THE LAST DAYS OF HITLER

 THE LAST DAYS OF HITLER BY TREVOR ROPER      13.09.17

 

There are tons of books on Hitler. Mostly they are centered around his military conquest of Europe. Between 1939 and June 1941 the German army invaded and occupied many countries, including the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Denmark, Yugoslavia, Greece, Norway and Western Poland. However there are few books which describes the last days of Hitler and fewer which are authentically based on credible research. This particular book belongs to the latter category. The author of this book Trevor was a intelligence officer in the British intelligence service and actively served in  the British occupied portion of Berlin in 1945. At that time it was widely rumoured that Hitler never died in his bunker but escaped with his mistress Eva Braun to some western country. The Russian Army which was first to enter his bunker claimed that they never found  his body and it was they who said that he had probably escaped. In order to put to rest all type of speculations regarding Hitlers death the British Army decided to officially appoint Trevor to investigate the matter and unravel the truth. Trevor went through thousands of war documents and interviewed hundreds of German military officers including those who were present in the bunker during the last days. This is what the book is all about.

History is a wayward maiden. Its interpretation vary according to the political beliefs of the person handling it. The actual events are either distorted or changed to arrive at a particular conclusion depending upon the political leaning of the person. However the results and affects of events cannot be hidden since it is there for everybody to see. For example the deaths and cruelty carried out by Nazi Germany easily proves that Hitler was a psychopath but some describe him as a nationalist. I have tried to give below some of the highlights of the book and their significance in understanding the issues which they represent .

1. As the Russian army closed on Berlin in the last days of August 1945 Hitler holed himself in a bunker 50 feet below the Chancellery. The man who roared liked a lion became a mad roaring lion. He was not able to digest his defeat and constantly rebuked and abused his Generals and close associates. He began blaming the Nazi Army which he said was a bunch of cowards and lacked the qualities of a true Aryan. The army has let him down. The fact was that there was never a structure in place which decided the course of war and strategies by discussions and consensus. A sort of Military High Command. It was Hitler and only Hitler which decided and issued orders. The rest were just minions. If anybody suggested anything contrary to Hitler decision he was rebuked by him.

There is a important lesson to be learnt here. We now more clearly understand what a dictator is and the extent of damage he is capable of inflicting on the nation. In a democracy at least we have the option to reject leaders with such tendencies during polls. Here in India we know the present PM liking for controlling everything. The various Ministries cannot take decision by themselves. They have to obtain clearance from PMO for every matter which means the PM is behaving as some sort of a dictator. No wonder he sleeps for 4 hours only as his propaganda team says. This however is not good for the nation.

2. Propaganda played a crucial role in the Nazi setup. When the regime is cantered around a single individual and the people have vested their entire trust on him then it has to have a continuity without any breaks. Failures cannot be disclosed and defeats cannot be publicized .

The myth that the leader is impregnable has to be sustained at all costs. In the end of 1941 everybody started realising the Germany defeat was not far. The Russians were aggressively dominating the Nazi army. The US had entered the war and the Allied forces were mercilessly bombarding German cities. In the middle of 1944 the Russian army was knocking at the doors of Berlin and D-day was not far off. The collapse of Hitler Germany was written large on the wall. Goebbel was the head of the propaganda ministry. Imagine a Ministry for propaganda !!

The Ministry at that stage was busy churning out false information that the Fuehrer was in control of everything and victory was imminent. Infact Goebbel declared that any talk of defeat will be punished by death. At no stage the people were informed that Germany has lost the war.

 The height of deception was reached when the Nazi government announced death of Hitler on 1st May 1945 when Hitler was already dead on 30th august. There was no mention that he  had committed suicide.

This organised propaganda machine in hiding facts and relaying a false narrative contributed vastly to the massive destruction of lives and material. It took the war to a suicidal end which could have been prevented. Today the same kind of organised propaganda machinery is being created by the BJP. The BJP has a exclusive IT cell to spread false news. It is reported that it is manned by around 1000 personnel's. Some of the false news spread by this wing can be found here https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-top-fake-news-spread-by-BJP-IT-cell-in-2017. This IT cell of BJP is constantly trying to spread communal hatred and even defend killers. The moment anybody expresses a opposite opinion  he would be attacked by thousands of abuses. Sexiest remarks against women and independent thinkers are a daily occurrence. Recently on the death of Gauri Lankesh by RW Hindutva goons the IT cell of the BJP released thousands of responses celebrating her murder. One even wrote “A bitch has died a dog’s death and now all the pups are whining in one voice". Incidentally PM is following this person on twitter and he has obstinately refused to unfollow him. So the message is clear from the highest quarter of the Government to BJP followers that continue the dirty propaganda.

As in case of Nazi Germany this form of governance where truth is suppressed and falsehood is encouraged is going to heavily damage the nation.

