Tasalli:
The black lane driver picks me up from San Jose baggage claim. Nice guy. Not a great driver. You can tell he’s uncomfortable behind a the wheel. Or at least new behind it. He’s Indian. We start talking. I try and speak to people I find abroad in Hindi, it’s like a little quick cure for homesickness for both of us. We miss the turn for my hotel, he now has to readjust. We’ve got three more minutes. We talk about America, I say “hard work here”, he laughs and nods knowingly. He says “tasalli nahin hai”, you can never fully relax, I feel bad. Then he tells me he is a PhD, an IIT Mumbai graduate and a scientist who was laid off a year ago. This explains the driving. He does this to make ends meet. It confirms what I usually assume. If there two people including me in the room, I’m the dumbass. I ask him if he ever thinks of going home, he smiles and says “every day”. There’s a sadness to the smile. Like he knows that’s all it will ever be. I imagine he’s knee deep in the system, kids in school, mortgage, insurance….hard to give that all up for….tasalli. I get it. I get out of the car. We shake hands, I say “good luck with everything”. I walk away. The next morning, he picks me up to drop me to the airport. Asks me how the show was, he says he saw Delhi Belhi and didn’t connect the dots when I was in the back of the car. I laugh, so does he. We’re friends now, who will never see each other ever again. We’re at drop off now. I shake his hand and say “good luck with everything”. All I can think is - I hope you get to use all of your amazing brain soon, I know first hand it’s heartbreaking to feel like you are more than what you’re doing, and I hope you get to relax soon. Tasalli.
My flight is boarding. Gotta go.
रायबरेली से नामांकन मेरे लिए भावुक पल था!
मेरी मां ने मुझे बड़े भरोसे के साथ परिवार की कर्मभूमि सौंपी है और उसकी सेवा का मौका दिया है।
अमेठी और रायबरेली मेरे लिए अलग-अलग नहीं हैं, दोनों ही मेरा परिवार हैं और मुझे ख़ुशी है कि 40 वर्षों से क्षेत्र की सेवा कर रहे किशोरी लाल जी अमेठी से पार्टी का प्रतिनिधित्व करेंगे।
अन्याय के खिलाफ चल रही न्याय की जंग में, मैं मेरे अपनों की मोहब्बत और उनका आशीर्वाद मांगता हूं।
मुझे विश्वास है कि संविधान और लोकतंत्र को बचाने की इस लड़ाई में आप सभी मेरे साथ खड़े हैं।
Yet again a journalist has asked me to identify an individual who is the alternative to Mr Modi.
The question is irrelevant in the Parliamentary system. We are not electing an individual (as In a presidential system), but a party, or coalition of parties, that represents a set of principles and convictions that are invaluable to preserve India’s diversity, pluralism and inclusive growth.
The alternative to Mr Modi is a group of experienced, capable and diverse Indian leaders who will be responsive to people’s problems and not driven by individual ego.
Which specific person they will choose to be Prime Minister is a secondary consideration. Protecting our democracy and diversity comes first.
BIG BREAKING 🚨
Bélt trèatment by Supreme Court to Modi Govt on Demonetisation.
SC observed that Demonetisation was done in such haste that no due process was followed, hence making it illegal as per law.
SC also highlighted that no suggestion, no advice was taken from even the Finance Minister, perhaps even he didn't know about it.
CJI further concluded that 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆.
Shockwaves to Modi Govt, unexpected SummerSlam right before the Loksabha polls.
Thank you CJI, you are the only HOPE 🔥
Before Mr Jaishankar and others make statements straining the relations between India and Sri Lanka, let them remember that there are 25 lakh Sri Lankan Tamils and 10 lakh Indian Tamils living in Sri Lanka
Any untruthful and belligerent statement on Kachchatheevu after 50 years will bring the Sri Lankan government and the 35 lakh Tamils into confrontation
Let the government show its belligerence to China.
Under the BJP government, China has occupied 2000 square km of Indian territory and is fortifying the area.
China is on a re-naming spree and is merrily changing the names of villages and landmarks.
Why is the Foreign Minister subdued in his response to the actions of China?
As usual, Amit Shah is engaged in his full-time job - lying and misleading the people of India. He is completely wrong on the basic facts. Here is the reality:
1) First, it is clear that Rs. 6,000 crores have gone directly to the BJP. Substantial evidence has emerged that this money has come from corruption and extortion.
2) Mr. Shah has claimed that Rs. 14,000 crores went to the Opposition. We understand that his Government is used to manipulating data and is therefore uncomfortable with real numbers - but the total amount that non-BJP parties received is about 6,000 crores.
