Thinking aloud

As the nation salutes our jawans and officers on the 10 th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas, we need to once again take a close look at our own priorities and civic life. From failing to queue up at the polling booths on Election Day to jumping the queue whenever we happen to be in one, we have our own surreptitious and indigenous ways of surviving in this great nation. We are an diverse bunch of citizens with a remarkably short memory and high emotional quotient (that soar to dizzying heights when a cricket match is on television). We have a government which seemed reluctant to join in the celebrations and which just about did what was obligatory and nothing more. We have a media which turns this into another sensationalised drama with the all knowing politicians throwing punches at each other and looking like complete idiots in the process. Still, somewhere amidst all the chaos, we still manage to preserve the memories and nurture the emotion that keeps the phenomenon called Ind...

Past week has once again demonstrated how redundant and sidelined the Indian Parliament has become in the Indian administration. Even in UPA’s first term, parliament was repeatedly bypassed in important national issues and we even had a bunch of bills being passed without any discussion under the pretext of non-co-operative opposition. Sadly none among the UPA’s think-tank seems to have ever heard of the concept of inclusive decision making. The victory that gave UPA a second term should have made the government more sensitive and responsible while dealing with vital issues, especially those related to defence and foreign matters. Instead, all that we have is a government that cannot seem to make up its mind on such issues and which keeps taking u-turn arbitrarily every now and then. Even when the parliament is in session, the government doesn’t deem it necessary or desirable to make use of the opportunity to clarify its stand and thereby keep the nation informed. This time the UPA ha...

The events that compelled CPI(M) to convene extra ordinary PB and CC meetings and the decisions taken by the highest party forums are by now well known. The entire country and especially we Keralites are in a stock taking mode, trying to work out what the latest turn of events means for the future of the party as well as the nation. The most damning impact of the unfortunate decisions taken by the CPI(M) is the total erosion of faith in the party central leadership, read more precisely as Prakash Karat. We Mallus were looking forward to a pragmatic and constructive approach which sadly didn’t materialise behind the closed doors of AKG Bhavan. By choosing to back the tainted state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, Prakash has chosen to take the ultimate gamble that could prove to be fatal in coming years. Why do I think so? Well, think of a scenario where Pinarayi Vijayan is convicted by the court. What will happen then? The party will have to either accept its colossal error or it wi...

2nd July 2009 will always be remembered as a historical day for India. On this day India truly became a democratic and inclusive nation and this was brought about by the Delhi High Court verdict which de-criminalised homosexuality. The landmark judgement enables millions of Indians (a deliberate choice of word as they are as much a citizen of this country as you and me are) to come out of the closet. It would give them some hope of living the life of their choice, of seeking better education, career and health care, of being a normal human being who does not have to look over his/her shoulder even in his/her most private moments in his/her bedroom. This would also enable the government, NGOs and other concerned authorities to address the high incidence of AIDS and other diseases among the homosexuals. This must be enough of a reason for the society to accept homosexuals as equal human beings. The Delhi High Court has shown compassion and vision in coming out with such a verdict. R...