India Political Blog

India Stocks: Long Lasting Value

#fullpost{display:none;}You all know I have been arguing that the Indian market is bottoming…and that the time is ripe for picking good companies for long term growth.  Here are some points I consider to be important:

1. Demographics are not changing; aspirations of young, hard-working people in our economy are not changing.
2. Expect India to take advantage of low commodity prices to secure large, long-term supply committments while the Developed world is trying to get back on its feet.  To ensure low prices, it would be best to secure the contracts before stimulating the economy too much.
3. Expect India to take advantage of job losses in the Developed world to buy and lease technical know-how at rock bottom prices.  Again this has to be negotiated as a long term commitment.

With the amount of fuel that has been poured by the Central Banks I expect a rip-roaring fire to rage;  inflation will explode….and energy will be king…AGAIN.

When commodities start up again, emerging markets will explode;  if you are positioned correctly, so will your personal holdings.   As I said in my post Boom being written the bust is here, and in the ashes the boom is being written.

Other posts in this series:  Buy-In Levels Reached,   Over-qualified and Under Leveraged

India Terrorism: Sickening terrorists, Sickening leadership

#fullpost{display:none;}Below is chronology of terror attacks in 2008…I do not claim it to be complete just what comes to mind immediately.  The Prime Minister is a buffoon when it comes to these situations…he gave a ‘insipid, robotic speech’ decrying terrorism.

Mumbai, Nov 26, 2008: Several killed and many more injured in seven terror attacks targeting mostly foreigners’ hangout places.  And the Prime Minister says:  you guessed it ‘condemned the blasted terrorists’ and the Action taken will be..yup you guessed it NONE

Assam, Oct 30, 2008: At least 45 killed (figure can change) and over 100 injured in 18 terror bombings across Assam.

Guwahati, Nov 1 (ANI): Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on Saturday strongly rejected the charge that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government was soft on terrorism and said there will be no compromise on this account.  The Prime Minister and UPA Chairperson reviewed the latest situation in the state with Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, his cabinet colleagues and senior officials of the state government at Guwahatis Borjhar airport before their departure for New Delhi.
Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, who is already in Guwahati, visited the blast sites at Kokrajhar and Barpeta Road today and said both the Centre and the state government would ensure that such incidents do not recur.

Action:   NONE

Imphal, Oct 21, 2008: 17 killed in a powerful blast near Manipur Police Commando complex.

Manipur shares a long porous border with Myanmar of around 370 km (230 miles) and security officials want the entire stretch to be barbed-wired to stop smuggling of weapons and explosives.
Ringed by China, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Bhutan, India’s northeast is home to more than 200 tribes and has been racked by separatist revolts since India gained independence from Britain in 1947.
“We want the centre (federal government) to fence the border, we cannot let them (PREPAK) escape after the incident,” Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh told Reuters on Wednesday.

Action: NONE..not even acknowledged by Centre.

Kanpur, Oct 14, 2008: Eight people injured after bomb planted on a rented bicycle went off Colonelganj market.

Action: NONE..not even acknowledged by Centre

Malegaon, Maharashtra, Sep 29, 2008: Five people died after a bomb kept in a motorbike went off in a crowded market.

Action: NONE..not even acknowledged by Centre.

Modasa, Gujarat, Sep 29 2008: One killed and several injured after a low-intensity bomb kept on a motorcycle went off near a mosque.

Action: NONE..not even acknowledged by Centre

New Delhi, Sep 27, 2008: Three people killed after a crude bomb was thrown in a busy market in Mehrauli.

New York, Sep 27 (IANS) As the news of a blast in south Delhi trickled in here, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday expressed “shock and grief” at this apparent terrorist incident and asked senior officials travelling with him to monitor the situation. “The prime minister has expressed his shock and grief. Officials are monitoring the situation,” a senior official of the Prime Minister’s Office told reporters here.

Action: NONE

New Delhi, Sep 13, 2008: 26 people killed in six blasts across the city.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan singh condemned the serial bomb blasts in delhi and requested the people of Delhi to maintain peace. Congress President Soniya Said that the those responsible for delhi bombings will not be spared.

Action: NONE

Ahmedabad, July 26, 2008: 57 people killed after 20-odd synchronised bombs went off within less than two hours.

