INCIDENCE OF MORAL POLICING IN KERALA ON THE INCREASE – WHY THIS KOLAVERI?

Solitary cases of moral policing have been occurring in many parts of Kerala for the past couple of  years.  Recently there is a spurt in these incidents which  in one case resulted  in the murder of a person in Kozhikkode district.  This incident which was in a corollary of moral policing cases, has shaken the  conscience  of people of Kerala. The deceased was Shaheed Bawa, a resident of Kodiyathur in Kozhikkode District.  He used to pay visit to a house known to him where there were many ladies.  While he was returning after visiting that house on that fateful day, he was accosted by a mob of moral police consisting of 15 persons who started questioning him.  The questions asked by them were why he is going to that house quite often , whether he is related to them etc.  Inspite of replying that that house is known to him, they tied him to a pole and resorted to continued beating on him which continued till next morning.  On hospitalization,he  died instantaneously and police have registered case against  15 persons involved.  

In another incident involving moral police that had taken place in Thodupuzha, Kerala,  an army personnel who was going in his car with his sister and mother was waylaid by a gang of moral police who  had started questioning about who are the ladies accompanying him.  Inspite of his replying that it is his sister and mother, they did not relent and was about to manhandle him when the passers-by intervened which led to the withdrawal of that gang from the scene. 

In another incident that had taken place as far back as March,2010 those acted as moral police were Muslim League workers. When Rajesh Joseph, Proprietor of Popular Service Station was going in a car with his mother he was accosted by a gang.  They  questioned him as to who is the lady with him.  Even when he replied that it is his mother they did not withdraw  but tried to manhandle him.  When public came to his rescue, the moral police had to retreat from the scene.  But since they were exposed before the public, they took revenge on Rajesh by attacking his house in the night causing heavy damage to it.  Even though police had registered case against the culprits recently due to the pressure exerted by Muslim League, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has ordered withdrawal of the case against them. Now Rajesh  has decided to move the court for justice. The list of cases of moral policing is not complete with this.

If such a situation develops wherein one cannot travel either with his wife, sister, daughter or mother as the case may be and if he has to satisfy moral police regarding their relationship to him, it amounts to taking law into one’s hand which, if allowed to go on unchecked,    will only lead to anarchy and chaos. Thus it only stands to reason that such tendencies should be firmly dealt with by an iron hand to see that it will not re-occur.

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ENCROACHMENT OF TEMPLE LAND BY MALAYALA MANORAMA FAMILY

A fortnight or so ago it was reported in the press that Oommen Chandy Government is delaying  submission of report on the encroachment of  land owned by Panthalur temple of Malappuram District by a family belonging to Malayala Manorama.   

Let us  trace the genesis of the issue and developments that had taken place on the issue in a chronological order hereunder.

·   One Cherian, son of Mamman of Kadapramuriyil Thayyil, Kottayam belonging to Malayala Manorama family takes 131 hectares of land of Panthalur temple on lease for 60 years in 1943.

·    The lessor stops paying lease charges on completion of 30 years i.e., from 1974 onwards violating the lease agreement leading to  Mr.K.P.Manikantan, President, PanthalurTemple Protection Samithi filing  a public interest petition in the court for return of the land during 2002.

·      VS Achuthanandan, Opposition leader visits the temple on 30^th October, 2002 which attracts  media attention.

·       Mr.Manikandan given Power of Attorney by Samoothiri Raja on expiry of lease  during 2003 for handling the case in the court.

·        Temple authorities takes up matter with the then Collector Smt.Sumanna Menon  to take over the land under Kerala Land Conservancy Act(KLCA), Collector rejects the plea saying that KLCA is applicable only to temples owned by Travancore and Kochi Devaswoms.

·     Temple authorities draws the attention of VS Achuthanandan, Chief Minister to the issue, resulting in Government bringing Malabar Devasom under the purview of KLCA through an amendment. Issuance of  notices to 8 persons including Estate Manager to return the temple land  follows.  Revenue Department also follows suit.

·        Manorama family files a suit in the court challenging Collector’s action. High Court asks them to file an appeal with the Government and directs the Government to submit the report to the Court within 60 days.

