joining  Congress due to some serious reservations he had about the party.

On the contrary, many BJP leaders are close relatives of Congress leaders, which gives an impression of a fixed match. Some of the examples are given below:

• Ex-FM, late Arun Jaitley was the son-in-law of Late Congress leader Girdhari Lal Dogra from J&K. 
• BJP's law minister, Mr Ravi Shankar Prasad and Mr Rajiv Shukla are close relatives.
• Current FM Nirmala Sitharaman's in-laws have a strong Congress background. Her husband, Parakala Prabhakar, has switched many parties from Congress to BJP and then from BJP to TeluguDesam Party.

Apparently, having relatives from other side of the political spectrum isn't a barrier for someone to become a Cabinet Minister in BJP government. Therefore, constant targeting of Dr Swamy, merely due to his friendship with Rajeev Gandhi, is due to the insecurity of selfish political leaders. Ironically, the emotionally charged followers of political parties stay silent on these high profile connections and avoid to discuss them in public domain.   

MSME sector requires radical policy measures for tangible recovery

Indian MSME sector accounts for 30% of India's GDP and 40% of India's exports. It is a major source of employment in the informal economy of the country. MSME sector was struggling with multiple challenges before Covid-19 crisis, however, the current pandemic only amplified the issues in this sector. 

Current state of MSME sector is primarily due to flawed monetary and fiscal policies of the past and present governments. It all started with import of so-called foreign educated Indian origin economists like Raghuram Rajan, who mindlessly applied western economic theories in Indian context. 

During his tenure as RBI governor, Rajan had adopted self-defeating monetary measures that triggered stress in the MSME sector. For example, increasing interest rates for business loans while reducing the interest rates on saving schemes like Fixed deposits. This single step adversely impacted the earning capacity of small income households which form the core of MSME sector. 

Majority of MSME enterprises are small-scale business entities that are managed by sole proprietors. Monthly earnings of these enterprises are dependent on the level of economic activities during a month. Covid-19 induced lockdown resulted in a complete halt of their business operations. This has put considerable strain on the financial resources of such enterprises.

Lockdown undeniably deepened the stress among MSMEs, which led to the emergence of following issues:

• Limited opportunities for revenue generation
• Higher overheads in the form of factory rent, wages of permanent employees & maintenance of machinery
• Higher cost of procuring funds from formal or informal channels of funding
• Delay in payments on receivables from large companies

The above issues have created a significant liquidity crunch in the MSME sector. Stimulus packages in the form of loan melas & credit guarantees have existed earlier and don't seem to fetch the desired results. Resolution of these issues require out-of-box thinking in government's fiscal and monetary policy measures.

So far, government measures seem subjective that have failed to address the gap between policy and implementation. Such negligence could result in shutdown of business operations of small enterprises. 

Since a large segment of MSME workforce is part of the informal sector, a lot of workers faced the brunt of job losses during lock-down. As the small enterprises were grappling with a changing environment, they were forced to prune their workforce. One more setback to an ailing MSME sector will increase unemployment levels and push a large percentage of unorganized workforce below poverty line. 

Whats the solution?

According to BJP leader Dr Subramanian Swamy, MSME sector can be revived by adopting following measures:

• Lowering interest rates on business loans, which will improve domestic investment levels. 
• Print new currency notes and distribute cash among low-income households through direct cash transfers. 
• This will provide relief to low income groups and also help to stimulate consumer spending. 
• Withdraw GST compliance for one year and abolish income tax to improve sentiment. 

Rescuing MSME sector will help to arrest contraction in demand and restore positive growth in the economy. The government needs to move away from protectionist measures in a challenging business environment, else Indian economy may witness an extended period of low demand.

________________________________________

Note: 

The above article is inspired by the ideas and suggestions of current BJP leader and eminent economist, Dr Subramanian Swamy. It has also used secondary resources for the purpose of collecting and presenting information.   

A 41 year old Professor/Politician who independently got Kailash Mansarovar opened for Hindus

After the 1962 war, India-China relationship had hit rock bottom and it remained that way for a period of 15 years. In 1977, Janata Party's victory in LS elections led to improvement in diplomatic relations with China. Dr Swamy's deep knowledge and understanding about China helped PM Morarji Desai to improve these relations.  