3) Of these 6,000 crores, almost Rs. 2,700 crore went to BJP B-teams - some formal NDA members, some informal NDA members.
4) The Home Minister has claimed that it’s acceptable for the BJP to collect a larger share of bonds because it has more MPs. The absurdity of this argument aside, the Home Minister is misleading the people of India on a key issue: it is not only how MUCH chanda the BJP has got, but HOW they have got, that reveals their corruption.
While BJP received over 50% of all electoral bonds, it controls 100% of ED, 100% of CBI, and 100% of IT department. The BJP control 100% of Defence contracts, 100% of national highway contracts, 100% of railway contracts. It is through the control of these institutions of the state, that the BJP has engaged in the four corrupt practices that we have outlined repeatedly:
1) Chanda Do, Dhandha Lo
2) Hafta Vasuli
3) Theka Lo, Rishvat Do (Kickbacks)
4) Farzi Companies for money laundering
In addition to amassing all this money through corruption to fill its campaign coffers, the BJP has also attempted to cripple the Congress Party financially by unleashing Khatabandi on our bank accounts just before the elections.
The #ElectoralBondScam, exposed as the biggest scam in India’s history and declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of India, is the direct responsibility of the Prime Minister. An independent probe, monitored by the Supreme Court, is essential to uncover the full depth of this scam.
#ElectoralBondScam
https://t.co/Mbxjg9FGqd
Surprisingly, the Prime Minister is grounded in New Delhi today. So no travelling around the country for new “inaugurations”, for rebranding, or for claiming of credit for past work. But still, here are some key questions he should answer about the most basic responsibilities of his Government -
1. Since the Supreme Court Verdict which declared Electoral Bonds as unconstitutional on 15 February 2024, the Modi Government – through the SBI – has consistently tried to halt or delay the revelation of who donated how much chanda to which political party. What is the Prime Minister so scared of? What new scam will the electoral bonds data reveal?
2.On 20th February 2024, it was revealed that the BJP got a bonanza of Rs. 335 crores in donations from 30 companies, immediately after they had been raided or investigated by the ED, CBI, or IT department. Why did these firms donate to the BJP immediately after being raided? Is the BJP intimidating these firms through the threat of ED-CBI-IT investigations to extort chanda from them?
3.Why did the BJP accept 4.9 crores in donations from four SEBI-designated shell companies? Whose black money was routed to the BJP through these companies?
4.According to the Manual of Parliamentary Affairs, and all established norms of government, rules to any Act are to be framed within 6 months of its passage. Why has it taken 4 years and 3 months for the Modi Sarkar to frame rules to the Citizenship Amendment Act? Why have the rules conveniently come out just on the eve of a Lok Sabha election?
5.The smooth functioning of the institutions of democracy is the first and most important priority of a Government. How did things get to a point where, on the eve of the Lok Sabha elections, India has only one serving Election Commissioner rather than three? Why did Election Commissioner Arun Goel resign so abruptly?
6.Why is the Modi Government so afraid of the Congress Party, that he has to resort to Khata Bandi and tax terrorism? Why have the Congress Party’s bank accounts - with funds donated by ordinary Indians - been frozen, while over Rs. 6,000 crore in anonymous corporate money given to the BJP through the unconstitutional electoral bonds scam is freely usable?
#ChuppiTodoPradhanMantriji
INR 2,870Cr is being spent on building Goa's Moppa Airport.
You might say that it would increase the tourism massively. Because a better 'facility' has been built. But, you might be wrong.
See folks, in India people don't like to get into the details of things. For example:-
[1] You will see very few international tourists (except for Russians maybe) who will re-visit Goa.
Compare this to destinations like Thailand, Dubai, they get more repeat tourist.
Why?
[2] Because of ancillary facilities: taxi, connectivity, sensible prices of food, organised activities, stay etc.
People don't travel just to see a shiny new piece of infrastructure. They travel for the overall experience.
And, honestly 0 destinations in India get repeat international tourism at scale.
[3] Problem is: no one gives a crap about doing hard things.
Like actually breaking the taxi union. And, making the price fairer for tourists (so they don't feel ripped off)
Spending public money (or subsidising it for a private player) on building a shiny airport seems like an easier option.
There are enough domestic tourists, who will anyways show up. And, give the impression of growth.
We are 100% fine, landing on a super shiny airport. Booking an overpriced taxi. And, seeing shit along the way.
This is NOT a GOA specific problem. This is an India specific problem.
Go to Shimla, you will see another variant of the same problem.
Change requires doing hard things. But, who would do it?