Don’t dismiss Mani-Joseph merger as a very simple affair

As the Kerala Congress factions led by K.M.Mani and P.J.Joseph seal their merger with a public meeting at Thirunakkara Maidan at Kottayam on Tuesday, present-day analysts are prone to dismiss the affair as simple and innocuous.

Those who have watched the political developments close to the formation of Kerala Congress know it for a fact that the union of the two factions now could generate a lot of interests that would engender politics to take twists and turns.

The Congress Party in Kerala has definitely been shattered on account of the fact that the new dispensation would have to be provided with more seats.
There are reports about the CPM making overtures to K.R.Gowri Amma of the JSS which is in the UDF.

Gowri Amma was once a tall leader of the CPM, but she had to leave that party out of frustration.

Now after long years of separation, is it possible for her to reunite with the CPM? All the same, Gowri Amma has hurt feelings in the UDF that certain elements in the Congress Party had worked against her election to the Assembly last time.

No doubt, one way or other, Mani-Joseph merger would cause an upheaval in many realms.

If anyone thought the PM should overshoot, it has been proved wrong
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has spoken to the Press for the first time in four years in Delhi.

He has not made any overbearing announcement than reiterating whatever has been going on these days, be it Indo-Pak relations, Indo-US relations, conduct of his Cabinet colleagues, his ambience with the Congress president, corruption and what not.

Perhaps if it were someone else flamboyant, there would have been a bevy of announcements on which the media would be whetting and whining. There is no harm in pursuing that line. But Manmohan Singh is a different person altogether.

Even about the legacy he would like to leave, he said he was not bothered about it, let future historians record the fact. He did not even say that he would like to be an economic wizard who kept Indian economy rather well when even developed countries floundered.

The media were keen to dish out something from him regarding some sort of divergence of views between him and the Congress president on various issues.

True, he has kept himself aloof from contentious issues like the way increasing level of attacks by Maoists is being handled, whether broader mandate is needed as clamoured for by Home Minister P.Chidambaram, or about the alleged corruption involving Communications Minister A.Raja of the DMK.

Take for example, he did not care to directly defend Raja, he only revealed the assertion of Raja as 2G auctions were held as per a policy that was relevant then. Also, the CBI has been pursuing the issue.

On the whole, no doubt, Dr Manmohan Singh does not want to dominate anyone, he only wants to keep his government workable in the given circumstances of leading a coalition omnibus, guided by a party which is bigger than his assignment.

Air disaster visits India again; 160 lives lost in a split second

After a long time, a passenger plane has crashed in the country, at the Mangalore airport, of whom about 50 persons are apparently from Kerala.

Mangalore airport is quite convenient for people of the Malabar areas in Kerala. A lot of them are working in the Gulf countries. And this Air India Express flight has been coming to Mangalore airport from Dubai.

Quite miraculously eight of the passengers could jump out from the jaws of death to the living world as they got a toe-hold in the form of a gape on the burning aircraft after it split.

They could be the luckiest people on Earth, for all those who were around them in the aircraft, at arms length, had all perished.

The Serbian origin commander of the aircraft had ample flying hours of experience with him. The co-pilot was an Indian. And so there could be no communication gap on account of the language problem.

Initial reports speak about the aircraft having overshot the runway on account of a dislocated landing.

The aircraft might have touched down farther than the spot it should have landed. Escaped passengers have recounted over television channels that the pilot had applied brakes several times, but the aircraft hit building structure, caught fire and fell into the ravine nearby.

Life for all these people were a slip between the cup and the lip. They have flown all the way from Dubai and reached Mangalore, but they could not have the blessing of a safe landing. They have paid dearly for their lives for no fault of theirs.
Can we make our flights fool-proof and save the lives of the passengers?

Skin-deep analysis is going on about Mani-Joseph merger;
There is something more to it than meets the eye

Jerk-kneed reactions are outpouring in the political and analytical arena about the merger of K.M.Mani and P.J.Joseph factions of the Kerala Congress. Things are apparently moving smoothly in the merger process as far as both the factions are concerned. For others, this would appear to be ludicrous, suicidal and destructive of the front politics.

No doubt, Mani has been waiting in the wings to see a strengthened Kerala Congress. He was prepared to have a broad bandwagon with R.Balakrishna Pillai and T.M.Jacob as well, in addition to the already immersed P.C.George faction. Balakrishna Pillai and Jacob are keeping off the bandwagon for the simple reason that they may not get equal positions in the united entity.

Reactions of bravado have been pouring in even to the effect that the united Mani-Joseph entity should be dropped from the UDF. This is something easier said than done. In politics, any strong entity need not be afraid of launching themselves into new experiments. For sky is the limit for spoils of office. One-party rule is a thing of the past even at the national level.

No doubt, Congress and other partners would come to properly understand the significance of the merger. Brave Mani would not jump into unfathomable depths; comparatively new faces in politics may take time to imbibe the consequences of the latest developments.

Classic example of media treatment, now the deified Dhoni is the whipping boy

Media treamtment is like this. One will be extolled beyond his accomplishments and almost deified.

Dhoni and company were simply made gods. Now when they have been thrown out of the Twenty20 world cup, nobody is there to sympathise with the literally tired team,skipper particularly.

An agency has published a story purportedly dictated to the scribe by a former player-anonymous, of course.

Partying, wine, willing women, drugs and what not are available in plenty in IPL bonanza. No doubt, not an iota of energy would be left out of the players.
And you want them to bring cricket laurels from abroad!!!

Perhaps Dhoni might have blurted out some plain truths. No doubt, he cannot be justified, for he had the powers to rein in the flawed characters in his team.

But he had not lifted his small finger against the queuing up of actresses at the pleasure of the players of the bat and the ball.

I, for one, often thought about the unrealistic hype given by the media about the space achievements of the country. Some of the scribes have even gained the nickname, science fiction writer.

The reports go like we will be colonosing the Moon on whose deep craters are some embedded ice particles, churning which our water needs there would be met.

The oxygen would be separated from the water molecule ( H2O) for human survival on Moon!!! Or something like that.Some hundreds of tonnes of ice specks would yield half a litre of water!!!

And here on Earth we wait for the Gods to provide salubrious climate for sending out our rockets. If the atmosphere is cloudy and windy, the programme would be postponed.

After sending one rocket into space, the media would go on claiming that within a few years an Indian would land on the Moon, then we would use Moon as a transit point for space odyssey to Mars and what not.Kalam had not predicted the timeframe.

These days nothing is being heard about our rocket programmes after the failure of the cryogenic engine rocket.

Thank God, the media have not yet started kicking the scientists.

Scientific programmes have to be ironed out after careful completion of hundreds of successful repetitions. But we are in glee at once, and then vituperative at the next moment.

