Kirron Kher took criticism sportingly; emerged as the winner in Chandigarh

When Kirron Kher first started her campaign in Chandigarh, her rival former Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal was optimistic for a win.

But as the days rolled by, the Modi undercurrent took center stage and in the final reckoning, Kiran romped home with a victory margin of over 40,000 votes.

Kher was criticized on all fronts, even by her own party men who did not want her as the BJP candidate for the second time. But she remained unfazed by the opposition's attempts to pin her down. To top that she actually took it in a positive way.

For example, an in-depth story on Kher's hits and misses in the Bangalore-based community news portal Citizen Matters in fact spurred her to remove the shortcomings in her campaign. The write up by Raj Machhan was an unbiased and objective analysis of the election scene in Chandigarh.

Titled In Chandigarh, sitting MP Kirron Kher's hits and misses under close scrutiny, the Opinion piece made a mention of her weak points.  But to her credit Kher actually set about trying to fill the gaps mentioned.

Now that sure is the mark of good leader. 

CCTV recording: This is how Sri Lanka bomber blew up an entire gathering

Children of a Lesser God?

Last week, I happened to visit Asha Kiran, a Home for rehabilitation of destitute and differently-abled children. Located in sector 46, Chandigarh, Asha Kiran is a government institution and like much else that has the prefix Govt attached to its name, this institution too is falling victim to official apathy just within one year of its inauguration.




Living quarters
I

I dont have many words to express what I felt, and how I feel about it now. Words, I guess, are inadequate in this case. Sadly, I am not a good photographer and I was in no mood to capture any images. But whatever photographs I could manage with my mobile phone, are given below:

Kids in their common room

Mobile VAS: The Growth Agenda: Watch Out for the Mother of All Auctions: 3G Licenses Set for New Revenue High

Mobile VAS: The Growth Agenda: Watch Out for the Mother of All Auctions: 3G Licenses Set for New Revenue High

Of Friends and Politics

Last weekend I caught up with Mayank (name changed), an old friend whom I was meeting after two years. Mayank was my junior at school. At the institution where we went through our paces, the juniors were kinda' non-existent - treated as invisible for all practical purposes except for when it came to getting something done out of the way. I remember, when I left school, with bag, baggage, and trunk in tow after my fifth form examinations, it was with mixed feelings. I was sad because I was leaving a place where I had spent some of the best years of life. I was excited 'coz now was the time to do things that one had heard of but never got the opportunity, or the courage to indulge. The first few months passed by in a whirl. The state of aimless wandering, however, could not have lasted long. There wasn't much joy in doing things without your usual group of friends. The familiar faces, with whom you had spent the major part of your life till that moment, are no longer around you. Instead you end up with real people in the real world, people who come from different backgrounds and environments and who unlike you have their priorities absolutely right. Anyways, that is another story to be told some other time.

A few years after leaving school I met Mayank in a different setting. He had passed his tenth and was pursuing a college degree. I was happy to see him. Because by this time, most of my classmates had dispersed and meeting up anybody from school, whether senior or junior, a bully or a siss, was special. 'Coz here was an individual, with whom you could identify, who would laugh at your old jokes 'coz he understood the context, apart from the fact that the person was a living example of 'people like us', a self-confessed tribe of superior people! When we met, Mayank still retained the school tradition of showing respect to your seniors (with hands behind the back) and was pretty cool about it. Years passed by and we were often out of touch for long durations of time.

