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

O J’s Corner
God is sold for a price
Satan quotes the bible more often than the evangelist, so goes the saying. Frauds thrive during kaliyug. Everything is out there for a price. Faith, salvation, healing, miracle all are offered for a price. In the bargain, fraudsters become millionaires overnight. They take advantage of the gullible, whose mounting problems, diseases, hardships and the like force them to grab any offer of a panacea.

Some people’s promise of the Lord showering a boon every time the mediator asks for it is simply unbelievable. Many healers profess and offer cure for any incurable malady. Naturally, people fall for it. Any kind word or deed showered on a hapless person is more valuable than millions of dollars offered in return for a cure.

The whole universe is the property of God Almighty. That super-power has the authority to do anything with the brahmandakadaaham. Why should that power receive a bribe from the mediator in the form of an offering?

Frauds are there in every religion. Hindu sanyasins are the best of the self-less. Likewise, the Christian, the Muslim and the Buddhist philosophies stand for the betterment of the human race. The black sheep among the leaders of these religions destroy the real philosophies.

The fraudsters are selling off the sanctified philosophies to fetch quick money. Numerous charities and institutions are springing up in the name of the worthy philosophies. These are times of the end of the world as revealed in various scriptures. False leaders would thrive during the times immediately before total destruction.

O J’s Corner

Worst Minister findings

It is, indeed, deplorable that television channels and certain newspapers are on the look-out for the worst functioning Minister in the V S Achuthanandan Ministry of Kerala. We have heard of Gallup polls, exit polls and surveys. But this exercise, not with the best of interests, is to say the least cruel. Subjective interests are injected into the data given out to the viewers/readers, almost nudging them to choose certain individuals. Some newspapers/channels are pro-UDF, a few others pro-LDF and a small number of them pro-BJP.

Why can’t they prepare a platform to adjudge all the team members of the ministry as hogwash. They could have pinpointed the faults on the captain of the team and released the findings.

No one can claim that V S Achuthanandan’s ministry has been functioning in a salubrious manner. People are ignored while political points are scored. CPM is at loggerheads with the CPM and certain other leftists. The fringe parties are put in a corner. There are high-voltage fulminations regarding the achievements. But the people are not the beneficiaries in general terms. After completion of three more years to take it to the full-term, this ministry would be the worst one the state has seen.

Intellectuals and analysts were tormenting the A K Antony Ministry and the Oommen Chandy Ministry earlier. Many of the nit-pickers are silent now. The umpires should be honest and fair. Foul play would only vitiate the atmosphere and give a handle to the misrulers.

I, for one, believe that Achuthanandan does not get the full support of the party. He has been chosen to contest the Assembly elections rather reluctantly, after heavy battering.He became the Chief Minister without the whole-hearted support of the party stalwarts in the state. He has, therefore, been going after the media for anything and everything. The media cannot be trusted for eternity. They are the greatest opportunists. Their lullabies and fanatical criticism arise not from total sincerity. They flow with the current and do not mind leaving their babies midstream.

V S Achuthanandan ministry, as a whole, does not have much to be jubilant about.

O J’s Corner

Man’s might puny before Nature’s fury

Man may have climbed heights of glory in the eyes of his brethren. His arrogance makes him and breaks him. One day the US might wax eloquent on destroying Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. The next day it may want to obliterate Iran. China may want to overawe the US. Since democracy is not the in-thing in China, and human resources are aplenty, it may ascend even greater heights. Materialists like the Chinese leaders care two hoots about spiritualists like the Dalai Lama. The curse of hundreds of thousands of Buddhists prevail. Like that in Myanmar, the military junta does not respect the Buddhists.

The Heavens and Nature would not stand the atrocities being committed on mankind. Man’s inhumanity to humanity was witnessed during the Holocaust. Afterwards, time to time, we witness worse persecutions. Nature will not allow cruelty being perpetrated eternally.

We have had worthy civilizations in the past. Materialistic developments were aplenty. Cultural accomplishments were perfect. But many civilizations vanished into thin air. Still spiritualism prevails.

Now-a-days man does not distinguish evil from good. Selfishness and extortion, one way or other, rules the roost.Unethical practices are aplenty. It does not require God Almighty to intervene. His creation, the Nature, is sufficient to unleash the fury of the elements. Man cannot escape the wrath of the vast expanse of Brahmandakadaaham.

Astronauts have not seen creatures of the other worlds. Still as time passes, the knowledgeable , the wise, come to the conclusion that there are other creations of God lurking somewhere in the Universe. These may be formless, shapeless or multi-dimensional.

St John’s Revelations from Patmos islands speak about societies, communities, armies, groups, Crobes, Seraphims, multi-eyed beings and the likes of Maudyanans, Maravasans, all creations of God.

The mighty scientists wait for a pleasant sky to launch their rockets, space shuttles etc. Man cannot stand one cyclone, tornado, earthquake, tsunami.

Amassing great wealth by foul means, to the detriment of fellow human beings, would not carry us anywhere. The rich may flourish for some time. Enjoyment would be ephemeral. I can see in my spiritual vision the travails and tribulations unleashed by Nature on those who have received incentives for eliminating subordinates. They will never be condoned by the elements.

O J’s Corner
Prime Minister aspirants too many

Can we afford too many aspirants for Prime Ministership of India? Perhaps some people get inspiration from the episodes under which Deve Gowda, I K Gujral and the like became Prime Ministers. Perhaps Jyoti Basu would have been a PM, had it not been a case of the historical blunder committed by his own party leaders. The party would not even think about a greater leader than E M S Namboodiripad !

Now the latest wishful thinker appears to be Sharad Pawar. His party has decided to probe all avenues to see him through as PM. Arjun Singh, wielding his walking stick, is creating ripples of all sorts, dropping names like Rahul Gandhi etc. Lalu Prasad Yadav would also try to mount the bigger gaddi. His whims have already been proved right for the common man. He says the railways have come out of the red and are thriving.
Nobody knows what happened to the safety fund comprising thousands of crores of rupees. He has mixed up this amount with the general budget of the railways and has the temerity to tell the people that he is a wizard on whom encomiums have been paid by Harvard.

