For real scoundrels, look beyond media

T J S George First Published : 20 Feb 2011 11:01:00 PM ISTLast Updated : 21 Feb 2011 11:27:10 AM IST
Does the media distort facts? The Prime Minister thinks so. By “focussing excessively” on scam after scam, does the media spoil India’s image? The Prime Minister thinks so. For the leader of a government that is neck-deep in scams, it is natural to think as the Prime Minister does. But that does not make it right. In fact the Prime Minister is hopelessly wrong.
Manmohan Singh was in conversation with television editors. A great deal can be said in criticism of news channels. Generally speaking, they are amateurish, childish in their “me first” claims, irritating in their competitive sensationalism, more irritating in their loudness, superficial, repetitive and often plain unprofessional. But, like newspapers, they are essentially mirrors.
News journalism may have its weaknesses, but functionally it merely reflects the reality around it. It does not generate governmental corruption, it only reports it. If scams demoralise the nation and spoil the image of the country, the blame lies squarely with politicians and officials and fixers who produce the scams and benefit from them. The Prime Minister must attack the scamsters, not the mirrors.
Actually, the media is doing an incomparably valuable national service by bringing corruption to public attention. After all, if the media had resolved not to do anything that would “spoil India’s image,” what would have happened? The shame of India would have spread anyway as the world would have known that India was a country where a roll of toilet paper could be sold for `4,000, and where decisions on spectrum allocations were made in Chennai’s Gopalapuram area, and where there were billionaires with more illegal funds in Swiss banks than billionaires in the top five countries put together. It is the people of India who would have remained in the dark about the extent of their rulers’ criminalities.
Worse, India would have sunk deeper into corruption since the corrupt would have been emboldened by the fact that they would never be exposed. The media, for all its excesses, has put the fear of god into the hearts of the criminally inclined politician, bureaucrat and “crony capitalist”. That even their private conversations may someday become public property is one of the best disincentives we have against corruption. The Prime Minister would have been smart to acknowledge this instead of suggesting that the media was negative in its attitude.
It is true that the media also has developed a taste for corruption. It has a long way to go before it can be called mature and creative. But even in its present three-fourth-baked state, it performs the function of a conscientious opposition. Without the media playing this role, Indian democracy would lose much of its substance especially since the formal opposition in Parliament is playing a petty obstructionist’s role.
Both in Delhi and in the various states, the Opposition’s role is to oppose — oppose for the sake of opposing. If the Government says the sun rises in the West, the Opposition will say: No, it rises in the North. In no other democracy is Parliament’s functioning completely blocked as a form of Opposition politics. Even on urgently needed social and electoral reforms, they never show the unanimity they bring out when their salary increase bills come up for passing. When corruption cases come up, different parties take different positions as all are entrenched in corruption in different ways.
In such an environment the media becomes the only reliable forum for actionable information and democratic mobilisation. Even those who get the wrong end of the stick really have no reason to grumble. As Ram Mohan Roy explained: “A government conscious of rectitude of intention cannot be afraid of public scrutiny by the Press since this instrument can be equally well employed as a weapon of defence”.
Those who are beyond defence cannot of course use the weapon. But Manmohan Singh should have known that the real scoundrels who spoil India’s image are outside the media.
Topics:Manmohan Singh, media
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We did not expect anything better from the PM who, as the Finance Minister, declared that he can not lose his sleep for market aberrations during Harshad Metha scam. It is clear that he has not woken up from the slumber and scam after scam go on happening. By S Subramanian
2/25/2011 5:25:00 PM Various statistics may claim differences, but it is true, that India has more than 50% of the population below poverty line (i.e.) those who have less than 20 rupees a day for their survival. But then, there are, their political representatives, winners and losers, who gamble with a minimum of 15 lakh rupees for assembly and 40 lakh for parliamentary elections expenses on record, actual may be far from the accounts, they may reveal. There may be a few of them, honest public service interested, but with the size of corruptions unfolding, makes us think if the election expenses, gamble, should be permitted at all. Late Shri. P.V.Narasimha Rao opened our eyes that no member of parliament will topple any government; vote against the government in ‘No confidence motion’ even on grave corruption charges against any minister, or even on issues involving national security, if the local area development fund is allotted to those who do not have any other means to encash their position as re By K.S.Nagarajan.
2/25/2011 12:41:00 PM A veteran writer must be surely aware t veracity as to facts is differnt from objectivity and bias is not a pathology of media but its inherent characteristic.Collection of facts, their marshalling in a fashion leadinding to the desired conclusion etc iinvolves bias. I think the mainstream press also known as secular press is biased against Hindus especially the forward castes.In the long march thro< institutions which G RAMSCI described is a reality in india.. Propaganda can do great harm and we see its happening . kurup By s.kurup
2/23/2011 5:52:00 PM Media’s View of the (political) scoundrels. The point of view given by TJS George (For real…media, dated 20/2/11) is so meaningful. The responsibility of the media is clearly pointed out in his words- ‘it merely reflects the reality around, it does not generate governmental corruption’. The great so called leaders (cheaters) should realize that their wonderful cheating and the enormous gaining could be understood by many, but they are not getting the chance to bring their scoundrel actions in to light. That responsibility is carried by the media. Both the scoundrels and sufferers should aware of this specific point of view of TJS George. Ms. G.Philomina. Changanassery. 22/2/2011 By Philomina.
2/22/2011 10:46:00 AM If the PM really thinks that media distorts information hwy his office does not write openly then and there the distortions as he says asking the concerned newspaper for a written explanation? Being in power and having a name Dr MMS thinks he can distort the public attention from his personal weakness to be assertive when he has to be and the corruption under his leadership> This is trying to hide a full pumpkin in a bwl of rice. I commend the author for his impeccable article. Thanks By Rangesh RAM
2/21/2011 9:12:00 PM By George, you have done it. Precise, clear, pointed and most important fair and just. NIE readers welcome you back, George. By S. Krishnamoorthy
2/21/2011 11:30:00 AM Manmohan has given a lesson to the media how to go about their jobs.They should now realise, trying to shield Sonia and co.from exposure , joining the band of sycophants ,encouraging Sonia co.continue in their ways.What is the reward the media got from the establishment? Instead of praise from the PM for their protective shield.they have been found fault for not extolling the Govt's performance.Atleast now,let them do a conscionsious job By SIVARAMAN
2/21/2011 8:53:00 AM TJS has arrived back with a bang to NIE. What a wonderful article full of quotable quotes, that perfectly describes our visual media with a not a word more or less in an apt manner! Hope our rulers care to read this master piece to know where they stand as though a mirror is held before them , especially, Dr. MMS, to know that it will not help hereafter to push media around. Indira Gandhi burnt her fingers by going far enough to do just this by clamping emergency. The way PM told media friends to stop exposing more is not very much different from it- at least in content- without, actually declaring 'E'. Thanks!. By KANNAN
2/20/2011 7:10:00 PM Dr.Singh's silence was the important message in the TV editor's interview. If he is responsible for the appointment of Raja for the coalition dharma then so he is responsible for the S band Antrix Dewas deal putting pressure on government to send insat to cater to Dewas, so he is responsible for the appointment of CVC. But as Dr. Swamy feared if he is to be replaced things will be worse. But people have understood the art of Dr.Singh's managing "Trust" vote better than JMM way on 123, his skill of dodging left leaders till "Trust" vote driving Babri Masjid wedge between BJP & left, managing "Cut" motion with CBI, managing "No Appeal" to Argentine's court against "Mr. Q". When the whole world curse Bush for the fake "WMD" Dr. Singh conveyed that Indians loved Bush. So read his silence. If he learnt the art from Shri. P.V.N, his mentor, poor Dr.Singh lost positive portion of his grur's lesson. By K.S.nagarajan.
2/20/2011 4:51:00 PM What is our country's image abroad? Is it otherwise good. If the image is not good, is media responsible for it? I had heard many years ago that foreigners' belief was that India was a land of beggers, snake charmers etc. We ordinary Indians do not watch foreign TV channels nor do we read foreign news papers. So we do not know what is our image abroad. I feel we can safely add 'scamsters' to the words beggers etc. Since Dr. Singh did not have any defence for the scams, corruption etc., he invoked the illusion of good image abroad. Dr. Singh can do a lot to achieve a good image for India by taking strict and timely action against corrupt. And the first head to roll shall be that of present CVC. By Shivashankar K Nair
2/20/2011 1:40:00 PM PM asking the media to have +ve stories in the name of nation compares to the same theme some of the middle east countries autocrats bring up to keep power. Without media, no scam would have come out - image Sonia (2G,CWG,ISRO,Adarsh,Black Money), Sharad Power(Lavasa), Karunanidhi(2G),Maywait(whole of U.p.), etc.We didn't expect this kind of behavior from Manmohan Singh - one could expect this from Lalu Prasad Yadav. By sa
2/20/2011 9:54:00 AM The writer's ire as a nationally honoured columnist is understandable.Press is a part of governance as Fourth Estate.The Prime Minister as the head of Executive ought to have been thoughtful of casting aspersions on media. I agree with the writer in that it is the media that sounds the alarm when the aam aadmi is about to be swallowed by self-serving politicians much as the big fish swallow the small fish.Of late one aspect of our Prime Minister is clear beyond any doubt: He could not be reasoned with. By G.Rajaram.
2/20/2011 5:15:00 AM Post your comments *

