over (Turbo) charged Mumbai

Day One.
Vasai Fort.
Purchase : Two bottles of Sprite.
Actual Price : 7 per bottle
Charged : 10 Rs.
Reason : Cooling charges.
When reminded about the pitfalls of overcharging, response was “I don’t care”
Demanded for a bill and he obliged by writing it on a piece of paper.
Day Two.
Gate way of India
Purchase: a bottle of mineral water and a soft drink.
Actual Price: 12 for Mineral water and 18 for soft drink.
Charged: 15 for Mineral water and 20 for soft drink
Reason. Cooling charges.
When he saw my SLR camera, and my insistence for the bill, he took me for a journalist and returned the excess. No bills here too.
Day Two.
Gateway of India
Purchase. A taxi ride from Gateway to Churchgate Railway Station
Actual Price: 13 to 15 according to traffic situation.
Charged. 26 Rs.
Reason. The cabbie took me on a round about way, thinking I don’t know my way around there. He took me to Nariman Point first then turning right to Churchgate station.

So much for consumer protection and “jaago grahak jaago” advertisement campaign.
Now I am planning to do a repeat of this with some officials. Can anyone give an advice as to how to go about it and whom to contact? Phone numbers in the respective areas are appreciated.

Pramod Mahajan-The BJP strategist

So the hype and hoopla surrounding the Pramod Mahajan shooting is somewhat died down and the item is longer a front-pager. Now it’s time to reflect upon some of the startling facts this incident threw up. The conspiracy theorists were agog and suspected some black character playing villain in this rather unfortunate episode. It is yet to be ascertained as to why Praveen Mahajan shot him, what was the provocation and motive and whether there were any other conspirators in the whole scheme. Initial reports suggests that it was a crime in the heat of the moment, and not a pre-meditated one, but the final picture will be clear only after the police is through with the interrogation of key witness, Rekha Mahajan, the wife if the victim.

His health.

The doctors constantly keep a watch on Pramod and admit that the situation is very grim. The bleeding from the Lever has stopped and heart is in good health. But two other key parameters, the Kidney and Pancreas, have started functioning erratically. He is on 24 hour dialysis due to the non-functioning of the Kidneys. But it’s his pancreas that has got all these doctors worrying. The injury on the mouth of the pancreas caused the leaking of Juices from it and if it is not stopped, the abdominal tissues will be ‘digested’ by it. And his Blood pressure is kept normal by means of medication and is not breathing his own. He is on ventilator support and until he starts breathing his own, the docs can’t do anything. The bullets still remain inside the body.

Be seen.

The crème-de-la-crème of national glitterati, politicians, film personalities and top businessmen all were there at Hinduja Hospital. But some little-known faces, notably a bearded one, seen smiling at the cameras from behind the media-addressing desk. Irrespective of who addressed the media, these gate crashing party-spoilers just kept showing their teeth and gained some mileage. Talk about blood sucking parasites!

Doctors, dozen a dime!

It is always a good thing to ask a few well-known doctors for suggestions. But the poor doctors at Hinduja spend a lot of time briefing all these visiting legends. They have to glean the time from their duties such as treat less-fortunate and less-formidable patients who are also fighting death.
And the constant flow of VVIPs into the hospital threw the normalcy that is ubiquitous here. An army of Law enforcement agencies virtually hijacked the campus and made life hell for the common man. Though these days we are used to it, I guess.

The loser

The loser in this is BJP. Even if Pramod gets well, I sincerely hope he will, he will be unable to fit into the rigors of national politics. The grind of it may too hard for him. So, in effect BJP has lost a top class trouble shooter and a very good strategist. He was the man chosen to run elections for the party. And He has done that many a times with positive results. He was the cohesive between Shiv Sena and BJP. BJP Maharashtra politics always revolved around him. How they cope with this is to be seen in the coming days.

Had fate not intervened, Pramod could have turned the table on the current UPA government and brought BJP into power. With no clear replacement, BJP is now groping in the dark and like a mountaineer who lost his guide. And we temporarily lost a shrewd, cunning and thinking politician.

