A citizen's angst.

We've heard the oft repeated saying, "Justice delayed is justice denied". I'm gonna recount two happenings that had taken place in two different courts quite recently. Without much ado, here I go:-

 1. A citizen's Angst - Suicide at the Kerala High Court.

     KL Johnson, a 77 year old from Mulavana in Kollam, jumped to his death from the top of the
     High Court on Thursday. His last words. "I don't have any hope now that I would get justice....
     ....I'm going. Those responsible should be punished. He'd scribbled these words on the back of
     the complaints that he'd filed to the President of India, the Chief Justice of India and the Chief
     Justice of Kerala.

     As per a 'Mercy Petition', the land adjacent to his land was at a lower level and his house was on
     the verge of collapse because of work being carried out by the Chittumala block panchayat. The
     Kollam munsiff's court, based on his complaint, had directed the panchayat to construct a
     boundary wall at a length of 7 mts, the implementation of which was being delayed by the
     panchayat purposely.

     The poor gentleman must have been bewildered at being given the cold shoulder and the 
     apathy of the organisations that could have ensured him justice. Sad!   

 2. Justice After 24 years.

     In '93, Suresh Babu, an RSS worker who was employed in a workshop had got down at the
     Ottapilavu junction, near Kunnamkulam, from a road transport corporation bus after his day's
     work, to be brutally hacked to death by certain CPM workers. There were delays and stalling
     tactics resorted to by the accused and the father - he's no more, he'd passed into the mist of
     time in the course of the case - had filed 'denial of justice' petition. It was this complaint and the
     case that was heard by the Supreme Court which delivered the final verdict.

     Kalyani, Suresh Babu's mother, said that she was glad that her son has finally got justice,
     albeit, after a long wait!



Tailpiece.

A Supreme Court bench, headed by the Chief Justice of India, has ruled that it cannot stop 'hartals' because it is every individual's fundamental right to protest.



      

Suresh's travails.

Suresh, my cousin Reshmi's husband, has been at the Amritha Institute of Medical Sciences since last Saturday. As I'd said earlier he has been complaining of a pain around the spot surrounding the surgery which graduates to a blackout and in the process, he had fallen down many a time. Thankfully, there has been no injuries. Subbu, had called him over and had put him through a PET scan, last Monday.

Its result showed a 'whitishness' on the nerve, at the spot where the surgery was performed, through which he used to complain about pain permeating towards the brain, resulting in the blackouts. The doctor, then, had decided to have a biopsy done on the 'whitishness' and since it was going to be painful, it was done in the operation theatre, under general anesthesia, today.

By evening, the results had come but to reconfirm the findings and I suppose to clear a few more lingering doubts, the doctor will put Suresh through an ultrasonic scan and SMAC, tomorrow.

Let me go a bit technical on this.

* SMAC is the trademark for a system that uses a computer to perform a multiple of different blood chemical tests from a single blood sample. A sequential multiple analysis, sort of!
* An SMAC blood test is more often known as a CMP(Complete Metabolic Panel)) or a chemistry panel. It's a panel of 14 separate measurements of chemicals in the blood that helps the doctor to diagnose a patient's overall health.
* The 14 chemicals that are measured in an SMAC can be separated into these categories:-
   - Electrolyte levels such as Na, K, Ca and Carbon Dioxide.
   - Kidney functions such as BUN and Creatinine.
   - Liver functions such as Proteins and Glucose.
* It may indicate that a patient is at risk for disorders such as diabetes, kidney or liver insufficiency 
   or he may have an electrolyte imbalance that needs to be corrected.
  Note. 
  Normal range of BUN(blood-urea nitrogen)-to-Creatinine ratio blood test? A typical adult range is
  1 unit of Creatinine for every 10 to 20 units of Blood-urea.

The sample is gonna be taken from the small hole on Suresh's cheek and it'll be painful.

So, god please:-

    * give Suresh the strength to absorb the pain and
  ** help Subbu to reach a conclusion so that the way out can be initiated at the earliest. 


Tailpiece.

