MK's Burial

The Madras High Court has taken a wise decision by allowing the burial of DMK chief M Karunanidhi on the Marina Beach. Karunanidhi could rest in peace  on the noted Marina beach alongside his mentor and former chief minister C N Annadurai.

However, the big handicap in choosing Marina beach is, it is near the memorial of former chief minister Jayalalithaa, his bete noire all the time. And when commemoration days come there is all the possibility of one's followers to deface the memorial of other unless there is police protection. Graveyards gaining reputation is the order of the day.

K A Solaman

Insecure security

The leakage of security documents of President Ram Nath Kovind’s visit to Kerala, is a serious lapse. The 208-page document titled ‘Secret’ prepared by the police is spread through WhatsApp. The police saying that the document has been provided to all officers on duty and it poses no threat to security, is laughable.

The security document should be intact in the hands of those officers in charge. When it is available to WhatsApp groups its privacy is lost. The incident invokes an investigation because leaking of security documents of the President is a serious offence. Posting it in WhatsApp groups is a wrong action.

K A Solaman

Desperate trollers of Kerala

The new-gen district collectors of Kerala are a little ahead in serving , guiding, motivating and advising youngsters. For instance , Thiruvananthapuram collector K Vasuki has asked the young people of Kerala to utilize their skills and efficiency for the preservation of nature instead of wasting precious time by simply making trolls on social media. Vasuki, of course, enjoys  trolls.

Vasuki wrote: interest shown in trolling should be diverted to preservation of nature and requested the support of all trollers for protection of nature. However, the sad plight of trollers In Kerala is that most of them are grilled by police for trolling fish vendor college girl Hanan, the newly adopted daughter of the government, while thousands of other girls are desperately doing similar works to meet their both ends. As grilling of trollers has turned into  an image building exercise for the government most of the trollers are in jail. Hence, they are not able to do anything in special to save the nature Ms Vasuki.

K A Solaman

Ridiculous Opposition

The peoole of Kuttanad are under severe threat of heavy flood and relief operations are going on at its peak. The civil administration has done yeoman service to reduce the miseries caused by flood. Though CM, due to his busy schedule, could not visit the affected area his cabinet colleague and PWD minister G Sudhakaran is at Kuttanadu all the time giving necessary instructions to coordinate the relief work.

However, opposition parties took a different stand not to cooporate with the relief programmes. Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala even boycotted the meeting convened to review the flood-relief operations in Kuttanad. More interestingly, Congress leaders K.C. Venugopal and Kodikunnil Suresh, MPs, too abstained from the meeting. This is quite unfortunate.

Like the ruling political parties, the Opposition has also the responsibility' to lend a helpirg hand to people of flood-ravaged places. Instead of doing this the Opposition parties making political milage out of it, is rather ridiculous.

K A Solaman

Girl missing cases

National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data shows that missing cases of girls belonging to age around 18 is high. According to data, a large number of  girls have gone missing from Kerala this year. The latest is one Shabeena (18) from Anchalummoodu, Kollam.

Like the word rape took a metamorphism as harassment the phrase 'girls running away' with boys has assumed the form 'girls missing'. While government takes all the measures to trace out the girls, none is bothered to find the reason why these girls are absconding.

Though teenage love affair is a reason for girl missing, married women are also found missing abandoning husband and children. If one closely examines the issue it could be evident that Malayalam channel serials play a vital role in misguiding people. The present day cinema is yet another reason but the damage made by social media network is the highest.

Let us be sincere to the cases of girl missing. It is not actually missing but the girls are abandoning their present phase of life dreaming a happy future, but it usually ends up in despair. While a thorough check is done on the contents of cinema and serials, better awareness campaigns in schools and colleges can reduce girl missing cases. Nevertheless, the problem with social media sites is still in anybody's guess.

K A Solaman

Screenshot police.

The Kerala police is on an arrest-spree. More and more persons are getting arrested in connection with the online defaming of one college girl called Hanan. Hanan was on alleged online abuse and social media trolls after it came to light that she was selling fish in college uniform at Thammanam, Kochi. Perhaps the arrest will continue until all the 3.5 crore of Keralites are arrested and put in jail. The number 3.5 crore comes here because Kerala has an estimated population of 3.5 crore on date.