My Lord, you are done with.

one of the remnants of british raj from our Justice system has disappeared yesterday when Lawyer associations decided to do away with "My Lord" & "Your Lordship" from proceedings. Along with the wigs now these too takes a place in the history books. But I sincerely hope someone do something about this too

Anniversary

It's been one year since I started to write regularly in this blog. I was a member of blogger community much before that, but started my series of articles on 1st April 2005.
I wish to thank all those who supported me and been faithful readers. Thanks a lot.
*crackers*

Nepal-the Lost paradise

So things have come down to a major face-off between Pro-democracy people and the King in Nepal. King Gyanendra is using all the power he can summon in his quest to suppress the rising and given shoot at sight order who breach the curfew imposed on the capital. The days of Kingship is numbered there. But the alarming thing is the tie-up between democrats and the Maoists. Wonder what is in store for the Himalayan kingdom.

I wrote something about Nepal back in Dec and one Nepali by the name of Nepali_guy has strongly opposed to my views in the comments section. Would like to know what he is saying now.

Get your maths right Minister

Mathematics, rightly viewed, possesses not only truth, but supreme beauty - a beauty cold and austere, like that of sculpture.
Bertrand Russell
British author, mathematician, & philosopher (1872 - 1970)

Mathematics is the queen of the sciences.
Carl Friedrich Gauss, from Sartorius von Waltershausen, "Gauss zum Gedachtniss" [1856]
German mathematician, physicist, & prodigy (1777 - 1855)

So at last there is an answer to the problems that Indian students faced all these years. Maharashtra, a trend setter in many avenues, come up with another novel idea to end the miserable conditions our students live. The extremely intelligent state minister of School Education, Prof Vasantrao Purke come up with this rather bizarre suggestion to make Mathematics an optional subject in school curriculum. . The above quoted greats are in no way comes at par with this guy. For a country who contributed ‘zero’ to the world, this suggestion is an absolute humiliation. When countries like the US of A and other scholars from world over emphasis the importance of mathematics & science in fear of losing the edge of their students to Indian and Chinese due to their prowess in these subjects, we are planning to blunt that same edge by introducing these draconian measures just to make the winning percentage looks good?
At a time when Indian professionals are being hailed as the best all over the world, this suggestion is totally unwarranted and uncalled for. That too from a top minister makes the impact more dangerous. If this trend is continued, we can scrap physics and chemistry and may be biology and other difficult subjects from the curriculum and introduce new subjects like, Paddy farming, Cricket and politics in order to make it easy for rural students.
The very basic of our intellect is Mathematics. If one is to survive in any of the careers that are available now, a sound mathematical background is essential. Without it, how one could succeed in life is beyond my comprehension. May be the minister was just shooting his mouth off. Hope he doesn’t mean it. If he does, it will have serious repercussions on the future generations.

Now reservation in private sector

It couldn’t get more ridiculous. As if the suggestion to reserve 49% of IIM/ IIT seats for backward caste, our otherwise intelligent PM brought up another suggestion. Sorry, no suggestion, a demand to private sector. Reserve jobs for SC/ST/OBC or face legislation for it. How low they can stoop in this regard? Is this government thinking only about the lower caste? The “upper” caste doesn’t have any right to stay and work in this country? As much as the honchos of private firms agree with the government, they have their reservations about the whole idea. They fear that if they don’t comply with the order, legislation will be slapped on their face. This forcing down their throat is not going down well with them.
The empowerment of backward communities must top the agenda of any government. But should it be at the cost of wholesome development? Here is some food for thought.
It is a common knowledge that govt sector lack any competence or efficiency. In such an environment, the in-efficient, got their jobs mainly due to reservations and not on any merit, thrive. But private sector is totally driven by commitment and efficiency. If a lower caste employee is found to be lacking in this respect, could they fire him? Govt sector promotion is purely based on the duration of service and servility. Pvt Sector is totally on performance. What’s the scope of one getting promoted there? India’s private sector is what driving the boom in our economy and earned a name for its efficiency. Now incompetent employees could just spoil that too.
I am not under the impression of lower caste students/employees are not equipped with these qualities. They have it in them to do it and are eligible for any kind of job as the others are. But reservations are not required for a particular caste if they have it in them. If they are good, and don’t have the financial prowess to make it, then the government should step in and provide economical assistance.

