The revelation that a militant section of the Hindutva network was behind the September 29 bomb blasts in Muslim-dominated Malegaon in Maharashtra and Modasa in Gujarat has shattered the myth propagated by the Hindutva campaign that only Islamist fundamentalism breeds terrorism. Indeed the Sangh Parivar’s loaded argument has been that while all Muslims are not terrorists, all terrorists are Muslim. Saffron rabble-rousers have had no compunction in lobbing this charge at the Muslim community as a whole. While it has become almost an article of faith with the parivar to link Islamist fundamentalists with terrorism, today, with the arrests of radical Hindu activist Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and four others, among them a retired Major, the Sangh and its affiliates find themselves warding off the same accusations. Prima facie, the case against the Sadhvi and her accomplices is serious. The Anti-Terrorism Squad of Maharashtra, which has been on the trail of Hindutva terror since 2006, has charged them under the Indian Penal Code for murder as well as under sections of the Indian Explosives Act, 1884, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
The antecedents of the accused, the suspected role of former military personnel in providing training to them, and the recovery of military-grade explosive material (possibly RDX) from the blast sites, have added to the discomfiture of the BJP and the parivar, which claim to be India’s only truly nationalist forces. The Sadhvi is a former activist of the BJP’s student wing, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad. She and her accomplices were associated with several right-wing Hindu extremist organisations. There is another deeply worrying aspect to the case: How did the accused lay their hands on military-grade explosives? The other question is how far the trail will go as the investigators pursue the leads provided by this lethal mix of Hindutva and terror. There is no escaping the crisis that this has set off in the parivar. The BJP’s first response was to deny that any Hindutva outfit could be involved in terror. But party chief Rajnath Singh, who has been photographed with Pragya Singh Thakur, has subsequently gone on the offensive, insisting that she must be presumed innocent unless proven guilty. What all this highlights is the imperative of acknowledging that terrorism is too serious a challenge to be left to opportunistic, subjective interpretation. Combating terror is a responsibility governments and political parties across the spectrum must take up in a united and cooperative way.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Anatomy Of Sangh Parivar
By Ram Puniyani
The arrest of Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur in the context of Malegaon blasts of September 29, 2008 has been an important step in the investigation of bomb blasts which have been blowing the social peace and communal amity. Along with her the arrest of army officers, retired and serving, has unfolded the whole new dimension about investigation of acts of terror. The involvement of Bhonsala Military School has also come under the scanner of investigating agencies.
The Sadhvi has been the member of Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad and Durga Vahini, which are the parts of Sangh parivar, before she adorned the saffron robe. Sangh parivar is the word coined by the RSS and its progeny for the whole combine, all of them put together. RSS acts as the central controller and its trained volunteers, swayamsevaks, set up and manage different organizations to pursue the goals of RSS.
Sadhvi?s connections with BJP/RSS top leadership came to the surface and the BJP leadership in particular, distanced itself from her, initially. The ideological and political association was attempted to be played down to a mere acquaintance. Disowning the member of its outfits, after they do the crime is nothing new for Sangh organizations. The first such disowning was done when RSS prachark Nathuram Godse murdered the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi. Since RSS was not keeping records of its members etc. Nathuram claimed in the court that he had nothing to do with RSS, despite the fact that he was a trained RSS volunteer (swayamsevak). In an interview given to ?The Times of India? (25 Jan 98), his brother Gopal Godse, who was also an accomplice in the murder, elaborated the apparent reasons for hiding their affiliation with RSS. ?Technically and theoretically he (Nathuram) was a member (of RSS), but he stopped workings for it later. His statement in the court that he had left the RSS was to protect the RSS workers who would be imprisoned following the murder, on the understanding that they (RSS workers) would benefit from his dissociating himself??
The second major disassociation has been that from Rajendra Pal, alias, Dara Singh who murdered Pastor Graham Steward Stains. His case in the courts was fought by BJP ex Minister Dilip Singh Judeo's brother. Dara Singh himself was an active worker of VHP, Bajrang Dal and other Sangh organizations. All this was denied shamelessly by RSS combine. And now come the one related to the Sadhvi.
After initial quiet on the issue, now the Hindutva parties (BJP, Shiv Sena) are raising the army of lawyers to fight the case for her. Now their plea is that every accused has a right to be defended. So far they have kept quiet when the lawyers of the accused in the acts of terror have been beaten up and many lawyers associations have resolved not to fight the cases of accused in cases of acts of terror.
It was also stated by BJP spokesperson that there is no evidence, proof of involvement of the Sadhvi. The technicalities of this proof in this case apart one will like to know how many times, in how many cases of arrest of ?alleged Muslim terrorists? this question is raised. Their being a Muslim is a good enough proof of being a terrorist in this scheme of things propagated by RSS combine, and even the encounters, fake most of them, are welcomed by a section of these.
Then came the argument that since Sadhvi is a follower of ?cultural nationalism?, she can?t be a terrorist! Here the partisan attitude of those involved in this politics is clear. What they are referring to by cultural nationalism is Hindu nationalism. As such cultural nationalism has been promoted by the practitioners of politics in the name of religion. Be it Muslim terrorists taught in the US promoted Madrassas in Pakistan in yesteryears or the fundamentalists, doing politics in the name of any religion. In case of Hindutva, this cultural nationalism is the opposite of democratic nationalism, where diversity and equality of all is the foundation of the political ethos.
