The question is whether the Ayodhya verdict can be delivered

The moot-question is whether the Ayodhya verdict on the Ramajanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid issue can be delivered. The crucial problem has arisen on account of the fact that one of the judges of the three-member bench at Lucknow of the Allahabad High Court is slated to retire from service on September 30.

If the verdict is stayed beyond his retirement date, the whole exercise of determining the title of the disputed site would have to be decided afresh by going into all the aspects from the very beginning.

It seems people have been concerned about the stay granted by the Supreme Court on the issuance of the verdict by the Lucknow bench thinking that the apex court would not determine the issue before September 30.

To me that seems far-fetched. The Supreme Court which has decided to look into the question on September 28 can settle the issue on that day itself and if not possible the next day. This would enable the Lucknow bench to deliver the verdict on time.

If political parties decide to remain unruffled, the verdict on the title suit would not cause much damnation. In India, the political plank is the strongest. They can make or mar the very edifice of the society. Let the political stalwarts decide to rest the issue with the courts. The decision of the Lucknow bench is not the final answer. The disputing agents can appeal before the Supreme Court and can have threadbare arguments.

The most important aspect for Indians should be maintenance of peace and tranquility. In a world beset with umpteen and variegated problems, this should not batter India and its edifice.

Do everything to salvage Delhi CWG

When the opening ceremony is fast approaching, the Commonwealth Games preparations in Delhi are under strident criticism. In a diversified democratic country like India, decisions on anything are often delayed, execution further delayed, if not done. We are loquacious about everything, but not in the matter of implementation.

The government which had fought hard to fetch the rights for CWG in Delhi definitely should evince that keenness to provide proper facilities. We have heard that the participating countries were offered one lakh dollars each and all expenses of the visiting teams would be met by India. We had got seven years to make preparations. Still last-minute arrangements are not completed. It was expected that everything should have been got ready six months ago.

Various countries have complained about the sub-standard nature of facilities. Moreover, many countries are not sure about the security being provided in India.
To make matters worse, the overbridge near the stadium has collapsed. Sure, something has gone amiss.

And terrorists have contributed to creating some sort of panic. Still, the government is firm we would hold the Games come what may.

Withdrawal of a few sportspersons may not have a killer effect, all the same the sheen may have been shorn off.

Even at the last minute, something could be done for the smooth conduct of the Games.

Develop three-dimensional reporting for the print medium

By O.J.George

Surf the internet for views on the print medium and its survival and future. No one is prepared to vouch for bright prospects for the newsprint product in the world of new developments in communication and dissemination. Definitely, these forecasts have relevance, mostly in the developed world.

However, it could be a universal truth that wherever vernacular papers cater to the cultural, social and religious ethos and when people are living in a community as inter-locked as in Kerala, readers would wait for the newspaper boy early morning.

There can be no cessation of interest in the matter, even as we have heard the main points of the same news items the previous day in numerous channels criss-crossing the state.

This does not mean that the newspapers should not change in their treatment of ingredients being dished out to the readers. There is no point in continuing to display news items in the five Ws and one H mode. Newspapers should find a way-out and give a product which would be something different and more analytical and appreciative.

The very concept of writing for newspapers should undergo a sea-change, for which the scribes have to be properly trained. But where is the training and where are the youngsters queuing up for a print medium job?

Mainstream Malayalam newspapers have started putting in more effort to include more stories of their own, other than the hard news items available and which cannot be spiked.

There were times of yore when front pages contained only classified advertisements. We have come a long way. Chronological reporting was the order of the day at one time. Minute-by-minute, blow by blow accounts of incidents and events were being reported accurately, disregarding the most important aspect of what transpired at the venue.

Then again there was transformation by giving the most important news point first and presenting the news story in an inverted pyramid structure. Still, there was great importance given to stenographic reporting. The coverage given to a political leader could be adjudged best if everything from A to Z he had said was carried.

Later, more involvement of the scribe in the content of what was being reported came into being. Developing the story from points jotted down and giving a tilt or twist had become quintessential.
Now these criteria would not suffice anymore for the print medium, which should develop a three-dimensional style incorporating the five Ws and one H as embedded points in an analytical piece on what transpired. The impact story would have more takers among readers, for, otherwise there would be nothing new for them.

