26th January 2009

Another occasion to renew the vows, do away with the prejudices, focus on the dreams and the goals at hand. Let the day inspire us. Happy Republic Day

Kerala – playing with fire

The Mallu society has always been a very fascinating and unique collage of social trends and attitudes. The much acclaimed ‘Kerala model’ is well documented, though, I feel not enough follow up studies have been published or acknowledged concerning the same. The social scene has changed radically over the last two decades and I feel that the communist parties and especially the CPI(M) reflects the transition most obviously.

 From being the epitome of the dreams and aspirations of the poorest in this society, the party has come a long way to being a major stake holder in the commercial and business arena of the state. More alarming is the fast decline in the moral and ethical values of the party. The immediate provocation for voicing such a strong opinion is the stand taken by the party regarding the CBI probe of Lavlin case. The state supremo of CPI(M) being accused of corruption is a shock in itself. Even more disappointing is the ambiguity in the party’s official position regarding the issue. The onus is on the CBI to prove the charges, and Pinarayi Vijayan is to be perceived as innocent until unless pronounced guilty by a court. Still, the party has to show the courage and vision to at least keep the accused away from party responsibilities until the case comes to its logical conclusion. The least one can expect is for the party and its leaders to desist from confronting the CBI and pronouncing the verdict by themselves.  

Sadly, the party, until this moment, has chosen to toe a political and public posture which is pretty much identical to the infamous one adopted by the Church in Abhaya case. As an ordinary citizen, I am bewildered at the attempts of the all powerful establishments to discredit the law enforcement agencies of this land. There have been numerous incidents of people arrested by the police being rescued by their political masters using brute force from the lockups and police stations in Kerala.

 In the quest to conquer and possess, these organizations are setting a very bad example. Kerala has to get its act together before the social and moral degradation eats away the legacy of the Kerala Model.

Politics of greed....

Since the time when Indira Gandhi invented various innovative and not-so-pious means to remain the all powerful Godess that she was made out to be, Indian politics has been transformed forever. Over the decades, the politicians have increasingly become more corrupt, more ingenious and more shameless. The politics of aayarams and gayarams have become the order of the day.

 The upcoming general election has once again set the stage for jumping the fence and political poaching, Kalyan Singh being the latest in the list. This is not the first time that the erstwhile UP Chief Minister has left the BJP. What makes the event even more bizarre this time around is the fact that the SP and the UPA is willing to accommodate the veteran politician. The SP has given the ticket to Kalyan Singh’s son for the upcoming elections. The fact that Kalyan Singh is the person who supervised the karseva leading to the Babri Masjid demolition, by virtue of being the UP Chief Minister at the time, does not deter the apostles of secularism from forging political ties with the man.

 Some months ago, during the Karnataka elections, Maragaret Alwa, a senior Congress leader who is now out of the party, had raised the bogey of dissent against the unfair manner of seat distribution. She was provoked by the denial of candidacy to her son.

 On the other hand, we have a the Punjab Chief Minister making history by appointing his son as the deputy Chief Minister of the state. Dynasty politics is nothing new to us. We Indians love to be ruled by the illiterate ‘leaders’ filling in for the actual leader, who is kept out of  power due to legal proceedings in civil and criminal cases that usually drags on for decades. We have bestowed the leadership of our grand old party upon the Nehru dynasty. Still, the politicians are becoming increasingly greedy and shameless in their pursuit of absolute power. 

The thoughts of an Indian...

We, in India, are also looking forward to the ascendancy of the new US dispensation with much interest. Notwithstanding the statement made by our Prime Minister, declaring his citizen’s love for President Bush, many in this part of the world have been highly critical and highly disappointed with the outgoing US regime.

 We Indians have build up the world’s largest democracy and we know how easily the public could be deceived, we have often pinned our hopes on many a saviour, only to have the facade blown away by the lure of power, power and absolute power. In the name of democracy, we have allowed dynasty politics to rule us for the better part of the independent era. We know the system has in built safe guards against genuine change, still we keep ourselves hopeful.

 So it is with mixed emotions that I look forward to the Obama era. I do hope that the future will bring the much needed change in the global political, social and economic scenario. The coming decades will be revolutionary for the world as such. It will see India and China taking the centre stage. The US hegemony is all but over and Obama would do well to keep his feet grounded firmly on realities. He should endeavour to make the US and the world ready for the inevitable.....

The Obama era....

As the USA prepares for its tryst with destiny, the whole world is watching in anticipation. Barack Obama has kindled much hope among millions and millions of people, not just in the USA, but around the world.

Obama has inherited a huge load of challenges which requires the skills of the highest order. The highly volatile situation in the Gulf region, the Iraq and Afghan debacle, the global warming, the billions of hungry humans who don’t even have one meal a day, the list can go on and on...

