Munnar mission again?

Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan has embarked upon another Munnar mission. It should be made clear who is being appeased?

In the earlier mission by his own chosen officials, various individuals, institutions and parties, including his own partymen from Idukki, had expressed reservations, if not stiff resistance. The Chief Minister has to beat a hasty retreat, from his chosen line of action and his avowed ideology.

The present attempt seems to be to alleviate the sufferings of some landless people. Perhaps he intends to dole away pieces of land to the landless from the seized lands.

Whatever action is being pursued in Munnar is besotted with a lot of problems. It would not be easy task, as so many players, interests and institutions are involved.

Now there seems to be dearth of faithful officials as well. The so-called conscience-keepers have all left the scene, for one reason or other.

And there cannot be a commando-like operation. That will enthuse the commoners, but legal and other relevant aspects have also to be kept in mind.

O J George

Innocence par excellence

I was living quite near the Qutab Minar in South Delhi for a few years. I am quite familiar to the Mehrauli market area where a bomb blast took place the other day. I felt like a baby crying for cruel elements eliminating human beings. One cannot kill a cat like this.

The Mehrauli area is known for its network of narrow lanes in the market. I remember the flower market lies in the beginning portion of the market network. Memories are vivid like I have been living there even now.

Youth are brainwashed to undertake acts of murder and cruelty in the name of religion we have heard. The undesirable argument is that if one becomes a martyr, he would go to heaven instantly.

In the present instance, it appears two youths left a packet in the area. Santosh, a 13-year-old boy saw the packet falling from the motorcycle. He ran after the youths with the packet shouting, “uncle you have forgotten to take your packet”. Don’t you feel like crying? The innocent boy was so truthful that he ran after the terrorists to help them out with their packet.

Would the Gods, of whichever religion they be, not grant instant moksha to this boy? What a perplexing world we live in?

O J’s Corner

Discrminatory conversion

I chanced upon some statistics about conversion of people into Buddhism. It seems there is discrimination about opposition to Christian conversion. Why are people violently disposed against Christians, whose missionaries had done a yeoman’s work to uplift the uneducated, superstitious people of yore? I am against all kinds of forcible conversion, or conversion which is inducement-generated. But this discrimination in treating Buddhist conversion and Christian conversion is inexplicable. Christians themselves should introspect about why there is so much of opposition against the grand religion whose bedrock belief is renunciation and service to others.

Coming to the figures, as many as 25,000 people got converted into Buddhism in 2005 in India, the figure rose to 45,000 in 2006 and more than one lakh in 2007. There was a grand function in Mumbai marking the occasion of the birth anniversary of Dr B R Ambedkar.

There should be serious introspection about the revulsion the Christians face at least among the hearts of a few.Maybe, we are not living the life of a Christian. Simple living and high thinking has become antediluvian.

O J’s Corner

Aswathy and her ilk would curse

Recently we heard about a girl, Awathy, hailing from Wayanad district, committing suicide as her bid to get admission to the plus one course had failed. She hailed from the tribal hamlet in Wayanad district. This time the plus one admission was through the single-window system. The government put down laws for admission. People should browse internet to know their position in the rank list for admission. Aswathy and her family members were living in the far-off forest hamlet. To come out of the forest domain, they should walk the difficult terrain for a day or more. They reached town on a few occasions and the procedure was not full. The school authorities could not do anything. It was impossible for her to know whether she would get admission. After a few attempts, the girl turned despondent and committed suicide.


We should mull over the situation. What is the directive principle enshrined in the Constitution? The state should strive to give suitable education for all. I would say if one has proved competence, he should be given the education he/she deserves, be it medicine, eingineering, computer technology or what not. Facilities lacking, there would be fierce competition. The have-nots are thrown away. The haves find admission in costly institutions. But let us not rest content that everything is hunky dory.

Even tribal hamlets, poramboke settlements and other tenements have bright students. I have seen brilliant students coming out magnificently well in life, challenging the struggles in slums in Dharavi, Bhandup and other chawls in Mumbai. IAS and IPS officers have been generated from these chawls.

No hurdle should be placed before brilliant students to come up in life. It is the duty of the society to help them.