Jairam Ramesh has spoiled himself, no one can save him

The environment is definitely hostile for our know-all Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh. For him the fall would be too much.

Predictably, the Opposition has been clamouring for his scalp. The Congress Party cannot save him. Maybe, he thought he could have his way because of his proximity to the Gandhi family. This time, nothing is going to help him.

Even a school boy would not utter words like the ones he splashed around in a cavalier manner in China. Jairam Ramesh has been too much involved in climate change projects and anxiously rigid with ideas, some of which were unworkable in his capacity as a minister.

What is the great idea now about his pacifying letters drafted to the Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi and meeting Home Minister P.Chidambaram?

The deed is done and he has to bear the consequences. Thinking about informed persons like Jairam Ramesh and Shashi Tharoor, one would wonder what happened to these fellows when ministership came by their way.

Could it be suicidal for the UDF, minus Mani and Joseph, in a three-cornered Assembly elections?

By O.J.George

Kottayam: The Left, particularly the CPM, has reasons to cheer about in West Bengal and Kerala, at least for the time being. It is not because of the good works done by the respective ruling fronts in both the states, headed by the CPM. The golden opportunity has come to it because of the bickering in the rival fronts in both the states headed by the Congress Party.

In West Bengal, Trinamul Congress leader Mamata Banerjee is on a hell-bent rush to dethrone the CPM-led front government. She would like to take the credit solely for herself rather than sharing it with the Congress Party. Definitely, she has made inroads into the pocketboroughs of the CPM held in a vice grip all these three decades of time. The grip is loosening. No, the party has lost its grip with the people on a large scale, may be due to incidents like Nandigram and others. Global publicity through increasing number of television channels has also gone against the CPM-led front there.

Mamata Banerjee is not prepared to give even a little credit to Sonia Gandhi-led Congress Party in whose government at the Centre she is a Cabinet minister. In the election to the local bodies, she has conceded a few seats to the Congress which feels that these were simply unwinnable. The Congress retaliated by affirming it would go alone in the ensuing municipal elections. The writing on the wall is clear, the Congress-Trinamul bonhomie is over. The near-drubbed CPM would naturally gain from the rift in the rival camp.

In Kerala, the Left, particularly, the faction-ridden CPM, can definitely feel happy about the public bashing by the Congress and the Kerala Congress c(M). Kerala Congress(M) supremo K.M.Mani has been publicly criticised by various senior leaders of the Congress Party as well as junior functionaries at the district and local levels over the merger of the P.J.Joseph faction, which was with the LDF till the other day, with the Mani faction.

Since the differences have trickled down to the grassroots level, there Is no point in making efforts to bring about a patch-up. Muslim League leader P.K.Kunjalikutty, who had taken the initiative on his own to solve the problem, has given up his effort.

The Catholic Church, to which Mani and Joseph belong, is keeping guarded silence over the developments, for it cannot publicly vouchsafe for sealing the merger of the Mani and Joseph factions.

But everyone, even those who outwardly deny such interventions, know it for a fact that the church or some of its leaders have blessed the political matrimony.
The Congress-led UDF is not in a position to convene a meeting of the leaders of its front. Things have gone further down the patch-up level, for Mani has made it clear there is no going back for him as far as the merger issue concerned. He has urged his followers to muster strength on a greater level, affirming when strength is earned, seats would come round automatically.

Congress is willing to part with only the number of seats allotted to the Mani faction as usual even if P.J.Joseph group is drafted into the Mani faction. Mani and Joseph know it for a fact that even if they contest elections alone, they would get substantially more than this number of seven or so offered by the Congress. Splinter Kerala Congress groups led by R.Balakrishna Pillai and T.M.Jacob may say Mani’s move is suicidal, for their parochial gains.

Could it be suicidal for the UDF minus Mani and Joseph in the ensuing three-cornered Assembly elections?

Do we smell the emergence of a third front in Kerala during ensuing Assembly elections?

It may be far fetched, but politics in Kerala may be in for some change. One cannot say it with certainty, but the rumblings between Congress Party leaders and Kerala Congress (Mani) group may go out of hand in course of time.

The outbursts by the Congress leaders, particularly those of the second and third rung leaders may have irked Mani to his tether’s end.

The stiffness of Mani could definitely be a body language akin to intolerance against the Congress for whipping up an unnecessary controversy over the merger of Mani and P.J.Joseph factions of the Kerala Congress factions.

The Congress Party may have been flabbergasted by the sudden announcement of the merger.

Leaders of the Congress Party may have been sitting pretty happily over the portends of their snatching power so easily in the ensuing Assembly elections in 2011.

Panchayat elections in 2010 could also have been favourable. The Congress Party would be getting a major chunk of the seats. Almost all the seats given over to the erstwhile DIC in the last elections could also be cornered by it, minus a few seats being given to the Janata Dal of Veerendrakumar.

Now things may be going out of their control. A strengthened Kerala Congress may not be willing to sign on the dotted line.

Unless the Central leadership of the Congress steps in and saves the situation, the whole scenario may go out of hand one time or the other.

Narco test never had any legal binding, now it is officially stricken out

Narco analysis test, brain mapping test and polygraph test have been declared invalid by a bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice K.G.Balakrishnan.

Narco test, definitely, was something bizarre. We have seen the videos, on television channels, of narco analysis test conducted on Sister Sephi and Fr Thomas M Kottoor. Another priest, Fr Poothrukka, was spared because of his ill health.

By injecting chemicals into the human body, he/she is numbed and made to answer questions. The victim fumbles something , and sometimes goes into unconsciousness, again awakened and asked questions.

The Supreme Court has now ordered that such tests cannot be done without the consent of the parties concerned. In the normal course, no one will willingly take on this injurious test.

The CBI and the police maintain that as there is no room for third degree methods in investigation, narco analysis and such other tests are essential.

Narco analysis test results have never been taken as pieces of evidence in courts of law. But these tests provided clues to the investigating agencies as to the direction which they should take in arriving at conclusions.

It would definitely be humane to dispense with such tests if we can go ahead with investigation otherwise.

Do we perceive the absence of a Karunakaran touch in dealing with the merger of P.J.Joseph and K.M.Mani factions?

Clearly, the merger of P.J.Joseph-K.M.Mani factions has been mishandled at the UDF level, particularly by some Congress leaders. No doubt there would have been many other ways of dealing with dilemma, had the leaders tried to do so than washing the dirty linen in public.

A P.T.Thomas, M.I.Shanawaz and the like vigorously speaking against the merger would not be salubrious for the UDF.

Think of the situation being handled by K.Karunakaran, were here at the helm of affairs now. He would not have, in the first instance, remained oblivious of the goings-on before hand. He would have devised ways in which the Congress was definitely benefiting.

