Tuesday, October 31, 2006

When CPI organises a meeting, it becomes a national event for CBCNN

People have a big role, say Pakistan politicians

Jammu and Kashmir CPI (M) MLA Mohammed Yusuf Tarigami organised a meeting for the communists to meet parliamentarians from Pakistan. Our comrades are, as usual, getting cosy with our enemies. Pakistan is autocratic and the parliamentarians are largely irrelevant. Not for the Indian communists, and by extension to CBCNN. It is hilarious to watch the megalomania of the communists mooching in the wilderness of irrelevance.

Its Karat time again

Planning Commission and poverty estimates

Brinda Karat is the wife of Prakash Karat, who is a good friend of N.Ram. Karats invariably get a lot of space on the pages of CBCNN.

In this lengthy article, Brinda Karat rips apart the poverty estimates as "utterly irrational, unscientific, and unjust". No alternatives provided. Just identifying flaws and magnifying them. It must be so easy being a communist in India. No responsiblity or accountability. Just go around whipping others and blabber a lot. The subservient media will keep the halo around the communists shining.

A rare note of appreciation for the police

Challenge and response
N.Ram is actually appreciating India's security forces and he uses "Islamist terrorist" to describe the assailants. A rare editorial, indeed. I wonder how long before N.Ram returns to his normal self.

Sunday, October 29, 2006

Scholarships for Pakistani students

http://www.hindu.com/2006/10/30/stories/2006103004081100.htm

Given CBCNN's slant to support Pakistan, it is not surprising that this article appeared in this paper.

The author says that giving scholarships to Pakistani students will help improve relations between the two countries. Inspite of all the good-will measures extended by India, Pakistan has not taken the first step by stopping cross-border terrorism. So why another goodwill geusture?
It is obvious that the only benefeciary of extending scholarships to Paki students would be Pakistan. Some of these "students" will come on an all expenses paid trip to India to establish terror cells. Remember, some of the visitors who came to India to watch the India-Pak cricket match - another goodwill gesture - disappeared mysteriously into the vastness of India.
And what has this people to people contact enabled. What do Pakistani nationals do in India. CBCNN gives us a few hints.
http://www.hindu.com/2006/10/30/stories/2006103004231200.htm
http://www.hindu.com/2006/10/30/stories/2006103004151200.htm
http://www.hindu.com/2006/10/30/stories/2006103016191400.htm


Such a gesture should not be contingent on Pakistan reciprocating. It would, however, become inevitable for Pakistan to allow Indian students too to come study in Pakistan. This would be particularly appropriate in areas such as anthropology and archaeology ...

The author is asking for unilateral action. I wonder, even if Pakistan extended scholarship, who in India would be interested in going and studying there. Indeed, Pakistan has got wonderful archealogical sites but not institutes. There is one area in which Pak specialises and students from all over the world go there to study - International Terrorism.

Democracy: Congress-style

Time to tune up the Congress machine
In true Congress tradition, her(Sonia Gandhi's) pronouncement became the official policy
CBCNN keeps repeating Manmohan's integrity and honesty. But it makes no difference to how Congress party is run because the official policy is determined by the bar maid's pronouncements.

Basu in favour of inviting Hu Jintao

http://www.hindu.com/2006/10/30/stories/2006103004131200.htm

Jyoti Basu is in favour of Chinese President Hu Jintao being invited to address a joint session of Parliament.


Drawing a distinction between his wanting the Chinese President to address the joint session of Parliament and the opposition of the Left parties to a proposal to invite United States President, George Bush, to do the same when the latter had visited the country in March, Mr. Basu said, "We see China in one way, the other [the U.S.] in another."


The communists, the traitors that they are, will welcome the Chinese troops invading India with garlands. They also oppose any economic and technological cooperation with US as it is beneficial to India.

CPI (M) to take stock of its shortcomings

http://www.hindu.com/2006/10/30/stories/2006103016231400.htm

There really are a lot too many shortcomings, if you ask me. Let me start with patriotism.

CBCNN carries intricate details of the mid-term review process of CPI, with the assumption that its readers are active badge-holders of the communist party. Other national newspapers did not even bother to mention this non-event.

Barking dog of Indian politics

UPA policies benefiting few, says Dasgupta

CPI comes out with yet another set of pompous statements and CBCNN just can not afford to miss out on splashing and flashing it.

Asked about the continuance of Left support to the UPA Government, he said the CPI was exploring the possibility of extracting concessions from the ruling alliance for the people through the proposed agitation. "If the Government still fails to deliver, the Left Front will have to take a harsh decision."

CPI has all along been influencing economic and foriegn policies by virtue of their access to power. So what is the need for an agitation that cripples the economy. Did CPI explore the possibility of extracting concessions through negotiations to now pursue the agitation course.
Yeah, we are all dying to see the "harsh decision", comrade. A barking dog never bites.

Natwar Singh hits back at Sonia

http://www.hindu.com/2006/10/30/stories/2006103004191200.htm

"Everything that the Government did against me was on Sonia's direction. I will not blame (Prime Minister) Manmohan Singh,'' a release issued by the channel(Star news) said.

Natwar Singh reiterates that the real PM is Sonia and Manmohan is just a "Sikhandi".

He also said: ``Those who are born on Indian soil only will understand the country's ethos and culture. Others will not.''
Natwar Singh becomes a Hindutva fundementalist.

Thursday, October 26, 2006

Fundementalists calling Diwali a religious festival

Be lenient to Indian students, Australia urged

Mr. Ravi said Diwali was recognised abroad as a pan-Indian national festival. But he was dismayed at the "fundamentalist" attitude of some ethnic Indians in Australia who looked at this "festival of colour and lights" through a religious prism. He was, however, happy that people from different faiths were present at the Diwali celebrations in Australia and New Zealand.

Vayalar Ravi is the minister of Indian overseas affairs. His wife is Mercy, a Christian. He is known to have filed a case against Guruvayoor temple.

CBCNN, like Vayalar Ravi, is known to display similar disregard to Hindu religion, customs and symbols. All good things in Hinduism are treated as Indian - an act of cultural appropriation practised by the minorities, and all bad things in India are blamed on Hinduism - an act of cultural terrorism by the 'secularists'.