Newspaper managements know how to sustain themselves and thrive. That is whey the media-mix has come into being. Many of the newspapers have their own channels which attract combined ad income for the channel as well as their print entity. Those who don’t have their own channels are apparently training themselves to launch one too soon. Others may perhaps have tie-ups.

Morever, the newspapers have their own internet editions through which they justify currency in news dispensation.

Change is, therefore, a must for the print medium, with which they would survive, particularly the vernacular variety with strong societal connections. However, even with all sorts of changes put in, it a moot-questionw whether the best talents can be attracted to the print medium any more. One cannot showcase clichés like ‘remuneration would not be a problem, remuneration package would be the best in the industry’ anymore.

Those gloating in the profession as of now need not be in glee, for the times are as precarious as any danger that might shove them off the hook.

The great democratic exercise at the grass-roots level

Kerala has again become politically vibrant with the announcement of election schedule for the local bodies, which are slated for October 23 and 25. Results would be announced on October 27. The new leadership would be in place on November 1. Mind you, that is the States Reorganisation Day, and is marked as Keralappiravi.

We may speak about political overplay, corruption that dominates various echelons etc, but the very fact that we can conduct elections even at the village level is something of a great achievement compared to many other states.

This time women get 50 per cent of the seats and they have been allotted panchayats, municipalities and corporations where the fair sex would have presiding seats.
Mahatma Gandhi had visualised gram panchayats sans political affiliations. But that cannot be in a state like Kerala which has an overdose of politics. We have seen panchayat regimes changing hands as even one or two persons defect to the other side.

With all these proclivities, let us welcome the great democratic exercise and hope for the best for better development, social awareness, continuing and leapfrogging education, avenues for all for bigtime opportunities in the job sector and what not.
Democracy may be reckoned as something of a cacophony and babble, perceiving certain evil tendencies. But that is definitely the best practice and holding elections every five years speak well of our system to this extent. Remember we had times when panchayat elections could not be held for even 13 years.

Stray thoughts about worldly ways

We have been somewhat okay when substantial parts of the developed world were flapping their hands in recession. And this included the US and the UK.

Countries like India, China etc were having a good time amidst the woes of the West. Did anyone think about the systemic problems?

In developed countries, the governments have to dole out a huge amount to take care of welfare measures.

A lot of families go on living on welfare payments as they don’t have jobs. For them, it is not essential that jobs are there for the asking, for the welfare schemes and cash payments for various activities would be sufficient for a decent living in their own currencies.

Compare this to the situation in countries like India where the economy was thrown open wide, but the governments have not announced parallel measures like the ones existing in capitalist countries for total welfare.

We have announced manual labour jobs for up to 100 days a year at Rs 65 or so, may be Rs 100 in certain states. Even this has not been implemented in full. Still, to the extent the project was implemented in certain states, this was something like a boon.
Compare the situation to the opening up of the economy for two G, three G etc, oil sector, and anything for certain people to mint money, that is in unimaginable proportions.

Our billionaires are not prepared to give anything substantially to charity, even as US billionaires are simply giving away 50 per cent of their earnings.

In the welfare states of the developed world, since they lacked cash during the heaviest recession, the banks in the countries did not mind laundering 352 billion dollars of drug money. The drug cartels, flush with funds, did not mind pumping in this much of money to the economy through banks. They were benefited because of money laundering as their black became white money.

Where can a line be drawn about ethics and morality in dealings?

Unending processes of medical admission

It is a pity that we can’t make a sustainable process for ensuring medical admission in government and private medical colleges in Kerala.
The problem gets vitiated as private medical colleges want to collect hefty fee. The government may say the fee levied by private medical managements is Rs 5.50 lakh and Rs five lakh deposit.

But the grapevine has it that to get medical admission in the management quota would entail up to Rs 50 lakh. I heard someone asking a person involved in private management admission about the hefty fee. The reference was about Rs 20 lakh. Cool came the reply. There is no vacant seat for the next three years. All these seats are filled in advance. Don’t make a mistake, fee payment has also been made in advance. Maybe, most of these seats would be cornered by NRIs.

I always used to wonder why should private institutions charge exhorbitant fee? Many of the managements can easily muster crores of rupees by donation from philanthropists and run these medical colleges charging ordinary fee from competent students.

Why can’t Mukesh Ambani, Anil Ambani, Tata and all start medical colleges and IITs at ordinary rates of fee using part of their income? In the US, all billionaires are donating half of their earnings to charities.

After all, an educated and well-equipped India would be a noble thing.