Pollution-free India

When Union Road Transport. and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari says 'clean, pollution- free India be a priority now' he intends only automobile pollution. Other sources of pollution are immaterial to any minister.

In Kerala in the months of November and December, all temples and other worship places produce high sound pollution but none is bothered to check despite a number of court orders. The entire National Highway sides are occupied by fish and meat vendors polluting the entire street and they posing traffic threat, is not at all a problem for authorities. Latrine wastes are dumped on road sides violating all the rules relating pollution control. House boat wastes along with waste oil thrown into back waters make it difficult for water organisms to survive. The local self government bodies that are bound to keep the environment clean do nothing to control pollution.

So it is high time to act judiciously on checking all sorts of pollution

K A Solaman

K A Solaman Blog: Equity investment

K A Solaman Blog: Equity investment: No doubt, the equity growth in the country is abysmally low. The reason is not alone the lack of interest among investors but the she...

Equity investment

No doubt, the equity growth in the country is abysmally low. The reason is not alone the lack of interest among investors but the sheer uncertainty prevailing in the market. Out of the 60000 plus company shares only 100 to 200 shares are traded in stock markets. Majority of the shares are in dormant state and some companies even  do not exist. There is no check to control the fraudulent   promoters of certain non-existing companies.

Unless and until some thing is done by the government to check investors' loss the stock market would continue as the foul play turf of  foreign market players where the net losers are average Indian investors. It is time to make equity investment trustworthy. 

K A Solaman

Naidu is wrong

Parliamentary affairs minister Venkaiah Naidu saying that "all country men want  a Ram Mandir in Ayodhya" is wrong . It is only  VHP members and a few hard core Hindus wish in this direction. Ram Temple is a bone of contention in the country and any thoughtless act to construct the temple  would make BJP rule murckiyar. The VHP plan of gathering stones for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya is likely to turn out as a threat to the communal fabric of the country.

Any action to support the act of VHP would become detrimental to the  the nation.

-K A Solaman

Cherian Philip’s betrayal

Marxist sympathiser and former Congress leader Cherian Philip seeking pardon for his involvement in the  bringing down of  veteran Congress leader K Karunakaran as the Chief Minister of Kerala in 1994,  is only an attempt to get media attention. Cherian, of late, with his Face Book posts target many leaders of the Congress party but none are bothered to attend him. For Congress party  Cherian is a wayward boy now doing kitchen work in certain strong  Left households to get a berth in the next Assembly election. In the last election his somersault to get a berth in Assembly with the assistance of LDF misfired.

If Cherian is to continue his betrayal stories he has to tell more and the most significant is his betrayal of  A K Antntony, his mentor. In each back stab of Cherian, Antony might have remembered the innumerable black teas and cinema tickets he brought for when Cherian was the orderly of him..Of course for Antony, Cherian is an epitome of betrayal and sheer discontentment.

K A Solaman

New Formula

 Pollution in and around Delhi is a serious problem. But the state government's decision to permit only even and odd numbered cars to ply on alternate days is illogical. This would persuade people to buy another car, resulting in a minimum of two cars in every household. What the government needs to do is to build a robust public transport system. Banning cars that are more than 15 years old is not enough. Instead, strict pollution checks should be instituted. The NGT's decision of banning the registration of new and 10-year-old diesel vehicles is a step in the right direction. School and college students should be asked to use bicycles instead of motor vehicles. In certain Indian Institute of Technology campuses, even professors are known to use bicycles, which is praiseworthy.

Yours faithfully,

K.A. Solaman,

Alappuzha, Kerala
The Telegraph, Calcutta dated 16-12-15

Uninvite row

The otherwise happy first time visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Kerala has been made cheerless by SNDP Yogom Secretary Vellappally Natesan. He flouted the protocol by withdrawing invitation to the Chief Minister of Kerala for the function Modi to inaugurate. The whole episode may not be with the knowledge of the PM for he may have no displeasure to share the dias with the CM.

The whole controversy created by Vellappally has become a topic of discussion about the prospects of BJP in Kerala but seemingly Vellappally would become a thorn in the flesh for BJP in the immediate future.

-K A Solaman

Butterfly!

