"...the confounding of globalisation with Westernisation is not only ahistorical; it also distracts attention from the many potential benefits of global integration. Globalisation is a historical process that has offered an abundance of opportunities and rewards in the past and continues to do so today. The central issue of contention is (and should be) not globalisation itself, nor is it the use of the market as an institution, but the inequity in the overall balance of institutional arrangements -which produces very unequal sharing of the benefits of globalisation. The question is not just whether the poor too gain something from globalisation, but whether they get a fair share and a fair opportunity....Globalisation deserves a reasoned defence, but it also needs reform." Amartya Sen
In 1991, the debate was finally settled. State cannot exist without market. For nearly 75 years, the Soviets were trying to prove the world that it can. Socialist beliefs like equality of income distribution have been rejected and replaced by libertarian ideas like equality of opportunity, the opportunity to compete and capture the market.
Thomas L. Friedman in the second chapter The Ten Days that Flattened the World of his latest book The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century elaborates ten events that has leveled the degree of competition in the Globalised world. He says that the major event that instigated the process of flattening the earth happened on 11/9(1989), the day when the Berlin Wall was brought down signaling the beginning of the end of the Communist movement. The fall of the Berlin Wall created a ripple effect all around the world (including India) paving way for the spread of the globalisation and democracy.
The 1990s saw the unprecedented growth of capitalist ideas. The world, interconnected by Internet, was rapidly shrinking into a global village. The BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) and South Africa could make economic progress as a result of globalisation. But the world was alarmed when the Asian Tigers (Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong and South Korea) went through the infamous Asian crisis.
The rise of WTO made globalisation and free trade inevitable. But it was widely felt that the West was reaping the success of globalisation at the expense of the third world. “Globalisation today is not working… for many of the world’s poor… for much of the environment… for the stability of the global economy” remarked Joseph Stiglitz, the former Chief Economist at the World Bank and winner of the Nobel Prize for Economics, 2001. Stiglitz, without taking a pro- or anti-globalisation stance, argues that the West has seriously mismanaged the process of privatisation, liberalisation and stabilisation, and by following its advice the Third World is worse off now than was ever before.
The new wave of Financial Protectionism (a new form of economic patriotism), spreading all over Old Europe, mainly Italy and France, i.e. hostility against acquisitions of companies by foreign groups considered of "strategic" value for the economy of the country, by foreign groups (mainly substantiates West’s double standards towards globalisation. The Mittal – Arcelor controversy, the controversy regarding blocking the sale of American oil company Unocal to Chinese Cnooc etc are the best examples of Financial Protectionism.
If Friedman’s book mentions ten events that have flattened the world, then an eleventh event has occurred recently creating another flattening effect which is to shape the way future business will be conducted. Mittal Steel and Arcelor will be merging to form Arcelor – Mittal, the largest Steel manufacturer in the world controlling about 10% of the global Steel market.
On January 27, when Lakshmi Niwas Mittal announced his bid to take over Arcelor, the Arcelor management along with the politicians from France and Luxembourg was enraged. Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker had publicly vowed to fight Mittal. Mittal also had to bear racial taunts from Arcelor CEO Guy Dolle like Mittal would fund the takeover with ‘monkey money’. In July 2006, when the Old Europe bowed before share holder pressure and approved the merger, Mittal’s perseverance finally paid off. It was not only a victory to Mittal, but also a victory to Globalisation.
The general perception that globalisation is a western monster has finally been broken. Not even Old Europe could practice Protectionism. The ripple effect of the Arcelor – Mittal merger will now spread all around the world as in the case of what happened in 11/9. The Asian corporate giants will now have the confidence that they can challenge and compete in the Western market and even be the market leader by purchasing western assets.
Mittal will happily agree with Friedman when he says, “Honey, the World is flat”.
Monday, August 28, 2006
Friday, July 28, 2006
The GlobaliZation Effect
Globalisation and the resultant surge in technology have surely improved the living condition all around the world. The impact of globalisation on languages is something that has been seriously underestimated. English has been a language that has gained tremendously from Globalisation. It is estimated that one – third of the humanity has basic proficiency in the English language. One of the reasons for this is the ability of the language to adapt itself and incorporate changes so that communication becomes easy.
The essay tries to comment on the evolution of the word, Bangalored, in the English language as a result of changes in the global socio – economic climate and also the Americanisation of the English language as the result of the emergence of the Microsoft Empire.
Bangalored
Wikipedia comes out with the following reference to Bangalored:
Bangalored is a neologism and used as a verb. Bangalored is used to indicate a layoff, often systemic, and usually due to corporate outsourcing of the business function to lower wage economies. The word is derived from Bangalore, India, which houses outsourcing centers for Western economies.
It refers to people who have been laid off from a multinational company because their job has been moved to India (outsourced — a business practice designed to save money that is arousing passions in some countries, especially Britain and the United States). Bangalore is cited in particular because of its reputation in the USA as a high-tech city, and widely regarded as the Silicon Valley of India that has benefited significantly from such outsourcing.
There is a big possibility that in a decade, Bangalore need not be the hub of outsourcing as it is now. But the word Bangalored will not die. The day is not far away when an American loses his job to a trained labourer in an emerging market other than India, the American will feel Bangalored.
The Rise of the Microsoft Empire
The popularity gained by the introduction of the Microsoft Office Programme has not only revolutionised the way business has been conducted, but also the way English has been written and spoken all around the world. The MS – OFFICE software has been programmed in American English. As a result, most of the words typed in the Queen’s English get automatically corrected to the American English as a result of the auto – correct option programmed in the software. For Example, type the world ‘stabilise’ and the auto-correct option of MS-OFFICE automatically corrects it to ‘stabilize’. The same applies to words like globalisation, westernisation etc.
Supposing that the auto-correct option doesn’t work, the word will be shown as incorrect and the option of spell check will direct the user to the American word. Spellings of words like programme, colour etc will soon get changed to program, color because of the tremendous influence of the software.
In this age of competition, effective communication is the key to success. Language will continue to evolve in order to suit the modern business techniques. This Americanisation of the language is not due to any American propaganda, but due to the simple fact that business in the modern world is done through Internet and the US is the world leader in Technology. Therefore the programmes developed by the Americans will be coded in their language, the American English.
The essay tries to comment on the evolution of the word, Bangalored, in the English language as a result of changes in the global socio – economic climate and also the Americanisation of the English language as the result of the emergence of the Microsoft Empire.
Bangalored
Wikipedia comes out with the following reference to Bangalored:
Bangalored is a neologism and used as a verb. Bangalored is used to indicate a layoff, often systemic, and usually due to corporate outsourcing of the business function to lower wage economies. The word is derived from Bangalore, India, which houses outsourcing centers for Western economies.