During the same time, Dr Swamy began to develop a strong yearning to visit 'Kailash Mansarovar' which is the ultimate abode of Lord Shiva and Parvati. However, visiting the most revered holy site for Hindus seemed non-viable because of the following reasons: 

• Kailash Mansarovar was in China (Tibet), which is a Communist country 
• As the terrain was tough, infrastructure development on  the site was a challenge

May be Mahaperiyava's proximity had ignited a hidden goal of Dr Swamy's life, which was to get Kailash Mansarovar opened for Hindu devotees. Consequently, Dr Swamy began to explore the possibility of reopening the Holy site. He discussed the matter with other Janata Party leaders, however, faced stiff opposition from them. Many felt that China will not entertain such a demand because it has a Communist government, which doesn't believe in the concept of God. Moreover, such initiative could further deteriorate India's relations with China.

In process, three years passed and Janata government fell due to the split within Janata party. Fresh elections were announced and Congress made a resounding comeback in 1980 general elections. Even during Congress rule, Dr Swamy raised this issue with government officials and met the same resistance. 

Finally, Dr Swamy sought guidance from the 'Great Seer of Kanchi', who not only encouraged but blessed Dr Swamy to talk to Chinese for opening the holy site for Hindus. In 1981, during a personal visit to China, Dr Swamy had one-to-one engagement with Chinese leader Deng Xiao Ping. In a meeting that lasted for 100 minutes, Dr Swamy managed to convince Chinese leadership to open Kailash Mansarovar for Hindu pilgrims. 

Imagine a 41 year old young Professor/Politician negotiating with China's leadership in his personal capacity and then convincing it to agree to his demands. However, the Deng Xiaoping had laid down two conditions for the opening of Kailash Mansarovar route:

• Dr Swamy will lead the first delegation of 20 Hindu pilgrims visiting the holy site.
• Kailash Mansarovar will not be open for Christians and Muslims

Both the conditions were later agreed upon by Congress government basis Dr Swamy's feedback. As a result, Kailash Mansarovar route opened due to single handed efforts of Dr Swamy, who also led the first batch of Hindus to pay respects at the abode of Lord Shiva and Parvati in Sepetember, 1981. 

Reopening of Kailash Mansarovar broke ice between India & China and helped both the countries to improve relations.

Disinformation Campaigns against Dr Swamy are the biggest stumbling blocks in India's progress

For six years Dr Swamy has been consistently maligned for a crime that he never committed. Despite Dr Swamy's contributions, he has suffered due to the disinformation campaigns of vested interests. Through social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter, false narratives are created to fool people about Dr Swamy. 

One such example of 'false narrative' was the toppling of Vajpayee government in 1999. It is true that Dr Swamy had a political alliance with Jayalalithaa during that time, however, blaming Dr Swamy for the fall of government is exaggeration. In reality, ex-Congress MP, Giridhar Gamang had voted against BJP in the 'No Confidence Motion'; It was Gamang's vote that brought down Vajpayee government. Even though Gamang's membership was under suspension, yet under some dubious reasons, Congress managed to caste his vote against BJP. 

Therefore, singling out Dr Swamy for such a collective act is unfair. For a long time, this single episode has been blown out of proportion to play down Dr Swamy's contributions for Hindutva and anti-corruption. The sole aim is to keep Dr Swamy away from any important portfolio (particularly MoF). Because assigning him a good portfolio means strong action against corruption, which will result in cleansing of 70 years mess in the system.

Vested interests have constantly fed and programmed BJP leadership to think that giving responsibility to Dr Swamy will cause problems to high command. These forces have not only spread, but nurtured such rumours in the minds of BJP leadership. Of course, the senior leaders have fallen for the trap owing to their own weaknesses.

One must not forget that Dr Swamy worked as 'Minister of Law and Justice' during Chandrashekhar's tenure as PM. He was also assigned a Cabinet rank position during PVN Rao's tenure. Therefore, ideas such as 'Dr Swamy not being a team player' are highly misplaced and deliberately fed.

While these vested forces have succeeded to keep Dr Swamy at bay, it is the general public which loses out on quality leadership. Given the extent of Dr Swamy's contributions, his elevation within the party ranks is essential for nation's development. His exclusion is not his loss but country's loss. 

