10,000 youngsters testing the art waters

By O J George

Asia’s biggest youngsters’ conclave of art competitions begins at Thiruvananthapuram today. About 10,000 youngsters from high schools, higher secondary schools, and vocational higher secondary schools are trying their hands for a prize in the competitions of tune, rhythm and festivities.

The schools youth festival of Kerala has entered the 49th year. Next year the mela would have its golden jubilee, even though there were breaks in 1972 and 1973.

The competitions would be held at 16 venues in 216 items.

This year the festival has uniqueness in combining the melas of high school, higher secondary and vocational higher secondary sections. Earlier, these were being held separately.

The district which fetches the highest number of points would fetch the gold cup.

The cultural pageant being taken out in the afternoon from University stadium to Putherikandam maidan would be a feast for the eyes.

The participants from northern districts like Kannur and Kasargod had reached last night itself.

Tactic everywhere will not work

By O J George

One can be master only when there are slaves or followers. One can indulge in tantra or tactics only when there are stupid people all around. The world has been thriving very well with a few people playing all the tricks on the masses and reaping benefits. The slaves were there to sweat it out and do the dirty work.

When people were armed with sticks and stones, somebody emerged with the gun, and the gunner was the leader. Later those who had more powerful weapons wielded more power and enslaved others. If more countries have nuclear bombs, there are more leaders. But what is the benefit of having a nuclear bomb, if the rival also has the same destructive weapon?

The futility of the weapons had been made clear by Jesus Christ 2000 years ago. Love is the most powerful weapon over all other ammunitions. The armoury would destroy mankind, but if people’s minds can be deweaponised, that would be the greatest weapon.

But that requires an attitude of renunciation. God renounced everything. But those who espouse the cause of God hold materialistic things dear to their heart from which God has escaped.

Priests and prelates trying to save God do not understand the fact that God does not need any saviour. Man needs Him, but wants Him on man’s terms. God is just not available on someone else’s terms.

The cruelty, the hatred, gargantuan selfishness and propensity to destroy others to the benefit of the self are all far away from God’s realm.

Acquisitions and mergers and covetousness are all emphemeral. Let humanity work for the benefit of all, without employing tactics. For the other man has understood the nuances of the tactics being directed against him. When everyone has attained wisdom, there will be no ignoramuses. No one can fool around anymore.

The war of nerves should end

By O J George

I feel the war of words between Pakistan and India should end. Pakistan would not act on the demands made by India to hand over horrible terrorists and abettors and perpetrators of heinous crimes on humanity, not only India, but also to the whole world.

There is no harm in enlisting the support of all sections in the international community to get Pakistan declared as a terrorist nation.

President Zardari does not enjoy the support of the real powers-that-be in Pakistan. US, UK and other countries are releasing gigantic sums of money to Pakistan for ending terrorism-related activities in Pakistan, but most of the funds are misutilised and no one can corner them.

The present policy of side-tracking the main issue of terrorism fomenting from Pakistan will not be good for eternity. At one time or other in future, I feel, US, UK and other countries will have to wage a war against terrorist elements within Pakistan. India should support their move then.

It should be clearly assessed how a nuclear-powered Pakistan would behave, if there is a war.

Make our borders impenetrable

By O J George

Make our borders on land, air and sea impenetrable. Pakistan is a namesake democratic country, for its mainstay is military power. US President George Bush himself was believed to have had a private talk with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in which Bush urged Singh not to take present Pak President seriously. Zardari may engage in loose talk, but don’t expect any cogent action from Pakistan on dismantling terrorist outfits there.

Instead of anticipating Pakistan to take action, we must insulate ourselves from terrorist acts. If there are traitors here, they would at least indirectly support these anti-national elements. We have to identify the traitors here first and destroy them.

If the borders can be insulated, terrorists flourishing in Pakistan will destroy Pakistan itself. For terrorists cannot sit idle. They want targets to strike. Let them strike targets there, not in India. For that we have to take stringent action here.

A hasty military strike against Pakistan will only weaken us. If we have to strike against Islamist terrorists, we have to accept assistance from those countries which can attack Pakistan. There is no harm in receiving assistance from US and Israel.

Every inch of land, sea and air should be scanned

By O.J.George

The latest is the boot President Bush got at the hands of a so-called journalist in Iraq. Terrorists masquerading as journalists is becoming a phenomenon. Killers of Rajiv Gandhi had used the camouflage of journalists. Sivarasan was watching the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, sitting among journalists in Sreeperumbudur.

Terrorists do not got the conventional way. Mumbai attacks, in the normal course, cannot be thought of. They have hoodwinked everyone and took the country to ransom.

It has become certain. Mere pronouncements would not do. Every inch of the land, sea, air should be scanned every moment. There are murderous people waiting outside to wreak havoc on mankind.

Whether laws, federal agency or what not are required, have no hesitation in going ahead.
There may be long talks about human rights, democratic principles and equality. These norms apply to human beings, not terrorists

Neethi and Nyaya should be ensured

By O J George

The 16-year-long investigations into the Sr Abhaya case seems to be heading to a conclusion. Even now there is allegation that the CBI is arriving at the wrong conclusion. Direct pieces of evidence have been destroyed, but the agency has been putting two and two together to get circumstantial evidence.

The church concerned is not happy with the goings-on. There is one way of appeasing them. The CBI should be handed over investigation into the controversial and suspicious deaths. The suicide of three school girls in Ambalapuzha, Kiliroor and Poovarany sex scandals etc should be probed with the same fervour as that shown in the Sr Abhaya case.


Sr Abhaya case investigation has climaxed only because of the court’s intervention. It must be noted that the CBI also had written off the case, but the court has not.

The situation in Kerala, or for that matter in India, that a media outcry is needed to undertake proper investigation of criminal cases is rather unencouraging about rule of law. In a civilised society, there should be automatic keen trial of criminal cases.

Let the church not feel that it is taken in isolation. Let all other cases be taken up urgently.

Technology can see through, but why infiltrations?

By O.J.George

The joy ride undertaken by Islamist terrorists into India, particularly Mumbai, and the ease with which they permeated the main centres and killed people ruthlessly defies comprehension.

Technology has grown to such proportions that if one eases himself in the toilet, that can be captured without his knowledge using satellite pictures, global positioning system, scanning, radar monitoring and what not.

Where were all the monitoring agencies in India when terrorists came as they pleased and did what they pleased? They struck all the strata of society. They killed billionaires cocooned in luxury hotels, they decimated Jews and they made mincemeant of ordinary people in the CST railway station and the streets. I have fond memories of my daily routine reporting work at Nariman Point, travelling from Thane to CST and from there to the reclamation area. The Gateway of India, the Taj, Trident/Oberoi, Nariman House, CST all present memories of my visits.

We speak about the brutality. But where is the protection? We make tall promises during all these calamities and then forget about the precautions. The policemen are generally engaged in making a pie from motorist and small-time traders, when they are supposed to guard the citizens.

Intelligence received by one agency would be put up as a file for information to others concerned. If at all other agencies see them, it would be after the attack.

Safety on land, sea and air should be ensured as the apple of the eye. Rhetorics or war cries would not be beneficial at all.

Unnecessary hullabaloo over condolence

By O.J.George

A little bit of caution, consideration and grace would have saved the situation arising from the controversy over the condolence expressed by Chief Minister V.S.Achuthanandan and Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan at the residence of Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, the NSG commando who laid down his life in the Mumbai encounter against terrorists.

First of all a situation should not have been created for people to say that the state government did not condole the major’s death. I will not say that the Chief Minister was responsible. Someone in his office made a faux pas in not alerting him about what should be done. The Chief Minister was away in Delhi attending the politburo meeting. So was the Home Minister. Someone could have been sent to Bangalore to attend the solemn rituals. The district collector of a North Kerala district should have been entrusted with the task of taking necessary steps.

The furious retort of Sandeep’s father also should not be taken seriously. In Maharashtra, the wife of slain ATS chief flatly refused to receive any solatum from Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Emotional outbursts should be avoided, but if things fly out of hand, others should not add fuel to fire.

Even now, all parties should strive to settle the dust.

Terrorists have a field day

By O J George

India could capture a terrorist alive and it killed a few in the Mumbai attacks. Three top cops of the Maharashtra police were killed. A Malayali major gave up his life while trying to rescue the people trapped in the hotel.

The intensity of the attacks could be gauged from the fact that the fights continued for days. The National Security Guards did exemplary service, in addition to the police, fire force personnel and others. The post-terrorist attack action was commendable.

But we should be more concerned about the security situation in the country. We know the country has Ingtelligence Bureau, Research and Analysis Wing and Military Intelligence and what not. We have satellites hovering over the planet. Could we not get a single thread of information to avert the drastic incident?

One Nasir caught by Bangalore police and who was handed over to Ahamedabad police had revealed hints about terrorists launcing an operation through the sea route.

Alert. Terrorism is something requiring more than routine checks, scanning and smelling. Land, sea, air and all should be vetted carefully every moment for unseemly hints of attack. Indian boarders are porous. Concentrating on Kashmir alone is not enough.

Without arraigning the government, one has to remind the rulers that more steps are essential to keep our life safe.

