Just not cricket and other reactions!

What does one say about a slew of happenings that shouldn't have taken place? React, I must and here I go.

 (a) Just not cricket.

       India was bundled out for a paltry 92 runs off 17.2 overs by the South Africans due to some

       spineless batting. They're put into bat by the South Africans after winning the toss. The second 

       T20 match at the Barabati Cricket Stadium at Cuttack, then, saw the South Africans coasting

       to an easy win when the unruly and unsportsmanlike crowd started throwing water bottles on to 

       the ground. It had begun when the last Indian batsman was dismissed but the police had stopped

       it but when the bottle throwing recommenced when the South Africans were in sight of victory,

       the police had become mere spectators! Sad!!

  (b) The hate jibes.

        The hate talk, subsequent to the Dadri killing, doesn't seem to end. The stupid exchanges

        between Sangeet Som of the BJP and Azam Khan of the Samajwadi party have been crossing

        all limits of propriety and decency. Wonder, why their party leaders do not rein them in and

        take them to task or is it being done with their sneaky connivance?

        What really appalled me was when BJP's Sushil Kumar Modi, in an election rally in Bihar,

        stated that the elections were between the 'beef eaters' and the 'non beef eaters'. Isn't it crass

        and disgusting? And I believe that in our country, there's no law that defines hate speech! Sad!!

   (c) The worried Indian techie?

         Consequent to PM Modi's successful visit to the US Silicon Valley, the Indian techies are 

         apprehensive as to whether the critical portions of his 'Digital India' were being handed over

         to global giants at the expense of the local talent and expertise. I'm sure that their apprehensions

         are misplaced because there is ample space in the Indian horizon for all players. 

         I've always felt that our talent far surpasses any in the world but on home ground, do we've

         a tendency to be under confident or is it that the lure of unimaginable emoluments distract 

         us? Hope I'm wrong but it would not augur well for the country if what I've said is true! Sad!!

Tailpiece.

The Bihar election juggernaut is reaching the crescendo. The first phase of elections is gonna take place on the 12th.

    

      

         

         

       

  

The Space week.

The week encompassing 04 to 10 Oct is celebrated, the world over, as the space week.

Do the dates have any significance?

Yes, they do as many of the important space related activities have taken place within these dates. Let's have a peek:-

      04 Oct '57                USSR had sent the first man made satellite, 'Sputnik' up into space. This
                                       date, therefore, marks the birth of the Space Age.

      10 Oct '67                Consequent to the Sputnik's foray into space, the US and the then, USSR
                                       had embarked on a space race where manned vehicles were sent up, and a
                                       deadly arsenal of missiles was built up by both the sides. The madness had
                                       to stop and it was on this date, that the two superpowers signed the  
                                       historical agreement to ban nuclear weapons in space and to use space for
                                       peaceful purposes only!
                                      128 countries are signatories to this agreement. It was in '99 that the UN
                                      decided to celebrate this week as the Space Week.

A few interesting information about space:-

      (a) Our heights increase by about 5 cm, while in space. Why? The Backbone stretches because 
            of the absence of the earth's gravitational pull!

      (b) From where does 'space' actually begin in the sky? The area beyond 100 km above sea level
            marked by the imaginary line called the 'Karman Line', named after Theodore Karman,
            a Hungarian-American engineer and physicist. In other words, this line separates the
            earth's atmosphere from space!

      (c) Two pieces of a metal, while in space, fuses to become a single piece by the process called
            'Cold welding/vacuum fusion'. This is because the atoms of the metal lose the power to 
            differentiate as to which piece they belong to and joins up if kept together!


Tailpiece.

The vastness of space and its 'orderly disorderliness' makes me believe in God!

       
                                     

India's discomfort in Nepal!

Nepal has been facing an unprecedented shortage of fuel and essential goods - supplied through India - because of the agitation by its people on its southern border. The southern region spread across the Himalayan foothills, also known as the 'Terai', has a population that consists of the socially underprivileged Madhesis and the Janajatis(the indigenous people).

The Madhesis are Indian origin Nepalese. The distrust with which the Madhesis have been traditionally viewed has a history of its own. The undermentioned points would illuminate that factor:-

     (a) Nepalese politicians cite the Madhesis' 'dhoti-kurta' dress as proof of their not being
          Nepalese enough!
     (b) The people of the terai look towards India - akin to the Tamils of Sri Lanka - as the
           protector of their interests.

The Run Up to the Agitation.

  * It all began with the issuance of the new Constitution - while seeking to turn Nepal into a secular
     democratic Republic - that does not adequately address the concerns of the Madhesis.

  * Nepal has had 6 Constitutions and this is the 7th iteration.

  * The problem has not been in the writing but the ownership. None of the previous Constitutions
     have been owned by all the sections of the society/political forces and hence, haven't been
     sustainable.

  * All the previous ones were written by the monarch but this has been prepared by the elected
     people in the Constituent Assembly.

  * The new Constitution has been framed in a manner that ensures the dominance of the traditional
     political elites - the upper caste people of the hills!

Consider the following.