Has he started losing his mental faculties, Dr Swamy on Sharad Pawar

Ram Temple movement is not just a 30 year old fight, it is a 500 year old struggle of Hindus. Many Hindus, including Sadhus and sants, have sacrificed their lives for the Ram Temple cause. After such a long struggle, Hindus are now about to restore their pride and honour by correcting the past wrongs.

It is true that our country is grappling with multiple challenges such as Covid-19, Economy etc., however using these issues to demoralise Ram Mandir cause is a reflection of a crooked mind. Mr Pawar's recent remarks on Ram Temple are insensitive and condemnable. Perhaps his continuous secular bias has caused irreparable damage to his reasoning abilities.  

BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Dr Subramanian Swamy slammed the leader by terming his comments as "ridiculous". Has he started losing his mental faculties, Dr Swamy added.

Ram Temple construction and fighting Covid-19 are mutually exclusive events and therefore, simultaneous action on both the events is possible. With more than 3 lakh Covid-19 cases, Maharashtra is the worst affected state in India due to the pandemic. Pawar's secular views hasn't helped Maharashtra to come out of the Covid-19 crisis, so it would be better if he refrains from airing them.

Bollywood is a fatal attraction for Budding Talents

'All that Glitters is not Gold' -- A famous saying is apt for the glamour world whose outer layer shines whereas the inner layer is hollow. Young and bright minds enamored by the outer shine of Bollywood, get sucked into its hollowness. Their desire to achieve money, name and fame overpowers the negatives of the film industry.

Nepotism is the ideal word for Bollywood, where fifty year old Uncles, portraying as college students, are seen romancing with young heroines. They lack looks, acting skills and voice modulation, yet manage to get movies after movies. Meaningful cinema, where genuine talent could be spotted, is a thing of past.

The Directors & Producers are overdependent on the star power of a 'HERO' to achieve commercial success. Presentation of movie, grandeur of sets and get up of artists take precedence over scripts, dialogues, messaging and plot. Most Bollywood movies lack content and a strong story line. 

The directors copy ideas, transform them into a nicely-packaged waste and then present the final movie as an original artistic work. These shameless plagiarists then travel around the world boasting about the commercial success of their films. To please their funding masters, the producers place anti-India content, which is presented in a subtle manner to the audience.

Bollywood, therefore, is a propaganda machine, a DEN of sleaze, sex rackets, drugs & nepotism. It lacks originality and character in film-making and has become a platform to propagate anti-India agendas. It is nothing but a dumpyard for illicit wealth of goons, terrorists and underworld dons. These criminal minds care two hoots about talented artists. Established players receive funding from questionable sources. 

The lacklustre 'Starkids' are given preference over bright and talented actors. Talent is secondary but surname is mandatory. The so-called stakeholders of Bollywood have placed unethical BARRIERS for the entry of bright young talents. Creativity can fly a kite!!

This film industry stinks of selfishness, greed, duplicity and exploitation. The unexpected deaths of Divya Bharti, Sri Devi and now Sushant Singh Rajput (CBI enquiry can unravel the mystery surrounding Sushant Singh Rajput's death) are indicative of a much wider and deeper malaise within Bollywood. 

It would do a world of good if the entire Bollywood undergoes a cleansing process through impartial investigations by agencies.  

Pushpendra Kulshrestha - A Congi Mole within BJP?

Lets say that I am a nobody to comment on Pushpendra Kulshrestha (PK), in the same manner, PK has ZERO credibility (he is nobody) to comment on Dr Swamy. PK's track record suggests that he is fair weather friend of current government. PK could very well be a Congi mole disguised as a Hindutva speaker. 

And I am truly flabbergasted to see the responses of Hindus. Apart from making videos and giving speeches on Public events, what is PK's contribution towards Hindutva? 

Yes we do need warriors to speak in favor of Hindutva, however, it doesn't mean that we will accept anyone or everyone. Unfortunately, now days its like a popularity contest because anyone who speaks at a superficial level manages to get MAX eyeballs. 

