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O J’s Corner
God is sold for a price
Satan quotes the bible more often than the evangelist, so goes the saying. Frauds thrive during kaliyug. Everything is out there for a price. Faith, salvation, healing, miracle all are offered for a price. In the bargain, fraudsters become millionaires overnight. They take advantage of the gullible, whose mounting problems, diseases, hardships and the like force them to grab any offer of a panacea.
Some people’s promise of the Lord showering a boon every time the mediator asks for it is simply unbelievable. Many healers profess and offer cure for any incurable malady. Naturally, people fall for it. Any kind word or deed showered on a hapless person is more valuable than millions of dollars offered in return for a cure.
The whole universe is the property of God Almighty. That super-power has the authority to do anything with the brahmandakadaaham. Why should that power receive a bribe from the mediator in the form of an offering?
Frauds are there in every religion. Hindu sanyasins are the best of the self-less. Likewise, the Christian, the Muslim and the Buddhist philosophies stand for the betterment of the human race. The black sheep among the leaders of these religions destroy the real philosophies.
The fraudsters are selling off the sanctified philosophies to fetch quick money. Numerous charities and institutions are springing up in the name of the worthy philosophies. These are times of the end of the world as revealed in various scriptures. False leaders would thrive during the times immediately before total destruction.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Sunday, May 18, 2008
O J’s Corner
Worst Minister findings
It is, indeed, deplorable that television channels and certain newspapers are on the look-out for the worst functioning Minister in the V S Achuthanandan Ministry of Kerala. We have heard of Gallup polls, exit polls and surveys. But this exercise, not with the best of interests, is to say the least cruel. Subjective interests are injected into the data given out to the viewers/readers, almost nudging them to choose certain individuals. Some newspapers/channels are pro-UDF, a few others pro-LDF and a small number of them pro-BJP.
Why can’t they prepare a platform to adjudge all the team members of the ministry as hogwash. They could have pinpointed the faults on the captain of the team and released the findings.
No one can claim that V S Achuthanandan’s ministry has been functioning in a salubrious manner. People are ignored while political points are scored. CPM is at loggerheads with the CPM and certain other leftists. The fringe parties are put in a corner. There are high-voltage fulminations regarding the achievements. But the people are not the beneficiaries in general terms. After completion of three more years to take it to the full-term, this ministry would be the worst one the state has seen.
Intellectuals and analysts were tormenting the A K Antony Ministry and the Oommen Chandy Ministry earlier. Many of the nit-pickers are silent now. The umpires should be honest and fair. Foul play would only vitiate the atmosphere and give a handle to the misrulers.
I, for one, believe that Achuthanandan does not get the full support of the party. He has been chosen to contest the Assembly elections rather reluctantly, after heavy battering.He became the Chief Minister without the whole-hearted support of the party stalwarts in the state. He has, therefore, been going after the media for anything and everything. The media cannot be trusted for eternity. They are the greatest opportunists. Their lullabies and fanatical criticism arise not from total sincerity. They flow with the current and do not mind leaving their babies midstream.
V S Achuthanandan ministry, as a whole, does not have much to be jubilant about.
Worst Minister findings
It is, indeed, deplorable that television channels and certain newspapers are on the look-out for the worst functioning Minister in the V S Achuthanandan Ministry of Kerala. We have heard of Gallup polls, exit polls and surveys. But this exercise, not with the best of interests, is to say the least cruel. Subjective interests are injected into the data given out to the viewers/readers, almost nudging them to choose certain individuals. Some newspapers/channels are pro-UDF, a few others pro-LDF and a small number of them pro-BJP.
Why can’t they prepare a platform to adjudge all the team members of the ministry as hogwash. They could have pinpointed the faults on the captain of the team and released the findings.
No one can claim that V S Achuthanandan’s ministry has been functioning in a salubrious manner. People are ignored while political points are scored. CPM is at loggerheads with the CPM and certain other leftists. The fringe parties are put in a corner. There are high-voltage fulminations regarding the achievements. But the people are not the beneficiaries in general terms. After completion of three more years to take it to the full-term, this ministry would be the worst one the state has seen.
Intellectuals and analysts were tormenting the A K Antony Ministry and the Oommen Chandy Ministry earlier. Many of the nit-pickers are silent now. The umpires should be honest and fair. Foul play would only vitiate the atmosphere and give a handle to the misrulers.
I, for one, believe that Achuthanandan does not get the full support of the party. He has been chosen to contest the Assembly elections rather reluctantly, after heavy battering.He became the Chief Minister without the whole-hearted support of the party stalwarts in the state. He has, therefore, been going after the media for anything and everything. The media cannot be trusted for eternity. They are the greatest opportunists. Their lullabies and fanatical criticism arise not from total sincerity. They flow with the current and do not mind leaving their babies midstream.
V S Achuthanandan ministry, as a whole, does not have much to be jubilant about.
Monday, May 12, 2008
O J’s Corner
Man’s might puny before Nature’s fury
Man may have climbed heights of glory in the eyes of his brethren. His arrogance makes him and breaks him. One day the US might wax eloquent on destroying Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. The next day it may want to obliterate Iran. China may want to overawe the US. Since democracy is not the in-thing in China, and human resources are aplenty, it may ascend even greater heights. Materialists like the Chinese leaders care two hoots about spiritualists like the Dalai Lama. The curse of hundreds of thousands of Buddhists prevail. Like that in Myanmar, the military junta does not respect the Buddhists.
The Heavens and Nature would not stand the atrocities being committed on mankind. Man’s inhumanity to humanity was witnessed during the Holocaust. Afterwards, time to time, we witness worse persecutions. Nature will not allow cruelty being perpetrated eternally.
We have had worthy civilizations in the past. Materialistic developments were aplenty. Cultural accomplishments were perfect. But many civilizations vanished into thin air. Still spiritualism prevails.
Now-a-days man does not distinguish evil from good. Selfishness and extortion, one way or other, rules the roost.Unethical practices are aplenty. It does not require God Almighty to intervene. His creation, the Nature, is sufficient to unleash the fury of the elements. Man cannot escape the wrath of the vast expanse of Brahmandakadaaham.
Astronauts have not seen creatures of the other worlds. Still as time passes, the knowledgeable , the wise, come to the conclusion that there are other creations of God lurking somewhere in the Universe. These may be formless, shapeless or multi-dimensional.
St John’s Revelations from Patmos islands speak about societies, communities, armies, groups, Crobes, Seraphims, multi-eyed beings and the likes of Maudyanans, Maravasans, all creations of God.
The mighty scientists wait for a pleasant sky to launch their rockets, space shuttles etc. Man cannot stand one cyclone, tornado, earthquake, tsunami.
Amassing great wealth by foul means, to the detriment of fellow human beings, would not carry us anywhere. The rich may flourish for some time. Enjoyment would be ephemeral. I can see in my spiritual vision the travails and tribulations unleashed by Nature on those who have received incentives for eliminating subordinates. They will never be condoned by the elements.
Man’s might puny before Nature’s fury
Man may have climbed heights of glory in the eyes of his brethren. His arrogance makes him and breaks him. One day the US might wax eloquent on destroying Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. The next day it may want to obliterate Iran. China may want to overawe the US. Since democracy is not the in-thing in China, and human resources are aplenty, it may ascend even greater heights. Materialists like the Chinese leaders care two hoots about spiritualists like the Dalai Lama. The curse of hundreds of thousands of Buddhists prevail. Like that in Myanmar, the military junta does not respect the Buddhists.
The Heavens and Nature would not stand the atrocities being committed on mankind. Man’s inhumanity to humanity was witnessed during the Holocaust. Afterwards, time to time, we witness worse persecutions. Nature will not allow cruelty being perpetrated eternally.
We have had worthy civilizations in the past. Materialistic developments were aplenty. Cultural accomplishments were perfect. But many civilizations vanished into thin air. Still spiritualism prevails.
Now-a-days man does not distinguish evil from good. Selfishness and extortion, one way or other, rules the roost.Unethical practices are aplenty. It does not require God Almighty to intervene. His creation, the Nature, is sufficient to unleash the fury of the elements. Man cannot escape the wrath of the vast expanse of Brahmandakadaaham.