·     Revenue Minister of Kerala holds a meeting on 1.2.2012 wherein Revenue Secretary Niveditha P.Haran assures the temple authorities that report would be submitted to the High Court within a couple of days. 

·     Temple authorities learn that report has not been submitted  to the High Court by the promised date.  Mr.Manikantan telephones the Minister who confirms his having signed the file.

·     Mr.Manikandan contacts the office of the Minister to know the exact position and comes to know that  Government has asked for more time to submit the report to the High Court.

Evidently, UDF Government is dilly-dallying  the submission of the report due to the pressure exerted on them by Malayala Manorama. The attempts by Manorama family in not returning the land occupied illegally is reprehensible.  No sane person can expect that UDF Government will wake up to the situation and restore the land to Panthalur Temple. 

Sensing the UDF Government’s stand on  the issue,   Mr.Manikandan, who is the Power Attorney Holder of Samoothiri Raja has started an indefinite fast today the 7^th March,2012 which was inaugurated by opposition leader V.S.Achuthanandan.

Malayala Manorama grandma, you are giving sermons regarding ethics every now and then to others; are you not ashamed of resorting to unethical means to retain the encroached temple land?

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CPM ON COMEBACK TRAIL IN WEST BENGAL

CPM-led Left Front which had a consecutive stint of 6 terms in office in West Bengal was voted out in the last assembly elections.  The Panchayat, Municipal and Corporation elections held prior to Assembly elections were clear indicators to what would be in store for CPM-led front in the Assembly elections. Thus the severe drubbing received by the LF in the Assembly elections did not come as a surprise. Soon after the LF was routed and Mamatha Banerjee’s Trinamul Congress-led alliance was catapulted to victory, many a newspaper in the country had filled their columns with several articles on the reasons for the  defeat of CPM-led LF in the Assembly elections according to their imaginations and interpretations.  Nevertheless, the conclusions made by almost all of them were the same being the misrule of Left Front in the state.  They were in fact shutting their eyes to the reality and their conclusions were totally absurd and wrong, to say the least.  Then what was the reasons that led to the set back of LF in Bengal?

Jyothi Basu remained Chief Minister of West Bengal consecutively for 5 terms or 25 years. During his tenure he had undertaken many schemes aimed at the welfare of peasants, agricultural workers, and other poorer sections of the society. Lakhs and lakhs of acres of land were distributed to the landless  and steps were taken to liberate the poor from the clutches of Zamindars and Jordars. Bengal had made tremendous progress in various fields of its economy during his rule. Had the  CPM rule under Jyothi Basu been misrule, how come he could  become Chief Minister consecutively for 5 terms?  This fact gives a lie to that conclusion.

Then what went wrong?  After Jyothi Basu, Buddhadeb Bhattacharya had assumed office as Chief Minister.  During his tenure of 5 years, he had also implemented many schemes for the welfare of downtrodden, workers and poor people.  He was even described as the best Chief Minister by many visioneries. As unemployment problem was very acute in West Bengal, he had embarked upon certain programmes to eradicate the same to the possible extent.  With that purpose in view, he had invited many industrial houses to invest in West Bengal and start industries.  The response he received was tremendous and many industrial houses had planned  setting up industries in West Bengal.  One such industrial unit was to have set up  in Singur by the Tatas viz., a small car factory which offered employment to a good number of people.  The primary requisite for starting any industry is land  and the process had started towards acquisition of land for that car factory. Nevertheless, during the process of acquisition of land, agricultural land was also to be acquired. In Kerala as we know many people had leveled their paddy fields to construct houses whereas in Bengal it will never happen. There it is a sensitive issue to make use of  agricultural land for any purpose other than  agriculture not to talk about starting industry. Though majority of agriculturists had  agreed to give their land for starting the car factory at Singur, a minority was not ready to part with their land.  At that point of time, Mamatha Banerjee came to the scene and started inciting the agriculturists against the Government.  Consequently,  the dharna led by those agriculturists who are opposed to acquisition of land turned violent resulting in police lathicharge and firing culminating into the unfortunate death of a few persons.  What happened afterwards is history. Had Buddhadeb Bhattacharya not initiated steps  at acquiring agricultural land for starting industry, CPM-led front would not have lost in the elections and would have been ruling the state even now.  This ‘blunder’ committed by Buddhadeb Bhattacharya is the  foremost reason for the defeat of CPM-led front in West Bengal.