It refers to people who have been laid off from a multinational company because their job has been moved to India (outsourced — a business practice designed to save money that is arousing passions in some countries, especially Britain and the United States). Bangalore is cited in particular because of its reputation in the USA as a high-tech city, and widely regarded as the Silicon Valley of India that has benefited significantly from such outsourcing.
There is a big possibility that in a decade, Bangalore need not be the hub of outsourcing as it is now. But the word Bangalored will not die. The day is not far away when an American loses his job to a trained labourer in an emerging market other than India, the American will feel Bangalored.
The Rise of the Microsoft Empire
The popularity gained by the introduction of the Microsoft Office Programme has not only revolutionised the way business has been conducted, but also the way English has been written and spoken all around the world. The MS – OFFICE software has been programmed in American English. As a result, most of the words typed in the Queen’s English get automatically corrected to the American English as a result of the auto – correct option programmed in the software. For Example, type the world ‘stabilise’ and the auto-correct option of MS-OFFICE automatically corrects it to ‘stabilize’. The same applies to words like globalisation, westernisation etc.
Supposing that the auto-correct option doesn’t work, the word will be shown as incorrect and the option of spell check will direct the user to the American word. Spellings of words like programme, colour etc will soon get changed to program, color because of the tremendous influence of the software.
In this age of competition, effective communication is the key to success. Language will continue to evolve in order to suit the modern business techniques. This Americanisation of the language is not due to any American propaganda, but due to the simple fact that business in the modern world is done through Internet and the US is the world leader in Technology. Therefore the programmes developed by the Americans will be coded in their language, the American English.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Milking the Cash Cow
It is no longer a game alone. It is an industry. An industry which grows so rapidly that the GDP of Germany increased by nine to ten billion euros from 2004 to 2006, purely as a result of this world cup.
The global outreach of the tournament is so large that the world body governing football thrives financially, only because of the money generated from the tournament. The exclusive rights for all commercial activities of the tournament like broadcasting rights, sponsorship rights, hospitality rights and licensing rights are held exclusively by FIFA though it does share a lot of it with local organizing committee.
Independent observers say that from the total revenue generated, 53% comes from selling broadcasting rights, 35% from broadcasting deals, 8% from ticket sales and the remaining 4% from merchandising/licensing rights.
Between 1998 and 2006, the marketing and television rights have increased from 175 million euros to 1.9 billion euros. If everything works out according to the plan, the European television rights for world cup 2010 alone will fetch FIFA, a staggering one billion euros. FIFA has signed a deal worth US$ 425 million with ABC/ESPN (English) and Univision (Spanish) for the US television rights to all FIFA competitions from 2007 to 2014, making it the biggest ever television deal that has been signed by FIFA in a single country.
FIFA is also expected to get a bigger sponsorship deals for the 2010 and 2014 world cups. If the sponsors had to pay FIFA $50 million each for the sponsorship rights, the sum involved for the future two tournaments is expected to touch $150 million from each of the sponsors.
With the revenue, expenses have also increased substantially. The total cost incurred by both FIFA and the German organizing Committee is estimated at a staggering one billion euros. The 215 million euros that FIFA paid for the 32 participation nations as preparation costs alone is an all time record.
The grant given to the local organizing committee by FIFA will come to around 170 million euros. In addition to the FIFA grant, the LOC is expected to rake in at least 200 million euros from the sale of three million tickets.
FIFA pumps back around 370 million euros for developing the game at the grass root level. Similarly, FIFA pays around 270 million euros as financial assistance to confederations and fellow associations.
Germans have gained enormously from the world cup as far as income generation is concerned. Germany generated three billion euros from tourism alone. The cities of Munich and Dortmund are expecting additional revenue of 44 million euros and 36 million euros respectively.
Along with automatic qualification, the prospects of generating huge revenue has made the race for hosting the world cup a highly competitive one.
The global outreach of the tournament is so large that the world body governing football thrives financially, only because of the money generated from the tournament. The exclusive rights for all commercial activities of the tournament like broadcasting rights, sponsorship rights, hospitality rights and licensing rights are held exclusively by FIFA though it does share a lot of it with local organizing committee.
Independent observers say that from the total revenue generated, 53% comes from selling broadcasting rights, 35% from broadcasting deals, 8% from ticket sales and the remaining 4% from merchandising/licensing rights.
Between 1998 and 2006, the marketing and television rights have increased from 175 million euros to 1.9 billion euros. If everything works out according to the plan, the European television rights for world cup 2010 alone will fetch FIFA, a staggering one billion euros. FIFA has signed a deal worth US$ 425 million with ABC/ESPN (English) and Univision (Spanish) for the US television rights to all FIFA competitions from 2007 to 2014, making it the biggest ever television deal that has been signed by FIFA in a single country.
FIFA is also expected to get a bigger sponsorship deals for the 2010 and 2014 world cups. If the sponsors had to pay FIFA $50 million each for the sponsorship rights, the sum involved for the future two tournaments is expected to touch $150 million from each of the sponsors.
With the revenue, expenses have also increased substantially. The total cost incurred by both FIFA and the German organizing Committee is estimated at a staggering one billion euros. The 215 million euros that FIFA paid for the 32 participation nations as preparation costs alone is an all time record.
The grant given to the local organizing committee by FIFA will come to around 170 million euros. In addition to the FIFA grant, the LOC is expected to rake in at least 200 million euros from the sale of three million tickets.
FIFA pumps back around 370 million euros for developing the game at the grass root level. Similarly, FIFA pays around 270 million euros as financial assistance to confederations and fellow associations.
Germans have gained enormously from the world cup as far as income generation is concerned. Germany generated three billion euros from tourism alone. The cities of Munich and Dortmund are expecting additional revenue of 44 million euros and 36 million euros respectively.
Along with automatic qualification, the prospects of generating huge revenue has made the race for hosting the world cup a highly competitive one.
Azzurris conquer the world
Fabio Grosso, the 29-year-old Palermo defender looked at the spot and took the penalty confidently. His powerful left footed shot crashed into the right hand corner of the goal and the world cup is over. Italy is crowned as the champion for the fourth time.
Italy won 5 – 3 on penalties, as the game was tied one goal apiece even after 30 minutes of extra time. In a match that was billed as the perfect farewell game for Zidane, the wizard got himself red carded for head butting Materazzi. Earlier on Zidane scored from a penalty kick awarded for a foul on Malouda while Materazzi equalized for the champions.
In the fully packed Berlin's Olympiastadion, both the teams fielded the same line – up as in the semifinal. Right from kick – off it proved to be an incident filled encounter. France got an early scare when Henry accidentally collided with Cannavaro and it appeared that the star striker suffered from concussion. But to the relief of his fans, he was back to his lethal best after getting some medical attention.
