Showing posts with label IIPM BEST MBA INSTITUTE. Show all posts
Showing posts with label IIPM BEST MBA INSTITUTE. Show all posts

Monday, October 08, 2012

THE CITI NEVER. . .

Adversity is a great teacher, and is an opportune time for some leadership lessons. US Gen. George S. Patton, who won many accolades during World War 2, was famous for his handling of adversities in warfare. During one operation in Sicily, he is said to have told one of his lieutenants that he had complete faith in him. To prove it, Patton went home and, you guessed it, slept! He used to famously quote, “Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they’ll surprise you with their ingenuity.”

Not letting down his board’s belief, it seems Citigroup CEO Vikram Pandit’s classy ingenuity – and that of his valued predecessors – has not only surprised, but even shocked the damned pants of Citi’s investor groups. Look at their performance on the ingenuity scale – for an organisation that had enviable smashing profits of $24.5 billion in 2005, the six months ending June 2008 have been pure genius – a killing loss of $7.6 billion! With one top US institution filing for bankruptcy (Lehman Brothers), the other (Merrill Lynch) being taken over by another (Bank of America), and the IMF estimate of gross losses suffered by the industry because of the sub-prime crisis crossing a gut wrenching $1 trillion, is Citigroup – one of the worst hit institutions in the US – going to be the next disaster on the West Coast? Boasting an asset size close to $2.1 trillion as on 2008 [double that of, say, India’s GDP], if Citi falls, Patton or no Patton, nobody’s going to sleep again for many months!

Not the least Victor J. Menezes, retd. Senior Vice Chairman of Citigroup, who reverted to us commenting, “I do not wish to get involved in any such media interactions concerning Citibank.” Truly speaking, the problems that Citigroup had piled up for itself were there for everybody to see; and as surprising as the analysis might be, the fact is nobody was ready to bell the billion-dollar pig and send it to the butcher’s. That Citi’s future is in grave danger can be easily viewed from the way share prices have plummeted. It’s a massacre on the bourses, with Citi’s share price falling from $55 in January 2007 to a pathetic $14 on September 17, 2008!

On September 15, 2008, Citi’s shares plunged by 15%, & on September 16, by another 7%, as news of Citi’s exposure to Lehman’s bankruptcy came to light. Lehman named Citigroup amongst its “largest unsecured creditors,” with a numbing $138 billion of Citigroup’s money tied up in unsecured Lehman bonds. Consider that Lehman’s gross outstanding debt is $613 billion dollars! So Citi is exposed to almost an unbelievable 23% of Lehman’s crash!

As B&E had analysed just a few weeks back in its cover issue Murders & Acquisitions [August 7, 2008], Vikram’s predecessor, Charles Prince, is an equal, if not better conspirator in this bloodbath. In 1998, he, as the Chief Administrative Officer [under Sandy Weill, then CEO], engineered the utterly disastrous $140 billion merger of Citibank with Travelers Group ten years back. Former Citi Chief Executive John Reed, who engineered the deal with Sandy Weill, confessed to the Financial Times in April 2008, “The specific merger transaction clearly has to be seen as a mistake,” and he was ‘unclear whether the company’s model or management deserved the greater share of the blame for its problems.’


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
 
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face

Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

Friday, August 24, 2012

Soaring popularity meter

In a recent exercise by Twitter authorities to ascertain personalities with maximum number of followers on the website, Genelia D’souza featured in the top 20, beating several celebrities from various walks of life. Though a curious feat, she is very happy about it and wishes to thank all responsible for it! Considering that Twitter is seen as a popularity barometer these days, our hearty congratulations to Genelia!


Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

ICICI BANK: INORGANIC GROWTH

First it was the Bank of Madura. Then, it was Bank of Sangli. And now, the Bank of Rajasthan. ICICI Bank is seemingly strengthening its presence in the Indian banking space by undertaking a slew of acquisitions much like its peer HDFC Bank did in the past. by Avneesh Singh

As seen by experts, the merger, which will increase ICICI’s branch count by 463 and ATM count by 111 (adding to the bank’s existing network of 2009 branches and 5,219 ATMs), will make ICICI Bank the undisputed no.2 in the Indian banking space and the no. 1 amongst those in the private sector. [This will increase the difference in number of branches between ICICI and HDFC from just 7 in 2008-09 to 747!]. But then, the question remains – is it such a wise move as it seems on the first go?

