PRITAM SENGUPTA writes from New Delhi: At the outset, let me state three things loudly and clearly before the bricks start landing.
1) All things considered, the honesty and integrity of prime minister Manmohan Singh and his family is beyond debate.
2) Some things considered, the reputation of Infosys as a practitioner of “best practices” is well earned.
3) Whatever we might argue, Amartya Sen is one of the glittering stars on our intellectual firmament.
That said, we have to ask if either or all three of them have covered themselves with glory with Professor Upinder Singh of Delhi University being honoured with the inaugural Infosys Prize in social sciences “in recognition of her contributions as an outstanding historian of ancient and early medieval Indian history.”
The booty: a cash award of Rs 25 lakh, a 22 carat gold medallion, and a citation.
The catch: Upinder Singh happens to be Manmohan Singh’s daughter.
***
The academic qualifications of Upinder Singh (an MA and MPhil in history from Delhi University, and a PhD from Canada for an epigraphic study of kings, brahamanas and temples in Orissa) are not in question. Nor are her professional accomplishments: a 2008 history of India from the stone age to the 12th century.
Her commitment to free speech is well known: she has challenged the Marxist view of Indian history and challenged right-wing fundamentalists who questioned her inclusion of A.K. Ramanujan‘s Three Hundred Ramayanas for reading in the BA syllabus of Delhi University.
The question, plainly and simply, is of propriety.
# Should a major corporate be handing out huge cash prizes to the progeny of high political figures?
# Should they be accepting it so eagerly and happily, howsoever valid their claims to it?
# And because neither the media nor academia questions it, does it become all right in the eyes of the world?
***
The Infosys Prize is handed out by the Infosys Science Foundation which was set up with a corpus of Rs 45 crore in February last year “to promote world-class research in the natural and social sciences in India”. (In addition, Infosys will contribute Rs 4.6 crore towards prize money and expenses every year.)
The prize is to be handed out in five categories: physical sciences, mathematical sciences, life sciences, social sciences and economics.
The Prize is “Infosys Technologies’ commitment to the country to promote and honour outstanding research efforts.” Its objective is to “elevate the prestiage of scientific research in India and to inspite young Indians to pursue a career in scientific research.”
As Infosys chief mentor N.R. Narayana Murthy puts it:
“India needs bright minds in academia, government, business, military and society to strive for global excellence. It is academia that provides bright minds for all other areas in any society. Research is an important dimension of excellence in academia. This award honours outstanding researchers who will make a difference to India’s future.”
While all that is commendable and unquestionable, the question remains: was only Upinder Singh worthy of this singular honour in this, the first year of the Infosys Prize?
***
Infosys, which has generated the buzz it sought to create by instituting and awarding the Prize in the presence of the prime minister, can wash its hands off and justly claim that it went by the jury’s recommendations.
The social sciences jury was chaired by the unimpeachable Amartya Sen. But were Prof Sen or his colleagues on the jury especially qualified to recognise Upinder Singh’s stellar qualifications?
The jury’s citation reads:
“Professor Upinder Singh is being recognized for her rich contributions as an outstanding historian of ancient and early medieval India. The depth and breadth of her scholarly research are matched by a rare ability to communicate her findings to a broad audience of students and intellectually curious non-specialists. She has been a pioneer in supplementing literary sources with an impressive array of archaeological, epigraphic and numismatic evidence to brilliantly reconstruct early Indian history. The vast chronological span of her scholarship stretches across millennia from the Paleolithic and Mesolithic ages to 1200 CE.
“Equally impressive is the geographical spread of her research, covering all the diverse regions of India. Attentive to regional distinctions, Singh is able to offer an overarching and subtle interpretation of Indian history and culture. As an innovative scholar who enables her readers to re-envision the idea of India, Singh is an ideal recipient of the inaugural Infosys Prize in Social Sciences – History.”
The social sciences jury comprised, besides economist Sen, two economists and three historians: Princeton economist Avinash Dixit and Berkeley economist Pranab Bardhan; Harvard historian Sugata Bose, Cambridge historian Christopher Alan Bayly and former Oxford historian Tapan Raychaudhuri.
Bose is a professor of modern economic, social and politial history; Bayly is a professor of imperial and naval history; and Chaudhuri is a former professor of Indian history and civilisation.
