India, the last 30 days

Settling down in the country after a long trip away from home has taken it's time and the blog thus has seen no new entries for a while. A lot has happened in the past one month, a quick round up follows:

• Most recently, the search for a presidential candidate seems to have ended with no political consensus between the NDA, UPA and the so-called Third Front. Not that a consensus is any indication of a positive democracy, but rather it only brings to the fore a pitiable statistic, the absolute poverty of strong political leadership in the country. As names were floated, Indians were reminded that there existed no single leader today who could capture the imagination of the country. Not one leader of stature whom the country could look up to.
• Caste related reservation woes continue to haunt the country. The Gurjar, Meena clashes with the state of Rajasthan not only paralysed the state for a few days, it was brought to the doorstep of Delhi. Unimaginative politicians promise more reservations, instead of addressing the root concerns of these communities, which is plainly put an assurance of a rise in their economic status.
  
• VS Achutanandan's demolition drive in Munnar, Kerala seems to hit rough waters with his decision to overlook religious institutions and political party offices that have encroached upon government land. The popular CM is now subject to public suspicion.
• Cyclone Gonu seems to have stolen some of the thunder from the monsoons. Weather forecasters wait with bated breath for any signs of an improvement. A drought will definitely affect the economy, which has posted a commendable 9.2% growth over last year.
• Mayawati has broken the 15 year spell of coalition politics in UP. The BSP rode to power as the largest party capable of forming a government. The rest of the country can now only pray that this time around she does not sell the Taj Mahal.