Astronauts have not seen creatures of the other worlds. Still as time passes, the knowledgeable , the wise, come to the conclusion that there are other creations of God lurking somewhere in the Universe. These may be formless, shapeless or multi-dimensional.
St John’s Revelations from Patmos islands speak about societies, communities, armies, groups, Crobes, Seraphims, multi-eyed beings and the likes of Maudyanans, Maravasans, all creations of God.
The mighty scientists wait for a pleasant sky to launch their rockets, space shuttles etc. Man cannot stand one cyclone, tornado, earthquake, tsunami.
Amassing great wealth by foul means, to the detriment of fellow human beings, would not carry us anywhere. The rich may flourish for some time. Enjoyment would be ephemeral. I can see in my spiritual vision the travails and tribulations unleashed by Nature on those who have received incentives for eliminating subordinates. They will never be condoned by the elements.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
O J’s Corner
Prime Minister aspirants too many
Can we afford too many aspirants for Prime Ministership of India? Perhaps some people get inspiration from the episodes under which Deve Gowda, I K Gujral and the like became Prime Ministers. Perhaps Jyoti Basu would have been a PM, had it not been a case of the historical blunder committed by his own party leaders. The party would not even think about a greater leader than E M S Namboodiripad !
Now the latest wishful thinker appears to be Sharad Pawar. His party has decided to probe all avenues to see him through as PM. Arjun Singh, wielding his walking stick, is creating ripples of all sorts, dropping names like Rahul Gandhi etc. Lalu Prasad Yadav would also try to mount the bigger gaddi. His whims have already been proved right for the common man. He says the railways have come out of the red and are thriving.
Nobody knows what happened to the safety fund comprising thousands of crores of rupees. He has mixed up this amount with the general budget of the railways and has the temerity to tell the people that he is a wizard on whom encomiums have been paid by Harvard.
I don’t think Dr Manmohan Singh, P Chidambaram, Montek Singh Ahluwalia and the like are not aware of the predicament. They are paying a price for cobbling together a coalition government.
Think about the Leftists, particularly the CPM leaders. They would not allow the coalition to move smoothly. When outfits are part of a coalition, rendering support either from within or without, they should take the responsibility for everything. They are forgetting the fundamental duties of the coalition partners.
Mayawati would not stop short of becoming the PM. Everyone is fulminating on price rise, inflation, nuclear issue and what not. They should, in fact, sit together and take measures that would alleviate the hardship of the common man.
Prime Minister aspirants too many
Can we afford too many aspirants for Prime Ministership of India? Perhaps some people get inspiration from the episodes under which Deve Gowda, I K Gujral and the like became Prime Ministers. Perhaps Jyoti Basu would have been a PM, had it not been a case of the historical blunder committed by his own party leaders. The party would not even think about a greater leader than E M S Namboodiripad !
Now the latest wishful thinker appears to be Sharad Pawar. His party has decided to probe all avenues to see him through as PM. Arjun Singh, wielding his walking stick, is creating ripples of all sorts, dropping names like Rahul Gandhi etc. Lalu Prasad Yadav would also try to mount the bigger gaddi. His whims have already been proved right for the common man. He says the railways have come out of the red and are thriving.
Nobody knows what happened to the safety fund comprising thousands of crores of rupees. He has mixed up this amount with the general budget of the railways and has the temerity to tell the people that he is a wizard on whom encomiums have been paid by Harvard.
I don’t think Dr Manmohan Singh, P Chidambaram, Montek Singh Ahluwalia and the like are not aware of the predicament. They are paying a price for cobbling together a coalition government.
Think about the Leftists, particularly the CPM leaders. They would not allow the coalition to move smoothly. When outfits are part of a coalition, rendering support either from within or without, they should take the responsibility for everything. They are forgetting the fundamental duties of the coalition partners.
Mayawati would not stop short of becoming the PM. Everyone is fulminating on price rise, inflation, nuclear issue and what not. They should, in fact, sit together and take measures that would alleviate the hardship of the common man.
Friday, May 09, 2008
O J’s Corner
Religious cheats and frauds
Only because the Interpol has alerted the authorities in India, could the fraudster Santhosh Madhav alias Swami Amrithachaitanya could be identified to have set up market in Cochin, it seems. Running a luxurious guest house, remaining real estate wizard and predicting the future of the all-powerful in filmdom. These are some of the known areas of the Godman. There may be deeper meanings to his intercourses. With powerful police people, politicians and priests supporting him, the Chaitanya would have been roaming around in all “sanctity”, if the Interpol had not stepped in. Where there is money and power, all the worthies make beeline to. That is the way of the world.And the people are gullible, credulous where religion and faith are concerned. The present-day world is steeped in religious perversities. In the garb of doing some social service like feeding the people, tending to the sick and helping others, certain unscrupulous elements take advantage. As there would be collections of people venerating them, politicians also revere them.
In the protestant church history of Kerala, there was an instance of our forefathers accepting as their leader an expelled bishop from Antioch. The moment the faithful saw him in bishop’s robes he was led to a majority of the protestant churches as the anointed one. Luckily, the fraud was detected later.
How many “religious” people are doing roaring business in masquerading acts? They are taking advantage of the really religious people. That some of them are doing “anti-national” activities is a cause for concern.
Religious cheats and frauds
Only because the Interpol has alerted the authorities in India, could the fraudster Santhosh Madhav alias Swami Amrithachaitanya could be identified to have set up market in Cochin, it seems. Running a luxurious guest house, remaining real estate wizard and predicting the future of the all-powerful in filmdom. These are some of the known areas of the Godman. There may be deeper meanings to his intercourses. With powerful police people, politicians and priests supporting him, the Chaitanya would have been roaming around in all “sanctity”, if the Interpol had not stepped in. Where there is money and power, all the worthies make beeline to. That is the way of the world.And the people are gullible, credulous where religion and faith are concerned. The present-day world is steeped in religious perversities. In the garb of doing some social service like feeding the people, tending to the sick and helping others, certain unscrupulous elements take advantage. As there would be collections of people venerating them, politicians also revere them.
In the protestant church history of Kerala, there was an instance of our forefathers accepting as their leader an expelled bishop from Antioch. The moment the faithful saw him in bishop’s robes he was led to a majority of the protestant churches as the anointed one. Luckily, the fraud was detected later.
How many “religious” people are doing roaring business in masquerading acts? They are taking advantage of the really religious people. That some of them are doing “anti-national” activities is a cause for concern.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
O J’s Corner
Do we have sufficient buffer stock?
A nation should be able to tide over the problem of shortage, provided it thinks about it in advance and builds up proper buffer stock. The prices of rice, wheat etc are soaring at the international level. With the price of crude oil poised to rise further, petroleum products would cost us dearly. This would have a cascading effect on commodity prices as well.
A thinking people, in other words a concerned government, should have acted prudently and created extra buffer stock of grain. There were international reports last year that production of grain was going down. India, it seems, had plans to import rice and wheat. The Leftists were against import from the United States. Then they should have argued for import from China. But China has been creating bumper buffer stocks. Now its National Development and Reform Commission has made it clear that there would be no problem of grain shortage as it has comfortable buffer stocks. The price of rice in the international market has risen to heights never seen before.Moreover, its grain production has also been on the rise.
It has a grain reserve at least 17 to 18 per cent more than what is required for consumption any time. The buffer stock quantity would be anything in the line of 150 million tonnes to 200 million tonnes.
India should also be able to provide figures about what it has as buffer stock. Markets should be scanned years in advance and stocks replenished. India, it seems, is entertaining pipe dreams about having good crops next time.
Do we have sufficient buffer stock?
A nation should be able to tide over the problem of shortage, provided it thinks about it in advance and builds up proper buffer stock. The prices of rice, wheat etc are soaring at the international level. With the price of crude oil poised to rise further, petroleum products would cost us dearly. This would have a cascading effect on commodity prices as well.
A thinking people, in other words a concerned government, should have acted prudently and created extra buffer stock of grain. There were international reports last year that production of grain was going down. India, it seems, had plans to import rice and wheat. The Leftists were against import from the United States. Then they should have argued for import from China. But China has been creating bumper buffer stocks. Now its National Development and Reform Commission has made it clear that there would be no problem of grain shortage as it has comfortable buffer stocks. The price of rice in the international market has risen to heights never seen before.Moreover, its grain production has also been on the rise.
