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.