I don’t think Dr Manmohan Singh, P Chidambaram, Montek Singh Ahluwalia and the like are not aware of the predicament. They are paying a price for cobbling together a coalition government.

Think about the Leftists, particularly the CPM leaders. They would not allow the coalition to move smoothly. When outfits are part of a coalition, rendering support either from within or without, they should take the responsibility for everything. They are forgetting the fundamental duties of the coalition partners.

Mayawati would not stop short of becoming the PM. Everyone is fulminating on price rise, inflation, nuclear issue and what not. They should, in fact, sit together and take measures that would alleviate the hardship of the common man.

O J’s Corner


Religious cheats and frauds

Only because the Interpol has alerted the authorities in India, could the fraudster Santhosh Madhav alias Swami Amrithachaitanya could be identified to have set up market in Cochin, it seems. Running a luxurious guest house, remaining real estate wizard and predicting the future of the all-powerful in filmdom. These are some of the known areas of the Godman. There may be deeper meanings to his intercourses. With powerful police people, politicians and priests supporting him, the Chaitanya would have been roaming around in all “sanctity”, if the Interpol had not stepped in. Where there is money and power, all the worthies make beeline to. That is the way of the world.And the people are gullible, credulous where religion and faith are concerned. The present-day world is steeped in religious perversities. In the garb of doing some social service like feeding the people, tending to the sick and helping others, certain unscrupulous elements take advantage. As there would be collections of people venerating them, politicians also revere them.

In the protestant church history of Kerala, there was an instance of our forefathers accepting as their leader an expelled bishop from Antioch. The moment the faithful saw him in bishop’s robes he was led to a majority of the protestant churches as the anointed one. Luckily, the fraud was detected later.

How many “religious” people are doing roaring business in masquerading acts? They are taking advantage of the really religious people. That some of them are doing “anti-national” activities is a cause for concern.

O J’s Corner

Do we have sufficient buffer stock?


A nation should be able to tide over the problem of shortage, provided it thinks about it in advance and builds up proper buffer stock. The prices of rice, wheat etc are soaring at the international level. With the price of crude oil poised to rise further, petroleum products would cost us dearly. This would have a cascading effect on commodity prices as well.

A thinking people, in other words a concerned government, should have acted prudently and created extra buffer stock of grain. There were international reports last year that production of grain was going down. India, it seems, had plans to import rice and wheat. The Leftists were against import from the United States. Then they should have argued for import from China. But China has been creating bumper buffer stocks. Now its National Development and Reform Commission has made it clear that there would be no problem of grain shortage as it has comfortable buffer stocks. The price of rice in the international market has risen to heights never seen before.Moreover, its grain production has also been on the rise.

It has a grain reserve at least 17 to 18 per cent more than what is required for consumption any time. The buffer stock quantity would be anything in the line of 150 million tonnes to 200 million tonnes.

India should also be able to provide figures about what it has as buffer stock. Markets should be scanned years in advance and stocks replenished. India, it seems, is entertaining pipe dreams about having good crops next time.

O J’s Corner

Inferiority complex

All parties seem to have got a reprieve as US President George Bush, in his inimitable style, blamed the rising prices of rice, wheat and the like for the prosperity of the middle class in India and China. Later, American officialdom did not mince words in blaming the increased consumption by the people of India and China for the hike in petroleum prices.

Indians apparently took it as an affront. It seems the whole of China ignored it. That country is seriously preparing for the Olympics. At the same time, it has been building nuclear arsenal on an increased momentum. A large number of nuclear submarines can be hidden in their newly dug-out joint. They don’t care a hoot about what the Americans say about better eating habits.

I think Indians are suffering from some sort of inferiority complex. Otherwise, why should they make so much tantrums about the observation of the US? India is a vast country. It has great potentialities. Since it is a democratic country, it cannot proceed with doing constructive activities so easily. Everything would be questioned by all and sundry in Assembles and Parliament. Nothing can be done without opposition. That is the beauty of democracy.

I consider the comment made by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about the observation of President Bush as reflecting high standards. There is no point in making comments on statements made by high dignitaries of foreign countries. Let us work for the prosperity of India. What would happen if the 1120-million people of India eat well? According to Bush only 350 million people forming the upper middle class eat well. Let us work for the betterment of all the 1120 million people, whatever other people may say.

O J’s Corner

Bad advice about unemployment dole

Film actor Mammootty was seen the other day on TV advising the government to stop issuing unemployment dole. The youth have vigour, vitality, adventure. Let them work and find gainful employment, so goes his advice. People sitting in ivory towers can go on dispensing pieces of advice. The state should endeavour to furnish employment to the youth. Why do we raise the age ceiling for securing employment? Because they don’t get a job at reasonable youthfulness. It is one thing to say that manual workers and menial employees cannot be found. It is also quite another thing to emphasise that the youth cannot sustain themselves or a family doing menial work. True, when they don’t find regular employment, there should be no hesitation in taking up whatever work that comes by. Do we have any industry of consequence in the manufacturing sector which offers good employment opportunities?

People say Kerala has no resources. Why can’t we convert the rich resources lying embedded in the coastal sand. The coastal sand is full of rare elements. Titanium dioxide is being used for ultra-modern gadgets. Instead of selling the sand, why not link up with some foreign companies with knowhow to manufacture items from our coastal sand which is rich in rare elements.

US President George Bush has spoken about 350 million middle class people in India consuming more now on account of economic growth. But no one highlights the plight of the rest of the population which lives below the poverty line. Povertyline is determined something like this in India. If one gets a monthly income of Rs 356.31 in rural India and Rs 538.61 in urban India, he is considered living above the poverty line. Planning Commission figures are Rs 356.30 and Rs 538.60 monthly income for rural people and urban people respectively to say they are living below the poverty line. At Rs 20 per kilogramme, how much rice can a family procure? Food Minister Divakaran had spoken about the need for people to eat meat, eggs and drink milk. N doubt he has understood this to be a foolish statement.

A lot of the powerful people thrive on black money earned through illegal means. Poor people have nothing. Many of the youth are also turning to illegal ways of finding income, like by selling arrack, extortion, burglary and the like. Things are not rosy.

