Are we like this only?

Spectrum scam,mining scam,CWG scam,land scam... is all, we are listening to nowadays!

But what's new about it?

Haven't we all grown up with scams around and what is so different now?

Is it the belligerence of the Indian media or the voice of the growing middle class, that is getting these issues to be noticed?

Corruption, seems to have got into our veins and we almost seem to be ignorant, to most of it, around us.

From a small issue, like the traffic cop, who stretches his hand out for his 'hafta', to a little more serious play, with a government authorisation body, we seem to have made this part of our daily lives.

The guy who takes and the guy who gives, almost seem to see it as 'standard operating procedure'.We now don't seem to get perturbed by it!

It now seems to be so huge, that the corrupt economy may be giving our 'other' economy a run for its money(pun intended!)

Just heard Mr.Tata reveal, that he refused to launch an airline because the minister asked for a bribe!
May there be more like him!

Does more control lead to more corruption? Is the solution more transparency?Or is it just a right now?

While one 'Raja' may have exited, there are a million subjects, who are committted followers!

Are, we like this only?

Obama's Shellacking!

" Shellacking" the word means a sound thrashing!Heard that before?

To those who are just getting familiar, with it, it was a word that Obama seems to have given to our various political commentators in the last few hours.Obama's reference was to his recent drubbing in the mid term polls! Our gracious TV panelists very easily and quickly borrowed the term and used it generously. Nothing wrong with that, except for a lot of Indians it was a new word in their lexicon!

His visit to Mumbai and his need for jobs back home, have even got TV commentators to say he is stretching out his hand for help, much like we did two decades ago. One fellow,even went to the extent of saying, earlier it could have been a frail hand of an Indian reaching out for food. Now, the tables are turned.

There is no doubt India is rising and hello, let's not say 'shining', remember the opposition supposedly lost an election here, for this marketing platform!

Is that the onset of an Indian arrogance or the rise of a confident power?
Which way do you interpret it?

To an average Indian, does it matter, if Obama was 'shellacked'? As long as he doesn't screw up our outsourcing,gets us a UNSC seat,gets us to other 'high tables' he would be a great friend. He surely is a lot smarter and more articulate than his predecessor and if Bush was high on India's popularity rankings,( even higher than in the US), Obama can win hands down!

Well, less than 24 hours into the trip to India, he surely has made one contribution to living room dialogues and TV studio discussions with the word, 'Shellacking'.

Thank you Mr.Obama, we are standing by for more substantive gains!