What's new

Top US Professors Warn Silicon Valley Against Business With Modi

See, the problem is that most fellows who signed the document never bother to read it. Most sign it because some of their friends signed it. It has happened to me also. Sometimes people of my area come to me with some petition against some govt. fellow and ask me to sign it. On seeing so many signatures I also sign it not knowing what is in there. I just ensure that it will not harm me in future.

The signatories are serious academics most of whom are Hindu professors from India. Do you think they would take it so lightly as to sign a serious letter so casually?
 
. .
Apart from granting anticipatory bail to Teesta Setalvad and Javed Anand in the case against them for violating foreign funding rules, the Bombay High Court has obliquely warned the Modi government and its agencies not to allow a citizen’s “different point of view” to colour the investigation process.

In her written judgment, released in writing on Wednesday, Justice Mridula Bhatkar held that “A citizen may conduct social activities and may have a different point of view, which may not be liked by the government. However, in a democratic state, a citizen may have his or her point of view.”

The court also made it clear that the activist couple’s remaining free would not amount to a threat to “national security and public interest” as the Central Bureau of Investigation had charged.

The judge said there was in fact no need for custodial interrogation of Setalvad and Anand at all since the CBI’s case was based entirely on documents which they said they already had in their possession.

Organisations led by Setelvad which have been at the forefront of the fight to secure justice for the victims of the 2002 riots in Gujarat. They became the target of close financial scrutiny by the CBI after an FIR was lodged against them following a letter from the Gujarat government to the Union Home and Finance ministries alleging violations of the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act.

Among the allegations levelled against them is a case of fraud related to a proposed plan to build a memorial for the victims of the Gulberg Society killings, as well as embezzlement of funds, none of which have been proven despite the raid conducted on Setalvad’s premises on July 8, 2015.

Setalvad and her supporters have alleged that the CBI was seeking her custodial interrogation in order to ensure she was not able to devote time to the crucial Zakia Jafri case, in which the widow of a former MP killed by riotous mobs in Ahmedabad in 2002 has demanded the prosecution of Narendra Modi, who was Chief Minister of Gujarat at the time. The Special Investigation Team set up by the Supreme Court to probe the charges decided there was not enough evidence to charge Modi; Jafri and Setalvad are currently appealing this finding, and a lower court’s decision to close the matter, before the Gujarat High Court.

Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh argued in court that Sabrang Trust run by Setalvad was not only acting against the interest of the state but was also receiving foreign contributions to do the same. This, he stated, was a “threat to national security”, and therefore both Setalvad and her husband should be detained for custodial interrogation.

In its verdict, the court stated that “Prima facie it appears that there is some misuse of amount they received from the (Ford) Foundation for which (Teesta and Javed) are undoubtedly answerable”, but went on to reject the CBI’s claim that their activities amounted to any threat to sovereignty and integrity of the nation. It further declared that since the case is largely based examination of accounts and documents, custodial interrogation of the accused was not necessary.

Why the High Court Ruling on Teesta Setalvad’s Bail is a Big Blow to the CBI | The Wire

Trivedi was a former colleague of Jyotsna Yagnik, the judge responsible for convicting Maya Kodnani and Babu Bajrangi for the Naroda Patiya massacre, before he resigned on moral and ethical grounds and emigrated to New Zealand. His post reads as follows:

“Teesta Setalvad. Hats off. I have always admired you and your courage and outspokenness on these issues. I also take this opportunity to state that I am indeed pained (and I am the one who had QUIT Gujarat’s Judiciary. I was a district cadre judge in Ahmedabad City Civil and Sessions Court – once a colleague of the bravest judge Ms Jyotsna Yagnik who handed out the judgments to Babu Bajrangi and Kodnani and now lives in fear of her life) … because they (the State of Gujarat) wanted us (the judges and the judiciary) of Gujarat to be acting against the minority community (albeit with no written orders but DEFINITELY communicated in loud and clear messages to us). I could not be part of it as I was sworn to the Constitution of India …”
Former Gujarat Judge Says He Quit Over Government’s Anti-Muslim Bias | The Wire
 
. .
The primary reason they give is:

"We are concerned that the project’s potential for increased transparency in bureaucratic dealings with people is threatened by its lack of safeguards about privacy of information, and thus its potential for abuse."

