MEMORIES

My heart is the store house of memories;

Memories of things dearest to me.

I kept them locked up in my heart;

Like a rich man keeps his precious possessions

In a locker;

I placed the heart in a cage of bones in my chest;

Nothing would destroy my beloved memories;

Neither the vagaries of weather;

Nor the thieves could lay their hands on them.



My mother always wore white clothes;

My breath still holds the scent of her;

The scent, a mixture of coconut oil,

Tulsi leaves and sandal wood paste.



I remember the women in the neighbourhood;

The one who prayed at the St.Thomas Church;

Who fed me her milk when my mother fell ill;

Oh, mother, it was not few drops of white fuild

That you flowed into the tiny lips of an infant,

But a stream of humanity.



The red flag fluttered dancing to the tune of the wind;

My father in the front, shouting slogans;

The stream marching behind, repeated the slogans;

Late in the evening, he broght us children

Small paper flags of red colour;

We marched in a row holding the little red flags,

I still keep the flag, red in colour fluttering in the wind.



I see a pair of dark wide eyes;

An oily face and thin lips;

The girl I danced with on the School Anniversary Day;

I still feel the warmth of her palm;

How can I not remember the girl of my first love?



My heart is the store house of memories;

Memories of things dearest to me.

The river swells during high tides;

The full moon turns the water into silver,

The lonely boatman sings a folk tune,

Breaking the night’s silence.



When the first rain embraces,

The palm trees look like

Peacocks dancing in ecstasy.

The cool breeze in dawn

Smells of sweet flowers;

The dew drops on the pasture,

Reflect the morning sun in thousands.



The ocean wave adorns the feet of the shore

With its silky silvery foam.

I stored in my heart, the mountains and

The green meadows.



The rocky hillock stands sentinel to the past.

The ancient rock cut temple,

Reminds of a bygone age.



You enlivened me with the touch of your finger

The cool of sandal paste you put on my forehead,

And the glitter of the starts in your eyes

That you stole from the heaven.

I stored everything,

Everything that is dear to me.



My heart is a storehouse of memories,

Memories of things dearest to me.