"People's Democracy" or CBCNN? Its all the same

Apt juncture to assess foreign policy: Karat

... Mr. Karat said in the latest issue of party organ `People's Democracy.'

Not much difference between reading "People's Democracy" and CBCNN, because CBCNN maintains high standards, ethics, integrity, etc. to ensure it mirrors the views expressed in "People's Democracy".

... the NAM Summit in Havana showed that India could play an important and constructive role in advancing the platform of defence of national sovereignty against hegemonic trends

As Sabha pointed out here, NAM is irrelevant. Comrade Karat is just going through the motions of vomiting some nonsense. CBCNN is meticulously swallowing it all and regurgitating on its readers.

Another area of potential was trilateral cooperation between Russia, China and India.
And China is waging water wars on India.

Soul of N.Ram - intellectual dishonesty

For successful journalism, with a soul

NRam expresses serious concerns about "a new kind of demand being made for manipulating news, analysis and opinion to suit the owners' financial and political interests".

Meanwhile, CBCNN gives prominent coverage to Prakash Karat, parrots CPI's statements and dutifully publishes Xinhua nonsense .

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Some forum established in China and some delegates attending the conference

Anti-graft forum
Yet another irrelevant article.

Microcredit in China virtually nonexistent

When a little money goes a long way - Pallavi Aiyar

In China, where the rural population stands at a weighty 700 million, only some 100,000 people have borrowed from microcredit institutions.


China's breakneck economic growth has led to a sharp income gap between rural and urban areas transforming one of the world's most equal, albeit poor societies, into one with a gini-coefficient (a commonly used statistical measure of income inequality) worse even than that of India.
Comrade Pallavi Aiyar is evidently upset that China is lagging behind India in this key indicator.


China's rural population is 700 million and the migrant floating population is estimated at 200 million.

On Chinese Banking:
Chinese banking continues to be dominated by large, inefficiently managed state-owned banks, beset with non-performing loans.

In China it remains extremely difficult for private enterprises to get access to credit. Bank loans still go overwhelmingly to state corporations and nearly three-fourths of the private sector has to depend on "shadow banks" for credit.

40 per cent of state-owned companies are losing money.

Irrelevant ramblings of a bigoted mind

Rule of law versus rule of judges

The `Hindutva' judgment naturally raised eyebrows all round and for all its claims to independence and its pro-activism, the judiciary was not able to step in and spare the country its two most recent ignominies — the destruction of the Babri Masjid and the Gujarat pogrom of 2002.

Mentioning Hindutva, Babri Masjid and Gujarat is out of context and totally unnecessary. This is just ramblings of a bigoted, asinine mind. Comrade Harish Khare is expecting the judiciary to step in and act on behalf of, or command the police and armed forces. Plain stupidity. Why just stop at Babri Masjid and Gujarat. Also mention in the same line the 1993 and 2006 bomb blasts, Governors trampling the constitution in Goa and Bihar, the character assasination of Kanchi Shankaracharya by the state, etc.

Why is the judgement labelled 'Hindutva'? Just because Comrade-Traitor-Bastard Harish Khare wants to do some name calling.


No democratic order can sustain itself if its critical institutions practise disdain for the aspirations and welfare of large segments of society.

I am keeping this here for reference because I know this moron will write another article very soon saying disdain for majority sentiments is acceptable to appease minorities.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Tibetan blunder

China's dam plan will hit north-east, says Gogoi
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Tuesday expressed concern at media reports of Beijing's plan to construct a dam on part of the Brahmaputra flowing in China and divert about 200 billion cubic metres of water to feed the Yellow River.

CBCNN refers to Brahmaputra flowing in Tibet as part of China. Cant really blame them when Government of India itself refuses to recognize Tibet autonomy here. Call it the legacy of the "useful idiot".

In a statement here, Mr. Gogoi said the Brahmaputra-Barak-Meghna river system contributed almost one-third of the total surface water resources of the country and any large-scale diversion would have serious repercussions for the northeast and the country as a whole.
One-third of the total surface water resource of the country is coming from Tibet. And we kept quiet when China invaded Tibet. Talk about short-sighted leaders.

Chinese Water wars on NE

China's dam plan will hit north-east, says Gogoi

Friday, October 20, 2006

Core values and Quality standards of CBCNN

CBCNN has on several occassions proclaimed its high standards of journalism. Evaluating the 125 years of its existence here, CBCNN says:
Over the decades, The Hindu has been striving to continuously uphold and practice the highest standards in journalism. It has tried unwaveringly to adhere to the core journalistic values, of pursuit of truth without fear or favour, fairness, objectivity, authenticity, independence and a sense of balance.

The Hindu's independent editorial stand and its reliable and balanced presentation of news have won for it the serious attention and regard of the discriminating sections of the people over the years. The tradition of The Hindu, built over 125 years, is the tradition of dependability. Its national perceptive and outlook have made it a national institution spanning several generations. A leading commentator even described it as "a national voice with a southern accent".


Compare this with what old, long-time readers say.
The common thread in many of these messages is that The Hindu is partisan and prejudiced. Some of the points they make are:

The paper has turned into an ideological document; there is disproportionate coverage to CPI(M) Polit Bureau members wherever they speak; a mindset prejudiced against all right-wing people; obsession for Muslims and their welfare; an anti-American bias. The demand is made that the paper should present "both sides of the ideological coin so that the readers would decide the merits and demerits of the issue." While conceding the paper's "entitlement to have its own ideology, prejudices, biases, etc.," a reader says it cannot have "pretensions of adherence to core values."


CBCNN made no attempt to contradict these statements by old, long-time readers. No more comments.

CPI all excited about Hu Jintao's visit

CPI(M) urges China to take confidence-building steps

Mr. Yechury, who is leading a high-level party delegation to China at the invitation of the ruling Communist Party of China, told his interlocutors that China should take steps to prevent recurrent flooding in the north-east region, including the Brahmaputra river, as well as avoid flash floods in Himachal Pradesh due to break-up of artificial lakes in Tibet.