3. Trevor states that Hitler had a  incredible  will-power,  whose hypnotic  influence, compelled even his critics to worship and obey. How did he achieve this? There was Dr Morell his personal physician who concocted many drugs which produced hypnotic and delirious effects. He confessed after the war that these drugs were daily given to Hitler. Hitler was a master in oratory and combined with his hypnotic powers was able to cast a spell on the audience. Somewhat similar to what Mr Modi does. I don't mean that Modi takes drugs but people get trapped into his oratory and are unable to sift the truth from the lies. Here is a lesson to be learnt. Instead of being misled by his oratory one should discover and acknowledge the ground realities. For example Modi speeches leads you to believe that demonetisation was a great step whereas the ground reality is that it was a disaster. The personality of a person should never be allowed to over shadow the real events.

Trevor writes and I quote

"There used to be a school of historical thought  which held that the course of human history 

was determined largely by political and  economic  factors  rather  than  by the characters  and actions of individuals. My own experience during this last war has emphasized to me

 the immense, and in some cases decisive influence exercised on the course of events by 

individual personalities."

4. Hitler enjoyed absolute power and the Nazi party led by him ruled every segment of the German society. No man can escape the corruption of absolute power. With all opposition voices mercilessly silenced and intolerance at its peak it was futile to suggest any course correction. There was only one view point which was correct and that was of Hitler. Anything contrary was considered anti national. This drove the fate of Germany into a blind alley from which there was no return. Slowly the entire nation was sinking and ultimately destroyed with Hitler committing suicide. We are today passing through a similar phase. The RSS/BJP juggernaut tearing across India like a hurricane is demolishing all resistance to its advance. This is a very worrisome development and may end up destroying India like Germany under Hitler. The absolute power of Modi has certainly unleashed violence , communal hatred and even killings of independent thinkers.

5. It is interesting to know that Hitler was a vegetarian and even had a separate vegetarian kitchen in the bunker and a vegetarian cook. I mention this because there is a notion in our country that vegetarian food generates higher consciousness and non violent temperament and inner peace. 6 million Jews were exterminated under Hitler rule and more than 10 million perished in the war. Hitler personally ordered the killings of many of his close associates who  became his critics. Even  Hermann Fegelein the brother-in-law of Eva Braun was shot on orders of Hitler one week before Hitler committed suicide . So when vegetarians assume a sort of superiority complex and look down on meat eaters I point my finger towards Hitler !

6. Everybody is familiar with the old saying " Those whom the gods wish to destroy they first make mad" or "विनाश काले विपरीत बुद्धि". From 1935 to 1941 Hitler achieved spectacular victories occupying nearly half of Europe. He started believing that he is a military genius and specially sent by God to earth to rule the world. He attacked Russia and made his biggest blunder. The Russian bear with all its power chased him to the bunker and destroyed him. The second mistake he made was by appointing himself as the commander-in-chief of the army and refusing to heed advise of his Generals on crucial matters of war. He declared war against the US and further exposed himself to attacks. In his madness to destroy Britain and Russia simultaneously he opened two fronts and was sandwiched between east and west. There are many other reasons for his defeat but essentially all of them stemmed from his ego centered personality and his lunatic conviction that he was invincible. The biggest lesson we learn here is that a nation should never be lead by a megalomaniac. This lesson is relevant in today's political climate prevailing in India.

7. Amidst all this vicious and bloody carnage which Hitler waged for nearly 10 years one thing stood steadily and nobody could defeat it. It was love. Love of Eva Braun for Hitler. She suffered ignominy,insults ,discomfort and finally accepted the poison pill without a murmur which Hitler gave to her. No matter what the world said she never demurred from her duty to take care of Hitler and ultimately gave her life for him. Just one day before they both committed suicide Hitler married her and gave her the satisfaction at last to be officially designated as Mrs Fuhrer.

There is one stream of historians who believe that Hitler killed Eva Braun and he himself escaped to Argentina. Neither Hitler nor Eva Braun bodies were ever found.

8. Everything thing ended when Hitler committed suicide on 30April 1945 at about 3PM after taking his lunch. The Third Reich collapsed like a pack of cards. All the top high ranking officials of Hitler coterie committed suicide or were killed.

Hitler                           The Fuhrer                                             Blew up his head with a pistol

Eva Braun                    Hitler's wife                                           Took poison pills

Joseph Goebbels         Reich Minister of Propaganda             Took poison pills together with his    

                                                                                                                     Wife & 6 children 

Martin Borman            Chief of the Party Chancellery            Shot by Russians while fleeing 

Heinrich Himmler      Head of dreaded SS                                    Committed suicide

Hermann Göring      President of the Reichstag           Tried at Nuremberg. Committed suicide

Rudolf Hess               Deputy Führer                             Tried at Nuremberg. Committed suicide

Albert Speer           Reich Minister of Armaments         20yrs imprisonment

 

Thus ended the era of a evil genius who played the communal and nationalism card to satisfy his never ending hunger for power and in the process destroyed his nation. This book can be considered a authentic version of events during the last 10 days of Hitler and plays a crucial part in deciphering the state of mind of Hitler during his defeat.

All those who are interested in history of WW2 would find this book very interesting and informative.

