Bonanza!

State Govt's Offer to Naxals: They say one killing makes a murderer, millions a hero. State govt’s bonanza offered to the Maoists to bring them back to main stream of life almost sound like this saying with oblique connotation. State is now ready to make a deal with the Maoists. If they abjure violence and surrender to the administration, they’ll be given handsome monetary benefit along with other benefits too. If they surrender arms, they’ll be given extra financial benefit depending on the nature of the arms. The more sophisticated are arms, the more benefit the owners of the arms are entitled to. In fact, quantum of financial benefits depends on one’s potentiality of killing people by virtue of possessing deadly weapons with effective killing power.Truly speaking, here killers are rewarded by the law abiding citizens whom they killed as money offered to them is from public exchequer. One may not approve of this blatant appeasement policy morally and logically but this strategy might yield result and help improve the existing situation. Govt is, in fact, trying this way of giving an opportunity to some misguided people with misconceived ideas of achieving state power by bullets to be back to normal life along with bloody confrontation with them, whenever necessary. If the strategy yields desired results, insurgency might be controlled with much less amount of force. All depend on the response from the rebels to the offer made by the state govt.

Destiny!

Somnath Chatterjee's ouster from CPI(M): A veteran politician, an astute parliamentarian and a renowned lawyer Mr.Somnath Chatterjee has already spent more than four decades of his life in politics. Little did he know when he was conferred upon the rare honour of being Speaker in Lok Sabha during UPA-1 government that this very honour would once turn out to be a curse in his life leading to his sad ouster from party that he’d served so long with all verve and zest.Nor,did his party,CPI(M) that permitted him to accept the new assignment ever think that it would have to expel him from the party on that count.Somnath received felicitations from all corners including his party for this prestigious job of Lok Sabha speaker. Then who knew he was destined to have the bitterest ever relation with his party? However, his expulsion shocked and surprised many party leaders and cadres as well and many common people sympathized with him for this hard decision taken by Politburo. However, the matter cooled down with passage of time. But recenenly the issue has again come to head following mentioning of excerpts in an English daily from Somnath’s book which is yet to be published. In the excerpts Somnath lashed out at party's general secretary Prakash Karat for his ouster from party and questioned his honesty too. As a rejoinder Politburo also bitterly reacted to Somnath’s allegation. This blame game would get further momentum when the book will be published and a general debate might ensue where public would take part. Many dirty linens might be washed in public.However,we hope both sides will maintain decency and decorum. Let us wait and watch.

Bizarre Law!

DGP Bhupinder Singh has been fined Rs.1000.0 only by the speaker for taking snaps with his mobile phone inside assembly house. Quantum of punishment has, however, failed to satisfy the opposition. They demand more stringent punishment permissible under law. But what’s interesting, the law itself seems bizarre to a common man. If electronic media can take photographs and display the ugly free-for-all actions in Bihar assembly very recently and for that matter in any other assembly if required, what’s the harm in taking snaps with mobile phone camera inside assembly when it’s in session? If every tidbits of proceedings in Lok Sabha can be live telecast, what stands in the way of what DGP has done? But still it is a cognizable offence. So queer is our law!

A Silly Argument

Railway Accident:
Didi’s taken umbrage at her being blamed for recent train accidents. She claims, she’s unnecessarily criticized for these mishaps though she herself does not operate trains. It’s really a very silly argument put forward by a very seasoned politician of her ilk. As she’s in charge of railway ministry she’s answerable to any thing that goes wrong in his department. On the other hand she deserves credit if her ministry performs well. That apart, in parliamentary democracy opposition always uses the lapses and mistakes of those in govt as weapons to attack them. So CPM, her sworn enemy takes the opportunity to lash out at her for train accidents and demanded her resignation. There’s nothing unfair or unjust in it. What’s more it’s no denying the fact she can’t afford to offer adequate time to her ministry for her preoccupation with West Bengal Politics. In other words, she’s not doing justice to her job as rly minister.

Great Expectations!

