He walked away in style; his own style. Call it Yeddy style.
Yeddy is a survivor face of the fighter B S Yeddyurappa. Yeddy is a jester; Yeddyurappa the king.
When he took to street to tender his resignation, on Sunday, he was both: Yeddy and Yeddyurappa. He walked a walkable distance from the Race Course Road residence to the Rajbhavan flanked by a handful of ministers, MLAs, and MPs. That is Yeddyurappa. He managed to set his right foot in the governor’s office right before the start of raahukala at 4.30 pm (he checked out his watch thrice along the stretch). And that is Yeddy.
There was no streak of shyness, when he said he was waiting for the end of ashaada maasa to put in papers as he didn’t want to do a good or a bad thing in the supposedly inauspicious month. No remorse to keep the voters and his party high command on tenterhooks in the period. Don’t talk about administration. It’s a forgotten thing.
A farewell should be on a good note. But, you can’t help but to describe his tenure as the darkest period in Karnataka political history. Never before black magic made news as it hit headlines, when he was the chief minister. The government was not controlled by bureaucrats or politicians. Sorcerers, soothsayers, temple priests had taken over.
People got to know the temples, and the rituals they had never heard. The tendency people took it as entertainment value to start with grown into disgust. They did not laugh, when Yeddyurappa did a naked suryanamaskara on an amaavasya. A chief minister baring it all in a bid to save his chair is not a mere joke to laugh about.
His temple going was deception. He decieved himself by trying to believe the rituals would cleanse his wrong doings and ensure him power for ever. His frequenting to the religious places were surely not due to his religiousness. The greed and anxiety made him embracing superstition. Had he been a true religious, he would have never scripted the swearing farce at Dharmasthala.
He never concealed the brazenness, when it comes to caste feeling and nepotism. He was the first chief minister and the finance minister, who chose to feel proud after earmarking Rs. 12 crore to fund for Lingayat matts in the state budget. Lingayat is not just a caste or community he born in, but his political trump card. He was at his cool to justify gifting BDA sites to the family members as the same was done by his predecessors.
It is unfortunate that he became a synonym to corruption while his predecessors were bigger crooks. But, the way he exposed himself was beffitting.
He might be naïve to claim a Nobel for his efforts to curb iron ore export, but he can’t get the prize because the intention of his noble deed was indeed ignoble: kick the ladder after scaling the height. He wanted the Reddys out of his sight after they lent money and muscle gained out of despoiling Bellary.
He wanted a doctorate for his knowledge over state finances as he was so innocent to believe his budgets were such a innovation that no economist in the world can think of. Who else can imagine a separate budget for farmers on whose name a chief minister taken the oath? Innovation was that to create a make belief budget regardless of bankruptcy of the government. The populist schemes could never come out of the budget papers as there was no money left after the chief minister invested it on ‘operation lotus’ and by-elections resulted from it.
He deserved a doctorate as he was well versed with Adam Smith’s basic economic principles tweaked: economics is all about accumulation of created wealth. The kin accumulated it and grown wealthy. A sycophant had managed one for him by calling him one the greatest economists in the world. It was such a joke that it made even Yedyurappa blushed, who then requested people not to call him Doctor Yedyyurappa after an obscure foreign university bestowed it on him.
His critics think him he is a philistine. But, ask his muses. Don’t talk about Shobha Karandlaje, she is the significant other. Glam dolls getting plum posts, lady leaders presented with G-category sites are there to say he was never dull and dry. But, what about Maithra Devi’s mysterious demise? Can the world know the truth at least now?
The greatest change we noticed in Yeddyurappa after he came to power: he was a fire ball when in the opposition, and a cold blooded schemer when in the ruling. Which is among them is the real face?
Why, his spoken English is remarkably improved. A man, who was struggling to lisp a word, can now deliver a brief speech. You should have seen how he tackled a reporter, who interviewed him on NDTV amidst the crisis last week.
When profiling Bookanakere Siddaliangappa Yeddyurapppa as a departing chief minister, the RSS and Hindutva are not coming into mind. Not his strife as a lemon seller on bicycle to grow into a mass leader. Not his crusades he led for the farmers. Not his struggle to build the BJP from one-member party to the ruling party in Karnataka and to establish the first saffron government in South India.
Why no thanks for Him? Ask him for the reply and blame him for it.
Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future. We know Yeddyurappa is not a saint but a wily politician. He is fortunate to be a sinner because he still has a future. In politics, gone is never gone, and it is practical to look forward for Yeddyurappa's many more innings, not just a second one. But, can we expect him back after learning a lesson or two from the experience?
Nothing wrong in hoping. So, say good bye to Yeddy and welcome Yeddyurappa.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
Advani and Yeddy: a story of David and Goliath
Yeddyurappa has his own logic. The so called high command has no stock of magic.
If anyone in the BJP calls him corrupt, Yedyurappa calls him back the beneficiary of his corruption. And hence nobody in the party has right to ask him to step down. Even L K Advani, paragon of virtue, is not an exception.
At a point of time, Advani is believed to have said he would never step into the parliament if Yeddyurappa stays on. But, the chief minister has taken this as blackmail as the patriarch was a silent spectator all along, when the party luminaries accepting heavy suitcases from him with broad smile.
Why, he had come all the way from Delhi to bless him when Yeddyurappa came victorious to establish the first BJP government in South India. He applauded, when he took oath on the steps of Vidhanasoudha. He affectionately embraced him, when the new CM touched his feet amidst jubilation. He knew Yeddyurappa had accomplished the feet thanks to money and muscle power of the very illegal mining. He appreciated the innovation of stabilizing the government: ‘operation lotus’, knowing the mining children of a doting mother were behind it.
Now calling a thief a thief, and claiming his scalp is not in a good taste. It’s in violation of the gentleman agreement. This is where Yeddyurappa coming from, and its all about understanding and misunderstanding of a loot gang. Nothing to do with politics, while the issue of corruption is just a humbug.
If really corruption was an issue, there were many occasions to show Yeddyurappa door. It could have easily been done, when the governor sanctioned to prosecute him. It was a case of a single man, in power, indulging in corruption to help his kin to mint money unlike the Lokayukta report that puts him among thousand culprits. And what is the allegation? Accepting donation from a steel company, and selling a piece of land to another steel company. Just a mockery! It’s insult to Yeddyurappa and his political fraternity, who have capacity of committing greater frauds.
The high command that had thrown its weight behind its hero then, why is baying for his blood now? Then also the parliament session was a challenge for them, as it is the case now. While the BJP wanted to attack the UPA on 2G spectrum scam, the ruling coalition wanted to use Yeddyurappa case a shield. The valiant overtures of the leaders of the opposition in the parliamentary houses- Sushma Swaraj, and Arun Jaitley- calmed down incredibly after the CM’s mid-night visits.
In fact, there is nothing tough as they are projecting. UPA is caught in the web weaved by Anna Hazare and it is more than happy to seek opposition’s cooperation in Lokpal Bill, and ready to be silent on BJP’s corruption.
As someone in the BJP said it’s just a political process of change of guard in the state, and Yeddyurappa must obey the high command regardless of issues.
Fine enough. But, what is the means and timing you have chosen to effect the change of guard?