1. Lekha and I had wished Indira kunjamma many happy returns, right in the morning. Remembered mom wishing her, along with us, last year. Mom used to be excited and made it a point to convey the greetings early in the morning itself because she wanted to be the first, always and kept a track of everyone's birthday as per the Malayalam calendar! 
2. I must end this on a sad note from what I'd observed of a nephew of mine, today. He wished his cousin - yes, there's a niece of mine who'd also celebrated her birthday as her Malayalam star spilled over to the first 7 hours of today - many happy returns on the family's What'sApp group while ignoring his grand aunt. He has a problem of wanting to be with people who're rich, famous and influential....guess he'll understand in due course that they don't have any meaning when life teaches him harsh lessons. I'd, however, attribute his behaviour to bad upbringing because he was a fine boy when he was young!

I, quite, like these trends(2).

1. The Court Takes Notice.

    A group of journalists, agitated over the court's observations over casual attire sported by some
    among them, boycotted the proceedings.

    The Bombay High Court voiced its displeasure over journalists covering court proceedings
    attired in jeans and T-shirts asking if it was 'Bombay culture'. The observation was made by
    Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice GS Kulkarni when they were hearing a petition
    challenging doctors abstaining from work. On seeing a journalist from a national newspaper
    wearing the attire, the court inquired as to whether there was any dress code for them.

    An interesting observation during these days when there's an increasing tendency to question
    traditions and customs in the name of practicality and 'changing' with the times! Decorum
    and dress etiquette must be followed at all times, there can't be a dilution or an exception.

2. A Minor Shows The Way.

    Resisting parental pressure to get married, a minor tribal girl walked 12 km from her remote
    village in Purulia to the local police station to prevent the wedding decided by her parents.

    For a month and a half, Namitha(16) had pleaded with her father, Dinesh and mother, Kangsha
    to allow her to continue studying in class IX at Gopalnagar High School near Nirbhaipur village.
    Dinesh is a poor farmer with a small plot, who supports his family by tilling other farmers' lands
    and Kangsha is a housewife. They weren't willing to listen to their daughter's pleas, chose Kenda,
    a youth from Punuru village, as the groom and had invited him and his parents to see the girl
    to fix the wedding date, when Namitha had fled to the police station. The Officer-in-charge and the
    BDO, then, summoned the girl's parents and prevented the 'wedding preparations' through timely
    advice.

    Well done Namitha. May there be many more like you to cast away wrong social practices
    taking place in the country!

3. Remission Plan for Prisoners Put on Hold.

    The Kerala government had recommended remissions in the sentences of about 1,850 odd
    prisoners languishing in the state's prisons under the garb of the 'Kerala Piravi' celebrations. 

    Though granting remissions to prisoners - on the basis of their good conduct in jail - during
    occasions is a practice that's being followed since times immemorial, this time's list has a twist.
    The list includes the men involved in TP Chandrasekharan's murder, the boorish Mohammed
    Nisham and a few others who aren't simply qualified because of the crimes they'd committed
    and the consequent sentences they've to serve within the confines of the jail. It must also be
    remembered that the Governor had sent back the list to the government, with queries earlier
    and refused to grant assent.

    Kudos to PD Joseph of Thrissur for his timely action and guts to file the petition questioning
    the government's move! 


Tailpiece.

Is this the resurgent India that the Prime Minister was talking about over and above the quiet transformation that's taking place towards a digital India?  

    

I, quite, like these trends!

1. In Kashmir.

    The army chief had warned last month that the civilians trying to disrupt combat operations
    against militants will be treated as overground workers of terrorists and dealt with harshly.

    Protests began soon after a joint force of the army, the CRPF and the J&K police surrounded a
    house in which a Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist was hiding in Zuin village of Badgam district in
    central Kashmir. The encounter had begun around 0530 hrs, but civilian protesters gathered and
    began pelting the forces with stones injuring more than 60 security personnel. The army, then,
    fired at the protesters killing three of them, even as the combat operation ended killing the terrorist.
    After the end of the eight hour encounter, the house in which the terrorist was hiding was razed to
    the ground with explosives.

