comments on Ajai Shukla's Article

Sorry, the comments did not publish in the last post . Here they are :-

While Shukla's patriotic fervor deserves appreciation, he somehow divorces himself from realism about the capability of our DPSUs, especially HAL. Almost 50 years in standing, it has 19 Production Units and 10 R&D Centres in 08 locations in India and employs perhaps the highest number of employees wrt any contemporary aircraft manufacturing facility on planet earth. And pray what have they given us in these fifty long years? Hyperboles of accomplishments, which truly were/are pain, pain and more pain with billions of dollars spent on foreign trips and collaborations. Some of their products that attained moderate success, courtesy the IAF, as no one else found them suitable, like HT-2,Kiran(HJT16) and HPT32,all Trainers were direct ripoffs from the Chipmunk, Jet Provost and Bulldog respectively. Among fighters the HF-24 designed by Dr Kurt Tank, a German, limped its way through in the IAF for want of a suitable engine.The others claimed to be manufactured by HAL like the MiG 21,Jaguar,Hawk and Su30 are either assembled or manufactured under license with over 75% imported components. The much touted IJT and the LCA have been in the making for 30 years and are yet to reach anywhere near oprationalisation. While the LCA was hurriedly given op clearance by Mr Antony in December 2013, just before CAS Browne retired, as per conservative estimates it will take at least five years before it is fully ops in the IAF. The prototype IJT that flew in the Air Show at Yelahanka in 2005 crashed in 2010 and nothing has come on line since then even in prototype form, when will it reach the IAF, if ever. 

So that brings me to the two most disingenuous and unviable suggestions made by Shukla. Rescind the Rafale deal to save one lakh crore and do the following: (a) improve the serviceability of Su-30s to 75% to get additional 95 ac online. Well said and highly wishful, but do remember all Su-30s are assembled at HAL leaving much to be desired in the finished product and costs the IAF close to Rs 500 crore besides being heavy on maintenance. In addition, 20% of the holdings go for MR&SOW. To achieve 75% serviceability of the remaining 80% , effectively 92% serviceability would need an uninterrupted continuous flow of product support, which is well nigh impossible because the IAF depends on HAL/Roseboron, who depends on foreign vendors, who never oblige.

 Anyway, being ex Army Shukla will not find it hard to corroborate, as the serviceability rate of a soldiers common weapon is dismal, forget about the heavy eqpt like TANKS, BMPs and Arty Guns etc. 
(b), mould the LCA Mk 2 on the lines of Gripen E and acquire the Aerospace Division of SaaB for the “change” left over after operationalising the LCA Mk 2 so as to promote aviation ecology and ancillary units in India. First of all SaaB is a billion $ co with worldwide presence whose annual turnover is ten times that of HAL.So I wonder if it can be bought off with the small change. And then the product Gripen E. Saab has signed a deal on 18 Dec 2013 with Brazil to supply 36 Gripen E for USD 4.5 billion. The first ac will reach Brazil in 2019 and the last in 2023. So there is no way we could persuade them to sell their holdings for the change till 2023. SaaB is yet to integrate the AESA Radar on the Gripen , a must for modern fighters.
 Wonder if the HAL has even thought of this Radar for LCA Mk 2. So could HAL replicate the Gripen Model on LCA Mk 2 is anybody’s take. Regrettably Shukla’s suggestions besides being incoherent smack of utmost ignorance on affairs Air Force, Aerospace and Air Power. If Mr Jaitely, in his wildest nightmares, were to ever implement these, he will do yeomen service to DRDO /HAL by filling their overflowing coffers with another one lakh crore – FOR NOTHING.

Ajai Shukla: Promoting 'swadeshi' in defence | Business Standard Opinion

Ajai Shukla: Promoting 'swadeshi' in defence | Business Standard Opinion

Slugfest India - 2014

A former British prime minister once said: “Public opinion is a compound of folly, weakness, prejudice, wrong feeling, right feeling, obstinacy — and newspaper paragraphs.”

While the politicians of all hues packed all kind of punches in an effort to capitalise this human abberation, a hardened Administrator and an astute campaigner from Gujarat, Narendra Modi, mesmerised the masses with his agenda of development and won the hearts and minds of young India.