To paraphrase Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca: “Of all the historians in all the Universities of the world, we zeroed in on a professor of ancient and early medieval history who also happens to the prime minister’s daughter?”
***
It can be argued that Clean Mr Singh is not the sort who will be swayed by things like these. As a man of letters himself, he is likely to see the award for what it is: a gifted daughter earning her just desserts on her own merit.
It goes without saying that the prime minister and his daughter are adult individuals and professionals in their own right; it is wrong to club them or see them together beyond a point.
After all, Manmohan Singh’s youngest daughter, Amrit Singh, is a fine lawyer who has fought long and hard for the rights of inmates at Guantanamo Bay. If we do not see Amrit Singh’s efforts in conjunction with Manmohan Singh, why should we smell a rat in Upinder getting an award?
It can also be argued that neither Infosys, which is now the byword for Indian IT, nor its eminent social sciences jury has anything to gain by handing out a prize to his daughter.
So, why should we question it?
The answer is propriety.
Either you can spot it, or you don’t.
***
Photograph: (from left) Infosys chief mentor N.R. Narayana Murthy, Prof Amartya Sen, Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prof Upinder Singh, Infosys chief Krish Gopalakrishnan and Infosys director T.V. Mohandas Pai at glittering ceremony at the Taj Palace hotel in New Delhi on 4 January 2009.
You…have…got…to…be…kidding…me.
When we see “honorary” doctorates being tossed around like confetti and “eminent historians” being given multi-million dollar grants to fund their non-research and encourage insidious ideologies, we have to question the propriety of an award to a meritorious ischolar by a well known company as decided by some of the leading scholars in various fields???
The Reddy brothers flaunt their control of the puppet Government, rapists and molesters are protected in high office by those who are supposed to punish them, rich industrialists manage to divide up the Central Government between them and get ahead of the rest of us in getting their petty personal fights heard by the Supreme Court, Army officers are accused of land grabbing, like their judicial brethren and barely face consequences…
…and this counts as “impropriety”??
Newspapers selling content to the highest bidder, TV Channels treat wild claims of “re-birth” as serious entertainment, “Sach ka Saamna”, and a million other daily assaults on decency and taste everyday on televsions…
….and this counts as “impropriety”??
In a country where nepotism is a way of life and where the rich face absolutely 0 consequences for every breach of the law
….this counts as “impropriety”??
I fear I will damage the keyboard if I comment any more on this “post”…
LikeLike
Pritam Sengupta almost has shot himself in the foot. There is little doubt in the integrity of the individuals featured in this post. My question is, has anyone more worthy, been overlooked for such an honour?
I am satisfied as long as the recipient is a genuine gem. I would argue that the recipient is more than worthy of money or gold and provides honour to this new prize.
Any award or prize, set up to honour eminent bright minds in a society will first have to earn its worth over time by choosing the very best. I think Professor Upinder Singh is the right choice by Infosys Science Foundation. They have aimed high indeed. 25 lakhs and a bit of gold is not a booty for these scholars or our beloved prime minister to falter.
LikeLike
NRN did a mistake. He should have given this award to the Young Prince RajeevG, for doing indepth study on the poverty of Indians…that way he would have the Queen’s blessings and also the support of her minion MMS..killing 2 birds with one stone:)
LikeLike
I agree with Alok in questioning propriety
but somewhere when question and answer are both same. The writer is like keeping
–deepa on adda gode–
by writing
“The question, plainly and simply, is of propriety.”
“The answer is propriety.”
I haven’t read what Upinder’s real orientation but here they say
“she has challenged the Marxist view of Indian history and challenged right-wing fundamentalists”
that’s means she challenges both left and right.
And accordingly she is at centre. Can anyone elaborate this?
Or is it just a subtle encryption left over right and right over left for being politically clever than truthful.
Sikhs getting killed in Australia – Still a sikh PM is speechless. I wonder how patient the so called martial race Singh is King of India is!!
Heard he enjoys movies like Munnabhai-2.
Also heard Amartya Sen bowing and stooping more than this photo to come to level of abolishing homeworks to students in this shivering age. Shouldn’t he looking after the higher levels of reforms!!! Can’t take more of the ingenius of Bengali economist.
Wonder again if this Tamil (read NRN) in his wholesomeness tribute at end of career wants a country of Bengali Bose, Sen and Cahuduri’s take over at social and economically while showering science honours on their self appointed working class Tamil intellectuals and the usual Lordly Aryan race of Upinder and other sikh becoming victors writing the history as per their fantasies shouldering with likes of skin endearment with Sonias and Priyankas.