O J’s Corner

No right to take away life

Man is the crown and glory of all creatures. Whether one believes in the biblical theory of creation or in evolution, there can be no two opinions that human beings are the best of the lot physically, mentally, intellectually and artistically. Can any human being give life to a dead person? Therefore, no human being has the right to snap out the life of another person.

No authority, no government, no institution can order execution of a human being. God forgives all fallible human beings. If he reckons the sins and crimes committed by each and every human being, there would have been only punishments. No human being would have been spared. The Creator knows that we are gullible.

Can someone sit in judgement and pronounce the death penalty for another human being? Many of the criminals are there in confinement because they have been caught. There are thousands of people who have committed wrongs and roaming around the society like sinless people only because they have not been caught.

I shudder at the thought of people being hanged, shot to death, electrocuted, given the lethal injection like that. Why can’t we spare them? Let them be segregated and allowed to live, if they are a menace to society. Why should we kill them? An aye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth theory does not hold good in the modern-day world. Human beings are frail. They cannot be wiped out.

This does not mean that all criminals should be let loose. There are ways of treating them for their crimes other than the death penalty.

Jesus Christ prayed for those who sent him to the Cross. There is no room for human beings to lead a life of hate, crime and ill-will.

O J’s Corner

Call to youth

These days the Communist Party of India (Marxist) leaders are speaking common sense. CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan has criticized trade union workers levying looking charges, without doing any work. His remarks have been welcomed by all. Wonders may not come about all on a sudden. The system may not cease forthwith. At least there is awareness that the workers have been behaving unruly. Kerala’s development has been in the doldrums mainly because of this problem. No sane industrialist would set foot in Kerala under the circumstances.

Now Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan, speaking at a May Day rally, has cautioned against the youth becoming lazy. They are after quick money selling liquor, legal or illegal. Youth are not happy about doing manual work. They want to earn money by crooked means.

An honest overview of the situation prevailing in the State would drive the point home that a lot of people, particularly the youth, are engaged in brewing and selling illicit liquor. Go to any place, countryside or cityside, there are joints aplenty selling the illicit brew. Youth carry arrack packets in pants pockets and undergarments and are selling them, earning a quick buck.

Also, almost all places in the state are porous and conducive for illegitimate activities. House-breaks and burglaries are the order of the day. Many of the youth are hands-in-glove with anti-social elements. This would not take them to a bright future. Personal achievements and professional glory, which could have been materialized otherwise, are being denied by themselves on account of their undesirable habits.

Things are not rosy for our youth. Role models are lacking. Wherever they go, they witness activities of vested interests. There should be an intellectual reawakening.

O J’s Corner

Essentials ditched,
trivia played up

These days when we tune in to channels and go through the print media, instances of trivia being played up are mounting at the cost of essentials being put in a corner.

I know the superficial items are an essential component of globalised world. Therefore, these can find a place in the channels and papers. But should these be given the importance as is being bestowed now? Mind you, this playing up is at the cost of marginalising the quintessential.

Harbhajan Singh slapping Sreesanth, Shilpa Shetty presenting her beau, Paris Hilton disfiguring the toilet walls are all blown out of proportion. I have no doubt these should be made known. But there is no justification for giving so much of space and time for the trivia. India’s achievement in sending 10 satellites at one go deserves better display.

Harbhajan and Sreesanth appear to be both hyper-sensitive. Their pranks should not be allowed to corner much of the space and time, even in a world where 24-hour channels and multi-edition papers are in competition to grab fresher and latest incidents.

We give so much space for globalisation and privatisation and liberalisation. That is fair enough. But we are not giving justice to the marginalised in an equal measure. Those countries which have capitalism and liberalised economy have fool-proof social security system to take care of the jobless, incomeless people. Do we have a comprehensive scheme like this, even as we have liberalised most of the sectors? We are ignoring the victims of liberalisation even as we allow economic giants to reap all the benefits. Even the leftists and the opponents of liberalisation do not highlight this aspect.

Every newspaper and channel should have a daily dose of instances of denial of social security measures to those who are already poor and are becoming poorer on account of these measures.

Liberalisation does not mean there should be a system by which all the benefits should go on mounting to the enterprises, leaving the hapless like that.

O J’s Corner

Rhetorics would not do on the supply side

The Government’s view that the price situation would be okay as there would be good monsoons, promising good crops, would not do good for the people reeling under price rise now. It is perfect optimism that should wire us with steely traps of will-power to face difficulties. But pragmatism demands that we should act here and now.

The Government of India, which is a mega entity among the comity of nations, should keep the supply side well-oiled, even at the cost of heavy losses for securing edible items for the people.

At least a year ago, world reports started showing signs of dearth of edible items like grain, wheat etc. There should have been long-term planning to insulate the country from grain shortage at any given situation. Wheat, rice and needed edible items of anticipated short supply should have been imported in bulk. True, the Left parties, on whose support the UPA Government of Dr Manmohan Singh survives, had objected to imports from the US. The Government should have convinced the Left of the impending danger embedded in the food crisis.

Globalisation and privatization had been given near-free ride assuming that the benefits of freeing the market would naturally flow to the economy and the people. We have seen that distributive justice is not an automatic result of opening up. Strong measures should be taken to carry the fruits of market profits to all echelons of the society. Ignoring the farming sector, which constitutes at least 60 per cent of the total human resources in India, has proved to be a bane for a healthy and prosperous country. Sensex indices may be roaring, Nifty points may be on the rise, but the common man’s bellies cannot be filled with stuff flourishing at Wall Street or Dalal Street.

What we should have ensured was to allow free market to function and to corner a fair share of profits amassed all on a sudden by booming enterprises for the welfare of the have-nots. Why do we have the number of billionaires rising rapidly? All on a sudden the markets were opened up, controls were removed, and they reaped skyrocketing benefits. That is fair enough. But the government should have made provisions to secure from them a fair share for undertaking welfare measures.

Why do the US, UK and other European countries have all-encompassing social security schemes? A single department takes care of the social security by providing ID numbers to the needy and the jobless, incomeless people. The department encourages them to find suitable employment. When we free the markets and allow firms to reap all the profits, the government should get back a fair share from them and this should be provided to the people with distributive justice.

