India, Iran & Israel must come together for Pakistan
Even a school kid should be able to tell what the biggest
foreign policy challenge for India is at the moment. It is a challenge that will determine the future of India – good, bad or ugly – for the next 50 years or so. The challenge is tackling an imploding Pakistan. The savage assassination of Benazir Bhutto clearly shows that either the military regime led by General Pervez Musharaff was instrumental in ordering her execution, or Musharaff is no longer capable of reining the Jehadi monsters that were unleashed by the late General Zia-ul Haq. Either way, India and the world face the frightening prospect of a rogue nation, its institutions and its nuclear weapons falling into Jehadi hands. Make no mistake: were that to happen, the first target will be an Indian city because the Indian establishment has repeatedly proven that it is a ‘soft state’ that meekly shrugs its shoulders and accepts terrorist attacks, which are implemented with impunity.
Forget the people of Pakistan and their dreams of a democracy and their goodwill towards their Indian neighbours. Forget the ability of the United States administration to even bring in a semblance of sham democracy in Pakistan. Benazir was the ace in the hole for the discredited and battered Bush Administration and she has simply been blown away. In any case, the average Pakistani – not to speak of the Jehadis – is so infuriated with the double standards of Uncle Sam that the United States simply cannot influence any event there anymore; unless it chooses to do it with missiles, tanks and soldiers. Forget the ability of the Chinese Government to rein the rogue state that Pakistan has become. Jehadis are now systematically targetting Chinese citizens working in Baluchistan and those days are not far off when the Jehadis will treat China, the way they treat America and Americans at the moment.
The Indian foreign policy establishment has no choice but to start a serious dialogue with two countries – both implacable foes of each other at the moment. The first one is Iran that stands to gain most from the nuclear export racket that Pakistan is ‘clandestinely’ running. The other is the only Jewish state in the world, Israel. In the entire West Asia, it is Israel that has the most to fear from an imploding and Jehadi Pakistan, mesmerised by the malevolent spell of the al-Qaeda. And Iran is a Shia state while the majority Sunnis in Pakistan are making a spectator sport of butchering fellow Shias. Sure America, China and Russia will play a big role; but it is only India, Israel and Iran that have the biggest stakes in saving Pakistan from itself. The alternative, quite frankly, is Armageddon of the type never seen before.
For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008
Even a school kid should be able to tell what the biggest
foreign policy challenge for India is at the moment. It is a challenge that will determine the future of India – good, bad or ugly – for the next 50 years or so. The challenge is tackling an imploding Pakistan. The savage assassination of Benazir Bhutto clearly shows that either the military regime led by General Pervez Musharaff was instrumental in ordering her execution, or Musharaff is no longer capable of reining the Jehadi monsters that were unleashed by the late General Zia-ul Haq. Either way, India and the world face the frightening prospect of a rogue nation, its institutions and its nuclear weapons falling into Jehadi hands. Make no mistake: were that to happen, the first target will be an Indian city because the Indian establishment has repeatedly proven that it is a ‘soft state’ that meekly shrugs its shoulders and accepts terrorist attacks, which are implemented with impunity.Forget the people of Pakistan and their dreams of a democracy and their goodwill towards their Indian neighbours. Forget the ability of the United States administration to even bring in a semblance of sham democracy in Pakistan. Benazir was the ace in the hole for the discredited and battered Bush Administration and she has simply been blown away. In any case, the average Pakistani – not to speak of the Jehadis – is so infuriated with the double standards of Uncle Sam that the United States simply cannot influence any event there anymore; unless it chooses to do it with missiles, tanks and soldiers. Forget the ability of the Chinese Government to rein the rogue state that Pakistan has become. Jehadis are now systematically targetting Chinese citizens working in Baluchistan and those days are not far off when the Jehadis will treat China, the way they treat America and Americans at the moment.
The Indian foreign policy establishment has no choice but to start a serious dialogue with two countries – both implacable foes of each other at the moment. The first one is Iran that stands to gain most from the nuclear export racket that Pakistan is ‘clandestinely’ running. The other is the only Jewish state in the world, Israel. In the entire West Asia, it is Israel that has the most to fear from an imploding and Jehadi Pakistan, mesmerised by the malevolent spell of the al-Qaeda. And Iran is a Shia state while the majority Sunnis in Pakistan are making a spectator sport of butchering fellow Shias. Sure America, China and Russia will play a big role; but it is only India, Israel and Iran that have the biggest stakes in saving Pakistan from itself. The alternative, quite frankly, is Armageddon of the type never seen before.
