Shashi Tharoor should learn the art of silence

O.J.George

It seems Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor should learn the art of maintaining diplomatic silence. His UN service hang-over of pleasing everyone could prove to be his undoing in the role of a minister in the External Affairs wing of India.

The latest gaffe is that he said Saudi Arabia could be the best interlocutor between India and Pakistan to sort out issues. Not even any one without a grounding in diplomacy about Indian position in this regard would speak in the same vein as Shashi Tharoor had done. Even if he had no experience in ministerial positions, no doubt he has had enough opportunities to interact with External Affairs people regarding India’s position.

A position as a minister in the Indian External Affairs wing does not condone loud mouthing. Perhaps he may get away with an explanation that he did not mean that Saudi Arabia would be a mediator.

Care and caution should be displayed in tricky diplomatic exercises. One word or a sentence could prove costly. Saying something in public is one thing and doing backdoor diplomacy is another mission.These things cannot be mixed up.
Outbursts like the one Shashi Tharoor made would divert the attention of the core issues.

Better be careful at least next time.

Is it curtains down the Thilakan controversy?

By O.J.George

Super- star Mammootty speaking in a calm and composed manner about the Thilakan issue and about Dr Sukumar Azhicode’s reaction to Super-star Mohanlal appears to be heralding a solution to the problem.

Mammootty would have consulted AMMA before making the announcement that the association is callig a halt to public controversy.

Thilakan issue would be sorted out by AMMA, and Thilakan would have the freedom to explain his position at his convenience.

Dr Sukumar Azhicode has also expressed his willingness to stop the wordy duels. No one can equal Azhicode in the war of words. Literary, cultural and artistic personalities should not show their weak points in public.

Their larger-than-life image would be tarnished on account of public spats. Already, the fans of various heroes have started war-like campaigns struggling to protect their semi-Gods. For them, the make-belief world is their real world. Nobody can deter them.

Therefore, it is in the fitness of things that the persons concerned bury their hatchets and offer a conducive atmosphere for fun and frolicking. The film field should be an entertainment to the people and not a forum for tension creation.
The people concerned are all veterans and they should behave most benevolently. All the best for them.

Brace yourself up for further hike in price

By O.J.George

The budget ghost has been let loose, and please brace yourself up for further hike in prices of various commodities and products.

The overwhelming effect on prices would be brought in by the hike in excise duty on petrol, diesel, crude oil and overall 10 per cent increase in excise duty of all products. Service tax has also been increased.

The whole exercise is to bridge the fiscal deficit wrought perhaps on the exchequer by last year’s economic stimulus programmes. Now we are paying a price for it.

Anyone can cut the deficit by going on increasing administered prices and removing subsidies. The efficiency of regimes is to put minimum pressure on common man’s living as his earnings are not increasing.

Not only petrol and diesel, but also cement, bikes, cars, mobile phones, jewellery items, air-conditioners, refrigerators, coal, liquor, cigarette, tobacco items would cost more. Let there be some tinkering with the luxury items, but common man’s consumption items costing more would have a tornado effect on their survival.

Already the markets are showing increasing inflationary tendencies. Today’s tax and excise duty proposals would worsen the situation.

There is also a hidden danger in the proposal given out in the economic survey for restructuring the public distribution system. The proposal is to make ration shops redundant by giving coupons to the consumers which can be produced before private vendors.

There would be no statutory strength to this proposal. Since it would be an administrative exercise, the facility can be withdrawn any time.
By that time , the ration shops would have vanished.

In Kerala, there is statutory rationing system. Replacement of this system with an administrative system would deprive the people of their food security. The coupon system, if at all implemented, should be provided with statutory protection.

Let M.A.Baby attempt to mediate between Thilakan and AMMA

By O.J.George

There is no harm in Education and Cultural Affairs Minister M.A.Baby attempting to mediate between actor Thilakan and AMMA over the issue which appears to be going out of hand.

Perhaps, all the players may not approach Baby for umpiring the issue. But being in government and holding charge of cultural affairs Baby can take the initiative to hold discussions.

If the players refuse to come round for a reconciliation, that is their problem. But leaving an issue in ether is not conducive to the film field and the people.
Already, bad blood has been created among Thilakan and many other actors. Lately, writer Dr Sukumar Azhicode is fretting and fuming over the Thilakan issue and it has become a new issue between Azhicode and actor Mohanlal and AMMA, the original alleged offender, according to Thilakan, was Mammootty.

