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'In no other country, will a foreigner be allowed even in the assembly or Congress'
E-mail from readers the world over
Date: Thu, 6 May 1999 14:51:59 -0700 There should be no argument against the facts in this article. In no other country in the world, will a foreigner be allowed even in the azssembly or Congress, let alone hold any official position -- forget being a PM! It is more the responsibility of the press than the politicians (they might not be allowed to raise the "foreigner" issue due to a gag order by the EC), and I hope journalists like you will take up this Herculean task. Keep up the good work. God bless you.
Date: Thu, 06 May 1999 13:59:52 PDT I certainly agree with you on the potential dangers this country faces if Sonia is made PM. Your column addresses only the educated masses. But you need to make the whole electorate aware of this in a clear way. Given the fact that we have unscrupulous politicians like Harkishen Singh Surjeet, Laloo and Jayalalitha who have a sway over the masses (with their own story), the Fourth Estate has a moral obligation in spreading this message to the common man on the street who does not understand the grave dangers that we will be exposed to. This is possible only when your message is sent often as a news item supported by instances rather than a column. And it has to be done by every newspaper. It is sad to see the Congress which fought for our Independence is in such pathetic state. Ramani
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Thu, 06 May 1999 16:59:58 -0400 For the last 50 years, the so-called loyal politicians have looted India, especially, Pandits and Sindhis. They cannot be considered Indians as they are a kind of gypsies from Central Asia (Aryans). Sonia would not be a bad option but the top politicians (the Indians) will certainly loot this country once again. Whoever comes to power, the ordinary man would not see any difference in his life. Who knows what will happen to India? Whatever happens, let's hope for the best. Rajendran
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Thu, 6 May 1999 12:14:45 -0700 (PDT) Indeed, none of the political parties will return with a clear majority! However, it is not a Congress related or created problem. Indians in general, have lost trust in their political leaders and the parties they represent. Consequently, the local parties based on their record of accomplishment will be the winners. The narrow focused writer with her right-wing attitude misses this point which in turn prevents her from thinking globally! This problem is as much significant to BJP, JD, SS, RJD, etc etc. I am amused at the "emasculation" hypothesis. I ask her to name a single politician (irrespective of the party represented) with the so-called "balls." Besides being illiterate, they are opportunists and greedy. Above all, our dear politicians are willing to do anything for the "Kursi". In light of the "emasculation..." theory, who do you think has the right qualifications to lead India? None! Each of them has squeezed the country dry. Each have created their own empires. Is this what our forefathers perceived? You have the answer. India's own citizens have ruined the country. Therefore, no harm in a foreigner leading the country -- because, at least in this case we are aware! Above all, it will be a wake-up call to the dormant and docile citizenry. Varsha has a valid point on Sonia's loyalty to India. However, this is also true of all our "emasculated" politicians. Almost none is worthy and have lived up to the dreams of India's freedom-fighters. With divided loyalties, right-wing attitude, and selfish motives, our "great" politicians have relinquished their right to rule. At the slightest opportunity, they can and will more than willingly sell India for money. Therefore, I see no difference in Sonia's loyalty as compared to other politician's. In Sonia's case, her loyalty is under speculation because of her dual citizenship; however, what do you have to say about Indians secretly looting the country!?