For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008
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all governments got re-elected or elected only on the basis of their performance on various governance indicators. Such indicators, as defined by The World Bank, include accountability with respect to civil liberties, political stability, effectiveness of the government, corruption, and the rule of law. India’s former President, A.P J. Abdul Kalam agrees, and feels that “when a political leader performs in a state and realises economic prosperity of the state using development politics, he or she will definitely succeed in getting re-elected.” Utopian is what we mentioned, and many pockets of global politics, like social relationships, are a million miles away from this logic.
administration. Nitish Kumar, who had been at helm in various ministries at the Central Government, finally realised his dream in 2005, when NDA finally emerged as the victorious combination in the November elections. Nitish had earlier got an opportunity to get ensconced on the CM’s chair in 2000, however, this lasted only for seven days, when Laloo Prasad Yadav, his erstwhile friend, snatched away the opportunity from him. Earlier in 2004 too the opportunity had eluded Nitish by a whisker, when the President’s rule was finally declared in the state. A civil engineer by profession, Nitish has image of honest politician. During the days of Emergency in the 1970s, following the call from Jai Prakash Narayan, Nitish had plunged himself into politics. From 1974-77, he remained in the forefront of student politics in Bihar. In 1974, he was jailed under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA).
Maharashtra Government had come up with new policy of marriage counseling and family planning for couples. Satara with a population of 3 million, records 25,000 weddings annually. Moreover, about 90% of newlyweds conceive during their first year of marriage. The policy entitles newlyweds to receive “Honeymoon Package” of Rs.5,000 if they delay childbearing for a year, and Rs.7,500 if delayed by two. The newlyweds need to register with the government healthcare centre and will then be provided with marriage counseling, free contraceptives and advice on childcare etc. The registered couples will undergo medical check-ups every three months, to make sure that no unprotected sexual activity is going on. The district authorities targets 20% of the couples to enroll for the scheme which would lead to delaying the birth of 5,000 babies.
stretches of languid beaches, the Hinterland Mountains, the lush green rainforest, world-class golfing greens and some of the world-famous theme parks! And that’s exactly what Gold Coast is all about – just about everything under the Sun! Where on the one hand there are surfing boards and sands that beckon, there are tranquil woods endlessly enticing you with their quaint charm on the other. So, as you land on the 6th largest city in Australia that has more water canals than Venice, be wary of its beauty… for it may leave you hypnotised for ever! Although with a year round balmy climate, there’s no best time to visit the place, but November-December is recommended nevertheless, owing to moderate precipitation and (it goes without mention) the summer Christmas! Not just that, the Gold Coast plays host to exciting events, shopping festivals and wildlife excursions all year round… and is home to the largest sub-tropical rainforest remnant in the world, more than 100,000 ha of nature reserves and World Heritage sites! So without further delay, pack your bags and brace yourself for perhaps the most exciting sojourn Down Under – the Gold Coast… an indulgence retreat for sure, if nothing more!
are huge inequities in the world. Even better-off citizens in most of the developing world face worse opportunities than the poor in rich countries. The fact that the country of birth is a key determinant of people’s opportunities runs counter to our view of equity.” Whatever the WB thinks of equity, it is at best only half-true. A close scrutiny will clearly exemplify that inequality has helped less developed nations to achieve economic growth and prosperity. Had it not been for the fact of inequality of income and cost of living, none of the billions of dollars of investments that has been pouring in China and India for over a decade now would have come. It is because of the relative backwardness and the consequent low cost that inspired the Western world to outsource most of its IT related work and production to India. It not only has helped India climb up the ladder faster than otherwise but also allowed it the leeway of time and energy to learn from such technology and business models to develop its own version of multinational companies. All this, thanks to the sheer inequality that existed, and is still existing between the First and the Third World. After all, even water doesn’t flow from a waterfall unless there’s difference in altitude. Hail inequality at times.
features FireWire 800, FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 connections and will be available in 320 GB, 500 GB & 750 GB capacities. These drives come with additional automatic backup & disaster recovery software. Then there are storage disks like LaCie’s Brick desktop hard drives, which are not only high on capacity, but are available in red, white & blue, and can be stacked one atop the other for a fun and decorative touch. Pexagon’s Store-IT hard drive will also offer an EZ-Touch One Button Backup system with Retrospect Express software, which allows file transfer and backup from one or more computers with press of button.
not sitting idle either. So what’s Intel’s answer to AMD’s claim to fame? Well, the chip-maker will soon become the first to enter into commercial production of the ‘45-nanometer’ technology (also called the ‘Nehlahem’ architecture) which is by far the most dramatic act in the production of semiconductors in four decades; giving birth to faster chips that would consume lesser power and reduce production costs as well. So, how does AMD respond to this rebound from Intel’s court? “We also plan to begin producing chips on the 45-nanometer process by 2008,” retorts Vamsi. And if that happens, the ‘Puma’ will have a unique power feature which will allow its users to run a discrete graphics card when powered from the main switch and an integrated one when on-battery power. Moreover, graphics will get better which will also give the system a completely a new look as Vamsi confidently adds, “Our design will be focussed on performance deliver per watt. AMD is the smart choice across all segments in the industry.” Clearly, the new offerings from AMD will have more performance and efficiency advantage over the previous offerings but Intel with its virtual dominance of the sector (with a 76% market share in semiconductor chips during Q3 2007, as compared to AMD’s 26%) will not allow any other chip maker to take the lead in developing a new technology and taking the next big leap in chip-making as Craig Barrett says, “Intel through its world ahead program, remains focused on accelerating access to technology and increasing internet connectivity...” Intel is also coming up with the ‘Montevina’ platform based on the chip ‘Penryn’ dual-core processors in 2008 which will feature next generation data manageability and security features in several core combinations.
