Justice delayed but not denied!

Life imprisonment to Prabhu Agarwal
It’s popular belief that in legal process a financially and socially weak victim is apt to be denied proper justice. The high profile opponent can manipulate judicial system by his money or muscle power. But the award of life term to Prabhu Sanker Agarwal,co-owner of Haldiram Bhujiawala found guilty of his attempt to murder a tea vendor by employing a contract killer belies this belief. Mr. Agarwal is a high profile wealthy business baron while the victim is simply a small tea-stall owner. But this vast difference of financial and social strata between them could not stand in the way of dispensation of natural justice. In fact, arm of law is long enough and strong enough to bring to book the perpetrator of crime, however, influential he may be, if it’s allowed to operate freely and fairly. It may be noted court took as many as 5 years to deliver this judgment. Happily, justice has been delayed, but not denied.

Bypassing Pass-Fail

Abolition of Pass-Fail System
in exams upto Class VIII.
Bengal govt’s decided to adopt center’s new education policy of doing away with pass-fail system up to class VIII for students in the age group 6-14.Now, schools, private or govt, won’t be able to refuse admission of any student. If it does it’ll be a cognizable offence. Nor can it expel him even if he fares very badly in exams. In that case teachers will be held some way responsible for bad performance of his student. Even in case of drop-outs the teacher would be held answerable. Earlier the ball was in student’s court, now it’s in teacher’s court. The pivotal role will be played by teachers. In this sense the concept is totally new in our education system and it calls for a good deal of change in our mindset. Now teachers will have to shoulder the tremendous responsibility and work hard. The idea’s no doubt good, but how far it can be implemented in the existing infrastructure is difficult to understand. In the first place, a large number of teachers will be needed and unfortunately their number is abjectly few particularly in rural schools. That apart village schools are not in good shape wanting in adequate no of class rooms and other associated minimal facilities. Will there all parents send their wards to schools as many of them engage their children in earning even at minor age to help them make both ends meet? However, the problem is different in urban areas. Here, will the private institutions, particularly the elite ones, admit whoever seeks admission to their academy? That apart, urban people could hardly persuade themselves to reconcile with the idea of abolition of pass-fail system.

Cataract(jokes)!

(1)Load shedding!
Dad : Load shedding occurs due to generation gap.
Son: I know, dad.
Dad: In our times load shedding was unheard-of.
Son :It's a generation gap ,dad!

(2)Income Tax!
Q.Why is a man entitled to concession on income tax at the age of 65?
Ans. As our average life span is 65.

(3)Cataract!
Doc: You’ve cataract in both eyes and need surgery.
Patient: How much will it cost?
Doc: At least Rs.10,000.0 for each eye.
Patient: If man had one eye only(soliloquy)!

A sensible verdict

Deemed University!
UGC granted Deemed University(DU) status to 44 institutions which have now been black listed and derecognized on the basis of the report of Reform Committee and Task force formed by the Central Govt.As a result fates of thousands of students are hanging in the balance. Under these circumstances SC’s decision to maintain status quo is a welcome one.SC would scrutinize reports of UGC sanctioning DU status and those of the Reform Committee objecting to it and then come to a final decision. However, it’s surprising why such a wide difference of opinion occurred between two responsible bodies for so many institutions! It must be properly looked into and the problem be sorted out. Otherwise, people would cease to repose faith in institutions imparting higher education.

Political Culture Of Bengal

In recent times there has been a marked deterioration in political culture of Bengal. Decency and decorum have gone to the winds. Language of communication has also changed .Use of unparliamentary language has been the order of the day. Almost all political parties are wanting in patience and tolerance. They wag their tongues too freely oblivious that it might ride roughshod over the opponent’s sentiment. Even a dead veteran leader was not spared. They unseemly fell out over attending his funeral and condolence functions and discourteously made no bones about declaring well in advance that they’d not attend such functions.What's most unfotunate, perhaps Bengal is the only state in our country where chief opposition is not on speaking terms with the ruling party and most despise even to literally see their faces. It’s a common knowledge that politicians, barring a few, more often than not indulge in lying even in this age of electronic media where it’s difficult to hide facts. In this state there’re leaders who seldom tell the truth and lying is their stock-in-trade. It’s a common practice with such politicians to pass the buck to the opponent whenever their own party even openly perpetrate a crime. While squarely putting blame at the opponent’s door, they hardly care for any rhyme and reason to establish their claim or if at all think whether they sound credible to people at large. In fact, they take public for a ride. However, people are not as gullible as they think them to be. It’s sad, what’s now going on does not fit in with the rich political and cultural heritage of Bengal.

Bride(jokes)!

(1)Bride!
A: Why’s a man called bridegroom and woman a bride?
B: As man grooms the woman.
A: But in reality who grooms whom?
B: Yes, woman grooms the man.
A: So the terms are misnomers!

(2)Bride, again!
In Hindu marriage bride moves around the groom. But in post
marital scenario bride moves the groom around her with an invisible noose on. This is life!