  (a) India has been concerned enough to convey the Madhesis' apprehensions to the Nepalese
       leadership urging it to build a national consensus so that the pluralistic polity that Nepal
       aspires to be was all inclusive.

  (b) This should have been done while the Constitution was in its draft form and the parleys
        should have been carried out through a quiet and efficient diplomacy. Perhaps, the outgoing
        government had other things to handle resulting in an inadequate impetus.

   (c) The invitation of the Nepalese PM to PM Modi's swearing in along with those of the other
         SAARC nations and his first foreign visit to the Himalayan nation had promised a robust
         relationship between the two countries. The recent high profile visit of our Foreign Secretary
         as the PM's special envoy did not achieve much.

   (d) Even assuming that the Nepalese leaders had wanted to accommodate the Indian viewpoint,
         they'd have been accused of acting under foreign pressure!

   (e) There are enough India-baiters in Kathmandu who would pounce on every opportunity to show
         India in poor light.

Result.

Today, the Madhesis are agitating and the supply lines to the north have been cut off by the agitators and yet, India is getting the blame for forcing an economic blockade!


Tailpiece.

And the aftermath?

   (a) Whipping up anti-India sentiment, the telecast of 42 Indian television channels has been blocked
         in retaliation to the imagined economic blockade.
   (b) Armed commandos have to guard the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu.
         

The Munnar conundrum and the beef muddle.

1. Revisiting Munnar.

    It's getting more and more like a ridiculous pantomime. I mean, the psychological games being           played out between the 'Pembilai Orumai' and the trade unions, on the hill slopes of Munnar. After
    the misstep, the women power has been trying to regroup but has met with impediments - their
    own men, owing allegiance to their trade unions, have passed 'diktats' to the families that they
    should refrain from joining up with the women power.

    That the Pembilai Orumai has been able to stand their ground - despite reduced strength - shows
     that they've been able to capture the imagination of a wide range of people. It's my fond hope that
     in this eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation, the women power is able to make their detractors blink
     first.

     Meanwhile, what's the managements' stand? I'm covering the entire range of hill side plantations,
     in other words, the entire plantation sector. Is the demand for Rs.500/-, as minimum wages, a tall
     order and unimplementable while catering for their share of profits? It's because no such game can
     end unless it's a win-win situation for all the parties, in the end.

     Why do I've this sneaky feeling that the demand of Rs.500/-, as minimum wages, has been
     suggested by the trade unions despite being aware of the fact that it's unrealistic and unreasonable?

2. The beef muddle in the village of UP.

     Without anyone accepting his role in the lynching of Iqlakh, questions and counter questions
     are being hurled from all the sides and the weirdest of them has been from the chief minister of
     UP. He has dared the union government to stop exporting beef. But is he unmindful of the fact
     that the beef that we export is only the meat of buffaloes and goats?

     Is it, therefore, a misinformation campaign?


Tailpiece.

Contradictions galore............!

Interesting political alignments in Kerala.

The BJP and the SNDP(Sree Narayana Dharma Paripaalanam) moving to form a third alliance in the state, for the panchayat elections that are to take place next month, throws up interesting possibilities. The alliance is almost there after the formal meeting between Mr.Vellappally Natesan, the President of the outfit and PM Narendra Modi, brokered by Amit Shah. Only a formal announcement is all that is remaining.

The decision to form a third front, in Kerala, has been brought about by the following factors:-

   (a) BJP's desire of gaining a footprint in the state as it's yet to open an account either in the
        Parliament or the Assembly. That it has gained a few seats in certain panchayats is more
        out of a default thanks to the shenanigans of the CPM-led LDF and the Congress-led UDF.
   (b) The SNDP is the outfit that looks after the interests of the 'Ezhava' community, the largest OBC
         group in the state and hence, commands a wide audience. The LDF and the UDF have a
         sizeable number of the community in each of their alliances which can be weaned away, if the
         SNDP raises a political party, is a tantalising factor.
   (c) The people of the state are already fed up with the governments, alternatively led by the LDF
         and the UDF, that have ruled them over a period of time, for the undermentioned reasons:-

             (i) Governance sacrificed due to infighting among the alliance partners.
            (ii) Both the alliances follow minority appeasement policies, though at a superficial level. In
                  case of the present UDF government, it's common knowledge that the IUML calls the
                  shots.
           (iii) Developmental activities get stymied with each alliance acting against the other's efforts.
           (iv) Politics of murder - finishing off political opponents - has begun to rear its ugly head in
                  certain places.

The Ifs and the Buts!

   (a) The State's BJP unit lacks leaders. Perhaps, O Rajagopal is the only leader who commands
         all round respect. A few prominent figures of the socio-cultural fields are waiting in the wings.
   (b) The SNDP will also have to nurture leaders apart from its President.
   (c) The combine could have successes in the panchayat elections.
   (d) Both the LDF and the UDF have come up with  strident criticism against the 'opportunistic
         and unscrupulous'(?) leadership of the SNDP for deciding to hitch their political fortunes
         with that of the BJP, a 'communal party'. They're, perhaps, afraid of diminishing cadres!

My take.