 

ASHOK KUMAR

RAM MANDIR

RAM MANDIR

04.04.17

 

 

I had gone through the article written by Chetan Bhagat( Times of India dated 02/04/17) batting for building of a Ram Mandir at Ayodhya at the disputed site where a mosque stood and was demolished by goons of the Sangh Parivar. The article is basically not worth the paper on which it is written. It is a childish attempt to trivialize a issue whose outcome would have a large scale effect on the future of our republic. It will decide whether we are a civilised society believing in laws and the constitution or a banana republic which runs on whims and fancies and religious sentiments. It will decide whether the country is to be run by majoritarianism dictates which bull dozes the respect and honor of the minority communities and pushes them into second rate citizens. It is clearly not a issue of building a temple. It is a political issue for the Sangh Parivar and a step toward realising the dream of the RSS in making India a Hindu Rashtra. All this talk about Hindu sentiments is a facade to hide the intentions of the right wing Hindutva sections of our society to destroy the cultural harmony of our multicultural heritage. There is no doubt that this Chetan Bhagat is a important link of this network of sick minds who rides the Hindu religious wagon in pursuance of a goal which has nothing to do with development. Nevertheless he has a right to his views no matter how obnoxious it is. In this particular article he has given three arguments against building of the Ram temple ( Though there are many more ) and then proceeds to demolish them. Let us examine his logic ,if there is any, since he relies more on sentiments.

 1. Why disturb the status quo ?

 If you see the video footage of the demolishing of the Babri Masjid any civilized person would be shaken at the goondaism which was openly  perpetuated under the leadership of senior leaders of the BJP. It was a matter of destroying a place of workship. More than that it was intended to hurt the psyche of the Muslim community and to show them their place. Instill in them fear and make them realise that they have no place in this country. It was all pre planned including the plan to say sorry when the mission was accomplished. I don't see any parallel of such brutality against a place of worship anywhere in the world. And please don't quote Pakistan since we are not Pakistan. Saying sorry afterwords  with a glee is like rubbing salt in the wounds. The right thing would have been to build the Masjid again. This would have served the end of justice. The Hindutva right wing instead of repenting for its deeds is now demanding that the Muslims should forget and voluntarily hand over the land for building the temple. First you break their mosque and them have the temerity to ask for handing over the land for building the temple. In the name of harmony between communities !! If tomorrow Mr Chetan Bhagat house is razed to the ground by some land mafia and then they demand the land to be handed over for building a plaza would he agree. Certainly not. He would demand his property to be restored and his house built again. That is what justice demands. But in this case Mr Chetan cleverly circumvents justice by taking the sentimental path. He claims that there is proof that there was a temple below the masjid and Ram was born exactly at the same place. Even the Allahabad High court did not consider this claim while issuing its verdict. There is no historical evidence to substantiate this argument. The Babarnama (Chronicles of Babur) does not mention either the mosque or the destruction of a temple. Tulsidas, who began writing the Ramcharit Manas in Ayodhya on Rama's birthday in 1574 (coming there from his normal residence in Varanasi) mentioned the "great birthday festival" in Ayodhya but made no mention of a mosque at Rama's birthplace. Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak (1551–1602), who wrote Akbarnama, completing the third volume Ain-i Akbari in 1598, described the birthday festival in Ayodhya, the "residence of Rama" and the "holiest place of antiquity", but made no mention of a mosque. The fact is that Ayodhya is the birth place of Lord Rama as ancient books and scriptures mention. To say that that Lord Ram was born exactly where the Babri Masjid stood is mischievous. Ram mandir can be built and that too a grand one at any place in Ayodhya and this would not reduce its majesty or lessen the faith of the believers.

Mr Chetan writes that there are thousands of mosques build over temples by the Mughals. How does Mr Chetan knows this? Has he any evidence or is he fanning communal hatred? This seems to be a veiled threat. Surrender or they may also become target of the Hindutva demolishing squad. It is sad that a educated person who has written books ( Which nobody reads) behaving like a street ruffian. Go one step ahead and he is offering a grand Masjid in lieu of the demolished one. I mean how childish a person can become. Offering toys in return for surrendering ones honour. The contention of Mr Chetan that  this is the demand of all Hindus in India which are nearly 100 crores is entirely misleading. As a Hindu I can vouch that majority of Hindus are secular and respect all religions. They never want a Mandir after breaking a mosque. Their faith just not allows this. After all then what difference will remain between a group of blood thirsty marauders and a civilised,law abiding people. It would be better if Mr Chetan refrain from self appointing himself as the leader of all the Hindus in this country.

 Does it behoves us to dig in the past and come out with bits of information about so called atrocities committed by the Muslims to substantiate our efforts to build a Hindu Rashtra

We are living in the 21st century with a strong and vibrant India. Let us not live in the past and waste our time in trying to restore past glory of bygone centuries. We have to make our future strong by building strong technology and not by building Mandirs on imaginary disputed sites.

 Apart from above Mr Chetan forgets that this is a dispute pending in the Supreme Court. A criminal act has been performed and the culprits have to be punished according to the laws of the land. It is a title dispute and the real owners have to decided. The Muslim community has already given its commitment to abide with whatever decision is given by the court. But Mr Chetan does not want the status quo but wants to usurp the powers of the Highest Court. Perhaps he senses that his case is weak and so he brings in sentiments and faith to strengthen his unfounded claims on the Babri Masjid land. He may please note that only a fascist nation rules by sentiments of the majority. The status quo has to remain till the SC gives its decision.