After the maverick Mamatha Banerjee has become the Chief Minister of West Bengal,  what is the situation prevailing in Bengal? Almost 60 active workers of CPM had been killed by Trinamool Congress workers during the one-year rule of Mamatha Banerjee. There were widespread incidents of Trinamool workers  evicting people from their lands and returning the same to the landlords from whom the land was taken over by LDF Government. Evidently, her  rule has become  a rule of blunders resulting in people getting disenchanted with  her.

Sometime back one lady was gang raped in a car at gun point while returning from a night club at Park Street of Kolkata.  When it has come t light and she had lodged complaint, Mamatha Banerjee had, even before the police enquiry was over,  publicly stated that that lady was not raped and it was a concocted story to malign her Government. Subsequently, it turned out to be a case of rape much to her discomfort. Mamatha Banerjee has not learnt anything from that blunder  and bent upon committing further blunders. The latest instance of  blunder relates to gang rape of a widow in a running train at Burdwan recently.  When that lady tried to resist the robbers, she was gang raped.  Subsequently she has lodged a complaint with the police.  However, as in the incident that happened at Park Street, Mamatha Banerjee had the temerity of declaring that no rape had occurred as alleged by that widow even before the result of medical  examination is out. She has branded the issue as a fabricated one. She had even alleged that that lady’s husband is a CPM worker and it is part of a conspiracy hatched by CPM to tarnish the image of her Government whereas that lady’s husband  had expired 10 years back. Moreover, it has come to light that she belonged to a Congress family and her relations are Congress and Trinamool Congress sympathizers and it was at their instance that she had lodged complaint with the police. According to latest  press reports two of those involved in the incident of rape have been arrested a couple of days back and it came to light that they are active Trinamool Congress workers. By such acts Mamatha Banerjee is  making herself a laughing stock in eyes of the public resulting in erosion of her popular support.

Two pointers to the loss of popular support to Mamatha were in display recently.  Firstly, the massive turn out in the rally held by CPM in connection with its State Conference which has surpassed all calculations of the media and Mamatha herself for almost 8 lakhs of people had turned up for  that mammoth rally, much to the discomfiture and consternation of Mamatha Banerjee and her lackeys.  To add insult to injury, the recent all-India strike by all central trade unions also came as a rude shocker to her.  This is because she had done her level best to throttle that strike in West Bengal but to no avail. Two prominent leaders of CPM were waylaid and hacked to death while leading a rally in support of the all-India strike and Mamatha Banerjee did not think it apt to convey her condolences to their bereaved families nor has she expressed regret for that. Even bourgeois newspapers had to report that the all-India strike  was a grand success in West Bengal, where almost all the industrial units were paralysed, all shops were closed  and all the streets and roads were deserted on that day. But Mamatha has pooh-poohed the  claim of the central trade unions and the media regarding the success of the strike and declared it was a total failure in West Bengal, showing her in poor light.

Undoubtedly, the above two instances are clear pointers to the fact that CPM is on the come back  trail in West Bengal. 

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OUR NATIONAL BIRD IN PERIL

Peacock is our National Bird. Then why the authorities are turning a blind eye towards its being endangered?  Vendors selling peacock feather and items made out of it is a common sight at many busy places like bus stations, shopping malls etc., in different cities of India. To me it is a painful experience to watch huge quantities of this item being carried by the vendors for being sold.  One wonders why the sale of this item is not banned.  Is it not ridiculous?  Is it possible to collect such a huge quantity without killing the peacock?  Answer is NO.  Anyone claims that these had fallen from the bodies of peacocks, there will be no takers for the same. It is intriguing that the authorities  concerned  remain silent spectators when its National Bird is being butchered..

