KEEP THE CITY CLEAN OR KEEP THE CITY DIRTY?

We find the slogan of ‘Keep the City Clean’ in almost all the cities. But inspite of propagating this  slogan and many a programme to instill a  sense of awareness regarding cleanliness in the minds of the people, the standard of cleanliness in the cities is deteriorating day by day. 

Presently, I stay in Bangalore city.  Many areas of this city give a dirty look  as a lot of garbage including plastic carry bags  are strewn . Though Bangalore Bruhat Mahanagar Palike(BBMP) have made provision for door-to-door collection  of garbage by vehicle in almost every nook and corner of the city, still people are throwing garbage in vacant places and road sides making the areas stink.  People urinating in the  open is a common sight in several places. In this regard the area surrounding Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation Bus Stand at Majestic as also City Railway Station need special mention here.  People in good numbers lineup  and urinate in these areas for which they are not ashamed. One cannot pass these areas without covering his or  her nose. Understandably, it speaks volumes of the low  standard of cleanliness of the people in this city. 

To say the least, it is a sorry state of affairs and calls for imposition of penalty for urinating openly in public as also for throwing garbage in vacant areas and streets on similar lines as done in Kerala. It would only be advisable to engage squads to book the guilty. Otherwise the net result would be that instead of Keep the City Clean the slogan will change to ‘Keep the City Dirty’.

MY ENCOUNTER WITH MORAL POLICE

I was about to face the ire of moral  police a couple of years back and had a lucky escape. It had happened during my visit to Trivandrum. I had gone there on coming to know of the demise of my brother-in-law.  I was staying at the house of my son-in-law situated at Gandhi Nagar in Vazhuthakkad area.  By the time I reached Gandhi Nagar after visiting my sister’s house, it was 20.30 hrs.  When I reached the junction at Gandhi Nagar from where I had to take a turn to reach the house, it started raining heavily. By the time rain was over, it was 21.30 hours and all of a sudden power went off on my way to son-in-law’s house as a result of which I lost the way.  So I had to ask a person who was coming from the opposite side about the location of my son-in-law’s house.  Nevertheless, that person looked at me with suspicious eyes and started questioning me as to who am I, where from I am coming, to where I am going etc.  Even after I have told the truth and shown my company’s identity card, he was not impressed and his voice had become very harsh.  Then I told him to talk to my son-in-law’s father who is a known figure in that area by dialing his number on my mobile.  That person did not accept my suggestion and continued with his police-type interrogation. Incidentally, he mentioned that there have been cases of impersonation of thieves in the garb of gentlemen and cheating the people and he cannot believe my story and did not allow me to move.  I smelt from his talking that he is on the verge of calling some of his friends to handle me physically.  

Meanwhile I telephoned my son-in-law’s father and informed him about the situation who told me that he will come there immediately which he did.  On seeing him that person reacted like ‘Oh Sir is his relation?.  I did not know.  I am your son-in-law’s friend’.  Thereupon I have gone with my son-in-law’s father.

Had my son-in-law’s father not turned up in time and taken me, in all probability that person alongwith his friends would have manhandled me  and would have handed over me to the police on the ground that I was found to be loitering in the area under suspicious circumstances..  This is  one of most embarrassing as well as humiliating experience that I had to face in my life which I cannot forget.

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HELPING THE NEEDY AND POOR – A RARE SPECIE?

A large number of people suffer due to poverty and illness and their number is increasing day by day. However, the number of people  who is ready to help the poor and needy is quite negligible. Philanthropists like Sri Kochouseph Chittilappally and our superstar Mohanlal are two such exceptions who help many people who are in dire need of succor. Mohanlal has been doing this in a secret manner  without giving any publicity, we come to know about Kochouseph Chittilappaly’s help to the poor through the media. In one of the TV shows I heard the Malayalam film actress of yesteryear Usha Rani, wife of late Sankaran Nair, the famous Malayalam film  director,  disclosing that after the death of her husband they had rendered penniless and it was Mohanlal who came to their rescue and helped her son to pursue higher studies by taking MBA. She had also disclosed that Mohanlal had told both her and her son not to tell anybody about his help. There is another category of people who provide a little help here and there for the sake of publicity. Some rich people donate money magnanimously to temples or churches merely for publicity. But when it comes to helping the poor and needy, they turn a blind eye towards it.