Comrade Yechury is acknowledging that the Chinese experiments in Tibet are causing flash floods in India. The Tibetian ghost, created by Comrade Nehru, will haunt us for a long time.

CPI and CBCNN actively support Chinese invasion of Tibet.

Another irrelevant Xinhua article

English lessons
Some 1500 drivers getting English lessons. What relevance has this got for Indians.

Thursday, October 19, 2006

France too rules out comparion between India and N.Korea

France too rules out comparison

France on Tuesday joined the United States and Britain in rejecting a comparison between the nuclear programmes of India and North Korea.

However, CBCNN insists on clubbing the two under the same banner.

China's land usage policy - do you care?

China to conserve land

CHINA'S ministry of Land and Resources is trying to conserve arable land in China and not India. Why should an average Indian be concerned about China's domestic issues?
The Tibet support group, Friends of Tibet, has rightly accused CBCNN of being a mouthpiece of the Xinhua News Agency, run by the Chinese Communist Party. Have a look at http://www.friendsoftibet.org/save/ for more details.

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

More polluted Beijing better than Delhi

A tale of two cities - Harish Chandola

Harish Chandola is on a visit to Beijing, most probably on a business trip to the corporate headquarters of CBCNN or Beijing is trying to keep its foot soldiers in India happy by sponsoring pleasure trips to a few.

Harish is describing his visit by comparing Beijing to New Delhi and you can see him looking through the proverbial coloured glasses. Harish is absolutely captivated by the "rising moon" in the early morning. He says, Beijing, being more polluted than Delhi, has a grey curtain of smog, making the sun look like a moon. Greater pollution in Beijing makes the sun look more beautiful here than in Delhi. Comrade Harish Chandola is so blinded with prejudice, he does not need the smog to make Beijing look more beautiful.

Another article suspecting the police

Facts, fiction or the fog of drugs? - Praveen Swami

"IT is far pleasanter to sit comfortably in the shade rubbing red pepper in a poor devil's eyes," wrote James Stephen in his 1883 classic, The History of Criminal Law, "than to go about in the sun hunting up evidence."

Stephen's wry commentary on colonial Indian police practices offers a prism through which to examine the Mumbai Police's investigation of the July 11 serial bombing of suburban trains.

Swami's opening statements set the tone for the rest of the article. He straight away starts with the assumption that the Mumbai police have not spent time on the investigation and are forcing confessions out of innocents. CBCNN rejects any direct evidence indicting Pakistan, saying it is so obvious Pak wont do it. CBCNN rejects any circumstantial evidence saying it is not solid evidence. CBCNN calls any time taken for the investigations as police ineffeciency. The police have no escape. The CBCNN is always lashing out at them. In total contrast, CBCNN is always considerate when it comes to Islamic terrorism. Also, look at how it went to the extent of supporting nuclear tests by blaming America. The Indian police get no such sympathy from CBCNN.

Another article suspecting the police

Facts, fiction or the fog of drugs? - Praveen Swami

"IT is far pleasanter to sit comfortably in the shade rubbing red pepper in a poor devil's eyes," wrote James Stephen in his 1883 classic, The History of Criminal Law, "than to go about in the sun hunting up evidence."

Stephen's wry commentary on colonial Indian police practices offers a prism through which to examine the Mumbai Police's investigation of the July 11 serial bombing of suburban trains.

Swami's opening statements set the tone for the rest of the article. He straight away starts with the assumption that the Mumbai police have not spent time on the investigation and are forcing confessions out of innocents. CBCNN rejects any direct evidence indicting Pakistan, saying it is so obvious Pak wont do it. CBCNN rejects any circumstantial evidence saying it is not solid evidence. CBCNN calls any time taken for the investigations as police ineffeciency. The police have no escape. The CBCNN is always lashing out at them. In total contrast, CBCNN is always considerate when it comes to Islamic terrorism. Also, look at how it went to the extent of supporting nuclear tests by blaming America. The Indian police get no such sympathy from CBCNN.

Continuing support for Afzal

Intellectuals rally behind Afzal

The same old mafia network of muslims and jholawallas are being peddled as intellectuals by CBCNN. CBCNN is trying its best to give prominent coverage to all those fringe elements and extremists supporting Afzal.

A party politburo member's opinion

Protect Parliament prestige: Brinda Karat

Why does some politburo member's opinion get so much prominence in CBCNN? It is because she happens to be the wife of Prakash Karat, who is a good friend of the editor-in-chief of CBCNN, N.Ram. The next time you hear about ethics from CBCNN, remember it is hypocrisy, which the communists have mastered so well.

Brinda Karat fights for the wrong causes once again. Legistlature questioning the Parliament is not undermining its prestige. Both of them have to uphold the constitutional law. If parliament thinks of itself as the supreme authority and acts with impunity and disregard for the law, a responsible legistlature must react to the situation. A legistlature acts on the parliament as a check in such cases.

In both instances that the legistlature pulled up the parliament, the parliament has violated the stipulated guidelines. In both cases, the violator is congress party, the unethical bed-partner of the communists. Karat, once again, is supporting an unconstitutional act for political purposes.

Monday, October 16, 2006

Garibi hatao

Back to garibi hatao

Three-and-a-half decades ought to have been long enough for India to make a massive dent on poverty. During the same period, by all accounts, China, embarking on a new economic path, has succeeded in raising hundreds of millions of its citizens out of mass poverty comparable with India's. However, in the new millennium, more than 350 million Indians remain desperately poor by any international norm.
At the slightest available opportunity, CBCNN praises the fatherland, China. Have to acknowledge the Chinese experiment as a great success, if only one can ignore the tens of millions of poor farmers who have been sacrificed for the purpose.

CBCNN is soft and considerate while evaluating the debilitating effects of Nehruvian-Stalinism, and its associated phony ideals of socialism and equality, or the trickery, opportunism and deceit of Indira Gandhi when she used the "garibi hatao" as only a slogan, while further shackling the free enteprise.

This being CBCNN, you dont expect them to rip apart the duplicity of Indira Gandhi's "garibi hatao". And when Saint Gandhi is using the same slogan a few decades later, CBCNN is curious about the political advantage it will fetch her, not the poverty alleviation that can be affected.

