US military action in Syria and other stories.

1. The Syrian Imbroglio.

59 American Tomahawk missiles destroyed a considerable number of assets of Assad's air force on the Shayrat airfield in Syria. This was in response to the chemical attack carried out by Assad's forces earlier this week drawing prompt criticism from Russia.

Why did Trump order the strikes against his campaign promise of not involving the US armed forces in interventions abroad? Though he has not deployed the 'boots on the ground', military action can be spurred within no time owing to a number of factors. So, why did he do it?

It has always been the case that a government when cornered internally, tries to rustle up an external aggression to deflect public scrutiny and thereby, reduce the pressure. Here, the Trump administration is increasingly under the weather with three simultaneous inquiries going on to find out the truth about the covert Russian involvement in the last Presidential elections to ensure Trump's victory. Increasingly, his key aides are falling off like kingpins as the investigations gather momentum! 

Does he feel that his countrymen have come to the conclusion that he was soft on Putin and the Ruskis implying a past connection? Then, this one action would help wipe away that feeling. Possible, huh!?

2. A New Low in Electioneering.

It was a bizarre sight in the Madras' RK Nagar assembly constituency today when the Panneerselvam faction of the AIADMK took out a rally with a plastic fibre replica of the late Jayalalitha's body in a coffin.

Literally, parading the dead for votes? This is the limit!

It, incidentally, drew support from a section of the people who maintained, "It's very emotional. It reminded us of Amma. We lost her unexpectedly. We'll never forget her".

3. Amazing Ingenuity, But for a Wrong Cause.

Aiswarya Bar, of North Paravur, bypassed the Supreme Court directive that stipulates a distance of 500 mts from national and state highways for liquor vends by building a 250 mt long maze-like walkway.

The beer and wine parlour located around 150 mts away from the NH 17 was closed down on 01 Apr following the Supreme Court ruling. Trust the 'mallu' to come up with such an ingenuous idea!



Tailpiece.

Why do I get this feeling that this year's national film awards could have been different? I'm no expert but something within me tells that it's a Priyadarshan - he was the chairman of the jury - orchestrated script! Sad!!

A hotchpotch.

1. Finally, the GST is Through.

    The Parliament passed four legislations to pave the way for the roll out of the historic Goods and
    Services Tax(GST) from 01 Jul. The bills were returned by the Rajya Sabha after the negation of a
    host of amendments moved by the opposition parties. The Lok Sabha had passed these bills on 29
    Mar. All the states will now have to pass the States GST Bill after which the new indirect tax
    regime - common for the entire country - can be rolled out.

    In the Rajya Sabha, it was the consensus brought about by the former PM, Dr. Manmohan Singh,
    that saw the Congress drop all the amendments that individual members had given notice of earlier,
    on the appeal of the Finance Minister that any amendment moved will have to go back to the GST
    Council, inviting a further delay in the roll out. The CPM and the Trinamool Congress, however,
    stuck to their amendments which were outvoted, though.

    A rare show of spirit of accommodation and camaraderie in the legislature for a national cause!

2. Vasundhara Raje Needs to Buck Up.

    Pehlu Khan, 50, was brutally beaten up by a gang of cow vigilantes in the Alwar district of
    Rajasthan last Saturday while transporting cows. He later succumbed to his injuries on Monday
    night. It's a bad show, Ms. Scindhia! These guys must be rounded up and tried for murder, nothing
    less because they've no right to:-
           (a) snuff another life and
           (b) to take the law into their own hands!

    Madam Chief Minister, let's see a positive action, on the issue from you, forthwith!

3. The Chief Minister Explains at a Campaign Rally.

     The chief minister had tried to explain to the people as to what all have been done by the
     government in the Jishnu Pranoy case, at one of the election rallies at Malappuram, raising
     more questions on the issue. A few points that need to be noted are:-

         (a) The good that a government does must be spoken about by the others/the beneficiaries
               rather than by the chief minister or his ministers.
         (b) By resorting to such a thing, he should have ensured that he spoke the truth. Here,
               taking the help of the television grabs he'd said that the police never dragged Jishnu's
               mother nor manhandled anybody from the family. Soon after his utterances, the arguments
               have been countered by the victim and some of the 'television grabs' themselves! His
               credibility is the factor at stake.
         (c) A quick acceptance of the police excesses and an apology were all that's necessary, the
               people concerned would have only been willing to forgive and forget.



