Pakistan love jihad.

Love has no barriers and it is blind. The advocates of ‘eternal love’ could rejoice now.  The magic of blind love is inexplicable, otherwise, the handsome young Bilawal, the future Pakistan premier, aged 24 , will not  fall  in love with a 35 years old, mother of two daughters, Hina Rabbani Khar, Pakistan Foreign Minister.

 Though it is purely a Pakistan affair, we Indians are much interested in it not only because of our foreign minister S M Krishna’s bilateral exchange with Khar but of the enthusiasm we always show in India-Pakistan cricket match. The Khar-Bilawal love affair is a sufficient tool for the mind set for those who hate older woman marrying young man.

Let the women have an upper hand and they decide matters for a better world.

K A Solaman

K A Solaman Blog: This State is not for the poor.

K A Solaman Blog: This State is not for the poor.

This State is not for the poor.

Any rise in the price of diesel or petrol will certainly raise the price of essential commodities. However, in Kerala price raise of commodities is beyond any proportion. The ineptness of the state government is very much evident in checking the unfair price rise.

The State of Kerala depends on other states for every item of daily use. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh may have his justifications for the hike in the price of diesel but prices of essential commodities are soaring at unprecedented rates. Can one justify Rs 12 hike for one kg rice when there is only Rs 5 hike for one litre diesel?

 Prices of all essential commodities have gone up in Kerala by up to 40 percent since September 14, the day the diesel price hike came into force. The traders, who seek protection from common people against the impact of FDI in retail market, have cunningly manipulated market conditions.  The Congress-led UDF Government in the State in collusion with these deceitful traders did nothing to control the sudden surge in prices. The ministers like Arayadan, and K C Joseph have made it an occasion to hike prices of electricity and milk from Milma. Bus tickets also cost more in the immediate future.

The State has been turned into a land for the rich where the ordinary and poor are to bear the brunt of tough measures by the Centre. The State rulers are mere spectators having  no control over devious traders and bus-lorry owners.  

K A Solaman 

Hassan-Isaac war.

The ugly spat going over Janasree and Kudumbasree can be rightly put as Hassan-Isaac war. Janasree Chairman M M Hassan alleges that former minister T M Thomas Isaac is spreading false news against Janasree Mission to tarnish his image. He also alleges that Kudumbasree schemes organised by Isaac and coterie are nothing but farce. All the Isaac’s projects in Mararikulam are not at all functioning now according to Hassan and that is a truth. The PDS instituted by the blessing of Isaac under the chairmanship S N College professor T Pradeep is on the verge of collapse as the local co-operative bank has sent notice for payment of dues in tune with Rs 5 lakh.

On the other hand Thomas Isaac argues that Kudumbasree mission is the only sustainable project and Janasree is formed to slay Kudumbasree.

Whatever it maybe, people believe that Kudumbasree is the project intended to help comrades and Janasree to assist Congress men. More specifically Kudumbasree is to attract women for Marxist party procession in red ‘set sari’ and Janasree to align women in green set sari.  In both missions poltiticians divert plan fund for their personal gains and that is what one see in the inept implementation of projects undertaken by both Janasree and Kudumbasree. Growth of Janasree is obviously due to misappropriation funds in Kudumbasree and acute politicisation of its projects.

K A Solaman 

Nothing serious

The TMC pullout of the Congress-led ruling coalition, tilting the govt into a minority, is nothing much serious. Mamta and her TMC could come back to coalition at any time, the past story tells so. It is not for the first time the UPA 2  have came with anti-people policies and in all the occasions, after an initial protest, Mamta reaffirmed her faith in the coalition. And that is after getting a lush package for her government from the Centre. This time also, one expects, Mamta will return after discussion with UPA chair person Sonia Gandhi.

It is to be stated that decision of the Central Government to raise diesel price and open India's supermarket sector to investment from foreign chains are out and out anti-people. The prices of essential commodities have increased 15-20 percent with the diesel price hike. The price hike would not come down even if the diesel price is fully or partly withdrawn.

The question that whether the government survive or not is meaningless as there are several regional parties ready to fish in troubled waters. The support to Congress by Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP) is not based on any national interest but on personal gains.

K A Solaman

Emerging Kerala dud.