Well, experts are still divided in opinion. While some like Vaibhav Agarwal and Amit Rane of Angel Securities say that, “Based on the swap ratio (25:118), ICICI Bank has valued BoR at a premium of 89%, which is expensive, considering the poor profitability and the recent asset-quality pressures and corporate governance issues with the Bank of Rajasthan.” On the other hand, others like Hatim Broachwala, Banking Analyst, Khandwala Securities, says, “The deal is positive because of Bank of Rajasthan’s huge branch network in northern India. Also, the price paid per branch is not a huge amount considering ICICI Bank’s renewed strength.” Clearly, the proposed merger will help ICICI Bank make its presence felt in Rajasthan, in a manner similar to how CBoP helped HDFC Bank grow in Punjab and Haryana.

However, if you look at the Mcap per branch figure (of the acquired) involved in the ICICI Bank-BoR deal, it reads better than the HDFC-CBoP transaction. Based on the swap ratio announced, the figure works out to be Rs.66 million in the former case, a lot lesser than Rs.241 million paid in the latter. But one must also consider the fact that the existing capital adequacy of BoR is on the lower side and ICICI Bank would need to infuse more capital to bring them to the desired level. Translation – the deal would dry up funds from ICICI Bank’s lockers. Worse, the bank would need atleast two-three more years to scale-up productivity in BoR’s branches.

Certainly, there is no denying that inorganic growth strategy is good for a bank like ICICI Bank in a growing economy, but going by what expected synergies indicate, it appears to be more of an inorganic strategy out of compulsion. And that isn’t what’s called following the road to glory. The dynamism in the Indian banking industry is set to go through major changes in the near future, when the Reserve Bank will start issuing new banking licenses and the expected new cash-rich entrants of the likes of the Ambanis, the Tatas and the Birlas will take competition to a new level altogether. How many more such forced takeovers will we witness from ICICI Bank? The positive side is that if the BoR buyout works for ICICI, it will prove a preparation much before the real battle begins!

A pro-active step to scale up even before competitors starts biting at your heels or a purchase of the latest headache for ICICI Bank? Two more years, and we’ll know more...


Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Friday, August 10, 2012

“A Budget for Three Idiots”

A radical way to combine NREGA with Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan and create history

 “History is a race between education and catastrophe.” - H G Wells

“All who have meditated on the art of governing mankind have been convinced that the fate of empires depends on the education of youth.” - Aristotle



I think this is the first time I have started a write-up with quotes from famous people. I normally do not do that, because I usually feel so strongly and passionately about issues that I simply start writing and words just flow out in a torrent. But I am making an exception this time. And I have strong reasons for doing so.

Let me digress a little before stating them. This will be the 10th consecutive year that I have written and presented an ‘Alternative Budget’. This will be the 5th consecutive year that the ‘Alternative Budget’ appears in Business & Economy (Yes, your favourite magazine – when it comes to sharp, incisive and thought-provoking intellectual analysis – is about to complete 5 years!). For close to 10 years, I have been repeating ad nauseam that India can never hope to be a country that is respected in the 21st century unless there is a drastic and dramatic overhaul of social infrastructure. Apart from occasional good news on that front, budgets over the last decade have been largely disappointing when it comes to dealing with social infrastructure. Of course, lip service and wise quotes from historical personalities have always been offered by successive finance ministers. Of course, ambitious schemes with thousands of crores of budgetary allocations have been launched. Of course, well meaning policies have been designed and implemented. But has there been a really substantive improvement in outcomes? Do poor Indians actually have better access to healthcare now than they had when the 21st century began? Do they actually have better access to education? You know the answers as well as I do.

