Dog Day Afternoons

Post Hartal Update:

The hartal in Kerala, and mind you only Kerala, was total. The hartal called by Leftist political parties to protest against the fuel hike affected the life of the Keralite the most. But considering the sensible Keralite is an endagered species, just like the employed Keralite or the cultured Keralite, the rest of the Kerala revelled in yet another day of joblessness and politicking.

The newspapers on the day after the hartal caught the essence of it all. The Malayala Manorama had two contrasting pictures of the hartal day: One from Kolkatta, of the Howrah bridge, where roads were jammed as business and life went on as usual. The other from Kochi, the business capital of Kerala, where the roads looked deserted. Most of the other papers also questioned the double standards and selfish politics played by the commies.

But perhaps the Indian Express summed it all by speaking to the WB CM: When asked by The Indian Express this evening why the Left’s strike had paralysed Kerala today but didn’t affect West Bengal at all, veteran Politburo member Jyoti Basu said: “They (Kerala) perhaps saw an advantage out of the total strike so they went for the strike. Here, we thought a five-minute chakka jam and street-corner meetings would register our protest. So we went for that form.” Buddha apparently didn't want to send out wrong signals to "investors" in his state.

I wish our chief had gone to college too!


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5 days, 2 hartals! That's how pathetic Kerala is currently. Kerala is the only state which had to suffer two hartals in the name of protesting against the fuel price hike! I am so infuriated by this total senseless political frenzy in our state. Are our people such idiots to keep on tolerating this?

The Left parties proclaim to be pro-people and socialist! But what kind of animals will be so cruel to call hartals like these? And that too when the good-for-nothing BJP had just ended one few days ago. And worst, in a state ruled by their own old clowns.

People suffer and yet vote back the same clowns to power and there are enough third-rate people in our state to support such policies and events. Apparently for tomorrows hartal, the Left leaders have warned that not even two wheelers will be allowed to be on the road by their supporters, as though it is something to be proud of! Dont they realise there are people suffering due to all these insane calls? People stuck in hospitals, airports, railway stations..

Just because the supporters of these political parties dont have a job and are third-rate goons who can be hired with a supply of alcohol, does that mean the whole state has to suffer? Is this their idea of development? This is what keeps investors and sensible people as far away from the state as possible.

So why cant the honorable CM cut down the states taxes if he is so concerned about the people? Everyone knows there is no easy solution and it is only because of the international crude oil price changes that the Indian Government is forced to make these changes. It is not an easy decision for anyone.

I can already feel the state beginning to crumble at the hands of our new LDF government. The seams are bursting and soon we will be taken 5 years backwards. One of the most outstanding decisions taken by this government, in this context, has been to reverse suspensions of plenty of LDF supporters in various government organisations, including the Secretariat, who were previously suspended for violence during strikes and hartals. Green signals from the party high command and its government. What more does one need, to revel in lawlessness and violence?

Ten days ago, there was an incident which went quite unnoticed. A couple of LDF supporters went to a bank manager's house to ask for donations (pirivu) for some event in honor of Achuthanandan. They threatened the manager and hence he refused to pay. Later they came in a group and bashed him up along with his two sons. They thrashed him with bars and tube-lights. The man lost one of his eyes! Nobody was arrested. Police was numb as it was the ruling party workers involved.

These hartals and violent incidents are just beginnings of a government brought on by our own people. Literate people welcoming illiterates to rule over them. Enjoy!