Kozhikode – first e-literate city in Kerala

Kozhikode, Aug 29 (IANS) Kozhikode was Friday declared the first e-literate city in Kerala, thanks to a special scheme that aims at making at least one member of each family computer literate. The e-literacy project was kicked off in the city in 2005. It was executed by Akshaya, a scheme of the Kerala government’s IT mission, which aims at 100 percent e-literacy in the state, assisted by the city corporation and women’s self-help group ‘Kudumbasree’.

 I hope the Government and the City civil authorities plan and implement the necessary follow up programmes to make sure e-literacy actually helps the common man achieve greater heights in life.

 As we have seen, the state literacy campaign that made Kerala the first state to achieve 100% literacy, have failed to implement any follow up measures. Literacy is not about being able to write your own name, it is about empowering the people with the ability to acquire and utilise knowledge pertaining to various aspects of daily life. Mere tokenism would definitely not be sufficient.

Kozhikode- sets an example for others to follow

Good news for the city dwellers of Kozhikode last week. The political parties have decided not to hold processions at busy roads in the city. This is a welcome relief the great service rendered by Malayala Manorama in the campaign against the road blockade by processions has helped to build consensus among all. This is a great achievement, one that has to be followed by other cities as well.

Scarcity of good orators….

I watched Hillary Clinton addressing the democratic convention in television today. It was indeed a great speech that touched the right chord among those listening. Her oratory skills are admirable. The speech had humor, patriotism and party politics and above all gave the glimpses of a visionary leader with great leadership qualities.

 I couldn’t but think about the Indian political scene. I really feel there is a scarcity of leaders capable of enthralling the crowd with their words in our present political arena. I still remember the speech made by the former prime minister A.B.Vajpayee during the confidence motion debate of his 13 day stint. In BJP, I feel Advani can be a good speaker, but he is not as articulate as Vajpayee. Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and Venkiah Naidu are also capable of making off the hand speeches that can have good impact.

 Among the Congressmen, Rahul Gandhi has the potential to become a great orator, but I would like him to project a more confident and positive body language. He could definitely do with more smiles and a pleasant persona while interacting with both friends and foes. Among the rest, Omar Abdulla (surprise package in the previous confidence motion debate), Narendra Modi, J.Jayalalitha and Lalu Prasad Yadav are capable of delivering great speeches.

 But surely, the Indian parliament and political scene has not had many meaningful and compelling debates of late.

The secular debate goes on and on and on….so does the violence…

The escalation of violence in Orissa has ignited the secularism debate yet again. Any kind of violence is undesirable and has to be avoided at all costs. Still, I can’t help wonder how many more tragedies would happen before this nation tackle the issue courageously.

 What does Secularism stand for? I feel, secularism is the freedom to practice whichever religion one believes in. More importantly, it is the assurance that all religions would be treated equally by the nation and the system. In addition to this, being secular would also mean that one should not regard other religions as inferior or should not pass judgment on the beliefs and rituals of other religions.

 The nation should show the courage to stop dividing its people on religious and caste lines. What is there to gain if I am a member of a particular religion or caste? Of course, it is the various reservations and other subsidies being given by the state. Apart from this, what is the difference between these religions? As per the concept of secularism given above, I cannot denounce other religions or claim that the path to salvation is ONLY by means of my religion. When people start claiming their own religion as the only enlightened one, or when they start luring others by means of cash or other materialistic means, the scene really gets ugly. Furthermore, when another group tries to win back the people who may have converted to a new faith, the situation is potentially explosive.

 Unfortunately, our politicians never hesitate to exploit such a scene and all the hell breaks loose. Why can’t we the nation show the courage and wisdom to focus on the actual living conditions of each one of us, and help those who deserve, instead of doling out goodies based on caste and religion. As long as we continue the present system, we would continue to be exploited by the leaders of modern India. 

India’s opportunity to enchant the world….

India will be hosting the Commonwealth games at Delhi in 2010. I hope we would also be able to rise to the occasion and present a united, progressive and enchanting image to the rest of the world.

The Olympics that charmed the world…

The Beijing Olympics 2008 have been concluded in a grand fashion. This Olympics has seen so many splendid performances. China organized the world’s biggest sporting event in such great style, splendor, efficiency and vision that it has set high standards for the rest of the world to follow.

