Rly budget & role of Press

Press and politicians together can confuse and misguide people the way they like to.Common people naively believes what they say.Most of the ordinary people have neither time nor temperament to read between the lines what the politicians spell out to achieve their end.Unfortunately a section of press unashamedly help the politicians in this regard.Rly minister's wish fulfilling(Kalpataru) or dream budget particularly in view of hard financial constraints Rlys are now passing through is deliberately presented in a section of press as one that deserves all praise. Most of the projects incorporated in the budget would never see the light of the day for lack of funds.Performance of the preceding years in this regard bear testimony to what is feared.Rly minister is also aware of such fate for many of her proposals.It's also known to Prime minister and finance minister too.But they're all praise for the budget.This is all play acting to hoodwink gullible public.Rly minister knows well there's a fair chance of her being chief minister and then she'll have the opportunity of shrugging off all responsibilities of implementing the budget proposals.So open the flood gate of proposals in the budget at your heart's content.Thank you.

On The Brink Of Bankruptcy

Pre-rly budget review:
It's true most of the trains, particularly Durantas, introduced by Mamata Banerjee have been very popular among people.So are the computerized reservation counters.But the amenities provided to passengers are regrettably far from satisfactory.In this sphere much is left to be done and passengers are highly critical of travails they've to face during travel.The less said about her other promises , the better. What's most alarming is her luke warm attitude to the safety and security of railways which deserve first priority.So in her regime there have been record number of accidents in rlys.In fact she's been prisoners of her populist attitude and impulse to do large number of things in the shortest possible time to showcase her ability as an able administrator to burgeon her vote bank.No noble thing can be done by humbug.Rlyways have to bear the brunt of her short sightedness and rashness as well. It's now on the brink of bankruptcy, which has never happened before.Today also she'd announce a plethora of new proposals in her budget speech with an eye to the assembly election in the offing.What's unfortunate a section of press is unashamedly brokering for her and pampering her nakedly.

Mamata & Foreign Press

The foreign press which is primarily staunch anti left is eager to see the fall of LF govt in Bengal.To them it's the wonder of wonders as to how a LF govt can survive for as many as 35 yrs(if the govt really falls this time) in a pocket of a vast subcontinent that essentially follows rightists' ideology.Why did people elect the govt for seven times consecutively?Perhaps it's no parallel in history of Parliamentary democracy.Mamata Banerjee's politics are in fact based on negativity bereft of any ideology or program, whatsoever, except an ardent efforts of coming to power by any means.As a personality she's nothing extraordinary to gravitate foreign press either.Perhaps what interests American press is her possibility of being an instrumental in fall of extraordinarily long lasting anti American Left Front govt in Bengal(if it at all so happens).It's natural for anti-American stance LF is an eyesore to American press and for exactly the opposite reason,that's for anti Left stance, Mamata Banerjee stands out as favourite to them.So NY Times heaves praise on Mamata Banerjee for her enormous zeal and doggedness to oust Left forces from the seat of power, though her party is ideologically a bankrupt one.

Eve teasing

There's sudden spurt of eve teasing at different parts of the state.The tragic incident at Barasat, as it were, has opened the can of worms.In fact, incidents of teasing women are taking place everyday and almost everywhere. They go unnoticed as the victims feel shy of making it public or reporting it to police.In most cases they suffer in silence or have taken this social evil in their stride.Many think it's part of their life or they're destined to be treated this way by their male counter part.These ugly incidents come to light only when the offenders blatantly cross the limit or the victim is courageous enough to register protest against the display of the bestial instinct of man.In work place too women are more often than not subjected to sexual harassment.It's also a form of eve teasing.Pathetically in our male dominated society women often fail to receive the respect they deserve.

Eve teasers are obviously a perverted lot.Many of them are hardened criminals too.They react vehemently when they're challenged.Like the Barasat boy there're instances of being brutally assaulted and killed by the eve teasers when one ventured to protest against their wrong doings.So when a helpless woman fall prey to eve teasers' lewd comments or even an attempt to harass her physically hardly people dare stand by her.In such cases police too normally remain mere on lookers.Eve teasers even didn't spare the police surgeon Bapi Sen and mercilessly beat him to death. But would we allow the nasty practice of eve teasing continue unabated and unopposed?Would we allow some people with mental aberration and perversion hold sway in our society?Definitely not.We would collectively protest against eve teasing and mount pressure on the administration to act properly and take appropriate action against the act of outraging the modesty of women by the eve teasers.

Now Jadavpore Sisters!

In the wake of eve teasing incident of Barasat where Rajib fell prey to eve teasers and was brutally murdered while he was escorting his sister home from Barasat rly station at midnight another incident of eve teasing took place at Jadavpore where the culprits not only misbehaved with two sisters but also went on rampage at their residence and roughed up the inmates of the house.Police arrested the miscreants, though very reluctantly, and much to every body's surprise they were released on bail almost immediately after arrest.In fact police framed the case in such a manner court could not but grant them bail without delay.Offence perpetrated by the culprits should have constituted a non-bailable case but police presented it under bailable section of law for reasons best known to them.It's likely there must be some foul play some where in the present case,which warrants attention of the appropriate authority so that victims get natural justice.

