Infructuous, says Supreme Court!

Closes proceedings related to Gujarat riots. 

The top court closed all proceedings related to the 2002 Gujarat riots to which it had appointed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for conducting investigation and prosecution in nine major cases. Noting that the trial in eight out of nine cases was over and final arguments were going on in trial court in Naroda Gaon, the bench of CJI UU Lalit, SR Bhat and JB Pardiwala disposed the cases as infructuous.

The Supreme Court also ordered closure of all the contempt proceedings initiated by Mohammad Aslam Bhure (now passed away) against the UP government officials and leaders like Uma Bharti, Murali Manohar Joshi, Sadhvi Rithambara, Vinay Katiyar and others.

Since the top court has felt that the cases were infructuous, I have a few queries :-

* Why did a host of cases come up post-Godhra?

* And that, too, only regarding the Gujarat riots?

* Were the lives of the Hindu kar sevaks - lost in the fire in the train at Godhra - of no value?

* Why hasn't it been ascertained, to this date, as to who caused the fire and the motive behind the carnage?

* Doesn't it seem to be biased towards the Muslim community? And we call ourselves secular!

* Can't help but go by the argument that it was a conspiracy to ensure that Narendra Modi's political career should go no further. And the exactly opposite thing happened thanks to this country's lucky stars.

* Why are certain people wary of legal proceedings against Teesta Setalvad? She, definitely, needs to answer for her devious actions.

My take

On the one hand we complain about pendency of cases in courts, that the judiciary is overloaded and therefore, a case made out for appointing more judges. I'm sure if we were to sift through this huge number of pending cases, there would be quite a lot of infructuous ones!

Tailpiece.

Got up around 6, the chores and Pat's message around a quarter to 8, that they'd landed at Kochi. Lekha and I were ready and we went to the temple. Carried out the Wednesday aarathi of the house.

Got the clearance for the special darshan from Vimal Raj, the PRO of Devaswom. He warmed up to me as he was my grandfather's follower in the Literacy Movement. The drama, created by some of these guys is unnecessary and unwanted! After the clearance from the PRO, the manager wanted to give me a special darshan, along with my friends and I'd to tell him that I never approach anyone for a special darshan as I liked being in queue and wait for my rightful turn.   

Paritosh Nath and Joyce could have a nice 'darshan' of the good Lord. We were glad that they were happy. They took us out to lunch at Devaraagam. By the time we wound up, it was a half past 3 and the rain had begun. The drive to Kochi was abandoned. The Naths proceeded to Kochi to attend the commissioning ceremony of INS Vikrant, by the Prime Minister, the day after. 

It was a quiet evening, thereafter.

 

How the Supertech Twin Towers Ended In Demolition.

Till recently Emerald Court at Noida's Sector 93A was testimony to corruption in the state's building sector. Today, a mountain of rubbles and dust stand at the site. And buried under this huge pile is a story surrounding the controversy, the residents' legal battle and how the authorities brought the Supertech twin towers down.

Why Were The Twin Towers Demolished

* New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (NOIDA) gave Supertech permission in 2005 to construct 14 towers with 9 storeys each, a shopping centre and a garden area. However, Supertech surreptitiously added two extra floors to the structure.

* In 2009, changes were made to the proposal by including the Apex & Ceyane twin structures. A case filed by the Emerald Court Owners Residents Welfare Association in the Allahabad High Court in 2012 claimed NOIDA officials approved a new plan to illegally construct the twin towers.

* Four residents first raised the alarm on violation of building laws by Supertech. They raised donations to fund their legal battle.

* In 2014, HC ordered razing the towers. HC castigated NOIDA for collaborating with the builder which was directed to reimburse flat buyers. The same year, Supertech moved Supreme Court.

* 31 Aug 2021 Two-judge bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and MR Shah pointed to "co-operation" between NOIDA officials and Supertech management. It also said that the approval plan for the twin towers violated the UP Apartments Act 2010 and the NBRs of 1975, 2005. 2006 and 2010.

* It held that Supertech hadmade misleading arguments and attempted to deceive bench while NOIDA officials had not carried out their responsibilities honourably.

* NOIDA officials informed SC in February 2022 that demolition work had started and will probably be finished by May 2022. The SC extended this to 28 Aug 2022.  

Demolition Cost

* Rs.20 cr or Rs.267 per sq ft.

* Edifice Engineering obtained a Rs.100-cr insurance policy to cover potential losses.

* Supertech paid about Rs.5 cr as demolition costs

* The rest (Rs.15 cr) would be covered by selling the 80,000 tons of debris.

My take

For the builder mafia, this is the second setback after the demolition of the two multi-storeyed towers at Maradu in Kochi, Kerala about two years back!

Tailpiece.

Got up at a trifle after a half past 5. Had to be ready by a quarter to 7, as Anto came to pick me up to take me to the Perunthatta Shiva kshetram to offer 'bali tharpanam' for my Mom, on the occasion of her 6th Remembrance Day, by the Malayalam calendar.