*****************************
Here are few things that we can expect to see in near future.
1. Virar-Churchgate fast local. 50% of sitting & standing space reserved
2. MNcs like IBM, MicroSoft and HP has to reserve 50% of their jobs. As a result, the computers that they make and programs and printers will be 50% less efficient. But who’s complaining. After all India has achieved social balance.
3. 50% of players in Indian cricket team will be reserved. And we can ask other countries to bowl 50% less faster and if they hit a SIX off these it will be considered as THREE

Reservation for OBCs in IIM

Natural ability without education has more often attained to glory and virtue than education without natural ability.
Cicero
Roman author, orator, & politician (106 BC - 43 BC)


Imagine this; you are locked in fierce combat with your opponent in deadly boxing fight. In every round you outscore him only to find out you end up as a loser. When you question the verdict, the judges say this; your opponent belongs to a backward cast and therefore he is eligible for 30% of your marks!
In somewhat similar fashion, the government is planning to bring reservation for OBC (other backward caste) in IIMs and IITs. These two institutions are the torch bearers of India’s march towards the future. The very names evoke respect in any country, is going to be politicized just to garner a few votes.
Reservation for financially backward people is justified. Those who are brilliant in studies but can’t afford higher education should be given a chance. But reservation for people in the name of their religion / caste? What if he/she doesn’t have what it takes to make it? This move will definitely erode the credibility of our premier institutes. The congress have always been adopted this backward community appeasement and in that process, they forgot there are a majority living below poverty line but they can’t claim any of the benefits these backward castes enjoy. Their crime? They belong to a higher caste. I still remember my college days. That time in Kerala, +2 was in colleges and there were 4 groups. 1st (Maths), 2nd (science), 3rd (arts) and 4th (commerce). 1st and 2 were considered superior and 3rd was the last choice. One of my friends who have secured about 70% in 10th Final exam had to be content with 4th(his third choice), while his classmate who have secured just 43% got admission to his prime choice, 2nd group. Eventually the 70% guy passed with high marks and become a very good accountant. The other one, after failing +2, earns his daily wages by working in the farms. A waste, won’t you say?
The criteria for selection should always be merit. All other criterion will just be injustice to others who are meritorious. Caste, creed and tribe should not be a decisive factor in at least this premier institutes. The school and college education is already taken a beating by the politicization.
The only reservation should be for financially backward. This way, more brilliant students get a chance to make it big and, no doubt, our country will be benefiting from it.

Pakistan - How trustworthy are they?

The wounds that Kargil war inflicted on the Indian psyche is not over yet. India lost about 5000 soldiers in what was absolutely a nonsense war. India received many back-pats from international community for not going overboard and crossing the Line of control and averting a possible nuclear war with Pakistan. But by not crossing the LOC, our soldiers was seriously crippled and the enemy was firing down at them. The war ended and India emerged victorious, both in Military and diplomatic front but at a very dear cost.
Similar concerns are expressed by top military officials about the proposed de-militarization of Siachen Glacier, the highest battle point.The Agra summit of Gen. Parves Musharaff and the then Indian P.M. A. B. Vajpayee led to the Kargil infiltration. After the summit, both nations started walking on a new peace path and exploiting this lower vigilant situation, Pakistan army and the dreaded ISI pushed the infiltrators across the border. Most of the enemies killed that operation was regular soldiers of Pakistan, however hard they deny it.
Now, is Pakistan trustworthy anymore? What had changed since? The General is still at power, ISI still actively pushing terrorists to Kashmir, Pakistan Military still fires at Indian post, though in a less frequent manner. India still sees Bomb blasts and other terrorist activities; terrorist outfits still operate at PoK. So why India should trust Pakistan and de-militarize Siachen? Why they wouldn’t attempt a Kargil in Siachen?
Even the international community eyes Pakistan with some suspicion. They all know that Pakistan, as a nation, can’t be taken seriously in their promises. America, the biggest ally of Pakistan, is shifting its allegiance eastward. After the A. Q. Khan episode, their credibility has taken a further beating. The only thing why America still engages Pakistan in its war on terror is the fear of its own security. If America doesn’t keep tabs on Pakistan, the nuclear arsenal of Pakistan will end up in extremist hands and it will be a disastrous situation. There is no stability in Pakistan. Democracy is still in it’s infancy stage there and it’s an open battle for power between Extremists who wants to make another Taliban and the Military. Their economy is in tatters. Anarchy rules. The arm of law doesn’t reach its tribal areas.
The military’s concerns must be taken seriously. If they feel Siachen shouldn’t be vacated, it shouldn’t be. Period. No political brownie points are worth the national security. We don’t want to send our soldiers to a war that can be avoided in the first place. Don’t pull them out because later they have to go again, but then the enemy will be waiting there.

