Barack Obama completes 100 days in office on 30 April 2009. It is a good precedent adopted by many to look back and take stock of the positive as well as the negative aspects and if in need of formulating better policy initiatives, both internal and external in the days to come. The youthful President took charge of affairs at a time when US was (and is) facing uphill tasks on the economic front which is still in doldrums or in a shambles. The financial melt-down is still a looming threat to all nations across the world which had its genesis in US, thanks to the unregulated free market economy adopted by the Republican Party (GoP) and its leaders.
Mr.George W Bush, the former President, a Republican who “carved a niche for himself” in formulating a policy affecting both internal and external affairs (thus he became the beloved of all) handed over power on a platter to Obama. Obama was by then kept abreast of all the developments which were not to his liking and hence was not alarmed or embarrassed.
While on his whirlwind tour of US to campaign for his Presidential candidature, he reminded the electorate of gigantic tasks ahead and appealed for their co-operation to surmount the obstacles one by one.
“We must throw ourselves up from the deep pit we have fallen in” – was his message to his supporters.
“While the Wall Street thrives, we should not allow the main street to suffer”- were also his famous words to the American citizen. Those words indicated his determination to rescue the economy from the deep ditch which found itself in as a result of eight years of misrule by the GoP.
With good intentions he proceeded to build up the economy, pumped $787 billion and later pumped more into the economy to bail-out banks, other institutions and for health-care across America. Obama is an advocate of Keynesian theory of economics is not on good terms with free-market economy which is unregulated and it always argues “markets always correct themselves” and there is no need of interference by the government. But that was not to be. The experience proved it with the crumbling down of the economic policies adopted by the former government and its economists like Alan Greenspan.
A man reputed for his coolness, diplomacy and cordiality- Obama is known for these qualities- lost his cool after assuming power, when he came to learn about the huge sums of bonuses sanctioned by the executives of AIG (American International Group)-the World’s largest insurance company which was bailed out with pumping in of tax payers’ money-to themselves. The bureaucrats had no regard for the failing economy and its after-effects like recession and retrenchment were notorious for their selfishness and greed which are characteristics of a capitalist economy. After his scathing attack and with the Government’s decision to impose 90 percent tax on the bonuses they had sanctioned to themselves-some of them returned the amounts in full-not all of them. The bureaucrats of the Citi group also followed suit and they were also forced to remit the bonus back.
Still the damage control exercise is going on but the formidable tasks are still staring in the face of President Obama. Not cowed down by the threats ahead, Obama moves with brimming confidence is a good sign. After the first round of G20 Summit hosted by George Bush to bail-out the global economy in Washington, the then President on 15 November, the second round of the Summit was in London, hosted by Gordon Brown, Prime Minister of Britain on April 2-3. Indian Prime Minister ManMohanSingh was also a participant in the Summit. The deliberations adopted there, if implemented in letter and spirit could be of helpful to a certain extent to the nations across the World - all are tasting the bitter fruits of economic down-turn - such as increasing the fund of IMF from $250 billion to $750 billion with the intention of extending help to needy nations to bail-out their economies and to help the member countries to get back huge amounts of unaccounted money stashed in safe havens like Liechenstein Bank in Germany and UBS in Switzerland by the political leaders and industrial tycoons.
Something is better than nothing- it is said. Differences there were, like France and Germany joining hands against encouraging bail-outs, instead they advocated for strict regulations and Britain and US on the other side giving more importance to bail-outs.
With more and more countries turning to the Left- last week Iceland, which was one of the safe havens for black money also turned to the left- after a colossal financial turmoil, still the apostles of Capitalism are busy deliberating on their next steps to bring back the free-market economy through the backdoor.
Obama, after the Summit flew into Germany first, then to France, Czech Republic and his last stop was Turkey. It was a historic tour, he got a chance to display his diplomatic potentials at everywhere he went befriending all without sowing the seeds of animosity, hatred and one-upmanship. The election of Anders Fogh Rasmussen , the former Prime Minister of Denmark as the new Chairman of NATO was a fine example of winning the hearts of everybody in the selection of Rasmussen . As far as Turkey is concerned Rasmussen was a hated figure from the very day a derogatory cartoon of Allah was published in a Danish Newspaper by its cartoonist. But Obama could prevail upon Turkish leaders cajoling them into agreeing for the appointment of Mr. Rasmussen as the NATO Chairman. A defining example of Obama’s statesmanship.
Similarly holding out an olive branch to Iran, which was on collision terms with US during the Bush era and the simultaneous reciprocating gesture by the Iranian authorities is also a step forward, though it is not a great leap, in establishing peace after a long gap. Both countries have a lot of ground to cover to establish durable peace in the trouble prone-area.
One remarkable step forward anyhow is the fifth historic meeting of the Organisation of American States held at Trinidad-Tobago last week. It was an ideal occasion for Obama and the Latin American countries to forget the past and pave the way for camaraderie. Obama’s moment with Hugo Chavez, the Venezeulan Head must have been an unforgettable experience. Chavez’s presentation of the renowned book by Edwardo Galeano titled- “Open Veins of Latin America”- to Obama was reported with much prominence by the International media. But Cuba is still elusive and it is for Obama to take initiative to bridge gaps with the Latin American Communist nation, which is still undergoing sanctions slapped by US in 1948. Sixty years of mutual rivalry has to be put an end to, a new era of friendship and co-operation established. Cuba had to endure many a hardship on account of the frequent and indirect efforts by US to undermine the leadership, especially of the greatest revolutionary of our times Comrade Fidel Castro. CIA, US Intelligence agency in the past vainfully tried several times to physically eliminate him from the whole scene.
Anyhow past is past, now it is an opportune moment to lift the embargo and pave the way for lasting friendship
Keeping in mind all these positive aspects in mind propensity or could we say aspiration for remaining always at the top of the ladder is somewhat puzzling. The dream of a Uni-polar World still remains at the top of any US head’s agenda. A multi-polar World- that is not to any President’s liking. A mystery.
The ongoing crisis in Iraq, an exploding situation confronting Afghanistan and Pakistan and Obama’s undesirable interest and pumping of huge sums to Pakistan to tackle terrorism actually belie our expectations of this young leader.
He has ample time to learn. It is pertinent here to note, he has taken only a few steps ahead. Let us wish him all success in his endeavour to bring peace and prosperity on the occasion of his completion of hundred days in office.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
DOLE OUT MONEY, ENSURE YOUR VICTORY!
Speeches inflaming communal passions, muscle power and money power are vitiating the electoral arena inspite of the close vigil of Election Commission, Media and Judiciary. Black money flows lavishly without any curbs across the nation, quite unprecedented in scale, compared to the sums flowed in the previous elections. Money power to influence the poor voters of one of the “fast developing economies” has become the bane of the nation and it seems it is here to stay in the years to come.
Is an Indian citizen worth Rs. 100/- 500/- or 1000/- notes only, as seen by the “leaders of principles and integrity” at the electoral scene? If they are not thinking on these lines why are they displaying the impunity and audacity of doling out sarees, monies and other petty comforts to a hapless voter. It is nothing but a sort of exploitation of the poverty- stricken and these leaders don’t have any qualms or moral prick to leave them in the lurch after their dreams are materialised.
Except the leftists, all other parties are involved in such banalities in one way or other. I don’t know whether the leftists will also try to keep pace with the tainted leaders slowly but gradually in the desperate hurry to occupy the throne in Indraprastha. Because the thin line (the dividing line evolved into a thin one over the years) dividing the bourgeois parties and the working class parties are slowly fading out from the political scenario, when we observe some recent tendencies which are not to be encouraged. In a world of mad consumerism, even a party pursuing a revolutionary and humanitarian ideology is prone to fall a prey to the bewitching, sizzling, scintillating and inviting world of free market economic policies or capitalist ideology. Let good sense prevail over them in the years ahead.
The alleged instance of doling out money to the poor in front of the glaring TV cameras, started from Samajwadi Party leader, Mulayam Singh. It was seen some of his Party supporters distributing currency notes to poor men and women in his presence. The EC took notice of this and sought his explanation. Mulayam must have had a ready-made reply which might have been pre-meditated. He explained to the Commission that it was customary for him every year to donate currencies to the poor on the auspicious occasion of celebrating Holi at Etah and it had nothing to do with elections.
Election Commission had to be content with his reply and by issuing a curt warning to him ended the chapter then and there.
Actor-Politician, Chiranjeevi’s hotel room- he is the founder leader of Praja Rajyam Party- at Tirupathi was raided as he was alleged to be distributing money to the electorate from the hotel room. The 88 crore worth actor desperately wants to upift the ‘prajas’ (subjects) from the clutches of poverty and other hardships. We must certainly appreciate his broad-mindedness for his love of the poor and down-trodden. To serve them he has taken long holiday from the tinsel world. Worthy to be emulated.
In Rajasthan the constituency from which Maanavendra Singh, son of BJP leader Jaswant Singh came to national attention when the media men captured the scene of Jaswant Singh giving out currency notes to the electorate and it was flashed across the TV screens. A father’s love and affection towards his son is understandable, but the question staring in our face is whether it should be at the cost of integrity and principles of the former External Affairs Minister. Is this also a Call to Honour? Mr. Jaswant Singh is contesting this time from Darjeeling constituency where the Gorkhas are predominant.
SivaGanga from where our Home Minister, P.Chidambaram is contesting on Congress ticket has also taken by an eye of the storm. It is alleged that an approximate sum of Rs.3.26 lakh was unearthed from the temple premises. It was found inside a car parked inside the premises. On coming to know of the money hidden in the car AIADMK men who are in the opposite camp immediately locked the premises and informed the police and the police immediately passed the message to EC. The amount was supposed to have been for distributing among the electorate of SivaGanga.
Deve Gowda, the humble farmer from Karnataka, former Prime Minister and one of the architects of Third Front was reported to have launched a scathing attack on some political leaders doling out currencies to the electorate. “Instead of the ‘red note’ (Rs.1000 note), now political parties are giving gift coupons”- he was quoted as saying. (The Hindu dated 24-04-2009). On going through the news item all must have felt proud of him.
