தமிழகமே! தலைவன் இருக்கின்றான்

(ஒரே) தலைவருக்கு அன்பு தொண்டனின் இனிய பிறந்தநாள் வாழ்த்துக்கள்.

Sonia’s presence in Delhi is costing India dearly

I found this piece of article in today's (2nd Dec.'08) New Indian Express website written by a French writer by name François Gautier.

As this piece reflects my sentiment too as also in agreement with my blog posts since 26/11 tragedy, I give below the article verbatim for all visitors of my blog to read, swallow, think & act upon when the time comes.

Now over to the Express article:

In 1898, the French writer Emile Zola wrote an open letter to the then French president in the newspaper L’Aurore, titled j’accuse (‘I accuse’), where he accused the French government of anti- Semitism towards Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish officer unfairly condemned for treason.

Now it is time for the people of India to say openly that which many, including within the Congress, think secretly and may utter in the privacy of their chambers.

It is not about Manmohan Singh, it is not even about Shivraj Patil, the fall guy; it is about that one person, the Eminence Grise of India.

She who pulls all the strings, She whose shadow looms menacingly over so many, She who holds no portfolio, is just a simple elected MP, like 540 others, but rules like an empress.

Sometimes, one’s very physical presence at the top is enough to move things, to influence the course of events. One word from Her, a glance, a frown, are enough to put the whole heavy, inert, unwilling machinery of India’s bureaucracy and political system in full motion. Sometimes She need not say anything: in the true tradition of Bhakti, Her ministers, Her secretaries, interpret Her silences and rush to cater to Her western and Christian identity.

Nevertheless, she has said and acted enough so that one day she may stand accused on the pages of History for what she must have done to India.

I’accuse Sonia Gandhi as being responsible for the tragedy of Mumbai, having emasculated India’s intelligence agencies by stopping them from investigating terror attacks in the last four years, including the Mumbai train blasts. She has also neutralised the ATS by ordering them at all costs to ferret out ‘Hindu terrorism’, which if it exists, has wrought minuscule damage compared to what Islamic terror has done since 2004. Did the US send a warning to India that there may be an attack on Mumbai and that the Taj would be one of the targets? Were these ignored because the ATS was too busy chasing Hindu ‘terrorists’ on Sonia’s orders? I accuse Sonia and her government of having made the NSG the laughing stock of the world. How many times did the NSG (who took ten hours to reach Mumbai) claim that it had “sanitised the Taj and that the operation was over” and how many times did a bomb go off immediately after? For the last 20 years, the NSG has guarded VIPs and has become soft. See the comments of Israeli terror specialists, who said the NSG should have first sanitised the immediate surroundings of the places of conflict, kept the bystanders and press (who gave terrorists watching TV in the Taj rooms a perfect report of the security forces’ whereabouts) out of the place, gathered enough information about the position of the terrorists and hostages before taking action, instead of immediately engaging the terrorists, and ensuring the deaths of so many hostages.

I accuse Sonia of having let her Christian and Western background, in four years, divide India on religious and caste lines in a cynical and methodical manner.

I accuse Sonia of weakening India’s spirit of sacrifice and courage, so that 20 terrorists (or less) held at ransom the financial capital of India for more than three days.

I accuse Sonia Gandhi of always pointing the finger at Pakistan, when terrorism in India is now mostly homegrown, even if it takes help, training, refuge and arms from Pakistan; of not warning Indians of the grave dangers of Islamic terror for cynical election purposes.

I accuse Sonia of being an enemy of the Hindus, who always gave refuge to persecuted minorities, and who are the only people in the world to accept that God may manifest under different names, in different epochs, using different scriptures.

I accuse Sonia Gandhi of taking advantage of India’s respect for women, its undue fascination with the Gandhi name, and its stupid mania for White Skin.

I’accuse Sonia of exploiting the Indian Press’ obsession with her. She hardly ever gave interview in 20 years, except scripted ones to NDTV, yet the Press always protects her, never blames her and keeps silent over her covert role.

I’accuse Sonia and her government of trying to make heroes of subservient and inefficient men to hide the humiliation of Mumbai 26/11. Before going to his death, Hemant Karkare, the ATS chief, was shown on television clumsily handling his helmet, as someone who uses it very rarely. Why did he die of bullet wounds in the chest when he was wearing a bullet-proof vest? Either Indian vests are inferior quality or he was not wearing one.

How did the terrorists who killed him and his fellow officer escape in the same vehicle used by the ATS chief ? Why did he and his officers go into Cama Hospital without ascertaining where the terrorists were? We honour his death, but these facts say a lot about the ATS’ battle-readiness.

Will someone in the Congress, someone who feels more Indian than faithful to Sonia, stand up and speak the truth? Who said, “Go after Hindu terrorists”? Who insisted on putting pressure on BJP governments in Karnataka or Orissa for so-called persecution of Christians, when Christians have always practised their faith in total freedom here, while their missionaries are converting hundreds of thousands of innocent tribals and Dalits with the billions of dollars given by gullible westerners? Who said, “Go soft on Islamic terrorism”? Who wants to do away with India’s nuclear deterrence in the face of Pakistani and Chinese nuclear threats, by pushing at all costs the one sided Indo-US nuclear deal, which makes no secret of its intention to denuclearise India militarily? I am sure Sonia Gandhi has good qualities: she probably was a good wife to Rajiv, a good daughter in law to Indira and by all accounts, she is a good mother to her children. One also hears first-hand reports about her concern for smaller people, her dignity in the suffering that befell her when her husband was blown to pieces, and her courtesy with visitors.

Nevertheless, she is a danger to India.

Her very presence, both physical and occult, open the doors to forces inimical to India. Even Indian Christians should understand that she is not a gift to them: her presence at the top has emboldened fanatics like John Dayal or Valson Thampu, who practise an orthodox Christianity prevalent in the West in the early 20th century, but no longer, to radicalise their flock. Indian Christians should recognise that they have a much better deal here than Christians or Hindus have in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia or Saudi Arabia.

Under Sonia’s rule, Indian Muslims, too, have been used as electoral pawns. They have been encouraged to shun the Sufi streak, a blend of the best of Islam and Vedanta, for a hard-line Sunni brand imported from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

For the good of India, her civilisation, her immense spirituality and culture, Sonia Gandhi has to go and a government that thinks Indian, breathes nationalism and will protect its citizens must be voted to power.

— fgautier@auroville.org.in

I hope that this message about the danger Sonia poses and has been posing to our country goes out to the millions and millions who vote in the next elections to the Parliament and influences their mind in the right way.

If this is not Islamic Terrorism, then WHAT IS IT?

The Hindu newspaper (dated 2nd December), has published the following story under the title "A journey into the Lashkar".

As we all know, the Hindu is anything but a Hindu newspaper.  As you may read, it clearly says, from the words of the captured terrorist of the Mumbai Seige, that how he & other terrorists have been indoctrinated by the Terrorist organisation operating from Pakistan, LeT.

Iman’s story shows it preys on the most vulnerable poor

For the past week, newspaper readers across the world gazed at photographs of the dark young man who, sack slung over his shoulder, was caught on closed-circuit camera minutes before he opened fire at commuters at a busy Mumbai railway station.  Based on interviews with key officers involved in the investigation and on the interrogation records of the terrorist, The Hindu has been able to assemble key parts of the story behind the face.

Mohammad Ajmal Amir Iman (wrongly identified earlier as Kamaal and Kasav) began his journey to Mumbai on September 15, 2008. He was part of a group of ten men who had spent months training in marine combat and navigation skills in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Punjab.

It is improbable that Mohammad Ajmal Amir Iman’s family has seen the photograph that has made his face known across the world.  Hours before he began firing at commuters waiting at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) last week, Iman, one of ten Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists, was caught on closed-circuit camera.

After he and his partner, Mohammad Ismail, had killed 55 commuters at CST and three senior police officers, including Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Chief Hemant Karkare, Iman was injured and captured — and the story he has since been telling Mumbai police investigators casts new light on how the feared terror group preys on the most vulnerable in Pakistani society to further its agenda of hate.

The man in the photo was born on July 13, 1987 at Faridkot village in Dipalpur tehsil of Okara district in Pakistan’s Punjab province. His family belongs to the underprivileged Qasai caste. His father, Mohammad Amir Iman, runs a dahi-puri snack cart. His mother, Noori Tai, is a homemaker.  Iman is the third of the family’s five children. His 25-year-old brother, Afzal, lives near the Yadgar Minar in Lahore. His sister, Rukaiyya Husain, 22, is married locally. Iman’s younger siblings, 14-year-old Suraiyya and 11-year-old Munir, live at home.