It was literally a sea of humanity. People have come from remote villages to have a glimpse of Didi at least for once. They hear her voice and respond to her each and every promise spelt out for their good or sharp invectives pronounced against the ruling party with thunderous clap. They believe the two massive railway accidents are fall out of massive conspiracy hatched against Didi. They know Didi will be in power very shortly and there will prevail peace and tranquility every where.Corrruption and malpractices would be the things of the past. There would be no joint forces in the name of occupying land by CPM in Jangalmahal and torturing the tribals and other residents there. The Maoists would be roped into main stream of politics by Didi simply by counseling. So daily killing by Maoists would stop once for all. Industrial houses those shied to invest in Bengal during Left Front’s regime would vie with each other to install industries here. Land would not be a problem at all. Land owners would be so motivated that they’d gracefully part with their land in the interest of industrialization in the state. Tatas might stage a comeback at their own site at Singur to open a second factory for Nano.Due weitage will be given to agriculture also to provide sufficient food to one and all. Not a single soul will remain unemployed. All new plans for the development of the state would be chalked out in consultation with the Center only. However, in this regard, opposition’s views will be respected more in defiance than in observance. Bengal will then flow with milk and honey and people will live happily for ever .

To Editor,ToI

No Question of Resignation:
Dear sir,
You’ve rightly suggested(Editorial, July 21) that after two massive railway accidents in a very short time Mamata Banerjee should resign from ministry of railways and engage full time to groom her party for coming assembly polls in the state. In fact, she’s dedicated to do this work and as a result she can’t devote full time to her duties as a railway minister. But she can’t afford to resign right now as she uses her ministry to woo voters by taking some populist measurers, though at the cost of safety and security of railways. Nor would the Prime minister request her to resign as the most opportune moment has arrived to get the Left dislodged from power by her after more than three decades. So what may come, Mamata Banerjee would continue as railway minister till she becomes chief minister of Bengal.

Solace in Statistics

Train accident at Sainthia:
Mamata Banerjee might find solace in the statistics of railway accidents and causalities there from as furnished in media. She’s in the 5th position even nudging forward her sworn enemy Lalu with more casualties and accidents to his credit. She’s also behind her other adversaries too who’re now highly critical of her performance as railway minister. She’s lucky enough that a section of media has fallen overboard like her coalition partner Congress at State and Central levels to ward off the salvoes now being fired at her. But whoever comes to her rescue under no circumstances Mamata Banerjee as a railway minister can disown the responsibility of the tragedy and try to pass the buck to others as is her wont.It would have been better if she did offer to resign as a railway minister in view of two major accidents in short span of time at least for courtesy’s sake, which would certainly Monmohan Singh refuse to accept. Perhaps Miss Banerjee couldn’t believe the Prime minister that far!

Vananchal Express Tragedy!

Train Accident:Perhaps never before in the history of Indian Railways accidents took place in such quick successions that has made passengers immensely panicky of train journeys. Perhaps never before a railway minister tends to find scapegoat each time after such mishap, let alone try to go to the root of the problem. Nor ever we find a railway minister who tries hard to win friends and influence people by introducing one train after another without caring if the existing infrastructure could bear the burnt of the extra load.. Have we ever found a railway minister who simply wishes away a major railway tragedy by hinting at conspiracy hatched by the ruling party simply to get political mileage knowing fully well who might have engineered the mishap? “No noble thing can’t be achieved by humbug’’, once said Vivekananda. So by gimmick and sham surprises people can’t be duped for long. In fact, we wish a Railway minister should ever offer to resign at least for courtesy’s sake after two major railway accidents which took toll of a large number of precious lives with in two months. Let us condole the deaths of those who boarded the ill-fated train and pray may their souls rest in peace.

Child rights and NCPCR

‘Spare the rod and spoil the child’ is our age old practice. So it would take time to abandon this habit and adopt new ways of taming the erring or unruly students in classes. Corporal punishment has been illegal, nevertheless even now incidences of such punishments are reported. However, ordinary cases of physical punishment are still now generally ignored even by students and guardians as well, but they react vehemently when it goes to the extreme. That teachers are entitled to mete out corporal punishment to errant students are infact ingrained in students’ and guardians’ psyche, so they normally don’t protest if it’s not too harsh even in elite schools. However, recent case of suicide of a student in La Martiniere For Boys school has changed the scenario and made students, guardians and school authorities more sensitive to corporal punishment. Principal of La Martiniere has promised not to wield the rod ever again and school too has cautioned the teachers against any physical punishment.However,National Council For Protection of Child Rights(NCPCR) has demanded removal of the Principal and withholding of two increments of three teachers.

