Aakar Patel does an excellent appraisal of Lalchand Kishinchand Advani in Mint, the business daily owned by the Hindustan Times group, on the basis of his memoir:
“If Advani has such a poor record on security [on Kandahar, Kargil and Gujarat], why do his supporters refer to him as strong? Sadly, this image comes from his willingness to do violence to India’s Muslims.
“Having had only eight years of executive experience, the same as the average 32-year-old, Advani has no long view. He does not understand strategy.
“He thumps his chest and warns Pakistan to behave after taking India nuclear, but is taken aback when Pakistan’s generals immediately use this as an excuse to weaponize their own programme. This has destabilized South Asia for generations.
“He opposes the Indo-US nuclear deal. Why? Because America does not treat India as “equals”. He views strategic policy through honour and emotion.
“Of his autobiography’s 48 chapters, not one is on economics. Muslims, Kashmir, terrorism, Pakistan, Musharraf, Kargil, Shah Bano, Naxalism, Godhra, Assam, Ayodhya. These are his concerns. His passion is all about what other people should not do.
“Under Advani, the BJP’s three policy thrusts were all negative: Muslims should not keep Babri Masjid; Muslims should not have polygamy; Kashmir should not have special status.
“He offers nothing creative, even to Hindus, only resentment….
***
“At the G-20 this month, London’s Financial Times put Manmohan Singh on its masthead next to Barack Obama and sent three editors to interview him. All Indians who are ashamed of the quality of our leaders must try to read this interview: www.ft.com/indepth/g20.
“First question: Do you agree with China on the failures of the global monetary regime and the case for a new reserve asset in place of the dollar?
“It’s not the question they would ask of Advani.”
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Read the full article: Advani or Manmohan Singh?
Also read: The man who sowed the dragon seeds of hatred
A lifetime achievement award for L.K. Advani?
churumuri 
Just what makes this worthy think of these “other” issues unworthy of notice?
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Aakar Patel makes a good argument against Mr. Advani. But his exaltation of Mr. Singh is inadequately supported.
I think our elections are fought less on personalities than on issues — often local issues. That’s been a lesson of the post-Nehru/Gandhi era in Indian politics, sometimes called the era of “coalition politics.” After all, the parliamentary system rarely allows us the luxury of making personality an issue.
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junk article..and you term it excellent..personal bias against a political leader is fine but I dont think public has any time for such a junk article..Aakar Patel has stooped so low and the analysis is nothing short of blasphemous !
Why does nt Mr.Patel point fingers at a ‘leader’ who want to lead the nation but does not have the will to get appointed from the people or point at a ‘leader’ who wants to lead-by-proxy ? Why there is no mention on churumuri of Mr.Q being left out of the CBI Black list?
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Well Mr Aakar Patel,in his hurry to eulogise Mr Singh, forgot to read what FT had to say in another write up.. A damning indictment of the ‘genuis’
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/c8524754-29f4-11de-9d01-00144feabdc0,Authorised=false.html?_i_location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcms%2Fs%2F0%2Fc8524754-29f4-11de-9d01-00144feabdc0.html%3Fnclick_check%3D1&_i_referer=&nclick_check=1
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point noted.
Get ready for a old resentful, non creative PM next month
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Wow..I happened to read the entire article on the website. This easily qualifies to be one of those hundreds of utterly prejudiced articles written by our countless ‘intelligent analysts’ during these Election times. Print and TV Media are having a field day, to say the least denigrating people of select parties.
Going by Patel’s background, he is a failed (surat based) businessman-turned-journo running a media firm now(As per livemint stats)..I can perfectly understand the frustrations of an Anti-BJP Gujarathi who has had to see a BJP-backed Govt not only doing well in his home state but getting elected again and again !!
It is people like Mr.Patel who have made many a joker out of journos so often. Let opinions of all genre come up, all we can do is ignore such crap.
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Churumuri is easily now qualifying to be a Congress mouth piece ! For a article of such derogatory nature to be termed as ‘excellent’ seals this verdict :)
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“First question: Do you agree with China on the failures of the global monetary regime and the case for a new reserve asset in place of the dollar?
“It’s not the question they would ask of Advani.”
Consider this:
Of the 29 questionsasked in the interview 24 are about economic issues. I think that was so, because Manmohan Singh is an economist, former RBO Gov, former finance minister..meaning his claim to fame with the international media has been his sucess as an Economist. Therefore, to say ” Its not a question they would ask Advani” and indirectly casting aspersions on Advani is quite naive and stupid. Also, the PM was attending G 20 conclave that was discussing economy, so interview queries were about that subject and Singh fitted that bill so well for the newspaper.
Advani is politcal leader and if he had attended the Conclave as a PM, FT perhaps would have balanced the topics of their questions. Afterall, every Editor wants to have good copy !