Tailpiece.

The ugly spat between the Indian Tennis players, Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi in the
selection of the country's Davis Cup team for the match against Uzbekistan once again, brings to the fore the petty egos that play with scant regard to national feelings! .........In this case, I must concede that I'm on Leander's side!!  
       

     

A script gone awry!

The Kerala Police drew widespread criticism for manhandling the mother and close relatives of Jishnu Pranoy - the engineering student who allegedly committed suicide three months ago - when they attempted a sit-in outside the police headquarters, today. They're protesting the delay in arresting those responsible for Jishnu's death which, they allege, is a murder, committed with the connivance of the top management of the Nehru College where he was studying!

The television grabs were disturbing and one wondered as to why the police were so tactless and brusque. The way they dragged the grieving mother on the road would have moistened the eyes of even the most emotionless man! To many Keralites, the police must have become the villain with this one tactless act.

But how and why did it happen? Let's see the circumstances:-

     (a) A bypoll for the parliament is slated on 11 Apr and the electioneering is on in full swing at
          Malappuram. No political party would have liked to get into a defensive position in the run up
          to the polls.
     (b) The CPM's state secretary had said that the election results shall vindicate the performance of
           the Pinarayi Vijayan government.
     (c) A harmless set of members of a grieving family formed the protesters.
     (d) A decision, acceptable to all, could have easily been brought about through discussions.

So, why did it have to get ugly? Was the police rattled by the fact that a group of protesters had fetched up at their gates, literally, which is supposed to be a 'sacred, no protest zone'? Did they feel threatened by the anger unleashed by the aggrieved?

The justification by the chief minister, in the aftermath, added fuel to the fire. Being the home minister, he'd to take that stand, perhaps, to prop up the morale of the police force. He'd blamed the outside forces like 'the BJP, the SUCI and Thokku swami' having joined the family and forced the issue! Is it true or is it a desperate shot in the dark to shake off the criticism? 



Tailpiece.

1. Jishnu's mother has been admitted into the Medical College Hospital for medical management. Sympathy is piling up for her from every nook and corner of the state much to the discomfort of the state government.
2. The opposition, UDF and the BJP have called for a statewide 'hartal' tomorrow to protest against the police action.
3. A word of advice to the government, "You don't have to win every argument. Accepting your own mistake will be appreciated, which actually shows your inherent strength".
4. Lastly, it's ironic that such an incident had taken place on the 60th anniversary of the first communist government - under EMS Namboodiripad - having come to power in the state!

           

There we go again.

1. The Latest Offer from the US.

     During his campaign for the presidency, Donald Trump had said that he would put Pakistan
     on notice for its use of terror in the conduct of its foreign policy - in J&K in India and the
     dangerous game of playing the Taliban card in Afghanistan. As an Indian, I was happy that:-
         
           (a) Here was a good articulation of his-would-be-foreign-policy-initiatives having taken into
                consideration the ground realities.
           (b) Since he was a rank outsider, he did not carry the baggage of political ideology which
                 would have necessitated him to take the oft beaten path of making lip service against
                 Pakistani indulgence in terrorist activities in its neighbourhood and yet, provide it with
                 military aid.
           (c) He's a good set of people to advice him on foreign policy matters.

     But all that seems to have been misplaced optimism, after hearing Nikki Haley, his envoy to
     the UN, say that the US is willing to mediate between India and Pakistan to de-escalate tensions in
     the region. And mind you, Donald Trump, is offering himself to be the mediator.

     Mr. Trump, why don't you realise that we've been saying all along that Kashmir is a bilateral
     problem which we'd thrash out ourselves. Thanks and no, thanks for your 'offer'. And I thought
     that Nikki Haley, an Indian-American actually knew the ground realities! Sad!! Wonder why we
     swell our chest with pride saying that she's an Indian, doing well in the US?