Even heard that NRN reads Bhyrappa’s novels buying a copy during flights convinced that Jananpith is some kind of mockery not including anyone in jury. Probably he takes them for the sake of entertainment I suppose!!
Also heard Pai was great fan of Haji Mastan just because he was rich. If Pai was motivated by richness why don’t we allow Ravichandran- creatively motivated and smitten by porn, to start a Beverly Hills ala Las Vegas on Nandi Betta!!!
I think conglomeration of people in any field after the age of 60-70 to be decision makers itself is questionable just like ramblings of DeveGowda every now and then pouncing on the age old public memory is short principle.
We, the country of most youths are into Kochche of Stagnation and defeated ideas.
PS: still waiting for some clear explanation of Upinder’s orientation.
LikeLike
>>>t can also be argued that neither Infosys, which is now the byword for Indian IT, nor its eminent social sciences jury has anything to gain by handing out a prize to his daughter.
Well, a few more acres of land, preferably in gurgaon, noadia, hmm pujab will also do. NRN is sucker for these….
LikeLike
Let’s congratulate the award winners. This would go a long way in encouraging excellence and achievements in India. The eminent jury has decided to bestow this award all right persons.
LikeLike
Simply put:
If we accept that Upinder should *not* be penalized for being the PM’s daughter, the question simply is: “Was she the most deserving recipient or not ?” . And this long-winded article gives precious little substantive information to suggest otherwise
LikeLike
@Vishala manassu..Boy u sure hear a lot of things.. :)
Anyways i always thought NRN was kannadiga and not tamil.
LikeLike
I think the author is being unfair to both NRN and Upinder Singh. She sure has lot of other qualifications than just being PM’s daughter to win the award. All the people involved including NRN have an impeccably clean record and are individuals of high integrity.
@Alok: Totally agree with you.
@Vishal Manassu: NRN is from Mysore and that makes him a kannadiga and not Tamil
LikeLike
Yep I agree with Churumuri. Infy being Infy, the company is famous for sharp practices by way of land grabbing in the manner of ‘doing good by stealth’. At the very least MMS won’t be too displeased with the award…
I am now recommending Humble Farmer who is also a ‘man of letters’ for Infy’s Literature prize…
LikeLike
The author has a point.
Isnt it too incidental that the first award went to the PM’s daughter. Did any one of us knew her before Mr. Singh went on to become PM? Let us do a google on he research subjects……you will be surprised !!
Let us be happy that at least one of us has pointed this out.
LikeLike
Since when the muse of history depart the humanities and was subsumed by the social sciences?
LikeLike
A Bharath Rathna for NRN should be in the works. But I won’t begrudge him that given HumbleFarmer wants one. My prediction: in the next election Gowda will make a deal with Congress with his 10-12 MLAs: Give me a BR and I will let you run the government for six months:)
LikeLike
Here is some sequence of events.
Nandan becomes head of UID project
Infy raises the revenue targets from India Projects
Infy calls Sonia to inagurate its new training center
Infy gives PM’s daughter a award..
LikeLike
Little known Stanford Prof. Daphne Koller got Infosys ACM award and Stanford’s connection to Infosys was that Narayan Murthy’s daughter was studying there!!
Infosys sponsored a chair at Cornell and made mysterious donations to trust even though Narayana Murthy never studied at Cornell. Connection at that time was Narayana Murthy’s son got admission in Cornell.
Going by that logic Narayana Murthy may be planning to join politics!!!
LikeLike
doddi buddi,
I liked your suggestion on giving literature award to man of letters aka humble farmer.
The award categories are given below,
1. Engineering Sciences, including Computer Science
2. Mathematical Sciences
3. Economic Sciences
4. Biological Sciences, and,
5. Social Sciences, including History
May be we can nominate humble famer in category 1 for his skills in engineering defections. incidently he also has a civil engineering diploma to justify his inclusion in the category
LikeLike
Awards in general fail to take an objective view of achievements. Obama getting the Nobel peace prize is a classic example. The greatest guys in the world have not won awards. I wonder if the Wright Brothers were conferred an award for inventing the airplane, nor were Archimedes, Isaac Newton or Mahatma Gandhi. Awards are a latter day invention. We should not use awards to measure a person’s merit as an award is essentially a judgment and hence subjective. In this case it looks a politically correct decision just like Obama’s Nobel
LikeLike
Clever move.