 2. Build a hospital instead

Yes why not ? Infact this is the most sensible suggestion. Here Mr Chetan just repeat his illogical contention that the Mandir has to be built exactly at the same spot. We have seen above that there is no sustainable evidence that Lord Ram was born there. So a grand Lord Ram Mandir can be built anywhere in Ayodhya. Moreover a Mandir built where a Masjid stood once somehow robs its purity and sanctity. Building a modern hospital in the service of humanity would not only serve a higher purpose but would be a shining example of India's secular credentials.

 3. But God is everywhere , so why here

Here Mr Chetan accepts that there is no proof about Lord Ram birth place. Then what is the hue and cry about ? The matter should have ended. But since Mr Chetan wants to inflame the situation he insist that excavation has shown that there was a temple below. He has at least climbed down from Ram temple exists to only a temple. By the way the many eminent archaeologist have disputed the 2003 ASI report. They have alleged that the report was tailored to suit the claims of the saffron brigade.

" But even well-known archaeologists involved in the excavation are doubtful about the findings. Says Sita Ram Rai, former director of the Bihar Archaeology Department who spent a fortnight during the excavation in Ayodhya: "The ASI has carved pillars out of the excavated floor to draw some inaccurate conclusions.
It has released its report with motivated suggestions and willful omissions, making it clear that its saffronised heart is in the right place." Rai, who was summoned by the Allahabad High Court bench (where the ASI report was opened) to make his observations, said no structure had been demolished before the construction of the mosque.
He and three other archaeologists, who made a detailed study of the method of excavation and the artefacts recovered from the site, believe that there was no temple at Ayodhya. Clearly, neither the VHP nor its vocal supporters are listening. "

It is therefore still disputed that there was a temple below the Babri Masjid. To insist that the Ram Mandir should be built there only is motivated by mischievous designs. By the way what is wrong in stating that God resides everywhere. It seems that Mr Chetan sees God only on that particular spot where Babri Masjid stood. If this is the behavior of a educated person then there is seriously something wrong with our education system. The Hindu always sees God even in a particle. And I assume that Mr Chetan is a Hindu. I mean the right type not the fanatic type.

 In the end I would only add that India is a vibrant multi cultured society encompassing several religions and languages. Those who are creating a rift between communities and trying to impose majoritarianism is doing a great disservice to the nation. They are neither patriots and neither nationalist. They are only rats nibbling away the great pluralistic traditions of this ancient country. Ram mandir has become a tool for retaining political power by such unscrupulous persons. I hope Mr Chetan direct his energies towards more productive purposes. Like learning to write good books so that people start reading them.

Meanwhile just allow Ram mandir to rest till the SC gives its decision in the matter or build a hospital there.

 

ASHOK KUMAR

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BJP-THE PARTY WITH A DIFFERENCE

 

BJP-THE PARTY WITH A DIFFERENCE

 

Time and again Senior members of the BJP and those occupying Ministerial posts in Central and State Governments ruled by BJP issue statements which not only violates the provisions of our Constitution but also insults minority communities as well as respected leaders whose immense contribution towards making India into a powerful and modern nation can never be forgotten. The party when questioned about these cheap comments invariably comes out with the following reply

 

"These are personal opinion of the person and nothing to do with the party views on the subject"

This seems so silly. Everybody knows that this is a ploy to express the party stand through a proxy. It saves the party from publicly revealing its distorted ideology till the time the public is suitably ready for it. . At the same time it relays its message to the nation and its own cadre about its standing on the issue. The BJP has refined this strategy perfectly. From Ram Mandir to anti minority stand and its support for a Hindu constitution it relays its intentions through the mouth of various party holders. It then conveniently issues a statement stating that this is not party stand. Notice that no matter how obnoxious the statement is the party never takes any action against the member. Not even issues any explanation letter leave apart suspension from the party. It becomes so obvious that the BJP itself hands over these abusive,ugly and unconstitutional statements to its members and then denies them.  

 

Following are some of the statements issued by prominent members of BJP which were promptly denied to be the official position of BJP .

NAME	POST	STATEMENT	BJP RESPONSE
ANIL VIJ	CABINET MINISTER HARYANA	Mahatma Gandhi will gradually be removed from currency notes and that Modi is a bigger brand name than Gandhi.	It is his personal views
SUBRAMANIYAN SWAMY	SENIOR BJP RAJYA SABHA MEMBER	RBI Governor Rajan unfit to hold post	PM Modi kept quite till Rajan resigned
MAHESH SHARMA	CULTURE MINISTER IN MODI CABINET	Aurangzeb Road has been named after such a great man who, despite being a Muslim, was a nationalist and a humanist, A P J Abdul Kalam.	NONE
SAKSHI MAHARAJ, MP (BJP)	SENIOR MEMBER BJP	1.In order to increase the population of Hindus in the nation he asked Hindu women to produce at least four kids each to counter the Muslim population. 2. called Mahatma Gandhi's assassinator Nathuram Godse a martyr.	It is his personal views
SADHVI NIRANJAN JYOTI	CABINET MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES IN MODI	She asked voters to carefully make a choice between 'Ramzade' (Born of Ram) and Haramzade (Born Illegitimately). She also said that either Muslim or Christians all are sons of Ram and those who no more stand with this ideology are not citizen of this nation.	BJP distanced itself from her remarks
GIRIRAJ SINGH	UNION MINISTER IN MODI CABINET	1.those who oppose prime minister candidate Narendra Modi should leave India as their place will be in Pakistan. 2. compared Narendra Modi to Lord Ram.	Was administered a cosmetic rebuke
YOGI ADITYANATH	BJP CAMPAIGNER	1.he exhorted Hindu men to marry hundred Muslim women, if one Hindu women witness forcible conversion. 2. compared Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan with Pakistani terrorist Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of Mumbai carnage	NONE
MOHAN BHAGWAT	RSS HEAD-MOTHER OF BJP	Hindustan is a Hindu nation and Hindutva is the identity of our nation.	NONE