Intervention of NCPCR is praiseworthy in elite institution like La Martiniere,but does it equally take interest in ordinary institutions where Child rights are violated? What action do they take against an establishment that employs children as labourers, which is a cognizable offence under law. What step does it take when a boy in a tea shop or restaurant is abused and beaten at the drop of a hat by the shop owner? Does it think about a boy who is used as bonded labourer all day long and paid a pittance at the end of the day by the employer? Definitely answer would not be that encouraging as in case of La Martiniere or the like.

To Director, AIIMS

To Director,
AIIMS.
Subj: Morning walker

Dear sir,

Perhaps you’re aware a gadget called Morning Walker has been selling in the market for a long time. It’s claimed to be a health gadget which is capable of curing host of diseases and to this effects ads are also slapped in leading dailies and magazines in a big way. What you need to do is to rest your legs on its vibrator in lying posture and this vibration will act as cure-all. You’ve not to take the hassles of doing morning walk unnecessarily, sponsors or manufacturers of the of the gadget so claim. What’s perhaps most shocking and surprising too, they also claim good effect of the machine has been satisfactorily tried on as many as 4000 patients by AIIMS. Do you endorse their claim? If not, why don’t you please communicate your views to people through media and disown what they claim as the matter involves public health? The gadget is supposed to do more harm than good. Incidentally, the machine cost as much as Rs.7000.0

The matter is brought to your notice in public interest. Please do the needful. Thank you.
Yours trully,
Dr.Ujjal.K.Pal.
Kolkata

Reply to above letter:

Indian Medical Association-Hqs

Dr. Ujjal K Pal




Dear Dr. Pal,





We acknowledge having receipt of your email dt. 16th June, 2010. We wish to inform you in propriety that Indian Medical Association (Headquarters) has not endorsed any of the products of M/s. Spaceage Healthcare including Morning Walker. Any such alleged false claim has always been disputed by IMA HQs by way of sending legal notices. The recent publication which has been sent by you was not within our knowledge. But since you have pointed out the same, a notice has alredy been sent to M/s. Spaceage Health Care to restrain them from claiming any alleged endorsement by IMA HQs or any of its state branches. In any case, none of the state branches are authorized or entitled to endorse without following the procedure and informing the National Body which itself also ensures the procedure to be followed so that no incorrect statement is to be made to mislead the public at large.



This is for your information & record.



With kind regards,



Yours sincerely,





(Dr. Dharam Prakash)
Hony. Secretary General

No bright days ahead!

If no miracle happens, it’s more or less certain Left front would bow out in 2011 and there’s nothing to lament over it. Left front has been in power for long 34 years. So enough is enough. It’s high time it could call it a day and sit in the opposition bench. In fact, it should have happened much much earlier were there an eligible opposition as in Kerala.But now the question is if we’ve really found that ‘eligible’ opposition in Trinomool or in Trinomool and congress combine. Or, would we invite them to replace the Left as because we feel bored with the latter or long stay in power has made them as corrupt, arrogant and self complacent as possible? Do we feel the ‘new party’ in power would be honest, modest and dynamic? Have we till date seen such signs and symptoms in their activities and behaviour? On the contrary, we have seen almost all the vices of the ruling party in the opposition. In addition what we’ve got as ‘bonus’ is the display of spirit of non-cooperation by the chief opposition party in every respect. At present there is no governance, nor has the ruling party any command on administration, particularly on police administration. So in many places free-for-all state prevails. Such a state will continue till assembly polls but no body can ensure law and order will be restored after that. Situation might deteriorate further there after. Who knows what stance the new administration will take on Naxals?If the present view is adhered to we might see the re-run of early seventies. Any way, rest assured we’ve no bright days ahead!