O J’s Corner

Politicised curse

One cannot aspire for a divine rule in earthy lands, but the abominous politicised environs calls for consensus to be achieved by hooks or crooks for the development of Kerala. Otherwise, whatever is mooted by one political persuasion is questioned by the rivals and development gets thwarted. No one is willing to give credit to the rivals, even if beneficial projects are being implemented.

In a democratic society, politics cannot be given a go-by. Political involvement would help to solve many a problem, compared to the mechanical type of vetting and resolution of an issue by the bureaucrats.
There were many drawbacks to the people’s plan implemented in Kerala. But no one can deny the fact that a lot of innovative schemes were introduced as people’s representatives at the local level were involved. I don’t think officials at panchayat offices would have been able to craft and execute these schemes.

So there can be no two opinions that political involvement is a must. But politicians of all hues and persuasions should decide not to oppose beneficial schemes.

Kerala is lacking in essential raw-materials for big manufacturing sector. We don’t have coal, iron deposits. Perhaps we can think about supporting big budget schemes using coastal sand full of ilmenite, titanium and other rare elements.

But then there is no consensus among political parties. Why can’t we think about supporting companies manufacturing computer, electronics, nanotechlogy, biotechnology hardware? But then you cannot oppose the very thought of involving companies from developed nations.

There should not be ideological opposition to inviting firms to the state to manufacture devices that are products of hi-tech innovations. We don’t have companies based in Kerala manufacturing mobile phones, landline handsets, television sets, DVDs, computers, refrigerators, cars, two-wheelers and what not.

Politicians should delve deep into the situation that has come to being in Kerala where no big company is prepared to set up its manufacturing unit.
The root of the matter is deeply entrenched in opposition from all political sides to welcome manufacturing companies to set up shop here.

O J’s Corner

Kerala’s paradox

Kerala is poised to face the worst of the times when a food shortage would hit the country. Already it is short of grains and vegetables. The supplies from other states are dwindling as they also find it difficult to meet their commitments to their own people.

Actually there was a global warning by international agencies the previous year that food production the world over would hit the bottom due to environamental vagaries and climate conundrums.

In the beginning of this year the Manmohan Singh Government of India had planned to import large quantities of wheat from America. The Communist and left allies had taken cudgels against the UPA Government saying, it was a tactic for lifting unwanted wheat from the US at hefty prices to help the farmers of that country. Actually now we are witnessing a different scenario in America, Brazil etc where wheat and maize are converted into bio-fuel. Their production is well utilised one way or other to take care of their farmers. But the people of other countries would find it difficult to fill their tummies as wheat and maize are being converted into bio-fuel.

Let the Commies scratch their backs and get grains and food stuff from Communist countries if there are any pure genes available. Perhaps Cuba has the mind to help. But they don’t have enough to eat for themselves. Our leftists would like to have the stuff from China, but that country is only a namesake Communist regime. In certain respects they have gone over the standards of the copy-book capitalists. China is peculiar only for its lack of genuine democracy.

Let us come to the grain problem of Kerala. There is no easy way out. The Communists-led government now says it would supply rice through ration shops. But where are the supplies? Many states which can help Kerala are going to the polls this year itself. The ruling dispensations in those states are hankering after subsidized supplies to fetch votes from the poor people. Tamil Nadu is already supplying rice at Rs two a kilogramme. Andhra Pradesh has decided to provide rice at the same rate.

Kuttanad , the rice bowl of Kerala, has been inundated with flash floods caused by untimely summer showers. The farmers were frantically searching for harvesting machines, but then the trade unions of the Commies would not allow farmers to use harvesting machines. The farmers lost all their belongings. Ideology won, farmers lost. In course of time, the ideologues would also have to starve, for there won’t be rice coming from other states either.

O J’s Corner

Disorder everywhere


The world is in turmoil, more than ever before. We may think the world was worse in the past, during World War I, Hitler’s annihilation of the Jews, World War II and the like. I believe the situation is still worse. World War III does not take place only because the players and those itching to foment trouble know it for a fact that there would be nothing left on earth. Planet Earth itself would be wiped out, if the nuclear arsenals rip open their armoury of destruction.

This thought got doubly enforced when the world witnessed terrorists’ strike on the US on September 11, 2001 without sparking off a third world war. I believe world leaders have become wiser with the knowledge that no war can be won anymore.
The US is trying to keep up its supremacy sustainable. Russia shows flashes of might, judging by Putin’s ability to ward off US intention to expand NATO by roping in certain former Soviet Union states. China is intent on emerging as one of the superpowers. US is trying to keep India in its kitty, simply to strengthen its bulwark against the namesake Communist regime. Taiwan, Hong Kong, Tibet, and the like would keep China always engaged.

When nations are vying with each other to tone up their brute force, Nature is playing its cards with justifiable ingenuity. Global warming, natural calamities and famines churn the planet questioning its very survival. Infrastructure development is skyrocketing. Man-made structures would be a plaything for the elements when they are messed up. With all the achievements in space science and the efforts to colonise the galaxies, one has to take note of the fact that the rockets, satellites and space gadgets can be launched from earth only when the climate is conducive. Squalls, thunder showers and a minor fury of nature are sufficient to block lift-off. Things are not easy as science-fiction gazers imagine.

Kashmir, Palestine, Tibet and the like, coupled with Iraq, Iran and the forces arrayed against civilised world are enough to undermine man-made achievements.

O J’s Corner

Farmers urged to cultivate,
without providing for
crop losses


Urging farmers to undertake paddy cultivation intensively, without providing for crop loss security, is just like driving them to suicide. We have found that agricultural production has been sliding down. Therefore, the government and the state agencies have been coaxing and cajoling farmers to sowing and planting. The farmers genuinely believed they would reap rich dividends. Their hopes were not unfounded, for the paddy plants were flushed with grain. That is the story of Kuttanad and elsewhere in Kerala. But then the unseemly summer showers poured out. There were floods all around. The standing crops were inundated. The farmers have been clamouring for introducing harvesting machines for reaping the ripe paddy. The CPM workers union would not allow them to bring in harvesting machines. They claimed if the machines were allowed in, they would lose their work. They would not reap and they would not allow machines to take over. The whole crop was lost.