Needs good advisers

SNDP Yogom secretary Vellappally Natesan needs good advisers as his present outbursts are unbecoming of a person who leads an organisation that preaches "One caste, One religion and One God" for all world generations. His latest adventure to ridicule Kerala CM Oommen Chandy has boomeranged. It is unwise in a State to organise a function for PM of India , private or public, with out the presence of it's Chief Minister. This sort of thoughtless act will not be permitted in states like TN, Bengal, UP or Odisha. It is also the responsibility of PM to avoid such functions which augment communal hatred.

The creative action against "intolerance" can be performed not only through discussion but also through action.
K A Solaman

Lost glitter

Man's craze for yellow metal is well known. Women folks of Kerala and elsewhere are addicted to gold. They often think that the secret of their beauty is gold ornaments. Since then gold has become the criterion to show one's wealth women with huge possession of gold ornaments are centres of attraction for many in wedding like functions. Exploiting the addiction of women, the merchants in Kerala, Dubai etc had made a huge profit by way selling gold. Mushroomed gold showrooms in and around the country indicate huge profit earned by merchants of gold business.

In this back drop the bullion prices falling sharply in the domestic markets is a welcome gesture. If gold is available at a throwaway prize none would pay heavily in gold market and no woman dare to wear gold ornament. They will shift to diamond and platinum and that too will end up in later misery.

Gold merchants making huge profit by selling and buying gold have to sort out some other means to maintain their profit. World countries investing in gold would search for other options to maintain their financial stability.

K A Solaman

Possible disaster

It is interesting to see that RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan and his company are going to change the governance process of the banks. As the bank stocks have plummeted to their bottom some sort of action is highly necessary. Nevertheless, if the past work of Rajan is taken into account it is unlikely for the banks to gain any thing substantially in the immediate future.

Presently NPA resulted from bad loans took the banks to such a deplorable bottom. Unless action is taken against those officials who are responsible, issue of bad loans would continue and the banks would nosedive to imminent disaster.

-K A Solaman

Communal malvirus

The attack of communal malvirus is in its culmination in the state as the SNDP Yogam secretary started spitting venom with his 'Munnetta yathra'. I wonder why the people of Kerala have not yet entered into a communal revolt by this time.

It is the left and right political parties of Kerala that had given such a huge dimension to Vellappally. All political leaders who queued before Vellapally's house for his ' karimeen fry' hospitality are responsible for this present imbroglio. The police case registered against Vellappally would give him more exposure and the case would end up now where. All paid TV Channels will give necessary boost to Vellappally.

In fact, a never mind attitude would have resulted Vellappally to nothing , nevertheless the politicians and channels are determined to make him a great crusader.

K A Solaman

Karunya robbery

Though temple worshippers hereinafter will not have any contribution to Karunya benevolence fund as the court has banned selling lottery tickets within the walls of the temples, the fund was of great help to the poor patients admitted in several hospitals across the State. Nevertheless, this much appraised  health scheme has now became more like a drop out, hospitals which came under the scheme are now facing a large financial crisis. The Government failed to give the amount to hospitals and the due money range from Rs10 Lakhs to two Crores.The scheme is now temporarily stopped.

As an alternative it is learnt that the  management of this fund has been transferred to Tata Consultancy Service by the government. Though there is no doubt about the efficacy of TCS it is highly objectionable to transfer a huge chunk of public begged money as the service charge of Tata company. The need of too many staff under lottery department also comes index question then.

-K A Solaman

Growing intolerance

PM Narendra Modi  opening doors to Opposition Congress  for a talk on growing intolerance in the country is a welcome gesture. What is to be checked first is the stopping of unwarranted outbursts  by low profile leaders of BJP like Niranjan Joshi and others. A timely intervention by the PM might have lessened the tension but  with his busy schedule abroad he finds little time for it.

Film actors Sharukh Khan or Amir Khan had not experienced any sort of intolerance in the country as their  cinemas are well accepted by people of all religions. Every Indian citizen have the right to live in India peacefully and any  VHP/BJP leader asking someone to go to Pakistan is an act of intolerance. This must be checked immediately.

