The many roads to Kabul

China works out its long-term goals early and works on them continuously. The author reflects his views on the need of similar relationship between India and Afghanistan, as between China and Afghanistan.
First instance of the Pak-Afghan relations was when Pakistan proposed a deal to Afghanistan to extract and market the Afghan mineral wealth worth around $1 trillion. But, due to some reasons the good-looking deal was cancelled. India and China need to talk about the overlapping of interests of nations including Pakistan and Afghanistan as well. The American scholar Dupree once noted that  the Chinese supported the Afghan Mujahideen during the Afghan Jehad against the Soviet presence in Afghanistan. In this Afgan Jehad, all CIA, ISI, General Directorate of Saudi Arabia as well as Chinese were involved. In 1990's Afghanistan began to shelter and support the Central Asian Islamist groups and other groups like Uighur Group.
China turned to Pakistan for help in expelling Uighur militants from Afghanistan but to no results. China's relations with Pakistan, Pakistan's relation with Taliban and Taliban's support of Uighur groups complicate these relations too much. By the time this nexus of confusion breaks, China continues to try expel Uighur groups and alongside develop Xinjiang as an industrial base and trading point.

Rich harvest in the name of charity

In this article the author shows his concern towards the new law passed, which enables land pooling, which is more or less about the profits rather than the claimed development. In a report by McKinsey Global Institute it was stated that for India to catch up their pace of developed countries, it must expand its metro cities at least by three times. So, this report instigated the need of urban-industrial corridors linking our metros for the development. the first of these corridors link Delhi and Mumbai by a 1500 km long and 300 km wide zone. Though a severely dry zone, it is expected that one-third of the total population will move into this corridor. Regardless of high risks of water scarcity, Cabinet has cleared a $90 billion dollar budget for the corridor.

Land pooling is a project to increase the density of metro areas. This happens by assembling small farmer plots and urbanise this whole lot. As compensation the public authorities keep 15-30% of assembled land parcel and the rest of the land is fully urbanised and is returned to the owner farmers with new title lots.

Slum lands are auctioned to the largest builders in the city. In the mean time while the project goes on, the slum dwellers will be rehabilitated in distant transit camps. The builder will build three kinds of blocks of the whole land. First being the flats for the private clients, second the shopping malls and third the densely packed multi-storey blocks to accommodate slum inhabitants. This way the slum-dwellers also benefit and the builders too.  But in an attempt of urban development the Ministry is harvesting riches for the big players and builders. And in attempt of finding a business solution here, the Ministry is forgetting its purpose of sustainable development and is turning away from the issue of future water demands.

In search of the ordinary woman

The author tries to search for the correct definition of an ordinary woman and truly convinces the readers of the need to find a definition. When its always either the laws or our common sense that decide on how things happen, for the space for women and dignity to the character of a common woman, too require some changes. Often many people have related women as 'sexual objects', which are incapable of maintaining order and discipline. Though the words 'sexual objects' do not come directly often, several examples show that they come inevitably in this world of biased common-sense do come along. Lady Hale, the only woman in U.K Supreme Court, tells that the judgements can vary widely depending on the judges attitude towards women and feminism. Urvashi Butalia, author of Other Side of the Silence, explains how not only poverty but common sense and memory turn out to be gender-biased. In the report by Justice Verma, it is highlighted that the need to upgrade the mental and social view of men as well as women on the gender-equality as a whole is inevitable. Then, comes the example of a sexual harassment case of Madras High Court, in which the offender was left free as there seemed no reason for the offender to sexually assault somebody. And so on, digging into past can bring up numerous examples, where one will find questioning himself that what is an ordinary woman.
Section 498A deals with the punishments in case of cruelty by husband or his relative towards a woman. The law states that cruelty is when there is danger to life or limb, i.e an extreme case. Well, how does a woman proves her case, when these cruelties occur within the four walls of a house. Then how is it said that it was with her consent. Unless she kicks, scratches, tears apart, or as of recent saying calls her rapers as 'brothers' and shout out loud to 'leave her alone', will it be a rape with consent?
Till where she has to bear and till when she has to prove that she is not a woman who wants to extract money, take revenge, shatter a home, or have sex with anyone. No more can she bear it, we need to stop, and plead for her dignity and praise for her womanhood and above all make this society a respected and safe place for her. She is, so the world is! 