---Hansan T.K

ഫത്‌വകള്‍

മതപരവും സാമുദായികപരവുമായ കാര്യങ്ങളില്‍ എല്ലാവരും തന്നെ വളരെ സൂക്ഷിച്ച്ചേ അഭിപ്രായം തന്നെ പറയാറുള്ളൂ. സംഘടിതരോ അസംഘടിതരോ ആയ മത സാമുദായിക സംഘടനകള്‍ അത്തരമൊരു അന്തരീക്ഷം സൃഷ്ടിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ടല്ലോ. രാജ്യത്തെ ഏറവും വലിയ ഇസ്ലാമിക സെമിനാരി യു . പി യിലെ ഷാരന്പുരില്‍ പ്രവര്‍ത്തിക്കുന്ന, ഇന്ത്യയിലെ മുസ്ലിം ജനവിഭാഗത്തിന്റെ അധ്യാത്മിക സംരക്ഷണം സ്വയം ഏറ്റെടുത്ത ദാറുല്‍ ഉലും ദേവബന്ദ് ഈയിടെ തട്ടിവിട്ട തിട്ടുരങ്ങള്‍ കേട്ട മുസ്ലിങ്ങള്‍ തന്നെ ഞെട്ടിപ്പോയി . പുരുഷന്മാരുമായി ഇടപെഴകാന്‍ ഇടവരുന്ന വരുന്ന തൊഴില്‍ മേഖലകളില്‍ സ്ത്രീകള്‍ ജോലി ചെയ്യരുത്, സ്ത്രീകള്‍ ജോലി ചെയ്ത പണം സ്വീകരിക്കരുത് അത് 'ഷരിയ' നിയമ പ്രകാരം 'ഹറാം' ആകുന്നു. രണ്റ് ദിവസം കഴിഞ്ഞപ്പോള്‍ ഇതാ വീണ്ടും. മുസ്ലിങ്ങള്‍ സ്ടോക്ക് മാര്‍ക്കറ്റില്‍ പണം നിക്ഷേപിക്കരുത്. ബാങ്കുകളിലും മദ്യവുമായി ബന്ധപ്പെടുന്ന ഒരു ജോലികളിലും ഏര്‍പ്പെടരുത്. തീര്ന്നില്ല ഇന്ഷുറന്സ് പോളിസികള്‍ എടുക്കരുത് അത് നിയമ വിരുദ്ധവും പലിശയും ചൂതാട്ടവും അടിസ്ഥാനം ആക്കിയുള്ളതുമാണ്. എന്തായാലും അവസാനത്തേത് ഒരു കടന്ന കൈയ്യയിപ്പോയോ എന്നൊരു സംശയം. കാരണം മള്‍ട്ടി നാഷണല്‍ കമ്പനികളെയും ടാറ്റ , അംബാനിമാര്‍ തുടങ്ങിയ കൊര്‍പ്പറേറ്റ്കളെ ആണ് തൊട്ടുകളിക്കാന്‍ പോകുന്നത്. മുസ്ലിം സമുദായത്തില്‍ നിന്നുതന്നെ ഇതിനെതിരെ പ്രതിഷേധങ്ങള്‍ ഉയര്‍ന്നു തുടങ്ങിയത് ശുഭ സൂചകമാണ് . ഇത്തരം ഫത്‌വകള്‍ പുറപ്പെടുവിക്കുവാന്‍ ഇവര്‍ക്ക് ആരാണ് അധികാരം നല്‍കിയത് എന്ന് ചോദിക്കാന്‍ മുസ്ലിം സംഘടനകള്‍ ഉണ്ടായി. തൊപ്പിയിലെ വെള്ളത്തുള്ളികള്‍ പോലെ ഇത്തരം ഫത്‌വകള്‍ ഇറക്കി സ്വയം അപഹാസ്യരാകരുതെന്നു ലക്നോവിലെ മുസ്ലീം പണ്ടിതന്മാര്‍ തന്നെ പറഞ്ഞു. ഇതിനെതിരെ ശബ്ദം ഉയര്‍ത്തിയ ജാവേദ് അക്തരിനെപ്പോലെ ഉള്ള വിശിഷ്ട മുസ്ലിം വ്യക്തിത്വങ്ങളെ പ്രശംസിക്കാന്‍ പണം വാങ്ങി കലാപം ഉണ്ടാക്കുന്ന ശ്രിരാമ സേനയുടെ മുത്തലിക്കിന്റെ നേരെ കണ്ണടച്ചു കൊണ്ടു ശിവസേന തയാറായി. ഹരിയാനയിലെ ജാട്ട് നാട്ടുക്കൂട്ടങ്ങളുടെ കാട്ടാള നിയമങ്ങള്‍ക്ക് വേണ്ടി അവരുടെ കൊടിയെടുത്ത നവിന്‍ ജിണ്ടാളിനെയും, ചൌട്ടാളയെയും പോലെ ഇവര്‍ക്ക് വേണ്ടി ആരാണ് മുന്നോട്ട് വരുന്നത് എന്ന് കാത്തിരുന്നു കാണാം. ' തലാക്ക്‌ ' എന്ന് മൂന്നു തവണ എഴുതി SMS അയച്ചാലും മതിയെന്ന സാങ്കേതിക പുരോഗതി അംഗീകരിച്ച്ച സമൂഹത്തിന്റെ വരിഷ്ഠ സ്ഥാപനം അത്തരം സ്ത്രീകള്‍ എങ്ങിനെ ജീവിക്കണമെന്നു മാത്രം പറഞ്ഞു കണ്ടില്ല.