K A Solaman

Hate practice by saffron Sadhvi

Cow mad leaders of BJP have not stopped spitting venom. “There are a lot of things to eat in this country apart from cow and it is the duty of the state governments to ban cow slaughter" said Union minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti. Undoubtedly the saffron cladded ministers have become a big liability to the Modi government and unless their words are not checked by the Prime Minister, intolerance in the country would grow beyond any proportion.  There is no country other than India in the world where cow stands higher than man and this perversion augmented since the inception of Modi government.

It is good if we all stand for the fair treatment of animals but this is something that relates to religion. Or they would have banned meat products other than beef too. Hindus of some parts of country worship cow and hence oppose cow slaughter. And if this logic is applied to rat they should ban rat poison also. There are many who worship rat, the vehicle of Lord Ganesh and hence anyone in possession of rat poison should be jailed.

It is to be remembered India is a multiracial country and its people have different needs. Hence it is imprudent to follow the orders so called go-matha worshipers. By banning beef and beef products, those poor millions suffering from malnutrition are denied inexpensive food supplements. Worship of cow is in fact a hate practice towards beef-eaters.

K A Solaman

Artistic freedom

Artistic freedom for government staff and aided school teachers is unwarranted. They being the part of the government often coming against it with their artistic creation such as book, painting or Face book posting is quite obnoxious and should be curtailed. 

It is often seen that even police officers who are supposed to be more disciplined among government staff appear in Facebook criticising the ministers and their superior officers. This is ridiculous as it marks grave indiscipline with in the police force.

Any action by government to check what is called artistic freedom of government staff is not an infringement on the right of the citizen but an action to protect the necessary discipline among such staff.

-K A Solaman

Delayed justice

Justice delayed is justice denied. The slow pace of Indian courts has augmented delayed justice. Ordinary people are fed with courts as it takes a dozen or more years to settle a case. This is not because the dearth of judges alone but due to plethora of cases related to political bribery. When political cases are given importance it would naturally take many years for settling ordinary cases. So, what is needed is: resolve. cases based date of admission and not based on what is called 'importance'

Interestingly K M Mani, who was resigned recently as Kerala Finance and Law minister said that he didn't get the deserved justice. If this is the plight of a State Law minister, imagine the state of ordinary people running pillar to post to get resolved their grievance.

K A Solaman

Paris terror attack

Heinous terror attack in the Paris concert hall killing over 128 people and injuring more than 180 is highly condemnable. As the Pontiff said it is an attack on humanity and a peace meal of World War III.
Paris tragedy requires world powers to join hand immediately to wipe out terrorism of IS. It is the prime responsibility of all rulers to avert further blood baths of terrorism in future.

K A Solaman

Punish the trouble makers

Celebrations over election victory cross all limits. Death of a boy in Malappuram is a pointer in this regard. Exploding high decibel dynamite and thereby damaging the hearing ability of little ones, disturbing the tranquil mindset of elders damaging buildings etc, are crimes to be punished. And for this no specific complaint is needed. The police and other authorities could take suo motto case against these criminals for making nuisance in the thoroughfare.

K A Solaman

The Twenty 20 victory

The Twenty 20 victory at Kizhakkambalam Panchayat in Kerala is a historic one. Though it may be described as a rare phenomenon it is an eye-opener to the three fronts in Kerala. The Twenty 20 self help group has secured a thumbing margin of 17 seats out of19.

A monthly payment to the elected members and the right to call them back if found useless, are good gestures to be followed by various political parties in Kerala. Let Twenty 20 to work as a leading light to correct all corrupt members of various political parties

K A Solaman

Truth remains

It is very interesting to know how voters of Kerala think. For instance look at the failure of the daughter of Kerala's most popular Chief Minister E K  Nayanar and the victory of Karayi duo. Nayanar's daughter Usha lost to her rival in Ravipuram ward of Kochi Corporation while Karayi Rajan and Karayi Chandrasekharan who are accused in the Fasal murder case, came successful in their respective constituencies in Kannur. Karayis are acquitted by the peoples' court and  now it is the turn  of judicial court to to confirm it. However , the brutal killing of Fasal remains as a sad truth.

