OC has bounden duty to find culprits behind brutal attack on teacher

The CPM-led Opposition in Kerala is naturally making a hue and cry into the heinous attack on R.Krishnakumar, a techer of the RVHSS, Valakam, Kottarakara the other day. That the teacher was impaled through the anus using an iron rod, apart from his suffering attacks on the head etc, highlights application of a terrorism-like vengeance in the matter.

The Opposition has taken up the issue in right earnest, pointing out that the school belongs to Kerala Congress (Pillai) leader R.Balakrishna Pillai, who is now in jail in the Idamalayar case, and that his son Ganeshan is a Minister in the Oommen Chandy Government. The teacher in question had some sort of a tussle with the teacher in connection with the promotion of his wife who is also a teacher of the same school.
Naturally, the Opposition has taken the cue and accused Pillai and Ganeshan with being behind the back in the attack on the teacher.

It is because of the same background that Oommen Chandy has more responsibility in the matter to find out the truth and penalize the guilty.

The complicity or otherwise can be confirmed by a sincere probe.

It is not because of the hullabaloo, but the culture of the state calls for getting at the truth.

There may be nothing concerning the complicity. We may remember that at one time, RSP’s stalwart Baby John was the butt of attacks for a long time with regard to the disappearance of a person who was his earlier supporter. Finally, the person himself had turned up and the whole allegations were untrue.

If there is a role for Pillai or his son in the heinous attack, that should be found out, and if there is no role that also should be revealed and the assailants should be brought to book, whoever it is.

Rs 32- Rs 26 poverty threshold an improvement; but then eradicate hunger

We are definitely improving in the level of determination of poverty line, if the affidavit submitted before the Supreme Court by the Planning Commission is any indication.

The affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court on September 20 says if one earns Rs 32 a day in the urban areas and Rs 26 in the rural areas, he or she is not poor. That is the poverty threshold line.

The population of BPL (Below the Poverty Line) is 40.74 crore. But the population of BPL covered by the public distribution system (that is people supplied with ration items) is only 35.98 crore.

Let us say there is improvement, but then years ago the Suresh Tendulkar commission had stated that every third Indian is poor. There does not seem to be much improvement then.

According to the latest parameters pointed out by the planning commission, the income should be Rs 965 per capita per month in urban areas and Rs 781 per capita per month in the rural areas. A family of five should have a monthly income of Rs 4,824 in urban areas and Rs 3,905 in rural areas.

The poverty threshold, or poverty line, is the minimum level of income deemed necessary to achieve an adequate standard of living. In practice, like the definition of poverty, the official or common understanding of the poverty line is significantly higher in developed countries than in developing countries.

The common international poverty line has in the past been roughly $1 a day.In 2008, the World Bank came out with a revised figure of $1.25 at 2005 purchasing-power parity.

Earlier in the nineteen seventies there was the calculation of a human being consuming 2,400 calories a day in the urban areas and 2,100 calories a day in the rural areas for determining the poverty threshold. But there was an anachronism in the calories statement as the Supreme Court itself had pointed out that it was not possible to have such consumption of calories at the-then income level of Rs 20 and Rs 15 a day.

Whatever it is the governmental attitude should not be denial of basic amenities on the plea of poverty threshold, but taking all efforts to eradicate hunger and provision of amenities.

How many are there who can be counted as just and fair?

The sudden exit of Karnataka Lokayukta and the pace of such developments elsewhere are pointers to the fall in standards of morality.

The Lokayukta, a retired judge of the Supreme Court, had to demit office close on the heels of his assuming office on account of allegations of land scam.

The crucial point is not with regard to accusations of impropriety against one person. It is about the mind-set of people. When power and pelf are available many of the people fall prey to such attractions. Afterall, the dictum for them is enjoy whatever comes handy.

Seeing the gargantuan proportions of corruption in society, we argue for setting up a Lokpal or Ombudsman to deal with all sorts of ills and irregularities. There can be no argument against setting up some sort of an arrangement to deal with erroneous people and institutions.