Indian Justice System is Holidaying

“Justice Hurried is Justice Buried”
But..
“Justice Delayed is Justice Denied”
Indian courts are notorious for it’s sluggish pace. Cases dates back to previous century still await verdicts. But some cases are heard in a fast-track court and verdicts delivered within a matter of weeks. Why can’t all the courts be Fast-track then? Or precisely, why SOME cases are heard in a special manner while others are destined to languish in the fray for their lifetime and beyond?
Some statistics suggest over 1,50,000 Cases are pending in the Supreme Court alone.
High courts have a back log of about 1.5 Million cases! Don’t think about the lower courts. . Even if the courts work 24/7 for the next century, it may not be possible to clear this backlog.
One reason given for this backlog is the Indian’s highly litigating nature. Some say it judicial over-activism, but it is the people who are running to the court for each and every silly things as if there is no other way out of it. And appeals made to a higher courts make things worse.
But, strangely, courts with such mountainous backlog, still enjoys a lot of holidays. Summer vacation is for 7 weeks and plus all the other holidays in a year . Here is a the total leaves per month for Supreme court of India.
Jan 2006: 5 Sundays, 2 holidays.
Feb 06: 4 Sundays, 1 Holiday
Mar 06: 4 Sundays, 6 Holidays (6 days for HOLI!!!!)
Apr 06: 5 Sundays, 3 Holidays
May 06: 2 Sundays, 1 Holiday, 17 Days Summer Vacation!!!
Jun 06: Entire Month (30 days) summer vacation!!!
July 06: 4 Sundays, 2 days summer vacation
Aug 06: 4 Sundays, 3 days holiday
Sep 06: 4 Sundays, Thank god!! No holidays
Oct 06: 5 Sundays, 14 Days holiday!!
Nov 06: 4 Sundays, Thank God! No holiday.
Dec 06: 5 Sundays, 12 Holidays (Christmas & New Year!!!)
A total of 137 days off!!! 38% of the year! In fact the courts work for only a mere 62% days! No wonder our courts are chest-deep in pending cases. Soon it will be eye-deep and will die a suffocating death. There is no meaning for a system to exist where it can’t serve its purpose.
Recently there was a trend where a lower court’s decision is upturned by the higher court. This will further erode the credibility of lower courts. Does this reversal means the lower court judges are not capable of deciphering the complex laws properly and deliver a just verdict? Does that mean they are corrupted? Reading together with reports of corruption in lower court judges, the picture gets clearer. So where is hope? Not all of us can afford to go to Supreme Court for justice. If lower courts fail to convince the people about its credibility, there will be little respite for the poor man.