(3)World Health Day!
Wish you best of health on World Health Day!
Remark: Please remember if you’re in bad health
you’ll suffer. But if you’re in good health many
(docs, pharmaceutical companies etc) will suffer.
Now choice’s yours!

Deemed University

It’s astonishing how 88 out of 126 Deemed Universities(DU) in the country are found wanting in maintaining prescribed norms .What is more, 44 of 88 DUs have faced outright derecognition probably due to detection of gross irregularities and lapses and the rest have been warned of making amends with in a certain time frame to avoid derecognition.These guilty institutions were supposed to have been accorded DU status after ‘proper scrutiny’ by expert body. Now doubt arises as to the way the scrutiny was done or if there were some foul play or malpractices in the process of scrutiny. Other wise, how are so many DUs found disqualified in respect of retaining their status? Now there’s nothing money can’t buy, let alone a ‘Deemed’ status. So proper investigation should be done as to how expert teams so lavishly distributed ‘Deemed’ status among these DUs which are now found unworthy of this stature. If such malpractices are allowed to continue, they’ll certainly spell doom for higher education in our country.

Friction(jokes)!

(1)Ad!
An ad reads: You can rely on our product with your eyes closed!
Remark. You’ll be disillusioned the moment you’ll open your eyes.

(2)Means!
Father: He became a man of means overnight and took to excessive drinking. It brought an early end to his life!
Son: Dad, is it called ‘means justify the end’?

(3) Friction!
Son :Can’t we imagine a world where there’ll be no friction, there ‘ll
be only peace and amity?
Dad: Not possible, my son.
Son: Why not, dad ?
Dad: It’s friction that keeps us moving, my son.

A Tribute to Jyoti Basu

A man born and brought up in elitist ambience was destined to be a mass leader.Yes he was Jyoti Basu who passed away yesterday.Educated in westernized atmosphere, all his life he was a Bengali from head to foot.A man of few words and matter-of-fact by nature, he was a gentleman to the core.A stictler of discipline, he abided by party mandate even if he differed from it .So when his party did not give him a consent to accept Prime Ministership offered to him, he didn’t hesitate to obey party’s dictum. However, he later called it a’ historic blunder’. He was the founder of LF govt in Bengal and for that matter a pathfinder of coalition govt in Indian politics. He successfully headed the coalition govt in the state for as many as 23 years and made a record of longest serving chief minister in our country. He deserved the credit of pioneering land reforms that immensely benefited thousands of peasants in the state.Introdution of Panchayet system added another feather to his cap. People will ever remember this colourful man and his eventful career dedicated to the well being of humanity.Salaam Jyoti Basu!

CJI in RTI ambit

All sensible people have undoubtedly hailed Delhi high court’s ratification of the verdict that office of Chief justice of India too should be under the purview of RTI act. But it’s not all. Unless the disclosure of judges’ wealth is made mandatory and subjected to scrutiny this act is unlikely to yield desired result. Now as situation stands, a judge may declare his quantum of wealth, only if he likes. So many of honoured judges might not feel like declaring their assets and if they do at all, it might be done perfunctorily as there’s no provision for cross checking their declaration. So it reduces to nothing but an eye wash.
It may be noted an appeal is likely to be made against the verdict of Delhi HC by office of CJI particularly because it empowers people to have an access to many affairs of supreme court those merit confidentiality in the interest of judiciary itself, as argued by Attorney general . However, popular opinion is against going in for contesting the land mark judgment in the interest of transparency in judicial process of the apex court that would go a long way to help people repose faith in judiciary and hold judges in high esteem.

Health(jokes)!

(1)Health!
Q.Explain health is wealth.
Ans. Health literally generates wealth. Go in for opening a
nursing homes, health clinics ,diagnostic centers etc, you’ll
be wealthy almost overnight. That apart, your poor health is
doctor’s wealth.

(2)Little learning!
A: Do you think little learning’s a dangerous thing?
B: Of course not!
A: Why?
B: A little learning gives you a happy feeling that you
know any thing better than any body.

(3)Doctor!
Q.What is a doctor who makes a man woman by transsexual
surgery called?
Ans. Womanizer!
However, when the doctor makes a woman man by such surgery,
he’s called Manner!

Blockades, Bandhs and Bengal

In national perspective Bengal has hogged the limelight by it’s dubious distinction of calling road or rail blockades and bandhs at the drop of a hat. Here wild cat Rail roko and Rasta roko or sometimes called ‘chakka jam’ are the order of the day and almost a regular phenomenon. Little do the sponsors of these blockades think of people’s inconveniences . On the contrary, they don’t spare even critical patients on its way to hospitals in ambulances or cars during such blockades or bandhs. Many miss trains or flights, many fail to attend exams and interviews. Such list of ‘misses’ is endless. Recent devastating fire at Basanti Colony(slum) beside Bidhannagar railway station, Kolkata, which left a large number of people literally destitute, could have been earlier contained and loss of properties minimized had not the arrival of sufficient number of fire engines delayed to reach the spot because of road blockade, initially by auto operators and then by Trinomool Congress(TMC), the chief opposition party of the state. What’s most unfortunate, TMC didn’t postpone their Rasta roko program even after massive fire broke out at shanties. Such an incident should be an opener to all political parties who call blockades and badhs at the slightest pretext. But what’s sad, our politicians have lost that sensibility to take a lesson even from such a ghastly episode.