To top it all, the US is in recession and has to deal with pressing problems like unemployment and wealth erosion. Hmmm, the world’s most powerful job is certainly not an enviable one. Here is wishing Obama all the very best....

Why do we have to live by the sword?

The Israeli aggression against Palestine has once again brought to focus the primitive traits that lie beneath the polished and civilized human psyche. The East-Asian politics have often been discussed and dissected, with minimal success in tackling the dominant issues. I am intrigued by the failure of the human community to retain a any control over the warring factions.

 As a matter of fact, I am astonished at the total failure of the oil rich, influential Arab countries in guarding their self-interests and influencing the global power balance. The Arabs have had a proud and distinguished history, both in terms of military and civilization. The highly successful Khilafat movement initiated by Mahatma Gandhi, that laid the foundations of purna swaraj, was inspired by the refined, highly sophisticated and innovative democratic system of governance pursued by the Khalifs in the Arab world. How did such a society submit itself to a system which falls far short of any kind of meaningful democracy? Why do the countries that hold the key to the globe’s oil fields fail to ensure some semblance of peace and normalcy on their own neighbourhood?

 We Indians are also dealing with numerous challenges, both internal and external, that threaten to undermine the progress and stability that we have always sought to maintain. But, for all the problems that we have had, I feel it is the strong, inclusive and vibrant democracy we guard so religiously that ultimately help us come out on the top.

 As for the current turmoil, as much as I feel that the international community has failed to safeguard the basic human rights of a much harassed and defence less community in Palestine, I am sure Israel will keep causing such havoc time and again. Today’s Arab world does not have the will power and the inherent strength needed to stand up for itself. One can just hope that the massacre of the innocent people would come to an end soon. The pictures of little children robbed of their innocence and life is too much to bear for any sane person..... 

A.R.Rahman ..... the ultimate delight

A.R.Rahman has been enthralling the Indian music lovers with his musical delights for well over a decade now. What started as a sublime melody in Roja has, over the years, attained divine status among the music lovers. The variety of his musical exploits is a legend in itself. Now, by winning the Golden Globe award for his work in Slumdog Millionaire, Rahman has taken Indian popular music to unprecedented heights.

 Different Indian musical streams like the Carnatic music, Indian Ghazals, Bhajans and various Gharanas have always been looked upon by the world with awe and respect. But, the popular Indian film music has never before captured the imagination of the world.

 Rahman has done us all very, very proud and the delight of his music is the icing on the cake. Here is wishing him all the very best, thanking him for keeping millions like myself musically enslaved to his charm. Let us hope that he would bring home the Oscars as well....

The suffering masses...

Indian democracy has always been a consortium of ironies. On one hand the masses have made use of the ultimate power to assert their will over the politicians ranging from the all powerful Indira Gandhi to the Jharkhand shame Shibu Soren. The irony is that, for all practical purposes, the power of the masses ends there. Time and again the governments have blatantly disregarded its basic duties and responsibilities towards the nation, and have got away with it.

 The latest example is the way the present dispensation is dealing with the strikes of the Truck Owners and the Oil strike. The government has every right not to yield to the demands of the striking parties if it feels the same are unjustified. But at the same time, the government has the responsibility and duty to endure that the day to day life of the common man is not affected. Today the petrol pumps across of the country are running out of stocks and we the people have to suffer the consequences. The prices of essential commodities are slowly climbing up on account of the trucker’s strike. 

As was said by the public after the Mumbai attacks, we do not have any option other than to stick to the routine, report for work and earn our lively hood in the midst of terror attacks, strikes or bandhs and harthals. As always, we have to pay for the inefficient and insensitive government that we have elected.

The Satyam debacle...

The confessions by Mr.Ramalinga Raju, the founder of Satyam has come as a rude reminder to the public about the total lack of ethics and accountability among the rich elite of this nation. Be it a politician, a business man, a celebrity or an ingenious criminal, if you have money, you will always have immunity from law of the land. I wonder why Raju has not been arrested even after his confessions. Regarding the fraud itself, what were the auditors doing? The magnitude of the fraud raises serious concerns about the kind of system we have to scrutinise and verify the accounts statements furnished by the business houses. If even one among the several so called professionals did their job well, a fraud of this magnitude would not have happened.

The fact that the fraud has been going on for several years shows the complete lack of accountability towards the general public who may have invested a major chunk of their life’s savings in the stock markets. 

The more the things change, the more they remain the same...

1^st Jan 08 : Bomb blasts at 3 different places in Assam.  Hartal called by the CPI(M) in parts of Kannur district, Kerala. Violence and political killing continues.

 No matter what the common man in this country wants, things seldom change to reflect their aspirations.....