Market losses

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley now says the central government does not intend to tax retrospectively, and the taxation policy is not against foreign investments.

This is a rather belated statement as the Indian investors have lost several croresin the last two weeks . ‘A’ group shares shed 50 per cent of their market value due to the confusion.

Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) sold their stocks at a throwaway price, driving Indian investors to despair. Unlike former finance minister P Chidambaram, Jaitley lacks the skills to protect Indian stock market. Investors were in a lively mood when the Narendra Modi government assumed charge.

The business now seen in the market is only speculative play by some bear operators.

KA Solaman

Alappuzha, Kerala The Hindu Business Line on 29-4-15

Poor websites

The Kerala Government websites are very fragile and their hacking has now become a child’s play. The hacking of 50 government websites allegedly by a Pakistani hacker is an indication in this direction. The websites hacked include those of Kochi Metro, State Council for Science, Technology and Environment, Hill Area Development Agency, State Handloom Weavers Cooperative Society Limited etc. I can’t imagine the special interest of Pakistani hacker in Kerala sites alone. Thanks to him for not doing his job against Kerala Secondary Education Board website, which is now in total despair due to the software failure and the subsequent debacle.

Though a probe has been launched into the hacking, quite naturally as we have seen earlier, it will end up nowhere. It is high time for the Government to hand over its website management to a more responsible agency other than CDIT.

K A Solaman 

Checking street dogs.

Most places in the state face the stray dog menace. Residents have horrific tales to tell about encounters with violent street dogs. Hundreds of people, including children, fall prey to these dogs in villages too. But no tangible action has been taken by the local body authorities to contain the menace. Though not against the law, culling of these animals is thought as too cruel and hence a wide spread sterilization was planned. But it never materialized As an alternative, a few suggested to transport these animals to dog-eating northern states. This seems rather ridiculous as the parcel charge would exceed the cost of the meat.

The major reason for dog menace is street pollution by the public. Until people stopped feeding the dogs by way of road-side fish-meat stalls and hotel waste dog menace would become very difficult to deal with. Municipal/ Panchayat authorities should show the guts to keep the street clean.

K A Solaman 

Paradox of Medical care

It is known to all now that advances in modern medical care have not contributed in enhancing survival among really sick. What we see in modern hospitals is a mere business where a critically sick is being kept in air cooled ventilators surrounded by untried people with somber faces and denying him a peaceful death before the dear ones.

There are multispecialty and super specialty hospitals in Kerala when even a dead man is admitted and charged Rs 50000 as fee for declaring him dead. I think all hospitals work as profit making business establishments where care and compassion are forgotten stories.   

K A Solaman 
The New Indian Express published on 30-4-2015

Necropolis of hope

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley now says the central government does not intend to tax retrospectively, and the taxation policy is not against foreign investments. This is rather a belated statement as the Indian investors lost several crores of rupees in the last two weeks of time. Several A group shares had shed out 50 percent of its market value due to the non-clarity of the tax policy. The FIIs sold their stocks at a throwaway price taking Indian investors to despair.

Unlike former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, the present minister Jaitley lacks the skill to protect Indian Stock Market. In every down fall Chidambaram interfered effectively and protected investors’ interests. On the other hand Jaitley is busy with other business when the entire market nose-dived to bottom.

The stock investors were in a lively mood when Modi Government assumed charge.. Nevertheless, that dynamism soon perished making Indian stock market a necropolis of hope. Almost all investors deserted the market. The business now seen in the market is only a speculative play by some beer operators. If the Finance Ministry has nothing to do for saving the stock market all the investors who abandoned the market would never return.

K A Solaman
The Hindu Business Line Published on 29 April 2015

Wasting precious time

It is very fascinating to see that former Kerala Government Chief Whip P.C. George had filed a petition at the Kerala High Court against Finance Minister K.M. Mani alleging that the latter held the twin posts of the minister as well as that of the Chairman of Kerala Congress (M), which is against the party constitution. Interestingly, George was holding twin posts of Chief Whip and Vice Chairman of the party till date. Will anyone from Kerala Congress file a petition with retrospective effect against George for holding twin posts?

Of late George has become a redundant one in his party and in the entire Kerala politics. His word and deed are often utter blunders.

The Kerala Congress party is a “split and grow party”. Their constitution, written or unwritten, is what K M Mani proposes and it has no genuineness. It may change time to time. It is high time for judicial forums to take wise decisions to put in the corner these unscrupulous politicians wasting the precious time of the courts.

K A Solaman 

Second edition result.

After many controversies, Kerala SSLC results have been republished but still debate continues. The grace marks of many students are still missing. Some of them have lost all the high grades despite the assurance of the minister. In the updated version of the result, pass percentage has increased to a record figure of 98.57, which is 0.58percent higher than the results published earlier. Thanks to all related to SSLC examination for not permitting the result to exceed 100 percent!

With the improved result an additional 2700 students also got into the pass wagon. It would be then interesting to check whether any of them belongs to 100 percent pass schools declared earlier. Further the education department can take a sigh of relief as newly passed students have not committed any undesirable act after first edition of the result.