Condemning the serial bomb blasts in Ahmedabad, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has sanctioned an ex-gratia payment of Rs 1 lakh to the next of kin of those dead.  He also announced a compensation of Rs 50,000 for those injured in the blasts.

Action: NONE

Bangalore, July 25, 2008: One person killed in a low-intensity bomb explosion.

Indian Prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has condemned the Serial blasts in Bangalore and has the people on Friday to remain calm and maintain communal harmony

Actiion: NONE

Jaipur, May 13, 2008: 68 people killed in serial bombings.

Both Indian President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh condemned the blasts and appealed to people to maintain communal harmony in the state.

Action: NONE

India Politics: Where is the Goverment of India?

#fullpost{display:none;} This is an old piece written as a commentary on the politics in India…it seems appropriate to re-print it here since there is bound to be an increased “Risk-Premium” associated with India as a result of today’s terror strike in Mumbai, the commercial capital of India.

Lalu Prasad Yadav, former Chief Minister of Bihar and now cabinet minister in charge of Railways, calls for the ban on SIMI to be lifted. A day later, SIMI leaders are arrested for killing hundreds of innocent men, women and children across the country by planting bombs in rush hour traffic and more bombs in cars that followed ambulances carrying injured to the hospital. Lalu makes no apology or comment and no one in leadership of any kind makes any comment.

Mirwaiz of Kashmir tell Sardesai of IBN during a panel discussion with two Jammu leaders that he will guarantee the safety of Yatris to Amarnath. Sardesai does not ask the Mirwaiz how he has got such control over the terrorists..neither does anyone else.

Shaban Azmi says Indian democracy is unfair to muslims forgetting the number of sucess stories of muslims are legion..she being a case in point..Show me a muslim society where a minority religious group thrives and can achieve the Presidency.

Advani, the head of the Opposition say the fight in Kashmir is between Nationalists and Separatists…Singh, the Prime minister pours fuel on the fire by saying in his August 15 address that we should not divide on the basis of religion.  But his party, the Congress, agreed to exactly that in 1947 when they Partitioned the country on the basis of religion.

Abdullah, a member of the governing UPA coalition says that we should formally start debating ‘Azadi’ for Kashmir. Government spokepersons say that territorial integrity of India is non-negotiable. No one from the governing Congress makes any comments of support or censure of Abdullah.

Jammu and Srinagar are both burning and rioting; however, the Home Minister is missing in action….no comments, no appearances…the Home Minister is Shivraj Patil in case all of us had forgotten! Well, he did praise the Gujarat government for its handling of the post terrorist strikes situation in the state…this must have been a NO NO.

It seems that every member of this UPA coalition can publicly take any stand they want without comment or censure from the Government; do these coalition partners agree with the stand that is officially taken by the government in “the Supreme Court”, “the Legislative Assembly”, and in “the media” through official spokepersons?

So, my question is: Where is the Goverment of India?  Report Card on Government

P.S.

Sharad Pawar, cabinet minister, has decided to check logic and intelligence at the door as he walks in for his speech. In search of minority (muslim) votes he says “if SIMI is a terror outfit…” why the “if” Mr Pawar…you are a member of the cabinet that insisted on labelling SIMI and your colleague the Law Minister took it to the Supreme court. Or do you not know what “if” means.

http://www.ibnlive.com/news/if-simi-is-a-terror-outfit-so-is-bajrang-dal-says-pawar/75128-3.html

Mr Pawar continues the sentence with “…then Bajrang Dal is also a terrorist outfit”. Well sir, why do you not go to the courts as you did when you labelled SIMI…it was your government that has appealed to the Supreme Court regarding SIMI..why are you mouthing off instead of acting through the judicial process. The Law minister, your colleague in cabinet, is silent on the matter. Don’t you talk to each other?

Please do not embarrass yourself with this vote-bank politics which appeals to the least in us…there is no need for the equation unless you have completely lost your moral compass and ethical standards.  SIMI IS a terrorist outfit..your government has argued this with evidence and the Supreme Court has agreed. End of matter.

Bajrang Dal is an organization involved in many activities..should these prove to be criminal and further defined to be terrorist activites then prosecute the organization. However, do it in a manner that you would like the ordinary citizen to follow….organized, ethically, before the courts…not braying like a bloodhound in scent of a kill.

Do not equate two different organization because it is convenient…they stand on their own and should be judged independently based on their actions.

Please, Mr Minister, gather your logic and intelligence before you leave…