Commandeering change

Like every time, once again the elections are curiously awaited, for a dream to change India, for a chance to choose someone better. What we have as options are UPA and BJP.
While there was a time between 1996-98 when we had four different Prime Ministers, and now is a time which has seen only two Prime Ministers in last 15 years. Where once stability was highly demanded, now we are dissatisfied with the kind of stability we have faced, a far too extreme stability of 10 years. So, the change demanded by the common man is not of the party or the leader, it is of the the system as a whole. And our urge to see this change, lets us being fooled by the modern marketing and campaigning strategies of these parties and leaders.
First, the author discusses our first option- Mr. Modi from BJP. Though he surely represents a change, but he has yet to convince that he will bring the change. The big miscalculated assumption of BJP that the Lok Sabha elections will be held in Nov, 13 may bring unplanned consequences to its early Modi fire. Due to Modi entering the arena too early, his once pure and nice character is being questioned as 'feku'. Although he hasn't claimed to bring about dramatic changes, still he convinces to bring forward the existing plans in better fruitful ways.
Next, discussion comes along the ways of Congress and Rahul Gandhi. Congress has been ruling the nation for 10 years, with a mediocre performance. What Rahul Gandhi needs to do is to show us the difference between the 2004-14 UPA and the upcoming Congress. Though he started bad, by going against the 'criminal' ordinance, everybody waits to get answer to what he is capable of in future.
Here we stand again hand-in-hand waiting for a change, led by the chosen. The change we need is though more or less the same, still we have different questions in our minds.

NOTA small matter, this

The author discusses what the new button on EVM (Electronic Voting Machine) called NOTA actually means. NOTA stands for 'none of the above' i.e if the voter does not wish his/her vote to be given to any of the candidates, he/she may choose NOTA.
The article tries to find where the government has lacked in bringing up the electoral reforms, quoting the first instance of the ECI's attempt, in 2001, to bring the amendment to the rule to provide the voters an option to reject all candidates. This would be equivalent to the unmarked ballot paper of the times before EVM. In 2004, the then Chief Election Commissioner, iterated the proposal to first time propose it as NOTA, which would have no effect on selection of the winner. When the matter came up in Supreme Court in 2009, the government understood the negative impact this reform could make, by allowing voters to reject all candidates and ask for re-election. And, 9 years after the first proposal of NOTA, the verdict has arrived, still awaiting its consequences.

What is the benefit of this button, atleast in the eyes of the Supreme Court judges? Some say it will cause an increase in number of voters. Some say it will make parties more responsible, thereby forcing them to select better candidates. And some simply quote the right to freedom, expression and liberty of the citizens; a reason for this verdict. Though a step towards better democracy, still a topic of debate if in future NOTA wins over all other candidates. This will ask for re-elections. Are we ready for that time?

The forgotten promise of 1949

The author brings to light the promise made by RSS(rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) back in 1949, and how it fails to stand by it. The promise was to never enter the playground of politics; but by backing up the BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate or should say by naming the BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate as Narendra Modi it has defied its own rules. The behind the scenes BJP-RSS relationship, has been very cleverly maintained by the Sangh's chief.
The Sangh's control-plan over BJP started in 2005, when Mr. Advani visited Pakistan and praised Mohammad Ali Jinnah, and thereby Sangh ordered that Mr. Advani be removed from the BJP's presidentship. Mr. Advani at the party's concluding session in September, 2005 publicly showed concerns about the total control of RSS over BJP's decisions. Seven years later RSS has yet again entered the arena of politics, this time giving a leader, Narendra Modi, a double promotion first to BJP's campaign committee chief and then to its Prime Ministerial candidate.
So, its time RSS defines its relations with BJP and respect a promise on which its existence is based. But why such a promise was ever made? It was in 1949 when Patel realised that the RSS's ways were violent and against the interests of the nation, and though RSS was not directly behind the assassination of Gandhi but its violent ways were definitely a contributing factor in it. Therefore a ban was set on RSS. Later on Sangh requested to remove the ban, to which Patel agreed on a pre-condition that RSS would never enter politics and would remain purely dedicated to cultural work.

Three deals that can change the world

The author tries to convince that India needs a strong stance at the Regional Comprehensive economic Partnership agreement (RCEP) to make its hold in the increasing trades and decreasing restrictions for it. The RCEP which is due to be concluded by 2015, is one of the three mega free trade agreements under action. The other two are 'Trans Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership(TTIP)', and 'Trans Pacific Partnership(TPP)' which have 28 EU members and U.S account for half of the world's GDP with 30% of world trade in goods and services; and six dialogue partners viz. Australia/India/China/Japan/Korea/New Zealand respectively.
These partnership focuses onto decrease the limitations on trading and remove the barriers if any to promote free trade among the partner countries. Though there is limited scope for any more liberalisation but still some industries like footwear, agriculture, textile, automobiles etc can be given more freedom in terms of market access to them.
The author shows his worries to whether these agreements would show any difference in near future, citing the example of the unclosed Doha Round of trade negotiations hanging in since 12 years. 2009 saw U.S enetering the game of trade in Asia, by making its hold on an existing agreement including four small members(Brunei, Chile, New Zealand and Singapore), a place where it was being left out.

India though ready for taking a stance at RCEP, but sill is concerned over its options at TPP and TTIP as it would limit its policy options and demand far more liberalisation than it can afford.