I have often been frustrated and dismayed by the answers. This prompted me to present an Alternative Budget in 2008 with a headline Ban the Budget. My logic was that too much needless attention was lavished on the Union Budget. My suggestion to the Finance Minister was to use the Union Budget to launch some path-breaking policies for the social infrastructure sector and let nitty gritty issues be handled through the year during the normal course. In 2009, I went a step ahead and presented an Alternative Budget with a headline Khao aur Khilao Budget. My logic was simple. I raised a fundamental question: How come China and South Korea with levels of corruption as deep and endemic as India have delivered fantastic outcomes in social infrastructure while India has failed to do so? I also argued that economics was all about incentives and if a Union Budget offered the right kind of incentives, stakeholders in India, too, could dramatically improve social infrastructure. Just in case you are interested in what the Khao aur Khilao Budget suggested, please visit www.businessandeconomy.org/09072009/storyd.asp?sid=4485&pageno=1.

Having digressed a little, let me come now to the theme and headline of my Alternative Budget this year. It is called A Budget for Three Idiots. You guessed it. It has been inspired by the iconoclastic movie that revealed how hollow our education system is. It also offered us hope and redemption. And it told us poignantly that the biggest challenge for India in the 21st century is to transform its education system. The quotes that appear right at the top of this write-up tell me that thinkers and philosophers throughout history have consistently argued that a society, a nation or a civilization simply cannot survive – far from flourish – without the right kind of education. Aristotle mused about the power of education to sustain an Empire more than 2,000 years ago. And in the 20th century, H.G Wells, the author of timeless classics like Animal Farm and 1984 highlighted the importance of education in an equally compelling manner.


Read more.....




Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Clear The Waterways first, Can You?

A number of Industries are Blamed for their Contribution to Global Warming, but as Statistics Reveal, The Shipping Industry beats The Rest, and Requires Special Regulations

Unfortunately, ‘long term’ is a set of words that people use in a lot of instances, but rarely do they understand their relevance or importance. Unfortunately, as far as caring for environment is concerned, a lot has to do with ‘long term’ impact, which does explain why it remains relatively low on priority for global businesses, governments & people alike. Innumerable measures have been taken; but risks remain alarmingly high. A major factor that people are ignoring is shipping, the greatest source of environmental pollution. And the dangers are visible here and now.

Shipping is responsible for 3-5% of climate change emissions worldwide and contributes around 900 million tonnes of carbon annually. Total emissions are comparable to some major national economies. One big container ship can emit almost the same amount of cancer and asthma-causing chemicals as 50 million cars. The total emissions of 15 large cargo ships are equivalent to the emissions of all cars together in the world! International Maritime Organization (IMO) estimates that if things go as they are, shipping’s contribution to greenhouse emissions could reach 18% by 2050. From 1990 to 2007, emissions of basic pollutants (NOx, SO2,  PM &CO2) from shipping have nearly doubled to 1096 million tons.

About 60,000 humans die by particulate matter (PM) emissions from shipping; this costs over $330 billion annually to the world economy. In one example, it was estimated that shipping emissions cost the Danish government some £5 billion annually. Around 33% of total deaths are occurring in Europe and around 25% in each of East Asia and South Asia. For example, over 700 premature deaths take place in the Los Angeles port area annually. Low-grade ship bunker fuel has 2,000 times more sulphur content than diesel fuel used in US and European automobiles. There are over 90,000 cargo ships worldwide and they burn over 300 million tonnes of bunker fuel every year. Researches show that a passenger cruise can generate about 210,000 gallons of black water, 1,000,000 gallons of gray water, 37,000 gallons of oily bilge water and more than eight tonnes of solid waste in a week. As a consequence, over one in ten children suffer from asthma in major port cities. Unfortunately, the recent meeting of the IMO, where plans for implementing measures such as emissions trading schemes, remained deadlocked due to the very familiar debate between developed and developing countries, wherein the latter are reluctant to compromise on their growth.


Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Adding winds to the wings!


IIPM Alumni Officially on Facebook

Spreading wings is an inherent activity for a growing bird. And that’s what exactly Suzlon Energy, the Indian wind turbine maker, did in 2007. To add winds to its wings it acquired REpower for Rs.73.14 billion in a hard fought bid battle against its French rival, the Nuclear Energy Group, Areva and others. Well, the effort hasn’t gone waste, as along with a 60% stake in REpower, Suzlon has also pocketted the 10% market share enjoyed by REpower in the international energy market. “Suzlon has gained from this acquisition as it has helped it to extend its reach in the global wind turbine market,” agrees Vinay Nair, Oil, Gas & Energy Analyst, Khandwala Securities.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Posted by at
Labels: , , ,

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Despite talk about American decline, the world is not prepared for a post-American era

The point was driven home at the 7th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Beijing this autumn, where European and Asian leaders explored ideas for a new global financial structure. For much of the past 60 years, it would have been impossible to hold such a fundamental dialogue without US participation. Today, it is almost becoming a new global norm that neither the international committee nor the US is prepared for.

