Rituparna Bhowmik

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is among four Indians who share space with U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao on the Forbes 2009 list of the World’s Most Powerful People.

Those who dominate the list were chosen based on the number of people they influence, their ability to project power beyond their immediate sphere of influence and their control of financial resources.

For Singh, a self-effacing economist who led a resurgent Congress Party to a landslide victory in the general election this year, the accolade is a reflection of how far he has come since his name was proposed as an obvious choice for the post of Prime Minister.

The Congress’ showing in the recent assembly elections in Maharashtra, Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh had set the trend for its performance in subsequent by-elections where it won 10 of the 31 seats contested.

The message was clear. Independent of the shackles of its communist allies, the party led by Singh (placed 36th on the Forbes list) is now free to aggressively push much-needed reforms.

Under Singh, the Indian economy grew at the rate of 6.7 percent in 2008/09 despite inadequate monsoons and a global slowdown.

Singh assured investors at the World Economic Forum of a seven percent growth next year and a medium term objective of achieving a growth rate of 9 percent per annum as the economic downturn shows signs of reversing.

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani is placed 44th on the Forbes list followed by steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal at 55th and Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata at the 59th spots.

With a net worth pegged at $19.5 billion by Forbes magazine earlier this year, Ambani is thought to be Asia's richest man.

Forbes says the "ranking is intended to be the beginning of a conversation, not the final word," but interestingly, some of the names on its power list have strong India connections in their own unusual ways.

Dawood Ibrahim, wanted in connection with the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, ranks 50th on the list and is described as "boss of Mumbai-based organised crime syndicate D-Company."

Tibetan spiritual leader in exile and Nobel laureate the Dalai Lama (39) fled Tibet to India in 1959 after an abortive uprising against Chinese rule.

Powerful and influential Indians have often made the Forbes lists. Congress president Sonia Gandhi has appeared on its 100 most powerful women’s list.

From autocrats to multi-billionaires, Forbes judges power based on its own varied criteria. It throws open the question of who has missed its list and deserved to be there.

Is a militant more powerful than the Pope?

But does the common man care beyond his three daily meals? How much bearing does it have on their lives?

The ruling Congress party-led alliance has won state polls in Maharashtra and Arunachal Pradesh and is set to form the government in Haryana.

Elections were held in the three states this month in polls seen as a major test for the Congress coalition after a strong victory in general elections in May.

The state poll results come at a time when a resurgent Congress, fresh from a victory at the centre, has begun to find footing as the single largest party.

However, analysts debating the outcome reflect more on the decline of the right-wing Hindu ideologue and a fractured opposition than a clear victory for the Congress.

The BJP has been struggling for some time to find an identity that would directly translate into votes. The BJP-Shiv Sena combine in Maharashtra failed to take advantage of the anti-incumbency factor.

Political pundits say it's another example of the party's failure to introspect post the Lok Sabha election.

Time alone will tell whether the 'Marathi pride' poll plank of Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena will help it strengthen as a mainstream party.

For now, the Congress-NCP coalition is set to come back on a promise of reforms and loan waivers for farmers.

Ashok Chavan is credited in his short time as chief minister with bringing back the party to power despite serious setbacks like the Mumbai attacks and a spate of farmer suicides plaguing the state.

In Haryana, the Congress fell short of the halfway mark, winning only 40 of 90 seats.

The results in the northern state have to some extent dampened celebrations for the Congress, which swept the polls in Arunachal Pradesh.

Poll experts say election results have put the Congress in a better place to implement reforms.

At the same time, this is also a clear call for the opposition to unite and find common ground in the months to come if they hope to stay in the running.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday expelled former finance minister Jaswant Singh from its primary membership for praising Pakistan founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah in a book.

The decision to expel Singh came after the release of his book "Jinnah - India, Partition, Independence" which the BJP said went against the party ideology.

As a visibly upset Singh, a founding member of the party, questioned the decision, the latest controversy to hit the BJP seems to have brought its internal conflicts out in the open.