---- ശ്രീനിവാസ്‌ എന്‍ വി
 
നിങ്ങളുടെ അഭിപ്രായങ്ങള്‍ http://www.google.com/transliterate/indic/Malayalam എന്ന ലിങ്ക് ഉപയോഗിച്ച് മലയാളത്തില്‍ (Manglish) ടൈപ്പ് ചെയ്ത് താഴെ അഭിപ്രായം എഴുതേണ്ട കോളത്തില്‍ പേസ്റ്റ് ചെയ്യുക

ചൂണ്ടുവിരല്‍

എല്ലാവര്ക്കും എനിക്കും ഉണ്ട് ചൂണ്ടുവിരല്‍

ഒരു സൂചി എടുക്കാനും

ഒരു കുരു പൊട്ടിക്കാനും

തലയില്‍ നിന്നും പേന്‍ എടുക്കാനും

വെളുത്ത മുടി പറിക്കാനും

മൂക്കിലെ രോമം പിഴുതുവാനും

പേന പിടിക്കാനും

ചെവി കടിക്കുമ്പോള്‍ ചൊറിയുവാനും

കുപ്പായത്തിന്‍ ബട്ടന്സ് ഇടാനും അഴിക്കാനും

എന്തിന്

ശത്രുവിന്റെ വയറില്‍ കുത്താന്‍ വരെ

ഈ വിരല്‍ ഉപയോഗിക്കും

പക്ഷെ

തെറ്റുകള്ക്ക് എതിരെ ചൂണ്ടിയിരുന്ന

ശത്രുവിന്റെ അധമ വാദങ്ങള്ക്കെതിരെ

ആക്രോശിക്കാന്‍ ചൂണ്ടിയ

ആ ചൂണ്ടു വിരല്‍

ആ ധിക്കാര സൂചന, ചങ്കുറപ്പ്

അത് മാത്രം എവിടെ?

വീണ്ടും ചൂണ്ടുവിരലുകള്‍ ചൂണ്ടപ്പെടട്ടെ

എതിര്ക്കാന്‍ കെല്പ്പുള്ള

ചൂണ്ടു പലകകള്‍ ആകട്ടെ

ധിക്കാരികള്‍ പിറക്കട്ടെ

രക്തത്തിന്റെ തിളപ്പ് വിരലിലെക്ക് ആവാഹിക്കപെടട്ടെ

തലയിലെ രോമം മാത്രമല്ല

ചുറ്റിലെ വേദനയും പറിക്കുമാറാകട്ടെ

---ശശികുമാര്‍


നിങ്ങളുടെ അഭിപ്രായങ്ങള്‍ http://www.google.com/transliterate/indic/Malayalam  എന്ന ലിങ്ക് ഉപയോഗിച്ച് മലയാളത്തില്‍ (Manglish) ടൈപ്പ് ചെയ്ത് താഴെ അഭിപ്രായം എഴുതേണ്ട കോളത്തില്‍ പേസ്റ്റ് ചെയ്യുക.

