Indian Shuakat Aziz and Pakistani Manmohan Singh

Oh my god...what`s happening to allah`s chosen people, the pakis...first the land of the pure wants to take out all the stuff from children`s books about jihad..now the horrible hindoos from across the border are infiltrating the land of the pure...

pbuh-dude is going to have an oversupply of virgins(and young boys) if this keeps up...

Not just toons
By Arif Sayeed

Predominantly, most of the channels shown on cable these days are Indian or Hindi-oriented. Cable operators say that a large number of viewers insist on watching these channels, a fact that says a lot about home-grown productions and channels that keep mushrooming in every hue and letter of the alphabet. But that is not the issue. In all this, the children comprise a major chunk of the viewers. For those of us babysitting, the best time to feed tots is during Pingu or Dora, failing which one can wait till the Tom and Jerry show is on. The routine — adopted by me sometime ago — is effective, and by recording some of the stuff on the re-reruns later at night, babysitting becomes a piece of cake. Having the opportunity to sift through what was available, the recommended viewing remains Nickelodeon and a few shows on Cartoon Network.

One fine day, punching the remote, I found that Nickelodeon had been replaced by Nick, and something called Jadoo was on. Adding to my dismay, Spongebob Squarepants was not only dubbed in Hindi, but its various characters were also constantly calling upon Hindu deities to come to their aid. As a result, to me and scores of Pakistani-Muslim parents like me, Nickelodeon remains a much better choice than the thoroughly Indianised Nick.

The impact is such that a number of people I come across have now inducted Hindi words and phrases into their vocabulary. Moreover, some children belonging to Muslim families playfully call upon Ganesh Maharaj to resolve issues and repeatedly utter ‘Hai Bhagwan’ in dismay. Is it not enough to find most channels broadcasting Hindi/Indian programmes with a majority of ‘in house’ channels also screening Indian movies than to have innocent young minds influenced by alien cultures and religion?

The dramas on Star Plus, too, constantly refer to Hindu deities at the drop of a hat. However, since they cater to adult viewers, perhaps it is not such a serious matter. Pemra seems to be working on a purely whimsical stand and places the heat on Star Plus dramas only because they take a chunk of advertising away from local channels. But with kids it is definitely an issue. Are only laws (or the lack thereof) pertaining to women addressed in our society?

#48

Of all the dumb macacas, you certainly take the cake ...

Abey ... Pakistan was quoted as a bad example of trickle-down, and hindooland is worse ...

Re:zeemax#47

[...As an example, from every Rupee growth in wealth in Pakistan, 41 paisas go to the top 10% incomes, 7 paisas go to the lowest 10%, and the balance is shared by everyone in between. What`s the trickle-down in India? I guess it will be about 1-2 paisa out of each Rupee going to the lowest income brackets due to all the concentration which is taking place....]

Zee, if you get a chance, watch the movie Guru. It is loosely based on the life of Dhirubhai Ambani, who started Reliance from scratch and made it into an industrial powerhouse in India. Since he was from very humble origins, the old guard fought him tooth and nail to stop his success - the old guard consisting of people like Ramnath Goenka, the owner of Indian Express newspaper and Nusli Wadia (of the Jinnah clan), who owns Bombay Dyeing.

Basically, the Indian economy was a closed economy till the 1990s. A very core group of elites, selected industrialists from blue-blooded families, people with political connections to Congress party, bureaucrats such as IAS officers exercised complete control over the economy using all kinds of licenses and quota regulations. They were ideologically supported by hard core socialist politicians in both Congress and Communist parties. The result was a disaster where India had no wealth left - foget about concentration and distribution issues. In fact, if things had continued for another 5 years, India would have split up like the Soviet Union or Yugoslavia, Punjab and Kashmir being just the tip of the iceberg.

The story of Dhirubhai Ambani is an apt metaphor for the vast masses of people in India who want to create wealth by producing high quality products at the lowest cost - they want a capitalist nirvana - a chance to make it. That pressure to change finally resulted in the reforms in the nineties which allowed the Indian economy to take off the way it has today. Now more and more young people want to be enterpreneurs rather than be babus and clerks. The old guard has all but been put to sword, as 300 million people have rammed their way into the priviliged world.

