India-US 123: another italian job?
India breathes a sigh of relief. Perhaps.
The controversial Indo-US 123 Agreement is kicking again.
The victims people of Nandigram, lost their own, to give it a new life.
On the day Mr Henry Hyde passed away, his legacy, the Hyde’s Act was reborn.
Nuke deal: BJP slams Left for ‘surrendering’ to Cong.
The Hindu News Update Service: November 29, 2007 : 1515 Hrs
Kolkata (PTI): Describing the Indo-US nuclear deal as unacceptable to the party, the BJP on Thursday slammed the CPI and CPI-M for ‘surrendering’ to Congress despite making ‘noises’ over it and said if voted back to power it would re-negotiate the deal and if it was not possible, cancel it.
“Congress has surrendered to the USA on the nuke deal and the Communist parties have surrendered to the Congress although they had made so much noises over the deal. It was a trade-off between Congress and Communists over Nandigram and nuke deal,” senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu told reporters here.
Naidu said after Wednesday’s debate in Parliament on the nuclear deal, the ‘double standard’ of the Communist parties was exposed and now ‘they were confining themselves to giving sound bytes and not ready for a real fight’. “They (CPI-M and CPI) want the UPA government to continue even after saying that the nuke deal was a surrender to the USA. After all round condemnation of the CPI-M over its role in Nandigram and Singur, they have developed cold feet about going to the people,” he said.
“Indo-US nuclear deal is surrender to Washington, this is the considered opinion of the BJP. If returned to power, we will re-negotiate the deal and if it is not possible, we will cancel the deal,” Naidu said. The former BJP president said “Congress doesn’t know how to run the country and how to manage a coalition. Congress did not do any homework before negotiating the deal, neither it consulted its allies.
Of course.
It had to happen this way.
The Left Front, who stood up against their coalition partners now need the support of the Indian Congress to make murder acceptable as a necessity in politics.
Sonia Gandhi comes out in support of N-deal
The Times of India: 17 Nov 2007, 1049 hrs IST, PTI
NEW DELHI: Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Saturday came out fully in support of the Indo-US nuclear deal saying it would have no impact on India’s atomic programme but enable the country acquire fuel and technology and help in getting the much-needed electricity for faster growth.
A day after the Left parties gave clearance to the government to approach the IAEA for working out India-specific safeguards agreement, she told the AICC meeting that there were differences with the outside allies but efforts were on to evolve a consensus through discussions.
Who then is Ms Sonia Gandhi?
Own Biography: Sonia Gandhi
Born into a family of modest means in an Italian village on the banks of a river 57 years ago, Sonia Maino, now Sonia Gandhi, has weaved a dramatic way to a place in history by becoming the President of India’s century-old Congress party. Being the third woman of foreign origin to hold the prestigious post after Annie Beasant and Nelli Sengupta.
In 1964, (aged 18), she went to study English at The Bell Educational Trust‘s language school in the city of Cambridge. Being from a poor family she used to work in a restaurant as waitress for paying the tution fees. While doing this certificate course she met Rajiv Gandhi, who was enrolled at the time in Trinity College at the University of Cambridge.
Born to Stefano and Paola Maino in Lusiana, a little village 50 km from Vicenza, Italy, she spent her adolescence in Orbassano, a town near Turin being raised in a Roman Catholic family and attending a Catholic school. Her father, a building contractor, died in 1983. Her mother and two sisters still live around Orbassano.
How did she become so powerful in India?
Because it was us who gave her that power.
For in a country of 1.12 billions, we could not find one other person as capable.
In The TIME 100:
By Suketu MehtaImagine if the U.S. were run by an Indian Hindu woman without a college degree. It’s tough: the U.S. has never elected anyone who’s not Christian, white and male—even as Vice President. But India, which is an even bigger democracy, is run in all but name by an Italian Catholic widow with a high school education. In the 16 years since the assassination of her husband Rajiv, Sonia Gandhi, née Maino, has become the face of the country’s most famous family. As leader of India’s Congress Party, she has also managed the largest political party in the country and steered it to power. And she has done all this wearing a sari.
In Maino country
Orbassano’s Mayor Graziano Dell’Acqua to VAIJU NARAVANE:“Even so, I wonder if we in Italy would accept a foreigner, and a woman at that, to take over a party which has symbolised the country’s struggle against foreign rule and which continues to enjoy great, if diminished, support across the land.