Enigma of keeping faith the myriad ways

By O.J.George

Kerala presents intolerance of factions among Christians, which is most unfortunate, as all the ballyhoo is in the name of Christ who wanted to forgive even those who crucified him.

It appears the scuffles all originate in the name of keeping possession of properties. At present the main problem relates to the intolerance among Orthodox and patriarch factions. Both have the same origin, claiming St Thomas as the founder. Many other churches also claim to have St Thomas as their founder.

After going through years of court proceedings, some sort of an end was dictated by the apex court. Now the issues emanate from so-called execution of the apex court’s verdict.
Thrikkunnathu seminary in Aluva is a bone of contention as also many other churches. The disputed churches remain closed. Each faction wants to outwit the other.

The damage caused to three cupolas in Kottayam district, the theft of the sacred remains of Elias III patriarch from a cupola in Thrissur etc are the latest episodes.

The Orthodox faction has a grouse that the Communists-led state government is fostering the rival patriarch faction. The Orthodox faction organised a massive rally and convention in Kottayam on November 16 as a show of strength.

The telecast of scenes in a Jerusalem church recently was amusing. The Greek Orthodox and Armenian Orthodox priests in their holy communion robes were fighting it out over the possessory rights of the assumed burial place of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem. Priests were seen beating up rivals using censors used for spreading fragrance during holy qurbana.

The street fights over custody of properties has become ludicrous, as many entities are more interested in physical wealth, ignoring matters of faith.

In olden times also, masters were praying to God even as they enslaved human beings and inflicted brutalities on them.

Tricolour on the Moon

By O.J.George

India has achieved a fantastic space odyssey, its Moon Impact Probe, released from Chandrayaan-I satellite has just landed on Moon. The MIP is painted on all sides with the tricolour Indian flag.

It has joined the choicest club of nations which have their flags on the Moon.

Some outsiders used to take India as a country of snake-charmers and sanyasins. Now it has become party to those who virtually possess the Moon.

From now on the journey of our space efforts would be modulated to achieve better strides, voyages to mars and Jupiter. It has already decided to send a probe to study the Sun.

India had missed all the first three waves depicted by Alvin Toffler. It had no place in the industrial revolution. Now it will have a place in the virtual world, space world, nano technology and what not.

For one thing, during the Vedic period, Bharat was head and shoulders above other countries in various technologies. Think about the weapons used by the Vedic characters. Missiles and modern armaments could have been designed on the theory and practice of Vedic weapons.

Now the country is catching up with those had made first use of the wisdom contained in
Sanskrit works and Vedic practices.

Extremists have a field day in Kerala

By O.J.George

Recently four youths were shot dead by the military personnel in Kashmir on the border with Pakistan. I remember the authorities in Kerala were not initially prepared to concede the fact that these youths belonged to Kerala. After the intelligence wings zeroed in on the individuals, the authorities were showing signs of doing something to deal with extremist elements in Kerala.

The saddest part of the operations of the terrorists apparently was the traps laid on goondas and cornering them to do acts of extremism. I doubt whether the goons were informed about the intention of their being finally used for subversive activities. Anyhow, the extremist elements should be grabbed and the tendency should be nipped in the bud.

I heard comments from certain informed quarters on television channels about the duty of the government to do something about the unemployed youths. Even though people do not subscribe to the view that compulsory military attachment should be enforced, for fear of being dubbed autocratic, it is desirable that a large number unemployed youth be drafted to the military services. They can be pressed into service for all sorts of work during peace time. Mind you, there won’t be any more large-scale war in modern times, for the nuclear arsenal with China, India and Pakistan would dccimate the earth if there is a war. Constructive work can be drawn out from the youth who are being drafted into the military.

A large number of the youth can be taken in the police and para-military forces. An empty mind is the devil’s workshop. Our youth should not be left empty-handed. Otherwise, there would be a lot of undesirable activities on their part.

Of course, extremism, terrorism and subversive activities should be routed out. Therseshould be no leniency in dealing with them.

Politicisation of the police dangerous

By O.J.George

A dangerous trend has set in in the State of Kerala, where the police is being politicized. The other day the CPM held a study class for police people owing allegiance to its cause at the Kottayam district office of the party. It is alleged that the camp was meant to instill in the minds of the cops the measures they should take to help the party win as many seats as possible in the coming Lok Sabha elections. Files from the police department were carried in a police jeep to the party office.

The party has denied having conducted any study class. But mediapersons who had got wind of the goings-on were parked in the vicinity of the camp venue and they were ill-treated by interested parties.

Anyway it looks good that the police top-brass has ordered an inquiry into the affairs.

I have always been of the opinion that our police personnel are smart and efficient. They would be able to do the policing job extremely well. But their hands are tied by political bosses. Whether it is sex scandal, corruption cases or other criminal acts, they know how to deal with it, even though sometimes they go overboard. But they are hamstrung by political controls.

Extremists were hibernating in Kerala?

By O.J.George

For a few days now, Kerala is agog with reports of a few of its youth having been actively involved in extremist activities in Kashmir. The bodies of two youngsters were identified as that from Kerala. One was a Muslim youth and another a Christian-turned youth.

The parents were not at all in the know of things of these unemployed youngsters. They were under the impression, it seems, that the youth were in Bangalore doing some work.

Now the police authorities are hot on the heels of those who recruited youths like these. One Faizal has already admitted to the police during its interrogation that he himself had recruited 300 youths for extremist activities.

It seems the extremists were using poor, unemployed youth, most of them not much educated, from Kerala for activities elsewhere.

The hibernating units in Kerala should be found out. Terrorism should not be allowed to take hold of Kerala.

Squabbles between Patriarch and Orthodox factions
By O J George

The dispute over properties and parishes between Patriarch and Orthodox factions has been an eye-sore for the people. Each faction may have a point to make. But the unsavoury squabbles have been spilling over to the society at large.

Orthodox Church followers maintain that the Patriarch faction has no right over Thrikkunnath Seminary. But the Catholicos of the Patriarch faction was allowed to enter the seminary buildings, with the support of the Communists-led government in Kerala, according to the allegation of the Orthodox faction.

Now Patriarch Ignatius Zakka I of Antioch, the supreme head of the Jacobite faction(Patriarch sect), is touring Kerala as a State guest. The Orthodox faction appears to be peeved that the patriarch faithful are getting a lot of attention and State support.The other day, Orthodox faction’s Catholicos and a few bishops and laity barged into a cupola at Piravom, set up in the name of St Gregorios of Parumala and offered prayers.
The police used force on the laity of this section. The previous day the representatives of the LDF government had assured protection for the Orthodox faction.

Now it seems the Orthodox Church is keen on bringing another Patriarch, this time from Syria, to muster support and mobilise their flock. This would be a sort of show of strength.

To an outsider, the squabbles arise from property matters. Riches and wealth are gnawing at the faith of the people. The meek inherits the Earth, according to the Bible. Both the factions should come to an agreement and call a halt to the dispute. Live and let live should be the policy.

Think of full social security
By O J George
I am wholly against governments, allied institutions, MNCs and other private and public ventures and individuals escaping with the booty they get during the present times of opening up the economy. All entities reaping gargantuan size of profits should be made accountable and pro rata levies should be made to feed the
social security network.

I don’t consider the present schemes of employment guarantee construction work scheme, various rozgar yojana or updated schemes as taking care of the social security of the people who are without an income.

Mind you, those opposing globalisation, privatisation and other capitalistic measures, particularly the left, communist, socialist and similar political varieties, oppose the steps purely on ideological line without thinking about the devastating effect on the people these measures bring in, as neither the government, the planning commission or responsible bodies are talking about implementing full social security schemes.

It should be brought home to the people that in those countries where fully capitalistic or near capitalistic measures are in place, there is fool-proof social security network. A single institution takes care of all the jobless income-less people. Minimum survival facilities are provided for the full term when they are income-less. The department provides help to secure suitable employment. Those who are without income are given social security benefits.

Here no political party is taking up this issue. We should have a nation-wide social security network, taking care of all income-less people.

Shunting out is painful

By O J George

Can we perceive the audacity with which employers are sacking employees, in the name of liberalisation and privatization? Jet Airways is dispensing with the services of nearly 2000 personnel, saying it has not been flying profitable services. What a pity? Did they not think about the prospects of the company when they drafted the workers? Where were their internal and external auditors prospecting the functioning?

Earlier, we had seen merger of Jet Airways and another one. Now Jet is hobnobbing with Kingfisher. Don’t know whether the firing is the result of underhand negotiations.

One day a low-cost, no fringe airline will come up, offering the moon to the passengers. After some time, it will merge with the likes of Kingfisher, sucking massive profits.

When sacking employees, do any of the flamboyant employer and his household dispense with any kind of luxury?

And where is the so-called government? In no capitalistic, liberalised developed country, companies are allowed to get away with windfall profits. Here in India, which is opening up its markets and allowing companies to have a free go, no restriction is placed on them from eating away windfall profits. Mukesh and Anil Ambanis, Tatas, Birlas, and all sorts of mega institutions are eating away windfall profits at the expense of the poor man on the street. Not in US, UK, France, Germany, Japan and the like, such practices would be allowed.