Barasat Boy

It's no wonder that political parties fell over board like vultures on the dead body of the Barasat boy killed by drunken ruffians while escorting his elder sister home from railway station at mid night for petty political gain.It's also no wonder some political leaders of the opposition claimed they came to the boy's home much earlier than the Chief minister and also claimed the slain boy was their party comrade who gave his life to save the modesty of his sister only inspired by the ideals of TMC supremo.Such histrionics or calculated hysteria of the political parties might serve as a comic relief even in such gruesome and tragic circumstances.Thanks to people of Barasat, they have called the bluff and unswayed by crocodile tears shed by political personalities refused to entertain them in special way and did the last rites themselves.

To Editor,TOI about Brigrade Rally

Thank you for your 'unashamed' attempt to play down the massive Brigade rally of the Left Front day before yesterday in your report(Jan 13) on this event.Thank you that you did make room for the photograph of the rally at least at the corner of the front page though apparently very reluctantly as it strains one's eyes to have an impression of the massiveness of the gathering.Tenor of the report your scribe wrote about the rally giving go-by to honest journalism altogether did echo what Didi said about this unprecedented gathering.She pooh poohed the rally as farewell ceremony of the Left Front .You also deserve thanks for your invention that rallies arranged by political parties are all spontaneous and no vehicular traffics are used to bring the people to the rally site.In Didi's rallies perhaps people come on their own and no automobile is pressed into service to bring the supporters to rally.What appears conspicuous is your biased attitude that honest journalism veritably abhors. As a discerning reader one finds you've betrayed your tilt to a particular political party whose interest you've been seemingly vindicating for reasons best known to you.

Please don't lose heart. Such a mammoth rally is only a moral booster to the Left and it has hardly any bearing with ballot box.Rest assured Didi'd come to power belying all speculations.

Worst of Times!

It's the worst of times for Bengal.The hills are burning,violence rules the roost at many places of planes.Our state is facing the threat of division again.Assembly election is near at hand.Political parties including the chief opposition are busy engaging themselves attacking the govt instead of unitedly attacking those indulging the division of the state.Center is reluctant to sending forces to the hills to curb violence.Forces are lifted out of Jungalmahal and sent to the hills making it vulnerable to Maoists' menace .It's high time good senses could prevail upon all political parties to combat the prevailing crisis of the state instead of delving into blame game for political mileage.

Call it a day!

It’s high time Sourav Ganguli could call it quits from IPL fray. He should have done it much earlier when he had no takers during IPL auction. It was a sheer humiliation for a player of his stature. It bitterly hurts his fans and admirers when he’s found looking for a stray chance coming up for him to play in IPL. Sad, he’s at the bare mercy of the franchisees’ agreeing to filing no objection to his inclusion in Kochi team. Unfortunately, some of the franchisees have reportedly objected to such proposition. It’s really shocking to see the Prnce of Kolkata begging for a berth in an IPL team.It’s no denying the fact Sourav is one of the most shabbily treated cricketers ever born in India, if not in the world. No cricketer has suffered so much of humiliation in cricket for non-cricketing reasons. Nor has any cricketer like Sourav ever turned around and awarded a fitting reply to injustice meted out to him. However, enough is enough. We like to see an end to the suffering of the tragic hero of Indian Cricket.

Written 3 days ago

Mamata Banerjee and Railway Projects

No Rly minister has ever declared so many projects for Bengal as Mamata Banerjee has done. Railways normally offer priorities to matters like introduction of new trains, improvement of infrastructure, betterment of maintenance work, enhancement of passengers’ amenities etc.But Mamata Banerjee has gone out of the way and extended her attention to making of hospitals, schools, factories, business hubs, sporting complexes, auditoria and many other activities too. Almost daily Railways splash full-page ads in leading dailies announcing mostly laying of foundation stones and sometimes inauguration of new projects by Miss Banerjee. She introduces new trains and opens computerized reservation counters at regular intervals. It’s no doubt true newly introduced trains have benefited a lot of people and so are the newly opened computerized reservation counters. But it’s difficult to pronounce judgment on the projects whose foundation stones have just been laid. Some critics of Rly. minister argue many of the announced projects would never see the light of the day as Railway coffers have run dry. Many even say a lot of projects are being announced without caring for availability of funds only to woo voters. These statements might be taken as malicious and politically motivated to discredit and malign the TMC supremo.But it’s no denying the fact the money required to implement the projects already declared, let alone those in the pipeline, has reached astronomical figure and it’s difficult to imagine where the money will come from particularly when precious little has been done to enhance the revenues of Railways. So even by common sense the situation is not as rosy as it’s shown. However, if Mamata Banerjee becomes the Chief minister, she might wash her hands of the projects . Perhaps it’s her game plan and there’s nothing unfair in politics as in war.

Smile!

(1)Height of innocence!
Son: We need many more banks in our country, dad..
Dad: Why, my boy?
Son: As many people deposit money in foreign banks.
Dad: Yes, my dear.

(2)Distinction!
Q.What’s the difference between Eden gardens and Garden of Eden?
Ans.One goes to Eden gardens for love of sports but Garden of Eden is meant for sports of love.

(3)Gory Uncertainty!
Son: Dad, we were kept guessing from dawn to dusk and expected ICC would allow more time. But unfortunately venue for the first match of W.Cup,2011 was shifted to B’lore.
Dad: Never mind my son. Cricket is always a game of uncertainty.