Being a nature lover, I could not resist the temptation of enquiring from one such vendor regarding his native place.  He told me that he hails from U.P. which implies that these feather was collected  from U.P.  I happened to see a news item in the press sometime back regarding the arrest of a peacock feather vendor in some city in northern India.  May be it was an isolated case. Or else how the sale of the same is still going on?

Recently, I got very upset on  seeing a vendor with huge quantity of peacock feather at Bangalore Motor Transport Corporation Station, Majestic.  On spotting him, I contacted the office bearer of Organization Against Cruelties of Animals and brought the same to his notice.  His reaction was not helpful.  In fact he tried to pass on the buck to me asking me to question that vendor and then complain to police.  My point that I do not have the authority for the same did not have any avail.

Will good sense will prevail on the authorities even at this hour to intervene and ban the sale of peacock feather and items made out of it and take stringent action against those violating the same is the moot question.  Otherwise no one can be in doubt that it will not be too long before peacock faces extinction in India.  Are the authorities pretending to be sleeping?  Who is bothered about it  any way?

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ONLY CPM VIOLENCE MATTERS, NOT OTHERS'

It has been the practice followed by Malayala Manorama and Mathrubhoomi among other newspapers  to publish reports with the caption ‘CPM violence’ in regard to any incident that occurs in our state whether it be boundary dispute or  any other matter involving members or sympathizers of CPM. We have been seeing news items bearing captions about CPM violence only till now.  As is known, many violent incidents involving active members of Congress, Muslim League and other parties had taken place in our State in the past.  Intriguingly,  none of these cases  was reported with the caption ‘Congress violence’, ’Muslim League violence’ or RSS violence atleast for once in the columns of these news papers.  Violence committed by any party irrespective of party affiliation,  is violence only. Then what is special about CPM violence alone? Why are they avoiding to report about Congress violence or violence indulged in by any other parties?

There is  another interesting aspect of this issue.  Let us suppose in a locality some clash takes place involving CPM members or sympathizers on the one side and members of other party or parties on the other side resulting in the death of a member of the latter.  In such case, Malayala Manorama and Mathrubhoomi are very particular to give photos of the deceased’s family members including wife and children crying followed by publishing interviews of neighbours of the deceased man as also heart-renting stories about the ‘Marxist horror and cruelty’.  On the contrary, if a CPM man gets killed in such an incident and the murderers belong to Congress, Muslim League or any of its allies or even BJP or RSS for that matter, they are not bothered about  following the above procedure?  It is intriguing that even in this case they are not taking a neutral stance . It is not understood as to what is the justification for this discrimination?  Is it their attitude that if  the murdered person is a CPM man, he deserves to die? It can only be attributed to nothing but out and out anti-CPM sentiment.

The latest  instance in the corollary of  said discrimination in giving news is the report regarding the recent gruesome murders of two CPM leaders in West Bengal by supporters of Trinamool Congress the other day.  In the news item covering the said murders also no caption is given as Trinamool Congress violence .  Had the murderers belonged to CPM and murdered were either leaders of Trinamool Congress or  Congress we can very well assume  what would have been the caption of that news.  It could have been nothing but ‘CPM violence, twoTrinamool Congress  leaders murdered or two Congress leaders murdered’ as the case may be.

This discriminatory policy being pursued by  Malayala Manorama speaks volumes of their hatred for CPM which makes a mockery of  their proclaimed  motto ‘Sathyameva Jayathe’.

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HAVE THE CROWS STARTED FLYING UPSIDE DOWN??

In Kerala it is common that when someone refers to a thing that will never happen, it is told that in the event such a thing happens ‘the crows will fly upside down’. Interestingly, now such a thing has happened creating a history of sort.

I wrote a blog some time back on the typical style of reporting the news by Malayala Manorama and Mathrubhoomi twisting or distorting the same incorporating lies and half truths. I had quoted a few instances therein to prove my point. When I had conveyed my  ire and displeasure towards this aspect to the Special Correspondent of Malayala Manorama, he told me that they take the version of the police granted in all such reports and base their reports on the same. When questioned about the propriety of doing so, he had promised that he will convey to the higher ups at Malayala Manorama the feeling of the readers in this regard.