As the nation celebrates and gloats over the unprecedented triumph of the NDA/BJP led by NaMo, I too feel vindicated and proud that my prediction was somewhat true. In my last blog posted on 11 May, I had indicated that they would get 308 to 318 seats. That they outwitted me by another 20 is indeed a miracle. One needn't be an astrologer or a psephologist to sense the mood of the nation. It's a piece of cake if you trust the fundamental decency, civility and good sense of the people.

However, the moot question is  what was this election all about?

As the common man understood, it was about development, anti corruption and good governance. But from the day the BJP anointed NaMo, the epitome of all three, as their PM candidate, the Congress and their poodles like Pawar, Mulayam, Lalu and Mayawati changed tack to the oft beaten track of pseudo secularism. All their efforts to demonise NaMo as a divisive figure with the fading brush of Godhra came a cropper.

In addition the Congress had a larger agenda, to promote an undeserving delinquent, Rahul Gandhi, bereft of any ideas or accomplishments, as the future PM of India, forgetting that what counts is the grey matter enriched by education and experience and not by inheritance or entitlement. In the bargain they ruined the unblemished credentials of a saint, Manmohan Singh, and turned the 185 year old Congress into an "anachronistic", "sclerotic" and "myopic" Party whose leaders and spokespersons rattled homilies and spewed venom against NaMo to defend the indefensible. Much that I am tempted to compare the two, NaMo and RaGa, the vacuity displayed by RaGa precludes a sane comparison.

Experience of the last five years proves that UPA 2 was nothing but a fractious and dysfunctional cocktail of corrupt egomaniacs that hung petty thieves (Babus) and retained the greater ones in public office. Their rule weakened the country’s capacity and resolves to cope with complex challenges, so much so that the country has almost disappeared as a serious player in the region and the world.

That’s where NaMo filled the chasm by sticking to his agenda of inclusive development, "sab ka vikas, sab ke sath". On the other hand, most unfortunately yet quite predictably, RaGas needle was stuck on alluding to dysfunctional Rights, the NREGA, MNREGA, RTI, Food Security etc conveniently forgetting that in civil society there is a network of implicit, unwritten rules, which sustain the entire social edifice, which, regrettably disintegrated under the UPA regime.

Well, the results are there for all to see and certainly dispel the myth and gloom spread by the opposition to demonise NaMo as the satan. Devlopment in Gujrat during the last 12 years of his rule certainly gives hope and reinforces Modi's claim of "Achhe din aane waale hain".Though I am not young but for the youth of India I quote these lines from Wordsworth at the start of the French Revolution: “Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive, but to be young was very heaven”.

The Indian Carnival (elections) its Outcome and Post Script

Kudos to NaMo. The BJP under his able leadership and astute campaigning will win 308 to 318 seats.

However, the battle has just begun as they inherit a humongous responsibility to fulfill the aspirations of 1.2 billion Indians and deliver them from ignorance, corruption, oppression, poverty and exploitation. Misgovernance, malfeasance and pseudo secularism of various Congress led / supported governments has denuded the nation of all that was good, and destroyed the national fabric.

It is a recorded fact that all ills of a poor nation afflict India. But what is most alarming and ominous is that today Indians live in a moral vacuum without a national identity. Parochial loyalties and communal fanaticism, encouraged by self serving politicians, are the order of the day. We are all individuals and not the citizens of a cohesive society. 

Perhaps, India was waiting for a leader like NaMo, who will make it relearn the moral values and inculcate in the people a sense of responsibilities that fall on every citizen of a free society.
Therefore, to begin the recovery and reconstruction the first and foremost task for NaMo is to build a national identity, pride in nationhood - Indianness, amongst all citizens. Investment in human resources, not the self consuming MNREGA and NREGA schemes, but meaningful education to enable everyone to be a good responsible citizen to realize their true potential should be the first priority. Easily doable by inculcating a sense of pride in the "Teacher" and minor tinkering with the current curriculum in School and Colleges where every child is taught to tell the truth, to stand erect and never to stoop, to stand in line and never to push or pull, to share, to read with care, to give thanks, to hold hands, to smile and to respect their Teachers and senior citizens. A sure recipe to create bonhomie, pride, sense of belonging and self discipline, the essential prerequisites for growth.