He died with his boots on

Anees Jillani First Published : 05 Jan 2011 10:40:00 PM ISTLast Updated : 06 Jan 2011 01:17:26 AM IST
My first encounter with Salmaan Taseer was in 1983. I used to go to Regal Chowk located on Mall Road in Lahore every day in the evening to watch the MRD (Movement for the Restoration of Democracy) workers courting arrest. Those were the dreadful heydays of General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq’s martial law, with police arresting anybody seen standing near the chowk; most of the time police personnel outnumbered the protesters. Despite this, someone from the crowd would suddenly start raising slogans and the police (and intelligence agents in civilian clothes) would pounce on the guy and whisk him away. In the midst of all this depression, a day came for Salmaan Taseer to court arrest and suddenly there were at least 1,000 people; Salmaan suddenly emerged from nowhere and the whole area shook with loud slogans. I developed immense respect for him that day as it showed his courage and organisational skills. He was taken straight to the dreaded Shahi Qila (Lahore Fort) where he is said to have been beaten up.
Then came Benazir Bhutto in 1986 and Salmaan Taseer was again in the news. He was probably made secretary (information) of the People’s Party; however, Benazir somehow never gave him a position in the government and denied him even the senate ticket which depressed him. May be he was too vocal and intellectual for Benazir.
He was sidelined in the PPP polity and thus decided to switch to business; he had earlier started Taseer Hadi, a leading chartered accountancy firm. He proved to be a successful businessman and made lots of money. The good part is that he could never be accused of corruption, unlike many of his friends and foes in politics. And then he re-surfaced in May 2008 when Musharraf chose him as governor of Punjab.
He proved to be an active governor and brought lots of attention to this office which otherwise is a redundant one. It became a centre of the PPP workers who otherwise were lost after being repeatedly trounced by in elections by Nawaz Sharif’s Muslim League. He became their voice and a one-man brigade against the PML.
His opponents on a number of occasions tried to raise his relationship with Indian journalist Tavleen Singh, with whom he has a son Aatish Taseer (who is an intellectual in his own right and author of a best-selling novel). Salmaan never clarified his relationship and desisted from talking about it. But apparently, Aatish visited him in Pakistan a couple of times including after his becoming the governor.
Salmaan Taseer was killed by his own bodyguard on January 4 in Islamabad and he was only 66. God in the Holy Quran says that “no people can hasten their term, nor can they delay it” (23.43). So Salmaan’s time had come just like it will for all of us. But Salmaan died like a courageous man, with his boots on. I am sure this is the way he would have wanted to go taking a principled stand for something he believed in. He did not die crawling.
The pity is that his death may cow down the remaining few sane voices in the country. One could perceive this while watching the programmes on various television channels following his murder. There is hardly an anchorperson bold enough to outrightly defend what Salmaan stood for and the politicians are a foregone conclusion anyway. Every politician becomes a martyr in Pakistan but nobody is willing to call Salmaan one. Is it because they do not believe in what he stood for, or are they scared of the repercussions?
The worst part is that the lower class folks I came across on Tuesday unanimously supported his death, ranging from the cooks to the chowkidars. They all said that he stood for blasphemy and deserved to die. This is a sad and dangerous trend.
The question is, who is going to change this mind-set and how? One cannot expect any sort of action from the present rulers because they lack the will, the vision and the intellect to do any such thing. The military has the might but it also has its limitations as such extremists are present in its midst as well and an intervention of any sort would be denounced and the political forces may suddenly unite against it. This leaves us with the media and the intellectuals.
The media will have to take the lead in this respect and give intellectuals showing the liberal democratic path space to air their views. Instead, what we saw the evening he died was television channels, including the Pakistan TV, giving the religious personalities lot of time to justify the killing. The English print media appears more sane and portrays a liberal voice, with few exceptions, but the Urdu press is overwhelmingly sensational and gives front page coverage to the religious extremists with banner headlines.
No one appears to be bothering to promote tolerance in the national polity and in culture. How can a nation aspire to have democracy without tolerance? It is a test of a nation’s civilisation and Pakistan has been failing since the late Seventies in this respect. All that Salmaan Taseer asked for was a few modifications in the blasphemy law (Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code which was inserted by the military ruler General Zia-ul-Haq in 1986). The law is constantly being misused by some sections to get their enemies into trouble. And once a blasphemy charge is made everyone gets cold feet, including the police and judges, and they invariably find the accused guilty as charged. It is not surprising that blasphemy cases, unlike the other cases, are decided in record time as the judiciary tries to get rid of them as quickly as possible.
Many religious zealots called for killing Salmaan Taseer after he called the blasphemy a ‘black law’; a nation-wide strike was called by the religious parties on the last day of 2010 against any amendments in the blasphemy law and many in the public meetings that day called for his death. Such terrorisation is a crime under law and there is hardly any justification for ignoring such threats.
Media has a responsibility in this respect and should act maturely and in the name of sanity if nothing else should desist from highlighting statements eulogising religious extremism. It is so far failing to do so.
About the author:
Anees Jillani is a prominent Pakistan Supreme Court lawyer
Topics:Punjab Governor, Salmaan Taseer, blasphemy law, assassination
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No Muslim country can have a democratic polity. The Muslims have a strong collective mind and a pseudo-individual mind. Such people can only be kept on leash with a strong dictator like Saddam Hussein. By P N Eswaran
1/18/2011 5:21:00 PM Salman Tasser's killing is most unfortunate. Religious fanaticism and dogma are the opposite of civilisation.Pakistan isa country pastpraying for in matters of religious bigotry. What happened tot the countries youth, intellectuals , and rationalists? Perhaps they are all helpless They are all trapped in a cruel inhuman system. Even muslims from other countries dont raise their voices. I think muslim intellectuals like MJ Akbar from other free countries shoud do something to attack the rigid beliefs and practices..Else man goes back to the dark ages Hqas any muslim fro other free countries seriously condemn, Burkha, honor killings, and other avoidable Islamic practices?It is a pity our Gov. could not provide shelter to Ms, Taslima Religion always brings out the beast in man By D.G.Ramarao
1/17/2011 7:43:00 AM

Scoring self-goals with Pakistan

Kanwal Sibal First Published : 17 Feb 2011 12:01:00 AM ISTLast Updated : 17 Feb 2011 07:12:53 AM IST
We have decided to resume the so-called composite dialogue with Pakistan, without admitting as much. Why not be frank about the change in our position? Why resort to word play to obfuscate? If we are going to discuss counter-terrorism, peace and security, Kashmir, Siachen, Sir Creek, Wullar Barrage/Tulbul navigation project, people-to-people exchanges, trade, how does this agenda differ from that of the composite dialogue?
Why are we not able to adhere firmly to our position? The other side can, so why do we waver? Pakistan has been adamant that a renewed dialogue should discuss Kashmir as a priority issue and has batted for the composite dialogue format. It has steadily chipped away with success at our resolve to emphasise terrorism, progress on bringing to justice the perpetrators of Mumbai, etc, as a priority, before moving step-by-step to other issues, without being straitjacketed by the composite dialogue arrangement.
Our position that we first need to remove the trust deficit, deal with what is doable before moving on to more difficult issues, has been effectively jettisoned. We still mention sequencing and step-by-step progress, but we also say that all outstanding issues will be discussed, and we list them too, and that includes all the items on the agenda of the composite dialogue. There is an obvious incompatibility in the two positions. We also say that we are not agreeable to timelines for discussions on subjects like Kashmir, Siachen etc that Pakistan emphasises, yet we have agreed that discussions on all the listed issues will take place by July when the Pakistan foreign minister will be visiting India. In the coming four months or so we are ourselves visualising a lot of diplomatic activity. In this compressed timeframe is there much scope for ‘sequencing’? That would suppose that Pakistan will move forward concretely very quickly on trying those responsible for the Mumbai carnage and on the issue of terrorism, for us then to be ready to discuss Kashmir, etc, and complete the agenda ‘sequentially’ in four months. One assumes there was clarity of understanding between the two sides at Thimphu on this point, as otherwise the fiasco at Islamabad last year could be repeated.
This broadening of the bilateral dialogue on Pakistan’s terms would suggest that either the trust deficit has been reduced in the last few months or that we now judge that by yielding to Pakistan’s rigid position we can hope to achieve better results than by holding fast to our own. At least in the public domain there is no evidence that Pakistan is more pliable than before on issues of core interest to us. On the contrary, the signals from Pakistan, even on the eve of the recent Thimphu meeting, have been negative. The Pakistani spokesman attacked us aggressively on the Samjhauta Express issue, questioning our sincerity in unearthing the military links of the Hindu terrorist groups. Hafiz Saeed once again ranted against India on Kashmir, this time advocating nuclear war to wrest the province from us. Pakistani political leaders made predictable statements on the Kashmir Solidarity Day about the right of Kashmiris to self-determination, and their participation as a third party in India-Pakistan parleys on Kashmir. Pakistan believes it has enough diplomatic room to vitiate the atmosphere every time India-Pakistan talks begin, without any diplomatic cost to it as it believes India would swallow its provocations for lack of other options. The recent vituperations of its permanent representative in Geneva against us were also a reminder of Pakistan’s unchanged thinking toward us.
We have agreed at Thimphu that terrorism, as was the case in the past, will be discussed by the home secretaries, with the foreign secretaries discussing Kashmir and peace and security. After 26/11 such reversion to the previous format is difficult to justify. What this means is that terrorism — the priority issue for India — will be dealt with at the “concerned ministry” level, while the principals — the foreign secretaries — will discuss Pakistan’s priority issue of Kashmir. This arrangement also effectively dilutes the centrality of terrorism from the Kashmir issue, besides suggesting that more than terrorism cross LoC movement and trade and such CBMs require special attention, whereas terrorism should remain for us a fundamental political and foreign policy issue determinant for bilateral ties. Inevitably, at the home secretaries level, the terrorism issue will get reduced to transmission of information, legal procedures, document sharing, technical counter-terrorism matters etc, losing the political link with Kashmir, as that specific dimension will be outside the remit of these secretaries. One can only hope that the Joint Anti-Terrorism Mechanism will not get revived, to suit Pakistan’s strategy of projecting itself as a partner in fighting the shared threat of terrorism, rather than an official supporter of terrorism directed at India.
Pakistan has also used successfully the timetable of Pakistan foreign minister’s visit to India as a diplomatic weapon against us. With the confidence that India needs resumption of the dialogue more than Pakistan does, the minister has been playing hard to get, laying down conditions, demeaning us by convoking us to show meaningful and concrete progress in talks, as if we are the recalcitrants whereas Pakistan genuinely and sincerely wants to move forward. He has been getting away with his arrogant posture because we have been entreating him to come. Implicit in our appeals is the message that we are ready to move forward ‘meaningfully’, whatever that means. Why do we put ourselves in a position where we become equally if not more responsible than Pakistan to move the dialogue forward? Initially the minister (it won’t be the pompous Qureshi now) was to come in January or February this year; the visit then got shifted to April, and now it is slated for July. Pakistan has got its way. We have been given time until July to prove our sincerity to Pakistan, and the reward for us would be its foreign minister’s visit to India. The US believes that the visit of its president to a country is a form of political reward. We have, unfortunately, let Pakistan adopt this kind of a patronising posture toward us.
The timing of our initiative to resume the full-spectrum dialogue is also not promising. The public reaction in Pakistan to Salmaan Taseer’s assassination, with lawyers showering the murderer with rose petals, indicates a mood that gives less hope than before of serious action by the government on the Mumbai issue and jihadi terrorism. The current governmental crisis in Pakistan handicaps our peace parleys. President Asif Ali Zardari is more feeble than before, and General Ashfaq Kayani stronger. Just when the US is finding it increasingly problematic to deal with Pakistan, we are signalling that we can do business with it. We make Pakistan look more open and politically credible, more capable of delivery, by expressing our willingness to talk to it even about Afghanistan.
If we do not want to play hard ball with Pakistan, like Pakistan does with us, why do we play soft ball with it? Self-goals will not help us achieve the goal we chase of peace with Pakistan.
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Until terror from Pakistan soil strike us next time, I think we can continue with the non-result orientated composite talks. Nothing will come of the talks except some headline rambling and rattling - breaking news for 24X7 media for a few days. May be the reason to postpone the talks to July is probably because both countries believe that there is enough time for another terror attack & hence have reason to sabre rattle once again & postpone the talks! By Priyan Sarma
2/

