Close shave

Derailment of Rajdhani Express:
Rajdhani Express has had a close shave. Million of thanks to the driver of the train that he could take right action at right moment sensing something wrong was going on with the engine and thus could save so many precious lives. Railway manger ruled out any sabotage and pointed accusing finger to the ill maintenance of the train. However, Railway minister hasn’t as yet come out with any statement. Very likely as on earlier occasions she might claim the incident was handiwork of the present government and findings of even high-level enquiry committee to the contrary would not be able to change her opinion. She might harp on her view rather than go to the root of the problem so that such life threatening incidents might not occur in future. Now it’s high time Railways could stop playing ducks and drakes with the lives of the passengers.

Unconvincing!

TMC supremo demanded CBI enquiry in Jnaneswari Express tragedy and it is this investigating agency that claims the train accident was engineered by PCPA and the prime accused was Umakanta Mahata.CBI declared a reward of Rs.1lac on the head of Umakanta who has been recently killed in an encounter with joint forces. But TMC chief suggests Jnaneswari incident was the handiwork of State Govt and Umakanta was deliberately eliminated to tamper with the proof of Govt’s involvement in the episode. Isn’t it unfortunate that a politician like TMC Supremo who’s supposed to be the future Chief minister of Bengal has made such an illogical and unconvincing statement?

Paying one in one’s own coin!

Perhaps Newtonian third law of motion has started to become operative in Bengal politics. To every action there’s equal and opposite reaction.Mamata Banerjee complains State Govt is not cooperating in extension of Metro services in Kolkata.They object to the erection of pillars on roads for laying overhead railway lines on the plea that it might damage the underground water pipes. It might be a rejoinder to objection raised by Mamata Banerjee’s party against erecting of just three towers at Rajarhat for transmission of electricity.Rajarhat people suffered immensely for lack of electricity for long until the problem was sorted out by extending the transmission line to Rajarhat in a round about way at much greater cost. Pay-one-in-one’s-own-coin or tit-for-tat attitude, whatever you call it, is in fact an alarming trend in our state. No state can prosper by politics of confrontation between the ruling party and opposition. Unless opposition cooperates with the government no developmental activities are possible. This confrontational mindset has already cost the people of Bengal dearly. They’ve suffered a lot and no more afford to suffer. So call it a day and work in unison setting aside petty politics in the interest of the state. Other wise posterity won’t forgive you all.

Editor, TOI

Selection criterion of 1st V.C of Presidency University
Sir,
Perhaps, it’s difficult, if not impossible, to have the first Vice-chancellor of Presidency University fully detached from influence of Alimuddin Street as the Search team itself, some say, stink CPM, though not very strongly. Your report suggests Jayati Ghosh , a renowned economist and a vastly learned personality might be the first choice of the Search team as the Vice-chancellor. But you’ve mentioned the lady writes articles in Ganashakti, a CPM party organ. How can one who writes in a CPM party paper be detached from the ambit of influence of CPM? If the first criterion for the Vice-chancellor elect is his or her detachment from CPM, how could the candidature of Jayati Ghosh be considered? That apart, how can an economist of her eminence write in an humdrum daily like Ganasakti. and why not only in elite paper like Economic Times of your publication ?It amply proves how much committed she’s to CPM and isn’t it the sufficient ground to disqualify her as a prospective V.C of Presidency University, may be her scholastic depth and erudition are beyond question? Thank you.

Babu Culture!

Anand's Nationality:Babus are very rational and stickler of norms in our country. Before reaching any conclusion and for that matter any decision they go in for check and cross check and recheck. Recent Anand episode is a case in point. Babus don’t believe what all people believe. They’re never swayed by emotion or ever go without documents, that too written ones. Without concrete proof they believe nothing. Viswanath Anand has been living in Spain for a long time, though he visits India at least once a year. So our Babus rationally or notionally took it for granted that Anand's definitely adopted citizenship of Spain and has become a Spaniard. So they questioned his nationality.Anand’s wife sent photo copy of her husband’s passport. But in these days of fudged passports they were last persons to accept it as the conclusive proof nationality. That apart Anand is a renowned chess player. His job is to checkmate others by clever moves. So Babus refused to be checkmated by Anand.Howeever, the issue was resolved by direct intervention of Kapil Sibal, Minister MHRD who apologized also for this unnecessary harassment. What’s unfortunate University of Hyderabad which decided to confer honorary Doctorate upon Anand along with others couldn’t fulfill their mission as the nationality issue and other queries could not be sorted out before convocation, thanks to procrastination of Babus.However,though hurt Anand has shown the grace to agree to accept the Degree later at a convenient date.

