India saved from Disha Ravi
Not Pakistan. Not China. Not even Nehru. India's greatest security threat is Disha Ravi, a 22 year old student ravaging the world with her environmentalism and veganism. Read more [...]
Category Archives: Did you know?
Let’s celebrate AAP’s criminal MLAs!
AAP's recent electoral victory in Delhi was seen as a win for democracy. The Ballot beat the Bullet. Secularism beat Fascism. Development beat Divisiveness etc. etc. But AAP's electoral victory was also validation for another critical component of our democracy - backing of winnable candidates by political parties(often those with pending criminal cases), at any cost.
Arvind Kejriwal is the Delhi Chief Minister and National Convener/ Master and Read more [...]
Worst MPs of the outgoing Lok Sabha
Our parliament is made up of 543+ MPs who directly represent us and influence laws that rule our lives. Yet, during Lok Sabha elections, we stay obsessed with national political leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi. The reality is that there is no single political leader who can magically transform the country. If we keep electing MPs and MLAs who are incompetent and corrupt, the system will stay broken. So before you vote for your favourite Read more [...]
Nirav Modi Scam – How much money is Rs. 11,380 crore?
The top 1% of India's population own nearly 60% of the country's total wealth. And our financial systems seem to have been fine-tuned to function best for this economic elite. If an extremely poor villager wants to buy a goat worth Rs 5,000, micro-finance institutes would happily charge interest rates of over 30%. Meanwhile it seems to have become a trend for our ultra rich to dupe public financial institutions of massive amounts of money and then Read more [...]
Kejriwal’s Debacle – we were warned at the very start
Kejriwal’s media-fed frenzied ‘movement’ inspired many to join the AAP. But even in the party’s early days, some key personnel chose to break-up with the party within months. And as they left, everyone said the same thing - there is no democracy in Kejriwal's party and little difference in the way AAP functions when compared to other (so called 'corrupt') parties.
Hasya Kavi Kumar Vishwas is not a happy man these days. Though his smile Read more [...]
These Indians are still “celebrating” Demonetisation
All stories showcased below are thanks to People's Archive of Rural India (PARI). You can visit this page to read PARI's coverage of demonetisation to learn how India's most marginalized have been affected by it over the past year.
On Nov 8th 2016, the government decided to casually demonetise 86% of the country's banknotes in circulation. In terms of an operating strategy, the government very prudently decided to have none. They allowed Read more [...]
Assaulted, Abducted or Raped a Woman? Please be my MLA.
India has always been a world leader at electing those with pending criminal cases. Our political parties have forever provided us with a steady pipeline of criminally tainted candidates . And as electors, we always deliver by continuing to elect legislators who are accused of every crime under the sun from petty thefts to kidnappings and murders. We currently have the most criminalized Lok Sabha in history. #AccheDin.
All data is courtesy Association Read more [...]
Quiz: How well do you know the ‘other’ India?
India is poised to be an economic super-power (at least that's what we've been told) and is expected to become the third largest economy by 2030. For decades, we have been obsessed with GDP and economic growth. What we don't seem to track and measure as diligently, is basic human development. How does India perform at indicators that look at stuff like access to healthcare, education, nutrition etc? Most of us in urban bubbles couldn't care less Read more [...]
A crash course in India’s Farmer Crisis
Jan 2021: India's farming crisis has been on for decades and what we are seeing right now is just the tipping point of systemic issues that have existed forever. It is completely reasonable to hold the government of the day accountable irrespective of which political party is in power. Here's a post from 2017 explaining the various components of this crisis.
India's leading rural journalist (and unfortunately one of our only ones), P. Sainath, recently Read more [...]
The ‘Criminal’ Quota in Indian Politics
Issues related to the criminalization of Indian politics are well known. Political parties are obsessed with winning elections, and have always provided tickets to candidates who are most likely to win - irrespective of a candidate's ability to be a competent legislator.
All data is courtesy Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).
To better understand the magnitude of this problem, we looked at what our nationally recognized political parties Read more [...]
New Rules for New India (making Hindutva great again!)
Bharat Mata ki Jai!