Mr Kalaignar, I will miss you

First Published : 15 Jan 2011 10:42:00 PM ISTLast Updated : 15 Jan 2011 03:45:07 PM IST
Dear Mr Kalaignar,
My Pongal gift to you this year is this: I am leaving Chennai and The New Indian Express. Yes, you may take off your dark glasses and rub your eyes in disbelief. I may not be the only one going, however; you’re probably going to go as well. Go from government that is, after the coming assembly elections. I of course pray to God to grant you a long life (yes, even though you are a public atheist who conveniently allows his wife to be privately pious) for who else, if not you, will keep your family from tearing itself apart, limb from limb, in the days to come, after your party loses power? There is a political family where I am headed, the Thackerays of Mumbai, but they are nowhere as sprawling and operatic as yours. There is hope for some kind of fireworks, however; the Shiv Sena has at different times opposed Tamil migrants and Bihari migrants, and I will be that rare breed of migrant known as Bihari from Tamil Nadu. Perhaps the Shiv Sena and I can have as cosy a relationship as you have had with me, Mr Kalaignar.
A friend asked if I would miss Chennai and I thought, what an absurd question. Over the last four years, Chennai has become a part of me. My three teenagers have become better persons here; my life took a spiritual turn; and each and every day at the Express was a learning experience. Indeed, I now get irritated with Delhi journalists, for I get the feeling that for them the country ends at Gurgaon, Delhi’s southern suburb. The fact is that the four southern states are more dissimilar than any four randomly selected northern states. The distances within each state are vast. Delhi journalists cannot know India unless they spend time in Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad or Kochi; and this is one of the reasons that Indian journalism has taken a few knocks of late.
This is not to say that everyone here is enlightened. Several journalists congratulated me for my move “back north”, a phrase which would make any Mumbaikar roar with displeasure. My wife, an Assamese, has been called a “north Indian”, which is galling for anyone from the Northeast, given the depressing neglect and discrimination they face from the Hindi heartland, and given the fact that the only physical connection they have with the rest of India is the narrow 20-km Siliguri corridor squished between Bangladesh, Bhutan and Tibet. Obviously there are Tamils who need to consult maps more often; and for this I blame the political rhetoric you have deployed to stay relevant, Mr Kalaignar.
The other problem with your rhetoric is that you see it as a substitute for proper governance. Over the past four years, I have witnessed Chennai change in a variety of ways. The most obvious is when you look out the window, or walk down the street, or drive across town. I have driven from Adyar to Ambattur and back, via Vadapalani, via Porur and via Nungambakkam, and I can authoritatively say that Chennai’s traffic has deteriorated alarmingly. Driving in Chennai is now a worse experience than driving in Bangalore. Ten days ago I visited Delhi and I saw the change in the city where I lived and worked for 20 years before coming South. Perhaps it is not a fair comparison, for many resources were pumped into Delhi’s infrastructure to better it for the Commonwealth Games. It has worked: Delhi has an uncluttered and aesthetically pleasing look, even in the suburbs. This is not the case with Chennai.
As chief minister of one of India’s wealthiest states, you cannot take refuge in the fact that Delhi obtained funds for self-improvement. You also cannot take refuge in the fact that improving a city’s roads is a job too lowly for a chief minister; for if you look at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, he had to start at the very basics of law and order and roads in order to convince the voters to let him continue. Thus, you cannot claim to be another Nitish Kumar (as you recently tried) when assembly polls roll around.
Chennai has also changed the past few years due to the influx of non-Tamils. Migration from other states was traditionally low due to cultural reasons, but it seems that high economic growth and a robust private sector (corporate behaviour in the South is far different from corporate behaviour in the North, in a positive way) has forced the pace of migration in the past few years. And this is only going to increase in the years to come as more managerial and professional staff (and editors) are needed. This will change the complexion of Chennai by the end of the new decade, in more ways than either of us can predict.
So you must introspect, Mr Kalaignar, on the kind of political rhetoric you have used and encouraged. Will it foster a local Bal Thackeray type among your successors? Or will people see through you and your family long before that? For another thing I witnessed during my stay in Chennai was the end of the Sri Lankan war against the LTTE. As documented by even the UN, the Sri Lankan government committed human rights abuses during its endgame against V Prabakaran. You not only headed our state government, but the UPA at the Centre relied heavily on you. Yet somehow I don’t recall you or your family being vocal about the collateral damage. I won’t be surprised if your usual rhetoric now pays diminishing dividends.
Lastly, I would like to thank you and your party for re-introducing me to 13-digit numbers after more than a quarter of a century (when I was in University, studying maths). When your party campaigns this summer, don’t be surprised to see signs everywhere that read “`1760000000000”. That was our headline, inspired by you, when the CAG report on the 2G spectrum allocation scam became public. Even if your well-wishers try to bribe the voters, the voters will look at all those zeroes and expect a bit more. It doesn’t look good for you.
All in all, I’ve had an enjoyable four years in Chennai. I will miss the city; I will miss my readers, who have constantly egged me on; I will miss my colleagues, who produced a paper that made you look bad and made me look good; I will miss my boss, Manoj Sonthalia, who resisted your pressure to muzzle me; and most of all, Mr Kalaignar, I will miss you. Happy Pongal.
Regards, etc.
editorchief@expressbuzz.com
Topics:M Karunanidhi, Kalaignar
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Neththiyadi .. Hats off to you Mr. Sinha :) By Saravana
2/5/2011 6:17:00 PM Your column "Reductio Ad Absurdum" was incisive and witty, occasionally downright hilarious, eg your piece on Zardari, Manmohan and Sarah Palin. I opened your newspaper and read your article first, always with a smile and sometimes with a guffaw of laughter. At the same time, your satire brought out many hidden truths with keen analysis. Your column will be missed. All the best in your new assignment. By M. Murti
1/28/2011 1:09:00 AM aditya sinha's greatest piece was, "Manmohan parties on" where he spoke teh truth that Manmohan Singh, Montek Singh et al are the boot-lickers of the Congress. Given a chance, they will invite the White House to pass the bills for India. By pseudo-reader
1/27/2011 6:17:00 PM The New Indian Express and we its readers have lost a great Editor and a down to earth journalist in you. I was a regular reader of your columns and actually used to wait for your columns. Any way GOOD BYE By YATHEENDRAN
1/27/2011 9:39:00 AM Hello Mr.Sinha, Tamil Nadu needs bold editors like you who don't wear saris. By Dinesh
1/22/2011 9:52:00 AM ADITYA SINHA, GOODBYE. WE THE TAMILS WILL NEVER MISS YOU. YOU WERE ALWAYS AGAINST DMK & KARUNANIDHI AND SUPPORTER OF JAYA. THE WORST THING WAS YOU DIDN'T HAVE THE SKILL TO FORMULATE A CASE BY BETTER ARGUMENT OR EVIDENCE. WHEN ONE READS YOUR ARTICLE, IT IS OBVIOUS THAT YOU EXPRESS YOUR INNER VIEW SO NAKEDLY WHICH OVERWHELMS YOUR ARGUMENT OR EVIDENCE IF ANY. TWO THINGS I WANT TO ADVICE YOUR: (1) SEPARATE YOUR WRITING FORM POLITICAL OR RACIAL VIEWPOINT., AND (2) DERIVE CONCLUSIONS WITH APPROPRIATE RATIONALE. By ANAND
1/21/2011 8:35:00 AM All the best Mr Sinha. You gave the "steel" feel to TNIE.Kudos to you and your team. Warm regards, JAYJAY By JAY
1/19/2011 6:32:00 PM Respected and beloved Aditya Sinha Sir, I always enjoy your writings because it brings out truths with out any fear or favour. God bless you in your new endeavour wherever you are. The Indian Express chairman should be appreciated for giving full persmissin for you to air your honest views. Any how, there is no wrods to describe the separation. J.Venkat, Chennai By J Venkat
1/19/2011 4:33:00 PM A honest writing, not much criticized. Good bye Mr.Sinha by Harikrishnan By Harikrishnan
1/19/2011 9:28:00 AM All the best Mr. Sinha. Your TN specific thoughts & words will be missed. By Pradeep G
1/18/2011 8:48:00 PM Thank God Mr. Sinha you are leaving the NIE. Under his tutelage, the NIE had lost independent journalism. Let's hope the old days of proactive investigative journalism will now return to IE (anyone remembers Arun Shourie?). I also hope the Bangalore edition will now onwards stop being a 2nd-class copy of the Madras edition. God save DNA!!! By Arun Murthy
1/18/2011 2:50:00 PM Mr.Sinha, the real test of your integrity, boldness and honesty is going to start. Because MK is less aggressive than Jaya.And she`s not in power. As you said, I wish you success in your proposed crusade against the Senas. By M.Kumar
1/18/2011 10:15:00 AM Mr.Sinha , You came You wrote, now you are gone. Its easy for you to perform this Hit & Run .... how about staying & really continuing to do the Job - I guess you've done enough to ride into the sunset ?? By Conscience
