Mamata's Uphill Mission!

The more hill people would pin hope on Mamata, the more they would pin her down late on. Most of the leaders in mainstream politics in the state are their eye sores, it’s Mamata’s turn to be so to them. Due to her Charisma, Mamata pulled crowd, so did people receive her with all verve and zeal.Neatas met her with expectation that she could get their grievances redressed. But their nature of problem is so that no body could solve it. In this regard Mamata would prove no exception. So their initial exuberance would not take much time to ultimately reduce to utter disappointment.Jaswant Singh garnered their overwhelming support by holding aloft the false hope that their dream of separate Gorkha land would come true. But Mamata’s a seasoned politician, she won't ever give them such hope as it'd adversely affect her vote bank in the plane. She might give them some assurances in other matter. But except offering a new train for them, she’s nothing to do at present and in future too. So her mission ends where it starts.

Just in light vein only!

(1)Didi at Cambridge!
Son: Dad, Didi has been invited by Cambridge University to deliver lecture.
Dad: What a great fall thy cantabrigians!
Son: If Laluji can deliver lecture at Oxford University, why not Didi at Cambridge?
Dad: Laluji delivered lecture in rustic Hindi which no body could understand(despite interpreter’s best efforts) while Didi would lecture in English which people might misunderstand.

(2)Commonwealth Games!
Son: Dad, why did the organizers of Common wealth games start preparation so late making mess of every thing at the last moment?
Dad: They’ve done it intentionally, my boy.
Son: Why dad?
Dad: Due to mismanagement the best athletes would pull out and our athletes would hold sway!

(3)Expiry date:
Customer: This medicine has no expiry date.
Pharmacist: Don’t worry it’s very long expiry date. You can take it till you expire.

Playing ducks and drakes with nation’s prestige!

Commonwealth Gammes
A few months ago it started with the complaint of rampant corruption going on in Commonwealth village. The organizers were alleged to have been squandering away money at their sweet will. They’re now accused of playing ducks and drakes with the honour of our country. Our heads hang in shame before the wolrd.It’s not yet certain how many prospective participants would withdraw their names from the games for the ugliest possible arrangements in games village. Foot bridge collapsed, false ceiling gave way, dogs left their foot prints on participants’ bed, and the toilets were soiled by outsiders. Are they not sufficient to give one an impression about games village? Who can guarantee the roofs of the indoor games venues or hurriedly constructed stadium wouldn’t collapse during play? So it’s very likely the participants might suffer from a sense of insecurity . What’s most deplorable, organizers try hard to play down their lapses and pose as if nothing unusual has happened. If more performers continue to withdraw their names, the Commonwealth games would lose all gloss and finish as a dull and drab event. What’s more, in future India will be denied all opportunities to host any mega event. Only a few days are left for the games to take off, now Prime minister’s personal intervention is unlikely to make any difference.

Mass murder!

Mowing down elephants
Incident of seven elephants being run over has been truly termed ‘mass murder’ in some section of press. The driver of the goods train could have averted the situation by slowing down the speed of the train while passing through the forest as earlier too elephants were run over on railway track in the forest. The driver in fact did nothing to save the animals as if he took it as a game. Perhaps he was testing how many elephants he could mow down at one go. What’s sad, Railways have not taken it seriously. Nor has Railway minister herself regretted such a tragic incident. State govt has rightly filed an FIR against the Railways for this ‘mass murder’. It’s high time forest department and railway authorities could sit together to find a way out so that such an incident might not recur in future.

Bidding farewell to courtesy!

It’s unthinkable that Chief minister of the state was not invited to a function presided over by the President of India. Yes, Mamata Banerjee displayed how it could be done. In an inaugural function of Metro Railways presided over by the President of India Mrs. Prativa Patil, the Railway Minister Miss. Mamata Banerjee invited all her party leaders including the ministers of states in union ministry and the mayor of Kolkata Municipal corporation but meticulously left out the ministers of the state govt including even the Chief minister of the list of the invitees. Thus she proudly exhibited how one can give a go-by to all decency and decorum , let alone abide by protocol, if any. She’s well aware the project can’t completed unless state govt extend their co-operation. Miss. Banerjee aspires to be the chief minister of the state and we’re ashamed we’d have a Chief minister without minimum sense of courtesy and for whose uncivilized behaviour our head hangs in shame to people of other states of our country.

Teaching, the most hazardous job!