The second critical issue, which has been conveniently ignored in the recent past, is population control. A must for India, the second most populous country with millions impoverished, condemned to living in penury and deprivation. Our numbers overwhelm every system and utility and the burgeoning population severely dilutes any economic growth. Though any such proposal will face serious objections from vested groups, it is an inescapable need of the hour. 

Regrettably, everything related to nation building especially noble human endeavour has taken a huge tumble in the last decade. We are well aware of the endless list of maladies that face us and need no repitition.

Many, especially the opposition who fail to see their own inadequacies see the rise of NaMo as ominous and Orwellian. My view, he has the ability to impart confidence, inspire and push people to do things they hadn't thought possible. I am sanguine that through his prudence, foresight, fortitude, temperance, sense of justice and high octane passion for perfection he will provide good governance to steer the nation to glory.

Contrasting Contradictions and Convictions

Last Saturday, watching  Rahul Gandhi’s interview on Headlines today at 2100 hrs and thereafter the QA session of Narinder Modi in Aap Ki Adalat at 2200 hrs I was reminded of the  Husband’s Night, the once an year party hosted by the ladies for all members of the Officers Mess of an Air Force Stn in the Indian Air Force. The interview with RaGa was like the much hyped “Punch,” a trumped up concoction of various soft drinks and juices, at times lined with some whisky/rum/brandy/vodka, served as a welcome drink. Since ladies generally refrain from drinking alcohol, the untested concoction despite the hype and a magnanimous helping turns out to be an avoidable insipid cocktail.

Once in the party, one is free to have a drink of his choice, in abundant measure to one’s satisfaction. And that’s what happened at 2200 hrs when I started watching the Aap ki Adalat with NaMo.It  was like what I enjoy the most, a “single malt”, nice, crisp and heady served with abundance of ice to cool the frayed nerves and sinews after the ”Punch”.

RaGa, although he acquitted himself far better than what he did with Arnab, seems to be wedded to the eighth deadly sin, a soch, a vichar, as he refers to the Congress’s ideology for now and forever. In his not so illustrious political career he seems to have mastered the art of dealing in ambiguity by paying pious lip service to various “Rights” that he repeatedly alludes to in all his interactions. He was heavy on rhetoric and light on analysis, long on emotions and short on reason. That there was no mention about numerable issues that plague the nation like, eradication of corruption, population control, unemployment, poverty alleviation, lack of infrastructure, healthcare, education etc, reflected the well scripted and duly edited questions that were put forth..

On the other hand, Modi who possess a different level of national consciousness, than any congressman, was able to connect well and handle every question and retort from the Anchor and the public with the flourish of a magician. It is his grasp over the essentials, culled from the experience of Gujarat, that enable him to express himself with clear conciseness and lucidity. He reflects a creative mind with high octane passion for perfection.

Comparing the two would be nothing short of sacrilege. I therefore leave it to the judgment of millions who watched both the programmes. But one thing is certain, Congress will have many years, after 16 May, to mull over their follies and misdeeds,the most outstanding being the culture of subservience and sycophancy that compelled them to project an unworthy delinquent against a statesman.

Moral Decadence, Congress sinking faster than the Titanic

Celebration time for India as it’s for the first time that the country is voting with its head and conscience to elect a workable Govt. Major Upheaval in voting pattern, driven by ruffled sentiments, was seen on two earlier occasions. Once after the emergency in 1977 and later due to the sympathy wave generated by the assassination of Indira Gandhi in 1984. Willy nilly the Congress was in the eye of the storm on both occasions. This time again the Congress is responsible for generating a tsunami of people’s anger due to its malfeasance, malgovernance, stupefying misinterpretation of reality, partisan delusion and apathy for the common man.  The self inflicted injury has generated the” Modi wave”, which has galvanized the youth and the educated to get over their stupor and use their right to vote for a workable Govt led by someone  who will be firm, live by his word and honest deeds. Development, accountability and all else that comes with good governance will follow.

  I really wonder where to start with the sorry state in which the Congress leaves the nation. Suffice to sum up that it was Opera bouffe, of the tainted UPA 2, led by the Congress steeped from head to toe in the self generated swirling currents of rampant corruption. Blatantly they unleashed unviable and unworkable Schemes like MNREGA, NREGA, JNNURM, and Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana etc that debilitated the nation by squandering billions and denuded the exchequer engendering Mass unemployment, abject poverty, lack of education, health care and basic infrastructure. Over 700 million people live an impoverished life in this country.  