Today was also Atham; another ten days to go for Onam.

Latha, the maid, comes for work.

Paritosh Nath and Joyce are reaching tomorrow for the darshan at Guruvayur temple. 

US Warships Sail Through Taiwan Strait.

The US Seventh Fleet has announced that a pair of Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruisers, the USS Antietam and the USS Chancellorsville conducted a 'routine' transit yesterday ''through waters where high seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law". 

The United States demonstrated its commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. The ships transited through a corridor in the strait that is beyond the territorial sea of any coastal state. 

The Chinese PLA said the US had 'openly hyped up' the ships' passage through the strait.

The US and Western allies have increased 'freedom of navigation' crossings by naval vessels of both the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea to reinforce the concept that those seas are international waterways, sparking anger from Beijing.

Courtesy. The NIE

My take

Triggering an escalation? 

   *        *        *

A Fiasco Concerning Celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi

* A housing society in Coimbatore wanted to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi.

* They had to go to the police to get permission to bring in idol and carry out a procession.

* The police didn't give permission because the area has a majority of Muslims, so they daid that the celebration of a Hindu festival will cause law and order problem.

* The local Muslims went to the police and said that they don't have any problem and want to participate in the celebrations.

* The police still didn't give permission.

* The Hindus went to the High Court and put forth their case.

* HC didn't give permission saying it will hurt the religious sentiments of the Muslims.

* The Hindu side said that the local Muslims were ready to celebrate.

* The court directed the Hindu side to get a written affidavit from the local Jamaat.

* The Hindus got that too..

* The court, finally, gave permission to celebrate with the following caveats :-

   > The idol should only be placed inside the housing society.

   > No music allowed.

   > Only puja and celebrations.

   > No processions should be taken out.

   > The police would be watching over the celebrations to ensure that no rule is broken.

* The justice was N Satish Kumar.

* I guess the police officers were overwhelmingly from the Hindu community. 

Courtesy. What'sApp

My take

Why was everyone scared in carrying out their duty?

Tailpiece.

Got up at a quarter past 6, the chores and was ready by a quarter past 10.

Went to Thampuraanpadi junction to buy fish for Kittu and his children.

Sheena comes with her colleague, requesting for investment.

Over The Top (OTT) Platforms.

Over-the-top platforms, or OTTs, may lead to a repeat of the sudden death of VCR/VCP/DVD industry which had boomed in the '80s.

OTT platforms set to be a Rs.12,000 crore industry in India by 2023, a SBI Research report says.

Vital Statistics

* 18.4 crore subscriber count seen by free (ad-supported) OTT offerings as of 2017, which may rise to :- 

* 35.2 crore in 2022

* 46.6 crore in 2027

OTT Platforms May Expand Into

* Education

* Health

* Fitness

Subscriber Count of Major OTT Players

* Disney + Hot star        14 cr

* Amazon Prime Video    6 cr

* Netflix                           4 cr

* Zee5                              3.7 cr

* Sonyliv                          2.5 cr

7 - 9 % 

Share of entertainment industry share and revenue already chipped away by OTT, which is constantly growing with over 40-odd players and offering original media content in all languages

45 cr

OTT subscribers today in the country, as per various industry reports, which is expected to reach 50 cr by end-2023.

Strong Growth In Indian OTT Subscribers Is Led By

* Affordable high-speed mobile internet

* Doubling of Internet users

* Increased adoption of digital payments

* Discounted price offered by global players, 70 - 90% cheaper than the US

My take

We need to keep pace with the galloping technology!

Tailpiece.

Got up at a quarter past 6, the chores and was ready by a 10' past 10.

The maid had come in for work and so we didn't feel that it was a Sunday. Old clothes handed over to the maid.

The maha-episodes of Malayalam serials, "Ammayariyaathe" and "Kudumbavilakku" kept us occupied post-sunset.

Amalgamation.

Beauty in diversity! Gita, Sanskrit in Islamic institute's syllabus.

CP Rinshad, a native of Pattambi in Palakkad, is pursuing a course on Islamic Sharia. He is also taking classes on the Upanishads, Advaita philosophy and Bhagvad Gita, besides learning Sanskrit.

It is not simply out of personal interest that Rinshad is studying Indian philosophy and Hindu scriptures. This is how the Islamic sharia course, offered by the Thrissur-based Academy of Sharia and Advanced Studies (ASAS) is designed.

In a world where people are quick to ridicule beliefs that differ from theirs, ASAS shows how learning about such views widens a person's knowledge. This also makes the institution stand apart from other Islamic institutes. Run by Malik bin Dinar Islamic Complex, ASAS is under the management of Samastha Kerala Jam-Iyyyathul Ulema, a Sunni organisation.

Samastha Ernakulam district secretary, a Sanskrit scholar himself, is the brain behind ASAS. "Here, we try to make our students aware of the rich diversity of Indian culture and inculcate a positive vibe in them at a time when they are bombarded with information that leaves them bitter", says Faizy, who did graduation and post graduation in Advaita from Sree Sankara College, Kaladi.