Today the students wing of Kerala Congress (Pillai) group has obstructed Thilakan at Kottarakkara for speaking against Ganeshkumar, MLA, who is also an actor.

Why should there arise bad blood among versatile actors and artistes, when there are avenues for reconciliation? Discuss the issues and solve the problem. No one becomes small by reconciliation.

Seven new trains, coach factory, drinking water plant for Kerala

By O.J.George

New Delhi: Mamata Banerjee presented her second railway budget without enhancing freight and passenger fares. Kerala will have four new Express trains, one Memu service, and two passenger trains.

Kanchikode coach factory has been cleared and a commitment was made that this would be set up this year.

The long-standing demand of a peninsular zone was not accepted. Kerala was not included in the southern freight corridor linking Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai either.

Mumbai- Ernakulam Duronto, Kanyakumari-Bhopal Bharat Theerth special, Pune-Ernakulam super fast, Kozhikode-Thiruvananthapuram Jana Shatabdi Express are the long distance trains allowed.Memu service is between Kollam and Ernakulam.

Passenger trains are between Kozhikode and Kannur, and Nilambur and Shoranur.Mangalore-Kannur passenger has been extended to Kozhikode.

Thiruvananthapuram-Ernakulam inter-city has been extended to Guruvayur.Kochuveli-Yashwantpur has been extended to Hubli.

Survey would be held for six new lines. These are Kozhikode-Malappuram-Angadippuram, Dindigul-Kumali, Madurai-Kottayam, Punalur-Thiruvananthapuram, Chengannur-Thiruvananthapuram via Adur, and Thalasserry-Mysore are the routes for new survey.
A drinking water plant would be set up at Thiruvananthapuram.Railways will not be privatized. Social commitment would be the priority.

Hartal in Munnar against govt’s eviction move by ruling parties

By O.J.George

That Munnar evictions are not easy has been hawkishly pronounced by various ruling front parties by ordering a hartal in Munnar on Tuesday.

The hartal is called by CPM-influenced High Range Samrakshana Samithi (protection council) in taluks of Devicolam, Udumbanchola and Peermade and panchayats of Kanjikuzhy and Vathikudy in Idukki district.

The issue raised is the attitude of the LDF government with regard to evictions in Munnar. The ruling parties in Idukki district are deadly against any form of eviction in Munnar and other parts of Idukki district.

The latest U-turn has been made by CPI which held a high-level meeting in Thodupuzha on Monday. Its trade union leader C.A.Kurien has apparently threatened to walk off the party, if it supports eviction. His plea is that those supporting the move against eviction would cross over to the CPM, whose district secretary M.M.Mani is a hawk supporting settlers.
CPM, CPI and Kerala Congress(Joseph) are supporting the hartal. Reports doing the rounds in media are that there was a move to declare Munnar as Ecologically Fragile Land(EFL). The charge is that this has been pointed out in a report submitted to the High Court which is looking into the encroachment issue.

Moreover, the court was told on behalf of the government that various LDF people, including those of the CPM, are holding land unauthorisedly.

The Idukki district leaders of various LDF partners have thus been convinced that the government was making concerted efforts to evict encroachers.

Renvenue Minister K.P.Prabhakaran, Forest Minister Benoy Viswam and CPI state secretary Veliyam Bhargavan have made it clear that there was no move to declare Munnar as ecologically fragile land.

The Congress Party has been taking a guarded posture. Follow the legal procedure to take action against encroachers, according to its leaders. Eviction is easier said than done.

How can a sensible government deny itself of UGC benefits for college teachers?

By O.J.George

What is so special about the state of Kerala with regard to denying itself of the UGC benefits for college teachers? UGC will not give assistance for pay revision of college teachers unless superannuation age ceiling is revised. That has been made clear in its directives. Otherwise, state governments from time to time would have seized the opportunity to get assistance by now. It is simply not available.

Today, the Left Democratic Front appears to have discussed the issue and it seems a decision would be taken later. It cannot be delayed long, for the cut-off date for implementation is March 31 this year. By then, the modalities should be worked out.