The Final witnessed its first goal within the first seven minutes itself. French winger Florent Malouda was bought down by a Materazzi foul and the referee pointed towards the spot kick. But television replays clearly revealed that the defender had made no contact with Malouda.
Zidane took an audacious penalty with the ball hitting the underside of the crossbar and barely crossing the goal line. Zidane celebrated the goal by raising his arm like the way he has done through out the tournament. With the goal, Zidane joined an elite group involving Pele, Vava and Paul Breitner as the only players to score in two World Cup finals.
Italy began to surge forward after Zidane’s goal. Italy found the equalizer in the 19th minute through Materazzi. Pirlo’s curling corner found Materazzi’s head on way to the goal.
Both the teams fought for midfield dominance and the Zidane – Pirlo battle was enthralling. Both the players were keen not to give freedom to the other one to perform.
Both the teams were excellent defensively. Any attempts to attack were met by strong defending from both Thuram and Cannavaro. Italy was looking threatening on set pieces. In the 28th minute Thuram blocked another Materazzi header. Similarly another header by Luca Toni hits the cross bar.
In the second half, Italy was pushed back to their own half by the French attacking display. The match was an intensively fought physical encounter. Vieira pulled his hamstring in the 56th minute and was substituted by Alou Diarra. France had started to lose control of the game from this moment.
When the match was entering the final half hour of normal time, Italian coach Marcello Lippi decides to introduce fresh pair of legs by replacing Perrotta and Totti with Iaquinta and De Rossi respectively. At the 86th minute, Lippi made his final substitution bringing in Del Piero for Camoranesi.
As the first half of extra time was coming to an end, Raymond Domenech replaced Ribery with Trezeguet. The only scoring opportunity in the extra time came in the 103rd minute when Sagnol presented Zidane with a cross. But Zidane’s header was brilliantly parried away by Buffon. As the match was moving towards tie – breaker, Domenech surprised everyone by substituting Henry with Wiltord.
Zidane could not provide the fairy tale ending which everyone expected. When he head butted Materazzi and got himself sent off, it marked the end of a glorious career. Along with this sent off, France’s chances were also fading.
When the winners had to be decided through a tie – breaker, France had limited experience in penalty shooters. Pirlo, Materazzi, de Rossi, del Piero and Grosso connected for Italy; while Wiltord, Abidal and Sagnol connected for France. It was Trezequet’s miss that decided the tie.
It has been a long wait of 24 years for the Azzurris to realise their dream of winning the gold. The win erased the heartbreak of the 1994 world cup finals where they lost to Brazil in the tie – breaker. Under Lippi’s guidance and Fabio Cannavaro’s inspirational leadership, Italy played outstanding football. Contrary to their traditional defensive style, Lippi made them play a mixture of offensive and defensive football. No one deserved the title more than the Azzurris.
Italy won 5 – 3 on penalties, as the game was tied one goal apiece even after 30 minutes of extra time. In a match that was billed as the perfect farewell game for Zidane, the wizard got himself red carded for head butting Materazzi. Earlier on Zidane scored from a penalty kick awarded for a foul on Malouda while Materazzi equalized for the champions.
In the fully packed Berlin's Olympiastadion, both the teams fielded the same line – up as in the semifinal. Right from kick – off it proved to be an incident filled encounter. France got an early scare when Henry accidentally collided with Cannavaro and it appeared that the star striker suffered from concussion. But to the relief of his fans, he was back to his lethal best after getting some medical attention.
The Final witnessed its first goal within the first seven minutes itself. French winger Florent Malouda was bought down by a Materazzi foul and the referee pointed towards the spot kick. But television replays clearly revealed that the defender had made no contact with Malouda.
Zidane took an audacious penalty with the ball hitting the underside of the crossbar and barely crossing the goal line. Zidane celebrated the goal by raising his arm like the way he has done through out the tournament. With the goal, Zidane joined an elite group involving Pele, Vava and Paul Breitner as the only players to score in two World Cup finals.
Italy began to surge forward after Zidane’s goal. Italy found the equalizer in the 19th minute through Materazzi. Pirlo’s curling corner found Materazzi’s head on way to the goal.
Both the teams fought for midfield dominance and the Zidane – Pirlo battle was enthralling. Both the players were keen not to give freedom to the other one to perform.
Both the teams were excellent defensively. Any attempts to attack were met by strong defending from both Thuram and Cannavaro. Italy was looking threatening on set pieces. In the 28th minute Thuram blocked another Materazzi header. Similarly another header by Luca Toni hits the cross bar.
In the second half, Italy was pushed back to their own half by the French attacking display. The match was an intensively fought physical encounter. Vieira pulled his hamstring in the 56th minute and was substituted by Alou Diarra. France had started to lose control of the game from this moment.
When the match was entering the final half hour of normal time, Italian coach Marcello Lippi decides to introduce fresh pair of legs by replacing Perrotta and Totti with Iaquinta and De Rossi respectively. At the 86th minute, Lippi made his final substitution bringing in Del Piero for Camoranesi.
As the first half of extra time was coming to an end, Raymond Domenech replaced Ribery with Trezeguet. The only scoring opportunity in the extra time came in the 103rd minute when Sagnol presented Zidane with a cross. But Zidane’s header was brilliantly parried away by Buffon. As the match was moving towards tie – breaker, Domenech surprised everyone by substituting Henry with Wiltord.
Zidane could not provide the fairy tale ending which everyone expected. When he head butted Materazzi and got himself sent off, it marked the end of a glorious career. Along with this sent off, France’s chances were also fading.
When the winners had to be decided through a tie – breaker, France had limited experience in penalty shooters. Pirlo, Materazzi, de Rossi, del Piero and Grosso connected for Italy; while Wiltord, Abidal and Sagnol connected for France. It was Trezequet’s miss that decided the tie.
It has been a long wait of 24 years for the Azzurris to realise their dream of winning the gold. The win erased the heartbreak of the 1994 world cup finals where they lost to Brazil in the tie – breaker. Under Lippi’s guidance and Fabio Cannavaro’s inspirational leadership, Italy played outstanding football. Contrary to their traditional defensive style, Lippi made them play a mixture of offensive and defensive football. No one deserved the title more than the Azzurris.
Monday, July 10, 2006
Unsung heroes of the beautiful game
Real Madrid will be still cursing the day when they sold the glamour less 5’7 tall Frenchman to Abrahomvich’s Chelsea, for he asked a wage hike. Jose Mourinho will swear that the key to Chelsea’s success is the calm and assuring presence of this very Real outcast, even though he seldom hits the headlines. Claude Makelele, the uncompromising task master is the best among the holding midfielders, the unsung heroes of the beautiful game.
The holding midfielder is stationed in front of the back four defenders for defensive duties, ‘holding back’ the attacking freedom of the opponents. He is expected to thwart the attacking moves of the opposition, win the ball and distribute them to the attacking midfielders/strikers. This is a very crucial position in modern football as the attacking midfielders can press forward confidently if and only if there is a player capable of anchoring the defence.