Xinhua drum-beating in CBCNN

China's urbanisation gains momentum

Cant find much difference between Xinhua, China's national newspaper controlled by the national party, and CBCNN, another China's national newspaper, but operating out of Chennai. The both collaborated to provide us, the hapless readers in India, the great things that are going on in the fatherland of China.

Population in towns is increasing in China because of the desertification of rural areas, in terms of population and landscape. The disastrous consequences of China's economic policies is something you cannot hope to hear from either Xinhua or CBCNN.

Pak's Daily Times indicts Musharraf but not CBCNN

Seven years and counting - Nirupama Subramanian

But the question his moderate critics are asking is, if he is so "all right" what prevented President Musharraf from doing anything for this vision in these last seven years. After all, he first spoke of enlightened moderation six years ago. If in this time, religious extremist forces have gained political power, it is thanks to his sidelining of mainstream political parties, and the backlash from the decision to unquestioningly back the U.S. `war on terror.' They are asking why, if he claims to be a champion of moderation, did he succumb just last month to Islamist forces that opposed amending the anti-women Hudood ordinances. And why, as the Daily Times, asked in an editorial, does he continue to retain jihadi options in Kashmir and Afghanistan?

The Daily Times editorial asks Musharraf why he is continuing to retain jihadi options in Kashmir but CBCNN, in this editorial, tells its readers Musharraf has nothing to do with jihad in Kashmir.

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Another editorial supporting N.Korea nuclear tests

Unhelpful step

In yet another article supporting the N.Korean nuclear tests, CBCNN clubs North Korea with India and Pakistan. CBCNN strongly condemns the imperialist US imposing sanctions on communist North Korea.

Saturday, October 14, 2006

CPI blames US for N.Korea nuclear tests

Korean nuclear test unfortunate, says CPI (M)

We heard it all in an earlier editorial on this topic by CBCNN.

CPI-M held the U.S. "singularly responsible" for N.Korea's nuclear tests.

"After declaring itself a nuclear weapons state, India's stand that other countries should not acquire nuclear weapons does not carry much conviction. Likewise, if Israel can stockpile 200-plus nuclear weapons, how can India argue against Iran exercising its legitimate right as the signatory of the NPT to conduct uranium enrichment?"
North Korean case different from India's, says Tony Blair because India is strong on counter-proliferation. But CPI(M), and CBCNN, choose not to see the distinction.

Bannerjee Committee illegal: High Court

Bannerjee Committee illegal: High Court


The Gujarat High Court on Friday held the constitution of the U. C. Bannerjee Committee by the Railway Ministry to probe the Godhra train carnage illegal and unconstitutional.

It restrained the Centre from tabling the committee report in Parliament or taking any further action on it.

Allowing a petition filed on March 28, 2005 by Neelkanth Tulsidas Bhatia, one of those injured in the February 27, 2002 carnage on the outskirts of the Godhra railway station, Justice D. N. Patel held that the Ministry and the Centre had no jurisdiction to issue the September 2, 2004 notification appointing the committee. Its constitution was "unconstitutional, illegal and null and void.''

Taking note of the existence of the G.T. Nanavati and K.G. Shah judicial inquiry commission appointed by the Gujarat Government earlier to go into the carnage and the post-Godhra communal riots, the court said that neither under the Commission of Inquiry Act nor under the Indian Railways Act, the Railway Ministry was authorised to appoint a committee to probe the same matter.

On the plea by railway advocate Nirupam Nanavati that the Centre had jurisdiction in any inter-State matter as the Sabarmati Express had passed through more than one State before the incident occurred at Godhra, the court said such powers were vested in the Centre in appointing an inquiry commission and not a high-level committee.

The court viewed with apprehension the Ministry's attempt to upgrade the committee vesting it with powers of a judicial commission. This was a "colourable exercise of power with mala fide intentions.''

Justice Patel also took exception to the appointment of the committee two years and seven months after the incident had occurred, the way its interim report was submitted just two days before the Bihar elections and the publicity given to it for apparent political advantages.

The court flayed the committee's interim report, which was later confirmed in its final report, describing the fire in coach S6 as "accidental, possibly caused by short circuiting.''

The Bannerjee report was "contrary'' to the "facts'' available to the court and also the "admission'' by the Railway Accident Claim Tribunal which, in the event of the petitioner's claim, clearly mentioned that "it is an admitted fact that he sustained injury in coach S6, which was set on fire by a mob.''

The Bannerjee Committee "propounding the theory of accidental fire is just opposite to what the facts are," observed the judge.

Voluminous verdict

Justice Patel, who took more than four hours to read out the voluminous judgment, also rejected the Railways' argument that the petitioner had no locus standi to file the petition. He was a "victim and had the right to a fair trial and the Bannerjee report, "contrary to the facts of the records of the case," would be violative of Article 21 of the Constitution giving all citizens equal rights for justice.

Chief Minister Narendra Modi, welcoming the judgment, said the "justice loving people of the country and of the State" would be happy over the court's stand.

The appointment of the Bannerjee Committee was a "conspiracy" by the UPA Government at the Centre and all other "anti-Gujarat forces'' as part of the "minority vote-bank politics'' and to "save those accused of the train carnage."

Thursday, October 12, 2006

Taliban in Kashmir

Fear stalks north Kashmir mountains Praveen Swami

Few interesting points from the article:

... cities across the country grapple with the worst year of Islamist terrorism India has ever faced

In June, Naima Waza, 21, and her sister Salima, 23, were tonsured in full public view for having defied a Lashkar ban on the use of cellular phones. Their father, Abdul Aziz Waza, was shot through the legs. According to the Lashkar, mobile phones encouraged immorality. A powerful Sopore religious figure, Ahad Ba'b Sopore, was targeted for assassination by the Lashkar earlier this year, on the grounds that his syncretic religious practices constituted heresy.
Islamists are turning Kashmir into another Talibani Afghanistan.

... several key terrorist leaders in the area, including the Lashkar's Deputy Division Commander, a Pakistani national
Trust N.Ram when he tells you Pakistan has nothing to do with terrorism.