 

BJP which calls itself a party with a difference has become a symbol of hate and intolerance. It has a army of trollers on social sites who continuously release a barrage of abuses towards anybody who does not agree with them. On the ground it has dedicated team of abusers from its higher ranks who start demeaning those who do not agree with the RSS ideology.

However it is a matter of great relief that our constitution protects us from fanatics and extremist otherwise they would have converted this country to a dictatorship.

It is expected that the BJP as a national party understands its responsibility and refrains from any action which would spoil the harmonious secular atmosphere of this nation.

 

ASHOK KUMAR

 

19.1.2017

DEMONETISATION

                                                                                                                                          11.01.17

It was a massive exercise. It was a tsunami which swept away 125 crores people off their feet. Many crushed under its impact. Their employment destroyed. Many died because they could not meet the expenses urgently needed. People stood in lines across the country to exchange their notes then to withdraw money. Women ,elderly and even sick people stood for hours outside banks. Many died due to sheer exhaustion. Now when the demonetization exercise is over it is time to assess whether all this was actually necessary or was it all a done to satisfy the ego of one person. This one person who neither has the requisite qualification to take such a major decision and neither has the temperament to listen to the advice of those who are capable. The track record of Mr Modi is not something to be proud of. His abusive speeches, his arrogance and his communal ideology is well known. His achievements are like colourful balloons which float high above but touch them and they burst. His bhakt brigade is selling demonetization to the people as a great visionary step towards removing corruption and black money. However when they saw people are seeing through this game they started harping on digital India. Let us look at the following points :

 1. It has been reported that as of 31.12.16 most of the money in circulation which was about 15lakhs crore have been deposited in the banks. That clearly indicates that demonetization did not destroy the black money in the economy. So what was the purpose of all this massive exercise.

 2.Corruption did not stop even during demonetization period. More than 4000crores in new notes were recovered and there is no estimate how much was exchanged by bankers and jewelers.

By the way how can one stop corruption through demonetization. Those who want to pay  under the table for their work to be done would continue to do so. Income tax officials,MCD officials .Police etc are not going to stop receiving bribes. So all this claim that demonetization will stop corruption is all bunk. Only stringent action by concerned departments can have some effect. I want to ask Mr. Modi how many are behind bars and how many have been prosecuted. I also want to ask him why he allowed Vijay Mallya to escape to London after robbing banks of nearly 7000 crores.

 3. Mr. Modi also claimed that demonetization would eliminate fake currency. Yes, maybe the existing stock but has it stopped further printing of fake notes. With the new 2000 Rs new notes it has become easier to fake less notes with more value and it is easier to stock them in less space. Already there were reports that fake 2000 Rs notes have come into circulation. Look  at this news. Two young boys have already printed 6 lakhs fake currency in new 2000Rs denomination. Link

 4. A lot of publicity has been made to claim that demonetization will boost the economy,will clean the economy blah blah blah. The recent figures released by the RBI puts the GDP growth at 7.1% reduced from 7.6%.  This does not include figures after 8th November when growth of the manufacturing sector and agriculture output dipped to seriously low levels due to cash crunch. If post demonetization figures are included then the GDP will further reduce to 6%. Shri Manmohan Singh was right when he pointed out that demonetization was a foolish step and would dangerously hamper the growth of a growing economy and the GDP could slip to 5.5%.

Nobody knows who advised Mr. Modi to take this antinational step.

 5. Similarly Mr. Modi and his bhakts shouted hoarse that demonetization has neutralized terrorists and hereafter there would not be any terrorist attacks. They first claimed that stone throwing in Kashmir has stopped which was hilarious since there was no stone throwing since 2 months. More was to come. Soon after demonetization was announced on 9th November Havildar Satnam Singh lost his life in Kupwara district. On 19th November, United Liberation Front for Asom (Independence) carried out an attack on an army convoy in Assam’s Tinsukia district. On 22 November Pakistani terrorists alongside ‘Border Action Team’ ambushed soldiers of 57 Rashtriya Rifles in Kupwara district. Three Indian soldiers lost their lives as body of one of them was inhumanly mutilated. The worst was in store for 29th November when terrorists attacked Indian soldiers at Nagrota. Seven Indian soldiers including two Major rank officers were killed. So all this claim that Mr. Modi  has abolished terrorism was a humbug. Demonetization  had nothing to do with stopping terrorism.