But I was quite embarrassed to see him distributing currencies to those who crowded around him. I had the opportunity of reading the two news items, one about his scathing attack on the political leaders distributing money to the poor people and the other Gowda himself doling out currencies to those who approached him with outstretched hands. It might be for charity.
Anyhow, I am yet to be free from this confusion.
The aforesaid instances are nothing compared to the goings on behind the curtains where huge amounts are traded which do not surface before the media and other watch-dogs and also the crores which are about to flow after May 16 in the mad race for arriving at the magic figure of 272, because a hung parliament is a foregone conclusion.
Is an Indian citizen worth Rs. 100/- 500/- or 1000/- notes only, as seen by the “leaders of principles and integrity” at the electoral scene? If they are not thinking on these lines why are they displaying the impunity and audacity of doling out sarees, monies and other petty comforts to a hapless voter. It is nothing but a sort of exploitation of the poverty- stricken and these leaders don’t have any qualms or moral prick to leave them in the lurch after their dreams are materialised.
Except the leftists, all other parties are involved in such banalities in one way or other. I don’t know whether the leftists will also try to keep pace with the tainted leaders slowly but gradually in the desperate hurry to occupy the throne in Indraprastha. Because the thin line (the dividing line evolved into a thin one over the years) dividing the bourgeois parties and the working class parties are slowly fading out from the political scenario, when we observe some recent tendencies which are not to be encouraged. In a world of mad consumerism, even a party pursuing a revolutionary and humanitarian ideology is prone to fall a prey to the bewitching, sizzling, scintillating and inviting world of free market economic policies or capitalist ideology. Let good sense prevail over them in the years ahead.
The alleged instance of doling out money to the poor in front of the glaring TV cameras, started from Samajwadi Party leader, Mulayam Singh. It was seen some of his Party supporters distributing currency notes to poor men and women in his presence. The EC took notice of this and sought his explanation. Mulayam must have had a ready-made reply which might have been pre-meditated. He explained to the Commission that it was customary for him every year to donate currencies to the poor on the auspicious occasion of celebrating Holi at Etah and it had nothing to do with elections.
Election Commission had to be content with his reply and by issuing a curt warning to him ended the chapter then and there.
Actor-Politician, Chiranjeevi’s hotel room- he is the founder leader of Praja Rajyam Party- at Tirupathi was raided as he was alleged to be distributing money to the electorate from the hotel room. The 88 crore worth actor desperately wants to upift the ‘prajas’ (subjects) from the clutches of poverty and other hardships. We must certainly appreciate his broad-mindedness for his love of the poor and down-trodden. To serve them he has taken long holiday from the tinsel world. Worthy to be emulated.
In Rajasthan the constituency from which Maanavendra Singh, son of BJP leader Jaswant Singh came to national attention when the media men captured the scene of Jaswant Singh giving out currency notes to the electorate and it was flashed across the TV screens. A father’s love and affection towards his son is understandable, but the question staring in our face is whether it should be at the cost of integrity and principles of the former External Affairs Minister. Is this also a Call to Honour? Mr. Jaswant Singh is contesting this time from Darjeeling constituency where the Gorkhas are predominant.
SivaGanga from where our Home Minister, P.Chidambaram is contesting on Congress ticket has also taken by an eye of the storm. It is alleged that an approximate sum of Rs.3.26 lakh was unearthed from the temple premises. It was found inside a car parked inside the premises. On coming to know of the money hidden in the car AIADMK men who are in the opposite camp immediately locked the premises and informed the police and the police immediately passed the message to EC. The amount was supposed to have been for distributing among the electorate of SivaGanga.
Deve Gowda, the humble farmer from Karnataka, former Prime Minister and one of the architects of Third Front was reported to have launched a scathing attack on some political leaders doling out currencies to the electorate. “Instead of the ‘red note’ (Rs.1000 note), now political parties are giving gift coupons”- he was quoted as saying. (The Hindu dated 24-04-2009). On going through the news item all must have felt proud of him.
But I was quite embarrassed to see him distributing currencies to those who crowded around him. I had the opportunity of reading the two news items, one about his scathing attack on the political leaders distributing money to the poor people and the other Gowda himself doling out currencies to those who approached him with outstretched hands. It might be for charity.
Anyhow, I am yet to be free from this confusion.
The aforesaid instances are nothing compared to the goings on behind the curtains where huge amounts are traded which do not surface before the media and other watch-dogs and also the crores which are about to flow after May 16 in the mad race for arriving at the magic figure of 272, because a hung parliament is a foregone conclusion.
Friday, April 24, 2009
GOD MEN AND COMMUNALISM
Some of them are in pure white robes (symbolic of purity of mind) with long beards and also with long hairs sometimes with dreadlocks, thilaks , sometimes vermillion, sometimes sandal paste on their foreheads, always keeping bewitching smiles as if they are possessing the panacea for all the maladies plaguing mankind. Others prefer saffron robes (symbolic of renunciation), majority belong to saffron group, the other things like thilaks, beards, hair and expressions same as those in white.
Them, being an “enlightened lot”, we the common people are easily attracted to them expecting some magical solutions to our problems with their blessings. In our daily life we are confronted with many a nagging problem ranging from financial, mental, physical and such matters demanding immediate attention.
Those who hog the limelight are numerous. Hence, the devotees also galore.
Though claiming to be a fast developing nation by our rulers, the exact opposite is true. Still there are poverty deaths, problems of malnutrition, unemployment, lack of habitat, increasing numbers of slum dwellers in urban areas, farmers’ suicides, poor agricultural growth, lack of adequate healthcare to poor people especially in rural areas, illiteracy, discrimination against women, all abound.
Still claiming to be a fast developing economy is, to say the least, laughable (Once I also nurtured such a mistaken notion).
As per the World Human Development Index, India occupies the 132 position.
Yes, for some, for a minority, India is a fast developing economy- they are the industrial and business barons. With the financial downturn affecting the World economy, even they find themselves in hot waters.
It is estimated that 78 percent of our population make both ends meet with below $2 per day.
No digression sir.
Our God men and for that matter God women having already attained “enlightenment” prefer to go abroad and set up ashrams there, providing solace to lakhs of devotees approaching them with folded palms (typical Indian way) seeking magical cures for all “maladies” affecting them. These ‘enlightened’ beings always are peripatetic and hence they set up ashrams at various places in various countries.
They are not after temporal affairs or worldly pleasures. Thus we are made to believe. That is inimical to them. At the same time they prefer to settle in countries where materialism grows at a fast pace where the lack of mental tranquility also grows apace. Seeking solace, inner calm, people rush to “God men” and “God women” and are entrapped and enraptured by ‘divine’ teachings.
Once in a while ‘divine beings’ find time to visit the home country, warm receptions always await them by the devotees in the home country, all feel blessed by their very looks. Wherever our ‘God men’ go, they are welcomed and adored. Devotees provide them with fruits and equally sweet milk and in turn get blessed. Salvation times for the devotees or a subliminal feeling.
Even when our ‘God men’ abound in our country renowned for the rich spiritual and cultural heritage why are we always embroiled in communalist clashes and violence? Why Kandhmahals, Mangalore pub attack, Gujarat pogrom, Nanded and Malegaon bomb blasts, such horrendous incidents continue to haunt us. This is election time. But Kandhmahal is not forgotten. Lakshmananda Saraswathi, the raped nuns and their trauma, demolished dwellings, the brutally assaulted priests, and the hapless dalits of Kandhmahal are not forgotten. The 2002 Gujarat pogrom is still in our nightmares. The Mangalore pub attack still brings painful memories.
Communalist clashes, whether it be the handiwork of Hindus, Christians, Muslims or anybody cannot be condoned. Should not be condoned.
It is quite alarming that our ‘God men’ seemed to have been indifferent to the communalist clashes occurred at Kandhmahal and elsewhere. Why did they keep silent? Why do they keep silent?
Lal Krishna Advani, BJP leader and NDA’s Prime Ministerial candidate was reported to have sent letters to one thousand ‘God men’ about his candidature seeking their divine blessings. One among them immediately reciprocated by expressing his pleasure for Advani’s gesture alongside innovative style of keeping in touch with the ‘God men’ of his ilk and wishing him victory at the hustings.
When the nation is caught in the grip of terrorism, corruption and communalism, if we are a bit curious to know as to what would they do to douse the flames of the communal flare-ups and to heal the wounds thereby rescuing us, would it be a matter of crossing the LakshmanaRekhas (barriers not to be crossed).
Even a common man is aware of the simple fact that every religion preaches love and harmony and it never exhorts its adherents to sow the seeds of hatred and violence. The ‘God men’ and the ‘God women’ of our nation, if not all, are fully aware of the sanctity of religion and its message they make fools of themselves by associating them with those who preach militant religious ideologies whether it be Hinduism, Christianity or Islamic. Exceptions ofcourse are there.
Hinduism is entirely different from hindutva ideology propagated by certain political parties or otherwise as Amartya Sen once wrote- “Hindutva is a drastically reduced version of Hinduism”.
Whether our ‘enlightened gurus’ (teachers) will distance themselves away from communalist ideologies is a divine question confronting all.
Them, being an “enlightened lot”, we the common people are easily attracted to them expecting some magical solutions to our problems with their blessings. In our daily life we are confronted with many a nagging problem ranging from financial, mental, physical and such matters demanding immediate attention.
Those who hog the limelight are numerous. Hence, the devotees also galore.
Though claiming to be a fast developing nation by our rulers, the exact opposite is true. Still there are poverty deaths, problems of malnutrition, unemployment, lack of habitat, increasing numbers of slum dwellers in urban areas, farmers’ suicides, poor agricultural growth, lack of adequate healthcare to poor people especially in rural areas, illiteracy, discrimination against women, all abound.
Still claiming to be a fast developing economy is, to say the least, laughable (Once I also nurtured such a mistaken notion).
As per the World Human Development Index, India occupies the 132 position.
Yes, for some, for a minority, India is a fast developing economy- they are the industrial and business barons. With the financial downturn affecting the World economy, even they find themselves in hot waters.