K A Solaman

Poll debacle

Bar bribery case, communal polarisation, price rise, corruption etc are not  necessarily the  reasons for the debacle of the UDF in the LSG poll in Kerala. It is mainly due to the highway robbery of vehicle owners by the police and the transport authorities.
For quite long imposing high penalty on vehicle owners to cater the need of money was the habit of state government. For this they deployed police force , mobile courts ,  vehicle inspectors and who else for extracting money from ordinary public. Helmet hunt has become notorious and for this several police squads were in action as if there were no other duty for the police.

Of late, every house hold in Kerala owns a two wheeler and every two wheeler owner once or many times has undergone police high handedness. The feedback from  these people might have resulted in the  debacle of UDF.  If the government is again to continue this loot their failure in the coming Assembly poll is not unlikely 

Fair sex, less corruption

Women get less representation in Kerala Assembly and in Parliament. The state of Kerala where 1000 men have 1085 women has shown scant regard to women regarding representation to state assembly. It is unfortunate to see that women have only a small representation in Kerala Assembly. Gender equality is only a slogan suited for non- implementation. Women organizations in the state are also responsible for this pitiable situation. However, this is compensated in Local Self Government bodies.

Unlike men, women representatives would work more for villagers for the well-being of all and not for a particular group of people in the village. They would work honestly and be able to devote time to thework. The sense of responsibility is more in women A woman head in a Panchayat would ensure fair andtimely distribution of pension for widows and old people, and scholarships for students belonging to scheduled castes. In certain cases the work a woman can accomplish, men cannot.

Moreover, female politicians are less likely than their male counterparts to engage in corruption, and more likely to disapprove of it when they see it. A study says that In democratic countries with generally low levels of corruption, women are less likely to be corrupt and less likely to tolerate corruption than male politicos. The effect, however, does not hold up in countries where corruption is endemic and of course in India corruption is not endemic. In less corrupt countries, recruiting more women into public service may indeed decrease overall corruption

K A Solaman

Lost hope!

India is not investor friendly. It is very much evident from the lack of interest in stock market shown  by average investors. All low strata investors including pensioners who invested in stock market  lost their money.

More hopeless is the bank shares. All bank shares are at their bottom still people fear to invest in them on the assumption that the banks are tending to extinction. The BSE share index 26700 is a manipulated one to hoodwink the investors. BSE often change the index shares to keep this number always projected and if the index is calculated now on the basis of index shares of ten or fifteen years back it will be below10000.

The hope that investors had when Narendra Modi sworn in as PM of India does not exist now.

K A Solaman 

Castration unscientific.

It is true that sex abuse has no place in a civilised society. As a way to check this  crime castration of the abusers is one of the many options.   If testosterone levels and consequently men's libidos are the reasons for the psychological unevenness of abusers it can be lowered through surgically removing a man's testicles or treating him with drugs. For that reason, castration has been used by psychiatrists and mandated by various countries to treat sex offenders. Nevertheless castration - physical or chemical - does not guarantee that a man will forever be sexually dysfunctional or that he won't again commit rape. Medical studies reveal that a person  can be castrated and still he have an intact organ. Most testosterone is produced by the testes, but some is made in the adrenal glands.                                 Moreover, men who take testosterone, through pills or injections, could easily restore natural levels of the hormone allowing them to have sex despite their lack of testicles.  A 2005 study printed in the Journal of the American Academy of Psychology and the Law, found that up to 10 percent of sexual offenders who are surgically castrated repeat their crime. Forensic psychiatrists are of split opinion as to whether chemical castration is a successful treatment for sex offenders.Castrated offenders can and do offend again. So castration - chemical or surgical - is not a good way of responding to sexual behaviour and for that reason one cannot fully agree with Justice N Kirubakaran. What is actually needed is medical treatment of personality disorder that leads to rape and sexual abuse. Lack of education in some sections of the society is also a reason for sex related crimes. K A Solaman

Oommen Chandy for next term?