To my knowledge, there is another person like Mohanlal hailing from my wife’s place viz., TV Puram in Vaikom taluk of Kerala who had helped and is continuing to help many needy and poor people financially in a secret manner disliking publicity. His name is Prabhakaran Nair. I take the liberty of disclosing his name even though it will be  against his wish. He belongs to an affluent and ancient family of TV Puram called Thekkedath House. He has got business interests  in Gulf  as well as Kerala. Incidentally, he happens to be one of the Directors of Lake Shore Hospital, Ernakulam, Kerala.The amount paid by him to each of the poor and needy people is not meager but a considerable one. None of the persons who sought his help had to return empty-handed. When he was staying at his home, scores of people who have come even from far-flung areas flocking to meet him for financial help was a common sight.  He has been helping many poor students to pursue their studies. .He is also helping many a poor student to pursue their studies and come up in life. However, there were some instances of undeserved people taking advantage of his kindness to the poor and receiving money from him by misleading. He has now shifted his residence to Ernakulam.  However, whenever he happens to be at T.V.Puram on the occasion of  any functions like marriage etc., people still approach him for financial help and he continues to oblige.

Enthralled at his generous attitude towards the poor and needy, once I acknowledged  my appreciation to him to which he has reacted with a smile and told me  that it is not a big  thing to do. Some people try to belittle his magnanimity saying that he has already amassed lot of wealth and that is why he is helping the poor and needy. But the fact remains that even though there are plenty of rich people only a minuscule minority of them has got the mind to help the poor and needy.  

And it is that quality which makes people like Prabhakaran Nair hailing  from T.V.Puram, Kochouseph Chittilappally  and Superstar Mohanlal quite different from other rich people.

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IS IT CHIEF MINISTER MAMATHA BANERJEE’S WAY OF IMPARTING JUSTICE TO THE PEOPLE?

A couple of months or so back a lady who was travelling in a car during the night had fallen prey to mass rape at Kolkata.  Not only almost all the newspapers of West Bengal but also newspapers of all other parts of the country had reported about that incident. Nevertheless, since CPM is not in power in West Bengal, bourgeoisie press of our country had not thought it apt to give prominence to that news which  found a place  in a small column somewhere inside their issues. The prominent bourgeoisie newspapers of Kerala like Malayala Manorama and Mathrubhoomi had not bothered even to report about that incident.

 Let us suppose such an incident of mass rape had occurred during the rule of CPM. Then we can imagine as to how much hullabaloo would have been created by the media and the so-called self-styled protectors of womanhood and their rights of our country? Undoubtedly, the media would have vied with each other in giving scores of news continuously on a daily basis twisting the facts according to their whims and fancies as also imagination.  Moreover, they would have gone to the extent of making that incident an occasion to spread anti-CPM venom by publishing/broadcasting news –

Either as—

“It is suspected by the police that the culprits involved in this heinous act of mass rape are CPM men”

Or as –

“The culprits involved in this heinous act are said to be CPM supporters.”

When the news regarding this incident of mass rape was known, even before making a formal inquiry into the same, Mamatha Banerjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal reacted as follows—

“It is not a fact that that lady was subjected to mass rape; the complaint regarding mass rape is a part of sinister conspiracy hatched by the CPM and the media to tarnish the image of my government”.

It is ridiculous and intriguing that she had made this irresponsible comment without even conducting a preliminary inquiry into the complaint of mass rape. Police Commissioner had also echoed the said  comment of Mamatha.

Inspite of the fact that both Mamatha as also Police Commissioner outrightly rejected the charge of mass rape, Smt.Damayanthi Sen, who was the then Joint Commissioner(Crime) had ordered an inquiry based on the complaint of the victim and had taken effective and immediate steps at arresting the culprits and registering cases against them. Even though the main culprit though identified by the police is still at large, she had been able to get his accomplices arrested and the inquiry was progressing very well. This was done by her resisting the pressure tactics of both Mamatha as well as Police Commissioner at derailing the inquiry.  As soon as Mamatha and Police Commissioner denied the charge of mass rape, Smt.Damayanthi Sen’s laconic comment was “something has happened” which infuriated Mamatha. Consequently, Smt.Damayanthi has become an eye-sore for her.