The tale of two rapes

The high-profile rape case involving the Kaslival scion has evoked the debate of the ever increasing threat to women in Indian cities. Right after this incident, there was another case of a minor girl raped by four teenagers in Mira Road.
In the first case, Mr. Abhishek Kaslival (26), offered a lift to the victim (not naming due to various reasons)(52) around 2:00 AM from Colaba to Mumbai central but instead took her to Worli Shriram Mills (owned my his father) and allegedly raped her. The second incident took place in Mira Road, a distant suburb of Mumbai, where four teenagers gang-raped a class IX student in one of the accused’ house and raped one after another. The girl was invited to attend the boy’s sister’s birthday party.
Some interesting facets of this case follows;
In both the cases, the victims were intoxicated before the rape took place. Kaslival offered the drink while on car and the Mira road girl took some juice at her assailant’s home. Both drinks were mixed with alcohol/drug to make them unconscious.
Initially Ambuj Kaslival, the father of Abhishek vehemently opposed the charges and accused the victim of immoral traffic, but as one after another facts came out, he clamped up. In Mira road case, the mother denied her son’s involvement in the case and said “he doesn’t have any sister and the girl knows it. Then how could she come for the b’day party?”
Questions;
Kaslival Rape case;
1. What was she doing in a known trouble spot at around 2:00 AM? She said she was waiting for a friend but is it a good time for a rendezvous?
2. Why did she accept a lift from a total stranger when she could have easily got a cab to go to Mumbai Central which was safer?
3. Why did she accept the drink? Didn’t she know the dangers?
4. Why she didn’t raise an alarm when it was apparent the car wasn’t going in the right direction?
Mira Road Rape case;
1. When she entered the house, couldn’t she notice the absence of other guests / his parents?
2. Did they watch a pornographic movie together before the rape as alleged?
3. Why did she (all of 15 years) chose to go to the police even before consulting her mother?
This is in no way to justify their actions or discredit the victims. But a few questions that my conscience raised. As my fellow blogger Druv wrote in Ashley’s blog, the judicial mindset is biased and sympathized towards the victim and see things in that light. There were enough incidents, which is sub-judice hence I can’t comment on them. The prominent one is Preety Jain accusing Madhur Bhandarkar (a well-know bollywood director) of rape. It is pretty obvious that she is taking revenge for not keeping his promises.
What if some girl had sex with her consent and later accusing of rape? If there a definite way to prove rape? May justice prevail in the end, but the media highlights the accusations only. If one is acquitted, it will be a back page item. The pride of an individual is completely destroyed in this mindless sensationalizing of news. His life, family, career and name could be irreparably damaged before the final verdict.
I was watching one of the news channel and they were showing the kaslival Rape “replay” by showing a blurred video of a lady and a man in a Mercedes. It is obvious that they shot it with professional actors, but it is highly un-ethical to do. If the court acquits the accused, would they re-shoot it and show? I think the verdict is of no importance. They have deemed he is guilty.
There has to be a limit for everything. The over-eager media has to exercise some restraint before they do something like this. Last few years we saw the judicial activism as every person who got some grievance ran to court. Is it now Media-over activism age? Just keep in mind that, the media has the power to make or break. But don’t break someone before he/she is proved guilty. Let the judiciary do the trial.

Travelling salesmen of BJP

Mr. Lal Krishna Advani lapped up the first opportunity to turn a vicious incident to a vote gathering exercise. This time around he declared not one, two Yatras, to gather momentum against the ‘minoritiysm’ of the central government. Ever since his Pakistan visit and the subsequent Jinnah controversy, he was on the look out for an opportunity to turn himself into his old self, a hardcore Hindutva Advocate. His failed experiment with soft-hindutva failed miserably and it threatened to end his political career. Now it’s back to where it has all started. The Ram Yatras and the Babri Majid demolition saw BJP grow to a big player in Indian political parody. Advani must be hoping for a repeat of history.
The Varanasi bombing has set a perfect stage for his comeback. It’s the old ‘We Vs Them’. A place of Hindu worship has been bombed allegedly by Islamists. And a few days ago the muslim mobilization against the publication of Prophet’s cartoon turned out to be a show of strength of the community and turned violent at a few places. This has a cascading effect on BJP and its think-tank. Not only Muslims are a force to reckon with, but they started to recognize it. This doesn’t augur well for BJP and hence they are embarking on the old tried and tested formula, The Yatras and Hindutva.
It may not be a co-incident that after every Yatra, there are communal skirmishes followed and some places it turned violent. Since He has decided about the Yatras(travels, loosely translated) to sell hardcore hindutva, it is just to doubt the intentions behind it. Is it an attempt to try what has been done in Gujarat? As I wrote a year back, Gujarat was a test case. They found it successful and now won’t hesitate to repeat it elsewhere. Where else to start the strategy than UP, the state which sends most MP’s to Delhi?
As I was speaking to one of my friends, S(he) asked me about the bombings and who might be behind it? I chose to answer the obvious, the terrorists, but then s(he) was raised another query which is still ringing in my ears? Is it the same forces who are now protesting? Are they trying to create a situation similar to Godhra? Just read the enquiry report of Godhra train carnage together . The findings of the committee is relevant here. The commission said that, the fire started from inside the train, NOT OUTSIDE. And thousands of people killed in the ensuing riot.
Police have zeroed in on the usual suspects, Lashkar-e-Toiba, and they owned the responsibility, through a fictitious outfit. But I now remember a protagonist in a Malayalam Novel, written by famous author Vaikom Muhammed Bashir, the author of many a bestseller.
His name is “Ettukaali Mammonju” (Spider Mammonju). In his village, whatever happened, be it a theft, a rape or an act of bravery, he suddenly owns up it by saying “Athu Njammala”. Now LeT just remind me of him.