Many pressing issues haunt the party as it begins its ‘Chintan Baithak’ – an annual brainstorming session.

The BJP was drubbed at the 2009 general election and faced a leadership crisis. Its elderly leaders are perceived as being out of sync with a young vote base and it has had an ideological falling out with its Hindu right-wing parent.

The BJP may need to take a hard look at these issues if it hopes to reinvent itself.

Singh’s book and its fallout have led some liberal thinkers in politics to question the wisdom of meting out punishment to an individual for expressing a personal opinion especially since larger issues like revamping the organizational structure of the party and its revival need to be addressed.

It is ironical that the controversy over Singh’s expulsion happened on the day the BJP top brass met in Shimla to chart out its future course of action after a dismal showing in the general election.

Do you think the expulsion of Singh, a veteran national level leader with a career spanning three decades, is yet another example of the BJP losing the political plot? Will it be able to resurrect itself in time for the next election?

When Omar Abdullah took over as Kashmir’s youngest Chief Minister in January 2009, his coronation befitted a king.

Backed by a resurgent Congress party at the centre, 38-year-old Abdullah’s appointment was seen as a positive step towards bringing a fresh perspective to the troubled state’s political logjams.

That Abdullah came from a family of Kashmir’s best known politicians and was the third generation member to ascend to the post of CM made it imperative that he live up to the expectations of many who wanted an immediate solution to Jammu and Kashmir’s complex problems.

Born to a family that has witnessed political intrigue in the restive state for decades and had a history of alliances with the Congress, Abdullah was seen as the right candidate to a post many deemed as the ‘crown of thorns’.

Like all CMs before him, among the many problems he inherited, Abdullah needed to immediately address allegations of human rights violations, demands for repealing the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, ensure better governance, maintain peace and stability in the region and continue dialogue with the separatists who boycotted elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

Political pundits predicted that Abdullah would make up in sincerity and hard work what he lacked in experience.

Abdullah’s first test of strength came with his handling of the rape and murder of two Muslim women in Kashmir’s Shopian district last month.

Abdullah came under heavy criticism from separatists and pro-freedom protestors, lying low since a record voter turnout during 2008 elections despite their boycott calls and threats of violence.

Residents said two women, aged 17 and 22, were abducted, raped and killed by security forces in Shopian town, 60 km south of Srinagar.

The daily street protests, strike calls, police firing on protestors and incidents of army shooting at civilians gave a new lease of life to separatists who rejected the findings of a judicial inquiry ordered by Abdullah after the Shopian incident.

Abdullah admitted that his government made a mistake in the handling of the Shopian crisis, which included allegations of delay in initial police action to ensure justice.

He said he was “misled” by some of his junior officials but learnt serious "lessons” from the incident.

Detractors see the candid admission and the subsequent damage control measures of suspending senior police officials as indication of earnestness but inexperience.

Faced with accusations by opposition People’s Democratic Party of involvement in a sex scandal that rocked the state in 2006, an emotional Abdullah took an impromptu decision to quit his post until his name was cleared.

Party workers, including his father and former CM Farooq Abdullah have advised calm in the face of a political storm brewing in the restive state. But many see Abdullah's conditional resignation in the face of pressure as an indication of his youth and lack of experience.

As he completes his six months in office, Abdullah may need to face criticism with a cool head, keeping the welfare of his people in mind.

At 38, he is one of the youngest politicians with possibly one of the toughest jobs in Indian politics.

Besides being the chief minister, he has 20 portfolios under his belt, has to haggle with the central government for timely flow of development funds, contend with a vociferous opposition and worry about security issues in between walking a fine line on the question of Kashmir’s independence.

So is it that the grandson of Sheikh Abdullah, the Lion of Kashmir, has taken on more than he can handle? A classic case of biting off more than one can chew?

The chief of Delhi's metro rail system Elattuvalapil Sreedharan resigned on Sunday after a section of an overhead bridge under construction gave way and crushed five workers to death.