Possibly give and take for the national id project which could be the next big scam to loot tax payers money. Or maybe tribute in return for more land, subsidies and tax breaks.
LikeLike
A mathematics award named after Kumaraswamy and to be awarded to Yeddi – for conjuring all the weird arithematics in legislative government. perhaps NRN can get the crown prince to give the award away and keep everyone happy.
An award in sociology to the Crown prince for establishing the act of spending a night at homes of ‘ dalits’. Have Behenji herself give it away.
The Grand Barking award to UR Ananthamurthy to be given away by SL Byrappa ( with a bite)
etc etc etc
LikeLike
Pingback: Propriety, not spotted | DesiPundit
Who will get a Padma this year?
Will it be NRN?
Will it be someone in the media houses that give Rahul G the “Indian of the Year” tag?
Who has scratched the backs of the Congress coterie?
Will it be the journalist who says that Sonia G was the best thing that ever happened to India?
LikeLike
@DB and @Narayana. The humble farmer can be nominated in more than one category.
Mathematical Sciences – For mastering the ‘numbers’ game.
Economic Sciences – For greatly improving the economy of several townships and uplifting several poor debt ridden families.
Social Sciences, including History – for successfully understanding social engineering techniques and personally contributing to the history of the nation.
LikeLike
This is what you called rewarding in style in India…..
Infy has been known for Land Grabbing although by legalizing the illegal ones.
Grabbing the UID portfolio…..(NRN missed being the President because of National Anthem Contrroversy). Minister for UID is a Consolation prize…
Sonia Gandhi felt like bunking her CWC session, once she got the whiff of Infy campus…… Thanks to the NRN AXE effect…….
If NDTV and CNN-IBN are rolling over one and another by providing the Person of the year to MMS, INFY is not short of sycophancy……One up by providing his daughter with the Best Historian in the Country……..
Winston Churchillonce remarked after WORLD WAR 2 that “HISTORY IS WRITTEN BY THE WINNERS”….How true !!! We have the power’ that are in INDIA writing Indian History……
INFY is out to leverage on huge NUKE POWER Contract’s….. No wonder NRN was supporting the NUKE DEAL TOOTH N NAIL…..He knew were the moolah lies……..
God Bless INDIA and it’s tax payers…….
Only person who took on NRN is our Humble Farmer…… I wish he continued his tirade against this Sugar Coated Crook…….
LikeLike
in its true sense, its a conflict of interest …a corporate doling out a prize to an active politician’s family and also trying to some govt work is a definite conflict of interest
LikeLike
@Dreams Lady
The posters here have even more impeccable credentials than NRN and MMS combined.
LikeLike
Dear All
Fresh from DB Labs, I have new names for old characters as a welcome greeting to 2010:
Humble Charmer — NRN
Kurian — Siddaramiah
Kamaran — HDK for having more than one spouse; Humble Farmer will soon spread a canard saying Kumaran has embraced the peaceful religion (temporarily) to bring relief to the minorities and farmers and hence that is his new name.
Dumble Bore — URA
LikeLike
@Jaggesh,
All good points except Humble Farmer’s calling post PMship and Nuclear Deal…
LikeLike
MS
You are not suggesting by any chance, “Who will get a Padma Laxmi this year?”
LikeLike
Does she deserve this award? Were there other folks who deserved it more than her? Shouldn’t these be the only questions to be asked?
Look at it the other way – Wouldn’t it have been unjust if she were to be denied this prize (if she truly deserved it) just because she happened to be PM’s daughter?
LikeLike
Maybe now Sudha Murthy will get a Jnanapita for her seminal book ‘Dollar Sosse’.
LikeLike
I fail to understand devgowda here, maybe cheddi hoodlums still miffed that he alone called bluff of nrn con. Oh these hoodlums still seething for questioning Nandi kheny, another cheddi conman by devegowda.
Let these cheddis for a while ponder over the admin of kumsrswsmy and yeddi…. but the csste prejudice allow them ?
LikeLike
Hi,
Techgoss has linked to this article
http://www.techgoss.com/Story/2133S14-Infosys-prize-justified-.aspx
LikeLike
Khan at it again.
