Another Onam. Phew! While working in Delhi I never even used to notice Onam days. Back here in Kerala, now I see people trying to shirk work every day in the name of Onam. Where else in the world will you see a government giving offs to people in the name of a festival, pampering them with cash advances, and then spending a fortune on festivities - in addition to burning up electricity in a electricity-deficient state?!
If Kerala is nowhere on the industry production charts, you don't have to look elsewhere. Onam is a good concept, but in the modern, globalized economy you cannot shut shop for four or five days in a row and expect to get business.
Not only is the Kerala government not realizing this truth, it is also encouraging this laziness in the people!
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Mayawati Doest It, The Left Still Balks!
Wow, I can't believe this. But here is another regional party showing what it can do on exactly the same issue that the Left has held protests over for months. Yes, I am talking of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati asking big retailers, read Ambanis et al, to shut shop and go home. And here in Kerala and in New Delhi the Left has been holding protests and disrupting public life when it could have just done what Mayawati has done!
It is like how Karunanidhi showed the Left how to make the Center tow his line without putting to trouble all the people who voted for him.
I am not die-hard Leftist. But from what I have seen the Congress and the BJP do in the name of administering a state or a country, I earnestly hope that the Left remains in power in Kerala. I know many people who voted for the Left last elections aren't Leftists either, but simply those who chose them as they were fed up by the Congress or the BJP.
However, it seems the only people who don't want this goodwill to continue are the Left leaders. Why block traffic and call for shop shut-downs in Kerala when you can just ask Ambani to pack up and go home? Why let one of your leaders inaugurate Reliance Fresh's shops and then hold protests against the company? Search me!
But that is how the Left has always been. When people bring them back to power they will do everything possible to lose that power. And then they will go for another round of violent protests as the Opposition. The only losers, in both cases, are the people of the state.
Dear Karat, please learn from what Karunanidhi and Mayawati have done. If you thought that what they did was impossible, at least now don't stick to that line. It is possible and has been done.
If you want to protest against something do what you can about it first before putting people's livelihoods at stake.
It is like how Karunanidhi showed the Left how to make the Center tow his line without putting to trouble all the people who voted for him.
I am not die-hard Leftist. But from what I have seen the Congress and the BJP do in the name of administering a state or a country, I earnestly hope that the Left remains in power in Kerala. I know many people who voted for the Left last elections aren't Leftists either, but simply those who chose them as they were fed up by the Congress or the BJP.
However, it seems the only people who don't want this goodwill to continue are the Left leaders. Why block traffic and call for shop shut-downs in Kerala when you can just ask Ambani to pack up and go home? Why let one of your leaders inaugurate Reliance Fresh's shops and then hold protests against the company? Search me!
But that is how the Left has always been. When people bring them back to power they will do everything possible to lose that power. And then they will go for another round of violent protests as the Opposition. The only losers, in both cases, are the people of the state.
Dear Karat, please learn from what Karunanidhi and Mayawati have done. If you thought that what they did was impossible, at least now don't stick to that line. It is possible and has been done.
If you want to protest against something do what you can about it first before putting people's livelihoods at stake.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
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.
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.
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