I had to close registration for comments because of spammers. There’s a generic comment login: lurker and the password is lurking. I hope if you use it, do sign off with a real name or with a persistent pseudonym, please. Otherwise it is hard for others to refer to you in their comments.
If you wish to have a real user login for comments, email me atanudey at gmail and let me know what user name you wish to have.
Wish you a fun weekend but don’t be like the guy on the right.
I think it is high time the government of India took some action. This whole thing is becoming regular enough that its normality should be acknowledged by having a ministry in the government which would frame proper regulation and oversee the industry. I propose that they frame the right tax codes. People would like to know what the tax rate is for income arising from rewards earned from murdering people?
Continue reading “Let’s regularize this, shall we?”
In a piece I had written for the Indian Express (see “How we subsidize the rich“, Feb 15, 2008), I had advanced a tentative solution to the problem of how fuel subsidies benefit those rich enough to afford cars at the expense of the poor. Here I will address a few objections raised against the idea.
Continue reading “Fuel Surcharge for Private Cars”
I don’t know who Swami Ramdev is. I have not seen him, read him, or heard him. My knowledge of who he is is limited to what I read about him in this Rediff article, “Swami Ramdev attacks the political system“, which says that he is “the iconic yoga guru with a phenomenal mass fallowing (sic).”
Evidently he is widely regarded as a spiritual guru. But however spiritual his claim to fame may be, I can’t help but wonder how can an adult who is clearly able to function normally be so mistaken about the nature of the world as to actually hold the positions that the article claims he does. Does spirituality or whatever it is that is his main calling so shield him from the everyday material world that he is totally and completely disconnected from reality?
Continue reading “Swami Ramdev’s Peculiar Beliefs”
The NY Times of 30th May reports (“Power and Tenacity Collide in Singapore Courtroom” — Thanks, Naman) on the clash between two personalities — one powerful and famous, the other powerless — in a Singapore courtroom. Former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, 84, met his political adversary Chee Soon Juan, 45, in court where the former is suing the latter for libel. In a newsletter published in 2006, Mr Chee had accused the Singapore government of corruption. Mr Lee takes charges of corruption seriously and refused to let Mr Chee’s accusation go unchallenged.
I suppose the court would figure out if Mr Chee’s charge is true or not. If the charge is false, I would be much relieved because I would hate to find out that the man I have very high regard for — Mr Lee Kuan Yew — has feet of clay.
Continue reading “Mr Lee and Mr Chee agreed to have a fight”
I have argued in the past that India is poor by choice — not by necessity, nor by a heavenly compulsion, or a divine thrusting upon, or an enforced obedience of planetary influences [1].
“Of course, that does not mean that every poor Indian has chosen to be poor. Someone else in a position of power made choices whose consequences are evident. India’s leaders – past and present – have consistently made choices that have had, and are having, a disastrous effect on the lives of hundreds of millions of human beings.” [From a post made in June five years ago.]
Continue reading “The Price of Oil and the Wages of Stupidity”
According to a report in today’s Rediff on Karnataka’s new government, many of the members of the legislative assembly (or MLAs, those who make the laws of the state) are criminals. The report leads off with details of what the personal wealth of some of the MLAs are but later, almost as an afterthought, mentions that many have criminal charges pending against them:
Continue reading “Criminal Lawmakers?”
Regulars know that I am obsessed with solar power, rail transportation, and urbanization. Reserve your copy of the book today! 🙂
I had a chat with Daniel Altman the other day at my office and his blog at the International Herald Tribune has this entry today:
Continue reading “Industrialization and Urbanization in India”
Daniel Altman begins his column in the International Herald Tribune (June 3rd, 2008) “India seeks it owns path as a manufacturing powerhouse” with:
For a few years now, a facile dichotomy has made the rounds in economic circles: Among developing countries, China means manufacturing and India means services. Yet several leaders of the public and private sector in India see the country’s road to riches leading through manufacturing as well.
Did you know that this blog features prominently in search results on Sri (repeat n time) Ravi Shankar? Without intending to, I have stumbled upon a subject that simultaneously delights and enlightens. Aside from the usual hate mail, I quite frequently get mail from people who want to share their experience of the Art of Living and their opinion on SSRS. I will share two recent one’s with you.
Continue reading “Two letters related to Sri^2 Ravi Shankar”
Atanu Dey : Life is a Random Draw 