It was revealed last month that the Chinese made off with personal information about 4M US govt employees. The top 10 US banks (inc multinationals with major US presence) have had customer data hacked into over dozen times within 12 months. The Internal Revenue Service just finished ending letters to American citizen that their identity may have have been stolen and to watch out.

And these 'professors' could not come up with anything really to attack Modi, so they come up with this.

Wendy Donegar of U Chicago had her book withdrawn by its publishers after a small group sued the book for factual inaccuracies. Nobody put a price on her head for insulting Gods, nobody issued a fatwa....her publishers understood that the mistakes SHE MADE in her books would bring them discredit and withdrew....and ofcourse she goes around prattling that she is a Hindu religious expert and knows "more about Hinduism than the average Hindu". Try doing that with islam and ee what happens.
 
.
okey whatever u say mere khus tameez Pakistani bhai:-)
Dude there is no such word as Khus tameez in urdu, its tameezdar or khush guftaar, in fact you would have just insulted the guy had you missed one more "h".:omghaha:

Any way, this article or this long list of professors telling silicon valley to stay away from India means nothing. Guys in Silicon Valley are not human right or civil liberty activists, they are entrepreneurs and will look for profitable places to invest and grow their businesses. As it happens, whether we like it or not, India is certainly an attractive place to invest in current scenario so they will surely invest there.

We should actually try to improve our security situation and educational standards to attract such investors, instead of getting jealous of what our neighbor is achieving. Well done to India.

In a perfect world Modi should not have become PM of a democratic country, in a perfect world he should have been tried for his role in Gujrat riots (read massacre) or at least barred from holding any public office because of his incapacity of stopping such incident from happening.

But this is not a perfect world, so we should learn to live with this fact and move on.
 
.
Every person who loves humanity should welcome this stance by professors. Moozi Murdoodi is a bastard criminal and scientific community should base its support on principles. Murdoodi was banned from entry into USA before he became pm of india. He is a psychopath and there are many petitions registered against him in the courts around the world. Only it is india where such a murderer can become pm instead of the capital punishment. This is the testament to the culture extremism and intolerance towards minorities especially Muslims. This alone should be sufficient reason to declare india a terrorist state.
 
.
Dude there is no such word as Khus tameez in urdu, its tameezdar or khush guftaar, in fact you would have just insulted the guy had you missed one more "h".:omghaha:

Any way, this article or this long list of professors telling silicon valley to stay away from India means nothing. Guys in Silicon Valley are not human right or civil liberty activists, they are entrepreneurs and will look for profitable places to invest and grow their businesses. As it happens, whether we like it or not, India is certainly an attractive place to invest in current scenario so they will surely invest there.

We should actually try to improve our security situation and educational standards to attract such investors, instead of getting jealous of what our neighbor is achieving. Well done to India.

In a perfect world Modi should not have become PM of a democratic country, in a perfect world he should have been tried for his role in Gujrat riots (read massacre) or at least barred from holding any public office because of his incapacity of stopping such incident from happening.

But this is not a perfect world, so we should learn to live with this fact and move on.

I just want to correct your statement about Silicon Valley people not being human rights or civil liberty activists. Actually they are - not all but in a much higher proportion than anyother part of the country. SV firms and billionnairres fund, run and participate in more practical charities than almost anyother groups of businesses. Gates & Zuckerberg's social work around the globe is legendary and unmatched. But those are just the top examples - there are literally hundres of organizations SV enrepreuners and execs and engineers help.

Ofcourse they do make a lot of money through innovation & technology.
 
.
Is Modi fudging India's GDP figures? Here's Wall Street Journal:

India registered 7% growth between April and June on Monday, making it one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, according to official data.