Iman’s desperately poor family could not afford to keep their second son, an indifferent student, at the Government Primary School in Faridkot past the fourth grade. He was pulled out of school in 2000, at the age of 13, and went to live with his older brother in Lahore. Afzal, who lives in a tenement near the Yadgar Minar in Lahore, eked out a living on a labourer’s wages, and could barely afford to look after his brother. For the next several years, Iman shuttled between the homes of his brother and parents.

Adrift

After a row with his parents in 2005, Iman left home, determined never to return. No longer welcome in Afzal’s home, he stayed at the shrine of the saint Syed Ali Hajveri until he could pick up some work. He began working as a labourer and by 2007 his work brought in Rs. 200 a day. Iman, however, found the work degrading. He soon began spending time with small-time criminals in Lahore. Along with a friend, a one-time Attock resident named Muzaffar Lal Khan, Iman decided to launch a new career in armed robbery.

On Bakr Eid day in 2007, Iman has told the Mumbai Police, the two men made their way to the Raja bazaar in Rawalpindi, hoping to purchase weapons. In the market, they saw activists for the Jamaat-ud-Dawa — the parent political organisation of the Lashkar-e-Taiba — handing out pamphlets and posters about the organisation and its activities. After a discussion lasting a few minutes, Iman claims, both men decided to join — not because of their Islamist convictions but in the hope that the jihad training they would receive would further their future life in crime.

A life in Lashkar

But at the Lashkar’s base camp, Markaz Taiba, Iman’s world view began to change. Films on India’s purported atrocities in Kashmir, and fiery lectures by preachers, including Lashkar chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, led him to believe that the Lashkar’s cause — the greater glory of Islam, as the organisation presented it — was worth giving his life to. It is possible, an official involved in the interrogation suggested, that the atmosphere of the camp gave him the sense of family he had lacked for much of his life.

When he returned home for a two-month break after his indoctrination at the Lashkar base camp, he found a respectability within his community and family that had eluded him most of his life. Where Iman had earlier been seen as a burden, he was now self-sufficient — and bore the halo of religious piety.

Later that year, Iman was chosen for the Lashkar’s basic combat course, the Daura Aam. He performed well and was among a small group of 32 men selected to undergo advanced training at a camp near Manshera, a course the organisation calls the Daura Khaas. Finally, he was among an even smaller group selected for specialised marine commando and navigation training given to the fidayeen unit selected to target Mumbai.

According to Iman, Lashkar military commander Zaki-ur-Rahman Lakhvi promised that his family would be rewarded with Rs. 1.5 lakh for his sacrifice.

If these terrorists, who carry out their terrorist acts by killing innocent civilians, believe that they are doing such acts for the greater glory of Islam and that cause is worth giving their life to, then is it not Islamic Terrorism & are they not Islamic Terrorists?  If not, then who are they?

Howsoever the psudo-secularists try to paint a rosy(?) picture and want the world to believe that terrorism has no religion, the stark reality is, unfortunately, quite opposite and Islamic Terrorism is a reality today.  That is why, Super PM Sonia & her goons are trying their level best to paint Hindus also as terrorists by fabricating evidences & foisting cases against people who have not done any terrorist act.

For this purpose they have been mis-using a state agency, Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Maharashtra, which was mandated to quickly fix some Hindus & Hindu organisations as Terrorists so that the BJP can not accuse Sonia Congress of pampering Muslims & Islamic Terrorism at the cost of the nation's security.  But, in the process of doing its master's job, the ATS could not focus on its actual job - that of nabbing the real terrorists.  And due to this grave lapse, Mumbai & the nation is now presented with the latest terrorist tragedy - The Mumbai Siege.

So, it is the responsibility of all right thinking citizens of this country to remember that it is Sonia Congress and its UPA allies, who are responsible for this ghastly tragedy & they have to be punished for their crime when the next Lok Sabha elections come.

Patriotism by ACTION

Yesterday's terror strikes in Mumbai have been unprecedented on more than one count. Though this is not the first terrorist attack happeneing in Mumbai - some reports indicate that there were six major terrorist attacks in Mumbai since the March, 1993, serial bomb blasts - the latest terror strike seems to have been carried out in a qualitatively different level.

1.  WAR ON INDIA BY TERRORISTS: For one, this time, the terrorists are not anonymous people (like many rogue commenters in blogs).  They have come in groups and opened gunfire & hurled grenades & bombs on crowded areas, without bothering about being captured.  This, according to me, is a clear signal by the terrorists to Indian State that they have declared War on India.

2.  WELL-CORDINATED NETWROK:  As the terrorist attacks have been cariied out across South Mumbai at 12 different public places - many of them already under high security - and with precision and co-ordination, they have shown the world that they have a well-oiled & co-ordinated network with latest and high quality weaponry at their disposal as also highly trained people (Jihadis) to carry their cowardly act.

3.  STRIKE AT INDIA'S ECONOMY:  The terrorists seem to have trained their ire this time on Mumbai tourists - mainly foreigners (Westerners).  It seems they want to kill two birds with one stone - One, to scare away the Western tourists from coming to India and at the same time take revenge on them for their countries' strict anti-terrorism measures.  Second, to strike at Mumbai, the Commercial Capital of India, and by targetting tourists & their likely places of stay in Mumbai, they want to strike at the base of India's flourishing economy & the support India gets from Western countries - particularly from the US.  They want to show that India is no different from Pakistan, where the Jihadis carried out a dastardly act on a five star hotel killing hundreds of people recently.

All the above shows one thing clearly - that the terrorists PERCEIVE INDIA AS A SOFT TARGET.  This is because of the following reasons:

1.  There are no tough anti-terrorism law.  Whatever was their like POTA & before it TADA, have been annulled by the "secularist" UPA Govt. in order to garner minority votes at the cost of country's security.

2.  The prevarication of UPA Govt. in NOT hanging the Supreme Court convicted terrorist Afzal Guru - again for garnering minority votes.  So, now terrorists seem to think that even if they are caught(!) and then convicted (!!), they will have the sympathy of Sonia Gandhi, Commies, "secularists" & "media" to ensure they are not hanged.  Provided, these terrorists belong to the "right community".

3.  There is no strong leadership in India.  Manmohan Singh, even though he is called the Prime Minister, is constantly under watch by the Super PM Sonia.  Sonia goes by the words of her cronies & other corrupt politicians like Lalu, Paswan, Karunanidhi, etc.  None of these people have ever shown any willingness or blodness to tackle terrorism related events with a firm & iron hand.  All these people have been regularly hob-nobbing with terrorists of some kind or other like Karunanidhi never speaks against LTTE or takes firm action against those speaking for LTTE.  Same is the case with Sonia whose daughter secretely met her father's killer & convict Nalini in the prison.  These kind of people only rule India today & we, the general public, are under their mercy.  So, any terrorist worth his salt, will get his first stint in India only and then graduate to other tougher places.

As concerned citizens, if we want to put a stop to these kind of terrorist attacks, we have to do the following:

1.  We should GO TO THE POLLING BOOTH & VOTE on the voting day.

2. We should, starting from today itself, canvass with our friends, relatives & other acquaintances, to enquire whether they are registered voters and if not, persuade them to get registered immediately.

3.  When the elections come, we should urge all our friends, relatives and other acquaintances to GO TO THE POLLING BOOTH & VOTE on the voting day.

Only by making more people to register & vote when elections come, can we ensure that a Government, which we think or perceive is capable of taking a firm stand on matters of country's security, comes to power & start taking firm actions against such terrorist outfits.

Till such time, if we allow the commies, secularists & corruptors to dictate matters, they will concentrate only on their selfish goals and will not bother about the security of India.  After all Commies live for the welfare of China, Sonia is for Italy and Karunanidhi will sell India or TN, provided he gets the right price.

It is high time, WE, AS INDIANS, TAKE THE MATTER IN OUR HANDS and DEMOCRATICALLY THROW-OUT THE INCOMPETANT & IMPOTENT UPA GOVT. TO THE DUSTBINS & usher in a new and competent alternative, which has the will to tackle terrorism head-on.

COME ON INDIA & INDIANS, THIS IS THE TIME FOR YOU TO SHOW YOUR PATRIOTISM TO YOUR COUNTRY BY ACTION RATHER THAN WORDS.