In case of RSS, cultural nationalism, is based on the some religious texts and the culture of elite Hindus, which gives priority to the Brahminical values, the values of caste and gender based inequality. Democratic nationalism has its focus on respecting and approving all cultures and religions, while in RSS scheme of cultural nationalism the Brahminical culture is the base of political nationalism. So what label does one put to the acts of Godse and Dara Singh? Both of them were steeped in the Cultural nationalism propagated by RSS combine. The formula that terrorism done by Muslims is anti national and the acts done by the ilk of Sadhvi are nationalism defies all the logic. Any act of violation of the Indian law is anti national, there can?t be separate set of laws for those indulging in violence and heinous crimes in the name of religion.
After initial hesitation, it started being said that she was pained by the terrorism committed by Muslims, so this revenge terrorism was meant to protect the Hindu society, and so subtle justification and approval for this variety of crime as being the answer to the terrorism done by Muslims. Some commentators are openly glorifying this and some others are quietly going by this logic. One can say that the Bajrang Dal and Sadhvi?s ilk is not into terrorism because of so called Islamic terrorism, it is in this more due to the indoctrination which they have received through RSS indoctrination module. This indoctrination reduces all the political-social issues to the religious ones.
RSS indoctrination is carried out through its Shakha Baudhiks (Branch intellectual sessions) and camps. It says that this is nation belongs to Hindus alone. Here, the Muslims and Christians are foreigners, the secular people are trying to say that this country belongs to all the people, which is wrong. We need to ensure that these threats to Hindu nation are dealt with properly.
RSS type indoctrination has also created the myth that all terrorists are Muslim, deliberately overlooking that terrorists come from all the religious communities, but not due to religious reasons. The reasons behind terrorism are social, economic and political. Be it LTTE, Khalistanis, ULFA, Irish Republican army all have indulged in terrorism, the reasons being anything but religious. In RSS scheme of things all the acts of terror have been projected to be due to Islam and Muslims. So the two modules merge and create the mind set of Sadhvi or Bajrang Dal members who have died while making bombs in Nanded and Kanpur or members of Hindu Jagran Samiti who planted bombs in Thane near Mumbai.
The current involvement of army officers, Bhonsla Military School and the members of different wings of Sangh privar should not be a surprise if one sees the structure and functioning of RSS. RSS founded to oppose democracy and to work for Hindu nation has been working, indoctrinating and creating more and more organizations to fulfill it objective of Hindu nation, which in essence means to restore the feudal hierarchical values of caste and gender in Indian context, to work for status quo around the modern version of Brahminical system. Its trained swayamsevaks, have been on one hand directly entering the political formations, Bhatiay Janata Party, Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarhti Parishad, Vanvasi Kalyan Ashrma, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Hindu Munnani, Bajrang Dal, Samajik Samrasta Manch on one hand, creating subordinate organizations amongst women, Rashtra Seviak Samiti, Durga Vahini etc on the other hand. Vast layers of Saints, the likes Asaram Bapu or Sri Sri Ravishakar, or Narnedra Maharaj are ideologically on same wave length as RSS and through their work they lay the ground for the politics of RSS to flourish in different sections of society.
Its second strategy has been that of infiltration in the different wings of state machinery, police, bureaucracy, Judiciary. On yet another layer its recruits have been working in the field of education and media by the mechanism of infiltration. Its hold and vicious grip on society cannot just be assessed by the electoral strength of BJP. That?s why Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the then Prime Minister, in Staten Island could assert that first he is the swayam sevak of RSS and then the prime minister. That?s why in 1977, when the Bharatiya Jansangh, previous avatar of BJP, who were part of Janata Party, were told to severe their links with RSS, they preferred to break the Janata party rather then severing their affiliation with RSS. Its strength comes from the earlier silent, by now violent, infiltration in all spheres of social and political activities. Its wing amongst retired military officers ensures that people like Retired army Officer Upadhyay is probably the part of the Malegaon and other such blasts.
Bhonsala military school has been managed by RSS in more ways than one, so not only it may be a place for hatching the conspiracies for blasts, but also for turning out recruits who can aid and assist this Sangh combine while serving in the army. Surprise is not that Bhonsla military school?s connection with this politics is coming to surface, surprise is not that Upadhyay and Purohits? links are coming to surface so late; surprise is that how they hid it so long and so well?
Various components of RSS family sometimes have some differences also, but these are sorted out by the patriarch RSS, through subtle control and ideological mechanisms so that their cohesion with the goal to destroy democracy, through all the means, including using democratic platforms for the same, remains intact. Sadhvi is involved in the blasts or not, army officers or involved in these acts or not should hopefully come out despite their ideological plants scattered all over. What it has brought to our notice is the dangers of this multi headed hydra, which is working in the democratic system with a goal to abolish democracy itself and bring in Hindu nation, another name of fascist formation, abusing the Hindu religion, the religion of Kabir and Gandhi!
In RSS scheme of things the organizational affiliation comes second, the primary thing which they instill is the ideological subordination. Most of those involved in these acts will not have any remorse for what they did, as like the Al Qaeda variety, they are indoctrinated to believe that it is nationalism (Hindu in this case, in Al Qaeda variety it is Islamic nation of course) so what you are doing while instigating anti minority violence or while planting the bombs is for the service of your religion!
While superficially at loggerheads the ideological wavelength of RSS indoctrination is similar to the one used in Pakistani Madrassas for training Al Qaeda. Here the religion is different paradigms are same. To deal with such ideologies leading to acts of terror, what is also needed is to combat their ideological foundations.