അക്ഷയ ത്രിതീയ

അക്ഷയ ത്രിതീയ എന്ന പദം തന്നെ കേട്ടുതുടങ്ങിയിട്ട് ഒന്നോ രണ്ടോ വര്‍ഷമേ   ആയിട്ടുള്ളൂ. മലയാളം  ചാനലുകലോടുള്ള കടപ്പാട് മറച്ചുവെക്കുന്നില്ല. കഥയോ ഐതിഹ്യമോ  എന്തുതന്നെയായാലും അത് അംഗീകരിച്ചുകൊണ്ട് പറഞ്ഞാല്‍ ഹിന്ദുക്കളെ സംബന്ധിച്ചിടത്തോളം പ്രധാനപ്പെട്ട ഒരു ദിവസമാണ് ഇത്. വൈശാഖ മാസത്തിലെ ആദ്യ പകുതിയിലെ മൂന്നാം ദിവസമാണ് ഇത് ആഘോഷിക്കുന്നത്. ഇതുപ്രകാരം ഈ ദിവസം എല്ലാ പുണ്യ കര്‍മ്മങ്ങള്‍ക്കും  ഉത്തമമായി കരുതപ്പെടുന്നു. ത്രേതായുഗം ഉണ്ടായതും പരശുരാമന്‍ ജനിച്ചതും ഈ ദിവസമാണ് എന്ന്  പറയപ്പെടുന്നു. ഈ ദിവസത്തിന്‍റെ  പുണ്യം കുടുതലായി നമുക്ക്‌ മനസിലാകുന്നത് ഇന്ത്യയിലെ ഈ ദിവസത്തെ സ്വര്‍ണ്ണ  വിപണനം 7.25 ടണ്‍  ആണ്‌ എന്ന് കേള്‍ക്കുമ്പോള്‍  ആകും. അതായത്‌ കഴിഞ്ഞ വര്‍ഷത്തെക്കാള്‍  30 ശതമാനത്തോളം കുടുതല്‍. സ്വര്‍ണ്ണ  വില ഏറവും കുടി നില്ക്കുമ്പോഴും നമുക്ക്‌ പണത്തേക്കാള്‍ പ്രാധാന്യമാനല്ലോ ഐശ്യര്യം. സ്വര്‍ണ്ണം  , ഡയമണ്ട്, പ്ലാറ്റിനം എന്നിവ വാങ്ങിയാല്‍ വര്ഷം  മുഴുവന്‍ ഐശ്യര്യം കളിയാടി നില്ക്കും . മലയാളം ചാനലുകളോട് വീണ്ടും കടപ്പാട്. ഞായറാഴ്ച്ച ആയാലും രാവിലെ ആറു മണിക്ക് കടകള്‍ തുറക്കുമെന്നുള്ളതും വളരെ വൈകിയേ അടക്കുമെന്നുള്ളതും  മുന്‍കൂട്ടി  ബുക്ക് ചെയ്യാന്‍ സൗകര്യം ഉണ്ടാക്കിയതും ഐശ്യര്യ സമൃദ്ധി വര്‍ദ്ധിപ്പിക്കാനേ  ഉപകരിക്കു. കച്ചവട സംസ്കാരം നമുക്ക്‌ സമ്മാനിച്ച വാലന്റിന്‍ ദിനം, അക്ഷയ ത്രിതീയ തുടങ്ങിയവയ്ക്ക് പുറമേ വസ്ത്രം, വീട്, ഭുമി, മറ്റ് ഗൃഹോപകരണങ്ങള്‍ എന്നിവ വാങ്ങുന്നതിനും പ്രത്യേക ദിവസങ്ങള്‍ ഉണ്ടാകട്ടെ.  അങ്ങനെ ഐശ്യര്യ സമൃദ്ധമായ ഒരു ലോകം ഉണ്ടാകട്ടെ.

---------ശ്രീനിവാസ്‌  എന്‍ വി

നിങ്ങളുടെ അഭിപ്രായങ്ങള്‍ http://www.google.com/transliterate/indic/Malayalam എന്ന ലിങ്ക് ഉപയോഗിച്ച് മലയാളത്തില്‍ (Manglish) ടൈപ്പ് ചെയ്ത് താഴെ അഭിപ്രായം എഴുതേണ്ട കോളത്തില്‍ പേസ്റ്റ് ചെയ്യാവുന്നതാണ് .