The first arrested was one Shaik from Wynadu and it was widely publicized by media because Shaik is a High Court advocate. Advocates have still some rift with media channels. And for the same reason he was let free by the police. Still  arrest continues as if the police has no good job to do.

It is true that there were  fake messages against girl on social media because she and the news reporter of a daily created wrong notion in the minds of public. It is rather rare a woman fish vendor, even if a college student, appearing in class uniform. The distance of the Thodupuzha college, the cinema producer's tall claim etc prompted people to think in the negative.  This resulted trolls and when the fact is revealed a good many have withdrawn their posts. But pretending  as poormans' saviour the CM asked the police to arrest trollers. This is an indirect way to threaten those who put comments against the government too.
If the government has real intention to help  the poor there are thousands of poor students  but all they not go for fish vending. Identify them first and lend a helping hand instead of runnig after channel publicity.

If government needs the police to do some meaningful work, stop them  to take the screen shots and ask them to arrest robbers, rapists, drug pedallers, smugglers,  tax evaders, hoarders, killers and who else.

K A Solaman

Nightmare for people

The toll in rain-related incidents in Kerala has climbed to 39, with 11 more deaths being reported from various parts of the state yesterday. More than 90,000 persons have been shifted to relief camps. Total loss has been estimated to be a little above 10crore. Among the districts from where deaths have been reported are the worst-affected Alappuzha and Kottayam. It has become a nightmare for people living in low-lying areas, especially in Kottayam and Alappuzha districts, as the water level has not receded. Thanks to the Mullapperiyar dam for its regained strength due to mere rheotoric of politicians of Kerala and TN

Interestingly, the ministers of Kerala are not seen in the affected regions in co-ordinating the relief works. Having handed over all the responsibilities to new-gen collectors of districts the ministers are engaged in tour and sight seeing. Not to blame them, collectors are doing what they can including Facebook and Twitter writing. Nevertheless, the worst affected people like those in the coastal belt are not in the network of Facebook or Twitter. Their hardships are beyond any reckon.

K A Solaman

Needed strong bond with US

India inviting US President Donald Trump to be the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations next year, is a noble gesture . Trump accepts it or not, the invitation would give a major boost to ties between the two countries in areas of defence, security and trade.

It is better for our country to have association with US as a good number of Indians are working there. No other world country  accommodates so much Indians as US does. And our politicians including those from Left politics prefer US for medical treatment to Russia or China.

Also, for India to seek waiver from US sanctions on import of oil from Iran, a bond is needed with US. Any border rift with Pakistan or China could be easily resolved with a stronger friendship  between India and US.

K A Solaman

Check jihadi outfits.

The brutal killing of SFI leader Abhimanyu of Maharajas college  by activists of PFI and its student outfit Campus Front, is shocking. It is not the result of students' quarrel on  fixing posters or writing on the campus walls. It is seemingly an  organised killing to disturb peace in the state. The  PFI was carrying out a Taliban model attack. The formidable presence of SFI in Maharajas campus is also a reason for ever escalating tension between rival groups.

Maharajas incident is an eye-opener to
CPM which has been fighting against right wing Hindu outfits for the last several years in association with  Islamic fundamentalists like PFI. Soft approach by CPM towards the activities of PFI and its  outfits in the state, has become costlier to them The  LDF government should be more vigilant about the growing activities of   jihadi outfits in college campuses and in the state.

K A Solaman

AMMA not a big issue

All burning issues of the State has been put aside by the cleverly drafted story of AMMA admitting actor Dileep to it. Though the foul players behind the ugly epsode are Mukesh and Ganesh, the wrath of the public is  on Mohanlal, the newly elected president of AMMA. It is to be doubted that there is petty politics behind the issue to tarnish the image of Mohanlal, who recently expressed his willingness to associate with BJP. Mohanlal is now a speck in the eyes of comrades.

The Youth Congress,  KSU, AIYF activists are all birds of same feather as they have nothing meaningful to do now other than protest against Lal. That is why some  of them marched to  Mohanlal’s house and others burned him in effigy. The police are seemingly mute spectactors to the issue. The protest march  against Mohanlal and AMMA  by various political parties are intended to get media attention.