Source:Countercurrents.org
By Ram Puniyani
The arrest of Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur in the context of Malegaon blasts of September 29, 2008 has been an important step in the investigation of bomb blasts which have been blowing the social peace and communal amity. Along with her the arrest of army officers, retired and serving, has unfolded the whole new dimension about investigation of acts of terror. The involvement of Bhonsala Military School has also come under the scanner of investigating agencies.
The Sadhvi has been the member of Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad and Durga Vahini, which are the parts of Sangh parivar, before she adorned the saffron robe. Sangh parivar is the word coined by the RSS and its progeny for the whole combine, all of them put together. RSS acts as the central controller and its trained volunteers, swayamsevaks, set up and manage different organizations to pursue the goals of RSS.
Sadhvi?s connections with BJP/RSS top leadership came to the surface and the BJP leadership in particular, distanced itself from her, initially. The ideological and political association was attempted to be played down to a mere acquaintance. Disowning the member of its outfits, after they do the crime is nothing new for Sangh organizations. The first such disowning was done when RSS prachark Nathuram Godse murdered the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi. Since RSS was not keeping records of its members etc. Nathuram claimed in the court that he had nothing to do with RSS, despite the fact that he was a trained RSS volunteer (swayamsevak). In an interview given to ?The Times of India? (25 Jan 98), his brother Gopal Godse, who was also an accomplice in the murder, elaborated the apparent reasons for hiding their affiliation with RSS. ?Technically and theoretically he (Nathuram) was a member (of RSS), but he stopped workings for it later. His statement in the court that he had left the RSS was to protect the RSS workers who would be imprisoned following the murder, on the understanding that they (RSS workers) would benefit from his dissociating himself??
The second major disassociation has been that from Rajendra Pal, alias, Dara Singh who murdered Pastor Graham Steward Stains. His case in the courts was fought by BJP ex Minister Dilip Singh Judeo's brother. Dara Singh himself was an active worker of VHP, Bajrang Dal and other Sangh organizations. All this was denied shamelessly by RSS combine. And now come the one related to the Sadhvi.
After initial quiet on the issue, now the Hindutva parties (BJP, Shiv Sena) are raising the army of lawyers to fight the case for her. Now their plea is that every accused has a right to be defended. So far they have kept quiet when the lawyers of the accused in the acts of terror have been beaten up and many lawyers associations have resolved not to fight the cases of accused in cases of acts of terror.
It was also stated by BJP spokesperson that there is no evidence, proof of involvement of the Sadhvi. The technicalities of this proof in this case apart one will like to know how many times, in how many cases of arrest of ?alleged Muslim terrorists? this question is raised. Their being a Muslim is a good enough proof of being a terrorist in this scheme of things propagated by RSS combine, and even the encounters, fake most of them, are welcomed by a section of these.
Then came the argument that since Sadhvi is a follower of ?cultural nationalism?, she can?t be a terrorist! Here the partisan attitude of those involved in this politics is clear. What they are referring to by cultural nationalism is Hindu nationalism. As such cultural nationalism has been promoted by the practitioners of politics in the name of religion. Be it Muslim terrorists taught in the US promoted Madrassas in Pakistan in yesteryears or the fundamentalists, doing politics in the name of any religion. In case of Hindutva, this cultural nationalism is the opposite of democratic nationalism, where diversity and equality of all is the foundation of the political ethos.
In case of RSS, cultural nationalism, is based on the some religious texts and the culture of elite Hindus, which gives priority to the Brahminical values, the values of caste and gender based inequality. Democratic nationalism has its focus on respecting and approving all cultures and religions, while in RSS scheme of cultural nationalism the Brahminical culture is the base of political nationalism. So what label does one put to the acts of Godse and Dara Singh? Both of them were steeped in the Cultural nationalism propagated by RSS combine. The formula that terrorism done by Muslims is anti national and the acts done by the ilk of Sadhvi are nationalism defies all the logic. Any act of violation of the Indian law is anti national, there can?t be separate set of laws for those indulging in violence and heinous crimes in the name of religion.
After initial hesitation, it started being said that she was pained by the terrorism committed by Muslims, so this revenge terrorism was meant to protect the Hindu society, and so subtle justification and approval for this variety of crime as being the answer to the terrorism done by Muslims. Some commentators are openly glorifying this and some others are quietly going by this logic. One can say that the Bajrang Dal and Sadhvi?s ilk is not into terrorism because of so called Islamic terrorism, it is in this more due to the indoctrination which they have received through RSS indoctrination module. This indoctrination reduces all the political-social issues to the religious ones.
RSS indoctrination is carried out through its Shakha Baudhiks (Branch intellectual sessions) and camps. It says that this is nation belongs to Hindus alone. Here, the Muslims and Christians are foreigners, the secular people are trying to say that this country belongs to all the people, which is wrong. We need to ensure that these threats to Hindu nation are dealt with properly.
RSS type indoctrination has also created the myth that all terrorists are Muslim, deliberately overlooking that terrorists come from all the religious communities, but not due to religious reasons. The reasons behind terrorism are social, economic and political. Be it LTTE, Khalistanis, ULFA, Irish Republican army all have indulged in terrorism, the reasons being anything but religious. In RSS scheme of things all the acts of terror have been projected to be due to Islam and Muslims. So the two modules merge and create the mind set of Sadhvi or Bajrang Dal members who have died while making bombs in Nanded and Kanpur or members of Hindu Jagran Samiti who planted bombs in Thane near Mumbai.