Splitting and splintering Kerala Congress groups was in a way a pastime for him. The-then powerful Kidangoor Gopalakrishna Pillai was packed off to Singapore on a gubernatorial assignment on completion of which he became a nobody. The NDP had to pack up.

In the instant case, P.J.Joseph does not seem to be in glee about the merger. His coterie is definitely pleased. Mons Joseph would have been nowhere otherwise, for Kaduthuruthy would have gone to someone else. Ettumanur would be gobbled up by Congress. Now Congress is taken unawares and its plans are going awry.

Mons Joseph now claiming that he was proud of being a minister in the Achuthanandan ministry is ludicrous. He cannot explain away the precarious situation.

One should have seen the happy face of Dr K.C.Joseph on television channels when he spoke after demitting office as a member of the public service commission. He seems to have already cornered Kuttanad from where he has been eased out by various compulsions, particularly the arrival of an economic giant there to oppose him.

T.U.Kuruvilla is as good as dead-wood and he would not mind being a commoner.

Surendran Pillai knows it for a fact he would never be a minister if he does not grab the opportunity now, staying with P.C.Thomas.

What is Congress up to in opposing merger of Joseph and Mani factions?

It is somehow inscrutable why Congress is this vehement in opposing merger of Joseph and Mani factions of Kerala Congress. It is already preparing to receive the R.Balakrishna Pillai faction of Kerala Congress into the party. The moment Congress gives the green signal, Pillai and son actor Ganeshkumar would plunge into the Congress Party.

If the reticence is only to put Joseph in the hot Sun for some time and extract some sort of a surrender from Mani, it would be sadly mistaken. True, Congress may not be happy about Kerala Congress strengthening itself.

In politics, minuscule issues had bloated out of proportion and brought about unforeseen consequences. Perhaps, the very formation of Kerala Congress could have been avoided, if some leaders had shown diligence.
You cannot dismiss Kerala Congress as such, with whatever foibles it has. It is a power to reckon with in various parts of the state.
And Congress is not that steely strong. Holding party elections would render it shattered with group manoeuvres. Already the situation has started going out of control. It seems the high command has seen to the danger and issued instructions to sort out the leadership issue through consensus.

No doubt, the LDF would not be bothered about anyone leaving the front now. Its concern for power grabbing would be in 2016, by when, hopefully, Pinarayi Vijayan would have emerged clear and clean from Lavalin allegations. Legally proving the charges is a little difficult.

Anyway V.S.Achuthanandan would complete his five-year term, without the heartiest support of the party runners.

Congress aiming to grab power without Kerala Congress appears to be ludicrous.

P.J.Joseph may officially sever 3-decade-long ties with CPM-led LDF today

Kottayam: Today is the D- day for P.J.Joseph to sever his three decade-long ties with the CPM-led LDF. No doubt, the state committee meet of his group of the Kerala Congress would decide to merge into the group led by K.M.Mani, whose group is a partner of the Congress-led UDF.

Disgruntled elements P.C.Thomas and a few of his colleagues are meeting separately to ‘expel’ P.J.Joseph from the party which exists in the name of none other than P.J.Joseph and to elect a new chairman, none other than P.C.Thomas. This dissident group has the support of one MLA, V.Surendran Pillai whose ambition to become a minister is close at hand for realization. He may be a minister for at least six months.The erstwhile Joseph would have the distinction of metamorphosing all MLAs into ministers- Joseph, T.U.Kuruvilla, Mons Joseph and now Surendran Pillai. What is the harm in Surendran Pillai becoming a minister, provided the LDF gives the green signal at least after some time?

P.J.Joseph would resign from the ministry today, and he may hand over the resignation letter to Chief Minister V.S.Achuthanandan, perhaps, on May Day.
Congress Party is at a great disadvantage. Its followers were spanking Joseph group all these years. All on a sudden how can the Congress activists whitewash Joseph et al? But, even though there may be sound and fury initially, they will have to sing hallelujah to Mani, Joseph and all.

It would be erroneous to completely ignore Mani. In politics, minor developments have resulted in major devastations. Could there be a third front, if Mani is ignored?
Interlocutors for Joseph might have bargained for positions for their well being. Mons Joseph who had no chance to survive might have ensured his Kaduthuruthy borough. Francis George may be satisfied with an Assembly seat. Will Congress accede a Rajya Sabha seat to Joseph at some point of time in the future?

Everything would be safe and secure, provided the goings on conclude as anticipated.

Life is like that, now P.J.Joseph would be a saint to those who abhorred him earlier

By O.J.George

Looking back, one could glimpse into the taunts received by P.J.Joseph at one time. Now the same people who abhorred him earlier would carry him along as a saint.

How ephemeral people’s thoughts are? Man was created only a little less than God Almighty, in his image. But this little less could be nothing but lack of consistency.

One Smart Alec used to tell me we are Ek Din Ka Sultaan (Sultan for a Day). Make hay while the Sun shines. Poor me, I have only revulsion for them.

The world is turning topsy turvy, literally and figuratively. Coming to figuratively. One senior journalist is reported to have taught journalism students like this. What is a figurative intro? It is an intro in which there is a figure!!! Great worthies indeed!!!

Ignorance being flaunted as erudition and misleading young minds. And they take pride in that.

Now the political scene in Kerala would be amusing, with a lot of people falling for a feast.

There have been many voices from within regarding Naxal massacre

BY O.J.George

It seems there have been many voices within regarding the massacre of CRPF personnel by Maoists in Dantewada and the Prime Minister is not happy about the precarious situation.

No doubt, in a democracy anyone can voice his opinion. Diverse opinions add strength to the polity. But the comments should not appear to exhibit the divisive nature of the society with regard to tackling Naxal menace.

In this regard, the BJP’s open call to Home Minister P.Chidambaram not to quit over the Dantewada massacre was an excellent overture at upholding national interests. It did not pick holes at a crucial time. The Left does not seem to be that decorous in this regard. Even today, Sitaram Yechury has been harping on the terms of the buck stopping at the Home Minister’s desk.

Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had not taken kindly to the reference made by Chidambaram that the buck stops at the CM’s desk regarding the massacre in West Bengal. And Chidambaram had not evaded responsibility with regard to the Dantewada attack. He had said the buck stops with his desk. With that, the Left should have stopped harping on the use of the term, buck.

We may need a more cogent approach to dealing the deadly menace of the Naxals who are exploiting poverty and lack of development in much of their embedded areas. Poor tribals are taken advantage of citing the inaction of the government in providing holistic development. Maoists themselves would not be able to solve these problems at one go, if they are given the reigns of power in these areas.

The government, on its part, should see to it that the arms of administration reach the affected areas. Otherwise, the free-run of the Maoists would continue to prevail and in future the problem would worsen to unmanageable levels. Reach out to the left-out areas and ensure prevalence of administration.