MPs' salary-hike

Even three fold increase in pay fails to satisfy the MPs.Its a quantum jump from Rs.16000.0 to Rs.50,000.0.When this amount is added to perks and various allowances admissible to them it makes quite a huge sum. But some shamelessly mange more. In fact, for MPs it proves difficult to spend money from pay as host of facilities are awarded to them free of cost. At normal time, in parliament barring a few members who actively participate in proceedings the rest remain idle, many make them conspicuous by their regular absence and some are even literally caught napping. However, they serve a very useful purpose when voting takes on an issue in the House. At that time those in ruling side help the govt to bail out of crisis by their numerical strength or those in opposition try to ensure fall of the government.Their presence is also necessary to stall the procceedings of the house by mass shouting.Any way,these honorable members believe in poet John Milton’s philosophy ‘They also serve who stand and wait’.

Land Aquisition Bill

It’s unfortunate developmental work across the country has almost come to standstill mostly due to land acquisition problem. In most of the cases land owners refuse to part with their land.Singur and Nandigram have shown the way. But alternative way of acquiring land is still to come up. Revised land acquisition bill has found its room in the cold storage due to Didi’s dissent. All political parties claim land can’t be acquired against the will of the land owners. The owner must agree on his own or he might be made to agree by persuasion to part his land.’ Coercion’ is the forbidden and the most dirty word in case of land acquisition. They’ve seen what havoc ‘coercion’ could wreak in Bengal. It might at least partially contribute to the cause of down fall of 34years old rule of the Left Front government in the event such apprehension comes true. What’s interesting and unfortunate too, no body in any political party dares say land can’t be procured only by persuasion alone.Persuasion might work in case of small amount of land but it can’t work when vast quantum of land is necessary. At least some of the land owners must object to giving away their land for emotional or political reasons so that entire acquisition deal would come a cropper. So the process that envisages land is to be procured by bringing in change in the mindset of the land owner is almost a utopia.

So for all practical purposes the land acquisition bill must incorporate a clause where in the land owner should be obliged to part with his land for use in public interest and he’ll be adequately compensated for loss of land. The package of compensation must be such that the land loser never feels he has been any way deprived. In case of land transfer for any constructions by private management that would serve public interest or help employment generation, government must serve as mediators to see no underhand deal or malpractices take place in purchase of land.

Peace Talk

Naxal leader Krisanji’s offer to open dialogue with the central govt stands out as a good gesture even if it’s taken at its face value. Prime minister and President herself also called upon the Naxals to initiate peace talk.Krisanji mentioned the names of the mediators too. They include Mamata Banerjee who herself recently proposed to talk with the Naxals if they so liked at her Lalgarh rally. So far it’s good. But Krisanji’s rider that for the talk to begin Center should commit to make probe into Azad’s death is a flip side of the coin. He referred to Mamata Banerjee’s statement on Azad issue at Lalgarh where she claimed Azad was murdered and paid tribute to his departed soul as a mark of respect. Krisanji’s also demanded 3 months’ cease fire during talk.Perhaps,judicial probe in Azad’s death might stand in the way of talk process to take off as AP govt won’t agree to make enquiry into Azad’s death. It’s true at Jungal Mahal the Naxals are now at the receiving end. They know more confrontation means more loss of life. So they might agree to initiate talk on govt’s terms at least to have a breathing space for the time being.

Attempt On Life?

Mamata is now the center and hub of politics at Center and State as well. Both Center and state are on boil on her count. However, issues are different. At state her party is simmering with rage for making an attempt on her life. Simply by the stroke of good luck she’d had a close shave. It was a well meditated move on the part of CPM to eliminate her, she claimed. As she’s a seasoned politician she could sense it much earlier. She posted press and public on her premonition well in advance. She made no bones to make her hunch public. She speculated she might be attacked by supari killer engaged by CPM or by suicide squad of CPM.However, then many, particularly her adversaries, miffed at her that she was suffering from paranoia- a complex psychic pathology. Now perhaps these people feel how wrong they were.At present investigation is going on to unearth the conspiracy and unmask those who made an attempt on her life. She’s been suffering from trauma since this incident and so staying away from parliamentary sessions now in progress at Delhi. However, some of her worst detractors complain she feigns illness to skip parliament. Any way, we all wish her speedy recovery.