 6. Linking demonetization with making India digital was a afterthought. It was a cleverly crafted idea when it became apparent that demonetization has not only failed but has damaged the economy. With 86% of the currency abolished and only 37% replenished the people were in panic. So this idea of digital India was floated. In a way it was forcing people to use cards or e-wallets. This was a foolish idea. Is it possible for a country which 90% runs on cash transactions to change overnight to digital transactions ? Perhaps Mr. Modi is not aware that 60% of the population do not have bank accounts and there is no internet connectivity in large parts of rural India. Even there are no banks in most of the rural India. Farmers and laborers are comfortable with cash transactions. Under these circumstanceous to insist that everybody should switch over to digital transactions is a cruel joke. No wonder this wonderful idea of Mr. Modi has already collapsed . I hope Mr. Modi is not contemplating to bring a law to ban  use of cash transactions and impose jail term on those who break this rule.

 7.Post demonetization banks are flushed with funds. They are still in a state of shock. What is troubling them is the question of how will they pay the huge interest on parked funds. Already the economy has slowed down and there are no takers for loans. They are already strapped with NPA amounting to 6 lakhs crores. They will have to drastically reduce the interest rates on fixed deposits effecting millions of pensioners and senior citizens who depend on interest earnings to run their households. The recent announcement by Mr. Modi to fix 8% interest for 10 years (without provision for premature withdrawal and upto maximum 7.5 lakhs) to this section of population is a joke. With inflation on the rise what will be the value of the return in coming years? Mr. Modi is talking about reduced rates of interest on loans as if people are flocking to banks to avail them. The unemployment figures are rising and those in service are finding it hard to run households so where is the demand for loans. The only section who are always eager to avail loans are the industrialist and the corporate giants because they have no intention of returning it . These are the people who invested crores of rupees in Modi campaigns during election. Now Mr. Modi has returned the favor by replenishing banks which were rather empty to again create the next cycle of NPA. So here also demonetization has hit the poor and helped the rich to become richer and then like Mallya scoot away.

 8. One thing is rather mysterious about this demonetization which Mr. Modi thrust upon the nation bringing with it misfortune and devastation in the lives of millions of poor people of this country. Who took the decision? Usually it is the RBI which is the competent authority in such matters. However when Mr. Modi announced this decision on 8th on November he did not mention that RBI recommended it. Surprisingly the RBI Governor Mr. Patel just disappeared from the scene. He was no where to be found. There is also no indication that Mr. Jaitley the FM of this country was in the loop or either the Chief Economic Adviser to the GOI. Certain indications are there that a high level RSS intellectual group(So called) secretly planned this step and fed it to Mr. Modi who as a obedient RSS follower implemented it. No economic expert was ever consulted. RSS is best known to have expertise in engineering riots and consist of hard headed dumb robots with a single minded purpose of imposing its extreme views on the masses. Obviously Mr. Modi committed a blunder. In any case it is doubtful whether it was legally valid step. Petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the validity of demonetization.

Now looking at post demonetization scenario we realise how it wrecked the country. It has not achieved any useful purpose but only brought destruction to the people and the country.

 

ASHOK KUMAR

TRIBUE TO JAYLALITHA

 

 

Au Revoir Jaylalitha

 

                                                                                                                                 7.12.16

 

On 5.12.16 there was only one news on the TV. Ms Jaylalitha was critical and that she had a cardiac arrest. Just one day earlier it was announced that she was on her way to recovery and now suddenly this. It seemed that death was determined to take her in its grip. As night descended the TV channels announced that a team of specialist from the AIIMS was also flown from the capital to attend her. Conflicting reports were coming about her condition. Some of the local channels in Chennai even announced her death which was strongly denied by the Appolo authorities. Then at 10 PM I listened to a news item that her condition has slightly improved. It was then that I became sure that death has finally conquered. I have read in many books that just before death the condition of a critically ill person improves. It improves slightly before death to finally extinguish the life within. It is something like a oil lamp which flares up before finally extinguishing. I went off to sleep and when I woke up on 6.12.16 there was the news that Jaylalitha is no more. A brave lady who fought so bravely all odds against her surrendered to death.

Years back I had seen her interview with Simi Grewal. My respect for her started from there. Her english was flawless and her precise way of expression was cutting. She measured every word before it left her lips. She was a very reserved person and people seldom dared to question her. However this particular interview was extraordinary in which for the first time Jaylalitha candidly gave a glimpse of what lies in her mind and heart. She was very small when her father passed away. Her mother was only 20 yrs old. She was very attached to her mother but due to financial circumstanceous her mother had to join the film industry to make a living. She left her alone and went to Chennai.

She used to come very seldom to see her, while little Jaylalitha cried and pined for her. One can imagine the plight of this little girl with no father and the mother having no time to see her. This must have left upon her deep emotional scars. She describes how she used to cry alone. She became vulnerable and extremely unsecure. Her mother also passed away then at the age of 47 leaving her alone. She was completely unaware of the worldly life. She did not even know how to sign a cheque how to run the home. She did not even know what to purchase and where to purchase from. At that point of time the legendry actor MG Ramchandra took her into his fold and guided her life. She acted with him in 28 films and became the number one actress of the South. She doesn't talk too much about her relationship with MG but it is generally believed that they were very close. She never married. I think that she looked upon him as a fatherly figure since her own father died when she was hardly 5 yrs old. Surely the absence of parents and a secure loving home during childhood leaves a painful wound for a lifetime. Perhaps this was the cause of her aloofness and egotism which people describe. When life deals you rotten cards you don't care for niceties.