You are right about the rural situation. That is where the socialist and communist politicians still hold sway. The reason is that people are poor there. The rhetoric of communism/socialism resonates with people who do not have opportunities. The good news is that exposure to the media is changing the situation as people in rural areas look at what is available in the urban areas and want the same. They also wants cars and cell phones. Luckily Manmohan Singh and Chidambaram both recognize this issue and have focused quite heavily on the rural sector. Watch out as that sector finally kicks out the old guard out of the way and adopts the capitalist system. Long live Ronald Reagan!! :-)

Re: # 50

pakiland has no economy worth the name, hence no need to compare either way... the question of wealth ``trickle down`` arises only if there is any wealth is being generated in the first place. In pakiland - there is hardly any wealth creation happening at this time... all you have is a bunch of people buying stuff because of easy credit... and selling land to each other...

that`s the point - you will understand only if you take the head out of your a$$... :)))

......Following is a must-read survey of the Arab world carried out by Zogby Int`l and published in Newsweek.......Zogby, is a Christian Arab-American and is perhaps the authority on surveys in the US.....

......There are some interesting points.......George Bush is by far the most hated leader in the world amongst Arabs.........followed by Sharon, Olmert and Blair.......However, Hasan Nasrullah (head of Hezbollah) is by the far the most popular.......Followed by Chirac and Chavez.........This is clear proof that while Arabs and anti-USA, they certainly aren`t anti-West or anti-Christian........

.....I found the answer to the following question quite interesting.....

``If there was only one superpower in the world, which country would you want to be that superpower``.......The answers where 1. France 2. China 3. Pakistan.........Apparently, Arabs want Pakistan to be a superpower.......In Saudi Arabia and Jordan, Pakistan was ranked at the top for being superpower.........

#53 by bulleya

Apparently, Arabs want Pakistan to be a superpower.......

Pls. don`t tell tahmed32 ... it`ll break his heart .. :~)

#53 by Bulleya,

By the way, Chirac`s popularity amongst Arabs has to be because of the benign French
occupation of Algeria. Lots of love there.

What the.......

Shah, yu have done a great deal of good by writing this piece, and congratulations to chowk staff for publishing it.

The article is very timely, and indeed opens up a window on events to explain some of these events. What I would have liked to have seen in addition to the above, is some analysis or statement as to who is the more successful of the two American PMs - Man Mohan Singh (ex-RBI chairperson etc), or Shaukat Aziz (ex-city banker)! And who has benefited their country more.

bravo keep it up

#53 by bulleya on February 18, 2007 7:45pm PT

Oh my god..the arabs wish for it!!! that`s it..pakiland is sure to be a super-power now..


HAHAHA...

Re: # 55

``Chirac`s popularity amongst Arabs has to be because of the benign French
occupation of Algeria``

French occupation of Algeria was anything but benign -- it was a bloody mess.

Arabs take the proverb my enemy`s enemy is my friend to the extreme. First America ia #1 enemy majorly because it is friends of Israel(arab`s eternal enemy). The Chavez and Chirac are lovely guys because they also hate America like them. One should not contstrue from this that they are appreciaitng Chirac for being christian or Chavez for being Communist. Islamists hate the west and all its idealogies (including Communism,Humanism and multi-culturalism) in entirity...it is just few individuals and groups in the west who seem to favour their viewpoint or seem to be usefull at the time that they appreciate. America is leading the Western band so it is the prime target of their viceral hate but don`t mistake the guys in the back row will be spared if the opportunity came. There is no need to bad mouth the back benchers at every point, they can be dealt if they come forward.

Arabs know only one aspect of superpowerism...the miliatry power...the bombs tanks, planes. When they see only one Mulim country with a Nuclear bomb they think it must be very close to being superpower.

dullahbhatti #60:.......france has quite a close relationship with arabs......close to 10% of the population of france is arab....and france regularly speaks up for palestinians, and does not participate in us-led support of israel......which is why arabs have a high opinion of france.......

........the west is no longer a single cohesive entity......europe is going in one direction while us/israel are going in another......israel does not have nearly the influence in european countries as it does in usa.......hence european countries tend to act far more independently of israel, in their foreign policies.......as an example, a court in brussels convicted sharon of human rights violation in the shatilla massacre......

..........the picture painted of the arabs in the usa is obviously quite ridiculuos.......only a population as naive as usa would buy it........i think most europeans have a far more objective view of the arab situation.........

as for arabs wanting pakistan to be a superpower (after france and china), it was a bit surprising to me also......however, zogby`s survey`s are very authentic in all areas......so one must believe it.......i think indians should be happy that arabs want a fellow south asian country to be a superpower.........

.....i have always stated that arabs do not like usa and israel, but like europe.........which is what this survey proves.........though even i didn`t realize they wanted pakistan to take such a leaderrship position in the world.........

