Hazare hat!

Enthralled with the suggestion of Hazare team member Kiren Bedi to approach all corrupt bureaucrats, I went to an office bearing the Hazare hat. To my surprise I saw every one was sitting with Hazare hat.


-K A Solaman

Karunanidhi fishes in troubled waters

In Tamil Nadu the death sentence against three convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case has become a matter of debate between Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and DMK chief M Karunanidhi. Jayalalithaa said that she did not have the powers to commute the death sentence of the three convicts, especially after the President of India had rejected their plea. On the other hand Karunanidhi now wants me save their lives. As the State Government has no powers under article 161 of the Constitution, Jayalalithaa seems more reasonable than Karunanidhi who wants to fish in troubled waters. It is not due to any Karunanidhi’s love towards the convicts, but to make a divide among people and thereby to gain political mileage. As Jayalalithaa rightly put it is Karunanidhi’s ridiculous drama.

Many Tamil leaders including Vijayakanth now speak for the lives of Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan. Where were these Samaritans when innocent people were brutally killed by these convicts?
K A Solaman

Craftiness of the king

As one expected the Devaprasanam at Sree Padmananabha temple, Thiruvananthapuram ended in the finding that it is quite inauspicious to open the B cellar of the temple. Possibly it is not because of any disaster that may likely to occur but of the reason that B cellar opens to the tunnel to Kowdiar palace, where the king and his family reside. Opposition leader Achuthanandan’s comment regarding theft by the temple custodian, namely the king, is a fact and about which comments made by NSS General Secretary Sukumaran Nair and Minister K C Joseph have no takers.

The significance of leaders like Achuthanandan becomes more relevant as there should be someone to expose the craftiness of the king and his men.

K A Solaman

Repulsive Valero

A channel ad in which a person featuring as a volley ball player abruptly opening the zip of his trousers to exhibit V –Star Valero underwear is objectionable and hence it should be banned immediately. Likewise is the advertisement of same company’s product V-star Vanessa brassier where a woman appearing with obnoxious gestures impressing that she is ready to get conceived from the person she talks about ‘butterfly’. I wonder these advertisements are from a company that is owned Kochauseph Chittalappally, a man known for noble gestures such as donating kidney for a good cause.
The advertisers as well as the channels airing the ads have violated requirements of the Cable Television Networks Rules. The frequent airing of obscene scenes as ads is culpable. The channels, especially the Malayalam ones never care the responsiveness of the viewers.
So, my request is, all these repulsive ads should be banned and channels violating the Networks Rules should be punished. And those in the Board censoring channel programmes should be replaced by men of morals.
K A Solaman
Deccan Chronicle Published, dated 24-8-11

Government should give up its conceit

Everyone now speaks about corruption, thanks to Anna Hazare for he being the one who brought the feeling against corruption among Indians. Hazare is now every Indian's hero. However I do not think that the corruption would end abruptly even if Lok Pal is passed in the Parliament. The people now speak against corruption are responsible for pathetic state of the country. The snail pace of all legal forums promoted rampant corruption.
Anna Hazare received immense hold because of two reasons. The UPA Government with its coalition parties have become the incarnation of corruption is the first reason. Secondly though corrupt in many approaches most people like to show others that they are against all corrupts. Hence they intentionally joined with Hazare.
The visual media endorsing Hazare also attracted many. Nevertheless, Hazare and company is not a substitute for elected Parliament. It is the people to decide who they elect to the Parliament. In the present system it is impossible to impede gluttonous persons from contesting elections. The Government should give up its conceit and make attempts settle the present imbroglio emerged by Hazare fasting.

K A Solaman

The PM should spot a way to end corruption

It has become a fashion to support Anna Hazare otherwise it would create a feeling that one is in favour of corruption. Hazare commenting that he has belief in Parliament but not in MPs, is incomprehensible. Does he mean that the Parliament is only the building made rock and cement? Lok Pal members sitting above the elected Prime Minister of India is unacceptable.

Hazare is an accepted true Gandhian. Likewise the UPA government contains a dozen or more Gandhians at its helm. These Gandhains including the Defence Minister not supporting a true Gandhian attempt to wipe out corruption is attention-grabbing. The PM says fasting unto death is not the way to end corruption. Then why can’t he point out one?
K A Solaman

Welcome verdict against self-financing managements

The Kerala High Court cancelling the entrance examination conducted by the self-financing managements for management seats is a welcome verdict The examination was not only transparent but an obvious attempt to admit mediocre students from influential families. The money is the only criterion for admission based on examination conducted by the self-financing college managements
However appeal and counter appeal may surface against the verdict The Government should prove its courage to contain the bad tactics of self financing college managements. More medical colleges should be started as pubic undertaking to admit more students from merit list.