Passes the verdict on George Fernandes

Tehelka, run by ex-editor of a porn magazine, conducts sting operations to uncover corruption and scandals, mostly involving politicians. It is interesting to note that most of the targets of Tehelka belong to one particular political party. When Congress was neck-deep in Oil-for-food scam, Tehelka ran a sting operation exposing BJP MPs collecting bribes to ask questions in Parliament. The focus of corrupt politicians has shifted from Congress to BJP. It appeared as if Tehelka was acting as an extension of the Congress government, just as CBCNN is an extension of communists.

Once again, Congress government is an obvious beneficiary of Tehelka's investigation of Barak deal. Congress government is also known for its politics of vengeance. Given that both, Tehelka and Congress, are acting in nexus with dubious intentions, the FIR could well be a political drama. CBCNN is overly enthusiastic in passing a verdict that George Fernandes is guilty.
At the very least, the lack of transparency and the haste with which the procurement was pushed through show that the Barak deal was not at all kosher.
CBCNN is just another yellow rag, letting its political affiliations permeate its pages.

Congress and BJP fight but CPI grabs the headlines

CBI must pursue missile deal probe impartially: CPI(M)

The Italian is trying extract revenge on George Fernandes in the age-old Sicilian way. The BJP and Congress get all heated up and exchange statements and counter-statements. The environment is all charged up with slogans from members of both parties. The communists, watch the action from a far-off distance, and make a trivial remark in some back alleys. CBCNN glorifies this trivial remark and puts it as a headline in "National" news.

Chinese party sets 15-year agenda - so what?

CPC lays stress on social harmony

I cant think of the relevance of this article to India. Chinese party concluded its plenary session. This is not an international news by any standard. No Indian newspaper would think of informing it readers about this. But as we all know CBCNN is China's national newspaper, incidentally located in Chennai.

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

CBCNN supports N.Korea nuclear tests

An alert reader has brought to my notice that CBCNN did not carry any statements from the communist parties about N.Korea's nuclear blasts. The communists, who are vocal on any and every damn issue, have chosen not to comment on this one because N.Korea is another darling communist country. I decided to have a second look at the editorial.

The end of 'non-proliferation'
CBCNN calls this act of N.Koreas as "adventurism". No strong language. No condemnation. It is trying to justify the actions based on changed circumstances. The routine blame-game is also seen.


The international community cannot pretend it had no forewarning.

This sets the tone for the elaborate justification of "adventurism".
- N.Korea has been telling us all along that they plan to do the testing but we all who ignored the warnings.
- N.Korea was never under any obligation not to perform the tests. So it did not violate any law.
- The circumstances have profoundly changed.
- The old nuclear order was based on "unequal global nuclear bargain".
- India, Pakistan, Israel have all stayed out of NPT.
- There are close to 30 countries which are virtual nuclear power states.
- Non-profileration is all about double standards.
- N.Korea is justified to use Article 10 of NPT.

CBCNN says US condemnation of "adventurism" is based on hypocrisy. CBCNN asks India to shut-up because N.Korea is doing exactly what India did in 1998. If India thought it had a right to perform the tests, then N.Korea too is justified in its "adventurism".

CBCNN categorically states that N.Korea is not to be blamed for its "adventurism"; the fault lies with Bush administration, which must accept a major share of the blame for missing chances for a re-configuration of relations with the Kim Jong Il regime, for its bluster against the `axis of evil,' and for imposing short-sighted financial sanctions.

Why is CBCNN supporting N.Korea's nuclear tests?

Economic liberalisation is anti-democratic

The debt we owe Kanshi Ram - Harish Khare


If Dr. Ambedkar can be credited with putting in place a constitutional edifice for the Indian state, it was Kanshi Ram whose organisational devices and political stratagems ended up shoring up the democratic legitimacy of the state system, that too at a time when anti-democratic forces had mounted an offensive against the egalitarian order.
...
The new regime, for better or for the worse, was anchored on a premise that the Indian state must turn its back on the masses, and that the polity must reverse the 30-year-old experiment in populism, and that the decision-makers must hitch their policy wagon to distant investors, creditors, and chambers of commerce. Suddenly, the very matrix of democratic legitimacy and popular accountability was being redefined — to the disadvantage of vast sections of Indian society.

In yet another brilliant analysis, Harish Khare says that economic liberalisation is anti-democratic.

The second development that helped Kanshi Ram become relevant was the sangh parivar's assault on the secular order. The assault began when Mr. Advani set out on his rath yatra from Somnath in 1990 and culminated in the demolition of the Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992. More than the destruction of a medieval mosque, the sangh parivar was out to roll back the Ambedkarite constitutional order, with its promise of a place for everyone under the Indian democratic sun. Assorted sadhus, mahants, and shankaracharyas were sought to be elevated to the status of arbiters of our collective destiny. The Hindutva juggernaut was meant to use the democratic space to hijack the Indian polity away from large segments, especially the vulnerable and the marginalised.
The political prejudices of Harish Khare and CBCNN are amply displayed here. This is pure, unadulterated "secular" terrorism for you. Harish Khare levels several baseless allegations on the sangh parivar. And, CBCNN is the best media outlet for all these "secular" terrorists.

The Dalits remain the only "ethnic" group in India that has not experimented with the idiom of violence

The clever missionary ploy of categorizing dalits as a separate "ethnic" group, for conversion purposes, is being reinforced here. The editor-in-chief, N.Ram, is married to Mariam, a Keralite Syrian Christian. His first wife, Susan, is an English lady and also a Christian. N.Ram is a Christian by injection.


Many extremist groups have tried to enlist the Dalits in their "struggles" against the Indian state

Harish Khare does not mention who these extremist groups are. Please comrade, spare me the suspense and tell me who are these people fighting against the Indian state.

Sunday, October 08, 2006

Communist Voice

Consult unions on pension funds: CPI

CPI comes out with its nonsensical ideas and CBCNN is obliged to give it prominent space. CPI wants pension funds to be regulated so that pensioners dont get high returns on their money. It wants funds to be used for infrastructure projects which neither the CPI or the Congress government support.