And then I met him in Chandigarh last Friday evening. Mayank's father is a senior Cabinet minister in the BJP Government in Himachal Pradesh. So I expected a changed person - you know the kind with changed airs, a posse of security guards, and vision clouded by an air of self-importance. Mayank, however, appeared pretty cool about it - in fact I did not find any difference at all. He had got married and was working with a global bank at New Delhi. We did a bit of clubbing, guzzled beer, talked about school, laughed a lot, and generally roamed around with no specific agenda. He was very particular about his driving, seat belt pulled in place, taking care not to jump traffic lights even by mistake. I asked him, what did he plan to do next? He responded that he was on his way out from the corporate sector. He would be moving back to his village within the next three months and start working on a project aimed at social uplift. He wanted to join politics but only after enough experience under his belt. But did he fit in, a straight - talking, guileless fellow? Why not, he said. I could not help but feel amused when he said that politics needed people like him. We were standing in a busy market, simply marking time.And as we were about to leave, a posse of cars, sirens blaring, flashing beacons screaming for attention, made a stop right in front of us, in a No Parking zone. Out stepped a young guy still in his teens, surrounded by five guards. Carrying a look of invincibility, he stepped on the pavement and gave a mouthful to a shop owner for not sending the right DVD to his house. I looked at the guy and I looked at Mayank. Sure, the society would be a better place with guys like him in politics.

I could not say it then, but I wud like to say it know: Mayank, buddy, carry on and do your best. You would be doing a favor to the others around you. Politics does need people like you.

'The Raja' Gets a Throne: Finally!

The inclusion of Himachal Pradesh strongman,Virbhadra Singh, in the Union Cabinet has come as a shot in the arm for the poilitically insignificant hill state of Himachal Pradesh. That Singh deserved to be in the Cabinet was beyond doubt, but his inclusion seemed uncertain in the shadow of perceptions about his political leanings within the Congress. In the faction-riven Himachal Congress, Singh was talked about as the one belonging to the 'anti' camp. The relationship co-ordinates, of course, are in context of one's standing with respect to 'Madam'Sonia Gandhi. Virbhadra, however, had always rubbished such talk as 'concoctions of twisted minds'.

Personally, I have had the chance to observe Virbhadra's political journey over the last 15 years from upclose, first as an Executive with the CII and later as a journalist. Singh comes across as an intelligent individual, with a good grasp of the Indian reality. He has a sharp memory and prefers to stay informed about the latest in a variety of fields.

While posted as the CII Shimla Office Head, in-charge of Himachal Pradesh,I found that Singh was open to new ideas, and once convinced of the merits of a case, would go all out to see that the idea turned into a reality. It was during his this term that CII got the one-time go ahead to organize its first Shimla Trade Expo - right on the Ridge! To this day, it remains the most prestigious venue ever for any CII event across the country.

Virbhadra is open and accessible (especially when out of power). I remember the varied discussions, on lazy summer afternoons in the lawns of his Jakhoo house in Shimla, when the Congress party was in opposition in the state the last time. I was working as the State Correspondent for The Financial Express at that time. Despite the designation I was a rookie in terms of experience and Singh was the perfect resource for any thing and everything about Himachal Pradesh. I was amazed by the extent of his knowledge of the micro aspects of almost every part of the state.

The fact that he is the only Congress candidate to win a seat in the 2009 Parliamentary elections, speaks volumes about his mass base in Himachal Pradesh. The state has a history of voting with the ruling party in the Parliamentary elections (with BJP in power in HP, the party was tipped to win all four seats as has been the trend in the past). Of course, Singh has been charged of wrong -doings by the opposition and some of the individuals of his own party, but none of the charges have stuck. Singh has his weaknesses, and has been in the midst of controversy on more than one occassions. People say he is arrogant at times, and relies too much on the advise offered by his loyalists, without looking into the merits of the issue. His supporters, however, say that none of his shortcomings are of the kind that would make people reject him outrightly. This, perhaps, has been one of the major factors behind his dominance of the Himachal Pradesh politics over the past 25 years.Virbhadra is an Old Cottonian (a product of Bishop Cotton School, Shimla) and a History honours graduate from St Stephen's. Prior to his political innings he had worked as the ADC to the President of India.

