Obama’s Comments are Disgusting

This article first published on Blogcritics.org.

This is not about supporting Ahmadinejad and not about opposing President Barack Obama. This is about how President Barack Obama responded to the comments made by the head of a state. This is about what context the President of the US chose to condemn the comments of the Iranian President Ahmadinejad.

How should he respond?

Mr. Obama should have responded by directly addressing the comments of Mr. Ahmadinejad. Condemning notionally such comments is a way of responding, but it cannot suffice to a head of the state of the United States of America, who repeatedly talks about humanity, reputation of America, support for America, relevance of American supremacy, the pride of the USA and the uniqueness of the USA.

Let us see the remarks of Mr. Ahmadinejad. He said, "Some segments within the U.S. government orchestrated the attack to reverse the declining American economy, and its grips on the Middle East, in order to save the Zionist regime." He said most of the people of the world and the US believe this theory. This was the essence of comments of Mr. Ahmadinejad on the UN podium regarding 9/11 attacks. These comments involve the aspects of politics, economics, sociology and culture of the Politics.

It would be perfect if Obama asked Mr. Ahmadinejad to reveal the sections of the US establishment he believed to be behind the 9/11 attacks. He should have said why the American economy was not declining then. He should have rejected that the US was up for grips on the Middle East, and he should have told the people of the US and the world why and how the US regime did not intend to save the Zionist (or Israeli) regime if it was not.

Possibility

Furthermore, Mr. Ahmadinejad linked the interests of the US in the Middle East to the 9/11 attacks. President Obama should have explained how they were not linked. He should have revealed that there was a possibility and it

Commonwealth Games Likely to Affect India’s Image in Economic Front

Article first published as Commonwealth Games Likely to Affect India’s Economic Image on Technorati.

Delhi Commonwealth Games, 2010 is going to remain a big fiasco for third largest Asian economy, India after China and Japan. Political and financial corruption could remain a scar on the face of ability of India in conducting such big events.

There have been many reports coming in about corruption scandals surrounding CWG – 2010, well in advance for two months. But the government, especially the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh seemed completely unaware of what was up to regarding CWG arrangements.

Missed Link

The idea of conducting international events stems out from the wishes of the rulers to keep their country at spotlight for improving business, attracting tourists and finally contributing more for the growth of the country. It is surprising that the growth-figures-oriented Prime Minister has missed the link between CWG’s success and his aspirations for surpassing Chinese growth rate.

Many international news networks have expressed doubts whether India could make it. The doubts remained unsolved even as the date is just 3 days away. The government appointed ministerial body of three ministers only five days before the inaugural date, i.e. 3 October.

Image Blurring

Indian rulers are keen for not letting any spats like H-1B visa fee hike, outsourcing ban and restrictions on exports from the US side, to play spoilsport during the visit of the US President Mr. Barack Obama in November second week. However, they seem to forget how a failure or even a partial failure in conducting CWG is going to affect the Indian image on the economic front.

Foreign Investments Invited in Indian Roads

Foreign investments are invited in building Indian roads according NHAI (National Highway Authority of India) official J N Singh, Reuters reported. Indian infrastructure is thought to be a biggest hassle for the development of India by many foreign and domestic analysts in recent years.

Reuters news agency is one of such firm that has relentlessly been advocating the theory that the Indian infrastructure has become a biggest obstacle for India to equate the double-digit growth rate of neighboring China. It says underdeveloped infrastructure is one of the contributors for the high inflation rate of India.

$18 Billion Roads

India is expecting 30 percent of the total $18 billion cost of Indian road projects in the present fiscal year would be met by the foreign investors. The NHAI official revealed in the ‘Reuters India Investment Summit’ that the government has so far awarded 3000 km road from April to August and looking to award 6000 km road in the remaining part of the present fiscal year up to March 2011.

India is awarding the road building contracts on BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) model, a type of partnership model formulated for the convenience of private contractors. The BOT system is nothing but a veil to privatization of Indian infrastructure, stitched and embroidered some ten years back.

What is BOT?

“Build” term in BOT implies that the roads will be built by the private contractors. “Operate” implies the built roads will be operated by again the private contractors. It includes mainly the setting up of tollgates at different points of the highways and collecting toll tax from the users.

Strategic Alliance between India and the US Begins to Materialize

Article first published as Strategic Alliance between India and the US Begins to Materialize on Blogcritics.

India is preparing a gift pack to felicitate the US President Mr. Barack Obama, who is visiting India in November of this year. The strategic alliance agreement reached between India and the US, back in 2005, begins to materialize during president’s visit to India. The Indian government is working to finalize the defense deal worth $5.8 billion (approximately Rs. 2.75 lakh crore) that was signed in July 2009. Another deal of buying 126 fighter jets will also be signed during the visit, defense officials revealed.

For the prosperity of the US

Mr. Obama’s visit to India was announced by himself in the first week of June when Indian External Affairs minister S M Krishna met the President in the US. “When it comes to the sphere of our work, building a future of greater prosperity, opportunity and security for our people, there is no doubt; I have to go India,” Obama said in June in a press meet attended jointly with S M Krishna. The US officials said Mr Obama’s visit to India would be from November 7 to 10.

Therefore, for the prosperity of the US people (read, for helping the US to come out of the financial crisis) the Presidents of the US tour the world to sell their defense goods. They visit India on one side and Pakistan on the other side and sell their arms enabling India and Pakistan to protect themselves from their neighbors. Sometimes, they settle defense contracts with both countries in the same tour and of course on deferent legs.

Big Visit

According to rediff.com news, President Obama did not want his visit to remain merely a symbolic, and wanted to imprint his own signature through the visit. As the nuclear agreement was signed in the era of his Republican predecessor, President Obama wanted at least two big deals that could