It is estimated that 78 percent of our population make both ends meet with below $2 per day.
No digression sir.
Our God men and for that matter God women having already attained “enlightenment” prefer to go abroad and set up ashrams there, providing solace to lakhs of devotees approaching them with folded palms (typical Indian way) seeking magical cures for all “maladies” affecting them. These ‘enlightened’ beings always are peripatetic and hence they set up ashrams at various places in various countries.
They are not after temporal affairs or worldly pleasures. Thus we are made to believe. That is inimical to them. At the same time they prefer to settle in countries where materialism grows at a fast pace where the lack of mental tranquility also grows apace. Seeking solace, inner calm, people rush to “God men” and “God women” and are entrapped and enraptured by ‘divine’ teachings.
Once in a while ‘divine beings’ find time to visit the home country, warm receptions always await them by the devotees in the home country, all feel blessed by their very looks. Wherever our ‘God men’ go, they are welcomed and adored. Devotees provide them with fruits and equally sweet milk and in turn get blessed. Salvation times for the devotees or a subliminal feeling.
Even when our ‘God men’ abound in our country renowned for the rich spiritual and cultural heritage why are we always embroiled in communalist clashes and violence? Why Kandhmahals, Mangalore pub attack, Gujarat pogrom, Nanded and Malegaon bomb blasts, such horrendous incidents continue to haunt us. This is election time. But Kandhmahal is not forgotten. Lakshmananda Saraswathi, the raped nuns and their trauma, demolished dwellings, the brutally assaulted priests, and the hapless dalits of Kandhmahal are not forgotten. The 2002 Gujarat pogrom is still in our nightmares. The Mangalore pub attack still brings painful memories.
Communalist clashes, whether it be the handiwork of Hindus, Christians, Muslims or anybody cannot be condoned. Should not be condoned.
It is quite alarming that our ‘God men’ seemed to have been indifferent to the communalist clashes occurred at Kandhmahal and elsewhere. Why did they keep silent? Why do they keep silent?
Lal Krishna Advani, BJP leader and NDA’s Prime Ministerial candidate was reported to have sent letters to one thousand ‘God men’ about his candidature seeking their divine blessings. One among them immediately reciprocated by expressing his pleasure for Advani’s gesture alongside innovative style of keeping in touch with the ‘God men’ of his ilk and wishing him victory at the hustings.
When the nation is caught in the grip of terrorism, corruption and communalism, if we are a bit curious to know as to what would they do to douse the flames of the communal flare-ups and to heal the wounds thereby rescuing us, would it be a matter of crossing the LakshmanaRekhas (barriers not to be crossed).
Even a common man is aware of the simple fact that every religion preaches love and harmony and it never exhorts its adherents to sow the seeds of hatred and violence. The ‘God men’ and the ‘God women’ of our nation, if not all, are fully aware of the sanctity of religion and its message they make fools of themselves by associating them with those who preach militant religious ideologies whether it be Hinduism, Christianity or Islamic. Exceptions ofcourse are there.
Hinduism is entirely different from hindutva ideology propagated by certain political parties or otherwise as Amartya Sen once wrote- “Hindutva is a drastically reduced version of Hinduism”.
Whether our ‘enlightened gurus’ (teachers) will distance themselves away from communalist ideologies is a divine question confronting all.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
SHANNO-THE GIRL CHILD-THE MEDIA AND SOCIETY
Everything has its positive as well as negative sides. Same is the case with the media. Much can be said about both sides.
Media activism like judicial activism plays a cardinal role in exposing and correcting many a contemporary evil plaguing our society. Innumerable instances are there to point out. Superstitions, illiteracy, poverty, malnutrition, women empowerment, elementary education, corporal punishment, female infanticide, rampant corruption, the list goes on and on and on…
Keeping all the plus points in mind let us not wish away the negative influence some of the media personalities exert on the masses by playing second fiddle to those in power and at the higher echelons of the society to accomplish some of their personal needs in the form of monetary benefits or to obtain a transfer for their spouses of their choice or to satiate personal gratifications like bottle and women.
To brush these things under carpet is not at all permissible and principles like morality and ethics are vital for the proper functioning of the media and thereby the society.
A girl child, Shanno only eleven years of age fell a prey to the cruelty of her teacher. She was a student of a MCD ( Municipal Corporation of
The aforesaid incident is a good instance of ethical journalism and ethics should prevail in every field of the society. Media is the fourth pillar of democracy and all concerned should ensure the sanctity of this fourth estate. Same is the case with Executive and Judiciary.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
THE ECOLOGICAL DISASTER AND GLOBAL WARMING IN OUR TIMES
Respected Sunder Lalji,
Namaskar (Show of love and respect).
Hope you are hale and hearty. It is my prayer to Ganga Matha (Mother Ganges) always. Mother Ganges is always in my dreams. To have a ‘darshan’ and also to have a dip in the sacred river is my long cherished dream. So far my wish remains unfulfilled. May God shower his blessings on me one day to make it possible.
It is a matter of great pain and sorrow to me whenever I overhear somebody or whenever I read about it or witness the present plight of Mother Ganges. But my love and devotion to sacred river increase only. Water getting polluted by factories built along the sides of the river by pumping the effluents to the river, people throwing waste material into the water, corpses and decapitated parts of animals, all Mother Ganges carries along its long and tedious journey to the ocean. Once the delight and pleasure of a nation with its sparkling, pure, transparent water has now turned out to be the pain and sorrow of the nation. Those who ought to, I mean the ruling class, to make Mother Ganges pollution free, is turning a deaf ear to the pleas of more than one billion people of the nation forgetting the rich heritage about which we take proud of. In the name of development mantra, landmarks of the past are being demolished ignoring the protests of the environmentalists and lovers of natural landscapes affecting our the bio-diversity of our nation. Are building giant dams across the rivers of a nation or evacuating farmers who till vast areas of fields and feed us and in its place building factories and multi-storeyed buildings, spreading out a red carpet to multi-nationals and promoting their products across the country, the signs of development of a nation? In the process those who are left in the lurch literally are the farmers, who are evacuated from their lands by paying them meagre amounts as compensation for rehabilitation- they don’t get even the allotted amount from the government and only those who have got influence in the higher echelons of power get away with the amount and thus the number of homeless, landless people increases, some even moving to the nearby cities to make both ends meet.
When I saw your photograph in the newspaper accepting Padmavibhushan, from our President, at the Ashoka Hall of Rashtrapathi Bhavan with a smiling face, I was actually taken aback, a train of thoughts and memories passed through my mind.
You were a freedom fighter. You were the founder of ‘Chipko Movement’. You suffered a lot for our nation.
When the Government of India decided to proceed with the construction of Tehri Dam across the river Bhagirathi ,as an environmentalist you were in the forefront with your beloved wife Vimala Bahuguna and thousands of farmers and residents along the sides of the river to obstruct the plan of the Government on account of the consequences and hazards in the long run. The foot-hills of Himalayas are fragile and seismic and you were apprehensive of the massive damage it would cause in the event of an earthquake. The government was planning to build the fifth highest dam of the World across river Bhagirathi.
In 1991, you went on a fast unto death with your family and supporters by constructing a shed on the bank of Bhagirathi. The contract firm retaliated by snapping electric connection to the shed. But you were determined and held on to your resolve. The fast went on for 45 days and the Government intervened and pacified you. You withdrew the fast. Later you came to grip with your folly as the government of the day backtracked on its promises and you were compelled to undertake the fast again in 1995.
The fast lasted 45 days, the government had to intervene and cajoled you into withdrawing from the fast.
You fought for the poor farmers across river Bhagirathi. You always wanted Bhagirathi flow with its full vigour and dignity as before. The destruction of a mythical river was unbearable to you. The river believed to have been brought to earth by Bhagiratha was held dear by the residents on both sides of the river. The evacuation of lakhs of farmers from its sides was mind-boggling to you. There was not even a pre-planned rehabilitation package. The sum each got as rehabilitation package was only peanuts. The rich ones managed to extract from the government in plenty and the poor remained too poor and with their belongings, with tears in their eyes, with the agony of moving in different directions, some even had their mental balance shattered, disappeared into remote corners of the land.
Even after three fasts, in 1991, 1995 and 1998, you couldn’t succeed in your mission even the highest court of our land was in favour of Tehri Project, eventhough with a fractured verdict.
River Bhagirathi has lost its vibrancy, energetic flow and has got reduced to a trickle.
On Tehri Project, you once said “This dam is built on our tears”.
So what? Tehri produces 2400 MW of electricity. Ecological plunder, environmental destruction, hapless millions who lost their homes- who cares?
Never in my life did I expect you, accepting a Padma award or for that matter any award from the Government of India! If you had rejected the award outright it would have been a noble revenge and a jewel in your crown. After all who am I to cast aspersions on you?
Pranaam (Show of love and respect).
Namaskar (Show of love and respect).
Hope you are hale and hearty. It is my prayer to Ganga Matha (Mother Ganges) always. Mother Ganges is always in my dreams. To have a ‘darshan’ and also to have a dip in the sacred river is my long cherished dream. So far my wish remains unfulfilled. May God shower his blessings on me one day to make it possible.
It is a matter of great pain and sorrow to me whenever I overhear somebody or whenever I read about it or witness the present plight of Mother Ganges. But my love and devotion to sacred river increase only. Water getting polluted by factories built along the sides of the river by pumping the effluents to the river, people throwing waste material into the water, corpses and decapitated parts of animals, all Mother Ganges carries along its long and tedious journey to the ocean. Once the delight and pleasure of a nation with its sparkling, pure, transparent water has now turned out to be the pain and sorrow of the nation. Those who ought to, I mean the ruling class, to make Mother Ganges pollution free, is turning a deaf ear to the pleas of more than one billion people of the nation forgetting the rich heritage about which we take proud of. In the name of development mantra, landmarks of the past are being demolished ignoring the protests of the environmentalists and lovers of natural landscapes affecting our the bio-diversity of our nation. Are building giant dams across the rivers of a nation or evacuating farmers who till vast areas of fields and feed us and in its place building factories and multi-storeyed buildings, spreading out a red carpet to multi-nationals and promoting their products across the country, the signs of development of a nation? In the process those who are left in the lurch literally are the farmers, who are evacuated from their lands by paying them meagre amounts as compensation for rehabilitation- they don’t get even the allotted amount from the government and only those who have got influence in the higher echelons of power get away with the amount and thus the number of homeless, landless people increases, some even moving to the nearby cities to make both ends meet.