Chidambaram has been doing a fine job as Home Minister; One setback should not demoralise him

By O.J.George

The latest news report refers to a letter sent to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh by Union Home Minister P.Chidambaram owning up the full responsibility for the massacre of CRPF jawans at Dantewada in Chhattisgarh the other day.

He has also saluted the jawans who had laid down their lives for the security of the nation.

Chidambaram has taken moral responsibility as CRPF comes under the Home Ministry. The operation in Dantewada against Maoists was a joint one. The State government and the CRPF had done the job together.

In fact, the state government’s intelligence agencies should be more privy to the nitty gritty of logistics of the Naxal-infected areas.

CRPF jawans who are drafted from different parts of the country may not be aware of the pitfalls lurking at every point. They do their duty and follow orders.

Someone might have tripped the Maoists about the operational details or there might have been someone within the ranks of those who are aware of the exercise at least indirectly supportive of the Maoists.

Anyway, an inquiry is on to pinpoint the failure. There should be no ground for finding fault with Chidambaram, who otherwise has been doing a fantastic job as Home Minister.

Let us strengthen his hands to undertake projects that would result in a clean job of wiping out the menace of Maoists, who should not be under rated.

Gala day for education for all

By O.J.George

April 1, 2010 would be a historical day in the annals of India history, for implementation of compulsory education for children between the ages of six and 14.

Think of the situation, at least one crore children have been going without education in this country. They will all get an opportunity to learn the three R’s.

After the age of 14, all opportunities should be given for the exceptionally talented among them to pursue higher education, even if their finances don’t permit them to do so.

Scholarships, fellowships and grant assistance should be provided to them.

It is wholesome relief that the authorities have noticed the essential thing. India is a nation of young people. The young people should not go uneducated.

Education emancipates them, empowers them, and enlists them in the process of development of the nation.

The state governments should carefully utilise the funds devolving on them from the Centre and facilitate fuller education of the hapless children.

Perhaps in states like Kerala, the problem of children going uneducated may be less compared to other states. But even if there are a few among the tribals or unaccounted, or among the migrants from other states, they should be given all avenues for education.

In the years to come, no one can flourish in society without education, computer knowledge and awareness of societal developments. No one should fall back in life because of lack of opportunities.

The mind is all-powerful, either for evil or good; bomb planting on plane, wheel-chair-borne old woman cheated by nurse, woman killed,ear chopped off

By O.J.George

What are we being fed almost every day with news pieces of perverted minds?

A crude bomb was planted on a Kingfisher flight in Thiruvananthapuram on March 21 and the culprit appears to be soft handled on his plea that he was trying to teach a lesson to his colleagues or someone else. He had to get a crude bomb first and then plant it on the plane whose precincts should otherwise be sanitised. The mind is perverted.

An old, wheel-chair-borne helpless woman in Kottayam was duped by her home nurse worth about Rs 75 lakh over a period of more than a year. The nurse and her paramour were having a gala time spending the money of the old woman.

In Palakkad, a woman was killed, her mother hacked (still lying unconscious) and the booty taken away. The thieves did not have time to take out ear ornaments in the normal way. They chopped off the ear and fled.

Earlier, a morning walker at Varkala was simply knifed to death, another was wounded. The act, it seems, was meant to secure social equity.

The minds are very powerful for the acts concocted by them. No computer chip would size up with the enormity of the possibilities arising from minds, evil or good.

World’s Last Chance people say if we remove one ‘o’ from good, it becomes God. They also something about Satan permeating everywhere, even Vatican, for not punishing the priest who abused 200 deaf chlldren in the US years ago.

Whatever it is, would we not see some demonising in one form or the other everywhere?

Communal sensibility could have been shattered; thank God, situation is under control

By O.J.George

What happened at Newman College, Thodupuzha, during an examination for internal assessment for the Malayalam paper of second semester BCom students is prima facie appalling.

Students were asked to punctuate a passage, apparently a conversation between the Prophet and God Almighty. The passage was no doubt sacrilegious and defaming.

The comment of Education Minister M.A.Baby that no man of common sense would do this is genuine. It was Prof T.J.Joseph who was responsible for compiling this question paper.

The management has suspended this man from service. The question is what this professor was professing in his life.

It seems the government is trying to pin him down to see whether there was a deliberate attempt to unsettle communal harmony in the state.
Reports say the professor is absconding. No one should tinker with society’s peace and tranquillity.

Mayawati in garland conundrum

By O.J.George

UP Chief Minister Mayawati is again in a controversy for accepting a garland furtively made of Rs 1,000 notes at the rally which was organized to celebrate 25 years of the BSP founded by her mentor, the late Kanshiram.

In fact, Mayawati need not be unduly perturbed about the party leader receiving money during such occasions. For, that has been the modus operandi of celebrations of the BSP.

But now she has found herself in a bind only because the Income Tax Department has come calling on her to explain the source of the huge input of currencies.

Now Mayawati has convened a meeting of her ministers, MPs and MLAs to sort out the issue. Naturally, they would be asked to own up in part funding for the garland. No doubt, they might have worked overtime at fund mobilisation.

An initial estimate was that the garland would come to Rs five crore.But Congress leader Digvijay Singh has come up with a calculation arriving at the figure of Rs 22.50 crore. The garland was 10 metres long, each ring had 45 1000-notes, and each cm had five such rings. Well, the calculation is perfect, as per the version of Digvijay Singh.

This is only with regard to the garland, but there were other forms of opulence about which the party has never been ashamed.

Meanwhile, Mayawati has asked for launch of a high-level probe into the release of honey bees at her function when the garland was adorned on her. For some time, a swarm of honey bees hovered around her head, irritating her! Many are the devious ways of politics.

Lo, foreign universities are coming!

By O.J.George

India may become an international hub of foreign universities and other institutions of excellence soon. For, the Union Cabinet has approved a bill called Foreign Educational Bill.

The procedure for bringing in the bill has been in the offing for some time, from UPA I governmental bandwagon. But the Leftists were dead against allowing foreign varsities come in and do business in the education sector.

Times are changing as we have already opened up vistas of knowledge to our people through many tools.

Popularisation of internet, spilling of an avalanche of information at the press of a button and conveyance of all sorts of ideology, thinking and peals of wisdom have broadened the horizons of Indian people as well on an intellectual plane.

Efforts at putting an iron curtain over the information explosion is not feasible. One cannot close the door to the infusion of invaluable information.

Even before that some of the best educational institutions in the capitalist countries had good centres of excellence teaching Leftist ideas, Marxism etc in addition to their other pet subjects. The Leftists need not worry about obliteration of teaching covering their spheres in these foreign institutions.

There would be no harm in foreign varsities of the likes of Oxford, Cambridge, Harward, Stanford, London School of Economics and the like opening shop here and imparting training to those who seek it in India itself.

