Sound shock

Sound pollution is increasing at an alarming rate. Though courts have restricted the use of loudspeakers, the authorities concerned are not paying any heed to the menace. I am a resident of Maraikulam in Alappuzha district of Kerala. Throwing norms to the wind, there is an excessive use of public address system in places of worship and by political outfits.  But, it seems, that nobody is bothered. There is also rampant use of high-decibel fireworks. Imagine the plight of aged and ailing people who have to bear the blaring speakers day and night. I request the authorities to take immediate action to stop excessive sound pollution.

KA SOLAMAN, Kerala 

The Tribune, Chandigarh APRIL20, 2013

Better cure

The Supreme Court’s dismissal of Novartis’s application seeking patent protection for its anti-cancer drug is most welcome. No company should be allowed to exploit patients by selling patented, expensive drugs — which have not been the result of ‘inventions’ per se — used in the treatment of serious diseases and conditions. The right to manufacture generic versions of such drugs should be given to domestic companies.

K.A. Solaman, 

The Telegraph, Kolkata. April 10, 2013

Slap on the face.

It is alleged that Manmohan Singh  government have ruined all democratic institutions of the country including JPC.  This is confirmed with the latest embarrassment to the government in the coalgate case. The Supreme Court  termed as "very disturbing" the CBI affidavit on sharing its report with the law minister and others and slammed the agency for having kept the court in the dark on the issue. It is a slap on the face of UPA government for making CBI a congress party department.

It is therefore, time for the Supreme Court to pass orders against the CBI , AG , Solicitor General and  Law Minister and to appoint a SIT to Investigate the Coal Scam in which the PM himself is allegedly involved . Unless the SC takes a tough stand the investigating agencies could not be saved from its nexus with unscrupulous politicians in the realm of power.

K A Solaman
The New Indian Express published 1-5-2013

Not a stone tell where I lie!

K R Gouriamma is, of course, a great leader of the state but old age brings one “sans eyes. sans ears and sans sense”.  An age of 95 is a big handicap for a leader to contribute further to the development of a state. Her enthusiasm prompts one to take life positively, nevertheless, the advantage she gets by abandoning the UDF and joining LDF is doubtful. How is she going to discard all the abuses hurled by Marxist leaders on her including the one said by a Marxist ex-minister that she is ‘barren’?

Perhaps after death the left leaders erect one or two statues of her for crows to sit and nothing else more than that.  So, to remain peaceful, it is better to remember the quote from  Alexander Pope:
" Let me live, unseen, unknown,
Thus unlamented let me die,
Steal from the world, and not a stone
Tell where I lie".

K A Solaman

Fishing in troubled waters.

It is not Gouri Amma,or  M V Raghavan postures threat to Chief Miister Oommen Chandy but it is the leaders from his party. For instance look at Union Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi who openly criticised Chief Minister Chandy for the problems in the UDF and the ministry. Coming down heavily on Chandy, Ravi said the latest developments in the UDF were not desirable. The allies of the UDF should have a sense of unity and they have an equal responsibility to maintain the unity, according to him.  Where were Ravi all these time?

Another person posing threat to Chandy is KPCC President Renmesh Chennithala. He plays a modern Gandhi by bearing a farmer’s cap and giving absurd assurance without consulting the CM. The row over the takeover of Pariyaram Medical College is an indication in this respect.

So,  it is time for Chandy to keep an eye on Ravi and Remesh Chennithala. They want to replace Chandy with backing from SNDP for the former and that from NSS for the latter. Ravi and Chennithala are fishing in troubled waters.

K A Solaman

Bangalore blast

The explosion at Bangalore is one of the reprehensible acts of terrorism.  My deep sympathy to the injured. The criminals behind the heinous act are under the protection of certain political elements. There cannot be a safer India, a far as criminal politicians are in power

Politicians need power at any cost, even at the cost of our nation and its people. India should condemn and fight terrorism, irrespective of the cause for which the terrorists profess to act.