Quiz(jokes)!

(1)Quiz!
A: He fell down from a high-rise.
B: Surely he died on the spot!
A: No. He survived.
B: It was a miracle.
A: May be. He fell on a pile of sand from
first-floor balcony!

(2) Gold!
Teacher: What’s meant by ‘All that glitters is not
gold’?
Student: Whenever you see an object glitter you
may rest assured it’s not gold.
Teacher: You’re a solid gold, my boy!

(3)Identity!
A: He’s suffering from identity crisis!
B: What’s identity crisis all about?
A: He’s not sure of who he is!
B: Then how does he know it’s he who’s
suffering from identity crisis?

Senior Citizens

Advancement in medical sciences has made our life much longer. But long life has its associated problems too. In the existing socio-economic set-up of our country old people, whom we call ‘senior citizen’ endearingly or as a token of respect to them ,are in reality more often than not looked upon as unmitigated liability to their families and society at large. They’ve no social security, nor have any right to live with dignity either in many instances. Now joint family is more a concept than a reality. Nuclear families reign supreme. At ripe old age when limbs refuse to carry body, elderly people find no soul around to extend a helping hand to them .Such instances are not few and far between, rather plenty. Even at times they become the soft target of criminals. Population of old people is gradually increasing but no effort is being made to have proper infrastructure to cope with their problems, which a truly welfare state does. Old age homes are there- most of them belong to private organizations- but they’re too few compared to the need. Again, it’s true even if there were adequate number of such homes, how many of old people could afford to stay there? So government should come forward with definite plan and program for rehabilitation of these people who once served the country according to their ability instead of abandoning them as spent force.

Mimicry(jokes)!

(1)Mimicry!
A: What makes you cry?
B: Who says I’m crying? I’m laughing!
A: Tears are rolling down your cheeks and you
say you’re not crying!
B: It’s mimicry. I’m laughing at those who cry!

(2)FM!
A: What are you doing?
B: I’m listening to FM.
A: I see, you too are FM addict! What are you listening to?
B: Budget speech from FM on TV!

(3)Bread alone!
A: Do you buy into the idea that man can’t live by bread
alone?
B: Certainly! How do you take dry bread? You need butter
and jelly too!
A: What a down-to-earth interpretation!

Appalling Price-hike

Our people are certainly much richer than before.If not,how can they bear with
unprecedently unbearable prices of essential commodities ranging from vegetables to vegetable oils? Even political parties make only routine protest that is more an eye wash than their genuine concern for the public. They’re more occupied with blaming each other for violence and murder being perpetrated while they themselves are engineering these crimes. Common people grudge and grumble but are not that vociferous as they should be. Price might keep running high but their patience is not to run out. They belie the saying a hungry man is an angry man. As usual, the central and state govts are engaged in blame game. State’s efforts to relieve poor people through public distribution systems(PDS) are far from satisfactory. Perhaps many people are starving, let alone manage a half-day meal. To them ‘wind of change’ is a hollow rhetoric. What’s most distressing there’s not even a flicker of light at the end of the tunnel! Isn’t it appalling?

Heaven-and-Hell(jokes)!

(1)Prose or poem!
A: Read my new poem.
B: It’s a poem or prose, I wonder!
A: May you call it poetic prose or prose poem.
B: To do poetic justice better call it a prosaic poem!

(2)Mathematics!
Teacher: You’re all along poor in mathematics. But
this time how have you got such high marks?
Student: I’ve copied, sir!
Teacher: What a confession! You’re truly poor but
honest.

(3)Heaven and Hell!
Son: A man lives in heaven while other man lives in
hell. Why is this heaven-and-hell difference between man
and man, dad?
Dad: Only heaven knows! What the hell can we do, my son?

Paid News

Perhaps there’s nothing on earth that money can’t buy. Yes, now you can buy news too.
It’s called ‘paid news’, perhaps an unheard-of coinage in journalism at least to common people. If you like to have news tailored or concocted to suit your purpose for catering to public, just approach some print or electronic media and pay them handsomely depending on circulation or TRP, they’ll not hesitate to dish it out to people in the manner news is presented. Don’t confuse advertisement with ‘paid news’. To all appearances, it would be news to readers or viewers. Imagine, just for money a TV channel or news paper can stoop to such a low level throwing ethics, honesty and integrity to the winds. How unfortunate it is that these so called newsmen never feel qualm of conscience when they take their readers or viewers for a ride! However, editors’ guild and press council strongly condemn this uncouth practice of ‘paid news’. But how far this condemnation would work on the offenders and rectify them leaves enough room for doubt. Now we people need to be on our guard against being duped by paid news. But how? Try to verify the element of truth contained in the news from other sources, if possible. Otherwise, now on all news would seem to you as ‘paid news.’