But other key indicators of economic vitality aren’t as positive.

BN-KC235_itraff_G_20150901051110.jpg

The Wall Street Journal made with Datawrapper
Vehicle sales last quarter didn’t show the kind of growth you would expect from an economy expanding at a rate of more than 7% per year. Car, truck and two-wheeler sales are good indicators of consumers, corporate and farmer sentiment respectively. Overall vehicles sales barely budged last quarter, rising just 1% to 4.89 million vehicles. Passenger vehicle sales were up 6.17%, commercial vehicle sales were up 3.55% and two-wheeler sales were up just 0.64%.

BN-KC221_iexpor_G_20150901033456.jpg

Indian officials had hoped for a pick-up in overseas demand for Indian-made products as Western economies gathered momentum. But the country’s exports have fallen for eight months in a row through July, underscoring continued stress in global economies.

In the year ended March 31, India’s exports totaled $310.5 billion, falling about 9% short of the $340 billion target. In the first four months of the current fiscal year things haven’t improved: goods exports have recorded a 15% decline–compared with the same period last year–to $89.83 billion. China’s move to devalue its currency has given its producers a competitive edge, damping export prospects of other economies, including India. In addition, the sharp drop in global crude oil prices, while good for India’s import bill, has come as a major downer for Indian petroleum product exports, which make up a big chunk of the South Asian economy’s total shipments.

BN-KB806_rupee0_G_20150831074232.jpg

The Indian currency hit a near two-year low against the dollar last week in the midst of the global selloff and was among the worst performing currencies in Asia. Fear among investors that the slowdown in China could cause a global slump was the main drag on the Indian currency. Analysts say the depreciation in the rupee is necessary to keep India’s exports competitive. They expect some more weakness later this year, depending on the U.S. Federal Reserve’s decision on lending rates. Foreign investors became big sellers in the Indian debt market in August, putting pressure on the rupee as they took dollars out of the local market.

BN-KB803_sensex_G_20150831073720.jpg

The benchmark Sensex index was one of the top-performing indexes last year, but so far this year it has failed to shine. Since mid-2014, investors bought stocks on hopes that the economy would rise faster and boost profits. But that outcome has been elusive and analysts have started cutting their Sensex targets. Ambit Capital now sees the Sensex falling to 28,000 points, down from its earlier target of 32,000. If the Chinese devalue the yuan again, the Indian stock market could fall further.

Profits at big companies have barely budged since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in India last year. The chart above shows the percentage growth of profits of companies in the benchmark Sensex index compared to a year earlier.

According to a Bank of America Merrill Lynch report, the profits of Sensex companies rose by only 1% during the April through June quarter, compared with 24% growth in the same period a year earlier.

Utilities and cement companies have dragged the average earnings growth as big private sector and government projects remained stuck waiting for government approvals. Metal and refining companies suffered due to the decline in oil and commodity prices.

5 Indicators That Contradict India’s GDP Figures - India Real Time - WSJ
 
.
Did the numbskull realise most of the people who signed that are Indian origin?

India is a country where plurality of thought is not only tolerated but encouraged. Even Modi would not have a problem with these people exercising that right.

Anyway those who want to do business with us will do it, irrespective of this petition.

BTW when these south asia experts from the US print opinions and studies about pakistan's addiction to terrorism sponsorship, these same pakistanis posters throw a fit and start abusing them.
 
.
Did the numbskull realise most of the people who signed that are Indian origin?

India is a country where plurality of thought is not only tolerated but encouraged. Even Modi would not have a problem with these people exercising that right.

Anyway those who want to do business with us will do it, irrespective of this petition.

BTW when these south asia experts from the US print opinions and studies about pakistan's addiction to terrorism sponsorship, these same pakistanis posters throw a fit and start abusing them.