Despite talk about American decline, the world is not prepared for a post-American era. As irksome as some of its actions have been, particularly over the past eight years, the US remains the world’s most critical champion of the progressive values that have lifted hundreds of millions of people out of abject poverty and political repression. If the US were to play a relatively smaller role in world affairs, and no other system was created to pick up the slack, these values could be at risk.


Although many states now hide behind an alleged universal principle of inviolable state sovereignty, for example, would the international community go back to the old model where states did whatever they wanted to their citizens within their own borders? Do countries around the world believe that they will be better off if the global trade system breaks down or international shipping lanes become less secure? Are countries like China willing to step up and pay their fair share of dues to keep the UN running (China currently pays 2.1 per cent of UN dues, compared to more than 25 per cent for the US), or to capitalise revised international financial institutions or the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria? Unless other countries step forward for the common good, a post-American world could quickly become a far more frightening environment than what it would replace.....Continue

Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Friday, January 09, 2009

“I am just a party worker”

Who do you think was responsible for the party's success in Rajasthan?

I attribute the party's victory to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, general secretary Rahul Gandhi, Congress workers and the good work done by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the Centre. It is also the victory of the people of Rajasthan. A befitting reply to the grave mistakes committed by BJP.

Will the Congress, which is short of a majority, be able to form a government in Rajasthan?

Yes, Congress will form the government here. We are not short of a majority…some of the independents are in touch with us and as it is, we are much above the required figure needed to form a government.

What do you think were the reasons behind BJP's debacle?

I am not the one to comment on other parties. All I know is that the people have given their verdict. The voters have voted against poor governance. All-round failure and corruption had become the hallmark of the Vasundhara Raje government during its five-year regime. There was a difference between what the BJP said and what it did in the state. In almost 27 incidents of police firing, 91 farmers were killed, the Meenas and the Gujjars felt agitated and cheated.

Who would be the next chief minister of the Congress in the state?

In Congress, a leader is chosen democratically and the party would announce the name at an appropriate time....Continue

Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Thursday, January 08, 2009

Has national security gone to the dogs? If not, then it must…

Training is imparted in obedience, action, refusal of food given by strangers, scent discrimination, tracking, explosive detection, property guarding, spotting and attacking. The first phase of the 9-month training gives stress on basic skills, obedience drill and agility exercises. The second phase is tougher with explosives and narcotics detection, anti-smuggling operation, guarding and searching and causality detection. Every dog is assessed at the end of the training. Three retired BSF personnel impart training to the dogs at the Academy. Training for the first batch, consisting of high pedigree dogs including five German Shepherds and seven Labradors, and their 24 handlers, began in January 23, 2008. The next batch of 18 dogs is ready for training. “The selection of high pedigree dogs is done with meticulous care. Usually, the price of dog varies from Rs 5,000 to Rs 25,000, depending on its pedigree. The price for Labradors with six pure generations may go up to around Rs 80,000,’’ says Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) and Academy In-Charge, Alexander Jacob.

It is in fact the cost factor that is one of the main deterrents in the optimum deployment of dogs, apart from their own physical limitations. Says J A Khan, IG, Operations, Border Security Force, “The contribution of a dog to the detection of bombs and IEDs is 60%, and that of machines and equipments is 25%, while human success at it can be only quantified at 8%. But there’s a huge cost factor involved. The right pedigree had got to be usually imported, then trained for a year. If not properly used, the dog could die in 2-3 years. In fact, the life of a dog is reduced as much as we use her/him to sniff. Then there is required a personnel solely dedicated to the handling of dogs. There thus results a serious mismatch in requirement and availability. But that is not to deny that if used in a judicious manner, they can be a huge support. Loyalty, as you know, is an unquestionable trait with them.”....Continue

Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Saturday, January 03, 2009

People hate the dirty face of partisan politics, says Priyanka Rai

The muck started flying from the time the first bullet sang. The Sangh Parivar went into a celebratory mood, as it felt sure that now the Congress had had it… clean sweep for the saffron, they partied. Congress leaders were going through the last motions of the Delhi polls, and pundits in both 24 Akbar Road as well as 9 Ashoka Road went into huddles, working out intangible election mathematics. And in the end, Congress felt that the solid, uncompromising hit back by the country got it the edge and Sheila Dikshit could, just could, win.