Saturday, October 07, 2006

Developing Northeast the Yunnan way: AIDS, drugs and prostitution

Developing Northeast the Yunnan way Pallavi Aiyar

Pallavi Aiyar, in an earlier article, tells us that Yunnan is the AIDS capital of the middle kingdom.

"We have a real crisis in Yunnan. We are doing everything in our power to fight it but the AIDS situation is only growing worse," says Zhang Chang An, Director of the Office for the Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS of the province.

Impoverished and underdeveloped, Yunnan shares an over 4,000-km porous border with the notorious golden triangle states of Laos and Myanmar. The province has thus some of the worst drug and prostitution problems in all China ...


Pallavi Aiyar wants Northeast to be developed the Yunnan way: the capital of AIDS, drugs and prostitution.

Despite the similarities pointed out earlier with India's Northeast in terms of geography and population, it is apparent that the parallels between the two regions end here. The seven States that comprise Northeast India continue to languish in poverty. Per capita incomes are well below the national average.
So too is the per capita income of Yunnan much below the national averaga of China. But Pallavi Aiyar is trying to deliberately misinterpret statistics to push her point that all is well and rosy in Yunnan. In an earlier article, she clearly states that Yunnan is one of the poorest provinces in China.

There is absolutely no doubt that the Northeast has tremendous potential for tourism and the infrastructure is underdeveloped. But the situation is no different from the rest of India. To reiterate, I agree that Northeast must be better integrated into our country's prosperity; tourism is a good way to do so.

Thus far China has been the initiative's most enthusiastic proponent; India its least. The initiative currently remains track-two despite Yunnan's efforts to lobby New Delhi to upgrade it to governmental level.
This condescending attitude towards India is something we find consistently in CBCNN. It is always India that is not doing enough - be it bilateral trade with China or peace-process with Pakistan.

Pallavi Aiyar talks about improving road and rail infrastructure to boost trade in this region. Good point. But why does she outrightly reject India's concerns? The Stillwell road was closed around the Chinese invasion in 1962, while India has already helped Myanmar build 100 km of good quality road from Imphal towards Mandalay. So there are some obvious security considerations here. India is not rejecting but directing the trade routes according to its national interests. The second important question is the nature of bilateral trade. The Myanmar route is used for smuggling drugs and arms, which in turn increase restiveness in Northeast -- clearly a disadvantage to India. The bilateral trade, along these routes, with China is not beneficial to India. It provides an outlet for China to flood Indian market with cheap goods, thus killing the domestic economy. Also, as Pallavi Aiyar points out, iron ore is the major component of exports from India. CBCNN earlier argued that iron ore exports must be discouraged.

Friday, October 06, 2006

Pak acknowledges aiding insurgency but CBCNN refutes

We may have helped insurgency some time, says Pakistan envoy

Pakistan has admitted that it might have aided insurgency at some time. But CBCNN emphatically states that Pakistan is not involved.

Karat Speaketh

Karat assails Jaitley's charges

Prakash Karat sneezes and CBCNN reports it as a national event.

Afzal's clemency appeal

http://www.hindu.com/2006/10/07/stories/2006100704931000.htm
The readers of CBCNN are upset that the clemency appeal is even being entertained. The exception is S.N.Samuel, Salem, TN -- undoubtedly an abrahamite -- who doubts the system, an opinion shared by CBCNN, the rent-an-ngo guys, social activists, etc. I wonder why "The law must take its own course" in the case of Shankaracharya - because hindus dont matter.
The last comment by A. Balagangadharan, Pollachi, T.N. beats me.

Garnering support for co-abrahamite

http://www.hindu.com/2006/10/06/stories/2006100618921700.htm

CBCNN is trying to appeal to our emotions by projecting Afzal's family. CBCNN is obviously sympathetic to Afzal because he is a muslim. CBCNN reiterates that muslims have more rights than hindus.

Separatist leaders get prominence in CBCNN

India not reciprocating, says Mirwaiz

A Kashmiri separatist leader gets column space in CBCNN and his opinions and statements are printed in entirety. Not surprising at all to a regular reader of CBCNN.

Thursday, October 05, 2006

On finger-pointing

http://www.hindu.com/2006/10/06/stories/2006100602331201.htm
What is solid and verifiable evidence? Do we expect Gen. Musharraf to confess that his country planned and supported 7/11? The General may even do it, knowing that in India there are sections of society and media that will come to his support. I remember what my friend used to say — no one believes India as its policies are heavily loaded with overzealous exhibition of magnanimity.

S.V. Krishna,
Visakhapatnam


S.V. Krishna is asking the right questions here. Obviously, CBCNN is the shining example of media supporting Musharraf and Pakistan.


The editorial's conclusion borders on oversimplification of a national malady. There are dissenters and disgruntled elements in all sections of society but they do not target innocent people with foreign assistance like the men who volunteer for LeT service do.

Srikantan Sivaraman,
Bangalore

This is the line CBCNN must take. Instead it asks us to put our house in order and goes to the extent of justifying those volunteering for LeT. This is CBCNN for you.

The limits of finger-pointing

The limits of finger-pointing

In this article, N.Ram clearly crosses the limits of finger-pointing. NDA government never took the extreme step of dropping diplomatic relations with Pakistan but it took an even more extreme step of mobilising the forces along the border for a full-scale war. The UPA government, on the other hand, has not tried anything beyond the hopelessly futile "peace process". The joint mechanism is an irrational extension of the "peace process". When U.S. shared information with India, about the mobilization for nuclear testing, India promptly used that information to identify a suitable timeframe to evade the prying eyes of U.S. sattellites. It is foolish to think that sharing information with Pakistan can result in mutual confidence. N.Ram resorts to selective amnesia and misplaced trust in the enemy, to indulge in drum-beating for the congress. What measures has Pakistan taken lately to enthuse such trust? I think I know. Musharraf extended N.Ram a special invitation last year to visit Pakistan.