2. Currency Crunch in the State.

    Shortage of currency affected the functioning of several treasuries in the state and disrupted the
    distribution of salary and pension for the month. The finance minister was quick on the draw while
    putting the blame on the RBI and the central government. Mr. Thomas Isaac, why do you cut a
    sorry figure always? Shouldn't you've anticipated the situation and taken adequate measures, well
    in time, to have thwarted the sad spectacle.

    The television grabs showing the sad plight of the senior citizens were heart rending. The look
    of discomfort coupled with the disgusting knowledge that the government accorded no priority
    for their needs shall remain ingrained in my mind for days to come.

3. Adieu Kishori Amonkar!

    Kishori Amonkar passed into the mist of time, late yesterday, at her home in central Bombay
    after a brief illness. She was 84. The highlights about her are:-
       
           * A classical vocalist recognised as the foremost singer in the Hindustani tradition and
              as an innovative exponent of the 'Jaipur gharana'(A community of musicians sharing a
              distinctive musical style).
           * She'd learned the finer points and techniques of the Jaipur gharana from her mother,
              Mogubai Kurdikar.
           * She was known primarily for her skillful singing of classical 'khayal' songs set in the
              traditional 'ragas' of Hindustani music. She, also, performed the lighter classical 'thumri'
              repertoire, 'bhajans' and film music.
           * Apart from being a musician, she was a popular speaker giving lectures on the theory of
              'ragas'(Feelings and emotions) in music.

   RIP Kishori Amonkar. My salute to a great musician and prayers.



Tailpiece.

It was during my 'one year ten month' tenure at INS Chilka during '89-'90 when I heard Kishori Amonkar for the first time at Surgeon Commander Sanjay Goil's house, one evening. Sangeeta, his wife, was a connoisseur of good music and it was she who put me through the groove of classical music. I can never forget many memorable evenings, at their place, as I got through the nuances of enjoying music! Thanks Sanjay and Sangeeta for those heady days!!

 

A couple of interesting news bytes.

1. The One from Jammu and Kashmir.

    The Prime Minister had dedicated the 9.2 km Chenani - Nashri road tunnel on 02 Apr. It's also
    known as the Patnitop Tunnel. It's in J&K on NH 44 (Former NH 1A) whose work had started in
    '11. Asia's longest tunnel boasts of a distance of 9.2 kms or 5.8 miles and was built at a cost of
    Rs. 3,720 crores. It has a fully integrated tunnel control system. Here're the vital statistics:-

       * Cuts the distance between Jammu and Srinagar to around 250 km from the earlier 350 km.
       * It connects Chenani in Udhampur district with Nashri in Ramban district.
       * As many as 1,500 engineers, geologists, skilled workers and labourers constructed this tunnel.
       * The all weather tunnel bypasses snowfall and avalanche prone areas in winter at places like
          Patnitop, Kud and Batote that obstruct NH 44 causing long queues of vehicles, at times
          for days at length.
       * Has 2 tubes that run parallel to each other. The main traffic tunnel of diameter 13 mts and a
          separate safety/escape tunnel of diameter 6 mts alongside.
       * The two tubes - each about 9 km long - are connected by 29 cross passages at regular intervals
          of 300 mts along the entire length of the tunnel.

     Surely an engineering marvel that will enhance communications and trade towards the betterment
     of the people of that state!

2. The Other One from Leicester, England.

     A couple who enjoyed 71 happy years of marriage died within 4 mts of each other.

       * Wilf Russel(93) took his final breath at Magna Care Homes in Wigston at 0650 hrs last
          Wednesday. He was suffering from dementia for the past year.
       * Four minutes later, three miles away at Leicester Royal Infirmary, his 91 year old wife, Vera
          was pronounced dead.

     She'd gone to visit him a few months back and he didn't recognise her at all. Her health started
     deteriorating from that day.
 
     Wilf met Vera when he was 18 and she was 16. They got engaged before he went to North Africa
     and Italy, with the RAF, during the Second World War.

     Surely, this is what eternal love is all about!


Tailpiece.

We went for the matinee show of the Mammootty starrer, 'The Great Father'. A nice story of a father-daughter relationship and the film deals with 'child abuse' which is on a rising graph, of late.

Aren't we pushing it a bit too far?