1/18/2011 12:56:00 AM In these days of paid and psedo journalism. U stand apart, gud work, india needs journalists like u to sustain this democracy, all the best Mr. Sinha By balakumaran
1/17/2011 3:59:00 PM Dear Sinhaji, I shifted from Hindu To New Indian Express as I wanted to get a fair idea of what is happening around. You articles were one of the reasons for the papers' success fair reporting. Now that you are leaving we will certainly miss frank and free opinions without fear or favour. If you leave this excellent paper for your own reasons and not due to empty threats from the powers that be iwill be happy. My Best Wishes to You to continue your zealous and fearless service in the dissemination of truth. gopal By gopal
1/17/2011 3:24:00 PM We all miss a great Journalist leaving the only last standing nuetral media, my favorite TNIE. Good Luck. By Ananth
1/17/2011 11:47:00 AM GOOD LUCK MR SINHA, WE WILL MISS YOU IN CHENNAI. I LOVED YOUR COLUMN. NOW BEFORE YOU GO CAN YOU PL. GET SOMEONE OF GREAT CALIBRE LIKE MR. RAJIV DOGRA TO WRITE THE SUNDAY COLUMN. THANK YOU AND BYE BYE By kamraj
1/17/2011 10:58:00 AM Yes,Mr.Sinha I reciprocate the sentiments expressed by majority readers on your departure from NIE!We will miss you and your bold writing.I am not sure NIE will be lucky to get another Editor like you.It is a sad day for Chennaiites.I am not sure whether TN would be in your radar once you move out. Atleast we could derive some solace after reading your brilliant articles. Now it appears we have lost that too and left to watch all the rot helplessly.Let me wish you all the very best to keep you and your pen sharp and bold forever!Good luck & God Bless. By Neelu
1/17/2011 10:08:00 AM Mr. Sinha - you will be missed so much. What a boldness and freshness that you brought out. NIE readers will surely feel the loss! By sada
1/17/2011 9:29:00 AM Amongst newspapers like Hindu , which over the last deacde deteriorated to an abysmal low, The New Indian Express stood tall ann its because of your bold initiatives and policies. We will miss you. As one of the readers pointed out we hope we get a worthy successor and not a moron like Shekar or Ram. I hope The New Indian Express continues to be bold and truthful. By Ravi Krish
1/17/2011 9:18:00 AM Good one Mr.Sinha, hope you come back and hopefully our decaying state will be a bit less benighted by then! By SR
1/16/2011 10:20:00 PM Welcome to Mumbai.Thanks to Internet I am sure your readers in Chennai will not miss you that much.Mumbai has some of the best journalists like Neelkanth Khadilkar,Govind Talwalkar,Kanti Bhatt etc.All of them are from regional press.ONCE UPON A TIME IN MUMBAI we had people like Girilal Jain,R.K Karanjia who made their mark by their thought provoking writing.You also fall in the same category.In Maharashtra we have one of the most corrupt and inefficient govt.and standard of journalism is at its lowest thanks to TOI which started the trend of paid news.People of Mumbai living condition has turned from bad to worse.It is here I look forward to DNA for its contribution.HT and TOI are mouthpiece of congress.There is enough room for DNA to give a meaningful choice. By Madhusudan Thakkar
1/16/2011 4:45:00 PM t is sad that yoyu are leaving the New Indian Express. I do hope that the Neqw Indian Express will continue to be as bold and distinctive as it ahs been now keeping the standards of Ramnath Goenka. As a Mumbaikar, I welcome you to MUmbai to lead another and fast growing newspaper. I am sure you will in your new assignment will continue to espouse not only the goingds on in that particualr state but also keep an all India view iun all aspects. Wish you all the best.= By s subramanyan
1/16/2011 4:16:00 PM Good parting shot and I would like to see your opening salvo on Balasaheb. I enjoyed reading NIE the way of presentation more than the daring expose' that had been the hallmark since the days of indefatigable Ramnath Goenka. By Jayaraman
1/16/2011 1:19:00 PM In the midst of encomiums piling up, I would limit the marks awarded to this parting editorial soliloqy just 4.5 out of ten. Mr Sinha has been bold, yes, emphatic, yes, but had been found short of maturity; he is no MJ Akbar, Shekhar Kapur, or even a Vinod Mehta. His criticism of Manmohan Singh very often fell below class. Hopefully, he will earn a great future as a journalist. Let us see what the new boss can bring in. By Chandran Nair
1/16/2011 12:39:00 PM Extremely sad that this great man is leaving New Indian Express. I opened Expressbuzz to see his columns. What a pity? I thought that Goenka was back and was very happy to read this news paper. This man spoke he truth and it is very unfortunate that he is leaving my city. Since he did not write for several days since his last one, I smelt a rat here. All the very best to you. You will continue to write and we will continue to read! By Kannan
1/16/2011 11:22:00 AM Oh! feeling sad Mr.Sinha. Anyway Good Luck always be with you Mr.Sinha By Sreenivasan
1/16/2011 11:15:00 AM Good Bye, Mr. Sinha! Why do you want to dig into Sri Lanka's wounds. Once and for all the violence over there has come to an end. There is nothing Kalaignar could have done against the resolve of the Rajapakses who did not even listen to the US and the West. As a parting shot, you should ask your paper to get more teeth to do investigative stories. Good bye, Sir! By Anush
1/16/2011 10:24:00 AM Mr. Sinha, It is very sad that you are leaving TNIE. Your columns have really been enlightening for those looking for Real Free Press. It is pity that you are leaving at a stage where the elections are just round the corner in TN. Let your successor carry the spirit of fearless press that has been the hall mark of Indian Express. My humble subsmission to you is keep writing independent columns in TNIE By V S Sundara Raman
1/16/2011 8:47:00 AM It is the misfortune of the people of india they cannot chose who they want to elect. Indians may be successful elsewere, but at home they are pathetic lossers. They have lost badly in the politics of india to get rid of corrupt politicians, corruption and poverty. Why??Based on global acheviement Indians should have made India the number one. So hopefully the tsunami of politics will come one day and get rid of this corrupts like karunanidhi, the 2g etc. Otherwise indians will have to teach A- adarsh, B- bofors, C-cwg, 2G alphabets. upto Z. The express buzz did a great job with Mr. Sinha standing upto the nefarious activites and the extra constituional authority , resmbling the stalin age of Russia. Kudos and good luck to you Shri. Sinha. By trkaruppiah
1/16/2011 7:31:00 AM all the best in the new job...i never missed your column.....bold and witty.... By deepaprakasa
1/16/2011 7:25:00 AM Wish you great success in your new assignment. But your Saturday columns would be sorely missed! No Delhi journalist will write the way you do, I'm quite sure about that. By Dorothy
1/16/2011 7:08:00 AM Mr. Sinha, I consider you the true torch-bearer of the Ramnath Goenka tradition of fearless journalism in pursuit of truth and national honor. You were a God-send who brought a breath of fresh air to the suffering multitudes of hoary Tamils, who were laid low by the worst demagogic and the most corrupt of the political tribe who thrived on caste-baiting and spreading of dis-affection and hatred as well as bribery of the most-vulnerable to stay in power forever. Good luck in your next challenge of exposing an equally corrupt and failed governance in the state of Maharashtra. By Ramakrishnan
1/16/2011 6:33:00 AM Aditayaji, thank you very much and may God Bless U ! By N CHANDRASEKAR
1/15/2011 10:56:00 PM Dear Aditya, Why are u leaving ? I ameading I.E because of you. I am sixty eight now. I am yet to see a bold writer like you.Pl take us with you wherever yo come.Be in touch with us in your new assignment also. Laxman By Laxman
1/15/2011 10:06:00 PM I understand that you are joining DNA from Jan 17,2011 according to exchange4media.com and also afaqs.com . What ever may be , you revived or rather tried very hard to revive the fortunes of NEW INDIAN EXPRESS . I used to get NIE only whenever I go to Madras but read regularly your articles on the new indian express web site . I suggest that you continue your exclusive articles for NEW INDIAN EXPRESS even after joining DNA if permitted by your new employers . Or , better try hard to launch DNA in Madras very soon . vijay By VIJAY S.R
1/15/2011 9:25:00 PM Today's pongal tasted bitter after reading that you are leaving NIE. This is the only paper which does not toe the cong-dmk line. It is only because of people like you that the media maintains some credibility and I sincerely hope that your succesor will continue the tradition. All the best to you and your family. Ram By Ram
1/15/2011 9:25:00 PM I started subscribing to TNIE after you became editor. I have always found it to be a paper with 'guts' under your stewardship, which cannot be said of the other newspapers, especially in Tamilnadu. I will definitely miss you. I wish you all the best. By Ramachandran
1/15/2011 9:08:00 PM You are a brave man. You have stood against money and muscle power of DMK. Karunanidhi has said on record that The New Indian Express is one of the four publications which are against him. By Ravi
1/15/2011 8:36:00 PM very sad mr sinha where ever you are you just touch the right chord boldly ..thanks for your articles ....i think i miss your complexity,variety and witty articles ..good luck ..plkease inform your next warfront.. By raa
1/15/2011 7:47:00 PM Your articles have always been inspiring, Mr Sinha. All the best in your career. Hope you would write with the same vigour, and purpose as you have done with the new IE. Also hope that you would live upto the dharma of your profession. By Gautham
