Where is the likelihood of K.M.Mani resigning?

The Opposition is making a hue and cry to have Finance Minister K.M.Mani’s resignation over the bar bribery case. But where is the likelihood of his calling it quits?

Unless there is any court dictum against Mani, one need not expect any resignation move from the Kerala  Congress.  And it is not remotely likely that the courts would ask Mani to go.

There were worse issues before the Oommen Chandy Government in the recent past, but all the storms have been weathered by the UDF Government. 

How many hundreds of millions spent for Attappadi and Wayanad tribes, still there is no uplifting?

One may not know exactly how many hundreds of millions of rupees have been spent ostensibly for the welfare of tribals of Attappadi and Wayanad in Kerala, India.

Still the tribals could not be led out of their morass. They wallow in abject poverty.

There are umpteen number of governmental and non-governmental agencies taking care of them. But the organisations may be thriving, not the tribals whose illiteracy and ignorance may have been taken advantage of over a period of time.

What we need is a team of committed workers who could genuinely work for the welfare of the tribe of people who are still living on the fringes of forests.

Congress Party is in the doldrums and Narendra Modi is shining like anything

After the results of Maharashtra and Haryana Assembly elections have come out, it is crystal clear that Congress Party is in the doldrums and Narendra Modi of the BJP is on Mount Everest.

It seems for some time now, the graph of Narendra Modi would continue to go up. Congress Party leadership is  not striking back in campaigning to the extent that is desirable.

Plea for making K.M.Mani the Chief Minister, but reaction is muted

The call for making Kerala Congress (M) supremo K.M.Mani the Chief Minister of Kerala has  not been that shrill and the reaction from responsible quarters has been muted.

It appears the call Is  only a wide chase by a section within the Kerala Congress(M). No one has any doubt about the suitability of Mani as Chief Minister. His stuff is tantamount to that of a Chief Minister, but his party has only nine members in the 140-member Kerala Assembly.

KPCC president V.M.Sudheeran has said Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee is not aware of any such moves.

Which means there has been only demands made in the media and not within the serious circles of the ruling coalition in the State.

L.K.Advani could be spoil-sport for Modi

Everyone thought Narendra Modi does have a field day and he could romp home to victory as the next Prime Minister. But tarry a bit, there is 87-year-old party veteran L.K.Advani who wants to become the PM in case the BJP does not get a sweeping number of MPs.

In fact there are talks of a 160 club which wants the party's strength in the Lok Sabha limited to that figure. In that case secularists would not weer round to supporting Narendra Modi, instead they would want Advani to lead the country.

But Modi has been thinking hard about it and maybe trying to settle Advani at Gandhinagar from where he had become MP for the last 16 years.
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But Advani fears that Modi's grassroots level workers may not do his calling. Defeat may face him. That is why he is angling for the Bhopal seat which Narendra Modi is not keen to give to Advani.

If Advani fumes, there may be trouble for BJP.

Settlers were really concerned, there can be no environment to the exclusion of man

The Election Commission of India has allowed the Union Forests and Environment Ministry to issue the draft notification on revised proposals on Kasturirangan report, to the immense relief of lakhs of settler farmers.

Environment is most important but not after driving out the human beings settled in the areas concerned.

One institution cannot one fine morning notify huge areas as beyond bounds for human beings.

What is needed is restriction on any more inimical exploitation of fragile areas.

Sartiha S Nair wants a pound of flesh....

Solar scam accused Saritha S Nair, after having been in hidinig for a few days after coming out of jail on bail, has started giving out names piecemeal.

Yesterday she blamed CPM MLA Aysha Poti for helping out Biju Radhakrishshnan in the Reshmi murder case.

Today she said Congress MLA A.P.Abdullakutty had troubled her and invited her to the Mascot Hotel.

She has warned that she would give out names one by one in the coming days. She wants those who tortured her to have sleepless nights.

Apparently, she wants to fleece a pound of flesh from those who were involved with her.

Apparently, those involved would approach her with sacks of money.

She has indicated such people can start operations now.

Talk of adventurism like Kerala Congress (M) Ministers and MLAs resigning

Some people who do not have power and position in the Kerala Congress (M) have started talking about the Ministers and MLAs of the party quitting the post if the notification on Kasturirangan report is not withdrawn.

Kerala Congress stands for the rights of farmers and if the Kasturirangan report is accepted 123 villages in the high ranges would be frozen and dubbed as ecologically fragile areas. Which means the farmers settled there cannot pursue their farming and indulge in buying and selling.

The Church and other people may be putting pressure on the party to take strong action, but the Ministers and MLAs would not leave their position, whatever it is.

Reports about their quitting are amusing, and the people cannot be hoodwinked any more.

Drinking, drugging the root-cause of major crimes

Tehelka founder-editor Tarun Tejpal was under the influence of liquor when he attempted to rape a junior journalist, according to his own admission in the email sent to her, though he has told the police investigation later that it was consensual sex act.

There will always be alibis for all sorts of wrong-doings. But liquor stands tall in matters of twisting the minds and going awry.