Why not tax the companies, institutions, and quick-buck-making entities to service the social sector. This is too much. The nonsensical explanation is that nearly 2000 workers are axed to save the job of 1000 persons. What a mess of an economy we are living.

Shunting out is painful

By O J George

Can we perceive the audacity with which employers are sacking employees, in the name of liberalisation and privatization? Jet Airways is dispensing with the services of nearly 2000 personnel, saying it has not been flying profitable services. What a pity? Did they not think about the prospects of the company when they drafted the workers? Where were their internal and external auditors prospecting the functioning?

Earlier, we had seen merger of Jet Airways and another one. Now Jet is hobnobbing with Kingfisher. Don’t know whether the firing is the result of underhand negotiations.

One day a low-cost, no fringe airline will come up, offering the moon to the passengers. After some time, it will merge with the likes of Kingfisher, sucking massive profits.

When sacking employees, do any of the flamboyant employer and his household dispense with any kind of luxury?

And where is the so-called government? In no capitalistic, liberalised developed country, companies are allowed to get away with windfall profits. Here in India, which is opening up its markets and allowing companies to have a free go, no restriction is placed on them from eating away windfall profits. Mukesh and Anil Ambanis, Tatas, Birlas, and all sorts of mega institutions are eating away windfall profits at the expense of the poor man on the street. Not in US, UK, France, Germany, Japan and the like, such practices would be allowed.

Why not tax the companies, institutions, and quick-buck-making entities to service the social sector. This is too much. The nonsensical explanation is that nearly 2000 workers are axed to save the job of 1000 persons. What a mess of an economy we are living.

A puny nun during her lifetime, now a saint

By O.J.George

Alphonsa was a puny nun by all known standards during her lifetime. She was unwell all the time. Ordinary mortals would have thought what service could this frail woman do to humanity.

It was only after her death, it seems, the church, the faithful and the religious found the purity and saintliness of this nun. For there was no cardinal, no archbishop or bishop present during her funeral. Father Romulus, the spiritual guide of the nun, declared on the occasion in all prophesy. Once the cardinals, bishops and the faithful would converge on the small hamlet at Bharananganam where her mortal remains were buried.

She was a member of the Franciscan Clarist Convent at Bharananganam. Her life was one of suffering and discharge of duties. She never did any social service by definition. She was suffering, praying and going through the rigid life. She wanted to do service to the Messiah in letter and spirit.

Her mother died when she was only three months old. She was brought up by the elder sister of her mother. The foster mother also died a few years later. She continued her studies and later joined the convent. There also various ailments were debilitating, but she discharged her duties most faithfully. Stories of a lot of miracles are doing the rounds. Many people were cured of their ailments at the intercession of Alphonsa.

Now she is being canonized. Pope Benedict XVI would proclaim the declaration about her sainthood at Vatican during holy qurbana at 9.30 am Vatican time, 12.30 Indian time on Sunday (October 12).

In the reckoning of God, puny figures are mighty beings

Investigation for what?

By O J George

It was amusing reading about the Home Minister of Kerala forwarding a petition challenging the phenomenon of Catholic bishops issuing pastoral letters to their faithful.


The petition preferred by a native of Thamarasserry challenges the constitutional validity of 13 Catholic bishops, including the prelate of Thamarasserry issuing pastoral letters and edicts.

It is reported in the press that earlier a similar petition was referred to the superintendent of police, Kozhikode Rural. It seems he had conducted a preliminary inquiry and submitted the report to the higher-ups.

To me the whole thing appears to be ludicrous. What has the state government to do with directions and instructions being given by bishops to the flock?

One should learn the fact that many of the books in the New Testament are letters, called epistles, written by the disciples of Jesus Christ and St Paul. These are letters asking them how to behave, how not to do evil, how to lead a Spartan and pure life and how to be witness to the life and works of Jesus Christ.

Would any government in the present world challenge the New Testament?

Maybe, if someone challenged the constitutional propriety or such other technicalities before a court of law, that should have been understandable. I am sure, such a petition would have been dismissed in limine, without taking the case on file.

That is one issue. Another sparkling thing I read was about Sathya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi deciding to sell off the airport at Puttaparthi, which is his own, as well as his ashram at Kodaikanal. He wants to build houses for those who lost everything in the deluge in Bihar and Asom. What a great gesture? This example should be emulated by all religious figures. Many of the religious leaders amass plenty of wealth and after their lifetime, their supporters quarrel over the properties.

The disciples of Christ were known for disposing of their properties and taking care of the poor. Whatever donation they got was treated as collective money to be used for the welfare of the have-nots.

Most of the worries would have a natural solution, if the accumulated wealth and properties are disposed of like this. But then, that is a far cry.

The pangs of democratic governance

By O J George

A local body enmeshed in power wranglings was the bull’s eye yesterday in Kottayam. The district panchayat, which gets a lot of funds from the State’s budget as well as from schemes pinpointed by the Union Government, has been buffeted by power play.

Thomas Kunnappally, the panchayat president would not yield to his party’s wish to hand over to another person. He belonged to Kerala Congress(M) of the UDF. As he opposed the UDF, the rival LDF tried to support him.

But the UDF preferred to a no-confidence motion against Kunnappally, whose wont was to vote against himself. Therefore he made himself scarce by finding an alibi to be at New Delhi. The 23-member council should have a quorum of 12 members to do any transaction. Kunnappally thought his absence would help to fulfil the quorum requirement and so he could save his seat.

The UDF pastmasters cajoled a maverick member, Biju Kaipparedan from the LDF, who voted in favour of the UDF’s no trust motion. Kunnappally lost his president’s position as well as the mandate of Kerala Congress(M).

What is intriguing is the stance of Biju Kaipparedan. He owes his allegiance to P C Thomas, a separate power centre within Kerala Congress (Joseph) group, which is in the LDF. What kind of explanation Joseph can offer to the LDF, without taking disciplinary action against Kaipparedan?

Is there any agreement between him and the UDF?

Things are going to be volatile in the coming days.

Orissa, Karnataka should be careful

By O J George

Orissa and Karnataka States have not been able to contain the attacks against the Christian community forthwith. The Centre says it has sent enough paramilitary forces to Orissa as asked for by the Naveen Patnaik regime. The Centre can only warn the States about taking strong action, particularly when no single-party regime or a powerful government is not available in Delhi for intrinsic reasons.

The Centre cannot easily dismiss a State government as it is weak in many ways. The action of dismissal has to be ratified by Parliament with two-thirds majority of members present and voting. Dr Manmohan Singh government has been moving heaven and earth to get simple majority for the nuclear deal. And at what cost?

Now that the left parties and the BJP and their allies are strongly arrayed against the UPA Government, strong action like dismissing the State governments, is unthinkable.

However, the State governments must find ways to put down the atrocities against the Christian community. If there is a will, evil elements can be dealt with. People have not forgotten the burning of Graham Steines and his two sons. It is a sad commentary on the part of any government to see that a large number of members of the Christian community are hiding in forests fearing reprisal from enemies.

Things are bad, so strong measures are called for.

The Nano swan song

By O J George

Now the deed is done, and the political blame goes on. The Tatas have had enough of it and decided to pull out from Singur in West Bengal where the Nano car project would have sprung up. Who was behind the vitriolic stir to unseat Ratan Tata from his pet project, which was supposed to have been a feather in the cap of West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee?

Sitting far away and only reading reports about the Singur stir, perhaps my comment may not be all-embracing. Still, one cannot comprehend the alacrity with which interested parties forced out the Tatas. An industry always brings in resources and benefits to the local people as well as the country.

No doubt there were problems with resettlement of the farmers or other landholders in the area acquired for the project. Wherever resettlement is needed, the terms of rehabilitation militate against practicality and the victims feel despondent. When the state powers pounce on them, the situation would turn vengeful. Actually a resettlement commission, with statutory powers, should be made available wherever acquisition of land is inevitable. The rehabilitation package should be negotiated. The government policy of giving compensation at the rate of the latest land deal in the adjacent plots should not be the sole criterion. The resettlement commission should be able to build houses for those who lose it. Genuine grievances should be addressed before forcing the native people out of the spots where an industry should come up.

Now industrialists would think twice before embarking upon projects at places where politicians play vulnerable games. Without the manufacturing sector kept at its producing best, no State can flourish.

Munnar mission again?

Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan has embarked upon another Munnar mission. It should be made clear who is being appeased?

In the earlier mission by his own chosen officials, various individuals, institutions and parties, including his own partymen from Idukki, had expressed reservations, if not stiff resistance. The Chief Minister has to beat a hasty retreat, from his chosen line of action and his avowed ideology.

The present attempt seems to be to alleviate the sufferings of some landless people. Perhaps he intends to dole away pieces of land to the landless from the seized lands.

Whatever action is being pursued in Munnar is besotted with a lot of problems. It would not be easy task, as so many players, interests and institutions are involved.

Now there seems to be dearth of faithful officials as well. The so-called conscience-keepers have all left the scene, for one reason or other.

And there cannot be a commando-like operation. That will enthuse the commoners, but legal and other relevant aspects have also to be kept in mind.

