What is this General up to?

Army chief General V.K.Singh was copious in filing written representations to various bodies and authorities to have his date of birth noted by him in various documents corrected to enable him to continue in service for one more year.

But he was not prepared to give it in writing that he was offered a bribe of Rs 14 crore by a recently retired Army officer if he approved sub-standard trucks.

Defence Minister A.K.Antony today told Rajya Sabha, in reply to questions that the General had verbally informed him of the incident and named Tejinder Singh as having accosted him with the offer.

Antony was shocked to hear this and he had told the General to take action. But General V.K.Singh was not interested to pursue the matter. That means General V.K.Singh was not interested in complaining against Tejinder Singh.

Nothing was given in writing, and a Defence Minister cannot, on his own, initiate action on a verbal averment.

Is it such a predicament that an Army chief is going the way the Anna Hazare team is ending itself up? All parties have now complained against the Anna Hazare team that it has gone overboard and made blanket and unsavory statements.

The Army chief has been allowed to continue in service till May 31 by the Defence Minister himself even as other Cabinet colleagues reportedly demanded termination of his services the moment the General went against the government in the Supreme Court.

The General is demeaning himself by making allegations without taking any action against corruption.

Kerala’s hinterlands have not grown to remain paperless

Despite all the talk of vanishing newspaper industry elsewhere in the developed countries, particularly the West and Europe, Kerala has not grown to remain paperless.

We are replete with a plethora of television channel and broadband internet facility in Kerala. But still, the same is not true of the rural areas and hinterlands.

We need newspapers until a time the new generation can afford to ignore the written word. Television channels and internet cannot replace newspapers at least with regard to detailed obituary news and university news to such minute details as provided by the medium in black and white which is one for safe keeping.

And newspapers have changed their style a lot, to remain different from the fare provided by television channels and internet sites.

Did you notice the fast lane in newspapers offering a lot of information and awareness and worked out study materials for students? No channel can provide this much of service.

For the last few days from March 20, people are denied newspapers of their choice owing to strike by newspaper agents who want a lot of increased benefits, including status as some sort of an employee of the newspaper organization.

Maybe, negotiations can whittle down their demands leading to a settlement that would ensure supply to the readers.

Newspaper agents have the backing of strong political parties, otherwise they would not have been able to keep up the tempo of the stir.

At least for the last few days Keralites could not read newspapers in the morning, sipping a cup of coffee or tea.

Mamata Banerjee: Arrogance personified

Mamata Banerjee wanted the head of Dinesh Trivedi at one go; nothing short of guillotine. Okay, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh pleaded with her to agree to at least partially admit fare hike in the Railway Minister. Derisively she might have agreed to a little bit.

Mukul Roy was made the Cabinet Minister for Railways on the dot. But Mamata Banerjee, the super heroine, has not time to attend the swearing-in at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Let Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi and other Ministers and dignitaries attend the function. Mamata has no time, she has to go back to Kolkata where she had already gone back on supporting a Congress nominee for being made a Rajya Sabha member.

Her party stance is all the more clear now. Samajwadi Party is supporting the UPA II Government from outside, for it is not part of the Government. Trinamool Congress is part of the Government. Its members and Ministers kept off the voting on the motion of Thanks to the President’s Address.

Who cares, that is the attitude of Mamata Banerjee.

Can the Congress Party bank on the Trinamool Congress any more?

What is the Congress Party going to do with Trinamool Congress of Mamata Banerjee as an ally of the UPA II Government?

It is churlish behaviour throughout that the Congress Party is facing from the Trinamool Congress throughout. Mamata Banerjee wants an amendment to the President’s Address, wants complete rollback of the fare hike proposed by her own Railway Minister, wants another Railway Minister on the dot. What else would she do or not do in the coming days is beyond speculation.

It appears there is not even a minimum common programme approved with Congress and Trinamool Congress. Congress should at least enquire with her as to what she wants from the UPA II Government. Does she want this government to go?

In that case, the UPA II Government should find more reliable allies. This sort of governance, with a Railway Minister being sacked the day he presented a budget is unthinkable. What was Mamata Banerjee doing as party chief when proposals were mooted by Dinesh Trivedi to hike fare?

No doubt, the state of affairs at the UPA II Government is far from desirable.

The LDF should be careful about keeping its flock safe under its wings

R.Selvaraj had a grouse bordering on humiliation and the rest is history.

Now all the talk is concentrated on the resignation of CPM MLA R.Selvaraj, reducing the strength of LDF in Kerala Assembly by one, just before the by-election being held in Piravom on March 17.

That the state leadership of the CPM could not smell anything foul till the announcement of the resignation by Selvaraj himself is shocking.

Selvaraj himself had been complaining about the humiliation meted out to him by some of the party leaders, at the district level.