The current involvement of army officers, Bhonsla Military School and the members of different wings of Sangh privar should not be a surprise if one sees the structure and functioning of RSS. RSS founded to oppose democracy and to work for Hindu nation has been working, indoctrinating and creating more and more organizations to fulfill it objective of Hindu nation, which in essence means to restore the feudal hierarchical values of caste and gender in Indian context, to work for status quo around the modern version of Brahminical system. Its trained swayamsevaks, have been on one hand directly entering the political formations, Bhatiay Janata Party, Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarhti Parishad, Vanvasi Kalyan Ashrma, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Hindu Munnani, Bajrang Dal, Samajik Samrasta Manch on one hand, creating subordinate organizations amongst women, Rashtra Seviak Samiti, Durga Vahini etc on the other hand. Vast layers of Saints, the likes Asaram Bapu or Sri Sri Ravishakar, or Narnedra Maharaj are ideologically on same wave length as RSS and through their work they lay the ground for the politics of RSS to flourish in different sections of society.
Its second strategy has been that of infiltration in the different wings of state machinery, police, bureaucracy, Judiciary. On yet another layer its recruits have been working in the field of education and media by the mechanism of infiltration. Its hold and vicious grip on society cannot just be assessed by the electoral strength of BJP. That?s why Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the then Prime Minister, in Staten Island could assert that first he is the swayam sevak of RSS and then the prime minister. That?s why in 1977, when the Bharatiya Jansangh, previous avatar of BJP, who were part of Janata Party, were told to severe their links with RSS, they preferred to break the Janata party rather then severing their affiliation with RSS. Its strength comes from the earlier silent, by now violent, infiltration in all spheres of social and political activities. Its wing amongst retired military officers ensures that people like Retired army Officer Upadhyay is probably the part of the Malegaon and other such blasts.
Bhonsala military school has been managed by RSS in more ways than one, so not only it may be a place for hatching the conspiracies for blasts, but also for turning out recruits who can aid and assist this Sangh combine while serving in the army. Surprise is not that Bhonsla military school?s connection with this politics is coming to surface, surprise is not that Upadhyay and Purohits? links are coming to surface so late; surprise is that how they hid it so long and so well?
Various components of RSS family sometimes have some differences also, but these are sorted out by the patriarch RSS, through subtle control and ideological mechanisms so that their cohesion with the goal to destroy democracy, through all the means, including using democratic platforms for the same, remains intact. Sadhvi is involved in the blasts or not, army officers or involved in these acts or not should hopefully come out despite their ideological plants scattered all over. What it has brought to our notice is the dangers of this multi headed hydra, which is working in the democratic system with a goal to abolish democracy itself and bring in Hindu nation, another name of fascist formation, abusing the Hindu religion, the religion of Kabir and Gandhi!
In RSS scheme of things the organizational affiliation comes second, the primary thing which they instill is the ideological subordination. Most of those involved in these acts will not have any remorse for what they did, as like the Al Qaeda variety, they are indoctrinated to believe that it is nationalism (Hindu in this case, in Al Qaeda variety it is Islamic nation of course) so what you are doing while instigating anti minority violence or while planting the bombs is for the service of your religion!
While superficially at loggerheads the ideological wavelength of RSS indoctrination is similar to the one used in Pakistani Madrassas for training Al Qaeda. Here the religion is different paradigms are same. To deal with such ideologies leading to acts of terror, what is also needed is to combat their ideological foundations.
Source:Countercurrents.org
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Genesis of Sub Prime Crisis: A Slide Presentation
Please visit the link below for a better grasp of U.S SubPrime Crisis. More to follow on Current Financial Turmoil:
http://docs.google.com/TeamPresent?docid=ddp4zq7n_0cdjsr4fn&skipauth=true&pl
http://docs.google.com/TeamPresent?docid=ddp4zq7n_0cdjsr4fn&skipauth=true&pl
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
A Request to Bombers and Fanatics
If you are the merchant of death,be you the one conducting bomb blasts in Indian cities or the one who are attacking minorities in karnataka, orissa..elsewhere, please read this text once:
Perpetrators of terror and communal riots follow the distorted versions of the preaching and are trying to preach the same nonsense to the whole world. And as for the revenge you are talking about, that would help you only to loose the sympathy or concern others have about sufferings, if any. Terror mongers communal fanatics attacking minorities like you are serving interest of none other than evils who are out to destroy harmony. By evil act of this kind you are killing my fellow human beings. When you were exploding those bombs in the city , it’s not only my parents and relatives who had worried about my safety but also my friends, most of them Hindus and Christians. They hadn’t thought before calling me whether I am a Hindu or Muslim. Because they knew bombs, whether made by Muslims, Hindus or Christians would kill all living things on earth notwithstanding one’s religion, region or country. Bombs don’t discriminate Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims or Indians or Americans or Pakistanis. Everybody is same for them. They will kill whoever comes in their way. So my friends worried about me, for they are human beings above all. Then only they are Hindus, Sikhs or Muslims.
The killers are just killers everywhere. They are neither Muslims nor Hindus, neither theists nor atheists, neither spiritual nor intellectual. They are just killers. They deserve a punishment what a murderer deserves. Nobody, Hindu, Muslim or Sikh, should be ashamed of their religion in front of these killers. A religion resides in people’s heart, not in guns.