Turbulent Students’ movement is nothing new in our state. Now students go in for agitation at the drop of a hat. Issues are not wanting too. Any minor issue is enough to make it blow out proportions.Gheraoing authorities for hours together to coerce them to concede to their demand has now been a commonplace incident. Sometimes teachers are gheraoed enbloc too. For this turbulent behaviour of student authorities can’t impose discipline in the campus or in any institutions which might ultimately benefit the students. Sometimes things have gone to such a pass students consider the teachers and authorities as their class enemies. Now each and every issue big or small is some way or other politicalised, thanks to the instructions from party offices

The management is also not Caesar’s wife. They’re on the contrary more politicalised than students. They seldom come to consensus of opinion on a certain issue and this division among them stand in good stead for students. It’s seen in most agitations in academic institutes students make the last laugh and management has to concede a lot. Take the cases of ragging in engineering colleges. Management routinely declare every year with much ado that raggers would be prosecuted, but ragging is going on almost unabated and instances of meting out punishment to raggers is few and far between, except in extreme cases. In short, the students hold sway in most of the academic institutions and any resistance from the management against their wrong doings meets with greater resistance from students so that management have to retreat ultimately.

General lawlessness ,violence ,impatience and intolerance that now prevail in all spheres of our society have their impact on students’ movement. So we often see educational institutions assume the look of battle fields during students’ union elections. But what happened at Herambachandra college, Kolkata in the name students’ movement is really horrifying. A student sprinkled petrol on the principal of the college to burn him alive. The student poured petrol on his body too for self immolation. Luckily police interfered in time and a macabre incident could be averted. The issue was admission to college. However, the Christian teacher in Kerala was not that lucky as the principal of Herabachandra college. His palm was chopped off for setting a question that allegedly hurt the religious sentiment of a particular community. If such is the trend of students’ movement the days are not far off when teaching would prove to be the most hazardous job one has ever faced.

In jest!

(1)Wooing voters!
Son: Dad, why has Didi compared Rahul to Cuckoo bird?
Dad: Cuckoo is a seasonal bird, it comes in Spring. Similarly Rahul too comes here before election to woo voters.
Son: Rahul also could have compared Didi to Crow.
Dad: Why, my son?
Son: As she cries herself hoarse all the year round to woo voters.

(2)Buddha said!
Son: Buddha said ‘if his party could come to power’. Did he mean LF would lose in assembly polls?
Dad: No. He’s been misunderstood by media, my son. Buddha deeply believes in democracy. He meant to say with all modesty ‘if his party could come to power with people’s mandate’. Unfortunately, his humility has been misread as his weakness.However,he’s today dispelled the misconception by saying his party would surely come to power.

(3)Commonwealth Games!
Dad: See, participants are coming to our country for Commonwealth Games. But they’re not at all satisfied with the arrangements made in Commonwealth Games village.
Son: How can they expect the facilities of cities in a village, dad?

In jest only!

Problem of plenty!
(1)Quitting Rlys!
Son: Dad, why is Didi asking for advancing the date of assembly elections?
Dad: The way train accidents are taking place regularly, Didi’s trying to quit
Railway ministry as early as possible. But unless she becomes chief minister, how can she quit railways?

(2)Problem of plenty!
Son: Dad, do you think now Congress is suffering from leadership crisis?
Dad: There’s no crisis of leaders in Congress, my son.On the contrary, Congress is suffering from problem of plenty. There’re too many leaders in congress!

(3)Honour killing!
Son: Rahul Gandhi is harping on alliance without killing honour in assembly poll. Do you think Didi will give Congress that honour?.
Dad: Of course not!
Son: Then?
Dad: Congress will die with dignity!

Alliance with dignity!

Alliance with dignity is a difficult proposition
Perhaps Mamata Banerjee is laughing up her sleeves when Manas Bhuinya in utter exuberance compared Rahul Gandhi with Shri Krishna probably meaning saviour of Congress and claims no-alliance with Trinomool in assembly polls unless they pay proper respect to his party. In earlier elections Congress had to completely surrender to Trinomool and played to their tune. In many instances of seat sharing congress’s justified demand was ruthlessly trampled down by Trinomool Supremo.But the party tolerated the humiliation apparently with good grace perhaps to see CPM routed in polls. Yes, CPM faced electoral debacle, but at state level congress was not in any way benefited, nor did it get proper respect from Trinomool after Lok Sabha poll.Hoewever, at Central level congress was complacent with Left’s strength being reduced significantly, though it does not feel very comfortable with Trinomool as its major ally in parliament particularly for mercurial temperament and unpredictable nature of its supremo.More often than not she put UPA on the spot for her unbridled utterances and actions. In civic polls Congress couldn’t forge alliance with Trinomool and it did not make the latter loser in a significant way. On the contrary in absence of alliance Trinomool could assess its strength much to its satisfaction. One might argue in civic polls only 17% electorate exercised their franchise, so it couldn’t reflect the verdict of the whole electorate. But nevertheless the poll results more or less reflected general popular swing in favour of Trinomool Congress.So whatever Manas Bhuinya says or how many times Rahul Gandhi visits Bengal, in Assembly elections which are only a few months away Mamata Banerjee would say the last word in seat sharing .If Congress sticks to its so-called concept of ‘honour’ and ‘dignity’ there’ll be no electoral alliance in assembly polls, which perhaps Sonia Gandhi wouldn’t afford to bear with and Congress would go back to square one as in Lok Sabha polls.

