EPF and Other Stories

EPF and Other Stories

And for another week-end, a few stray thoughts and a few general observations and a few points of view (some of it my own work and some as reported by media):

Like the biggest story this week has to be the Central Budget and especially the proposed amendment to EPF. It is said that the Government of India is considering renaming the scheme as Embezzlement of People’s Funds. Enough has been said about the immoral way in which FM Arun Jaitely brought out the proposal to modify the rules of EPF.  In 1958 a film was made with Kishore Kumar in the lead which is long remembered for its hit songs (Yeh raaten yeh mausam nadeeka kinara, and C A T cat,  cat maney billy)  One understands a remake of the film is being considered with Arun Jaitely in the lead. The film? Dilli ka Thug. The original film made you laugh till you shed tears. The remake will spare you the trouble of laughing.

If the EPF announcement was bad, the cover-up with hastily cooked explanations and hardly thought through amendments was downright pathetic to say the least. The achhe din brigade will do well to cut out the proposed amendment completely otherwise the achhe din that the current ruling party is enjoying may not last for long. Roll back would give relief to the main constituency which BJP rode to power on, but the memory of this treacherous stab-in-the-back is not likely to be forgotten soon.   

Elsewhere, as predicted, BCCI is desperately trying to bat out the day in the on-going “timeless test” with the Lodha Panel, but there is only so much time the Umpire will allow the batsman for tying his shoe-laces or straps of the pad or ask for a fresh pair of gloves or a new bat or a glass of water. Sooner or later the batsman has to face the bowler. It may be possible a that the batsmen at the crease can appeal against bad light and get the play suspended for the day, but in a timeless test, the play must resume sometime and finally when the Umpire says “play”, the side that is not willing to play must forfeit the match.

That brings me to another match which is being played out on the world stage; the US Presidential Elections. The race for the Republican nomination is getting more and more interesting. Having exhausted other points of debate, the contest is moving to “I’m bigger than you” territory with Marco Rubio calling to attention the size of Donald Trump’s small hands (and implying .........) . Whether such tactics will provide a good handle to Trump to attack other contestants or handicap him remains to be seen.  It seems that Trump’s opponents in GOP are getting desperate to initiate such “low-down” attacks and will end up handing the nomination to him. One shudders to think if such important matters have to be finally decided by “show of hands” if you get the drift.

But if Donald were to trump in the GOP nomination race, it is likely to be a walk-over for Hillary Clinton as I don’t believe that average American will be willing to go ahead with Donald as a President however much he would trumpet his abilities and potential, small hands or no small hands.  Though it raises  another scary thought;  what would it be like to have the Roving Eye Bill running loose in White House having all the time in the world and the missus too busy minding the world and with nary a thought to spare for the First Gent.

LazyBee

6^th March 2016