Re: # 51

Ranjit... It appears some things may be changing but most basic structure like road building and maintainence ( You are producing million cars per year but no good road system to drive on them and still major cars use tube in tires), airports ( India had ordered around 250 planes and more with option to buy but hardly 5 to 6 airports in country and people and cows and goats grazing along runways, read story before landing 30 minutes before at Patana airport people go out to scare away cows, there was picture of cow not cooperating , even one military airbase was abandoned as elephants were refusing and go away even after lightening fire crackers) are not modern. Now in pakistan roads are per world or american standard built but india roads are not good so even highways can not be used to park airmachines. Many english univs sending cameramen to picture indian factories with antique machines build in 1800 to teach how basic machine works , it was in news. Ancient tech steel plants from russia producing cast iron No electricity in major parts of country (except show towns) ie power poles with out power running all around india. So india may be industralised but no power so factories idle. All power is produced by govt, and farmers get free,no body thinks they can do better same as Wapada here. Also harbours is problem , all ships sit at indian harbours waiting to get in line , airline company of India has highest no of people on pay roll per aircraft in world. India is still backward than pakistan , still railway dependent and railways no where runs on time. Goods train from Madras city to delhi takes 15 days on average. Also trade unions are strong in India so lots of strikes all around.
If one does not consider all this factors then India has future. India has failed in general so all indians have to go out of country to find job.
One Arab professor said India will be always developing country. He may be Right ?

Re: # 51

Ranjit... It appears some things may be changing but most basic structure like road building and maintainence ( You are producing million cars per year but no good road system to drive on them and still major cars use tube in tires), airports ( India had ordered around 250 planes and more with option to buy but hardly 5 to 6 airports in country and people and cows and goats grazing along runways, read story before landing 30 minutes before at Patana airport people go out to scare away cows, there was picture of cow not cooperating , even one military airbase was abandoned as elephants were refusing and go away even after lightening fire crackers) are not modern. Now in pakistan roads are per world or american standard built but india roads are not good so even highways can not be used to park airmachines. Many english univs sending cameramen to picture indian factories with antique machines build in 1800 to teach how basic machine works , it was in news. Ancient tech steel plants from russia producing cast iron No electricity in major parts of country (except show towns) ie power poles with out power running all around india. So india may be industralised but no power so factories idle. All power is produced by govt, and farmers get free,no body thinks they can do better same as Wapada here. Also harbours is problem , all ships sit at indian harbours waiting to get in line , airline company of India has highest no of people on pay roll per aircraft in world. India is still backward than pakistan , still railway dependent and railways no where runs on time. Goods train from Madras city to delhi takes 15 days on average. Also trade unions are strong in India so lots of strikes all around.
If one does not consider all this factors then India has future. India has failed in general so all indians have to go out of country to find job.
One Arab professor said India will be always developing country. He may be Right ?

Re:ahmedmadani#63

Madaniji, infrastructure development is a key problem in India. As you have mentioned roads, airports, harbors, utilities all need modernization. There are three levels of challenges on the infrastructure side. The first level is financial means to upgrade infrastructure. India now has the financial means to modernise infrastructure, unlike the past when it would have to beg the world bank for money to build a road.

The second level is political challenge. Typically infrastructure projects leads to displacement. Building roads, airports, dams or power plants requires land acquisition and change in ownership from public sector to private sector. Such projects immediately encounter bitter opposition from the people affected. Politicians then step in to take advantage of the situation. Soon you have dharnas, hunger strikes etc resulting in police reaction and so forth. On top of that you may have people filing lawsuits. This is the price of living in a democracy. In Pakistan or China, the government can swing the danda and can take over your land or kick you out on the street without any reaction. Not so in India. Therefore, the process is much slower.

The final level of challenge is cultural. Right from Gandhi`s time, India has made a fetish out of poverty - something that I call the Gandhian Guilt Complex. Poverty has been glorified in India, even championed while wealth is associated with amorality and lack of character. If you see bollywood movies, typically you find people emphasizing their poverty as a virtue while rich people are typically portrayed as bad, corrupt people or outright villains. You have Indian politicians at the topmost levels going out of the way to emphasize their simple lifestyle - driving Indian made cars, wearing simple clothes, living in modest accommodations etc. On the contrary, Pakistan has always picked up from Jinnah his love for the good life. Pakistani politicians and their spouses travel in luxury cars, live in palatial houses and are in a mad rush to acquire wealth. In such an environment in India, infrastructure changes are looked at foolishly as an indulgence of the rich. If you say you will build a superhighway or a modern airport, you will have 100 people saying that you need to build a tubewell or a road in a village instead or give Rs 2 per kilo rice to the poor. The communists and socialists make a fetish of this Gandhian Guilt Complex without realizing that without infrastructure improvements, the country stays poor. Of course, at the end, we dont get the highway or the airport, nor do we get the tubewell or the road in the village either. So everything remains backward.

The good news is that this culture in India is changing but it will take a long time for it to overcome these challenges. People are becoming more money minded but it is still difficult to overcome the Gandhian Guilt complex. Perhaps in a generation or two, people will forget about Gandhi and focus on getting rich.