No one can block huge developments in the education sphere. Let all good institutions from across the oceans come here for mutual benefit.

Not agitation by women, but the goodwill of men contributing to women’s reservation

By O.J.George

There were reports in patches by some women’s associations that the agitations launched by them from time to time have culminated in the conferment of one-third quota for women in the Lok Sabha and Assemblies.

No doubt, the women have been making a clarion call all these years. And it was just and fair that they have been campaigning for a just cause.

But don’t forget that all menfolk think like Mulayam Singh Yadav, Lalu Prasad Yadav and Sharad Yadav.

There are millions of men who do not fall under anti-women planks who have contributed to creating a mindset that would allow greater participation for women in public life.

In fact, some men were finding easy justification for denying more women’s representation pointing out undesirable tendencies that prevailed among the fairer sex which should only be ignored. There would always be some blemishes, but those shortfalls should not be generalised.

In the years to come, the women would behave in a better and far more desirable way than many of the menfolk.

If the women do not perform the way they are expected to, they would naturally be in bad light. And they cannot afford to do that.

Heavens are not going to fall if more women come up to don positions of political power.

The arguments for deferring the women’s reservation bill for inclusion of a quota within a quota for minorities and the like is only a ruse to scuttle the piece of legislation that is going to transform the very functioning of the polity.

In the years to come men will have to concede fifty per cent of reservation for women. Let there be no perfunctory handling of the issue.

The Yadavs could not prevent passing of Women’s Reservation Bill, however hard they tried to scuttle it

By O.J.George

It goes to the credit of the fledgling democracy of India that the main Opposition party and the main ruling party joined together to pass the historic women’s Reservation Bill in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday with two-thirds majority of the members present and voting as required for a Constitutional amendment.

Now it has to be passed by the Lok Sabha as well as more than half of the state legislatures for the law to become a reality.
There are a few capable women in various spheres of life in India, but now they would get one-third reservation as per law. No one can prevent them from contesting in seats allotted to them.

The chauvinistic menfolk were, it seems, against the rotational reservation to women , seatwise. The stalwarts who were guarding particular constituencies as their lifetime fiefdom will have to look to other places when their own constituencies get reserved for women. Maybe they will ask their spouses to contest from such seats.
Times are changing and the writing on the wall has to be respected. Women who are better finance managers at home can take over many functions in a responsible manner. Those who condemn them, taking stray cases of aberration, would be in for a surprise when women take up their legislative functions effectively.

Passing of this piece of legislation has not been easy, for there have been attempts during the last 14 years and all the time it got scuttled. Now there has been a concerted attempt and the players deserve kudos for seeing the bill through. If it can be passesd in the Rajya Sabha, it could very well be followed through in the Lok Sabha as well.

The male chauvinists are not prepared to give up; Women’s reservation bill passing an uphill task

By O.J.George

By now it is clear about one thing. No one can say it with precision whether the women’s reservation bill would be passed. A series of adjournments, uproar whenever the Houses reconvened, the unjustifiable act of desecrating the Rajya Sabha chairman and such sequences permeated in the seats of Indian democracy that is Parliament.

Monday’s proceedings would show democracy of the type we proclaim has not evolved to the desirable extent.

Physical obstruction of proceedings in a democratic set-up undermines the very credibility of the House. Snatching papers from the chair, damaging his microphone and the like occurred in the elders’ house.

Women deserve at least 50 per cent reservation, but the attempt to give them one-third representation has been hanging in limbo for the last one and a half decades. Various governments which attempted to provide reservation to women had become unsuccessful.

With the sort of conduct that prevailed in both Houses on Monday, one cannot hope to see the bill passed on Tuesday as well.

Those who oppose the bill flaunt the argument that there should be sub-quota for Muslims and Dalits within the one-third provision.

It was the raj of Mulayam Singh Yadav and Lalu Prasad Yadav that prevailed on Monday. Would Tuesday be different?

Congress cannot be trapped on fuel prices hike, Sonia has said the final word

By O.J.George

The combined Opposition has been trying to corner the Congress Party and its UPA II allies on the issue of hike in prices of petrol and diesel.

The Left parties have been one with the stance of the BJP and allies in opposing the fuel prices increase.

It seemed the Opposition has been gaining an upper hand on the issue as the common man is also furious about the hike, which will cause a spurt in prices of essential commodities in a market which was already on a high on the front.

Someone thought Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was being cornered in the wake of stiff resistance from DMK of M.Karunanidhi and Trinamul Congress of Mamata Banerjee.

But lately, there were overtures from DMK and Trinamul that they were close-knit with the UPA II Government.

To cap the strategic position of the Congress party, its president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday addressed Congress MPs , after a gap of six months, driving the point home that food security and prices were a top priority.

But she was careful enough to defend Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee by saying he has done a deft balancing of the budget.Resources have to be found for implementing social welfare measures.

Sonia Gandhi also drew inspiration to cite the presentation of the Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament on the world women’s day on Monday. Reservation, when implemented, would be a gift to the women.

BJP leader L.K.Advani has always been keen to castigate Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, this time he picked on Dr Singh for resuming India-Pak talks at the nudge of the US.

Dr Singh has been quick to notify Advani about the importance of back-channel diplomacy. A lot of behind- the- curtain talks were held between the-then Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh and US Deputy Secretary Strobe Talbott during the BJP-led NDA regime.

Congress think-tank has been active, it seems, and its policy and administrative measures cannot be taken advantage of by rivals for political reasons.

Mind you, Sonia Gandhi has fallen in line to defend her flock.

Sun rays, sea water may be tax source in the future when fossil fuel becomes extinct

By O.J.George

For every government, getting some quick bucks by way of tax on the most consumed item is a priority.

It would dole out figures of mounting non-plan expenditure, escalation in standard of living caused by pay revision, pension and what not for cornering the levy.

No doubt, the non-plan expenditure is on the rise, but nobody takes cognizance of the losses on account of mismanagement in various spheres.

Fuel price hike in the form of enhancement of excise duty or sheer increase in administered prices directly (that is also on the way) affects everyone.

Even the poorest of the poor is hit on account of intrinsic escalation of prices of essential commodities fomented by huge transportation costs.

All the same, fuel is the easiest item on which the tax master wields his stick as it yields thousands of crores of rupees. There may be jugglery in figures as well. No one may know the exact amount realised.

An education cess can be levied, railway safety fund can be realised on every litre of petrol and diesel.

Nitish Kumar, when he was the railway minister, collected cess on fuel and rightly kept a separate fund for railway safety operations.

When Lalu Prasad Yadav became Railway Minister he simply cornered the amount for general expenses wiping out the separate account for safety. He was bandied about as the efficient railway minister on account of the bounty he got from the safety fund.