Credit is due to Sonia Gandhi, who has once again acted in a statesman (or is that stateswoman?) like manner, by including a politician of Singh's vintage in the Cabinet. The lady appears inclined to do the right thing, within the given constraints. As a former journalist, I must confess that I have ingrained a certain degree of cynicism in my approach, especially when it comes to matters involving politicians. I have left the profession behind, but I would be tracking this one, with fingers crossed twice over.

Lets see how it unfolds....

Elections remain a low key affair in Chandigarh: Windy Kumar of the Con Party Likely to Scrape Through


The Great Indian Election juggernaut rolled through the city on Wednesday. And we must thank heavens, specially the city god (we have so many of them, I am sure a city god too exists) that the marauders spared the city from turmoil, a worst kind situation, which generally comes with Elections. In fact, electioneering in the run up to the voting day has been a low key affair this year. Though party flags, flyers, buntings and other promotional stuff had been put up on the rooftops, the mad imagery of posters was missing.
I actually have a serious issue with Banta Singh's poster overlapping that of Santa Singh and Ghatiya Chand trying to sneak in between the two, as if the positioning of the posters were to decide the elections. In the past, as we got closer to the voting day the posters displayed at all prominent places, including Conveniences and zoos presented a grotesque collage of images, with Santa's moochh covering half of Banta's face and Banta's long nose jutting into the 'Vote For'slogan of another small timer. However, I attribute my dislike to the disdain shown by my three year old kid. This kind of imagery literally popping out from every nook and corner of in the city leaves the little fellow bewildered and is enough to give him creeps of the worst kind.
The polling day being a holiday, I dusted my old faithful, a Yamaha 350 cc, and set out for a small spin (or geri as it is known in colloquial) around the city - just to capture the general mood. The city was unusually quite for an election day with paid party workers being the only ones trying to attract attention. However, I soon found that it was not only me, but almost every other guy who was on a spin. The spin in their case, though, was of a different kind, what with steel glasses filled with liquor to the brim doing quick rounds at most of the places. I noticed disapproval and a look of disgust on a few faces,  and I wondered whats could be wrong with people having liquor? After all, looking at the dismal outcome of the last few Parliamentary elections, these no longer command the kind of respect, which is the hallmark of a great democratic tradition . At that moment it occured to me that the guys had every right to take a swig or two or even polish off full bottles. Afterall, isn't the The Great Indian Election the baap of all tamashas?
As for the candidates, once again it is a straight contestt between Jhootha Mal Shastri of the Bhago Jaldi Party (BJP) and Windly (Pun)sell from the Con Party. Of course, the Quixotic Sharamheen Dhawan too is contesting:  as usual from a new party.
I stopped for a smoke near one of the polling stations, thought I could caught the buzz. I overheard and too a disinterested part in a few conversations and I sensed that Windy may just about scrape through, with the slightest of margins, to have another five-year go at the free government accommodation, govrnment sedans powered by my hard earned money, and various other privileges.
Windy had his aides campaigning hard for him. It didn't come as a surprise at all, when I learnt that one of the youth leaders was in the news just an year back, after his wife was caught red-handed stealing dresses from an upmarket boutique in sector 8. The lady was pretty enterprising, and had lured one of the showroom staff to hand over the loot when the showroom remained shut on holidays.

Cut to the present. Amidst the general confusion, I watched the guy in question. He had an impressive demeanor, appearing as if an incarnate of truth itself had landed in our midst. The guy had his best smile on (despite the crooked tooth, which was acting as the only spoiler to the otherwise pleasing stretch), stood with hands permanently folded, back slightly bent, and showed off an ultra fast mouth trap that yapped away incessantly, uttering niceties to all and sundry; as if he was meeting relatives back from dead. And why shouldn't he? For he knows his time will come, and if he plays his cards right, he could be the leader supreme of City Beautiful.

The day that happens,we will adjust,'coz thats the Indian way of life. But I am sure Le Corbusier for one would be doing some furious turning in his grave. Looking at the way things are deteriorating in the city, I won't be surprised if he springs out from his grave and have a nice go at the public servants or netas, whose only agenda has been to serve themselves...and leave the city to deteriorate at its own pace! 