Due to emergence of these fake warriors, people have lost sight of the real on ground fighters. Just because a public speaker comes across as a Hindutva well-wisher, he may not necessarily be a genuine well-wisher. However, these speakers, for their two minute fame, dilute the agenda of a meaningful and purposeful narrative for Hindu welfare. 

Before 2014, PK was struggling to fight his 'ISI agent' image in the public. He worked with Pak's Aaj TV and was bureau chief at its Delhi office. In 2010, once two ladies went to file a complaint with PK, then Secretary General of Press Club of India, Kulshrestha's response was outright derogatory and abusive. 

During Kulshreshtha's tenure at PCI, he was also charged with financial irregularities in the club. For two years, there was no audit of accounts done by Kulshrestha while the club was in a debt of ₹2 crores. Despite opposition from club members, PK went out of the way to appease Sonia Gandhi by giving her membership card. 

Post BJP victory, Pushpendra feared action and therefore, changed his strategy to be in the good books of BJP. To obtain protection, he became a superficial Hindutva warrior. Such a man is hobnobbing across the country by donning Hindutva Hat and worse is gullible Hindus believing him to be a genuine warrior.

Rise in petrol and diesel prices will neutralize Greenshoots in economy

Even after 70 years of independence, the GHOST of British legacy continues to haunt our country in the form of policies that subdue aspirations of native Indians. The administrative structure and prevailing governance system reflects the same mindset as that of British, where government is the ruling class and citizens are mere subjects of the ruling class. What else explains the brazen hike in petrol and diesel prices by the government on account of increased taxes??  

Since Modi's rise to power in 2014, taxes on diesel prices have increased five times whereas those on petrol have doubled. Taxes on these fuels now comprise nearly 66.67% of retail prices at petrol pumps. 

In May 2020, when global crude oil prices had reached record lows, the government increased excise duty on petrol and diesel by ₹10 per litre and ₹13 per litre respectively. Since additional burden of excise duty was absorbed by oil marketing companies, retail oil prices didn't witness any increase. Nonetheless, raising excise duty in the midst of lock-down reflected utter insensitivity of the government.

Since Unlock 2, oil marketing companies have begun to increase prices to recover losses incurred due to excise duty hike in May. Therefore, root cause of current spike is government decision of increasing excise duty. With recent spurt in gasoline retail prices, India has emerged as the most expensive country for petrol consumption in Asia.

Historically, governments have kept diesel prices lower, however, BJP government has moved a step further by making diesel prices comparable to that of petrol. From a macro perspective, hike in diesel prices will hurt the economy more because diesel is a significant input component for industries.  

Sectorally, agriculture and auto & trucking sector will be worst impacted due to the current decision of OMCs. In fact, major stakeholders such as farmers and truck operators are bracing for a considerable monetary suffering in a short-term period. With increased cost of transportation and subdued demand, the truckers are left with no option but to bear the burden of price hike. 

Agricultural activities such as tilling, harvesting and transportation of farming output are dependent on diesel. Any increase in diesel price will have a direct bearing on the retail prices of vegetables and fruits. This will result in 'Cost-Push' supply inflation within next three to four months.

According to Bloomberg, recent increases in excise duty will help the government to earn revenues up to US$ 30 billion this year. As the revenues don't translate into proportionate level of services for common citizens, gap between promise and delivery will become more pronounced. 

In an uncertain environment, increase in gasoline prices reflects a poor policy decision which will aggravate macro-economic issues over the next two years.

Another land grab case by Congress in Mumbai; Associated Journals Ltd is the front face

Congress list of scams is a never ending pit, the more we dig, the more filth comes out of it. The endless list of scams with disproportionate levels of corruption is a story of greed and abuse of power for selfish interests. 

Recently unearthed documentary evidence shows a typical land grabbing case of Congress in Bandra East, Mumbai. As per the docs, gross irregularities were found starting from acquisition of land till its final use. 

In 1983, Congress acquired a 3,500 square metre of land at dirt cheap rates under the pretext of building a hostel for students from backward classes. This acquisition was based on an earlier proposal, as per which a hostel was to be constructed (on this land) for providing accommodation to SC and ST students.

Seventeen years later, in complete violation of existing norms, Congress built a commercial building over the land meant for a social purpose. Even though, maximum allowable limit for construction was 20,000 square feet (sft), a commercial building was constructed over 80,000 sft of land. 