O J George

Innocence par excellence

I was living quite near the Qutab Minar in South Delhi for a few years. I am quite familiar to the Mehrauli market area where a bomb blast took place the other day. I felt like a baby crying for cruel elements eliminating human beings. One cannot kill a cat like this.

The Mehrauli area is known for its network of narrow lanes in the market. I remember the flower market lies in the beginning portion of the market network. Memories are vivid like I have been living there even now.

Youth are brainwashed to undertake acts of murder and cruelty in the name of religion we have heard. The undesirable argument is that if one becomes a martyr, he would go to heaven instantly.

In the present instance, it appears two youths left a packet in the area. Santosh, a 13-year-old boy saw the packet falling from the motorcycle. He ran after the youths with the packet shouting, “uncle you have forgotten to take your packet”. Don’t you feel like crying? The innocent boy was so truthful that he ran after the terrorists to help them out with their packet.

Would the Gods, of whichever religion they be, not grant instant moksha to this boy? What a perplexing world we live in?

O J’s Corner

Discrminatory conversion

I chanced upon some statistics about conversion of people into Buddhism. It seems there is discrimination about opposition to Christian conversion. Why are people violently disposed against Christians, whose missionaries had done a yeoman’s work to uplift the uneducated, superstitious people of yore? I am against all kinds of forcible conversion, or conversion which is inducement-generated. But this discrimination in treating Buddhist conversion and Christian conversion is inexplicable. Christians themselves should introspect about why there is so much of opposition against the grand religion whose bedrock belief is renunciation and service to others.

Coming to the figures, as many as 25,000 people got converted into Buddhism in 2005 in India, the figure rose to 45,000 in 2006 and more than one lakh in 2007. There was a grand function in Mumbai marking the occasion of the birth anniversary of Dr B R Ambedkar.

There should be serious introspection about the revulsion the Christians face at least among the hearts of a few.Maybe, we are not living the life of a Christian. Simple living and high thinking has become antediluvian.

O J’s Corner

Aswathy and her ilk would curse

Recently we heard about a girl, Awathy, hailing from Wayanad district, committing suicide as her bid to get admission to the plus one course had failed. She hailed from the tribal hamlet in Wayanad district. This time the plus one admission was through the single-window system. The government put down laws for admission. People should browse internet to know their position in the rank list for admission. Aswathy and her family members were living in the far-off forest hamlet. To come out of the forest domain, they should walk the difficult terrain for a day or more. They reached town on a few occasions and the procedure was not full. The school authorities could not do anything. It was impossible for her to know whether she would get admission. After a few attempts, the girl turned despondent and committed suicide.


We should mull over the situation. What is the directive principle enshrined in the Constitution? The state should strive to give suitable education for all. I would say if one has proved competence, he should be given the education he/she deserves, be it medicine, eingineering, computer technology or what not. Facilities lacking, there would be fierce competition. The have-nots are thrown away. The haves find admission in costly institutions. But let us not rest content that everything is hunky dory.

Even tribal hamlets, poramboke settlements and other tenements have bright students. I have seen brilliant students coming out magnificently well in life, challenging the struggles in slums in Dharavi, Bhandup and other chawls in Mumbai. IAS and IPS officers have been generated from these chawls.

No hurdle should be placed before brilliant students to come up in life. It is the duty of the society to help them.

O J’s Corner

Why are we the way we are?

It is a million-dollar question? We are born and brought up well nourished and taken care of extremely well. Take the case of those living around us. Some are well off, but many are going through untold miseries. Why did it come like this to them? Was it there choice? Was it our choice?

Where is the answer to the questions/? No one is here to answer. Job wanted to ask a lot of questions to God Almighty. But when God appeared before him, he was not given time to ask questions. God asked him some questions and Job was humbled.

Let there be myriad instances of good work done to fellow human beings. One has to gift things to fellow human beings, cash, dress or other things. Giving away things removes the curses, the sins and acts of hatred.

Hinduism has a special place in acts of gift. This would provide a cover to the protagonist from having rebirth in the form of dogs, cats, cows and other beings.

The soul or bioplasmic bodies would never get destroyed. Only the physical body which is mortal dies. The bioplasmic bodies hover over all places and find safe haven in other beings.

In this world where we livd for a few decades at the most, why are there so much acts of hatred, ill-will and selfishness? There is no room for such acts, but people do not understand.

O J’s Corner

Malayali’s mind etched in Onam canvas

I have always been wondering how and why Malayalis got together to celebrate Onam this big way. Was this an occasion to please all children in the families? We tell stories to the kids who, with their inquisitive minds, probe further and seek further. The grandmas telling stories to the young ones reach a crescendo that children believe everthing the old ones reveal. It may be about some poltergeist, chathan, arukola, maadan and the like, all feisty spirits capable of bringing devastation. My son is still horribly afraid of snakes. He has not seen a snake in his life. Once we went to the zoo and he kept off the reptile section, for fear of the snakes. He is also afraid of darkness. No doubt, the fear has come from the grandma telling stories in high drama. All right, let us leave it like that.

Come to Onam. Today is Thiru Onam, not only in Kerala, but also in the minds of all Malayalis living the world over. Be they Hindus, Christians or Muslims, they have a particular paranoia about Onam. These days the folks have been queuing up before all sorts of outlets vending edible and non-edible items. The occasion is so inclusive that computer firms, electric appliances dealers, and all have special packages. I don’t’ know why book sellers have not offered a new deal.

In olden times, when many people did not have sumptuous meals on all days, it was the Onam time when the family members had delicious full meals all through the 10-day festival from Attham to Thiru Onam. The beauty of the festival is that even the new generation has taken a liking for the legendary event. It seems the ardour would only increase in course of time. So, three cheers for the annual visit of Mahabali who wants to see all his subjects in camaraderie.

O J’s Corner

Amount meager, tradition great

I was amused by the tradition of the Kerala State Government offering panakkizhi (cash bag) to the women successors of the erstwhile Cochin dynasty.

In Kottayam, the government representative called on Soumyavathi Thampuratti, one of the 62 surviving women successors of the Cochin royalty, on Wednesday and presented her with the cash bag in all reverence and ceremony.
Do you know, how much the cash bag contained? The amount was Rs 15. In fact, the State Government is obliged to give only Rs 14 and a few coins. But of late, the Government was magnanimous enough to round off the figure to Rs 15.

After Travancore and Cochin kingdoms got themselves into the State of Kerala, it had become the bounden duty of the government to continue this practice. In fact, an order was passed by the government in October 1961 regarding the purse to be given over to the women members

The practice was started by some kings in the Cochin dynasty to enable the women members of the royalty to buy new clothes on the occasion of Onam, which is a great celebration in Kerala, which to others is a form of harvest festival.

Legends have it that in times of yore, an Asura king had ruled the state. Everything was hunky dory. The king took care of the needs of all his subjects. Gods were jealous about it and the asura king was trapped to give away the land to one of the Gods. Mahabali went to the nether world. He was allowed to make an ethereal visit to the land of Kerala once a year. It is during his visit that Keralites celebrate Onam, according to the legends.

O J’s Corner

Hair splitting on nuke deal

I was wondering why there is so much hair splitting on the nuke deal. India is entering into the 123 agreement with the US on the express provisions that the civil and military nuclear facilities would be separated and the deal covers only the civil amenities. Americans may have difficulty in stomaching the fact that India’s military nuclear projects would continue. Therefore, their governmental leaders would employ all the tactics to get the Congressmen on their side.

To my understanding, there is express provision to the effect that if India conducts another test, the US may withdraw from the present supply deal. Then India would be given a year’s time to look for other ways. India would be compensated for the losses.

India being a vast country with 1.3 billion people cannot be kowtowed by another country. If the deal goes off, the world will not come down. There can be supplies until disagreements turn up.

O J’s Corner
Conflicts all the way

Conflicts confront the world at all times. The root-cause of conflicts is the desire to grab power. Theologians would still restrict it to desire. Desires of all sorts engineer minds to undertake acts of cruelty, at least wily selfish steps, to grab things, positions and facilities which are often others’ dues. They would quote even the Bible. Love thy neighbour as thyself. Do unto others what you would want others to do unto you. The argument of the protagonist would be like this. No word of God restricts individuals from undertaking acts that would help oneself. Flourish oneself first and then help others. This is the attitude of even Godmen, who are supposed to uphold the principle of renunciation first. Is not this cavil that did the undoing for Thanku Brother, K P Yohannan and their ilk the world over? I am not quite sure. But there is a grain of truth in it. Acquiring fabulous flab of wealth for oneself in the name of God is ungodly. This is akin to materialistic individuals grabbing wealth by foul means. In this case, the alibi rests with serving God.

Coming to conflicts, the propensity for clinging on to power of all sorts, religious, ideological, sociological and so on leads to conflicts. In Orissa, tribesmen are being cajoled by many pursuits. Everyone wants a cake in that belt. Murder and mayhem will not help anyone. Now even Naxalites are talking of taking care of minorities and that too Christians. What a perverse idea?