 

Later on MG also passed away leaving her completely alone in the world. She did not leave his dead body for 2 days. She was abused by MG family but she fought back and vowed to take his political party to new heights. In the coming years her character was besmirched, she was heaped with insults. She describes how she was unable to deal with her torturers. She did not know how to retaliate. She did not know how to fight them. She kept quiet and kept her emotions under tight control. One can imagine this lonely woman distressed and being pushed into a corner with nobody to help her. Her mother gone away, her mentor gone away leaving her alone to fend for herself. Then on 25.3.89 in the Tamilnadu assembly DMK members attacked her. Her sari was pulled and torn and she was hit with heavy objects. She was saved but that was a turning point. She no longer remained a coy and fragile figure thereafter. She vowed that she will enter again the state assembly as CM only. For 2 yrs she worked laboriously and was elected with a massive Majority. She entered the legislature as the supreme commander. As the CM of Tamilnadu.

Such is the grit and determination of Jaylalitha. She then became ruthless to her opponents. She had risen from the ashes. She fought the male domination and made the men crawl before her. She reigned as a queen. Such is the story of Jaylalitha. Every woman in the world should learn from her life. Her life story should inspire every woman.

Jaylalitha was always a winner. In her own words whatever task she decided upon she put her best in it. She always stood first in her school. She was declared the best student of her school. She never learnt acting but once in it she became the topmost actress. She never learnt politics but once in it she made it to the top. She was not a ordinary politician. Her massive work for women and poor would be remembered for years to come. Today Amma canteens are spread all over the state where the poor can have meals for as low as 2 Rs. Crimes against women have vanished from the state. Power has reached the remotest villages. Many welfare schemes for women launched. Tamilnadu surpasses all parameters of development and is today number one state. She had all the merits of becoming the PM of this country but death snatched her away too soon.

No wonder such a massive crown attended her funeral. Such a crowd has never been seen since the death of Indira Gandhi. People were weeping as if their own mother has passed away.

I salute Jaylalitha who would always be remembered alongside the great leaders who shaped India's destiny.

Au Revoir Amma

ASHOK KUMAR

 

 

 

 

 

 

SUSHMA JI AT THE UN

 

                                              SUSHMA JI AT THE UN                                                27.9.16

 

Everybody waited with abated breath. After the disappointment at the lukewarm response of Modi at Kozhikode to the attack in Uri there was a lot of expectation that Sushma Swaraj would certainly nail Pakistan. However it turned out to be a rather motherly act chiding a child for its stupid acts.

The speech first outlined the familiar scourge of terrorism. How it works against humanity and is a curse. A fact which already people know. Nothing new in it. Then Sushma Ji disclosed how terrorists are financed and armed by nations. How certain nations allow terrorists to roam about freely and spread hatred. So far so good. Then it goes on to advise that nations should unite and fight this menace of terrorism. What I want to ask is how all this homilies going to help India to defeat terrorism from across the border. If Sushma and Modi think that giving calls to other nations to come forward and help India in its fight is going to work then they are living in delusion. Nobody helps unless you show your strength. Being docile and advertising ones helplessness make you a laughing stock before the world. This is what we are precisely doing. The speech therefore should have focused more on India's strength and striking capabilities to make it clear that if the world do not support us then India will go alone to any length to finish off this monster of terrorism.

The other part of the speech was more like a child complaining to mother that how he was thrashed by the neighbors son. We invited Nawaz Sharif, we greeted him on Eid, we wished success to their cricket team,Modi attended marriage in Lahore. Sushma Ji became emotional and said look how they have treated us in return. At one point I thought that she would burst into tears. What is the point of all this ? Don't we advertise ourselves as a emerging super power? Is this the language a emerging super power should use ? We crawl and beseech and make ourselves small in the eyes of those nations sitting there. That is why nobody respects us.

It would have been far better if Sushma Ji would have made clear that we have lost our patience and if we are further pressed the world should not blame us for taking Military action against Pakistan. The world should have been put on notice. The speech should have carried a punch and a declaration of intent and action. That is how great nations react against unprovoked attacks on them.

There was no mention of Masood Azhar a known terrorist who has been protected by China from being  declared a terrorist. No mention of Hafeez Sayeed a known declared terrorist by the UN and carrying a reward on his head. On top  of it there was no mention of Pakistan by name. Why did Sushma Ji shied from naming the country which is the culprit ? The speech was hollow and lacked the substance which the present situation demanded. There was no mention of the contours of the policy to be adopted against Pakistan.

The only saving grace was mention of human rights violation in Balochistan and the declaration that Kashmir is a integral part of India. The latter already well known.

Some described the speech as statesmanship. For me it was a cry of helplessness which the world witnessed.