Register your Day fast.

It seems the days of a year are fast becoming insufficient. At the rate each day is dedicated to a particular cause, may be a couple of years later we will be celebrating multiple events on same day. Like Christmas & World Marriage day!! Recently there has been an addition to the long list of commemorative days. The top nephrologists of the world got together and to raise awareness about kidney diseases, they decided to celebrate “WORLD KIDNEY DAY” on every 2nd Thursday of March. We already have a lot of this. Aids day, women’s day, heart day, no-smoking and now that long list added one more day to it. So celebrating these days will spread more awareness about it? If that’s case, then why Aids is spreading like wildfire? I am waiting for a day called world penis day (since there is no World Men’s day this is absolutely a necessity) and followed by world vagina day (spreads awareness about diseases that infects these body parts) and leg day, arm day (to generate awareness about disease like cuts/burns) . I have prepared a list of probable organs that qualify for a day dedicated to it.
World Nerve Day – to cool one’s nerves
World Bath Day – spreading awareness about bathing and it’s effects
World Hair Day – specially for the hairy type
World Skin day – How can we forget the biggest organ?
World Penis Day – Come on! This is an automatic qualifier!
World Vagina Day – How can this be left out?
And gradually we will have a day dedicated for each and every organ! Funny isn’t it?
An incomplete list is available Here .
So if you want register a day in one of the organs. Or this 365 days may not be enough to include everything.

Wet summer

India is experiencing some strange weather. At this time of year, rains are like a snowstorm in hell. But since uesterday, west and north india received unseasonal showers along with lightning and thunder.
Today Mumbai, usually above 32 C at this time, woke up to a cool morning and overcast sky. By 8:30 AM it started to drizzle accompanied by lightning. Office goers were caught unaware and most of them got wet since they were not carrying any umbrellas.
At the time of writing, it is still overcast and and sporadic showers reported. Right after noon, it rained and now though subsided, still going on.
Wonder does it have something to do with global warming and climatic patterns like la nino. Or just some depression in bay of bengal?

The other side of young India

The Maharashtra & Central governments may want us to believe India is on to the verge of breaking into the super power club. The picture they paint is so rosy that an average person would consider his country indeed is on par with China or even America. Why not, India registered an unprecedented growth in GDP; our stock market breached the magical figure of 10K. Why not, we are acquiring world class fighter planes and other military paraphernalia. We are gained entry into the exclusive club of Nuclear Powers. We have set our eyes on the permanent seat of Security Council. Yes India is sure flying.
But India is not only the flashy cosmopolitan cities. Indians are not the only ones, who drive swanky cars, fly to exotic places to spend vacation or bring the crème-layer of America to celebrate wedding. The real India is where children die of malnutrition, children who work under punishing circumstances to feed their family.Under the very high rises, kids beg for a living. This is the India. The real India.
India’s rural face has always been neglected. The recent avian flu has unearthed a tip of an iceberg. The health workers who conducted a house-to-house test for avian flu found seriously mal-nourished children in this tribal area, Nawapur Maharashtra. Some of them were so weak that the doctor said they may live another year or so.
There were a lot of child deaths but the government machinery systematically covered it up. There was a gaping difference between the government’s statistics and independent studies. A detailed report is available Here.
Being un-educated and out of income the tribals are not able to look after their kids properly. And the corrupt officialdom is making things not easier.
Another instance of government’s total lack of concern is regarding the child labor. All these years there were numerous laws to prevent it, but nothing has been done to eradicate this malady from the society. In Mumbai alone, millions of kids work in Zari units, small hotels (prominently in hotels that run by Mangloreans) and construction sites. The age ranges from 5 to 14! They work as hard as any adult and get half the pay! I interviewed some of this hotel cleaners and thye said their parents forced them into this! When their friends and relatives go to schools and playgrounds, these unfortunate youngsters are working hard to support their family!
Action must be taken against those erring parents who underfed kids or sending them to work. If they can’t afford to feed their children, they don’t have a right to be the parent.
Law must be changed to include this provision to punish the parents. The future belongs to kids. Save them!

