A YOUNG BURQA CLAD HOMEMAKER'S STRUGGLE

V JAZEERA ,31, on her visit to her maternal village in Kannur district for her delivery ,was shocked to find the irreversible damage caused to the  inland beach by sand smugglers. The shoreline of the one-km beach where she played on her younger days is badly eroded due to the mindless sand mining. It was in 2010. The young homemaker resolved to protect whatever is left of her beach . She, along with her two daughters (12 and 10) and toddler son  started a peaceful sit-in protest at the nearby police station for 9 days in June 2012. The assurance of the police and The local Tahsildar had no meaning. So in July the protest was shifted to the office of the District Collector ,who installed a police  post .But the sand smugglers continued to take sand . Finally on July 24 she and her children started theist sit-in protest at the capital of Kerala before the state secretariat,and on August 2 the Chief Minister met her ,and assured action. But she knows that her struggle will have to continue till her beach is saved. Officials and police are hand in glove with the sand smugglers. For instance , during her protest she was threatened with action on the ground that she was exposing her toddler son to health hazards.

From Kanyakumari to the Himalayas, coast lines , rivers ,backwaters , and forests are ravaged by mafia in collusion with politicians , officials , and police . Mineral wealth is ruthlessly looted. Kerala, known as God's Own Country , has lost substantial forest cover ; many parts of the state face water shortage during summer in a state where water was once in abundance ; the rice-rich state faces the prospect of becoming rice-deficit ; quarrying of rocks is causing massive destruction of life and property during monsoons.

Many honest officials lost their precious lives in the discharge of their duty . Hundreds were hounded, suspended , transferred and , their families were destroyed .Jazeera faces serious threat to the safety of her family. In her struggle, she has the support of her husband , a Madrassa teacher. Says Jazeera ,
               " THEY CAN KILL ME ,THEY CAN DESTROY MY FAMILY,
                  BUT THEY CAN NEVER DEFEAT ME.."
India needs its citizens to stimulate Young Jazeera. It is not probable. But such a possibility alone can eliminate Corruption and Protect our Environment and Natural Resources.

INDIA'S STEEL FRAME : BROKEN AND RUSTED

Impressed by the British system of governance,  the constitution makers preferred  All India Administrative ,Police ,Foreign ,and  Allied Services to give advise to the political leadership on clean and administration, to implement policies and programmes efficiently, and to ensure that the Indian nationhood remains a reality through the constitutionally protected Steel Frame of civil and police service. In the early years, the committed political leadership at the Centre and in the states maintained a dignified relationship with the civil servants and police officers of the All India Services,selected through a rigorous countrywide selection process based purely on merit.

With the passing years, the quality of political leadership began to change, and criminalisation of politics has been taking place at a fast pace. Young recruits to the IAS, IPS and other services, who joined with high motivation , had either to compromise with the corrupt Ministers and leaders or to face punishment by way of frequent transfers,suspensions,and even elimination through organised murders. Many preferred to quit the prestigious services, and take up socially relevant service, advocacy, and political activism like Arvind  Kejrival  of Aam Admi Party. Corruption and bribe in securing even a birth certificate or getting the dead a decent burial, not to mention the mind-boggling scams involving Ministers, Civil servants ,and Business houses. Sand and quarry mafia, and other high profile mafia depleting iron,and other mineral wealth like the Bellary Kings who were Ministers in Karnataka , virtually control the reins of state governments. Upright officers are to be removed for the sake of their prosperity : Suspension of Durga Sakthi in Uttar Pradesh, attempt to kill  an officer using  sand trailer in Himachal Pradesh , and transfer of Thoothukudi Dictrict Collector in Tamilnadu are examples that took place within the past month.

The governance pattern  once preferred by the great Constitution makers of our Country has been effectively broken by the political parties of all shades. At the same time many officers compromised  with the corrupt system either due to pressures or because of choice for comfort. Mounting corruption  and disastrous depletion of natural resources  have become a serious threat to the environment and the lives of millions of Indians. Getting the system back to the clean days of the 1950s and 1960s is impossible.Highly frustrating.

POOR INCREASE IN NUMBER AND PERCENTAGE,BUT POVERTY RATE DECLINES

Is it magic ? YES, a magic with Statistics. The Planning Commission, a national Agency with No reality orientation, is adept at Statistical jugglery and data fudging , and it has come out with the startling poverty reduction figure of 21.9 % which even the govt of India is unable to digest. The govt sources admit that the number and proportion of people living in poverty are far higher. Spending below Rs 27.2 in rural areas and Rs 33.3 in urban areas will mean Below Poverty Line ( BPL) according to our insensitive Planning Commission.

Poverty is a great political weapon for political parties. It is doubtful whether the politicians can survive without poverty . Overzealous Congressmen went all out to defend the new poverty decline data. Raj Babbar ,actor ,asserted that 12 rupees are adequate in Mumbai or Delhi for sumptuous meals. He then retracted his words.Another Congress leader said that with 5 rupees one get a decent meal at Mumbai. Marie Antoinett, the French Queen during the latter half of 18th century, has many followers among our politicians. She asked the starved poor: Let them eat cake ". Our leaders' comments are worse than that of the French Queen. Once elected our politicians lead an opulent life and remain out of sync with those who elected them. Even a Village Panchayat council   member builds a beautiful house and drives a costly car. Our politicians are sure that they can manipulate the poor endlessly because GUILLOTINE is not available for the poor.


THE POOR WILL ALWAYS BE  WITH US .OTHERWISE "GOD " WILL CREATE THE POOR FOR THE POLITICAL CLASS. 

