THE 'SAVE KERALA' INITIATIVE

THE 'SAVE KERALA' INITIATIVE

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Home-Made Kasabs and Their Sponsors

When I see our present day politicians and their parties (this includes the ones that claim to be politicians and parties as well!) who force their distorted ideologies and mindless policies in order to further their own selfish interests, I try and analyze how different they are from terrorists and criminals. Unfortunately, I do not see any difference, except for the number of people killed. But sooner or later, I doubt even that difference will exist.

If India got together to blame and isolate politicians when the Mumbai attacks happened in Novermber 2008, it is very evident today that it is time that we all got together to blame them for terror-mongering organizations under political masks and their every day crimes, whether it is SIMI, IM, JUD, LTTE, RUF, VHB, SRS, BD, RSSs, DFI, AbVP, KsU, MKP, LMP, or any other outfit that takes law into their hands or adopts violence, irrespective of the party, ideology or religion.

Almost every day now we hear something like the SRS attacking women in Mangalore, Haryana Police thrashing a woman, BD monkeys chasing siblings, coffee shops and customers being attacked in Trivandrum, and cops being thrashed all over Kerala. The common factor here is the elected government failing to be responsible and respect the constitution, but instead becoming operators of legal machineries hijacked for the sake of power, crime, illegal activities, and injustice.

Karnataka is a typical example of what is in store for us if this political frenzy based on party, religion and community continues. Imagine a scum-bag claiming to be the general secretary of an prganization full of goondas coming in front of national television to justify their activities and warning that they will continue their criminal conduct. Or an old-gas bag like their president saying they would have done the same even if their sisters went to the pub. Just 2 days ago, a lady from the same outfit claimed that we do not need one day to "love" but we can love all through the year!

Fundamental elements like these bank on the perception that the elected government with shared ideologies will be soft on their activities, however criminal, and assume that they can gain greater support and fame in the process. Unfortunately, the elected government fails to uphold the constitution because of electoral interests and the thirst for power and money. The end result is that the people get polarized further on the basis of religion and community, destroying the very foundation of the nation that is India.

Many years ago, Indian culture included pissing on the road and spitting around, widows jumping into pyres, women were never allowed to wear blouses under their saris, and children getting married off before they finished growing. Over time, as education and exposure to better living increased, we changed. Nobody told us to change or stopped us from improving ourselves. Of course, some of them still prefer to piss and crap around, and it is their wish as long as they do not break law. Similarly, if some of us want to live in a more refined and dignified manner, that should also be allowed. The law and the constitution of India will and should be the only factor that decides the perimeters of our civil existence.

If our states and the country cannot protect us from these terrorists within our country, they should let Kasab and the likes of him be tried in other countries which will have better justice prevailing. Because I do not see any difference between the Pakistani Kasab and our own, home-grown Kasabs pretending to be from various political outfits and organizations in India. Indians will need to come together, irrespective of religion, caste and creed, in order to ensure justice, and protect our liberties and fundamental rights from these home-grown terrorists AND our own governments that support them.

Happy Valentine's Day!

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Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Kerala This Week Ver 3.01, 2008

If you let it rot long enough, the stench will finally get to you. That is a lesson Kerala is learning, slowly, surely, and on a daily basis. The latest example is that - well, its actually today's example - a hardline, loyal party man had to finally call the spade from within his party, a spade, (and another spade, a monkey) giving the PB pre-poll jitters and sending the usually nagging lot to a huddle.

Whether it is due to his well-known rivalry against his arch rival within the party or a prelude to his almost certain exit with the image of a clean leader or actual respect for the constitution, the man stood up to refuse to politicize (and downplay) the charges of corruption levelled by the CBI against the communist party general secretary which includes siphoning off hundreds of crores of rupees in the pretext of getting us elecrticity and even a cancer therapy center. In any case, this single act requires appreciation, and kudos to the man for showing that he has a conscience (perhaps he discovered it a bit too late, or even searches for it selectively), but its something most of the other leaders, irrespective of the camp, appear to have lost forever.

While some of the party folks downplayed the corruption charges, most others childishly said its a conspiracy, blaming the central government and oppossition. Sadly, even some of the ministers criticized the CBI and said they will "deal with it politically", rather than legally. This is perhaps the saddest response any state can get, and even more painful is the fact that it reflects the state of Kerala today. If the people holding the highest positions of the government, supposed to uphold the constitution and ensure justice, respond this way, it is not suprising that the people of Kerala get no justice. It should not suprise us then why party workers rampage private and public property without second thought, party goons beat up police publicly, political leaders release criminals from jails by threatening cops. All this while the state rots.

If the UDF were in power today, and if these charges were against a member of the UDF or Congress, then all hell would have broken loose and the LDF party workers would have ensured that the government fell. But fortunately, or unfortunately, the UDF leaders appear to be less violent and are using the situation more as ammunition for the forthcoming elections. And rightfully so.

After hartal tourism and responsible tourism, now its the turn of paddy-field tourism. Students from Virginia, USA, landed in Kerala for a hands-on experience of traditional cultivation in the paddy fields of Kerala. May be a good idea, just in case we need people to work in our farms since all our hard working farmers are on the verge of suicide and the other lot are busy with party work. But if you are a party man and you have crores of money to invest, then we have better options such as entertainment parks, resorts, and even a "health and recreation center". The CPI-M, after "the successful launch of an amusement park in Kannur", under the banner of the Perinthalmanna Co-operative Health and Recreation Centre, is opening a Rs.40 crore center in 6.5 acres of land.

It also looks like the soothsayer's prediction of doomsday is finally nearing. It appears that the global economic crisis is forcing back Keralites from across the world back home, in hordes, even as the great professor is still working on the math, with some good help from the Planning Commission to make the numbers. While the people in Kerala are themselves struggling for even basics like water (the infamous Japan Bank for International Co-operation drinking water project has ensured that theres plenty of water on the roads from broken pipelines, but none for drinking still!), electricity (increasing power tarrifs and incessant power cuts and its not even summer), and making ends meet, wonder what is in store for us in the coming years.

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