Bharat Mata has long been plagued with religious and cultural diversity. From Trump in the West to Kim-Jong in the East, we are faced with increasing global competition to create fundamentalist societies. Thankfully, we have been able to come up with our very own #MakeInIndia solution to keep abreast with the times. Our government's Hindutva governance is based on thousands of years of research and provides a unique solution Read more [...]
Lok Sabha Honours List 2017 – Our most useless MPs
We know that our MPs hate attending parliament and being productive - but some are worse than others. There is an official record maintained of the activity of all MPs in parliament including attendance, questions raised and debates participated in. It's been three years since we elected our Lok Sabha. We look at some of our most illustrious parliamentarians who are least bothered to show up or participate in the Lok Sabha.
PRS Legislative Research, Read more [...]
Why are we passing bills to make corruption easier for political parties?
Lack of financial transparency in the political system has always been one of our key challenges as a democracy. Recently, the government passed a bill in the Lok Sabha that will potentially lead to an increase in anonymous corporate donations to political parties as well as remove previous limits on how much corporations can donate to political parties. Here's a look at some of the key factors in play.
Status Quo
Currently, political parties Read more [...]
Would you hire someone with this Resume? (He is now UP’s Chief Minister!)
BJP - the party with a difference, has given us another gem. Yogi Adityanath will be the next Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. Yogi Adityanath will act as an inspiration for millions of UPites over the next five years as he brings a much needed regressive and narrow minded approach to governance. Here is his incredible resume which touches upon his impressive body of work:
Ajay Singh Bisht (aka Yogi Adityanath)
361,Old Gorakhpur,Shri Gorakhnath Read more [...]
The absurdity of Mayawati & Kejriwal’s EVM claims
Two of our most prolific leaders from recent times, Behenji Mayawati and Arvind Kejriwal, have decided to have grave concerns regarding the electoral system - one that has allowed them to be Chief Ministers, a combined six times.
In a BSP letter to the Election Commission of India (ECI) on March 11th 2017, National General Secretary Satish Chandra Mishra provided reasons for his parties skepticism about Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Most of Read more [...]
Political Parties vs RTI
When politicians across party lines join forces, it is usually against our best interests. Here’s how our nationally recognized political parties have tried their utmost to stay out of the ambit of the RTI act.
Copyright secured by Digiprove
Arvind Kejriwal: An Insignificant Man
For a two-year period, cameras followed Arvind Kejriwal and his team to create An Insignificant Man, a documentary that chronicles the rise of Aam Aadmi Party to its present day leadership in Delhi. The documentary premiered on September 11th, 2016 to a packed house at the ongoing Toronto International Film Festival.
The film-makers have done a commendable job in documenting the personalities of some of AAP's key founders, specifically Arvind Kejriwal, Read more [...]
Zakir Naik: फटा पोस्टर निकला Zero
ज़ाकिर जी की आजकल न्यूज़ में काफी चर्चा है। इस इंसान ने, अपना नाम यूट्यूब और टेलीविज़न द्वारा बिना सर पैर की बकवास कर कर के बनाया है। हमारे देश में, रट्टा मारने वालो की कोई कम्मी नहीं Read more [...]
India’s Infant Mortality Rates are worse than Uganda, Bangladesh, Iraq….
At 7.3% GDP growth, India is set to be 2016's fastest growing large economy. However, as of today, a child born in Bangladesh, has a better chance of living then one born in India. India has far surpassed Bangladesh when it comes to economic indicators, but many of our social indicators continue to be inferior to those of Bangladesh. And you can add the likes of Uganda, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Suriname, North Korea, Algeria, Bhutan, Nepal, Namibia and Read more [...]
7 stats on the 2014 Lok Sabha elections that will blow your mind into many pieces
Here are some heartwarming stats from last year's mega elections that may restore your faith in humanity and/or blow your mind.
1) 73% of voters in Vadodra or 8.45 lakh people voted for Narendra Modi
It’s no surprise that some of the most impressive victories in the election were seen in the state of Gujarat by BJP candidates. Narendra Modi’s victory in Vadodara was arguably the most comprehensive one across India. Modi and C.R. Patil Read more [...]