At 2017 land prices, the estimated worth of the land is at a whopping ₹262 crores. ED has already attached this property which was acquired by Congress through Associated Journals ltd.

Apart from land use violations, the terms of agreement between Congress and government were altered to make it favorable for Gandhis. As per rules, revenues generated through commercial use of such buildings is to be shared in 50:50 ratio between government and owner. In the Bandra land case, the deal was sweetened in favour of Gandhis who received 70% whereas, the government received the remaining.

Clearly, Congress' fight for equality and justice is also a complete sham. Issues like inequity among social classes are only meant to fill up the coffers of those who proclaim to be fighting for such causes. So much for Dalit Rights!!

National Herald Scam

The scam was exposed by Dr Subramanian Swamy in the year 2012. According to Dr Swamy, the Congress had committed serious fraud in the acquisition of Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) by its own company Young Indian Ltd (YIL). Through this acquisition, Congress, under Sonia Gandhi, wished to grab AJL's real estate properties across India. Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Oscar Fernandez, Motilal Vohra and Sam Pitroda are the masterminds of National Herald scam. 

For the first time, in the history of independent India,  Gandhis were forced to appear in the court of law and plead for bail like normal criminals in 2015. This was possible only due to single-handed efforts of Dr Swamy. 

CBI enquiry can unravel the mystery surrounding Sushant Singh Rajput's death

The so-called suicide of Sushant Singh Rajput has raised fresh debates over the current state of Bollywood in our country. The untimely departure of a promising and talented actor is mired in many controversies. As to why an actor like Rajput would really commit suicide?

Despite being an outsider, Rajput had made a mark in the industry. With films like Kai Po Che, MS Dhoni - The untold story and Chhichhore, SS Rajput had proved to be a very good actor. Most of his films were distinctive from the usual love stories of Bollywood yet these movies were commercially successful. Rajput, therefore, was an out-of-box and original actor. 

Sushant Singh Rajput also took avid interest into science and technology, social services, self defense for women and preparing children for ISRO/NASA. His past track record and future plans reflect an optimistic and imaginative mind which is ready to fulfill thousand other dreams. His decision to commit suicide is a one-eighty degree turn which defies all logic. It doesn't fit in well with Rajput's scheme of things.

Hailing from a small town in Bihar, SS Rajput  made it big in Bollywood due to his acting talent. He was emerging as a cut above others and just when he was about to change the rules of the game, we lost him. Bollywood biggies and their so-called 'Starkids' naturally felt threatened by Rajput's rise to glory.

Moreover, post suicide behavior of these celebrities is nothing but a scripted drama to throw dirt in the eyes of public. Their personal conduct and attitude towards Rajput, when he was alive, is contradictory to their fake condolence messages on social media.  

Underworld's murky influence in Rajput's death can't be ruled out. According to Ex-Raw officer, NK Sood, SS Rajput didn't commit suicide, rather he was murdered. Sood has made some brutal claims on Rajput's murder, highlighted as below:

• Just one month prior to Rajput's death, he changed sims 50 times as he was continuously receiving death threats. 
• Many times, Rajput slept in his car fearing that someone might intrude his home to kill him.
• A day before his demise, the CCTV cameras at his apartment complex were shut off. 
• The duplicate keys of Rajput's apartment are missing.
• SS Rajput's girl friend, Rhea Chakraborty, close friend, Sandip Singh and his servant were aware about the turmoil in the life of the late actor, however they stayed quiet.
• Rhea Chakraborty was living with SS Rajput and just few days before his death, she shifted out of the apartment.
• Sandip Singh, a small time director, was tracking Rajput's daily activities and passing on crucial info to few biggies in Bollywood

Above claims are subject to proper scrutiny and investigation by the agencies, however, Mumbai Police is already showing signs of sloth. Even though Police claims it to be a suicide, the late actor didn't leave any suicide note before his death. In the absence of a suicide note, the reason for suicide is not clearly established. 

Given these developments, Dr Swamy has requested his legal team to look into the untimely death of SS Rajput. Dr Swamy also supports CBI enquiry as this is a high-profile case, which may help to identify and trace Bollywood's links with underworld.