Even though the pre tournament hype was centered on superstars, it is the presence of holding midfielders like Makelele, Mascherano, and Gattuso etc that has been vital for the team’s success. In the Brazil vs. France quarter final match, it was Makelele denying space to Kaka to play that gave Zidane and Vieira the license to attack. Makelele is so effective at the holding midfielder role to the extent that the position has been named ‘The Makelele Role’ after him.
If Makelele is the defensive midfielder of France, Gennaro Gattuso does the job for Italy. On road to the finals of Germany 2006 the Azzuris has been on a 24 match unbeaten streak under Marcello Lippi and Gattuso has been central to Lippi’s plans. On the eve of the Germany vs. Italy semifinal, when it was mentioned to the A.C. Milan star about the suggestion of him being the centre stage of the tournament, he dismissed the suggestion.
“That is an insult to football. I can play well and win a lot of tackles but the entertainment and the class of Ronaldinho, who certainly disappointed here, they are what I dream about at night,” he said.
Similarly, Javier Mascherano does the ball winning task for Argentina, thus allowing the likes of Riquelme and Maxi Rodriguez to move forward. The 22 year old is happy doing the ugly work as his midfield partners win all the applauds.
''Okay, you don't get the glory and you don't get into the highlights and maybe some don't see what you do in the game. But, in that role, the game always goes through you. You are always in the middle of it and you are always battling, always fighting. That's what I love. I've always liked defending more than attacking anyway. And to know your team-mates depend on you so much, that you have got so much responsibility, well, that spurs you on even more,'' he said.
Even though the position of defensive midfield does not get much limelight, it is the battery of the team, rated highly by football pundits and followers alike. These physical defensive midfielders who very aggressively and constantly marshal the opposing team's attacking players are truly the unsung heroes of the beautiful game.
The holding midfielder is stationed in front of the back four defenders for defensive duties, ‘holding back’ the attacking freedom of the opponents. He is expected to thwart the attacking moves of the opposition, win the ball and distribute them to the attacking midfielders/strikers. This is a very crucial position in modern football as the attacking midfielders can press forward confidently if and only if there is a player capable of anchoring the defence.
Even though the pre tournament hype was centered on superstars, it is the presence of holding midfielders like Makelele, Mascherano, and Gattuso etc that has been vital for the team’s success. In the Brazil vs. France quarter final match, it was Makelele denying space to Kaka to play that gave Zidane and Vieira the license to attack. Makelele is so effective at the holding midfielder role to the extent that the position has been named ‘The Makelele Role’ after him.
If Makelele is the defensive midfielder of France, Gennaro Gattuso does the job for Italy. On road to the finals of Germany 2006 the Azzuris has been on a 24 match unbeaten streak under Marcello Lippi and Gattuso has been central to Lippi’s plans. On the eve of the Germany vs. Italy semifinal, when it was mentioned to the A.C. Milan star about the suggestion of him being the centre stage of the tournament, he dismissed the suggestion.
“That is an insult to football. I can play well and win a lot of tackles but the entertainment and the class of Ronaldinho, who certainly disappointed here, they are what I dream about at night,” he said.
Similarly, Javier Mascherano does the ball winning task for Argentina, thus allowing the likes of Riquelme and Maxi Rodriguez to move forward. The 22 year old is happy doing the ugly work as his midfield partners win all the applauds.
''Okay, you don't get the glory and you don't get into the highlights and maybe some don't see what you do in the game. But, in that role, the game always goes through you. You are always in the middle of it and you are always battling, always fighting. That's what I love. I've always liked defending more than attacking anyway. And to know your team-mates depend on you so much, that you have got so much responsibility, well, that spurs you on even more,'' he said.
Even though the position of defensive midfield does not get much limelight, it is the battery of the team, rated highly by football pundits and followers alike. These physical defensive midfielders who very aggressively and constantly marshal the opposing team's attacking players are truly the unsung heroes of the beautiful game.
Back to Bread and Butter
The carnival is finally over. Now it is time to go back to your own houses. You do not belong to any nationality anymore. But you are a Mancunian, Londoner, Roman, Catalan, Scoucer or resident of any other region depending upon the club you play for. Come August and the bread and butter time for the footballers begins. It is the beginning of the professional season. Goaaal makes a preview of the three strongest football leagues in the world.
English Premier League
As seen in the previous season, Chelsea starts again as the favourites to win the title. Even before the beginning of the transfer season, Chelsea has announced their intention by making two huge signings. Signing Michael Ballack from Bayern Munich on a bosman free transfer was a big coup. By signing Andriy Shevchenko for a Premier League record fee of around £ 30 million, they have also made their intentions clear in Europe.
Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal will be fighting harder to match the bench mark set by Chelsea. Fears about the exit of Ruud van Nistelrooy and Christiano Ronaldo have raised doubts over Man Utd’s chances this season. With the departure of Roy Keane from Man Utd, Sir Alex Ferguson will be keen to strengthen his midfield with two quality signings. Some of his prime targets are Michael Carrick, Riquelme, Mahamadou Diarra, Javier Mascherano etc. Arsenal will be leaving Highbury this season for their new 60,000 seater Emirates Stadium in nearby Ashburton Grove, Islington.
Last season the gap between the champions and the runners up (Man Utd) were that of eight points. In the 2004-05 season the gap was 12 points. The legend of Sir Alex has been built around masterminding upsets. It has to be seen whether the man who proved ‘you win nothing with boys’ theory wrong can finally match Chelsea’s roubles.
Primera liga
The Spanish season will be interesting to watch as Fabio Capello begins his second stint as the manager of Real Madrid. It is also interesting to see whether the new President Ramon Calderon will bring to Real, Fabregas, Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo as promised.
On the other hand, Real’s arch rivals Barcelona are a well settled team with a young manager in Frank Rijkaard and the best player in the world in Ronaldinho. If Capello doesn’t come up with something special, it is highly likely that the title will once again move to Nou Camp.
Valencia and Villareal are other two teams that can challenge Real and Barcelona for the title. It would be interesting to see whether stars like Joaquin, Fernando Torres, David Villa, Aimar etc will continue to play in Spain.
Serie A
Italian Serie A is currently amidst a corruption scandal drama with champions Juventus, runners up A.C. Milan, Fiorentina and Lazio being the accused. Juve could be relegated to the third division with the loss of six points and be stripped of its last two league titles. The other accused will be relegated to the second division with Milan losing 3 points and the other two losing 15 points.
If Juve and Milan are relegated, Inter Milan would be declared winners of the previous two seasons. If such a scenario occurs indeed, then there will be a flight of players from these four clubs to the rest of Europe and Inter will be locking horns with A.S.Roma for the Scudetto.
