Liberal Symposium

It was cold inside the FICCI auditorium,
Like the people sitting inside.

It was 40th birthday of FNSt in India, and I was here for the cake, which didn't find me.
Besides all the good job they unknowingly do, there partners and beneficiaries let them down. there were 65 people for the symposium, in the national Capital of Delhi, on a holiday weekend. some walking in during lunch and leaving right after.

Besides a few good notes, usually from the observers, particularly Zainab. The Speakers were quite a disappointment.

List Of Dis-appointees:

Sharad Joshi: He circulated a note on his stand on US Government Bail package to the recent financial crisis. His adamant stand against the help or rather the US, to me he was rhetoric like the Sitaram Yuchery.
Later in a private discussion, I did get an opportunity to discuss this with fellow liberals, who were also singing the same tune.
My point was, the investors who would have probably lost money if the bail out would not have happened had invested in Insurance, and not stocks. There is a huge difference.
The companies filing for bankruptcy would have known and so would have the finacial decison makers months ago. still the laws will not stop them from continuing rolling their finest Champagnes and carving beluga caviar.
Yes, us liberals expect the marginal investor who has bought a life jacket in form of insurance, to start drowning, as he or she should have been more knowledgeable in investing his hard earned money.
I draw parallels to another man made catastrophe, the Kosi floods, if The liberal logic was to be taken, well the people being affected by floods are to be blamed themselves, as why do they live in a flood prone area.
No ism and ist can be practiced in isolation.
Mr. Joshi is willing to ask for a separate Vidarbaha and is ready to crown Advani the Prime minister.
But in a lobby of pseudo liberals he becomes a radical liberal.
You disappoint me Mr. Joshi.

Mr. Jaypraksh Narain- either one has property rights or does not, what is not so absolute property rights? oh yes, you have a political party and so the industrial house need a neo coined term to keep their funding. But I would not buy your manifesto.
You disappoint me.

Mr. Gurucharan Das - You forget how well you convinced us that India was a capitalist and liberal society even before the mughals and British. "India Unbound" and thanks to zainab you consider your self naive then.
And now you propagate "school Vouchers" who will pay for the effectiveness of the socialistic control of education. Trust me you will call yourself Naive then.
You Disappoint me as well.

Barun - Another round table after a symposium, is not a way to go, issues are laid, you just need some one to start hammering the nail. to rage a war you need to raise an enemy first. please call a spade a spade. which you do, it is just that, for every ten meets you need to have at least one action.
Sorry, but I am Disappointed

There are others who disappoint, but i have already conveyed it to them personally.

Thanks for the Wine anyway.