K A Solaman

Severe sound pollution

The court has restricted motorists without helmets, likewise the use of loud speakers. The police have found helmet raid as a source of quick money and by this time collected Rs 22 crore or more for the cash crunch state exchequer.   Nevertheless this sort of attention is not seen in checking sound pollution. The police are losing a huge chunk of cash by ignoring sound polluters.

I am a resident of Maraikulam in Alappuzha district where all local worship places are in excessive use of public address system defying the court direction. The police ignore high decibel sound despite alert from some activists in and around Alappuzha. There is excessive use of fireworks with high decibel but no police is seen checking it. High dB dynamites, capable of damaging nearby buildings are used even by local communal and political outfits during their ward meetings. The police are least bothered about this blatant violation of the court order.  

Who did give these people the permission to use mike throughout the night paying no heed to the plight of the aged and ailing people is a significant question. This is atrocious and quite disturbing. I request the authority, whoever it may be, to take immediate action to stop excessive sound pollution.

K A Solaman
Published Deccan Chronicle on18-4-13

K A Solaman Blog: No LCD TV to MLAs

K A Solaman Blog: No LCD TV to MLAs: I think it is time to put MLAs and MPs in India on minimum wage. They should be not given high salary, or gifts like Ipad or LCD TV....

No LCD TV to MLAs

I think it is time to put MLAs and MPs in India on minimum wage. They should be not given high salary, or gifts like Ipad or LCD TV. They are the people dedicated their life for the welfare of the poor and the deprived. They should not be lured with foreign goods as they are interested only in native products. True congress men while love Khadi, the Left are interested only in black tea and parippu vada. Then it is quite objectionable to gift them valuable gadgets like Ipad and LCD TVs.

 It is now a fact that these MLAs and MPS often fail to provide for the common good of the people. So they must not be rewarded any longer.  Members of the law houses should not expect a pension after they leave the job. However they can be provided medical care at their dotage. Politicians in India either in the Parliament or Assembly should be on minimum wage until they figure out how to feed, shelter, and provide helpful medical care for everyone in this country.

India is only a developing country and it is not the richest of the countries in the world.  People here die on hunger, have no place to sleep, and are without medical assistance.  The left and right legislators in the country lead life similar to that of ” Antila man”. All the fat accumulated on their body is a pointer in this direction. Eating, drinking and merry making should not be the habit of politicians. So everyone should  wake up and say we are no longer going to support these tummy-yummy politicians.  This country was not founded for the deceitful politicians to hoodwink the poor.

K A Solaman

PSC Chairman’s blub

The Kerala Public Service Commission is becoming more societal and human friendly. The letter of  its Chairman Dr. K.S. Radhakrishnan to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has a mark in this direction. He alleged that those doctors in the rank list of Assistant Surgeons in Health Department published by PSC after conducting interview lack worth.

 The Chairman pointed out that doctors lack general knowledge,  no access to  newspapers, know nothing about medical ethics, have no connection with rural areas,  no clinical experience, reluctance to serve in rural areas, interest to work private hospitals after ensuring government job, bad attitude towards the public. These are apparently grave allegations and hence those doctors who were not qualified by the PSC should be asked to forfeit their MBBS certificates. These doctors, except their guardians, presumably, do not know the source of 50 lakh rupees given as donation at admission to MBBS in self financing medical colleges.

Nevertheless, it is intriguing to know when PSC started this human friendly approach. It is supposed that conducting test and publishing rank lists are the main thrust of PSC and it is not the job to inquire about the generation of the candidate. The present practice of entrance coaching based admission has restricted all the poor and backward class away from MBBS. The admission and study in medical colleges are the business of a privileged few. And in that context the blub of the chairman of a recruiting agency is a meaningless gesture. It is the government to do something to check the denial of opportunity to the poor and the deprived.

Would the sympathetic PSC, on humanitarian view, give job to a person who have failed a dozen times the PSC test and and still appearing for it?

K A Solaman

Significant judgement.