Yeddyurappa camp is seething with getting information that Advani pushed his son-like Santhosh Hegde to advance the submission of the report to 27 July, while the Lokayukta had his plans to give it on 1 Aug. Can you remember how the staff in Lokayukta was waiting for the copies of the report to come till last minute, on the day? How Hegde highlighted only the selective portions of the report, in the press conference, which were just repetition of the points leaked to media a couple of days ago? And how the political developments unfolded thereafter?
It can be termed as the failure of the BJP top leaders to handle one Yeddyurappa, or it can be viewed as impotency of the high command that is not so high in command. or it can be said cheap means of getting rid of a pary man. But, the greatest disappointment is Advani, such a tall leader.
Where did he tumble? Is he an odd man out in the team of election winners for whom the ‘principles’ an old fashioned word? Or he failed to differentiate ratha yaathra leadership from political leadership?
Had he picked up the real politicking after the Hindutva wave receded, he would have able to take the party along with him. He should have followed his senior collegue Atal Bihari Vajapayee, who had never forgotten the ‘Raajdharma’ being a leader. Or he should have emulated Sonia Gandhi, grown clever to be immune to the allegations when her party is immersed in corruption charges.
Had he done this, Yeddyurappa would have been stepped down even before the party high command announcing his ouster. There would have no pathetic scenes of senior leaders eating humble peas after their decision throw him out made known to public.
Remember how Ashok Chawan was sacked. Barack Obama took off to the US from Delhi at 8.45 am. The Congress announced his ouster at 8.50 am. And the resignation was in Sonia’s hands at 8.55 am.
High command is a Congress word, it won’t suit the BJP.
If anyone in the BJP calls him corrupt, Yedyurappa calls him back the beneficiary of his corruption. And hence nobody in the party has right to ask him to step down. Even L K Advani, paragon of virtue, is not an exception.
At a point of time, Advani is believed to have said he would never step into the parliament if Yeddyurappa stays on. But, the chief minister has taken this as blackmail as the patriarch was a silent spectator all along, when the party luminaries accepting heavy suitcases from him with broad smile.
Why, he had come all the way from Delhi to bless him when Yeddyurappa came victorious to establish the first BJP government in South India. He applauded, when he took oath on the steps of Vidhanasoudha. He affectionately embraced him, when the new CM touched his feet amidst jubilation. He knew Yeddyurappa had accomplished the feet thanks to money and muscle power of the very illegal mining. He appreciated the innovation of stabilizing the government: ‘operation lotus’, knowing the mining children of a doting mother were behind it.
Now calling a thief a thief, and claiming his scalp is not in a good taste. It’s in violation of the gentleman agreement. This is where Yeddyurappa coming from, and its all about understanding and misunderstanding of a loot gang. Nothing to do with politics, while the issue of corruption is just a humbug.
If really corruption was an issue, there were many occasions to show Yeddyurappa door. It could have easily been done, when the governor sanctioned to prosecute him. It was a case of a single man, in power, indulging in corruption to help his kin to mint money unlike the Lokayukta report that puts him among thousand culprits. And what is the allegation? Accepting donation from a steel company, and selling a piece of land to another steel company. Just a mockery! It’s insult to Yeddyurappa and his political fraternity, who have capacity of committing greater frauds.
The high command that had thrown its weight behind its hero then, why is baying for his blood now? Then also the parliament session was a challenge for them, as it is the case now. While the BJP wanted to attack the UPA on 2G spectrum scam, the ruling coalition wanted to use Yeddyurappa case a shield. The valiant overtures of the leaders of the opposition in the parliamentary houses- Sushma Swaraj, and Arun Jaitley- calmed down incredibly after the CM’s mid-night visits.
In fact, there is nothing tough as they are projecting. UPA is caught in the web weaved by Anna Hazare and it is more than happy to seek opposition’s cooperation in Lokpal Bill, and ready to be silent on BJP’s corruption.
As someone in the BJP said it’s just a political process of change of guard in the state, and Yeddyurappa must obey the high command regardless of issues.
Fine enough. But, what is the means and timing you have chosen to effect the change of guard?
Yeddyurappa camp is seething with getting information that Advani pushed his son-like Santhosh Hegde to advance the submission of the report to 27 July, while the Lokayukta had his plans to give it on 1 Aug. Can you remember how the staff in Lokayukta was waiting for the copies of the report to come till last minute, on the day? How Hegde highlighted only the selective portions of the report, in the press conference, which were just repetition of the points leaked to media a couple of days ago? And how the political developments unfolded thereafter?
It can be termed as the failure of the BJP top leaders to handle one Yeddyurappa, or it can be viewed as impotency of the high command that is not so high in command. or it can be said cheap means of getting rid of a pary man. But, the greatest disappointment is Advani, such a tall leader.
Where did he tumble? Is he an odd man out in the team of election winners for whom the ‘principles’ an old fashioned word? Or he failed to differentiate ratha yaathra leadership from political leadership?
Had he picked up the real politicking after the Hindutva wave receded, he would have able to take the party along with him. He should have followed his senior collegue Atal Bihari Vajapayee, who had never forgotten the ‘Raajdharma’ being a leader. Or he should have emulated Sonia Gandhi, grown clever to be immune to the allegations when her party is immersed in corruption charges.
Had he done this, Yeddyurappa would have been stepped down even before the party high command announcing his ouster. There would have no pathetic scenes of senior leaders eating humble peas after their decision throw him out made known to public.
Remember how Ashok Chawan was sacked. Barack Obama took off to the US from Delhi at 8.45 am. The Congress announced his ouster at 8.50 am. And the resignation was in Sonia’s hands at 8.55 am.
High command is a Congress word, it won’t suit the BJP.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Krishna Leela, Dharma, and Karma in mining
Good that Yeddurappa is nailed for gaining Rs. 30 crore through illegal mining; bad that the people paved way for the scam that caused loss of Rs. 16085 crore to exchequer are allowed walking free.
Roots of illegal mining in Karnataka are at the government’s decision to de-reserve forest area in Bellary, Hospet, and Sandoor, in 2003. Forest land of 43 630 sq km area was de-reserved, through two government orders, out of which 11650 sq km went to the private mining companies.
The irregularity was that the forest land was de-reserved in violation of Industrial Policy Resolution 1956 and it was done with a sole intention of helping the private miners to loot. The order had said: “the area de-reserved is bereft of tree cover”, where as it was a rich forest land with lush green.
This was the first fraud committed by people at the helm that snowballed into a humongous scam. They saw taking away green from the forest would take them to a greener pasture. S M Krishna was the chief minister, but his name is not mentioned in either of the two reports of Lokayukta on illegal mining. Instead, Santhosh Hegde chose to insist the foreign minister was not implicated as if he had nothing to do with the illegality.
Hegde might not know the political value of his statement, but it gave a booster dose for the aging politician who is looking for a re-entry to the state politics with a bang.
There are records showing how callous were the government officials when they plundered. A director of mines and geology headed a block of de-reserve and he went ahead with his own plans even without a minter’s order. Secretary of commerce and industry had told him he need not had to worry about the bureaucratic procedure while dealing with those issues as the speed of execution had mattered. These officers were the blue-eyed boys of the CM, while the industry minister was his chela.