When I saw your photograph in the newspaper accepting Padmavibhushan, from our President, at the Ashoka Hall of Rashtrapathi Bhavan with a smiling face, I was actually taken aback, a train of thoughts and memories passed through my mind.
You were a freedom fighter. You were the founder of ‘Chipko Movement’. You suffered a lot for our nation.
When the Government of India decided to proceed with the construction of Tehri Dam across the river Bhagirathi ,as an environmentalist you were in the forefront with your beloved wife Vimala Bahuguna and thousands of farmers and residents along the sides of the river to obstruct the plan of the Government on account of the consequences and hazards in the long run. The foot-hills of Himalayas are fragile and seismic and you were apprehensive of the massive damage it would cause in the event of an earthquake. The government was planning to build the fifth highest dam of the World across river Bhagirathi.
In 1991, you went on a fast unto death with your family and supporters by constructing a shed on the bank of Bhagirathi. The contract firm retaliated by snapping electric connection to the shed. But you were determined and held on to your resolve. The fast went on for 45 days and the Government intervened and pacified you. You withdrew the fast. Later you came to grip with your folly as the government of the day backtracked on its promises and you were compelled to undertake the fast again in 1995.
The fast lasted 45 days, the government had to intervene and cajoled you into withdrawing from the fast.
You fought for the poor farmers across river Bhagirathi. You always wanted Bhagirathi flow with its full vigour and dignity as before. The destruction of a mythical river was unbearable to you. The river believed to have been brought to earth by Bhagiratha was held dear by the residents on both sides of the river. The evacuation of lakhs of farmers from its sides was mind-boggling to you. There was not even a pre-planned rehabilitation package. The sum each got as rehabilitation package was only peanuts. The rich ones managed to extract from the government in plenty and the poor remained too poor and with their belongings, with tears in their eyes, with the agony of moving in different directions, some even had their mental balance shattered, disappeared into remote corners of the land.
Even after three fasts, in 1991, 1995 and 1998, you couldn’t succeed in your mission even the highest court of our land was in favour of Tehri Project, eventhough with a fractured verdict.
River Bhagirathi has lost its vibrancy, energetic flow and has got reduced to a trickle.
On Tehri Project, you once said “This dam is built on our tears”.
So what? Tehri produces 2400 MW of electricity. Ecological plunder, environmental destruction, hapless millions who lost their homes- who cares?
Never in my life did I expect you, accepting a Padma award or for that matter any award from the Government of India! If you had rejected the award outright it would have been a noble revenge and a jewel in your crown. After all who am I to cast aspersions on you?
Pranaam (Show of love and respect).
Monday, April 13, 2009
WILL SHASHI THAROOR MAKE IT?
Jaishree Misra is a Malayalee (Keralite). She is a renowned English fiction writer. There are four or five works to her credit. More than that, she is the grand daughter of well-known author, Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai, who the Malayalee writers and readers hold dearly to their hearts. His “Chemmeen” (Prawns), a love story based on the lives of fisher folk, their toils and sorrows, their intricate relationships, hopes, aspirations and also frustrations are very well portrayed in the novel in the backdrop of a sea. Chemmeen was made into a film in the 60’s, which won universal acclaim and rave reviews across the World. It was awarded Gold Medal of Indian President in 1965 for the best feature film. Jaishree Misra might have seen and enjoyed the film-the tragic love story of Karuthamma and Pareekutty- several times and felt proud about her grandfather. As long as mankind keep love in their hearts, this novel and the film based on it will be here to stay.
Thakazhy was a great lover of the poor, the middle-class farmers of Kuttanad and fisher-folk and was very well acquainted with their problems and was one among them. Rusticity was his blessing and was very adept in illuminating the sylvan surroundings of Kuttanad and adjacent areas. In fact rustic charm was the hallmark of his writings.
Jaishree Misra is now based in London. Once, twice or thrice a year she makes it to her native land to spend and enjoy happy days with her mother and dear ones, who are settled at Thiruvananthapuram.
The other day I happened to go through an article penned by Mrs Misra.
An author’s love and affinity to a fellow author is understandable. It is quite natural. In the matter of enmity and jealousy also- it is natural. Affinity and Jealousy are two sides of the same coin. After all, we are all human beings- a bundle of contradictions.
Her affinity towards Shashi Tharoor is not surprising. At a moment when her novel on Rani Lakshmibai went controversial and the people of UP (Uttar Pradesh) burnt Mrs Misra in effigy and also the copies of her controversial book, Shashi Tharoor contacted her and offered his sorrow and solidarity with her and spoke about the importance of right to freedom of speech and expression for a writer. Mrs Misra felt elated.
Really laudable.
Mrs Misra recalls the incident while writing on Tharoor’s candidature from the Thiruvananthapuram Loksabha constituency.
Mrs Misra expresses her concern on coming to know about the opposition to his candidature from some quarters. She is of the opinion that instead of protesting against his candidature, the entire electorate and the leaders should spread out a red carpet of hospitality to an international celebrity of Mr.Tharoor’s stature. The office of a former Under Secretary General of United Nations was certainly a feather in his cap. According to her, we should have felt honoured and welcomed him with open arms in the typical Malayalee way.
Mrs Misra should have the courtesy of realizing the reason behind the opposition to his candidature from certain quarters.
It is not because he was born in London. Not because he lived with his parents elsewhere in India. Yes, Mr. Tharoor is a well-known writer. He held important positions abroad for a long period and brought fame to the nation. No one is going to dispute these facts.
After quitting his job at UN, he made Dubai, his abode. In Dubai, our respected candidate established a company named Afraz which is exclusively for importing pipes to USA, as per reports.
A person hailing from Palakkad is supposed to be aware of the plight of the poor people of Plachimada Panchayat of the same district should have displayed his solidarity with them for the struggle they are waging for the last seven years against the multinational giant Coca Cola to shut down their manufacturing unit. The entire Plachimada Panchayat and its people are literally enduring hardships due to the acute scarcity of safe drinking water on account of unscrupulous exploitation of underground water for manufacturing Cola. A drought like situation is prevailing in the Panchayat because of this ecological plunder. A man of Tharoor’s stature ought to have joined the people of the Panchayat but instead he has no qualms in justifying the multinational company. Really shameful.
Moreover Mr. Shashi Tharoor has no experience at the grass-roots level as a Congress worker. While many youngsters who worked day in and day out for the Party suffered assaults at the hands of police men and are well-educated waiting in the wings, I do not think it proper on the part of Congress leaders to have selected a candidate who still keeps a neo-liberal mindset even after the global down-turn.
Mrs Misra even finds time to point out the achievements on the economic scenario. It is a good joke! Her heart brims with joy and pleasure when other nations across the World admire the “growth” of Indian economy. More than enough from a writer who flies to Kerala once or twice a year to spend her days and to relish sweet moments with friends and relatives!
If her grandfather were alive today, he might have had a hearty laugh over the foolish notions of his granddaughter about India.
If Mrs. Misra were to spare a few days and travel across the length and breadth of the country particularly rural India, she wouldn’t have dared to shower lavish praises on the “new shining face” of India.
A glimpse of the prevailing conditions in our nation could be captured if Mrs Misra took time to go through the Booker Prize Winner- “White Tiger”- by Aravind Adiga, an young Indian writer.
Thakazhy was a great lover of the poor, the middle-class farmers of Kuttanad and fisher-folk and was very well acquainted with their problems and was one among them. Rusticity was his blessing and was very adept in illuminating the sylvan surroundings of Kuttanad and adjacent areas. In fact rustic charm was the hallmark of his writings.
Jaishree Misra is now based in London. Once, twice or thrice a year she makes it to her native land to spend and enjoy happy days with her mother and dear ones, who are settled at Thiruvananthapuram.
The other day I happened to go through an article penned by Mrs Misra.
An author’s love and affinity to a fellow author is understandable. It is quite natural. In the matter of enmity and jealousy also- it is natural. Affinity and Jealousy are two sides of the same coin. After all, we are all human beings- a bundle of contradictions.
Her affinity towards Shashi Tharoor is not surprising. At a moment when her novel on Rani Lakshmibai went controversial and the people of UP (Uttar Pradesh) burnt Mrs Misra in effigy and also the copies of her controversial book, Shashi Tharoor contacted her and offered his sorrow and solidarity with her and spoke about the importance of right to freedom of speech and expression for a writer. Mrs Misra felt elated.
Really laudable.
Mrs Misra recalls the incident while writing on Tharoor’s candidature from the Thiruvananthapuram Loksabha constituency.
Mrs Misra expresses her concern on coming to know about the opposition to his candidature from some quarters. She is of the opinion that instead of protesting against his candidature, the entire electorate and the leaders should spread out a red carpet of hospitality to an international celebrity of Mr.Tharoor’s stature. The office of a former Under Secretary General of United Nations was certainly a feather in his cap. According to her, we should have felt honoured and welcomed him with open arms in the typical Malayalee way.
Mrs Misra should have the courtesy of realizing the reason behind the opposition to his candidature from certain quarters.
It is not because he was born in London. Not because he lived with his parents elsewhere in India. Yes, Mr. Tharoor is a well-known writer. He held important positions abroad for a long period and brought fame to the nation. No one is going to dispute these facts.
After quitting his job at UN, he made Dubai, his abode. In Dubai, our respected candidate established a company named Afraz which is exclusively for importing pipes to USA, as per reports.
A person hailing from Palakkad is supposed to be aware of the plight of the poor people of Plachimada Panchayat of the same district should have displayed his solidarity with them for the struggle they are waging for the last seven years against the multinational giant Coca Cola to shut down their manufacturing unit. The entire Plachimada Panchayat and its people are literally enduring hardships due to the acute scarcity of safe drinking water on account of unscrupulous exploitation of underground water for manufacturing Cola. A drought like situation is prevailing in the Panchayat because of this ecological plunder. A man of Tharoor’s stature ought to have joined the people of the Panchayat but instead he has no qualms in justifying the multinational company. Really shameful.