To the utter surprise and disbelief of all democratic-minded and peace-loving people of our country, just before the charge-sheet against the main culprit was about to be prepared by Smt.Damayanthi Sen, she has been divested of her responsibility of inquiring the said case and transferred elsewhere re-designating her as DIG(Training)   at the instance of Mamatha the other day. In fact Mamatha had prevailed upon the Police Commissioner to fabricate an adverse report against Smt.Damayanthi Sen to rid of her from the said responsibility and he was only too happy to oblige Mamatha.  Thus shifting her from the above responsibility  was nothing but a punishment transfer.

Smt.Damayanthi Sen had exhibited her will power and courage by ordering a detailed inquiry based on the complaint of the victim giving utmost importance to the same earning  the displeasure of Mamatha in the process. Thus she was subjected  to punishment transfer with the sole agenda or motive of helping the culprits escape making a mockery of the whole process of law which shows Mamatha in poor light.

It is ironical that on the one hand Mamatha  is bent upon punishing and mal-treating honest police officers who are discharging their duties efficiently and honestly. but she is not bothered  to punish the guilty  responsible for heinous crimes like rape etc., on the other.  She  is therefore a shame to womanhood.  This compels me to cite a famous  quotation attributed to  Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of USA here which goes thus "you may fool all the people some of the time, you can even fool some of the people all of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all the time." That is to say, the   people of West Bengal  will certainly realize the true colour of maverick Chief Minister Mamatha.sooner or later and teach her a lesson.

Why Malayala Manorama and Mathrubhoomi who are praising the deeds of ‘Didi’ to the sky limit every now and then are keeping mum about the said incident?

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പശ്ചിമ ബംഗാള്‍ മുഖ്യമന്ത്രി മമത ബനെര്‍ജിയുടെ നീതി നിര്‍വഹണം ഇതോ?

ഏതാണ്ട് രണ്ടു മാസങ്ങള്‍ക്ക് മുന്‍പ് കല്കട്ടയിലെ പാര്‍ക്ക്‌ സ്ട്രീറ്റില്‍ രാത്രി സമയത്ത് കാറില്‍ സഞ്ചരിക്കുകയായിരുന്ന ഒരു യുവതി കൂട്ട ബലാല്‍ സംഗംചെയ്യപ്പെട്ട വാര്‍ത്ത ബെന്ഗാളിലെയും മറ്റു സംസ്ഥാ നങ്ങളിലെയും മിക്ക പത്രങ്ങളും റിപ്പോര്‍ട്ട്‌ ചെയ്തിരുന്നു.  പക്ഷെ ബെന്ഗാളില്‍ ഇപ്പോള്‍ ഭരിക്കുന്നത്‌ സിപിഎം അല്ലാത്തതിനാല്‍ ആ വാര്‍ത്ത ഇന്നാട്ടിലെ കുത്തക പത്രങ്ങള്‍ തങ്ങളുടെ  ഉള്‍  പേജില്‍ ചെറിയ കോളത്തില്‍  ഒതുക്കുകയാണ് ഉണ്ടായത്.

നമ്മുടെ സംസ്ഥാനത്തെ കുത്തക പത്രങ്ങളായ മനോരമയും മാതൃഭൂമിയും ആ വാര്‍ത്ത റിപ്പോര്‍ട്ട്‌ ചെയ്യുവാന്‍ പോലും കൂട്ടാക്കിയില്ല. സിപിഎം ബെന്ഗാളില്‍ അധികാരത്തില്‍ ഇരിക്കുമ്പോഴാണ് ഇത്തരം ഒരു സംഭവം അവിടെ നടന്നതെന്ന് സങ്കല്‍പ്പിക്കുക. അപ്പോള്‍ എന്തായിരുന്നിരിക്കും പുകില്‍? പൊടിപ്പും തൊങ്ങലും വച്ച് വാര്‍ത്ത നല്‍കുവാന്‍ ഈ കുത്തക പത്രങ്ങള്‍ മത്സരിക്കുമായിരുന്നു  മാത്രമല്ല  ബലാല്‍ സംഗം  ചെയ്തത് സിപിഎം കാര്‍ ആണെന്ന് പറയപ്പെടുന്നു അല്ലെങ്ങ്കില്‍ സംശയിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു എന്നെല്ലാം വാര്‍ത്ത പടച്ചു'വിടാന്‍ അവര്‍ മടിക്കുകയില്ലായിരുന്നു