... the Indian Government must get its own house in order. The fact that the LeT is able to motivate young Indians to plant bombs in their own cities is a cause for serious concern. No amount of finger-pointing will solve this particular problem.
This is how devious communist logic can be. If a Pakistani bullet is hitting an Indian, it is obviously the Indian who is to be blamed because he did not react quickly enough to escape the bullet. Dont blame Pakistan but first get our house in order. Make sure every Indian can react fast enough to escape bullet fire. What is with communism and logic? - they can never coexist.


While it defies common sense that General Musharraf or the Pakistani GHQ could order a dramatic terrorist attack in Mumbai with fingerprints so easily identifiable ...

Exactly the point. ISI will not leave an easy trail and so solid evidence of ISI hand may not be obtainable. However, sufficient evidence pointing to ISI involvement may be obtained. N.Ram has repeatedly questioned the sincerity and credibility of the police. Here again, the casts doubts on the police version.
The evidence New Delhi marshals must be verifiable and solid — and not based solely on custodial interrogations and pseudo-scientific procedures such as narco-analysis and brain-mapping.
and he also gives an example to discredit `ISI link' theory. This guy, N.Ram, will not be satisfied with any amount of evidence to prove the ISI involvement. To N.Ram it might be not be clear how ISI was involved in this, but to us, the readers of CBCNN, it is amply clear how prejudiced N.Ram is.

Karat Speaketh

Investigate UNI stake sale scam: Brinda Karat

CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat asked the Goverment to order an inquiry into the UNI scam. Why does this matter have to be given such prominent space? Because Brinda Karat's husband, Prakash Karat, and the editor of CBCNN, N.Ram, are good friends. Secondly, because some communist made a statement and CBCNN, being the voice of communists, is obliged to report it prominently.

Damn Lies, Statistics and Arundhati Roy

Demand to commute Afzal's sentence

"Prominent political leaders, social activists, writers and academicians" are all fighting for the rights of a criminal; the reasons: he is a muslim. CBCNN, on its behalf, is giving prominent coverage to these jholawallas and rent-an-ngo businessmen.

Arundhati Roy says, "The Parliament attack case is full of fabricated stories and evidence...". We must all believe her because she knows fiction best. She was even given a Booker prize for her fictional work. It is rather unfortunate that her fictional work on Gujarat did not receive the same kind of response.


http://www.hvk.org/articles/0203/4.html
Writing about the Gujarat riots, Arundhati Roy had this to say (Outlook, May 6,2002).

“A mob surrounded the house of ex-Congress MP Iqbal Ehsan Jaffri. His phone calls to the director-general of police, the police commissioner, the chief secretary, the additional chief secretary (home) were ignored. The mobile police vans around his house did not intervene. The mob broke into the house. They stripped his daughters and burnt them alive. Then they beheaded Jaffri and dismembered him.”

The description is graphic; the veracity of the incident taken almost for granted coming from a writer of Arundhati Roy's reputation. But, alas, that's where we make the mistake. Fame and honesty are not interlinked as the following paragraph clearly indicates.

Jaffri was killed in the riots but his daughters were neither 'stripped' nor 'burnt alive.' T.A. Jafri, his son, in a front-page interview titled Nobody knew my father's house was the target (Asian Age, May 2, Delhi edition), says, "among my brothers and sisters, I am the only one living in India. And I am the eldest in the family. My sister and brother live in the US. I am 40 years old and I have been born and brought up in Ahmedabad.”

So if Ehsan Jaffri had only one daughter (singular) who was safe and sound in the US, where did Roy get her facts about not one, but daughters (plural) being stripped and burnt? Was it the fantasy of a writer's mind? Or was it willful deceit aimed at maligning her ideological adversaries?

Arundhati Roy did apologise for her mistake in a letter published in Outlook May 27, 2002.

http://www.fisiusa.org/fisi_News_items/Godhra/godhra0146.htm
We all know by now that her vivid account of how former Congress MP Iqbal Ehsan Jaffri and his family were killed was a piece of fiction. Roy had begun her charter of hate with another damning description: "Last night a friend from Baroda called. Weeping. It took her fifteen minutes to tell me what the matter was. It wasn't very complicated. Only that Sayeeda, a friend of hers, had been caught by a mob. Only that her stomach had been ripped open and stuffed with burning rags. Only that after she died, someone carved 'OM' on her forehead".

Shocked by this despicable "incident", I got in touch with the Gujarat government. The police investigations revealed that no such case, involving someone called Sayeeda, had been reported either in urban or rural Baroda. Subsequently, the police sought Roy's help to identify the victim and seek access to witnesses who could lead them to those guilty of this crime. But the police got no cooperation. Instead, Roy, through her lawyer, replied that the police had no power to issue summons. Why is she hedging behind technical excuses?


Medha Patkar goes a step further in her crusade for Afzal.
Medha Patkar of the Narmada Bachao Andolan said death sentence to Afzal was a reflection of "terrorism by the establishment.
Wonderful wordplay by Patkar. "Terrorism" is in vogue so Patkar is trying to use it to be hip.
Afzal's execution would widen the rift between communities.

How does Afzal's execution widen the rift between communities? He is punished by our secular legal system for committing an act of crime and not because of his religion or ethnic background. It is the communists who are seeing the criminal as a muslim and hence fighting for his case.
The minorities should be made to feel secure and opinion of the Kashmir people should be respected.
ROTFL. Is this Patkar stupid? What has the opinion of Kashmiri people got to do with this case? But why am I asking this question. It is proved beyond any doubt that communists have no logical abilities. Communism kills all logic.
Even if a thousand culprits escape, not a single innocent person should be victimised," she said.
The neo-liberalism of communists. The persons killed in the terrorist acts are innocents too. So I would like to ask Patkar, "Can thousand suspects be convicted to save one innocent from terror attacks?" Are the human rights of a terror victim any less than the human rights of a suspected terrorist?
By the blood money concept, the life of a muslim is more valuable than that of a hindu. The communists, and hence CBCNN, believe in this blood money concept.

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Religion of peace initiates riots

Violence breaks out in Nizamabad district
... people belonging to a particular community objected to a procession carrying the idol of goddess Durga on Achanpally road passing in front of their place of worship.