Karunakaran - To be or Not to be?

Kerala politics has always been intriguing, to say the least. Where almost every major party owns a satellite channel, the first Communist Government elected my democratic means, one of the smallest states of Indian union but has the one of the highest number of political parties; Kerala has always been a different arena when it comes to politics. Intense factionalism is rampant in almost all political party. Minorities play a major role in elections and the only state where BJP has yet to have an MLA or MP. It has been a state of political peculiarities. One can expect the least un-expected from this state.
But the sudden somersault by the LDF caught everyone off-guard. The denial of entry into the LDF for Democratic Indira Congress-Karunakaran (DICK).(a little thought here. Why did suffixed his party name with Karunakaran? Taking precaution for a future split and don’t want his son’s rivals taking away his name? Like he did with Indira’s Name.)
Kerala politics has always been a bi-polar affair. There was no place for a third front. So Mr. Muralidharan’s statement that they will contest all the seats by themselves doesn’t mean much.
Before they left Congress, Karunakaran and Murali succeeded in ousting the then CM Mr. Antony. The irony is that he is the vociferous supporter for taking back Karunakaran into the party. May be he doesn’t want Oommen Chandy returning to Cm’ship. Which is anyway a distant possibility given the states history. No ruling alliance made it consecutively.
Now DICK is stuck. They can’t go back to Congress which they left 6 months back, Left is not accepting them and BJP is not a force to reckon with in Kerala Politics. Where it leads? The only possibility is that of becoming a part in UDF without returning to congress. But there are many who believe UDF is better off without Karunakaran, who made life hell for Congress leaders not too long ago. They argue that it will be sending a wrong signal to aspirant rebels. If they managed to snub DICK in the forthcoming elections, that will be a strong warning to those who revolt against the party.
Now it’s all up to Ms. Sonia Gandhi who will decide the fate of DICK. How ironic considering what Murali & Karunakaran said about her while leaving the party. In the coming days, the fate of one of the wily old politician of Kerala will be decided by a lady whom he despise and whether it’s an end or a new beginning, non one is sure.
For Karunakaran & His son, it's a question of existence. a Question of to be or not to be.

Saurav Ganguly-A Sad End to a Maharaj

The most successful captain of Indian Cricket is snubbed again. Not long ago, he was hailed as the savior of Indian Cricket. Under him we achieved unprecedented heights. He backed his players to the hilt. He was the role model. On fine day, he is portrayed as a bad influence on the youngsters, a liability to the team and most important unwanted by the team management and selectors. Did he really deserve all this?
We Indians are very unforgiving and less grateful when it comes to cricket. Past laurels are not an excuse to present failure. True. But did he really get a chance to prove that he is still worth a place in the team? In the recently concluded Pakistan tour, where he got only one test to bat, his performance was better than some of the stalwarts. So much for Chappell’s performance is the criteria. If you happen to read my earlier blog - A letter to Ganguly - you know how prophetic I was.
He has been humiliated as no other captain ever has. Once celebrated and elegant left bat, he has been selected to the team as an all-rounder. He has been left to prove himself in the Ranji Matches. He fell from the height of being the successful captain to an unwanted element. Every time the selectors sit, he has been made to wait painstaking before being told that he is not selected.
The diminutive More has made one thing absolutely clear. That there is no place for him in the scheme of things. As I said in my earlier post, Dada, it’s time. Why would you want to put yourself through such agony? You were known for your royal ways, the aggression and arrogance. Why bow your head now to these comedians, as one of our former cricketers called them, justifiably?
It’s almost sure that we have seen the last of Saurav. If he wants to turn the tables, he has to scores tons of runs in the domestic circuit, which is a rare possibility. There is a cartel working behind the scenes to make sure that he is never selected again. My plea to the self-important More and team is that, just give him one match by which he could go out gracefully. At least he deserve that much. At least.