Now the clamour for compensation rose to the crescendo. The State government is telling the farmers that the paddy harvested would be procured by the government at Rs 10 per kilogramme. Everyone is offering the moon. But the farmers are at their wit’s end, for they do not know how they would be able to launch agricultural operations during the next season.

The State government is putting the onus on the Central government to pay full compensation. The clamour is for additional allotment under the Calamity Contingency Relief Fund. The Central government has devised certain norms for payment under this head. Also when the State government is yet to finish off the amounts in the head, the Union Government cannot sanction additional funds. Central teams come and go. They make recommendations. But no government can provide more when there is balance in the budgeted provision.

The process appears to be a vicious circle. The farmers’ lot is not that salubrious.

O J’s Corner

Good times for Kodiyeri


The quality of politics in Kerala is taking a curious turn with the elevation of State Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan as a member of the CPM politburo at its recently concluded Party Congress in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu.

Two senior contenders Paloli Mohamedkutty and M A Baby who belong to Muslim and
Christian minorities weres signaled to sit still.

It is quite clear from the choice of Kodiyeri by the central leadership of the party that the next Chief Minister of Kerala from the LDF side would be Kodiyeri, if it comes to bid adieu to the regime of V S Achuthanandan.

Kodiyeri has been playing his cards quite well by not distancing himself too far from CPM State Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan and not completely disowning Pinarayi’s bete noire V S Achuthanandan. The personal rife between Pinarayi and V S was so acute that the state administration had come to a grinding halt many a time, even though the party leaders would not admit it publicly.

V S has had his innings, as he could don the mantle of Chief Ministership, opportunities for which had fallen by the wayside on many occasions in the past. It would be beside the point to argue whether V S would complete his full term or not. But his successor has apparently been named, with the induction of Kodiyeri as a member of the PB, ignoring the seniority of many others.

It should be an eye-opener for Pinarayi as well. There cannot be an automatic walk-over for him post-VS times.

As for M A Baby and Paloli, they should very well come to terms with the fact that they are not suitable boys for the party beyond the realms they are occupying.

O J’s Corner

How long will the farce continue?

Sonia Gandhi has said elections would be held when these are due, Prakash Karat has expressed relief about it in spite of spiting Congress about its gravitating towards the US.
The intention is to see through a few months of budget passing and completing other constitutional procedures.

How long this farce of covering up an impending election will continue? The Congress-led UPA Government has decided to befriend the farmers by announcing loan-waiver scheme, appeased the Central Government employees with scaled-up pay, and goes the whole hog to be seen as a popular entity. It is yet to be seen how many of the farmers will be actually benefited from the loan-waiver sops. The Indian enigma has been skewed execution of welfare schemes, not dearth of devising projects. Bureaucratic bungling has seen to it nothing works as desired. And political will has often been lacking to spruce up the administration to the level of efficiency. P V Narasimha Rao-style procrastination (otherwise there would not have been demolition of Babri Masjid when he was the Prime Minister) has penetrated the minds of many of the political masters. Not many are prepared to take risks. Therefore, without the propensity to take risks, the situation refuses to be seen as challenging.

I believe, now the Congress Party, particularly its leader Sonia Gandhi, is keen to call the bluff of the CPM controlling the UPA dispensation from outside without taking responsibility for any decision of the gpvernment and go in for elections at the earliest.

But the latest worry is the increasing prices of essential commodities. By the time the Central Government employees receive more cash from the pay hike, inflation would hit the roof resulting in a worsening scenario of price rise. Anyway, the Union Cabinet appears to be seized of the matter and can be expected to initiate some measures to contain the deleterious impact.

The people cannot be fooled around for much longer regarding the election guest waiting outside our front –door.

O J’s Corner

Happiness level of the nation can be gauged from
the happiness level of the farmers

Finance Minister P. Chidambaram has told Parliament that he would find a way-out to help farmers who have availed of loans from private lenders. In fact, the most hapless farmers are those who have fallen prey to private financiers. In Kerala, these firms are known as “blade companies”. In other States, there would be similar nomenclatures. Blade is the instrument intended to kill the victim by cutting the vein. Such financiers dole out money with minimal or no collateral security. Title-deeds of lands would be cornered by them. In the end the property would fall into the hands of the financier. Take a cursory look of properties along the roadsides, there would be a lot of indicatory boards saying the property is hypothecated to such and such blade companies.

If Chidambaram finds a mechanism by which the farmers’ debts from blade companies or individuals can be arranged to be paid off, it would really be a boon for the ryots. Let the announcement be not a publicity gimmick. He has referred to an existing scheme by which the farmers can take loan from the banks to pay off the private financiers. But the scheme has not been even marginally successful. It is estimated that 1.05 crore farmers have taken loans from private financiers. Of this, only 36,000 farmers have been successful in taking loans from banks to pay off blade companies. Chidambaram says his intention is to simplify the process and make it efficacious. Fair enough, let us hope the farmers would be benefited.

But I can vouchsafe it for a fact that it is not easy for an average farmer to secure such loans because of inherent flaws. The attitude of the bank employees should assume a sea-change. It was not long ago that a small account holder had to wait for a long time at the bank counter to get his cheque paid. That is, the amount which is a deposit in the bank. Now thousands of ATMs have sprung up in all nooks and crannies. The bankmen’s haughty behaviour has given place to orderly dispensation of currency notes by the ATMs. This is not to say that all bankmen have mind-blocks to help customers. They have their own problems. I served The Indian Express/The New Indian Express from 1984 to 2004, in Kerala, New Delhi and Mumbai, in various echelons of being a reporter, ending as Special Correspondent. While I was in Thrissur in 1989, an SBI bank officer had chanced to visit me at the office-cum-residence where there was no television set. Even as I was not appreciative of taking a loan because of the rigmarole involved, he took the initiative and arranged a television set with a loan from the bank within a single day! That means things are possible and there are helpful bankmen.

Our farmers do not know the nitty-gritty of farm loans. They can be helped by grassroots- level political workers, social workers, NGOs and even bank employees associations. The bankmen know it for a fact that the assistance being given to farmers are a pittance compared to thousands of crores of rupees cornered by powerful individuals and firms. A lot of the money would be written off as non-performing assets. So why not help the farmers? This one-time debt-waiver will not be perennially helpful for the farmers. Loans at nominal rates of interest, remunerative price for their produce, crop insurance, proper facilities for marketing etc.