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C’mon, effing hell! How does the UPA govt.’s record on economy front justify the super résumés of its PM, Home Min. and Dy. Chairman of Planning Commission!?
Even the bloody NREGA is robbing the agriculture of its labour and people of their rightful remuneration(Read Jean Drèze’s rants about the mismanagement of NREGS). Even in Mysore, honchos in ZP(headed by Congress, for the record) are plundering lots of money, by giving the people less money than they should be getting and just like voter list, many of the names are fictitious.
What’s the Regina*’s view about Abortion Laws!? Is not she Pro-Life?
Remember, we don’t have strict demarcations like in USA!
Even Mayawati can become dubya or obama or whatever she fancies.
* Madame Gandhi Jr.
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Same Finance Times once wrote about Dr. Singh: PM in office but not in power
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Wonder how low the pseudos (including Churumuri) stoop to, and enjoy among themselves with these kind of articles!!!
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Ok. The anti-Advani “appraisals” seem to be gathering momentum day by day. Does it indicate any despeation?
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Yes absoloutely! UPA is on its way out. It is quite obvious:)
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Ha Ha,
Nice joke. So Aakar patel feels the PM’s essential quality is that he needs to be an economist. So how many economist PM’s did we have before MMS? When did Mr.Advani claim he is a sakalakalavallabha? Mr.Patel must take cognizance of the fact that there is something called cabinet in indian governance. :) Should one remind him that none of the cabinet ministers listened to MMS?
Should one remind Mr.Aakar of Advani’s promise of driving efforts to bring back black money. Isnt it related to economics?
Would Mr.Aakar and Churumuri dare question the Gandhi family’s credentials on economics ?
Why the hell shouldnt one not talk about Assam, Ayodhya, Terrorism, Kashmir, Muslims etc.
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hey karahapriya, pipe down on the combative. atleast one in gandhi family has a masters in developmental economics, vallabha that the guy is he got this masters without even getting a bachelors degree. how is that for double promotion? going from 4th to 6th standard everybody does.
and the others in the family including the ajji@turino, know enough economics to be given 2 billion dollars by the erstwhile union of soviet republics. i am assuming the soviets wanted that money to be managed according to the mahalonobis school of economics in swiss banks.
murchuri will not quote outlook
http://outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20090428&fname=puri&sid=1
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The much touted economist Man mohan singh has effectively brought a prospering country to the abysmal nehruvian rate of growth. Between MMS, PC and Monty Python, we saw the highest inflation in recent times, and a good for nothing NREG program start which only lined the pockets of the congress goons in village and taluk level with hard earned money of the tax payer. Churumuri with all its crassness keeps trying to project the numero uno family and its puppet PM as if they are indespensible for this country.
And coming to Gandy family, only Nehru had a university degree every one else after him are school/college drop outs but are being projected as university graduates holding exemplary academic record. How much are our ELM being paid to carry on this propaganda for the numero uno family. What have they been promised if the congress comes to power, if it comes to power at all.
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tarlesubba,
No No its developmental studies. :)
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http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c8524754-29f4-11de-9d01-00144feabdc0.html
The government has squandered the boom years, left the country more vulnerable to malign global economic conditions and compromised prospects for a healthy recovery. But Manmohan Singh and his “dream team” have been given an easy ride: they have escaped blame, especially outside India. The conventional excuse is that their hands are tied by Sonia Gandhi and her Congress coterie, and by coalition politics.
This explanation just does not wash. Mr Singh has impeccable academic credentials and is by all accounts incorruptible. He deserves credit for his performance as finance minister in the 1990s – although credit should also go to Narasimha Rao, then prime minister, who took the tough decisions.
But Mr Singh has proved a hopeless decision-maker as prime minister. Sadly, he proves the rule that academics should generally be “on tap” but not “on top”.
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“Under Advani, the BJP’s three policy thrusts were all negative: Muslims should not keep Babri Masjid; Muslims should not have polygamy; Kashmir should not have special status.
And why should Kashmir have special status? Apparently so all the Hindus can be cleansed, with the special status as has already happened.
Why should Muslims have polygamy?
Why should they have polygamy when others can’t?
So being against Kashmir as a special state and against Muslim polygamy and want to have a uniform Civil Code makes one negative? What a stupid article. I have not even bothered to address the other stupid points it makes? With journalists such as this feeding us garbage it is a wonder that we are in the state we are in?
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Advaniji should concentrate more on economic development rather than anti-muslim posturing. But he is nurturing his vote bank,nothing wrong in that.
But Advaniji should be credited for communally polluting the atmosphere of the whole nation. Expect more once he sits on the hot seat. The nation is paying the price for the political aspiration of the Right.
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Kingkhan – The Right’s political aspiration rests on the need of the nation. Should it surprise the Right that a King of Khans does not agree?
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Bahut ghurra rahe thhe… Kahaan ho ab??? Chhup ke bil mein baiTh gaye sab? LOL! :-D
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