McCain will be a better bet for India than Obama as US President

Though Obama seems to be enjoying a clear lead over McCain in the race for the US Presidency, for India, from an Economic perspective at least, McCain seems to be a better bet as per the following piece written by the famous Economics writer Sawminathan S Anklesaria Aiyar in Times of India:

McCain is one of the few American politicians in either party with the courage and conviction to stand up to protectionist populism. By contrast, Obama embodies protectionism....

McCain has voted 88% of the time against bills creating trade barriers, and 90% of the time against export subsidies for US producers. Few other senators have such a splendid record.

Obama has served a much shorter time in the Senate, and avoided voting on many key issues. He has voted against trade barriers only 36% of the time. He supported export subsidies on the two occasions on which he voted, a 100% protectionist record in this regard.

In 2007, he voted to reduce visas issued to foreign workers (such as Indian software engineers), and to ban Mexican trucks on US roads. He sometimes voted for free trade - he supported the Oman Free Trade Act and a bill on miscellaneous tariff reductions and trade preference extensions. More often he voted for protectionist measures including 100% scanning of imported containers (which would make imports slower and costlier), and emergency farm spending.

In 2005 he voted to impose sanctions on China for currency manipulation, and against the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). He voted for the Byrd amendment, a disgraceful bill (later struck down by the WTO) that gifted anti-dumping duties to US producers who complained, thus making complaining more profitable than competitive production.

Obama says the North American Free Trade agreement is a bad one, and must be renegotiated. He has opposed the US-Colombia Free Trade Agreement on the bogus ground that Colombia is not protecting its trade union leaders from the drug mafia. In fact, such assassinations have fallen steadily from 205 in 2001 to just 25 last year. Obama is cynically twisting facts to woo the most protectionist US trade unions. This cannot but worry India, which may also be subjected to bogus slander and trade disadvantages.

By contrast, McCain has consistently voted for open trade. He has opposed federal curbs as well as private curbs on outsourcing to countries like India. He opposed the disgraceful Byrd amendment on anti-dumping duties. He voted against farm subsidies and labour standards for imports (which are not necessarily bad but could become a disguised form of protectionism).

Unlike Obama, McCain voted against imposing trade sanctions on China for supposedly undervaluing its currency to keep exports booming and accumulate large forex reserves. India has followed a similar policy, though with less export success than China. But if indeed India achieves big success in the future, it could be similarly targeted by US legislators and, will need people like McCain to resist.

Obama favours extensive subsidies for US farmers, hitting Third World exporters like India. This has been one of the issues on which the Doha Round of WTO is gridlocked. McCain could open the gridlock, Obama will strengthen it.

Obama also favours subsidies for converting maize to ethanol. The massive diversion of maize from food to ethanol has sent global food and fertiliser prices skyrocketing, hitting countries like India. But McCain has always opposed subsidies for both US agriculture and ethanol. While campaigning, he had the courage to oppose such subsidies even in Iowa, an agricultural state he badly needs to win if he is to become president.

Let us hope McCain stages a last minute recovery and pips Obama at the hustings.

India defeats Australia comprehensively

Though India has been winning more matches against Australia than any other Test cricket playing nation in the world, its defeat of Australia in the just-concluded Mohali test is comprehensive in more ways than one.  If one reads this, we can understand how India has beaten Australia in their own game & by playing it the way Australia normally used to play against all their opponents.

No wonder Ian Chappell recommends Indian selectors to continue with Dhoni as their Test captain so that India can continue to play aggressive cricket against Australia.  Let us hope the selectors take a wise decision so that India wraps up the series in Delhi itself & snatches the Border-Gavaskar Trophy from Australia.

A Dummy's Guide To US Sub-Prime Crisis

To begin with, let us answer a basic question: What is Sub-Prime?

Sub-Prime means "which is Below Prime" or "Less Than Credit-Worthy", in the context of a loan or borrowing.

In US, many banks have disbursed loans to borrowers who are not credit worthy or disbursed loans of value worth several times the value of the security against which the loan was given. Many intermediaries, like Investment Banks or Private Equity Funds, have purchased these loans in what is known as Derivatives, by paying still higher value to the banks, on the assumption that the underlying securities i.e. the house or land, will appreciate & they can sell them & book profits. That is how the Loan Bubble was formed in the US about two or three years back. But, when finally the time came for repayment and most buyers of these properties, who have been granted these loans by the banks in the first place, could not repay the loan and the banks tried to sell-off the underlying assets to adjust the loan amount, they found, to their horror, that the asset has not appreciated to the level they anticipated and THE BUBBLE BURST WITHIN NO TIME.

Let us try and see how chronologically the above would have happened, step by step, with some fictional examples.

FOUNDATION

Let us say there is a guy called Karunai Illa Nidhi (KIN, for short), who holds vast tracts of land. But, unfortunately most of his land is situated in remote areas (like, say, Ramnad district - Pottal Kaadu) and hence there are no takers. KIN gets into contact with a greedy bank called CICIC Bank. The bank somehow wants to become the top bank & hence is willing to give loans left, right & centre, without any due diligence. Their only aim is to get business - by hook or by crook.

Thus, CICIC Bank gets hooked to the crook called KIN and they jointly prepare a survey report on KIN's land. Obviously, the survey report predicts the market value of KIN's land to go up substantially within a couple of years. Armed with the survey report, they hunt for a borrower & a guy called Podhu Janam comes into their radar. KIN convinces Podhu Janam to buy his land by showing the survey report & promising him that if he buys the land, within a couple of years he will become a billionaire. Podhu Janam expresses his inability to buy due to his poor financial conditions. KIN then assures him not to worry & brings CICIC Bank on to the scene.

CICIC Bank assures Podhu Janam that if he buys the land of KIN for Rs. 10 crore, within a couple of years, it will be worth Rs. 20 crore due to rapid appreciation happening in land prices. It also assures Podhu Janam that CICIC Bnak will give him the entire money as loan and he need not repay even a single rupee for the first three years and his repayment will start only after 3 years. By that time, since the land value also would have multiplied several times, Podhu Janam can even sell the land for at least double its current value and pay back the loan to the bank & keep the balance cash with himself (All this for a land, which is worth only Rs. 1 crore now).

Podhu Janam finds it too tempting to reject the offer and he signs on the dotted line to get the loan for buying the land. CICIC Bank pays Rs. 10 crore to KIN, on behalf of Podhu Janam and KIN transfers the title of the land to Podhu Janam, but the same is kept in mortgage with CICIC Bank as the underlying security for the loan.

Podhu Janam is happy that he has become the owner of huge tract of land though he doesn't even know where it is located or whether it is worth so much. KIN is very happy that he has made a cool profit of Rs. 9 crore on a land in a remote area which did not even have a taker till the other day. CICIC Bank is happy that it concluded a huge business (loan) worth Rs. 10 crore, which it can leverage (re-sell) in the market. All are happy.

BUILDING BLOCKS

On such a flimsy and fradulent foundation, a basic mortgage loan has been concluded. Now, CICIC Bank does similar types of deals with the help of so many other KINs of this world and there are enough Podhu Janams to fall a prey to these kind of enticements. Like this, CICIC Bank builds a huge portfolio of loan assets.

For banks, lending is the main business and money lent becomes their asset. Even though Podhu Janam need not repay the loan or pay any interest for the first three years, as per accounting norms, banks have to recognise interest due to them from Day 1 in their books as Income. Thus, even though not a single paisa has been paid or received, CICIC Bank accrues interest on the loan amount of Rs. 10 crore paid to Podhu Janam as also on all other similar loans disbursed to its borrowers. Based on such a huge income, the CICIC Bank shows a hefty profit in its books and rewards its officials through hefty bonuses. Its shareholders also take huge dividends.

GLASS FACADES

Simultaneously, CICIC Bank also approaches some reputed Credit Rating Agencies (like S & P or Moody's) and appoints one such reputed credit rating agency called Mody Mastans to rate their assets. Mody Mastans rates the Loan Assets of CICIC Bank based on the papers of various borrowers like Podhu Janam given by CICIC Bank by assigning them appropriate ratings like AAA+ (For Very Highly Credit Worthy), AAA, AA+, AA, A+, A, B+, B, A-, B- (Low Credit Worthy).