    Way to go! Tough decisions are the need of the hour so that the terrorists, their sympathisers in
    Kashmir and Pakistan are given an unequivocal message, "Don't mess with us!"

2. The Air India's Stand.

    An FIR has been registered against Ravindra Gaikwad, a Shiv Sena MP, on the basis of a 
    complaint lodged by the Air India, for hitting its duty manager, R Sukumar, with sandals on a
    Pune-Delhi flight after it had landed. The MP was angry at not being given a business class seat
    though he'd boarded an all economy flight!

    The shameless MP, then, went on national television boasting about the way he'd manhandled
    the Air India employee. A day after the incident, the national carrier had cancelled his return ticket
    and even, Indigo followed suit, forcing him to take a train to Maharashtra. A travel ban by all the
    airlines on him exists as of now.

    Way to go! The Shiv Sena, instead of condemning the incident, has tabled a privilege motion
    in Parliament. The guy doesn't even have the decency to apologise for his boorish behaviour!
    What sort of a picture is he projecting to his own children, family? Disgusting! He'd to return
    to New Delhi by train, consequently about which I'm extremely glad.

3. Virat Kohli's Stand After Winning the Test Series.

    Before the series began, Kohli had said in Pune, "I'm really good friends with all these guys off
    field. When you step on to the field, I could be playing my big brother it wouldn't matter. I know
    the Aussies really well. I know where to draw the line". 

    Though India has won the test series, retained the number one position and clinched the Border-
    Gavaskar trophy, the series will be known for its foul mouthed verbal jousting and ill tempered
    accusations.
 
    Yesterday, asked if he still held that notion, he shook his head and said, "No, it has changed. I
     thought that was the case, but it has changed for sure. I've been proven wrong. The thing I said
     before the first test, that has certainly changed and you won't hear me say that ever again". The
     Australian captain, Steve Smith's on field behaviour with stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane at
     Dharamshala was unpardonable.

     Way to go! No other skipper has told the Aussies in such unequivocal terms that their attitude
     needs a change. Perhaps, it will give the ICC the reason to come down heavily on sledging!


Tailpiece.

By afternoon the news had come in that there's a white spot on Suresh's facial nerve, near the spot of the surgery, after studying the PET scan. Its biopsy is slated for Thursday and since it's painful, it's gonna be done in the operation theatre, under anesthesia.

News bytes........

1. The Munnar Encroachments.

     Munnar has again come into the limelight on the question of encroachments brought to light
     by the sustained efforts of the dynamic Sub Collector of Devikulam, Sreeram Venkitaraman.
     Many resorts are being constructed - and that too 10 and even 15 storeyed flats, when the cap
     on the floors is three - despite the slapping of 'stop building memos' by the revenue department!
     So, it's evident that there is a nexus between the government officials, the builders and wealthy            businessmen who wield considerable political clout.

     To top it all, the CPM MLA, Rajendran has built his house on encroached property that's actually
     the land of the state's electricity board!

     Why can't the government come clean on all the encroached land of Munnar? Or is it that it's
      a fertile area for future encroachments, whichever dispensation is in power? This is what is meant
      by 'open loot'. To have a farm in the hills and especially, at Munnar, is a status symbol, you see!

2. The Judicial Probe.

    The government has announced a 'judicial probe' into the phone sex charges against the former
    minister, AK Saseendran. This is against the police having ruled out a probe into the affair unless
    the woman involved lodged a complaint. It's yet another ploy by the government to tide over this
    messy situation, especially, when the Malappuram parliamentary election is due shortly. In other
    words, it's a quick decision to delay the inquiry!

    The terms of reference of the probe and as to who'll conduct it, will be decided tomorrow.


Tailpiece.

The heat is getting to be unbearable. The air conditioners are no more a luxury!
 

A quiet Sunday.

The heat was getting to be unbearable but we'd nothing to worry as there was no reason to make a foray outside and therefore, we're within the house roughing out the weather. I'd my second fortnightly appointment at the 'Amigos' and felt much lighter. The hair that had curled over the earlobes and the growth in the nostrils had begun to cause irritation.

