The West Asian Melodrama

The West Asia is really getting dramatic.

The death of PLO leader, Yasar Arafat. Aeriel Sharon’s offer for a Palestinian State. The Gaza withdrawal. Sharon getting out of HIS OWN Lukid party and forming Kadima Party. Sharon unconscious at hospital. Palestinian Islamic Militants, Hamas, winning the democratic election by a huge majority.

And today Kadima has won the Israel election and the Isrealians have opted for peace in favour of furthur withdrawal and formation of the Palestinian state.

Hope that Ehud Olmert completes the job that Aeriel Sharon has started.

From the slums to IIM-A

Excise cut for small cars

PCs intension was to make our country a manufacturing hub for auto components, the most prospective sector after textiles and services.

There was a loud cry that this move would congest the already congested city roads. I beg to differ on this.

1) The reduction of mere thousands is not going to tempt the customers in going for a car as the price gap between the two wheelers and four wheeler is already pretty high.
2) The ever galloping Oil prices will make him/her think twice.
3) The already congested roads and the increased travel time will itself make the travelers opt for a better mode of transport.

So, lets not worry about the excise cut and concentrate on builing MRT systems..

Leasons from my MBA preparation

Today its 27th March. All institutes have made it clear that I m too good to sit in their classroom benches for this year. I would have been happy to hear the same except for the expenses incurred for their application forms.

FMS(GM) - 500 FMS(MS) - 500SPJAIN - 900SNAP - 500 ( for the exam ) SIBM - 1200XAP - 750 ( for the exam ) XLRI - 850

ONE ) I dont complain about the high tution fees charged by the IIMs and other B schools. As ROI is going to be pretty high, we would be able to pay back the loans(which has become very much compulsory these days to purse PG course in Management).

ONE.ONE ) Charging a higher fees for appearing exams and applying for institutes hinders a poor chap from even thinking of these institues leave alone fee charged by coaching institutes.

ONE.TWO ) I m also of the view that the high tution fee makes one think more of his accumulated educational expenses and stops him from starting a NGO or joining a startup or joining a government service. I kills the entrepreneurship in himself.

TWO ) And why is that we are asked to apply for some institutes even before we sit for the entrance examination.

Delhi - The rape capital of India

Inspite of our government efforts, the sex ratio in India still stagnates at 922/1000. Does it mean, that for every 1000, there are 78 singles controlling all their sexual and emotional aspirations.

Does this, in any way, contribute to the ever increasing incidents of rape in India. Yes..Could Be... In capital, these incidents become headliners and in other parts of India goes unnoticed.

so whats the solution ?

We can't increase the sex ratio all of a sudden. However, can't we legitimize prostitution ?

If

"The legalization of abortion in the United States has reduced the number of unwanted children – children who are more likely to become criminals – and thus has reduced crime in recent years" - Steven Levitt.

then I m confident

"The legalization of prostitution in India should also reduce the number of stray incidents in our country"

Burning my Cals.....

when i find it hard to burn 150 cals a day with tonnes to them accumulated at my bottom belly, its heartening to know the average cals intake among the BPL people is just 1600 cals a day.

The wealth distribution is getting so worse these days, if we have a mechanism to directly transfer the extra cals from APL to BPL people, India would easily meet the WHO Poverty Alleviation deadlines in less than a year.

the conflicts continue....

Wars never end... I can'T blog each war...I give up !!!
My last list...

2001 - 9/11 Al-Qaeda strikes Twin Towers
2001 - Afghan Invasion
2003 - Iraq Invasion

The Congo War(s)

1996 - 1997 First Congo War(Zaire)

*1994 Rwandan Genocide & Burundi violence made members of Hutu group flee to Zaire.
*The War began as Rwanda grew increasingly concerned that members of Hutu were carrying out cross-border raids.
*The new Tutsi-dominated Rwandans began to give arms to Tutis's of eastern Zaire(Banyamulenge).
*The military dictator of Zaire, Mobutu(sup. by West)vigorously denounced this intervention.
*In 1997, rebel leader, Kabils(Communist) with his Tutsi fighters was able to overthrew Mobutu and proclaimed himself as president. Zaire become DRC.

1998 - 2003 Second Congo War

*In 1998, Kabila removed Tutsis from govt. & ordered the Rwandan, Ugandan officials out of DRC.
*The two countries turned against formed client, sending troops to aid rebels in DRC.
*Four main armed groups
**Tutsi-aligned forces, supported by Rwandans.
**Hutu-aligned forces, include Hutus reponsible for 1994 genocide.
**Ugandan-aligned forces, its national army interested in DRCs natural resources.
**Kinshasa-aligned forces, congolese national army.
*In 1998, Banyamulese erupted into mutiny. Kabila supports Hutu militants to suppress Tutsis.
*In 1999, Uganda & Rwanda clash for control over Congo territory.
*In 2001, Kabila was killed and his son Joseph Kabila was sworn in as President.
*Peace Agreement in 2002 at Pretoria on withdrawal of Ugandan, Rwandan troops & dismantalling of Hutu militants and come to effect on 2003.( Pretoria, executive capital of South Africa, Capetown being the other one, Bloemfontein,judicial capital)

The Sundan War(s)

1955 - 1972 First Sudanese Civil War

*Until 1946, the British administered south Sudan and north Sudan as separate regions.
*At this time, the two areas were merged into a single administrative region.
*The north is inhabited by Arabic Muslims and south by sub-Saharan Christians & animists.
*South is a more fertile plain of Nile and also has most of the Oil resources.
*The South demand complete automony from the government and hence the Civil War starts.
*The civil war comes to an end with the Peace Agreement of 1972.