Armed with its Loan Assets rated by a Reputed Credit Agency, CICIC Bank also approaches an Insurance Company to insure against any depreciation in any of its asset class. An Insurance company, which is a behemoth in the industry, called A. Iyaiyo. G. Insurance, finds that CICIC Bank has got huge Loan Assets & they have all been rated well by a reputed credit rating firm of Mody Mastans. So, it also wants to enjoy a piece of the cake by agreeing to insure those assets that, if, any of the underlying securities of these Loan Assets depreciate in their value & goes down below the loan disbursed, A. Iyaiyo. G. Insurance will reimburse the difference between the loan amount & underlying security's market value.

THE BUBBLE a.k.a MARKET DERIVATIVES

Now, CICIC Bank has got a mammoth business and is ranked among the Top 10 banks of the country. Similarly, Mody Mastans & A. Iyaiyo. G. Insurance are also figuring in the Top 10 or Top 5 Lists of their respective industries. All these have become the envy of every other competitor. Every other company worth its salt also want to reach such heights and they also start doing the Sub-Prime Mortgage business in the same unscrupulous ways.

Now, CICIC Bank, which has set the trend by doing the Sub-Prime Mortgage Business on an unprecedented scale, and buoyed by its success, wants to go one step further by altogether selling its Loan Assets as a Derivative Product to other Investment Banks or Private Equity Funds, who are called as Intermediaries.

For this purpose, CICIC Bank divides its Loan Assets into different classses, based on their assigned Credit Ratings, and bundling together each class as the underlying asset, it sells them to buyers as Derivative Bonds. A reputed Investment Banker called Layman Cousins, negotiates with CICIC Bank and agrees to subscribe to its Derivative Bonds as per agreed rates. CICIC Bank thus makes a cool profit by selling the loan asset of Rs. 10 crore (given to Podhu Janam) to Layman Cousins at Rs. 15 Crore. Layman Cousins is willing to pay that amount because it is satisfied that Mody Mastans have rated it and A. Iyaiyo. G. Insurance has under-written it. Moreover, it is convinced that the land's market value is likely to soar in a couple of years & hence there are no worries. Thus, Layman Cousins and others of its ilk, ends up with huge amounts of Derivatives running into several hundred billions of dollars by purchasing from the market several such derivative products issued by all such loan/mortgage institutions.

All has been hunky-dory so far.

KIN has sold-off his land for a hefty profit.

CICIC Bank has sold-off its huge Loan Assets as a Derivative Product and made a fat profit.

Layman Cousins has purchased huge Derivative Assets, whose market value is growing & is likely to soar to phenomenal heights. It is already booking profits in its books due to the appreciating value of these assets in the Bond Market as there are huge demands to buy these assets. Hefty bonuses are received by its Managers, who are all Ivy League Business Graduates and who are looked at with envy by the whole nation for their innovative business acumen.

PAY-BACK TIME a.k.a BURSTING OF THE BUBBLE

Everything was going fine for the first three years i.e. till the time when the repayment of the original loan was due. When that time came, Podhu Janam, obviously, could not repay the loan amount due, because he simply doesn't have the money to repay.

So, the underlying asset i.e. KIN's land parcel at the remote place had to be put on the block. But, alas, the land parcel, which was originally bought for Rs. 1 crore, is now worth only Rs. 2 crore (and not Rs. 10 or Rs. 15 crore, which was promised). The moment it is known that the underlying mortgage asset's value has come down drastically from its perceived value, all hell breaks lose.

FINANCIAL TSUNAMI

Layman Cousins' asset (Bond Investments) base erodes drastically from Rs. 15 crore to Rs. 2 crore - less than 14% of its book value. Due to the huge value erosion in its assets, it makes a huge loss, which has the effect of eroding its entire net worth accumulated over several years, in a single stroke of imprudence. Layman Cousins tries frantically to salvage the situation by looking for capital infusion to stem the tide. It tries from various possible suitors but none of then are willing to pay the price it wants. Finally, it even approaches the Government to take a stake in its apital but the Govt. refuses to bail out Layman. Ultimately, Layman Cousins has to file for bankruptcy proceedings as it has no way of surviving the financial tsunami which has befallen it.

Similarly, A. Iyaiyo. G. Insurance is also comes under enormous financial pressure due to erosion in the value of its insured assets. Because of its huge exposure to such kinds of inflated value assets, A.Iyaiyo. G. Insurance faces the prospect of bankruptcy. But, the Government, fortunately, comes to its rescue by agreeing to take it over by bringing in 80% of equity.

All such intermediaries like Layman Cousins, A. Iyaiyo. G. Insurance, etc., as also mortgage lenders like CICIC Bank, who too are tied up with other unsold Loan Assets, are, thus, finding themselves in deep hot water, which is of their own making. Now, all of them are crying for help from the Government.

TSUNAMI EFFECT ACROSS CONTINENTS

The effect of this financial imprudence and mis-adventure has been felt across continents. In Europe, it is predicted that, similar deals are likely to come out very soon, once the repayment time comes up.

In order to salvage whatever little cash they could, these Financial Institutions, who also invest in many markets across the world, have started liquidating their investments & repatriates that money to US. This has created a huge ripple effect in all those countries. For eg. whatever investment Layman Cousins might have done in Indian stock market, they would have sold-off overnight & repatriated to US. This act would result in huge selling pressure in the stock market resulting in Nifty/Sensex tumbling several hundred points in a single trading session. Also, because of its repatriation of the proceeds from its sold-off invesments, there would have been huge demand for & resultant shortage of. US Dollar in India. This will depreciate the value of Indian Rupee against the US Dollar.

Similar fate awaited all other major currencies too, like Japanese Yen, Aus/Sing Dollar, British Pound Sterling, Euro, etc. US Dollar gained strength against all these currencies. This crisis has not yet seen its end; and many more such skeletons are expected to roll out of the US & other cup-boards in the days to come.

CONCLUSION

All this indicate only this: greed and fraud. These are the underlying traits which, in the first place, made KIN & CICIC Bank to entice a reluctant Podhu Janam into signing on the dotted line for a loan to purchase a land which is NOT AT ALL worth that price. They both did it knowingly and defrauded the entire system based on that basic transaction. This is possible in western societies like the US where morality is given the go-by in their day-to-day lifestyle.

If people try to learn some lessons out of the crisis and sets their respective countries' financial systems in order, we can say with relief that, like in the movie Dasavataram, here too, the Financial Tsunami has befallen the humanoids, to prevent a much greater damage in future.

தமிழ் சினிமா - எனக்கு நானே

நண்பர் கௌரி ஷங்கர் அவர்களின் வேண்டுகோளுக்கு இணங்க இந்த சங்கிலி தொடரை நானும் தொடர்கிறேன்.

1 - அ. எந்த வயதில் சினிமா பார்க்க ஆரம்பித்தீர்கள்?

மறந்து போச்சு.

1 - ஆ, நினைவுதெரிந்து கண்ட முதல் சினிமா?

மறந்து போச்சு.

1 - இ. என்ன உணர்ந்தீர்கள்?

மறந்து போச்சு.

2. கடைசியாக அரங்கில் அமர்ந்து பார்த்த தமிழ் சினிமா?

குசேலன். மூன்றாவது முறை.

3. கடைசியாக அரங்கிலன்றிப் பார்த்த தமிழ் சினிமா எது,எங்கே, என்ன உணர்ந்தீர்கள்?

சந்தோஷ் சுப்ரமணியன். வீட்டில். மிகவும் பிடித்திருந்தது.

அந்த வாரமே குடும்பத்துடன் சென்று அதே படத்தை அரங்கத்தில் பார்த்து ரசித்தோம்.

4. மிகவும் தாக்கிய தமிழ் சினிமா?

பல உண்டு. சமீபமாக அந்நியன். படத்தை பார்த்துவிட்டு வந்து இணையத்தில் கருட புராணத்தை தேடி பிடித்து பாவ செயல்களும் அதற்கு உரிய தண்டனைகளும் பற்றி படித்து அறிந்து கொண்ட பிறகுதான் ஒரு நிலைக்கு வந்தேன்.

அந்நியன் "Tell Me your Dreams" கதையின் கருவை சாமர்த்தியமாக காப்பி அடித்து எடுக்க பட்ட ஒரு படம் என்றாலும், ஒரு தீவிரமான மற்றும் பயங்கரமான மூளை வியாதியினால் சிலசமயம் நன்மை கூட விளையலாம் என்று நம்பிக்கை கொடுத்த படம்.

5-அ. உங்களை மிகவும் தாக்கிய தமிழ் சினிமா-அரசியல்சம்பவம்?