O J’s Corner

Why are we the way we are?

It is a million-dollar question? We are born and brought up well nourished and taken care of extremely well. Take the case of those living around us. Some are well off, but many are going through untold miseries. Why did it come like this to them? Was it there choice? Was it our choice?

Where is the answer to the questions/? No one is here to answer. Job wanted to ask a lot of questions to God Almighty. But when God appeared before him, he was not given time to ask questions. God asked him some questions and Job was humbled.

Let there be myriad instances of good work done to fellow human beings. One has to gift things to fellow human beings, cash, dress or other things. Giving away things removes the curses, the sins and acts of hatred.

Hinduism has a special place in acts of gift. This would provide a cover to the protagonist from having rebirth in the form of dogs, cats, cows and other beings.

The soul or bioplasmic bodies would never get destroyed. Only the physical body which is mortal dies. The bioplasmic bodies hover over all places and find safe haven in other beings.

In this world where we livd for a few decades at the most, why are there so much acts of hatred, ill-will and selfishness? There is no room for such acts, but people do not understand.

O J’s Corner

Malayali’s mind etched in Onam canvas

I have always been wondering how and why Malayalis got together to celebrate Onam this big way. Was this an occasion to please all children in the families? We tell stories to the kids who, with their inquisitive minds, probe further and seek further. The grandmas telling stories to the young ones reach a crescendo that children believe everthing the old ones reveal. It may be about some poltergeist, chathan, arukola, maadan and the like, all feisty spirits capable of bringing devastation. My son is still horribly afraid of snakes. He has not seen a snake in his life. Once we went to the zoo and he kept off the reptile section, for fear of the snakes. He is also afraid of darkness. No doubt, the fear has come from the grandma telling stories in high drama. All right, let us leave it like that.

Come to Onam. Today is Thiru Onam, not only in Kerala, but also in the minds of all Malayalis living the world over. Be they Hindus, Christians or Muslims, they have a particular paranoia about Onam. These days the folks have been queuing up before all sorts of outlets vending edible and non-edible items. The occasion is so inclusive that computer firms, electric appliances dealers, and all have special packages. I don’t’ know why book sellers have not offered a new deal.

In olden times, when many people did not have sumptuous meals on all days, it was the Onam time when the family members had delicious full meals all through the 10-day festival from Attham to Thiru Onam. The beauty of the festival is that even the new generation has taken a liking for the legendary event. It seems the ardour would only increase in course of time. So, three cheers for the annual visit of Mahabali who wants to see all his subjects in camaraderie.

O J’s Corner

Amount meager, tradition great

I was amused by the tradition of the Kerala State Government offering panakkizhi (cash bag) to the women successors of the erstwhile Cochin dynasty.

In Kottayam, the government representative called on Soumyavathi Thampuratti, one of the 62 surviving women successors of the Cochin royalty, on Wednesday and presented her with the cash bag in all reverence and ceremony.
Do you know, how much the cash bag contained? The amount was Rs 15. In fact, the State Government is obliged to give only Rs 14 and a few coins. But of late, the Government was magnanimous enough to round off the figure to Rs 15.

After Travancore and Cochin kingdoms got themselves into the State of Kerala, it had become the bounden duty of the government to continue this practice. In fact, an order was passed by the government in October 1961 regarding the purse to be given over to the women members

The practice was started by some kings in the Cochin dynasty to enable the women members of the royalty to buy new clothes on the occasion of Onam, which is a great celebration in Kerala, which to others is a form of harvest festival.

Legends have it that in times of yore, an Asura king had ruled the state. Everything was hunky dory. The king took care of the needs of all his subjects. Gods were jealous about it and the asura king was trapped to give away the land to one of the Gods. Mahabali went to the nether world. He was allowed to make an ethereal visit to the land of Kerala once a year. It is during his visit that Keralites celebrate Onam, according to the legends.

O J’s Corner

Hair splitting on nuke deal

I was wondering why there is so much hair splitting on the nuke deal. India is entering into the 123 agreement with the US on the express provisions that the civil and military nuclear facilities would be separated and the deal covers only the civil amenities. Americans may have difficulty in stomaching the fact that India’s military nuclear projects would continue. Therefore, their governmental leaders would employ all the tactics to get the Congressmen on their side.