Be it Kashmir, Palestine or elsewhere, faiths, religion and persuasions militate against each other, resulting in conflicsts and even skirmishes, battles and ultimately battles. We speak about the present conflicts. The gigantic nature of cruelty was perpetrated in Nazi concentration camps. And some powerful entities looked askance at the happenings there.

People should learn to live in society in harmony. Vested interests would always like to foment trouble. But whatever the provocations, hatred should not be the influencing paradigm.

O J’s Corner

Paradoxes in nature and actions

I jokingly told a friend of mine the other day that God ordered the rains to pour, but did not ask them to fall where. That is why we have rains, an overdose of them, in unanticipated places. Bihar is inundated. Thousands of people are displaced. UP suffers very much on account of the cats and dogs of raining. Deserts in Rajasthan and the Gulf countries have the bounty of the rain Gods.

God is merciful, but sometimes jealous, the Word speaks. Moses was asked to climb Mount Nebo and have a panoramic view of Palestine, the land of milk and honey promised to the Israelites. Moses would not step into that land. He breathed his last there in Moab. God Almighty himself buried Moses. To this day, no one knows the burial place of Moses. Otherwise, people, particularly the Jews, would have made a beeline to the sepulchre of the liberator of Jews from the Egyptians. They would have disregarded God Almighty. But one thousand years later, God sent Moses and Elijah to the land of the Jews, known as the Mount of Transfiguration, to hold discussions with Jesus Christ. The disciples wanted to build a tabernacle each for Jesus Christ, Moses and Elijah. Here we could perceive the propensity of human beings to build shrines.

We call the fall of unruly rains as the consequence of climate change, global warming and the like. But paradoxes remain.

Tamil Nadu is supplying rice at Re one a kilo on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Anna Durai. In normal times, TN supplies rice at Rs two a kilo for cardholders. People of Kerala have to buy rice at around Rs 20 per kilo. How do TN, Andhra Pradesh and so on take actions like this ? Don’t they have fiscal squeeze?

O J’s Corner

Building castles in the air

The US Presidential elections are becoming curiouser on the one hand and pretty interesting on the other. Republican John McCain has squeezed out the tactics of Barrack Obama by fielding a surprise candidate, a feisty woman, as McCain’s Vice-Presidential nominee. In the outside world, she was not much talked about. Rather she was hardly heard of. As far as McCain is concerned, her womanish credentials would fetch rich dividends. Choosing her as his running mate, McCain would be able to bridge the substantial gap in the TRP ratings between him and Obama. These days loquaciousness pays. On that count Obama stands a good chance. But if he wins, it would be a “terribly” topys turvy posture of the Americans having a taken a U-turn in their mindset. I personally believe, Obama would have fetched a landslide, if he chose Hillary Clinton as his running mate. But then cynics would say, if something happens to Obama after his victory, Hillary would automatically become the President. The world is changing fast. People should not unnecessarily forecast doom.

But then, media minds in India were speculating that Bobby Jindal would be chosen as McCain’s running mate. Bobby Jindal has been born and brought up in the US. But his parents were from India. The American mindset would not allow such a person to come up to the top post. If something happens to McCain after his win, Jindal should rule from the Oval Office. This would be something unthinkable for the Americans. Therefore, the thoughtful McCain chose Sarah Palin, the first woman Governor of Alaska and the mother of five children- sign of a family orientation much sought after in the leadership credentials.

Indian media analysts building castles in the air got their due as McCain struck a different chord.

O J’s Corner

The system remains the same,
Only players change

History of nations espouses despots, tyrants, totalitarians, monarchs, king-emperors leaving place to democratic entities of different hues, even as the system intrinsically remained almost the same vis-à-vis people’s lot. The players would be loquacious about their intent to serve the people, but they serve themselves first before even paying lip service to the common people.

Cash, land, movable and immovable assets make one the powerful force in the society. Don’t think that these alone are the ones being counted. Connections are more important than physical assets. True physical assets offer a lot for acquiring high-falutin connections. Sometimes Godfathers would be able to bestow all the blessings in one form or the other.

Take the case in point about K R Narayanan. He was introduced to Jawaharlal Nehru by Harold Laski. That introduction letter did the trick. Nehru had arranged a special test, conducted by the entity which later became the Union Public Service Commission. Lo, Narayanan found his place in the Foreign Service. Think about a hypothetical situation where Manmohan Singh does something like this now. All hell would break lose.

Now many people have risen to top positions in television channels owing to their connection with people in high places. Some of them can get positions offering large sums as equity or otherwise. Even some newspaper barons are drafting people who can offer huge investments. At least their father or in-laws should be able to cough up money for the management. Then they can call the shots.

Mediocre people at the helm of affairs would not like people of depth to work under them. For, the “omniscient” top-brass would expose themselves as sub-standard stuff. Who wants excellence? In the eyes of mediocrity, no one else should excel.

Coming to stardom and politics, Chiranjeevi, the super-star who saves damsels in distress in the tinsel world, wants to serve the people of Andhra Pradesh a la N T Rama Rao style. NTR was not the natural creation. Media baron Ramoji Rao had declared, “Let there be NTR”. Instantly, NTR became an icon, to be left like an ass in his last days. Now someone wants Chandrababu Naidu out of Andhra Pradesh. He would be offered some place at the Centre. Here comes Chiranjeevi who would flap his wings around for a while. People remain where they are, almost. Telengana issue, Naxal menace, income less than a dollar a day for the common man even as windfall billionaires are not roaming the streets but flying around the world in their own private jets. The majority are beating their breasts for buying their ration.

True, no leader can do the magic trick and offer everything to the people on a platter. But the pity is that there is not even sincerity of purpose in their pronouncements.

O J’s Corner

Strike will only disable the common people

All-India strike on August 20 would only disable the common people who cannot move around freely. Particularly the situation would be sharp in States where the left forces are strong. Anyway in Kerala and West Bengal, it would be a bandh-like situation. Who will benefit out of the mess? The common man would not be advantageous. Those who want to go out and do cooly work would lose their income. Times are proving to be difficult with skyrocketing prices. Then, if the workers are denied opportunities to work, for whom is the strike organised? Inflation would not come down on account of the strike.
Let us see whether the government can be pressurized to undertake miracle works.

No country would be so impaled with strikes and hartals in such a manner that the very existence of life would be in jeopardy. When the phenomenon becomes frequent, the core of existence would difficult.

O J’s Corner

Plus-one conundrum

The other day I was non-plussed seeing on television channel a woman crying bitterly for her son being denied admission to the plus-one course. I was wondering whether admission to the plus-one course is such a hard-nut-to-crack. Apparently, local wisdom is better than orchestrated methods. The people at the helm of affairs of schools would have done a far better job than the single-window apparition.

Reports about thousands of seats lying vacant and yet thousands of students not getting admission are fearsome. Don’t we want our lads to study in institutions nurtured and developed in the State itself?

It would be better for the government to prescribe a cut-off date for candidates who have applied on-line and afterwards allow the school authorities to give admission as in the previous year. Schools would then be full of students. There would not be a single vacancy thereafter.

Students and parents should not be troubled any more.

O J’s Corner

Hard times for the CPM

The CPM would have to face hard times after the Lok Sabha elections be they held this November or early next year. The Kerala State Committee of the party has found fault with the prevailing regime’s rigidity in matters of liberalisation. A sort of West Bengal line should have been adopted in various spheres, particularly agriculture and industry. Education is in the doldrums. A lot of ideas have been pressed into service. Not a single one worked wonders. Many steps ensured only distrust among various echelons of society. The church has been alienated totally.

Does this mean Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan can be replaced after the Lok Sabha elections that easily? He has his own followers. Not everyone in the party can toe his line. But a lot of people, many of them unaware of the intricacies of policies, blindly believe him. He has done nothing of consequence in matters of administration beneficial to the people. Some of his own party leaders would not support him lock, stock and barrel.

Which means, the next three years would pass by without great contributions of the ruling leaders to benefit the people in large measure.

O J’s Corner

Pre-election throbbings

Pre-election times offer throbbing opportunities for restructuring within or looking for other options or for complete changes as far as political entities are concerned. Everywhere the look-out is for space in the ruling dispensation.

We have before us the Lok Sabha elections to be held early next year, or this year-end, if political situation engenders advancement of the poll schedule.

In Kerala, the Lok Sabha elections would be thrilling. Last time, the LDF cornered all but one of the 20 seats. CPM politburo member Sitaram Yechury has hinted that there may not be such a sweep this time. Usually, the Commies root for all the 20, even if circumstances present a different scenario Hard luck is looming large before the LDF, as opportunities were mismanaged on several counts. Anti-incumbency factor, clashes of interest on various issues, people’s feelings of helplessness and the like would contribute to a negative result for the LDF, it seems.

If there is a sweep for the UDF, which looks more or less possible, there would be strong under-currents working against the V S Achuthanandan Government. Calls for a change of leadership at the governmental level could be raised. There would be furious counter campaigns as well.

The coming months would provide interesting and at then same time agonising times for the UDF as well as LDF.

O J’s Corner

Mighty Universe, puny Man

Recent exposures on the basis of evidence obtained from archaeological findings strengthen the view that the Universe, composed of unfathomable globes and worlds, systems of planets, satellites, gaseous phenomena, black-holes and so on, remains under the control of the Almighty.