 The Chinese have made use of the opportunity to showcase themselves in the best possible ways. The world is charmed by what lies behind the great wall. It has to be remembered that the Chinese had to overcome many strong challenges, including the Tibetan movement, and the unrest in its Muslim provinces. Notwithstanding the autocratic Communist system prevailing in China, they showed the vision, courage and the skill to not let the ideological differences mar the spirit of Olympics.

The communists have done it again…

The controversy regarding the SEZs is the latest flash point between the communist parties in Kerala. There are several reasons why this issue can at best be described as a controversy only, not as a debate.

 

1.       The SEZ concept is not a new one. It is neither a Kerala specific issue. Ironically, the concept owes its origin to communist China.

2.       This controversy has been evoked after we already have four SEZs sanctioned in our state, one among them the much awaited and much talked about Smart City project at Kochi.

3.       The SEZ concept has been endorsed by KINFRA much earlier.

 This being the case, why are the communist leaders making such a hue and cry over this issue now? This is yet another instance at which the communist parties have shown their total vision less leader ship qualities. We have seen it many times before also. Eg: Food Security Project, Present electricity crisis, Inability to provide even token support to common man with respect to price rise etc….

 Here again, the communists want us to believe. “The concepts and methods that have been endorsed by the communists in China, cannot be applied here as they are essentially harmful to the social and political integrity and sovereignty of India.”

 The biggest tragedy is that, in Kerala, even the opposition is as vision less and directionless as the ruling coalition…

Harthal...Kerala's the cursed land...

Harthals have turned God's own country in to devil's paradise. Kerala have been paralysed so often and so effectively by the harthal organizers that, common man including myself don’t  venture out on the harthal days.

 The police and the administrators are BLIND and DEAF to our problems on the best of times. So on the harthal day, they become all the more inactive and any number of court orders cannot help inspire confidence in people's mind.

 With the violence increasing day by day, the risk is too high for my liking...

Super Wednesday for Indian Sports

In Olympics boxing, India’s Vijender has entered semi finals, and the nation is assured of another medal. This means, Beijing Olympics would be the best so far for India.

 

Hope this trend continues in the coming years also..The onus is on the Indian Olympic Association, the Government of India and on each one of us to make sure we keep the international medals coming in. It is tough to reach the top, and it is even tougher to stay there….

Susheel Kumar does Indains proud..

India won its second medal in Beijing Olympics today. In wrestling, Susheel Kumar won bronze and did the country proud. It is heartening to see the humble wrestler from Haryana achieve the glory.

Congratulations Susheel…

Kayamkulam Kochunni turns violent…

Daily we come across news reports regarding loot and robbery. Over the years, we have become accustomed to a certain pre-conceived images of a typical robber. Furthermore, these images have often even been romantic, and have been well explored in popular flicks from Kayamkulam Kochunni, to Meesa Madhavan. But, of late, our typical neighborhood robber has got more aggressive and violent.

It is really sad to notice that these days, most of the robberies involve fair amount of violence as well. Often, the victim is brutally attacked and killed by the modern day Kochunnis. Is this yet another reflection of the violent streak inherent in a human being, or is there some factor beyond that? I guess the best person to answer this would be a robber, though I would rather live with my curiosity than come across one of these heartless souls.

 

The situation is so bad that every day as I go out for job and other daily errands, I feel afraid and even guilty to leave behind my kith and kin unarmed. 

The malayalam news paper has done it again….

As disturbed and shocked as I was, by the latest revelations by Gujarat police regarding the Kerala connection in SIMI activities, I was even more depressed by the total black out of this crucial angle by the number one malayalam news paper (I read Kozhikode edition).

I guess this is the height of selective and irresponsible journalism. What good is being the number one in circulation, if you are not even in the list of ethical journalism? It is worth noting that in the Metro section that comes daily with the newspaper, I have seen numerous reports that have really made a positive impact on the society. The campaign against the processions in the city roads causing hardships to general public is one such instance. Hence, I suspect the selective editing of the stories is part of all Kerala strategy and management policies.

The dismal social scene.. Kerala the mental assylum

The really disgusting fact is that, it has been a long time since we had any kind of meaningful, serious and visionary debate or discussion regarding any of the current or future challenges. In God’s own country, the system is simple. One government make rules that affect almost all aspects of human life, only for the next government to overrule all that has been done and make their own rules. You can be sure both sides would be arbitrary and totally visionless during the entire process.

