BedTea.in | Ravi Matah's Blog

Tihar Jail was meant to house hardened criminals, thiefs, rapists, murderers, cheats and other gentlemen of similar caliber, and train them to become useful units of Society. But recent events in our country have brought eminent bureaucrats, leaders and corporate giants into Tihar Jail (or should I call it ‘Tihar Corrrectional Centre’) as M’me Kiran Bedi had aptly named it. 

The problems with the Tihar administrators have grown manifold. These new Five Star inmates have to be lodged in VIP Wing for which they were not fully prepared. To add to their woes, Tihar authorities were understaffed. They had to check and report what these inmates were doing on a day to day basis – for instance if Kalmadi was having tea with the Jail Superintendent then, this fact had to be reported to the Government as Government’s ‘further’ policies depended on these and other similar intel reports. (more…)

Memories of the year 2010 give us mixed feelings. Though we are a bit disturbed over some of the happenings we are also optimistic on some of the achievements done so far. Agreed we have to struggle with the problems a bit longer but are nothing that cannot be overcome.

Happy New Year 2011

The best part was that we have excelled in the areas of sports, athletics and Cricket to make us cheerful. The medals tally in the CWG and the Asiad tops the list of this year’s crowning achievements. Sachin Tendulkar’s double ton in an ODI was the best thing that could have happened to India followed by the Opening ceremony of the Common Wealth Games followed by the 101 medals at the CWG games.

In the disappointments India was challenged by the spiraling prices, the 2G scam and the PMs inaction to take the corrupt to task. (more…)

The Government of India has approved a 300% hike in the salary of it’s Members of Parliament and still they are not happy. This approval on Friday was followed on Friday, by protests by the MPs that they would not work for in increase of 500% as recommended by the Parliamentary Committee. 

They were expecting a salary of approximately 80,001 per month, which is at least Re. 1/- more than that of a bureaucrat. Simultaneously, the Government has also doubled their perks, but the parliamentarians stalled the proceedings of the Lok Sabha, creating difficulties for the Speaker Meira Kumar to maintain calm in the House. 

The news is, that this hike is being reconsidered and might go up further.  (more…)

The handsome, young, flamboyant,energetic, courteous, intelligent, N.D.Tiwari had an ignominious exit from the Raj Bhawan of Hyderabad. These accolades are much less than he actually deserved.

Tiwari had the distinction of being the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh on four occasions and earlier he also had a stint as a legislature of the UP Assembly.The State of Uttar Pradesh had, for decades been the stronghold of the Congress Party.

N.D.TEWARI

Unfortunately, as a fall-out of this, the President, Mrs. Pratibha Patil, cancelled her tour to the Andhra State.

It had become absolutely difficult for Tiwari to face the first women President of India, and also Ms Sonia Gandhi, the President of the Congress Party. (more…)

In yet another attack on Indian students in Australia, a 23-year-old youth, a taxi driver, was stabbed in the chest by unidentified assailants in Melbourne on Wednesday, reports Age. The student, who is also a taxi driver, was attacked and left to bleed on a Brunswick West street, police said.

The name of the victim has not so far been revealed by the press. (more…)

IS INDIA PREPARED FOR ANOTHER ATTACK LIKE 26/11?

The ‘first anniversary’ of Mumbai carnage is within a couple of days.The city was held to ransom by ten terrorists who created havoc. It was initially thought that Mumbai Police would round up the attackers within a couple of hours. It was never expected that the 26/11 siege would last for 62 hours.

The terorists were armed to the teeth, had weaponry and stamina enhancing doses to last for four days. It was the National Security Guards, who were flown into Mumbai, who ensured that the situation could be brought under control at hotels Taj Mahal and Trident and the Nariman House. (more…)

……..AND INDIAN PARLIAMENTARIANS

US President Barrack Obama addressed the joint session of the Congress on Wednesday pressing for the need to improvise the existing health care system in the country. This was perhaps his best ever speech ever made by him, before or after becoming the President of United States.

He said and I quote, “From the moment I took office as President, the central challenge we have confronted as a nation has been the need to lift ourselves out of the worst recession. But,  even as we have made progress, we know that the road to prosperity remains long and difficult. We also know that one essential step on our journey is to control the spiraling cost of health care in America since World War II”.  He further added that “Make no mistake: the cost of our health care is a threat to our economy. It is an escalating burden on our families and businesses. It is a ticking time-bomb for the federal budget. And it is unsustainable for the United States of America. Reform is not a luxury, but a necessity”. (more…)

At 1930 IST August 5th, the news that Bill Clinton had secured the release of two journalists kept in custody in North Korea, broke out  on all TV Channels across the country. It was Clinton’s sheer grit and determination that got their release.

Bill Clinton on Wednesday secured the release of two female American journalists held in North Korea for five months after the country’s top leader Kim Jong Il granted a “special pardon” to them following a surprise diplomatic mission by the former US President.  Clinton who spoke with the North  Korean Kim Jong II for three and a half hours.  North Korea  pardoned  Ling, 32, and Lee, 36, after Clinton helped secure their release during a  trip to Pyongyang. (more…)

Indian Military steals Thunder at French National Day Parade

It was a historic day today as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was the guest of  honour on France’s Bastille Day. It was a also a historic feat that the Indian Military Contingent took part in the Bastille Day parade in France on Tuesday, the 14th June 2009. The contingent was led by the Maratha  Light Infantry Regiment

Four hundred personnel were drawn from Army, Navy and the Air Force and  the contingent  led the parade to the sound of Indian military music played by a 90-member band. They marched very elegantly to the song played by the band which was ‘Saare Jahan Se Acchha, Hindustan Hamara’ meaning thereby that India is the best in the world. (more…)

Manmohan Singh has now inducted a total of 78 ministers in his team, 12 days after the election results were announced,  thus the formation of the Central Union Ministry was finally completed. This was an ardous task and by no means an easy task in a country of this magnitude and compl;exities. There is no such comparable  instance in any other part of the world.

The oath taking ceremony of the new ministers was held in India’s Presidential palace called  Rashtrapati Bhawan on Thursday. In  totality there are 33 cabinet ministers, 38 ministers of state (MoS) and seven MoS who are likely to be given independent charge of their respective portfolios.

Numerous factors were  to be taken into consideration in choosing  the cabinet, as well as, ministers of state berths. Frstly  there are 28 states and seven union territories in India. Suitable representation has to be given selectively to all states and the union territories also. Secondly,  the caste and  religion factor  also needed to be taken into consideration. Thirdly the allies of the Ruling Party have also to be satisfied by allotting  berths to them.  This was by no means a task of simple arithmetic. (more…)