It has a grain reserve at least 17 to 18 per cent more than what is required for consumption any time. The buffer stock quantity would be anything in the line of 150 million tonnes to 200 million tonnes.
India should also be able to provide figures about what it has as buffer stock. Markets should be scanned years in advance and stocks replenished. India, it seems, is entertaining pipe dreams about having good crops next time.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
O J’s Corner
Inferiority complex
All parties seem to have got a reprieve as US President George Bush, in his inimitable style, blamed the rising prices of rice, wheat and the like for the prosperity of the middle class in India and China. Later, American officialdom did not mince words in blaming the increased consumption by the people of India and China for the hike in petroleum prices.
Indians apparently took it as an affront. It seems the whole of China ignored it. That country is seriously preparing for the Olympics. At the same time, it has been building nuclear arsenal on an increased momentum. A large number of nuclear submarines can be hidden in their newly dug-out joint. They don’t care a hoot about what the Americans say about better eating habits.
I think Indians are suffering from some sort of inferiority complex. Otherwise, why should they make so much tantrums about the observation of the US? India is a vast country. It has great potentialities. Since it is a democratic country, it cannot proceed with doing constructive activities so easily. Everything would be questioned by all and sundry in Assembles and Parliament. Nothing can be done without opposition. That is the beauty of democracy.
I consider the comment made by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about the observation of President Bush as reflecting high standards. There is no point in making comments on statements made by high dignitaries of foreign countries. Let us work for the prosperity of India. What would happen if the 1120-million people of India eat well? According to Bush only 350 million people forming the upper middle class eat well. Let us work for the betterment of all the 1120 million people, whatever other people may say.
Inferiority complex
All parties seem to have got a reprieve as US President George Bush, in his inimitable style, blamed the rising prices of rice, wheat and the like for the prosperity of the middle class in India and China. Later, American officialdom did not mince words in blaming the increased consumption by the people of India and China for the hike in petroleum prices.
Indians apparently took it as an affront. It seems the whole of China ignored it. That country is seriously preparing for the Olympics. At the same time, it has been building nuclear arsenal on an increased momentum. A large number of nuclear submarines can be hidden in their newly dug-out joint. They don’t care a hoot about what the Americans say about better eating habits.
I think Indians are suffering from some sort of inferiority complex. Otherwise, why should they make so much tantrums about the observation of the US? India is a vast country. It has great potentialities. Since it is a democratic country, it cannot proceed with doing constructive activities so easily. Everything would be questioned by all and sundry in Assembles and Parliament. Nothing can be done without opposition. That is the beauty of democracy.
I consider the comment made by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about the observation of President Bush as reflecting high standards. There is no point in making comments on statements made by high dignitaries of foreign countries. Let us work for the prosperity of India. What would happen if the 1120-million people of India eat well? According to Bush only 350 million people forming the upper middle class eat well. Let us work for the betterment of all the 1120 million people, whatever other people may say.
Sunday, May 04, 2008
O J’s Corner
Bad advice about unemployment dole
Film actor Mammootty was seen the other day on TV advising the government to stop issuing unemployment dole. The youth have vigour, vitality, adventure. Let them work and find gainful employment, so goes his advice. People sitting in ivory towers can go on dispensing pieces of advice. The state should endeavour to furnish employment to the youth. Why do we raise the age ceiling for securing employment? Because they don’t get a job at reasonable youthfulness. It is one thing to say that manual workers and menial employees cannot be found. It is also quite another thing to emphasise that the youth cannot sustain themselves or a family doing menial work. True, when they don’t find regular employment, there should be no hesitation in taking up whatever work that comes by. Do we have any industry of consequence in the manufacturing sector which offers good employment opportunities?
People say Kerala has no resources. Why can’t we convert the rich resources lying embedded in the coastal sand. The coastal sand is full of rare elements. Titanium dioxide is being used for ultra-modern gadgets. Instead of selling the sand, why not link up with some foreign companies with knowhow to manufacture items from our coastal sand which is rich in rare elements.
US President George Bush has spoken about 350 million middle class people in India consuming more now on account of economic growth. But no one highlights the plight of the rest of the population which lives below the poverty line. Povertyline is determined something like this in India. If one gets a monthly income of Rs 356.31 in rural India and Rs 538.61 in urban India, he is considered living above the poverty line. Planning Commission figures are Rs 356.30 and Rs 538.60 monthly income for rural people and urban people respectively to say they are living below the poverty line. At Rs 20 per kilogramme, how much rice can a family procure? Food Minister Divakaran had spoken about the need for people to eat meat, eggs and drink milk. N doubt he has understood this to be a foolish statement.
A lot of the powerful people thrive on black money earned through illegal means. Poor people have nothing. Many of the youth are also turning to illegal ways of finding income, like by selling arrack, extortion, burglary and the like. Things are not rosy.
Bad advice about unemployment dole
Film actor Mammootty was seen the other day on TV advising the government to stop issuing unemployment dole. The youth have vigour, vitality, adventure. Let them work and find gainful employment, so goes his advice. People sitting in ivory towers can go on dispensing pieces of advice. The state should endeavour to furnish employment to the youth. Why do we raise the age ceiling for securing employment? Because they don’t get a job at reasonable youthfulness. It is one thing to say that manual workers and menial employees cannot be found. It is also quite another thing to emphasise that the youth cannot sustain themselves or a family doing menial work. True, when they don’t find regular employment, there should be no hesitation in taking up whatever work that comes by. Do we have any industry of consequence in the manufacturing sector which offers good employment opportunities?
People say Kerala has no resources. Why can’t we convert the rich resources lying embedded in the coastal sand. The coastal sand is full of rare elements. Titanium dioxide is being used for ultra-modern gadgets. Instead of selling the sand, why not link up with some foreign companies with knowhow to manufacture items from our coastal sand which is rich in rare elements.
US President George Bush has spoken about 350 million middle class people in India consuming more now on account of economic growth. But no one highlights the plight of the rest of the population which lives below the poverty line. Povertyline is determined something like this in India. If one gets a monthly income of Rs 356.31 in rural India and Rs 538.61 in urban India, he is considered living above the poverty line. Planning Commission figures are Rs 356.30 and Rs 538.60 monthly income for rural people and urban people respectively to say they are living below the poverty line. At Rs 20 per kilogramme, how much rice can a family procure? Food Minister Divakaran had spoken about the need for people to eat meat, eggs and drink milk. N doubt he has understood this to be a foolish statement.
A lot of the powerful people thrive on black money earned through illegal means. Poor people have nothing. Many of the youth are also turning to illegal ways of finding income, like by selling arrack, extortion, burglary and the like. Things are not rosy.
Saturday, May 03, 2008
O J’s Corner
No right to take away life
Man is the crown and glory of all creatures. Whether one believes in the biblical theory of creation or in evolution, there can be no two opinions that human beings are the best of the lot physically, mentally, intellectually and artistically. Can any human being give life to a dead person? Therefore, no human being has the right to snap out the life of another person.
No authority, no government, no institution can order execution of a human being. God forgives all fallible human beings. If he reckons the sins and crimes committed by each and every human being, there would have been only punishments. No human being would have been spared. The Creator knows that we are gullible.
Can someone sit in judgement and pronounce the death penalty for another human being? Many of the criminals are there in confinement because they have been caught. There are thousands of people who have committed wrongs and roaming around the society like sinless people only because they have not been caught.
I shudder at the thought of people being hanged, shot to death, electrocuted, given the lethal injection like that. Why can’t we spare them? Let them be segregated and allowed to live, if they are a menace to society. Why should we kill them? An aye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth theory does not hold good in the modern-day world. Human beings are frail. They cannot be wiped out.
This does not mean that all criminals should be let loose. There are ways of treating them for their crimes other than the death penalty.
Jesus Christ prayed for those who sent him to the Cross. There is no room for human beings to lead a life of hate, crime and ill-will.
No right to take away life
Man is the crown and glory of all creatures. Whether one believes in the biblical theory of creation or in evolution, there can be no two opinions that human beings are the best of the lot physically, mentally, intellectually and artistically. Can any human being give life to a dead person? Therefore, no human being has the right to snap out the life of another person.