To my understanding, there is express provision to the effect that if India conducts another test, the US may withdraw from the present supply deal. Then India would be given a year’s time to look for other ways. India would be compensated for the losses.

India being a vast country with 1.3 billion people cannot be kowtowed by another country. If the deal goes off, the world will not come down. There can be supplies until disagreements turn up.

O J’s Corner
Conflicts all the way

Conflicts confront the world at all times. The root-cause of conflicts is the desire to grab power. Theologians would still restrict it to desire. Desires of all sorts engineer minds to undertake acts of cruelty, at least wily selfish steps, to grab things, positions and facilities which are often others’ dues. They would quote even the Bible. Love thy neighbour as thyself. Do unto others what you would want others to do unto you. The argument of the protagonist would be like this. No word of God restricts individuals from undertaking acts that would help oneself. Flourish oneself first and then help others. This is the attitude of even Godmen, who are supposed to uphold the principle of renunciation first. Is not this cavil that did the undoing for Thanku Brother, K P Yohannan and their ilk the world over? I am not quite sure. But there is a grain of truth in it. Acquiring fabulous flab of wealth for oneself in the name of God is ungodly. This is akin to materialistic individuals grabbing wealth by foul means. In this case, the alibi rests with serving God.

Coming to conflicts, the propensity for clinging on to power of all sorts, religious, ideological, sociological and so on leads to conflicts. In Orissa, tribesmen are being cajoled by many pursuits. Everyone wants a cake in that belt. Murder and mayhem will not help anyone. Now even Naxalites are talking of taking care of minorities and that too Christians. What a perverse idea?

Be it Kashmir, Palestine or elsewhere, faiths, religion and persuasions militate against each other, resulting in conflicsts and even skirmishes, battles and ultimately battles. We speak about the present conflicts. The gigantic nature of cruelty was perpetrated in Nazi concentration camps. And some powerful entities looked askance at the happenings there.

People should learn to live in society in harmony. Vested interests would always like to foment trouble. But whatever the provocations, hatred should not be the influencing paradigm.

O J’s Corner

Paradoxes in nature and actions

I jokingly told a friend of mine the other day that God ordered the rains to pour, but did not ask them to fall where. That is why we have rains, an overdose of them, in unanticipated places. Bihar is inundated. Thousands of people are displaced. UP suffers very much on account of the cats and dogs of raining. Deserts in Rajasthan and the Gulf countries have the bounty of the rain Gods.

God is merciful, but sometimes jealous, the Word speaks. Moses was asked to climb Mount Nebo and have a panoramic view of Palestine, the land of milk and honey promised to the Israelites. Moses would not step into that land. He breathed his last there in Moab. God Almighty himself buried Moses. To this day, no one knows the burial place of Moses. Otherwise, people, particularly the Jews, would have made a beeline to the sepulchre of the liberator of Jews from the Egyptians. They would have disregarded God Almighty. But one thousand years later, God sent Moses and Elijah to the land of the Jews, known as the Mount of Transfiguration, to hold discussions with Jesus Christ. The disciples wanted to build a tabernacle each for Jesus Christ, Moses and Elijah. Here we could perceive the propensity of human beings to build shrines.

We call the fall of unruly rains as the consequence of climate change, global warming and the like. But paradoxes remain.

Tamil Nadu is supplying rice at Re one a kilo on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Anna Durai. In normal times, TN supplies rice at Rs two a kilo for cardholders. People of Kerala have to buy rice at around Rs 20 per kilo. How do TN, Andhra Pradesh and so on take actions like this ? Don’t they have fiscal squeeze?