1983 - 2005 Second Sudanese Civil War

*In 1983, the then President campaigned for the Islamization of the entire state of Sudan.
*He declared state of emergency in 1983. Though emergency was recalled in 1984, the act of opression continued. Thus he became the reason for the second civil war.
*Sudan supported Saddam Hussein in the 1990-91 Gulf war.
*Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaeda moved to Sudan in 1991 and carried out their terrorist attacks outside Sudan. In 1996, he was expelled from Sudan & he moved to Afghan.
*The war comes to an end with the peace treaty in 2005 at Nairobi.

The Gulf War(s)

1980-1988 First Gulf war(Iran-Iraq war)
*Border disputes between Mesopotamia(Iraq) & Persia(Iran)
*Iran Revolution, 1979(Ayatollah)-Iran became an Islamic state from being pro-Western.
*US supports Iraq(Saddam)'s invasion with arms and aid. WMDs, Chemical and biological weapons were sold to Iraq.
*Iraq also purchases arms from SU. Backed financialy by Arab states, Kuwait & Saudi Arabia.
*Iran too had US weapons(bought from Isreal)
*The war left nothing changed and both nations suffered huge casualities.

1990-1991 Second Gulf war(Iraq-Kuwait war)
*Iraq was heavily indebted to Kuwait (& Saudi Arabia) due to First Gulf war.
*1990, Iraq invades Kuwait. Iraq in a better position even to invade Saudi Arabia (Hama Oil fields)
*UN(US) demands unconditional withdrawal of Iraqi forces.
*Coalation forces wage war against Iraq.
*1991, Iraq agreed to Soviet proposed cease-fire agreement.
*CIA sponsors internal rebellion for overthrowing Saddam.
*Economic sanctions on Iraq. UN introduces Oil for food programme.

1979-1989 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the aftermath

*Peoples Democratic Party of Afghanistan(PDPA) ruled Afghan with close ties to Soviet Union
*Marxist-style "reform" program was confronted by religious establishments & other Afghans.
*1979, Soviet steps in to help PDPA to supress the internal revolt.
*Soviet struggled against mujahideen rebel forces backed by US, Saudi Arabia & Pak.
*Soviet withdrew in 1989 and Afghan continued to be land of warlords.
*Mujahideens overthrew the Afghan government (Mohanmmad Najibullah) in 1992.
*However, Mujahideens soon broke into two Northern Alliance and Taliban.
*Taliban(Osama Bin Laden) was able to capure the power in 1996.
*In 2001, Northern Alliance ousted the Taliban from power and formed a new government under Hamid Karzai.

1946-1976 Vietnam War

1946-1954 First Indochina War

*After France's attempted recolonization failed in 1954 by Viet Minh,
the country was partitioned in two by DMZ along the 17th parallel
above which Viet Minh established a Communist state
below which anit-Communist state was established with American military presence.

1954-1976 Second Indochina War

*1956, After South Vietnamese Premier Dinh Diem cancels reunification elections, the communist Viet Minh decides on war.
*1961, John F Kennedy increases military and economic aid to South Vietnam.
*1963, President Diem is overthrown and killed in a coup mounted by his own military.
*1964, Lyndon B Johnson authrized to take any action in South East Asia.
*1968, North Vietnamese and Viet Cong launch all out offensive
*1970, Richard Nixon orders troops to invade Viet Cong sanctuaries in combodia.
*1973, Richard Nixon accounces that Paris peace agreement in process.
*1975, North Vietnamese Army conquers all of South Vietnam, forcing US to flee by air & sea.
*1976, North and South Vietnam are united in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

1950-1953 Korean War

*Was invaded and ruled by Japan from 1910
*After WW II, US, USSR proposed a division of Korea along 38th parallel to be administered temporarily.
*The nothern part became a communist government under USSR and southern came under USA.
*The UN elections, 1948 was boycotted by the northern part.
*1950, North Korea struck across the 38th parallel and the allies were driven to a small aread around city of Pusan.
*Truman went for UN approval. UN troops drove the North Koreans back past 38th parallel.
*China issued warnings of confrontation if South Koreans cross 38th parallel.
*Chinese & North Korean forces recapture Seoul.(Jan 1951)
*The war came to an end with a peace treaty in 1953 with the creation of Demilitarized zone(DMZ)

1945-1990 German Division & Reunification

*The WWII resulted in partion of Germany and Berlin
with West Germany and West Berlin occupied by Allies
and East Germany and East Berlin occupied by Soviet Union.
*The flight of East Germans thru West Berlin led to erecting of Berlin Wall by East Germans in 1961.
*In 1989, East German authorities unexpectedly allowed East Germans to enter West Berlin and West Germany.
*This led to the acceleration of the process of reforms in East Germany
that ended with the reunification of East and West Germany in 1990.