When are we going to learn?

Starting from the disastrous earth quake followed by the Tsunami in South East Asia, the world was critically challenged by the nature’s wrath with heavy incessant rains in Mumbai, devastating series of hurricanes in United States, catastrophic earth quake in Pakistan and torrential rains in Tamilnadu. The loss of life and property due to these natural calamities are vast and shocking.

Though some scientists are pointing their fingers towards Global Warming for the drastic alterations in the nature, practically it is tough to control the nature’s cause. But the tragedy occurred during the saree distribution in Lucknow, heart breaking fire accident in Kumbakonam School, dreadful stampede in Vyasarpadi followed by a bloody stampede in MGR Nagar, Chennai could have been avoided if proper system is in place.

The stampede which killed 42 innocent people and left many injured in the MGR Nagar is the classic example of the complete collapse of administrative machinery in Tamilnadu. This tragedy occurred during the distribution of relief coupons for the affected people in the non stop rain in Chennai. This disaster happened even after the similar incident in the same kind of relief operation in Vyasarpadi.

It indicates that the officials and functionaries are so dump that they have not learned any lessons even after Vyasarpadi tragedy. The calamity occurred in the wee hours of the day, but the people started gathering in the venue from the previous night despite of heavy rain. If the crowd controlling was in good shape this tragedy could have been avoided and saved many precious lives.

The accusation of Government towards the spread of rumors and the notorious involvement of anti social elements are ridiculous and it is the clear indication of the failure of the administrative vehicle in the state. If the officials are blaming spread of rumors why didn’t the nip off the rumors in the bud? Why didn’t they smack down the anti social elements?

The Government accusing the gathering of people and the greed of the people is outrageous and condemnable. Even in the super power United States there was an evident of tussle and disarray in Wal Mart Thanks giving sale so it is absolutely shame on the part of administration to blame people for their lack of efficiency.

Why the government and administrative system was not in high alert and extra careful even after many grievous incidents? Why they are mediocre and clueless in handling these situations? Why the so called bright and smart IAS and IPS officers are so lackadaisical and lethargic to frame a systematic approach? Why don’t they deploy the ample police force to mitigate the risk of stampede?

It is miserable and pathetic to see the heartrending incidents of these kinds so often. When are we going put an end to the consequences of carelessness and negligence? When are we going to learn the importance of the valuable and precious human life?

Achievements of Dravidian Movements

There are quite a few numb, eccentric, jerk, bum, goof-off and jokester persons like Cho and Subramaniyam Swamy are always blabbering about the failures of Dravidian movements for any damn thing and blame the Dravidian parties even if the north east monsoon fails in Tamilnadu.

Some section of media and intelligentsia never flunked to utilize any opportunity to write, talk and float the idea of bringing in the alternatives to Dravidian parties in Tamilnadu politics and accuse the Dravidian parties as if they dug and buried the fortunes of Tamilnadu. This mania intrudes into the minds of section of educated backward caste people joining in the very same queue who are all got the social acceptance only because of Dravidian movements.

Apparently there exists a flattened feeling in the society that what the Dravidian movements achieved except the anti God and even after the vigorous anti God propaganda have they rationalized the whole state?

There should be qualitative analysis instead of the quantitative analysis when evaluating the anti-God movement which brought the renaissance in the state. The religious faith or spirituality is always spread in the society with the attached fear components like Karma, previous birth, fate etc which eventually dampened the human brain to think and question.

This movement opened the doors of questioning and reasoning and enabled the people to use their rationale faculty even for their religious fervors. Though the movement has not completely eliminated the religious faith from the people, but it has totally wiped off the fear factors associated with it. Religious institutions of any kind cannot exploit or fool the people as easily as they did before the movement started here. This is knowledge revolution and the battle was fought in human minds with the intellectual armory.

The knowledge of Sanskrit was essential to enter into any professional college in Madras province which deeply hampers the students from oppressed section to become Doctors and Engineers. The Justice Party after regaining the power felt this criterion was ridiculous and removed this eligibility which carved the path for the downtrodden students to enter into professional colleges.

This academic year medical college admissions witnessed the BC, MBC and SC students got the larger chunk of open competition seats. This noteworthy achievement has been made possible because of the radical change done 60-70 years back. Tamilnadu is the only state which has the larger pool of Doctors, Engineers and Lawyers from oppressed section then the other states in India and in some states still the professional courses are eternal to the same section.

Periyar's contribution to the success of the Vaikom Satyagraha is outstanding. It was the first notable social struggle on a large scale in India. Justice party implemented Government Orders giving reservation in education and job opportunities, passed the Hindu Religious Endowment and Charitable Trusts Act to regulate the management of the secular activities of religious places, abolished by law the system of Devadasi (divine prostitute), threw open all public places - schools, roads, tanks etc. - to the depressed classes, refused to issue or renew licenses to the bus companies that refused to carry `untouchables'.

Dravidian parties scrupulously adopt the necessary measures, including constitutional amendments, to promote and safeguard the policy of reservation meant for the advancement and adequate representation of the socially and educationally backward classes. They encourage the education of women, inter-caste marriages and widow marriages, and have lawfully provided for an equal share for women in the property of the parents. The governments formed by the Dravidian parties did not lag behind others in bringing about economic development and implementing welfare and socialist measures.