True, these officers were indicted in the first report of Lokayukta. The report had even recommended recovering Rs. 6 crore from the director, while suggesting legal action against the secretary, and the minister. They were all let off after taking a procedural explanation from them.
N Dharma Singh was figured in the first report for allowing mining and lifting ore from fertile land, in 2005, when he was chief minister. The official notes indicate the CM personally insisted the deputy commissioner of the district to turn blind on the miners exploiting the farm land. The DC was compelled to ignore the persistent reminders from secretry, mines and geology, that the act was in violation of MMRD rules.
The Lokayukta report had recommended recovery of Rs. 23 crore from Dharma Singh after prosecuting him. But, the governor Rameswar Thakur simply exonerated because he is the true Congressman so as the current resident of the Rajbhavan.
Hegde has put the ball again into the court of the governor although His Excellency is not in a playful mood. The report refers to the governor for action against chief minister B S Yeddyurappa under Prevention of Corruption Act.
H R Bharadwaj is silent for two apparent reasons: One Lokayukta has not invoked section 13 of the Karanataka Lokayukta Act that empowers the governor to remove chief minister in case he is implicated in the investigative report. In the absence of this weapon, he is left with only sanctioning to prosecute the CM under prevention of corruption Act, which would not a big punishment for Yeddyurppa because he is already facing it in many cases. The other one is political. The Congress has chosen not to commit murder as the BJP has taken that responsibility. When they are killing their own hero why you take risk?
Supposing Yeddyurappa can overcome his party high command, which is out of sight now, Bharadwaj has to swing into action. In that case, he will face the question of Krishna and Dharma Singh, which would mellow him down.
And that is why Yeddyrappa now prefers to like enemy to love a friend.
Roots of illegal mining in Karnataka are at the government’s decision to de-reserve forest area in Bellary, Hospet, and Sandoor, in 2003. Forest land of 43 630 sq km area was de-reserved, through two government orders, out of which 11650 sq km went to the private mining companies.
The irregularity was that the forest land was de-reserved in violation of Industrial Policy Resolution 1956 and it was done with a sole intention of helping the private miners to loot. The order had said: “the area de-reserved is bereft of tree cover”, where as it was a rich forest land with lush green.
This was the first fraud committed by people at the helm that snowballed into a humongous scam. They saw taking away green from the forest would take them to a greener pasture. S M Krishna was the chief minister, but his name is not mentioned in either of the two reports of Lokayukta on illegal mining. Instead, Santhosh Hegde chose to insist the foreign minister was not implicated as if he had nothing to do with the illegality.
Hegde might not know the political value of his statement, but it gave a booster dose for the aging politician who is looking for a re-entry to the state politics with a bang.
There are records showing how callous were the government officials when they plundered. A director of mines and geology headed a block of de-reserve and he went ahead with his own plans even without a minter’s order. Secretary of commerce and industry had told him he need not had to worry about the bureaucratic procedure while dealing with those issues as the speed of execution had mattered. These officers were the blue-eyed boys of the CM, while the industry minister was his chela.
True, these officers were indicted in the first report of Lokayukta. The report had even recommended recovering Rs. 6 crore from the director, while suggesting legal action against the secretary, and the minister. They were all let off after taking a procedural explanation from them.
N Dharma Singh was figured in the first report for allowing mining and lifting ore from fertile land, in 2005, when he was chief minister. The official notes indicate the CM personally insisted the deputy commissioner of the district to turn blind on the miners exploiting the farm land. The DC was compelled to ignore the persistent reminders from secretry, mines and geology, that the act was in violation of MMRD rules.
The Lokayukta report had recommended recovery of Rs. 23 crore from Dharma Singh after prosecuting him. But, the governor Rameswar Thakur simply exonerated because he is the true Congressman so as the current resident of the Rajbhavan.
Hegde has put the ball again into the court of the governor although His Excellency is not in a playful mood. The report refers to the governor for action against chief minister B S Yeddyurappa under Prevention of Corruption Act.
H R Bharadwaj is silent for two apparent reasons: One Lokayukta has not invoked section 13 of the Karanataka Lokayukta Act that empowers the governor to remove chief minister in case he is implicated in the investigative report. In the absence of this weapon, he is left with only sanctioning to prosecute the CM under prevention of corruption Act, which would not a big punishment for Yeddyurppa because he is already facing it in many cases. The other one is political. The Congress has chosen not to commit murder as the BJP has taken that responsibility. When they are killing their own hero why you take risk?
Supposing Yeddyurappa can overcome his party high command, which is out of sight now, Bharadwaj has to swing into action. In that case, he will face the question of Krishna and Dharma Singh, which would mellow him down.
And that is why Yeddyrappa now prefers to like enemy to love a friend.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Yeddy can still smile
“The ball is not in my court, and I don’t have any role to play in this.” The honourable governor has sprung surprise with these words. Surprise because His Excellency H R Bharadwaj is the kind of referee wishing to kick the ball regardless of the court.
We know his obsession over the illegal mining. We know how he tried to humble the Reddy brothers to appear at his doorsteps with an explanation. Now he is saying he has no role to play in the drama unfolded by so called leakage of the Lokayukta report on illegal mining.
We know his overtures intending to overthrow the first BJP government in Southern India. A man, who tried thrice to invoke article 356, is now saying he is not interested in imposing president rule in Karnataka.
What a transformation! But, why it is? Is it enlightenment due to the fingerers burnt after banking on the Madam to shake Yeddyurappa’s base? Or is it realization of the fact that gubernatorial loyalty to the Madam won’t fetch a cabinet berth in the centre? Or is it awakening to the reality that shaking hand with Yeddyurappa is more remunerative than toadying to the Madam?
Anyone of them, or all of them, or none of them might be the reason. But, the consequence is that we are spared from an ivory tower farce this time; a great relief from the insipid debate on governor’s role in the federal structure. No Governor Hatavo by the BJP, and no Rajbhavan Bachavo by the Congress. His Excellency deserves our thanks.
Not that there is no role for the governor in the procedure to be followed by submission of the Lokayukta report. Section 13 of The Karnataka Lokayukta Act says the governor can vacate the chief minister if the latter is indicted in an investigative report. The leak indicates Yeddyurappa is named in the report, and it would be a golden opportunity for Bharadwaj to settle old dues.
As a rule, the government can take three months to say whether the report is accepted or rejected, and Yeddyurappa will surely play this card to buy time before rejecting the report on the grounds of leakage before submission or any other possible excuse. But, the specialty of this case is that the chief minister is figured in the report by the agency entrusted by him alone. No one is allowed to play a dual role of culprit and magistrate. And Yedyurappa is no exception.
This is where Bharadwaj will get a vital role to play in the unprecedented drama. With chief minister is seen in the culprit place, the governor must wear the mantle of the magistrate. And he can easily show Yedyurappa doors. What he could not achieve in the past, is on his plattter now.
But, why is he developing a sudden ennui in the face of a blooming scope like Arjuna losing valiancy in the face of the battle? Does he need a Geethopadesha by Deve Gowda or a performance-enhancing drug from the Madam?