Moreover Mr. Shashi Tharoor has no experience at the grass-roots level as a Congress worker. While many youngsters who worked day in and day out for the Party suffered assaults at the hands of police men and are well-educated waiting in the wings, I do not think it proper on the part of Congress leaders to have selected a candidate who still keeps a neo-liberal mindset even after the global down-turn.
Mrs Misra even finds time to point out the achievements on the economic scenario. It is a good joke! Her heart brims with joy and pleasure when other nations across the World admire the “growth” of Indian economy. More than enough from a writer who flies to Kerala once or twice a year to spend her days and to relish sweet moments with friends and relatives!
If her grandfather were alive today, he might have had a hearty laugh over the foolish notions of his granddaughter about India.
If Mrs. Misra were to spare a few days and travel across the length and breadth of the country particularly rural India, she wouldn’t have dared to shower lavish praises on the “new shining face” of India.
A glimpse of the prevailing conditions in our nation could be captured if Mrs Misra took time to go through the Booker Prize Winner- “White Tiger”- by Aravind Adiga, an young Indian writer.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
LOVE THEM OR HATE THEM , WE CANNOT IGNORE THEM
“Love him or hate him, but you can’t ignore him”- Prannoy Roy, the media news baron, once told about Railway Minister and RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav. This statement applies also to certain political leaders like Amar Singh, the evergreen glamorous safari-clad leader of Samajwadi Party and Mamta Banerji, leader of Trinamool Congress, a regional political outfit in Bengal always at loggerheads with ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) and its allies. Only a few among the species. And if we dig deeper into the political History of India, a few leaders like the irrepressible Raj Narain, who defeated Indira Gandhi and created history in the LokSabha Election held in Allahabad constituency, could be found. It is worth remembering here that Raj Narain was instrumental in imposition of infamous emergency by Indira Gandhi, which lasted for nineteen months. The dark period is still lingering in the hearts of majority of Indian citizens.
Now return to Lalu Prasad Yadav. His antipathy towards the communalist outfits like BJP and its mother organization, the Sangh Parivar, is well known. A Chief Minister who had the guts to stop the BJP juggernaut eighteen years ago, I mean the Rath Yatra (chariot procession) undertaken by Lal Krishna Advani across the length and breadth of the country, to draw the attention of Indian citizens and seeking their support for the construction of Ramjanmabhoomi Temple at Ayodhya in UP. Lalu Prasad took on the Sangh Parivar activists and imprisoned L.K. Advani on entering Bihar.
I recalled the incident which happened eighteen years ago on watching a news report on TV about Varun Gandhi, the budding leader of BJP, the son of late Sanjay Gandhi and Maneka Gandhi. Varun Gandhi, a BJP candidate from Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh (UP), which was vacated by his mother to enable him to contest the 15th Loksabha Election was alleged to have made a fiery speech attacking a minority community thus inflaming communal passions among the majority Hindu community. The Election Commission (EC) intervened and advised the BJP leaders not to allow him to contest from the Pilibhit constituency, but the leaders defied the EC and stood firm on its decision to make him contest from there. The Chief Minister of UP and the BSP supremo Kumari Mayawati, who is not on good terms with the saffron party ‘at present’ (their’s is a love-hate relationship) slapped NSA (National Security Act) against Varun Gandhi and put him behind bars. Mr.Gandhi is still in jail and how long he has to spend there is anybody’s guess.
Lalu Prasad Yadav always has a penchant for creating controversies and on getting a victim to tear apart in the form of Varun Gandhi, who is a BJP leader especially when the elections are on the threshold, the “secular Lalu” in him got active and while addressing an election rally in a fit of rage and passion reportedly blurted out- “Had I be the Home Minister of the country, I would have crushed him under roller.”
He might have been applauded profusely by the masses, but his political enemies, BJP and JD(U) made it an issue and like a typical politician Lalu did a somersault and gave a broad interpretation- “Would have crushed him under the roller of law”- Lalu is a pucca law-abiding citizen of India!
Chief Minister and JD(U) Chief, Nitish Kumar could see through the game of his bete noire. The shrewd politician in him read the mind of shrewd Lalu and he could make out the real motive behind the controversial statement made by Lalu Prasad Yadav. Lalu is very well aware of a sad truth that the Muslim minority of Bihar, once they were with him enbloc, have switched sides and are behind Nitish Kumar now, for the good things done to them by the CM and for the overall development of the State which Lalu Prasad Yadav could not bring about even after ruling Bihar for fifteen years. Lalu’s anti-communalist approach cannot be disputed and even heartening, his outburst against Varun Gandhi was with a view to woo the Muslim voters back to RJD , who had left him after 15 years of administration.
“Love him or hate him, but we can’t ignore him”- we can very well say this about SP National General Secretary, Amar Singh also. This former liaison officer of a multinational company is undoubtedly a friend in need and also a King Maker. Time is a bit bad for him at the moment as he is reportedly weathering a storm in the form of Azam Khan, one of the founder members of Samajwadi Party over the candidature of a film-actor turned politician Jayapradha from Rampur, who is said to be not on good terms with Azam Khan.
Amar Singh is the ‘right-hand’ man of the SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav.
While the controversy over the ‘Indo-American Civilian Nuclear Deal’ was raging, with the left withdrawing support and bowing out of UPA (United Progressive Alliance) bandwagon, Sardar ManMohanSingh found himself in a quandary. For Mr.Singh, the ‘Indo-American Civilian Nuclear Deal’ was a prestige issue and he was determined to proceed with it. With the Left deserting UPA, UPA became a minority and Congress and its allies had to chalk-out a new strategy to win the confidence motion (trust vote) in the Parliament.
Mulayam Singh and Amar Singh who were till then with the leftists and also staunch opponents of “Indo-US Nuclear Deal” turned the tables and they found themselves in the UPA camp to ‘bail-out’ ManMohanSingh government from the verge of collapse. That rescue operation is still in the minds of Indian citizens and the drama behind it. The “Notes for Votes” scam, was shocking to the citizens as it happened under the rule of a man of dignity and honesty. A Party ie. SP, from the very beginning opposed the Civilian-Nuclear Deal turned supporter of the deal was another embarrassing thing.
After wriggling out of a precarious situation, UPA had no qualms in developing a cold feet to Samajwadi Party and its demands. The Party must have dreamt of bargaining with the ruling Party thereby extracting the maximum, found itself in the wilderness.
All the more interesting is a statement purported to have been made by Amar Singh about two weeks ago. That it was a folly on the part of Samajwadi Party to have extended support to ManMohanSingh Government and thereby rescuing it! Howzaat? Actually in the name of which ideology, this Party is going to contest the ensuing elections?
“Love her or hate her, but you cannot ignore her”- who is this lady? None other than Mamataji of Trinamool Congress confined to West Bengal.
Uptill now, her Party’s ideology is unknown to me. Is her only motto an ongoing fight with CPI(M)? This woman in white saree with black borders is always busy and aggressive. She has also a large number of followers.
At a moment, when she was relentlessly looking for an issue to rake up with Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, he gave it her on a platter.
Nandigram and Singur issues were more than enough for her. She could very well capitalize on these controversial issues by mobilizing hitherto supporters of CPI(M). As far as a farmer is concerned, forcible acquisition of his land, whatever be the purpose behind it is unbearable. In order to bring about industrial development in the State, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee- he was in desperate hurry- invited a multinational from Indonesia to construct a chemical hub at Nandigram. His intention was to forcibly occupy the lands of farmers settled at Nandigram without even seeking or discussing the opinions of humble farmers. On coming to know about it, the farmers took up cudgels against the Government. Mamata having got an opportunity to take on the Left front Government, reached there in no time and led the farmers from the front. Buddhadeb remained adamant but the farmers were also on the offensive and a law and order situation developed, ruthless firing took place killing many farmers. The intellectuals of the State, artists, writers, film fraternity and thinkers, hitherto well-wishers of CPI(M) and allies joined the Mamata bandwagon and led march through the streets of Kolkata, voicing solidarity with the poor farmers.
Similar was the case in Singur. There the acquisition of land was for Tata to manufacture cars for common man at a cheaper rate. (Tata’s Nano cars have rolled out of Gujarat recently). At Singur also the farmers rose in revolt under the leadership of Mamata Banerji and also with the support of environmentalists like Medha Patkar and Arundhati Roy.
In Singur also the government had to back-out and the ultimate victory was for the farmers.
It is quite unfortunate that, the farmers as well as intellectuals, who toiled and nurtured the communist parties and its allies had to turn against them.
Anyhow the Party and its leaders now regret for the mistakes is a good sign and let better sense prevail.
Love them or hate them, we can’t ignore them. Yes, I mean the politicians. Jai Ho.
Now return to Lalu Prasad Yadav. His antipathy towards the communalist outfits like BJP and its mother organization, the Sangh Parivar, is well known. A Chief Minister who had the guts to stop the BJP juggernaut eighteen years ago, I mean the Rath Yatra (chariot procession) undertaken by Lal Krishna Advani across the length and breadth of the country, to draw the attention of Indian citizens and seeking their support for the construction of Ramjanmabhoomi Temple at Ayodhya in UP. Lalu Prasad took on the Sangh Parivar activists and imprisoned L.K. Advani on entering Bihar.
I recalled the incident which happened eighteen years ago on watching a news report on TV about Varun Gandhi, the budding leader of BJP, the son of late Sanjay Gandhi and Maneka Gandhi. Varun Gandhi, a BJP candidate from Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh (UP), which was vacated by his mother to enable him to contest the 15th Loksabha Election was alleged to have made a fiery speech attacking a minority community thus inflaming communal passions among the majority Hindu community. The Election Commission (EC) intervened and advised the BJP leaders not to allow him to contest from the Pilibhit constituency, but the leaders defied the EC and stood firm on its decision to make him contest from there. The Chief Minister of UP and the BSP supremo Kumari Mayawati, who is not on good terms with the saffron party ‘at present’ (their’s is a love-hate relationship) slapped NSA (National Security Act) against Varun Gandhi and put him behind bars. Mr.Gandhi is still in jail and how long he has to spend there is anybody’s guess.