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Barack Obama Gets It Right

More than anything else, Barack Obama's triumph comes as a ray of hope for the millions of distressed and resentful people across the world, for those whom we euphemistically refer to as the "underprivileged" sections of society. It was unthinkable, as early as five years back that the White House will ever have a black incumbent. Now, it is easy to see the futility of pointless no-brainers from the so called political analysts. Time, perhaps, for these people inflicted with "verbal diarrhea" to look for other, more honest, professional avenues.
Those of us blessed with a sense of history will realize that we are living in truly significant times. For the Obahma victory is no small event, but a giant leap, a cathartic development that will go down in the books as one of the most defining moments of modern era. In these uncertain, selfish times, Obama has in no small measure helped us reaffirm the belief, something in real need of a booster shot, that good , honest, sincere efforts shall not go unrewarded. That everything and anything still is possible if the effort is backed by strong will and the individual willingness to stand in the sun. That the good life still is a reality. That each one of us can reach for the stars. And above all, the fact that natural justice is still in existence.

Narender Modi: the 'Fascist' Gets It Right

Its finally official.
The ‘fascist, the strongman, the merchant of murder, chhapan chhati Narendra Modi has romped home to victory. That he was going to win was never in doubt, except in the minds of so called experts, who bored us, monopolizing and choking the air waves with their non-stop gibberish in the run up to the result day. The media pundits had got it all wrong the last time they attempted to predict the outcome of Gujarat Assembly elections. And they seem to be making a habit of it predicting spectacular gains for Congress, where none existed, this time around. Modi, the man whom everyone loves to hate: the media, the political parties, and even the majority among his own party notably BJP National President Rajnath Singh, BJP fringe organizations like the RSS, the VHP and the Bajrang Dal, Modi had served humble pie to all his detractors. Rajnath Singh sounded hollow crediting the Gujarat BJP party set up for the victory. It was apparent. Even as Singh lauded the party machinery, the expressions on his face were that of a man who knew that he is dealing with falsehoods.

For it was an out and out Modi show. The Chappan Chhati, the man with his own set of immortals moving about in Modi masks, did not even want any other leader to canvass for him in the state. The likes of Sushma Swaraj and her ilk, adept at polished speech but low on delivery were totally ignored. You must have noticed that none of the BJP star campaigners took part in the electioneering the way they normally do in a BJP state going to elections. Modi, the true follower of Machiavilli had it all figured out. Just take a quick glance at Machiavelli’s political treatise, The Prince, and you will realize the extent to which Modi and his minions were influenced by the work.

With his win, Modi has now set the cat among the BJP pigeons. His credible performance automatically catapults him on to the national stage. Modi, the man of soiled speech, considered a third-rung leaders only a few years back, is now the most recognizable face of the party. God help us!

In the final analysis, these elections were never about development, non-development, Sonia Gandhi’s remarks, the weakness or strengths of Congress (sadly, by fielding BJP dissidents from a number of seats, the Congress once again proved what it is: a party of double standards). Modi won because he had his ears to the ground. The former RSS pracharak never lost his touch with the people, the masses who actually go out and vote. And whenever he felt that leaders from RSS, VHP, or even the BJP were coming in the way, he never lost a moment to show them the door. Despite his background as a rabble rouser and a communalist, he has to be credited for his single-mindedness, his sense of purpose and his conviction to carry it through. And this despite the high flown theories of the idiot-box intelligentsia. Me and you, we heard them talk, day after day. But Modi took no notice of these ‘wise’ men. And he WON!

Chandigarh: Then & Now III

ChandigarhPost delves into the past to find out issues that made news.
Juxtapose these unsolved matters to the present and you can see how much the city has changed or remained the same.

This report appeared on November 5, 2001 in The Times of India. Now we know for sure, but at that time a five-star hotel in the city seemed more like a dream. Interesting read.

