In Tamil Nadu Congress went down with the titanic-sized dynasty - DMK

The people of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala voted sensibly teaching the politicians a lesson or two how not to govern. West Bengal was expected, Tamil Nadu gave goose bumps to many who could never imagine Tamilians demolishing the Kalaignar Fort in such humiliating way. Kerala got the real “Paribortan” since Independence or formation of both the fronts – United Democratic Front (UDF) led by Indian National Congress and Left Democratic Front (LDF) led by CPIM.

West Bengal was a vote against stagnation, Tamil Nadu, a vote against corrupt and autocratic dynastic rule. Kerala treaded cautiously not giving a comfortable majority to either fronts.

However, Congress is harping on their contribution in West Bengal hitchhiking Mamta’s TMC and the wafer-thin win of UDF in Kerala. As one TV anchor discovered the significance of No.13 in the career of Mamta Banerjee, who on 13^th May 2011 changed the destiny of a state after 34 years with or without the support of Congress. However, Congress claims that it contributed 8% votes.

In Tamil Nadu too, Congress went down with the titanic-sized dynasty – DMK. A commentator on TV summarized it beautifully - An old man on a wheelchair with two wives and three children, all ministers, arrived in the capital to negotiate with Sonia Gandhi, head of another dynasty. DMK has put to shame even the Gandhi family, which keeps low-profile and are not power-hungry. Tamilians too departed from their long-time submissiveness to the family and voted them out.

In West Bengal, it was Mamta’s victory and in Tamil Nadu, it was DMK’s defeat. Congress was just pillion-riding in both states without independent choices.

Technically Congress has won in three states – West Bengal, Kerala and Assam.  But, Assam is the only relief for both Congress and BJP, where both the parties can claim to have won something – Congress, a thumping majority and BJP, a few seats for solace. Otherwise, May 2011 would have been a dry month for BJP.

Zubair Ahmed in Ferry Musings. More Here

A mirror

When the Nazis came for the communists,

I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Naxalites,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a Naxal.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.

When students were left high and dry at the bus stop desperate to reach school for the exams, and the State Transport bus was not in sight, I was too busy to gauge their helplessness, because I had my bike to drop my kids at school.

When the electricity department shut down power without any intimation, I did not call to enquire about it, because I had installed a 2 KVA Inverter in my house.

When the prices of the essential commodities were hiked manifold, I did not bother about those daily wage earners, because I had a huge raise in my salary and perks with the implementation of 6^th Pay Commission.

When I heard the siren of an ambulance or a fire tender, I did not mind to switch off the TV and enquire about it, because my abode was safe and kids were all asleep in their cozy bed.

When the teachers in a government school in my neighborhood reached school late and left early, I was least worried, as my children were studying in a posh private school.

When the health sub centre remained closed for months for want of doctor and medicines, I did not intervene as I had my master health check-up at a private hospital.

Is that a colonial mindset or our selfishness…! 

Zubair Ahmed in his blog. More Here 

Need for moral education: Act before it is too late...!

With the entire hullabaloo about the question paper leak, serious issues have come to the fore. The whole issue has highlighted that our justice system works when a crime ends up at its door step. The problem was going on for years. Many dumb students have already proceeded to mainland for their higher studies with marks scored bending all rules and throwing all morals and ethics to the air. Whither justice? How can the system compensate all those diligent and sincere students who have spent sleepless nights preparing for the examinations? Just imagine about those students who for no sin of theirs have to reappear for the exams. The students who have been beneficiaries of the leakage might be cursing their parents now. But, they too were partners in crime. What kind of education are we giving our young ones? Do we ever wonder what kind of doctors and engineers are we producing? Will they be able to escape the rotten memories, which will stalk them throughout their lives? How can they perform their duties with a wronged conscience?

When a principal leaks the papers, he has already denigrated the whole education system. The names that are doing the rounds too raise serious concerns. Those affected by the scam are demanding high level enquiry. They are not satisfied with the arrest of the conspirators. Justice will be seen to have been done only when all the beneficiaries are booked. Justice demands that. Accountability is another casualty of the scam. No one is accountable until and unless caught and brought before the justice system. How can we entrust the future of our children in the hands of these custodians of education?

Such episodes remind us time and again that the moral fabric of the society has been torn apart. If we still harbor the wishful thought that only physics and chemistry is enough for building a civilized society, we are absolutely wrong.

There is a huge divide in our education system. Secular and religious educations are two ends of the spectrum. The secular lifestyle we have embraced for ourselves have already sidelined moral and ethical education as part of religious teachings, which has only secondary role in our lives. We get our secular education from schools headed by such principals and moral education from some TV channels like Aastha, Zee Salam and God TV and we switch our morals with the same frequency as we change channels. Earlier, a day of a child started with prayers, and now we can see huge queues in front of tuition centres in the wee hours. Parents pull them from the bed and do all the chores and dump them at different places for tuitions – a part of preparing them for the competition. In the long run, the same children dump their parents in old age homes, as they will be busy in the pursuit of material gains.

Parents amass wealth by hook and crook and everyone except the income tax department knows the sources very well. The ill-gotten wealth is then exhausted on the “education” of the children through ways that we have just witnessed now.

It’s time we straighten out our priorities. With a compulsion to score a little over 200 out of 200, precious time cannot be wasted on stories and their morals. And then there are these secular individuals who see danger in everything religious.  It’s a vicious circle and someone should put a cross-piece in the wheel before it is late. Justice and accountability needs to find a place in our scheme of things.

Zubair Ahmed in his blog. More Here.