Millions of years ago, there existed a developed civilisation in the Antarctic region. Newly-found fossils in the area have delineated a thriving population of living beings that might have perished on account of accelerated freezing or strike of celestial objects.

The icy Himalayan Mountain ranges had remnants of piscian scales, which suggest that it had oceanic links at one time. Continental shift, mighty fall of a comet, once-in-a-lifetime tsunami of unthinkable proportions or some such calamity might have impaled the core of the earth’s surface, throwing out areas to separate locations.

The discovery of human skull in icy embeds has driven home the point that sculpted men and women were there eons of ages ago, necessitating scientists to look for other avenues of straight and separate creation than Darwin’s evolution over a period of millions of years.

A small twist of the Earth’s disposition might throw the system out of gear. The molten metals churning within the Earth’s core, flowing in reverse direction on account of a different gravitational pull, might scatter everything topsy turvy. Alien life may be far more advanced than human accomplishments. The speed of the thought process might be the speed of life particles elsewhere. These may be visible or invisible.

The whole gamut of the Universe, circling, wheeling and dealing, expanding and contracting, emitting powers incomprehensible to mankind remains an enigma.

O J’s Corner

Thrill in others’ elevation

Is not the world brutally selfish, with jealousy, ill-will, malice permeating everywhere. There is no happiness about someone else enjoying happiness. One can understand the discomfiture, if there is cogent reason for it. Being bruised one hearing others’ prosperity is overtaking all canons of good feelings.

An exception to the all-pervading anathema was Harkishan Singh Surjeet. He was amenable to Sonia Gandhi becoming the Prime Minister. Before that he tried to make Jyoti Basu the Prime Minister. But other partymen of consequence vetoed it. This time when the UPA was formed, he had wanted CPM representatives to join the Cabinet. But there was stiff resistance from some of the party leaders.

It is very clear from these and other gestures that Surjeet was comfortable when others got elevated. Rather he would take the initiative to secure fine positions for others. What could be the reason for his endearing disposition? Congenital attitude of goodwill, variegated experience and fellow feelings had got compressed into the frail body. An emancipated soul indeed.

O J’s Corner

Left’s idiosyncracies are their follies

The Left wanted not a major portion of the cake, but the whole of the cake. That proved to be their unbecoming vis-à-vis the Dr Manmohan Singh Government it had propped up for four years and two months. The principle of sharing is the cornerstone of coalition governance. But the Left had always wanted Dr Manmohan Singh to do their bidding.

Forget about the treatment meted out to Dr Manmohan Singh, CPM’s approach to dealing with its own Speaker Somnath Chatterjee was overbearing. It should not have included the Speaker’s name in the list submitted to the President about withdrawal of support. I can understand the party asking Somnath Chatterjee to resign. But I feel enlisting the Speaker, before his resignation, among the supporters who would topple the government was too much.

The party decimated the personal glory of Somnath Chatterjee at one stroke.In the CPM, personal glory is confined to one person, the so-called leader at the helm of affairs. Others are only shouters of aye. There can be no nays, against the wishes of the party supremo.

However, one can see a streak in the behaviour of the many persons who held the post of the Speaker. In the Lok Sabha they have a special place, over and above the Constitutional slot. The special status is in the minds of the members and the party leaders, conferring on him some sort of an infallible persona. That is very much essential for the safe upkeep of the institution of Parliament. Members should obey the incumbent, otherwise there would be total confusion. When the incumbent enjoys this supremacy, he should not think that he is the Creator.

P A Sangma was an efficient Speaker, but the dimensions of personal glory had defeated him. One fine morning, he thought it unfit to obey his party leader Sonia Gandhi. Short-cuts taken, in association with Sharad Pawar and Tariq Anwar, only proved to be unworkable. There can be no personal glory in isolation.

Somnath Chatterjee is a good person, a man of culture, endowed with intelligence and erudition. I feel he should have gone out of his way to settle the issues with the party, way before the list was submitted to the President. Letter-writing was not enough.

The awkward scenario that ensued after the party expelled him would haunt Prakash Karat in many ways. The party is no more an uninkerable monolith.

O J’s Corner
Interests having a field day

The beauty and the vulgarity are at once evident in the democratic exercise of a trust vote being held on July 22, to confirm whether Dr Manmohan Singh Government can survive or not.

The beauty is that, with all the darker forces at play, human ideas, opinions, interpretations, find place somewhere, unlike the times when some autocrat would declare: “ I am the State”. Whether it is for a good cause or bad, at least some people’s thoughts, expressions and emotions are counted. It was not the case in olden times. It is not possible today as well in prevalent totalitarian regimes, betraying religious, military and other dimensions.Considering this, India can be considered as the most vocal democracy in the world.

The bad patch is that a lot of leaders are interested in cornering power and pelf by fluke in the guise of protecting the government. One can say the corporate world is assuming a bigger role in indirect governance, because corporate entities fund various interests. Can a few companies decide the lot of 120 billion people? It would appear that they have considerable clout. But then, there is the TINA factor- there is no alternative.

I agree with Rahul Gandhi’s observation. If the government falls on this issue, let it fall. In that case, leaders of reckoning should make it a point that unparalleled concessions should not be allowed to corner a few votes. There can be freebies, but someone should see to it that all wishful thinkings should not be conceded.

O J’s Corner

Hard bargaining for what?

The country appears to be in turmoil for the sake of propping up/destroying the Dr Manmohan Singh-led UPA Government. I was wondering what the hell is going on, considering the repercussions of the fall or survival of the government. Anyway, general elections have to be held early next year. Petroleum prices are not going to tumble any more in the future. The world is not going to find cheap alternative sources of energy any time in the near future. Nano technology offers great scope for anything and everything. Who knows one day vehicles would not be run on something of a nuclear technology at the nano level?

Whether elections are held in November this year or February next year, the price situation is not going to improve on a massive scale. Why should an MP be offered prize money for support or otherwise of the government for a few months. Japan and Italy, as also Israel were countries which used to run coalition governments. Israel has security concerns, and any coalition would support any scheme for national security. The other countries used to conduct elections on and off. There was nothing wrong with the outcome. If the political entities in India does not want to see reason, let there be fresh elections. Something will come out of it.

IUML was about to pull out its Minister. National Conference is undecided. Akali Dal would vote out the government, but it has not issued a whip to its members. JMM is vacillating. Prakash Karat-Somnath Chatterjee tussle is on. There is more to it than what is projected. Things are on a jittery path.

O J’s Corner

Churning process active

Reports about the molten stuff, in turmoil in the Earth’s core, poised to switch direction of its revolution, capable of reversing the rotation of the Planet, set me thinking. It does not require the vision of a sage, sanyasin, muni or a philosopher to perceive the total changes that have been enveloping the earth, its inhabitants, their conduct, their sense of dharma, the thin line separating the rights and the wrongs. Things have completely changed in all spheres. Man has achieved a state of mind which is totally selfish. True, selfishness has permeated the world ever since its origins. But as time goes on, and education, awareness, information, explode, enlightenment is on the wane. If it moves like this, there would be no light at the end of the tunnel.

Scientists may be mulling their minds about the physical changes that would happen to the planet, once the rotation reverse sets in, like the South Pole becoming the North Pole, the Antarctic becoming the Arctic, earthquakes, tsunamis and destruction following, but the fact is that the very definition of satya, dharma/ethics and the like has undergone a sea-change. It seems like when one says something, the reverse is permeating his mind. Ordinary beings telling lies for their existence is a small thing compared to so-called enlightened souls resorting to quite unethical ways.

The Earth has been exploited materially in toto. Nature cannot sustain its balance. The inhabitants of the Earth have undergone a u-turn in their realms of ethics. There can only be total change that would set in by the laws of the Universe. Nobody else, but the human beings, can take on the blame. Be it the Mayan calendar ending on December 21, 2012 , stated to bring in the changes or otherwise, man cannot go on like this. Looking at the darkness, one cannot go on vouching that it is light.

O J’s Corner

Panic reactions for electoral gains

The political landscape is reverberating with the cacophony of various outfits supporting this view or that to put pressure on their respective fronts to concede larger space for them in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections. In the States going to the Assembly polls later this year, the trend is not different.

Mayawati has withdrawn the BSP support to the UPA regime, when she got scent of the broth cooking in the political cauldron that the UPA may enlist the support of Mulayam Singh Yadav for sustaining the Dr Manmohan Singh Government, if the Left parties withdraw their outside support. She has done this after the UPA Government facilitated the go-slow process in the Taj Corridor case against her. And Mayawati is confident of her becoming the Prime Minister one day.