AMMA is a privately run  agency where no political party has any contribution.
AMMA has its own set of rules and hence the question of asking Mohanlal to vacate from president’s post is unwarranted. It is better for all youth organisations, the KSU ard others to protest against police attrocity, girls missing, ration problems, price rise, placement ban , liquor menace, dengue fever, nurses strike and else what. AMMA is not a big issue for Kerala public.

K A Solaman

New friends

The meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un has been welcomed by many. The summit has raised hopes in certain quarters that a permanent resolution to the Korean crisis is not far away.

Nevertheless, it is important to note that Trump is the first American president to meet a North Korean leader. One may, therefore, ask, why did Trump's predecessors not try to engage with their North Korean counterparts? It is not hard to guess that the former did not want to provide legitimacy to the dictatorial administration in Pyongyang by hobnobbing with North Korean leaders. Sadly, Trump did not gain anything more from the interaction than a vague commitment on the part of North Korea to work towards denuclearization.

K.A. Solaman,
Alappuzha, Kerala
(The Telegraph, Kolkata
18 June 2018)

How to compromise insult on womanhood?

Having created much hue and cry a  compromise has been reached in the case registered against MLA KB Ganesh Kumar for allegedly manhandling a youth and abusing his mother. Of late, the main function of Nair Pontiff at Perunna is to bring peace between assualting nairs as
compromise was reached in the talks held at the NSS headquarters. As a result both the parties decided to withdraw the cases.

Then the question is: what is the fate of  secret submission before magistrate by the mother of the youth whose womanhood was insulted by the imprudent MLA,  notorious with series of criminal cases? Are the magistrate and court system are toys to play for the criminal gangs?

K A Solaman

E-bus to Kerala

It is good to hear that the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has  rolled out its first electric bus making Kerala the sixth Indian state to run the service. KSRTC will carry out a trial run for 15 days  out of which 8 days will be in Thiruvananthapuram and 7 days in Ernakulam, following which it will conduct services in Kochi and Kozhikode. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan  said that if the services are successful, they will roll out around 300 electric buses for service throughout the state.

However, people have genuine doubts about purchase of electric buses as each bus costs around 2.25 crore ruppees and total costs for 300 buses will be 675 crores. How is it  possible for the cash crunchy KSRTC to spend immediately this much amount? If it is a term loan, would it be possible for KSRTC to repay back loan timely? KSRTC is already in a debt trap and there is no proper repayment. The oil companies are always in war path with for non- payment of cost of fuel that they had supplied to KSRTC.

The insiders of KSRTC keep a view that the very reason for KSRTC loss-making is the uncontrolled purchase of spares such as window panes, tyres to small small buses (now none runs)  etc. which are still kept unused in various garages. The commission to higher-ups is the attraction for those thoughtless purchases.

Here in this case also the commission for  300 electric buses is not small and to whose packets it would go, is a significant question. The tailor-made gentleman MD of KSRTC, of course, knows about  the commission for bus purchase.

The labour unions including persioners are silent as they now get salary and pension regularly. Once this payment breaks they will start enquiring about the purchase of electric buses. So, it is better for union leaders to have look into  the new launch as it may sometimes affect the job security of them.

Is electric bus a mean to  the sustainable development concept of Kerala? Only time could say about it.

K A Solaman

Trump-Kim Summit

The summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un Is historic. It can be considered as a welcome development. It is hoped that resolution on denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula will bring peace across the globe.

With  Trump and Kim signing the comprehensive document seven decades of hostility between the two countries has become a past story. Nevertheless, why any other president of the last 30 odd years could not have met the dictator of North Korea, is a pertinent question. It is because they did not want to legitimise N Korea without concrete commitments to something beneficial. Trump has legitimised Kim, getting nothing in return, apart from a promise to work toward denuclearisation.

Further one has to look at the agreements Trump makes and breaks often. And in this respect there is no marked difference between Trump and Kim. However, next Nobel Prize for peace will go to Trump - Kim duo.

K A Solaman

Economic super power

It is stunning to hear that Indian coasts, including that in Kochi, are rich in natural gas reserves. The new discovery by American Geological Survey, would help India to meet its energy needs for another 300 years.

Kochi Coast, Krishna-Godavari basin and Cauvery basin were found with almost 130 million cubic feet hydrate gas accumulations. The survey also reports that one-third of this reserve was found on the Kochi Coast. It is believed to be the biggest Natural Gas Reserve till date.