It seems the youth wing of the CPI is particularly strong in its opposition to pension age hike. That is a pitable situation, for no additional post has been created during the past decade in colleges. Retirement vacancies have not been filled. No organization has taken up this issue so far. Now when the government is coming round to taking a decision, they are opposing a sane proposal. Except in Kerala, all other states have taken a decision and the pension age there is either 60, 62 or 65.

Now it has been estimated that about Rs 2,000 crore would be available to the government by way of arrears for the last five years, if the UGC pay revision is implemented with provision for pension age hike. You see, the amount of arrears is not paid out to the teachers. It goes directly to the provident fund account, which is government’s money. There is an accusation that the amount will be diverted. There need not be resort to diversion, it is government money.

The government should be able to design effective developmental projects using all the money. Moreover, the government does not have to pay all the money for the retiring teachers for five years. That amount will also be available for use for productive purposes. Why not use it for creating jobs in the Information Technology sector? Or any other sector which offers employment opportunities.

Talented actors squabbling among themselves is unseemly

By O.J.George

We have a strange situation in Kerala with regard to highly talented actors squabbling among themselves. Mammootty, Mohanlal, Thilakan, Innocent, Jagathy and all others have a pride of place in the minds of cine-goers. Now through AMMA and FEFKA the actors and technicians are fighting it out over alleged denial of opportunities for Thilakan and the resultant charges and counter-charges.

Thilakan has allegedly spoken against other mega stars who are peeved at the negative comments. Thilakan appears to be in no mood to apologise. AMMA has appointed a disciplinary committee to go into the allegations against Thilakan.Probably, Thilakan is on the way out from AMMA. Sad state of affairs, indeed.

It seems there are not many active associations on the lines of AMMA etc in Bollywood,Tollywood, Kollywood etc, in spite of wider influence wielded by super-stars and artistes in those spheres. Larger-than-life egoism, no doubt, is the problem with the performing artistes.

There are problems in the film field elsewhere, but chances of this squabbling are remote. Personal rivalry among super-stars in other languages could be worse than in Malayalam. Still they live with the criticism levelled against them.
Malayalam filmdom should be able to solve the problems without creating more rancor.

Rising prices would take away the sheen of other good things done by the government

By O J George

An over-populated country like India cannot suck in the tendency of rising prices thrown up perhaps by market forces and other vested interests.

These forces would always play their cards meticulously to reap windfall profits. But then , the government should step in and take steps to ameliorate the woes of the people.

Which people we mean? We may have scores of trillionaires, hundreds of billionaires and thousands of millionaires. They are not the core of the Indian populace.

A majority of the nearly 120 crore people are ordinary mortals of whom a substantial number of them are living below the poverty line.

You have divided them between below the poverty line and above the poverty line. The line is very thin and the so-called above the poverty line people are not much better off than the below the poverty line.

Of course, lakhs of people are given employment by the big-league private companies, most of them giving good salary to the staff. The government also gives employment to lakhs of people. And the lot of the government employees is not bad.

But there are scores of crores of people who have no gainful employment or regular work fetching them a monthly remuneration. They just live away their life over the crumbs they get by way of casual job, irregular daily wages and all. Mind you, we don’t have a system of payment by the hour for the work put in by anyone.

All tummies should be filled by food stuff. If the stuff costs them beyond their means, you cannot call it a welfare state. The mighty government can take various steps to rein in price rise tendency.

Edible items should be made available in plenty. Now that the import policy is liberalised, one can fill the gap of short supply through imports.

We hear about reports of proposals for export of sugar when it is ruling at over Rs 40 a kilo in the country!

It appears the Congress Party is seized of the matter and is thinking about advising the government to find ways to supply food items at fair price.

The APL-BPL conundrum should be solved. Afterall, what is the distinction between them in matters of food items? Let there be plenty of stuff available. Those who want the items would buy them.

The distinction would only provide opportunities for the officials to seek bribes. India is undoubtedly a corrupt country and generally nothing works without greasing the palm of the officials and agents concerned.

Once the BJP lost power in Delhi because the prices of onion had skryrocketed. The same is true of any government, for the people cannot afford to live in a society whose mores are determined by market forces alone.

Terrorists don’t want India-Pak talks, but engagement is better than war

By O.J.George

India had proposed talks with Pakistan at the Foreign Secretary level, which was accepted by that country raising a bogey for composite dialogue as well. Maybe, it was simply ignoring terrorism angle saying Pakistan was also a victim of terrorism.