After his Mumbai visit, Advani said in his Rajasthan campaign, “Despite the Supreme Court verdict, Afzal has not been hanged. I often feel if Afzal were named Anand Mohan or Anand Singh, he would have been hanged a long time ago." Incumbent Vasundhara Raje, in a tight battle, said: "Though the terrorists got into Taj and Oberois hotels in Mumbai, we have seen how this government has failed to check terrorism." Interestingly, Narendra Modi had described Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare as antinational a week back. But today, Karkare is a martyr for whom Modi has offered a crore of rupees in compensation. It is precisely this kind of filth that got the public’s goat.

And there seems to be a reason for this sort of politics. What the public is saying – though may be not in so many words – is that none of the national parties have a national agenda: they just stick top their partisan interests. That's the real tragedy of democratic India. Each party seems so insecure that for them national security is a non-issue. By hook or by crook, they want the votes, come to the power and stick to it.

The people today do not believe Shivraj Patil’s ‘owning moral responsibility’ and resigning. Sonia Gandhi’s ubiquitous hands were obviously turning the strings that ran the puppets to stem a Congress slide during the coming polls. Media coverage of Patil changing three suits in a span of a few hours of the serial blasts in Delhi had enraged the masses, but there was no expression. BJP points out to the more than 200 blasts during the UPA regime. Home Ministry’s official statistic says it has come down quite a bit from the blasts during the BJP-led NDA regime. Then why resign now? ....Continue

Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Om Mathur, an RSS pracharak drafted in the party for more than 25 years, has been made the BJP chief in Rajasthan since January this year.

There are reports that the Chief Minister neglected the organisation during the past five years, refusing to meet even her own ministers. And there is dissension, so how are you managing the cadre?
Such things happen only due to lack of communication. I came here in January this year and tried to remove the discrepancies. I organised regular meetings between the party organisation and the government. Ever since, all government decisions are being taken in consultation with the party.

How true are reports of Vasundhara Raje’s corruption?
They are absolutely false. Why didn’t the opposition raise these issues inside the Assembly during the past five years of BJP rule? Why are such things being raked up only during the past 20 days through newspaper advertisements? In any case, people living in glasshouses do not have a right to throw stones at others.

Vasundhara is also being accused of being too arrogant, even more arrogant than Narendra Modi. How do you explain that?
Every person has a distinct personality and working style. Those seeing her from a distance may call her arrogant, but those who know her closely know how sensitive and magnanimous she is. Vasundhara is a lady of action, vision and quick decisionmaking.

What impact would the BSP have in these elections?
Rajasthan has traditionally been a state with only two parties. There was never scope for a third party. Election results would bear me out on December 8....Continue

Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Monday, December 22, 2008

Sun,sea and span

Inhaling the fresh ocean breeze while a cool subtle wind blew my hair away from my face, ignoring the 6 lanes of cars zipping by and the numerous diverse people walking and conversing by me, I was lost in my own world enjoying one of the beauties of California. Standing on the Golden Gate Bridge, bundled up with a light layer of clothing, I began my 2.2 mile walk across the bridge on one of my frequent visits to San Francisco (SF).

However, what made this trip unique was that I had decided to see SF from a tourist point of view, like I had in 1989, during my first visit.