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Thu, 6 May 1999 14:28:10 -0400 I have been great fan of Varsha's articles and have been a serious reader of Rediff news on the web. I must say she has an amazing power to create and change mindsets of people. This article is amazing and I hope this can reach many people. This is really true that dual citizens have dual responsibilities and me being an immigrant do realise what we are allowed to do and what not in a foreign land. I do firmly believe it's only the newspapers that can change the mindset of people. Vishal
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Thu, 06 May 1999 11:37:41 -0700 The article by Varsha is one of the best forecasts of Bharat's future if this Italian lady becomes PM. The title should have been "Business and deals FIRST." Everything maps to business and deals. And for Congress politicians, Sonia is a business model. Her speeches in the election are like fashion shows of Italian models. This whole thing is a new business model of Congress. The Congress has already thought of bringing Priyanka on the stage this time. For the Gandhi family, read Sonia and that's it, is an advertising company. And, they are doing all this for what? To help the society, not just Indian, but this whole world. Krunvanto Viswam Aryam, and that is the tune of the Congress. Nagaraj
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Thu, 06 May 1999 11:42:22 PDT The article by Varsha Bhosle was excellent. I'd love to see those leaders answer the questions. Why don't we have a direct, open discussion on issues where all these so-called prime ministerial candidates sit in front of the crowd and openly answer questions and tell what are their policies on these issues. They have it here in the US for their elections. Why not in India? What is preventing it? Why can't these prime ministerial candidates face each other and discuss and argue on live television shows? Does an Indian politician have the courage for this? Do any of the television channels have the courage to post an open discussion like that? When I say an open discussion, it should be only those candidates and the anchor should not intervene unless it is essential (I have seen anchors in Indian channels where they intervene and take sides). I doubt if I am going to see something like that in the near future. All I can do for now is pray. Naveen
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Thu, 06 May 1999 23:01:45 +0100 VB has written an excellent piece. One more security concern I would add. The nuclear missiles are controlled by a code which is always in the hands of the PM. If a foreigner like Sonia Gandhi is to be PM of India, she could pass on those codes to foreign powers. Therefore, the foreign power can easily jam these frequencies and make the nuclear codes inoperable. Effectively, India will be handing over the its nuclear missiles to a foreign power if SG is PM. This will be a recipe for India's destruction. Vijayaraghavan
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Thu, 06 May 1999 21:08:32 -0500 Stop the crap. It's taking it too far. I don't think we will vote Sonia to power. Even if we (because the majority, not the individuals who vote) do, it's no big deal. She will not be a dictator and even the worthless Congress party would know what to do when Italy attacks India. What are and were people doing all these years about our political system? I take the responsibility and am trying my bit. Let's all do that. God bless India.
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Thu, 06 May 1999 20:49:47 -0500 "... what will be Sonia's attitude to an oil embargo against India in case of US-sponsored economic sanctions in which Italian warships are sent to patrol our waters?" The issue is not whether Sonia Gandhi has a right to be prime minister of India... there are other possible repercussions should she take up the prime ministership. This is not to conclude that Sonia is going to barter away national interests, but to point out that there will be very very severe pressure on her and her coterie to steer away from potential scandals that can arise due to the reasons below: Vested interests will have easier access to government machinery than before. Here is how... The US will be in a much stronger position than before, to negotiate with India on NPT, CTBT, FMCT and other treaties like IPR, trade etc. It would try to mess up the Indian defence system. It would try its best to turn the sanction screws harder on India and scuttle the development and research programmes in science, defence, satellite and telecommunications. It does not care if it is receiving better products from India -- images of higher resolution from ISRO. The US has excelled in destroying other economies and countries by fanning domestic strife and unrest. Its involvement in the USSR, Czechoslovakia, Croatia and Serbia, Iraq, Yugoslavia are well known. It would perpetually be seeking the opportunity to create unrest and strife in India as well and dismember the country. THIS IS CERTAINLY NOT EMPTY TALK. The recent unilateral actions by US on the other smaller and weaker countries portends ominous trends and should be monitored carefully by Indian policy-makers. India's ambitions to become a superpower in the world order is known to all. USA will hate another superpower come up as a rival. The way it pushed the USSR into chaos under the pretext of "dangerous Communist regime" simply vindicates the USA's motives. On the other hand, China has been under attack in the US media due to leakage of nuclear secrets and there has been some dent in US-China relations. China will go all out to mend its relationship with the US by turning the screws, ire and anger on India. It would divert all the world attention, from its own treaty and human violations, towards India and continue with its covert missile proliferation schemes. I would be very happy if I am proved wrong here!! Monsanto and other companies have been busy patenting their "technologies" developed in India. Indian agrarian community has gone to Europe to voice the dissent against agricultural imperialism. My best wishes to them. Though Sonia may not personally be involved with any of the MNCs, she, certainly, is going to be very lenient with them! Now that Vajpayee and Nawaz Sharief are likely to lose contact with each other at the highest diplomatic level, Pakistan is much likely to revert to its old ways. "A dog's tail that is curved, remains curved forever." It may also resort to talking to Osama Bin Laden to foment trouble in Kashmir if it thinks it is not getting anything useful out of bilateral talks with India. With the exit of Jaswant Singh, India has lost a leverage and hold on its voice in the world fora. The exit of Mr Vajpayee is a deep loss for developmental programmes in satellite and nuclear technology, science and defence. After Indira Gandhi, there has not been any major leader who has dared calling a spade a spade in the world fora. Do we have such strong voices in Jaswant Singh and Vajpayee? The Western allies, would rather be happy to have a Roman Catholic driving the Indian government. The Christian Science Monitor dated April 22, 1999, carried an editorial on India's unstable government. Their concluding comments smacks of tacit support to the Congress. The point is not about Sonia's religion or nationality. That India has been a focus for evangelisation and baptism, aggressive marketing of Jesus, it is only going to get even more vigorous due to evangelists' presumed close proximity with Sonia during her leadership. It is a popular opinion that President Clinton has been surviving by diverting citizen's attention towards international crisis. What prevents the US government from starting a similar diversionary tactic in the Indian subcontinent should he land in some serious trouble in the near future? Narayanan
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Thu, 06 May 1999 14:51:50 -0700 Good article! I'm sure nobody, not even the so-called self-anointed secularists, will be willing to bet even a single penny on a foreign national ruling India not being a security issue. Yet these very same people are willing to bet the future of our country, its resources, its billion population, on it! What appalling callousness! Murthy
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Thu, 06 May 1999 14:02:54 -0400 As the media you are putting good stuff on the Net, but if you can do more 'Jana Jagruti', that will be of help to our country. Harshad Hardas
Date: Thu, 6 May 1999 10:55:22 -0700 It's great that someone is taking these issues to the masses. But efforts should be made to present these facts to the mostly illiterate people of India.
