The rise of polygamy in our society of excess

Vinita Dawra Nangia has, under the above caption (Times life on 21st April, 2013 ), reported that historically the world has frowned upon polyandry (one women with two or more men), while tolerating, if not outright encouraging by legalizing polygyny (one man with multiple sexual partners). Male chauvinism at full play with a brutal force!!

Interestingly, Michael Price from the psychology department of Brunel University west London, equates serial monogamists such as Donald Trump and Larry King, who divorce older wives and marry younger women, as polygamists too, since they also monopolize the reproductive years of a number of women. In that sense, all celebrities, stars, prominent sportsmen and business tycoons with a series of women, can be termed polygamists as well!  

How do we reconcile the fact that some political personalities/chief ministers and cine stars are openly staying with more than two women as wives without marriage. With double standards at work freely in our society, the law of the land and its enforcing agencies turn a blind eye to the facts of life for obvious reasons.         

In our affluent age, exotic indulgences, such as maintaining a concubine, are quite common and on the increase as rightly pointed out. This reminds us of former rulers/kings maintaining harems with many women / beauties.

Buck should stop at one point:

The latest diatribe from our congress leader Digvijay Singh is that the buck should stop at one point. He wants to say that the posts of P.M and Congress President should be held by one individual and that too by Rahul Gandhi as early as possible. It is a very well taken stand by him at this juncture but the point is whether it is the party's views or his personal view. Since he is the party's declared spokesperson it creates a doubt in our minds on this issue. It would be better if he only announces the party's stand always. He simultaneously declares that Sonia has the last word on policies. If that is correct what authority he enjoys to declare his personal views contrary to that of party's. He is already a SONIAS' alter-ego. His role is therefore doubtlessly dubious which needs to be corrected by the party sooner than later.

Why Spare our rich formers.?

Swapan Das Gupta rightly questions the fear of governments in India in taxing the rich formers under the above mentioned caption in Sunday Times of India on March 10, 2013.   While the corporate czars are being touched and taxed with 10% surcharge on their annual income crossing Rs. 1 Crore, he is stating that a tax on high agricultural income is an idea that cannot be resisted much longer.

While it is true that almost 80 to 90 percent of the farmers in the country comprise of small and marginal or sub-marginal farmers, a small percentage of farmers are pretty rich when they indulge in commercial including plantation and horticultural crops. Their incomes can be taken up for close scrutiny and subject to taxation without fearing the loss of vote bank by the political parties although the spokesmen of the farming community invariably happen to be the rich farmers.

Poverty in Middle Class

It appears hundreds and thousands of middle class families are undergoing untold sufferings in our midst. A male member of our society with minimum earnings ventures into the marriage and bequeaths children mindlessly and get into the trouble, being unable to make both ends meet in course of time. The result is that they go to the extent of committing suicide. The man or woman has no right in the first instance to get into the wedlock without adequate means to support themselves and secondly they have no business to give birth to children when they are not able to survive in modern days.

The classic example as reported in the newspaper to day (April 1, 2013) relates to a person named Saktivel (Age 37) of Karpagam Nagar, Ponniamman Medu near Chennai Madhavaram working as a fitter in a steel mill and his wife Vanita (Age 30) decided to end their lives with  2 children - twin girls by taking poison in the meals when he failed to get some  financial support any more from his mother. Unfortunately one daughter died and other three persons who took the meal are fighting for life in the local hospital .The third child, a boy escaped because of his stay in his grand mother's home at the time of incident.