ഈ കൂട്ട ബലാല്‍ സംഗ വാര്‍ത്ത പുറത്തായപ്പോള്‍ അതെക്കുറിച്ച് ഒരു അന്വേഷണം പോലും നടത്തുവാന്‍ മെനക്കെടാതെബംഗാള്‍ മുഖ്യ മന്ത്രി   മമതാബാനെര്ജീപ്രതികരിച്ചത്കൂട്ടബലാല്‍സംഗംനടന്നു എന്ന് പറയുന്നത് ശരിയല്ല. തന്റെ ഗവേന്മേന്റിനെ അപകീര്തിപ്പെടുതുവാന്‍വേണ്ടി  മാധ്യമങ്ങളും സിപിഎം കാരും 
 ചേര്‍ന്നുള്ള ഗൂടാലോച്ചനയുടെ ഭാഗമാണ് ഇതെന്നുമായിരുന്നു ഇത്തര ത്തില്‍ ഒരു നിരുത്തരവാദപരമായ പ്രസ്താവന നടത്തുവാന്‍ മമതക്ക് പോലിസ്

കമ്മിഷണര്‍ ആര്‍ കെ പച്ച്നണ്ടയും കൂട്ടുണ്ടായിരുന്നു മമതയും  പോലിസ് കമ്മിഷണര്‍ ഉം ബലാല്‍സംഗം നടന്നുഎന്നവാര്‍ത്തനിഷേധിച്ചുവെങ്കിലുംബെന്ഗാളിലെപോലിസ് ജോയിന്ട്‌ കമ്മിഷണര്‍ (Crime)     ശ്രീമതി ദമയന്തി സെന്‍ ബലാല്‍ സംഗം ചെയ്യപ്പെട്ട സ്ത്രീയുടെ പരാതിയുടെഅടിസ്ഥാനത്തില്‍അന്വേഷണത്തിന് ഉത്തരവിടുകയും ഇക്കാര്യത്തില്‍ അടിയന്തിരനടപടികള്‍ എടുക്കുകയും ചെയ്തു.. ഇതേതുടര്‍ന്ന്  പ്രതികളില്‍ ചിലര്‍ അറസ്റ്റ് ചെയ്യപ്പെടുകയുന്റായി. പ്രധാന പ്രതി ഇപ്പോഴും ഒളിവിലാനെങ്കിലും അന്വേഷണം   പുരോഗമിക്കുകയായിരുന്നു. ശ്രീമതി ദമയന്തി സെന്‍ ഇത് ചെയ്തത് പോലിസ് കമ്മിഷണര്‍  പച്ച്നണ്ടയുടെയുംമമതയുടെയുംസമ്മര്‍ദത്തെഅതിജീവിച്ചായിരുന്നു . മമതയും പച്ച്നന്ടയും കൂട്ടബലാല്‍സംഗം നടന്നിട്ടില്ല  എന്ന്പ്രസ്താവിച്ചപ്പോള്‍  ശ്രീമതിദമയന്തിസെന്‍പ്രതികരിച്ചത്"എന്തോസംഭവിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട്"എന്നാണു.ഇതോടെ  അവര്‍ മമതയുടെ നോട്ടപ്പുള്ളിയായി. 