Lalu Prasad Yadav always has a penchant for creating controversies and on getting a victim to tear apart in the form of Varun Gandhi, who is a BJP leader especially when the elections are on the threshold, the “secular Lalu” in him got active and while addressing an election rally in a fit of rage and passion reportedly blurted out- “Had I be the Home Minister of the country, I would have crushed him under roller.”
He might have been applauded profusely by the masses, but his political enemies, BJP and JD(U) made it an issue and like a typical politician Lalu did a somersault and gave a broad interpretation- “Would have crushed him under the roller of law”- Lalu is a pucca law-abiding citizen of India!
Chief Minister and JD(U) Chief, Nitish Kumar could see through the game of his bete noire. The shrewd politician in him read the mind of shrewd Lalu and he could make out the real motive behind the controversial statement made by Lalu Prasad Yadav. Lalu is very well aware of a sad truth that the Muslim minority of Bihar, once they were with him enbloc, have switched sides and are behind Nitish Kumar now, for the good things done to them by the CM and for the overall development of the State which Lalu Prasad Yadav could not bring about even after ruling Bihar for fifteen years. Lalu’s anti-communalist approach cannot be disputed and even heartening, his outburst against Varun Gandhi was with a view to woo the Muslim voters back to RJD , who had left him after 15 years of administration.
“Love him or hate him, but we can’t ignore him”- we can very well say this about SP National General Secretary, Amar Singh also. This former liaison officer of a multinational company is undoubtedly a friend in need and also a King Maker. Time is a bit bad for him at the moment as he is reportedly weathering a storm in the form of Azam Khan, one of the founder members of Samajwadi Party over the candidature of a film-actor turned politician Jayapradha from Rampur, who is said to be not on good terms with Azam Khan.
Amar Singh is the ‘right-hand’ man of the SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav.
While the controversy over the ‘Indo-American Civilian Nuclear Deal’ was raging, with the left withdrawing support and bowing out of UPA (United Progressive Alliance) bandwagon, Sardar ManMohanSingh found himself in a quandary. For Mr.Singh, the ‘Indo-American Civilian Nuclear Deal’ was a prestige issue and he was determined to proceed with it. With the Left deserting UPA, UPA became a minority and Congress and its allies had to chalk-out a new strategy to win the confidence motion (trust vote) in the Parliament.
Mulayam Singh and Amar Singh who were till then with the leftists and also staunch opponents of “Indo-US Nuclear Deal” turned the tables and they found themselves in the UPA camp to ‘bail-out’ ManMohanSingh government from the verge of collapse. That rescue operation is still in the minds of Indian citizens and the drama behind it. The “Notes for Votes” scam, was shocking to the citizens as it happened under the rule of a man of dignity and honesty. A Party ie. SP, from the very beginning opposed the Civilian-Nuclear Deal turned supporter of the deal was another embarrassing thing.
After wriggling out of a precarious situation, UPA had no qualms in developing a cold feet to Samajwadi Party and its demands. The Party must have dreamt of bargaining with the ruling Party thereby extracting the maximum, found itself in the wilderness.
All the more interesting is a statement purported to have been made by Amar Singh about two weeks ago. That it was a folly on the part of Samajwadi Party to have extended support to ManMohanSingh Government and thereby rescuing it! Howzaat? Actually in the name of which ideology, this Party is going to contest the ensuing elections?
“Love her or hate her, but you cannot ignore her”- who is this lady? None other than Mamataji of Trinamool Congress confined to West Bengal.
Uptill now, her Party’s ideology is unknown to me. Is her only motto an ongoing fight with CPI(M)? This woman in white saree with black borders is always busy and aggressive. She has also a large number of followers.
At a moment, when she was relentlessly looking for an issue to rake up with Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, he gave it her on a platter.
Nandigram and Singur issues were more than enough for her. She could very well capitalize on these controversial issues by mobilizing hitherto supporters of CPI(M). As far as a farmer is concerned, forcible acquisition of his land, whatever be the purpose behind it is unbearable. In order to bring about industrial development in the State, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee- he was in desperate hurry- invited a multinational from Indonesia to construct a chemical hub at Nandigram. His intention was to forcibly occupy the lands of farmers settled at Nandigram without even seeking or discussing the opinions of humble farmers. On coming to know about it, the farmers took up cudgels against the Government. Mamata having got an opportunity to take on the Left front Government, reached there in no time and led the farmers from the front. Buddhadeb remained adamant but the farmers were also on the offensive and a law and order situation developed, ruthless firing took place killing many farmers. The intellectuals of the State, artists, writers, film fraternity and thinkers, hitherto well-wishers of CPI(M) and allies joined the Mamata bandwagon and led march through the streets of Kolkata, voicing solidarity with the poor farmers.
Similar was the case in Singur. There the acquisition of land was for Tata to manufacture cars for common man at a cheaper rate. (Tata’s Nano cars have rolled out of Gujarat recently). At Singur also the farmers rose in revolt under the leadership of Mamata Banerji and also with the support of environmentalists like Medha Patkar and Arundhati Roy.
In Singur also the government had to back-out and the ultimate victory was for the farmers.
It is quite unfortunate that, the farmers as well as intellectuals, who toiled and nurtured the communist parties and its allies had to turn against them.
Anyhow the Party and its leaders now regret for the mistakes is a good sign and let better sense prevail.
Love them or hate them, we can’t ignore them. Yes, I mean the politicians. Jai Ho.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
ABOUT INCREASING MOBILITY AND FRIENDSHIPS IN MODERN TIMES
India was behind Western nations by approximately fifty years in various fields particularly in the fields of technology, science, even literature and philosophy. While existentialism and existentialist writings were at its peak in France and other Western nations, Indian writing was in the firm grip of romanticism and realism soon after that. While Franz Kafka, Jean Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, Simon De Bovier were ruling the literary and philosophical world in European countries, Indian writers of that time were even ignorant about their writings. After a long spell, their writings became available in India through the translations by the Western writers. The aforesaid writers attracted our young generation and were greatly influenced by theses writers and their writings. Their influence was like an epidemic spreading fast among the reading public. Ironically, while the interest in existentialism writings were gradually declining among the Westerners, Indian writers were celebrating existentialism.
Such is the case with other fields also.
As Amartya Sen says Globalisation is neither new nor is it a folly. With the spreading of Globalisation in India from the nineties India underwent a sea-change in matters like economy, technology, urbanization, life-styles and even Indian culture.
With the opening up of economy, heavy investment flowed to India, market forces gained strength and with the lowering of import tariffs several items of mass consumption found place in markets at cheaper rates which resulted in the closing down of business by Indian entrepreneurs as they found it hard to compete with multinationals. Cut-throat competition and profit motive became the modern mantra as it was quite natural that those who proved to be the fittest survived ultimately.
One of the curses of Capitalism, really….
While globalised neo-liberalism provided enormous benefits to industrial tycoons of India- they extracted the maximum- in the form of mounting profits, those at the bottom of the ladder found it more and more difficult to make both ends meet. The farmers were left in the lurch and with the lowering of import tariffs, food grains and other inputs flowed to India on a massive scale and as a result the farmers couldn’t afford to purchase fertilizers at the previous rates as the Indian fertilizer companies began to run in red. As the government turned a deaf ear to their plight they were not provided with necessary financial assistance and they were forced to borrow money from the local money lenders at sky-high rates. Even Minimum Support Price (MSP) was not fixed by the ruling babus and as imported food grains were available in plenty at cheaper rates, the farmers couldn’t dispose of their harvest and were helpless in paying back the borrowed amount to the local money lenders. Finding no other way to feed their women and children, thousands then put an end to their lives. Those who were not willing to embrace death, after disposing of their properties moved to urban areas in search of jobs. The flow to urban areas continues unabated.
Can we put the entire blame on globalization?
As the famous Nobel Laureate mentioned, Globalisation is neither new nor is it a folly, we will have to squarely blame and put the entire responsibility on the heads of our rulers.
Why do they turn a blind eye to the social aspects of our society? Why are they focusing their attention entirely on the prosperity of industrial tycoons. Mahatma Gandhi said, “India lives in villages”. Our rulers always take pride to be the followers of Mahatma. At the same time, seventy percent of our population constituting farmers who are sweating it out in the fileds under the blazing Sun to feed the millions of Indians, are looked down with contempt and indifference.
Similar is the condition of children.
A Government which always swears by the improvement of elementary education is actually doing nothing for the poor children who are roaming through the streets with begging bowls. Amartya Sen never forgets to mention about the essentiality of providing elementary education to the poor children of India. He never misses an opportunity to point out the need for providing the down-trodden with nutritious food to prevent large scale deaths due to poverty and malnutrition. For a poor child to go to school, the foremost thing to do is to provide him mid-day meals daily. In the interior parts of India, even after 61 years of Independence, facilities like safe drinking water, electricity, elementary schools and good roads are absent. Those who live in the cities are not even aware of such pathetic conditions prevailing in the rural areas.
Urban-Rural divide in India is yet to bridged. When?
Whether our rulers have any answer- no idea…
If this is one side of the coin, the other side is entirely different.
With the spread of Globalisation on a massive scale, the unprecedented progress in the field of information technology was mind-boggling and amazing.
In India, the gigantic progress of information technology was within a short span. Today Bangalore, Hyderabad (Cyberabad), Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Cochin, Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida- it is a long line- enterprising , dynamic and hardworking youngsters are going on with their duties 24X7. No gender imbalance or discrimination. Before the downturn and subsequently recession shook US badly, the outsourcing of IT related works went on smoothly and the youngsters could amass huge salaries and perks. The outsourcing has gone somewhat sluggish now, with massive retrenchment due to the melt-down going on a daily basis and the slowdown has affected hardworking youngsters now and also a cut in their wages. Hope, things will turn for the better in the near future itself.
