It's a bright yet warm morning. We're ready well in time and were at the venue - the district planning commission's conference hall - at the appointed hour. The crowd had begun to trickle in and by the time the meeting had begun the strength had stabilised at a hundred and ten participants.
Of the districts covered thus far, this was the district where PN Panicker's memories lingered fresh even to this day and someone had quoted his words(I was hearing these for the first time) - "If I were to die at Kasaragod, my last ceremonies should be done here!" - showing his deep emotional connectivity with the people of the northern most district of the state.
The seven panchayats selected for the first phase of the e-literacy programme were well represented by their presidents and the selected trainers. They're into the various stages of acquiring the 'tablet PCs' and it's reckoned that by the end of next week, we'll have to depute the trainers of Intel, along with ours, to kick start the programme in right earnest with the target date set at 30 Jun which is achievable. The short training capsule that was unveiled was eagerly lapped up by the participants.
A quick bite of a delayed lunch around 1430h, a return to the guest house for packing and clearing up the bills took an hour before we finally set off for Palakkad, the last destination of this incredible 'yatra'. But disaster struck soon after - the LDF has announced a 'hartal' tomorrow for the injuries caused to a few of their men during the morning fracas of trying to prevent the finance minister, KM Mani, from presenting the budget! Consequently, the meeting scheduled to be held at Nenmara, Palakkad tomorrow morning at 9 had to be called off.
So, even though we'd shaped our course, initially, southward towards Palakkad we'd to reluctantly alter it to the home bound journey. Calls from the organisers and our workers at Palakkad, asking us not to cancel the programme - they even promised a full house attendance notwithstanding the restrictions imposed due to the 'hartal' - we knew that we'd to be practical and not emotional while taking the decision to cancel it because of the tremendous negative possibilities that could arise out of a 'defiance on our part' as might be perceived by the hartal's organisers!
On the completion of 13 days and after having traversed a distance of over 1,000 kms, touching thirteen of the fourteen district headquarters, the abrupt return demoralised, saddened and angered me, I confess because the 'yatra' was being left incomplete. But life's like that.......one needs to take in the unexpected which nixes the fundamental 'aim' that one had so elaborately and sincerely set for oneself/one's organisation.
Hope that we will pull it off next time whenever that's gonna be!
Tailpiece.
We're around the television sets, in the morning, watching with horror and cynical amusement at the way our lawmakers were presenting themselves - instead of allowing the budget to be presented - on the floor of the Assembly. It's the egoistic stance of the political leaders that has brought the situation to such a sorry pass. The following points that result out of the entire tamasha are worth remembering:-
(a) To the question as to 'who won' and 'who lost' in the unfortunate showdown, my answer is that
it's neither but the people of Kerala, without an iota of doubt!
(b) The perpetrators of the destruction of property viz. the speaker's chair and the computer with
accessories must be brought to book. The ungentlemanly and unladylike behaviour by the
members presented a sorry spectacle! Can't any action be taken against them?
(c) The opposition has already said that they wouldn't participate in the budget discussions. In
effect we're gonna get a budget without discussions/much needed amendments/necessary add
ons so very essential to make it sound and foolproof, as possible! Sad!!
Of the districts covered thus far, this was the district where PN Panicker's memories lingered fresh even to this day and someone had quoted his words(I was hearing these for the first time) - "If I were to die at Kasaragod, my last ceremonies should be done here!" - showing his deep emotional connectivity with the people of the northern most district of the state.
The seven panchayats selected for the first phase of the e-literacy programme were well represented by their presidents and the selected trainers. They're into the various stages of acquiring the 'tablet PCs' and it's reckoned that by the end of next week, we'll have to depute the trainers of Intel, along with ours, to kick start the programme in right earnest with the target date set at 30 Jun which is achievable. The short training capsule that was unveiled was eagerly lapped up by the participants.
A quick bite of a delayed lunch around 1430h, a return to the guest house for packing and clearing up the bills took an hour before we finally set off for Palakkad, the last destination of this incredible 'yatra'. But disaster struck soon after - the LDF has announced a 'hartal' tomorrow for the injuries caused to a few of their men during the morning fracas of trying to prevent the finance minister, KM Mani, from presenting the budget! Consequently, the meeting scheduled to be held at Nenmara, Palakkad tomorrow morning at 9 had to be called off.
So, even though we'd shaped our course, initially, southward towards Palakkad we'd to reluctantly alter it to the home bound journey. Calls from the organisers and our workers at Palakkad, asking us not to cancel the programme - they even promised a full house attendance notwithstanding the restrictions imposed due to the 'hartal' - we knew that we'd to be practical and not emotional while taking the decision to cancel it because of the tremendous negative possibilities that could arise out of a 'defiance on our part' as might be perceived by the hartal's organisers!
On the completion of 13 days and after having traversed a distance of over 1,000 kms, touching thirteen of the fourteen district headquarters, the abrupt return demoralised, saddened and angered me, I confess because the 'yatra' was being left incomplete. But life's like that.......one needs to take in the unexpected which nixes the fundamental 'aim' that one had so elaborately and sincerely set for oneself/one's organisation.
Hope that we will pull it off next time whenever that's gonna be!
Tailpiece.
We're around the television sets, in the morning, watching with horror and cynical amusement at the way our lawmakers were presenting themselves - instead of allowing the budget to be presented - on the floor of the Assembly. It's the egoistic stance of the political leaders that has brought the situation to such a sorry pass. The following points that result out of the entire tamasha are worth remembering:-
(a) To the question as to 'who won' and 'who lost' in the unfortunate showdown, my answer is that
it's neither but the people of Kerala, without an iota of doubt!
(b) The perpetrators of the destruction of property viz. the speaker's chair and the computer with
accessories must be brought to book. The ungentlemanly and unladylike behaviour by the
members presented a sorry spectacle! Can't any action be taken against them?
(c) The opposition has already said that they wouldn't participate in the budget discussions. In
effect we're gonna get a budget without discussions/much needed amendments/necessary add
ons so very essential to make it sound and foolproof, as possible! Sad!!
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