In order to reap the reserve in full potential  India would work on with its own advanced technology and not on with the assistance of private companies as did in the past. India along with ONGC. GAIL, Oil India, Indian Oil Corporation could make wonders in this regard. The presently found hydrate gas reserve would make India an economic super power.

K A Solaman

End Postal strike.

The  India Post Payments Bank which started with much fanfare has ended in disaster. Those people who opened  accounts with IPPB have abandoned their accounts. As and when the postal strike ends the clients of IPPB will close their.accounts.

The Union government shows scant regards towards the ongoing strike by postal employees. The government takes no steps to resolve the crisis,
The pensioners are deeply concerned about a possible delay in getting their monthly pension through post offices on time owing to the ongoing strike. Those who had Post Office savings accounts are a worried lot as they were unable to withdraw cash. Many unemployed youth, who have been awaiting appointment orders from the State Public Service Commission by registered post, are disappointed. The readers of various publications are denied their legitimate rights by the postal strike. The attitude of the Postal Department and the concerned ministry that they are least bothered about the strike, is condemnable, The government should take initiative to settle the issue immediately.

K A Solaman

To combat honour killings

Time has come  for Kerala police to open a special wing to combat crimes relating love affairs and thereby to prevent honour killings.

When killing over a love marriage is sparking controversy now in Kerala, another couple in love approached the police seeking protection from death threat raised by the girl’s family. A Pathanamthitta man and a Kannur  woman reached the Thrikkakkara police station with a complaint against the girl’s family.

The lovers alleged that the girl’s relatives forcefully possessed her documents of identity proof to stop her from getting married with her lover. Her family also threatened the duo with political influence. They also filed a complaint in the women’s cell. In this case too the man in love story is at the receiving end.

Kerala is a densely populated state. The present estimated population is 3.73 crores of which about one crore people are in between age 15 -30. As the present media culture encourages everyone for free love, chances of love related crimes are high. So it is high time for Kerala  police to avert shame of the sort met in Gandhinagar police station in Kottayam.

K A Solaman

Huge loss.

The demise of Indian theoretical physicist E. C. George Sudarshan is a huge loss to the entire scientific community. His contributions to the field of theoretical physics have no parallelism. He has even augmented certain ideas like  maximum possible speedof Albert Einstein. His concept of tachyons contradicts the maximum possible velocity of light in free space.

He was nominated for Nobel Prize nine times. His contributions include optical coherence, Quantum zero effect, Sudarshan-Glauber representation, V-A theory and others.He was honoured with numerous awards like ICTP Dirac Medal, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, Majorana Prize, TWAS Prize, C. V. Raman Award among other awards

For people of Kerala Dr. Sudarshan is particularly a person of pride as he hails from Kottayam.  He was recently in Thiruvananthapuram for a talk on physics. He is inspiring for all students and teachers pursuing in the field quartm field theory.

K A Solaman

Last action hero again

The Iast action hero of KSRTC Tomin J Thachankary is again in headlines with his latest tirade to save the corporation. He asks the government to  declare the corporation as essential service and for an all-party meeting to ensure that it is exempted from hartals.

The history tells that the success of all hartals depends on the attack of corporation buses and the subsequent blockade of all vehicles. In that case no political party is going to listen Thachankary. Moreover, what is the fun in operating KSRTC services on hartal day when all are in holiday mood at home in front of TV with drink and snack.

K A Solaman

Compulsory Malayalam in schools

The Kerala  government drafting rules of the law that makes Malayalam a compulsory subject in all schools in the state from classes 1 to 10, is praiseworthy.. The law directs all schools including CBSE, ICSE, other central syllabus schools,  to make Malayalam a mandatory subject in curriculum.

As and when the law is put in practice, there should be measures to post Malayalam qualified teachers. All and sundry taking Malayalam classes would  turn class rooms into channel shows where manglish is the accepted language.

Formation of Malayalam language law and its implementation are good but it should not become a tool to punish CBSE/ISC schools. It is now the policy of LDF government to put hurdles before CBSE/ISC schools by givirg higher grades for SSLC and Plus 2. Awarding more marks and thereby enabling students to get admission to professional courses should  not be the policy of the government. The people do not know whether the present impetus towardട govt/aided schools last long as after every 5 years the rulers will change and policies differ.

K A Solaman