By the recent judgement ordering to park auto rickshaws one and half metre away the tarred portion of the road the Kerala High Court has underlined the importance of pedestrians’ rights.  It is obvious that most pedestrians whether they are school going children or ordinary people, are incapable of questioning the gang might of drivers of parked vehicles. Along  with these roadside-parked vehicles unauthorised vendors are also creating problem. The road-side fish vendors not only block pedestrians’ path but also pollute the entire area. The authority should also send the vendors to their original place when undertaking cleansing job.  Hence, immediate police intervention is required to make pedestrians way smooth.

Cleaning the roadside make road traffic more safe and speedy.

K A Solaman

Unsafe Delhi.?

An upset West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said "Delhi is not safe. I was manhandled. When I tried to get down at the Planning Commission, the police did not cooperate at all”. I think Didi has mistaken because Delhi is the replica of any other part of the country. The reason for attack on her and her minister is that she has little followers in Delhi. If it were any leader other than Mamta the CPM leaders would have felt the heat. Remember the incidence of damaging Yetchuri’s car in Delhi when there was a scuffle elsewhere by CPM cadres.

Attacks are often cowed by counter attacks and not by police. The attack on Mamta and minister Amit Mitra is condemnable.

K A Solaman

Pitiable rescue operation

The collapse of the newly constructed church at Aroor, Kerala indicates the lack of sufficient support mechanism and safety measures in the construction field. The rescue operations by the Fire and Rescue Services personnel were poor because of the lack of equipment. The  video footage  of a fire force man walking with an old oil tin in the  accident hit spot is an indication of the pitiable picture of rescue operation. The State-of-the-art equipment like the enhanced victim location camera was ineffective. The local disaster management machinery was poor.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) from Aarakkonam joined the operation several hours later. And it tells the need for a branch NDRF anywhere near NH 47 in Kerala. The government should hereafter permit only those contractors who are capable of doing rescue operations too at accidents.

K A Solaman
Rs 150 awarded best letter in Deccan Chronicle, published on 11-4-13

Status of women

Seemingly Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was doing research over the status of women in India and has found that it has become worse than in the 18th century. He said lot of bad things have crept into our society. In the 18th century female foeticide had started and still it continues. While he says like this he has nothing to deliver to check the problem. Instead he says men and women are equally responsible for that,

One needs to know whether this problem has been existed in Gujarat where he is the CM. What he has done to strengthen the status of women there? What else he would do if his run for PM ship materialises?  A mere rhetoric against a whacked human behaviour is unwarranted.

K A Solaman

Like Congress, like leaders.

While mediatory talks on Ganesh Kumar-Yamini Thankachy issue progress the Congress leaders are of diverse opinion about the issue. The Congress leader and the second in the Central Cabinet, the defence minister A K confirms that Ganesh-Yamini issue has not affected the Kerala UDF. While the minister Vayalar Ravi and KPCC President Ramesh Chennithala say that the issue has affected the prospects of the UDF.

It is interesting to see that the first round mediators minister Shibu Baby John and CM have miserably failed to settle the issue. Then comes the team consisting of film fraternity comprising of ace director Priyadarsan and actress Menaka. And if that too fails the matter will be sorted out by otherwise reluctant defence minister A K Antony. If that too fails the matter will be forwarded to Barack Obama and Michelle!

Anyhow, the court decision is a welcome one. It asked both the parties not to open mouth for a while.

K A Solaman

K A Solaman Blog: Blessed are the unmarried!

K A Solaman Blog: Blessed are the unmarried!: Men marry just because of three reasons, to check sexual urge, to have a spoonful of water when bedridden and to forget all the worr...

Blessed are the unmarried!

Men marry just because of three reasons, to check sexual urge, to have a spoonful of water when bedridden and to forget all the worries on seeing the faces of children. Nevertheless, the stories from God’s own country compel one to believe that blessed are the unmarried.

It has been reported that Dr Yamini, the estranged wife of former minister,  has asked Rs 50 crore as alimony. Frightened of it the minister has clearly stated that he did not have so much money to give as alimony. Yamini has clearly stated that there will be no compromise on the amount.