பாபா படத்தை பா. ம. க. கட்சி ரவுடிகள் மக்கள் பார்க்க விடாமல் ரவுடித்தனம் செய்தது. என் ரத்தத்தை மிகவும் கொதிக்க வைத்து. அதன் தாக்கம் இரண்டே மாதங்களில் வெளிப்பட்டது. எனக்கு அதிக ரத்த கொதிப்பு இருப்பதாக மருத்துவர் கண்டுபிடித்து தெரிவித்தார்.

5-ஆ. உங்களை மிகவும் தாக்கிய தமிழ்ச்சினிமா -தொழில்நுட்ப சம்பவம்?

முதல்முறை சிகப்பு ரோஜாக்கள் படத்தில் கமல் ஸ்ரீதேவி உடன் காரில் அவர் வீட்டிற்கு வரும்போது தெரு மரங்களின் நிழல் கார் கண்ணாடியில் நகரும் அழகில் மயங்கினேன். நிவாஸ் அவர்களின் கேமரா பதிவு. பின்பு முள்ளும் மலரும் பாலு மகேந்திரா அவர்களின் கேமரா ஜாலம். நெஞ்சத்தை கிள்ளாதே வில் அசோக் குமார் அவர்களின் சூப்பர் கேமரா வேலை.

சிக்கு புக்கு ரயிலே மற்றும் முக்காலா முக்காபுலா பாடல்களுக்கு ஷங்கர் அமைத்த கிராபிக்ஸ் சித்து விளையாட்டுக்கள். ஜீன்ஸ் படத்தில் இரண்டு பிரஷாந்த் மற்றும் இரண்டு நாசர் பாத்திரங்களை வெவ்வேறு பாத்திரங்கள் என்றே நம்ப வைத்த இரட்டை வேடப்படங்களின் உச்சகட்ட கிராபிக்ஸ் கலக்கல்.

6. தமிழ்ச்சினிமா பற்றி வாசிப்பதுண்டா?

உண்டு. வலை தளங்களில்.

7. தமிழ்ச்சினிமா இசை?

மெருகேறிக்கொண்டே இருக்கிறது. எம். எஸ். வீ. அவர்களின் ரசிகன். A.R.ரஹ்மான் அவர்களின் இசையும் பிடிக்கும். ஒரே குறை - இன்றைய இசையில் மெலடி குறைந்து கொண்டே போகிறது.

8. தமிழ் தவிர வேறு இந்திய, உலக மொழி சினிமாபார்ப்பதுண்டா? அதிகம்தாக்கிய படங்கள்?

முன்பு இல்லை. லகான்க்கு பிறகு ஹிந்தி படங்களின் மீது ஒரு மரியாதை வந்தது. ஆமிர் கான் பிடித்த நடிகர். அவரின் Tare Zameen Par என்னை மிகவும் கவர்ந்த படம். அவ்வப்போது தெலுங்கு படங்களும் பார்பதுண்டு. வெங்கடேஷ் பிடித்த நடிகர். ஆங்கிலத்தில் ஆக்ஷன் மற்றும் சஸ்பென்ஸ் படங்கள் பிடிக்கும்.

9. தமிழ்ச்சினிமா உலகுடன் நேரடித்தொடர்பு உண்டா?என்ன செய்தீர்கள்? பிடித்ததா? அதை மீண்டும்செய்வீர்களா? தமிழ்ச்சினிமா மேம்பட அது உதவுமா?

இல்லை. என் தந்தை மற்றும் பெரியப்பா அவர்களுக்கு தொடர்பு இருந்தது. அவர்கள் மறைவுக்கு பிறகு அது விட்டு போனது.

10. தமிழ் சினிமாவின் எதிர்காலம் பற்றி என்னநினைக்கிறீர்கள்?

இந்திய சினிமாவுக்கே மிகவும் பிரகாசமான எதிர்காலம் உள்ளது.

11. அடுத்த ஓராண்டு தமிழில் சினிமா கிடையாது, மற்றும்சினிமா பற்றிய சமாசாரங்கள், செய்திகள் எதுவுமேபத்திரிகைகள், தொலைக்காட்சி, இணையம் உள்ளிட்டஊடகங்களில் கிடையாது என்று வைத்துக்கொள்வோம்?உங்களுக்கு எப்படியிருக்கும்? தமிழர்களுக்கு என்ன ஆகும்என்று நினைக்கிறீர்கள்?

தலைவர் ரஜினி படத்தை மட்டும் தான் நான் எப்பொழுதும் ஆர்வத்துடன் எதிர் பார்க்கிறேன் என்பதனால் எனக்கு ஒரு வருடம் போவதே தெரியாது.

திருட்டு VCD தமிழர்களின் முழு நேர பொழுது போக்காக மாறி விடும். டிவி யில் அழுகை தொடர்களும் பெருகி விடும்.

என் வலைத்தளத்துக்கு வருகை தரும் அனைவரையும் இதனை தொடருமாறு கேட்டுக்கொள்ளுகிறேன்.

மீடியா திரித்த மணல் கயிறு

Super Star has taken a very correct decision NOW going by the above statement released to the press.

In his statement, Rajini has clealry told that he is at present focussing on Yendhiran - The Robot, a mega budget movie. So, if any of his fans want to join politics they are free to join any party of their choice. The statement ends with a typical Rajini punch "Nobody can force me to come to politics; nor anybody can stop me, if I decide to come to politics".

Without stopping there, Rajini has continued the statement with a last sentence "In such a situation (when I decide to come to politics), I will welcome all my fans from whichever party they are from". This shows his intent and as and when he starts a party those fans who want to join with Rajini can do so.

Following is my take on Rajini 's above statement:

1.  STATEMENT OF INTENT
I think Rajini has issued a Statement of Intent for the future. After his off-the cuff answer to NDTV Reporter's question in the presence of PM during last year, when he said that if God wishes, he will don the role of a politician, this statement goes one step further with his intention. Good augury for the future.

2.  FANS OR VITTIL POOCHIGAL?
I have been of the opinion that NOTHING POLITICALLY HEAD-GOING HAS HAPPENED RECENTLY to start this "Rajini should come to politics" campaign in the first place. All these Tamasha are the handiwork of (First) Dinamalar news in Sep'08, (Second) fanned later by Jaundice Vikatan with an interview with Sathyanarayana and (Third) sustained by Yellow Reporter with its own screen-play subsequently. The "so-called" fans voluntarily fell victim to this sinister business strategy of these monstrous media.

3.  FOOLS PARADISE
When there was no political or people-related event or disaster has happened or Rajini himself has not expressed any desire or ambition, what exactly triggered this whole tamasha is a million dollar question. So, according to me, this campaign was DEAD FROM THE BEGINNING ITSELF. If anyone seriously believed that Rajini will come to politics at this juncture based on the above campaign, THEY WERE LIVING IN FOOLS PARADISE.

4.  UNREALISITIC EXPECTATION AT THIS JUNCTURE

Anybody who knows or follows Rajini will surely know that Rajini never indulges in multifarious activities simultaneously. For that matter, for the last couple of decades he doesn't even act in more than one movie at a time. Even though Rajini accepted Kuselan after Robot, he acted in Kuselan well before the shooting of Robot started. So, expecting Rajini to start a political party or an NGO to do some social activity, WHEN THE WHOLE WORLD KNOWS THAT HE IS ACTING IN YENDHIRAN, is a foolish expectation which was bound to fail from Day 1.

5.  EXCEPT RAJINI EVERYBODY ELSE WERE TALKING ABOUT HIS POLITICAL ENTRY

The biggest joke during the last month or so when this tamasha was going on was RAJINI HAS NOT UTTERED A SINGLE WORD ABOUT ANYTHING but still many people, who call themselves fans, willingly believed whatever the cunning media dished out to them. Of course, some of the Rajinifans websites also did their bit to spread the artificial frenzy. May be they would have thought, when so much is happening and if we don't merge with the jothi and if Rajini actually comes to politics, we will be left in the lurch. so, they also played along with popular sentiments, which only increased the fans frenzy further.

6.  BIGGER PICTURE WAS NOT SEEN

I am surprised that many Rajini fans - even educated ones at that - could not see the bigger picture & ask some basic question like: what has happened now to force Rajini to make a decision? Why are we believing these same media which were doing anti-Rajini surveys & reports till recently?