He needs them indeed. But, neither Gowda is in a position to deliver a Geethopadesha, as he done it many times in the Rajbhavan, nor the Madam has stock of the drug.
Gowda is busy in seeking advice to avert the effect of the report in which his son's name is to be dazzling, while the Madam looking for the means to ease the effect of the report that is to throw up her party colleagues.
This is the exact reason why Yeddyurappa is still smiling.
We know his obsession over the illegal mining. We know how he tried to humble the Reddy brothers to appear at his doorsteps with an explanation. Now he is saying he has no role to play in the drama unfolded by so called leakage of the Lokayukta report on illegal mining.
We know his overtures intending to overthrow the first BJP government in Southern India. A man, who tried thrice to invoke article 356, is now saying he is not interested in imposing president rule in Karnataka.
What a transformation! But, why it is? Is it enlightenment due to the fingerers burnt after banking on the Madam to shake Yeddyurappa’s base? Or is it realization of the fact that gubernatorial loyalty to the Madam won’t fetch a cabinet berth in the centre? Or is it awakening to the reality that shaking hand with Yeddyurappa is more remunerative than toadying to the Madam?
Anyone of them, or all of them, or none of them might be the reason. But, the consequence is that we are spared from an ivory tower farce this time; a great relief from the insipid debate on governor’s role in the federal structure. No Governor Hatavo by the BJP, and no Rajbhavan Bachavo by the Congress. His Excellency deserves our thanks.
Not that there is no role for the governor in the procedure to be followed by submission of the Lokayukta report. Section 13 of The Karnataka Lokayukta Act says the governor can vacate the chief minister if the latter is indicted in an investigative report. The leak indicates Yeddyurappa is named in the report, and it would be a golden opportunity for Bharadwaj to settle old dues.
As a rule, the government can take three months to say whether the report is accepted or rejected, and Yeddyurappa will surely play this card to buy time before rejecting the report on the grounds of leakage before submission or any other possible excuse. But, the specialty of this case is that the chief minister is figured in the report by the agency entrusted by him alone. No one is allowed to play a dual role of culprit and magistrate. And Yedyurappa is no exception.
This is where Bharadwaj will get a vital role to play in the unprecedented drama. With chief minister is seen in the culprit place, the governor must wear the mantle of the magistrate. And he can easily show Yedyurappa doors. What he could not achieve in the past, is on his plattter now.
But, why is he developing a sudden ennui in the face of a blooming scope like Arjuna losing valiancy in the face of the battle? Does he need a Geethopadesha by Deve Gowda or a performance-enhancing drug from the Madam?
He needs them indeed. But, neither Gowda is in a position to deliver a Geethopadesha, as he done it many times in the Rajbhavan, nor the Madam has stock of the drug.
Gowda is busy in seeking advice to avert the effect of the report in which his son's name is to be dazzling, while the Madam looking for the means to ease the effect of the report that is to throw up her party colleagues.
This is the exact reason why Yeddyurappa is still smiling.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Lokayukta report:leaking from where?
When Rome was burning Nero was fiddling. Can’t help using the cliché because the chief minister was fishing in Mauritius, when floods hitting the state.
Yeddyurappa is holidaying in the island with the family. He landed at Grand Bay, on Wednesday, and we received information from his close quarter that the first thing he did was to dip a net into the sea as the spot is a paradise for deep sea fishing.
This was just a few minutes after revenue minister G Karunakara Reddy took the stalk of flood situation, back home at his Bangalore office, and a few hours before the media started harping on an alleged leak of Lokayukta’s report on illegal mining.
No confirmations on Yeddyurappa getting his prize catch from the deep sea: a Blue Merlin. But the reporters of TV channels were able to dig dirt and the CM was named in the illegal mining even before the report is officially submitted to the government.
Santhosh Hegde was naturally upset as the suspense was taken out of his report with the news channels spelling out the highlights. While he could not deny the fact and figures emanating from the news reports, Lokayukta was on his back foot taking pains to convince the report was not leaked from his office.
The joke is that it was never leaked and it did not call for a great toil for the channels to get the breaking news. The reporters were just repeating, on the live chat, what they had heard from the very Lokayukta. A media savvy Hegde never bothered to bridle his quick temper when talking to scribes, and especially taking swipe at the corrupt politicians usually gives him high. Thus the figure Rs.1823 crore as the scam amount came to fore. There are many reporters, who have heard this figure from him.
If the report was really leaked, we should have seen the copy. Somebody reads to somebody, and somebody verifies with the Lokayukta by reading out what they were read out, and finally he confirms it. But, the reporters deserve a pat on back; their reports did not turn out to be a damp squib and no one including Lokayukta could raise question about the accuracy.
It was really fun to watch him muttering, “I don’t know how it happened. But, I am very upset.”
Then there is a telephone tapping theory. It is easy to blame Yeddyurappa, who might be eavesdropping on every possible agency and person. But, to say the chief minister has engineered the leak to see himself be named in the report is somewhat a crude joke.
Or who knows, if it is a different doosra from the political spin master. Now, the talks are about the ineffectiveness of the report after it is leaked and it is easy for Yeddyurappa to relegate it to the cold storage as he did with the first report on the same issue.
And the likes of B K Hariprasad can blame Hegde playing hand in glove with the BJP, while the likes of Dhanjaya Kumar see an opportunity to reverse it on the Congress. But, all are smiling because the beneficiaries of the confusion are across the party lines.
Only regret is that Hegde, who has an un-blemished image of a crusader against corruption, is ending his tenure with a note not worth remembering. He had deserved a better departure. But, he must blame himself; he should have been a little serious about his position and responsibility.
Can you recall his response to Sushma Swaraj disowning her political children- the Reddys and Sriramulu- citing their alleged involvement in corruption and illegal mining? He had said: “The senior BJP leaders are seeking to disown the Reddy brothers fearing they are named in my report.”
Was the statement amounting to leakage of the report? Then he had denied it and now he is admitting it.
With all service done to the society he could have walked away with a heroic farewell, on 3 Aug, had he followed the lesson learnt from his teachers, as he was saying quite often,: ‘talk less and work more.’
Yeddyurappa is holidaying in the island with the family. He landed at Grand Bay, on Wednesday, and we received information from his close quarter that the first thing he did was to dip a net into the sea as the spot is a paradise for deep sea fishing.
This was just a few minutes after revenue minister G Karunakara Reddy took the stalk of flood situation, back home at his Bangalore office, and a few hours before the media started harping on an alleged leak of Lokayukta’s report on illegal mining.
No confirmations on Yeddyurappa getting his prize catch from the deep sea: a Blue Merlin. But the reporters of TV channels were able to dig dirt and the CM was named in the illegal mining even before the report is officially submitted to the government.
Santhosh Hegde was naturally upset as the suspense was taken out of his report with the news channels spelling out the highlights. While he could not deny the fact and figures emanating from the news reports, Lokayukta was on his back foot taking pains to convince the report was not leaked from his office.
The joke is that it was never leaked and it did not call for a great toil for the channels to get the breaking news. The reporters were just repeating, on the live chat, what they had heard from the very Lokayukta. A media savvy Hegde never bothered to bridle his quick temper when talking to scribes, and especially taking swipe at the corrupt politicians usually gives him high. Thus the figure Rs.1823 crore as the scam amount came to fore. There are many reporters, who have heard this figure from him.
