Thought Beans Blog

The string of terrorist attacks since the last 2 to 3 years on major Indian Cities has resulted in Innocent civilians losing their lives. Though it goes beyond doubt that terrorist outfits from the surrounding countries are  responsible for it, the govt is unable to take any action. The entire country has become a mute spectator for the brutal acts. After a few days, the entire incident is forgotten. Does this mean, the govt is going soft on the neighboring countries who are harboring the terrorist outfits. What we are lacking is the political will to act. First it was Bombay, then Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Jaipur & the list will go on & on. The media will discuss this for a few days & then no more news about it. The terrorists have found a safe heaven in India & they are roaming the lenght & breadth of the country freely at their will. It is hightime the Govt wakes up & taken a stern action.

There have been serial blasts in Jaipur in a span of 20 minutes. More than 50 have been killed & 100’s are injured. There is possibility of the use of RDX in the blast due to the high number of deaths. This is the first time Jaipur has become the target. Many innocent lives have been lost. center has rushed NSG & RPF to Jaipur. There is possibility of involvement of the terrorist groups. Home ministry has sounded alert all over the country

The Cat is out of the Bag. No Bharat Ratna awardee this year. This is the Seventh year in row that the award has not been awarded.  This year the marketing by the various political parties has reached a high pitch & the govt was in a fix as to whom the award should be given.

It was L.K Advani who first said that award should go to Vajpayee.  Vajpayee’s Pokhran II sucess, his long standing as a parlimentarian were cited by Advani for his Bharat Ratna. This was followed by Mayawati’s pitching of Bharat Ratna for Kanshi Ram & others also followed the process.

The news of Bharat Ratna has made national news for the last few weeks. It is really a shame that when a country is unable to give its highest award. Does this mean that in a country of 100 crores there is no one who deserves the Award. Instead of marketing by various political parties like this, it should be a citizens’ process. Citizens should choose who should get the award.
 

Bajaj is planning to launch a small car ‘Bajaj Lite’ in partnership with Reanult & Nissan in the next few years. With this, the competition to the Tata’s 1 lakh car is getting hotter. The car has a tall boy look with front design similar to i10. Reanult’s CEO is looking at pricing the car in $3000 range.  Rajiv Bajaj says both petrol & diesel version will be avaialble.  Bajaj also unveiled other vehicles like bike Blade, sprint. The  question is will Bajaj which has so far made 2 wheelers will be sucessful in 4 wheelers?  By the time, Bajaj makes this vehicle, & if other global companies come up quickly with similar cars, it would be difficult to compete against. 

The govt has accepted the voluntary retirement of Kiran Bedi, the country’s first woman IPS officer. With this, it is the end  of a fine & illustrious three decade long career. Today there are more than 200 women IPS officers with several battalions. Ms. Bedi’s post for the Delhi’s Police Commissioner was earlier rejected by the govt. She would pursue her academic and social interests. Bedi will be working on women empowerment in Panchayati Raj. Ms. Bedi is famous for her reforms at the Tihar Central Jail. She has won President’s Gallantry Award, Magsaysay Award & other awards.

Air Deccan & Kingfisher airlines have decided to merge & create a new entity. Accenture, a management consulting firm, has recommened a merger of the companies for profitability & to cut costs. Capt Gopinath of Air Deccan, which started the low cost aviation in India has run into losses & actively looking for a partner. Vijay Mallya who was in Paris at that time had made a bid for a stake in the company & was succesful in getting it. The new company will be called as kingfisher airlines & will operate 2 brands, Kingfisher & deccan. Mallya will be the head of the company & Capt. Gopinath will be vice chairman. Air deccan is laready listed on the exchange & Kingfisher airlines is unlisted. The airlines industery which was witnessing huge expansions till a few years ago has finally reached the merger phase.

The Indian born Mahender Murlidhar Sabhnani, 51, and his Indonesian-born wife, Varsha, 45, have been convicted by the US court for abuse & tortue of Indosesian housemaids who worked in their home as housekeepers. The jury has held that couple repeatedly abused the housemaids both physically & psychologically. They have a perfume business which they run from their home in Long ISland, NY. They have 4 daughters & one of the daughters who was in the courtroom fainted when the verdict was read. Slavery is unheard of in the modern day US & this case has received a wide press coverage in the US. The defense attorey’s argue that housemaids practised withcraft & they abused themselves. However, this was not held by the Jury as shown by the conviction. If someone as rich as Sabhnani’s did the same act in India, would they have met the same end?. They could face upto 40 years in prison.

ISRO is setting up the necessary infrastructure for Moon Mission in the outskirts of Bangalore. Byalalu, near Bangalore will be housing the giant antenna required to track the activities.  The Antenna has a diameter of 32 meters. Govt has allocated around 380 crores for the project & the setting up of antenna has cost around 100 crores. The Satellite provides for the communication with the satellites like receving the info from the satellities & also provoiding the command to the satellities. This marks the huge step for the India’s Space mission. The India’s Moon Mission if successful will put her into elite group of nations. There are already signs of commercialization on Moon with many US companies planning for setting up bases there in the Future.  More info about the same can be had at http://www.isro.org/chandrayaan-1/announcement.htm

Finally Indians can get hands on the Hybrid Car In India, which we have been hearing for a long time. Honda will make available the first Hybrid Car in India, Honda Civic Hybrid, in 2008. This will be the first Envirnomental friendly Car in India. Honda will make the 2008 Version in India. Honda will import the car as Completely built unit. This will start a completely new Car segment In India. Since it runs on both Combustion engine & electric powered motor, milege will be higher. It’s Civic model is already a big selling model in India. We will have to wait & see how the Indians will receive the car. If this is successful, it will have a hit on the sales of other cars in this segment. This may Make other makers like Toyota to bring similar cars to India.

Scores of people have been injured & Killed in the Serial bomb blasts at  Civil courts of Lucknow, Faizadbad and Varanasi. These blasts have taken at a gap of 5 minutes of each other.  There is a report of a death of lawyer & according to initial reports Bomb was kept in a cycle. Rescue work is going on in full swing & this time the militants have made the legal system of the country a target. They hav hurt where it hurts most. This is another Major attack in the country after the Hyderabad attack. This is the first major attack in the NOrth Indian CIty. Though the attacks on Indian Soli is continuing unabetedly, Govt is not taking any steps.