As Tamil soil is cultivated by great Dravidian leaders for a long time and the essence of the movement is deeply penetrated in to the people minds, the state always remains as a decorated example of secularism and escorts the true meaning of secular credentials. Most of the states in the country were in turmoil after heinous demolition of Babri masjid, but Tamilnadu remained calm because of the secular seeds sowed in by its leaders which never allowed any communal violence to go out of proportion.

All possible painstaking efforts taken by the communal parties like BJP to have a stronghold here went vain and unproductive because of the strong roots of this movement. Even during the recent Sankaracharya arrest, the state hadn’t exhibited any religious fanaticism in fact it celebrated it by firing crackers and reinstated that it is the birth place of Thandhai Periyar and Aringer Anna.

Dravidian movement is the pioneer in launching the struggle against social injustice and stood as a role model for the whole nation to fight for social justice. Ms.Mayawati celebrated Periyar mela in a grand way in Uttar Pradesh is the evidence that this movement inspired the rise of backward community leaders in northern India.

Wherever men claim equality and whenever all human beings seek equal rights, the spirit of the Dravidian movement will live there. In their struggle to gain human rights and dignity, and to safeguard cultural identity and linguistic equality, to eliminate caste discrimination and uphold social justice, the leaders, cadres and members of the Dravidian movement have undergone sufferings, incurred losses and made sacrifices that are monumental and memorable.

P.S: Dravidian Movement includes the Justice party, Self Respect Movement, Dravidar Kazhakam, Political parties branched out from Dravidar Kazhakam and the Congress rule under Mr.K.Kamaraj

Great men think alike

Compare the living status of an agriculturist and a peasant with that of the merchants living in the towns and enjoying good facilities. A rural area should be provided with urban amenities such as school, hospital, park, theatre, library, radio, good transport facilities, bus stand, police station, stationery and departmental stores etc.,

-Thanthai Periyar
(Source: Extract from the address delivered by Thanthai Periyar at the Annual Day Celebration of the Village Officers Training Institute at Erode on 31-10-1944)


Physical connectivity by providing roads, electronic connectivity by providing reliable communication network and knowledge connectivity by establishing professional institutions and vocational training centres will have to be done in an integrated way so that economic connectivity will emanate. The PURA has to be a business proposition economically viable and managed by entrepreneurs and small scale industrialist, as it involve education, health, power generation, transport and management. The PURA scheme makes clusters of villages developed, in addition to maintaining rural beauty.

-Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam
( Source: Extract from the address at the dedication ceremony of JSS academy of Technical Education Complex, Noida, August 01, 2003)

P. S: This is published in “The Modern Rationalist“.

Uma Bharati’s Episode

The disarray, confusion, embarrassment and rough-and-tumble politics persisting in Bharathiya Janatha Party in the last 18 months after they got knocked out from power by people’s mandate is absurd and ludicrous. The recent happenings have pulverized the ostensible image of the party which is known for discipline and ideology.

The parliament election defeat shattered the BJP in a bigger way that they deviated from the role of playing the responsible opposition and they could not able to keep their internal affairs intact. BJP had the tough time to calm down the rough weather created by its president Mr.Advani about his secular statements in his Pakistan tour.

Ms.Uma Bharati has become a pain in the ass for the central leadership and a demon that is terrifying the old fellow’s sleeps. It is inscrutable to understand the politics involved in the exclusion and inclusion of Ms.Uma in the party in the last one year. The suspension of Ms.Uma from the party is only because of her unrestraint statements or is she victimized by the party leaders?

Though there is hypocrisy, betrayal and partiality involved in the suspension of Ms.Uma from the party, she deserves these kinds of punishments for attitude and behavior. BJP has utilized her cult image for the state election victory of Madhya Pradesh and thrown her to the dust bin once it attained the victory. She was omitted from the party after her fierce campaign and rhetoric’s in recent Bihar election.

Her firebrand hindutuva activities and aggressive participation in Ayothya movement have so far not come for her rescue. She is insisting that she is always standing for the ideals of the party, but her desire to occupy the chief minister seat, which she deserved, is always on her top list. She calls herself as Sanyasi, but her lust to be at the helm of power never sunk.

Her disgusting political stunts along with Ms.Sushma Swaraj in the wake of Ms.Sonia Gandhi becoming the Prime Minister of India to get the blessings of RSS got hammered after Soniaji showed her utter selflessness which is totally unknown to persons like Uma and Sushma. Her resignation from the Chief Minister ship after the summons from Karnataka court in Tiranga case and the yatra she launched after that clearly indicates that she digged her own grave.

Her suspension is on the disciplinary grounds; her questions of discipline against other leaders are looks tangible. She cited Advani offering to step down in the wake of the Jinnah controversy, Mahajan's critical article on Gujarat riots in 'BJP Today', Arun Jaitley fighting cases against Gujarat and Rajasthan Governments for "big fees" and Sushma Swaraj's charges against party leaders after her Government's defeat in Delhi as acts of "indiscipline".

Though the reason being obvious why Uma doesn’t seem to realize the problems she is facing in the party which Sushma’s, Jaitley’s and Mahajan’s are not. At least at this moment she should understand the true colour of BJP and leave her love towards hindutuva politics, Ayodya and Ram temple.