It is not clear whether the loans of dairy farmers and fishermen would be written off. There is persistent demand for broadbasing the acreage of farmers whose debts are being cleared. We know that happiness level of the country can be gauged by the happiness level of the farmers, who form more than 60 per cent of the population.

Is there no one to take care of Dr Subhadramma?

One should be flabbergasted at the plight of Dr Subhadramma, 80, which was portrayed by K. Deepa, reporter of Mathrubhumi Malayalam daily, in connection with the International Women’s Day on March 8. A life-time of study and research gone waste for her? Unmarried and old-aged, there is no one to look after her. Even her pension dues have not been properly paid.

Several doctorate degrees-holder, polyglot, and the epitome of women’s education, Dr Subhadramma was found lying coiled in a corner of Thampanoor Railway Station in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, as no one was prepared to rent out a room to her.

She was one of the few women who earned her doctorate degree from the University of Kerala in earlier times. It seems she had ancestral properties at Karamana and Thiruvananthapuram worth a fortune. But the properties were all lost or cornered by interested people.

Now she does not have to beg for her food as she earns a monthly pension of Rs 5,600 for her having been a primary school teacher. Arrears of pension and other benefits remain unpaid. She does not have a roof to sleep under. Daughter of Vidwan K.Kesava Pillai and Ponnamma Pillai, who were teachers, Subhadra had chosen to pursue a career of learning and teaching. Sshe became a Hindi Vidushi by the age of 18 years. She started her career as Hindi teacher at Karamana middle school, continued her studies. She taught at high schools at Nedumangad, Attingal and Malayinkeezh. When she started teaching at Cotton Hill School, she again pursued higher education and reseach. She took her doctorate in Hindi from University of Kerala in 1962 and D.Litt in 1968. Later she got doctorate degree in Malayalam. She pursued her studies in English and took MA in English. She followed it up by taking doctorate in English. She got diploma in Kannada, Tamil and Sanskrit. She became life-time member in Linguistics Society of India, Lexicographical Society and Dravidian Linguistics Society. Lecturer in Thrissur R V Puram Training College, R V Puram Engineering College, Govt Hindi Training Institute, Attoor N V K S High School principal, B.Ed College principal, the list of her vocations goes on like this.

After retirement she pursued further research. But on her return to her native place, she found that all the properties were alienated. She stayed at the Adhyapaka Bhavan at Petta for a few days. Afterwards she stayed alone at a house. But now no one is prepared to rent out a room to her.

One should have awe of her for her accomplishments in the field of education. Would we give her a Padma award for serving the country in different capacities? Now we have thrown her out to the streets.--OJ

Kerala seeks Rs 8000 crore debt-waiver benefit


Kerala has apprised the Central Government of its claim of about Rs 8000 crore from the Rs 60,000 crore-debt-waiver scheme announced by Union Finance Minister P.Chidambaram.

The amount pertains to loans availed of by farmers from commercial banks, co-operative institutions and rural banks alone.

If the loans benefited by farmers from private financiers are reckoned, the amount would further go up. Also, nothing is heard further about the announcement made by Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar that loans taken by fishermen and dairy farmers would also be written off.

The co-operative sector alone accounts for Rs 2,970 crore of the loans taken by farmers which should be compensated by the Centre as per the latest bonanza.

The State government received the letter seeking the details of the loan amounts on March 10. It was mentioned that the details should be furnished by March 14.

Therefore a high-level meeting was convened on Friday to take stock of the situation and furnish the reply. Short-term loans from the co-operative sector amounted to Rs 2,710 crore and long-term loans Rs 260 crore. Rural banks had extended loans amounting to Rs 586 crore and agricultural development bank Rs 212 crore in this category. It is estimated that the loans given away by the commercial banks in the state would be between Rs 3,500 crore and Rs 4,000 crore. The details in this regard should be submitted to the Central Government by the Reserve Bank of India.

The State government has sought to extend the benefits to agricultural workers, farmers who have paid up the loans as also those who got the loans rescheduled…O J

Women’s power through responsible tourism at Kumarakom

Responsible tourism is taking over Kumarakom, a tourists’ paradise just 14 kms from Kottayam in Kerala. Remember, the-then Prime Minister A.B.Vajpayee had a few days’ rest and relaxation at Kumarakom. He had prepared his Kumarakom Musings during this cooling-off period.

One way, women power is taking over Kumarakom, flanking the Vembanad lake,
criss-crossed by house-boats, and bestowed with the nature’s bounty in the form of the birds’ sanctuary and the serenity of stretches of paddy fields.

Women’s participation got ensured as responsible tourism was launched under the aegis of Kudumbashree Mission. In Kumarakom, nearly 750 women have come forward to offer their services. The hotels in Kumarakom would serve tourists with the items supplied by these women, in the first instance. Vegetables, fish, milk, meat, eggs, and rice would be supplied to the hotels by these enterprising women. Fifteen hotels have entered into an agreement with the women’s groups.

The panchayat has found fields for the women to undertake cultivation of vegetable items.Dairy units are also being set up. There would be 32 units with two cows each in one unit. They have been given training as well. Water melons, cabbage, beet-root, carrot and such other items would be fetched from the Kudumbashree units in Idukki district.

Tourists would be taken for sight-seeing to the sites where vegetables are grown and cows are raised.

Later, an open market for sale of produce from the Kudumbashree units would be set up.

Kovalam and Thekkady are also finding a place in the coverage of responsible tourism.

An international team is visiting Kumarakom to take stock of the responsible tourism project. Such projects have been successfully undertaken in South Africa, Spain and Newzealand, with the difference that the efforts there have been private ventures.—O J

Sophistication par excellence for a decade

Sonia Gandhi, the Indian daughter-in-law from Italy, has completed a decade as president of the Congress Party founded by Allen Octavian Hume. A plethora of personalities have been catapulted to this post, many of them performing excellently well and a few on account of political expediency. Few of them could complete a term of ten years.