English Premier League
As seen in the previous season, Chelsea starts again as the favourites to win the title. Even before the beginning of the transfer season, Chelsea has announced their intention by making two huge signings. Signing Michael Ballack from Bayern Munich on a bosman free transfer was a big coup. By signing Andriy Shevchenko for a Premier League record fee of around £ 30 million, they have also made their intentions clear in Europe.
Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal will be fighting harder to match the bench mark set by Chelsea. Fears about the exit of Ruud van Nistelrooy and Christiano Ronaldo have raised doubts over Man Utd’s chances this season. With the departure of Roy Keane from Man Utd, Sir Alex Ferguson will be keen to strengthen his midfield with two quality signings. Some of his prime targets are Michael Carrick, Riquelme, Mahamadou Diarra, Javier Mascherano etc. Arsenal will be leaving Highbury this season for their new 60,000 seater Emirates Stadium in nearby Ashburton Grove, Islington.
Last season the gap between the champions and the runners up (Man Utd) were that of eight points. In the 2004-05 season the gap was 12 points. The legend of Sir Alex has been built around masterminding upsets. It has to be seen whether the man who proved ‘you win nothing with boys’ theory wrong can finally match Chelsea’s roubles.
Primera liga
The Spanish season will be interesting to watch as Fabio Capello begins his second stint as the manager of Real Madrid. It is also interesting to see whether the new President Ramon Calderon will bring to Real, Fabregas, Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo as promised.
On the other hand, Real’s arch rivals Barcelona are a well settled team with a young manager in Frank Rijkaard and the best player in the world in Ronaldinho. If Capello doesn’t come up with something special, it is highly likely that the title will once again move to Nou Camp.
Valencia and Villareal are other two teams that can challenge Real and Barcelona for the title. It would be interesting to see whether stars like Joaquin, Fernando Torres, David Villa, Aimar etc will continue to play in Spain.
Serie A
Italian Serie A is currently amidst a corruption scandal drama with champions Juventus, runners up A.C. Milan, Fiorentina and Lazio being the accused. Juve could be relegated to the third division with the loss of six points and be stripped of its last two league titles. The other accused will be relegated to the second division with Milan losing 3 points and the other two losing 15 points.
If Juve and Milan are relegated, Inter Milan would be declared winners of the previous two seasons. If such a scenario occurs indeed, then there will be a flight of players from these four clubs to the rest of Europe and Inter will be locking horns with A.S.Roma for the Scudetto.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Globalisation and the impact on Indian entertainment industry
This is a very interesting topic. But before entering the topic, I would like to add something about the impact of Globalisation on the Indian art and culture during the ancient period. We all know that Alexander, the Great reached India in 326 BC. We also know that impact of Alexander's invasion on art which was the formation of the new Indo-Greek art form. The statues of Bamiyana Buddha in Khandahar (or Gandhara) is the best example of the Indo-Greek art form.
That was about ancient India. Now I would like to add something about the impact of globalisation of Bollywood. This is something which struck me after going through some back issues of the ' Outlook'. The articles were about Bollywood going global. Most of the directors were commenting that it is exremely cost effective to shoot a movie abroad than in India. Getting approval for shooting a movie in India is costly because of rampant corruption and red tapism. On the other hand in foreign countries special previleges are given to Bollywood crew as it is a big tourism advertisement for the country. There are also occasions when the foreign governments have also come forward to finance movies if the movies project their respective countries in good light.
Mahesh Bhatt's statement that he prefers Pakistani singers and rock bands in his movies because there is abundant untapped talent in Pakistan which can also be cost effective is another example of Bollywood reaching out to the world. Bollywood has starting tapping out the best technicians and artists from the rest of the world is the best example of how Globalisation has helped Indian entertainment industry grow.
Comments/ Criticisms are always welcome.
That was about ancient India. Now I would like to add something about the impact of globalisation of Bollywood. This is something which struck me after going through some back issues of the ' Outlook'. The articles were about Bollywood going global. Most of the directors were commenting that it is exremely cost effective to shoot a movie abroad than in India. Getting approval for shooting a movie in India is costly because of rampant corruption and red tapism. On the other hand in foreign countries special previleges are given to Bollywood crew as it is a big tourism advertisement for the country. There are also occasions when the foreign governments have also come forward to finance movies if the movies project their respective countries in good light.
Mahesh Bhatt's statement that he prefers Pakistani singers and rock bands in his movies because there is abundant untapped talent in Pakistan which can also be cost effective is another example of Bollywood reaching out to the world. Bollywood has starting tapping out the best technicians and artists from the rest of the world is the best example of how Globalisation has helped Indian entertainment industry grow.
Comments/ Criticisms are always welcome.
Friday, May 26, 2006
Beauty and the Beast
In a fortnight's time, the world will witness the biggest sporting spectacle in the planet, the World Cup. When the world will be busy discussing about the Ronaldinhos, Henrys and Rooneys, Paris will be party to the toughest tennis tournament in the world. It is no secret that every two years the two biggest grandslams in the world (The French Open and the Wimbledon) are overshadowed by the Football worldcup and Euro. But this years French Open deserves significance for several reasons.
All the questions about French Open are revolved around the Swiss Express, Roger Federer and his rival Rafael 'the beast' Nadal. Nadal has dominated Federer recently and has become an hindrance to his path of becoming the greatest player of all time. If Roger manages to win the title then there is every chance that he can go on to win the Wimbledon and go on to be the first man since Bjorn Borg (1980) to win French Open and the Wimbledon on the same year. That would be some achievement as clay is the slowest surface to play tennis and grass is the fastest one. Federer,by winning the title would also get the chance to win the complete Grand Slam.
So it is going to be a very interesting fortnight in Paris and we will have to look out for whether the beauty of the Swiss Express can overpower the beast called Nadal.
All the questions about French Open are revolved around the Swiss Express, Roger Federer and his rival Rafael 'the beast' Nadal. Nadal has dominated Federer recently and has become an hindrance to his path of becoming the greatest player of all time. If Roger manages to win the title then there is every chance that he can go on to win the Wimbledon and go on to be the first man since Bjorn Borg (1980) to win French Open and the Wimbledon on the same year. That would be some achievement as clay is the slowest surface to play tennis and grass is the fastest one. Federer,by winning the title would also get the chance to win the complete Grand Slam.
So it is going to be a very interesting fortnight in Paris and we will have to look out for whether the beauty of the Swiss Express can overpower the beast called Nadal.
Saturday, May 06, 2006
Maoism and India
Lets accept it, India's foreign policy on Nepal was a big disaster. I am not sure even today whom were we supporting. Where we with the King or with the political parties? What are the implications of the Maoists coming into the mainstram? These are extremely sensitive issues which should be dealt with delicately.