That a certain section of Indians have trusted her with their destiny speaks volumes for the tolerance of India,” concludes Dell’Acqua.
Italy. Italian. Wasn’t there once before an Italian connection?
Wanted by Interpol: Ottavio Quattrocchi
He & his wife namely QUATTROCCHI Maria were involved in fraud & bribery committed in India between 1982-1987. A percentage of the money paid by the Indian Govt., was illegally transferred by the”AB Bofors” Company to bank accounts in Switzerland, to the benefit of certain Indian public servants and their nominees.
Just who is Ottavio Quattrocchi?
Rediff News: George Iype January 17, 2006
How is he linked to the Bofors guns scandal?
The scandal erupted in 1987 when Swedish radio revealed that Bofors facing stiff international competition had paid more than $50 million in bribes to secure a contract for the sale of field guns worth $1.4 billion to the Indian Army. Then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was named one of the suspects in the scam.How could an Italian businessman be the middleman between the Indian Army and Bofors, which is a Swedish company?
The answer lies in Quattrocchi’s proximity to the Gandhi family. Quattrocchi shifted to India soon after Rajiv married Sonia.If Quattrochi was in India, why wasn’t he arrested?
When the Swiss authorities formally communicated to the Indian government in 1993 that the kickbacks in the Bofors case were deposited in Quattrocchi’s accounts, a Congress government headed by P V Narasimha Rao was in power. The Opposition immediately wanted the government to impound Quattrocchi’s passport and arrest him. But that was not done, and he was allowed to leave the country. He left India for Malaysia on July 29, 1993. The CBI’s efforts to get Quattrocchi extradited to India have not yet succeeded.Does the Manmhohan Singh government’s ‘clean chit’ to Quattrocchi absolve him of all charges?
Yes, in a way. Prime Minister Singh said the action of defreezing Quattrocchi’s London bank accounts was taken by the CBI in consultation with law officers.What does the man himself have to say?
In a statement issued from Milan in Italy this week, Quattrocchi said: ‘I believe it would be in interest of justice and India’s reputation if this case against me is brought to an end.’
So when I read,
Sonia Gandhi raises disarmament issue at UN meet
2 Oct 2007, 2107 hrs IST, PTIUNITED NATIONS: As the UN marked Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday as the first International Day of Non-violence, Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday spoke of the international community’s collective failure to move towards comprehensive universal disarmament.
it makes my hair stand on end. Why her?
There must be many Indians still alive today, who had been with the Mahatma,
shared his vision of non-violence
shared his struggle for freedom,
who should have been representing his country at the UN. Not Ms Sonia Gandhi.
Are we selling off our country, only to perpetuate the Gandhi name?
India
America
Sonia Gandhi
Marxists
Nandigram
Prax said this on December 5th, 2007 at 16:11
very detailed post
the7new7ramanujan said this on December 6th, 2007 at 09:05
it’s true the ‘Gandhi’ brand has reduced to this extent now. it’s shameful how the congress revolves around the family now.
Indian politics is losing its spine steadily.
littleindian said this on December 6th, 2007 at 13:56
thanks newramanujan,
and there are amongst us many who believe that amongst 1.12 billions, no person with a surname other than gandhi can be in power.
ach17 said this on June 20th, 2008 at 14:23
when you look at this article ,you understand just screwed up the government is.i am,110% sure the mahatma would not have wanted this to happen at all.
sandeep said this on June 23rd, 2008 at 10:51
the articals r good n informative
unsungpsalm said this on June 23rd, 2008 at 13:26
How trivial, and intolerant. Something that’s very Indian. Sonia Gandhi, in spite of everything, brought the party back to power, from practically ruins. She manages the party with absolute professionalism. She has obviously spun its fortunes, and the government has done very well for the country.
She was a simple woman who had no desire to enter into politics, let alone govern another country. She was pushed into it. In spite of everything, she has done so much for the nation, and people such as you show scepticism and ingratitude.
littleindian said this on June 23rd, 2008 at 14:20
@ unsungpsalm,
I have raised issues and quoted evidence.
It includes a statement from the Mayor of her hometown.
Is that “Something that’s very Italian”?
You have made comments against, I suggest you back it with evidence.
Are you close to Ms Gandhi? Have you known her all her life?
Or are these your own fantasy of her personal self.
For your presumptive beliefs are worth no more than absolute garbage.
“Confused youngster”, by your own admission, you sure got that one right.