The highlights of San Francisco-day-life are just as exciting and varied as the infamous SF nightlife. From a walk or drive down the world’s most crooked street, Lombard Street, to a cruise to Alcatraz Island, the infamous escape-proof prison meant for the most dangerous criminals until June 11, 1962, when two prisoners broke out and yet died while swimming in the cold waters of San Francisco Bay. Originally built and used as a lighthouse, the ‘Rock’ (as it is locally referred to) has now become a favourite tourist destination, for which daily ferry rides from Pier 33 take place every 30 minutes to allow visitors to experience the ocean and also give them a guided tour of the prison and its history. Alcatraz is known to have held famous prisoners such as Al Capone, Robert Franklin Stroud and Alvin Karpis.....Continue

Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Abbas-hamas head-on again

The Palestinian Authority's central council has designated to appoint Mahmoud Abbas as Palestinian president. It is largely a figurative office, as a Palestinian state is yet to be formed. The position has been vacant since Yasser Arafat's death in 2004.

Meanwhile, Mahmoud Abbas ­– who is facing a mounting challenge from Hamas to the authority of his rule – threatened that unless the Palestinian resistance group decides to reconcile with his Fatah movement, he is going to annouce fresh elections. Abbas threatened to issue a diktat early next year that will make both Presidential and Parliamentary polls mandatory. His term in office ends on 9 January. Hamas hurriedly discarded the bid, saying the thought itself was “unconstitutional".

“It's a symbol indicating the political problem that Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas) and his group are facing while he is going to lose his official position as the (president) of the Palestinian Authority,” said Mahmoud Zahar, a key political figure in Hamas......Continue

Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Who is Lt. Col. Srikant Prasad Purohit?

Well neither did it appear to anyone else until investigations of the Malegaon blasts after the arrest of Hindu activist, Pragya Singh, led the trail of the deadly explosions to Purohit and a retired Major, Ramesh Upadhaya, amongst others.

According to insiders in the army, Purohit was given the critical responsibility of raising 41 Rashtriya Rifles, a dedicated counter-terrorism force that operates out of Kupwara, in northern Kashmir. Kupwara remains one of the main points of infiltration of terrorists from across the Line of Control. His tenure in Jammu and Kashmir ended in January, 2005, while serving in the Awantipora-based 31-Counter Intelligence Unit of the MI. Well informed sources say that Purohit’s involvement in the cloak and dagger game dates back to his days in the crucial MI in a Kashmir valley defined by civil war conditions - days where for a military intelligence officer, it would often become very difficult to differentiate between foe and friend. Like all sensitive intelligence assignments, the job demanded establishing contacts with jehadis, a task considered vital for reading the rival’s mind. The purpose: to pick up and collate information and tactical intelligence.


According to the ATS, during one of the raids, the army seized 60 kg of RDX which, later Purohit informed his colleagues, had been dutifully dumped into the Jhelum river. In reality, it was smuggled into Maharashtra by the army officer and his accomplices and subsequently used in the explosions. Military sources told TSI that Purohit was later moved to Panchmarhi in Madhya Pradesh for pursuing a Chinese language course at the Army Education Corps College – his parent cadre - from where he was arrested by the ATS.....Continue
Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

It's not just America that is celebrating the historic Obama victory. The entire world is in raptures, reports Solana Larsen in this special despatch

Obama said he depended on the national citizen movement that made him President to end the devastating economic crisis the country suffered in the eight years under President George W Bush. "The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America — I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there," he said amid cheers. This was indisputably one of the most hotly contested elections in US history. Voters stood in record-busting lines that snaked around city blocks, and dared to hope what had seemed impossible two years ago when a first-term African-American senator from Illinois announced that he was running for President.

The jubilation was equally unprecedented. On election-eve 28-year-old Indian blogger Aditi Nadkarni felt impelled to record, "I couldn't vote for Obama. But I wrote him." The young cancer researcher from India who lives in Rochester, Minnesota has been sharing her thoughts on the presidential elections on the South Asian group blog Desicritics.com. Here, she has recounted her personal experiences as an immigrant in the United States and raged against some supporters of John McCain for highlighting Barack Obama's middle name "Hussein" as a disqualifying trait. Indeed for weeks the campaign led by McCain and Palin had been attacking Obama for his alleged association with "a domestic terrorist" from the 1970s. And for some these false alarms actually worked — leading them to drum up wholly unwarranted fears about Obama's religion and ethnic heritage. Was Obama a Muslim? Was he an Arab! That was how it had gone!....Continue


Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)