It seems to be an interesting situation, at least every group will now have to work hard towards the overall development of the state and from that point of view, an alternate alliance other than the LDF and the UDF must be given a chance to rule.


Tailpiece.

1. The more, the merrier!
2. An interesting slice of history. In '67, Kerala was to blaze the trail of coalition partnerships in the country. It was much tom-tommed then, that corruption would dwindle because each political outfit in the coalition will be an effective counter check to the other and thus, bring about a clean administration. That each constituent of the coalition vied with the other to 'make hay while the sun shines', was the sad experience that the Malayalees have been witness to all these years, instead!

PS.
Whether the new alliance is gonna be formidable or just a spoiler will be known as time progresses.

Barbaric! An act that needs condemnation and swift redressal.

58 year old Iqlakh and his son, living in Bisada of the Dadri area in Greater NOIDA, Uttar Pradesh faced a mob fury with fatal results. While the former was lynched to death, the latter is battling for life in a hospital with grievous injuries on the misplaced information that the family was having beef.

It's a truly barbaric act that needs all round condemnation and immediate redressal by rounding up the guilty and subjecting them to the proceedings of a fast court appointed for the purpose!

What's even worse is that the police has sent the meat, kept in the fridge of the house, for forensic investigation to ascertain whether it was beef. And what happens if it were to be beef? Don't the people of this country have the freedom to choose their food? What have we come to? This incident pales the activities of the Taliban and the ISIS!

The run up to the horror:-

  (a) Rumours were spread that the family had slaughtered a cow and had beef.
  (b) The priest was forced to announce that the family had beef, on the temple loudspeaker, by two
        youth.
  (c) On hearing this, a mob had rushed to Iqlakh's house, vandalised the place, misbehaved with
        the ladies, lynched Iqlakh and grievously injured his son.
  (d) The sad thing was that there were many onlookers and they remained just that, without trying
        to resist the wrongdoers!

The factors that point to mischief:-

   (a) In the past few months there have been attempts to disturb the prevalent communal harmony
         in the area.
   (b) Two cows had died in a 'gaushala' and there were attempts to project the incident as cow 
         slaughter at the time of the disposal of the carcasses and incite people.

The Result.

The Muslims of the area are thinking of migrating from the area! Sad!!

My Take.

Guys who do not understand Hinduism, its all encompassing goodness with the inherent flexibility of accepting the good from all the other religions and tolerance towards faiths are masquerading as its custodians/guardians by brandishing their own narrow interpretations. This cannot be allowed!


Tailpiece.

India is a great country. Her image cannot be sullied by a handful of narrow minded goons!

A script gone awry? All about woman power (Pembilai Orumai) in Kerala's plantations!

A 9 day protest by about 7,000 women workers of the Kannan Devan Hills Plantations Company Private Limited had begun on 06 Sep. They'd picketed the roads and the feeder highway, so effectively, that traffic to and from Munnar came to a grinding halt, cutting off supplies to the district resulting in stranded tourists and mass cancellation of tourist reservations.

The women workers' grievances were the following:-

    (a) that they're doing strenuous jobs like:-
           (i) picking tea leaves
          (ii) heaving sacks of plucked tea leaves and
         (iii) loading the sacks on to the trucks
         and their pay ranged from Rs.170/- to Rs.230/- every working day which often stretched up to
         12 lours while the men got the same wages for lighter tasks like fostering of plants! Therefore,
         an increase of wages to Rs.500/- per day.

    (b) better conditions, both in terms of bonus and facilities and
    (c) scaling up medical facilities.

The highlights of the agitation was that, alleging collusion between the trade unions and the management, they:-

     (a) kept the trade unions away from their agitation
     (b) kept the political parties at arm's distance.
     (c) chased away the local legislator and
     (d) insisted upon the chief minister's intervention for an amicable solution.

Accordingly, the deadlock was broken on 13 Sep, after a day long consultation in Kochi led by the chief minister, his cabinet colleagues, trade union leaders, representatives of the workers and the management of the Company. The grievance about wages - covering the entire lot of plantation workers of tea, coffee, spices, rubber etc -  was to be looked at during the Plantation Labour Committee meeting of 26 Sep.

The immediate effect was that the political parties and their trade unions were stunned at their isolation and were eager to get back into the scheme of things! Assessment meetings, self criticism and assorted huddles were organised among the trade unions to come up trumps from the ignominy of isolation!!  

The Plantation Labour Committee meeting of 26 Sep could not arrive at a consensus regarding the pegging of minimum wages at Rs.500/- as the managements expressed their inability to cater for the hike. The representatives of the women workers who weren't party to this meeting, in the meanwhile, had got another assurance from the chief minister that the problem would be settled amicably.  

Seizing the window of opportunity, the entire array of trade unions had called for striking work on 28 Sep. The women power had decided to stay off from the 'hartal' with the rider that it wouldn't enforce any decision on its members!

That the trade unions could wean away a majority of the women workers into their call for striking work brought about a quick end to the unity of the 'women power'.


Tailpiece.

Is it the end of the 'women power'(Pembilai Orumai) or was it a misstep? Only time will tell!