THEN (November 5, 2001)

Is the city ready for a five star property? While this question still remains to be answered, the India Tourism Development Corporation’s (ITDC) decision to pull out of the half done five-star project has seriously dented the administration plans of having such a property. Are there enough takers for the services offered by a five-star hotel? What are the impediments? For one, pricing of land. “Land prices have been jacked up artificially by the administration and that leads to the project becoming commercially unviable,” said a businessman who had bid for the five-star plot auctioned by the government in sector 34 in the recent past.

Ponty Chadha, based in Delhi, was ready to pay a whopping Rs 36 crore for the property, but after depositing Rs 9.42 crore as guarantee money he decided to pull out of the project. Reason? He was allegedly not allowed to construct the facade of the building as per his design and permission was not granted for the sixth floor. “Chandigarh is not an investor-friendly city for property developers. The administration just wants to stick to the concrete monstrosities of Le corbusier,” said a bureaucrat on conditions of anonymity. “A building constructed with an investment of Rs 80 crore to Rs 100 crore ought to have its own character. a five-star cannot be made to look like the Markfed building,” he said.

Chandigarh is the centre of three governments and has a high per capita income of Rs 29,661 with a growth rate of 7.02 per cent. But does it merit a five-star hotel? “the city is mainly a transit point, it has not been marketed well and is not a tourist attraction,” says Beant singh, resident director, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Statistics bear this out. A CITCO report put the city’s share of foreign tourist arrivals still stuck in the thousands range. The average duration of stay per visitor is 1.6 days. “The city ought to have its USP. It can become a major convention centre for exhibitions and trade shows if promoted well. we feel that a five-star is very much viable as the city picks up on the corporate front,” said Chandrajit Banerjee, regional director, Confederation of Indian Industry.

Anshuman Magazine, Managing Director, cb richard ellis, a global consultancy major, joins issues with Banerjee. “The project will be viable in the long run and has to be conceived with a longer duration in mind. The demand at present is not high, but with the economy picking up and industries coming to Mohali and Chandigarh, it will be viable,” he said.

A top executive of a prominent organization suggested an alternative: “A five-star hotel can only be viable if relaxations are made. there is no point in creating excess capacities. the local administration should instead work on existing properties and privatise hotel Mountview which can be upgraded to a five star.” as of now, Chandigarh is not likely to have a five-star on its skyline, but with business growing and a right sense prevailing in the administration, the landmark may become a reality in the coming years.

NOW (November 5, 2007)

The Taj Chandigarh was launched in February, 2005 and has been a runaway success from day one. The Punjabi zest for good living has kept the cash counters ringing. Plus, the spurt in economic activity has lead to tremendous increase in business visits. Whereas, earlier a company executive would prefer to return to New Delhi by the evening Shatabdi, now the majority of them would rather enjoy the opulence of The Taj (that is if their company considers them worthy of five-star treatment). The Taj Chandigarh is now one of the most profitable hotels in the region. The hotel has been designed by Singapore architect, Tom Catelo.

Then & Now

The second in this series of stories appeared in The Times Of India dated July 24, 2003. It talks about Punjab on the verge of industrial ruin due to special status granted to Himachal Pradesh.

THEN July 24, 2003

Punjab's loss is proving to be Himachal's gain. Backed by the latest exemption regime and advantages on the power front, the border industrial township of Baddi in Himachal Pradesh is coming in for renewed focus from industry in Ludhiana.

As per information available, around 60 small and medium scale manufacturers from the city have already bought land in Baddi over the last six months. Fifty of these are power intensive units using furnaces in their manufacturing process while 10 are from the hosiery sector.

Says Ludhiana-based Chamber of Industrial and Commercial Undertakings president Inderjit Singh Pardhan, ‘‘Apart from exemptions on the taxation front, these units are looking to set up shop in Baddi also on account of a better industrial environment. If the present situation persists, we will witness a virtual beeline of industrial units to new areas.''