No authority, no government, no institution can order execution of a human being. God forgives all fallible human beings. If he reckons the sins and crimes committed by each and every human being, there would have been only punishments. No human being would have been spared. The Creator knows that we are gullible.
Can someone sit in judgement and pronounce the death penalty for another human being? Many of the criminals are there in confinement because they have been caught. There are thousands of people who have committed wrongs and roaming around the society like sinless people only because they have not been caught.
I shudder at the thought of people being hanged, shot to death, electrocuted, given the lethal injection like that. Why can’t we spare them? Let them be segregated and allowed to live, if they are a menace to society. Why should we kill them? An aye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth theory does not hold good in the modern-day world. Human beings are frail. They cannot be wiped out.
This does not mean that all criminals should be let loose. There are ways of treating them for their crimes other than the death penalty.
Jesus Christ prayed for those who sent him to the Cross. There is no room for human beings to lead a life of hate, crime and ill-will.
Friday, May 02, 2008
O J’s Corner
Call to youth
These days the Communist Party of India (Marxist) leaders are speaking common sense. CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan has criticized trade union workers levying looking charges, without doing any work. His remarks have been welcomed by all. Wonders may not come about all on a sudden. The system may not cease forthwith. At least there is awareness that the workers have been behaving unruly. Kerala’s development has been in the doldrums mainly because of this problem. No sane industrialist would set foot in Kerala under the circumstances.
Now Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan, speaking at a May Day rally, has cautioned against the youth becoming lazy. They are after quick money selling liquor, legal or illegal. Youth are not happy about doing manual work. They want to earn money by crooked means.
An honest overview of the situation prevailing in the State would drive the point home that a lot of people, particularly the youth, are engaged in brewing and selling illicit liquor. Go to any place, countryside or cityside, there are joints aplenty selling the illicit brew. Youth carry arrack packets in pants pockets and undergarments and are selling them, earning a quick buck.
Also, almost all places in the state are porous and conducive for illegitimate activities. House-breaks and burglaries are the order of the day. Many of the youth are hands-in-glove with anti-social elements. This would not take them to a bright future. Personal achievements and professional glory, which could have been materialized otherwise, are being denied by themselves on account of their undesirable habits.
Things are not rosy for our youth. Role models are lacking. Wherever they go, they witness activities of vested interests. There should be an intellectual reawakening.
Call to youth
These days the Communist Party of India (Marxist) leaders are speaking common sense. CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan has criticized trade union workers levying looking charges, without doing any work. His remarks have been welcomed by all. Wonders may not come about all on a sudden. The system may not cease forthwith. At least there is awareness that the workers have been behaving unruly. Kerala’s development has been in the doldrums mainly because of this problem. No sane industrialist would set foot in Kerala under the circumstances.
Now Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan, speaking at a May Day rally, has cautioned against the youth becoming lazy. They are after quick money selling liquor, legal or illegal. Youth are not happy about doing manual work. They want to earn money by crooked means.
An honest overview of the situation prevailing in the State would drive the point home that a lot of people, particularly the youth, are engaged in brewing and selling illicit liquor. Go to any place, countryside or cityside, there are joints aplenty selling the illicit brew. Youth carry arrack packets in pants pockets and undergarments and are selling them, earning a quick buck.
Also, almost all places in the state are porous and conducive for illegitimate activities. House-breaks and burglaries are the order of the day. Many of the youth are hands-in-glove with anti-social elements. This would not take them to a bright future. Personal achievements and professional glory, which could have been materialized otherwise, are being denied by themselves on account of their undesirable habits.
Things are not rosy for our youth. Role models are lacking. Wherever they go, they witness activities of vested interests. There should be an intellectual reawakening.
Monday, April 28, 2008
O J’s Corner
Essentials ditched,
trivia played up
These days when we tune in to channels and go through the print media, instances of trivia being played up are mounting at the cost of essentials being put in a corner.
I know the superficial items are an essential component of globalised world. Therefore, these can find a place in the channels and papers. But should these be given the importance as is being bestowed now? Mind you, this playing up is at the cost of marginalising the quintessential.
Harbhajan Singh slapping Sreesanth, Shilpa Shetty presenting her beau, Paris Hilton disfiguring the toilet walls are all blown out of proportion. I have no doubt these should be made known. But there is no justification for giving so much of space and time for the trivia. India’s achievement in sending 10 satellites at one go deserves better display.
Harbhajan and Sreesanth appear to be both hyper-sensitive. Their pranks should not be allowed to corner much of the space and time, even in a world where 24-hour channels and multi-edition papers are in competition to grab fresher and latest incidents.
We give so much space for globalisation and privatisation and liberalisation. That is fair enough. But we are not giving justice to the marginalised in an equal measure. Those countries which have capitalism and liberalised economy have fool-proof social security system to take care of the jobless, incomeless people. Do we have a comprehensive scheme like this, even as we have liberalised most of the sectors? We are ignoring the victims of liberalisation even as we allow economic giants to reap all the benefits. Even the leftists and the opponents of liberalisation do not highlight this aspect.
Every newspaper and channel should have a daily dose of instances of denial of social security measures to those who are already poor and are becoming poorer on account of these measures.
Liberalisation does not mean there should be a system by which all the benefits should go on mounting to the enterprises, leaving the hapless like that.
Essentials ditched,
trivia played up
These days when we tune in to channels and go through the print media, instances of trivia being played up are mounting at the cost of essentials being put in a corner.
I know the superficial items are an essential component of globalised world. Therefore, these can find a place in the channels and papers. But should these be given the importance as is being bestowed now? Mind you, this playing up is at the cost of marginalising the quintessential.
Harbhajan Singh slapping Sreesanth, Shilpa Shetty presenting her beau, Paris Hilton disfiguring the toilet walls are all blown out of proportion. I have no doubt these should be made known. But there is no justification for giving so much of space and time for the trivia. India’s achievement in sending 10 satellites at one go deserves better display.
Harbhajan and Sreesanth appear to be both hyper-sensitive. Their pranks should not be allowed to corner much of the space and time, even in a world where 24-hour channels and multi-edition papers are in competition to grab fresher and latest incidents.
We give so much space for globalisation and privatisation and liberalisation. That is fair enough. But we are not giving justice to the marginalised in an equal measure. Those countries which have capitalism and liberalised economy have fool-proof social security system to take care of the jobless, incomeless people. Do we have a comprehensive scheme like this, even as we have liberalised most of the sectors? We are ignoring the victims of liberalisation even as we allow economic giants to reap all the benefits. Even the leftists and the opponents of liberalisation do not highlight this aspect.
Every newspaper and channel should have a daily dose of instances of denial of social security measures to those who are already poor and are becoming poorer on account of these measures.
Liberalisation does not mean there should be a system by which all the benefits should go on mounting to the enterprises, leaving the hapless like that.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
O J’s Corner
Rhetorics would not do on the supply side
The Government’s view that the price situation would be okay as there would be good monsoons, promising good crops, would not do good for the people reeling under price rise now. It is perfect optimism that should wire us with steely traps of will-power to face difficulties. But pragmatism demands that we should act here and now.
The Government of India, which is a mega entity among the comity of nations, should keep the supply side well-oiled, even at the cost of heavy losses for securing edible items for the people.
At least a year ago, world reports started showing signs of dearth of edible items like grain, wheat etc. There should have been long-term planning to insulate the country from grain shortage at any given situation. Wheat, rice and needed edible items of anticipated short supply should have been imported in bulk. True, the Left parties, on whose support the UPA Government of Dr Manmohan Singh survives, had objected to imports from the US. The Government should have convinced the Left of the impending danger embedded in the food crisis.
Globalisation and privatization had been given near-free ride assuming that the benefits of freeing the market would naturally flow to the economy and the people. We have seen that distributive justice is not an automatic result of opening up. Strong measures should be taken to carry the fruits of market profits to all echelons of the society. Ignoring the farming sector, which constitutes at least 60 per cent of the total human resources in India, has proved to be a bane for a healthy and prosperous country. Sensex indices may be roaring, Nifty points may be on the rise, but the common man’s bellies cannot be filled with stuff flourishing at Wall Street or Dalal Street.