Whatever may be the stiff posture of the CPM on the nuclear deal issue, politburo member Sitaram Yechuri was not haunted by the Stalin era phantom of a mindblock to call on External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to know the latest as the Congress Ministers held a conclave with the Prime Minister after the debacle of Congress-Left parleys. The CPM is also overanxious to avert the fall of the UPA Government. No doubt, the Left parties will not have the luxury of as many number of MPs in the Lok Sabha in the next Parliament as it has now. For their gains, it wants the Congress to toe its line. After it gave the go-ahead to the Monmohan Singh team to go ahead with the mandatory discussions with the International Atomic Energy Agency, CPM’s rigidity now remains inexplicable. Its argument that once an agreement is signed with the IAEA, India is bound by the terms internationally seems ludicrous. It should have known that things would lead to this pass, if discussions were held with IAEA. Well, the CPM has political grounds to cling on, and it is well within its rights to pursue its line.

Sensing that Lok Sabha elections are around the corner, small parties in the Congress-led UDF are speaking out different things at high decibels to cause a pinprick so that these splinter groups are not left unattended to. K.R.Gowri, M V Raghavan, some of the IUML leaders and the like have already spoken against the stance of the Congress Party on certain issues like the text-book controversy, or the selfishness of the party. K M Mani would not speak against the Congress, but wants high reckoning in seat allotment.

This time, the seat allocation would be a little more tough, it appears. For, the UDF thinks that the chances of victory are bright.

O J’s Corner

Congress Party in a bind

The Congress Party is writhing in pain in the quagmire of opportunistic politics. One cannot blame politicians, for their success depends upon the amount of trickery they can play on a canvas of political opportunism.

I used to think about the situations that prevailed in Italy and Japan, where often governments were in place for the shortest tenures compared to various other meaningful countries. There were mega coalition contraptions of a government there from time to time. At the least of provocations, the Prime Ministers used to call it a day. I am of the opinion that governments should not continue, if their basic poll planks cannot be adhered to. The wishes of MPs to cling on simply for the sake of enjoying power and pelf need not be allowed to be materialized at the cost of basic principles.

MPs are not concerned about the plight of Dr Manmohan Singh regarding the India-US nuclear deal. The discomfiture is not felt by the legislators. Manmohan Singh cannot face US President George Bush and the administration without loss of face, if he is not able to seal the deal into a treaty.

The Left parties are playing up the provisions of the Hyde Act, which would hamper the independence of Indian administration in carrying out a nuclear explosion in the future. They forget it for a fact that there was no Hyde Act, no agreement with the US earlier. How many decades the Indian Government wanted to test a nuclear device? The attempts were all thwarted by pressures from the US Government from time to time, even as there was no formal agreement with it. First Indira Gandhi faced the flak Then Prime Minister A.B.Vajpayee had to employ sinister tactics at camouflage to test the nuclear device further.

The country is bound by 123 agreement alone. Hyde Act is for the US administration to observe. What can the US do, if a gigantic country with so much of human resources like India undertake tests independently?

The Left Parties see red whenever they hear the country name, US. They have no complaints if China prefers the same stance to hold on.

Now the Congress Party is suffering almost alone. It cannot go in for elections jettisoning the Left, for the times are far from conducive for facing elections. But then, political sagacity has to come to terms with adversities also as an inclusive phenomenon.

O J’s Corner

Everyone wants power and pelf,
Does not want key decisions made

It is a pity the Central Government is squirming about key issues remaining unresolved. The Congress Party, at least a majority of the leadership, wants to sign the India-US nuclear treaty. The prestige of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is at stake. He cannot face the international crowd of world leaders, particularly of the developed nations variety, without loss of face. Even China would not like India to renege on an international commitment. The Communists are not bothered about what happens to Manmohan Singh or Congress. They shout from the roof-top that they don’t want the BJP to come back to power. But their present posture would only help the BJP get the reins on a platter. It seems at every stage of the negotiations held with the US, the Communists were briefed one way or other. They would only say: “We will see”. Now they have seen to it.

The Congress would have upset the applecart of UPA governance now. But unprecedented inflation, which is mostly the result of booming price of petroleum products, is pulling it back. Prices of essential commodities have gone up and these are a burden on everyone, particularly the poor people. The government should supply rice and wheat through the public distribution system. It should also devise ways to see that the open market is flooded with rice and wheat. Prices would then come down. There is no point in keeping unnecessary quantities of rice and wheat. People used to find fault with the irregularities in the rationing system. There were cogent allegations that rice and wheat, to be distributed through the PDS, were diverted and sold in the open market. It was illegal, but there was a philosophy of macro economics involved. The diverted materials were being sold in the open market one way or other. That food materials were available in the open market would hold the priceline.

Now the MPs and their parties are wracking their brains as to how to hold on. It is okay for anyone to argue that there should be stability. But what is this stability? We cannot be the laughing stock in the international community. If we don’t sign the nuke agreement, and there are ostensible repercussions, then also the Communists would blame others.
Decisions should be taken in the interest of the people, come what may.

O J’s Corner

Power sans responsibility

Which are the most powerful outfits in the UPA dispensation? With no hesitation one can point out that the Left parties have been enjoying a gala time lecturing the Manmohan Singh Government to do what and what not to do. Lucky chap Prakash Karat, the country’s celebrity armchair Communist, could strut about dictating terms. Poor Congressmen/women have been bearing with him/the leftists simply to see that the government is not pulled down. The spectre of the NDA, led by right-wing BJP, recapturing power at the Centre was unthinkable to one and all, except L K Advani & Co.


Likes and dislikes were put aside by Congress and the Leftists to maintain the power equation necessitated by circumstances calling for the exclusion of the BJP. All the same, the Communists, particularly the CPM, were walking away with glory. They could hold Congress, so far, to the line that nuclear agreement with the US should not materialize. At the same time, they could criticize the government led by Dr Manmohan Singh for its debacle in Assembly elections in 12 States. No party in the world would be so care-free as to enjoy power without responsibility in toto.

The Congress could have taught the Leftists a lesson in November 2007 by calling for elections. With inflation rising day by day, and the common man’s woes getting worser, it may not be congenial time for declaring elections to the Lok Sabha.

Still, it could work out an agreement with Samajwadi Party, BSP, and a lot of other parties to sustain the government, if the Leftists withdraw support on the nuclear deal plank. Manmohan Singh cannot continue without taking measures to wrap up the nuclear deal.

Harsh decisions have to be taken by all, whether they are individuals or governments, or other institutions in their lives. Statesmanship calls for strong measures at the cost of superficial gains.

O J’s Corner

Withdraw all taxes on petroleum products

Crude oil prices are set to skyrocket in the near future. Suppose the prices cross $ 200 a barrel in the international market, which is not unlikely, there would be highly inflammable repercussions everywhere. Perhaps Venezuela, Saudi Arabia and some such countries would be able to pull on rather normally in the petroleum products prices internally. India would be one of the worst hit countries. Naturally, all prices would pick up considerably.

But then, the Central and State governments can do one thing. They should scrap all taxes on petroleum products. The governments are levying considerable amounts by way of excise duty, sales tax, additional sales tax and the like.

No other country would be charging this much of money from tax channels in the petroleum products sector.

States like Kerala which depend on others for each and everything the people consume, prices would be far higher than prices of the same commodities in other States. Transportation costs would be heavy. More over, middlemen who fetch rice, wheat, pulses, eggs., milk, meat etc would fleece a pound of flesh.

A kilo of rice may cost around Rs 24 or so. Paddy farmers are not getting a price in tandem with the market price. Wholesale traders and other middlemen are cornering much of the margin.

What can be ostensibly done is to pump rice in plenty through the supply channels, particularly when the crops are poised to abound after the monsoons. Plenty of rice, wheat, pulses etc in the open market would force the wholesalers to cut rates.

There should be a will on the part of the governments and the supply bodies to work together to ameliorate the woes of the masses.

O J’s Corner

Not even passive resistance

What is happening to humankind, as the crown and glory of all creations just looks askance at grievous instances of injustice? One cannot perceive even passive resistance against cruelty perpetrated on all fronts.

Sex rackets, anti-social activities, drug peddling, illicit liquor business and all vulgarities in the society go free-wheeling only because those who are aware of these crimes do not react. They simply look on and think that it is none of their business, but else’s affairs. “Why should I get immersed in these things?”. That is the prevailing attitude.

Someone meets with an accident on the road. We remain mute witnesses. Now-a-days some people rush to capture the picture of the agonising moment in their mobile phone. No one cares to take the victim to the hospital. If an accident victim is taken to the hospital, the police will not leave the Good Samaritan alone. He will be at least a witness, a status thrust on him by the police, in the court case that ensues.

There are illicit liquor vends, drug dealings, sex business and the like going on in many corners of our neighbourhood. We do not point a finger at the criminals. No one wants to burn his finger.

This passivity is costing us dearly in societal life. Things would only get worse, going by the trend that is thriving.

O J’s Corner

Free-for-all

Seizure of Golf Club, land-grabbing and the like are top-priority agenda items for the ruling dispensation in Kerala, even as parties are fighting it out over wielding the control mace regarding the integrated food security scheme. People are struggling to make both ends meet. That is, people who don’t get bribes, slush money, hawala. Straight-forward beings who cannot generate much of an income are reeling under the greatest pressure of price rise. Rice, vegetables, milk, fish, meat, cooking gas and all demand greater spending. Inflation is at its peak. The government is jaywalking with tug-of-war between the advocate-general, the bureaucrats and the worthies of ministers. This government is for the aam aadmi-ordinary folks.