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Thu, 06 May 1999 23:06:29 +0530 If Sonia's dual citizenship is an open secret for Indian politicians and not to the general public, why do you not publicise this matter in the dailies so that some sort of a PIL may be filed and the judiciary forced to take cognisance? Do you not think that you owe it to the nation? Sriram
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Thu, 06 May 1999 10:49:32 -0600 I enjoy reading Varsha's columns. She calls a spade a spade. I think having Sonia as the prime minister of India is the worst idea of the century. This is a flaky woman who ran away to Italy during the 1971 war, sought refuge at the Italian embassy when Mrs G senior lost the election. These are actions of a person who has no faith in India's institutions. She doesn't have divided loyalties -- she has NO loyalty to India.
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Thu, 06 May 1999 09:38:56 PDT Your comments and the analysis of Sonia's loyalties were absolutely foolish and they don't make any sense. How did you trust her during the five year period when Rajiv was the prime minister? No one ever raised an issue then. If Priyanka and Rahul can be accepted, how tough would it be for Sonia to influence them if Sonia's kin can access them just because they stay in the PM's residence. How do you trust the president's wife (she is not an Indian by birth)?
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Thu, 06 May 1999 12:05:01 -0400 I really like your forthrightness. You have exactly raised the valid points which are conveniently ignored by the promoters of the Indian spirit of "tolerance." These people point out that we Indians are not so "narrow-minded" that we cannot accept a person of foreign origin. There has to be a limit to this spirit of tolerance. We can't keep handing over the nation to foreigners just to demonstrate our magnanimity. Nobody will have problems with that except us in the long run. When India performs a nuclear test, the foreign media shouts, "How can they do this in the land of Gandhi? What happened to their doctrine of peace?" Our country's weakness is exactly because of such misplaced notions of "big-heartedness" which are exploited fully by foreign countries. And the people who throw legal arguments about Sonia being an Indian citizen forget the human factor involved. Definitely she is an Indian citizen and nobody denies that. But matters are totally different if she becomes the head of the state and has 1 billion lives in her hands. Even an Indian living abroad doesn't lose the softness towards his home-country, then why should we accept it to be different in Sonia's case? Abhishek
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Fri, 07 May 1999 09:52:43 +1000 Varsha Bhosle should become a novelist. Words like Paweretti, supernatural powers of the Shroud reminds us of a female Salman Rushdie in the making. Her info on Sonali, not allowed to get elected to an Italian Municipality shows how ultipalty our political system is. Rediff should start a debate from readers all over the world from different countries as to how political systems work in case of foreigners occupying positions of power. Rama
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Thu, 06 May 1999 18:34:03 PDT Hats off to the article. It is filled with truths which an ordinary Indian is still unable to comprehend. Kudos to Varsha Bhosle for putting the facts. I have rarely seen such an article. I believe the time has come for Indians to think in a more broader spectrum than casteism and regionalism. It is time for the Indian electorate to prove that they are no more gullible. If we don't wake up now we have darkness awaiting in the new millennium. Vijay Saradhi
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Thu, 06 May 1999 21:47:36 -0400 I am glad you wrote this article. I wish each voter gets an exposure to your views. Only then will we be safe in the next century. The Congress party is spitting in our faces by electing Sonia as its leader. The party has taken minority appeasement to its height by electing a minority (Italian born widow residing in India) as its leader. Please keep your readers enlightened with your views. Joshi
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