KHAP PANCHAYAT & THE POLITICAL CLASS

The high flying industrialist and Congress M.P from Kurushektra supporting Khap Panchat was not surprising. For without the tacit support of mainstream political Parties and its leaders, the open activities of such bodies like Khap Panchayat, in effect, challenging the law of the land and our judicial system, could not sustain. In a country where social status and economic relations are still deep rooted in feudal values, caste plays an important role even in the political sphere. Since most of these caste communities behave under a ‘herd psyche’, it becomes easy for their leaders to goad them enmasse to the political destinations they wish. Hence politicians vie to garner the support of the caste leaders. In a State like Haryana where ‘Jats’ constitute about 30% of the total population, their support become the main factor in deciding the fate of political parties in elections. INLD leader, Om Prakash Chautala plunging in to the situation declaring support to the Khap panchayats proclaiming its legitimacy was an open act to consolidate and expand his base among the jat community. The prolonged silence of the incumbent Chief Minister and the inaction of the State machinery against the perpetrators of the barbaric acts of ‘honour killings’ should also to be viewed in this light. Naveen Jindal, well educated and exposed to modern civilizations and cultures may not be accepting the retrograde values the Khap Panchayat trying to uphold. But, since he is donning the role of a politician he might be compelled to take the present stand considering the ground realities in his constituency.

It is time the civil society and the democratic polity to take a serious note on the issues thrown open by the situation. How the over assertion of caste groups and caste and religion based politics dent the secular-democratic political fabric of the country. When talk about caste politics, we immediately are drawn to the post Mandal scenario when the lower castes and intermediary castes emerged as leading political forces in various States. Mayavati and Mulayam Singh Yadav in UP and Lalu Prasad Yadav in Bihar. However, if you just confine to the view that resurgence of hitherto subservient caste groups in the post Mandal period is the only reason for caste assertion; we would be overlooking the wider reality in the country. The rein of Indian politics, with few exceptions, has always been in the hands of the upper caste sections and the other caste groups basically were playing a subservient role. The emergence of political forces centred on casts, particularly lower castes helped boost their self respect and increase in self confidence. This has ensured their active participation in the democratic process and setting pace for a new social engineering. However lack of proper socio-economic perspective and without practicing inner democratic processes within the organization these organizations are becoming fiefdoms of its leadership and their families posing questions on its future relevance and importance.

All major political parties in the country including those who boost of their secular credentials conveniently use religions and castes for their electoral prospects. Candidates are chosen not on merit on the basis of their track record of social service or social commitment but on the basis of religious/caste credentials conforming to the dominant groups in the given constituency. Political leadership and their candidates are seen running after the religious and caste leaders praying for their blessings in order to ensure the votes of their followers. This unwarranted mixing of politics with religion and caste embolden the religious and caste leaders to extract benefits when those political parties come into power with their support. It also ensures that the feudalistic character of the society remain intact insulated from attempts of reform from within the community or from outside. The government machinery will ensure not to intervene even when it violates individual freedom enshrined in the constitution.

There are hundreds of casts and sub-casts within Hinduism and they all practice different caste and religious customs. However, each of such groups if allowed to run parallel judicial and governing systems according to their customs and choice, it would lead to chaos in the country. It is nobody’s problem if a member of the community abides by the rules set by the Khap panchayat in her/his marriage. But it definitely becomes a problem when two individuals decides to marry each other and being forcefully prevented or even get killed and their families ostracized in case they go ahead with their decision to marry. Here it is the duty of the government establishment to ensure the safety of the targeted people. However, the government fail to fulfill their constitutional obligations for the fear of risking the ire of such strong caste groups. And this politics of convenience is the major reason for most of the social evils still prevailing in the country. Political parties also have a responsibility to act as a reformist force to take the society forward. On the contrary in India it is the major political parties in fact helping the communities to remain enchained to the past, feudalistic retrograde values. Hence we still discuss the Khap panchat even in the age of 21st Century.