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy seems to think that his rule is corruption free and the people of Kerala are happy for a continuation of his rule for the next term too. Perhaps, he has been helped in reaching this faulty conclusion by the labour of kind sycophants and fawning political parties for whom his rule was advantageous. But at least the Court and innumerable inquiry commissions do not appear to be amused by his ways and has been asking probing questions. First is, his infamous involvement in Solar scam. Next comes the Vizhinjam tender. And also, fingers are being pointed at his and his minister Babu’s involvement in Bar bribe case.

For the layman, Chandy’s rule is a classic example of utter waste of taxpayers’ money in an erratic ruler’s weakness for winning praise and influencing people when electoral diminishing returns have set in. The public distribution system has paralysed and the educated youths have become desperate because of no opportunity. The school-college education is in total dismay. There are suffering millions in the state where development has yet to register.

The courts are bound to ask questions about the sheer wastage of public money. The Dalits are not happy as communal outfits have spread their tentacles. What a pity if the voters of the State are again planning to extend Chandy’s misrule.

K A Solaman

Insult to womanhood

The Malayalam News Channels are eagerly waiting for nasty subjects for their 9’o clock discussion to woo sex lynched viewers. Former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee secretary and now a ferocious CPM comrade Cherian Philip’s comment that "several women have disrobed themselves in secret and won seats in the Congress in the past" is one in this direction. Cherian Philip, since from his relinquishment from Congress party, keeps the habit of insulting A K Antony, his mentor, but Antony never criticised this fellow. Cherian, therefore, deserved an all-round condemnation and that is accomplished by his latest comment.

In fact Cherian Philip’s comment is an insult to womanhood which could not become defunct with an outright apology. Somebody makes a statement from personal knowledge and everybody is prepared to forgive him if he merely withdraws that statement, seems funny. And more funny is Pinarayi correcting VS for latter’s condemnation of Cherian’s statement. In Cherian Philip’s view, if everything is rotten in Congress, the situation is not different in his present party.

K A Solaman

From the Collections of S L Puram Anand

Waterfall

Stupid statement

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said “Muslims can continue to live in this country, but they will have to give up eating beef because the cow is an article of faith here”. This is sheer non-sense and is equivalent to saying “Hindus can live in this country, but they will have to give up drinking cow milk”.

The Chief Ministers of the country should be a little more reasonable to avoid such baseless statements. On cultural and ritual matters one could not make commands, likewise on food habits. The statement made by minister is aimed at vote bank of Hindus. The CM of Haryana should find time to read the provisions  in constitution of India before making further stupid statements. He should also understand that beef is red meat and it is not only of cow but that of buffaloes and bullocks too.

K A Solaman

Ban Shiv Sena

 

Shiv Sena is a party in Maharashtra, which is to be banned. They have mismanaged many issues. The recent attack on Sudhindra Kulkarni was totally uncalled for and reprehensible.  Shiv Sena is controlled by one family viz, Thackare family and alliance of BJP with Shiv Sena is a farce.

Former Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani condemning the attack on Sudheendra Kulkarni is in the right direction. The attack on Mr. Kulkarni attracted all-round condemnation from political parties. Congress spokesperson said it was the “manifestation of the larger malice of intolerance and suppression of voices at whim’. The Aam Aadmi Party termed the Shiv Sena as “the Indian Taliban.”.

So to avoid further turmoil it is high time check the activities of Shiv Sena inMumbai and elsewhere by the Union Government.

K A Solaman
The Hindu Business Lines Oct 15, 2015 Published

Returning honour

Returning the awards they received earlier is the latest trend among writers having left incline. These writers include Sachithanandan, Sara Joseph, P J Parakkadavu and others who were known for the ideology they followed. The reason for returning award is very simple like failure of duty of Sahitya Academy and the Government to stand with writers and uphold the freedom of expression. They are very much annoyed with the brutal killing of Kalburgi, the rationalist.

Where were these writers when Babri Masjid was demolished by Saffron cadres?

India is a little larger country and hence killing of persons for eating beef might have occurred in plenty in the past in some corners of the country but the present incidence in UP received such a dimension due to the media explosion. The sudden rise of saffron forces also indicates the miserable failure of so-called secular parties and their sponsored writers. So there is nothing significant in returning award after enjoying the benefit of it all these time. More over a cash award of Rs 50000 in 1995 is worth Rs Eight lakh now. Then it is a joke to return the original sum of Rs 50000 only.