Who is India Searching for on Google ? (द्वितीय)
Last year, we did an analysis to compare which politicians are searched for the most on Google by Indians. To put it into context, we added the names of a cricketer and a Bollywood to see what happens to the results. Sunny Leone, the Bollywood starlet was the undisputed winner. The last 12 months have been extremely dynamic in Indian politics, so we thought we should repeat the process. The Google Trend analyzer is more sophisticated now and combines Read more [...]
Aam Aadmi to the rescue, or maybe not
It's the season of political rhetoric. Indian politics, is known for candidates making tall claims and promises during campaigning followed by non-action. The Congress and BJP have mastered this and much of the electorate, for justified reasons, has given up on these two parties following through on any of their promises.
But this time we have Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party. An alternative view of politics. A party of the common man - the Read more [...]
Keeping Religious Stupidity in Check – Section 377 and beyond
There has to be something seriously wrong when leaders from every major religion in India come together and agree on something. This is precisely what happened with Section 377 in December. Championed by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and supported by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Utkal Christian Council and Apostolic Churches Alliance, some of India’s most prominent religious bodies decided to launch into a battle against sexual pleasure. Read more [...]
State Scan 2014 – Dying Children and Economic Prosperity
This year is beginning with multiple new state governments all promising better 'governance'. This post attempts to analyze a couple of key criteria which can be viewed as outcomes of good governance.
Here are the two criteria:
1) State GDP per capita - The market value of all officially recognized goods and services produced within each state per person in that state. This has been used as a benchmark of economic development in a state.
2) Read more [...]
Why should we accept ‘criminal’ Kejriwal?
Over the last two years, Arvind Kejriwal has been on a crusade to bring about societal reforms. Throughout this period, Kejriwal has consistently expressed his disdain towards parliamentarians who have pending criminal cases against them. On many occasions in the recent past, Kejriwal and his coterie often harped on the presence of criminals in parliament in order to demonstrate the magnitude of political rot being faced by the country. For instance, Read more [...]
A Baby born in Bangladesh is more likely to survive than one born in India!
The reputation of Bangladesh is not the strongest in India. Despite our own issues, most Indians associate Bangladesh with various negative images ranging from extreme poverty and a never ending stream of refugees to a test cricket team that is a joke.
There is no question that by most economic parameters, India has outshone Bangladesh with ease. For instance, in terms of GDP per capita (market value of all officially recognized goods and services Read more [...]
3 Government Projects to be proud of
Most media stories about politics and governance in the country these days come with predictions of doom and gloom. However, across the country, there are many politicians and bureaucrats who are diligently working towards improvement of public services. This year, three Indian projects received U.N. Public Service Awards. These awards recognize projects that fight poverty and promote sustainable development. Evaluation criteria for the awards include Read more [...]
BJP vs Congress – Distribution of tickets to Muslims
The BJP compromises on needs of the Indian Muslim in order to come to power. The Congress is looking to appease minorities at any cost as long as it stays in power. Such statements have become common occurrences specially after the elevation of the status of Narendra Modi within the BJP. Almost any debate in the country these days seems to be linked back to religion and our two leading political parties. One factor in assessing the attitude of BJP Read more [...]
Who is India Searching for on Google ?
The country is going through a phase where the internet is fast becoming an integral part of political discourse. Here's a comparative analysis of some of the politicians whom we have searched for on Google over the last one year.
'Google Search Trends' allows anyone to analyze search terms entered by internet users of a country over a specific time period. Here are some of the country's top netas that have been analyzed:
Of the lot, Read more [...]
What do we mean by Empowerment of Women?
A great deal has been said over the last few months about the pathetic status of women in India. A study done last year showed that India is the worst country to be a woman in among G20 nations. How can we empower women in the country? People seem to have very different versions about what we truly need to do.
Here's a hypothetical situation. Say we are in 2030. According to you, which of the following would be representative of an empowered Indian Read more [...]
Why do we elect rape-accused to parliament?
Jaya Bachchan, a Rajya Sabha MP from the Samajwadi Party had an emotional breakdown earlier this week as she was shaken and shattered by the gruesome Delhi rape incident. Her teary-eyed speech in the Rajya Sabha and passionate statements thereafter got extensive media coverage.