The development has lead to an increase in price of real estate in Baddi by 25 to 30 per cent in the last four months. Says Chandigarh-based property dealer Taran Inder Singh, ‘‘Baddi is receiving increased attention from industry not only in Punjab but other states as well.''

The Central government has granted exemption to industry in Himachal Pradesh on central excise, income tax and investment subsidy for new units for a period of 10 years. The state government too has continued with its old policy of exemption on sales tax.

Pradhan says that businesses in Ludhiana are miffed as they had to pay high power tariffs in face of power shortage.

A unit cost of electricity in Himachal Pradesh costs one rupee lesser than Punjab.

Says All India Bread Manufacturers Association Convener, Ramesh Maggo, ‘‘The recent introduction of EXIM form is also seen as a retrograde step. It will lead to unnecessary delays in supply of raw materials.''

Industrialists say that the increase in price of fuel and lubricants will also add up their costs.

Says Pradhan, ‘‘With these disadvantages in place, the Baddi belt is emerging as an attractive destination. It is conveniently located and industrialists can set up their manufacturing base while continuing to reside in Punjab.''

The Punjab government is seized of the situation but is not in a position to do much.

Says director industries S K Sandhu, ‘‘We are seized of the fact that the exemptions available to industry in Himachal Pradesh are harmful to the industrial prospects of Punjab. We have been taking up these issues with the Central government but to no avail.''

However, there are others who term the trend as a short term phenomenon. Says Hero Cycles Managing Director (Works) S K Rai, ‘‘Industry moving there are only looking at gains in the short run. They will be back in place after the end of the exemption period.''

NOW December 13, 2007

Baddi has emerged as one of the biggest non-port industrial zones in the country. The subsidies and exemptions, which have been extended to 2010, has helped attract industry in droves. The Baddi, Barotiwala, Nalagarh area now has the presence of almost all the major industry houses of the country. The area has fast emerged as the manufacturing capital of the North. Though industrial houses are no longer moving out of the state, the Central exemptions have had a negative effect on the industrial growth of Punjab. The majority of manufacturing units in Punjab have invested in Baddi as part of their expansion plans. The manufacturing industry capital base of the state has remained almost static. The state has received investments mainly in agri-business, retail, real estate, and IT. Industrial houses like Reliance have declared plans to invest Rs 25,000 crore in the state in the coming years.

Then & Now

ChandigarhPost delves into the past to find out what made news then.
Juxtapose that to the present and you can see how much the city has changed or remained the same.
Here is the first story from TOI, which talks about Unrest in the Industrial Estate of Panchkula.

THEN April 17, 2002

Clouds of labour unrest continue to hang low over the industrial estate in Panchkula which is home to over 300 small scale units engaged as ancillaries to larger units, mainly in the automobile sector. With three cases of labour problem reported in last three months, the industrial area here is rife with union activity. It is mostly the larger players like Drish shoes and the state sector Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) which have had to bear the brunt of trade union activity in the recent past. The sluggish economy seems to be at the root of this upheavel. The manufacturing units, feeling the pinch of dwindling orders, are looking for flexibile employment rules. Instead of direct employment, the owners are interested in adopting ‘contract manufacturing’, with greater flexibility on the hire and fire front. The union activity is greater among workers who have spent five years and above in a particular unit and are covered under the labour laws. A visit to the industrial area on monday brought to the fore a protest by workers from two units . First was the demonstration in front of the Drish shoes unit which has a total of 375 workers. The union is affiliated to the All-India Trade Union Congress (aituc). a few blocks away another group of five was staging a chain hunger strike. The company: surya pharmaceuticals. surya pharmaceuticals union general secretary amarpreet singh gill said, ‘‘we have been victimised. The management has transferred all five officebearers of the employees union to their other plants at Baddi and Banur, knowing fully well that they are not in a position to relocate themselves.’’ Surya Pharmaceuticals has over 80 workers on their rolls and the union is affiliated to the left oriented centre for india trade unions (CITU). Earlier, the employees of state owned Bel had adopted confrontation path. The workers were not comfortable with the management decision regarding introduction of smart cards for marking attendance. ‘‘They have not taken our consent before implementing the decision,’’ the union leader had said. the issue was resolved subsequently but it highlights the extent of trade union activity in the industrial area. the individual unions here are affiliated to one or the other central trade unions. and the officebearers of these bodies take an active part in sorting out issues between the workers and the management. times news network witnessed the ongoing deliberations between Drish shoes employee union and the company management, mediated by labour officer Dharampal. however, it was an office-bearer of the aituc haryana state committee who dominated the negotiations which broke the impasse.