Indians are degrading the quality of discussion in this forum. There needs to be a general ban on all indian IP addresses, except for a selected few invited to sign up and participate OR a probation period for new indian members giving them enough time to prove they are needed by the forum community.
 
.
Is Modi fudging India's GDP figures? Here's Wall Street Journal:

India registered 7% growth between April and June on Monday, making it one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, according to official data.

But other key indicators of economic vitality aren’t as positive.

BN-KC235_itraff_G_20150901051110.jpg

The Wall Street Journal made with Datawrapper
Vehicle sales last quarter didn’t show the kind of growth you would expect from an economy expanding at a rate of more than 7% per year. Car, truck and two-wheeler sales are good indicators of consumers, corporate and farmer sentiment respectively. Overall vehicles sales barely budged last quarter, rising just 1% to 4.89 million vehicles. Passenger vehicle sales were up 6.17%, commercial vehicle sales were up 3.55% and two-wheeler sales were up just 0.64%.

BN-KC221_iexpor_G_20150901033456.jpg

Indian officials had hoped for a pick-up in overseas demand for Indian-made products as Western economies gathered momentum. But the country’s exports have fallen for eight months in a row through July, underscoring continued stress in global economies.

In the year ended March 31, India’s exports totaled $310.5 billion, falling about 9% short of the $340 billion target. In the first four months of the current fiscal year things haven’t improved: goods exports have recorded a 15% decline–compared with the same period last year–to $89.83 billion. China’s move to devalue its currency has given its producers a competitive edge, damping export prospects of other economies, including India. In addition, the sharp drop in global crude oil prices, while good for India’s import bill, has come as a major downer for Indian petroleum product exports, which make up a big chunk of the South Asian economy’s total shipments.

BN-KB806_rupee0_G_20150831074232.jpg

The Indian currency hit a near two-year low against the dollar last week in the midst of the global selloff and was among the worst performing currencies in Asia. Fear among investors that the slowdown in China could cause a global slump was the main drag on the Indian currency. Analysts say the depreciation in the rupee is necessary to keep India’s exports competitive. They expect some more weakness later this year, depending on the U.S. Federal Reserve’s decision on lending rates. Foreign investors became big sellers in the Indian debt market in August, putting pressure on the rupee as they took dollars out of the local market.

BN-KB803_sensex_G_20150831073720.jpg

The benchmark Sensex index was one of the top-performing indexes last year, but so far this year it has failed to shine. Since mid-2014, investors bought stocks on hopes that the economy would rise faster and boost profits. But that outcome has been elusive and analysts have started cutting their Sensex targets. Ambit Capital now sees the Sensex falling to 28,000 points, down from its earlier target of 32,000. If the Chinese devalue the yuan again, the Indian stock market could fall further.

Profits at big companies have barely budged since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in India last year. The chart above shows the percentage growth of profits of companies in the benchmark Sensex index compared to a year earlier.

According to a Bank of America Merrill Lynch report, the profits of Sensex companies rose by only 1% during the April through June quarter, compared with 24% growth in the same period a year earlier.

Utilities and cement companies have dragged the average earnings growth as big private sector and government projects remained stuck waiting for government approvals. Metal and refining companies suffered due to the decline in oil and commodity prices.

5 Indicators That Contradict India’s GDP Figures - India Real Time - WSJ
IMF probing Pakistan’s numbers on last year’s fiscal deficit

“In our close to 70 years’ history, we’ve never had a government that fudged statistics to the extent of this one.” He said the actual 2015 budget deficit including circular debt was closer to 8.5% of GDP, not the 5.3% the government claimed.

Pakistan's economy facing revenue generation crisis: report
Disdain over IMF’s rosy view of Pakistan

“In our close to 70 years’ history, we’ve never had a government that fudged statistics to the extent of this one,” says Hafeez Pasha, an economist and former finance minister. Actual growth, he says, is more like 3.5 per cent than the official 4.2 per cent, while the budget deficit is closer to 8.5 per cent than 5 per cent.
 