The exponential growth in technology, led to huge developments in Banking, Insurance and various other firms and alongside increase in mobility resulted. And with increasing mobility vast changes are taking place in human relationships also. The system of providing permanent employment to job-seekers is dwindling day by day. Contract labour has become more and more convenient to the firms. The bargaining power of Trade Unions are slowly losing its steam and if things are going on like this, Trade Union itself will become redundant in the near future. 10AM- 5PM, (8 hours) work schedule is gradually coming to be of not much importance. 24X7 is today’s dictum. This itself is a pointer to the diminishing influence of the trade unions.
Increasing mobility in the work places has led to the breakdown in friendships. Until a few years ago an employee was rooted in the same working environment till he retired from it. But now he/she has to go on a “merry go round” and in the process gets chances of meeting various kinds of people and after establishing short-duration friendship either of them will have to move in another direction. At the new working place, he/she mingles with new faces and there also duration of friendship may not be for a long time. Before coming out of the working place after retirement he/she will find it hard even to recall the faces of the co-workers and this is the case with all. An everlasting friendship in one’s life time is a dream. Imagine the friendships established by those who are working on contract basis in various firms!
Alvin Toffler, in his renowned work “Future Shock” had predicted the shape of things to come in the matter of human relationships particularly friendships as a result of phenomenal growth in the fields of Science and Information technology. While USA had already reached such an environment, India as usual, took much time to catch up with it- whether for good or bad is subjective.
While writing about human relationships, it is worthwhile to mention here the drastic changes happening in marital relationships. Due to the large-scale urbanization taking place, especially in Metros like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Chennai human relationships particularly man-woman relationships have undergone tremendous changes and contrary to Indian heritage and ethos, the sanctity of marital relationships is gradually losing and divorces are on the rise. Today an urban lady who is employed and is able to stand on her own feet, does not care much about the sanctity of being a typical Indian wife and for that matter the husband- both of them, if they don’t feel like living together decide to get separated and end the relationship on cordial terms. No sentiments. No tears. No pangs of separation. Only an ambience of happiness. Indian cultural ethos slowly giving way to Western culture…?
Now live-in-relationships are prevalent in cities. No obligation toward each other. N promises. No contracts. No interference in each other’s freedom. After all marriage is a bourgeois “art form”!
Such is the case with other fields also.
As Amartya Sen says Globalisation is neither new nor is it a folly. With the spreading of Globalisation in India from the nineties India underwent a sea-change in matters like economy, technology, urbanization, life-styles and even Indian culture.
With the opening up of economy, heavy investment flowed to India, market forces gained strength and with the lowering of import tariffs several items of mass consumption found place in markets at cheaper rates which resulted in the closing down of business by Indian entrepreneurs as they found it hard to compete with multinationals. Cut-throat competition and profit motive became the modern mantra as it was quite natural that those who proved to be the fittest survived ultimately.
One of the curses of Capitalism, really….
While globalised neo-liberalism provided enormous benefits to industrial tycoons of India- they extracted the maximum- in the form of mounting profits, those at the bottom of the ladder found it more and more difficult to make both ends meet. The farmers were left in the lurch and with the lowering of import tariffs, food grains and other inputs flowed to India on a massive scale and as a result the farmers couldn’t afford to purchase fertilizers at the previous rates as the Indian fertilizer companies began to run in red. As the government turned a deaf ear to their plight they were not provided with necessary financial assistance and they were forced to borrow money from the local money lenders at sky-high rates. Even Minimum Support Price (MSP) was not fixed by the ruling babus and as imported food grains were available in plenty at cheaper rates, the farmers couldn’t dispose of their harvest and were helpless in paying back the borrowed amount to the local money lenders. Finding no other way to feed their women and children, thousands then put an end to their lives. Those who were not willing to embrace death, after disposing of their properties moved to urban areas in search of jobs. The flow to urban areas continues unabated.
Can we put the entire blame on globalization?
As the famous Nobel Laureate mentioned, Globalisation is neither new nor is it a folly, we will have to squarely blame and put the entire responsibility on the heads of our rulers.
Why do they turn a blind eye to the social aspects of our society? Why are they focusing their attention entirely on the prosperity of industrial tycoons. Mahatma Gandhi said, “India lives in villages”. Our rulers always take pride to be the followers of Mahatma. At the same time, seventy percent of our population constituting farmers who are sweating it out in the fileds under the blazing Sun to feed the millions of Indians, are looked down with contempt and indifference.
Similar is the condition of children.
A Government which always swears by the improvement of elementary education is actually doing nothing for the poor children who are roaming through the streets with begging bowls. Amartya Sen never forgets to mention about the essentiality of providing elementary education to the poor children of India. He never misses an opportunity to point out the need for providing the down-trodden with nutritious food to prevent large scale deaths due to poverty and malnutrition. For a poor child to go to school, the foremost thing to do is to provide him mid-day meals daily. In the interior parts of India, even after 61 years of Independence, facilities like safe drinking water, electricity, elementary schools and good roads are absent. Those who live in the cities are not even aware of such pathetic conditions prevailing in the rural areas.
Urban-Rural divide in India is yet to bridged. When?
Whether our rulers have any answer- no idea…
If this is one side of the coin, the other side is entirely different.
With the spread of Globalisation on a massive scale, the unprecedented progress in the field of information technology was mind-boggling and amazing.
In India, the gigantic progress of information technology was within a short span. Today Bangalore, Hyderabad (Cyberabad), Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Cochin, Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida- it is a long line- enterprising , dynamic and hardworking youngsters are going on with their duties 24X7. No gender imbalance or discrimination. Before the downturn and subsequently recession shook US badly, the outsourcing of IT related works went on smoothly and the youngsters could amass huge salaries and perks. The outsourcing has gone somewhat sluggish now, with massive retrenchment due to the melt-down going on a daily basis and the slowdown has affected hardworking youngsters now and also a cut in their wages. Hope, things will turn for the better in the near future itself.
The exponential growth in technology, led to huge developments in Banking, Insurance and various other firms and alongside increase in mobility resulted. And with increasing mobility vast changes are taking place in human relationships also. The system of providing permanent employment to job-seekers is dwindling day by day. Contract labour has become more and more convenient to the firms. The bargaining power of Trade Unions are slowly losing its steam and if things are going on like this, Trade Union itself will become redundant in the near future. 10AM- 5PM, (8 hours) work schedule is gradually coming to be of not much importance. 24X7 is today’s dictum. This itself is a pointer to the diminishing influence of the trade unions.
Increasing mobility in the work places has led to the breakdown in friendships. Until a few years ago an employee was rooted in the same working environment till he retired from it. But now he/she has to go on a “merry go round” and in the process gets chances of meeting various kinds of people and after establishing short-duration friendship either of them will have to move in another direction. At the new working place, he/she mingles with new faces and there also duration of friendship may not be for a long time. Before coming out of the working place after retirement he/she will find it hard even to recall the faces of the co-workers and this is the case with all. An everlasting friendship in one’s life time is a dream. Imagine the friendships established by those who are working on contract basis in various firms!
Alvin Toffler, in his renowned work “Future Shock” had predicted the shape of things to come in the matter of human relationships particularly friendships as a result of phenomenal growth in the fields of Science and Information technology. While USA had already reached such an environment, India as usual, took much time to catch up with it- whether for good or bad is subjective.
While writing about human relationships, it is worthwhile to mention here the drastic changes happening in marital relationships. Due to the large-scale urbanization taking place, especially in Metros like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Chennai human relationships particularly man-woman relationships have undergone tremendous changes and contrary to Indian heritage and ethos, the sanctity of marital relationships is gradually losing and divorces are on the rise. Today an urban lady who is employed and is able to stand on her own feet, does not care much about the sanctity of being a typical Indian wife and for that matter the husband- both of them, if they don’t feel like living together decide to get separated and end the relationship on cordial terms. No sentiments. No tears. No pangs of separation. Only an ambience of happiness. Indian cultural ethos slowly giving way to Western culture…?
Now live-in-relationships are prevalent in cities. No obligation toward each other. N promises. No contracts. No interference in each other’s freedom. After all marriage is a bourgeois “art form”!
Saturday, April 4, 2009
A CITIZEN’S POLL TIME MUSINGS…
Kerala goes to polls on 16 April. Of the five phases, we, Keralites are blessed with the rare opportunity of exercising our franchise in the first phase itself. A small State, at the southern tip of India, Kerala is comparatively peaceful and hence it does not give much of a head-ache to the Election Commission of India. But how long this peaceful atmosphere is here to stay is anybody’s guess. Recent developments in a few northern districts of the State are a sad pointer in that direction. Whether Kerala is poised to turn out to be a U.P., Bihar, Orissa or Assam is a worrying thought among politically conscious Malayalees (Keralites). A State which takes excessive pride for its achievements to emerge as cent-percent literacy State, has really not much to boast about in several fields.
Though blessed with natural beauty and also with abundant resources, our State still continues to be a consumer State. Ironically the States of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka which are not blessed with natural beauty or resources are providers of rice, flowers and vegetables. ‘Vishu’ , our State festival is a few days away. But to celebrate it with fanfare we have to import the beautiful ‘Kanikonna’ (Cassia Fistula) flowers from the aforementioned States. This does not mean that we don’t have Kanikonna in our own land. But its scarcity is much of a worry to a majority during the Vishu season.
Our rulers, either left or right, are not much bothered about such “trivial matters”. They have more important matters to concentrate upon from mud-slinging to cashing in a lot of other things like corruption charges against both opposition and ruling party leaders. Indo-American Civil Nuclear Deal, Saddam Hussein, the Afghan imbroglio and such matters of national and international importance. The other day, I happened to go through a report penned by a journalist. While Kerala people are caught in the election tangle with, propagandas gaining momentum, corner meetings and rallies organized by various parties attended by national leaders, political equations and the chances of various parties and candidates, citizens and even a few political leaders or erstwhile leaders, pretend to be oblivious of the goings on around them, delving deep into matters of international importance. (The gentle man was in US for about two months to cover the election scenario there.)