7.  MEDIA'S GAME PLAN

Once a MOB mentality like this sets-up, it will be difficult to control it later on. As far as the monstrous media referred to above is concerned, they did it deliberately to increase their circulation. They know anything with the name Rajini sells. So, whatever bull-shit story they dished out, many Rajini fans, who till the previous day were angry with these same mags for anti-Rajini stories, willingly bought & read them. It is like "Two Mangoes With One Stone" situation for these mags. By publishing about Rajini's so-called impending political entry, they increased their circulation by leaps and bounds. Also, these mags know before-hand that when people ultimately come to know that Rajini has yet again not come to politics, many fans will desert him, which is what they want & thats why they were carrying out anti-Rajini survey and propaganda till recently. Finally, they have succeeded in their game plan by manipulating the foolish Rajini fans.

8.  COOKED-UP STORIES

Without any involvement of Rajini or his statement, these media created their own story of Rajini's political entry & October revoultion etc. When Rajini is finally forced to issue a statement to stop this non-sense, many of his fans start questioning him that he is indecisive, again he has disappointed, etc. Poor Rajini. For no fault of him, now he is being blamed. Did Rajini say that he will announce his decision in Oct'08? Did Rajini say that he will decide one way or another on politics in Oct'08? Without any word or signal or statement of any sort from Rajini, if the fans believed the media stories on their own & then blame Rajini when finally whatever the media reported has not become true, is it correct and fair?

9.  OVER-ZEALOUSNESS CAN COST DEARLY

Some over-zealous fans in Coimbatore went to the extent of starting a political party without Rajini's permission, with a name ending with "Kazhagam" in typical TN style. The way they named that party itself proved to me that THESE SO-CALLED FANS ARE UNFIT TO BE RAJINI FANS because if at all Rajini starts a party in future, its name will be anything but KAZHAGAM. Whenever Rajini indulges in politics, he will do it differently & uniquely in all aspects & party name is the first area where he will start showing the differentiation. So, I knew that day itself, that these fans are going to be expelled, which is what is going to happen if they don't mend their ways at least now.

Like some of the Coimbatore fans who started a party, some Chennai fans met secretly & demanded nothing short of a political party from Rajini. All this looked like "digging their own grave". It looked to me as though all these so-called fans were hell-bent on spoiling Rajini's image in public by such indisciplined acts without waiting or giving Rajini an opportunity.

10.  BLACK-MAIL & ITS EFFECT

Obviously, Rajini's reaction came the way it should come from anyone who doesn't want to be black-mailed. Yes. All these acts are pure black-mails by the fans. If they thought by doing these things they can force Rajini to enter politics, they must be fools. And with his statement, Rajini has clearly told them to go & join any party of their choice, if they are so much interested to come to politics, since he has to focus on Yendhiran now.

11.  MEDIA-FORCED CONVERSION OF FANS 

As a reaction to Rajini's statement, some fans have started vomiting some gems like this:

1.  Rajini should not have issued the statement without first meeting the fans. I ask them why this double standard? When fans can start the party or arrange secret meeting without first waiting for Rajini to meet them, why Rajini can't issue a statement of his real intention without meeting them? It is the fans' action, which has spoiled their chances of meeting Rajini & now they don't have any moral authority to question him about the statement.

2. Another vomitter's gem: Rajini has confused again & there is no clarity. Either the vomitter doesn't know English or he doesn't want to understand. When Rajini says that he is at present focussing on Yendhiran, what more clarity you want? He is also categorical in saying that I CAN'T BE EITHER FORCED TO START A PARTY OR STOPPED FROM STARTING A PARTY, IF I DECIDE TO DO SO. He has made it very clear that he can't be forced into making any decision. Which is quite understandable.

If only it was some other actor, they would have made use of the frenzy of the past month & started jumping up & down by now by starting a party without any rhyme or reason. But, Rajini is not just another actor but a responsible citizen of India. He knows that politics is a serious profession & unless one is able to give more than 100% of his time, you can't expect people's support. Therefore, since his present focus is only on Yendhiran, which is mega budget movie of Rs. 125 to Rs. 150 crore worth, he doesn't want to do injustice to the producer & director of that movie. Hence, Rajini has clearly told that as long as he is working on Yendhiran, he will not be doing anything else.

3. One more gem from another vomitter says that "like Kamal said he is not interested in politics,why can't Rajini also say so?"

It is a good joke. Now, I, Arunachalam, hereby declare that I am NOT interested in coming to politics & I will concentrate on my job only.

Whatever weightage my above statement carries, Kamal's statement will also carry the same. Who cares if Kamal is interested in politics or not? Mudavan Kombu Thenukku Aasaipada Koodaathu. Don't ever compare Rajini's political entry with Kamal or any other joker because if Rajini decides to come to politics, he will do it uniquely with well thought out policies & well laid out plans to ensure people benefit if they vote for his party. All other actors are in politics only to convert their black money into white & enjoy the power with their families.

CONCLUSION

So, whatever has happened in the past month are the handiwork of TN Media and Rajini fans are willing victims & Rajini has NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. Monstrous media of TN reaped a rich financial reward by increasing their circulation with all false & bull shit stories to increase fans frenzy. Rajini's only contribution in the whole episode is to PUT A FULL STOP TO THE TAMAHA OF PAST MONTH.

Therefore, there is no point in blaming Rajini for this Tamasha, which is self-inflicted by foolish fans themselves. One can sympathise with poor people; but, can one sympathise with fools?

இதுதாண்டா அரசாங்கம்

Foolish & Ostrich-like Communists in West Bengal have now squandered a great opportunity to revive industrialisation in their state, ironically, by getting repaid in their own coin by Stunt Queen Mamta Banerjee. Though I don't agree with her views & action on giving land to Tata Nano project in Singur, I feel really, really happy that A COMMUNIST GOVT. IN INDIA IS LOSING FACE WITH POTENTIAL INVESTORS WORLDWIDE. Good Omen for India's future.

The icing on the cake is what was a LOSS to a Communist State Govt. was quickly converted as a GAIN for a BJP State Govt. of Gujarat. EAST (India) LOST TO WEST (India).

The speed with which the Govt. of Gujarat run by CM Narendra Modi moved & seized the opportunity is unbelievable. The GujaratGovt. has purchased huge tracts of land running into several hundred acres in a place called Sanand, near Ahmedabad, by paying compensation to land owners, most of them farmers, and then SOLD it to Tatas at current market rates. All this happened in two days flat. WOW!!! What a fantastic achievement by Modi's Gujarat Govt. and they have shown to the world that even a State Govt. in India can act quickly like a private company normally does in decision making & implementing it.

Every other State Govt. in India or a CM worth his salt, should try & emulate Modi & his Govt. for the speed with which they acted swiftly. Kudos are also due to the Gujarati people in that area, including farmers, who have voluntarily given up their land for the project. These people have shown the foresight required to understand the long term benefits once the Nano project takes off, in terms of direct & indirect employment, industrialisation, likely increase in their overall purchasing power going forward, etc.

I am sure the Karnataka Govt., which is also ruled by BJP, would not have matched the Modi Govt. in the speed & swifitness of decision making as well as implementing such a mammoth task in two days. Nor, for that matter, any other State Govt. in contention for the project. May be, just may be, Jayalalitha, if only she was in power & wanted the proejct for TN, might have done the impossible. I am telling this because of her track record in granting the contract to L & T in mid-90s & getting the present Nehru Stadium in Chennai up & running in record time of just few months.

Anyway, Modi has shown the world & other States, how to Govern. Modi is taking Gujarat to newer heights in industrialisation & if other states can't emulate him fast, they will soon find themselves left far far behind.

Way To Go Mr. Modi. Hats Off.

உண்மையான உலக நாயகன் ரஜினிதான்

"The fans were so paasionate to see that actor and his posters. Many of them were taking snaps by standing beside the actor's movie posters. Crowds were thronging the theatres standing in long queues to witness the star's movie called "The Dancing Maharaja". I have enquired with my colleagues as to who is the star of that movie & why so much crowd is standing in queue and I was told about that movie & the way its star has caught people's imagination & passion. I have never seen such a passionate following for an actor even for a Hollywood movie. It was something phenomenal & truly astonishing for an American who is normally used to seeing Hollywood stars & their fan following, to have witnessed at a far east land which is technologically at the forefront to so passionately adore an actor who is NOT from their own country but from another country. I am happy that our company is setting up its state of the art integarted automobile manufacturing plant in the country from where that famous actor hails".

