The politics of statues

One of the finest memories of any trip to Europe are those fantastic statues complimenting the architecture of any town or city. What was supposed to represent art in Europe now represents power and greed in India. Statues surely have gone a long way.

In very recent past, we have seen how the bankrupt Maharashtra government had a 300 crore plan to install a statue of Shivaji Maharaj in the sea on the lines of Statue of Liberty. What they seem to havemissed is that US was not going through an economic crisis or facing farmer suicides when the statue was built there. But Maharashtra is and am sure Shivaji being such a great ruler would have himself used his coffers more for betterment of the people than such vote attracting misadventures.

So it comes across as sheer hypocrisy when Congress opposed Mayawati's plans to install her statues in UP. While Mayawati's plans to do it is sheer criticisable, Chidambaram's advice to her to use that money for development is like pot calling the kettle black. Congress is guilty of the statue culture in India and has not left a single city, town or village untouched by such symbols of their leaders in general and Gandhi Nehru family in particular. Had they thought of using that money for education and infrastructure, India would have been in a different level.

So while the culprits fight amongst themselves, few more farmers in UP and Maharashtra would be praying to get their next meal

Successful Diplomacy?

One of the many things, media and the ruling party spoke as a UPA achievement was its diplomacy. Let's just have a look at what's happening around and see if this is really an achievement:

Pakistan
Pakistan has still not acted on 26/11 accussed and continues to play traunt on that.

US
While US has now conveniently reduced the 'pressure' on Pakistan for terror in India, it has started applying economic pressure on India with its anti-outsourcing policies. And the pressure to sign the NPT has restarted. So much for the hyped up Nuke Treaty

Sri Lanka
China has already made its inroads in SL with it's pro-government stand durign the LTTE crisis. India in turn was caught riding on two boats which meant that neither they have a say with Sri Lanka any more and neither they could do anything to prevent human rights violation.

Others
France has already shown its inclination to sign a Nuke Deal with Pakistan notwithstanding Pakistan's precarious position. Indian government has left Indian students in Australia to their own fate when faced with brutal racial attacks.

If this all is supposed to be an achievement, then God save the country from such regimes.