He was the only MLA of the party who was not given a delegate’s position at the just concluded state conference. According to reports, perhaps he would have lost his membership in the district committee of the party after the conclusion of the party Congress.

The allegation is that he was being methodically eliminated from party echelons. Therefore, he had grouse and he took measures at his command to wriggle out of the situation. Perhaps the party thought that no MLA would be courageous enough to call it quits.

But R.Selvaraj has large following, particularly in the Nadar community. He could pull off a victory in Neyyattinkara, which was fresh ground for him in the last Assembly elections, was proof of this. Earlier he was returned to the Assembly from Parassala constituency where he had considerable clout and support base.

It was his strength in the community and support base that saw through machinations to eliminate him, according to reports.

Now the CPM can raise all bogeys against the resignation of Selvaraj. But the party also has to take the blame for his exit. That the UDF, which has wafer thin majority in the Assembly, has taken advantage of the situation is quite natural.

Kerala Assembly had the history of Lonappan Nambadan, a Minister of the Congress-led front government, weaned out of the front. The government had collapsed owing to this floor crossing.

The CPM has tripped in its vigil somewhere.

Resignation of CPM MLA on the threshold of Piravom by-election a setback for party

All on a sudden Neyyattinkara MLA of the CPM, R.Selvaraj, tendered his resignation to the Speaker saying he has no surety that the party would give him support in the wake of an attack personally or on family basis.

He has clarified that groupism has not abated even after the conclusion of the party’s state conference.

He has a grouse that he was not given a seat at Parassala, which be believes is his pocketborough. Instead, he was asked to contest at Neyyattinkara which is traditionally a UDF bastion. Still he managed to win the seat, defeating Thampanoor Ravi of the Congress Party.

He feels he should have been complimented for the feat, instead he was taken to task for the defeat of the party nominee , Anavoor Nagappan, at Parassala.Moreover, he was removed from the area committee of the CPM at Parassala saying he was a member of the district committee.

He says he has called it quits on his own and was not persuaded by anyone. He would continue to be an ordinary party worker. He does not entertain any idea to join the UDF bandwagon.

All these points are relevant for him, or may not be relevant for the party. Whatever it is, the act of quitting the post of MLA just when the by-election at Piravom is being held on March 17 cannot add fervor to the campaign of the LDF. On the contrary, there is a setback on the campaign plank.

Resignation of CPM MLA on the threshold of Piravom by-election a setback for party

All on a sudden Neyyattinkara MLA of the CPM, R.Selvaraj, tendered his resignation to the Speaker saying he has no surety that the party would give him support in the wake of an attack personally or on family basis.

He has clarified that groupism has not abated even after the conclusion of the party’s state conference.

He has a grouse that he was not given a seat at Parassala, which be believes is his pocketborough. Instead, he was asked to contest at Neyyattinkara which is traditionally a UDF bastion. Still he managed to win the seat, defeating Thampanoor Ravi of the Congress Party.

He feels he should have been complimented for the feat, instead he was taken to task for the defeat of the party nominee , Anavoor Nagappan, at Parassala.Moreover, he was removed from the area committee of the CPM at Parassala saying he was a member of the district committee.

He says he has called it quits on his own and was not persuaded by anyone. He would continue to be an ordinary party worker. He does not entertain any idea to join the UDF bandwagon.

All these points are relevant for him, or may not be relevant for the party. Whatever it is, the act of quitting the post of MLA just when the by-election at Piravom is being held on March 17 cannot add fervor to the campaign of the LDF. On the contrary, there is a setback on the campaign plank.

Resignation of CPM MLA on the threshold of Piravom by-election a setback for party

All on a sudden Neyyattinkara MLA of the CPM, R.Selvaraj, tendered his resignation to the Speaker saying he has no surety that the party would give him support in the wake of an attack personally or on family basis.

He has clarified that groupism has not abated even after the conclusion of the party’s state conference.

He has a grouse that he was not given a seat at Parassala, which be believes is his pocketborough. Instead, he was asked to contest at Neyyattinkara which is traditionally a UDF bastion. Still he managed to win the seat, defeating Thampanoor Ravi of the Congress Party.

He feels he should have been complimented for the feat, instead he was taken to task for the defeat of the party nominee , Anavoor Nagappan, at Parassala.Moreover, he was removed from the area committee of the CPM at Parassala saying he was a member of the district committee.

He says he has called it quits on his own and was not persuaded by anyone. He would continue to be an ordinary party worker. He does not entertain any idea to join the UDF bandwagon.

All these points are relevant for him, or may not be relevant for the party. Whatever it is, the act of quitting the post of MLA just when the by-election at Piravom is being held on March 17 cannot add fervor to the campaign of the LDF. On the contrary, there is a setback on the campaign plank.