Perpetrators of terror and communal riots follow the distorted versions of the preaching and are trying to preach the same nonsense to the whole world. And as for the revenge you are talking about, that would help you only to loose the sympathy or concern others have about sufferings, if any. Terror mongers communal fanatics attacking minorities like you are serving interest of none other than evils who are out to destroy harmony. By evil act of this kind you are killing my fellow human beings. When you were exploding those bombs in the city , it’s not only my parents and relatives who had worried about my safety but also my friends, most of them Hindus and Christians. They hadn’t thought before calling me whether I am a Hindu or Muslim. Because they knew bombs, whether made by Muslims, Hindus or Christians would kill all living things on earth notwithstanding one’s religion, region or country. Bombs don’t discriminate Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims or Indians or Americans or Pakistanis. Everybody is same for them. They will kill whoever comes in their way. So my friends worried about me, for they are human beings above all. Then only they are Hindus, Sikhs or Muslims.
The killers are just killers everywhere. They are neither Muslims nor Hindus, neither theists nor atheists, neither spiritual nor intellectual. They are just killers. They deserve a punishment what a murderer deserves. Nobody, Hindu, Muslim or Sikh, should be ashamed of their religion in front of these killers. A religion resides in people’s heart, not in guns.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Forecasting the Stock Market
“ Bulls make money. Bears make money. Pigs get slaughtered.” Anon.
Every day I see in the financial section of newspapers how to forecast what the market will do in 6 months, 12 months, several years. “Ten stocks that will double in the next 6 months.” Right! I have trouble trying to forecast what it will do tomorrow. Do not trust any who claims he knows what the future will be for the market.
Of course, your broker will send you gobs of slick material about various companies that predict they will double or triple in the next 12 months. On the New York Stock Exchange there will be about one half of one per cent (0.5%) of companies that will double this year. Are you smart enough to pick those winners? I’m not and I am considered a professional trader. And I am sure your broker isn’t either. He just wants to make a commission and is probably promoting a stock his brokerage company wants to push.
Every investor wants to know the future and will send money to some “expert” who will send him news about a company that only (?) he knows. And pigs can fly. One thing about the market. It is almost impossible to keep a secret and everyone knows everything about other companies. As soon as some “analyst” finds a cogent fact that can influence a stock price he will share that “secret” with a few close friends. Within minutes the “secret” is known by hundreds of thousands and is immediately reflected in the price of the stock.
If you do get sucked into one of these money traps by some smooth-talking salesman or newspaper verbiage I strongly suggest you immediately plan your exit strategy. Without an exit plan you can easily lose a large amount of your “investment”. This is not an investment; it is a gamble and should be treated as such. The first thought of any professional trader is ‘if I am wrong how much am I willing to lose’? Maybe 2%, 5%, certainly no more than 10%. Pros understand that small losses are OK, but never take a big loss.
From 1982 to 2000 it seemed everyone was a financial genius. How many of those folks kept those big winnings from 2000? Almost none. Most lost 40% to 60% of their money. Brokers said, “Hang in there. You are in for the long haul”. Unfortunately he did not tell you that Modern Portfolio Theory is based on a 40 year time line.
Yes, but understand you don’t need to predict anything. Don’t forecast. What you can easily learn is follow the major trend. You bought in 1982 and you sold out in 2000. The trend can be found in many ways with the simplest being posted every day in Investors Business Daily newspaper under the IBD Mutual Fund Index. When the Index price is above the 200-day moving average you own equities and when it is below you are in cash or bonds. Nothing complicated,
Don’t try to forecast the market. Let the market trend tell you.
courtesy:Al Thomas
Every day I see in the financial section of newspapers how to forecast what the market will do in 6 months, 12 months, several years. “Ten stocks that will double in the next 6 months.” Right! I have trouble trying to forecast what it will do tomorrow. Do not trust any who claims he knows what the future will be for the market.
Of course, your broker will send you gobs of slick material about various companies that predict they will double or triple in the next 12 months. On the New York Stock Exchange there will be about one half of one per cent (0.5%) of companies that will double this year. Are you smart enough to pick those winners? I’m not and I am considered a professional trader. And I am sure your broker isn’t either. He just wants to make a commission and is probably promoting a stock his brokerage company wants to push.
Every investor wants to know the future and will send money to some “expert” who will send him news about a company that only (?) he knows. And pigs can fly. One thing about the market. It is almost impossible to keep a secret and everyone knows everything about other companies. As soon as some “analyst” finds a cogent fact that can influence a stock price he will share that “secret” with a few close friends. Within minutes the “secret” is known by hundreds of thousands and is immediately reflected in the price of the stock.
If you do get sucked into one of these money traps by some smooth-talking salesman or newspaper verbiage I strongly suggest you immediately plan your exit strategy. Without an exit plan you can easily lose a large amount of your “investment”. This is not an investment; it is a gamble and should be treated as such. The first thought of any professional trader is ‘if I am wrong how much am I willing to lose’? Maybe 2%, 5%, certainly no more than 10%. Pros understand that small losses are OK, but never take a big loss.
From 1982 to 2000 it seemed everyone was a financial genius. How many of those folks kept those big winnings from 2000? Almost none. Most lost 40% to 60% of their money. Brokers said, “Hang in there. You are in for the long haul”. Unfortunately he did not tell you that Modern Portfolio Theory is based on a 40 year time line.