എല്ലാവരെയുംഅല്ഭുതപ്പെടുതിക്കൊന്ടു കൂട്ട ബലാല്‍ സന്ഗത്തിലെ  മുഖ്യ പ്രതിക്കെതിരെ ചാര്‍ജ് തയ്യാറാക്കുന്നതിന് തൊട്ടു മുന്‍പ് ശ്രീമതി ദമയന്തി സെന്നിനെ അവരുടെ കേസന്വേഷണത്തിന്റെചുമതലയില്‍ നിന്ന് ഒഴിവാക്കി ഡീ ഐ ജീ (ട്രെയിനിംഗ് ) ആയി നിയമിച്ചു കൊണ്ടു കഴിഞ്ഞ ദിവസം സ്ഥലം മാറ്റിയിരിക്കുകയാണ് മമത ബാനെര്ജീ. ഈ വാര്‍ത്ത ഇന്നാട്ടിലെ എല്ലാ ജനാധിപത്യ വിശ്വാസികളെയും ഞെട്ടിച്ച ഒരു കാര്യമത്രേ. ശ്രീമതി ദമയന്തി സെന്നിനെ ഈ കൂട്ട ബലാല്‍ സംഗ കേസിന്റെ അന്വേഷണത്തില്‍ നിന്ന് ഒഴിവാക്കുവാന്‍ വേണ്ടി അവര്‍ക്കെതിരായി ഒരു റിപ്പോര്‍ട്ട്‌ കെട്ടി ചമച്ചുന്ടാക്കുവാന്‍ മമത  പോലിസ് കമ്മിഷണര്രൊടു  ആവശ്യപ്പെടുകയും അപ്രകാരം ഒരു റിപ്പോര്‍ട്ട്‌ മമതക്ക് നല്‍കുകയുംഉണ്ടായി. യഥാര്‍ത്ഥത്തില്‍ ശ്രീമതി ദമയന്തി സെന്നിനെ സ്ഥലം മാറ്റിയത് ഒരു അച്ചടക്കനടപടിയായിരുന്നു. .

മുഖ്യ മന്ത്രി മമതയും പോലിസ് കമ്മിഷണര്‍ ഉം കൂട്ട ബലാല്‍ സംഗം നടന്നു എന്ന വാര്‍ത്തവ്യാജമാണെന്ന്പറഞ്ഞുപുശ്ചിച്ചുതള്ളികളഞ്ഞപ്പോള്‍ആപരാതി അര്ഹിക്കുന്ന ഗൌരവത്തോടെ കണക്കിലെടുത്ത് അന്വേഷണം നടത്തുവാനും പ്രതികളെ അറസ്റ്റ്ചെയ്യുവാനും നടപടിയെടുത്ത ശ്രീമതിദമയന്തി സെന്‍ മമതയുടെപ്രതികാര നടപടിക്കു വിധേയയാകുകയായിരുന്നു. ശ്രീമതി ദമയന്തിസെന്നിനെപ്പോലെയുള്ള സത്യ സന്ധരായ  പോലിസ് ഉദ്യോഗസ്ഥന്മാര്‍ക്കെതിരായി നടപടിയെടുത് ആ കൂട്ടബലാല്‍ സംഗ കേസ് തേച്ചു മായ്ച്ചു കളയുക എന്ന തന്റെ ഉദ്ദേശം നടപ്പ്പിലാക്കുകയാണ് മമതാ ബനെര്ജീ. ഇത് വഴി ജനങ്ങള്‍ക്ക്‌ മുന്‍പില്‍ സ്വയം അപഹാസ്സ്യയാകുകയാണ് മമതാ. ബനെര്ജീ 

സ്ത്രീത്വത്തെ അപമാനിക്കുന്നവരെ ശിക്ഷിക്കാതെ അവരെ സംരക്ഷിക്കുകയും നിസ്വാര്ധമായി  ജന സേവനം നടത്തുന്ന  പോലിസ്  ഉദ്യോഗസ്ഥന്മാരെ പീഡിപ്പിക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുന്ന മമതാ ബനെര്ജീസ്ത്രീത്വത്തിനു തന്നെ ഒരു

അപമാനമാണ് എന്ന്  പറയാതെ വയ്യ. ഇന്നല്ലെങ്കില്‍ നാളെ മമതയുടെ തനി നിറം ബെന്ഗാളിലെ ഭൂരിപക്ഷം ജനങ്ങളും തിരിച്ചറിയുക തന്നെ ചെയ്യും എന്ന് സംശയമില്ല. 

“ദീദിയുടെ” അപദാനങ്ങളെ വാനോളം പുകഴ്ത്തുന്ന നമ്മുടെ നാട്ടിലെ കുത്തക പത്രങ്ങളായമനോരമക്കുംമാതൃഭൂമിക്കും ഈ സംഭവത്തെ കുറിച്ച് എന്തെ മിണ്ടാട്ടമില്ല?

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