What we should have ensured was to allow free market to function and to corner a fair share of profits amassed all on a sudden by booming enterprises for the welfare of the have-nots. Why do we have the number of billionaires rising rapidly? All on a sudden the markets were opened up, controls were removed, and they reaped skyrocketing benefits. That is fair enough. But the government should have made provisions to secure from them a fair share for undertaking welfare measures.
Why do the US, UK and other European countries have all-encompassing social security schemes? A single department takes care of the social security by providing ID numbers to the needy and the jobless, incomeless people. The department encourages them to find suitable employment. When we free the markets and allow firms to reap all the profits, the government should get back a fair share from them and this should be provided to the people with distributive justice.
Rhetorics would not do on the supply side
The Government’s view that the price situation would be okay as there would be good monsoons, promising good crops, would not do good for the people reeling under price rise now. It is perfect optimism that should wire us with steely traps of will-power to face difficulties. But pragmatism demands that we should act here and now.
The Government of India, which is a mega entity among the comity of nations, should keep the supply side well-oiled, even at the cost of heavy losses for securing edible items for the people.
At least a year ago, world reports started showing signs of dearth of edible items like grain, wheat etc. There should have been long-term planning to insulate the country from grain shortage at any given situation. Wheat, rice and needed edible items of anticipated short supply should have been imported in bulk. True, the Left parties, on whose support the UPA Government of Dr Manmohan Singh survives, had objected to imports from the US. The Government should have convinced the Left of the impending danger embedded in the food crisis.
Globalisation and privatization had been given near-free ride assuming that the benefits of freeing the market would naturally flow to the economy and the people. We have seen that distributive justice is not an automatic result of opening up. Strong measures should be taken to carry the fruits of market profits to all echelons of the society. Ignoring the farming sector, which constitutes at least 60 per cent of the total human resources in India, has proved to be a bane for a healthy and prosperous country. Sensex indices may be roaring, Nifty points may be on the rise, but the common man’s bellies cannot be filled with stuff flourishing at Wall Street or Dalal Street.
What we should have ensured was to allow free market to function and to corner a fair share of profits amassed all on a sudden by booming enterprises for the welfare of the have-nots. Why do we have the number of billionaires rising rapidly? All on a sudden the markets were opened up, controls were removed, and they reaped skyrocketing benefits. That is fair enough. But the government should have made provisions to secure from them a fair share for undertaking welfare measures.
Why do the US, UK and other European countries have all-encompassing social security schemes? A single department takes care of the social security by providing ID numbers to the needy and the jobless, incomeless people. The department encourages them to find suitable employment. When we free the markets and allow firms to reap all the profits, the government should get back a fair share from them and this should be provided to the people with distributive justice.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
O J’s Corner
Politicised curse
One cannot aspire for a divine rule in earthy lands, but the abominous politicised environs calls for consensus to be achieved by hooks or crooks for the development of Kerala. Otherwise, whatever is mooted by one political persuasion is questioned by the rivals and development gets thwarted. No one is willing to give credit to the rivals, even if beneficial projects are being implemented.
In a democratic society, politics cannot be given a go-by. Political involvement would help to solve many a problem, compared to the mechanical type of vetting and resolution of an issue by the bureaucrats.
There were many drawbacks to the people’s plan implemented in Kerala. But no one can deny the fact that a lot of innovative schemes were introduced as people’s representatives at the local level were involved. I don’t think officials at panchayat offices would have been able to craft and execute these schemes.
So there can be no two opinions that political involvement is a must. But politicians of all hues and persuasions should decide not to oppose beneficial schemes.
Kerala is lacking in essential raw-materials for big manufacturing sector. We don’t have coal, iron deposits. Perhaps we can think about supporting big budget schemes using coastal sand full of ilmenite, titanium and other rare elements.
But then there is no consensus among political parties. Why can’t we think about supporting companies manufacturing computer, electronics, nanotechlogy, biotechnology hardware? But then you cannot oppose the very thought of involving companies from developed nations.
There should not be ideological opposition to inviting firms to the state to manufacture devices that are products of hi-tech innovations. We don’t have companies based in Kerala manufacturing mobile phones, landline handsets, television sets, DVDs, computers, refrigerators, cars, two-wheelers and what not.
Politicians should delve deep into the situation that has come to being in Kerala where no big company is prepared to set up its manufacturing unit.
The root of the matter is deeply entrenched in opposition from all political sides to welcome manufacturing companies to set up shop here.
Politicised curse
One cannot aspire for a divine rule in earthy lands, but the abominous politicised environs calls for consensus to be achieved by hooks or crooks for the development of Kerala. Otherwise, whatever is mooted by one political persuasion is questioned by the rivals and development gets thwarted. No one is willing to give credit to the rivals, even if beneficial projects are being implemented.
In a democratic society, politics cannot be given a go-by. Political involvement would help to solve many a problem, compared to the mechanical type of vetting and resolution of an issue by the bureaucrats.
There were many drawbacks to the people’s plan implemented in Kerala. But no one can deny the fact that a lot of innovative schemes were introduced as people’s representatives at the local level were involved. I don’t think officials at panchayat offices would have been able to craft and execute these schemes.
So there can be no two opinions that political involvement is a must. But politicians of all hues and persuasions should decide not to oppose beneficial schemes.
Kerala is lacking in essential raw-materials for big manufacturing sector. We don’t have coal, iron deposits. Perhaps we can think about supporting big budget schemes using coastal sand full of ilmenite, titanium and other rare elements.
But then there is no consensus among political parties. Why can’t we think about supporting companies manufacturing computer, electronics, nanotechlogy, biotechnology hardware? But then you cannot oppose the very thought of involving companies from developed nations.
There should not be ideological opposition to inviting firms to the state to manufacture devices that are products of hi-tech innovations. We don’t have companies based in Kerala manufacturing mobile phones, landline handsets, television sets, DVDs, computers, refrigerators, cars, two-wheelers and what not.
Politicians should delve deep into the situation that has come to being in Kerala where no big company is prepared to set up its manufacturing unit.
The root of the matter is deeply entrenched in opposition from all political sides to welcome manufacturing companies to set up shop here.
Monday, April 14, 2008
O J’s Corner
Kerala’s paradox
Kerala is poised to face the worst of the times when a food shortage would hit the country. Already it is short of grains and vegetables. The supplies from other states are dwindling as they also find it difficult to meet their commitments to their own people.
Actually there was a global warning by international agencies the previous year that food production the world over would hit the bottom due to environamental vagaries and climate conundrums.
In the beginning of this year the Manmohan Singh Government of India had planned to import large quantities of wheat from America. The Communist and left allies had taken cudgels against the UPA Government saying, it was a tactic for lifting unwanted wheat from the US at hefty prices to help the farmers of that country. Actually now we are witnessing a different scenario in America, Brazil etc where wheat and maize are converted into bio-fuel. Their production is well utilised one way or other to take care of their farmers. But the people of other countries would find it difficult to fill their tummies as wheat and maize are being converted into bio-fuel.
Let the Commies scratch their backs and get grains and food stuff from Communist countries if there are any pure genes available. Perhaps Cuba has the mind to help. But they don’t have enough to eat for themselves. Our leftists would like to have the stuff from China, but that country is only a namesake Communist regime. In certain respects they have gone over the standards of the copy-book capitalists. China is peculiar only for its lack of genuine democracy.
Let us come to the grain problem of Kerala. There is no easy way out. The Communists-led government now says it would supply rice through ration shops. But where are the supplies? Many states which can help Kerala are going to the polls this year itself. The ruling dispensations in those states are hankering after subsidized supplies to fetch votes from the poor people. Tamil Nadu is already supplying rice at Rs two a kilogramme. Andhra Pradesh has decided to provide rice at the same rate.
Kuttanad , the rice bowl of Kerala, has been inundated with flash floods caused by untimely summer showers. The farmers were frantically searching for harvesting machines, but then the trade unions of the Commies would not allow farmers to use harvesting machines. The farmers lost all their belongings. Ideology won, farmers lost. In course of time, the ideologues would also have to starve, for there won’t be rice coming from other states either.
