Fair Game of the Fair Sex.

Well, my dear brothers, we are delighted to see the rise and domination of fair sex not only in politics occupying the highest positions in governments but also in studies beyond all imagination and expectation. The Times of India in its editorial on Saturday, May 28, 2011 highlighted the top women of this country: Sonia Gandhi, Prathiba Patil, Meira Kumar, Shiela Dixit, Mayawati, Mamta Banerjee, Jeya Lalitha, Sushma Swaraj, Brinda Karat, Vijaya Raje Scindhia, Uma Bharathi are the worthy successors to the Iron Lady Indira Gandhi and her aunt Vijayalakshmi Pandit in politics. A few more would follow suit from other states and political parties in the near future.

Look at the performance of girls in Board examinations in Tamil Nadu. Their pass percentages in both the Tenth and Twelth Board exams are more compared to the boys and a similar performance registered in getting ranks too in all subjects.

Pattinapakkam (Chennai beach)

Marina Beach is one of the best and longest beaches maintained by Tamil Nadu government and the Chennai Corporation. We should appreciate and thank them for their efforts. The maintenance of green lawns along the beach road is not up to the mark at some locations. The grass is not properly tended and its growth is the less said the better. Horticulture people have to pay attention and do a better job.

Its further stretch beyond the light house in Pattinampakkam is horrible to look at and pass through in a vehicle. The residents mostly the fishermen families are living in shambles. God has given them the best location but they have verily turned it into a hell. With sewage flowing or stagnating and garbage strewn all over the place, its road is lined up with vendors selling fish with a stinking smell in a dirty atmosphere. One has to imagine as to how a portion of the beach front can be spoiled and converted into an animal habitat. Well, let the officials and the minister concerned visit that area and make it livable and enjoyable. After all they are Indian citizens fit to be helped, taught and developed like any other waterfront in the country.

Didi Mamta Banerjee

The credit goes to Didi Ms Mamta Banerjee who could overthrow the three-decade rule of Marxist Communists with an unparalled effort and tireless energy. She is the first woman Chief Minister of West Bengal. We wish good luck to her and her team of ministers in their Herculean task of developing the bachward state of West Bengal like Mr Nitish Kumar in Bihar. She is terribly honest, simple, straight forward and hard-working. Somehow she was not that impressive as the Railway Minister in Delhi but we hope she will do very well as the chief minister . Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav was a hopeless chief minister in Bihar but proved to be the management guru in Government of India. We want the role reversal in her case and she would turn out to be one of the best CMs in the country in the company of Mr Narendra Modi and Mr Nitesh Kumar very soon. Her style of functioning has augured well in the eyes of comman man. She can set good example for simplicity and honesty to other CMs in the country.

Highly Placed People Behaving Strangely

Rajeev Chandrasekhar (India Today, February 14, 2011) rightly lampoons the behaviour of two highly-placed individuals namely Kapil Sibal and Montek Singh Ahluwalia, the Union Minister and Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission respectively who took up the issue of 2-G spectrum and tried to justify the actions of the minister A. Rasa and the officials of the Department of Telecom during 2007 and 2008. Kapil was trying to say that there was no loss to the state exchequer albeit there could be scope for corruption in licensing. Montek was pleading that the private companies didn't make any profit. It is somewhat perplexing indeed that these two 'spinmasters' not only failed to protect government revenues but also failed to know the significance of auction procedure in establishing transparency for public interest. Both are not active politicians through electoral process and therefore they need to be a little more cautious in their attitude and approach to such sensitive matters especially when other constitutional bodies such as C.A.G and Supreme Court of India are supervising the proceedings and guiding the investigation agencies.

Politics on Rice

Politics on rice started in India for the first time in the year 1967 when Mr C.N Annadurai, the founder of D.M.K party in Tamil Nadu made a promise for Re One a measure of rice in the election manifesto and won the general elections to the state assembly defeating the congress party. Such a promise was needed to destabilise the national party ruling the state since independence.

Similarly the Telugu Desam Party founder Mr N.T.Rama Rao too had to resort to a heavily-subsidised rice scheme @ Rs Two a kilo for winning the elections to Andhra Pradesh State Assembly by defeating the congress, the national party. Self-respect for Telugus and the rice scheme alone could help the T.D party win the elections to both the state assembly in 1983 and the Lok Sabha in 1984.