O J’s Corner

Building castles in the air

The US Presidential elections are becoming curiouser on the one hand and pretty interesting on the other. Republican John McCain has squeezed out the tactics of Barrack Obama by fielding a surprise candidate, a feisty woman, as McCain’s Vice-Presidential nominee. In the outside world, she was not much talked about. Rather she was hardly heard of. As far as McCain is concerned, her womanish credentials would fetch rich dividends. Choosing her as his running mate, McCain would be able to bridge the substantial gap in the TRP ratings between him and Obama. These days loquaciousness pays. On that count Obama stands a good chance. But if he wins, it would be a “terribly” topys turvy posture of the Americans having a taken a U-turn in their mindset. I personally believe, Obama would have fetched a landslide, if he chose Hillary Clinton as his running mate. But then cynics would say, if something happens to Obama after his victory, Hillary would automatically become the President. The world is changing fast. People should not unnecessarily forecast doom.

But then, media minds in India were speculating that Bobby Jindal would be chosen as McCain’s running mate. Bobby Jindal has been born and brought up in the US. But his parents were from India. The American mindset would not allow such a person to come up to the top post. If something happens to McCain after his win, Jindal should rule from the Oval Office. This would be something unthinkable for the Americans. Therefore, the thoughtful McCain chose Sarah Palin, the first woman Governor of Alaska and the mother of five children- sign of a family orientation much sought after in the leadership credentials.

Indian media analysts building castles in the air got their due as McCain struck a different chord.

O J’s Corner

The system remains the same,
Only players change

History of nations espouses despots, tyrants, totalitarians, monarchs, king-emperors leaving place to democratic entities of different hues, even as the system intrinsically remained almost the same vis-à-vis people’s lot. The players would be loquacious about their intent to serve the people, but they serve themselves first before even paying lip service to the common people.

Cash, land, movable and immovable assets make one the powerful force in the society. Don’t think that these alone are the ones being counted. Connections are more important than physical assets. True physical assets offer a lot for acquiring high-falutin connections. Sometimes Godfathers would be able to bestow all the blessings in one form or the other.

Take the case in point about K R Narayanan. He was introduced to Jawaharlal Nehru by Harold Laski. That introduction letter did the trick. Nehru had arranged a special test, conducted by the entity which later became the Union Public Service Commission. Lo, Narayanan found his place in the Foreign Service. Think about a hypothetical situation where Manmohan Singh does something like this now. All hell would break lose.

Now many people have risen to top positions in television channels owing to their connection with people in high places. Some of them can get positions offering large sums as equity or otherwise. Even some newspaper barons are drafting people who can offer huge investments. At least their father or in-laws should be able to cough up money for the management. Then they can call the shots.

Mediocre people at the helm of affairs would not like people of depth to work under them. For, the “omniscient” top-brass would expose themselves as sub-standard stuff. Who wants excellence? In the eyes of mediocrity, no one else should excel.

Coming to stardom and politics, Chiranjeevi, the super-star who saves damsels in distress in the tinsel world, wants to serve the people of Andhra Pradesh a la N T Rama Rao style. NTR was not the natural creation. Media baron Ramoji Rao had declared, “Let there be NTR”. Instantly, NTR became an icon, to be left like an ass in his last days. Now someone wants Chandrababu Naidu out of Andhra Pradesh. He would be offered some place at the Centre. Here comes Chiranjeevi who would flap his wings around for a while. People remain where they are, almost. Telengana issue, Naxal menace, income less than a dollar a day for the common man even as windfall billionaires are not roaming the streets but flying around the world in their own private jets. The majority are beating their breasts for buying their ration.

True, no leader can do the magic trick and offer everything to the people on a platter. But the pity is that there is not even sincerity of purpose in their pronouncements.

O J’s Corner

Strike will only disable the common people

All-India strike on August 20 would only disable the common people who cannot move around freely. Particularly the situation would be sharp in States where the left forces are strong. Anyway in Kerala and West Bengal, it would be a bandh-like situation. Who will benefit out of the mess? The common man would not be advantageous. Those who want to go out and do cooly work would lose their income. Times are proving to be difficult with skyrocketing prices. Then, if the workers are denied opportunities to work, for whom is the strike organised? Inflation would not come down on account of the strike.
Let us see whether the government can be pressurized to undertake miracle works.

No country would be so impaled with strikes and hartals in such a manner that the very existence of life would be in jeopardy. When the phenomenon becomes frequent, the core of existence would difficult.