This is the second such accident involving the mass transit system in less than 12 months. Last October, a section of an under-construction flyover in the capital's Lakshminagar area collapsed and fell on a bus, killing at least two persons.

The Metro project, led by the 77-year-old Sreedharan, came under rare media criticism following the deaths.

Sreedharan has enjoyed strong government support so far and is not shackled by the delays, cost-overruns and red tape that have plagued big projects in India for decades.

His reputation , access to officials including the prime minister, and a mandate to jump obstacles himself rather than wait for civic authorities, have enabled him to get results.

The widely acclaimed chief's resignation could also come as a serious blow to Delhi Metro projects scheduled to be completed before the Commonwealth Games.

Sreedharan's resignation comes at a time when Nandan Nilekani, another engineer-entrepreneur and co-founder of Infosys Technologies, quit his job to head a government agency.

Do you feel the Delhi metro chief took the right decision and will his resignation be accepted?

"Freaking unbelievable. Absolutely speechless!"
Gay rights activists in India have been posting congratulatory messages on blogs and Twitter ever since the Delhi High Court on Thursday ruled gay sex was not a crime.
human rights.

Some see the ruling as crucial for the country's battle against HIV/AIDS.

India has the world's second highest HIV/AIDS caseload and gay advocacy groups say fear of persecution by law enforcement agencies often leaves homosexuals without easy access to health information and preventive care, rendering them more vulnerable to infection.

The gay sex debate and repealing of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that makes "unnatural sex" a punishable offence will have wide- ranging implications in the months to come.

But it's difficult to predict whether conservative Indians would change their perception of the gay community.

India has traditionally been a study in curious contradictions that are deeply interwoven in its social fabric through centuries. If it is embracing and tolerant of alien customs, it is also proud and conservative of its own.

Visitors to the ancient temples of Khajuraho, built in the 10th century, would find homosexual couples immortalised in its stone carvings.

Yet, in the 21st century, gay men and women in India find it hard to come out of the closet in a society that frowns on public display of affection even among heterosexual couples.

While there rarely has been a conviction under section 377 in the last two decades, gay rights activists say it remains a powerful tool in the hands of the police to harass homosexuals.

It also remains to be seen if the territorial jurisdiction of the Delhi High Court will be extended to encompass homosexuals in all Indian states.

The government's reaction following the court ruling has been cautious.

Analysts say it would need to take the debate forward without antagonising religious sentiments especially those of Christians and Muslims, who are traditionally opposed to homosexuality.

For now, the court ruling will hold unless challenged in the Supreme Court or replaced by an act of Parliament.

The main debate that remains still is to find a common law that allows constitutional rights to gays having consensual sex without letting off paedophiles and same-sex rapists.

But are Indians ready to accept a same-sex couple moving in next door, gay parents at PTA meetings or at social events?

It was the late 80s and I was in school, contemptuous of rules and looking for a cause to rebel against parental interference. I was too young to run away and wise enough not to push it so as to end up without dinner.

I was itching for an icon, a just cause to let out my angst, when I saw him for the first time on our black and white television one night.

I could have sworn Michael Jackson was looking straight at me and I stared right back, unabashed, mesmerized. "He knows," I remember thinking.

Back then we had no cable connection and only a single channel -- the government-run Doordarshan -- that like a venerable grandfather took our education in its hands, combining crop rotation with calculus and regional films with Indian classical music.

Some urbane, convent-educated, upper middleclass families did listen to "Western Music" comprising mostly Bach, Mozart and the occasional Belafonte.

But when MJ unashamedly burst into the screen during a programme on Doordarshan called the Hot Tracks, with his hip gyrations, metal-studded jacket, top hat and sheer energy -- it was just too much.

"Why would any self-respecting adult declare he's 'Bad' on national TV? What's happening to lyrics?" my father seethed with righteous indignation. But I wasn't paying attention.

I had got my icon, the man who was to be my hero for the next 10 years.

Over slamming of my bedroom door, angry bursts from the stereo, breaking into the moonwalk in the shower and lifesize posters inside closet doors.