Rotting of Food Grains

Supreme court’s suggestion to distribute huge quantity of food grains rotting due to lack of storage facilities among the poor is quite humane. But in such a sensitive issue it’s unbecoming of no less a person than our Prime minister to openly contest the SC’s jurisdiction to offer such a suggestion to the executive. May be, SC’s has transgressed its right in issuing order to the executive, though it’s a debatable point, it remains true that administration is accused of rotting million tons of food grains simply because of their faulty planning or indifference to ensure adequate facilities for storing them. Isn’t it inhuman to let million tons of food grains rot while millions of people in our country go unfed or half fed? Isn’t it unfortunate that our Prime minister becomes highly critical of judiciary with out being self critical for such utter negligence of the executive? We people like to see an administration with human face!

An Inhuman Act!

Teacher's palm chopped off and then sacked
It’s unbelievable that such Talibanism like chopping off the palm of a Christian teacher and then dismissing him from service for setting up a question that allegedly offended Islam in the most literate state like Kerala.It indicates fundamentalists are so powerful in Kerala that the college authorities instead of awarding exemplary punishment to the miscreants punished the victim instead. What’s most interesting local church lent support to the decision of college authorities, perhaps afraid of the fundamentalists. College authorities by their arbitrary action against the concerned teacher are accused of aiding and abetting fundamentalist activities in a secular country like ours and so deserve punishment.Govt can’t ignore such a barbaric incident simply because such colleges are not under its direct control and it should take appropriate action against perpetration of such heinous crime in the larger interest of the society.

Land to Land On!

Land aquisition Bill
It’s land that has given Mamata political land to firmly stand on. So she’s the last person to compromise on land issue. Central Govt reluctantly obliged Mamata to leave the bill in the cold storage for long. However, such an important bill which is in fact the vehicle of develovelopment can’t be left in the cold for long. So now it’s been taken out for reconsideration. But Mamata likes to have the bill drafted anew to incorporate her own suggestions. However, some of her suggestions can’t be accommodated in the bill for practical difficulties. First of all she advises land can’t be acquired without consent of the farmers. Does one ever expect that all the land owners would unanimously give their consent to give away their land particularly when a reasonably large tract of land is required? It’s very likely some of the land owners would always object to parting with their land at least for emotional attachment or for political reasons making whole land procurement drive a futile exercise. So land acquisition bill should incorporate a provision that a farmer must be obliged to give his land in greater public interest( of course against hand some compensation).Secondly, her suggestion that for private players govt would have no say in acquisition of land. This part is also impractical. In absence of govt’s intervention private players may purchase land at any site convenient to them but inconvenient to public. That apart they may purchase multicrop land if it suits their interest paying a lucrative price to the farmers. It might adversely affect our food production too. This system would also give the land sharks free run as was found in Vedic Village land row. So even for procurement of land for private parties Govt should have a significant role to play. In considering land acquisition bill all political parties should consider the hard realities and refrain from playing to the gallery with an eye to the vote bank.

To Editor,TOI

Story of an innocent girl
Your story(Note of thanks from girl who won over pain,Sept 11) on the girl extending her gratitude in her hand drawn card to the Railway minister and the members of the Railway board for care and attention she received after she was injured in Jnaneswari Express train accident engineered by PCAPA, a frontal organization of Maoists that recently actively organized Railway minister’s meeting at Lalgarh is really fascinating.Sad,the girl’s one hand was amputated and she drew the card with another hand in good faith. What’s sadder perhaps little does the innocent girl know Railway minister as well as the Railway board were reluctant to lodge even FIR against the prime suspect PCAPA for whom she had to lose her hand and tried to pass the buck to a particular political party . Now they exhibit her letter of gratitude as a proof how carefully they handled the cases of persons injured in the accident. Shame!

Rahul the Saviour of Congress?

Rahul Gandhi’s visit to the state ended yesterday with much ado. Madly and medley crowd thronged him. Fortunately for Mr. Gandhi they came in thousands to have a glimpse of him and fewer came to hear him intently. Those who came to listen to what he liked to say went back certainly dejected.However,those who came to see him were satisfied with his good and glamorous look, though not as good and glamorous as his father. What’s most important, he needs much of grooming to make a mass leader. He’s not a prolific speaker either. He needs to be more knowledgeable too. His father however, mastered the art of speaking in astonishingly record time. In oratory Rahul is neither impressive in form nor in content. His two-in-one India concept-one India for the rich and another for the poor has been hackneyed .Many refer to such phrase while referring to shocking and abominable social and economic disparity in our country. However, Rahul used it in the context of Bengal where rich Bengal belongs to CPM and poor Bengal to others who’re denied the bare necessities of life to whip up the anti-govt sentiment. But such utterances sound silly, cheap and lack of intelligence particularly for one who might be once the Prime minister of India.