Yes, but understand you don’t need to predict anything. Don’t forecast. What you can easily learn is follow the major trend. You bought in 1982 and you sold out in 2000. The trend can be found in many ways with the simplest being posted every day in Investors Business Daily newspaper under the IBD Mutual Fund Index. When the Index price is above the 200-day moving average you own equities and when it is below you are in cash or bonds. Nothing complicated,
Don’t try to forecast the market. Let the market trend tell you.
courtesy:Al Thomas
MICROFINANCE AND AGRICULTURE: AN ANALYSIS
Microfinance groups can effectively improve agriculture, water resources and standard of life of an individual, community….etc as various empirical studies has pointed out. People’s contribution along with assistance from banks and government could work well to stimulate investment in rural agricultural activities. Obtaining fertilizers at lower rate than market rate and easy availability of credits can provide relief to farming community. As any micro credit programme there is mutual sharing of plans, actions, and crises due to which members are able to react quickly to emergency situations and mitigate loss.
Today, there are about 60,000 retail credit outlets of the formal banking sector in the rural areas comprising the 12,000 branches of district level cooperative banks, over 14,000 branches of the Regional Rural Banks. On an average, there is at least one retail credit outlet for about 5,000 rural people. In the mist of the apparent inadequacies of the formal financial system to cater to the needs of the rural poor, NABARD sponsored an action research project in 1987 through an NGO called MYRADA. Encouraged by the results of field experiments in group based approach for lending to the poor, NABARD launched a pilot project in 1991-1992 in partnership with NGOs for promoting and grooming self help groups of homogenous members and making savings from existing banks and within the existing legal frame work. Steady progress of the pilot project led to the mainstreaming of the SHG-Bank linkage programme in 1996 as normal banking activity of the banks with widespread acceptance. The rapid progress achieved in SHG formation, which has now turned in to an empowerment movement among women across the country, laid the foundation for emergence of MFIs in India.
Delivering small-scale loans and savings mechanisms can be particularly challenging in areas of low population density, where the distance between clients is great, transportation networks are often poor and low income levels tend to translate into impracticably small financial transactions. This phenomenon prevails in India to a large extent. India has seen man farmer suicides during the last few years; the reasons attributed are many, ranging from pro rich approach of World trade Organization to lack of access to proper credit facilities.
The identification of agricultural microfinance is a significant remaining challenge to financial sectors that serve the majority of the poor spurred CGAP to undertake an analysis of current practices. CGAP in 2002 began desk research, consultant site visits, and stakeholder consultations to identify promising agricultural operations. The study was based on Kyrgyzstan, Bolivia, Peru, Mozambique and Kenya.
Summary of the studies are as follows;
Bai Tushum Financial Foundation (BTF) began agricultural credit operation Kyrgyzstan in 2000, after it assumed the foundering, three-year-old portfolios of several small agricultural credit associations. Through dedicated attention to building a sustainable institution and creative solutions to cultural and legislative barriers, BTF has quickly evolved into a strong local institution serving a range of rural and urban borrowers’ needs. BTF has half of its loan portfolio in agriculture, offering crop production and livestock loans, as well as a mixture of agro-processing, trade, and mortgage loan products. Yet it is profitable, achieving 230 percent operational self-sufficiency in its first year of operation. The institution’s commitment to agricultural lending appears to have superseded profit maximization however, with trade and other loans sometimes cross-subsidizing the agricultural portfolio.
Confianza, Peru is a small regulated financial institution in central Peru that provides a mixture of rural, urban, small business, agricultural, housing, and consumer loans to low-income clients. Confianza’s loan portfolio was almost exclusively group loans for agricultural purposes. Confianza was forced to make a set of swift, substantial changes in order to survive due to plunging commodity prices and combination of other factors. The organization’s approach demonstrates that agricultural lending can be viable when combined with other rural and urban financial services, making small-farmer clients attractive when competition is strong in urban areas. By the end of 2002, the organization was financially sustainable, lending more than US $4 million annually.
Equity Bank Limited (Equity), Kenya provides microfinance services to more than 250,000 low and moderate income citizens in Nairobi and Kenya’s Central province via a network of branch offices and mobile banking units. In 1994, it began tailoring its loan and saving products to a microfinance market, eventually adding two loan products for tea and dairy farmers that are secured by agribusiness contracts. By the end of 2003, the deposit base of equity had grown o US $44 million and its outstanding loan portfolio topped $22 million.
In very recent years some recognition has been given to food production by urban residents. And urban agriculture is a concept that evokes contradictory images. However, as urbanization overtakes demographic trends in developing countries, it is critical that policy makers in developing countries, it is critical that policy makers in developing countries and urban planners in particular heighten their awareness and appreciation of the important contribution that urban food and non-food production is making to the diversity of livelihood activities of the urban poor and the quality of life in urban centers in developing countries (Remenyi, 1999, and UNDP,1996)
It is only relatively recently that microfinance providers in Bangladesh have begun to target the needs of the urban poor for financial services. The Grameen bank restricts itself to rural areas. BRAC, on the other hand, initiated an urban credit program for slum dwellers in 1997. In a city (Dhaka) of two million people below the poverty line the BRAC share is only 2.5% of the poor. BRAC urban credit program is targeted at women slum dwellers, especially recent arrivals who have least knowledge of where land might available for planting or animal production, and with the least opportunities to use their rural production skills.
In addition to BRAC, ASA and SafeSave, willing cooperation was forthcoming from the Credit and Development Forum (CDF) in Bangladesh. CDF is an umbrella body representing microfinance and micro enterprise development programs and NGOs in Bangladesh. It is electronically networked b email to all 850 member institutions.
The project’s impact on the agricultural sector, however, was modest, largely because of the scattered nature of its activities and future interventions in Bangladesh will require a radical rethink to maximize overall project impact.