At center, however, parliament is seething with her remark perhaps inadvertently made at Lalgarh rally. She claimed Naxal leader Azad was ‘murdered’ and not killed in an encounter as Home ministry claimed. As a mark of respect she paid tribute to her departed soul too. As a cabinet minister she has been caught off guard by the opposition for such a comment. She’s accused of soft pedaling on Naxal issue as a cabinet minister while the same cabinet has taken a tough stand against them and consider them as the greatest internal threat to the security of the country. So she’s put on the spot. Initially Congress tried to defend her but ultimately called it a day in the face of the mounting pressure of the opposition and put the ball in her court. She’s been asked to explain her position by sending her reply by fax or presenting herself at Parliament. Perhaps she’s chosen the latter.

The Most Barbaric!

We Bengalis consider us very liberal and progressive compared to people in other states particularly in the context of honour killing. But what happened at a village in Birbhum district of Bengal has hung our head in shame and deflated the bloated balloon of our liberal mindset by a single prick. It was far worse than honour killing. A 17year old tribal girl was paraded naked a few miles in full view of hundreds of lusty eyes for her alleged association with a boy not belonging to her caste. During parade she was molested, roughed up and abused at every step by many perverse people who ‘enjoyed’ the most barbaric show on earth. Many clicked photographs with their mobile phone cameras and circulated MMS among those who missed the show even to earn money in some instances. Perhaps, people of Gram Panchayet there too lapped up the free ‘entertainment’ to satisfy their libido and so didn’t care to inform the police of this most savage act. The girls’ parents too were so scared they couldn’t dare to contact police. It’s per chance the incident came to light after three months when police accidentally caught hold of MMS depicting this barbaric show. Police has reportedly swung into action and human rights commission has also joined the fray. However, such a barbaric incident would ever haunt the poor tribal girl and her family like a nightmare throughout their life and she’d never forgive those whose behaviour was no better than beasts on that fateful day.

Travails of Train Travels

Since Didi took charge of Indian Railways controversies have not ceased to leave her. However, Didi made a good start by introducing host of new trains both long -distance and short- distance ones. She inaugurated new reservation counters almost every where every day. She proposed public private partnership business on railway land to promote trade and commerce of the country. She claimed rail can play a very useful role in the spheres of sports, education and health too.Intially she received claps and compliments . But as time rolls on she’d to devote more time to state politics than to railways, which’s one of the most important ministries in union cabinet. So railway services started deteriorating day by day for lack of proper supervision due to Rail minister’s lackadaisical attitude. Now railway journey is a nightmare to passengers. None can guarantee you’d reach your destination at all or if you’d reach there alive or dead. If you’re alive, none can say you’ve reached there safe and secured .One can’t assure you either if you’ll not fall ill on the way after consuming food supplied by rail. Nor can any body bet that you’d not be thrashed by railway canteen staff if you protest against the low quality of food served to you.You're not sure you'll have supply of water in your compartment or you'll have to go without a drop of water thoughout your journey.Mind there're many railway committees to see if you're enjoying proper aminities and their members are paid fat salaries or honorarium.

You’re not very safe in local trains either. Here also you may be robbed of, your train may be derailed. If you’re a lady and travel in ladies’ special or in ladies’ compartment, there’s free run for men folk there in many instances and they might tease you if they so like. You ‘re as unsafe that acid might be sprinkled on you for no fault of yours as it happened yesterday in ladies’ compartment at Ballygunge station.. You’d find no security personnel around to complain to .So fend for yourself. Self help is the best help.

Lalgarh Rally!

It’s difficult to assess what Didi’s gained from her rally at Lalgarh.On the contrary, PCPA, a frontal organization of the Maoists, has happened to be a beneficiary. It’s got an opportunity to come to the forefront in the name organizing the meeting by contacting local people who’ve recently started antatagonising and alienating them They gathered huge number of local people that even out-numbered the TMC supporters . Now PCPA might get verve and zeal afresh to rein in their losing influence on people and establish rapport with them. The process would come in good stead of the Maoists in the area and it’d do some damage to the headway the administration has so far made in winning friends and influencing people at Lalgarh.However, the quantum of damage done might not be that big in a day’s rally.