In Bengal, Congress is fragmented and in total mess. It’s sad that a century old national party like Congress has to play the second fiddle to Trinomool Congress, a party of yesterday. Those who think Rahul Gandhi could rejuvenate Congress and it will earn the strength to go in for honourable seat adjustment with Trinomool in the coming assembly polls perhaps live in fools’ paradise. Whatever way the things start, it’s more or less certain that Congress would ultimately stoop to terms and conditions Trinomool would dictate in seat adjustment.Rahul or no Rahul it’s the hard reality for Congress.

Employment from Sabotage Quota

Perhaps never before train journey was as unsafe as now. Not a single day passes without remarkably untoward incident happening with the Railways. It might range from a major accident or an arising of a situation that betrays possibility of an accident to a daring robbery. No passenger feels safe on way to his or her destination. However, the Railway Minister attributes all these incidents to act of sabotage and saboteurs are chief ruling party, she hints at. She’s adopted the easiest way to lessen Railways’ responsibility in this matter by ‘sabotage’ or ‘conspiracy’ theory. To make her claim more convincing she’s also promised employment in railways if somebody helps track down the saboteur. She’s as if opened a new quota called Sabotage Quota for employment in Railways. What’s unfortunate, there’re few takers of her theory. Though sabotage is there as it was in case of Jnaneswari Express Tragedy, but all incidents are not results of sabotage. In most of the cases, railways’ ill maintenance and callous management lead to untoward incidents. Introduction of new trains almost daily without caring if the existing infrastructure is worthy of bearing the burnt of new load, shortage of man power and lack of modernization of railway net work contribute to present deplorable state of Indian Railways. Railway minister should see reasons, admit to what’s exactly going wrong and address them as early as possible without going into squabbles with her political adversaries as it’s the matter of life and death for million people who use Railway services.

Assault on Press

Assault on the journalists is always condemnable.Infact, attack on reporters become immensely counterproductive for the cause such attack is mounted. A party or people behave such a way when their interest is jeopardized by exposure by media or their cause is wrongly or biasedly presented. In the present case at Jungalmahal a particular section of press was perhaps attacked to prevent their efforts to prove that claim of a particular political party that they’ve no armed camps at Lalgarh is baseless. In fact, for the party concerned had no alternative other than desperately resist the reporters to proceed further as otherwise it might prove disastrous for them.

Armed Camps in Jungalmahal

It’s likely CPM has armed camps at Jangalmahal as P.Chidambaram has said without naming of course CPM.CPM is infact the prime target of the Maoists as is evident in almost daily killing of CPM men at Jungalmahal. So it’s no wonder CPM might take up arms for self defence.True, unauthorized possession of arms is not permissible under law, but for self defence to carry arms is not at least an immoral act. In fact, joint operation of joint forces and the armed CPM cadres whom political opponents call Harmads yielded some positive results as is evident in surrender of Maoists to the administration and marked decline in surprised Maoists’ attacks on joint forces. Though participation of armed CPM in propaganda against the Maoists is unethical and not legally admissible, still there’s nothing unfair in war as Govt has virtually declared war against the Maoists.

Just in lighter vein!

(1) Match fixing!
Son: Dad, why is so much hue and cry over money spent in match fixing?
Dad: Why not, my son? It’s a grave offence and punishable under law!
Son: But in our country it’s no offence, rather it’s a well recognized profession ,Dad.
Dad: It’s also a cognizable offence in our country too, my boy.
Son: It can’t be dad! Many leading newspapers and organizations charge hefty amount for match fixing!

(2)Suicide!
Son: Why do people now prefer to commit suicide at metro rail rather than at surface rail?
Dad: As train comes on time at metro stations, my boy.
Son: So what, dad?
Dad: See delayed arrival of trains are normal for surface railways and it might change the mind of the person who’s decided to commit suicide.

(3)Diabetic!
Son: Dad, Indian express reported when Didi was having refreshment from a sweet shop on her way back from Lalgarh rally the truck dashed against her pilot car.
Dad: Yes, my son.
Son: Why did the driver lose control of the truck? Did the brake fail or had he any ill motive?
Dad: See, it was later known the driver, a Sarderji was a diabetic.
Son: So what?
Dad: You know diabetic patients have irresistible desire for sweets. So all his eyes were glued to Didi’s sweets and he lost control of the truck.