Judiciary should introspect

Readers of this blog knows my feelings towards the over reach of the Indian Judiciary of late. Weak political leadership over the past two decades, cronyism in appointment of judges, judges working for post retirement benefits offered by Government and overall drop in peoples faith in their Governments have led to this sordid state where Judiciary feels it can poke its head into anything, big or small, relevant or irrelevant.

Take the case of judiciary making a silly comment that BCCI "is "monopolizing" cricket in the country and  several youngsters wanting to be Dhonis and Kohlis are not given equal opportunity if they are not on the right side of the cricket body".

I am no great fan of BCCI but frankly it is one of the better Sports Organizations run in India, if not the only good Sports Organization. Over the years, it has generated millions, not depended on Government subsidy, spread the game to every nook and corner of the Country, developed the infrastructure, paid even first class players handsomely, and its baby IPL has made Cricket a viable career option for an aspiring youngsters. There will always be issues pertaining to a few who will be discriminated against, thus losing out, but that is true in any field. Can the SC vouch that discrimination and favouratism doesn't exist in the Judiciary? Then why pick BCCI alone? Only to get some cheap publicity?

 

The CJI of India recently broke down in a meeting in front of the PM citing how overworked the judges are. If that were the case, which it is, why is the judiciary wasting its time on BCCI as a priority?

 

The other decision to ask Maharashtra Government to shift IPL away from the drought hit state is still more bizzaire! Frankly, the Judges should have their head examined. How much water does a IPL match actually consume? And for what purposes? For watering the ground and the pitch, and for the toilet in the stadium, and for players to take bath - right? Irrespective of whether IPL will be held or not, ground and pitch HAS to be watered. And if we are going to ban matches because spectators will use water in the toiler (assuming our toilets do indeed have water), then by the same logic the SC should ask all Cinema theatres, malls and bus stands to close.

 

I can cite at least 5 more ridiculous interventions by SC during the past week or so.

 

All this while, cases are getting backlogged for years.

 

It is high time SC clamps down on Public Interest Litigation by high profile Lawyers, who are funded by disruptive foreign forces, and allow only those PIL which are highly relevant.

 

As in the case of giving death penalty, PIL should be admitted only in the 'rarest of rare' situations.

The Capital Syndrome

There is something about people from cities which are the Capitals of a State or Nation, or was once the Capital of a Kingdom.

 

Maybe the political activity and intrigues are at its peak in these cities, which, over a period, impacts the character of the people in that city.

 

As a rule, they are less trustworthy, very self centered and prone to indulge in subterfuge.

 

I have noticed this amongst the people from Thiruvananthapuram (I mean no disrespect to anyone here, there are exceptions to my statement and in any case this is only my opinion). it is said that one has to be very careful with the people of this city lest they pull you down (kaalu varal in Malayalam) when least expected. So much so that even the presiding deity of Thiruvananthapuram, Sree Padmanabhaswamy is lying down in Anathasayanam, for fear of his leg being pulled!!

 

I have lived in Thanjavur, which for centuries was the  Capital of the Powerful Chola dynasty, and have seen the natives being relatively more self centered and prone to gossip than someone from, say Coimbatore or my native town Palakkad.

 

The ability of the people living in these Capitals to circumvent the laws and twist it to suit them is amazing.

 

This is especially true of Delhiites. I frankly expect the Odd Even Scheme (I am no great fan of either this hare brained scheme nor Aravind Kejariwal) to fall flat during the first trial period itself, and was mildly surprised when the people of Delhi co-operated. The Delhi people are very resourceful, and there is a big industry that thrives only on helping people circumvent the laws, and as a rule they have less scruples.

 

Come Phase 2 the Delhi people have shown their true colours and are out with a vengeance to break this scheme. Neither has it reduced the pollution, nor the traffic.

 

It is a crying shame that the media and the people in general are more taken in by Kejariwals gimmicks like the Odd Even Scheme than the solid work being done by Modi on multiple fronts. There is a silent revolution happening in the ground level in India, with more money being spent properly on various schemes that shall lead to sustainable development. The Modi government is making our day to day life easier. For NRIs, dispensing away with the unwanted immigration form is a small but welcome relief. The liberalization of E Visas has boosted our image overseas and is  bound to increase the tourist traffic. The MEA is doing a great job for Overseas Indians. If they only shake up the Indian Embassies overseas and make them NRI friendly!