The Maoists attacking jails and freeing their comrades are occurring very frequently in India and in the state of Jharkhand in particular and has lost its news value. This Indian version of the Bastille seige is so common that it has ceased to appear in the front page of the leading dailies. How should GOI react to this crisis? One should recognise the fact that these maoists are not mercenaries, but our own countrymen and a main reason for them becomming naxalites are the feudal system that continue to prevail in the states of Jharkhand and Bihar. How are we to bring them back to the mainstream of the Indian society? Suppressing them is not a solution. But through constant interaction and counselling the crisis should be brought to an end and the Maoists should be forced to lay down their arms.
The Maoist problem in India should be the only issue that should make India shape its foreign policy in Nepal. The GOI should be very adament in preventing the Maoists coming into the Nepali mainstream politics. With Nepal sharing borders with Bihar, there is every chance that the Maoist problem in India will intensify with the maoists entering mainstream politics. Nepal embracing a constitutional monarchy or becoming a republic should not worry us. Our main headache is eliminating the Maoists in Nepal, so that we can solve our own naxalite trouble.
The Maoists attacking jails and freeing their comrades are occurring very frequently in India and in the state of Jharkhand in particular and has lost its news value. This Indian version of the Bastille seige is so common that it has ceased to appear in the front page of the leading dailies. How should GOI react to this crisis? One should recognise the fact that these maoists are not mercenaries, but our own countrymen and a main reason for them becomming naxalites are the feudal system that continue to prevail in the states of Jharkhand and Bihar. How are we to bring them back to the mainstream of the Indian society? Suppressing them is not a solution. But through constant interaction and counselling the crisis should be brought to an end and the Maoists should be forced to lay down their arms.
The Maoist problem in India should be the only issue that should make India shape its foreign policy in Nepal. The GOI should be very adament in preventing the Maoists coming into the Nepali mainstream politics. With Nepal sharing borders with Bihar, there is every chance that the Maoist problem in India will intensify with the maoists entering mainstream politics. Nepal embracing a constitutional monarchy or becoming a republic should not worry us. Our main headache is eliminating the Maoists in Nepal, so that we can solve our own naxalite trouble.
Friday, May 05, 2006
Will peace return to The Holy Land?
Kadima party under Ehud Olmert has emerged as the single largest party in the Israeli elections held recently and there is every chance that the 2000 year old problem will finally be settled.
Sharon's vision
Ariel Sharon had rightly judged the mood of the nation and had decided rightly in favour of withdrawing from the West Bank province. The formation of Kadima Party was the result of Sharon's dream of finally settling the Palestine Issue. But unfortunately Sharon has suffered from a stroke and it has been clear that even if he survives the stroke, he can't play any role in the Israeli politics any more. After Sharon's exit from the political scenario, his successor Ehud Olmert faces a harduous task of leading the Kadima Party and settling the Palestine issue.
Likud Party's Defeat
Likud Party under the leadership of Benjamin Netanyahu, who had opposed Sharon's attempt to peace was trounced heavily in the elections winning only 11 of the 120 seats. This reveals that the Israelis have forsaken the dream of the Greater (Historic) Israel for peace.
The Hamas threat
The greatest thraet to peace right now is The Hamas who has won the Palestine elections. Hamas, not prepared to accept the groung realities are still refusing to accept the state of Israel. Unless Hamas refuses to lay down arms and accept the state of Israel any decision regarding the future of Jerusalem will be taken by Israel unilaterally. Such a step would be unfortunate. So it is for Hamas to decide what should be their role in the entire peace process.
If Ehud Olmert and his Palestinian counterparts succeed in negotiations, the holy land will not only find a solution to the 2000 year old problem but also both Ehud Olmert and Ariel Sharon will join the ranks of Saladdin, Richard, the Lionheart, Balban, the defender of Jerusalem etc in the legend of Jerusalem.
Sharon's vision
Ariel Sharon had rightly judged the mood of the nation and had decided rightly in favour of withdrawing from the West Bank province. The formation of Kadima Party was the result of Sharon's dream of finally settling the Palestine Issue. But unfortunately Sharon has suffered from a stroke and it has been clear that even if he survives the stroke, he can't play any role in the Israeli politics any more. After Sharon's exit from the political scenario, his successor Ehud Olmert faces a harduous task of leading the Kadima Party and settling the Palestine issue.
Likud Party's Defeat
Likud Party under the leadership of Benjamin Netanyahu, who had opposed Sharon's attempt to peace was trounced heavily in the elections winning only 11 of the 120 seats. This reveals that the Israelis have forsaken the dream of the Greater (Historic) Israel for peace.
The Hamas threat
The greatest thraet to peace right now is The Hamas who has won the Palestine elections. Hamas, not prepared to accept the groung realities are still refusing to accept the state of Israel. Unless Hamas refuses to lay down arms and accept the state of Israel any decision regarding the future of Jerusalem will be taken by Israel unilaterally. Such a step would be unfortunate. So it is for Hamas to decide what should be their role in the entire peace process.
If Ehud Olmert and his Palestinian counterparts succeed in negotiations, the holy land will not only find a solution to the 2000 year old problem but also both Ehud Olmert and Ariel Sharon will join the ranks of Saladdin, Richard, the Lionheart, Balban, the defender of Jerusalem etc in the legend of Jerusalem.
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Opinion poll projects landslide win for LDF
Opinion poll projects landslide win for LDF
74% want LDF in power; 45% see VS as CM
- Anupama Murali, Nidhi Cherian, Sinju C.Iype & Shyam S.
An exclusive city - wide opinion poll reveals that the Left Democratic Front is all set to sweep the polls. Cutting across the age and sex barrier, V.S. Achuthanandan is perceived as the best chief ministerial candidate.
Back at the Helm
The opinion poll projects that the CPI (M) - led LDF are all set to regain power after a gap of five years, with 74% of the respondents favouring their return. There is a clear dissent among the public with 65% of the respondents stating their unhappiness with the performance of the UDF government. The achievements of the UDF government like ‘Akshaya’ e – literacy project, ‘Global Investors Meet’ (GIM) held at Kochi, pay revisions for government employees, granting permission to start private engineering and medical colleges etc does not offset the failures in tsunami relief, governance, law and order situation etc. The Oommen Chandy regime now faces the Herculean task of not only defending his governance but also fighting the anti – incumbency wave.
As expected V.S. Achuthanandan emerged as the best chief ministerial candidate with 45% of the respondents opting for him. In contrast, despite the anti – incumbency wave, 26% of the respondents feels that Oommen Chandy is the best man to lead the state. Despite the veteran politicians winning a majority of the votes for the best chief ministerial candidate, the poll reveals that the student community in Thiruvananthapuram desires for young politicians at the top by voting for Dr. M.K.Muneer and Ganesh Kumar.
