ISRO Embroiled In Land Scam; How Deep Does The Rot Run?

A lot of people had asked me why I wasn't commenting on the current biggest crisis gripping the LDF government in Kerala. The fact is I was thinking it is no help commenting when a blind and deaf CPM leadership is allowing VS Achutanandan and his faction to fritter away the goodwill of the people. Things have come so far that IAS officers in the state have become bold enough to question the policy decision of an elected government, and more seriously, have their way.
Yes, I am talking about the issue of the new chief secretary. I feel ashamed to think that I belong to the only state in India where IAS officers still think they are the ones who rule. They succeeded in making the chief minister revoke his earlier decision on appointing someone junior as chief secretary.
Now compare this with how IAS officers get slapped around by political thugs in some other states. I don't for once say what is happening in Bihar is wrong, because this service of suckers specialized in enriching themselves at the cost of tax payer money, without helping to make the administration efficient. I am not saying there aren't good officers but most of them are inept and corrupt. The sad thing is such a cadre of opportunists has been able to arm twist an elected Leftist government!
Okay, but that is not the main issue why I decided to write this post. That is about the land scam involving the CPI ministers, the CM, and the ISRO.
The CPI ministers I don't care two hoots for; the party was hand in glove with Indira Gandhi during Emergency and poor Karunakaran got thrashed for the atrocities committed during the time. CPI has always specialized in running with the hares and hunting with the dogs.
But what is making me, and many others angry, is the involvement of ISRO, India's premier space research agency, in this deal. News reports have indicated that someone from the organization was keen to get the land sale approved faster than usual and followed the proceeds personally.
The question then is who is this person and what has the ISRO done about finding his culpability or innocence. Also, is this a one off affair or a deeper malice in the organization? Whatever it is, there is something rotten here, something that is not expected of a premier organization like ISRO.
I am wondering how the ISRO chief and others can go on making noises about getting land for their money is enough. Why can't these technocrats see the role of that villain officer in the whole scam, order an enquiry, and if necessary, boot the guy out. Come on, don't tell me guys who know rocket science cannot fix this problem. To all my instincts they are just trying very hard not to see this issue.
Or is it that even the ISRO higher ups have a hand in this deal? In that case, this needs some serious investigation - maybe by the Central Bureau of Investigation. In an organization where a sex spy scandal once exploded I won't rule out this possibility.
Or why are the ISRO higher ups trying to brush the issue under the carpet? This country with its millions of poor is paying you guys in the hope that you will make our name in the annals of space science. And, speaking for those poor people, let me tell you that if you don't come clean of this the day won't be far off when you will be held answerable.
To me, dear friends, this is the major issue here: Achu may go as CM, CPI ministers may have to quit, but the real issue is - if there is a rot in ISRO and, if there is, how deep has it gone? When you are trying to launch satellites for the global market, you need to keep your backyard clean. I am wondering if ISRO and its chiefs are up to the task. If you are, the whole of India will bow in gratitude to you, otherwise time won't be far off when your photos will be trampled on in the streets.

Joseph, Kuruvilla... It's Time For The LDF To Jettison KC (Joseph)!

It is clear Minister Kuruvilla from the Kerala Congress (Joseph) is going to lose his seat in the government. Many media guys see Achumama's victory in the LDF decision to keep Kuruvilla out, pointing to the Pinarayi faction's initial refusal to oppose the tainted minister.
However, to my mind, there is a broader issue at stake here - concerning the LDF. The Kerala Congresses, irrespective of which front they have aligned with, have always been headaches. Filled with leaders who are corrupt to the core, the only difference between the various Kerala Congress parties are that of the difference between tweedledom and tweedledee.
That is no surprise considering these parties have their own sectarian political agendas, trying to keep their Christian vote banks to cling on to power, and in turn, distribute the spoils of power among their vote banks.
The Congress, the main constituent of the UDF, has no no but to cling to such communalist outfits to try to gain power. But it is time for the LDF to think if it needs the support of such corrupt outfits.
Despite all the media efforts to whitewash Kerala Congress (Joseph), it is clear as hell that the party and its leaders are corruption incarnate. Plus, party leader Joseph's weakness for women is well known, leading to his humiliating exit from the LDF ministry.
Now Kuruvilla who replaced Joseph is on the way out. Question is, will the next entrant to the ministry from the party add to LDF's headaches? I have little doubt that will be the case.
I just cannot understand why LDF needs to carry around such dirty baggage. Why can't LDF just jettison Joseph and co and say enough is enough? That will definitely add to the CPM's and LDF's image.
Let me hope that better sense prevails in the LDF leadership!