When Mr M.Karunanidhi, the D.M.K supremo realised that it was difficult to dislodge the AIADMK from power in 2006, he too announced the supply of rice @ Rs Two a kg if voted to power along with other freebies.

Ms Jayalaliha, a non-believer in freebies otherwise, had to succumb to rice politics and include free supply of 20 kgs of rice per BPL card and 35 kgs to Anthyodaya cards in response to DMK's offer. Knowing the level of black marketing in ration shops the new state government under her leadership has launched this week a drive to spruce up the distribution channel from 310 godowns to 32000 ration shops located all over the state. She is trying to plug the loopholes and tighten the machinery under the provisions of Black Market Act with the help of Government of India in this regard.

There is no doubt that the cereal rice is the main diet of the poor in our country and as long as the poor get it cheaper or free as directed by the Supreme Court in the case of the downtrodden and the destitutes, there is no problem. But if the same facility is misused by the middlemen and the political functionaries, the scheme becomes a mockery of the system and a drain on our scarce resources.

Wide Margin of Votes

General elections to Tamil Nadu State Assembly have shown that Tirupur North records highest margin of votes. M.S.M Anandan of the AIADMK defeated C.Govindasamy of DMK who was expelled from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) last year. The margin of difference was 73271 votes. The next largest margin of 69,776 votes was in Palladam constituency in the western belt between the winner K.P.Paramasivam of AIADMK and the loser K.Balasubramanian of DMK. Yet another western constituency Kavudampalayam saw a margin of 69260 votes between V.C.Arukuuty of the AIADMK and T.P.Subramanian of the DMK. It seems the voters have entered the booths to take revenge on the DMK candidates with a vengeance. The anger of the public in this part of the state is reflectd in such huge margins. The only exception in favour of the DMK was found in Tiruvarur, the birth place of the party supremo viz., Mr M.Karunanidhi with a margin of 50249 votes. The attempt of the parties to woo the voters with cash had not played any significant role whatsoever. The family rule and sky-rocketing inflation have overtaken the freebies distributed by the DMK government and the promise for further sops out of taxpayes' money. As a citizen of this country I am proud of my Tamil society which has taught a lesson to the politicians with bad intentions and murky deals all over India. People cannot be befooled for votes anymore. They are as vigilant and intelligent as the maturity and determination of the Election Commission of India has revealed.

The real masters of Indian Democracy namely the voters are the real heroes of the day!

Intelligent & Timely Action

After seeing the writing on the wall (i.e the developments taking place in Cairo and other Arab nations) and the results of May 7 general election, the two elder statesmen of Singapore, namely, Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong both former prime ministers on Saturday, May 14, 2011 announced their retirement from Cabinet.

They have quitely given way to the younger generation to take over the reins and run the government. It is a wise and timely action on their part. They have already ensured the growth of the city-state on par with any western country. Hats off to their acumen and patriotism with which they developed their society in less than two-three decades into a disciplined democracy to the envy of all Asiatic countries (the wealthiest, most stable and safest society with a per capita income of $ 48,000 in 2010). Of course Mr Lee was criticised for sidelining political rivals and stifling freedom of expression at the time of cosolidation of his power. I wish atleast the Chennai city is developed like that as a model for other parts of India. Well, Indian democracy is different from that of Singapore, you see. Every violation of the established rule by the influential section of Indian society is their birth right.

13th May, 2011 - D' day for D.M.K

Ups and downs are a reality to be faced by an individual and an organisation, also by a political party at some time or other. A set-back has visited the doors of Kalaigner Mr. M. Karunanidhi and his party viz., the D.M.K on Friday, May 13, 2011. The D.M.K has lost the Assembly Elections and the AIADMK has snatched the power for the next five years.

Although both the Dravidian parties keep changing their position as the ruling party in the State of Tamil Nadu once in five years so far, both have of late tried to attract the masses mostly by offering a lot of freebies and gifts through their manifestoes. D.M.K had tried to fulfill many such promises in the last five years, but the other issues such as 2G spectrum scam, nepotism leading to dynastic rule etc., took precedence in the minds of voters for choosing the AIADMK . Cash for votes hasn't changed their mind to favour the DMK as was experienced in the recent past in bye-elections.

Congress as usual has fared very badly. Even the youth congress leaders as candidates with the blessings and support of Mr Rahul Gandhi, the General Secretary of INC failed to make it in the hustings.