Now the future of fossil fuel on planet Earth is bleak. It may last for a couple of decades and become extinct.

By then, hydrogen fuel , solar energy etc may be the captains of the energy sector. Finance Ministers may charge tax on every Sun ray.

Sea water ( H2O) may be utilised for extracting hydrogen for fuelling vehicles.

Now we are scouting for some kind of fossil fuel from beneath the so-called ice sheets lying dormant in caves on the Moon. There the Sunrays cannot reach the ice sheets.

Otherwise, milling one tonne of Moon soil (not at all areas) may yield one litre of water, scientists now say.

We are hoping to bring back lithium and other rare elements to Earth to energise us. At the same time, it would be interesting to note that the scientists wait for an opportune moment when there would be no rain or storm to send out a rocket from the atmosphere of Earth. The elements cannot be tamed easily.

Next generation tax could therefore be on Sunrays and sea water, before the-then government imposes import duty on lithium and other rare elements from Moon.

Shashi Tharoor should learn the art of silence

O.J.George

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

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

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

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

Better be careful at least next time.

Is it curtains down the Thilakan controversy?

By O.J.George

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

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

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

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

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

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

Brace yourself up for further hike in price

By O.J.George

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By O.J.George

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

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

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

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

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

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

By O.J.George

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By O.J.George

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By O.J.George

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

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

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

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

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

Talented actors squabbling among themselves is unseemly

By O.J.George

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

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

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

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

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

By O J George

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By O.J.George

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Again the terrorists have struck, this time in Pune

By O.J.George

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Long shots have been fired in different political persuasions

By O.J.George

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By O.J.George

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Some sort of engagement with Pakistan would be fine

By O.J.George

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

Muraleedharan has to bide his time further

By O.J.George

People thought senior leader K.Karunakaran would create a scene at the KPCC executive meeting held at Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday to discuss about the re-entry of his son K.Muraleedharan into the Congress.

Nothing of the sort happened. In fact, it was on the request of Karunakaran that the meeting was convened.

Karunakaran, in his characteristic style, argued out his case and departed from the meeting, for his health would not permit endearing long hours of discourse.

Karunakaran would only say that KPCC does not have the locus standi now to decide about Muraleedharan as organisational polls have been announced. But there is no harm in the KPCC making a decision requesting the high command to give him admission.

That used to be the Congress style of functioning. There would be umpteen rounds of discussions and threadbare analysis on candidates’ list during election time. Finally, a decision would be taken authorising the high command to choose the candidates.

In the present instance of Muraleedharan, Karunakaran’s wisdom is not clicking with the KPCC. One cannot fault the KPCC either, for Karunakaran’ daughter ,Padmaja, and her supporters would not like a comeback of Muraleedharan, until at least the next Assembly elections.

And there is a convenient argument available; Muraleedharan had been barred from the Congress for six years. And that deadline would come to a close in April next year. But by that time candidates’ selection would be over, in all probability.

V.M.Sudheeran, P.C.Chacko and K.K.Ramachandran Master argued in favour of Muraleedharan in the KPCC meeting.

Some relief for Muraleedharan. No doubt, Muraleedharan has nowhere else to go in politics, and he has to bide his time.

He was made the KPCC president, a Minister, MP etc by all the leaders. During those times, Karunakaran was fastidious on account of group strength.Now Karunakaran’s health is on the decline, and his daughter has crossed over to the other camp, or she is having her own coterie.

No doubt Muraleedharan had hit many leaders below the belt in the past. He has to be grateful that Congress people are considerate towards him for a favourable time to come for his entry. Better late than never.

Corruption can be rooted out, provided proper measures are taken

By O.J.George

There were reports about the Prime Minister’s Office looking into a proposal for incorporating service agreements for employees who take up jobs, making it incumbent upon them to discharge their duties.

Failure to respond to demands like issue of certificates, documents and other services would automatically invite punitive action, as per the provisions of the service agreements being contemplated.

I was radically tempted to be transformed from the inbuilt assumption that there would be no redemption for democratic India from the evil of corruption.

Don’t despise me, for I know an editor who took blood money for sacking journalists, but that was in the name of incentive.

Such evil beings would be there always, but then they should not be basking under the glory of righting the society and doing justice and fairness to all.

Coming to corruption, all laws have rules and regulations issued for implementation of the content of the pieces framed by the legislatures.

Years on, there have been umpteen number of legislations touching the day-today life of the people.

The citizen has to get sanction from panchayats, village and other revenue offices, RTO and all, for birth, school admission,for the very living and even death.

No certificate or service will come automatically within a timeframe. The citizen has to grease the palm of the officials, which is not that difficult, considering the fact that there are agents in all the premises concerned for the underhand dealings.

The situation would definitely take a turn for the better, if proper measures are taken . The Right to Information legislation was a revolutionary step, which has empowered the citizen.

It works only because punitive measures against those who refuse to divulge information are inbuilt in the legislation itself.

Like that all laws being framed by various legislatures should have an inbuilt provision incorporating punishment to those who do not act within a timeframe.

For laws already passed, there should be an additional blanket law to be passed by Parliament and various legislatures binding authorities and other officials to the services expected from them within a timeframe. Then, all blocks, demands for bribes , pecuniary and other fringe benefits would pop off.

The service agreements should be executed not only by the new entrants, but also by those in service.

Otherwise, the more laws the legislatures pass, the more would be opportunities for the authorities and officials to bully the public and get illegal gratification.

Will the governments headed by various political persuasions take steps to incorporate punitive measures in respect of all services detailed in various laws and obtain service agreements from the officials?

Fresh terror threat looming large?

By O.J.George

What a terrible situation we are living in when terrorists, disregarding their own lives, are hell-bent on destroying others’ lives? Attacking terrorists are made to believe that they would land up straight in heaven, pointblank.

The latest intelligence input is that Lashkar operatives are planning to strike at airports or hijack planes.

Or the attack could be using para-gliders. The para-gliders can go straight at flying planes or at airports in a suicide attempt.

Report speak about the Lashkar having secured 50 para-gliders from Europe. Training in para gliding and para-gliding attacks have also been imparted.

Now when US Defence Secretary Robert Gates visited Pakistan, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani is reported to have said he cannot ensure stoppage of attacks against India.

A repeat of 26/11 Mumbai type attacks cannot be stopped for sure.

India’s External Affairs Minister S.M.Krishna has retorted saying any attack launched from Pakistani soil will be retaliated. It would be the responsibility of Pakistan for all attacks.

Civilised society is in peril of being destroyed by the machinations of wayward faith-based terrorists.

Let all doubts be cleared in the Muthoot murder case

By O.J.George

Caesar’s wife ought to be above suspicion, and on that premise all tangible and intangible doubts should be cleared in the investigation regarding the murder of Muthoot Paul M George.