Politically Conscious
With just two weeks to go for the polls, 90% of the respondents claimed that they will be exercising their franchise. Out of the dissenting 10%, 40% have no faith in the political system and the remaining 60% feel that the politicians do not live up to their expectations. These dissenting opinions were raised mainly by housewives revealing their attitude towards the current political scenario.
Another outcome of the poll is the revelation that 81% of the respondents believed that their votes really mattered in deciding the outcome of the elections. Only a microscopic minority comprising of the old aged population answered in negative. One of the thought provoking arguments raised during the poll was that, it is not the vote of the common man, but the money and the muscle power of the business class and entrepreneurs that decide the outcome of the poll.
Opinions were divided when asked whether the respondents voted for the party or for the candidates. Both the factors are taken into consideration by 43% of the respondents. Irrespective of the candidate fielded, 25% votes only for the party in which they believe; while 29% votes for the candidate based on merit and not for the party.
A majority of the respondents (73%) think that the qualities of the politicians of today are worse than those of yesteryears. This feeling is strong across all the sections of the society. Respondents who believed that the quality today is better than in the past and the quality these days is as good as it was in the past is 13% and 11% respectively.
Burning Issues
The most important problem facing the state today according to the opinion poll is unemployment (16% of the total votes). The malaise of educated unemployed youth is a major crisis in the state. According to NSSO (1999-00), the total rural unemployment rate in the state is 21.7% and the total urban unemployment rate is 19.1%. The state needs to exploit more vociferously the various schemes implemented by the Union Government like the National Food for Work Scheme, National Rural Employment Guarantee Act etc.
Another major problem facing the state today is the poor performance of the agricultural sector (12% of the total votes). The agricultural sector in the state is of an informal nature. Out of the total agricultural area, 53.39% of the land holdings are marginal holdings. Large agricultural holdings in the state comprise of only 6.45%. As a result, the marginal farmers are in a state of perpetual poverty and backwardness. Farmer suicide is another serious issue that has plagued the state. Bailing out the farmers from the debt trap is a challenge for the next government.
Industrial backwardness (11%) is also a very serious problem for the state. High cost of production, traditional labour intensive nature of the industries and non conducive climate for promoting industrial investment are some other reasons for the backwardness of industries. Lack of experienced labour force is another major bottleneck that needs to be overcome in attracting investment to the state.
There is ambiguity in the LDF election manifesto as far as attracting foreign investment or domestic investment is concerned. On the other hand the UDF election manifesto targets investment worth a lakh crore rupees. Realistically, if the state manages to attract one – tenth of the targeted investment, it will be a revolutionary achievement. Infrastructure is another issue that figured prominently in the opinion polls. Good infrastructure is utmost important not only for the agriculture, industry and service sector, but also generates a lot of employment opportunities in the state.
Continuous deterioration in the quality of services provided in public educational and public health institutions is another grave issue. Even though CUSAT is to be upgraded to the status of an IIT, the state of higher education in Kerala is pathetic and needs to be improved. Incidents like rural Keralites forgetting the ability to read and write has also begun to pop up. Re-educating them is another challenge facing the next government.
The opinion poll suggests, time and again the politicians have failed the people of the state. Rather than the performance of the government, it is often the anti – incumbency factor that decides the next government.
The student community suggests proper measures should be taken immediately without any delay to improve infrastructure, industry, agriculture & IT sector in the state. The state should draw inspiration from the performances of the neighbouring states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu & Andhra Pradesh in development. The state has a mountain to climb if it has at least any dream of catching up with the top performing states in the country. The state needs to act immediately, so that God’s Own Country remains truly God’s own country.
Note: The Thiruvananthapuram city wide opinion poll was conducted on April 4, 2006. In all, 100 voters belonging to different age groups were interviewed. The opinion poll has not made any forecasts of the seats in the assembly election. With 2 weeks to go for the election, there is a huge probability that the opinions may swing. Tabulation work has been done by calculating either average or weighted average as considered appropriate.
[This is an exclusive survey that appeared in VARTHA, the lab journal released by the morning batch of Institute of Journalism, Press Club, Thiruvananthapuram]
74% want LDF in power; 45% see VS as CM
- Anupama Murali, Nidhi Cherian, Sinju C.Iype & Shyam S.
An exclusive city - wide opinion poll reveals that the Left Democratic Front is all set to sweep the polls. Cutting across the age and sex barrier, V.S. Achuthanandan is perceived as the best chief ministerial candidate.
Back at the Helm
The opinion poll projects that the CPI (M) - led LDF are all set to regain power after a gap of five years, with 74% of the respondents favouring their return. There is a clear dissent among the public with 65% of the respondents stating their unhappiness with the performance of the UDF government. The achievements of the UDF government like ‘Akshaya’ e – literacy project, ‘Global Investors Meet’ (GIM) held at Kochi, pay revisions for government employees, granting permission to start private engineering and medical colleges etc does not offset the failures in tsunami relief, governance, law and order situation etc. The Oommen Chandy regime now faces the Herculean task of not only defending his governance but also fighting the anti – incumbency wave.
As expected V.S. Achuthanandan emerged as the best chief ministerial candidate with 45% of the respondents opting for him. In contrast, despite the anti – incumbency wave, 26% of the respondents feels that Oommen Chandy is the best man to lead the state. Despite the veteran politicians winning a majority of the votes for the best chief ministerial candidate, the poll reveals that the student community in Thiruvananthapuram desires for young politicians at the top by voting for Dr. M.K.Muneer and Ganesh Kumar.
Politically Conscious
With just two weeks to go for the polls, 90% of the respondents claimed that they will be exercising their franchise. Out of the dissenting 10%, 40% have no faith in the political system and the remaining 60% feel that the politicians do not live up to their expectations. These dissenting opinions were raised mainly by housewives revealing their attitude towards the current political scenario.
Another outcome of the poll is the revelation that 81% of the respondents believed that their votes really mattered in deciding the outcome of the elections. Only a microscopic minority comprising of the old aged population answered in negative. One of the thought provoking arguments raised during the poll was that, it is not the vote of the common man, but the money and the muscle power of the business class and entrepreneurs that decide the outcome of the poll.
Opinions were divided when asked whether the respondents voted for the party or for the candidates. Both the factors are taken into consideration by 43% of the respondents. Irrespective of the candidate fielded, 25% votes only for the party in which they believe; while 29% votes for the candidate based on merit and not for the party.
A majority of the respondents (73%) think that the qualities of the politicians of today are worse than those of yesteryears. This feeling is strong across all the sections of the society. Respondents who believed that the quality today is better than in the past and the quality these days is as good as it was in the past is 13% and 11% respectively.
