So why is India not banning the BlackBerry?

UAE, Saudi set to ban BlackBerry services
The Associated Press reports that both UAE and Saudi Arabia are set to ban BlackBerry messaging services. Research in Motion, the Canadian maker of the popular communications device used by business and corporate users worldwide had been in talks with UAE authorities from 2007 over the issue, the report said.

The Gulf states' concerns are similar to what Indian authorities have been raising over the last couple of years -- the encrypted messages that zip between BlackBerrys cannot be intercepted, and that terrorists could make use of the devices and the network to plan attacks.
Why the Indian authorities chose to remain quiet after raising a hue and cry is a mystery. Contrast that to how the two Gulf states have wielded their power to deliver a strong no-nonsense message to the Canadian company.

While there would never be an end to the debate on whether it is right to ban the service or not, what I loathe about the Indian authorities is their apparent surrender to the arrogance of the foreign company.

Many of these western companies still think India is a banana republic and they can get away with what they want to do; think of how Canada denied visas to Indian security officials recently.

These companies still are living in a time warp and would like to believe they are the master of the world.

Whether India would end up banning the BlackBerry or not, we need to send companies like RIM a strong message -- that we will tolerate no nonsense when it comes to national security.

Why Sashi Tharoor? Thiruvananthapuram deserves better

I am amazed at this phenomenon of fielding toothless bureaucrats as candidates for elections. Every party is guilty of this crime. Now Congress wants to field Sashi Tharoor from the Thiruvananthapuram constituency. And the Left seems to have already accepted defeat by fielding a little-known CPI leader against him. 

Sashi Tharoor may be a great bureaucrat (though there is nothing much in the history books I can find about him) but that is no reason to foist him on the people of Kerala's capital. What has the gentleman done for the constituency, or for that matter the state, pray?

Surprisingly, a lot of people in the city that I talked to seem to be already falling prey to the Congress propaganda machine, and saying Tharoor is the best candidate and deserves victory. And there seems to be some behind-the-scene deal in the works, going by the way the Left has almost ceded ground. Personally, I hope Neelalohitadasan Nadar, who is contesting on a BSP ticket, wins. That is because, despite all the clouds hanging over him over the Nalini Netto case, this man is a honest politician and effective administrator. And there is no contesting his track record when it comes to what he has done for the constituency. It would be a shame if the people of this city rejects him and chooses an 'import' like Tharoor to represent him. That would be a body blow to the city's reputation as a giant killer, having send of political giants like Krishna Menon into political oblivion.

In many ways the media savvy Tharoor is like Krishna Menon, trying to leverage his clout in the corridors of power in Delhi and certain Western capitals to earn a Lok Sabha seat. And it could well be that the people of the constituency could pay for their mistake, i.e., if they ever decide to hoist Tharoor to victory -- they could see their 'star' MP caring two hoots for them as he negotiates the bylanes of power.

Will that happen? I fervently hope it will not, and I hope Neelan wins!

The world will mourn the beginning of end of Pakistani cricket

The terror attack on Sri Lankan cricketers in Pakistan can lead to a cascade of unwelcome consequences for cricket-crazy south Asia and for Indian corporates with millions of dollars riding on the various cricket matches and players.

True, the attack wasn't on Indian cricketers but it almost certainly ends the prospect of Pakistan being a serious player in the world cricket map. And what is cricket if you take away the traditionally famous rivalry between the Indian and Pakistan cricket teams?

I am sure this will prevent a lot of world teams from touring Pakistan. While Pakistani cricketers can still tour the world and play, it takes away a lot from their skills and exposure, not to mention the cricketing money.

And with Pakistani cricket team losing its teeth, cricket in India will become more and more tepid. The sport will continue to be lapped up by a billion-odd people starved of sports glory, but I fear it will see a definite cooling off of interest. 

The terrorists, whether they calculated it to be so or not, might have hit where it could hurt Pakistan most. This one was better than bumping off the Pakistani premier. 

Pakistan is a failed state whatever its government says. And few will worry about it going to the dogs except for the threat of its nuclear arsenal falling into the hands of terrorists. But a lot many people will feel sad about its fading cricket glory, especially since it is going to be caused by terrorists, once home-grown and let out into the world.