1/15/2011 6:53:00 PM BUT WHY, WHY are you leaving ? Were you troubled in any way by your 'Hero'? Flourish wherever you are and as you are very capable, sky is the limit to raise up. Good luck! Please announce, if possible, who your immediate employer is going to be. Or, is it going to be a new line altogether or a freelancing? How will Express continue to be exciting in future? Very sad indeed. By ASHWIN
1/15/2011 6:47:00 PM thats really bad news now i have to find another peper to read mr aditya sinha .really feeling bad .any best wishes for ur new assignment By abhijit
1/15/2011 5:50:00 PM Good luck sir. Any way this was in expected lines, as the known pro congress(the lord) person has joined the express group very recently as an executive editor, i was just waiting for this from you, a known congress baiter. People like you bring the public back to the media, make them aware that not everybody is loyal to 10, people's way, delhi. By hari
1/15/2011 5:40:00 PM Nithish has proved in Bihar that Development alone would triumph. But Karunanidhi would prove that non-development would also triumph. Nithish has been trying to turn Bihar to the status of Tamilnadu of Pre-Karunanidhi period. But karunanidhi has been trying ( he almost succeeded) to turn Tamilnadu to the status of Pre-Nithish period. He will succeed 100% in his effort with his dear policies of freebies. Tamilnadu people too are willing to sell anything wheather it is their self respect or anything they have for such cheap meaningless materialistic things. So Mr.Sinha, your prediction would not sell this time too. By R.C.Mohan
1/15/2011 5:28:00 PM I thought atleast this time your prediction would go right. I remember you having predicted the result of last TN assembly election in favour of Jaya. Having been in the Political Journalism for several years, I thought you have a better assesment about the scenerio here in Tamilnadu. Anyway, you are going out of TN, hence I dont intend trying to correct you in your style of thinking. I assure you you will have to send a congratulation message to Karunanidhi after the next assembly election as he would be the CM in Tamilnadu. Nithish has proved in Bihar that Development alone would triumph. But Karunanidhi would prove that non-development would also triumph. Nithish has been trying to turn Bihar to the status of Tamilnadu of Pre-Karunanidhi period. But karunanidhi has been trying ( he almost succeeded) to turn Tamilnadu to the status of Pre-Nithish period. He will succeed 100% in his effort with his dear policies of freebies. Tamilnadu people too are willing to sell anything wheather By R.C.Mohan
1/15/2011 5:26:00 PM Miss ur columns..hav 2 admit u drop all the PC-ness and the blunt American style straight talking in ur columns were refreshing.Hope ur replacement wont be a complete moron like say Shekhar Gupta or worse.. By Kannan
1/15/2011 4:50:00 PM All the Best Mr.Sinha...you have been truly wonderful and have proven to be an intrepid journalist too considering you were constantly writing against a regime that is not averse to arm-twisting(literally!) its critics. I heard that you are likely to join DNA in Mumbai. Good luck wherever you are going to be and I look forward to reading more of your works in the days to come. By SRIRAM
1/15/2011 4:04:00 PM Though i am very sad that we are all going to miss your saturday's columns, i wish you the very best for your future assignments. The peole of Mumbai's are really lucky. I've not seen any other columnists like that of you, the very brute frankness with sarcastic lineage with a brilliant vocabulary. Will Miss you a lot. Hope we all will catch you in the e-paper of your new assaignmnet. By Shriram.T.K.L
1/15/2011 4:00:00 PM A well-written piece by Mr Sinha, whom I know only from his writings in The New Indian Express. We will miss him as a Chennai-based journalist. Good luck to him, and all the best in whatever he will be doing next! By A Narayanan
1/15/2011 2:02:00 PM Good Bye- Mr.Sinha - I am one of the fervent readers of your columns. And on your leaving Chennai , we may miss something that we were all eagerly scanning express ,every day morning, for your colimns. Best of luck and wishes One thing - I am not an admirer of Kalaignar rather would like Kalignar to be dethrowned in the next election.However your parting column to the Kalignar does not look to be in good taste. Could have been better, so that he should really feel sorry for your depart. By Swami
1/15/2011 1:24:00 PM Awesome sir. Welcome to Mumbai :) By Manush
1/15/2011 1:11:00 PM Mr. Sinha, I was wondering why you were missing in the past couple of weeks. We will miss your witty style and hard hitting to-the-point articles. Thanks for bringing the dark side of the political elite to our notice through your weekly updates. Wish you all the best in all your future endeavors. By Arun Kumar
1/15/2011 1:02:00 PM Happy Pongal to you too.. I really hope the change which you look for comes. Its time to say no to Free Regime which has no discipline. Chennai has been plundered of its resources and it has been given out - not to other cities in TN but to a select group of rich politically connected class. Kalaignar has always played communal politics and ensured Tamils are divided. It is time we got together and kicked him out. By SB
1/15/2011 12:39:00 PM Brilliant piece. More power to your pen, Aditya! By HS
1/15/2011 12:30:00 PM Mr.Sinha,I It is indeed very sad that you are leaving Indian Express.We have always enjoyed your articles .No matter how much you write about corruption in chennai and the DMK ministers in the centre nothing will change as they will buy out everyone in the coming state elections.I really wonder if the people of the state will be ratinal enough to judge the poor performance of the state govt these few years and vote differently.you will certainly miss the stinking roads of chennai and the bad work of the chennai corporation /neel metal fanalca.even LORD KAPALEESHWARAR cannot do anything.Just pray that we the people of Chennai can still survive and have a govt that spends more time on civic amenities after the CHENNAI SANGAMAM.wishing you the very best in your new assignment.please continue the good work. By Mrs.Geetha Neelakantan
1/15/2011 12:25:00 PM Mr. Sinha, We will miss u too!. happy pongal! By Leo
1/15/2011 12:07:00 PM we all remeber Express which was a standout among newspapers in those darkdaysof EMERGENCY..happy to note that the glorious tradition of sri RPGoenka is continuing. By suryaprakasam
1/15/2011 11:43:00 AM Hi Aditya Sinha, We at chennai miss you a lot.I shifted from Hindu to New Indian Express because of your bold editorials. I wish you good luck in your new assignment. By San
1/15/2011 11:43:00 AM Mr.Sinha, Its very unfortunate that you are moving out of TNIE.Wish you success in all your future endeavours.. By Truth
1/15/2011 11:08:00 AM I really enjoied the meaning ful and thought Provoking article,Mr,Kalaingar i will miss you by Editor in chief Aditya Sinha.Lengthy elaborated experience with Tamil Nadu Politic sand infrastructurefacilitiesto be applauded.I also agree with him about the traffic ,the way in Two wheelers and four wheelersare passing.Bangalore is far better.Even though slight changes are visible in Chennai over all lot of things should be changed.Hope the coming elections may take a turn,because of Inflation and other problems.I have been associated with your paper for the past fifteen months,putting my frank opinion in the web site,after i retired from the UAE Settled in Chennai.I have been reading your bold opinion,will be missing you.Wishing you a very happy and healthy new year and a Plesant stay in the Business capitol Mumbai in the coming days. K.Ragavan. Chennai.47.. By K.Ragavan.Chennai.47.
1/15/2011 10:42:00 AM Thanks for getting out. I wish you go down into Dust Bin for ever. What MK does is his business and his state people, we dont need an outsider to tell us what we have to do. By kris
1/15/2011 10:40:00 AM hi aditya sinha, we will miss you so much, every saturday i would wait eagerly for your Reducto ad absurdum, now it is wont be there By ramkumaran
1/15/2011 9:05:00 AM Sad, Mr.. Sinha we will be missing you. I have been looking for your columns on Saturdays for your crisp and down-to-earth comments on the politics of the country. Believe me, I have been ardent fan of two columnists: Maureen Dowd of New York Times and Aditya Sinha of The New Indian Express. Hope to see you again in Chennai. Good Luck. By G.Narayanaswamy
1/15/2011 8:56:00 AM All the very Best, Sir! We will defintely miss you. It has been an honour to read your columns. By the way, do you think Kalaignar will understand English :-) By Vani Natarajan
1/15/2011 6:49:00 AM We miss anyone who causes the Heart to vibrate, Politician like Karuna squeezes the conscious ,the penetrating Ravana. As a reader and contributor in a small way, i have chosen the Indian Express as against traditional Hindu.Good Reading. Like to wish u Happy Pongal and New Year Greetings in ur next assignment. By Group Captain V. Ramani
1/15/2011 6:25:00 AM Why don't you Mr.Sinha take all of us Tamils of this state too to where ever you are going and save us from the probable misery that will be heaped on us by the DMK-CONG combine after elections. Obviously you can't so atleast try and send send a few Thakereys/yadhavs/gowdas to dilute this strong K family effect. By ravi
1/15/2011 5:13:00 AM i will miss you Mr.SINHA. GOOD LUCK. VEDA By veda
1/15/2011 4:20:00 AM We'll miss u to Mr. Sinha. Its sad that you leave the New Indian Express. You both were perfect for each other. I enjoyed your columns and hope you'll keep writing. By Kumar