Medical insurance

Cashless Policy: Medical treatment has become so costly it’s gone beyond the reach of the middle class to be treated even in a very common private hospital, let alone those which are reputed ones. However, medical insurance has made it possible to have a treatment even in reputed hospitals particularly for its ‘cashless policy’ system. In absence of this cashless policy , you need to cough up the entire expenditure of the treatment and wait long for reimbursement of the bill you’ve paid by the insurance company. In that case you would obviously be compelled to opt for your treatment in a cheaper hospital that might not be able to provide you adequate medical facilities that you require to save money. But what’s very unfortunate, most of the big private hospitals unscrupulously charge a patient exorbitantly high amount in case of ‘cashless policy’. Normally, patients with insurance policy have to pay always much more than those who have no such facility and it has been a rule rather than an exception. Insurance companies now contend that they have to incur heavy loss on this count and already decided to do away with this ‘cashless policy’ in big hospitals in four metros much to the inconveniences of insured persons concerned. In case of medical emergency it’s difficult to procure money at a short notice and so patients would henceforth immensely suffer despite being insured. In fact, it’s an unholy nexus between hospitals and third party administrators(TPA) which is responsible for the present predicament for medically insured persons. Under these circumstances govt should come forward and intervene to ensure justice to the sufferers.

New Pay scale at Pvt Tech Colleges

Implementation of New UGC Pay Scale at Pvt Tech Colleges:
It’s the duty of AICTE to see to if private technical colleges have proper infrastructure and duly qualified faculties. But if it’s properly and regularly done with all earnestness and sincerity far better technical education students could have had from these colleges. In reality, many such colleges lack proper infrastructure, particularly they want in duly qualified faculties. True, in engineering few students join teaching job after pass out but enquire how many of these colleges give their teachers proper salaries? In most of the colleges teachers are under paid despite being duly qualified. New pay scale(6th pay commission) for teachers has been announced in last October, but not a single college has implemented it as yet and no body knows when that auspicious day will come when they will get their salaries in new payscale.But all the general degree colleges(govt ,private and sponsored) have been enjoying new UGC scales long since. Then how could you expect the private technical colleges would get duly qualified teachers or students after passing B.Tech would opt for doing M.Tech to join teaching job? Unless a college has properly qualified faculties, it can’t afford to impart standard education to students. Unfortunately, the technical colleges are in fact money making institutions rather than academic institutions in the real sense of the term. What’s all the more unfortunate, many technical colleges intentionally take B.Techs to pay lower salary and make greater profit.

Discourteous

Only a few days back Urban development minister Asoke Bhattacharyya and KMC Mayor Sovandev Chatterjee were seen discussing developmental work of Kolkata, seated together. It was really a very rare spectacle one normally comes across in our state where leaders belonging to chief opposition even hate to see the faces of those in government. Perhaps, it didn’t spring surprise to many when a MOU was signed between KMC, KoPT and RITES over riverbank facelift project in Kolkata in absence of any one belonging to state govt. In fact, no minister, nor any officer of the local govt was at all invited on this occasion, though the Central Minister Pranab Mukherjee who’s supposed to be a gentle man having regard for democratic norms apart from being personally stickler of courtesy in general was present there in his official capacity. How is a project that concerns a state taken up without taking the concerned state in confidence? Even if it’s legally permissible, it’s not ethically admissible. How is all decency and decorum so easily gone to the winds? What lessons would our youth take from such incidents? What message do our politicians convey to their electorate by such blatant display of discoutesy?Definitely, our forthcoming days won’t bring us any good tiding.

Working Together

It’s nice to see Asoke Bhattacherjayaya, the urban development minister and KMC Mayor Sovandev Chatterjee in the same frame. They sat together and made discussion about the developmental work of Kolkata . Mayor told the press such working together was necessary in the interest of Kolkata, the Capital of West Bengal. He’s also pointed out they depend on each other, so they should work in unison, although they belong to two different parties with different ideologies. In fact it’s what it should be. Unfortunately, such an incident is an exception rather than a rule in our state. Here ruling party and opposition are not even on speaking terms, let alone they work together. But it’s not the culture of our state. Here, all along ruling and opposition worked together, as is done in other states, at least in case of developmental activities. It’s only a few years since such an antagonistic attitude between govt and opposition in every sphere of work developed. Truly speaking, this attitude is more prominent with the opposition than with the ruling party. So unless this mindset is changed our state will continue to suffer as now in future too.

To Editor,TOI

A blatant flattery!
Of late, the way you hype Mamata Banerjee is very ridiculous and it’s reached the stage of blatant flattery. What’s true, you eulogize or criticize her she would be the Chief minister of Bengal after 2011 assembly polls.People’ve already determined to see her in power. You’ll rather do her good if you find her shortcomings and point out her weaknesses so that she can make amends and be a genuinely good administrator to deliver goods to the state. Don’t blow her minor work out of proportion to satisfy her. Our state has suffered a lot and it can’t afford to suffer more. Please try to guide her by constructive criticism of her work in the interest of the state.