The God's protectors are very rich

The gods never had it so good! And the prophets too! The recent cartoon rage has changed the mindset of otherwise normal people. AN Uttar Paradesh Minister offered a bounty of 510,000,000 INR (11333333 US$ aprox) to anyone who kills a Danish Cartoonist. In retaliation a hitherto unknown organization has offered 1,010,000,000 INR for slaying the famous Indian painter M. F. Hussein for his obscene representation of Hindu goddess. India surely is not a poor country anymore. Another individual from Indore offered comparatively a paltry sum 1,100,000 INR for just chopping off Hussein’s arms!
The Luknow based Hindu Law board has offered this sun for the UP minister to kill Hussein. If someone else succeeds in killing him, he would get only 510,000,000 only! This is partiality, I say. Why should someone get paid less for the same job? This is violation of India’s Labor Law. So better make it equal for everyone.
Sarcasm apart, it’s a very serious crime. As per the land’s law, inciting murder is a criminal offence. The UP minister, Haji Yaqoob Quershi, has publicly offered the amount to anyone who kills a Danish Cartoonist. As a public servant, he should have refrained from uttering this nonsense if he had any political ambitions. As a legislature, his known source of income is in public domain and it never boasts of assets worth 51 crores. So Mr. Haji must reveal the source of this reward. In any other country, he would have prosecuted right away. But here, keeping an eye on Muslim votes, he is walking free. What’s more, now he enjoys more clout in the assembly due to the support he now enjoys. A true savior of Muslim interests!!
How can be a true Hindu could lag behind? So some of these true Hindus decided to take up the cause of Hindu goddesses and offered 101 Crore Rupees for anyone killing M. F. Hussein! But they were more practical. They didn’t ask to kill ANY Muslim cartoonist / Painter. Their target is specific, only one man. Another Advocate from Lucknow offered 11 Lakhs for chopping off Husseins hands. Wonderful! So if someone first chop-off his hands and then kill him, he would get both, I presume.
Now on, one can expect offers similar to this every now and then. Unless these nonsensical fools are prosecuted and put away. Our society if now replete with this self-appointed protectors of god and religion. Free publicity is what they seek. Our media give unnecessary attention to these small-timers and make them feel they are big fishes. It’s time our police take an interest in this growing menace and put an end to it by either asking them to deposit the sum that they have offered to the state coffer or face the music. For that the police require spine. Which is what they don’t have.

Shiv Sena disowned Nallasopara Vandals

To err is human. Shiv Sena pramukh, Shrish Chavan must be soothing himself by this cliché. On Saturday two major incidents took place for him. First was Mr. Thackeray’s statement disowning him and his fellow sainiks who ransacked the Nallasopara Party. The second was the smooth running of Saturday’s “Belated Valentines Day Party” where a few hours earlier he and his band of rogues performed Thandava. Cooling his heals in jail, its retrospection time for him.
Despite the previous day’s vandalism, many people turned out for the party. The defiance is a very good indicator of people’s mindset against the violent political tactics of the party. In the coming years, this small incident will have it’s mark.
Thackerays apology was well timed. That incident has caused enough humiliation and if anyone planning to do a repeat in the name of Shiv Sena, he wanted to stifle it. But in the process, Sena lost it’s face.
It’s closed chapter for both Thackerays but what about those three arrested? In a sense they were obeying the party chief’s orders. They just went overboard and now staring at bleak future. This could act as a deterrent and hope some normalcy prevails during next Valentines Day.

Challenged Shiv Sena may back track

A post script to my previous article, Nallasopara Bash-up by Shiv Sena.
The organiser, Vipul Patel, has decided to openly challenge the might of Shiv Sena by arranging another party at the same venue on this Saturday 18 th Feb. This time he named it to a more challenging "Valentines Day Party" to provoke the Shiv Sena and demanded police protection. And it's open for all public. It's from 6 PM to 10 PM.
It is to be seen that whether Shiv Sena take the bait or tactfully avoid it. In all probability, they would avoid it saying their opposition is against the Valentines Day only. So this is probably going to be a dampner.
I'll be reporting on it. so watch this space.