fund players. The sea of changes in the financial and economic scenario is bringing in a fresh wave of opportunities for the long run. But as always, with the industry’s expansion, increased challenges and growing competition will make it difficult for the smaller players to survive, leading to a wave of consolidation to knock on the doors. But as the economic growth in India swells, and wallets and regulators ease the reins further, asset management companies are bound to prosper. The only thing that they need to focus on is to get back to their boardrooms, scratch their heads and come up with a few effective answers to emerging challenges. Opportunities are huge, and some quick on-their-feet thinking can easily send Indian mutual fund players soaring upwards, to find their rightful place, under the global financial markets Sun!
quarter to 39.1% in first quarter 2008...” is how Dirk Hayden Lewis, Gartner explains the volatile global market share predicament for Nokia. However, this is not the real worry for the Finnish giant as its market share figure has actually improved from 35.5% a year back (during Q1 FY07). So what’s bothering it now? Well, Greenpeace (an NGO which ranks electronics companies primarily based on toxic chemicals use and e-waste regulations) has ranked Nokia a shameful 9th for the year 2007 after a glorious 1st in 2006. So is the giant speechlessly stumped?
the grill of that omnipresent Swift. This is the same piece de resistance adorning the bulging, yet classy tank of that elusive Hayabusa GSX R1300, one of the most powerful street bikes ever! The ‘S’ sign is a symbol of raw power, virility, waiting to be unleashed at a throttle’s notice and is indeed coveted. With such a potent definition, this explosive logo has a brand image which is hard to match when it comes to the ‘must have list for men’; and evidently, Suzuki is proud of its testosterone inducing moniker.
the west where adwallahs are doing sharp numbers with this crowd. Revlon, recently, launched a brand called Vital Radiance targetting, hot n’ heavy, the plus-50 women. American car-makers too have started focusing on (baby-boomers) the 50-plus men because this group “accounts for half the US spending,” leading them to confidently believe, the older Gen Grey of today get, the deeper, their pockets become! Renowned and respected Behavioral Scientist, Ashish Nandy agrees. “I am 70 and sometimes feel my age but people associating with me, don’t seem to share this feeling!” They can’t really be blamed because, active as hell, Nandy is perpetually on the move – in the capacity of a much-in-demand speaker at Seminars, Symposiums and other forays – at home and abroad. Did his father, remotely do anything similar? He smiles. “He started feeling old the day he hit sixty!” Nandy believes its really a generational thing and perceptively points out to the two dramatic aspects that has driven this change – mindset and consumption pattern. “In my youth, one couldn’t dream of a 50-plus gentleman wearing shorts, tees or jeans, unless he was hugely anglicised, fashion-conscious and came from rich, upper class stock. Today, it is fairly common to see Gen Grey moving around in these, without the slightest trace of self-consciousness. I guess this has motivated marketers to include them in their target group.”
ding and trust among Emami’s employees? “We prefer to listen to employees and learn by working together. It helps employees feel secure and gives them the comfort edge. Amazingly, we’ve never had even a single man day loss; and not even in our factories,” Ratna is quite assertive in her statement. Is that because of the rewards and recognition system in Emami? Partly accepting, Ratna throws a side punch at me, when she says that the one thing that is very hard to find in this world is an employee who is satisfied with his salary and does not seek rewards and recognition. And today, when attrition rates are skyrocketing, one needs to pay proper attention to this particular function too.
honcho of PNC, Pritish Nandy however scoffs at any mention of advertising being associated with truth or reality. “To me, advertising is nothing more than a 30 second recreational capsule designed to provide a breather from the brutalities of India’s newscape. Into this, of course, is insidiously built-in the profit motive.” Warmed up, he offers his views on advertising’s depiction of woman. “It’s very interesting. They throw up two stereotypes, neither of which is anchored in reality! The first is the “firang” model, the sassy and sexy international (Kate Moss?) import who sashays across up-market glossies, Sunday supplements as also our TV screens. The creators of this persona believe that teaming with the brand owners, they can successfully hawk style, attitude and looks because, after all, what you see is where the action is! This leads to the conviction that consumers will surely buy into this image because in today’s globalised India, the Western look, style & pizazz is the flavour of the moment.” This tragi-comical colonisation of their mind, Nandy believes is, mercifully, not shared by the Indian consumer and reflects the ad fraternity’s total disconnect with reality. It brilliantly symbolises what today’s India is NOT!