The Speaker - Chief of Ford Motors Corp., USA.

The Year - 1999.

The Chief Guest - M. Karunanidhi, CM of TN.

The Occassion - Inaguration of Ford India's new plant at Maraimalai Nagar near Chennai.

The Star in Question - None other than Super Star Rajinikanth

The Event in Question - Japanese fans' passionate following for Rajini's "Muthu" movie in Japan

We have been used to seeing some "actors", who are adept in wasting POP (அதாங்க, Plaster of Paris), posing as American Presidents to gain "attention" of the audience. But, how many of us are aware that our Super Star Rajinikanth, through his worldwide successful film "Muthu", was recognised as a Super Star and quoted as such by a respectable American industrialist during a function held in Chennai in 1999?

I read about this function in Economic Times in 1999. The important point to note is that it is not some Indian or Tamilian who praised about Rajini. This was told by an American, who are, generally, not enamored of non-Hollywood actors & have a condecsending attitude towards anything Indian or Eastern part of the World. Moreover, they normally encounter a Hollywood actor or star in his day-to-day life, but no way about an actor from India.

So, recognising Rajini's stardom by an American and that too not in India but in a foreign land like Japan, getting to know who that actor is & where he is from & then fondly remembering to recall his experiences in Japan when in Chennai & to gladly link his plant's location with Super Star - all these can't happen for any Tom, Dick & Harry, howsoever good he may be in acting. It can happen only to our Super Star Rajinikanth because he has been gifted by God with Powerful Eyes & Charisma. Thats why people from all walks of life or demography or race are able to get attracted to him quickly & they never regret about it. Actually, when they get to know more & more about Super Star - both on & off the screen - their regard for him goes up several notches.

That is the Power of Super Star. He has single-handedly taken Tamil Cinema to worldwide markets & it has continued till Kuselan. Yendhiran - The Robot has the potential to catapult him to the ranks of Hollywood Heroes.

So, it came as no surprise when TOI (7th oct.'08) referred to Rajini as World Super Star. Better late than never.

மத்தவங்க பேரில்தான் உலக நாயகன்; நம்ம Super Star ரஜினி உண்மையான உலக நாயகன்.

Long Live Super Star.

What is God?

A famous cardiac surgeon, Dr. Devi Shetty of Narayana Hrudayala, Bangalore, answers this billion dollar question in Sunday Times of India, Bangalore Edition.

Dr. Shetty is not only a wonderful human being and a brilliant cardiac surgeon; he also has both his legs firmly grounded and doesn't seem to get carried away with his name & fame. We need more such tribes amongst us today to remind us all that howsoever big & famous one may be, there is somebody or something above us all, which controls everything including our destiny.

Please go to the following link to read his take on God.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Lifestyle/Spirituality/Dr_Devi_Shetty_God_is_a_convenient_term/articleshow/3536247.cms

நினைத்ததை முடிப்பவன்

தலைவா!!! கடந்த பத்தாண்டுகளாக ஐஸ்வர்யா ராயுடன் நடிக்க வேண்டுமென்ற உங்கள் ஆசையை ஷங்கரின் எந்திரன் மூலம் நிறைவேற்றி கொண்டீர்கள் இப்போது.

ஆனால் கடந்த பன்னிரண்டு ஆண்டுகளாக உங்களை பொது வாழ்க்கைக்கு அழைத்துக்கொண்டிருக்கும் கோடானு கோடி ரசிகர்களின் ஆசையை நீங்கள் நிறைவேற்றுவது எப்போது?

Want to vote in American Presidential Election?

For those of us who are interested in who becomes the next President of the United States of America (USA), here is a chance to elect your favourite American President. The famous & popular americal financial weekly, The Economist has come out with a mock global election on American Presidency. This mock election is open for ALL people from around the globe & they can choose the candidate of their choice from among the two contestants - Republican Party's John McCain or Democratic Party's Barack Obama.

If you wish to participate in this mock election, please go to the following URL which will ask you to register your profile first and then you can vote by selecting your candidate. So, here is the route for you to pick your choice of the next American President:

http://www.economist.com/vote2008/?sa_campaign=publisher/september/gec/

Here is what The Economist has to say on this mock poll:

With America's presidential election fast approaching, everyone wants to have their say on who should take over in the White House—and now you can. From now until November 1st, you will be able to vote for your choice of the next American president in our mock global election.

Votes are cast on a country-wide level. Each country is assigned a number of votes according to the size of its population (we call these "electoral-college votes" on the model of America's actual electoral-college system). Then all the countries' votes are tallied, to determine each candidate's worldwide total. You can see at a glance which countries are pro-Obama or pro-McCain, along with their respective vote percentages. The candidate with the most electoral-college votes will win the worldwide election. Of course our winner may not be the actual winner in the real election though it will be interesting to see who The Economist's readers choose.

Don't miss the chance to have your say. Join the worldwide election and vote now.

APOLOGY from Jaundice Vikatan

Shameless Lier of a magazine called Jaundice Vikatan (JV) has APOLOGISED to AIADMK Chief, former CM & present Opposition Leader of TN Assembly, J.Jayalaitha, for its previous issue's untruthful & cunning news about her & Sasikala. This lousy mag. received a lawyer's notice DEMANDING APOLOGY from JJ threatening to file a defamtion case against the mag. and its Editors & Publishers for a damage of Rs. 10 crore a few days back.

Upon seeing the legal notice, the so-called "investigative" magazine is giving a lame excuse now for its mistake in portraying JJ's authority in a not-so-good manner in its previous issue.

Readers of this blog would recall that in the Survey On JV's Unethical Journalism, there was a specific query as to Why these Yellow Journos are afraid to write anything about political leaders with answer options as fear of (1) Acid Attack, (2) Being Burnt Alive and (3) Auto Rickshaw coming home. Its a open secret that all know who holds the copyright (?) for the first & last options in TN. So, its NOT a co-incidence that immediately upon receiving legal notice, JV has APOLOGISED to JJ in its very next issue. So much for these magazines credibility, journalistic ethics & professionalism.

Even though JV has expressed it as a regret, I, as a Rajini fan, would like to call it as AN APOLOGY, APOLOGY & APOLOGY only.

Here is the actual APOLOGY statement by Jaundice Vikatan.

ஒரு செய்தி... ஒரு வருத்தம்!

கடந்த 10.9.08-ம் தேதியிட்ட ஜூ.வி. இதழ் கவர் ஸ்டோரியில் இடம்பெற்ற தகவல்களை முற்றிலுமாக மறுத்து, அ.தி.மு.க-வின் பொதுச் செயலாளரும் முன்னாள் முதல்வருமான செல்வி ஜெயலலிதா சார்பாக அவருடைய வழக்கறிஞர் நவநீதகிருஷ்ணன் நோட்டிஸ் அனுப்பியுள்ளார். 'குறிப்பிட்ட அந்தச் செய்தி, வரிக்கு வரி உண்மைக்குப் புறம்பானது... உள்நோக்கத்தோடு வெளியிடப்பட்டுள்ளது' என்பதோடு, 'அ.தி.மு.க-வின் பொதுச் செயலாளர் பதவி என்பது முழுக்க முழுக்க ஜனநாயக முறைப்படி கட்சிக்காக வகுத்துள்ள விதிமுறைகளின்படியே நிரப்பப்படுகிறது. அதன் தேர்தல் நடைமுறையில் யாராலும் தலையிட்டு தவறான ஆதிக்கம் செலுத்த இயலாது' என்றும் வழக்கறிஞர் கூறியுள்ளார்.

அரசியல் வட்டாரத்தில் பேசப்பட்ட தகவல்களை அடிப்படையாகக் கொண்டே, அந்தச் செய்தியை நாம் வெளியிட்டோம். மற்றபடி, ஜூ.வி. ஒருபோதும் நடுநிலை தவறாது என்பதையும் யார் தூண்டுதலுக்கும் ஆளாகாது என்பதையும் இந்த தருணத்தில் மீண்டும் உறுதிபடுத்த விரும்புகிறோம். குறிப்பிட்ட அந்தச் செய்தி, யாருடைய நற்பெயருக்கும் களங்கம் விளைவிக்க வேண்டும் என்ற உள்நோக்கத்துடன் பிரசுரிக்கப்படவில்லை என்பதையும் தெரிவித்துக் கொள்கிறோம்.

