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Harish Gupta
 
 
 
 

My Columns

Presently, I write one column in Hindi for Punjab Kesri, a Hindi chain of newspapers published from various centers including Delhi and Jalandhar. The column -Satta Ka Safar appears every Friday. Earlier, I also used to write a column "Fly on the Wall" during my stay at The Indian Express. I continued this column in The Asian Age and its sister publications for several years. While at Dainik Bhaskar, I used to write a weekly column on political/current affairs.

  • Suddenly, tax heavens are threat to India

    Punjab Kesari - 19 February 2010


    All of a sudden Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee declared that billions of dollar flowing into the country from tax heaven countries (Keymon Island, Isle of Man, Mauritius and British virgin) is not only danger for the economy but also to nation’s security as well.

    This is contrary to the policy about the flow of capital from these countries initiated during the regime of Dr. Manmohan Singh as Finance Minister in 1991. If such money has suddenly become a threat to the security, the Government must come out with a white paper and an action plan rather than talking to the galleries.

     

  • Who is the BOSS in UPA-II?

    Punjab Kesari - 12 February 2010


    Strange things are happening in the UPA-II regime. When Jairam Ramesh was holding public hearings on the Bt brinjal issue, his ministrial colleague in the Prime Minister’s office Prithviraj Chavan declared that brinjal had already been given  clearance. Same happened when Ghulam Nabi Azad and Chidambaram differed on the return of people living in the POK to Jammu and Kashmir. Sharad Pawar brought down the authority and prestige of the Government by calling on Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, whatever may be the cause. Thackeray showed who is the Boss and Congress Government in Mumbai and Delhi looked biting the dust.

     

  • At least taxiwala in Mumbai should be Marathi speaking

    Punjab Kesari - 05 February 2010


    The way two national parties – the Congress and the BJP – have reacted against the decision of the Maharashtra government  to give driving license only to those who have been staying in Mumbai for 15 years and capable of speaking Marathi, is baffling. Mumbai is not a the Capital of the country. Mumbai is Maharashtra’s Capital whose first language is Marathi. Even otherwise, on merit one can say that years of stay should be ten years or five years. But knowledge of Marathi should be compulsory. There is no national language in the country other than English. So why politicians are shedding crocodiles tears !

     

  • Why we go berserk over Chatwals’s Padma award ? And have no time to debate national security !

    Punjab Kesari - 29 January 2010


    We have been engaging ourselves debating Padma awards being given to all and sundry – the likes of Sant Singh Chatwal, a New York hotelier of Indian origin and Saif Ali Khan, a Hindi cine actor. So what if the CBI lost three cases in courts against Chatwal and withdrew two cases suo-moto against him. Obviously, successive governments want Chatwal to be on the right side. The issue is this country did not debate why National Security Adviser M K Narayanan was shown the door all of a sudden and whose bidding. We are not even aware why the man at the helms of country’s security was sacked after 5 years; and whether the country’s security system will undergo changes. But there is no debate, discussion or serious talk. We always engage ourselves in such silly things because the establishment never wants a debate on serious issues.

     

  • Time to regulate these "bogus" experts too

    Punjab Kesari - 22 January 2010


    We have been blaming the politicians for all the ills. But its time noose is tightened around those experts who dish out Bogus studies, fake statistics and give doctored opinions creating a globle scare. The melting of Himalayan Glacier by 2035 turns out to be a “Himalayan Blunder” and the Noble Prize winner wants to get away in the grab of a typographic error. But the  regret comes two years after the Himalayan Blunder study. The same set of experts brought down the global economy two years ago. Its time they be brought under some regulator.

     

  • Why CRY over Rathore's Smirk

    Punjab Kesari - 15th January 2010


    The uproar over the smirk of SPS Rathore and what he did to Ruchika Gehrotra and her family as Director General of Haryana Police and out-cry is shameful. Because; no Prime Minister tried to reform the Police or inject administrative reforms. The politicians irrespective of their parties balantantly misused the police to achieve their political ends. Rathore was able to get away with every crime he committed with the blessings of all successive Chief Ministers till date. The investigation should be conducted  into what Rathore did for his political bosses in return? What illegalities he committed for his political bosses to secure patronage?

     

  • It can happen only in India

    Punjab Kesari - 8th January 2010


    Sugar is selling at Rs 50 per kg, rice at Rs 60 and pulses are out of bounds for the AAM ADAMI. Food Minister Sharad Pawar is saying he has no magic wand to bring down prices and Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia claims to do that magic within two months. To topit all, the entire finance ministry babudom will go on three sojorn and watch 3 idiots before finding out ways how to impose more taxes. Shockingly, the principal Opposition party- the BJP- will watch 3 idiots too instead of agitating for the poor. Why ? because no elections are in sight. So why to fight for the idiots.