So far as the Maoists are concerned, they’re hard nut to crack.Didi’s appeal to them to abjure violence and start negotiation have been cliché by repeated use of such sermons They’ve received such appeals from many corners many a time and so got immuned to it. However, Didi’s open sympathy with Maoist Leader Azad’s death and calling it a murder is bound to trigger ire over her attitude towards the Maoists as a cabinet minister of Union govt which considers Maoism is the gravest threat to the internal security of the country. Their reaction to Swami Agnibesh is not very favoueable either.He’s used as a bait by administration, they’ve complained. In fact, they don’t rely on Didi too. However, Didi is alleged to forge a rapport with them to retrieve the land gained by CPM during operation of joint forces But a day’s rally at Lalgarh can’t serve her in a very significant way. It’s certain Center won’t withdraw joint forces whatever arguments Didi places to the contrary.

A Political Bomb!

TMC Chief's Lalgarh rally on 9August:
9th August is an auspicious day, 9th August is the most inauspicious day too. On this day Gandhiji, a lean and thin man, started ‘Quit India’ movement against the British in 1942.But on this very day a ‘Fat man’ wreaked largest ever devastation in history of mankind. In twinkle of an eye it effaced 39,000 lives from the earth and left the countless maimed for life. The dreaded year was 1945 and the ‘Fat man’ was atom bomb dropped at Hiroshima of Japan by America. Tomorrow is also the 9th August and this time a ‘fat woman’( I beg to apologize for using the word fat) is going to burst a political bomb that might have a far reaching consequence. Now all attention is focused on Lalgarh, the venue at which the bomb will be dropped and administration is also on tenterhook for safety and security of all concerned. People and press alike are now speculating over the fall-out of such bomb-burst.

9th August Rally!

Editor,TOI
Dear Sir,
Perhaps you’ve tried to confuse readers about Mamata’s rally at Lalgarh by using the word ‘riddle’ which normally means ‘a question that is difficult to understand and has a surprising answer’. But here the question why Mamata would hold meeting at Lalgarh is neither difficult to understand, nor has it a surprising answer. So it’s no ‘riddle’ at all as you claim. First of all, the nexus between the Maoists and Mamata dates back to Nandigram-Singur days, if not earlier. Now at Lalgarh, Maoists are at present marginalized due to the action of the joint forces and they’ve been much alienated from common people. Their frontal organization PCPA is also facing resistance from public. What sores Mamata most is the vacuum created at Jangalmahal as the Maoists give way is filled up by CPM.So she requires the ultra left to combat the left and recover the ground lost to CPM. In fact, if in Jangalmahal,particularly before assembly polls, turbulence subsides and normalcy returns at least partially she would be the most loser. So to rejuvenate the Maoists or metaphorically supply oxygen to them through its frontal organization PCPA she’s planned to hold rally there and it’ll benefit both her and the Maoists. Though Prime minister has repeatedly says Maoists are the gravest internal threat to the nation, never has she spared a word against them. Rather she’s consistently protected them directly or indirectly on every occasion. She’s even gone to the length of saying that there’re no Maoists at Lalgarh. Now her relation with the Maoists has been totally exposed to people a large. Thank you.

Commonwealth Games

Games with commoners' wealth:
Less than two months are left for Commonwealth Games to be held in India. We’re proud to have the rare opportunity to host such a prestigious event here. But what’s alarming now, we ‘re afraid , our prestige might be at a stake while hosting this mega event. Our preparation for the game as of now is reportedly very poor. Venues are not well prepared. Many stadia need facelift. Water seeps at many places where games would be held. Out of 2700 flats for technicians construction of only 800 has been completed. It gives one an impression about the preparedness of the game. Preparation for this mammoth event was scheduled to start in 2008 but it actually started one year later. But what’s baffled many is the mind-boggling corruption that has taken place almost at every step of preparation of the game. Each item purchased or hired for the games has been shown many times higher than its actual value. For example, balloons worth Rs.38 cores have been purchased. Prices of all items are as inflated as balloons. In other words games of mega corruptions are being played. Now Commonwealth games might mean games of malpractices and corruptions played with commoners’ wealth and in that sense Commonwealth Games Organization Committee can already boast grand success.