                                                                                                                      ----Hansan

CLEANSING OF THE POOR

By the time the Common Wealth Games begins, Delhi would have a totally changed look. It would have further widened roads with beautifully designed tiled foot paths. There are new fly-overs under construction at various points to make the flow of traffic uninterrupted. New well laid out parks would add to the city’s beauty. The metro rail net work will cover most part of the city including an express way corridor connecting Airport. The sleek low floor A/C and Non A/C buses would provide a new look to the road traffic. The makeover is aimed to make the city a world class one. Going by the preparations, it is sure; Delhi would soon become a world class city. Enormous amount of money has been pumped in by the government. Lion’s part of the annual budget has been earmarked for the preparations of the games in Delhi. However there are apprehensions who will inherit the world class city once the games are over. Who will be allowed to live in this world class city, rather, who can afford to live in Delhi?

Delhi is already the metropolitan city where cost of living is at the highest in the country. The escalating prices of essential commodities, especially of food items, made the life miserable even for the middle class sections. Though price hike is felt across the country, delihiites suffer more than the people in any other state, as there is no proper mechanism evolved by the government to intervene in the market or to effectively check hoarding etc. For example, in Kerala, the southernmost State of India, Tur Dal was selling at Rs.35-00 while at the same period the price of the same product was between Rs.90-00 to Rs.100-00 in Delhi. Kerala is a food deficit state and totally depends on other states for its procurement of food commodities. The State Government could arrest the spiraling prices to certain extent by ensuring distribution of pulses and cereals through Public Distribution System. However, instead of taking steps to curb price hike, the Delhi government in its last Budget increased tax on almost everything. The VAT was increased from 12.5% to 20% that would further increase the prices of all commodities in the city. Subsidy on the Gas cylinder was withdrawn and CNG was brought under VAT, that was excluded previously. The ticket charges of DTC were increased by 50% and Delhi Metro too substantially increased their charges. The government justifies the additional levies on the requirement of funds towards infrastructure development for the forthcoming Common Wealth Games. A game at the expense of the life of common people!

Now the government is talking about increasing the tariff of electricity keeping in abeyance the suggestion of the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission to slash the tariff in view of the surplus profit the private distribution companies made after the privatization of power sector in the State. But the State Government stand is dubious, as it only helps the private profiteers. Any elected government’s primordial duty is to protect the interest of the people who elected them to power. The Chief Minister declared that the people of Delhi are rich enough to pay any increase in the power tariff. The message is clear, she dreams of a World Class City inhabited by world class people, the wealthy who can afford its high living costs, cleansed off the poor.

The Chief Minister and the former Mayor of Delhi made public their displeasure on the increasing number of migrants in the city that they rued for the worsening civic conditions. These political leaders forget that migration from the poor rural areas is a creation of themselves. A result of the uneven development pattern, where some pockets are pampered while neglecting other areas. This has undoubtedly created unrest among sections and vested interests try to exploit the situation to their narrow political interests. Raj Thackray’s MNS and Shiv Sena built their political fiefdom raising tirade against the migrants. If the target was the South Indians in the 60s, it is now the migrants from Bihar and UP in Mumbai. However, owing to political compulsions, Shiela Dixit or national political parties like Congress and BJP cannot take an open stand as the MNS or Shiv Sena. But there are more novel ideas to chase away the poor, particularly the migrant labourers.

Migrants are the worst affected by the high living costs as they are lowest paid and without a dwelling place of their own. The rents of the houses are also subjected to periodical upward hike. Going by the current rate of increase in the cost of living in Delhi, it would soon become impossible for large sections of poor people to sustain, forcing them to return to the places they came from. Thus the ‘World Class City’ may be cleansed of the poor, leaving it exclusively for the use of the moneyed ‘World Class People’.

Hanson TK

Best defense is to Divert attention…

When a child cries for a particular thing and if that demand is not affordable, illogical or not practical according to the parents, what normally the parents do is to promise something else to divert attention from the kid, for the time being. Next day, the kid cries for the new thing offered and naturally forgets the first one he or she was asking for. This is an example how we divert attention in a family. Unfortunately, the same thing is witnessing in the case of our Ruling class also. When the burning issues are staying hot and puts the Government in a precarious situation, Government tries to raise or create a new issue, to divert the attention from the present problem. Many a cases the media in the country also play a pivotal role to help the government in this matter.

