*How do you explain the dramatic improvements in the bilateral relationship between New Delhi and Washington?*
bq. The role played by the Indian expatriate community in the US acted as the lever for this change of perception about India. When we found that 40 percent of IT engineers had an Indian background or were Indians, there was a feeling that something was going on. We saw President Clinton taking interest in promoting India-US relations, he also visited India. Now the US government has agreed to go in for a strategic partnership with us, and the strategic partnership document was signed in November 2001 between President Bush and Prime Minister Vajpayee. In January 2004, the two leaders pledged to implement the strategic partnership at the highest level. [“India’s Foreign Secretary Shashank”:http://in.rediff.com/news/2004/mar/30inter.htm]

“Amberish K Diwanji”:http://in.rediff.com/news/2004/mar/24akd.htm
bq. In stark contrast, the Bharatiya Janata Party has thus far not been smitten by the dynasty bug (one hopes it never does). It selects candidates based on parameters of success, not inheritance. But more important, any middle-level official in the party knows he stands a chance of winning a nomination, if not now then the next time. With such hope burning eternal in his breast, a member will work that much harder for the party’s success, because he knows the next time round his colleagues might well be working for his electoral success. Look at the contrast: the Congress president is president only because of her family connections; the BJP president comes from a humble family. What is the message being sent out?
“Indian Express”:http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=43597 (via “Jivha”:http://www.jivha.com/blog/archives/001108.html)
bq. The BJP released its fourth list of candidates today, and prominent among those in the list include sons of Finance Minister Jaswant Singh and Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje, and former CMs Kailash Joshi (Bhopal) and Babulal Marandi (Koderma, Chhattisgarh).

The elections in India are a month away and here are some opinions on what will happen. The purpose of this blog entry is to visit this after the results are announced.
“Outlook & India Today”:http://www.expressindia.com/election/fullestory.php?type=ei&content_id=29064
bq. The opinion poll forecast that Vajpayee’s Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition of nearly 20 parties would win 280-290 seats of the 543 in the Lower House of Parliament. The coalition holds 303 seats now. The poll predicted Congress would win just 103 seats, an all-time low, although a stronger showing by its allies would lift the Opposition coalition to 159-169 seats from 140 now.
bq. India Today last month forecast the coalition would win 330-340 seats. The Congress and its allies got 105-115 seats in that opinion poll.
“Resident Idiot”:http://www.sulekha.com/redirectnh.asp?cid=329246
bq. Assuming the same rate holds ? despite the allies? depleted number and reduced strength ?, the party will only win 188 seats (if it contests 350, of a total of 545).
The Resident Idiot did not even bother to comment on how many seats Congress and its allies would win.

bq. Party politburo (PB) member Anil Biswas, in the latest issue of the CPM?s theoretical quarterly The Marxist, concedes that the party is facing a serious crisis as there was a drastic fall in the number of full-time workers and the new members are neither ideologically nor politically equipped to meet the standards and demands set by the party.
bq. Biswas, who is also the state secretary of the party?s West Bengal unit, says that there is a crisis brewing over the issue of full-time workers of the party. ??In a period of long-term status quo, it is very difficult to find wholetimers with a ideology-driven frame of mind that rejects selfishness and to work without a wage that would at least meet the minimum need for a living,?? he writes.
As InstaPundit would say, “HEH”:http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IER20040307014434&Page=R&Title=Kerala&Topic=0&

If you are an NRI, can you vote in the general elections ?. The answer is NO. Here is why, as explained in an e-mail to me by Chandra Malik, Consulate General of India, San Francisco
bq. According to Section 19 of the R. P. Act, 1950, only a person who is ordinarily resident in a constituency is entitled to be registered in the electoral roll of that constituency and can vote in Indian elections. However, such the non-resident Indian Citizens who are employed under Govt. of India in a post outside India are eligible to be registered as voters in terms of Sec 20 (8) (d) read with Sec 20 (3) of the R. P. Act, 1950. You may wish to see the Eclection Commission web-site http://www.eci.gov.in/

bq. The CPM leadership had strongly reprimanded Achuthanandan in the sixties for donating blood for Indian soldiers during the India-China war when he was a detainee in the Thiruvananthapuram Central Jail. [via “NewIndPress”:http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IER20040302004236&Page=R&Title=Kerala&Topic=0&]
Achutanandan is the head honcho of the Communist Party of India in Kerala. The official party line was that the war against India was an internal affair of China and it was considered a violation of the party line, if Communists donated blood to the people who guarded the country.