Kerala’s paradox
Kerala is poised to face the worst of the times when a food shortage would hit the country. Already it is short of grains and vegetables. The supplies from other states are dwindling as they also find it difficult to meet their commitments to their own people.
Actually there was a global warning by international agencies the previous year that food production the world over would hit the bottom due to environamental vagaries and climate conundrums.
In the beginning of this year the Manmohan Singh Government of India had planned to import large quantities of wheat from America. The Communist and left allies had taken cudgels against the UPA Government saying, it was a tactic for lifting unwanted wheat from the US at hefty prices to help the farmers of that country. Actually now we are witnessing a different scenario in America, Brazil etc where wheat and maize are converted into bio-fuel. Their production is well utilised one way or other to take care of their farmers. But the people of other countries would find it difficult to fill their tummies as wheat and maize are being converted into bio-fuel.
Let the Commies scratch their backs and get grains and food stuff from Communist countries if there are any pure genes available. Perhaps Cuba has the mind to help. But they don’t have enough to eat for themselves. Our leftists would like to have the stuff from China, but that country is only a namesake Communist regime. In certain respects they have gone over the standards of the copy-book capitalists. China is peculiar only for its lack of genuine democracy.
Let us come to the grain problem of Kerala. There is no easy way out. The Communists-led government now says it would supply rice through ration shops. But where are the supplies? Many states which can help Kerala are going to the polls this year itself. The ruling dispensations in those states are hankering after subsidized supplies to fetch votes from the poor people. Tamil Nadu is already supplying rice at Rs two a kilogramme. Andhra Pradesh has decided to provide rice at the same rate.
Kuttanad , the rice bowl of Kerala, has been inundated with flash floods caused by untimely summer showers. The farmers were frantically searching for harvesting machines, but then the trade unions of the Commies would not allow farmers to use harvesting machines. The farmers lost all their belongings. Ideology won, farmers lost. In course of time, the ideologues would also have to starve, for there won’t be rice coming from other states either.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
O J’s Corner
Disorder everywhere
The world is in turmoil, more than ever before. We may think the world was worse in the past, during World War I, Hitler’s annihilation of the Jews, World War II and the like. I believe the situation is still worse. World War III does not take place only because the players and those itching to foment trouble know it for a fact that there would be nothing left on earth. Planet Earth itself would be wiped out, if the nuclear arsenals rip open their armoury of destruction.
This thought got doubly enforced when the world witnessed terrorists’ strike on the US on September 11, 2001 without sparking off a third world war. I believe world leaders have become wiser with the knowledge that no war can be won anymore.
The US is trying to keep up its supremacy sustainable. Russia shows flashes of might, judging by Putin’s ability to ward off US intention to expand NATO by roping in certain former Soviet Union states. China is intent on emerging as one of the superpowers. US is trying to keep India in its kitty, simply to strengthen its bulwark against the namesake Communist regime. Taiwan, Hong Kong, Tibet, and the like would keep China always engaged.
When nations are vying with each other to tone up their brute force, Nature is playing its cards with justifiable ingenuity. Global warming, natural calamities and famines churn the planet questioning its very survival. Infrastructure development is skyrocketing. Man-made structures would be a plaything for the elements when they are messed up. With all the achievements in space science and the efforts to colonise the galaxies, one has to take note of the fact that the rockets, satellites and space gadgets can be launched from earth only when the climate is conducive. Squalls, thunder showers and a minor fury of nature are sufficient to block lift-off. Things are not easy as science-fiction gazers imagine.
Kashmir, Palestine, Tibet and the like, coupled with Iraq, Iran and the forces arrayed against civilised world are enough to undermine man-made achievements.
Disorder everywhere
The world is in turmoil, more than ever before. We may think the world was worse in the past, during World War I, Hitler’s annihilation of the Jews, World War II and the like. I believe the situation is still worse. World War III does not take place only because the players and those itching to foment trouble know it for a fact that there would be nothing left on earth. Planet Earth itself would be wiped out, if the nuclear arsenals rip open their armoury of destruction.
This thought got doubly enforced when the world witnessed terrorists’ strike on the US on September 11, 2001 without sparking off a third world war. I believe world leaders have become wiser with the knowledge that no war can be won anymore.
The US is trying to keep up its supremacy sustainable. Russia shows flashes of might, judging by Putin’s ability to ward off US intention to expand NATO by roping in certain former Soviet Union states. China is intent on emerging as one of the superpowers. US is trying to keep India in its kitty, simply to strengthen its bulwark against the namesake Communist regime. Taiwan, Hong Kong, Tibet, and the like would keep China always engaged.
When nations are vying with each other to tone up their brute force, Nature is playing its cards with justifiable ingenuity. Global warming, natural calamities and famines churn the planet questioning its very survival. Infrastructure development is skyrocketing. Man-made structures would be a plaything for the elements when they are messed up. With all the achievements in space science and the efforts to colonise the galaxies, one has to take note of the fact that the rockets, satellites and space gadgets can be launched from earth only when the climate is conducive. Squalls, thunder showers and a minor fury of nature are sufficient to block lift-off. Things are not easy as science-fiction gazers imagine.
Kashmir, Palestine, Tibet and the like, coupled with Iraq, Iran and the forces arrayed against civilised world are enough to undermine man-made achievements.
Sunday, April 06, 2008
O J’s Corner
Farmers urged to cultivate,
without providing for
crop losses
Urging farmers to undertake paddy cultivation intensively, without providing for crop loss security, is just like driving them to suicide. We have found that agricultural production has been sliding down. Therefore, the government and the state agencies have been coaxing and cajoling farmers to sowing and planting. The farmers genuinely believed they would reap rich dividends. Their hopes were not unfounded, for the paddy plants were flushed with grain. That is the story of Kuttanad and elsewhere in Kerala. But then the unseemly summer showers poured out. There were floods all around. The standing crops were inundated. The farmers have been clamouring for introducing harvesting machines for reaping the ripe paddy. The CPM workers union would not allow them to bring in harvesting machines. They claimed if the machines were allowed in, they would lose their work. They would not reap and they would not allow machines to take over. The whole crop was lost.
Now the clamour for compensation rose to the crescendo. The State government is telling the farmers that the paddy harvested would be procured by the government at Rs 10 per kilogramme. Everyone is offering the moon. But the farmers are at their wit’s end, for they do not know how they would be able to launch agricultural operations during the next season.
The State government is putting the onus on the Central government to pay full compensation. The clamour is for additional allotment under the Calamity Contingency Relief Fund. The Central government has devised certain norms for payment under this head. Also when the State government is yet to finish off the amounts in the head, the Union Government cannot sanction additional funds. Central teams come and go. They make recommendations. But no government can provide more when there is balance in the budgeted provision.
The process appears to be a vicious circle. The farmers’ lot is not that salubrious.
Farmers urged to cultivate,
without providing for
crop losses
Urging farmers to undertake paddy cultivation intensively, without providing for crop loss security, is just like driving them to suicide. We have found that agricultural production has been sliding down. Therefore, the government and the state agencies have been coaxing and cajoling farmers to sowing and planting. The farmers genuinely believed they would reap rich dividends. Their hopes were not unfounded, for the paddy plants were flushed with grain. That is the story of Kuttanad and elsewhere in Kerala. But then the unseemly summer showers poured out. There were floods all around. The standing crops were inundated. The farmers have been clamouring for introducing harvesting machines for reaping the ripe paddy. The CPM workers union would not allow them to bring in harvesting machines. They claimed if the machines were allowed in, they would lose their work. They would not reap and they would not allow machines to take over. The whole crop was lost.
Now the clamour for compensation rose to the crescendo. The State government is telling the farmers that the paddy harvested would be procured by the government at Rs 10 per kilogramme. Everyone is offering the moon. But the farmers are at their wit’s end, for they do not know how they would be able to launch agricultural operations during the next season.
The State government is putting the onus on the Central government to pay full compensation. The clamour is for additional allotment under the Calamity Contingency Relief Fund. The Central government has devised certain norms for payment under this head. Also when the State government is yet to finish off the amounts in the head, the Union Government cannot sanction additional funds. Central teams come and go. They make recommendations. But no government can provide more when there is balance in the budgeted provision.
The process appears to be a vicious circle. The farmers’ lot is not that salubrious.