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The squalid episode, which has left a trail of bitterness, raises many disturbing questions before the ordinary men in the state. Got married and after sixteen years if this is the experience no men dare to marry. Yamani says she was tortured all the time nevertheless she delivered twice. She used her elder son to take photograph of husband beating her and she spoiled the prospects of Ganesh as a minister. Now she asks an unheard compensation which an average man could not bear. If Yamini becomes the role model for Kerala women it would be a tough time for men to smoothly sail over. In Kerala hereafter marriage is not a better business for men.   

K A Solaman 

Polite police!

How polite are our police when they make inquiry about petitions filed before them! The SP of Crime Branch  Uma Behera probing complaint filed by Yamini Thankachi went straight away to latter’s house and sought information. And whether she has received any hospitality of Thankachy is unknown to the public as lens men were not that much clever in recording it.  Ostensibly this will not be the experience of lay woman before Crime Branch or any police station in the state where she has to wait until the officer  is free to question. Meanwhile she has to undergo all the harassment from in and around.The present inquiry is a solid example of the law taking ‘its own course’. 

The National Women’s Commission is also inquiring the case. And it is curoius to know whether the Commission Chair Person also wait for the hospitality of former minister’s estranged wife. 

K A Solaman

Govt takeover of Kochi, Pariyaram medical colleges

 The state government move to take over the Kochi and Pariyaram medical colleges functioning under the cooperative sector is a welcome step. With this decision more meritorious students can take their MBBBS and other courses at low cost. 

The medical colleges in co-operative sectors are centres of controversies for quite long and they are the places of corruption for political bosses associated with them. Mismanagement is the major handicap of these colleges and with government takeover it will come to an end. The medical colleges should be the places for doctors, patients and medical students and not be the places for CPM, CMP or the Congress to play petty politics. 

The huge loss incurred in the running of the colleges should be collected from the ruling committee members.

K A Solaman
Decaan Chronicle published 5-4-13

Hike in petrol price

State-owned oil companies have increased the petrol price by Rs 1.40 a litre with effect from March 1 — the second successive hike in a fortnight. Seemingly, oil companies have the right to do what they want, as this hike was outside Finance Minister P.Chidambaram’s Budget. The Nirbhaya fund and the all-woman public sector bank are meaningless gestures, when this sort of an act is sponsored by the Government.

Crude oil prices have declined in the world market factoring in the rupee’s value. Why, then, is the Government allowing oil companies to increase the price?
It is a testing time for the common man.
K.A. Solaman
e-mail
The Hindu Business Line Dated Mar 3, 2013

Angels and demons of Kerala

Seemingly Kerala Opposition members figured as angels and ruling front members as demons in the Ganesh Kumar- YaminiThankachi issue. For Opposition leaders like P K Sreemathi and M V Jayarajan, Yamini Thankachi,is now daughter, sister and mother.  The Opposition demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on moral grounds confirms that the morality is the birth right of Kerala Opposition..

Yamini-Ganesh pat is now a hot cake for all Kerala channels and they stopped instantly their routine sops for airing this nasty episode. It is the endeavour of the channels to turn the God’s own country to wife-beaters own country.

The Chief Minister who never wanted to wash the dirty linen in public has become a sorry figure for the puritans in the Opposition. What else the Opposition leaders do if they were in the chair of the CM is a question to be pondered.

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There is every reason to believe that there is an external agency, let us call it as party or father or pillai to send Yamini before the channels. The State of Kerala has thus witnessed the nastiest scenes in its entire history.

Kizhoot family is a renowned one in Kottarakkara for possessing seven elephants at a time and having the family chief in central jail for some months.  Now it is their fate to fall flat on ground slipping on elephant excreta

K A Solaman 
Published Deccan Chronicle on 4-4-2013

Novartis cancer drug

 The Supreme Court’s dismissal of Swiss pharmaceutical Company Novartis AG's petition seeking patent protection for its anti-cancer drug is most welcome. No company should be allowed to exploit the patients with patent of the drug that is used in the treatment of chronic diseases. The company’s action to exploit  patients with myeloid leukaemia and malignant gastrointestinal tumours is a cruelty.

The right for manufacturing generic drugs should be given to all companies that are interested in it. All drug formulae should be treated as mere cooking recipes.

K A Solaman
The New Indian Express published on 3-4-2013