It was Devegowda’s government which gave the go ahead to Nandi Infrastrucutre corridor in the first place. Maybe DG and Kumaranna did not get their cut in the loot and are miffed. So they try to stall the project and get pulled up by the courts.
Khan, never let facts come in the way of your arguments denigrating the cheddis. Remember the time when you said L K Advani was foriegn born, and I had to remind you that Sind belonged undivided India.
Continue to make a fool of yourself.
LikeLike
I recall what Indira Gandhi asked her critics when Sanjay Gandhi was alloted the Maruthi project, ” Should he be denied the allotment merely because he is my son?”
LikeLike
@Kavitha,
Before you blame Khan for being ‘at it again’, wouldn’t it be wise to see who dragged DG into this discussion in the first place? Agreed that Khan went overboard hinting at ‘chaddi’ conspiracy but isn’t that the whole theme of this particular discussion any way ie a grand conspiracy behind awarding PM’s daughter by Infy?:)
Doesn’t it surprise you why DG should enter this discussion about Infy’s awards and PM’s daughter? Why?
Is he such a charismatic leader who hogs every waking hour of the few?
Or an easy target perhaps?
Or does it smack of elitism to take pot-shots about him while ignoring the current Yeddy-Reddy-Renu regime which has surpassed DeveGowda & Sons in every parameter you can think of – Corruption, Nepotism, Casteism, Dynasty/family politics, somnambulist politics, opportunistic politics, hunger for power?
Tell me have the current lords of Karnataka fallen short of DG & Sons’ illustrious achievements in any criterion? They seem to have set pretty high goals. DG and Sons aren’t a competition any more. Their target is in surpassing possibly the most corrupt Govt Karnataka has ever seen ie Bangarappa’s. In the current form they shall do it without breaking a sweat.
Or is it that his biggest folly of denying BJP its turn at power still rankles as an unpardonable sin? Is that the sole reason? In that case Khan’s thoughts may not be completely misplaced at all.
One would certainly wonder as dragging in DG in every other discussion doesn’t always look like innocent name-dropping.
While we are at it, it would be educative to note that DG is not the only ‘Man of letters’. Last year proved that Arun Shorie, Jaswant Singh and Yashwant Sinha proved without doubt that they too are ‘Men of Letters’ with a serial communication that ran on and on. So would they qualify as well for Infy’s ‘Literature’ award? Why the myopia? Generally ‘Deepada kelage kattalu’. But in this case we only see our own ‘Mannina Maga’ while blissfully ignore the others.
Disclaimer : I hold absolutely no brief whatsoever for DG and Sons and I consider them to be a dishonest and wily bunch of politicians. However let’s not be selectively blind to the fact that they are past and the present lot aren’t any better and in fact much worse.
LikeLike
AP,
NRN and Infy has never been over the board in their actions and transactions. Case in point is the huge swathes of land that they got allotted mostly free from SMKs government around Bangalore and Mysore in lieu of giving SMK a place on the board of directors of INFY. Incidentally, all these lands belonged to poor farmers that our Sin of the soil keeps wailing about day in and day out.
That being said, DG & Sons are not themselves bathed in milk and honey either as are Yeddi, Reddi, Renuka et all.
My grouse with Khan’s observation was that he was trying to project as if DG is the lone crusader trying to stop Nandi Infrastructure from land grabbing, while in reality he is the person responsible for starting this project.
At the end of the day all of them are thieves like you said, so why single out Cheddi’s
***
AP,
Also remember it was DG who did not get a piece of action during SMKs government’s land grant’s to infy, and hence he started his customary chest beating and giving press statements. So bottom line is include DG and sons in all the shady deals and they will keep their mouth shut.
LikeLike
Kavithamma there you go again!! Was it surprising???
DG gave double faced kheny the go ahead, Hmm is it bad?? Should he had not given? hindsight may be.
But if he did not , he would be questioned for anti-development, funny. But the point DG raises is not about project per se, but the blatant re-interpretation to acquire more land illegally and constructing tar road, when the agreement was for concrete. But these “small points” are ignored by wearing caste glasses, and ALLEGE DG not getting his share.
So, kavithamma, who is getting share?? The ones actively supporting him in his loot. The ones who send bulldozers to raze farmers houses at the dawn. Oh the “white knight rama” kheny also want to fight elections to defeat the “evil rakshasa king ravana” DG, on behalf of the BJP.