Unholy Nexus!

When sustained efforts of the joined forces to tame the Maoists have started to pay dividend and local people there have began to exert themselves against the PCPA,an established frontal organization of the Maoists in Jangalmahal ,Mamata Banerjee has decided to hold public meeting at Lalgarh on Aug 9 for her narrow political gain. What’s interesting, PCPA has offered to participate in the meeting and invited others to join the gathering as apparently on behalf of Mamata.Imagine, many members of PCPA are now in the CBI’s net and many are wanted too for engineering derailment of Janenswari Express that took as many as 150 innocent lives and left many more injured would join the meeting held under the auspices of Rly minister. Incidentally, this Rly minister felt shy of filing FIR against the Maoists though they admitted to their involvement in Rajdhani Express incident. Now the nexus between her party and the Maoists and for that matter PCPA is crystal clear. Her meeting would only help disrupt the success being achieved by joint forces in Jangalmahal.However,little does it bother her, what she needs is the active support of the ultra left to combat the left.

In lighter vein!

Elimination!
(1) Compliment!
Son: Didi complains CPM has formed suicide squad to eliminate her.
Dad: It’s not Didi’s complaint, it's her compliment to CPM, my son.
Son: Why dad?
Dad: Only the party with disciplined, self denying and dedicated cadres can form suicide squad, my son.


(2)Absenteeism!
Son: While parliament is in session, Didi most of the time remains in Calcutta.
Dad: You’re correct, my son.
Son: Why does she do it, dad?
Dad: It’s due to Maoists’ influence on her, my boy.
Son: Maoists’ influence?
Dad: Yes my son, Maoists believe Parliament is ‘pigs’ den’.

(3)Elimination!
Son: TMC’s hatching conspiracy to eliminate Left front ministers, alleged Front Chairman Biman Bose, my dad.
Dad: Yes, my son. But conspiracy is much deeper than alleged.
Son: Why do you say ‘deeper’, dad?
Dad: TMC is conspiring with Congress to eliminate the entire Front in coming polls,my son.

Amusing or Alarmig ?

Perhaps political leaders in our state are now suffering from psychic disorder and to be precise it’s paranoia.Didi complains a plot has been hatched to eliminate her. She elaborated on this blood curdling allegation too. She claims CPM has formed a suicide squad to take her life. What’s most annoying some ministers of the left front are also involved in this blood chilling conspiracy and her movement is being closely monitored. But what’s very surprising she’s not posted the home ministry on such a serious matter so that her security can be beefed up, although as a cabinet minister she already enjoys special security.Didi has not even taken Pranab Mukherjee in to confidence either .He has been taken aback learning it from news papers. That apart, how does Didi believe CPM has still such dedicated cadres to form suicide squad? On the other hand Left front chairman Biman Bose alleges plot is being made to murder Left front ministers. Didi’s concocted story of a plot to terminate her is a ploy to cover up the plan to murder the Front ministers, he claims. Perhaps these allegations and counter allegations are more amusing than alarming to people at large.

La Mart and NCPCR

Perhaps power and function of NCPCR are not still well defined though it came into being way back in 2007. Were it not so how could La Martiniere contest compliance of its recommendations? School claims NCPCR’s instructions to award punishment to some teachers by denying increments to them and sack the principal for meting out corporal punishment to the students are no binding on the school governing body. However, what’s surprising during enquiry the commission did not bother to offer opportunity to the accused teachers to defend themselves, the school management contended. If true, it’s really a serious allegation. Before interfering in the incident of caning a boy that later allegedly led to his suicide Commission should have been well aware of how far it could go in the matter. If ultimately it is to yield to the school’s proclaimed right to no compliance of its recommendations, which’s very likely to happen as things stand, it’d suffer loss of face. Interestingly, earlier a three-man team passed for delegates from human resources deptt ,New Delhi and visited La Martiniere for enquiry. It’s still a mystery why these people took such a risk of visiting the school with fake identity.Now La Mart draws more attention for such controversial and bizarre incidents than the efforts being made to stop corporal punishment in this institution and bring to book those indulged in punishing a boy who’s supposed to have committed suicide on that count.