Today, there are about 60,000 retail credit outlets of the formal banking sector in the rural areas comprising the 12,000 branches of district level cooperative banks, over 14,000 branches of the Regional Rural Banks. On an average, there is at least one retail credit outlet for about 5,000 rural people. In the mist of the apparent inadequacies of the formal financial system to cater to the needs of the rural poor, NABARD sponsored an action research project in 1987 through an NGO called MYRADA. Encouraged by the results of field experiments in group based approach for lending to the poor, NABARD launched a pilot project in 1991-1992 in partnership with NGOs for promoting and grooming self help groups of homogenous members and making savings from existing banks and within the existing legal frame work. Steady progress of the pilot project led to the mainstreaming of the SHG-Bank linkage programme in 1996 as normal banking activity of the banks with widespread acceptance. The rapid progress achieved in SHG formation, which has now turned in to an empowerment movement among women across the country, laid the foundation for emergence of MFIs in India.
Delivering small-scale loans and savings mechanisms can be particularly challenging in areas of low population density, where the distance between clients is great, transportation networks are often poor and low income levels tend to translate into impracticably small financial transactions. This phenomenon prevails in India to a large extent. India has seen man farmer suicides during the last few years; the reasons attributed are many, ranging from pro rich approach of World trade Organization to lack of access to proper credit facilities.
The identification of agricultural microfinance is a significant remaining challenge to financial sectors that serve the majority of the poor spurred CGAP to undertake an analysis of current practices. CGAP in 2002 began desk research, consultant site visits, and stakeholder consultations to identify promising agricultural operations. The study was based on Kyrgyzstan, Bolivia, Peru, Mozambique and Kenya.
Summary of the studies are as follows;
Bai Tushum Financial Foundation (BTF) began agricultural credit operation Kyrgyzstan in 2000, after it assumed the foundering, three-year-old portfolios of several small agricultural credit associations. Through dedicated attention to building a sustainable institution and creative solutions to cultural and legislative barriers, BTF has quickly evolved into a strong local institution serving a range of rural and urban borrowers’ needs. BTF has half of its loan portfolio in agriculture, offering crop production and livestock loans, as well as a mixture of agro-processing, trade, and mortgage loan products. Yet it is profitable, achieving 230 percent operational self-sufficiency in its first year of operation. The institution’s commitment to agricultural lending appears to have superseded profit maximization however, with trade and other loans sometimes cross-subsidizing the agricultural portfolio.
Confianza, Peru is a small regulated financial institution in central Peru that provides a mixture of rural, urban, small business, agricultural, housing, and consumer loans to low-income clients. Confianza’s loan portfolio was almost exclusively group loans for agricultural purposes. Confianza was forced to make a set of swift, substantial changes in order to survive due to plunging commodity prices and combination of other factors. The organization’s approach demonstrates that agricultural lending can be viable when combined with other rural and urban financial services, making small-farmer clients attractive when competition is strong in urban areas. By the end of 2002, the organization was financially sustainable, lending more than US $4 million annually.
Equity Bank Limited (Equity), Kenya provides microfinance services to more than 250,000 low and moderate income citizens in Nairobi and Kenya’s Central province via a network of branch offices and mobile banking units. In 1994, it began tailoring its loan and saving products to a microfinance market, eventually adding two loan products for tea and dairy farmers that are secured by agribusiness contracts. By the end of 2003, the deposit base of equity had grown o US $44 million and its outstanding loan portfolio topped $22 million.
In very recent years some recognition has been given to food production by urban residents. And urban agriculture is a concept that evokes contradictory images. However, as urbanization overtakes demographic trends in developing countries, it is critical that policy makers in developing countries, it is critical that policy makers in developing countries and urban planners in particular heighten their awareness and appreciation of the important contribution that urban food and non-food production is making to the diversity of livelihood activities of the urban poor and the quality of life in urban centers in developing countries (Remenyi, 1999, and UNDP,1996)
It is only relatively recently that microfinance providers in Bangladesh have begun to target the needs of the urban poor for financial services. The Grameen bank restricts itself to rural areas. BRAC, on the other hand, initiated an urban credit program for slum dwellers in 1997. In a city (Dhaka) of two million people below the poverty line the BRAC share is only 2.5% of the poor. BRAC urban credit program is targeted at women slum dwellers, especially recent arrivals who have least knowledge of where land might available for planting or animal production, and with the least opportunities to use their rural production skills.
In addition to BRAC, ASA and SafeSave, willing cooperation was forthcoming from the Credit and Development Forum (CDF) in Bangladesh. CDF is an umbrella body representing microfinance and micro enterprise development programs and NGOs in Bangladesh. It is electronically networked b email to all 850 member institutions.
The project’s impact on the agricultural sector, however, was modest, largely because of the scattered nature of its activities and future interventions in Bangladesh will require a radical rethink to maximize overall project impact.
Friday, August 29, 2008
The sad state of minorities in India
Large number of young Muslims are being victimised by police on the charge of being involved in terrorist acts across the country, according to a public tribunal.
In its report, a people's tribunal on atrocities committed against minorities in the name of fighting terrorism noted that such instances were reported more from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan. In most of the cases, the persons picked up are not shown to be arrested by the police until many days after their arrest in gross violation of the law. Their families are also not informed about their arrest. In many cases, they have been tortured in police custody and made to 'confess' and sign blank papers, the report said, adding that the police has often been humiliating Muslim detenues on the ground of their religion. The tribunal, comprising retired judges, academicians and media persons, said the testimonies it heard showed widespread communalisation of the police across states in the country.It also flayed the media for uncritically publicising allegations levelled by the police.