O J’s Corner

Plus-one conundrum

The other day I was non-plussed seeing on television channel a woman crying bitterly for her son being denied admission to the plus-one course. I was wondering whether admission to the plus-one course is such a hard-nut-to-crack. Apparently, local wisdom is better than orchestrated methods. The people at the helm of affairs of schools would have done a far better job than the single-window apparition.

Reports about thousands of seats lying vacant and yet thousands of students not getting admission are fearsome. Don’t we want our lads to study in institutions nurtured and developed in the State itself?

It would be better for the government to prescribe a cut-off date for candidates who have applied on-line and afterwards allow the school authorities to give admission as in the previous year. Schools would then be full of students. There would not be a single vacancy thereafter.

Students and parents should not be troubled any more.

O J’s Corner

Hard times for the CPM

The CPM would have to face hard times after the Lok Sabha elections be they held this November or early next year. The Kerala State Committee of the party has found fault with the prevailing regime’s rigidity in matters of liberalisation. A sort of West Bengal line should have been adopted in various spheres, particularly agriculture and industry. Education is in the doldrums. A lot of ideas have been pressed into service. Not a single one worked wonders. Many steps ensured only distrust among various echelons of society. The church has been alienated totally.

Does this mean Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan can be replaced after the Lok Sabha elections that easily? He has his own followers. Not everyone in the party can toe his line. But a lot of people, many of them unaware of the intricacies of policies, blindly believe him. He has done nothing of consequence in matters of administration beneficial to the people. Some of his own party leaders would not support him lock, stock and barrel.

Which means, the next three years would pass by without great contributions of the ruling leaders to benefit the people in large measure.

O J’s Corner

Pre-election throbbings

Pre-election times offer throbbing opportunities for restructuring within or looking for other options or for complete changes as far as political entities are concerned. Everywhere the look-out is for space in the ruling dispensation.

We have before us the Lok Sabha elections to be held early next year, or this year-end, if political situation engenders advancement of the poll schedule.

In Kerala, the Lok Sabha elections would be thrilling. Last time, the LDF cornered all but one of the 20 seats. CPM politburo member Sitaram Yechury has hinted that there may not be such a sweep this time. Usually, the Commies root for all the 20, even if circumstances present a different scenario Hard luck is looming large before the LDF, as opportunities were mismanaged on several counts. Anti-incumbency factor, clashes of interest on various issues, people’s feelings of helplessness and the like would contribute to a negative result for the LDF, it seems.

If there is a sweep for the UDF, which looks more or less possible, there would be strong under-currents working against the V S Achuthanandan Government. Calls for a change of leadership at the governmental level could be raised. There would be furious counter campaigns as well.

The coming months would provide interesting and at then same time agonising times for the UDF as well as LDF.

O J’s Corner

Mighty Universe, puny Man

Recent exposures on the basis of evidence obtained from archaeological findings strengthen the view that the Universe, composed of unfathomable globes and worlds, systems of planets, satellites, gaseous phenomena, black-holes and so on, remains under the control of the Almighty.

Millions of years ago, there existed a developed civilisation in the Antarctic region. Newly-found fossils in the area have delineated a thriving population of living beings that might have perished on account of accelerated freezing or strike of celestial objects.

The icy Himalayan Mountain ranges had remnants of piscian scales, which suggest that it had oceanic links at one time. Continental shift, mighty fall of a comet, once-in-a-lifetime tsunami of unthinkable proportions or some such calamity might have impaled the core of the earth’s surface, throwing out areas to separate locations.

The discovery of human skull in icy embeds has driven home the point that sculpted men and women were there eons of ages ago, necessitating scientists to look for other avenues of straight and separate creation than Darwin’s evolution over a period of millions of years.

A small twist of the Earth’s disposition might throw the system out of gear. The molten metals churning within the Earth’s core, flowing in reverse direction on account of a different gravitational pull, might scatter everything topsy turvy. Alien life may be far more advanced than human accomplishments. The speed of the thought process might be the speed of life particles elsewhere. These may be visible or invisible.

The whole gamut of the Universe, circling, wheeling and dealing, expanding and contracting, emitting powers incomprehensible to mankind remains an enigma.