But who will morally, legally and judiciously deal with such issues? Can all incumbents of so-called Ombudsman be depended upon? If they want they can levy more money from evil-doers. That is the grave situation in which we live. And there is no one who would appreciate upright persons.

One may, behind his back, find fault with upright people. He may be depicted as someone incapable of making a fast buck or enjoying luxuries. Those who achieve worldly possessions on account of devious means are applauded and awarded.

Suppose there is no opposition, no movement against mounting instances of evil doing and corruption, immorality, unethical practices, the end will be quick. There will be a natural explosion in the society.

Until then, all the evil doers will flourish and enjoy themselves.

There should be people at the helm of affairs who sense the sensitivities

You can comfortably sit in cosy rooms, enjoying all the perks and facilities and go on sermonizing on the vast amount of losses occurred on account of sale of petroleum products.

You say that the prices have been decontrolled and the government has no say in the matter. But would you leave the prices alone? No, you would attach taxes, excise duties and other levies and say that everything is decontrolled. This is mere insensitivity.

You may be able to balance the deficit by extorting the people. But things are very bad.

Don’t believe the people managing the petroleum companies with their accounts. The people do not know the prospecting of petroleum production and purchases, in the country and abroad. The people are not involved in the affairs of these petroleum companies. And the government would say, it has no control.

The government is planning to make a cut for cooking gas. The price would come to Rs 797.something for a cylinder. But it may graciously reduce it to Rs 750 per cylinder. What a grace?

And these are people who say that we would get piped gas. And these are the same people who say that our country is going to be a developed nation post-2020.

The tussle for Prime Ministership between Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi in 2014?

Narendra Modi definitely is angling for grabbing the post of Prime Minister, if his image building exercise is any indication. He feels the Supreme Court has let him alone, by not instantly cornering him in the communal genocide issue in Gujarat.

Now, a report on India by the Congressional Research Service (CRS), a bipartisan and independent research wing of the US Congress, has found his regime something like first class.

And the same body has given out the impression that Narendra Modi would be the BJP candidate for Prime Ministership in 2014, when Lok Sabha elections are due next.
Which means, L.K.Advani has no chances. The report was given out before Advani decided to launch out on the corruption issue. The decision for a Bharat Yatra led by Advani against corruption came later.

No doubt, there was tussle for upper hand between Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley, the second generation leaders after A.B.Vajpayee and L.K.Advani. If Narendra Modi settles the leadership issue, that would be well and good for the party.
And the CRS also affirms that the battle would be between Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi in 2014.

Rahul Gandhi has so far been saying that he is not interested in being Prime Minister. But he could have gained first hand knowledge at governance, had he accepted ministership under Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.

Kerala reeling with controversies one after the other

Kerala is a hot-bed of certain controversies now, with regard to a letter written by Chief Whip P.C.George pointing out the alleged irregularities in the Vigilance court dealing with Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in the palmolein case, Chief Whip receiving perks akin to a Cabinet Minister and Orthodox and jacobite factions fast-fighting it out with regard to the Kolencherry church.

The cup of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is full with woes, which he has been struggling hard to solve. Some of the things he cannot handle alone and he seems to be leaving them out. For example, if he says he supports P.C.George, that would be tantamount to challenging the decision of the court. If he rejects P.C.George, that would look like he has isolated him.

Now the cat is out of the bag with regard to enjoying the spoils of office. It was on the basis of a law passed by Kerala Assembly that Cabinet perks were given to the Opposition Leader and the Chief Whip. There is nothing wrong with that, according to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.

Office of profit image would not be applicable in that case.

Then what about the church affair. Orthodox faction to which Oommen Chandy belongs, wants its case to be settled by the Chief Minister in its favour. The rival jacobite faction would not cave in. Now the issue is before the remediation panel of the High Court. It is a hard nut to crack.