ASAS holds workshops on Sanskrit regularly and encourages students to learn how to speak the language. 

Students are admitted to ASAS after they clear the SSLC examination. Upon completing the eight-year course, they get a university degree besides a religious degree titled, 'Maliki'. The graduation is done under the distance education stream of the Calicut University.

Courtesy. MP Prashant in the NIE

My take

The amalgamation of different cultures and its assimilation widens the horizon of the human mind.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10. Washing machinex of bed linen and soiled clothes.

To the town to fetch grocery, fruit basket and vegetables just before lunch time.

Participated in the 583rd episode of the Aazhchakkoottam : "Laws for Protecting Women from Domestic Violence" by Adv Bhuvanendran, Mediator and Mediation trainer from 1600 - 1730 hrs. An interesting talk and interaction.

Watched the Malayalam serials on maha episodes and the Dulqar Salman starrer, "Kurup". 

'One Nation One Fertiliser' - Bharat.

In a single brand, name will help in the reduction of freight charges due to stopping of crisscross movement of fertilisers, reducing the transit time, ensuring the availability of fertilisers throughout the year irrespective of brand preferences - Government.

The concept  of 'One Nation One Fertiliser' (ONOF) will be implemented from 02 Oct. As part of the initiative, crop nutrients - urea, di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) or muriate of potash (MOP), Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium (NPK) - will be sold under a single brand name - Bharat - irrespective of the manufacturing companies under the Centre's fertiliser subsidy scheme.

The ministry of chemicals and fertilisers have issued directives to all companies to use the new brand name and the logo of the subsidy scheme. Accordingly, they would be known as Bharat Urea, Bharat DAP, Bharat MOP and Bharat NPK.

It will also stop the diversion of urea for industrial purposes. 

"Farmers prefer to purchase urea of his choice. If a certain brand is not available, he doesn't buy it even though urea is the same. And there is a hue and cry that urea of a specific brand is not in the market".

The government gives a huge subsidy on these products which is more than the maximum retail price. therefore, the subsidy scheme will also be mentioned on the bag.

Courtesy. Parvez Sultan in the NIE.

My take

Yet another initiative for the well being of the farmers!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by 10.

Kittu kept us occupied with his delightful capers. 

Real-life hero or reel-life hero?

The infamous ISRO Spy case, which had hit the headlines in 1994, pertained to allegations of transfer of certain confidential documents on Indian space program to foreign countries by two scientists and four others, including two Maldivian women. The following were the repercussions, that had far reaching ramifications.

1) Scientist Nambi Narayanan was termed guilty - by the Kerala Police and IB - and was incarcerated in jail. Not only did he undergo the humiliation of having sold out national secrets, he lost his wife who was pained at the ignominy that her husband and the family were facing and passed into the mist of time..

2) There was almost a 20 year-setback to the Indian Cryogenic Engine project.

3) The then chief minister, K Karunakaran had to step down - though he was absorbed into the central  government immediately - and AK Antony had taken his place. There was a buzz then that, the Antony-faction within the Congress, had engineered this entire drama.

4) The case was re-opened in 2018 and the Supreme Court had found loopholes in the entire                  investigation and gave a clean chit to Nambi Narayanan, directing the state government to pay a 

compensation of Rs.1.3 crores which it did!

5) Nambi Narayanan, became a hero overnight and the general public felt bad that a good man had to

undergo ignominy for no fault of his.

6) The movie, "Rocketry : The Nambi Effect" which was released recently, spoke about the life and times of the scientist who had become a hero overnight.

Yesterday, a group of former senior scientists from the ISRO - Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) founding director, AE Muthunayakam, former VSSC associate director, Adimurthy, former cryogenic engine project director, EVS Namboodiri, former PSLV project director, George Koshy and D Sasikumaran, who had been falsely implicated along with Nambi in the spy case - said that they were forced to convene a news conference as:

1) Nambi Narayanan was embarked on a lie campaign, belittling the work of thousands of space scientists through the cinema and television channel debates.

2) Nambi Narayanan never had any responsibility in the development of liquid propulsion system development activities. {the film portrays Nambi as the brain behind the liquid propulsion stages). 

3) Nambi Narayanan claims to have worked closely with Vikram Sarabhai, Dhawan and Brahm Prakash, the stalwarts of ISRO in evolving the space program. This is totally against the facts on the ground because he had never worked closely with any of them.

4) The development of the cryogenic propulsion system happened after a report by experts - under the leadership of EVS Namboodiri - recommended that particular system for the launch vehicle of ISRO and Nambi was not even a member of this team and had made no contribution.

My take

Nambi Narayanan sir, the ball is now in your court! Or is it a wicked act by your jealous contemporaries? Awaiting your response.

Courtesy. The NIE

Tailpiece.

Got up at a trifle past 6, the chores and was ready by 10. I'd gone through my exercises, both in the morning and in the evening, after a break.

It was a quiet day with both of us going through our normal, daily chores.