Pran Kurup

Zardari Takes a Few Nervous Steps

Gotta feel for President Zardari. He lost his wife to a terrorist attack. He inherited a messy, bankrupt country packed with terrorists, and an unstable Afghanistan and a thriving arch-enemy India as its neighbors. And now following the despicable act of violence by Pakistani nationals who travelled to Mumbai Zardari now has to face the wrath of India. Under pressure from the US government Zardari seems to have relented and cracked down on the LeT. Now India wants the terrorists handed over. Many in Pakistan are bound to be upset with recent raids on the LeT. The terrorists are probably planning their revenge for these attacks, while the border states with Afghanistan are under severe threat of being run over by the Taliban and Al-Qaeda.

Check out President Zardari’s piece in the NY Times. He says that the Pakistani Government has nothing to do with these “non-state actors” when its widely believed that these groups have thrived with support from the ISI.

Pakistan is committed to the pursuit, arrest, trial and punishment of anyone involved in these heinous attacks. But we caution against hasty judgments and inflammatory statements. As was demonstrated in Sunday’s raids, which resulted in the arrest of militants, Pakistan will take action against the non-state actors found within our territory, treating them as criminals, terrorists and murderers. Not only are the terrorists not linked to the government of Pakistan in any way, we are their targets and we continue to be their victims.

Then, he takes a “we are in this together” stance though he won’t possibly hand over any of the wanted terrorists to India. Begs the question, if Pakistan can share intelligence then can’t they turn over criminals too?

Terrorism is a regional as well as a global threat, and it needs to be battled collectively. We understand the domestic political considerations in India in the aftermath of Mumbai. Nevertheless, accusations of complicity on Pakistan’s part only complicate the already complex situation.

Nevertheless, a well-written article. A sign that Pakistan’s PR engine is alive and well. Besides Zardari deserves credit for attempting to reign in the LeT. If he can sustain this while continuing to remain in-charge (not to mention remain alive!), by keeping the Pak army at bay, and the ISI in-check, it will go a long way in improving relations with India. On the other hand, the general public in Pakistan would do well to openly condemn the attack on Mumbai like some Muslims in India.

Will Mr. Chidambaram respond with the Indian view?

p.s: Meanwhile, here is another very interesting piece on Pakistan’s struggles.

Movie Review: Outsourced

Title: Outsourced

Starring: Josh Hamilton, Ayesha Dharker

This is one of the many movies based on the topic of outsourcing. In hindsight it would perhaps have been more timely to release this film now (in the midst of the meltdown) rather than in 2006. An American firm dealing with novelty products shuts down a department and starts an operation in India. One of the Managers is shipped out to India to train the staff there.

There are plenty of funny scenes as the American Manager gets exposure to India both at the workplace and outside. A needless romance is thrown into the film but completely lacks any conviction. It is very obvious that this is a rather low budget film. The overall script is weak and despite the fairly realistic portrayal of India, the film fails to sustain its momentum. Josh Hamilton and Ayesha Dharker as the lead pair deliver decent performances.

If you haven’t seen any film on the topic of outsourcing, then this might be worth a few laughs.

Desperately Seeking: Bush Legacy

9/11, Iraq War, Katrina, the Financial meltdown….the list goes on. In the final days of his Presidency, Mr. Bush and his team are desperately attempting to shape public opinion with regards to his obviously awful legacy. The latest spin seems to be “At least Bush kept us safe”. Conservative columnist, Peggy Noonan of the WSJ went one step ahead and took a pre-emptive strike at the Obama presidency by saying “Democrats will not want tacked onto the end of that sentence, “unlike Obama.” thereby setting the stage for the next line of Republican attack, god-forbid there be another terrorist attack on the US.

President Bush spent the last eight years making Americans believe that they are terribly unsafe while simultaneously antagonizing the rest of the world and giving them plenty of reasons to retaliate against Americans. Thankfully, the Wall Street meltdown forced Americans (at least 54%) to stop deluding themselves about the importance of safety and focusing instead on their pocket books. President-elect Obama would be doing Americans (and the world!) a great service if he were to dispel this myth that “we live in a dangerous world” in four years and give other nations less reasons to hate Americans.

For the moment, the love for Obama seems to be virtually endless. When the likes of Karl Rove are “reassured” you gotta really feel the luv! Here is another positive article on Obama’s cabinet picks in the WSJ of all places. President-elect Obama has made a strong start with a virtual “dream team” for his cabinet and little opposition in the media (barring a nervous left). It remains to be seen how he can translate this all round love to some definitive results. Meanwhile, the man on the way out has an outside chance to add, “I saved GM” to his otherwise guaranteed woeful legacy.