Looking back, I know I was doing exactly what millions of teenagers across the world were doing. I do not know of any other celebrity who became as much a youth icon as MJ did from New York to Tokyo, Sydney to Alaska.

When MTV came to India, I immediately fell in love with "music videos" and Michael Jackson was the master of them.

Far from the generation of soul singers perched on straight-backed chairs, MJ exploded into the scene, shook up a generation and forced it to look at pop like they've never done before.

Like a million others I was unable to breathe, unable to look away, swearing to him that I will never fall in love with anyone else. Ever.

But when globalization brought with it access to western music and the entire world of rock, jazz and country opened up to me, I am ashamed to say my single-minded devotion slowly gave way to something stronger, something different. I had many suitors now. And Jackson was a school girl's crush.

With his nose jobs and drastically changing looks, I squirmed in embarrassment remembering my juvenile dogged love for a man who was so clearly a "has-been".

Until last week, that is. News of his sudden death made me sit up from my sleep-deprived stupor. "Michael Jackson is dead."

As I write this I keep asking myself, how could I have not seen this coming? This is his game. This is what he does best.

Look at him, dead for three days and still able to shake up the charts, kick the crowd in the teeth and hold them spellbound in disbelief.

It's a sappy thing to say but I just have to. Sometimes dead lovers remind you of what you could have had and what you made of your choices.

When I think of MJ, I will have to find a way to separate the debt-ridden man, mired in ugly controversies and struggling with his personal appearance from the "imperfect genius" he was, larger than life and stylish as hell.

Doctors call it the "ignored problem" and semi-literate parents in India’s rural hinterland view it as a "curse of God".

Unfortunately, being born with the cleft lip, a physical deformity that can be easily corrected, can alter the course of a person’s life.

Megan Mylan's documentary film "Smile Pinki", the story of an eight-old girl with a cleft lip, may have won an Oscar, but for thousands of children living with the deformity, the battle is far from over.

Pinki's story only came to light after the documentary portrayed how society ostracized the little girl in Rampur Dhabahi village in Uttar Pradesh.

One in 35,000 children in India is born with the deformity every year. An estimated one million cases of cleft lips are left untreated in India and doctors say it is one of the most serious birth defects.

The stigma and ignorance attached with it can push a child to depression.

In the late 80s, I knew an adult with an untreated cleft upper lip and palate who was chased around the neighbourhood by urchins chanting "the man who can't smile".

If his humiliation is proof of the plight of people with oral clefts in India, the trauma must be a hundred times more for children as young as five.

There are an estimated four million untreated clefts in the world. It affects people's ability to eat or speak properly and most children suffer isolation and ridicule because of the deformity.

Officials of the global cleft charity 'Smile Train' say parents are known to abandon or even kill babies born with the congenital disorder.

Satish Kalra, the South Asia director of the charity, said patients and parents are not even aware that a cleft can be corrected.

"They think it's a curse of God and they continue to live with it."

After "Smile Pinki'"s success there is hope that international recognition of the work done by Indian surgeons will highlight the problem.

But ignorance about the condition, no access to treatment and illiteracy in the rural hinterland will continue to hinder efforts by medical and social workers in providing help to the children who need it, Kalra said.

"Even if we make a conservative estimate that one percent (of clefts) is reached, one percent of four million is 40,000 and that's a huge number."

"So 40,000 children can have their lives changed as a result of this Oscar."

But will the film achieve the desired effect? How many will actually watch the documentary?

"Delighted and relieved," is what the great-grandson of India’s iconic freedom hero Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi said once news came in that a collection of Gandhi memorabilia sold to tycoon Vijay Mallya will come home.

Over the last two weeks, the auction of Gandhi’s personal belongings has created uproar in India, with indignant citizens demanding to know why things came to such a pass.

Indians, who view the items as part of their national heritage, have said government intervention at a much earlier stage would have perhaps prevented the last minute dramatic build-up over the bidding.

Seller James Otis' last minute change of heart to withdraw the items -- Gandhi's trademark wire-rimmed glasses, leather sandals, a pocket watch and a metal bowl and plate -- failed and the auction went ahead as scheduled.