The discriminatory and distorted style of reporting of Malayala Manorama who is infected with anti-CPM cataract is quite wellknown.  In case any clash or unfortunate incident takes place anywhere in Kerala in which any CPM member or even sympathizer is remotely involved, they invariably make it an occasion to indulge in anti-CPM propaganda  and fills their pages with cooked up stories.  Even when the  culprits involved belong either to Congress, any of its allies, BJP or even RSS, Malayala Manorama had no hesitation in engaging their special correspondents to do investigative reporting with a view to establishing that such incidents are aftermath of attacks by CPM men on the latter.  They are not ashamed  of indulging in this kind of dirty and vituperative propaganda against CPM.

It was in this backdrop that I had expected that Malayala Manorama will give a totally discriminatory and distorted report in tune with their  past record by squarely blaming the  CPM for the incidents leading  to the attack on Kannur District Secretary P. Jayarajan, other CPM leaders and workers including TV Rajesh, MLA by Muslim League activists.  I also thought that they  will as usual make it an occasion to spit anti-CPM venom. However, to my utter disbelief and surprise, Malayala Manorama has given altogether a totally neutral report on the same.  This is first of its kind and  so far unheard of in their history.  The report clearly states that when P.Jayarajan and others were going to visit the places where the party office,  library etc., were damaged in the attack by the Muslim League workers on the previous day, they were waylaid and attacked by the latter.  To say the least, it was a total reversal of their proclaimed policy of  anti-CPM stand.  How has this happened?  Imagining that Kannur correspondent of Malayala Manorama has prepared this neutral report, how come those at the helm of affairs who are infected with anti-CPM attitude allowed this news to be published in their columns?  Is the  said neutral reporting an isolated case or is it an indication of any change of stance of Malayala Manorama? These are the questions calling for answers.

Have the ’crows started flying upside down’? One wonders.

SEWAGE WATER TURNS POTABLE IN KARNATAKA AFTER FLOWING 22 .3 KMS – SOUNDS INCREDIBLE, ISN’T IT? BUT TRUE.

A news item has appeared recently in the press  regarding sewage water transforming into potable water.  Have you ever heard about sewage water turning into potable one after flowing   for a considerable distance. Sounds incredible?  Isn’t it? But it is a reality that happened in Karnataka.  Understandably, it has created a sort of history hitherto unheard of. The details ensue.

The Minor Irrigation Project of Karnataka had undertaken a project to fill Doddakere lake in Hoskote which is a little over 22 kms away from Bangalore by diverting sewage water from Yelemallappa Shetty tank near KR Puram in Bangalore District.  This project was implemented very recently.  Can you believe that this has helped solve the drinking water problem completely of 60,000 and odd residents of Hoskote town and surrounding areas who are able to get clean drinking water round-the–clock now.  It is rather unprecedented. For the past two decades Doddakere remained dry. Similarly, the water table also got depleted to over 1250 feet in most parts of Hoskote resulting  in ground water rendering unfit  for consumption.  Also, farmers had to abandon  agriculture.

The situation has totally changed now for the better.  After the sewage water had flown for a distance of 22.3 kms to Hoskote, the ground water is available at 250 feet in Hoskote and 20 adjoining villages. Local body has begun supplying this water after mandatory treatment.  Chemical analysis was conducted by BMC College of Engineering, Bangalore which has shown that it is fit for agriculture.  Similarly, ground water samples  collected from borewells around the tank were tested and found to be potable. The water table in 30 villages had also gone up.

The explanation being given by the authorities for this phenomenon  is that sewage water has undergone natural cleaning during its flow from  Yelemallappa Shetty tank near KR Puram, Bangalore to Doddakere tank in Hoskote. Encouraged by this  pleasant experience, the Minor Irrigation Department has prepared another project near Sarjapura, Bangalore which envisages diversion of excess water mainly that of sewage water. Launching  of many such projects in different areas may follow aimed at enhancing  ground water level thereby tiding over the problem of shortage of water.