BJP finds a ‘sanjeevini’

Neerja Chowdhury First Published : 14 Dec 2010 12:15:00 AM ISTLast Updated : 15 Dec 2010 06:13:26 AM IST
There is a customary meeting held in the Lok Sabha Speaker’s chamber at the end of every session where the ruling party and opposition leaders exchange pleasantries over a cup of tea, discussing the pros and cons of how the parliamentary session went.
On Monday, soon after the Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die, prime minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee, Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj, BJP senior leader L K Advani along with Gopinath Munde and Shahnawaz Hussain trooped into Meira Kumar’s office. Even though the nerve racking session, rocked by the mega 2G telecom scam, was over, there were no signs of a thaw or bonhomie that is usually visible on these occasions. Nobody spoke a word. The atmosphere was frosty and the body language of Pranab Mukherjee reflected his misery. When somebody referred to him as Leader of the House, he shot back, “What leader, when there is no house!” The leaders quickly downed their tea and departed.
For all the bitterness that it entailed, ironically, the winter “non-session” of Parliament was like a ‘sanjeevini’ for the BJP, breathing new life into the party. For the first time since 2004, when it was thrown out of power, the BJP is feeling good about itself. It has found effective sticks to beat the government with. The NDA’s victory in Bihar gave the party a fillip. Its internal assessment is that the victory was as much for the BJP as it was for Nitish Kumar, given the high strike rate of the party. The victory of four BJP rebels against JD(U) official candidates was another pointer.
The BJP also managed to up the ante against the ruling UPA, first on the misuse of funds in the Commonwealth games, then on Mumbai’s Adarsh Housing Society scam, followed by the mammoth 2G scandal, and finally on its demand that the government set up a JPC to probe the `1.7 lakh-crore telecom scandal.
Though in deference to public pressure, the Congress sent CWG Organising Committee chief Suresh Kalmadi, Maharasthra chief minister Ashok Chavan and Union telecommunications minister A Raja packing, to enforce the principle of accountability, it still found itself on the backfoot.
Suddenly the ruling party was faced with a situation in which whatever it did came as too little too late, and it is often the timing of decisions which becomes critical for political management. Even though the government offered to conduct the probe by the CBI under the supervision of the Supreme Court, which is also independently seized of the 2G enquiry, there was a growing popular perception that the government was not agreeing to a JPC because it had something to hide. The teflon effect, when no charge could hold, was suddenly gone. Instead, every charge started to stick. The Congress was at the receiving end of charges of corruption — scam after scam came tumbling out, virtually by the day— creating a cumulative impact, and an impression of culpability.
The BJP lost its high moral ground when it failed to send Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa packing for favouring his sons in land allotment but it managed to keep the initiative in its hands. Whereas the Congress failed to divide the opposition ranks, or to keep its allies on its side — the Trinamool Congress, NCP and even the DMK broke ranks with the Congress and endorsed the idea of a JPC — the BJP managed to create a larger opposition unity, moving in step with most of the non-UPA parties, including the Left groups.
And now, smelling an opportunity, it has decided not to let the issue slip out of its hands and raise it again in the Budget session of Parliament if the government does not give in to its demand for a JPC. If that happens, the opposition may not allow the Budget session to function and the Finance Bill may have to be passed in a din. But what is more important is that it will reduce the Manmohan ministry to a lame duck government.
If the government does relent — though the Congress has ruled this out — it will be a case of acting under opposition pressure. The prime minister may be summoned by the JPC and if that happens, “Would he prefer to put in his papers?” is the question in everybody’s mind. It goes without saying that a JPC would keep the 2G scam, in one form or the other, on the political and media radar, including the Niira Radia tapes, month after month. This too would push the government against the wall, robbing it of the authority to take decisions. So either way, the government has been cornered.
Even though the BJP does not have a clear prime ministerial face today, nor is there a shining knight in armour to lead the forces opposed to the UPA to victory, as in 1989, the party believes that the NDA, as the largest political entity after the UPA, may naturally be the biggest beneficiary of the churning that is currently going on. The party now proposes to flog a collectivity — made up of its central leaders and state satraps — as its new engine, though collectives have never really had an appeal in this country as have individual leaders.
The BJP also hopes that its decision to take up development as its core issue, putting the more emotive Hindutva on the backburner, may bring regional parties, which had left it, to its side once again. NDA convenor Sharad Yadav is already in the process of approaching these parties so as to make corruption an issue of the entire opposition in the coming weeks.
But the BJP’s big challenge will come from within the parivar, and ironically this is the first good news for the Congress in weeks. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has said that the Sangh will now campaign that the Ayodhya site be given to the Hindus for a Ram temple instead of the three-way division ordered by the court on September 30, with one portion allocated to the Sunni Waqf Board.
While it may be true that the RSS cannot delink itself from its core issue, and that the Vishwa Hindu Parishad is pushing for an ‘abhiyan’ in the long held belief that had the BJP not politicised the mandir issue, the temple might have actually been built, and that while the RSS may not be opposed to the BJP’s new focus on development, nor expect it to take up the temple issue, Bhagwat’s statement and the renewed campaign will only go to fuel suspicions in regional parties about the BJP’s bona fides. It could not have been timed worse for the BJP, as far as its efforts, to bring together the opposition parties, are concerned.
Politics apart, estranged relations between the government and the opposition in the just concluded session, touched a new low, when leaders did not feel able to exchange two words over tea. They signified a breakdown which hardly augurs well for the future of parliamentary democracy. It is time to really worry.
neerja_chowdhury@yahoo.com
About the author:
Neerja Chowdhury is political editor,
‘The New Indian Express’

Shielding the corrupt and the unruly

Gnani First Published : 20 Feb 2011 10:57:00 PM ISTLast Updated : 20 Feb 2011 06:34:29 AM IST
With Spectrum hogging the national attention space, another national disaster suffers in ignorance and indifference. The Neros of Tamil Nadu Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa are playing different tunes to different sections to woo their votes while Tirupur burns.
Tirupur has been earning through its textile industry around Rs 9,000 crore per annum from exports and another Rs 2,000 crore in the local market. All at a cost. Noyyal river died, polluted by the 750 dyeing units for decades killing agriculture, affecting lakhs of farmers. Successive regimes of Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa simply did not care. Tirupur has been a major financier for all political parties. And when the Tirupur Marxist MLA defected to DMK recently, very unusual for a Left party legislator, the party openly accused him of collecting funds from textile industry to grease the palms of ruling party leadership to wangle beneficial government orders. Karunanidhi’s government violated the Supreme Court’s order that the ‘polluter must pay for the damages’ by handing over Rs 320 crore to the dyeing units for setting up ineffective effluent treatment plants which they were reluctant to use in any case. And when the court finally ordered the listing of pollution control officials for proceeding against them, Karunanidhi’s government pleads for a revision order to condone the officials. The government has a consistent record in shielding the corrupt and unruly. With the court closing down polluting units, Tirupur has to now decide whether to live and let others live or to kill others and get killed. The industry now admits that the much touted zero-liquid discharge never really took off. Spokespersons have openly stated it is impossible to have zero liquid discharge and the solutions they offer are worse than the malady. The suggested marine discharge will kill the fishing community the same way it ruined the farming community. In Gujarat, marine discharge upto 12 kilometres itself has been a dismal failure and threat to environment. Tirupur would have to carry the effluents hundreds of kilometres by pipe. Industry’s demand for supply of good potable drinking water by the municipality to mix with effluents and dilute them is an atrocious proposal to waste more water than now polluted. And at the root of all troubles of Tirupur lies not incompetent technology but total corruption of pollution officials. Some years back Prof S Ramaswami from Louisville University demonstrated through trials that zero discharge of both liquid and solid waste was possible through evaporation technology but the board officials ignored the idea, lured by benefits from promoters of reverse osmosis technology unsuited for dyeing units. Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa, meanwhile, maintain a stony silence about Tirupur’s woes. At stake is the livelihood of millions of farmers and industrial workers. Government is dead. Long live the Government.
Gnani is a Tamil writer, theatreperson and film maker.
gnanisankaran@gmail.com
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Tirupur based Dyeing Units can go in for "Solar CSP" based Evaporation, which can help minimize this problem. I am currently looking to offering this Solution for the same. By Krish
2/21/2011 4:49:00 PM Gnani may be right, viewing killing agriculture, drinking water issues in Tiruppur. But AIADMK jaya has many success story like the tough handling of Veerappan, Lottery Mafia Martin, kanthu vatti, katta panchayttu, illicit poisonous arrack brewers and sellers, their syndicate, sand quarrying only through PWD, SHG, successfully bringing discarded Veeranam water, supplying water through tanker lorries and good trains, managing four years draught, but today people drink can water. All lakes, government lands are all encroached. Even prime private property holders are brutally attacked and their property grabbed. It is only Jaya who hit nail when it was red in the 2 G. She openly declared that AIADMK would support UPA for taking action against 2 G knowing fully well that Congress under Sonia will not pardon Jaya for having spoken facts that India with one billion people does not need to import a leader from Italy. So, comparing Jaya with DPA now at the present state of things appears highl By K.S.Nagarajan
2/20/2011 4:31:00 PM Remember , you killed the city . Gnani you always lie for your pride and image and blow up things . Today you are kindling things for millions of people to loose job . By True Man
2/20/2011 3:24:00 PM Post your comments *

After Kasab, another Pakistani strike?