The Delhi medical student's rape and murder and the Mumbai girl’s rape were all done by the culprits under the influence of liquor.

Now former Supreme Court judge Ganguly was believed to have told the law intern in a hotel room, all alone with her, that during Christmas Eve one should drink wine. He had enjoined Jesus Christ for drinking and the next-act, according to the version of the law intern.

Why should the official group be scared of VS Achuthanandan, for he does not have a successor to take up his work?

Even today the state secretariat of the CPM has complained to the central leadership about V.S.Achuthanandan violating party discipline and openly voicing his differing views.

Actually, the nonagerian VS would walk into the Sunset, of course following the same line of arguments which he calls it as an attempt to correct the ideological deviation of the official group. The official group definitely has no doubt about the violation of discipline by VS.

Actually, what harm can VS do as he does not transfer his heritage to anyone else?  Perhaps, his own erstwhile closest  lieutenants fear to  tread his path, for there is no future for them.

It is sad state of affairs that some criminals and women can hold the govt to ransom

The Oommen Chandy Government in Kerala is squirming with allegations of involvement in the Solar panel scandal the kingpins of whom are Biju Radhakrishnan and Sarita S Nair. And we do not know who are all the other characers involved. Are film characters too involved?

The allegations so far are limited to the office of the Chief Minister receiving numerous calls and returning some calls to these shady characters.

Two key personal staff members of the Chief Minister have been removed in this regard.

It is a sad state of affairs that important political personalities in the state are roped in one way or the other by shady characters.

VS-Pinarayi machinations, Ramesh Chennithala’s Cabinet entry overtaken by Sreesanth

Leave it to the courts, but in Kerala we have been daily gulping down news of machinations on either side of V.S.Achuthanandan and Pinarayi Vijayan who are no doubt powerful personalities.

On the UDF side, it bas been ‘to be or not to be’ for Ramesh Chennithala. For a long time, the Congress high command seems to have been prodding him to join the Oommen Chandy Cabinet, but he has been reticent.

He has been KPCC president for eight years and no one knows how long he could cling on. In two other states similar incumbents who competed six years have been replaced.

The news items on his dilly-dallying have been burdening the public. Sad state of affairs, indeed, that NSS publicly admonishes him together with Oommen Chandy. But he may gravitate towards NSS one way or other. It cannot be otherwise.

Sreesanth has been in the news nationally, but not internationally (BBC did not even mention it on its website) for a despicable reason.

No doubt, he should not be dubbed a criminal until proved guilty, and it is very difficult to prove this in a court of law. Audio clippings are not prime pieces of evidence. After going through a rigmarole of court proceedings, he may or may not come out clean.

The very powerful Sanjay Dutt could not come out unscathed, but that was terrorism sort of wrong.

Money is not everything. Sreesanth, grow up

Money has value only for meeting necessities. Great billionaires say they have no use with their money.

Spot fixing and betting have spoiled Sreesanth, it seems.

Let us hope such things had not happened with Sreesanth,

But the law is a law; Evidence should be crucial

Shocking we say, but when murkier things unravel one after the other we may be immune to shock.

Early morning news item was about the arrest of Kerala’s pacer S.Sreesanth and two other players, plus seven agents of the betting syndicate, by Delhi police.

Sreesanth and three betting men were held together from the Trident Hotel at Nariman Point, Mumbai.

Conspiracy and cheating charges are framed against Sreesanth and others.

People say Sreesanth is a gullible person who can easily be influenced by interested people. But then, Sreesanth, we have to grow up. 

No one can say Oommen Chandy is an inactive Chief Minister

It is easy to criticise, scribes and Opposition parties and even friendly parties take vibes against certain actions of the ruling dispensation.  It is always like that and great ruling party leaders at least tolerate such chiding. On the occasion when the Oommen Chandy Government in Kerala is entering the third year of its administration on May 18, no one can say that the Chief Minister is inactive. He is always on the move and whenever he accosts a problem of the people, he has ideas to solve the woes, meaning he does not toe the line of creating bureaucratic hurdles. When one listens to the Sutharya Keralam programme when people can air their grievances, the very specific suggestions given by the Chief Minister underscores his problem-solving skills, to the advantage of the people. It is true, during the first year of his governance there were programmes which could grab the limelight at one go, like 100-day programme, mass contact programme, by-election results and the like. In the second year, he was struggling to get clearance for long-term projects like Kochi Metro, Smart City, Mono Rail. He says all these programmes would be completed on time.  If successful, such projects are unique to the state, for Kerala had always been lagging behind in such ventures. His intention is to see that educated unemployed should get good jobs in the state itself. This is not to say that everything has been smooth for him. There were problems like the need for the exit of K.B.Ganeshkumar from the Cabinet. Now NSS and SNDP leaders have to be mollified in addition to JSS, CMP stalwarts and R.Balakrishna Pillai. Perhaps some of the problems could be sorted out if Ramesh Chennithala joins the Cabinet, when some forces could be smoothened out.

