CONFUSION AND CRISIS CONTINUES IN INDIAN POLITICS

I have followed closely developments, particularly major ones since India became free and do not remember a time when the Indian prime minister was insulted so badly by the leftists in their meeting of 9 October as reported in the media. That was an amavasya and the worst amavasya the Congress party ever faced in recent years.

I do not have the horoscope of Manmohan Singh nor of Sonia Gandhi to know why this happened astrologically. If the media report is correct, why has Manmohan Singh not resigned? No one has an answer to this. A self respecting man should have.

But why is the crisis continuing is a question being put repeatedly. I had already hinted at it by referring to the retrogression of Mercury, its setting etc. It has created biggest upset for the UPA Government and humiliation.

Someone said, we have been hearing of the defeats of SANIA but not of SONIA.

My answer is three fold:

a) The time frame I have given is up to May 2008---seven months more. Let us see what dramatic turns Indian politics takes place.

b) Mercury will rise on 29 October.

c) Mercury will get into direct motion on 1 November after changing rashi on 27 October.

d) Then Mars will retrograde on 15 November 2008. I have referred to these in my articles.

In the absence of three horoscopes crucial for this analysis, of Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi and the CPM, no detailed analysis can be done.

The horoscope of the Congress party is showing fear psychosis but not defeat.

A horoscope of CPM, perhaps correct, is showing aggression but not victory.

So there is confusion at the moment.

Why not wait and watch? Sonia Gandhi has not forgotten the art of delivering political googlies. She has learnt that rather well in Indian politics ever since she became active in Indian politics in 1998.

In the meantime read the following one by one chronologically.  

1

Nuclear deal still on course: K Subrahmanyam  

Sheela Bhatt in New Delhi October 13, 2007 14:25 IST Last Updated: October 13, 2007 15:46 IST

The hardcore acolytes of India's nuclear deal with the United States in New Delhi's strategic community insist that the last word on the deal has not been said, yet.

K Subrahmanyam, one of the most vocal supporters of the deal, is confident that on October 22, when the Joint Committee meeting between the Left parties and the United Progressive Alliance takes place, the Congress is going to tell the Left leaders that it will go ahead with the negotiations at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna.

"How can the Congressmen allow themselves to be blackmailed by the Communists?" he asked. He pointed out that the CPM is espousing a fundamentalist ideology, which stands discredited in the rest of the world.

"If the Congress does not go ahead with the deal, this government will be ruled by a minority which has got 5% of the Indian popular vote. Does Congress want to be under the leverage of Communists till 2009?" Subrahmanyam added.

While discussing the fate of the deal with rediff.com, he went on to explain that Dr Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi have said that they would "prefer" the UPA government to complete the term of their government till 2009 and they do not want mid-term elections.

But, he stressed, that is a half-truth. "If you carefully read the fine prints of yesterday's remarks by both leaders, they don't mean that they have taken a final decision to dump the deal".

He added: "I don't take politicians' remarks at face value."

2

Saturday, October 13, 2007 The Telegraph, Calcutta

Triumph of maximalism Ashok Malik

Theoretically, the Congress could be playing a gigantic game of bluff. It could tell the Left on October 22 that it's all over, and announce on October 23 that it has agreed to the text of a safeguards agreement with the IAEA. ....it becomes clear that fear has overtaken logic.

Indeed, the Congress president has now suggested that at this past week's public meeting in Jhajjar (Haryana) she attacked not the Left for opposing the nuclear deal, but Mr Om Prakash Chautala!

To be fair, the Congress started off with a different road-map. It revamped the party organization, gave key Ministers dual responsibilities at the AICC -- usually done at election time -- announced a series of giveaways and populist measures and waited for the Left to withdraw support.

.... It is more likely that a spring 2008 election will be postponed to a summer 2008 one -- February/March could give way to June/July.

Why? There are two reasons. First, the Congress has already dealt its pre-poll cards -petrol prices are not being hiked till March; the minimum support price for wheat has gone up by a huge 33 per cent; the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme has been extended nationwide. What will it do in 2008/09, if it has to govern through that financial year? Populism in the penultimate year and fiscal prudence in the final year makes no political sense.

The next target will be economic policy. The CPI (M) will demand a Budget drafted by its in-house economists; it will calculate that a lame duck Government will surrender here too.

3

No backing off on nuclear deal: Congress

New Delhi, Oct 15: Congress today sought to shrug off suggestions the party-led UPA government was backing off "right now" on Indo-US nuclear deal ....."There is no backing off right now," AICC spokesperson Shakeel Ahmed told reporters.

Asked if the Prime Minister and the Congress President had not said at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit that the nuclear deal had been put on hold, he said "I don't think they have said that" and asserted "there is no question of a U-turn".

4

CPI asks govt. to deal with price rise urgently

New Delhi, Oct 16 (PTI) After the Indo-US nuclear deal was virtually put on hold, the Left today stepped up pressure on the government on the issue of price rise, with the CPI warning it might reconsider its support to the UPA if soaring prices were not checked urgently.

"The nuclear deal might have been pushed back, but the danger to the government still remains. Now the issue is of price rise which is affecting the common people. We might have to reconsider our decision to support the UPA if adequate steps are not taken in this regard," CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan said addressing a demonstration here against price rise.

"Our support is based on the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) which says that Public Distribution System (PDS) will be streamlined and also that prices would be kept in check but the CMP is not being followed," he said.

Hitting out at the opening up of agri-retail segment to corporate houses and MNCs, he said, "some farmers might just benefit in the beginning but everything is just a sham."

CPI leader D Raja, who also spoke at the gathering, said, "the government claims it is the government of the `aam aadmi', but in practice it is not taking adequate steps to control price rise." PTI

5

US lawmaker asks India not to let "radical view" affect N-deal

Washington, Oct 16 (PTI) With the fate of the Indo-US nuclear deal remaining uncertain, a top American lawmaker has cajoled India to show courage and not allow the "minority position", which is against the pact, to affect this historic initiative.

The nuclear deal is not just important for India but to the United States as also to the world, New York Democrat Gary Ackerman, a senior member of the House of Representatives and a strong friend of India, told a meeting of the US-India Business Council (USIBC) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

...."We have come too far to let this ball drop," he said, adding "so much is at stake," he said.

"Do not let the radical view hijack what is in your nation's best interest I say to my American and Indian friends. In order for progress to be made, courage needs to be shown," Ackerman said. PTI

AND FINALLY SEE THIS. WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

India to seek full integration with global Mainstream: Sharma

PTI Tuesday, October 16, 2007

NIGERIA: Notwithstanding the current uncertainty surrounding the atomic cooperation with the US, India on Tuesday made it clear that it will seek full integration with the global nuclear mainstream and there was no timeframe for reaching the safeguards agreement with IAEA.

(17 October 2007)