It seems better that another agency, this time the CBI, goes into the crime and brings out all aspects of the episode as there have been clips after clips of charges, counter-charges, alleged revelations, impressions of foul play permeating the minds of the public, particularly in the wake of incessant coverage given by the electronic media, not to mention the print world.

It had come to such a pass that even if the police spoke something truthful, the people would not believe it.

In such circumstances, in fact the High Court has come to the rescue and referred the matter to the CBI. The police had also expressed its willingness to hand over the case to any other agency, provided the court expressed any doubts in the present manner of investigation.

Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has expressed satisfaction over the court’s decision.

Let the truth come out, and let the facts speak for themselves so that the people would believe the goings-on.

Brace yourself up for a time when there would not be this sort of reservation

By O.J.George

A division bench of Kerala has spoken up, there should be serious thoughts on the sort of reservation that is in place.

A lot of people would be surprised, aghast, and depressed about the clarity of the suggestions contained in the court verdict.But then there are others who agree with the court.

If people thought that the sort of reservation now enjoyed by certain people would go on like this till the end of the world, that is proved wrong by the obiter dictum of the court.

One day or the other there would be a rethinking into the quota system. The court had said reservation benefits were something enjoyed by the people for the first 50 years and then extended to another 10 years. This is not something that is Consitutionally devolved for eternity.

Reservation benefits-enjoyers and their families should make strenuous efforts to acquire abilities to compete with others in the world.

Those who don’t have the financial wherewithal should be given all helping hand by the government. Affirmative action that would make the standards go up should be the tool in future. But all should also compete.

Financial reservation, job reservation, promotion reservation, admission reservation and the like cannot go on for eternity.

The socially, educationally and economically backward should not wallow in a state of perfunctory bliss from the automatic benefits devolving on them. They should also put in some efforts to come up on their own.

Anyway, now there can be no going back on the reservation benefits bestowed by Parliament for 60 years.

The issue will definitely come up in the future when the economically backward among the forward castes would have to be considered for justice being dispensed to them.

Don’t tinker with the supply side of rice, wheat

By O.J.George

Kerala is reverberating with arguments and counter-arguments about lifting of rice and wheat from the Central pool and allegedly mismanaging the quota.

On the one hand there has been the charge that Kerala failed to lift the allotted quantities. Now,on the other, the allegation is that rice and wheat are being sold outside the ration outlets.

The charges and counter-charges are traded by Union Minister K.V.Thomas and State Finance Minister Thomas Isaac. It seems CPI’s Food Minister C.Divakaran is saved from climaxing arguments as Thomas Isaac has stepped in.

The common man wants the public distribution system filled with the grain and atta so that there won’t be artificial price hikes.

Demand and supply side economics cries for plenty of availability so that prices will not go up owing to scarcity as well as consequential speculative practices.

Conducive circumstances should be created under which Kerala, a scarcity state as far as the grain are concerned, or for that matter vegetables and much of other edible items, should not be smarting under non-availability.

Macro statistics considered, Kerala is better than most of the other states in distributing ration items. We don’t directly witness the hanky panky in the practices elsewhere. That is why we make a hue and cry about trade-offs, black marketeering etc of ration items.

There was a report earlier that ration rice and wheat supplied from the Food Corportion of India godowns are taken away to private parties in the north-eastern states handsdown.

Now there may be some reprieve. In many other states, underhand dealings are thriving. That means the hullabaloo created within the state should not be allowed to result in depletion of the state with regard to the supplies.

Ensure supplies by any means, the priceline can be held to a considerable extent.

Whether it is K.V.Thomas or Thomas Isaac, the people’s interests should not be traded for narrow gains.

The best news for all times: CJI’s office under purview of RTI

By O.J.George

Now no one can rue the Indian judiciary as an oligarchy, for the Delhi High Court has risen to the occasion and decided that the office of the Chief Justice of India comes under the purview of the Right to Information Act.

At one shot, one may not comprehend the implications of the decision of the High Court. The Chief Justice of India is a repository of prime information regarding appointment of judges, their assets, complaints and proceedings against judges and a whole lot of other sensitive pieces of information.

No doubt, the Supreme Court may not take it kindly and may go in for appeal against the verdict of the Delhi High Court. It is easy enough for the apex court to ask the registrar of the Supreme Court to file an appeal in its own court.

Let us see how the Supreme Court dispenses justice in this matter.

All the same, the terse argument put up by the apex court earlier that disclosure of information is not workable does not hold good any more.

The Delhi High Court has pointed out that the higher the authority, the greater is the accountability and responsibility that is bestowed on it.

Former Chief Justice of India SC Verma has said there is nothing for a judge to hide.

The one piece of legislation that has empowered the common, unrecognized citizen of the country is the Right to Information Act.

The heaven is not going to fall down, if the details of assets, the qualifications and antecedents of the judges under appointment etc are divulged to those who want to know them.

India is becoming a functional democracy by offering these pieces of information and everyone being made accountable to “ We, the people of India” who had framed the Constitution.

Conflicts galore, Amar Singh-Mulayam, Deve Gowda-Yeddyurappa, Hockey players, Telengana

By O J George

It is an amusing scenario, where in many corners of India, conflicts grab the headlines.And there is cause for concern.

The great Amar Singh, who can handle any tricky situation, has fallen foul in the Samajwadi Party, and has called it quits.

In one breath he says, it is for medical reasons. He has had a kidney replacement and his family members want him more in the non-political arena.

In another breath, he says Ram Gopal in SP and his people do not want him to continue in SP.

Naturally, there is something more to it than meets the eye.

It seems Sanjay Dutt and all would follow the Amar Singh line.No doubt, Amitabh Bacchan has always been with Amar Singh, who now says the SP should rise from the ashes, meaning, the party is dead and buried.

Often a politician’s no has to be taken as yes. Now he says he would not join the Congress Party.

Down in the South, former Prime Minister and Janata Dal leader Deve Gowda has called BJP Chief Minister B.S.Yeddyurappa names.

Gowda was fuming before the media about the dubious role played by the BJP CM with regard to land acquisition for Bangalore-Mysore corridor project and other schemes.

He says the farmers have been duped, not a single rupee has been paid for their land. The company for which the land was acquired is looting the farmers.

Of late, Gowda has apologized for the derogatory word he used against the CM.

In Andhra Pradesh, the Telengana issue has been making the state a boiling cauldron.

Now TRS chief K.Chandrasekhara Rao, after meeting Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in Delhi, has admitted he would wait for more time.

The PM wanted time for peace to return in other areas of Andhra.

And elsewhere on the border, Pakistan has been resorting to firing and provocative acts.

Lately, a bSF jawan has been killed and a few others injured in the Pak firing in Poonch sector.

