Bipartisanship politics

During the Vajpayee rule in 1996, I asked my thatha (grand father) and appa (Dad) over our reading of Hindu Newspaper with filter coffee that whether Manmohan Singh would become the finance minister of this Vajpayee government ? My question was straight forward that able men should be given the plum portfolios cutting acorss the party lines. My family taught me that bipartisanship has got no room in politics and governance. In 2009, US President Barack Obama nominated Judd Gregg, a Republican party Senator, as his commerce secretary. Barack Obama, true to his electoral promises displayed the rare sense of bipartisanship among politicans by nominating Republican candidate for a critical portfolio amidst the economic crisis. However, Gregg withdrew his name from the nomination. The reason for his withdrawal are cited as removal of United States Census from commerce department and his voting preferences for stimulus package. Whatever it may be, atleast I am happy to read  and witness a political scene where bipartisanship was momentarily displayed over governance.

Roger Federer - A Man in the Arena

I wanted to write this blog for almost a year and was intentionally procrastinating until Roger Federer equals Pete Sampras record or defeat Rafael Nadal or covete Roland Garros. People who know me realize well that I am a big fan of Roger Federer. I do not miss any of his tennis matches. Every day I check on Google news whether are there any news articles about him. Daily I visit his website RogerFederer.com to see any of his latest announcements. All said, why am I writting this blog on Roger Federer? His frequent losses to Nadal and Murray, and his slippage on ATP rankings by one position have earned him headlines on the tennis world as a fading champion. I just want to remind all, the speech of Teddy Roosevelt at Sorbonne, Paris that

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

Had I been a politican from Tamil Nadu ?

Our Tamilnadu politicans are just capable of kindling emotions but fail to champion for a greater cause. They are interested in arranging bandhs, damaging public properties, making inflammatory speeches, conduct public meetings and rallies, self immolation etc and thus eventually causing public nuisance and irritation. Had I been a politican who emotes with innocent tamilian killings in Sri Lanka, I would collect funds, food and medicine and donate to Sri Lanka either through NGO's or through Indian government. I would personally visit Sri Lankan ministers and champion for the cause that I believe in. I would try to bring the attention of United Nations or United States (misnomer) and direct their attention to this genocide. Lastly, I would not get hospitalized and would not allow the issue to boil until I could get a political mileage.

1 USD = 51.12 INR

Today, when I was checking the Indian currency against US Dollar, it reads 51.12 Rs against 1 US Dollar. In India, economists and politicians are telling that India is well positioned for the economic crisis where as in USA right from Barack Obama to Joe, the plumber everyone is agreeing that Dollar is weakening. How come the US Dollar is appreciating only against the Indian Currency ? Do you know that all software exporters like TCS, Infosys, Wipro etc have major US clients and their revenues are directly dependent on stronger dollar against weaker rupee ? Make Hay while sun shines and our software exporters are enjoying as the sun shines.