Callous Officials Spoil Onam, But Kodiyeri Stars

The Onam fever is gripping Kerala, but rather than help the people enjoy this festival the government and the bureaucrats are trying to spoil it for them. The wave of fever infections sweeping the state is showing no sign of abating, and the health minister is still not in sight!
And the roads are still looking like canals. The roads minister went on a tour of the roads and elicited promises from officials that those potholes will be filled in "2 days." But let us wait and watch! If they couldn't repair it all these days, I doubt if they can do it in 2 days.
The only silver lining is the home minister's order to the police to stop harassing the public over not wearing helmets and seat belts. This home minister has time and again come out with orders that have helped the people - a welcome departure from the UDF days when the politicians in power let the police make as much money as possible from the public. Keep up the good work, Kodiyeri!
Lest I be painted a Pinarayi supporter for praising the home minister, let me say that the state health minister is a total failure. It is not enough to keep telling the people no one has died from chikunguniya in the state. At least show your face to the public. Mr Pinarayi, please take this woman out of this government. She is destroying the entire good image of the LDF. I pity this woman's ineptitude - even after an MP is down with fever she has done precious nothing about the health care machinery.
One heartening thing that happened yesterday was the tribal people marching to MP Veerendrakumar's son Shreyamskumar's (not sure if I have spelled it right) illegal land. The police shooed them away but I have a feeling Veeran cannot brush this issue under the carpet anymore. He may use his rag Mathrubhumi to settle political scores or divert attention but he will have to give up the land he has held on to illegally.

Achtung! LDF Going The UDF Way In Kerala

The infighting in the Left Democratic Front is actually causing a lot of pain to people who voted them to power. Let us first face the fact that a lot of people who voted for the LDF aren't members of any of the parties. They voted for the LDF because they were tired by the corruption and lack of accountability and complete breakdown of the administrative machinery during the United Democratic Front't rule.
I remember the last days of the UDF government. I had just returned from Delhi, and what I saw was something unimaginable in a state like Kerala which prides itself on its awareness and liberal outlook. Just one example: the police were out in the streets flagging down and checking any vehicle and fining them, trying to extort money from motorists. And if you wanted to complain about it to someone higher up, the officer you approached would ask you to grease his palms! The general feeling was the ruling leaders had let the policemen out on the streets to make money even as they themselves were lining their pockets.
Okay, now the funny thing was while the police were so active on the roads the thieves were having a field day! There were gangs of robbers roaming the streets, even in Thiruvananthapuram, and going about their 'profession' with immunity!
Now, this was one instance of UDF misrule. And the people were tired of it. So the LDF came to power - not because of the charisma of VS Achutanandan or the cadre folloewing of the CPM!
Look at the state of affairs now! The faction war has hobbled the administration. Even as various kinds of fevers ravage the populace the state health minister is not to be seen. The treatment and cleaning drives are non-existent. All that the chief minister and his cronies are worried about is image building, while leaving the day-to-day functioning of the government in the hands of an inept bureaucracy! Even the party machinery which usually steps in to correct such mistakes is split along factional lines and engaged in a game of trying to run down each other.
Little wonder even die-hard Communists are now saying they made a mistake in voting this government to power.
They may be exaggerating: the LDF is still better than the corrupt and divisive UDF; but their feelings can only be ignored to the peril of the current government. That is the most insidious part of the current state of affairs. Public memory is short; the UDF can come back to power if the LDF continues on this track. Will we go back to those days of rampant corruption and extortion? I fear to think of it.