K A Solaman

Not a mistake Mr Antony.

Now it is election time in Kerala, hence Congress leader A.K. Antony started opening his mouth. This time he bemoans ban on student politics in Kerala. For him, “it is a big mistake to ban student politics. Instead of political organisations, caste and religious organisations have taken hold of school and college campuses”, he said, adding that there was a tendency to inject caste and religious psychosis into the tender minds of students.

Antony forgot the reason for banning student politics and that too only in a few school-colleges. In rest of the institutions it is still in full swing. If anyone has any doubt, look at the incidents in Kerala Varma college, Thrissur, CET Thiruvananthapauram or Poly-technic college, Cherthala. In all these institutions the students politics is in its worst form. It was when the students went into damage mode managements started banning student politics. It may have then resulted student groups with religious tags. And if these groups are worse than political groups who prevents the management to abandon them also.

It is true that the damage made by students’ political outfits is beyond any limit. It will take several years for religiously united students groups to reach that level. Hence, Antony’s comment is unwarranted. It is intended to get a few party workers among students.

.More interesting fact is;Vayalar Ravi or A K Antony has never uttered a single word against Vellappally. He is bench-mate of the two in schools. When Vellappally calls KPCC President V M Sudheeran as “wretched creature” the act of Ravi and Antony not uttering a single word against Vellappally is terrifying.

K A Solaman

In the offing

When Kerala CM Oommen Chandy says something in affirmative there is a reverse implication for it. This time he says that in the current scenario, the State Government would not raise the retirement age of government employees. Nevertheless he is not against the demand to raise the pension age of employees.

This means once the election to local self government bodies is over this government will certainly enhance the retirement age. So all the 25 lakh educated and unemployed youths should take stock of the situation and act wisely. Denying fresh appointments, decision for retirement age hike is in the offing.

-K A Solaman

Making hatred

The Misiha of the Ezhava community Vellappally Natesan had a photo session with PM Narendra Modi at Delhi Darbar. Interestingly no other prominent Ezhava leaders were present except his wife and son.  The Ezhava caste rise in Kerala thus has become a family business by Velappally.

With his communal slogans,  Vellappally demanded a greater share for his caste that may include a ministerial berth for his son in central cabinet and a future CM ship for him in Kerala.  He has also become a new guru for his caste much deviated from the SNDP founder guru. He indicates that the politics of caste quota needs to be revisited and demands for a larger bite for his community. The Vellappally's attitude makes a mockery of the reservation provisions to Muslims, Christians and other OBC communities. The battle is now for a bigger share for his family members and not for social justice.

Vellappally's politics has thus  become a politics of Ezhava quota and if not checked  the state of Kerala  will become a land of communal hatred. 

K A Solaman

Happy Gandhi Jayanthi

No full-body contact please

The war of words between the CPM veteran V S Achuthanandhan and SNDP Yogam Secretary Vellappally Natesan has crossed all limits. It is Vellappally with his unsolicited words ridiculed VS first and as a retaliation VS came down heavily on Vellapally alleging he had received crores of rupees as bribe for appointments made to SN Trust Colleges. Vellapally has received Rs 100 crore in last 4 years and invested in Swiss bank, VS said. Vellapally was trying to incorporate his names under the pretext of Guru’s name while giving names to colleges. And what is happening with Vellappally is an attempt to suppress Sri Narayana Guru darshans.

In the past also there were quarrels between CPM and Vellappally and later all settled down. This time also the same will happen. So the cadres of the party and followers of ‘new guru’ should take restraint from any full-body contact while watching the rift between the two. After all the two leaders are none other than ardent Sreenarayaneers.

K A Solaman

Monkey play

Clients are played mere monkeys by cell phone providers. For instance look at the mobile number 911408899533. I received a call from this mobile number asking a question of the sort " What are you doing now?" In fact I was then attending case registered with CDRF against a cell phone company. When came out of the court and called   back  I received a reply " seems that you have wrongly dialed the number, check the number". As it was a return call there was no need for checking the number.