 

The Infrastructure development, the revolution on the toilet front ( a toilet is being constructed in India every 2 seconds ), a silent revolution in the Agricultural front (E Market should help the farmers get much better returns and the improvement in Defence procurement and Railways are noteworthy.

 

It is time now to break the current educational system and remould it totally. That our education system is a disaster is known to all. Instead of tinkering with the text books to weed out the pro communist history, the need of the hour is to adopt the policy of 'Destruction for Construction' and completely revamp the education to make it more skill oriented than by rote learning oriented. The transition will take time, but a beginning has to be made.

 

Most of the good work conceived by Modi is being torpedoed by the Delhi based Luteyans cabal of politicians, IAS officers and vested interests, who doesn't have the interest of the nation in mind, but only their self interests.

 

A good idea will be to create task forces that work as far away from Delhi as possible and give them the mandate to implement the changes.

 

Will it happen?

 

 

Warm or Cool?

I am a bit confused about all these Climate/ Global Warming related issues.

 

When I was doing my MBA in 1980s, everyone was talking about Global Cooling and how Earth will be covered with ice in a couple of hundred years.

 

In two decades, Climate 'Specialists' have turned the whole argument upside down and are talking animatedly about Earth getting warmer and warmer.

 

I take both with a pinch of salt.

 

It is really absurd that there is enough evidence of Global cooling in 1980s and the evidence taking a 180 degree turn in 20 years!

 

One can argue that there is considerable scientific evidence to support global warming and changing weather patterns. But we have reasons to believe that many of these so called 'Scientific Evidence' lack credibility. Remember the leaked letters about data inaccuracies pertaining to Himalayan Glaciers melting, a few years ago?

 

The West, which has lost its competitive edge in both Agriculture and Manufacturing sectors, has been trying to find innovative ways to find  revenue, and the so called 'intellectual pursuits' about Global warming, to which funds flow in billions of dollars, is one way of keeping many people employed at fat salaries.

 

Where will all these NGOs, who have a parasitical existence, be if there is no Global Warming? There is a clear hidden agenda, that is a mix of politics, economics and control.

 

Earth has been in existence for millions of years. There has been periods when it has warmed up and when it has shown an inclination to cool. We have seen in the past fertile lands become arid, rivers drying up and even new deserts being formed. And these happened not when there were man made Global warming situations.

 

It is quite possible that this summer is hotter than the previous ones. That doesn't mean that the next one will be. I hail from Palakkad, and during my school days the summer was really torrid. Despite this we played Cricket all day in scorching sunshine in April and May  (that is when Coaching Camps are held) with only some tap water in a bucket the source of hydration. I still remember me having a very dark tan at the end of every summer!

 

I am not denying that cities are getting warmer because of high rise buildings, and lack of cross ventilation. The problem is the discourse on Global warming is always led by people who live in Metros and bigger cities, and they try to shift their guilt to all around them.

 

Climate will change, and man will adapt to it.

Attitude Change required to make all of us Safety Conscious.

The recent tragedy when the Firework store caught fire in Puttingal Devi Temple in Kollam Kerala, killing more than 100 people and injuring many more, has resulted in people calling for a ban on fire works during temple festivals in Kerala.

 

This is knee jerk reaction. Caprisoned elephants and Fireworks during Temple festivals are part of our centuries old culture. With families getting fragmented, it is these festivals that hold people of an area together and the bonding during these festivals are perhaps the last of the remaining links that connect people to their native place, especially those who have migrated, who make it a point to visit their home town during the temple festivals every year without fail.

 

If we go by the logic, then we should not allow any vehicles to ply on the road, as road accident death numbers in Kerala are mind boggling - approximately 4000 per year!. Nor should we allow any flights to take off, as we saw at least 3-4 planes crashing/missing killing all on board during the past couple of years worldwide. Ditto with train accidents.