NOW December 13, 2007

The Panchkula Industrial Area now has everything: peaceful atmosphere, cordial industrial relations, electricity, water, other facilities; the only thing that is missing is the industry. Industrial units have relocated to nearby industrial areas, mainly Baddi in Himachal Pradesh. And the luckier ones, who owned industrial plots at prime locations, simply sold them off or entered into lucrative arrangements with third - parties to open up show rooms, multiplexes and what not. In a nutshell, industry in Panchkula is dead. Its rather as well. Industrial units should be located in industrial townships, not in middle-class townships like Panchkula.

Sanjay Dutt Takes a Bow

Sanjay Dutt might well have taken the most cherished bow of his lifetime. No, not at one of those glitzy award ceremonies, where the glamour and the artificial sheen of the filmy world is a dead giveaway to the shallow moorings. Quite removed from it, the actor this time stood in front of Pune’s Yerawada jail where he had just begun to serve his six year sentence. And, the audience consisted largely of his family, the policemen turned out neatly in mufti, a battery of lawyers, his close friends from the movie fraternity, old school mates from Sanawar, and above a wildly cheering group of people moved by the actor’s ordeal over the past year or so. Coming from one of the foremost families of the rarefied world of Mumbai movie makers, the life of the hugely popular actor has been a roller-coaster ride gone awfully wrong.

In the latest episode, which resulted in Sanjay’s conviction in a case related to the 1993 Bombay blasts, the actor got the breather due to a technicality ignored by the Mumbai TADA court. The Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan enlarged Dutt on bail till the TADA court provides him with a copy of the judgment. Dutt or “Sanju Baba”, as he is popularly known, will have to surrender after the copy is delivered.

However, the moot point remains: Is our judicial system right in punishing someone like Sanjay Dutt, when the real criminals manage to walk away scot-free under the very eyes of the law. By acquiring an AK 47 and ammunition from people linked to the Bombay blasts, Dutt no doubt committed a mistake. But it was just that: a mistake. Nothing more. It certainly wasn’t a crime, and going by the spirit of law, Dutt should have been pardoned or at least given a lighter sentence. ered more than enough. He has realized his mistake and is a reformed man by all accounts.

Lets just talk about the extent that he has deviated from the accepted behavior. Those of you fond of guns, will vouch for the pride of place an AK 47 or Kalashnikov will occupy in your collection. I personally own a .12 bore, a .22, and a revolver (all licensed). But to own an AK would be a dream come true. It is the ultimate weapon in its class. I have fired it twice (in air, of course) and I know the feeling. It would find a ready market if the government were to make its ownership legal. So what did Sanjay Dutt do? He had the means to acquire the ultimate weapon and he did that illegaly. I don't think he intended to kill anyone with the weapon. And, for his this indiscretion he has suffered more than enough.

By the way, what does the law strive to achieve by punishing an individual? The pundits say that the objective is to ‘Reform’ the person. By punishing individuals gone-wrong, the law strives to make one realize his or her mistake so that it is not repeated. Dutt, I guess has already realized that many times over. So, what is the point in sending him away for a good six years? Lets hear it from you…….