Are all of us equals.....!

Probably the last post to scribe on 2012, yet again on a cynical note only. It's with regards to the public distribution system of food grains through ration shops in Kerala. The current Congress government has promised to distribute rice a kg at Re.1 to the masses. To an extent, it getting practiced also, but why I am cynical is that some undercover acts are happening in PDS of rice, as the grains gave through ration shops at places where financial weak/deprived section says they are distributed with degraded quality rice grains infested with insects, mud and stones, whereas through the same PDS, good quality rice grains are distributed in areas where financially more stable people stay. Why this discrimination……based on social strata….unable to understand. The problem I see here is not with the Government not procuring enough good quality rice grains for distribution to its entire mass, but I am very much skeptical of the fact that a major share of these rice grains ready for distribution is floated through an alternate channel which includes bureaucrats  & middlemen and they siphon it off  for commercial purposes and thus make money from these subsidized product, on the contrary, the poor masses are supplied with devalued product who does not have the right for their “ Voice Up”. This is with regards to the expose on the subject at Idukki District in Kerala. If the deprived class ask the concerned ration shops…. “why this rice for us, then the reply is if you want to have, take this, otherwise not even this “……..When we will our so called educated society start to accept poor/deprived class as humans…..food for thought as we step into 2013.

Rotten red tapism.....the root cause of systemic system failures.....!

Do you recollect what happened on 1^st Feb 2011, Soumya, a 23-year-old girl after work on her way home had to undergo the same trauma in a local train and was killed by the brutal defendant Govindachami, who in the court of law was found guilty and court-imposed death penalty considering the case as the rarest of the rare through a fast track court procedure due to public outrage in the state of Kerala then. Now it's nearing 2 years, what's the scenario now……did anything changed….? I would say a blunt & blatant “NO”. Now Govindachami is in jail, in good health, no date declared when death the penalty will be carried out, sometimes even I see the victim file a clemency petition to our honorable president for moderate punishment……….sometimes he may even get away with that……that’s our great democracy all about. Now the second part…….then Indian Railways said, all ladies compartment will be shifted to the middle rather than to be attached as the last wagon and all the ladies compartment will be deployed with railway guards & railway police to ensure safety and protection to women. I was shocked to see a report in the media today, that the same local train now travels with ladies compartment as the last wagon and there is no guards nor police to ensure safety. Mind you, on public outrage after the incident, it was practiced for a couple of months by the railways and then withdrawn. Now sooner or later we will see another Govindachami in the making, as the system always fails to uphold the fundamental rights of its citizens in the highest esteem.

Its a real shame......!!!

Today I sat to write a post with the utmost grief , to hear very morning that the Delhi brave girl is no more. Suddenly it’s a vacuum created and felt I lost someone very close to me. Today, it's black Saturday and I deeply mourn. May the departed soul rest in peace and my deepest condolences to the grieving family. In my view …..we as a society have two problems……mainly it’s about the mindset. India as a whole falls under the patriarchal system and I also fall subject to that. When I was born, brought up and lived till date…….It's always taught to us like a father to take care of his daughter, brother to take care of his sister, boys as friends to take care of girls as friends, husband to take care of his wife, son to take care of his aged mother……etc. All today's men take birth from mothers womb, then how can they go showing disrespect to women at any stage of their life. As a man who stands within the patriarchal system, even though obliged to undergo all the duties mentioned above, when it comes to atrocities on women he stands stranded and looks weak & clueless. We ought to take care of our mothers, sisters, wives, daughters. Have we devalued ourselves as a society that is looked upon as the byproduct of a patriarchal system where we are unable to respect women and at the same time equally uncomfortable to buy the larger diaspora of gender equality?

Atrocities on women, a never ending story.......are we uncomfortable when we talk on Gender equality?

Equally disturbed to see a changing face of the most acknowledged democracy of the world and its complexities to take care of its citizens, truly disheartening. You and Me and likewise many million citizens are standing helpless. Powerhouses like bureaucrats, administrators, politicians...all make a mockery of themselves and they behave not in sync with the nation's pulse/outrage and are highly insensitive.

Being Indian, I am angry with the corruption happening across all levels, atrocities against women (no gender equality – we only preach), scams coming out in a relay one after the other(thanks to the media, otherwise as citizens, we never know  and all these scam people rule as demigods in our minds,), judiciary & political system fails to punish and alienate the influential and powerful scammers, as days progress people losing faith in the system, citizens stand stranded with no hope for justice, the future looks bleak.

Rape/ Atrocities on women, statistics say one in every 20 minutes in India, if I am told right, starts from domestic to public. Mainly due to alcoholism, drugs & certain % of criminal minds. Otherwise, no human will indulge in such heinous crimes with his conscious self. So I am asking the system drivers…….being Indian what have we done towards that to date?

Through media, I could see last Saturday & Sunday, the mob at India Gate, Jantar Mantar, Raising Hills in Delhi treated with water cannons and lathis. Its helpless citizens, no one to guide, control, or direct them, What else a disturbed community can do rather than getting to the road and express their anguish with placards. It's not for a revolution we are looking at, it's just for an amendment of the law, at the earliest so that citizens live in peace and harmony. Hooligans & miscreants, as usual, get into any mob and get into acts of vandalism to dilute the very motive behind such agitation which we should counteract with more courage.

Being Indian…..It's high time, politicians so-called nation drivers...sit, think, act & amend the law of the state in the parliament and lets have "zero tolerance law" for such heinous crimes. " If the victim suffers his/her entire life, then the law should ensure that the accused also is made to suffer his/her entire life"....as straight as that.

Being Indian…..Human rights people preach volumes on the rights which we need to give to the accused but totally ignores the human right values of the victim. Certain sarcastic people say/ask for compensation.......such human rights activists should be less heard. I am worried to see till date not much of human rights activists, women's commission &  social activists in the frame to raise their voice, are they too helpless like citizens without any powers vested in them to make a change.

Being Indian......my Prime Minister with a delayed national address on the 8th day from the gruesome incident date was not touchy to heart for the masses and especially his "theek hai " remark at the end of the address was truly insensitive to the national outrage. Does my PM does not regard “safety and protection for girls/women” have reached a national emergency? I feel political empathy lacks….

Being Indian…..I welcome the leader of Opposition asked for an extra session in the winter parliament to discuss the issue with an all-party meeting too (but sad to see that Government is not willing for that) and the ruling party to set up a fast track judicial commission on Delhi gang rape, but I am equally skeptical whether this will also take its own sweet time with no deadline date to table it on the parliament and get the law amended & passed with the stringent clause.

Being Indian….I am disturbed, how parents can sit at home composed, thinking about their child's safety once she steps out. Shame to have such weak law of the land with no time frame for justice and equally insensitive law bearers where citizens are deprived of their fundamental rights to live respectfully.

I heard Delhi CM, appeal to stay calm and have confidence in the system, she says it takes time, will make it fast, but cannot do anything overnight…as its a process. Being Indian….I understand….but then how much more time I need to wait. Why system was not put in place holistically for all the matter concerned for the last 65 years. Why?.... Why now?

Being Indian…..we ought to undergo the tragedy first, then be reactive, are we really incapable to be proactive……I think we are not, people at the helm of affairs needs to be proactive.