Burning Issues
The most important problem facing the state today according to the opinion poll is unemployment (16% of the total votes). The malaise of educated unemployed youth is a major crisis in the state. According to NSSO (1999-00), the total rural unemployment rate in the state is 21.7% and the total urban unemployment rate is 19.1%. The state needs to exploit more vociferously the various schemes implemented by the Union Government like the National Food for Work Scheme, National Rural Employment Guarantee Act etc.
Another major problem facing the state today is the poor performance of the agricultural sector (12% of the total votes). The agricultural sector in the state is of an informal nature. Out of the total agricultural area, 53.39% of the land holdings are marginal holdings. Large agricultural holdings in the state comprise of only 6.45%. As a result, the marginal farmers are in a state of perpetual poverty and backwardness. Farmer suicide is another serious issue that has plagued the state. Bailing out the farmers from the debt trap is a challenge for the next government.
Industrial backwardness (11%) is also a very serious problem for the state. High cost of production, traditional labour intensive nature of the industries and non conducive climate for promoting industrial investment are some other reasons for the backwardness of industries. Lack of experienced labour force is another major bottleneck that needs to be overcome in attracting investment to the state.
There is ambiguity in the LDF election manifesto as far as attracting foreign investment or domestic investment is concerned. On the other hand the UDF election manifesto targets investment worth a lakh crore rupees. Realistically, if the state manages to attract one – tenth of the targeted investment, it will be a revolutionary achievement. Infrastructure is another issue that figured prominently in the opinion polls. Good infrastructure is utmost important not only for the agriculture, industry and service sector, but also generates a lot of employment opportunities in the state.
Continuous deterioration in the quality of services provided in public educational and public health institutions is another grave issue. Even though CUSAT is to be upgraded to the status of an IIT, the state of higher education in Kerala is pathetic and needs to be improved. Incidents like rural Keralites forgetting the ability to read and write has also begun to pop up. Re-educating them is another challenge facing the next government.
The opinion poll suggests, time and again the politicians have failed the people of the state. Rather than the performance of the government, it is often the anti – incumbency factor that decides the next government.
The student community suggests proper measures should be taken immediately without any delay to improve infrastructure, industry, agriculture & IT sector in the state. The state should draw inspiration from the performances of the neighbouring states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu & Andhra Pradesh in development. The state has a mountain to climb if it has at least any dream of catching up with the top performing states in the country. The state needs to act immediately, so that God’s Own Country remains truly God’s own country.
Note: The Thiruvananthapuram city wide opinion poll was conducted on April 4, 2006. In all, 100 voters belonging to different age groups were interviewed. The opinion poll has not made any forecasts of the seats in the assembly election. With 2 weeks to go for the election, there is a huge probability that the opinions may swing. Tabulation work has been done by calculating either average or weighted average as considered appropriate.
[This is an exclusive survey that appeared in VARTHA, the lab journal released by the morning batch of Institute of Journalism, Press Club, Thiruvananthapuram]
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Democracy in Nepal, What should be our stand?
This is an issue which I have been closely monitoring. I have read 2 contrasting editorials on THE HINDU & THE PIONEER regarding what should be India's approach towards Nepal.
THE ISSUE
King Gyanendra suspended the Parliament, declared emergency and assumed the role of a DE FACTO ruler. Press has been censored, Public rallies, meetings etc has been out lawed. India,along with the US and the EU has suspended all mititary aid to the world's only hindu kingdom. The king has played it smart by raising the China card.Now it is also heard that the king is allowing both China & Pakistan to open new consulates in regions which has proximity to Bihar.
THE HINDU'S STANCE
The Hindu came up with a typical leftist stance on the issue with them opposing any aid to Nepal. The Hindu constantly comes up with editorials protesting the evil motives of the king. The paper often ends up criticising the Indian Govt for failing to apply enough pressure on the Nepal monarch.
THE PIONEER'S STANCE
The Pioneer also criticised the Manmohan Singh Govt. But this criticism was for not understanding the ground reality and supporting the monarch. As the US & the EU are not big players in Nepal,the newspaper wants India not to allow China to take advantage of the situation and take remedial steps to counter the Chinese clout.
THE LEGEND'S VIEW
Both the point of view are correct. This is a tricky situation. But I will go with The Hindu's stand. The situation in Nepal is some what similar to that of Myanmar with Aung Sang Syu Ki still under house arrest and the country still ruled by the military junta. But Myanmar does not receive military support from India and Myanmar does not harbour Anti-India activities.
Nepal's geographical position is very important for the country and any disturbance in Nepal can disturb India's security. India could look at the long term gain and should support the political parties in Nepal.India should use its intelligence forces to create an uproar against the King and also to bring together both the political parties and the Maoists rebels(i.e. after making them shed their arms).Nepal does not have access to sea and it uses Indian Ports to do their trade. India should use this as a weapon. India should not be too wary of the China card as an ambitious China would be more a headache to Nepal than to India.The King will have to abdicate sooner or later and Democracy will prevail. A democratic Nepal is essential for the safety and security of India and we should work for it.
Legend
THE ISSUE
King Gyanendra suspended the Parliament, declared emergency and assumed the role of a DE FACTO ruler. Press has been censored, Public rallies, meetings etc has been out lawed. India,along with the US and the EU has suspended all mititary aid to the world's only hindu kingdom. The king has played it smart by raising the China card.Now it is also heard that the king is allowing both China & Pakistan to open new consulates in regions which has proximity to Bihar.
THE HINDU'S STANCE
The Hindu came up with a typical leftist stance on the issue with them opposing any aid to Nepal. The Hindu constantly comes up with editorials protesting the evil motives of the king. The paper often ends up criticising the Indian Govt for failing to apply enough pressure on the Nepal monarch.
THE PIONEER'S STANCE
The Pioneer also criticised the Manmohan Singh Govt. But this criticism was for not understanding the ground reality and supporting the monarch. As the US & the EU are not big players in Nepal,the newspaper wants India not to allow China to take advantage of the situation and take remedial steps to counter the Chinese clout.
THE LEGEND'S VIEW
Both the point of view are correct. This is a tricky situation. But I will go with The Hindu's stand. The situation in Nepal is some what similar to that of Myanmar with Aung Sang Syu Ki still under house arrest and the country still ruled by the military junta. But Myanmar does not receive military support from India and Myanmar does not harbour Anti-India activities.
Nepal's geographical position is very important for the country and any disturbance in Nepal can disturb India's security. India could look at the long term gain and should support the political parties in Nepal.India should use its intelligence forces to create an uproar against the King and also to bring together both the political parties and the Maoists rebels(i.e. after making them shed their arms).Nepal does not have access to sea and it uses Indian Ports to do their trade. India should use this as a weapon. India should not be too wary of the China card as an ambitious China would be more a headache to Nepal than to India.The King will have to abdicate sooner or later and Democracy will prevail. A democratic Nepal is essential for the safety and security of India and we should work for it.
Legend
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