However, Bachchan’s Samajwadi Party currently leads the country in having MLAs who are accused of rape. Perhaps Mrs. Bachchan could start by reforming her own party by Read more [...]
Why should there be Women in Political Parties ???
It’s no secret that women are under-represented in Indian politics. However strategically speaking does it make sense for political parties to back female politicians? The answer to that question is a resounding YES, and not because it’s the ‘’right’’ thing to do.
REASON 1: WOMEN ACTUALLY HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF WINNING!
In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections only 161 females received tickets from major* political parties. However, 36% of Read more [...]
Political Parties – Who is the Richest?
How much money do political parties in India receive in one year? Here’s a look at the amounts collected by India’s political parties as ‘contributions’ in the year right after the last Lok Sabha election in 2009.
Under sections 29B and 29C of the Representation of the People Act political parties are entitled to accept monetary contributions. These contributions are exempted from tax under section 13A of Income Tax Act. Details of these Read more [...]
The Impotent Rapist
"My husband is a patient of sugar and blood pressure for the last 18 years and his left kidney is also not working. With existing physical condition he cannot rape and being his wife I can say this with certainty.” This is what Asha, the wife of BSP MLA Purushottam Naresh Dwivedi told the media in January this year.
Naresh Dwivedi - Too Impotent to Rape
In November 2010, Neelu (name given by media) was abducted and allegedly sold in a village Read more [...]
Heads, I win. Tails, You Lose – Victory margins of Indian MLAs
Five states went to poll earlier this year. Elections were conducted in a total of 823 assembly constituencies across Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu & West Bengal. 364 out of 823 MLAs (i.e. 44%) had more people voting against them than for them. Despite this they won due to the nature of our electoral setup.
Here is a break-up of MLAs sworn in earlier this year:
The above graph shows a split of MLAs between those who managed Read more [...]
Anna & Friends – Fast Facts
India is in the midst of its ‘second freedom struggle’. Time has come for us to liberate ourselves from this evil power forcefully ruling over us innocent, law abiding, disciplined, incorruptible citizens. Wah Sarkar here lists a bunch of facts related to various aspects & the main protagonists of this ‘second freedom struggle’.
No conclusions are drawn from the facts stated below. The interpretation of these facts is completely open Read more [...]
Mumbai’s Maladies – What ails the Police Force?
Mumbai's security & police force are maligned after every dastardly terror attack that the city faces. But is the police force truly as wretched as it is made out to be? Here we look at some of the issues faced by the police force.
1. Missing Policemen
Mumbai's population exceeds 1.2 crores. It goes without saying that a fairly large police contingent is needed for such a large population. Often, estimates pertaining to the size of Read more [...]
Humara Neta… Abu Salem
Last week saw the death of the world's most dreaded terrorist, Osama bin Laden. But do you know what happened when one of India's most wanted, Abu Salem, was arrested and put behind bars in 2006? He wanted to contest assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh and amazingly there was no law in the country to stop him from doing so.
Sitting in jail in 2006, Abu Salem was accused in the 1993 Bombay blasts, the murder of Gulshan Kumar and in an Read more [...]
The Forgotten Wikileaks
Most of the Wikileaks released by The Hindu focussed on Swiss Bank accounts and the Confidence Motion. However there was a very interesting leak* highlighting the latest innovations by Indian netas in bribing voters. Wah Sarkar presents to you 3 of our MPs along with their state of the art bribing techniques.
1. The Newspaper Briber
M.K.Azhagiri (DMK) - MP from Madurai, Tamil Nadu ; Total Assets: 19 crores+ ;Union Minister for Chemicals Read more [...]
The Art of Hunger Strikes
The nation is rejoicing as Anna’s farce fast unto ‘death’ crusade ends. We decided to compare this with another hunger strike being kept by Irom Chanu Sharmila. A fast which has lasted for more than 10 years...
Why is she fasting?
Sharmila is protesting against the Armed Forces – Special Powers Act (AFSPA) which confers special powers to the Army in states in North East India. This allows the army to effectively search any premise Read more [...]