Election dates have been announced in the largest democracy in the world and for the first time the entire elections will be conducted using electronic voting machines. But what is more interesting is the amount of Congressmen dissing and leaving Congress(I). People who have been in the party for many years, Muslims etc. are now joining the communal BJP. These people may be just opportunistic, jumping ship to ensure a berth in the next ministry. But what is interesting is the comments they make about the party leadership, which is Sonia Gandhi and why they switched to BJP
“Arif Mohammed Khan”:http://in.rediff.com/election/2004/feb/23inter.htm
bq. I spent 89 days in Gujarat [during the riots]. And when the [assembly] elections came, I opposed the BJP. I supported the Congress. But with my support what did they deliver? Why didn’t they deliver? Because they do not have credibility in the masses. They are seen as a party which has all along flirted with minority communalism. They are seen as a party that showed no compunction in playing the Muslim card in the Shah Bano case. Or playing the Hindu card when they tried to offset the reaction which came as a reaction to the Shah Bano case. And the locks of Ayodhya were opened. They can play the Hindu card or Muslim card or Christian card. So their credibility to fight and contain communalism has been eroded.
“Laxman Singh”:http://in.rediff.com/news/2004/feb/25inter.htm, brother of Congress(I) Chief Minister Digvijay Singh
bq. Basically, its sheer opportunism in its electoral alliance with the Dravida Munnetra Kazagham and its southern allies. It befuddles me. Only some years ago they were our enemies for the role in Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination. Today, all that is overturned and the Congress-DMK alliance fructified. It was too much for me.
“Najma Heptulla”:http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=203332
bq. The senior Congress leader from Maharashtra admitted that the violence in Gujarat had left her ashamed, but said that this does not mean that BJP was anti-minority. “I think Vjpayee is a leader the minorities also have faith in him. I think minorities should also look to the future and not be trapped in the past”, she said.
Few weeks back, India Today had a cover story on a nationwide opinion poll. As per the results the NDA is supposed to get more than 330 seats, which would be a gain of 30 seats from last term. Congress(I) is set to lose those 30 seats. Looks like all the above people too read that issue of India Today.

bq. The U.S. House of Representatives? Committee on Government Reform and Subcommittee on Human Rights and Wellness was to hold Congressional hearings on March 3, 2003, entitled, ?Decades of Terror: Exploring Human rights Abuses in Kashmir and the Disputed Territories?. Goaded by Robert Giuda, a lawmaker in the New Hampshire State Assembly who has formed a pro-Pakistani organization called ?Americans For Resolution of Kashmir. This was a deliberate move by an anti-India leader, Congressman Dan Burton to slander the image of India before the US Congress by focusing on ?atrocities being perpetrated by India against the people of Kashmir?.
bq. These hearings could have led to critical and unfavorable US policies causing serious damage to United States? relationship to India. Reacting to the seriousness of the issue, USINPAC jumped into the fray. From the moment it came to know about the hearings, USINPAC questioned its timing (when peace talks are going on) and also expressed serious reservations about the quality and fairness (and the questionable character) of some of the witnesses. The message was consistently conveyed to key Members of Congress. It gives us pleasure to inform you that finally, USINPAC?s vigorous efforts on the Hill, backed by your support have resulted in an indefinite postponement of these hearings. While this development is undoubtedly a severe setback for the anti-India lobbyists, we should continue to prepare well to effectively counteract these lobbyists should Representative Dan Burton convene a future hearing.
From the “USINPAC”:http://www.usinpac.com/Default.asp Mailing List

This time during there was a marriage in India in our family and some of went to get banana leaves from the local market. The banana leaf seller has a shop which is basically some space which is filled with just banana leaves. There were no chairs or tables. He sat, surrounded by banana leaves, armed with just a small knife with which he cut leaves to waiting customers.
Suddenly there was ring tone and everyone searched their pockets. The banana leaf seller took out a phone from under a leaf and took an order. Cell Phones are now all over the place in India. Cab Drivers, Newspaperwallas, Doodhwala, everyone has a cell phone.
Till recenly people were able to live without this device and now this seems like a necessity to everyone. I particularly liked the fact that people were shelling out anything from 300 – 1000 Rupees for this convenience, instead of keeping the money in the bank. Good for the economy.
Another good side effect of this cell phone is that while you wait in the railway station or bus stop, you can listen to everyones problems in life.

bq. Only a Latin Catholic will be fielded from Ernakulam. And the Church has a major say in the whole process. We are discussing the matter.
said Congress(I) sources in Kerala as reported in a news article titled “Latin Church recommends candidate to UDF for Ernakulam seat”:http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IER20040224125648&Page=R&Title=Kerala&Topic=0& . Congress(I) also accuses that BJP is a communal party.