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The preceding GIM organised by the Kerala Government was a dud. Likewise the present “Emerging Kerala 2012”. What has emerged in the whole meet is the greed of some politicians and stupidity of some bureaucrats.  They all want to sell the whole land of Kerala to multinationals for a throwaway price.

Disgraces emerged in the Emerging Kerala meet is beyond any proportion. The latest controversy concerns the claim of the Government that Volkswagen India had presented a proposal at the meet for setting up a Rs 2,000-crore engine assembly unit in Kochi. It was summarily rejected by Volkswagen Spokesman.

Another interesting thing that emerged in the meet is the foolhardiness of Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia. He asked all Keralites to abandon paddy fields and convert them into industrial houses. For people like  Ahluwalia with specially made turbans paddy is immaterial as they eat only wheat.

There is much confusion about the proposals worth 40,000crore evolved in the meet. The CM or the Industries minister is not able give a clear picture about its outcome. What is clear is, huge amount that is lavishly spent for organising this drivel meet. The Opposition has taken a wise decision by boycotting the meet. Their credibility stands high with Ahluwalia’s theory that Kerala need not focus on food security and PM’s five finger gesture of hiking diesel price by Rs five on leaving the venue after inaugurating the meet.

K A Solaman

Spoilsport by SCERT

It is reported that the education department has decided to implement an open book on demand online examination style for higher secondary students. The SCERT recommended a complete change in syllabus along with conduct of examination and valuation. SCERT opts for OMR examination style with multiple choice questions.

The multiple-choice question model examination is just blind man’s throw on a mango tree and occasionally he gets one or two.  A teacher of medical science recently told me that many students admitted to MBBS are below average because they passed the medical entrance test only by sheer luck at OMR tests. Some of the students admitted do not even know to write a passage correctly. The advocates of multiple-choice question model of entrance test may argue that medical education needs no passage writing. And for them medical education is just a bubble shading with blank ink!

According to the report, students must evaluate teachers too. This, of course, is now happening many schools where teachers are manhandled by students with political sponsors from outside. And in future if a teacher is unpopular among students’ political outfit he would get a low grade.

    

The SCERT wants to reduce strain of students and to lessen the burden of higher secondary examination. Why can’t this be extended to medical entrance examination and Bank/PSCtests too? To give least strain and equal opportunity to all-that is the right choice. Is n’t it.?

K A Solaman 

The River

The flowers

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K A Solaman Blog: Status study of Thiruvananthapuram women

K A Solaman Blog: Status study of Thiruvananthapuram women: Priests, particularly Catholic priests, are a class who are drilled fiercely a decade or more by keeping them on knees to view e...

Status study of Thiruvananthapuram women

Priests, particularly Catholic priests, are a class who are drilled fiercely a decade or more by keeping them on knees to view everything so unwearyingly that they could even laugh loudly at funerals and suppurate silently at weddings.   The Status study of Kerala women fish vendors done by the Catholic priest S. Ignatius tells a story in this line.

The priest S Ignatius, the secretary of TSSS (Trivandrum Social Service Society) in his study found that among women fish vendors in the State capital sexuality remained a taboo topic, and discussion of sexuality within families does not happen. According to him these women remain largely ignorant of different options for contraception and have poor sexual hygiene. Menstruation is considered impure and not even discussed, so adolescent girls grow up with little knowledge of their own bodies. More interesting findings are: only 24 percent of the women in the study could tell what happened to the female body during menstruation and only eight percent of the women used sanitary pads. Barely 21 percent of the women understand sexuality before they were married.

There is a character called “Kurathi Kalyani” in S L Puram Sadanandan’s fames drama “ Kattukuthira”. Kalyani tells: “when she needs sex she would fume some oyster (kakka) and breathe in the burn”.  As the topic of study of father Ignatius is interesting he will be the most sort person for several invited talks on status study of Thiruvananthapuram women.  Unquestionably the Catholic priests practising celibacy need a way out for their sexual urge.

K A Solaman 

Adieu to the great entrepreneur!

The man who revolutionised the milk industry in India is no more. The 10 million farmers and millions of Amul users are indebted to V Kurien, the father of White Revolution. He was a man of vision and breath of imagination.
The Amul pattern of co-operative societies became a success and it was replicated throughout in Gujarat. It was a model to all milk societies in India. Kurien will be remembered for his contribution to the milk industry. Adieu to the great entrepreneur!