ASHOK KUMAR

 

THE URI ATTACK

                          The URI Attack                          19.9.16

 

The Uri attack  has left 17 of our soldiers dead and more important it has dealt a severe blow to the izzat of our Armed Forces. The Army is sizzling with anger and the Modi Government is sitting in a huddle confused as ever. However the Indian Army is a disciplined force and would not go overboard without a green signal from the elected political bosses. Ultimately the buck stops at Modi. More than 30 hours have passed since the attack and during this period numerous meetings have taken place. Doval meeting the HM. HM meeting the PM. Parrikar meeting the Army Chief. Army Chief meeting the PM. Jaitley meeting the HM. Both HM and Jaitley meeting the PM. So on. Incredibly nothing clear has emerged till now regarding the Indian response to this brazen attack from across the border.

Apart from above fierce statements have emerged from members of the ruling party. PM will ensure that culprits would not go unpunished. HM will declare Pakistan a terrorist state. Jaitley will see to it Pakistan is exposed before the world. The topping on the cake was by Ram Madhav who wants a jaw to be taken for every tooth. Brave statements like feeding dope to the people so that they don't see the utter policy failure of this Government vis-a-vis  Pakistan. Fortunately this is not the 20th century. Every information is available on social platforms and on the internet. People are fully aware of what is happening and cannot be fooled. We know for instance that Pathankot,Gurdaspur happened . Modi visit to Lahore. ISI landing in Pathankot to investigate its own attack. In a nutshell no policy or strategy was ever in place by this so called Nationalist Government to deal with repeated terrorist attacks from across the border. Can we expect now ?

I don't think so. Already arguments to rule out a swift strike by the armed forces as was done in the case of Myanmar has started floating around. The most favourite is that we will strike at our own chosen time and place. Meaning let time pass and everything will cool down and people would forget. Of course at least till the next attack. I have to offer the following suggestions as a common citizen of this country.

1. First of all how efficient is our intelligence gathering. Do we have information and coordinates of terror camps in Pakistan occupied Kashmir? Do we know who are members of the group in the Pakistan Army assigned to carry on these terrorist acts? Where is the location of the group?

Where are the commanders of these terrorist groups located? During MMS tenure when 26/11 occurred it was almost decided to carry out a surgical strike in Pakistan. When the Airforce Chief was consulted he said it will not be possible since clear location and coordinates of terrorists camp is not available. So update intelligence continuously on such locations,people and places so that these can be hit when time comes.

2. Any response has to be swift preferably within 3 hours of a terrorist attack. Then is not the time for meetings and consultations. For this to happen a clear policy has to be in place in advance. Such a policy paper should be prepared and kept confidential. Immediate response as per the policy paper should be carried out within 3 hours of a terrorist attack.

3. How many spies and informers do we have in Pakistan? I think a special attention has to be given to increase their numbers. There is no shortage of disgruntled elements in Pakistan. From the Baloch to Pashtuns and from Shias to Ahmediyas. These should be taken on our payrolls who would continuously supply us information and also sabotage when required. Sleeper cells should be in all the major centers of power in Pakistan. When the security of the nation is in question cost should not matter.

4. A lot is said about nuclear attack in case we retaliate inside Pakistan territory. If we go by fear then we are already defeated. First of all Pakistan will think twice before using nuclear weapons. They know that India will wipe out Pakistan. Looking to the size and population India will be hardly effected. Other thing is that the action should be swift and accurate so that before Pakistan could use nuclear weapons the International community would get time to intervene and call for a ceasfire.

5. Another thing is we assume that any military action would bring Kashmir in focus. Why are we so defensive about Kashmir? Kashmir is Indian territory legally and morally. Let the world talk about Kashmir. Nothing would come out of  it. Pakistan has absolutely no case to talk about it. Let things be decided for once and for all times.

6. Considering everything the preferred action is covert operations inside Pakistan. Terrorist should be killed and military installations targeted. Recently former Army Chief Shankar Roy Chaudhari suggested that India should have its own fidayeen squad for this purpose. RSS who claims to be the protector of Hindus should supply its members for this squad specially when Modi is in trouble.

7.There are a number of secessionist movements in Pakistan. Balochistan,Sindhustan.Pashtunistan. We should now upgrade our assistance to them. Supply them arms and expertise. It is high time that we send our troops to Afghanistan and increase our presence there. It will demoralize the Pakis.

8. The Americans are now wooing India to neutralize the Chinese in this region. We should exploit this situation fully and demand sophisticated military equipment from them. The predator drones are very important for us. The US should supply that to us so terrorists in Pakistan could be targeted and killed.

9. There is one last thing I want to say. It is a fact that we have to make our own arrangements for our security. Nobody is going to come and help us. Our Army is one of the finest in the world. Therefore it is sad to note that our military bases are not secured properly and terrorists can enter them at their will. It is definitely a security lapse. After Pathankot lessons should have been learnt and proper steps to secure the periphery should have been taken. The DM Manohar Parikkar should have taken responsibility for the URI attack and resigned. He has been making only unnecessary statements some of them of ridiculous nature which shows his immaturity

 Mr Modi was very aggressive when he was in opposition. It is coming to haunt him now. He has a absolute majority in Parliament now and the people expect him to act. Till now he has been floundering without any idea what to do. The time for bluster is over and the more he remains inert the more harm he is inviting for India.

 

ASHOK KUMAR