Saturday, April 05, 2008
O J’s Corner
Good times for Kodiyeri
The quality of politics in Kerala is taking a curious turn with the elevation of State Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan as a member of the CPM politburo at its recently concluded Party Congress in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu.
Two senior contenders Paloli Mohamedkutty and M A Baby who belong to Muslim and
Christian minorities weres signaled to sit still.
It is quite clear from the choice of Kodiyeri by the central leadership of the party that the next Chief Minister of Kerala from the LDF side would be Kodiyeri, if it comes to bid adieu to the regime of V S Achuthanandan.
Kodiyeri has been playing his cards quite well by not distancing himself too far from CPM State Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan and not completely disowning Pinarayi’s bete noire V S Achuthanandan. The personal rife between Pinarayi and V S was so acute that the state administration had come to a grinding halt many a time, even though the party leaders would not admit it publicly.
V S has had his innings, as he could don the mantle of Chief Ministership, opportunities for which had fallen by the wayside on many occasions in the past. It would be beside the point to argue whether V S would complete his full term or not. But his successor has apparently been named, with the induction of Kodiyeri as a member of the PB, ignoring the seniority of many others.
It should be an eye-opener for Pinarayi as well. There cannot be an automatic walk-over for him post-VS times.
As for M A Baby and Paloli, they should very well come to terms with the fact that they are not suitable boys for the party beyond the realms they are occupying.
Good times for Kodiyeri
The quality of politics in Kerala is taking a curious turn with the elevation of State Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan as a member of the CPM politburo at its recently concluded Party Congress in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu.
Two senior contenders Paloli Mohamedkutty and M A Baby who belong to Muslim and
Christian minorities weres signaled to sit still.
It is quite clear from the choice of Kodiyeri by the central leadership of the party that the next Chief Minister of Kerala from the LDF side would be Kodiyeri, if it comes to bid adieu to the regime of V S Achuthanandan.
Kodiyeri has been playing his cards quite well by not distancing himself too far from CPM State Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan and not completely disowning Pinarayi’s bete noire V S Achuthanandan. The personal rife between Pinarayi and V S was so acute that the state administration had come to a grinding halt many a time, even though the party leaders would not admit it publicly.
V S has had his innings, as he could don the mantle of Chief Ministership, opportunities for which had fallen by the wayside on many occasions in the past. It would be beside the point to argue whether V S would complete his full term or not. But his successor has apparently been named, with the induction of Kodiyeri as a member of the PB, ignoring the seniority of many others.
It should be an eye-opener for Pinarayi as well. There cannot be an automatic walk-over for him post-VS times.
As for M A Baby and Paloli, they should very well come to terms with the fact that they are not suitable boys for the party beyond the realms they are occupying.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
O J’s Corner
How long will the farce continue?
Sonia Gandhi has said elections would be held when these are due, Prakash Karat has expressed relief about it in spite of spiting Congress about its gravitating towards the US.
The intention is to see through a few months of budget passing and completing other constitutional procedures.
How long this farce of covering up an impending election will continue? The Congress-led UPA Government has decided to befriend the farmers by announcing loan-waiver scheme, appeased the Central Government employees with scaled-up pay, and goes the whole hog to be seen as a popular entity. It is yet to be seen how many of the farmers will be actually benefited from the loan-waiver sops. The Indian enigma has been skewed execution of welfare schemes, not dearth of devising projects. Bureaucratic bungling has seen to it nothing works as desired. And political will has often been lacking to spruce up the administration to the level of efficiency. P V Narasimha Rao-style procrastination (otherwise there would not have been demolition of Babri Masjid when he was the Prime Minister) has penetrated the minds of many of the political masters. Not many are prepared to take risks. Therefore, without the propensity to take risks, the situation refuses to be seen as challenging.
I believe, now the Congress Party, particularly its leader Sonia Gandhi, is keen to call the bluff of the CPM controlling the UPA dispensation from outside without taking responsibility for any decision of the gpvernment and go in for elections at the earliest.
But the latest worry is the increasing prices of essential commodities. By the time the Central Government employees receive more cash from the pay hike, inflation would hit the roof resulting in a worsening scenario of price rise. Anyway, the Union Cabinet appears to be seized of the matter and can be expected to initiate some measures to contain the deleterious impact.
The people cannot be fooled around for much longer regarding the election guest waiting outside our front –door.
How long will the farce continue?
Sonia Gandhi has said elections would be held when these are due, Prakash Karat has expressed relief about it in spite of spiting Congress about its gravitating towards the US.
The intention is to see through a few months of budget passing and completing other constitutional procedures.
How long this farce of covering up an impending election will continue? The Congress-led UPA Government has decided to befriend the farmers by announcing loan-waiver scheme, appeased the Central Government employees with scaled-up pay, and goes the whole hog to be seen as a popular entity. It is yet to be seen how many of the farmers will be actually benefited from the loan-waiver sops. The Indian enigma has been skewed execution of welfare schemes, not dearth of devising projects. Bureaucratic bungling has seen to it nothing works as desired. And political will has often been lacking to spruce up the administration to the level of efficiency. P V Narasimha Rao-style procrastination (otherwise there would not have been demolition of Babri Masjid when he was the Prime Minister) has penetrated the minds of many of the political masters. Not many are prepared to take risks. Therefore, without the propensity to take risks, the situation refuses to be seen as challenging.
I believe, now the Congress Party, particularly its leader Sonia Gandhi, is keen to call the bluff of the CPM controlling the UPA dispensation from outside without taking responsibility for any decision of the gpvernment and go in for elections at the earliest.
But the latest worry is the increasing prices of essential commodities. By the time the Central Government employees receive more cash from the pay hike, inflation would hit the roof resulting in a worsening scenario of price rise. Anyway, the Union Cabinet appears to be seized of the matter and can be expected to initiate some measures to contain the deleterious impact.
The people cannot be fooled around for much longer regarding the election guest waiting outside our front –door.
Friday, March 21, 2008
O J’s Corner
Happiness level of the nation can be gauged from
the happiness level of the farmers
Finance Minister P. Chidambaram has told Parliament that he would find a way-out to help farmers who have availed of loans from private lenders. In fact, the most hapless farmers are those who have fallen prey to private financiers. In Kerala, these firms are known as “blade companies”. In other States, there would be similar nomenclatures. Blade is the instrument intended to kill the victim by cutting the vein. Such financiers dole out money with minimal or no collateral security. Title-deeds of lands would be cornered by them. In the end the property would fall into the hands of the financier. Take a cursory look of properties along the roadsides, there would be a lot of indicatory boards saying the property is hypothecated to such and such blade companies.
If Chidambaram finds a mechanism by which the farmers’ debts from blade companies or individuals can be arranged to be paid off, it would really be a boon for the ryots. Let the announcement be not a publicity gimmick. He has referred to an existing scheme by which the farmers can take loan from the banks to pay off the private financiers. But the scheme has not been even marginally successful. It is estimated that 1.05 crore farmers have taken loans from private financiers. Of this, only 36,000 farmers have been successful in taking loans from banks to pay off blade companies. Chidambaram says his intention is to simplify the process and make it efficacious. Fair enough, let us hope the farmers would be benefited.
But I can vouchsafe it for a fact that it is not easy for an average farmer to secure such loans because of inherent flaws. The attitude of the bank employees should assume a sea-change. It was not long ago that a small account holder had to wait for a long time at the bank counter to get his cheque paid. That is, the amount which is a deposit in the bank. Now thousands of ATMs have sprung up in all nooks and crannies. The bankmen’s haughty behaviour has given place to orderly dispensation of currency notes by the ATMs. This is not to say that all bankmen have mind-blocks to help customers. They have their own problems. I served The Indian Express/The New Indian Express from 1984 to 2004, in Kerala, New Delhi and Mumbai, in various echelons of being a reporter, ending as Special Correspondent. While I was in Thrissur in 1989, an SBI bank officer had chanced to visit me at the office-cum-residence where there was no television set. Even as I was not appreciative of taking a loan because of the rigmarole involved, he took the initiative and arranged a television set with a loan from the bank within a single day! That means things are possible and there are helpful bankmen.
