The most unjust legal system

I never realised how cruel the Indian legal system was. Two events then happened that changed my mind forever. I owe a lot to the TV channels for opening my eyes. Here were two men sentenced to jail. One for being in possession of illegal weapons like AK56(athu oru bayangaramana machine gun). And the other for killing a state protected endangered Chinkara and Black Buck. The former, on whom a 1.5 billion rupees industry depends upon, had to pay a hefty fine of Rs 25000. Poor Sanjay, can't imagine how he managed to save that large an amount from the paltry sum he gets for being the prime man in a 1.5 billion rupees industry. The media quite rightly kept harping on the billion rupees figure. After all in a capitalist democracy a person's worth depends on his/her wealth.

And Salman, poor fella was treacherously misled into thinking that shooting "voiceless" Black bucks was good sport. After all unlike the guys on the platform whom he drove over earlier, the Chinkaras and Black bucks wouldn't drag him to court. The bloody Chinkaras and Black bucks played foul. How was he to know that there were thinks in the world called endangered species, people like Belinda Wright, organisations like WPSI and laws against poaching. Poor Salman.

The perusu's of our land can go on and on about freedom fighters and kalapani and murky cells in Andaman. But can all those people's suffering compare with the sufferings (mental and physical) of these two men. How many times did Sanjay have to appear in court. Has anyone in India suffered as much as this man. Tell me what should poor Salman do...he is fined for driving over sleeping people, he is not allowed to kill black bucks and chinkaras, he is not allowed to call up on women and pain them. God forbid, he may be soon asked to start wearing shirts. Are we living in a fascist country? And think of the families. These two had sisters to look after. And worse still they had parents too. And as Sanjay pointed out, they are the lone "bread winners" of the family. Surely no one else in the country has so many issues to deal with.

It is yet again to the media's credit that it has been holding the spotlight on the inhuman sufferings of these entertainers, provoking some wonderful response from the chagrined public. One need just look at how the people of the nation have reacted to the state atrocities. I myself have been thinking of sending messages like these to people concerned. "Release Sanjay immediately. Is it Sanjay's fault that he possessed illegal weapons. If a poor man can flaunt a Bazooka on Screen, why can't he have a AK56 in his house. Throw the stupid communists out of the country?" "If Salmaan can't kill Chinkara Maan for fun...What the ***k maan?" What we need today are more such messages and letters, condemning such inhuman, soul wrecking injustice. We after all live in a civilised society.

1..2..3..CHO

“Communists are opportunists” declares Cho, in his Vikatan interview, summarising his view on how the left have reacted to the nuclear deal. He cites the Left’s stand (or absence of it) on Chinese aggression in the North East as the justification for his comment. But surprisingly he spares the BJP of the adjective. In fact to a general question on opposition to the deal, he does not even mention the principal opposition party which is opposing the deal just like the Left. Actually coming from Cho, that is not surprising. For Cho, and others who think like him, BJP’s opposition to the nuclear deal is not opportunistic. That the BJP, had it been the ruling party, would have most likely gone ahead with the deal does not enter into the minds of these Left bashers. For these enlightened people, if Left opposes something on an ideological basis(hypocritical or not), it is opportunism. If the Right does the same, it is because the poor things are forced to do it because of political compulsion. What can the hypocrisy be in that!!!!!

Actually this sort of attitude tells a lot more about the sort of people we are. Take a stand on the basis of a belief or ideology and you will be hated. Take a stand when it suits you and dump it when it doesn’t and you can escape with just a tap on the wrist. You might even be voted to power next time. Ideologies are vulgar and hypocrisy is noble. How much more Victorian can we be?

Courtesy Blog

What's a poosra in cricket terminology?
That is the doosra which guys like Marlon Samuels and Shahid Afridi bowl or rather pelt. Hence poosra -----Courtesy the "commie" Rum Shop CarribeanCricket.com

Interestingly the Rum Shop forum on Carribean Cricket is just like TFM forum. And by definition forums can be this way only.---Courtesy mutRupuLLi.

Forum'la satham pesaravanoda pechu thaan edupaduthu. anga nesam sethhu poguthu.---Courtesy the late Maaya Thevar

EKSI :( --- Courtesy soonapaana

Magsaysay for Sainath

I have met "educated" and "knowledgeable" people who think that 95% of Indians can and do broswe internet regularly. There are others who think that Indians embrace inter-caste and inter-religion marriages the way Reaganites embraced terrorism, the state variety ie. And still others believe that Indian is SHINING. It is in the face of such ignorance that P.Sainath's continuing work becomes profoundly important. People like Sainath and Gurumurthy are probably the last information link between the urban "educated" class and the poor rural Indian. Sainath, an absolutely deserving receipient of the Ramon Magsaysay award.