The basic infrastructure in the form of adequate electric power, well-maintained and clean roads and also supplies of adequate drinking water, reasonably-priced food grains, vegetables and fruits, petrol and diesel are the immediate needs the new government would be expected to address sucessfully in the near future.

Kaliyuga Avatar

The Afro-haired baba, known as much for his ‘divine powers’ as for his charitable work and his list of rich and powerful devotees, leaves behind millions grief-stricken. But believers see a ray of hope in another of his predictions – about his next avatar. He was born in 1926 in a village called Puttaparti (Gollapalli) in Andhra Pradesh. At the age of 14 he declared that he was a reincarnation of Shridi Sai Baba by magically fishing out goodies from his bag like sweets, pens, watches, chains etc. Such a proclamation was done on October 20, 1940. It is an unusually amazing event that R.Satyanarayana Raju of Gollapalli became India’s most popular godman as Satya Sai Baba. He has even declared that he would die at the age of 96 and be born again as Prem Sai in Mandya District of Karnataka in the near future.

Satya Sai Baba undertook several social welfare projects such as General Hospital at Puttaparthi (1954) and College for girls at Anantapur (1968) initially. A charitable trust called Sri Satya Sai Central Trust was created in 1972 which has undertaken welfare projects like General Hospital (1976), Boys' College at Puttaparti (1978), Sri Sathya Sai University (1981), Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences (1991), Anantapur Drinking water projects (1995), Medak & Mahabubnagar drinking water projects (2001), Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Bangalore (2001), Chennai Water Project (2002), East & West Godavari Water Projects (2007), Construction of Sathya Sai University Campus (2009). Such welfare activities of the Baba really speak volumes of his vision and mission in this Avatar unlike many other Mutt heads and the so-called Hindu Gurus and spiritual leaders in India.

There seems to be a tug of war going on right now after the demise of Baba as to who should lead the Central Trust hereafter. The competitors are: one close relative called Ratnakar, a close aide and attendant called Satyajit, retired Chief Justice of India, Sri Bagavati, two former IAS Officers, one CMD of TVS Motor Company and one former VC of Satya Sai University. Since the Baba had not made a will or never intended to establish a family hierarchy and the assets of the trust were mostly donated by the public, Ratnakar cannot be made a successor to the Baba. Similarly the aide and the attendent cannot claim as the successor to Baba. Hence the question of succession can be decided only after a long debate and by a lottery among the members of the existing trust after weighing their merits and demerits. Alternatively if there is no consensus among the members, the State Government of A.P. can take over the trust and run on the lines of T.T.D in Tirumala.

Look at the list of high and mighty followers in India and abroad who lined up the other day to pay their last respects to the departed noble soul. It is the unfailing and rewarding faith that attracts multitudes of human beings towards a godman like Satya Sai Baba as in the case of the original Creator who is worshipped by the humanity in several names and rituals. All magicians can't take over the role or become the avatar of some great souls. Sri Satya Sai Baba is likely to be worshipped like a God or the avatar of Shirdi Sai Baba. Let the faith grow scientifically.

China on Top Again

As is true of many other fields, China seems to be on the top as far as international education is also concerned .

In the beginning of this decade , China was not in the reckoning of any student; but now most are studying humanities, followed by medicene. But a fresh data released by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development indicates that there are as many international students in China as there are in Australia or in Germany pushing her right up on the chart.

International students' market was in the grip of giants like United States, United Kingdom and France capturing almost 40% of it. There has been a sharp increase after 2000 and the number of students in search of higher education has increased by 65% totalling 4.3 million globally. International education has become one of the export houses and the national share among different countries keeps altering. For example the rise of Canada and China has led to a drop in United States's "singular hold" and the United Kingdom is inching forward to occupy No.1 spot.

The world goes to China to attract its young students to their colleges. But suddently last year China moved to a different level leaving India much lower in the rank and joined the big league and became one of the top six nations to host international students on its land.
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Country _//_ International Students
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US ::6,90,923
UK ::4,15,585
France:: 2,78,213
Australia:: 2,45,593
Germany ::2,44,776
China ::2,38,184
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Where is my dear country India in this chart?
India with about 22,000 international students has a tough task to crack when the Foreign Educatioin Providers Bill is passed. It will have to make Herculian efforts to attract more numbers if its aim is to transform this nation into an international center for higher education.