Bandh!

(1) Teaching a lesson:
Teacher: Who said ‘What’s in a name’?
Student: Shakespeare, sir.
Teacher: Who contradicted it?
Student: Didi, sir.
Teacher: What did she say?
Student: What’s not in a name?

(2)Law of Nature!
Son: Didi accuses joint forces are helping CPM in the name
of flushing out Maoists in Jangal Mahal.
Dad: How?
Son: Joint forces are, in fact, evacuating the villagers and CPM are
occupying their place.
Dad: It’s quite natural, my boy.
Son: Why dad?
Dad: Because Nature never tolerates vacuum.

(3)Bandh!
Son: Political parties have called bandh to protest against price-hike
of fuels.
Dad: Yes, my son.
Son: Dad, do you think it’ll help check the price-hike?
Dad: Definitely not, my son.
Son: Then what’s the utility of such bandhs?
Dad: It would at least save fuel for a day, my boy.

Harsh and Ugly!

Diego’s Men Booted Out Of World Cup By Clinical Germans- such goes the headline of a leading English Daily of today to indicate the miserable defeat conceded by Argentina to German yesterday. Though to boot out normally means to throw out but in the present context it sounds harsh and looks ugly. In fact, use of such a phrase smacks of poor taste particularly for a daily which boasts the largest circulation at home and abroad . Isn’t it very unfortunate?

To Keep a Clean image

Didi’s trying hard to keep a clean image of her party . She’s reeled off do’s and don’ts to her followers. She’s asked them to behave properly with people and do their duties in panchayet and civic bodies honestly and sincerely with an eye to serve the interest of public. She’s asked them to give an account of their works which she will herself see to. She’s expressed unhappiness over the functioning of some panchayet samities and asked the office bearers to be more careful and sincere. But normally all such good advice fall on the deaf ears of the workers almost in all political parties. They continue to go their own way as usual. Particularly, they can’t afford to be honest and transparent in monetary affairs. Only a few months back Kabir Suman MP of TMC let the cat out of the bag by accusing a TMC leader, even by name, of lack of honesty in financial matters. Only a few days ago Didi’d to warn her very trusted and close associate, an honourable member of Rly committee too, against raising subscription in her name. If such is the morality of top leaders of the party, how can one expect honesty and integrity from its caders?Only relieving feature is the cadres are not that fortunate as leaders in respect of handling money matters and so they might afford to be more honest than their mentors. Another annoying feature is Didi’s a monolithic party where she’s the queen of all she surveys. So how can she monitor herself alone what’s going wrong with her party and bring the wrong doers to book particularly when she’ll come to power? Another disturbing trend is many opportunist elements have already switched over their allegiance to her party sensing there might be change of power at state. So it would be almost an Herculean task for Didi to keep her party even minimally clean in days to come.

Fare-hike Drama!

Rise in prices of fuels is a routine phenomenon. Similarly routine affairs are the protests lodged by the political parties demanding refrain from such price hikes. However, their demand is more often than not obeyed more in defiance than in compliance. This time, of course, the hike is pretty high and it would help raise the prices of essential commodities which are already too high. So protest is more intense than on earlier occasions as is evident in row of bandhs called by political parties. But what appears more or less certain is the center is unlikely to budge from its decision an inch as the position of Monmohan Singh govt is now quite stable. So now the transport operators would demand fare-hike and the transport minister as usual initially out right reject their demand. Then will start a tag-of-war between the operators and the minister over the issue. Owners of the pubic transport would threaten to withdraw their vehicles from roads. If notwithstanding the threat the minister sticks to his stand, transport strike might take place. But happily it won’t continue for long. Only after a day or two the strike will end as the minister would agree to raise the fare, may not it be to the extent the operators have demanded. It’s a very common scenario in our state, may be in other states also. In the present context here’s an humble suggestion. Just prepare a ready reckoner indicating rational rate of hike in transport fare with fuel price-rise in consultation with the operators to avoid enacting the same drama on every occasion of fuel price-hike.