Such a sweet Ramayana is repeating all over again, should you approve a TV serial on this? How good triumph over evil. How kheney and reddy defeated the evil rakshasa gowda. Am sure we can gloss over how they acquired the money, for the “greater good”.
LikeLike
Khan,
Gowda has fought his case upto the supreme court and has been pulled up for his irresponsible allegations against Kheny. So do you think supreme court judges also have something against DG and his family.
Why do you think DG got the international airport shifted to Yelahanka from bidadi, even though 2 committees setup to check the suitability of the site of the airport had rejected Yelahanka and said Bidadi was most suitable place for building the international airport. And who approved this change, DG’s then buddy from the religion of peace community C M Ibrahim. Do you think this move had something to do with huge land holding by the sin of the soil and his family in and around Yelahanka?
Like I said, do not let facts come in the way of your argument.
***
Khan,
Here is a link from DG press conference.
http://www.hindu.com/2008/12/21/stories/2008122152740400.htm
Read it and cry. From the above press statement.
“As per the Frame Work Agreement, NICE was supposed to return to the government 14,255.7 acres of land of the total 20,193 acres required for the project after the toll collection period of 30 years.”
In the first place why was 20,193 acres allotted for this project during DGs time that too for 30 years when onhly 14,255 acres were enough? Does the sin of the soil and his family benefit from it? Who arrived at this 20,193 acres requirement and why?
In meanwhile, continue to post your rants without letting facts come in your way.
LikeLike
Kavithamma
As khan notes, the media has ‘match-fixed’ dirty DG and most journos are wearing ‘caste glasses’ (if you can imagine that)…poor dirty DG!
LikeLike
Kavitha and buddi,
The years of mental conditioning and brainwashing is very hard to set right by cold logic. Anshuman tried it with very well reasoned, the result, everyone is sinner so why point out Infy and kheny. Brilliant!!!
Why do pink cheddis has to bring DG in the first place here when there is no reason. Yeah I know … the feel good factor of “we are not the only ones”. If you ask what exactly did DG and his son’s sin…. they go on tangent.
Keep up kavitha, your hatred and venom is seen the way you mention derogatoraly “religion of peace community C M Ibrahim”. Must have been some very bad personal experience, but this hatred for the whole community??
I can go on and list all …but the point is not DG here, but the slimy way NRN seems to get away with.
Remember the threat and blackmail, if the HDK govt don’t snatch the land from poor farmers and hand it to over for cheap, we will move to kolkota, timbaktu et el. Ah and the cheddi media wailing on the anti urban, anti-development, disregarding the plight of the poor farmers.
Don’t let the cries of farmers, but continue the single pointed hatred for DG, even if you know that HDK govt was far far better than the current “ram rajya” of yeddy, reddy and cheddy.
LikeLike
Khan,
You should read my post before you venture out to reply.
I have never supported NRN. If you carefully read again my answet to Anshuman, I have clearly exposed the underhand dealiings SMK and NRN had in land grabbing for INFY during SMK’s rule. Let it be, you have conentiently forgotten my points about DG getting the international airport shifted to Yelahanka…why so? Who benefitted from it? Is it not the sin of the soil and his family. Look at the way he has been ditching all his close supporters, RK Hegde, M P Prakash, C M Ibrahim, the list is endless. If you want to remain in your delusional echo chamber that is OK with me.
I am not the one who coined the term religion of peace, it is your co-religionists who had done that and you very well know it is a oxymoron :)
LikeLike
Just one clarification. The airport was never going to be built in Yelahanka. (Of course there are remnanats of an airbase from British days; which is now part of the
not sogreen belt.). There is an operating IAF base is just outside Yelahanka.Nela-son MandeIlla was one of the reasons for the delay by several years (which more than doubled the cost also ) in the construction of Devanahalli airport. The ulterior motive was to move it to Bidadi where they had a lot of Nela Hola (benami).
LikeLike
Kavitha,
I have never supported NRN.
Ofcourse you did not supported NRN, but instead tried to pull DG in the same gutter as NRN, when there was no reason or occasion. This underhanded way is not new to the likes of you. Just a couple of replies above when I called the bluff, what was your reply, see seee Khan said Jinnah is pakistan born…he is sooo damn. That was another pathetic attempt.
you have conentiently forgotten my points about DG getting the international airport shifted to Yelahanka…why so?