If the report was really leaked, we should have seen the copy. Somebody reads to somebody, and somebody verifies with the Lokayukta by reading out what they were read out, and finally he confirms it. But, the reporters deserve a pat on back; their reports did not turn out to be a damp squib and no one including Lokayukta could raise question about the accuracy.
It was really fun to watch him muttering, “I don’t know how it happened. But, I am very upset.”
Then there is a telephone tapping theory. It is easy to blame Yeddyurappa, who might be eavesdropping on every possible agency and person. But, to say the chief minister has engineered the leak to see himself be named in the report is somewhat a crude joke.
Or who knows, if it is a different doosra from the political spin master. Now, the talks are about the ineffectiveness of the report after it is leaked and it is easy for Yeddyurappa to relegate it to the cold storage as he did with the first report on the same issue.
And the likes of B K Hariprasad can blame Hegde playing hand in glove with the BJP, while the likes of Dhanjaya Kumar see an opportunity to reverse it on the Congress. But, all are smiling because the beneficiaries of the confusion are across the party lines.
Only regret is that Hegde, who has an un-blemished image of a crusader against corruption, is ending his tenure with a note not worth remembering. He had deserved a better departure. But, he must blame himself; he should have been a little serious about his position and responsibility.
Can you recall his response to Sushma Swaraj disowning her political children- the Reddys and Sriramulu- citing their alleged involvement in corruption and illegal mining? He had said: “The senior BJP leaders are seeking to disown the Reddy brothers fearing they are named in my report.”
Was the statement amounting to leakage of the report? Then he had denied it and now he is admitting it.
With all service done to the society he could have walked away with a heroic farewell, on 3 Aug, had he followed the lesson learnt from his teachers, as he was saying quite often,: ‘talk less and work more.’
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Watch-dog's life: an ode to Lokayukta
Thank god, the BJP leaders dared not to swear before the lord when Lokayukta openly said they had tried to influence him to exclude chief minister’s name from his second report on illegal mining. On the other hand, they admitted they had met Justice Santhosh Hegde many times, while sheepishly saying they did not discuss the issue.
Yeddyurappa is pretending innocence. Or is he enjoying the corruption watch dog’s fall from grace as it suits his scheme of things to control the institution?
He is scheming to keep Lokayukta position vacant for a while, after Hegde retires on 3 Aug, and bringing in an IAS officer as registrar, the post otherwise is judicial, by changing rules. After the position getting maligned so much, people might not bother if the government forgets to appoint Lokayukta. And the chief minister, neck deep in corruption charges, can breathe easy with his man Upa-Lokayukta calling shots.
But, the question is: why Hegde took more than two months to reveal it? An explanation is that he was upset over Dhananjaya Kumar, spokesperson of the BJP; going around saying he had fixed the Lokayukta for the CM. Kumar was the one who led the BJP delegation to the Lokayukta , and the common man didn’t know the duo were Tulu- speaking buddies ailing from the same native, till Hegde said it. He lamented Kumar had taken advantage of the friendship, while warning him not to appear at his doorsteps again.
Hegde sounded quite valiant, when he reprimanded the BJP leader. But, was it fine for him, if Kumar was tight-lipped about the encounter and the attempted wheeling-dealing? We wouldn’t have known a thing about it, if the spokesperson didn’t wag the tongue. So, don’t we thank him for that?
The Lokayukta has many cases of catching the corrupt red-handed to his credit. MLA Y Sampangi was caught while accepting bribe and councilor Katta Jagadisgh Niadu was nabbed for offering the bribe. But, why Dhanajaya Kumar and team did walk free after offering a deal to the very Lokayukta? They could have booked under Prevention of Corruption Act or otherwise under IPC section 161. Alas, the crusader against the corruption is the culprit now. Hedge is liable to be punished under IPC 202 as the concealing an offence is a bigger offence.
Hegdes’ story is a Hamletian tragedy. He was in a ‘to-be-or-not-be’ state of mind to conduct raids on the corrupt, when he took office in 2006. He was right when he said the Lokayukta Act did not permit to conduct raids on the corrupt and he would not go to the media unlike his predecessor Justice N Venkatachala. But, this gave him a dull image as against a heroic predecessor. Bowing to the onslaught of criticism, he started doing a Venkatachala and the media readily took him on lap. Once tasted the blood, there was no looking back for Hegde.
But, seemingly it went into his head. There is no other explanation for a reticent Hegde transforming into an aggressively barking watchdog. The government took in its stride even when he was a bit unreasonable in attacking the system. Giving him the title of ‘an opposition party’ was a milder repartee.
The flashpoint reached when he resigned protesting political intervention in the probing of illegal mining, last year. The anti-climax came soon when he took it back at the behest of L K Advani. Icing on the disgust is to call the BJP leader “a Father figure.” And that was the lowest point of Lokayukta N Santhosh Hegde.
He was about to be seen as Sachin Tedulkar of Anna Hazare team, when the joint draft committee was formed to draft Lokpal Bill, with the captain was a village bumpkin with little knowledge about the law making. But, Hegde turned out to be a Sreesanth with easily falling prey to the sledging of Digvijay Singh. He offered to resign attracting the media limelight and retracted after the lights went off.
While the government is yet to act on his first report on illegal mining, the second is expected to be more significant and explosive because it is coming in the wake of sensational Belekere ore theft and many politicians are to be exposed. When he missed his self-imposed deadline of 31 March, Hegde pointed at the other agencies- CBI, CEC, ED, and I-T department- probing into thethe same issue, and he didn’t want his report overlapping with those of them. After missing a series of deadllines thereafter, he is expected to submit the report just two days before his retirement. What is the fun, if he is not there to follow it up, and no one is there to replace him?
People virtually worshipped Venkatachala and Santhosh Hegde because they were the symbols of their pride. Commanmen enjoyed the heroes taking on the corrupt. Venakatachala was ‘the man on the year’ on all possible forums, year after year, so long as he was the Lokayukta. Santhosh Hegde took his place, and every New Year started with him accepting ‘the man of the year’ award.
And what these demy- gods did at the end? The former joined the BJP soon after his retirement and the latter shown he was with the BJP just before his retirement.
But, the people will forgive this betrayal because Kannadigas are kind- hearted. Jai Karnataka!
Yeddyurappa is pretending innocence. Or is he enjoying the corruption watch dog’s fall from grace as it suits his scheme of things to control the institution?
He is scheming to keep Lokayukta position vacant for a while, after Hegde retires on 3 Aug, and bringing in an IAS officer as registrar, the post otherwise is judicial, by changing rules. After the position getting maligned so much, people might not bother if the government forgets to appoint Lokayukta. And the chief minister, neck deep in corruption charges, can breathe easy with his man Upa-Lokayukta calling shots.
But, the question is: why Hegde took more than two months to reveal it? An explanation is that he was upset over Dhananjaya Kumar, spokesperson of the BJP; going around saying he had fixed the Lokayukta for the CM. Kumar was the one who led the BJP delegation to the Lokayukta , and the common man didn’t know the duo were Tulu- speaking buddies ailing from the same native, till Hegde said it. He lamented Kumar had taken advantage of the friendship, while warning him not to appear at his doorsteps again.