 

The root cause of the accidents like the unfortunate one happened in Kerala or the stampedes in various temples we hear from time to time, has to do with our utter disdain for Safety Regulations.

 

I am not a great fan of Western Countries, but on Safety related issues (especially pertaining to Public Safety) they are

top class and we need to emulate them.

 

Look at most of our temples. Most of them don't have any sort of emergency evacuation system. In Guruvayur, one can't get out of the barricaded queue even if one wants to. I don't thing a fire drill or an emergency evacuation drill has ever been undertaken there. Sabarimala is another similar case, but at least here, people can get into the nearby forests quickly in case of any untoward incident. Most of our temples and for that matter Public Places can tell a similar story.

 

The Fireworks related accident would not have occurred if the storage shed was cordoned off, and only authorized people allowed to enter. In our temples, during festivals, the crowds are allowed to walk freely, and one can see people crowded around Storage sheds and smoking in the vicinity, a sure recipe for danger.

 

The Fireworks contractor can be asked to disclose the materials, their quantity and given permission accordingly. I am sure this is being done in a routine manner. But someone from Explosives department should have been there to ensure only permitted quantity and items are allowed inside the storage shed.

 

Assigning designated areas for crowds to move around with enough space for emergency evacuation, volunteers trained in Emergency Response Systems, can go a long way in avoiding future disasters.

 

The need of the hour is an attitude change and this has to come from within all of us.

 

The Government do not want to do any of the above as it involves lot of work for its employees. Banning is an easy solution, which serves no one in particular. Even for that they expect the Judiciary to take the lead, so that the Government can wash their hands off the whole affair.

 

They know the Public have a short memory and this too will pass.

 

It shouldn't.

 

Let each one of us take the lead in making our homes and neighbourhood Safety Conscious.

 

He was living our Dreams!

I was no different from any other young kids when I was young. My childhood was before the age of TV and Internet, and this led to me having a vivid imagination.

 

Being Cricket Crazy, I dreamt like every other boy those days -playing for India, and having to score a Four of the last ball to win the match for the Country (those were the days of Test Cricket and Sunil Gavaskar - ODIs, T 20s and dozen sixes per innings came a couple of decades later). This scenario was played over and over again in the mind for years. Of course I never played even for my State Ranji Trophy team, leave alone for the Country and had to be satisfied with playing age group tournaments. I didn't do anything great like hitting a boundary of the last ball to win for my team.

 

I am sure Braithwaite would have also dreamt similar a few years back, as a kid. Only difference is that he lived his dream yesterday in the final of the World T20 final. 

 

19 to win of the last over. I remember making a comment that WI wont win, as they need at least 2 Sixes in the final over, if not 3 and there is no hope in the hell of it happening.

 

First ball from Stokes was on the slot, outside the leg stump, and Braithwaite just hoicked it over Square leg for a six. Hmmm.........One swallow doesn't make a summer. Still the odds were in favour of England - 13 of 5.

 

Second ball was dumped in the stand over long on- a massive six. Can he pull it off? 7 needed of 4 and suddenly WI is the favourite.

 

The third ball was again on the good length, outside the off stump. Braithwaite lofted it over long off. The bat turned in his hand, and it was clearly a mishit. The camera panned the ball which soared into the sky. "Oh God No! He just threw it away" I muttered, thinking it will fall into the hands of the long off fielder. But the ball cleared the boundary by a good distance.

 

All hell broke loose. Stokes was on his haunches with a gaunt look on his face. The England fielders were shell shocked. Braithwaite was calm personified. Sweat was gushing out of his helmet, as it was humid in Kolkotta. There was confusion all around. Some thought the match was won.

 

Having watched cricket for nearly 25 years, I have lived through many a situation, but this was out of the world. I desperately wanted WI to win. Their enjoyment is infectious. I wanted them to win more than I wanted India to win. Not because I am not patriotic. But because our over paid, super rich Cricketers lack commitment and passion. They are spoiled brat. The WIs players earn a miniscule of what the Indian players earn, and they did not have the dress prior to the tournament. That is how shambolic their Board is. And of course I hated England - I always have. And I had given up WI for good at the beginning of the last over. - 19 in 6 is easily defendable.