This is at a time when the Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina is in Delhi to enter into many deals against terrorism and for security interests.

Happy birthday, Yesudas!

By O.J.George

Grace of God it is that we have a K.J.Yesudas amidst us to sing good things to us. The Almighty chooses one in a lifetime, perhaps, to transcend beyond the realm of hatred, injustice, violence, attacks for no reason and what not.

Music is the only medium which titillates people with the melody, the tenor, the cadence, the vibrations and emotions driving the elements to compassion and mercy.

Pure music is believed to have the Rain Gods pour copiously, listening to the lilting voices.

Yesudas has rendered his life to the world of singing and music and the people owe him dearly for the services rendered by him to lift them to the heights of ecstasy.

Classical music maestro he is, definitely, but film music might have provided him a wider reach among common folk.

Whatever he did with his voice turned into something sublime, leading the people to an ultra natural ambience.

Existence of the world , that is society, is dependent on such entities.

Let us bow before him on the occasion of his seventieth birthday and offer him all the best in life.

Total freedom is what the CPM should offer to the cadres

By O.J.George

It seems some of the corrective measures propounded by the CPM for improving the performance of the party are recoiling on it.

Former Alappuzha MP, Dr K.S.Manoj, has quit the party saying he is a God-believer and he cannot continue to be a member of the party which restricts the members from owing allegiance to any faith.

The integrity of the former MP should be acknowledged, for he could have continued in the party all the same by furtively attending religious functions and remaining in the same position.

It seems he also wanted to enlighten the fact that faith is above party ideology to him.

Anyone would concede the fact that there are many plus points in the Communist precepts, but what is lacking is an opportunity for total freedom.

An enlightened human being cannot thrive without total and unfettered freedom. Perhaps one may go without food for a day, but he should be able to be vocal to express his opinions.

Soviet¸ Chinese, Cuban models of Communism were objected to by even those who do not subscribe to the methods of rival parties because of the limitations on intellectual freedom and open expression.

Now DYFI, in its report, seems to rue the situation ruling among users of internet and other tools of the Information Technology. Ideas opposed to Communism are flooding the cyber world.

There should be discussions based on screening of films, but one should not miss the expressions in many films in which the comrades are set in the form of bad examples. Not only comrades, but politicians in general find opportunities of ridicule one way or the other.

So far as the party does not offer untrammeled opportunities to practise one’s religion, intellectual pursuits and the like, expansion of its base on the basis of discarded precepts would not be easy.

Open up fully, and there may be many takers.

The T Pyxidis impact; star burst, supernova and atmosphere loss?

By O.J.George

I am amused by the report of the possible blowing up of the star called T Pyxidis, resulting in blasts, burps or novas which will upset the cosmos.

The earth may be ripped of its ozone layer, causing the wiping out of the atmosphere.

All breathing beings on Planet Earth will gasp for breath and pop off.

The particular star used to have smaller bursts in turns of 20 years, but it has not been bursting since 1967.

Therefore, all the accumulated gas would result in an unprecedented level of burst.

In this connection, there are other revelations of doom like what is said in the Mayan calendar.I quote:

“The sacred Aztec calendar is properly called the Eagle Bowl. It represents the solar deity Tonatiuh. The amazingly accurate calendar has been in use in various forms for more than 2,000 years. A Zapotec prophecy, based on the Eagle Bowl, states:
“After Thirteen Heavens of Decreasing Choice, and Nine Hells of Increasing Doom, the Tree of Life shall blossom with a fruit never before known in the creation, and that fruit shall be the New Spirit of Men.”

The 13 Heavens and 9 Hells were each 52 years long (1,144 years total). Each of the 9 Hells were to be worse than the last. On the final day of the last Hell (August 17, 1987), Tezcatlipoca, god of death, would remove his mask of jade to reveal himself as Quetzelcoatl, god of peace.

In the mythology of the Aztecs, the first age of mankind ended with the animals devouring humans. The second age was finished by wind, the third by fire, and the fourth by water. The present fifth epoch is called Nahui-Olin (Sun of Earthquake), which began in 3113 BC and will end on December 24, 2011. It will be the last destruction of human existence on Earth. The date coincides closely with that determined by the brothers McKenna in The Invisible Landscape as “the end of history” indicated by their computer analysis of the ancient Chinese oracle-calendar, the I Ching.

The Mayan calendar is divided into Seven Ages of Man. The fourth epoch ended in August 1987. The Mayan calendar comes to an end on Sunday, December 23, 2012. Only a few people will survive the catastrophe that ensues. In the fifth age, humanity will realize its spiritual destiny. In the sixth age, we will realize God within ourselves, and in the seventh age we will become so spiritual that we will be telepathic”.

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles
;And, by opposing, end them? Shakespeare asked.

People have turned ungrateful almost en masse. They would do anything, even for gaining nothing.
Wretchedness has engulfed the world. Do we see any light at the end of the tunnel?

No doubt, Planet Earth is a fragile thing compared to the unfathomable Cosmos. Even human judgement on the wrong-doings cannot forgive the misdeeds. Will the Gods forgive the evil world?

Intra-party problems the bane of Kerala and Karnataka Govts

By O.J.George

One should admire the Congress Party for its remaining as the main political entity capable of ruling the country even after enjoying the spoils of office since Independence, barring roughly ten years of rule altogether of various other dispensations at the Centre.

It should have disintegrated and degenerated into a non-entity considering the squabbles for pecuniary and other advantages of the political players, judging by the performance of the Opposition bandwagons from time to time when they got power.

There have been a lot of individuals in the Congress Party as well who had indulged in pleasures, grabbing, machinations and money making, but almost all of them emptied themselves out one or the other times.

There were a lot of expectations when the CPM-led V.S.Achuthanandan Government assumed office.

But the people have a feeling that the ruling machinery is working in fits and starts and nothing goes smoothly.

Even if there is a will for some people to deliver the goods, inbuilt opposition to good governance based on personal animosity is standing in the way of performance to the level it is capable of achieving otherwise. No doubt, it is limping forward.

Reports of Smart City woes, PDP ties, Munnar action, Lavalin involvement and the like would not help the common man to fill their tummies.

Prices of essential commodities are skyrocketing, even as the haves and the gullible go for a suicidal drinking binge.

Thieves, racketeers and the mafia are flourishing. No doubt, these illegal operators should be reined in, otherwise, normal life would not be possible.

One thought the BJP Government in Karnataka would be able to do exceedingly well considering the mandate BS Yeddyurappa had got.

Intra-party squabbles have stymied his functioning. Lately, the Chief Minister himself has come out in the open bemoaning that he should not have compromised his values for sustenance of his government. That appears to indicate that he has hit rock bottom in his survival bid.

The ranting and raving, be it in Kerala, Karnataka or anywhere else, will not help to serve the people at large.