The ongoing issues in the Country is an apt example for this. As all of us are aware, the most relevant and important issue which has been evoking angry protests from the common man in the country is price hike. Since this UPA government has taken the reign, price rise has become a monster taking toll on the helpless poor mass. Most of the political parties and social organizations have been attacking the government on this issue and it is also a reality that the government is not yet able to do anything positively to tackle this issue apart from some hollow promises. The Public Distribution system is in total disarray. The food security is in great danger.

Addressing the press in Mumbai on April 25, 2009, Dr Manmohan Singh had promised that, if voted back to power, within 100 days he would roll out an action plan to revive the economy. I still fail to understand when did the 100 days begin and when were they likely to end? Under an economist PM, we have seen a spectre of zero or negative inflation while the prices of essential commodities went through the roof! Forget the common man; it even dumbfounded the students of economics.

Now, the Parliament session just concluded. Parliament for the past few sessions were in chaos on account of alarming price hike and its aftereffects. Many political parties held a number of demonstrations and strikes region-wise and nationwide. It did create reflection in parliament too though it didn’t produce any productive result.

But now, where is that issue gone? Government seemed to be relaxed that the issue got ignored or sidelined and of course the media did its role also nicely! Recently we witnessed hot debates, arguments on account of Telecom minister’s corruption scandal and Mumbai motormen strike. Couple of days before the issue was phone tapping. IPL controversy and BCCI role and the ministers’ involvement also did a major part to divert the attention. Of course don’t forget Mr Shashi Taroor’s controversy. Yea, entire country and the media celebrated these like a T20 game. Government and Media enjoy it and common man sits with their fingers crossed and with their stomach tightened. I am not saying the all these should not be discussed, but these discussions should not at the cost of forgetting or bypassing the real and prominent issues like price hike affecting the poor people of the country.

We can not ignore the role of media in the entire series of events. It is not an unknown truth that Indian media particularly the electronic media stands for the establishment and serves the promoters interest. We can also very easily understand what these media houses are up to. They have their own vested interest and operate like a money spinning shops. Whether it is right or only a wishful unrealistic thinking, people in the country expect some positive and pro-common attitude from the media, though history says it never happened. This country has a number of burning issues to be highlighted and addressed but unfortunately our media do not show the required interest. We never see any determined effort from the media highlighting the issues related to price hikes, drought which is the severest ever in the last decade affecting millions of poverty stricken farmers across the country. Of course, media is after the TRP rating, I understand. We are served with meaningless news-stories and unimportant issue in golden trays and we relish it, though we understand that it has nothing to do with our (the common man) interest.

To help the Government the media are busy to identify new sensational issues to divert the public attention from the core issues. We saw how media celebrated Ruchika, Nathari, Mattoo cases, and of course the terrorist attacks in Mumbai. We also know how the media took interest to report the nationwide protests against the price hike. It finds more importance to discuss issues which got no relevance to public interest like what Jinnah or Nehru did 60 years or any petty issues like that. I reiterate that, though it never happened in the case of visual media in the country, we wish the media be the torchbearer of revolutionary ideas and thoughts required for galvanizing public mood in bringing change in our society and country. But it gives more importance to the crap news of ‘’Rakhi Sawant ka Swayambar’’ than highlighting the issues of poverty, crime, unemployment, illiteracy, lack of food, deficiency of health facilities, corruption, price hike etc.

I believe that a rethinking on these issues should be done by all the people concerned. If we don’t see and respond against these anti poor policies of the Government with the help of the media and simply stand as a bystander, the History will blame you tomorrow. Don’t think that you are not affected and so why you should be worry. The issues creating difficulties for a section of people today, would definitely affect you too tomorrow; but remember when you scream then, nobody will be around to cry for you.

Sashi Kumar