It seems the greatest handicap is lack of experience for the ministers. The chief minister is a green-horn in administration. Of course, he used to wax eloquent on issues and non-issues when he was the opposition leader, a situation akin to the fulminations of the lefts in the UPA dispensation at the centre. They can oppose anything as they do not form part of the administration. This is irresponsibility. Manmohan Singh should have called for an election when he had challenged the leftists to oppose the nuclear deal.

In Kerala, burglary, direct snatching of cash and valuables from people by rowdies , thefts of all sorts, incidents of attacks are on the rise. Things are getting out of hand.

In the education sector, in the name of taming private institutions, card-playing games are going on. In Class XI, admission process was going on smoothly. Now the single-window system is introduced. There is going to be endless worry for students and parents. There would have been no significant margin of error, had the school authorities been allowed to give admission by themselves. Flaws occurring here and there could have been corrected otherwise.

Things should not be allowed to go out of hand.

O J’s Corner

End the system of visiting offices
for day-today affairs

Mankind has reached the Moon and it would not be too far away when someone would step foot on Mars. But so far we have not been able to call an end to visiting government offices and corridors of institutions and bodies for taking care of day-today affairs.

We should be able to totally eliminate personal presence in banks for our financial transactions. True the banks have set up thousands of ATMs in all corners. This has helped the customers a lot. A few years ago, a customer had to stand in long-winding queues in banks to get his cheque cashed. Mind you, he/she was being harassed like this for the unenviable task of putting his/her money in that particular bank!! You should have seen the fearsome face of the bank clerk who should make an entry in the book and get it endorsed by one officer. The Clerk would not take the book to the officer sitting pretty behind his/her counter. The peon should come, may be after one hour, to take the register to the officer. It would be good luck if the officer endorses the same. It would be another wait for the peon to reappear and pass the same to the cashier/teller. These officials were protected by trade unions, mostly the Communist variety which speak about socialism for all.

Shipping magnate Socrates Aristotle Onassis was reported to have become furious after he had to wait three minutes at a bank counter for a transaction. He bargained hard and purchased the bank for himself. An ordinary customer cannot be Onassis. Thank God, the banking system has metamorphosed a bit and started providing ATM counters.

We should be able to make payments using a mobile phone or internet facility. Then you don’t have to go to the Electricity office, telecom office, local bodies office like that.

Alvin Toffler had predicted that massive office structures would undergo demassification and much of the work would be done by staff at their own residences.

O J’s Corner

The world is too much for us

Daily reports appearing in the media speak about the duplicity and treachery of a majority of the human beings. Politicians speak one thing for days together and then take a U-turn justifying their turning the turtle. Fake religious leaders cry aloud for hours together for the salvation of the faithful. Actually, the salvation is for these leaders only as they are able to cough up large amounts of money from abroad. The accrued money goes for the welfare of these so-called religious leaders. Their “prayers” are in ample supply to the gullible faithful. Jesus Christ himself had warned against this situation. The world, indeed, is too much for us.

Till the other day, certain political parties have been justifying the so-called title-deeds allotted to many people including political parties such as the CPI and CPM in Idukki district of Kerala. Now Veliyam Bhargavan of the CPI says the title deed for his party office in Idukki district was not in order and the party has asked the government to scrap the orders sanctioning the title-deed.

Is there any fixity for even mundane matters? People don’t have to keep their words, if the situation prevails like this for some more time.

Will Planet Earth be able to sustain this much of duplicity for long?

O J’s Corner

Craning the neck too much

Kerala Women’s Commission’s recommendation to frame legislation banning forced conscription to the nun’s world before a girl attained the age of eighteen years, it appears, has been made without doing much-needed homework. Before officially mentioning anything on the issue, it should have got the version of the church.

Now the church has made it clear that the age-old practice as per the canon law centres around absorbing anyone as a nun only after attaining the age of eighteen years. Girls who have completed the training have the freedom to renounce the vow. I know many gentlemen, who are a disciplined lot, who have renounced the cassock after completing the training for nine years or so.

The property of those who become nuns and priests should be left to them to be decided. What is the harm in the nuns and priests handing over their assets and income to the body or association which takes care of their entire life? Those who differ with the idea can very well keep off. Sure enough, there should be no coercion for enlistment. In today’s emancipated world, is it possible for anybody to be made a nun or a priest?

The Commission should not have gone public without eliciting the views of all concerned, including the church. The micro issues cannot be made a macro matter. Individual cases should have been handled on a case by case basis.

O J’s Corner

BJP’s bonhomie

The BJP is naturally energized after the party was elected the single largest outfit in the Karnataka elections. The situation, it seems to me, is akin to A B Vajpayee’s comeback as Prime Minister after a 13-day stint as the country’s Premier. Sympathy factor had endeared him to the masses. Likewise, poor Yeddiurappa was shown the door by Deve Gowda-and-family company. The people retaliated in the hustings by strengthening Yeddy and tearing down the Gowda bandwagon.

The Congress debacle in States ruled by its leaders is sharpening the strategy of the BJP to find ways to recapture power at the Centre. Vajpayee, with his all-embracing image, although it was a “mukkota” (masque) in the diction of RSS ideologue Govindacharya, cannot aspire to the Prime Minister again, simply because of his ill-health. He cannot drag on with his frail body anymore to rule the country. (That Govindacharya has been dumped is another matter).

It seems times are bright for L K Advani in spite of his Jinnah-hallelujah speech, which initially discomfited the RSS Parivar. But the Parivar is not able to find a finer charismatic leader than Advani to be presented as the Prime Ministerial candidate. Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, Jaswant Singh, Rajnath Singh and the like do not go on a par with Advani on any reckoning.

It seems the BJP is trying to build bridges with Christians and Muslims, notwithstanding the stance of hardcore elements like Pravin Togadia and Narendra Modi.

No one can blame the BJP for fine-tuning the strategy to somehow capture power. The US dispensations are not likely to work for the defeat of the BJP as their interests would be best served by Advani & Co.

Meanwhile, the Congress has to work very hard to contain the inroads made by the BJP in various states. Strategies like bringing back S M Krishna at the last moment to Karnataka politics, without fielding him as a candidate, even as Mallikarjuna Kharge was working hard to elevate himself to the top slot would not work. There should be a CM-to be for a party in the fray. Otherwise the people would take that party to be indecisive.

The skyrocketing prices of crude oil in the international market causing all sorts of difficulties in the economic sector world-wide would be a dampener for any ruling dispensation. Inflation, low purchasing power, lack of income, unemployment etc would foment the anti-incumbency factor.

On the whole, the Congress Party has to sweat it out to gain the next innings.

O J’s Corner

Where is trust?

A human being does not trust another human being. That seems to be the fall-out of the high-value education, cultural upstage and sophistication acquired by human beings. As human beings climbed up the civilizational ladder, the scale of distrust took an upswing.

Take the matter of governance for instance. There used to be trust at the highest levels at least. The ministers and the top bureaucrats had an empathy among themselves. There have been many serious matters done at the top levels on the basis of an understanding between the officials and the ministers or the chief minister. Written orders were not essential in keeping any matter in abeyance for a few days.

Now, it would be interesting to analyse the goings on regarding take-over of the Golf Club in Thiruvananthapuram by the government. The advocate-general seems to have rang up the law secretary to keep the matter pending till the high court takes up the matter on a petition. The law secretary gives this in writing to the chief secretary. The matter covers the jurisdiction of the revenue minister, the law minister, the chief minister etc.
The governance is at a coalition level. No one trusts the other. No one is prepared to take responsibility for a particular action. So everything is kept in writing.

Modern-day life is nothing but strife. Everyone wants to get rid of unwanted trouble. But will the troubles clear out by themselves, if the top-brass shirk responsibility?

O J’s Corner
Dispensing religion

The anxiety displayed by dispensers of religion, actually bogus ones, highlight the sad plight of God Almighty, Jesus Christ, Brahma, Vishnu, Maheswara, Allah and all Godheads, if these sellers of religion are not heeded. The gullible people fall prey to these merchants of so-called faith. They fleece the faithful and become rich overnight, in the name of God. By doing a little bit of social work here and there and trumpeting about it in all sorts of publicity channels, they amass wealth by way of contributions from people here and abroad. Actually, they are taking advantage of the goodwill of the people. And these worthies are leading a luxurious life, even as a majority of the faithful are leading lives of meagre means.

This is not to disparage the honest work done by real religionists. The cheaters know that they can gain easy entry into the hearts and minds of the faithful. They do so with impunity. They present people during their television programmes saying they have been healed from incurable diseases. Doctors and educationists vouchsafe for the veracity of the healing!!!

Christ, Allah, Brahma do not need the orchestrated support of the cheaters. They are in the hearts and minds of the people.

The name of God should not be misused, according to one of the Ten Commandments.
However, these days it has been fine time for those who cheat Gods.

Station

Footprints of St. Thomas (encircled)

Station

Station

Scenery from the hilltop

Spring of Healing

Mar-Thoma (St. Thomas) Memorial

Old Church

The Golden Cross



Malayattoor St. Thomas Shrine at the hilltop