Pakistan by its rhetorics wanted to please its captive audience there to drive the point home that it was winning on its own terms.

Recently, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah extended an olive branch to those jihadis who had crossed over to the Pak-Occupied Kashmir to come back and get rehabilitated. Gulam Nabi Azad, hailing from Kashmir, raised a hue and cry highlighting the chances of these people fomenting trouble once they returned to Kashmir.

However, Union Home Minister P.Chidambaram who is handling the portfolio as best as can be by anyone whole-heartedly welcomed the idea.
A few days ago, various terrorist groups gathered in Pak-Occupied Kashmir and spit fire and fury, calling for jihadi activities.

An overview of the jihadi activities would drive the point home that various outfits, known and sleeping, Indian Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Toiba, Jamat-ud-Dawa, Jaish-e-Muhammad, David Headley or others, want murder and mayhem perpetrated in India, and elsewhere, to achieve their so-called religious motives.

When they have international network, terror infrastructure, training outlets, sleeper cells and a plethora of suicide squads, execution of blasts and other forms of attacks are likely, in spite of all possible forms of vigil. Mind you, they have help from elements in India as well. Otherwise, how is it possible to leave a bagpack of explosives in a restaurant with ease? P.Chidambaram had admitted to the fact that the Mumbai attack of 26/11 was facilitated by an Indian handler.

The moment India and Pakistan decided to engage themselves in some form of talks for normalisation of relations, jihadis apparently are outraged. They want to perpetuate terrorism, for which peace is unwanted by them.

Negotiations must go on, for one cannot expect Pakistan to be rid of terrorist elements any time in human history with the sort of outfits existing there and assistance plentily available to them. That country, keeping nuclear bombs and terrorists can never be peaceful.

Again the terrorists have struck, this time in Pune

By O.J.George

This was the second major terrorist attack in Pune, after the 26/11 in Mumbai.

Preliminary investigations point to use of RDX. Nine persons were killed and 57 injured, including foreigners at the blast in the German bakery. Some of the injured are critical.

An intense probe has been launched to pinpoint culprits. Initial reports speak about the hand of the Indian Mujahideen. It could be combined effort of many terrorist agencies. What about David Headley and associates? He had visited critical areas in India, including Pune.

Faith-based terrorist organization can intrude into peaceful societies, get help from the gullible and strike at their will. We can very well imagine a restaurant scenario where scores of people would be there at any given time.

Some of them may have bags and baggages and no one would be particularly inquisitive about a backpack lying somewhere.

How could one imagine that a backpack kept at a restaurant was full of explosives to kill people? What sort of faith was upheld by those who did it, by killing innocent human beings?

We have in Maharashtra the Shiv Sena and MNS lions roaring around raising parochial slogans. Once a terrorist attack takes place, they withdraw to their dens. Gentlemen, the country is facing serious security threat. The world over, terrorists are targeting places.

For faith-based terrorists, India is a hard as well as soft target. Death and devastations are lurking at any corner, for the terrorists never keep themselves idle.

We Indians should not be squabbling against each other when so many terrorist forces are out in the dark targeting us.

Long shots have been fired in different political persuasions

By O.J.George

Amar Singh is out in the cold, having been ousted from the Samajwadi Party of Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Amar Singh himself had absolved himself of party positions earlier. The dismissal was only a party formality. What kind of politics he would be following from now would be amusing.Sometimes he cosies up to the Congress, and at other times to some other parties.

Sensing the precarious situation arising from the shadow of support having been lost in the Samajwadi Party or so Amitabh Bacchan, who is one of the closest confidantes of Amar Singh, has freshly been friendly with Gujarat’s Chief Minister Narendra Modi of the BJP.

Perhaps nothing need to be read into with regard to this overture. Maybe, Amitabh Bacchan’s branding as the brand ambassador of Modi’s Gujarat is mere coincidence. His wife, Jaya Bacchan, has already expressed her wish to continue as MP of Samajwadi Party.

Now a hue and cry has been going on in Maharashtra about who owns Mumbai and who all can live and work in Mumbai. Shiv Sena and MNS want to isolate the people claiming it is the fiefdom of the Maharashtrians. And in the bargain, they don’t mind charging against Sachin Tendulkar, Shah Rukh Khan or any other personality.