 

I have a mental computer that calculates automatically the balls and runs in the subconscious mind. Even that broke down in the excitement. I mentioned that 3 is required now, only to be corrected that only 1 is required. I had erroneously calculated 3 sixes to be equal to 16. It was a crazy night.

 

At last sanity prevailed. Everyone was in their place for the 4th ball. I prayed God to give Braithwaite the wisdom to put bat on ball and push for a single. I expected stokes to bowl a bouncer or at least a slow off cutter (It is a mystery why he bowled good length balls, four of them, in the final over!). Braithwaite had other ideas. Another one on the leg stump and he just gave it an almighty blow and the ball disappeared in the stands.

 

WI team poured to the field and finally Braithwaite shed his calm and roared.

 

The sound was deafening, but that was not because he was roaring. All of us watching were roaring with him

 

He was living our dreams! We all put ourselves in his place. It was us out there, hitting those 4 sixes, and not him!

 

What a feeling!

Reminiscences 1

I didn't travel much when I was a child, mainly because my health was quite suspect, and parents were protective of me.

 

I was 14, when I got selected for the Kerala State Under 19 Cricket Coaching Camp in Kannur, lasting 21 days, more than 200 kms and a 7 hours drive from Palakkad, where I lived. I was a frail boy weighing barely 36 kg and Kannur seemed a long way off. Hesitantly I told my parents about my selection, anticipating a flat 'No'. My mother reacted predictably, but surprisingly my Father gave permission. I expected him to travel with me to Kannur and pick me back. He took me as far as the State Transport Bus Stand, put me on a Bus and walked off, without even looking back. Remember, this is to a place where I have never been before, and we didn't have a telephone at home!.

 

I reached Kannur, went to the School where we were supposed to stay (sleeping in benches in a classroom converted to a dormitory). It was only after 2 days that I was able to walk down to the post office, and send a letter to my father I have reached safe, which he got after another couple of days. Thus, for 4-5 days I was incommunicado, and he must have been worried, but he never showed. It was his way of toughening me up. The Camp was a failure, for Kannur got Summer rains like never before or never after during the duration of the camp, and we ended up playing Football as the pitch was soggy most of the days. The toughest part was defecating, as we had to use temporary open toilets and the stink was unbearable.

 

In many ways, the 1978 summer holidays was unforgettable. Apart from the experience of the Camp, a couple of days after my return, I was in the car (we had a VW Beetle), when father queried gruffly "Are you tall enough to press the Clutch fully?". When I affirmed, he stopped the car immediately, asked me to take over the drivers seat and told me to 'just drive'!. I had the experience of sitting in my father's lap as a child and handle the Steering, and always used to help him shift the gears while sitting beside him. But this was like a dream come true. The road was narrow, winding and there were paddy fields all around. I started the car and believe it or not drove as if I have been born to drive. Father sat stoically beside me, putting an arm over my shoulder, and using his fingers to press on my shoulder if I make a small mistake. My mother had gone to Mumbai, for her fathers first death anniversary, and my father used the opportunity to give me lot of freedom, She was very cross when she came back, that he had taught such a young kid driving, but we got away with it.

 

It is not just that he taught me driving, but he also allowed me to drive the car under his watchful eyes, whenever we went out, though I was still 4 years away from getting my Driving License. The trip to our native village Kollengode during the rainy season was breathtaking against the backdrop of the mountains and the waterfalls (see picture on the right), and for each one we had a name like Palakappandi etc.

 

A week after I started driving the car, I was in the  pillion seat of my brothers DKW 250 cc motorcycle, when he casually asked "I heard you have started driving the car. Fine, now you might as well learn how to drive a bike". He taught me driving the monster (for a puny boy weighing all of 35 kg, the bike was a real monster!).

 

Thus it was a different me who went to the school on 1st June 1978, to commence my 10th Standard (SSLC or School Final, as my batch attended College for 11th and 12th as Pre Degree Course). My confidence was sky high (in hindsight, perhaps that is what my father wanted), which went a long way in giving me the much needed self confidence to do well in 10th Standard.