Declare Ram Sethu as a National Heritage Site to protect it from anti-Hindu forces

Ram Setu is not just a matter of belief for Hindus, it is our history that needs to be preserved at any costs. Technically, it is a chain of limestone shoals that connects Rameshwaram (in India) with Mannar Islands (in Sri Lanka). As per our historical records, Shri Ram had built Ram Setu to rescue his wife Sita from the clutches of Ravana. The bridge led to the glorious victory of Shri Ram over Ravana and therefore, has significant historical relevance for Hindus.

Ram Setu is a technological marvel, a superhuman scientific advancement of that era. Shri Ram had built this bridge with the help of two engineers in his Army, namely Nal and Neel. Contemporary scientific community accepts Ram Setu to be a man-made bridge, and therefore, it is a solid evidence of glorious Hindu past that still reverberates in the hearts of Hindus. 

Existence of such an evidence is an eyesore for anti-Hindu forces, which constantly target Hindu monuments and sites to destroy proof of Hindu history. In 2007, then UPA government, under the instructions of Sonia Gandhi, had ordered dredging of Ram Setu despite opposition from scientific community and Hindu leaders like late Ashok Singhal ji (VHP). When all hope was lost, Dr Swamy had come to the rescue and filed a petition with Supreme Court to obtain a stay on dredging. 

The stay provided a much needed 'BREATHER' to Hindus during Congress rule and with BJP's rise to power in 2014, Hindus were hopeful to achieve a permanent solution of this matter. Dr Swamy appealed his own government to declare 'Ram Setu' as a 'National Heritage site' so that it can be protected from any dredging attempt in future. More than six years have passed and BJP government hasn't yet fulfilled Dr Swamy's demand of declaring Ram Setu as a national heritage site. 

Just recently, DMK MP, TR Baalu had written a detailed letter to PM Modi urging him to revive Sethu Samudram Shipping Canal Project (SSCP), which requires dredging of Ram Setu. DMK, a rabidly anti-Hindu party, is following an anti-Hindu agenda yet BJP, a Hindutva party, is showing confusion in offering Hindu welfare. 

Ministry of Culture has already cleared the files for the declaration of Ram Setu as 'National Heritage', however, the files are pending approval from PM's end. All it needs is PM Modi's signature and Ram Setu will become a protected site. 

BJP needs a Saarthi to sail through the current crisis

Time and again this question has come up among nationalists and patriots as to why Modi is not taking help from Dr Swamy to resolve the existing mess. Our country is facing crisis on multiple fronts such as Covid-19, economy and India-China face-off, however, Modi govt seems reluctant to take help of nationalistic intellectuals like Dr Swamy.

PM Modi's current team is clueless about tackling the emerging challenges of the country. Whether it is economy, health, defense or foreign policy, Modi cabinet is falling short of public expectations. Even though BJP delivered on Article 370, Ram Mandir and CAA, such changes were an outcome of 30 years of physical and mental struggle of many volunteers, strongly backed by intellectual inputs of Dr Swamy and other seasoned leaders. 

However unexpected events of 2020 have brought a new range of issues for the ruling dispensation. The government is traversing the unknown territory, which will be a real test of Modi’s administrative skills, innovative thinking and preparedness for unforeseen eventualities. Till now, the tackling of new challenges has been below par and the government seems to be in dire need of radical ideas which can lift the sentiment. 

Time has come for Modi and his team to walk the talk, reduce rhetoric and produce results. 

Spreading false narratives with the help of friendly mainstream media and social media channels will only yield short-term relief. Since these narratives are merely spins, the current challenges will persist and may take an uglier form in the future. With each passing day, the current level of uncertainty will increase the odds against the present government to win future elections. 

The party needs to look at problems with fresh perspectives or bring in someone who can do the job. It needs a navigator (a Saarthi) who can visualize future scenarios, build back-up plans and execute them accordingly. Since our country is facing a war-like scenario from internal & external enemies, a saarthi like Dr Swamy could turn adversity into opportunity. Apart from an eminent economist and lawyer, Dr Swamy's views as a geo-strategist will provide India an edge over other nations. Any delay or confusion in this regard will backfire and dent our country's image in Global arena. Recent case of Italian Marines is a reflection of the current mess that unnecessarily lowers India's dignity. 