 This cycle has been going on here for at least the last twenty years. The biggest tragedy is that the people do not seem to care. Every five years they vote under the influence of anti-incumbency.

 Add to this that elite section which is known as social leaders, who always oppose any thought, idea, process or system that has its origin within the last 25 years. These silly and often self serving souls seem to be stuck at least a quarter of a century back in time.

 And so we have the perfect mix for the mental asylum, Swamy Vivekananda called Kerala as.

 What could be the solution???  God help God’s own country……

The Kerala political circus...

I wonder how long it will take before the politicians and the public of the state wakes up to the challenges thrown up by the unscrupulous elements. The Kerala politicians have become accustomed to the five year revolving door that takes LDF and UDF in and out of the power with such precision.

 The ruling coalition always knows they will most likely be wiped out after five years. So instead of being pro-active they always resort to appeasement and politics of convenience in the hope that the sections that they appease would somehow help them retain power in the next elections too.

 The opposition coalition is also pretty sure that they would get the chance in the next elections. So they too take extreme precautions not to alienate any sections of the society. 

Gujarat Blasts..Kerala connection

Though the Kerala connections of the terrorist activities taking place in different parts of India had ceased to remain a secret quite some years ago, I was still shocked when I saw the TV reports about the latest revelations by the Gujarat police in connection with the recent Gujarat blasts probe.

 The police have not revealed the names and other details of all the arrested terrorists, still it has been confirmed that there is at least one mallu among those in custody. Even more shocking is the revelation about the SIMI training camps that took place in Kerala, one on August 15^th 2006 at Binanipuram in Ernakulam district and the more recent and more exhaustive three day camp at Vagamon in Idukki district from Dec 8^th – 10^th 2007.

 Early warnings….

There were reports in the visual media about these two camps at the respective times. Kerala police had actually arrested around 10 people in connection with the Binanipuram camp. But, currently all of them are on bail and the Kerala police have no clue about the whereabouts of some among them. If only the irresponsible and spineless Kerala police could had taken the pain and efforts to dig further, the Gujarat blasts may have not occurred at all.

 Admittedly, there were protests and lobbying from self proclaimed human rights groups that made the Kerala police treat the terrorists with kid gloves. I believe the Kerala police have got plenty of officials who are very efficient and are more than capable of guarding us better. If only they had the spine and guts to stand up to the pathetic, lethargic and most visionless politicians of the state…..

The Indian Dream….

August 15^th, India’s Independence Day ushers in many feelings, emotions, images and aspirations to all Indians. We are a nation who firmly believes that the future belongs to us.

The proud heritage and history of our nation inspires such strength and confidence on the people that, we will surely overcome all the obstacles and challenges to live up to the high standards set by our ancestors.

Admittedly, there are lots of traits and habits that we the people have to re-discover and imbibe so as to achieve our dreams. There are many pessimistic voices both within and outside our nation that would like us to believe we have not got what it takes to come out on the top. I as an Indian draw confidence from many aspects of my daily life that manifests the resilience of we the people. I feel the vibrant Indian democracy epitomizes the Indian spirit the most. I admit our democracy do have lots of draw backs and undesirable traits. But, it has to be remembered that time and again, whenever the political class have become so arrogant and indulging that they take us for granted, we the people have made use of the democracy to give befitting and sometimes astonishing reply to put matters back on track.

The resilience of the nation is also evident in the way we keep bouncing back after every terror attack. The way in which the people come out on the streets and goes about their life with defiance is admirable. The sad part is, maybe we have come to regard the terror attacks as so common that we have become used to it. The decline in security situation and the dismal record that we have in curbing the terror machinery is shocking to say the least. Still, I am sure the resurgent India will find a lasting solution for this menace.

And, I am also certain that this solution will not be indiscriminate and partisan use of military and economic might on hapless nations, as is done by world powers today.  How can I be sure about this? Because, my nation has always stood for justice, peace and brotherhood. We are capable of being strong and kind at the same time. And most importantly, I, my friends, family and society are part of the force that will mould the future, just as the rest of India.

That is the power and promise given to us by Democratic India….. Jai Hind

The politics of the Malayalam news papers

Yesterday, there was a news story in visual media regarding the suicide of a nun in Kerala. The family of the deceased has alleged that the nun was abused sexually and physically by a senior nun, and this was the reason for the suicide. This might be the first high profile lesbian crime case in our state, though such incidents have occurred before also.