Microsoft-Yahoo Dance Again

Check out the interview in the WSJ with Steve Ballmer and Qi Li (the new import from Yahoo to MS). If you read this interview it is hard to imagine that the two companies are not discussing a deal. Unfortunately for Yahoo with the stock at less than one-third the original MS offer and Jerry Yang’s recent bail out, they are in a horrible position to negotiate. On the hand Microsoft could not be better placed. iIf you read Steve Ballmer’s interview he wants to get it done and move on!

We’re fully prepared to compete without any partnership with Yahoo. We don’t need to act. Would it be advantageous for both of us to make a deal? Look, the fundamental basis for doing the search deal with Yahoo has to do with critical mass in the advertising marketplace. It doesn’t have to do with technology, or any of these other things, it really is a market phenomenon. Together we would have more advertisers….which means we’d have more relevant ads on our page. We’d have higher monetization levels possible in front of us because there would be more people bidding on more key words. Most importantly, Google would have perhaps a real credible competitor sooner. I think good ideas are usually better done quickly than slowly, so it would probably be better for both us, and certainly for Yahoo, if we were to do it sooner than later. But at the end of the day, that would have be something Yahoo would be as interested in as I have expressed our interest.

At the moment it is hard to imagine Yahoo selling just its search piece. If it sold the entire company in the current climate, Microsoft is bound to walk away with a sweet deal. On the other hand, if Yahoo! chooses to stay independent they are going to quickly have to find a new CEO and come up with credible plan that satisfies share holders. That’s a tall order. Sad to see a Silicon Valley icon struggle this way.

Finally, Someone is Unhappy With President-elect Obama

The Latino community is apparently upset that President-elect Obama didn’t offer the job of Secretary of State to New Mexico Governor, Bill Richardson. With all due respect to Governor Richardson, it was next to impossible for Senator Obama to unite the Democratic party without reaching out to Senator Clinton. No doubt, Governor Richardson helped garner the Latino vote, but President-elect Obama can’t overlook the fact that Senator Clinton almost landed the party nomination!

Besides, its hard to imagine Latinos voting overwhelmingly for the Republicans given the party’s anti-immigration stance. While Richardson would have certainly fit the role as Secretary of State, there simply was too much at stake for President-elect Obama to pass over Senator Clinton for a plumb post in his cabinet.

Layoffs at Google?

Read this report this morning. Not sure how much truth there is to this. Getting rid of recruiters is a sure sign that hiring is on the decline. In the current climate this is not surprising. But layoffs of actual employees at Google sounds a little surprising. If the guys who have for the last several years been literally “printing money” have to cut back on their staff then there is no greater scary sign for the economy. Lets hope this report is not entirely true!

Why The Hillary Pick Is Brilliant

It is a widely accepted rumor that Senator Hillary Clinton is being considered for Secretary of State. There have been follow on rumors that she is ready to accept the job. Meanwhile, there has been no shortage of analysis over whether this was the right move or not on the part of the President-elect. Some argue that their personal animosities from the primary days are unlikely to make her effective on the job. While this argument has its merits here are more than a few points why this is in fact a brilliant move on so many fronts.

President-elect Obama won the election on a promise of “change”. The Democratic party was torn between support for Senator Obama and backing Senator Hillary Clinton. Firstly, getting her on his cabinet goes a long way in uniting the Democratic party. By picking her over others (like John Kerry who apparently aspired for the job), President-elect Obama makes a definitive move to unite the Democratic party and appease those who were disappointed with Senator Clinton’s failed run for the candidacy. To govern effectively President-elect has to forge a unified Democratic party. This offer is a perfect first step in this direction.

Next, this move does indicate (to whatever extent possible) that President-elect Obama does not harbor any long-term animosity towards Senator Clinton. Further, offering her the coveted post of Secretary of State signals that he is willing to share the success of his victory by giving her a fairly independent platform to succeed in a more defining role on the world stage, next best perhaps to being the American President in this day and age. It is well known that VP elect Joe Biden is a foreign affairs wonk in his own right, and would have hoped to influence foreign policy in his role as VP. Letting Mrs. Clinton run foreign policy is a clear sign that President-elect Obama respects and trusts her ability to deliver and is willing to go the extra mile to accommodate her in his cabinet even at the expense of making other unhappy (Bill Richardson, Joe Biden and others).