Resignation of CPM MLA on the threshold of Piravom by-election a setback for party

All on a sudden Neyyattinkara MLA of the CPM, R.Selvaraj, tendered his resignation to the Speaker saying he has no surety that the party would give him support in the wake of an attack personally or on family basis.

He has clarified that groupism has not abated even after the conclusion of the party’s state conference.

He has a grouse that he was not given a seat at Parassala, which be believes is his pocketborough. Instead, he was asked to contest at Neyyattinkara which is traditionally a UDF bastion. Still he managed to win the seat, defeating Thampanoor Ravi of the Congress Party.

He feels he should have been complimented for the feat, instead he was taken to task for the defeat of the party nominee , Anavoor Nagappan, at Parassala.Moreover, he was removed from the area committee of the CPM at Parassala saying he was a member of the district committee.

He says he has called it quits on his own and was not persuaded by anyone. He would continue to be an ordinary party worker. He does not entertain any idea to join the UDF bandwagon.

All these points are relevant for him, or may not be relevant for the party. Whatever it is, the act of quitting the post of MLA just when the by-election at Piravom is being held on March 17 cannot add fervor to the campaign of the LDF. On the contrary, there is a setback on the campaign plank.

Resignation of CPM MLA on the threshold of Piravom by-election a setback for party

All on a sudden Neyyattinkara MLA of the CPM, R.Selvaraj, tendered his resignation to the Speaker saying he has no surety that the party would give him support in the wake of an attack personally or on family basis.

He has clarified that groupism has not abated even after the conclusion of the party’s state conference.

He has a grouse that he was not given a seat at Parassala, which be believes is his pocketborough. Instead, he was asked to contest at Neyyattinkara which is traditionally a UDF bastion. Still he managed to win the seat, defeating Thampanoor Ravi of the Congress Party.

He feels he should have been complimented for the feat, instead he was taken to task for the defeat of the party nominee , Anavoor Nagappan, at Parassala.Moreover, he was removed from the area committee of the CPM at Parassala saying he was a member of the district committee.

He says he has called it quits on his own and was not persuaded by anyone. He would continue to be an ordinary party worker. He does not entertain any idea to join the UDF bandwagon.

All these points are relevant for him, or may not be relevant for the party. Whatever it is, the act of quitting the post of MLA just when the by-election at Piravom is being held on March 17 cannot add fervor to the campaign of the LDF. On the contrary, there is a setback on the campaign plank.

Resignation of CPM MLA on the threshold of Piravom by-election a setback for party

All on a sudden Neyyattinkara MLA of the CPM, R.Selvaraj, tendered his resignation to the Speaker saying he has no surety that the party would give him support in the wake of an attack personally or on family basis.

He has clarified that groupism has not abated even after the conclusion of the party’s state conference.

He has a grouse that he was not given a seat at Parassala, which be believes is his pocketborough. Instead, he was asked to contest at Neyyattinkara which is traditionally a UDF bastion. Still he managed to win the seat, defeating Thampanoor Ravi of the Congress Party.

He feels he should have been complimented for the feat, instead he was taken to task for the defeat of the party nominee , Anavoor Nagappan, at Parassala.Moreover, he was removed from the area committee of the CPM at Parassala saying he was a member of the district committee.

He says he has called it quits on his own and was not persuaded by anyone. He would continue to be an ordinary party worker. He does not entertain any idea to join the UDF bandwagon.

All these points are relevant for him, or may not be relevant for the party. Whatever it is, the act of quitting the post of MLA just when the by-election at Piravom is being held on March 17 cannot add fervor to the campaign of the LDF. On the contrary, there is a setback on the campaign plank.

Resignation of CPM MLA on the threshold of Piravom by-election a setback for party

All on a sudden Neyyattinkara MLA of the CPM, R.Selvaraj, tendered his resignation to the Speaker saying he has no surety that the party would give him support in the wake of an attack personally or on family basis.

He has clarified that groupism has not abated even after the conclusion of the party’s state conference.

He has a grouse that he was not given a seat at Parassala, which be believes is his pocketborough. Instead, he was asked to contest at Neyyattinkara which is traditionally a UDF bastion. Still he managed to win the seat, defeating Thampanoor Ravi of the Congress Party.

He feels he should have been complimented for the feat, instead he was taken to task for the defeat of the party nominee , Anavoor Nagappan, at Parassala.Moreover, he was removed from the area committee of the CPM at Parassala saying he was a member of the district committee.

He says he has called it quits on his own and was not persuaded by anyone. He would continue to be an ordinary party worker. He does not entertain any idea to join the UDF bandwagon.

All these points are relevant for him, or may not be relevant for the party. Whatever it is, the act of quitting the post of MLA just when the by-election at Piravom is being held on March 17 cannot add fervor to the campaign of the LDF. On the contrary, there is a setback on the campaign plank.