Hegde sounded quite valiant, when he reprimanded the BJP leader. But, was it fine for him, if Kumar was tight-lipped about the encounter and the attempted wheeling-dealing? We wouldn’t have known a thing about it, if the spokesperson didn’t wag the tongue. So, don’t we thank him for that?
The Lokayukta has many cases of catching the corrupt red-handed to his credit. MLA Y Sampangi was caught while accepting bribe and councilor Katta Jagadisgh Niadu was nabbed for offering the bribe. But, why Dhanajaya Kumar and team did walk free after offering a deal to the very Lokayukta? They could have booked under Prevention of Corruption Act or otherwise under IPC section 161. Alas, the crusader against the corruption is the culprit now. Hedge is liable to be punished under IPC 202 as the concealing an offence is a bigger offence.
Hegdes’ story is a Hamletian tragedy. He was in a ‘to-be-or-not-be’ state of mind to conduct raids on the corrupt, when he took office in 2006. He was right when he said the Lokayukta Act did not permit to conduct raids on the corrupt and he would not go to the media unlike his predecessor Justice N Venkatachala. But, this gave him a dull image as against a heroic predecessor. Bowing to the onslaught of criticism, he started doing a Venkatachala and the media readily took him on lap. Once tasted the blood, there was no looking back for Hegde.
But, seemingly it went into his head. There is no other explanation for a reticent Hegde transforming into an aggressively barking watchdog. The government took in its stride even when he was a bit unreasonable in attacking the system. Giving him the title of ‘an opposition party’ was a milder repartee.
The flashpoint reached when he resigned protesting political intervention in the probing of illegal mining, last year. The anti-climax came soon when he took it back at the behest of L K Advani. Icing on the disgust is to call the BJP leader “a Father figure.” And that was the lowest point of Lokayukta N Santhosh Hegde.
He was about to be seen as Sachin Tedulkar of Anna Hazare team, when the joint draft committee was formed to draft Lokpal Bill, with the captain was a village bumpkin with little knowledge about the law making. But, Hegde turned out to be a Sreesanth with easily falling prey to the sledging of Digvijay Singh. He offered to resign attracting the media limelight and retracted after the lights went off.
While the government is yet to act on his first report on illegal mining, the second is expected to be more significant and explosive because it is coming in the wake of sensational Belekere ore theft and many politicians are to be exposed. When he missed his self-imposed deadline of 31 March, Hegde pointed at the other agencies- CBI, CEC, ED, and I-T department- probing into thethe same issue, and he didn’t want his report overlapping with those of them. After missing a series of deadllines thereafter, he is expected to submit the report just two days before his retirement. What is the fun, if he is not there to follow it up, and no one is there to replace him?
People virtually worshipped Venkatachala and Santhosh Hegde because they were the symbols of their pride. Commanmen enjoyed the heroes taking on the corrupt. Venakatachala was ‘the man on the year’ on all possible forums, year after year, so long as he was the Lokayukta. Santhosh Hegde took his place, and every New Year started with him accepting ‘the man of the year’ award.
And what these demy- gods did at the end? The former joined the BJP soon after his retirement and the latter shown he was with the BJP just before his retirement.
But, the people will forgive this betrayal because Kannadigas are kind- hearted. Jai Karnataka!
Friday, July 15, 2011
Posco fiasco: any lesson to learn?
Real estate is the real problem for Yeddyurappa. In rural area, he is in the cross hair of farmers for taking away their land. In urban area, he is in the line of fire for not giving away land (housing sites) for needy.
But, the swamijis have emerged as the go-getters. Pejawar seer’s fast-unto-death threat brought the government on knees within minutes after his announcement of the hunger strike and spared cultivated land in Mangalore from going for an SEZ. The Thontadarya pontiff batted for the farmers in North-Karnataka agitating against industries gobbling up fertile land.
Agriculturists of Mysore region are not so fortunate. They could not find one saffron messiah. Adi Chunchanagiri swamy, who could have come as a crusader, himself, is seen as a landgrabber with his educational and medical institutions are squatting and notoriously fleecing. So, the strife to take back the excess land gone for the express highway between Bangalore and Mysore is taking them nowhere. 24-hour politician Deve Gowda has failed to lend the leadership with the movement is straying into the hands of petty underworld elements and dubious activists.
The urbanites dreaming of owing a site in cities like Bangalore and Mysore are nobody’s children. They can’t help bewildering Yeddyurappa gifting plum sites to his relatives and friends, not paying attention to their very existence. No pontiff to fight for their cause as their scheme of things are something different where in Sri Sri Ravishankars and Nityanandas are basking in the glory of a lucrative ‘motivational business’, and the politicians damn care for them because they can never be a vote bank.
But, why the BJP government is particular about giving land for Posco in Gadag? While the districts of Bijapur and Bagalkote, with rich water resources, are more suitable for industrial development, why the administration has set its eyes on the agriculture oriented tracts of land in the district where a major irrigation project is coming up to help farming?
Simple: the industry minister is himself an industrialist and he wants his industries to flourish in the atmosphere conducive to them. Murugesh Nirani owns many industries of sugar, cement, and others, and thousands of acres, in Bagalkote and Bijapur, are in the name of these industries. Great patriot he is, Nirani wants India developing in industry and Karnataka attracting global investments, but not at the cost of his own profit making companies. Pushing Posco to Gadag reserving Bijapur and Bagalkote for himself suits his business interest as well as Yeddyurappa’s political interest. By bringing in a global conglomerate to Gadag could also be a checkmate for the Reddys, who have a firm grip on the mineral-rich district.
And the BJP’s double standards, in Posco issue, are not difficult to comprehend. The party is vehemently opposing the steel giant in Odissa, while honestly supporting it in Karnataka. Being a supporter of the ruling BJD in Odissa, it is enjoying coalition politics by pushing chief minister Naveen Patnaik against the wall. In Karnataka, the party man Yeddyurappa is not allowing the high command to control him.
If JD(S) state president Kumarswamy is to be believed, Yeddyurappa is caught in between devil and the deep sea. Kumaraswamy says Posco has paid Rs. 500 crore to the chief minister as kickback because of which he cannot go against the company. But, he has called himself ‘a champion of farmers’. How can he let them down? After all he has taken oath in their name.
The trick he discovered is: divide the farmers and confuse the detractors. Hackles were raised, when a handful of farmers from Gadag came to Bangalore saying they were ready to sell their land. But, their move that came the very next day the government stopped the land acquisition was a part of politics played by a wily politician. Yeddyurappa said, in the morning, the land would not be taken even if the farmers wanted to sell. In the evening, his statement was changed to: “We will consider giving land to Posco, if the farmers are willing and Thontadraya swamiji permits.”
The question is: is a farmer entitled to sell a farm land just because he is the title owner? The fertile land is the state property and its conservation is imperative in ensuring food security and ecological balance. As Pejawar seer suggested selling the agriculture land for the greed of money is like undergoing religious conversion for allurement.
The pontiff sounds sensible. Better we listen to his wise words.