Whatever the political opposition and envious criticism from several quarters in the country, Sonia Gandhi who rose to power politics thanks to being the widow of Rajiv Gandhi, the modern architect of developing India, who went through the poignancy of the assassination of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, has presented her poise to the world at large.

Would someone else have been more successful as Congress president during this period? It is difficult to find an answer. I believe she would have become the Prime Minister of the country, had there not been certain clarifications from those who matter for facilitating the coronation, in spite of the threat of Sushma Swaraj to walk around with her head shaven.

History has its own ways of carving out niches. Dr Manmohan Singh found the slot purely out of the sleight of hand of time, which is the epoch-maker. Then we speak about two power centres, one controlled by Sonia Gandhi and the other by Dr Manmohan Singh. Times have proved that there is nothing like that. There is only one power centre and that rests with Sonia Gandhi. She seems to listen to others quite a bit. But undoubtedly she is the last word. It has its pitfalls too. When things go wrong, there cannot be an alibi. The bandwagon of a coalition buffeted by pulls and pressures from different directions requires careful balancing of the reins. That is what Dr Manmohan Sing is doing. Sonia would either justify Dr Manmohan Singh even if he speaks differently from what she had in mind. Or Dr Manmohan Singh would maintain a discreet silence. Both ways, Sonia ensured to project an image that there was no divergence of views. However, powerful second-rung leadership at State levels is lacking. Therefore fire-power at the regional level is missing.

Sonia-Manmohan Singh sophistication may not fetch votes. In fact, the Congress has conceded defeat in a few State elections. Surely, the country would witness her contributions in the years to come…O J

O J’s Corner

Tolerance please!

Let us praise ourselves for India, that is Bharat, which is a functional democracy. Let us not lose this glorious position by acts of sheer intolerance. Many of our neighbours cannot boast of a political system that allows free expression of views. We have been endowed with showers of blessings for full-throated praisings or denouncements of particular views.

Let there be no choking of political expressions by muscle power. Kannur district in Kerala has been the brewing ground of political violence for a long time now. For some time, things were seemingly calm. But of late, the situation has gone haywire. Political murders and attacks have overtaken exhibition of commonsense. Seven murders within a span of a week speak ill of a healthy society.

Whatever it be, there is no justification for attacking A K G Bhavan, the CPM headquarters in New Delhi. Mind you, a large number of national CPM leaders were present at AKG Bhavan when the attack took place. A few central committee members were injured.The window-panes of the office were broken and a few cars parked outside were damaged.

Whatever the provocation, no one should attack the office of a rival party. For, attacks and counter-attacks will not solve any problem. These will only aggravate volatile situation. The attack on a political party office is akin to challenging the democratic values of a country. In fact, political leaders are responsible for nurturing tranquillity and democratic values among the people.

In a democracy, there would be divergence of views among various polities. There can be no opposition to free ride of political expressions. Policies and programmes differ. But divergent views should only add to the welfare of the people at large. People should not be treated as enemies. No political party should treat opponents as enemies. Ideologies should find expression in only propagation. These should not be imposed on anyone by force. Blood-bath will not bring in peace. Politics of elimination will ruin democracy. Political leaders are functioning freely only because democracy prevails in the country.

Ill-will, hatred and contempt will vitiate the atmosphere. Life lost cannot be retrieved. Families whose members have been murdered cannot be consoled by any means. These murders cannot be treated as political sacrifice. Who will gain, if a few people are done to death? Ordinary people get felled in political elimination.

Also, the fear-psychosis should be removed. A situation should come about where people can freely mix and mingle together. The air of suspicion should go. Let peace prevail everywhere.

Nature striking back; tinkering with the environment turning deadly


We cannot have a day without getting reports of nature’s fury being unleashed on earth for our attacking Nature, that is in one way, the Brahman.

As a microcosm of the retaliation of Mother Earth for plundering it, today’s reports from Dubai, in the Gulf, and Nattakom, a village in Kottayam district of Kerala, would underscore the churning process going on in the Mighty Being, that is Nature.

Smog permeated the atmosphere of Dubai and vehicles speeding away collided against each other on Dubai-Abu Dhabi highway. The chain of collisions immobilised about 200 vehicles, mostly, cars. Many of the vehicles were engulfed in the fire that broke out. There were deaths in the ghastly accident. Thick mist and cold conditions prevented the authorities from taking immediate relief measures.

The same day a report appeared about a sheet of ice falling from the sky in the court-yard of a house in Nattakom village in Kottayam district of Kerala. It was the intervention of providence that the ice sheet did not fall on the inmates of the house. On hearing about the incident, a large number of people visited the place.

Why do such instances occur? Irregular rains, intolerable drought, water scarcity, environmental degradation, all are man-made. We have no qualms about it.

Times are quite near, when everything would be beyond our control. –O J

Luxury cruise liners come calling:
Tourists should be taken to Goa
By high-speed railway line

With luxury cruise liners arrayed one by one at Cochin port over a period of time now, it should be an eye-opener for the authorities to provide connectivity to the passengers coming from various countries to places such as Mangalore and Goa through the high-speed rail corridor on the western coast.

Usually passenger cruise liners berth at the port for a day or two. There are many international passengers who would like to have a glimpse of Goa and other places. It should be possible for them to undertake high-speed rail journey from Kochi to Goa or Mangalore and come back the same day after sight-seeing.

Cochin Port has become the synosure of luxury cruise liners. The other day Cruise Vessel MV Aurora called at Cochin Port with 1,750 tourists and 900 crew members on board. Another cruise vessel Queen Victoria would also be berthing at Cochin Port soon. It would have 2,500 tourists.

In recent times, passenger liners Minerva, Queen Elizabeth II, Legend of Seas, Song of Flower, Renaissance VII, Renaissance VIII, Rotterdam VI, Island Princess, Arkona, Sea Goddess, Maxim Gorky, Vislamor, Crystal Symphony, Europa, Silver Cloud, Marco Polo, Royal Star, Star Flyer, Clilia II, Oriana and others have called at the port.