The one thing the controversial auction brought to light is the need for a clear mandate to bring home items of national heritage, spread out all over the world, in possession of collectors or individuals, before it escalates into a full-scale commercial ball game.

The interest generated over merely five of Gandhi’s items of daily use drove its price over the last two weeks to a staggering $1.8 million from the reserve price of $20,000 to $30,000.

Here’s the thing.

A man, popularly called the "Mahatma", who himself shunned material possessions and believed in simple living, has given away in his lifetime many personal items to people he thought upheld his principles.

It may prove to be a monumental task to track all individuals or organizations in possession of Gandhi memorabilia and bring them back to the country to display in a museum. But it must be done if the government wishes to prevent them from appearing time and time again at auction houses.

"There is really no record… there are unthinkable numbers of people who have been in contact with the Father of the Nation over the long span of 78 years.

It is almost an impossible task to have an inventory," minister for tourism and culture Ambika Soni said at a press conference hours after the auction.

She said the government has put in place a small group constituting leading Gandhians and instructed its missions across the world to keep an eye open for anyone coming forward with items connected with Gandhi.

Gandhi’s great-grandson Tushar Gandhi said all historical heritage must be protected.

"It’s not just about Bapu’s (as Mahatma Gandhi was affectionately called) personal items, but I think it’s time that the government formulated a comprehensive law to protect our national heritage."

The Director of the National Gandhi Museum in New Delhi said the auction might have set a dangerous precedent.

"Gandhiji wrote thousands of letters and gifted (some of his belongings) to people. Once you open up this kind of buying and selling, then you can never know in future if something is original or fake or a replica," said Varsha Das, who is part of a committee set up by the culture ministry for looking at items that come up for sale and auction.

Is this then a wake-up call for India to protect its national heritage and prevent its commercialization?

Never before have Indian lovers found themselves in such a situation. 
 
Accustomed to being chased by patrolling policemen from behind clumps of rose bushes at parks, I wonder if they are not a little bemused by the sheer number of people who have turned protector of young love.
 
They find themselves in the middle of a tug-of-war between Hindu hardliners with a mandate to protect Indian culture from Western influence and anti-moral policing groups bent on helping them keep dates on Valentine's Day.
 
Several citizen and political groups have spoken out against plans by the Sri Ram Sena, a little-known Hindu group, to stop couples canoodling on Valentine's Day saying it went against Indian culture.
 
I know the lovers have always had it tough, but dating on V-Day this year might not prove to be easier.
 
If preparations are anything to go by, then one would think India was at war.
 
A concerned overseas friend, already jittery following a series of militant attacks in India, heard about the additional police deployment in parts of the country and called up. "Is everything all right? Why the additional security?"

I had no option but to reply sheepishly "Oh we are gearing up for Valentine's Day."
 
With Hindu groups determined to continue their campaign against couples romancing in public and their opponents fiercely protective of the rights of those who do, yes, I am guessing it's going to be an interesting day to take out your partner for that quiet, romantic date you always wanted.
 
Vatal Nagaraj, a former member of the Karnataka state assembly, has planned to mobilise a fleet of cars named  'Prema Vahanas' (Love Vehicles) on Valentine's Day even as a "consortium of pub-going, loose and forward women", founded by four Indian women on social networking website Facebook has vowed to send cartons of pink panties to the Ram Sena.
 
Blogger Namrata Kotwani, whose website http://www.avalentineforindia.blogspot.com has attracted media attention, plans to hold a protest meet on V-Day in the national capital.  
 
The Ram Sena, which shot into the limelight after it assaulted women in a pub in Mangalore, have cautioned shops, pubs and restaurants in Karnataka against marking Valentine's Day.
 
Karnataka police took into custody its chief and scores of activists ahead of February 14 to prevent unwanted trouble.
 
In a situation such as this, I wonder if it would be much less trouble to stay put at home and enjoy a delightfully boring but perfectly peaceful Valentine's Day with your partner.