East is East and West is West for VS Achuthanandan and Pinarayi Vijayan

There would be no consensus ad idem, meeting of minds, between CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan and Opposition Leader V.S.Achuthanandan, as theirs is a clash of personality. Some may say there is conflict of ideology even.

They are going at a tangent and parallel lines are in operation. East is East and West is West, the twain shall not meet.

V.S.Achuthanandan would be able to pull on as long as he wants, wings torn and forlorn.

Then, both are veteran leaders and none can question their rights. Let them follow their lines and let us not transgress in chiding them.

V S Achuthanandan looks definitely pained

In this picture, Kerala’s Opposition Leader, with PA A.Suresh is definitely pained, anticipating action against his trusted lieutenants.

Reports say there would be punitive action against three of his personnel staff members.

There is something like vicarious responsibility

There can be immediate cases in point in respect of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Kerala's Opposition Leader V.S.Achuthanandan.

The Supreme Court had mentioned "the heart of the report was changed on the suggestion of government officials" regarding coalgate scam report of the CBI.

The court has said access was given to joint secretaries in the Prime Minister's Office and the Coal Minstry. The joint secretary concerned in the PMO was one Shatrughan Singh and another joint secretary in the Coal Ministry was one A.K.Bhalla.

At the instance of the Law Minister these officials intervened and met together with CBI director Ranjit Sinha and Attorney-General G.E.Vahanvati.

Why should these officials intervene? It was only to save the blame game on the Prime Minister.

Come to Kerala, the personnel staff members of Opposition Leader V.S.Achuthanandan are being acted against by the central leadership of the CPM. Press Secretary K.Balakrishnan, Additional PS V.K.Sasidharan and PA A.Suresh are being proceeded against.

Of course V.S.Achuthanandan has told the central leadership that this action is meant to be by default. VS himself is targetted.

what we see now-a-days is abdication of vicarious responsibility.

PM knows he can’t give up Ministers that easily

The CBI has found that the corruption money received by the nephew of Railway Minister P.k.Bansal was on behalf of the Minister himself. It may be soon when the CBI may interrogate the Minister himself.

But P.K.Bansal remains in the post because he is the protégé of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh himself.

Law Minister Ashwini Kumar is also dear to the heart of the Prime Minister. The Supreme Court has been berating the CBI, the Law Minister and joint secretaries of the Prime Minister’s Office and the Coal Ministry for interfering with the report of the CBI on coalgate scam investigation.

The Supreme Court has said the heart of the inquiry report was changed.

All the same the two Ministers are guarding their posts, maybe on the plea that the apex court is yet to name them.

Indirectly, the blame should be shared by the Prime Minister too. So what is the point in pinpointing the blame to the Law Minister only?

Easy to say nature should not be touched; what would human beings do?

Remember M.P.Veerendrakumar was Minister of Forests for a day. And he issued the singularly important order on that day. Don't cut any tree.

 No one can question the good intention of M.P.Veerendrakumar, for he is a lover of nature. Now-a-days everyone is speaking in the same vein. Don't touch nature at all. After all, human beings have to dwell on planet earth. He has to find dwellings, and means to live. 

Therefore, he has to tinker with nature. The problem is over-exploitation of nature that would destroy the very existence of life on earth.

 In the name of protecting the environment, ecology and fragile areas, human beings cannot keep off districts of Idukki, Wayanad, parts of Kasargod and the like.

 Now one is asking questions like which would you have, Madhav Gadgil report or Kasturirangan report. Be it Madhav Gadgil or Kasturirangan, there can be no life, to the exclusion of human beings. Let there be temperance at all levels.

Allies in OC Government are enjoying freedom like anything

The allies in the Oommen Chandy Government are enjoying their freedom like anything.

Look into the affairs of K.R.Gowri Amma's JSS, whose state committee has decided to leave the Congress-led UDF. But a special convention would be held in August or so and then take the final decision. Meanwhile, JSS would sit in the UDF meets. Gowri Amma herself would not have any more discussions with the UDF.

M.V.Raghavan's CMP is sitting on the fence, with an eye on moving over to the LDF, if it is possible. By hooks or crooks this party wants governance of Pariyaram Medical college. The government has decided to take over the medical college, but M V Ragahavan would not be appeased.

Now the latest stunt is by Shibu Baby John of a faction of the RSP. Without informing anyone of consequence like the Chief Minister, he went off to meet Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. The Kerala BJP unit chief says this visit was with the knowledge of it. What a paradox, Kerala CM did not know it.

The allies are enjoying like anything. Let them feast on their freedom.

Labour Minister Shibu Baby John meets Narendra Modi, wants to replicate skill development and knowledge city schemes in Kerala

Labour Minister Shibu Baby John has been impressed by the developments in Gujarat and he wants to replicate the skill development scheme and the knowledge city scheme in Kerala.

Shibu Baby John met Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi last Thursday and got direct feedback from him. And Shibu Baby John presented him with an Aranmula metal mirror.

Shibu Baby John was in Ahamedabad to participate in a function of the National Institute of Design when he met Gujarat's Labour Minister who took him to the Chief Minister.