 Unfortunately for the 1.3 billion Indians their Govt, as revealed by Sanjaya Baru, was led by a stooge, mercilessly driven by the Machiavellian manoeuvering of a wily lady chasing the chimera of a single point agenda to elevate the heir apparent to his rightful position. The consequences to by borne by hapless billions who placed their faith in this group of baboons, the Congress.

Despite the Herculean efforts made by Diggy and his acolytes to hide RaGa under the veneer of a Vice President of the party, his ineptness, naivety, incompetence and disconnect from reality are so vivid that even a blind can sense them from miles. So why is the entire Party treating him with a deference that borders on obsequiousness? What happened to the scores of intellectuals and highly experienced politicians like Shashi Tharoor, Mani Shankar Iyer, Jairam Ramesh and Abhishek M Singhvi? Why were they hesitant to call a spade a spade (a dud, an underachiever an underwhelming over pampered and ignorant brat) and allowed the anchorless ship drift towards obscurity.  All that one heard, 24/7, from the likes of Jayanti Natrajan, Renuka Choudhary, Oza (empowered group of women; the favourite tag line of RaGa) was “Rahul Jeeeeee” has great ideas, is very hardworking etc etc.

Writing is clear on the wall .There is no place, in the Congress, for leaders with a foresight, vision and integrity. They belong to a distant past. It is proposed to be a one man show irrespective whether the ship sails or sinks. Given the outstanding antecedents of the Shehzada, the Congress has already hit the depths of despair? Post elections it will achieve obscurity much faster than the Titanic did in 1912.

Congress’s Modi Obsession and Brainless Rhetoric.

  Two epoch making events are unfolding simultaneously on two different ends of the globe.  The days of unchallenged Pax Americana and its role as the self appointed monitor of the world are getting numbered after Putin’s occupation of Crimea. His move  without fear of any reprisal has not only become a nemesis for the American hubris but also elevated Putin to the level of a President who must be taken seriously because he does not mince his words nor does he shy away from taking an objective action that favours his country, no matter what the cost.

At the other end a third grade drama, a watershed event is unfolding in the most populous third world country; elections in India. At times it seems like Halloween, the way most political parties are playing the tricks or treat game with impunity, by blending credibility with ambiguity, in an attempt to woo the gullible voters.

In this entire milieu the most outstanding feature is the way Namo mania or Namophobia has struck the Congress. Modi as per them is the embodiment of all evil and Congress”the centre of all virtue.” The impatience displayed by Diggy at the mere mention of Namo revealed the Congress’s obsession with Modi. Interestingly, their silky tongues can no longer mask their desperation or their apoplectic rage in spewing uninterrupted vitriol against Modi; he's a brute, an insensitive megalomaniac, a Hitler who will break the country etc, all the familiar demonization for anyone who not only doesn't kiss Congress’s derriere but actually has a few suggestions on what the Congress can do with itself and its policies.

Congress is in a piquant situation, the more they know their rhetoric won’t work more desperate they get. The anti Modi arrows left in Congress’s quiver are getting smaller, rarer and more amusing all the time.  After failing to capitalize on the purported humiliation meted out by the BJP to a sulking Advani, a teary eyed Jaswant Singh or a saddened Sushma Swaraj they let loose their cohorts/poodles like Sharad Pawar, Mulayam, Lalu and Mayawati to denigrate and sneer at Modi. Cool as a cucumber, Modi tosses the rhetoric right back, reminding the Congress and its allies about the pathetic fig leaf of secularism used by them to cloak their two-faced nudity.

Congress’s glee at BJPs fatal error to choose Modi as the Prime ministerial candidate was their biggest mistake. Their vain attempt to conjure up a specter of apocalypse if Modi comes to power seems to be back firing. To their chagrin, Modi with his measured articulation and a deep sense of commitment absolutely delights the masses who had become depressingly accustomed to inaction, policy paralysis (inconsistent and incoherent policies), rampant corruption and nepotism.  One cannot help but deplore the Congress’s hemming-and-hawing about MNREGA, NREGA, RTE, and RTI etc etc.

 In the end, as the opinion polls indicate, Modi will prevail and the UPA will fret and fume and apply its hypocritical double standards while warning about threat to secularism.