We cannot reverse the clock of adventure, tourism and developments any more. The potential for exploiting tourism is immense. Only thing is we should provide facilities for the tourists to undertake a quick connecting journey to places of interest such as Goa and Mangalore through the high-speed railway system. It would not be possible for the cruise liners to call at all the ports. Cochin is the ideal port for this purpose. Tourists should be taken to other places by high-speed railway system.--OJ

Hillary-Obama team would be potential

The US Presidential election scenario is offering unprecedented potentiality. In its 230-year history, a Black American representative and a woman are vying with each other for the Democratic Party candidacy for contesting the 2008 Presidential elections. I, for one, feel ill at ease about the two challenging each other. Both are unique individuals. But in the next so many years, one cannot think of an all-embracing woman to seek the candidature. Now is the time for Hillary Clinton to be elevated on centre-stage. The world’s most powerful nation should have a woman at the helm of affairs at least for once. Why not Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama make up and clinch a deal to be together in ruling the country? Say, for instance, Obama accept Vice-Presidentship and allow Hillary to run for the race.

Now Obama has secured slight edge over Hillary in the primaries upto the Mississippi primaries. But this need not be so after the Pennsylvania primaries. Now Obama has 1,596 delegates against Hillary Clinton’s 1,484 delegates. Each one requires the support of 2,025 delegates to win the nomination at the party’s national convention to be held in Denver in August. But no one can muster this much of support.

In that scenario, the importance of about 800 elected officials and party leaders who attend the national convention as unelected super-delegates goes up.

In the end, it would be beneficial if the two make up and contest together.--OJ

O J’s Corner

Farmers need more help;
but why are we cribbing
about Rs 60,000-crore dole?

All right, the farmers would be better off if we provide them adequate loans at, say four per cent interest. If there is crop failure owing to various reasons, his loan should be rescheduled. There should be a permanent price support system.Crop insurance is a must. Lack of adequate water or irrigation facilities, poor infrastructure, inadequate storage facilities, non-remunerative prices are all adding to his woes.

Do all these factors add up to our challenging the Rs 60,000 loan-waiver farm package announced by the Central Government?
In fact, we should stop grumbling and start taking measures to somehow fetch the money and hand it over to the farmers concerned. It is a budget announcement. We can legitimately claim the amount. The State governments, numerous agencies working in the government and non-government sectors functioning in the society should assist the farmers in all ways to secure the benefit. A majority of the farmers may not be able to comprehend the terms and conditions being preferred by banks which had extended farm loan facility. Social activists, the bank employees, agricultural officers, and others concerned with farm operations one way or other should see to it that the poor farmers are the actual beneficiaries. Bureaucratic bungling is there in all spheres. But that should not be allowed to smother the farmers’ rights.

The loan-waiver is applicable to small and marginal farmers to whom advances were made by scheduled commercial banks, regional rural banks and co-operative credit institutions. Agricultural loans disbursed up to March 31, 2007 having outstanding dues as on December 31, 2007 are covered by the waiver scheme.

Those having one to two hectares of land are considered small farmers and those having less than one hectare as marginal farmers. Others who pay up 75 per cent of all outstanding dues on farm loans get a 25 per cent rebate. Three crore small and marginal farmers are expected to get the benefit amounting to Rs 50,000 crore. One crore others would get rebate totaling Rs 10,000 crore.

This mother- of- all loan- waiver packages will have only limited impact on commercial banks, it has been reported. At the end of March 07, the outstanding loan repayments in commercial banks was only Rs 7,3367 crore. In co-operative and regional rural banks, the outstanding dues amounted to Rs 49,000 crore. The entire amount is being wiped out. Earlier, it was expected that the banks and co-operative institutions would be compensated by the government with a mix of cash and bonds. Now it has been made clear that the government would provide cash. Actually, the non-performing assets (NPAs) in the agricultural wing of the banks could be re-written as profits.

One allegation raised against the farmers from ivory towers is that the loan-waiver would make the farmers lazy.Those who find fault with blanket wiping out of the loans should remember that over a period of years, banks of written off lakhs of crores of NPAs in other sectors. Those who have got off with the booty are all influential customers of the banks. In majority of the cases, the banks were not able to move against the defaulters. Considering the largesse extended to other sectors, the present dole given to farmers is peanuts for a grandiose economy like that of the Republic of India.

We should build on this foundation of the government’s gesture to the farming community and extend facilities for permanent settlement of their grievances.

All leads converge on early elections


Like multiple war-heads zooming past all odds to hit a single target, the UPA Government has been announcing measures and working for the happenstance of early elections. Chidambaram’s farmer-friendly budget proposals, Congress Party’s insistence on going ahead with the nuclear deal with the US Government, the coming pay commission recommendations for Central Government employees, Lalu Prasad Yadav’s railway budget with no increase in passenger fares and freight charges all drive the point home that elections are round the corner.

Immediately after Chidambaram presented his budget, the BJP, CPI, CPM and others from the left and right dispensations sensed the Sword of Damocles of an election hanging over everyone’s head. It seems everyone wanted completion of the normal term, but circumstances have slipped beyond the control of the Congress Party, particularly on account of the insistence of the Bush Administration to complete the nuclear agreement soon.

The normal tenure of Dr Manmohan Singh’s Government would end in May 2009. He assumed charge as Prime Minister on May 22, 2004 after Sonia Gandhi sacrificed the people’s mandate she got for the post.

Congress sees many plus points to hold the elections a little prematurely. Reports indicate that BJP’s band of overseas supporters, particularly in the US, are not happy with the party opposing the India-America nuclear deal. The Left’s intransigence on the nuclear deal could be transformed into an advantage for the Congress, if the assessment of its leaders are reckoned. Ultimately, where the leads are poised to can be only a distant guess.

No one can possibly oppose the largesse conferred on the farming fraternity, particularly the Rs 60,000-crore loan-waiver. It is no permanent solution. But even a temporary relief cannot be opposed.

Regarding the nuclear deal, Richard Boucher has clarified that the Hyde Act is incumbent upon the US and may go hand in hand with the 123 agreement. Earlier, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee had made it clear that 123 agreement was what binds India and the US regarding the deal. The left’s objection is to India gravitating towards the US in strategic military relations.

India is going ahead with finalisation of an agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency. It seems there is no reneging on the deal. The left will have to withdraw support as it has no choice. And lo, the country is on its way to an advanced election….OJ