But, the swamijis have emerged as the go-getters. Pejawar seer’s fast-unto-death threat brought the government on knees within minutes after his announcement of the hunger strike and spared cultivated land in Mangalore from going for an SEZ. The Thontadarya pontiff batted for the farmers in North-Karnataka agitating against industries gobbling up fertile land.
Agriculturists of Mysore region are not so fortunate. They could not find one saffron messiah. Adi Chunchanagiri swamy, who could have come as a crusader, himself, is seen as a landgrabber with his educational and medical institutions are squatting and notoriously fleecing. So, the strife to take back the excess land gone for the express highway between Bangalore and Mysore is taking them nowhere. 24-hour politician Deve Gowda has failed to lend the leadership with the movement is straying into the hands of petty underworld elements and dubious activists.
The urbanites dreaming of owing a site in cities like Bangalore and Mysore are nobody’s children. They can’t help bewildering Yeddyurappa gifting plum sites to his relatives and friends, not paying attention to their very existence. No pontiff to fight for their cause as their scheme of things are something different where in Sri Sri Ravishankars and Nityanandas are basking in the glory of a lucrative ‘motivational business’, and the politicians damn care for them because they can never be a vote bank.
But, why the BJP government is particular about giving land for Posco in Gadag? While the districts of Bijapur and Bagalkote, with rich water resources, are more suitable for industrial development, why the administration has set its eyes on the agriculture oriented tracts of land in the district where a major irrigation project is coming up to help farming?
Simple: the industry minister is himself an industrialist and he wants his industries to flourish in the atmosphere conducive to them. Murugesh Nirani owns many industries of sugar, cement, and others, and thousands of acres, in Bagalkote and Bijapur, are in the name of these industries. Great patriot he is, Nirani wants India developing in industry and Karnataka attracting global investments, but not at the cost of his own profit making companies. Pushing Posco to Gadag reserving Bijapur and Bagalkote for himself suits his business interest as well as Yeddyurappa’s political interest. By bringing in a global conglomerate to Gadag could also be a checkmate for the Reddys, who have a firm grip on the mineral-rich district.
And the BJP’s double standards, in Posco issue, are not difficult to comprehend. The party is vehemently opposing the steel giant in Odissa, while honestly supporting it in Karnataka. Being a supporter of the ruling BJD in Odissa, it is enjoying coalition politics by pushing chief minister Naveen Patnaik against the wall. In Karnataka, the party man Yeddyurappa is not allowing the high command to control him.
If JD(S) state president Kumarswamy is to be believed, Yeddyurappa is caught in between devil and the deep sea. Kumaraswamy says Posco has paid Rs. 500 crore to the chief minister as kickback because of which he cannot go against the company. But, he has called himself ‘a champion of farmers’. How can he let them down? After all he has taken oath in their name.
The trick he discovered is: divide the farmers and confuse the detractors. Hackles were raised, when a handful of farmers from Gadag came to Bangalore saying they were ready to sell their land. But, their move that came the very next day the government stopped the land acquisition was a part of politics played by a wily politician. Yeddyurappa said, in the morning, the land would not be taken even if the farmers wanted to sell. In the evening, his statement was changed to: “We will consider giving land to Posco, if the farmers are willing and Thontadraya swamiji permits.”
The question is: is a farmer entitled to sell a farm land just because he is the title owner? The fertile land is the state property and its conservation is imperative in ensuring food security and ecological balance. As Pejawar seer suggested selling the agriculture land for the greed of money is like undergoing religious conversion for allurement.
The pontiff sounds sensible. Better we listen to his wise words.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Doping disgrace and non-palying captains
Poorer athletes are reeling under doping disgrace, while the richer cricketers walking free. The culprit is the law of nature: all are equal, but the mighty are more equal.
In India, cricket is mightier than almighty and therefore it is above the law. The anti-doping rules do not apply to the sport where we have a ‘god’ playing. The BCCI, the richest cricket organization in the world, doesn’t care if the sports ministry wants to bring in an effective law to curb the doping menace because it is not dependent on government funds.
The National Sports Development Bill is to be introduced in the monsoon session of the parliament and the government wants all sports including cricket to be covered under the act. The BCCI is up in arms for the same reason and trying every trick in the book to keep cricket out of regulation. And in all likelihood the ‘poor’ government will give in for the wealthy cricket board.
ICC, the global governing body of cricket, has signed with WADA (World Anti Doping Agency) in 2006, and doping tests are conducted randomly in world cup ties, and other international matches. Only after this, the world came to know about secrete of the fiery speed of the Rawalpindi Express, and how a googly master was cheating about his stamina.
While anti doping law is essential to provide a level playing field, the BCCI’s resistance is difficult to understand. It neither adheres to WADA nor is in the control of NADA (National Anti Doping Agency), and its arrogance even tends to defy ICC in this regard.
The money accumulated in the board has attracted politicians into its fold and it is cluttered with the deal makers. While we can’t expect sensibilities from these ‘non-playing captains’, the onus lies on the sporting stars. The senior cricketers must voluntarily come forward for scrutiny apart from helping in creating awareness among the juniors.
Bringing awareness among the young athletes is even more important. In the given situation, no well educated youngsters are gravitated towards athletics and the available lot, with poor academics, is easily falling prey to the greedy coaches who tend to feed them with performance-enhancing drugs to score some brownie points for themselves.
Most athletes, till recently, didn’t have decent training facilities or equipment, either in terms of boarding and lodging or sports gear. And forget about educating them about diet and food habit. There is no authentic list of banned drugs available in sports training centres in India. Even Ayurvedic tonic like Chawanprash is understood to have containing some objectionable content. But, who is there to tell them, coming from remote corners of the country, about this?
Few among the athletes under training in Sports Authority of India, in Bangalore, know how to use internet. When Dr. C D Tripathi, NADA's chief of therapeutic use exemption (TUE), asked how many of the campers knew NADA had a website which contained all information about banned drugs and their brand names, none raised hand. His lecture on evils of doping at the training camp, on Tuesday, was a one-way affair with the orator was eloquent in Queen’s English, while the campers were desi Hindusthani. Demand of a yawning audience for a Hindi speech fell on deaf ears.
Unless these issues are addressed, Aswini Akkunjis of the world will go on pleading innocent, while we continue to look at them in suspicion.
In India, cricket is mightier than almighty and therefore it is above the law. The anti-doping rules do not apply to the sport where we have a ‘god’ playing. The BCCI, the richest cricket organization in the world, doesn’t care if the sports ministry wants to bring in an effective law to curb the doping menace because it is not dependent on government funds.
The National Sports Development Bill is to be introduced in the monsoon session of the parliament and the government wants all sports including cricket to be covered under the act. The BCCI is up in arms for the same reason and trying every trick in the book to keep cricket out of regulation. And in all likelihood the ‘poor’ government will give in for the wealthy cricket board.
ICC, the global governing body of cricket, has signed with WADA (World Anti Doping Agency) in 2006, and doping tests are conducted randomly in world cup ties, and other international matches. Only after this, the world came to know about secrete of the fiery speed of the Rawalpindi Express, and how a googly master was cheating about his stamina.
While anti doping law is essential to provide a level playing field, the BCCI’s resistance is difficult to understand. It neither adheres to WADA nor is in the control of NADA (National Anti Doping Agency), and its arrogance even tends to defy ICC in this regard.
