Does Supreme Court want deaf , dumb and blind Governors?

Supreme Court's observation in the Arunachal Pradesh judgment that the Governor must keep clear of any political horse-trading, and even unsavoury political manipulations, irrespective of the degree of their ethical repulsiveness is intriguing. Isn't Governor's role partly that of a watch dog? Should the post be reduced to a rubber stamp of the Chief Minister?

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Donald Trump

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's vituperative comments on Donald Trump only proves that even evolved minds like those of supreme court judges are not free from overpowering prejudices which make them forget the role of their office. The learned judge's observations have attracted disdain from all quarters.

In allowing emotions to overwhelm her rational self, she has even downgraded the majesty of the highest court. She has since realised her folly but has stopped short of apologising to Donald Trump. Strangely, Trump's response has been measured and unemotional. An apology to the likely presidential candidate will be in order.

Ginsburg has fatally shot down the assumption that judges will be unbiased in disposal of matters before them. She has lost the right to sit in judgement over possible petitions in the supreme court involving Trump. It is remarkable that even decades of experience as a judge do not elevate the human mind into an objective faculty.

Who is the next Prime Minister of UK?

Andrea Leadsom has withdrawn from the contest for next prime minister of UK making it all but certain that Theresa May gets into the hot seat next. Boris Johnson, the buffoon, must be regretting the flattering comments he made about Andrea Leadsom.

Andrea Leadsom made some nasty observations on childlessness to show herself to be better than Theresa May who is childless. Insensitive comments do not make for a good leader.

Theresa May has ably managed the ministry of interior for six years and has proven leadership and reconciling abilities. UK must have learnt a big lesson from the Brexit referendum. It is reasonable to hope that UK's future will be brighter than what we assume now.

Conflict of interest: who is to blame?

It is argued by some that Jayant Sinha, an alumnus of IIT, Delhi and Harvard Business School and a former investment banker, was packed off from the Finance Ministry because of conflict of interest emanating from his spouse being nominated as an independent director by Infosys. Dr.Punita Kumar Sinha is an alumnus of IIT, Delhi and Wharton School.

"Conflict of interest" may well be a red herring. Jayant Sinha's shift from Finance to Civil Aviation is more likely a message to his rebellious father, Yashwant Sinha, who keeps criticising the NDA government off and on. A minister's spouse occupying a position by one's own merit should not normally be mistaken as conflict of interest.

But since Caesar's wife must be above board, it is advisable to avoid such positions. In the instant case, Infosys also needs to be blamed. The company needs to introspect and truthfully satisfy itself that the appointment would have taken place even if Jayant Sinha was not in the Finance ministry. It may not be blatant cronyism, but is cronyism nonetheless. This is a test for Infosys's much-vaunted corporate governance standards.

An open letter to Rahul Gandhi

The following was written when there were thick rumours that Rahul Gandhi was about to become the president of GOP. But he is still in no mood to take up the challenge.

                                    An open letter to Shri Rahul Gandhi

Dear Shri Rahul Gandhi,

It is widely believed that you will soon be selected as Congress president. I am avoiding words like ‘coronation’ because I fondly hope that Congress continues to be a democratic party.

You are taking over presidentship of the Grand Old Party of India at a time when the party’s fortunes are at the lowest ebb. This is a daunting challenge. Tough challenges have the knack of bringing out the best in all of us. As a concerned citizen of our country, I hope and trust that you will prove your critics totally wrong and energise the party to regain its lost splendour.

You are the fifth person from the Nehru family to become president of the Congress party. At 46, you may feel diffident because of your young age. But your great-grandfather assumed this position when he was only 40 years old. Your grandmother was 42 and your father 41 when they became party’s chief. You have been the vice president of the party from January, 2013 and therefore you are not unaware of aspirations of the party members and expectations of the public from your party.

The country now desiderates a strong national party that will fulfill the democratic requirement of an effective opposition. A party with hoary traditions like Congress owes it to the nation to be effective whether it is a ruling or an opposition party. This is possible only if the grassroot members of the party are motivated enough to place total confidence and trust in their leaders.

Belonging to the Nehru-Gandhi family is at once both an advantage and a handicap. You would have gained enormous experience with leaders around you all the time. At the same time, there will be accusations that you are only a beneficiary of crass nepotism till you prove that you are a leader in your own right. So you are starting your term as president with a blessing and a burden.

Chief of the Congress party is a potential prime minister of India. Therefore your presidentship of the party attracts nervous and expectant attention not only from the party members but also from the citizens at large. You would have learnt from the circumstances which have shaped you so far, what is in the nation’s interest and what is not.

You must assemble a team of young and experienced persons with unquestionable integrity to provide honest feedback to you. You must desist from the dangerous desire to associate with a coterie of sycophants who will tell you only what they think you want to hear.

Politics is not a part-time job. It will demand your 24 x 7 attention. Of late, Congress party has gained a worrisome reputation as an obstructionist party. If you enable the party to get rid of this negativism and start offering constructive support to the government while being eagle-eyed to notice its misdoings, you will easily convince the concerned citizens that you are the leader that the party and the country need at this crucial hour.

Wishing you all the best,

Yours expectantly,

A concerned citizen.

Wow! What a great leader!

Andrea Leadsom is one of the contestants for leadership of the Tories and hence prime ministership of the UK. Her leadership qualities have been recently discovered by Boris Johnson after he was double-crossed by Michael Gove in the aftermath of the referendum.

Says Boris Johnson, " Andrea Leadsom offers the zap, the drive, and the determination essential for the next leader of this country. She has long championed the needs of the most vulnerable in our society. She has a better understanding of finance than almost anyone else in Parliament. She has considerable experience of government. She is level headed, kind, trustworthy approachable and the possessor of a good sense of humour. She has specialised in the EU question and successfully campaigned for leave and will be therefore well placed to help forge a great post Brexit future for Britain and Europe. Above all she possesses the qualities needed to bring together leavers and remainers in the weeks and months ahead. I will be voting for Andrea Leadsom tomorrow."

Johnson's perversion keeps growing after he realised that his campaign for Brexit was an overshoot that would boomerang on him.

Added on July 8: The race for UK premiership is now between Theresa May and Andrea Leadsom only. The former seems to have an edge despite Boris Johnson's flattery of the latter. May the better candidate win !

Letting go in the fifties

There seems to be something remarkable in one's life when the fifties are reached. One takes a deep breath and begins to wonder if life should take a different turn.

Nigel Farage is the latest exemplar of this trait. He fought hard, some would say he did so nastily, to make Brexit a reality. And now, he has quit leadership of UKIP saying he never wanted to be a career politician. It is quite possible that he wanted to depart in glory.

A similar urge had affected Raghuram Rajan some days ago. We have no right to question their personal choice. But there is no need to pillory or eulogise them either for their decision. Farage is 52 years old and Rajan 54.