Meanwhile, Sharad Pawar, who was smarting under criticism from various quarters, particularly from the Congress, called on Bal Thackeray to persuade him to allow Australian cricket men to play in IPL 3.
It seems he has left the meeting ground open.

One should understand the strongpoint of Narendra Modi for calling a spade a spade,whatever his convictions. He lavished encomiums on Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P.Chidambaram during the Chief Ministers’ conference held in New Delhi.

He had also criticised the UPA government for causing price rise etc.

For the CPM, Assembly elections in West Bengal and Kerala, due in 2011, are crucial. Kerala has panchayat elections in 2010, some sort of a curtain- raiser for the Assembly elections.

There may not be a parallel angle between panchayat and Assembly elections with regard to the outcome, as the parameters are different. But the fact that the CPM has postponed its Party Congress to January 2012 underscores the importance it attaches to the 2011 Assembly elections.

In Tamil Nadu, Congress appears to have doled out a squirming to the DMK by simply showing signals about a meeting point between Sonia Gandhi and DMK’s archrival Jayalalithaa.

Perhaps Congress is reading the predicament ahead, with an ailing Karunanidhi willing to hand over power most probably to his son Stalin, to the chagrin of another son Azhagiri. An internally squabbling DMK may not be considerably useful to the Congress in 2014, when the Gandhi scion, Rahul, is expected to take up the country’s reins.

In Andhra Pradesh, the scenario would be entirely different, with Telengana being carved out of it without much delay. What would be the fate of parties like Telugu Desam has to be watched carefully.

Long shots have already been fired in different political entities, but then it does not need much time for politics to take an entirely different path than the anticipated one on quick-jerk reactions.

Desk work balancing on prices of petrol, cooking gas would torment the life of common man

By O.J.George

Hiking the prices of petrol, diesel, cooking gas and kerosene, ignoring the ground realities on its impact on the life of the common man would be smooth desk work. But the people would, no doubt, be tormented by an otherwise inflationary market for essential commodities.

There has been an estimate in price assessment that the prices of petroleum products are the highest in India. Which means the prices are disproportionately high, compared to many developing and developed countries.

The prices are this high on account of levy of taxes and duties, which if removed, would render the availability cheaper.

People are on their tenterhooks on account of rising prices of essential commodities, including sugar. A welfare nation cannot ignore the travails of the people while fixing administered prices.

It would be wishful thinking, but some cognizance should be taken with regard to curtailment of all-embracing corruption, the highest manifestation of which is at the political level.

Crores and crores of rupees that should be available to the common man are being spirited out by various entities. If corruption can be managed at a reasonable level, the savings could be utilized for funding subsidies.

The Prime Minister appears to be keen on reining in corrupt practices, but people would be interested to know the extent of drawback on various underhand deals achieved on account of his efforts.

Freeing the pricing of petroleum products at one go and tormenting the people would be disastrous.

Mind you, the economically-hit US has come to take a decision scrapping the Moon mission to save money.

Some sort of engagement with Pakistan would be fine

By O.J.George

It is a good sign that some sort of engagement between India and Pakistan is in the offing. According to indications, Home Minister P.Chidambaram would take part in the SAARC conference in Islamabad during February 26-28,which could throw up opportunities for both the countries to exchange ideas.

Terrorism is the bane of Pakistan and it is reaping a whirlwind of its after-effects for the curse of encouraging terrorist elements. Terrorism is a phenomenon which would go on exploding, either outwards or inwards. When terrorist elements don’t have avenues to strike others, these would foment troubles within.

It is easy to create troubles on matters of faith, but bridling the elements would not be easy. Those who encouraged al-Qaeda, Taliban and other organizations cannot call off their activities at their will.

The US is doing its best to help Pakistan control terrorism perpetrated from Pakistan. But all attempts to curb the menace in Pakistan would have only marginal effect. For the very foundation of present-day Pakistan is built on agencies dealing with terrorist activities.

The faith-based terrorism is spread far and wide the world. Therefore, leaving Pakistan alone, asking it to finish off terrorism at one go and then come for discussions would not be all that good. Perhaps it would be better to engage them head-on for better results.


The Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan would meet at the SAARC conference in Thimphu in April and in between the Foreign Secretaries would exchange notes on relevant issues.

No opportunity should be wasted to expose the wrong-doings going on at the behest of Pakistan while dealing with terrorism.