Our farmers do not know the nitty-gritty of farm loans. They can be helped by grassroots- level political workers, social workers, NGOs and even bank employees associations. The bankmen know it for a fact that the assistance being given to farmers are a pittance compared to thousands of crores of rupees cornered by powerful individuals and firms. A lot of the money would be written off as non-performing assets. So why not help the farmers? This one-time debt-waiver will not be perennially helpful for the farmers. Loans at nominal rates of interest, remunerative price for their produce, crop insurance, proper facilities for marketing etc.
It is not clear whether the loans of dairy farmers and fishermen would be written off. There is persistent demand for broadbasing the acreage of farmers whose debts are being cleared. We know that happiness level of the country can be gauged by the happiness level of the farmers, who form more than 60 per cent of the population.
Happiness level of the nation can be gauged from
the happiness level of the farmers
Finance Minister P. Chidambaram has told Parliament that he would find a way-out to help farmers who have availed of loans from private lenders. In fact, the most hapless farmers are those who have fallen prey to private financiers. In Kerala, these firms are known as “blade companies”. In other States, there would be similar nomenclatures. Blade is the instrument intended to kill the victim by cutting the vein. Such financiers dole out money with minimal or no collateral security. Title-deeds of lands would be cornered by them. In the end the property would fall into the hands of the financier. Take a cursory look of properties along the roadsides, there would be a lot of indicatory boards saying the property is hypothecated to such and such blade companies.
If Chidambaram finds a mechanism by which the farmers’ debts from blade companies or individuals can be arranged to be paid off, it would really be a boon for the ryots. Let the announcement be not a publicity gimmick. He has referred to an existing scheme by which the farmers can take loan from the banks to pay off the private financiers. But the scheme has not been even marginally successful. It is estimated that 1.05 crore farmers have taken loans from private financiers. Of this, only 36,000 farmers have been successful in taking loans from banks to pay off blade companies. Chidambaram says his intention is to simplify the process and make it efficacious. Fair enough, let us hope the farmers would be benefited.
But I can vouchsafe it for a fact that it is not easy for an average farmer to secure such loans because of inherent flaws. The attitude of the bank employees should assume a sea-change. It was not long ago that a small account holder had to wait for a long time at the bank counter to get his cheque paid. That is, the amount which is a deposit in the bank. Now thousands of ATMs have sprung up in all nooks and crannies. The bankmen’s haughty behaviour has given place to orderly dispensation of currency notes by the ATMs. This is not to say that all bankmen have mind-blocks to help customers. They have their own problems. I served The Indian Express/The New Indian Express from 1984 to 2004, in Kerala, New Delhi and Mumbai, in various echelons of being a reporter, ending as Special Correspondent. While I was in Thrissur in 1989, an SBI bank officer had chanced to visit me at the office-cum-residence where there was no television set. Even as I was not appreciative of taking a loan because of the rigmarole involved, he took the initiative and arranged a television set with a loan from the bank within a single day! That means things are possible and there are helpful bankmen.
Our farmers do not know the nitty-gritty of farm loans. They can be helped by grassroots- level political workers, social workers, NGOs and even bank employees associations. The bankmen know it for a fact that the assistance being given to farmers are a pittance compared to thousands of crores of rupees cornered by powerful individuals and firms. A lot of the money would be written off as non-performing assets. So why not help the farmers? This one-time debt-waiver will not be perennially helpful for the farmers. Loans at nominal rates of interest, remunerative price for their produce, crop insurance, proper facilities for marketing etc.
It is not clear whether the loans of dairy farmers and fishermen would be written off. There is persistent demand for broadbasing the acreage of farmers whose debts are being cleared. We know that happiness level of the country can be gauged by the happiness level of the farmers, who form more than 60 per cent of the population.
Is there no one to take care of Dr Subhadramma?
One should be flabbergasted at the plight of Dr Subhadramma, 80, which was portrayed by K. Deepa, reporter of Mathrubhumi Malayalam daily, in connection with the International Women’s Day on March 8. A life-time of study and research gone waste for her? Unmarried and old-aged, there is no one to look after her. Even her pension dues have not been properly paid.
Several doctorate degrees-holder, polyglot, and the epitome of women’s education, Dr Subhadramma was found lying coiled in a corner of Thampanoor Railway Station in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, as no one was prepared to rent out a room to her.
She was one of the few women who earned her doctorate degree from the University of Kerala in earlier times. It seems she had ancestral properties at Karamana and Thiruvananthapuram worth a fortune. But the properties were all lost or cornered by interested people.
Now she does not have to beg for her food as she earns a monthly pension of Rs 5,600 for her having been a primary school teacher. Arrears of pension and other benefits remain unpaid. She does not have a roof to sleep under. Daughter of Vidwan K.Kesava Pillai and Ponnamma Pillai, who were teachers, Subhadra had chosen to pursue a career of learning and teaching. Sshe became a Hindi Vidushi by the age of 18 years. She started her career as Hindi teacher at Karamana middle school, continued her studies. She taught at high schools at Nedumangad, Attingal and Malayinkeezh. When she started teaching at Cotton Hill School, she again pursued higher education and reseach. She took her doctorate in Hindi from University of Kerala in 1962 and D.Litt in 1968. Later she got doctorate degree in Malayalam. She pursued her studies in English and took MA in English. She followed it up by taking doctorate in English. She got diploma in Kannada, Tamil and Sanskrit. She became life-time member in Linguistics Society of India, Lexicographical Society and Dravidian Linguistics Society. Lecturer in Thrissur R V Puram Training College, R V Puram Engineering College, Govt Hindi Training Institute, Attoor N V K S High School principal, B.Ed College principal, the list of her vocations goes on like this.
After retirement she pursued further research. But on her return to her native place, she found that all the properties were alienated. She stayed at the Adhyapaka Bhavan at Petta for a few days. Afterwards she stayed alone at a house. But now no one is prepared to rent out a room to her.
One should have awe of her for her accomplishments in the field of education. Would we give her a Padma award for serving the country in different capacities? Now we have thrown her out to the streets.--OJ
One should be flabbergasted at the plight of Dr Subhadramma, 80, which was portrayed by K. Deepa, reporter of Mathrubhumi Malayalam daily, in connection with the International Women’s Day on March 8. A life-time of study and research gone waste for her? Unmarried and old-aged, there is no one to look after her. Even her pension dues have not been properly paid.
Several doctorate degrees-holder, polyglot, and the epitome of women’s education, Dr Subhadramma was found lying coiled in a corner of Thampanoor Railway Station in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, as no one was prepared to rent out a room to her.
She was one of the few women who earned her doctorate degree from the University of Kerala in earlier times. It seems she had ancestral properties at Karamana and Thiruvananthapuram worth a fortune. But the properties were all lost or cornered by interested people.
Now she does not have to beg for her food as she earns a monthly pension of Rs 5,600 for her having been a primary school teacher. Arrears of pension and other benefits remain unpaid. She does not have a roof to sleep under. Daughter of Vidwan K.Kesava Pillai and Ponnamma Pillai, who were teachers, Subhadra had chosen to pursue a career of learning and teaching. Sshe became a Hindi Vidushi by the age of 18 years. She started her career as Hindi teacher at Karamana middle school, continued her studies. She taught at high schools at Nedumangad, Attingal and Malayinkeezh. When she started teaching at Cotton Hill School, she again pursued higher education and reseach. She took her doctorate in Hindi from University of Kerala in 1962 and D.Litt in 1968. Later she got doctorate degree in Malayalam. She pursued her studies in English and took MA in English. She followed it up by taking doctorate in English. She got diploma in Kannada, Tamil and Sanskrit. She became life-time member in Linguistics Society of India, Lexicographical Society and Dravidian Linguistics Society. Lecturer in Thrissur R V Puram Training College, R V Puram Engineering College, Govt Hindi Training Institute, Attoor N V K S High School principal, B.Ed College principal, the list of her vocations goes on like this.
After retirement she pursued further research. But on her return to her native place, she found that all the properties were alienated. She stayed at the Adhyapaka Bhavan at Petta for a few days. Afterwards she stayed alone at a house. But now no one is prepared to rent out a room to her.
One should have awe of her for her accomplishments in the field of education. Would we give her a Padma award for serving the country in different capacities? Now we have thrown her out to the streets.--OJ
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