Actually the cell phone provider was playing  with the patience of the customer. This should end. Who authorised the cell phone company to do all the monkey play? Once a customer receives a call he/she has all the right for a return inquiry. Denial of that right is an infringement on consumer right. Do the TRAI or any other  authority hear this?

-K A Solaman

A different Indian History

Seemingly history will not repeat first as a tragedy and then as a comedy. Instead  it may change. After making public 64 files on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose , WB Chief Minister Mamta Banerji will now declassify all files on the creation of East Pakistan during British Raj. If any thing new is found in these files rewriting of Indian  history can not be ruled out .

Likewise Congress leader Anil Sastri  asked in a channel discussion to publish the papers related to the death of his PM  father Lal Bahadur Sastri  in Tashkent , Russia on January 10 , 1966. Anil Sastri's mother had also doubt about the dubious death of her husband. If these papers bear some unknown truths the future history of India will be a little different from the present .

- K   A  Solaman

Bad police

The Kerala police should stop killing people by way of helmet check. The death of Sanju at Nalanchira, Thiruvananthapuram is not the first of its kind. The police intention is not to check traffic offence but to collect money for the state exchequer and also for their personal use.. This should end. The government should depute police for useful jobs other than this day time robbery.

The authorities should look into the number of deaths due to police high handedness in Kerala and what the police is doing in other states. Here for the police  the only duty is the traffic check and that even violating the directives of the police chief. Very bad.

-K A Solaman

tree

Kerala two-wheeler riders are a desperate lot

The two-wheeler association initiative  to battle legally against the Kerala HC directive making helmet compulsory for pillion rider, is in the right direction. The death on roads is not mainly due to non-use of helmets but of the heavy traffic and also the pathetic condition of the roads. Helmets of poor standard never protect head and accident deaths could occur due to damages of other parts of the human body too.

The undue concern about the life and death of two wheelers alone is seemingly doubtful when helmets are sold like fish by road side vendors. Unlike in TN or other states in Kerala road users are a desperate  lot who are heavily levied  for the smooth going  of government machinery. This  should end. The responsibility of protecting one's head should be transferred to the concerned person.

K A Solaman

SNDP party

Innumerable political parties in Kerala are augmented by one more with the inception of SNDP party. Party general secretary and other office bearers will be none other than  Vellappally's family members. What this party is going to gain will be evident with the outcome of next election to the local bodies. Most probably this party will end up with the fate of erstwhile SRP if it sticks to its only agenda of communal  appeasement .

K A Solaman

Not a big news

It is not a big news to hear that the CPM veteran V S Achuthandan returns to the state committee of the party. Unlike others he is the only mass leader to be placed in the Politburo of the party especially in the eve of the formation of a new party headed by SNDP Yogam secretary. In fact most of the cadres of CPM are from Ezhava community, and  Achuthanandan, though not right to put him  under the label of any community, could easily  avert the dangers posed by Vellappally's party.

Political parties on the basis of communal identity are potential threats to the religious harmony of the state and it is good to see that some  leaders of the CPM and Congress, though late, have identified it.

K A Solaman

Overhaul Kerala school examination system

How flawed the school examination system, is evident from the leakage of question papers for Onam examination. The question papers were leaked in Wayanad and Malappuram districts. While the Hindi question paper for Class X got leaked at Thomattuchal HSS coming under Vythiri educational district in Wayanad, the physics question paper for Class IX was reportedly leaked in Malappuram.

Fifteen or twenty years back there were no such news of question paper leakage for Onam or Christmas examinations. The question papers were prepared by teachers of each school and answer scripts were valued by them to assess the progress of the students. Later teachers of certain organisations started to prepare question papersand distributed in schools in the guise of uniformity. In fact there were no uniformity and the teachers often score out questions from such papers and the students were assessed with their own questions. Very soon the question paper printing has become a profit making business and the papers used for it appeared as if it is made from cow dung, not to show before any learned person. Soon this business became nasty but the alternative suggested by the Education department has also failed.

So it would be better for the government not to interfere in the conduct of Onam or Christmas examinations. Instead conduct the final examinations with all its importance and the assessment should be done carefully. Because our education system needs an overhaul otherwise the state schools would turn out into factories making idiots who are unable to write or count.

K A Solaman