K A Solaman

The Last Crusader

Crusaders may come from politicians, philosophers and even from abkaris. The working president of Kerala Hotels & Bar Association, Biju Ramesh is the last crusader. He is all set to campaign against corruption and so he first alleged that minister K M Mani  was paid off Rs 1 crore in 2 installments but did not mention the name of other ministers who were bribed by him then,. Now he discloses the names of other ministers like K Babu. Why he had paid all these money to the ministers is unknown. If abkari business is a legitimate one why he paid all these amount, and wherefrom he got this money and for what?

Accepting bribe and giving it are equally punishable offence. Then, while we target the corrupt ministers why we spare the abkari briber?

K A Solaman
The NIE published on 25-4-15 

SSLC Result Farce

The SSLC result in 2010 was 90.78 percent and in 2015 it went up to 97.99. There is a stead-fast increase of 1.2 percent every year. The credit for this high growth of SSLC result can be claimed by both LDF and UDF ministries. And if this trend continues in 2017 the percentage of result will be 100.4! The school final examination in Kerala has thus become a meaningless gesture.  

The Education Department has declared the SSLC result this year in a record time of 18 days as an attempt to fulfil the UDF motto of “high speed”.  However, the department has drawn criticism from various corners and educationalists have objected to the flawed speedy evaluation. The Kerala Education department should bear in mind that certain assignments should be given its own time and care. A woman could not become expecting and then deliver within 100 days instead of the stipulated 280 days!

K A Solaman

True comrade at the helm

Sitaram Yechury’s elevation as CPM General Secretary is an elixir to the party as many youngsters who left the party will return to it. Unlike other leaders Yechuri is one with high level of education and concern towards party’s founding leaders. He is able to lead the CPM to the main stream of reason and can make meaningful dialogues with other party leaders.  He has no past history of sharing fortune derived from Lavalin and others.

Like V S Achuthanandan, Yechury  is quite different from "professional" communists like, Karat or Pinarayi.

K A Solaman

The NIE published on 21 March 2015

Big mouth

 Defaming iconic figures often helps put people under the spotlight of the media. People like Arundhati Roy and the former judge, Markandey Katju, seem to bask in such negative glory. In 2014, Roy had stated that Mahatma Gandhi had "casteist tendencies". In his blog, Katju has now called Gandhi a "British agent", who did great harm to India. Katju has ignored reality and proved himself to be a shallow thinker. The blog post has no mention of the reason Gandhi lost his life. Gandhi has been a source of inspiration for leaders like Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr, to name a few. He has inspired and influenced liberation struggles the world over. He was revered not only by the masses but also by the British. Katju had once suggested that Katrina Kaif should be made president on account of her "beautiful face". He has crossed all limits by defaming Gandhi.

Yours faithfully,

K.A. Solaman, Kerala

The Telegraph, Calcutta, published on 20 March 2015

Yechury is better

By the time this letter sees light the CPM would have its new general secretary.  May be Yechury or SRP, it makes no difference for the common people of India. It is only a matter of importance for the party cadres.
However, for the survival of the party Yechury is a better candidate than SRP as the latter is unlikely to win in a Panchayath ward if contested. He lacks the support of mass leader and party founder VS Achuthanandan. Moreover, SRP’s erstwhile stand endorses that he would become an orderly of Pinarayi Vijayan if elected. The general secretary becoming the deputy of a PB member is detrimental to the party. What is good for the party is Yechury's secretary-ship because if SRP comes, there would be further ruin for CPM. 
By Yechuri taking up of the Job of general secretary many youngsters who left the party would return.

K A Solaman

Non-sense comment by Raut

There are many misinformed persons in this country. Wonderfully they often get media coverage. For instance look at the comment by Shiv Sena leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut. He asks the voting rights of Indian Muslims should be revoked to stop vote-bank politics. Raut ‘s comment is an absolute non-sense..

Making communal hatred is way of appeasing another community. Actually in India all communal outfits incuding Shiv Sena are playing vote bank politics in this manner. Shiv Sena is doing it for quite long.. Interestingly there is no dearth for the pouring in of communal comments despite of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assurance.

K A Solaman

Non-sense by CS

The Malayalam term “vivarakkedu” may be deciphered as non-sense or misinformation in English. The Kerala Chief Secretary’s comment about Opposition leader Achuthanandan’s observation of the extravagance behind the house construction of Chief secretary as ‘non-sense’ is absolutely a non-sense. In all possibility the CS may correct his word ‘non-sense’ to ‘misinformation’.

And what the Opposition leader said about CS is correct. Education and top post would not necessarily make a person sensible. The Chief Secretry’s comment is condemnable.

The Chief Secretary would have revered Achuthanandan’s age and experience.

K A Solaman 

Abandon Meera Kumari Commission report

The Meera Kumari Commission report permits foreign fishing vehicles in our sea and hence it justifies the looting of our marine resources by foreign companies. It welcomes foreign crews in Indian waters The Central government should morsel the Commission report as the implementation of the commission's recommendations would adversely affect fishing community and it would lead to their displacement
There should be no action to affect the livelihood of the traditional fishing communities and the government should try to protect the fish resources on which thousands of fishermen are dependent.