.
See, the problem is that most fellows who signed the document never bother to read it. Most sign it because some of their friends signed it. It has happened to me also. Sometimes people of my area come to me with some petition against some govt. fellow and ask me to sign it. On seeing so many signatures I also sign it not knowing what is in there. I just ensure that it will not harm me in future.
You're comparing some of the smartest intellectuals to exist, to yourself and your friends. Good job.
 
.
Is Modi fudging India's GDP figures? Here's Wall Street Journal:

India registered 7% growth between April and June on Monday, making it one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, according to official data.

But other key indicators of economic vitality aren’t as positive.

BN-KC235_itraff_G_20150901051110.jpg

The Wall Street Journal made with Datawrapper
Vehicle sales last quarter didn’t show the kind of growth you would expect from an economy expanding at a rate of more than 7% per year. Car, truck and two-wheeler sales are good indicators of consumers, corporate and farmer sentiment respectively. Overall vehicles sales barely budged last quarter, rising just 1% to 4.89 million vehicles. Passenger vehicle sales were up 6.17%, commercial vehicle sales were up 3.55% and two-wheeler sales were up just 0.64%.

BN-KC221_iexpor_G_20150901033456.jpg

Indian officials had hoped for a pick-up in overseas demand for Indian-made products as Western economies gathered momentum. But the country’s exports have fallen for eight months in a row through July, underscoring continued stress in global economies.

In the year ended March 31, India’s exports totaled $310.5 billion, falling about 9% short of the $340 billion target. In the first four months of the current fiscal year things haven’t improved: goods exports have recorded a 15% decline–compared with the same period last year–to $89.83 billion. China’s move to devalue its currency has given its producers a competitive edge, damping export prospects of other economies, including India. In addition, the sharp drop in global crude oil prices, while good for India’s import bill, has come as a major downer for Indian petroleum product exports, which make up a big chunk of the South Asian economy’s total shipments.

BN-KB806_rupee0_G_20150831074232.jpg

The Indian currency hit a near two-year low against the dollar last week in the midst of the global selloff and was among the worst performing currencies in Asia. Fear among investors that the slowdown in China could cause a global slump was the main drag on the Indian currency. Analysts say the depreciation in the rupee is necessary to keep India’s exports competitive. They expect some more weakness later this year, depending on the U.S. Federal Reserve’s decision on lending rates. Foreign investors became big sellers in the Indian debt market in August, putting pressure on the rupee as they took dollars out of the local market.

BN-KB803_sensex_G_20150831073720.jpg

The benchmark Sensex index was one of the top-performing indexes last year, but so far this year it has failed to shine. Since mid-2014, investors bought stocks on hopes that the economy would rise faster and boost profits. But that outcome has been elusive and analysts have started cutting their Sensex targets. Ambit Capital now sees the Sensex falling to 28,000 points, down from its earlier target of 32,000. If the Chinese devalue the yuan again, the Indian stock market could fall further.

Profits at big companies have barely budged since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in India last year. The chart above shows the percentage growth of profits of companies in the benchmark Sensex index compared to a year earlier.

According to a Bank of America Merrill Lynch report, the profits of Sensex companies rose by only 1% during the April through June quarter, compared with 24% growth in the same period a year earlier.

Utilities and cement companies have dragged the average earnings growth as big private sector and government projects remained stuck waiting for government approvals. Metal and refining companies suffered due to the decline in oil and commodity prices.

5 Indicators That Contradict India’s GDP Figures - India Real Time - WSJ

exports go down in spite of currency easing, yet GDP grows 7%. What does that tell you? India's internal demand & supply have become super robust! they are becoming less dependent on exports.

It will be great if exports also increase but given the global slowdown in growth (which is what makes India's 7% the fastest) will slow down imports (from India) wouldn't it?

What has this to do with the professors' petition?

You're comparing some of the smartest intellectuals to exist, to yourself and your friends. Good job.

seeing some of the names in the list, your assumption is invalid.
 
. .
Back
Top Bottom