You tell me, you are the one who is seeing grand conspiracy behind every administrative move. Let me have a guess, he wanted to cheat sauth bangalore for not voting him?? He wanted to punish them for eternity for their open hatred for him!!!
If so I say clever move, you cannot accuse him also for that, just give a try how it will sound. tsk tsk.
[i]Who benefitted from it? Is it not the sin of the soil and his family.
Care to back it up… lest you be accused of lying.
Look at the way he has been ditching all his close supporters, RK Hegde, M P Prakash, C M Ibrahim,
Ditching?? Who ditched whom? Hegde, who can not win even a corporate election on his own… was slighted for not being offered PM chair and was bitter to the end. Was DG ditched him, no he claimed he was best suited for PM, or rather was entitled for PM than lowly DG. mp Prakash another makhota, who can not even win panchayat, but was made deputy CM , back stabbed DG. Look where all these worthy netas are.
But why am talking of these guys, when AM SUPPOSED TO SAY SOMETHING OF THE GREAT LOOT OF NRN. He is offering prize money to PM daughter from may be, the same LAND BANK that was snatched from poor farmers. Ofcousrse he expect return on his investment, be it cash or kind.
LikeLike
khan is Dr. Ramesh!!??
LikeLike
It is indeed true that what Gowda and his samsaara have done is utterly irrelevant to a discussion of the propriety of NRN bestowing a “social science” award on a history scholar who happens to be the daughter of the Prime Minister. However, making Gowda a character in this narrative woven by different hands has made the discussion more interesting that it otherwise might have been.
A few random thoughts and questions:
Let us upgrade L. G. Polytechnic which gave Gowda his diploma to IIT status. Erecting a statue in honor of Gowda and closing up the space in front of the railway station will not evoke any resistance from Devegowdaru. Incidentally, one of these days Gowda will claim that he walked everyday from Holenarasipura to Haasana just to make it to class. Now he owns most of the land he then just saw on his trek.
Just how impenetrable is the benaami land grabbing business in India? From what I read here, people like Gowda and his clan must own thousands of acres of land like the protagonist of the Crema story in Ethiopia that Churumuri gleefully published a while ago. I wouldn’t be surprised if the investigation into our disgraced Chief Justice’s holdings shows that they are in the thousands.
Kavitha and Doddi Buddi go to great lengths to drag Gowda’s name in dirt. Unfortunately, for the likes of Khan, like many, I am on their side even if all the allegations they make are not true. Even if they are marginally right, it boggles the mind to think of the wealth of this family which even to this day has not taken the trouble to learn our “hakaara” and “sha.” Olenaraseepura is not far from Aasana.
Perhaps Dodda Buddi is right in guessing that Khan is actuallly
Dr. Ramesu. Maybe Khan is really Devegowda who wants to be born a Muslim in his next life. If the karma theory holds true and Gowda is guilty of even one of the misdeeds he is accused of, he will have a million lives to go through and none of them willl be as a human. ErehuLa, etthugalu, krimi keetagalu and the whole lot will be his. Many long yugas have to lapse before there is peace upon his soul or those of his offspring. By the way, what does Kumaaraswamy’s wife do in the legislative assembly sessions? She doesn’t seem to be able to say a mumbling word when her husband is being daily attacked by the party in power.
Theories about NRN becoming a nuclear power patriarch are indeed interesting. By the time that happens, though, India won’t have a foreign policy because our foreign ministry will relocate to Washington, D. C. very soon. Perhaps our toothless, wiggy Kittappa can rent the
P. M’s former residence there. Our money in Swiss banks and our masters in the U. S. is a nice picture to paint. Already we seem to be doing a splendid job as a proxy nation for the U. S. in Asia.
Long live everybody whose posts make their way to Churumuri.
LikeLike
Wonder who got the Infosys Prize for 2011? No mention about the prize on their website: http://www.infosys-science-foundation.com/index.html#
LikeLike
I think we have to be balanced in criticism. NRN Murthy had also donated to IAC (Kejriwal) over 1 crore for the first 5 years.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/No-donation-given-to-Arvind-Kejriwal-for-politics:-Narayana-Murthy/1027544/
IAC lost NRN’s support only when Kejriwal started digging out specific corruption involving major party bigwigs. Does it (or does it not) mean NRN wants to stay far away from politics ?
LikeLike