T J S George First Published : 27 Feb 2011 11:56:00 PM ISTLast Updated : 27 Feb 2011 12:15:20 PM IST
There are things you can do with Pakistan and things you cannot. Among the “cannot” is reasoning over the 26/11 attack on Mumbai. Pakistan’s stonewalling on this issue has been so relentlessly self-serving that we should now expect a worsening of the situation. In answer to the death sentence confirmed on Ajmal Kasab, Pakistan may now show its defiance by (a) releasing Kasab’s handler and the operational leader of the Mumbai attack, Zakiur Rahman Lakhvi, and (b) attempting a new 26/11 as quickly as possible.
They have three advantages while India has none. First, the Pakistani military’s visceral hostility to India gives it a motivation that matches only Israel’s unstoppable motivation to destroy Palestine; even if they get Kashmir on a silver platter, the war against India will continue because the need to justify Pakistan’s communal birth will continue. Second, China’s unconditional support enables an otherwise emasculated Pakistan to match the economic giant that is India, bomb for bomb. The third and surprising factor is America’s support to Pakistan which is as decisive as China’s.
America’s problem is that it recognises only terror against America as terror. To fight America’s war against terror, it needs Pakistan’s logistical cooperation. Pakistan cleverly takes the Americans for a ride, extending cooperation one day, denying it another day. In the process, India’s war against terror makes no blip on the American radar. American military supplies come pouring into Pakistan with user’s manuals stipulating that they fire/fly only westward, never eastward.
That’s dumb. But what we should note here is that Pakistan, client state though it is, has the guts to stand up against its provider. It did so when unmanned US drones wreaked havoc in its tribal areas. It is doing so right now over a US embassy man (CIA?), killing two Pakistanis (ISI?). America has threatened the worst, and eventually Pakistan may yield, but not until it gets its pound of flesh.
Does India ever stand up when it is bullied, challenged, insulted? When Australian racists took it out on Indian students, when American security guards body-checked India’s ambassadors because one wore a saree and another a turban, when America put radio-tags on Indian students who had valid visas, when Sri Lankans killed our fishermen, we said gravely each time that it was unacceptable. Then we went on to accept it lying down. Never once did we take action that was acceptable.
The result is: Not one country in the world respects us, to say nothing of fearing us. And fear — of military might, trade retaliation, diplomatic offensive, covert countermoves — is one of the more effective planks of international relations in today’s cynical world. Our weight in this world is far below what our size, economy and potential warrant.
Pakistan knows this all too well. Pakistani leadership not only has no fear of India; it has contempt for India. This came out most tellingly when recently ousted foreign minister, Mehmood Qureshi, brought his full arrogance to bear on SM Krishna — with Krishna taking it in stoic silence. Civilised behaviour is wasted on the uncivilised.
Pakistan uses big words like “non-state players” to justify its inaction over 26/11. And why not? India, meak and eminently bulliable as always, is suddenly saying that it is ready for a resumption of dialogue, no conditions attached. So what happened to the earlier publicly stated policy that dialogue was meaningless when terror went unchecked ?
The answer in all likelihood lies in Washington. It does not require inside intelligence to guess that America must be pressurising India to resume normalcy with Pakistan. It doesn’t take much, because Manmohan Singh’s India loves nothing more than being in the good books of America.
So Pakistan is free to do what it loves more than anything else — appearing to assist America’s war on terror while carrying on its own war on India. Unless India learns how to stand up, we have reasons to worry.
Topics:Pakistan, Ajmal Kasab, 26/11 attack
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our govt is meek and servile.it is slave of america and it cannt stand to american pressures.it is a soft state and alsoa banana republic. By muslim bhagawat
2/28/2011 6:38:00 PM Amazing piece. One is tempted to read just for his simple and lucid style. But another terrorist strike will immensely help this government to make people forget about other problems. It may resort to limited bombing of terrorist camps inside POK, in such an eventuality. C J Nelson Coimbatore By C J Nelson
2/28/2011 5:47:00 PM "motivation that matches only Israel’s unstoppable motivation to destroy Palestine;" Sir, I do not agree. It is Palestinians who have fatal hatred of the Jewish nation and want the Israelis to be driven into the sea. By Thiagan
2/28/2011 11:48:00 AM Excellent Sir. You took the words out of my mouth. By Vasu
2/27/2011 7:16:00 PM I am happy to see the contents of this Page whatever George has written and how people responded, I would like to add here that never forget Pakistan is also a country and Pakistanis are also Human being. World is together to pack them in some corner and every step world is taking against them has some natural response. Never under estimate this great nation their history is clear that they are not ordinary people every new crisis world is imposing on them they get more strength. All world is working underground but this nation is responding them above ground. If you take only one sincere step of friendship towards them they will take 100 steps but your one step towards enmity will push them to full enmity. By Ahud Khan
2/27/2011 6:16:00 PM Mr. George has let out the feelings of many Indians. Why Pakistan, are we able to face Maoists in our backyards? How shamefully Orissa government surrendered to Maoists. Indian State knows only how to ill treat ordinary Indians. see the lathi charge of cricket fans in Bangalore. And the justification given to it by the police commissioner to the foreign media. Our police truly serves its British masters. The immediate outcome of 'talks' with Pakistan will be handing over of Siachin to it. How funny it looks. Gen Zia had said not a blade of grass grows there. Now Pakistan is bent on getting Siachin . See the Kasab drama. India has already spent Rs. 45 crore or so to keep him alive safely. Now he is talking of going to Supreme Court. After that what, Presidential clemency? After clemency will we allow him to live in India, since Pakistan has disowned him. By Shivashankar K Nair
2/27/2011 2:16:00 PM Its very true that no body respects our country's diplomatic strength / political might in international relations. Ours is a country's so called IFS diplomats & usually ill equipped politicians have failed to even build a considerable influence / strength with Nepal, Bangladesh, Srilanka, Burma. Even today these small countries damn care to us on international issues & our politicians / diplomats wants a SEAT in UN SECURITY COUNCIL. What are these guys going to do in UN security council meetings, eat samosa & drink tea. By srikanth s
2/27/2011 11:06:00 AM The point Mr George has missed is that Pakistan has a vast hinterland of Islamists within India to help in planning and executing attacks on India.In fact Narendra Modi was absolutely right in stating that a major attack like 26/11 cannot be executed without local support.But,here comes the unsurmountable problem,that the ruling Congress led UPA does not want to bring any strong preventive laws,like Pota,for their political selfishness. By S.S.Nagaraj
2/27/2011 9:57:00 AM

A need for quicker justice

The New Indian Express First Published : 23 Feb 2011 11:59:00 PM ISTLast Updated : 24 Feb 2011 01:11:37 AM IST
The verdict in the Godhra train burning case does not redound to the credit of the criminal justice system in the country. It took nine years to find 31 persons guilty and 63 others, including prime accused Maulvi Saeed Umarji, innocent. The responsibility for the delay cannot be laid at the door of the sessions judge, who heard the case, as the trial proper took only 20 months. The villain of the piece is the politicisation of the case. Ordinarily, it should not have been difficult for the police to find out whether the fire that burnt alive 59 karsevaks in the Ahmedabad-bound Sabarmati Express was the result of a conspiracy or not. But then politics intervened and contesting claims were made, including one by a farcical commission of inquiry appointed by then railway minister Lalu Prasad.
For the Sangh Parivar organisations, which had been insisting all along that Godhra was the result of a conspiracy, it is a matter of satisfaction that the sessions judge has upheld their theory. What is striking about the judgment is the failure of the prosecution to prove the charge against a majority of the accused, including the so-called ‘mastermind’. Given the seriousness of the case, the prosecution should not have spared any medico-legal step to draw up a watertight case against the accused. While the ‘conspirators’ deserve the severest punishment possible, the point that those who have been proved ‘innocent’ have spent nearly nine years in jail for no fault of theirs cannot be overlooked. The off-and-on invocation of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) against the accused was mainly to blame for the denial of bail in the case of many. Needless to say, this amounts to a travesty of justice.
The Special Investigation Team has announced its decision to appeal against the verdict. Some of those found guilty are likely to challenge their conviction. Since the high court will rely only on the evidences produced by the prosecution at the trial stage, a dramatic turnaround at that stage is unlikely. The relatives of the Godhra victims would have preferred to have quicker justice. While Godhra has been found to be premeditated, it is yet to be ascertained whether the post-Godhra violence, too, was the result of a conspiracy. Trial of such cases should be quickened so that the common man’s faith in the efficacy of the criminal justice system is restored.

JPC should do a thorough job

The New Indian Express First Published : 23 Feb 2011 11:58:00 PM ISTLast Updated : 24 Feb 2011 01:08:53 AM IST
There will be a general sense of relief among the aam aadmi and the political class at the end of the confrontation between the government and the opposition over a JPC probe into the 2G Spectrum scam. While the government evidently realised that its mulish refusal to set up the JPC was doing it no good, the BJP has shown rare magnanimity in not gloating over the humiliating retreat by the treasury bench. Considering, however, that precious time has been lost as a result of the unwise and unnecessary standoff between the two sides, the next step should be to make haste in constituting the committee so that it can quickly get down to the business of identifying the guilty.
The need for purposeful urgency is all the greater because the latest swindle is the worst that the country has experienced in terms of the magnitude of the loss to the exchequer and the venality of politicians. If the culprits are able to get away, or are only lightly punished, the entire democratic system will suffer a crippling blow. This caution is necessary because earlier JPCs were not noticeably successful in penalising the wrongdoers, as the persistent questions on the Nehru-Gandhi family’s role in the Bofors howitzer scandal show. It was no different in the cases of the three other JPC investigations — into the securities and banking transactions in 1992, the stock market in 2001 and safety standards in the manufacture of soft drinks in 2003.
These earlier instances suggest that alongside the JPC probe, the on-going criminal investigations by the CBI into the scam should continue without let or hindrance. It is the same with the inquiries which the Public Accounts Committee is conducting under Murli Manohar Joshi. Given the numbers and clout of the suspects, the wider the net the better so that no loopholes are inadvertently left. The members of the JPC will also have to ensure that they do not engage in the kind of bitter political wrangling which led to the wastage of the entire winter session of parliament, which, in itself, was a deplorable example of political pettiness.
It is incumbent on politicians, especially of the ruling parties, to ensure that the JPC does not get bogged down in technicalities if the prime minister’s promise, made at his press conference, that the political stature of the guilty will not save them, is to be taken seriously.