K A Solaman
Published by NIE on 14-4-15

Rare breed

Though the Kerala Congress(M) is all set to expel P C George from the vice-chairman's post of the party, George is still in the party. However, his colleagues have revived his outfit Kerala Congress(secular) with TS John as chairman, M T Joseph as working chairman and George Kuruvila the treasurer. Is there anyone else remains is a point to ponder.

Kerala Congress(S) has thus become a party within a party, a rare breed among all political parties. I wonder why the Christian clergies, the so-called god fathers of Kerala Congress, take an inert attitude in the present embarrassing situation.

K A Solaman
The New Indian Express published on 13-4-15

Laughing stock

JSS state-committee entrusting its party leader Gouri Amma to hold talks with the CPM leadership regarding posts to be offered to the party after the merger is interesting. This is similar to sub-committees of Kerala Congress(B) entrusting R Balakrishna Pillai, RSP(B) entrusting Shibu Baby John or Kerala Congress(Secular) entrusting P C George to take decisions. JSS state committee now consist only one member of the 34 founding members of the party.

In politics everything happening now is very much laughable

K A Solaman

Hartal tentacles

Whether  it is ruled by UDF or LDF the hartal drill continues and undoubtedly a day is reserved for  hartal in every month in Kerala. Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy or Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan have  justification to hartal calls. For ordinary people “hartal” is the synonym of bandh. Varoius courts in  India had issued orders against hartals and in effect all these court drills had reached nowhere. Many precious court hours could have been saved if the hartal issue was not taken for discussion by the court.

When the court banned the bandh as undemocratic and unconstitutional, the word has been transformed conveniently in to hartal by the political parties. The parties consider there is no existence for them if occasional hartals are not being observed in the state. Many criticize hartals because of the damages done by it such as loss of man power, paralysis of industrial sectors , educational institutions, banking organizations etc. However, the hartal brings many advantages too!.

The present financial position of the State Government is very bleak; whatever may be the gesture of the Finance Minister. The major source of income for the government is from the sale of Indian made foreign liquor.The revenue from liquor will be high on hartal day as most people enjoy hartal as a holiday. They keep a bottle of their brand at home and spend the day enjoying liquor along with TV. TV channels have all the spices relating politics and sex and they make a huge profit from it.

All hartals are a kind of unkindness and ways to show the muscle power of political parties. Kerala has become a hartal’s own state and even a two member party could paralyze the state by a hartal call. Rule and ruin is the watchword of the present UDF government and they do nothing to protect common man from hartal tentacles.

K A Solaman

Need HIV test

What is common among the politicians in Kerala viz. Jose K Mani, A P Abdullakutty, K B Ganesh Kumar, K C Venugopal etc is anybody’s guess. Nevertheless, all these need an immediate HIV test if con woman Saritha Nair and her political- channel sponsors can be believed. It is alleged that Saritha had relationship with all these guys and if carrying out of innumerable tests is not feasible it can be restricted to Saritha nair alone. And in doing so the wives of aforesaid politicians can take a sigh of relief and thereby they can sleep peacefully.

The hard-core politicians R B Pillai and P C George and some malicious T V Channels have their own hand-outs to make Kerala politics murky and sexy. The voters of Kerala should dump these political pimps in the next election.

K A Solaman

Winning Skill of Kodiyeri

It is a noble gesture on the part of CPM state Secretary Kodiyeri to visit Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan at his official residence to invite him for the party meeting. This will certainly slacken the tense relationship between the veteran leader and the party. May be because of Sitaram Yechury’s liking of VS, the whole gesture of Kodiyeri would bring new light into the party.

All corrupt UDF government still surviving the state is because of the flaws in CPM under Pinarayi’s leadership. With VS in front the party could gain added vigour to fight against the corrupt rule. Moreover a party cannot preach good abusing its founding father as some young comrades had done in the state meet. And with Kodiyeri’s present signal further public mortification against VS from some corners of the party would come to a halt.

K A Solaman

Channel filth

As KPCC President V M Sudheeran said  the Kerala High Court verdict to approve state government's decision to close down bars in the state is historic. Drinking and drug abuse are not the fundamental rights of the citizens.
For the past one year the bar owners and drunkards are making all the hue cry over liquor and bar bribe. Almost all ministers are allegedly involved in bar scam and they find little time to attend problems relating common man. All their interest is concentrated in answering the questions of bar owners and media men over channels.

Meanwhile some channel owners, instead of abusing V M Sudheeran and like-minded people directly, make interviews with hard-core drunkards and telecast horrific abuses making all households an ugly market place. This attempt should be seriously viewed and the channel owners should be warned. They should not be permitted to deliver nonstop filth by way of drunkard interviews for protecting the interest of bar owners. Inquiry must be conducted against channel owners also for their hide and seek with bar owners.

K A Solaman