K A Solaman

The Punjab model

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The Punjab Government has asked all its departments to pre-maturely retire the corrupt and inefficient officers to provide a clean and transparent administration. Why can’t the same rule be extended to Kerala too?
Many of the government offices in Kerala are doing little or no work, indicated by the heaps of files pending on the tables of ‘babus’.
They give lame excuses for non-performance. A thorough review of the work record of these employees should be done. Since officials are reluctant to do their duty on time, the ministers interfere and often land up in trouble oblivious of the rules and facts. It is finally the court that rectifies the failing. The intervention of the judiciary in day-to-day matters of the government points out at the inefficacy of the bureaucracy.

K A SOLAMAN, Alappuzha, Kerala.
The Tribune, Sept 5, 2012

Put the phone in Manmohan Singh mode.

Most people of India do not have the habit of reading more than two dailies. And if one keeps a taste of reading more than a dozen a day he will satisfy with New York Times from America and the Tele graph from London. The Washington Post or Asian Age may not be a selection for an august reader. The PMO office in India has made it a big business by compelling all Indians to read the Washington Post. And that all started with an article published in the Post against Indian PM Dr Manmohan Singh.

Whether or not Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is a sad figure, it is not the concern of Americans. It is the concern of Indians. In India itself there is harsh criticism against the PM about 2G scam, Coal gate and what else. He is the subject matter of offensive articles and   crude poems. For instance in a poem by Kerala’s former Co-operation Minister G Sudhakaran, the PM has been ridiculed much. Mr. Sudhakaran has, of course, written a more vulgar poem about US President Barrack Obama  titled  “Who are you Obama?”. Nevertheless,  none from the US is seen worried about the humiliation done to Obama by Sudhakaran’s poem published in a Malayalam daily.

The man in the Washington post who wrote the article about Manmohan Singh may not be a person of  high esteem. He is  just a column writer and then why the PMO office makes it a big issue. The profile published by the Post said the prime minister's image of a 'scrupulously honorable, humble and intellectual technocrat' had turned into one who is 'a dithering, ineffectual bureaucrat presiding over a deeply corrupt government'.  This observation is apparently true as corruption in the country is far beyond any reckon.

It is better for PMO office to keep their mobile phones on 'Manmohan Singh mode',  that is, on  the silent mode. There is no need for much hullaballoo about the article in the Washington Post.
K A Solaman

K A Solaman Blog: Karuthamma to the last resort!

K A Solaman Blog: Karuthamma to the last resort!: Entry into the “last resort of a scoundrel” is a tough task for a person especially a woman celebrity at 70. This I say not...

Karuthamma to the last resort!

Entry into the “last resort of a scoundrel” is a tough task for a person especially a woman celebrity at 70. This I say not because of the task of appointing a person to accompany her with bottle of ayurvedic emulsion to use at knee pain but of of the difficulty in tackling the crowd she attracts. “Karuthamma”  is still a heart throb for “sixty plus youths”.

The veteran actress Sheela has thrilled not only the Defence Minister of the country but all Keralaites with her decision to join Congress. Certainly her choice is good as she could, at least, save her life even if she abandons the party. Some other political parties in Kerala never tolerate when its member leaves the party discontented.

When Sheela visited his home the Defence Minister might have delighted much and cherished those hassle-free days in Thiruvananthapuram where he and his disciple Cherian Philip roamed from theatre to theatre watching Sheela and Nazir “tree orbiting” on the silver screen.

Sheela  holds the world record for acting as the leading lady of Malayalam "evergreen hero" Prem Nazir in the maximum number of films (110), and now she needs to do something for the people, especially for women. Nevertheless, her attempt to save the boozers of the State would reach nowhere as the Government itself survives on the 6000 crore collected as tax over liquor sale. Again, whatever may be her contribution to culture and politics, the stalwarts of the Congress like Sobhana George, Padmaja and  Sindhu Joy  are not ready to discount it. The Youth Congress Men will not allow Sobhana, Padmaja and Sindhu to sacrifice themselves for the seventy plus old lady. Sheela will be always under these ladies.

-K A Solaman