Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Closed, Sealed, Confidential letter to the PM

Manmohan Singh on board the Air India One Flight

Sir,

You must be tired of Open Letters, especially when you receive so many of them these days. Anybody and everybody in media, be it the all powerful Editors-in-Chief of Print or Electronic media or the once powerful-now humbled Editors or the emerging creed called Bloggers, seems to think that it is his fundamental right to write an open letter to you, ask 6,8, 10 or other varying number of questions to you. But I want to catch your attention; hence this closed, sealed, confidential letter. As has been your practice, you can “acknowledge” this letter. As has become the fashion these days, I can leak this letter and your “acknowledgment.” Aap be kush; main be kush.

You complained in your Air India One flight yesterday that the opposition was prematurely restless and wanted to force an early election. You made your point, at the right time so that the electronic media could dwell on it rather than the Chidu- Pranab conundrum during prime time debates. Clever!

Now that your interview is over, you can put on your seat belt, sit back, relax and ponder over a few things.

Faced with a deluge of scams, I know you would not like to ponder over them; you will again be tired. Don’t worry. I want you to look at the positives you have brought in corruption management. It will be music to your ears. When one senior minister ‘allegedly’ bugs the office of another so that he can proactively prevent the latter from indulging in anything murky, the latter pays back with impunity; he authorizes a ‘low level’ Deputy Director in his ministry to release a note accusing his predecessor of inaction, that too when he is in a foreign country. When there are such internal checks and balances, does the country really need a Lokpal? Opposition is really restless!

Since Gujarat Government cannot boast of these checks and balances, it needs a Lokayukta. Pugnacious Narendra Modi does not understand this and hold a Maha Rally. Obviously he had to be ignored while appointing the Lokayukta. And this is not done without a precedent. When Sushma Swaraj did not concur with the other two members of the committee, was she not ignored in the appointment of CVC? It is another matter that the Supreme Court later set asidehis appointment.

Supreme Court was also flexing its muscles a few months back. After the resignation of the Solicitor General and the shifting of the then Law Minister, you seem to have managed the problem for the time being. Also the threat that you have incorporated in the Judicial Accountability Bill viz. ‘no unwarranted comments during hearing’ seems to have had the desired effect in silencing the Supreme Court. However let’s not prematurely conclude on this, like the opposition. Let’s see what the Court has to say on the need to investigate Chidambaram’s role.

Let’s turn to Governance. They say that a good government is one where people do not ‘feel’ the government. UPA 2’s performance is unparalleled in this regard. Telengana agitation has been continuing for days. Has anyone ever felt that there is a government which will solve the problem? Terrorists have been bombing Mumbai and Delhi. Your Home Minister told the people that security is their business! Has he not successfully moved governance to people?

The independence you have given to your council of ministers has not been appreciated either by the opposition or by the media. Dayanidhi Maran, and later on Raja could decide on spectrum pricing, independent of the GOM. Murli Deora could gift 25% of the Total Contract Area in KG Basin to a private company. Chidambaram could promise a separate Telengana and shamelessly could go back on the promise. Jairam Ramesh or Jayanti Natarajan could hold economic development to ransom in the name of environment protection. Mamata Banerjee when she was the Railways Minister could make Indian Railways the West Bengal Railways. If the opposition equates this empowerment with abdication of responsibility, it is of course its myopic view.

Media says growth is slowing down- from the expected 9% to 7.7%. But why don’t they see that inflation is going up. If something is going down, is it not compensated by something else going up?

Arun Jaitley says that your government will not last the full term. How dare he... 


"We are commencing our descent." That's the pilot. Please do not mistake him; he is talking about the flight. Please sit straight and get ready for the descent.

Yours Sincerely,

Aaam Aadmi

29 comments:

  1. I share your stories among my readers.
    My good wishes; may your interest never flag.

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  2. Thanks Kartikey for the encouragement. That was too fast.