My aunt from Thiruvananthapuram had called up to know as to what Subbu had told me about her son-in-law's present medical status. She was anxious about his health and extremely fearful as the astrological information predicts a difficult time for him though that period has already been transited by the end of last month. She was in tears and said that she'd called me to get over her melancholy because whatever I said, soothed her always. I didn't know as to whether it was appropriate to accept the compliment and therefore, chose to listen through it without offering a reaction.

Meanwhile there were queries from the other members of the family consequent to my announcing Suresh's admission at the Amritha hospital, in the family's What'sApp group. I'd mulled over it before putting the information for the group because it's my firm opinion that every member of the family must be aware of their relatives' difficulties as well as the successes because those are the essential factors that bond every member with one another within the family. Right now, Reshmi and Suresh need our attention and prayers to tide over a tricky milestone and if the others, as the members of the family, cannot provide that help, then what's so great about calling ourselves as family?

Kumar, the press man, eventually came by about 3 o'clock after a lapse of a fortnight though he did say that he'd come by last Thursday only to find the house locked. The stack of clothes kept on the ironing board did not take much time to be neatly tucked away into the wardrobes as Kumar went about his work in an efficient manner.

The walk, after sunset, was nice and I felt good having sweated it out with exercises!


Tailpiece.

AK Saseendran, the transport minister, tendered his resignation on account of an audio clip that was being transmitted by a news channel. In it, his conversation with a lady, that had sexual overtones, was being aired and without battling it out with the media, he'd made his exit out of the ministry Wonder whether a case can be filed under the circumstances viz.:-

      (a) No complaint has been lodged by the 'affected' person?
      (b) The taping of telephonic conversations has a twist, in that, it could have been done to trap
            the caller. The argument gathers strength as the clip was passed on to the media.

On a personal note, I'd interacted with him on the occasion of Muthachhan's birth anniversary on 01 Mar as he was one of the guests for our programme and found him to be a dignified minister. 

A quick, short trip.

It was a promise that had to be kept. I keep telling people that I might not be in continuous touch with them but I'm definitely bothered about what happens to them and at the appropriate time, they shall find me by their side!

The day had begun at 5 and after going through the chores I was out of the house before 6. The brisk walk and the recital of the prayers saw the thirty five minutes pass by in no time. There were a few household work like putting the bed linen into the washing machine and other small things that had to be done as they were my jobs. Eventually, by 9, I was out of the house.

Ashraf dropped me at the private bus stand and I could board the bus to Ernakulam just in time to see the conductor ring the double bell. The journey took a bit longer than usual because of the uncouth traffic enroute. I was on the rear most seat all through and didn't quite mind getting up each time to let in a passenger to take the inner, window side street.

I reached the Amritha Institute of Medical Sciences before 12 and came to know that Suresh had been admitted after meeting up with Subbu. I waited on for a while and could meet him after a meeting that he was attending. His smiling visage and 'We'll see what we've to do after the PET scan on Monday', put my cousin at ease. I shall keep my fingers crossed till the option of having to redo the surgery and replacing the 'piece in the mandible' is ruled out.

I'd a chance meeting of Bindu, my friend's wife, who'd come to collect the medicines for him undergoing the maintenance chemo. She needed a contact at Bangalore, who could get the medicines faster, cutting through red tapism and bureaucratic apathy! Had the number of a classmate of ours that was passed on. My cousin, Kannan was also there and it was nice to meet up with him, though beside a hospital bed!!

Suresh was, by then, allotted Room 2318 and we'd settled down to answer probing calls from relatives about Suresh's hospitalisation. He's a bit apprehensive, there's no doubt about that and I hope that it doesn't affect a speedy recovery. Lekshmi, meanwhile, had got us lunch and we broke bread together, without much ado. Soon after, around 4, Lekshmi and I left for our destinations in an auto rickshaw. At the main junction, on seeing a private bus bound for Guruvayur, I'd slipped out of the rick and made a dash to clamber on to the crowded bus. It was a tough bargain to hold on to my balance as the driver was very generous with the application of the brakes!



Tailpiece.

I'd got down at the Mammiyoor junction by a half past 6 and walked it to my house, from there, to compensate for my evening walk.