இருப்பினும், குறிப்பிட்ட அந்தச் செய்தியால் செல்வி ஜெயலலிதா மற்றும் அவரைச் சார்ந்தவர்களின் மனம் புண்பட்டிருப்பதாக அறிகிறோம். இதுகுறித்து, எங்கள் வருத்தத்தைத் தெரிவித்துக் கொள்கிறோம்.

- ஆசிரியர்
( நன்றி: ஜூவி )

Shame On You - Jaundice Vikatan.

Shame On You - JV Readers (for still subscribing to this Yellow Journal)

"YENDHIRAN, The Robot" - Highlights

Thalaivar's Shankar-directed Robot has been recently renamed in Tamil as "Yendhiran - The Robot". Following are rumoured to be Yendhiran's highlights.

1. First Tamil movie which is being made for the International Market
2. First Tamil movie to be shot in Peru & Brazil (song sequences)
3. Second movie (after Jeans) to be allowed to be shot in Hollywood
4. Costliest Indian movie ever to be produced (Rumoured to be upwards of Rs. 150 crores)
5. Being produced in Tamil (Yendhiran), Telugu, Hindi & English (Robot). Will also be dubbed into Japanese & Chinese
6. RAJINI WON'T HAVE FACIAL HAIRS (I'm eagerly looking forward to see Yendhiran's promo stills)
7. For Rajini fans, Yendhiran may not look like a typical Rajini film
8. About 50% of the technicians are from Hollywood
9. Mary E Vogt, who designed terrific scientific outfits for Men IN Black (MIB), Batman Returns, Inspector Gadget etc., is to design Yendhiran's outfits
10. Yuen Woo Ping, who handled stunts for Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Matrix and Kill Bill, will be working for Yendhiran
11. Stan Winston Studio (USA), who did animatronics for Predator, Jurassic Park, Pearl Harbour, Iron Man, Terminator and I-Robot, is to do the same for Yendhiran
12. VFX work is being handled by famous Hollywood studios like ILM, Tippet and Café EFX as also Hongkong companies like Centro and Menford. Visual Effects and Animatronics Co-Ordination to be done by Indian Artiste.
13. Yendhiran is likely to start its first shooting schedule from 8th September, 2008, and be in production for around to 2 to 2.5 years. (Does it mean we can't see Thalaivar's new avatar till at least Diwali, 2010?)

Survey Message is Loud & Clear - UNSUBSCRIBE

Here is the Graphical Results of "Survey On Unethical JV" as Pie-charts. Please go through the same by clicking each image.

THE SURVEY RESULTS CRY-OUT WITH THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE TO ONE & ALL:

UNSUBSCRIBE ! UNSUBSCRIBE !! UNSUBSCRIBE !!!

The Survey, in no uncertain terms, URGES ONE & ALL TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM JV/AV Group of Magazines. That is the ONLY way to teach those morons a Lesson.

Hope ALL Rajini Fans are listening to the Survey Message which is LOUD AND CLEAR.

I request all Rajini fans to carry these results of "Survey on Unethical JV" in their blog and send it to all their friends so that the "UNSUBSCRIBE" message goes out to the maximum people.

JV's Unethical Journalism - Survey Results

Once again, I Thank all the participants of this survey.

Following Take-aways can be established from this Survey:

JV/AV/MoronTV - These media group people are

(i) OPPORTUNISTS to the core & practice UNETHICAL JOURNALISM;

(ii) Have VESTED INTERESTS in portraying FALSE NEWS AGAINST RAJINI;

(iii) FEARFUL OF POLITICIANS but report false news against Rajini without fear
(since they know that Rajini won't even rebut them - leave alone retaliate) and

(iv) TO BE TOTALLY BOYCOTTED by Rajini fans & other fair-minded citizens (due to the above reasons).

There were a total of 826 responses to "JV's Unethical Journalism - A Survey".

Now on to the individual Survey responses/results (Number of responses to each option is given within brackets):

1. Why JV is portraying Rajini's clarification as "apology" to Karnatka?

Invoke Rajini's name & increase its circulation - 61% (502)
Create enmity & hatred against rajini in TN in order to tarnish his public image - 30% (251)
To show its loyalty to its "Moronic" masters - 9% (73)

2. By such false reporting, JV's image has

Started falling - 32% (265)
Reached rock-bottom - 31% (257)
Alwyas an Yellow Magazine - 37% (304)

3. Recent attack by JV/AV on Rajini is due to

Opportunism to arrest the slide in their circulation - 56% (461)
To help "Moronic" masters for their long-term nefarious desings - 26% (217)
Vengence against Rajini for not giving any interview to them - 18% (148)

4. Who is smart in using Rajini's name without his permission to increase circulation & profit?

Jaundice Vikatan (JV) - 64% (530)
AndaPulugu Vikatan - 18% (148)
Moron TV - 18% (148)

5. Why JV/AV is FEARFUL of taking on politicians?

Being burnt alive - 48% (392) (Is Dinakaran episode still fresh in people's memory?)
Auto-rickshw attack - 28% (233)
Acid attack - 24% (201)

6. Does JV/AV Group have any journalistic ethics or morality?

Had it till its founder-owners controlled it - 43% (358)
Never had - 29% (236)
No - 28% (232)

7. Are they (JV/AV) capable of practicing ethical journalism?

No - 48% (402)
Present "Moron" masters will NOT allow - 27% (220)
Yellow Journos can't practice ethical journalism - 25% (204)

8. Why public perceive the "present" JV/AV group as Yellow Magazines?

Personal attacks on celebrities like Rajini to gain circulation & to avenge personal grudges - 48% (396)
Since they are practicing unethical/immoral ways - 37% (306)
Vested interests are controlling their editorial independence - 15% (124)

9. How come still this JV/AV group enjoy some good-will from the public?

Due to their past under founder-owners - 55% (451)
People don't care - 30% (254)
People don't know the behind-the-scenes shenanigans - 15% (121)

10. Best way for Rajini fans & others to retaliate against these morons

Boycott JV/AV Group of Publications (incl. their TV serials) - 47% (333+57)
Additionally, also Boycott Moron TV Group - 53% (436)

THANK YOU

The survey on Unethical JV has been a resounding success.

For this, I would like to Sincerely THANK all of YOU who have voted overwhelmingly to make this survey a grand success.

I also take this opportunity to thank SundarJi for highlighting about this survey in his blog "OnlyRajini.com" and urging all Rajini fans to participate in it.

My thanks are also due to Ramki and Shanjahan of Rajinifans.com, THE site for all Rajini fans to converge & share their views about Rajini, for the way this survey has been prominently displayed in their homepage, which paved the way for many Rajini fans to participate.

Last but not the least, I thank Raja, Kalyan & Dharma, who have collaborated with me & helped me in conducting this survey, without whose contribution, this would not have come to fruition.

I know all of you will be eagerly waiting to know the results of the survey. Sorry I could not release the results as promised on 31st August, 2008, due to reasons beyond my control. Don't worry. The results are getting ready and will be published in the next post.

Request for Re-Participation in Survey about JV

Due to the overwhelming response from you all to my survey about JV's unethical tactics & false propaganda against Thalaivar, the survey tool I used could not handle the volume of traffic forcing me to upload the survey with a more stable & reliable tool now.

I have accordingly uploaded the survey which is embedded in the original blog post itself.

I request ALL THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY PARTICIPATED IN THE SURVEY WITH THE OLD TOOL TO ONCE AGAIN GIVE THEIR RESPONSE IN THE NEW SURVEY TOOL.

Here is the link to my original blog post on Survey about JV.

http://hereisarun.blogspot.com/2008/08/yellow-vikatan-we-too-can-conduct.html

My sincere apologies to all you people who voted enthusiastically. For the sake of Thalaivar, request you all to once again register your opinions without any reservations.

Thanks to all of you.

WE ARE PROUD OF HIM AS A PERSON WHO COPED WITH ACHIEVEMENTS

"We are of course extremely proud of him, proud of his achievements, but more proud of him as a person, for the way he coped with those achievements".

This was told by John Bradman, son of the legendary Australian cricketer Sir Donald Bradman, abou the way the Bradman family is still being amazed at the high regrad the Australians have for The DON.

Even all true Rajini fans the world over will feel the same way about Thalaivar and be proud of Superstar Rajinikanth and his impeccable behaviour in spite of extremely odd situations created against him by some vested interests in Tamilnadu who simply cannot tolerate his continuing mass popularity.

I am sure the general public is also watching all the happenings being orchestrated against Rajini & they will give the right answer at the right time to all the detractors.