K A Solaman

The flower, lamp and others

The father and the son

Yes, he arrived

The Mother and the son

Still waiting !

Under the 'Al Maram', waiting for their Dear to come

Who follows whom?

The way ends in a door !

Sita caught in Love Jihad!

Nayanatara

Diana Mariam Kurian








Love Jihad is not a phenomenon among Muslim friends. It is rampant among Hiindu brothers also. Top southern actress Nayanthara’s conversion from Christianity to Hinduism to marry her actor-director friend Prabhu Deva who divorced his Muslim wife Ramlet and abandoned two children is in this direction. The Arya Samaj,Chennai has done the job of rendering Gayathri Mantra and “Shudhi Kalasa” enabling Nayan to become the modern ‘Sita’.
Nevertheless, Ms Diana Mariam Kurian has no problem of Shudhi Karma or Gayathri rites if she ,in future, would like to return to her original religion where there is only a custom of spraying overhead one or two drops of holy water. And it is necessary only if she carry with her the certificate issued by Arya Samaj.
Unlike a few play back singers in Malayalam who pray in Parumala church and then do ‘homam’ in Sabarimala, it is better to embrace only one religion.

K A Solaman

Devaprasanam at Sree Padmanabha temple

It is very good to know the will of the reining deity of Sree Padmanabha temple by devaprasanam about stock taking of temple cellars. Besides it is highly significant to know whether deity is in favour of investigation so far done in the cellars. The followers of Sree Padmananabhan are eager to know the future disaster, if any that may likely to occur with the opening of the mysterious and the most valued B cellar. However, this devaprasanam should not end like one conducted in Sabarimalla years back by Unnikrishna Panicker who then saw in the prasanam that one woman had touched the deity. Later it was proved to be wrong.

Obviously, whether the expert panel constituted to evaluate the temple asset would stop their work on an adverse outcome of devaprasanam, is a curious question.


K A Solaman

‘ PM’ in Kerala CM's chair

It is a clear evidence of the poor security system in the Kerala Secretariat in general and CM’s office in particular that a stranger entered the chamber of Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and even managed to sit in his chair for some time before he was taken into custody. The man was mentally challenged, according to the police. The whole episode is a serious security lapse nevertheless the stance of CM not to blame the police seems interesting.

It is high time to impose strict restrictions on the visitors to secretariat and no one should be admitted without proper identification documents. Those who are responsible for the present security lapse should be immediately replaced by honest officers.

K A Solaman

Right to Service Act to be applied to Universities also

This year’s Independence Day, is an auspicious occasion not because it is the usual August 15 but it is the day for states like Punjab, Bihar, Kerala etc to implement the Right to Service Act. With this Act government officials who do not perform common man’s jobs within a stipulated timeframe will face a fine that can go up to Rs.5000. With the implementation of the Right to Service Act, people will no longer have to run around government offices to get their work done, it is learnt. The officials who do not do common the man’s work within a stipulated timeframe should be punished.

This move to hasten the delivery of services should not be restricted only in government offices but to be extended to corporations, boards, colleges and universities etc where salary is paid from government coffers. For instance, I have to point out that in establishments like Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, it takes a year or more for approving the posts of assistant professors duly recruited by statutory boards constituted by affiliated colleges for the purpose. The candidate and his/her parents have to run pillar to post to get the post approved by the University Syndicate. The Syndicate is often ruled by some academics with political sponsorship and those privileged ones with political backing get their jobs done by the Syndicate immediately. And those with no political support have to go finally to judicial forums for get the job done. The cases lost by the University and now pending in the High Court are indications of the callous act of the University Syndicate. There is none to pin down the corrupt officials and one hopes that the Right to Service Act possesses adequate teeth to contain the corrupt. And in that case amount of fine should be enhanced from Rs 5000 along with sending the corrupt officials to prison.

I hope the Right to Service Act would be a big relief to people who run from pillar to post and are forced to pay bribes to get their work done in government offices.

K A Solaman
Deccan Chronicle published on 8 Aug 2011

Godse was not RSS activist.