When might becomes right

The New Indian Express First Published : 24 Feb 2011 10:32:00 PM ISTLast Updated : 25 Feb 2011 01:09:19 AM IST
The case of the ‘diplomat’ Raymond Davis grows more curious and more disturbing by the day. The world first heard of him on January 27 when he shot dead two men in Lahore he said were following him, ostensibly in self-defence, photographed them and called for help from the American consulate. That vehicle it sent ran over and killed an innocent civilian in the haste to get to Davis. But help came too late as he had been arrested by then. The entire incident had the feel of an operation gone wrong, and Davis seemed to fit the profile of a covert affairs specialist. But the US government claimed he had diplomatic immunity and demanded his release forthwith. Pakistani courts thought otherwise and jailed him. At present Davis is in judicial custody in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat prison charged with murder.
The US has called stridently for his release, with even President Obama joining the chorus (highly unusual), but it was notably vague about his precise duties until a British newspaper blew the whistle. Davis turns out to be a former special forces operative under contract with the CIA. Nevertheless, the US insists, he is a diplomat, and entitled to immunity under international conventions. The fact that he killed two men in cold blood, apart from causing a third death, appears to be a side issue. The fact that the Pakistani public is justifiably enraged also seems irrelevant to America’s mandarins as they solemnly invoke the sanctity of international guarantees. If ordinary Pakistanis accuse them of double standards they have good reason.
This is, after all, the same government that brushed aside all conventions on the treatment of prisoners of war after the invasion of Afghanistan and locked up hundreds of them without rights, recourse or redress in the stinking confines of Guantanamo Bay prison. Many are still in detention without a hearing. Some of them may be terrorists but they were captured in war and there are clear rules for their treatment. So if the White House could suspend the rules, surely, Islamabad, too, could do the same in the case of Raymond Davis. To deny that is to deny justice to the men he killed. If the US still gets its way in this sorry business, the only possible conclusion is that superpower muscle is the only right it recognises. All its calls for justice in the Middle East are just so much hot air.

Vastanvi instills hope

The New Indian Express First Published : 24 Feb 2011 10:31:00 PM ISTLast Updated : 25 Feb 2011 01:07:27 AM IST
Dar-ul-Uloom Vice-Chancellor Ghulam Mohammed Vastanvi got a reprieve when the Majlis-e-Shura (governing council) of the institution rejected his offer of resignation. A final decision on his case will be taken after a three-member committee appointed by the council gives its report on the allegations against him. This and other events suggest that the propaganda that he has forfeited the support of the council and the student community is baseless. In fact, on Wednesday when the council decided his case, Vastanvi was greeted by a large number of the students of this 145-year-old seat of Islamic learning. There are reasons to believe that his appointment had upset a powerful group that had been calling the shots at the seminary. It is this group that has been campaigning against him.
Vastanvi is relatively young, holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree and has vast experience in setting up and running institutions, including engineering colleges. All this should have been seen as advantages for him in running Dar-ul-Uloom, one of the most prestigious Islamic institutions in the world. Instead, he was seen as a strong votary of modern, liberal education, as distinct from Islamic education. As a Gujarati, he knew the conditions of the Muslims in his state better than anyone else. If anyone says, for instance, that the condition of the Gujarati Muslims is much better than that of the Muslims in Left Front-ruled West Bengal, it is a statement of fact and not an endorsement of what Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi allegedly did during the weeks following the Godhra massacre.
Vastanvi cannot be faulted if he says that Muslims should not be held prisoners of the past as they have to move on in life. When Sir Syed Ahmed Khan set up Aligarh Muslim University in 1875, nine years after the Deoband seminary was established in the same state, he foresaw the need to give Muslims modern education. In the 20th century, the Muslim Education Society (MES) in Kerala took a cue from Sir Syed Ahmed and set up a string of institutions of higher learning, which played a significant role in the education of Muslims in the state. And that is precisely what Vastanvi’s organisation has been doing in Gujarat churning out doctors, teachers, engineers as well as Islamic scholars. The needs of the Muslims in the 21st century are different from those in the 19th century. The VC has the necessary credentials to bring about the much-needed reform of the Deoband seminary.

Didi’s please-all budget

The New Indian Express First Published : 26 Feb 2011 12:02:00 AM ISTLast Updated : 26 Feb 2011 01:34:56 AM IST
It is a please-all budget Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee presented in Parliament yesterday. For the third consecutive year, she has spared both passenger and freight traffic of any increase in user charges. She has also extended many freebies and concessions like a 50 per cent reduction in the booking charges for both A/C and non-A/C seats and better benefits for senior citizens. She has also promised job opportunities to a large number of ex-servicemen and plans to appoint staff to man all the unmanned level crossings. Besides introduction of 200 new trains and promise of more trains in railway divisions, which record the lowest accident rate, she has drawn up a host of ambitious programmes that include introduction of anti-collusion devices and addition of 700 km to the railway network.
The minister has taken pride to claim that the total revenue would cross Rs 1 lakh crore this year. What needs to be ascertained is whether the increase is commensurate with the additional cost the railways will have to bear on account of her populism. If a minister tries to avoid revenue-generating measures towards the fag end of her term, it is understandable, because she has to face an electorate.
But when a minister does not at all want to generate resources, she can surely be questioned on her intentions. If several new projects like an industrial park at Nandigram and a metro coach factory at Kolkata have a West Bengal connection, a closer look will reveal that the whole budget is geared to help her win the next elections to the State Assembly.
Mamata Banerjee knows only too well that if her gamble succeeds and the Trinamool Congress is able to dislodge the Left Front from power in West Bengal, she will not be at the Rail Bhavan to execute all the ambitious programmes she has announced. It is true that for quite some time successive rail ministers, including Lalu Prasad, have been refraining from increasing passenger fares and freight charges for fear of antagonising the public. But then it is also a fact that there has been a fall in the standards of the railways, for instance, in the upkeep of trains and the catering services. Budget is a yearly occasion for the railway minister to mop up resources, provide better services to the passengers and strengthen the railway system. Alas, Didi had the next elections in West Bengal in mind, rather than the future of the Indian Railways.
Topics:Railways budget, Mamata Banerjee
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It is desirable that M.Ps and Central Ministers, especially from Thrissur- Palakkad – Pollachi, Palani and Dindigul regions take forward the need for the Kollengode - Thrissur railway line with their counterparts in neighboring districts of both Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Kollengode – Thrissur line which facilitates a chord line between Pollachi and Thrissur should not be seen as a railway project for Kerala alone as it is equally pertinent for the trade, commerce and tourism in Tamil Nadu. By Madan Menon Thottasseri
2/28/2011 6:37:00 PM I would like to advise the Action Council to muster support from towns like Pollachi, Udumalaipet, Palani, Oddanchatram and Dindigul with the help of business communities who are engaged in inter-state trade and commerce. They can also seek support from the Palani Dhadayudhapani Dewasthnam, which control and manage the famous Hill Temple that attracts pilgrims from other states, mainly from Kerala. Guruvayur Dewasam Board can also take an initiative for Kollengode – Thrissur railway line for the cause of pilgrims travel. By Madan Menon Thottasseri
2/28/2011 6:35:00 PM The Action Council for Kollengode- Thrissur Railway line based in Nenmara must continue its campaign for the rail link in co-ordination with the Rail Passengers Associations and Local bodies ( Municipalities/ Panchayats) at Kollengode, Palakkad, Thrissur, Pollachi, Palani, Udumalaipet, Oddanchatram, Dindigul etc. The Action Council may have to generate awareness on the need for the rail link amongst the residents through sub-committees in every nook and corner of this route. It can consolidate strength for their campaign for making this dream railway line a reality. The campaign for the proposed railway line will not get the due importance if people of a particular region in Kerala agitate in isolation within Palakkad district in Kerala. Instead if the campaign is wide-spread within a region involving people of two states who are beneficiaries, it will be easy to prevail on the Railway Ministry. By Madan Menon Thottasseri
2/28/2011 6:34:00 PM If the Railway Ministry concludes that the Kollengode- Thrissur Rail link is found financially unviable and cannot bring adequate traffic earnings, probably majority of branch lines appearing in the list of new lines in West Bengal, Maharashtra, M.P, U.P will never be entitled for approval. It is an undeniable truth that right from the declaration of Uni-Gauge policy in 1992, 80 percent of the gauge conversion and proposal for new lines were carried out based on the strength of political lobbies and not on the potentials of traffic viability and projected enhanced earnings! Can Railway Ministry declare earnings from branch lines created after 1992 in Karnataka, Bihar and West Bengal? No chance for the same. Because it will reveal the underlying fact that majority of these new lines were selected for implementation despite found not feasible in any way but due to the high-handedness of political lobbies that manipulated the railway regime. By Madan Menon Thottasseri
2/28/2011 5:10:00 PM The Kollengode – Thrissur railway has become an unresolved chronicle among the shelved railway proposal despite having all potential and viability as a green-corridor enabling a chord link between Pollachi and Thrissur.The significance of this line is enhanced as it can provide a shorter route and easy accessibility from the industrial towns in South and Central Tamil Nadu as well as Tuticorin Port to Kochi port and Vallarpadom Container terminal in Kerala.If Kerala had put forth a compromise as in the case of the Salem – Bangalore line and agreed for a M.G line at least in mid seventies or eightees (much prior to the declaration of the ‘uni-gauge’ policy/1992), probably a M.G rail connectivity between Kollengode and Thrissur would have become a reality and the same would have been converted into B.G by this time. By Madan Menon Thottasseri
2/28/2011 4:58:00 PM It was the Railway Minister Jaffer Sherrif who commenced the style of functioning the Ministry by concentrating much of the gauge conversion and new B.G lines in the Cabinet Minister’s home state in mid nineties. Can we forget the way the M.G. lines connecting Hassan ( Bangalore – Arsikere – Hassan and Bangalore – Mysore-Hassan M.G.Sections) were converted into B.G in a record time, upon getting top priority when the Railway regime’s Conversion projects were centered around Bangalore under the nose of then Railway Minister hailing from Karnataka? He set a precedent for treating developmental projects, mainly gauge conversions and sanctioning of new lines for pleasing the electorate in the home state of the Railway Minister which was rightly followed up to the regime by current incumbent Ms. Mamata Banerjee. By Madan menon Thottasseri
2/28/2011 4:48:00 PM