PRAGOTI

 As I write this, 7 unruly members of parliament belonging to errant political parties - the Samajwadi Party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal in particular, have been suspended for their pathetic conduct yesterday in the Rajya Sabha. These legislators were doing their worst to prevent the Women's Reservation Bill, which now enjoys a great degree of majority support in both Houses of the Indian Parliament. This post quickly brings out some facets about the idea of quota-based representation in legislatures all across the world. 

Israel is possibly the only unapologetic state in the world that believes in assassination of opponents as a state policy. Ironically, that this nation does "hit jobs" through its notorious spy agency - the Mossad, actually gives it an "aura" of professionalism - as much as the Mumbai underworld looked "cool" in the eyes of many during its heydays.

Global Times, a Chinese newspaper published under the official People's Daily, says in an editorial apropos the Google issue: "China, as seen in the past 60 years, will move forward at its own pace toward safeguarding the public's right to know and building an open and harmonious society." Couldn't have guessed that one could move too fast in safeguarding rights.

Rather than considering a progressive alternative to the two presidential candidates, incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa and ex-army chief Sarath Fonseka, the major minority parties and their representatives have thrown their lot with either of the two candidates for short sighted reasons in upcoming presidential elections. 

My post on the same in the Newsclick website.