CBCNN is extremely sensitive to the feelings of muslims and hence does not name them in this report; it just says "a particular community". If it were Hindus that initiated the riots, CBCNN would be screaming from the rooftop about minorities being terrorised etc. CBCNN also goes on endlesslessly in its editorials that muslims are forced to resort to violence because they are being terrorised. But just as in this case, muslims have attacked Hindu symbols of expression without any provocation and purely out of bigotry. How long can CBCNN sustain this campaign of disinformation?

87,000 mass protests in China last year

Confucius makes a comeback in China - Pallavi Aiyar

Last year alone 87,000 mass protests rocked the country, according to official police figures.
87,000 mass protests in one year is a huge number. It comes to about 240 protests per day. And if you consider that the officials under-report such numbers, it is alarming to imagine the situation in China.

Pallavi Aiyar also tells us the reason for these protests.
The reasons for this embrace of traditional wisdom are to be found in the dissent and discontentment that three decades of market reforms have sparked off amongst large swathes of Chinese society.
a culture of getting rich quick has spawned corruption, envy, and obsession with money.
In a 2005 government survey, nearly three quarters of respondents said that "money" was what they desired most.
Corruption scandals have thus repeatedly wracked the country

CPI fights for China and CBCNN doesn't want to miss out

CPI: Clarify decision to block Chinese firms
CPI is pushing India for China's interests; nothing new about this. CPI is among the frontrunners for the position of traitors of India. As explained in my earlier post, China cannot be clubbed with other countries for the sake of comparison. China's imperial interests are the primary concern for India's national security.

This article serves the double purpose of highlighting CPI and Chinese interests. So, CBCNN gives prominent coverage to this article by putting it in the "National" section. Once again, only the Chinese point of view is presented elaborately and convincingly.

Monday, October 02, 2006

Condoning Ismalic terrorism in Gujarat

Gujarat madrasas: an education in terror? - Comrade Praveen Swami

While none of the four men possessed weapons more dangerous than inflammatory Islamist literature and videos, police say they have hard evidence that the men were linked to Lashkar cells responsible for a string of terror strikes in western India.

Swami is giving the benefit of doubt to the 4 suspects, while trying to find some gaps in the police version.
Ever since the arrests, Gujarat's madaris have faced sometimes-venomous attack from both politicians and the press.
And now trying to shift the blame. Thankfully, "hindu fundementalists" have been spared.
In the next six paragraphs, Swami elaborates on how Sardana and Sheikh operated to establish Lashkar cells. He also acknowledges that these cells carried out terror attacks.
Sardana is believed to have recruited at least 20 men from Gujarat and Maharashtra to the Lashkar-e-Taiba — including several members of the cell which executed the July serial bombings in Mumbai.
Zabiuddin Ansari, the operational head of the Lashkar cell that carried out the Mumbai bombings, was one of the men Sardana persuaded to join the Lashkar.
Zulfikar Fayyaz Ahmad `Kagzi,' the author of the abortive February 19 bombing of a Mumbai-Ahmedabad train, and one of Ansari's principal lieutenants.

But Swami still wants to convince us that they possessed weapons no more dangerous than terror manuals. Yeah Swami, CBCNN is utterly convinced with your arguments as it matches with their ideology.
Swami then repeats a similar attempt. He tells us that madaris are breeding grounds for Islamic terrorism.
Even as this theatre was unfolding, Sardana had begun work on his next project: building the new Lashkar cell in Gujarat using his seminary contacts.
Sardana uses his seminary contacts to start terrorist cells and he recruits terrorists from madaris. Shakeel Ahmad Sheikh followed exactly the same path. And these cells in turn multiplied using the same path ofcourse.
Swami then tries to convince us that madaris have nothing to do with terrorism by quoting the maulvi and citing the good work done by madaris etc.
In practice, however, madaris have acted as centres where Islamists may meet, network and obtain access to individuals connected with terrorist groups.

At this point, I am surprised. How the heck did this article get published in CBCNN? It is against their editorial policies. Wait, there could be one possible explanation : the communists acknowledge the mistake only to push the blame on the opponenets -- I was forced to do this mistake as a reaction to this action of yours.
Oh yes, thats exactly how Swami ends it.

Despite its liberative possibilities, modernity has for the most part spoken to Gujarat's Muslims through the twin media of economic marginalisation and communal violence.

At least some of his students see offence as a more effective form of defence.

Oh! I see. So madaris are becoming terror networks because muslims are being terrorised. Thank you CBCNN for letting us know this.
2000 muslims gathered peacefully at 7AM in the morning to watch 59 people burn alive. They did not initiate the attacks. Hindus reacted without any provocation. Around 250 Hindus and 750 muslims died. It is a program, ethnic-cleansing,..... in Gujarat against the peace-loving muslims.

Swami does not see any problem when some of madaris' students see offence as best form of defence. But Hindus "MUST NOT" do the same because Hindus got no human rights. This also resonates with CBCNN views.

Now that we are done with it, Swami ends on a high note: blame the society and absolve muslims.

Madaris, though, aren't the problem: India's civil society must instead undertake the more difficult task of serious critical engagement with the ideas and ideologies that engender violence.

Sunday, October 01, 2006

State sponsored genocide in China

Combating AIDS: Yunnan shows the way
Comrade Pallavi Aiyar is trying to tell us how good the Chinese government is. As with all communist talk, the logic is completely twisted. China unleashed terror on its citizens.
In the early 1990s, a government-organised blood-buying programme in central China's Henan province resulted in HIV contamination of the entire province's blood supply.

Commercial blood sellers during this period paid donors for plasma. To maximise profits, they separated red blood cells from the plasma and then re-infused the donors with pooled red blood cells so that they could donate blood more frequently. An estimated 70,000 to 2,50,000 villagers in the province became infected with HIV as a consequence.

Com. Pallavi is in fits of appreciation when China is attempting to make amends to this disaster. To an impartial observer, what comes out clearly is the pathetic healthcare system in China. Government is in the constant combat mode to cover up its blunders. The utter lack of transparency is once again evident in the Government's handling of a crisis. This is the heaven that the communists and its mouthpiece - CBCNN - advocate for India.