Now, let us view this from Senator Clinton’s perspective. There is no question that she is an accomplished and capable woman who came “closest” to occupying one of the most powerful offices on the planet. She gave Senator Obama more than a tough fight for the Democratic nomination. With age not her side, the odds of her becoming President some day (while still not impossible) appear far-fetched at this point at best.

Sadly, despite her strengths she has spent her entire career in the shadows of her husband Bill Clinton. By taking on the role of Secretary of State, she has the opportunity to break free from her husband’s shadow and live up to her thus far seemingly untapped potential. This is easily a more effective and promising role than remaining in the US Senate. Having spent a life time supporting her husband accomplish his political aspirations (not to mention tolerating his numerous personal foibles), the role of Secretary State would be a terrific opportunity for her to make her mark especially at a time when America’s leadership around the world is questionable and there is no end to hatred towards America the world over.

The biggest foreign policy challenge for the last several decades has been the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Bill Clinton failed to achieve Middle East peace despite his valiant efforts towards the end of his tenure. By taking on the role of Secretary of State, Senator Clinton has the dual challenge of accomplishing what her husband strived for (but failed to achieve) as well as repairing the damage done by the Bush administration. Can it get any better from a challenge point of view for someone who aspired to be President and failed?

All in all, its a brilliant move on President-elect Obama’s part to offer her the job. For Senator Clinton, its an opportunity of a life-time over wallowing in the US Senate.

Dubai Needs a Reality Check?

The world is crumbling with an economic crisis. Yet Dubai seems to be in world of its own. The Antlantis opened this week in Dubai with $20 million bash!

The excesses of recent times are most visible in Dubai – endless constructions, eternal traffic jams, and mindless spending. No wonder Dubai is headed for some difficult times. Check out report in the WSJ.

Dubai is the most “vulnerable” sheikdom in the Persian Gulf to a downturn in the economy amid concern over its real-estate industry and debt financing, Citigroup Inc. said in a report.

Another report suggests that Abu Dhabi might need to bailout Dubai!

Ok, add one more to the bail out queue!

Islamic German Scholar: “Muhammed Probably Never Existed!”

Muhammad Sven Kalisch, a Muslim convert and Germany’s first professor of Islamic theology, fasts during the Muslim holy month, doesn’t like to shake hands with Muslim women and has spent years studying Islamic scripture. Islam, he says, guides his life.

So it came as something of a surprise when Prof. Kalisch announced the fruit of his theological research. His conclusion: The Prophet Muhammad probably never existed.

See this report in the WSJ for the entire article. Also check out. The Prof. is soon going to be publishing a book in English based on his research.

My position with regard to the historical existence of Muhammad is that I believe neither his existence nor his non-existence can be proven. I, however, lean towards the non-existence but I don’t think it can be proven. It is my impression that, unless there are some sensational archeological discoveries — an Islamic “Qumran” or “Nag Hammadi” — the question of Muhammad’s existence will probably never be finally clarified.

Also check this out for an online petition of support for the Prof. (the site is mostly in German). Not surprisingly given that his personal security is likely to be immediately at risk. Irrespective of whether there is truth to his conclusions or not, the Prof. deserves credit for speaking up despite the obvious risks to his personal security among other challenges.

Movie Review: Veruthe Oru Bhariya

Title: Veruthe Oru Bhariya

Starring: Jayaram, Gopika

Language: Malayalam

This film is a family drama set in small town Kerala which starts with plenty of promise but fizzles out in the end. It revolves around a couple and their daughter. The husband believes that its his wife’s job to run the house and “serve him” at all times. The wife simply grows sick of all the house hold chores and the husband over bearing nature. This eventually leads to some conflicts (obviously!) and the wife heads to her parents’ home. Thereafter the husband looks after the house and his school-going daughter. Eventually he is unable to handle the pressure of his work and the responsibilities of running the house.

Jayaram, who plays the husband, appears to have aged and does not seems “go well” with the relatively younger heroine, Gopika. The age difference is very obvious though both play their respective roles well. The young girl who acted as the daughter seems naturally talented and has put in an impressive performance. The downsides of giving cell phones to kids are effectively portrayed in the film. The comic parts of the film, particularly the parts where Jayaram plays the role of a conscientious Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) employee, the song sequence where Jayaram imitates other movie stars, scenes in the office along with his colleagues at work, are all very enjoyable.

Overall, a watchable film, but one that doesn’t live up to its potential.