Scraps Stuffs - Random musings from apun ka desh

A certain "John Laxmi teaches a course on bond markets at New York University. He is also a board member of the South Asian Journalists Association. The views presented in this article are his own and do not represent those of NYU or SAJA." has written an article on Rediff. He has raised five points which he demands India compy with if the US is to outsource work here. Here are my answers to his five (just for the heck of it)

JL: First, we should demand that India must send a meaningful contingent of troops to help the coalition in Iraq and Afghanistan, meaningful in size and commensurate with the global power Indians think India is becoming.

Answer: Balls to you demand. Its not in our national interest to send troops to Iraq. We could consider sending troops to Afghanistan on our terms, but the US pet poodle Pakistan objects to this, therefore the US objects to it as well.

JL: Second, the US government should demand that the Indian government must source preferentially from American contractors and manufacturers for the ambitious infrastructure building effort under way in India. India's roads, ports, power and water facilities are woefully underdeveloped. American technology and know-how can help speed India's development process while strengthening the commercial ties between the two countries.

Answer: If the US technology and know-how makes good business sense to use, then we will use it. Else we won't even consider it.

JL: Third, the US must demand that the Indian government level the playing field between American and Indian technology firms. This means India must phase out its tax subsidies to the IT industry and agree to subjecting Indian firms to the same consumer protection laws and other legal liabilities governing American firms in like businesses.

Answer: While I agree to revising our consumer protection laws and legal liabilities for companies, the answer to phasing out tax subsidies is this: Take a hike.

JL: Finally, the US must demand that the Indian government will sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty if Pakistan agrees to sign the treaty, paving the way for a more peaceful subcontinent

Answer: First of all, you are an idiot. The US definitely doesn't want a peaceful subcontinent. They like troubled water, easier fishing there. There isn't even a snowball's chance in hell that India will ever sign the NPT, unless it is amended to recognize India as a nuclear have. And even then not without all sorts of kickbacks, special deals, secret clauses, etc. etc.

The days of the US demanding and India doing are long gone, if they ever were there in the first place. When India didn't buckle under US pressure when Tricky Dick was at the helm and the Enterprise was sent in 1971, there's little hope it will succumb now. This guy is living in total cuckoo land!