The Supreme Court has passed a judgement that all liquor vends, including star hotels with bars need to be kept at least 500 mts away from highways. A super decision owing to the following:-

       (a) Ever increasing loss of lives on the highways and main thoroughfares due to drunken
            driving.
       (b) Trafficking of illicit and spurious liquor that also claims lives periodically.
       (c) The control of the Excise Department regarding the handling and distribution of liquor
             to the public is abysmally poor.
       (d) The liquor mafia seems to have a massive hold of everything connected to this industry.

But what worries me are the following factors:-

       (a) Total prohibition is but a 'Utopian' dream because it has never succeeded and it's not difficult
             to list out the reasons:-
             (i) social drinking is accepted in any society.
            (ii) if liquor is not easily available, the diehard goes for illicit brewing and spurious liquor
                  that can affect their health, even be the cause of death!
           (iii) a guy who does hard labour would like to have a tot or two to forget his worries about
                  the aches and the pains, at the end of the day.
           (iv) what bewilders him is that those who can afford it imbibes the choicest bubbly as and
                  he feels like it.
       (b) By bringing about restrictions, the government is gonna lose valuable revenue into its
             coffers and it has no other source of income to overcome this loss.
       (c) Will its excise and police departments be able to monitor and prevent the making and selling
             of illicit/spurious liquor?
       (d) What prevents drug peddlers from gaining an upper hand?

It's my firm opinion that the lawmakers must sit together and find out a durable solution. Instead of prohibition, what must be emphasised should be as to how control in the consumption of liquor can be brought about through sustained propaganda and education. For this, the government must make use of the numerous NGOs to popularise the idea.

There are a few incorrigibles, however, who need harsh treatment which must be given without hesitation.


Tailpiece.

The evening walk was towards the temple as I'd to collect an eye ointment from the 'Medicare'. Did the 'parikrama' of the temple on my return!
     

Lekha's dad's remembrance day.

It was Lekha's dad's first remembrance day as per the Malayalam calendar. Our day had begun at a quarter past 5 and we're ready by 6 when Anto had arrived at our gate, with his auto rickshaw as per last evening's understanding between us. We're at the Thiruvenkatachalapathy temple within 10 minutes and found that we're very early.

To while away the time, we'd entered the temple to have a 'darshan' of the deity and it was then we came to know about two things from the gentleman at the counter, where one bought the tickets for the various 'pujas'. He was inquisitive to know about us and after I'd answered his queries, he gave us the following information:-

    (a) the ceremony for the departed was always carried out after 7 o'clock, every morning.
    (b) the 'thil homam' was not carried out at this temple and that we'd have to visit the Mammiyoor
          Siva kshetram, after the ceremony.

The avuncular priest and the Master of ceremony greeted us with a warm nod of his head as I took a place at the first slot to his right and it was he who'd insisted that Lekha must go through the ceremony herself, offering her a plastic stool to sit and had three biscuit tins arranged together to make a makeshift table. Damn sweet of him and I, thus, was made an observer. An interesting observation was that there were eight of them and everyone had come to remember their dads! The whole process had taken about an hour and after taking leave of the priest, we'd set off for the Mammiyoor kshetram.

The 'thil homam' was registered and the receipt was deposited at the sanctum sanctorum of Lord Siva, at the Mammiyoor kshetram. Lord Vishnu, who sits beside, had gone into a short nap after his morning meal, his  sanctum sanctorum was closed and therefore, I couldn't see him as I went through the 'parikrama'! We headed home soon after.

An interesting thing had happened around lunch time. A jet black crow(The 'Bali kaaka' as we mallus call them) hovered over the food - soon after its placement, out in the courtyard - and flew off after feeding from the offering! Was that Lekha's dad's soul in attendance, pleased with his daughter's remembrance of him? She was pretty sure that it was and I didn't have the heart to pooh pooh her belief because I, really, do not know..........but I'd like to believe that she's right!

It was a quiet day, thereafter.


Tailpiece.

As I went through the paces of my evening walk, dark clouds had formed up in most parts of the sky over the temple town and was glad that there would be rains at night. How wrong I was because the night was warm without even a trace of rain, at least, till the time we hit the sack!