We have various categories of voters. Committed-voters – those who have already made up their minds who to vote for, they have party affiliations or owing allegiance to parties of their liking and they don’t even hesitate to announce their choices publicly.
Another category belongs to a section of so-called ‘undecided voters’. They wait till the last moment and take the decision only when they reach the polling booth. All responsibilities end with the exercising of their franchise - who will win, who will lose- that is none of their worries or curiosities. Typical Indian exercising his right to vote!
The next category, for reasons better known to them- do not even think about exercising their franchise may be due to lack of faith in the system, basically anarchist bend of mind, hatred toward politicians and political leaders for not keeping their promises to the electorate during election campaign ( bitter memories of standing in long queues bearing the scorching Sun for a long duration awaiting their turn dreaming a bright tomorrow and when dreams get shattered like glass houses they get depressed, withdraw into their shells and lead a cocooned existence).
This category of voters can be called ‘go-getters’. They don’t have politics, no ideological leanings, but are ready to cast votes to anyone who approaches them with cash, bottle or any other kind of favour. They even go to the extent of casting bogus votes, if requested by any local babu, for a fairly handsome reward. Always within the reach of anyone, their only concern being money or something equivalent to that.
Now come to the category of “New generation voters”- those who are quite young going to exercise their right, the first time in their life. Unlike all those mentioned above, the youngsters - they are educated and shrewd observers of our political scenario - nurse many dreams about the party, the leaders and the candidates. Before arriving at a decision each of them takes pains to know ‘who is who’, if got elected who is of maximum potential, ability, sincerity, empathy and honesty to the electorate, his constituency and the State as a whole. These youngsters expect infrastructure development- good roads, irrigation facilities, safe drinking water and electricity to all. They want unemployment problem to be tackled, provide food to the needy, availability of essential commodities at modest rates and a rapport with the people of the constituency who toiled for them and made it possible for them to get elected to the highest law-making body of the land.
Besides corruption and communalism, criminalization of politics has to be fought tooth and nail. In the last Loksabha, we had thirty percent of the MPs who had criminal cases slapped against them. Most of them were involved in horrendous crimes like thuggery and murder. Those criminals are provided with VIP security is a matter of shame to us all. How did they manage to get elected to the largest law making house of our nation? Wonderful…!
Though with criminal records they could ensure a bonding with the electorate of their constituencies. The people had a soft-corner towards them because they had some plus points to their credit. Whenever they needed them badly, they rushed to their constituencies with helping hands. Basically, every human being is good. Circumstances play a crucial role in moulding his character. The notorious sandalwood smuggler, forest brigand- Veerappan- who committed innumerable murders and was haunted by the authorities till his last moment was liked and loved by the poor people residing in forest areas and they had no compunctions in rescuing him from the clutches of police forces by passing on information about the movements of men in khaki. Veerappan was always kind to them and he extended all sorts of help to the downtrodden in the forest areas.
Pappu Yadav, Shahabudheen (both of them barred from contesting this time) and other MPs who have criminal backgrounds might have had emotional bonding with the electorate of their respective constituencies. Whatever be the plus points ,a law breaker should not be allowed to be a law-maker. Otherwise it will create a bad precedent in future.
World has seen so many monsters who despite some positive qualities have a wretched past about which the people across the World, still shudder to imagine.
Adolf-Hitler, the wretched monster of all times had some plus points- on knowing about those qualities, how many of us will lend credence to it is another thing.
In his famous work – “Adolf Hitler”- writer James Bunting notes – (let me quote his lines here)- “His various women friends, some of whom are still alive today, have spoken of him as a gentle, considerate man who, when not engaged in political campaigning could relax happily in the company of friends, spin a humorous yarn better than most, enjoy listening to good music and extol at length on the beauties of nature. He was an ardent lover of animals- devoted to his two pet shephered dogs- and he detested any animal being exploited for commercial purposes. Eva Braun has described how he once rescued a butterfly from drowning in the Konigsee and would not be satisfied until he had seen it flutter its wings and fly away. Hitler also hated to see anyone ill or in pain and was once beside himself with concern when Eva was suffering from a prolonged bout of toothache.”
Similar may be the case with modern day monsters like Osama Bin Laden, Beitullah Mehsud, late Pol Pot, Augusto Pinochet and a number of such monsters.
Let me come to the main subject. Today is 4 April. Now it is a matter of days. On 16 April, Kerala goes to polls. Who is going to win is a million dollar question. A fluid situation indeed – even psephologists and astrologers go wrong- it is better we keep quiet and wait with bated breath.
Though blessed with natural beauty and also with abundant resources, our State still continues to be a consumer State. Ironically the States of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka which are not blessed with natural beauty or resources are providers of rice, flowers and vegetables. ‘Vishu’ , our State festival is a few days away. But to celebrate it with fanfare we have to import the beautiful ‘Kanikonna’ (Cassia Fistula) flowers from the aforementioned States. This does not mean that we don’t have Kanikonna in our own land. But its scarcity is much of a worry to a majority during the Vishu season.
Our rulers, either left or right, are not much bothered about such “trivial matters”. They have more important matters to concentrate upon from mud-slinging to cashing in a lot of other things like corruption charges against both opposition and ruling party leaders. Indo-American Civil Nuclear Deal, Saddam Hussein, the Afghan imbroglio and such matters of national and international importance. The other day, I happened to go through a report penned by a journalist. While Kerala people are caught in the election tangle with, propagandas gaining momentum, corner meetings and rallies organized by various parties attended by national leaders, political equations and the chances of various parties and candidates, citizens and even a few political leaders or erstwhile leaders, pretend to be oblivious of the goings on around them, delving deep into matters of international importance. (The gentle man was in US for about two months to cover the election scenario there.)
We have various categories of voters. Committed-voters – those who have already made up their minds who to vote for, they have party affiliations or owing allegiance to parties of their liking and they don’t even hesitate to announce their choices publicly.
Another category belongs to a section of so-called ‘undecided voters’. They wait till the last moment and take the decision only when they reach the polling booth. All responsibilities end with the exercising of their franchise - who will win, who will lose- that is none of their worries or curiosities. Typical Indian exercising his right to vote!
The next category, for reasons better known to them- do not even think about exercising their franchise may be due to lack of faith in the system, basically anarchist bend of mind, hatred toward politicians and political leaders for not keeping their promises to the electorate during election campaign ( bitter memories of standing in long queues bearing the scorching Sun for a long duration awaiting their turn dreaming a bright tomorrow and when dreams get shattered like glass houses they get depressed, withdraw into their shells and lead a cocooned existence).
This category of voters can be called ‘go-getters’. They don’t have politics, no ideological leanings, but are ready to cast votes to anyone who approaches them with cash, bottle or any other kind of favour. They even go to the extent of casting bogus votes, if requested by any local babu, for a fairly handsome reward. Always within the reach of anyone, their only concern being money or something equivalent to that.
Now come to the category of “New generation voters”- those who are quite young going to exercise their right, the first time in their life. Unlike all those mentioned above, the youngsters - they are educated and shrewd observers of our political scenario - nurse many dreams about the party, the leaders and the candidates. Before arriving at a decision each of them takes pains to know ‘who is who’, if got elected who is of maximum potential, ability, sincerity, empathy and honesty to the electorate, his constituency and the State as a whole. These youngsters expect infrastructure development- good roads, irrigation facilities, safe drinking water and electricity to all. They want unemployment problem to be tackled, provide food to the needy, availability of essential commodities at modest rates and a rapport with the people of the constituency who toiled for them and made it possible for them to get elected to the highest law-making body of the land.
Besides corruption and communalism, criminalization of politics has to be fought tooth and nail. In the last Loksabha, we had thirty percent of the MPs who had criminal cases slapped against them. Most of them were involved in horrendous crimes like thuggery and murder. Those criminals are provided with VIP security is a matter of shame to us all. How did they manage to get elected to the largest law making house of our nation? Wonderful…!
Though with criminal records they could ensure a bonding with the electorate of their constituencies. The people had a soft-corner towards them because they had some plus points to their credit. Whenever they needed them badly, they rushed to their constituencies with helping hands. Basically, every human being is good. Circumstances play a crucial role in moulding his character. The notorious sandalwood smuggler, forest brigand- Veerappan- who committed innumerable murders and was haunted by the authorities till his last moment was liked and loved by the poor people residing in forest areas and they had no compunctions in rescuing him from the clutches of police forces by passing on information about the movements of men in khaki. Veerappan was always kind to them and he extended all sorts of help to the downtrodden in the forest areas.
Pappu Yadav, Shahabudheen (both of them barred from contesting this time) and other MPs who have criminal backgrounds might have had emotional bonding with the electorate of their respective constituencies. Whatever be the plus points ,a law breaker should not be allowed to be a law-maker. Otherwise it will create a bad precedent in future.
World has seen so many monsters who despite some positive qualities have a wretched past about which the people across the World, still shudder to imagine.
Adolf-Hitler, the wretched monster of all times had some plus points- on knowing about those qualities, how many of us will lend credence to it is another thing.
In his famous work – “Adolf Hitler”- writer James Bunting notes – (let me quote his lines here)- “His various women friends, some of whom are still alive today, have spoken of him as a gentle, considerate man who, when not engaged in political campaigning could relax happily in the company of friends, spin a humorous yarn better than most, enjoy listening to good music and extol at length on the beauties of nature. He was an ardent lover of animals- devoted to his two pet shephered dogs- and he detested any animal being exploited for commercial purposes. Eva Braun has described how he once rescued a butterfly from drowning in the Konigsee and would not be satisfied until he had seen it flutter its wings and fly away. Hitler also hated to see anyone ill or in pain and was once beside himself with concern when Eva was suffering from a prolonged bout of toothache.”
Similar may be the case with modern day monsters like Osama Bin Laden, Beitullah Mehsud, late Pol Pot, Augusto Pinochet and a number of such monsters.
Let me come to the main subject. Today is 4 April. Now it is a matter of days. On 16 April, Kerala goes to polls. Who is going to win is a million dollar question. A fluid situation indeed – even psephologists and astrologers go wrong- it is better we keep quiet and wait with bated breath.
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