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  3. "Let’s turn to Governance. They say that a good government is one where people do not ‘feel’ the government. UPA 2’s performance is unparalleled in this regard. Telengana agitation has been continuing for days. Has anyone ever felt that there is a government which will solve the problem? Terrorists have been bombing Mumbai and Delhi. Your Home Minister told the people that security is their business! Has he not successfully moved governance to people?"

    A gem of an observation :)!! Kudos to you Sir.

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  4. That was because I was reading another story at the time.

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  5. too much going on in politics these days and somehow i do not like any bit of it. :-\

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  6. lol....finally a sealed letter after all those open ones...
    nice one...
    Please take your seat and fasten your seat belt. And also make sure your seat back and folding trays are in their full upright position....

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  7. Poor PM.. I think it is high time he stepped down. He has undone whatever he did when he was finance minister by becoming Sonia's puppet.. but I like your style of presenting issues as letters - I think there was one written to chidambaram ... :)

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  8. I just loved the way you concluded... The descend thing... :)

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  9. Thanks Debajyoti for the compliments.
    Thanks Chintan. I pity you. Of course there is too much of politics.
    Thanks Meera. I had written about the special dictionary Chidambaram uses. You can see that in http://valadyviews.blogspot.com/2011/09/pchidambarams-dictionary.html
    Thanks Bharathiraja for the compliment.

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  10. Thanks SUB. You have given the right words which are used in the announcement. In my hurry to post the article, I missed them.

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  11. too much of scams and corruption ! PM shd either take actions or put up an early election since its clear that he is not able to control all this..

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  12. lol the letter is just superb Sir...just wondering if the Pilot of this flight is having an original license or a fake one O_O

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  13. Well expressed! There is corruption from top to bottom, everywhere...
    Its a terrible situation that our country faces.

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  14. Truly confidential 'open letter' :) If there were to be an award for brazening it out, it should surely go to this government headed by MMS and remote controlled by the madam.

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  15. Thaks Raniii. I wish PM has the guts to call for the elections.
    Thanks Sunita. That was a good one. fake pilot...
    Thanks Arti. Indira Gandhi once said corruption is universal.
    Thanks Zephyr. I hope the letter has achieved its purpose.

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  16. Your post title is quite catchy...loved this post.
    Keep ascending ;)

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  17. Very nice letter.. Not sure if HE will like it..! he he!

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  18. That was terrific. Hope it makes our PM sit up straight and atleast for once review his actions, and where on earth he and his crew are going with India.

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  19. Awesome take.... Loved the concept of an open letter... :)
    Loved the line, "If something is going down, is it not compensated by something else going up?"....

    Keep writing... I'm a fan of yours :)

    Love,
    Indie :)

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  20. Where will we Bloggers be without such a wonderful Government providing daily masala....10 minutes on a news channel and my post is ready:) Well articulated Hari....

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  21. nice title and analysis Sir. When it comes to Gujarat development and GDP, Congress says, its in Gujarati gene and when it comes to national stats, its all attributed to C-P duo! Though I am skeptical how much the development in Gujarat and in India can be attributed to the political parties in any case. We seriously need some creativity in Politics now. We are bored of same ol' accusations and reaons al' the time. Even our Bittu is getting smarter these days..

    http://nitinjain.blogspot.com/2011/09/bittu-singh-mom-gandhi.html

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  22. Great blog sir. Excellent articles. I had a professor with very similar passion and wit. A very insightful read. Gives one a lot to mull over...

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  23. Humorous post,i feel during this PM's regime all scams are exposed and action being taken, if he allows law to take its own course many more ministers will be cooling their heels in jail. I believe while ministers take oath they should include to be non corrupt. I hope Mr Manmohan singh gives us a parting gift of passing the LOKPAL bill with thumping majority, and including PM and lower judiciary in the ambit.

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  24. I just pray somehow this letter reached the PM, though I know he would just read and keep it back as if it was a blank paper... too many serious issues has gripped the country, individual states, governance and ministries... not sure how much of mess would be cleared in the absence on 'political will.'
    Needless to say nice post!

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  25. open sealed that is leaked!! what a comment on the present situation

    great post

    time for mr silent mohan to say his tata bye byes

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