A sharp turnaround isn't impossible if the government seeks solutions with an honest and humble mind, however, staying aloof will magnify existing problems.

Can Russia be a trusted ally of India? Five facts that prove otherwise ..

Don't understand this euphoria over Russians coming to the rescue of India, especially when multiple actions of past prove Russia to be as deceptive as Chinese. Ideologically, Russia is much closer to China and globally, Russia has supported China on many occasions in order to challenge US leadership in the world. Both the countries perceive United States as their enemy and don't wish to see India developing closer ties with US. 

It is true that Russia helped India during 1971, however, it was only a geo-political decision driven by Russian interests and not due to any love for India.  

Historically, Russia has played a dubious role in Indian political matters in order to serve its national interests. Following points prove that Russian friendship has been counter-productive to India's rise in global politics: 

Mysterious Death of former PM, Lal Bahadur Shastri

Being a hardcore nationalist, Shastri ji always placed national interests above self interest,  however, he wasn't acceptable to loyal servants of dynasty. The treachery of these servants was driven by the desire to fulfill personal interests of their leader. Russia was aware about this internal dynamic and grabbed this opportunity to facilitate a friendly political setup in India. Despite the loss of a true 'National Hero', the bonhomie between India and Russia never subsided. Till date, Russia hasn't declassified files related to mysterious death of India's former PM.

Sonia Gandhi - A suspected KGB Agent

In the 1970s, Indira Gandhi had allowed a free reign to KGB in India, as many Russian diplomats and trade officials established their presence in the country. Outside Russia (erstwhile Soviet Union), KGB had the strongest presence in India. In all likelihood, the Soviets were keeping track of Indira Gandhi's son, Rajiv Gandhi. They somehow managed to setup Sonia for Rajiv Gandhi to gain closer access to PMO. Despite her Italian roots, Sonia Gandhi has a strong Russian connection.   

Mysterious Death of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya - Jan Sangh Founder

Former Jan Sangh leader and founder, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, had emerged as a strong opposition leader in India. His rising popularity had become a prickly matter for the Congress leadership. Deen Dayal ji's assassination in a Lucknow-Patna train had a strange similarity with KGB's modus operandi. His dead body was found just 150 yards away from Mughalsarai station. The manner of killing of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya ji raises suspicions about possible involvement of then ruling dispensation in collaboration with KGB.

Sunanda Pushkar Murder

Sunanda Pushkar Tharoor was mighty upset from Mr Shashi Tharoor due to his extra-marital adventures. She was on the verge of exposing a vicious nexus between her husband, Congress and Pakistan, however, was brutally silenced. Later, attempts have been made to cover up the murder as a suicide. Sunanda Pushkar was murdered through forceful injection of Russian poison (Polonium 210) - a rare substance commonly used by KGB. Therefore, one cannot rule out Russian involvement. 

Selling of outdated Weapons

Russia primarily perceives India as a profitable market for its weapons and weapon systems. Most of the times, the weapons are deliberately under-priced in comparison to other major weapon suppliers such as US, France and Israel. However, Russia has a had history of escalating the prices during the execution of the contract, thereby leaving no choice for India except to pay more. Purchase of aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov, later known as INS Vikramaditya, is one such example where India ended up paying double of the initially agreed price. Defense equipments and spare parts get obsolete within two to three years of purchase. Delays, inconsistent delivery and other bottlenecks are quite common while dealing with Russia. Whether it is the delivery of new weapons or up gradation of existing Russian weapons, Russia has played false on many occasions. During Kargil war, a large percentage of Krasnopol precision guided munitions was found to be defective. The T-90s tanks were handed over to India without necessary weapons like missile firing systems.

Conclusion

In the recent Indo-China faceoff, Russians misled India to believe that buildup of Chinese Army across LAC is a routine military exercise. Indian bureaucrats, still charmed by Soviet era, lobby for Russian deals that may accrue invisible benefits (in the form of kickbacks & commissions) to them.

For all possible reasons, they are misleading Modi to trust Russians, which can be a disastrous error. Russia, along with Chinese, will never want India to reach centre-stage in global politics. History tells us that over dependence on Russians could result in unfavorable outcomes.