INDIAN REPUBLIC OF BRIBES

WE THE PEOPLE of India gave ourselves a Republican Constitution in 1950. The Constitution  made provisions for public servants for our well-being. The large body of public servants has become our nemesis.These "servants" demand "service charge" for doing their duty. IF WE DO NOT PAY THEY MAKE OUR LIVES MISERABLE.

There are two types of bribes or service charges :Wholesale and Retail. 2G, Coalgate, Railgate, etc etc are astronomical whole sale BRIBES.High profile politicians, corporate tycoons, and   big Babus  are the architects of these.But the AAM ADMI (COMMON PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND I  ) have to pay RETAIL BRIBES OR FACILITATION FEES for everything from birth certificate to death certificate. Even after death bribe is to be paid at the burial spot by the relatives. What a great country is ours ?

India Today of July 22 had an article titled BRIBE REPUBLIC. Swathi and husband Ramesh Ramanathan returned to India from Berkely, USA, with grand dreams to be shattered. A blessing in disguise for the country.They promoted Janagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy at Bangalore.Its website I PAID A BRIBE is a great platform for all Indians to share their experiences in STRICT PRIVACY. From its data it is revealed that urban Indians bribed "public servants" Rs 6.3 lakh crores in one year (Minimum Estimate ).Imagine the likely figure if we can get data from the rural ares.Where is our country going.It is the duty of every Indian to protest to protect our children from this disastrous menace.LET US JOIN HANDS.

POLITICIANS NONE : JUDGES SOME

A well-behaved student , Pon Navarasu , joined the medical college at Annamalai University , and his tragic end was at the hands of John David after ragging .It was in 1996 at the hostel . John chopped off the body of Navarasu into parts and disposed them off in different places. The gruesome cruelty shocked the families , the University , and the people of Tamilnadu. The trial court convicted John and sentenced him to double life imprisonment. In 2001, a division  bench of the Madras High Court acquitted John. The judgement shook the conscience of the nation. But the Supreme Court overturned the order of the Division Bench. The lawyers at the bar conferred on the Division Bench head the sobriquet Acqittal Judge. BCCI thought it wise to include him in the IPL enquiry panel may be on the hope that the panel would exonerate him and his son-in-law . When more than a billion fans were outraged against BCCI President who refuses to quit , politicians of all parties played safe. The PM gave a sermon not to mix sports and politics. His Govt has all the powers to supercede the BCCI in the national interest .But he will not do.

A MASSIVE SCAM IN THE GENTLEMAN'S GAME IN INDIA

Cricket is not a game in India. It is a religion : a secular religion followed by a billion-plus. Sachin Tendulkar is the God of  Cricket. It is true one hundred percent: a model of Professional excellence and Personal probity. A national icon : Perfect and Pure.

In contrast we have a Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) which in fact is a BAND OF CORRUPT AND COVERING -UP INDIVIDUALS : a group of opportunistic politicians , business honchos and other assorted personalities .  They are together for the lust of power and not for the love of cricket.

May 16 , three cricketers were arrested by Delhi Police for Spot-fixing. It was news waiting  to be exposed. Then Mumbai Police entered the scene and startling revelations started pouring in. Gurunath Meiyappan, son-in-law of BCCI Chief N Srinivasan-- CEO and Principal of Chennai Super Kings-- was arrested. With that many shocking information has come in the public domain .IPL is a great cocktail of  spot-fixing, match-fixing, passing insider information, betting,  Bollywood, underworld, money-laundering, sleaze ,and  mafia of all shady characters. N Srinivasan's office did a " smart " operation by changing the twitter profile of Son-in-law to give an impression that Gurunath has no official role in CSK team . Thank God  Twitter has limitations, otherwise son-in-law would have been made NONE-IN-LAW.

Despite all the criticisms against N Srinivasan's continuation as President of BCCI on grounds of  morality, ethics and public accountability, he refuses to quit. It is doubtful whether the enquiry commission of BCCI will be objective and fair. Millions of Indians are starving and yet our political parties have not united to get the Food Security Bill enacted in the Parliament. But Congress , BJP, NCP,National Conference, etc are hand in glove to keep the corrupt BCCI coterie in good shape. Millions of fans pour in billions of money , and this financial clout has made the BCCI bosses blind towards the feelings of the gullible fans who believe that the thrilling " last ball " wins and losses are real.

CRICKET ,CORRUPTION AND COVERING-UP

Cricket is not a game in India. It is a vibrant religion, secular in practice. Sachin Tendulkar is rightly the GOD of Indian Cricket. He deserves the honour--an icon and an unblemished personality. Such a person is born once in centuries.

A billion-plus population pours billions of rupees to the controlling authority called the Board of Control of  Cricket in India (BCCI). Controlled by unprincipled politicians belonging to different parties and powerful business men , BCCI  has virtually become a Band of Corrupt and Covering -up Individuals.The International Cricket Council ( ICC ) is a weak body which kneels before the might of the cash-rich BCCI.

A mercurial cricketer Sree Santh and two colleagues were arrested by Delhi Police for spot-fixing Indian Premier League matches.The news became sensational though the three are minor actors. Then the Mumbai Police entered the scene. It started exposing the deadly cocktail of Betting Mafia, Team Owners, Bollywood, Underworld, Intermediaries,Matchfixing/spot fixing, Sleaze, Honeytrap, and Money- laundering. The Chennai Super Kings, the team of  India Cements , and its CEO& Principal Gurunath Meiyappan,who was arrested, made headlines