Technicalities like Parliamentary privilege, judicial privilege, discretion of the executive may not remain for long

People’s power is rising all over the world like anything. People defy repressive regimes, rules and actions at any cost.

People don’t obey tyrants, rules that are unequal, and corruption and corrupt people.
In course of time, we are going to face a situation in which a verdict of the Supreme Court, if there is any indiscretion in it, would be stoutly opposed. The beginning comes through vetting of the actions and operations of judges who have retired.
In the long run, the mushrooming media would highlight the wrong-doings, if any, of even the reigning judges.

It would be the responsibility of the reigning judges and other authorities of various limbs of the Constitution to perform in such a way that they retain goodwill in accordance with law and fairness.

Why people have come up against corruption in such large measure? It would be wrong to think that it was because of Anna Hazare. People wanted an umbrella and that cover was given by Anna Hazare.

It was utmostly reprehensible that some people dubbed him as the second Mahatma Gandhi. By doing so, we were humiliating Mahatma Gandhi. That is another thing. But corruption would not be tolerated by the people.

Therefore, judges, parliamentarians, and rulers cannot take cover under the pretext of privilege in future.

Let the functions be discharged transparently and let no man or woman take cover under privilege.

No demarcation between America and American imperialism, both same: VS

Kozhkode: Before the inimitable V.S.Achuthanandan, interpretation between the lines by some party leaders of his CPM would not gel well. For he has spoken out in unmistakable terms that America and American imperialism cannot be seen with a different lens.

He made it clear to mediapersons here on Friday that both are the same. Some leaders had explained that the party had no problem with America and its people. The problem was with regard to the policies.

Such an explanation had come in the wake of WikiLeaks information that the CPM leaders including party secretary Pinarayi Vijayan,others like Dr Thomas Isaac, M.A.Baby and V.S.Achuthanandan himself had interaction with counselors of the US administration. The leaders had sought American investment in Kerala for its development.

Now Achuthanandan has made it clear that there can be no demarcation between the US and US imperialism. The US means its imperialism. Its imperialism has isolated itself before the people, he said.

US imperialism had tried to kill revolutionary Fidel Castro 117 times, he alleged.

Keralites have a lot of WikiLeaks info to gobble up during Onam

Think of Onam 2011, when we have plenty of WikiLeaks info to gobble up and please Maveli for our opulence.

V.S.Achuthanandan, Pinarayi Vijayan, M.A.Baby, Thomas Isaac, P.K.Kunjalikutty, M.K.Muneer are all enmeshed in WikiLeaks info.

For the CPM leaders, the leaks is a heaven-sent, for rival groups can present their views on certain issues in the guise of comments on WikiLeaks. Such utterances have already come out. Sometimes court cases also provide such occasions for the leaders.

But don’t mistake all these mouthings as some sort of imminent explosion in the party that would break it. Nothing of the sort. The party will continue to undergo the waxing and waning to take up reins of administration every other five years.

This time, the party tried hard to retain power. It was on the verge of fulfilling its dreams, because of the bickerings within the UDF bandwagon. Had the UDF mandarins been successful in defeating just two more candidates, the situation would have been entirely different. Luck eluded the LDF by a whisker. Still the leaders can wax eloquent, for WikiLeaks have provided them the fodder.

The Congress Party is a different entity altogether. It is some sort of a free-for-all. A T.H.Musthafa can twist things to his advantage in the palmolein case and there won’t be any criticism against him. Afterall, he has his own rights.

Now the public utterances by K.Sudhakaran, MP, and Kannur DCC president P.Ramakrishnan could be the epitome of undaunted utterances by various leaders. The Congress Party would see virtue in utterances of divergent views.

The people are bemused by various utterances during Onam time. Anyway, the government led by Oommen Chandy is providing rice at Rs one per kilogramme to the Below-the-Poverty Line people. Don’t worry, at least they get it, even though those above this thin line are not much different.

WikiLeaks won’t be earthshattering in Kerala.