It is history that Nathuram Vinayak Godse from the city of Pune, was the assassin of Mohandas Gandhi. Along with his brother Gopal Godse and six other co-conspirators, he executed a plot to assassinate Gandhi. Godse was an activist with the Hindu Mahasabha and there is no evidence available for the popularized claim that he was a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activist. Godse et al were particularly opposed to the separatist politics of the All India Muslim League.

The Hindu Mahasabha in which Godse was a member, was vilified and alleging connection with it the RSS was temporarily banned. However, investigators could find no evidence that the RSS bureaucracy had formally sponsored or even knew of Godse's plot. The RSS ban was lifted by Prime Minister Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in 1949. The RSS to this day denies any connection with Godse, and disputes the claim that he was a member.

So, in this connection what the former Supreme Court judge Justice KT Thomas said about RSS is correct. Nevertheless, Thomas keeps the habit of indulging in controversies that one never espects from a retired Supreme Court judge. There is no need, at present, to praise the RSS by invoking a controversial subject like Gandhi assassination as it would not yield any new result. Kerala State Congress president Ramesh Chennithala protesting the statement of Thomas is only a political gesture to show that he is a true Gandhian and a pure secularist. When Chennithala asks Thomas to provide proof for his statement in favour of RSS he can also provide proof for Gandhi assassination by the RSS.

Modern Gandhians are to speak only and not to act.

K A Solaman

Treasure hunt

The secured asset of Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple has become insecure with the opening-up of the vaults. It would be difficult for the government of Kerala to protect this treasure. Two teams of armed police personnel were deployed to provide security. It is natural that the wealth would attract covetous eyes. The Supreme Court should decide the matter of the wealth’s ownership and guardianship really fast. It is unwise of the Kerala government to beef up security inside the temple by spending heavily from the state exchequer. The Supreme Court, which had ordained the assessment of the treasure, should give orders for its protection keeping in mind the interests of the people. The wealth would be well utilized if it is used for the development of the country.

K.A. Solaman,

Parting shot

Rubber growers in the eastern belt in Kerala lead a comfortable life. Even a small farmer with ten rubber trees earns a good amount of money. On the other hand, coconut growers, coir workers and fishermen are leading miserable lives. Any threat to rubber growers hurts the government more than the Opposition.

However, the decision by the Centre to import 40,000 tonnes of rubber is likely to bring down prices. The move will benefit common people as rubber tyres are in great demand all over the state. The government should contemplate steps to stop the exploitation by tyre companies.

K.A. Solaman
The Telegrpah, Kolkatta 25 July 2011

Idle talk

The recent visit of the Pakistani foreign minister, Hina Rabbani Khar, may go a long way in reducing the ‘trust deficit’ between India and Pakistan. The 37-year-old Khar, who is also a mother of two, won the hearts of all Indians with her charm and beauty. This easing of tensions could indeed help build a “relationship of mutually beneficial cooperation in conformity with the determination of the people of both countries to see an end to terrorism and violence”.

However, the prime minister, Manmohan Singh, must be careful so as not to be sidetracked from arriving at vital decisions concerning Indo-Pak relations. Talks between the two countries, although full of expressions of goodwill, cannot be allowed to continue indefinitely.
K.A. Solaman, Alappuzha, Kerala
The Telegraph, Kolkata Aug 2, 2011

Morality haunts Kerala CPM

It is the time of heavy downpour of sex scandals in the Kerala CPM. The Ernakulam district secretary of the party Gopi Kottamurikkal has been removed from the party in the name of iniquity to women. And it was on July 3 the party had expelled former Kannur district secretary for sexual harassment against women. In Kerala sex has become a hot subject among party bigwigs. The chairman of both committees constituted to enquire about the sex scandal is LDF Convener Vaikom Viswan. And if this trend prolongs Viswan would get little time to do his job as LDF convener and the Central Committee member of the party.

Interestingly the enquiry committee of the three constituted for the purpose often contains a woman member. Last time it was P K Sreemathy, however she relinquished her assignment and now it is M C Josephine’s turn. Whether Josephine would complete this job or not is a pertinent question because questions that are to be placed before the culprits are often nasty and no respectable woman could proceed asking such questions.

And for one thing Kerala CPM is far better than the ruling Congress party. The Congress leaders in Kerala are seen wonder-stricken not at the acts of Kottamurikkal or Sasi but the ways in which CPM is inquiring the matter. In Congress sexual abuse is an added attraction for a leader and such a leader often becomes a Governor or a cabinet minister.

The once staunch supporter of Achuthanandan, abruptly turning as the Pinrayi adherent is the root cause of the entire episode.

K A Solaman