This has resulted in the destruction of the lives and reputations of a large number of persons picked up by the police, who have later been found to be innocent, it added. The tribunal observed that citizens who are picked up by police officers for interrogation are subject to repeated harassment and torture, and are implicated in false cases even after release or acquittal. They are further subjected to mental and physical torture.
Lamenting on the lack of accountability, the tribunal said unfortunately, the courts are going along with this behaviour of the police and are virtually ignoring allegations of torture in police custody. Criticising the Human Rights Commission for not standing up against such violations, the jury felt that by and large the complaints were being treated with casual indifference. "They either do not take up such cases on the ground that they are the subject matter of court proceedings or just ask for a routine police report without getting any independent investigation done on such serious charges of human right violations."Some of the recommendations put forth by the tribunal are:
State Human Rights Commission and National Human Rights Commission and State Minority Commission should take up such matters seriously and come to independent finding itself and awarding adequate compensation in suitable Cases. It should not wait for somebody to approach the commission but should take action Suo-moto.
Courts must not routinely grant police or judicial custody, but must examine at that stage whether there is any credible evidence against the accused. The courts should keep in mind that no reliance should be placed on the alleged confession of the accused even for consideration of bail/remand.
Whenever any person is released by the police for want of evidence against him the courts should award adequate compensation for destruction of his life and reputation. In such cases, the courts should examine if the prosecution was malafide, and if it is so found, the police officials involved must be held accountable and the compensation payable to the victim must be recovered from the officers concerned.
Independent police complaints authorities must be immediately set up at all levels in line with the Supreme Court's judgment in the Police Reforms case.
Trial courts be provided with a medical officer, who can immediately examine any accused complaining of torture in police or judicial custody.
The number of trial courts must be greatly increased to ensure speedy conclusions of Trials. Investigations must also be concluded within the shortest possible time and extensions of time must not be routinely given.
The police, during interrogation or investigation, cannot get blank papers signed by the accused; Police officers found indulging in such practice must be severely punished.
Narco analysis is a psychologically and physically third degree method of investigation, which is not even scientifically proven. It must not be allowed on persons, particularly without consent.
The media, both print as well electronic, should be very careful not to publicise mere allegations or claims of the police, which can irreparably damage reputations of innocent persons without subjecting them to basic scrutiny.
India must immediately sign the International Criminal Court Treaty, known as the Rome Statute which has been signed by most countries.
Courtesy: Rediff.com, 28/8/2008
In its report, a people's tribunal on atrocities committed against minorities in the name of fighting terrorism noted that such instances were reported more from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan. In most of the cases, the persons picked up are not shown to be arrested by the police until many days after their arrest in gross violation of the law. Their families are also not informed about their arrest. In many cases, they have been tortured in police custody and made to 'confess' and sign blank papers, the report said, adding that the police has often been humiliating Muslim detenues on the ground of their religion. The tribunal, comprising retired judges, academicians and media persons, said the testimonies it heard showed widespread communalisation of the police across states in the country.It also flayed the media for uncritically publicising allegations levelled by the police.
This has resulted in the destruction of the lives and reputations of a large number of persons picked up by the police, who have later been found to be innocent, it added. The tribunal observed that citizens who are picked up by police officers for interrogation are subject to repeated harassment and torture, and are implicated in false cases even after release or acquittal. They are further subjected to mental and physical torture.
Lamenting on the lack of accountability, the tribunal said unfortunately, the courts are going along with this behaviour of the police and are virtually ignoring allegations of torture in police custody. Criticising the Human Rights Commission for not standing up against such violations, the jury felt that by and large the complaints were being treated with casual indifference. "They either do not take up such cases on the ground that they are the subject matter of court proceedings or just ask for a routine police report without getting any independent investigation done on such serious charges of human right violations."Some of the recommendations put forth by the tribunal are:
State Human Rights Commission and National Human Rights Commission and State Minority Commission should take up such matters seriously and come to independent finding itself and awarding adequate compensation in suitable Cases. It should not wait for somebody to approach the commission but should take action Suo-moto.
Courts must not routinely grant police or judicial custody, but must examine at that stage whether there is any credible evidence against the accused. The courts should keep in mind that no reliance should be placed on the alleged confession of the accused even for consideration of bail/remand.
Whenever any person is released by the police for want of evidence against him the courts should award adequate compensation for destruction of his life and reputation. In such cases, the courts should examine if the prosecution was malafide, and if it is so found, the police officials involved must be held accountable and the compensation payable to the victim must be recovered from the officers concerned.
Independent police complaints authorities must be immediately set up at all levels in line with the Supreme Court's judgment in the Police Reforms case.
Trial courts be provided with a medical officer, who can immediately examine any accused complaining of torture in police or judicial custody.
The number of trial courts must be greatly increased to ensure speedy conclusions of Trials. Investigations must also be concluded within the shortest possible time and extensions of time must not be routinely given.
The police, during interrogation or investigation, cannot get blank papers signed by the accused; Police officers found indulging in such practice must be severely punished.
Narco analysis is a psychologically and physically third degree method of investigation, which is not even scientifically proven. It must not be allowed on persons, particularly without consent.
The media, both print as well electronic, should be very careful not to publicise mere allegations or claims of the police, which can irreparably damage reputations of innocent persons without subjecting them to basic scrutiny.
India must immediately sign the International Criminal Court Treaty, known as the Rome Statute which has been signed by most countries.
Courtesy: Rediff.com, 28/8/2008
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