O J’s Corner

Thrill in others’ elevation

Is not the world brutally selfish, with jealousy, ill-will, malice permeating everywhere. There is no happiness about someone else enjoying happiness. One can understand the discomfiture, if there is cogent reason for it. Being bruised one hearing others’ prosperity is overtaking all canons of good feelings.

An exception to the all-pervading anathema was Harkishan Singh Surjeet. He was amenable to Sonia Gandhi becoming the Prime Minister. Before that he tried to make Jyoti Basu the Prime Minister. But other partymen of consequence vetoed it. This time when the UPA was formed, he had wanted CPM representatives to join the Cabinet. But there was stiff resistance from some of the party leaders.

It is very clear from these and other gestures that Surjeet was comfortable when others got elevated. Rather he would take the initiative to secure fine positions for others. What could be the reason for his endearing disposition? Congenital attitude of goodwill, variegated experience and fellow feelings had got compressed into the frail body. An emancipated soul indeed.

O J’s Corner

Left’s idiosyncracies are their follies

The Left wanted not a major portion of the cake, but the whole of the cake. That proved to be their unbecoming vis-à-vis the Dr Manmohan Singh Government it had propped up for four years and two months. The principle of sharing is the cornerstone of coalition governance. But the Left had always wanted Dr Manmohan Singh to do their bidding.

Forget about the treatment meted out to Dr Manmohan Singh, CPM’s approach to dealing with its own Speaker Somnath Chatterjee was overbearing. It should not have included the Speaker’s name in the list submitted to the President about withdrawal of support. I can understand the party asking Somnath Chatterjee to resign. But I feel enlisting the Speaker, before his resignation, among the supporters who would topple the government was too much.

The party decimated the personal glory of Somnath Chatterjee at one stroke.In the CPM, personal glory is confined to one person, the so-called leader at the helm of affairs. Others are only shouters of aye. There can be no nays, against the wishes of the party supremo.

However, one can see a streak in the behaviour of the many persons who held the post of the Speaker. In the Lok Sabha they have a special place, over and above the Constitutional slot. The special status is in the minds of the members and the party leaders, conferring on him some sort of an infallible persona. That is very much essential for the safe upkeep of the institution of Parliament. Members should obey the incumbent, otherwise there would be total confusion. When the incumbent enjoys this supremacy, he should not think that he is the Creator.

P A Sangma was an efficient Speaker, but the dimensions of personal glory had defeated him. One fine morning, he thought it unfit to obey his party leader Sonia Gandhi. Short-cuts taken, in association with Sharad Pawar and Tariq Anwar, only proved to be unworkable. There can be no personal glory in isolation.

Somnath Chatterjee is a good person, a man of culture, endowed with intelligence and erudition. I feel he should have gone out of his way to settle the issues with the party, way before the list was submitted to the President. Letter-writing was not enough.

The awkward scenario that ensued after the party expelled him would haunt Prakash Karat in many ways. The party is no more an uninkerable monolith.

O J’s Corner
Interests having a field day

The beauty and the vulgarity are at once evident in the democratic exercise of a trust vote being held on July 22, to confirm whether Dr Manmohan Singh Government can survive or not.

The beauty is that, with all the darker forces at play, human ideas, opinions, interpretations, find place somewhere, unlike the times when some autocrat would declare: “ I am the State”. Whether it is for a good cause or bad, at least some people’s thoughts, expressions and emotions are counted. It was not the case in olden times. It is not possible today as well in prevalent totalitarian regimes, betraying religious, military and other dimensions.Considering this, India can be considered as the most vocal democracy in the world.

The bad patch is that a lot of leaders are interested in cornering power and pelf by fluke in the guise of protecting the government. One can say the corporate world is assuming a bigger role in indirect governance, because corporate entities fund various interests. Can a few companies decide the lot of 120 billion people? It would appear that they have considerable clout. But then, there is the TINA factor- there is no alternative.

I agree with Rahul Gandhi’s observation. If the government falls on this issue, let it fall. In that case, leaders of reckoning should make it a point that unparalleled concessions should not be allowed to corner a few votes. There can be freebies, but someone should see to it that all wishful thinkings should not be conceded.