Today morning, as I sat down to read the newspaper, I had a premonition that I would have to search for this story. I was sure the same would not be in the front page of the number one daily. And guess what, I was right. The story was found in the centre page and it was reported as an allegation by the family and there were hints to suggest the same was baseless.

Contrast this with the amount of print space that was taken up by the Santhosh Madhavans in the front page for nearly two weeks. I have become accustomed to expecting such partisan behavior from the Malayalam dailies, but still it hurts me when the same dailies pride themselves in being the number one regional language daily in India.

Strange that none of these dailies can claim to be the most ethical and unbiased ones…I guess in these times, ethics is of much lower priority than profits and serving vested interests. The tragedy is that, as a malayalee, I have become so used to reading a Malayalam daily every morning, that even when I was living outside Kerala, I made sure I started my day with the same news paper. And I must admit circulation wise and in the amount of advertisement space, the Kerala dailies are certainly number one.

Abhinav’s day…Indian era???

As the nation rejoices in the golden achievement of Abhinav Bindra, so many positive effects are being seen all over the country. Even our Kerala Government has allotted an additional 30 lakh rupees for the shooting arena in the state. This is indeed a small but commendable initiative, and one can only hope that the Abhinav Effect will herald an Indian era in the Olympics history. Consistent and systematic efforts would bring in great results.

Thank you Abhinav for making us proud.

Humans – the most inhumane species

Today’s Malayala Manorama – Kozhikode edition has a report regarding an Alsatian dog found abandoned in the city yesterday. The doggie is almost 6 years old and has an injury near its ear. The doggie has been apparently deserted by its owners because of this injury.

Last month also another foreign breed doggie was similarly found abandoned in the city. This one had injured its leg and was unable to move about on its own. This was a much expensive breed and the civic body’s attempt to auction the pet was unsuccessful twice.

These incidents make one feel ashamed about the lack of compassion and gratitude towards fellow beings. This may not be so shocking, keeping in mind the scant disregard that we show towards the elders and disabled people among us. The utter disregard for civic manners and responsibilities displayed by the upwardly mobile city dwellers is shocking. We have become so accustomed to blaming the government, civic bodies and everyone except ourselves for everything that is wrong. The mess seen on our roads and our surroundings is created by each one of us and it is high time we started acting responsible.

The mallu road show

The road accidents have been a major cause of anxiety for a long time now. The pathetic condition of roads, the flagrant disregard for traffic rules and the in-built arrogance of we mallus are all contributing factors to this sad state of affairs. Add to this the over speeding buses (both private and KSRTC), the tipper lorries and other commercial vehicles that speed through our roads, we have a perfect recipe for disaster. For us a road is a multipurpose utility which doubles up as road + footpath + drainage + waste bin.

Day before yesterday, I was returning home for lunch from my office at Mavoor road in Kozhikode on my Pulsar bike. My destination was my home near Civil station, and I was riding through Arayidathupalam – Eranhipalam road. When I was passing through near Kalipoika, I noticed a spanking new Hundai Accent cruising well above the speed limits in my rear view mirror. Here, I must admit I am a person very much in love with my dear life and had no intention to risk it at that point of time. I gave way and the sparkling car rushed past me. But, some distance ahead, I saw the car slowing down and pulling into a small space in between the big container lorries(which carry factory fresh cars from other states to ours) that were parked on the left side of the road. As it did so, the left front door of the car opened and I saw a big plastic cover, presumably stuffed with waste materials, being thrown into the open space on the road side. In a flash, the door closed and the car took off. It sped away in full throttle never to be seen again.

Yesterday afternoon also, during the lunch trip to my home,along the same road, I had gone past the Swapna nagari and the orphanage when a Toyota Innova sped behind me. I myself was riding at around 45Km/Hr and the Innova overtook me comfortably. Now, just afterwards the Innova took a left turn towards a connecting road without any signal whatsoever. I was so close to the Innova, I had to slam my brakes hard, the bike actually wobbled a little and I had to balance with all my expertise praying for my dear life.

Now, this kind of irresponsible conduct on the road happens daily, and it has actually become a big risk to venture out to these death traps. The drivers of the bigger vehicles just do not seem to notice the pedestrians, cyclists and two wheeler riders. It is worth noticing that the two wheeler riders also often resort to racing and adventure rides on the public road causing much anxiety to lesser mortals. One can only pray that one is able to return safely home every day.