The money accumulated in the board has attracted politicians into its fold and it is cluttered with the deal makers. While we can’t expect sensibilities from these ‘non-playing captains’, the onus lies on the sporting stars. The senior cricketers must voluntarily come forward for scrutiny apart from helping in creating awareness among the juniors.
Bringing awareness among the young athletes is even more important. In the given situation, no well educated youngsters are gravitated towards athletics and the available lot, with poor academics, is easily falling prey to the greedy coaches who tend to feed them with performance-enhancing drugs to score some brownie points for themselves.
Most athletes, till recently, didn’t have decent training facilities or equipment, either in terms of boarding and lodging or sports gear. And forget about educating them about diet and food habit. There is no authentic list of banned drugs available in sports training centres in India. Even Ayurvedic tonic like Chawanprash is understood to have containing some objectionable content. But, who is there to tell them, coming from remote corners of the country, about this?
Few among the athletes under training in Sports Authority of India, in Bangalore, know how to use internet. When Dr. C D Tripathi, NADA's chief of therapeutic use exemption (TUE), asked how many of the campers knew NADA had a website which contained all information about banned drugs and their brand names, none raised hand. His lecture on evils of doping at the training camp, on Tuesday, was a one-way affair with the orator was eloquent in Queen’s English, while the campers were desi Hindusthani. Demand of a yawning audience for a Hindi speech fell on deaf ears.
Unless these issues are addressed, Aswini Akkunjis of the world will go on pleading innocent, while we continue to look at them in suspicion.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Fall of media mughal
‘Beg borrow steal’, for news-gathering, is allowed in journalism. But, snooping on somebody is a crime. Bribing someone (police in this case) is even more a serious offence. And that is the reason why Rupert Murdoch’s News of the World (NOTW) is closed today.
The global media mughal could not throw his weight around in London to save the 168-year-old Sunday tabloid even as its star editors are facing prosecution. With the last edition hitting the streets, on Sunday, an era ended. And the immolation also saw the end of the pre-eminent political influence of the last three decades in Britain. Murdoch’s pass to the prime minister’s office is withdrawn; the access code for his editors and senior executives has expired. “ All the unseen deal-making, fixing, manipulation and bullying, as well as that princely sense of entitlement emanating from News International (the holding company of NOTW) headquarters have gone,” writes a columnist, in a British daily.
NOTW’s mischief was not a small thing to ignore. Its editors had hired private detectives to eavesdrop on the family members of a teenaged girl, who was abducted and then killed, in 2002. The private detectives had hacked phones of the family members and in the due course had deleted mails of the girl that intern misled the police investigating the case. There are instances of NOTW bribing police to acquire information, and interfered with a murder investigation.
The incident has brought disgrace even for the UK government as the then editor of the tabloid Andy Coulson had served as the media in-charge for the premier David Cameron. While he is under pressure to take action against Murdoch, Cameron has asked the media baron to sack his chief executive Rebekah Brooks. But, it is not helping to bail himself out of the issue.
While the incident has rattled the media world, the question is: who and how uncovered it? It must be viewed though the prevailing situation of cut throat media competition in Britain taking the timing of Murdoch vouching for taking over BSkyB, the leading provider of pay TV, into consideration.
The Guardian, one of the leading dailies, unearthed the scam through a sting operation conducted by its reporters. “The News of the World's termination is the price Murdoch is willing to pay to halt the accelerating erosion of the British wing of his international empire and to secure full ownership of "the cash machine", the satellite broadcaster BskyB”, it said in its editorial. The venom was evident, when the paper suggested the government stopping Murdoch from acquiring BskyB.
The muck raised in London is the result of the dog fight between the media houses that has also taken the toll on very credibility of the fourth estate.
Have we Indian media got anything to learn from this? While hiring private detective for news-gathering is something alien to us, the incident of Tehelka hiring prostitutes to entrap corrupt Army officers had stirred the country even as its editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal admitting “ethical transgression”. The star journalists figured in Nira Radia tapes changed our perception of their stardom.
The lesson to learn is: media must be in its ethical limits lest the hacks would be seen as the hackers and tools in the hands of powerbrokers.
More dangerously, there is a possibility of journalists unwittingly becoming the parties to the issues in which case they will be killing themselves physically and professionally.
Heard a reporter was about to be fired in a local media house in Bangalore after she was found tipping off a gangster about police planning to eliminate him through an encounter. The rumour is that she was rewarded handsomely by the gangster.
Imagine a rival gang in place of the police and the reporter leaking the information. If she had been killed, we were forced to seen her as a slain and our condolences would have beatified her to the sainthood.
Pray god spares us talking about the ‘rogue reporters’ in the same breath when we remember J Dey, who stood for values of journalism before giving away his life for it.
The global media mughal could not throw his weight around in London to save the 168-year-old Sunday tabloid even as its star editors are facing prosecution. With the last edition hitting the streets, on Sunday, an era ended. And the immolation also saw the end of the pre-eminent political influence of the last three decades in Britain. Murdoch’s pass to the prime minister’s office is withdrawn; the access code for his editors and senior executives has expired. “ All the unseen deal-making, fixing, manipulation and bullying, as well as that princely sense of entitlement emanating from News International (the holding company of NOTW) headquarters have gone,” writes a columnist, in a British daily.
NOTW’s mischief was not a small thing to ignore. Its editors had hired private detectives to eavesdrop on the family members of a teenaged girl, who was abducted and then killed, in 2002. The private detectives had hacked phones of the family members and in the due course had deleted mails of the girl that intern misled the police investigating the case. There are instances of NOTW bribing police to acquire information, and interfered with a murder investigation.
The incident has brought disgrace even for the UK government as the then editor of the tabloid Andy Coulson had served as the media in-charge for the premier David Cameron. While he is under pressure to take action against Murdoch, Cameron has asked the media baron to sack his chief executive Rebekah Brooks. But, it is not helping to bail himself out of the issue.
While the incident has rattled the media world, the question is: who and how uncovered it? It must be viewed though the prevailing situation of cut throat media competition in Britain taking the timing of Murdoch vouching for taking over BSkyB, the leading provider of pay TV, into consideration.
The Guardian, one of the leading dailies, unearthed the scam through a sting operation conducted by its reporters. “The News of the World's termination is the price Murdoch is willing to pay to halt the accelerating erosion of the British wing of his international empire and to secure full ownership of "the cash machine", the satellite broadcaster BskyB”, it said in its editorial. The venom was evident, when the paper suggested the government stopping Murdoch from acquiring BskyB.
The muck raised in London is the result of the dog fight between the media houses that has also taken the toll on very credibility of the fourth estate.
Have we Indian media got anything to learn from this? While hiring private detective for news-gathering is something alien to us, the incident of Tehelka hiring prostitutes to entrap corrupt Army officers had stirred the country even as its editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal admitting “ethical transgression”. The star journalists figured in Nira Radia tapes changed our perception of their stardom.
The lesson to learn is: media must be in its ethical limits lest the hacks would be seen as the hackers and tools in the hands of powerbrokers.
More dangerously, there is a possibility of journalists unwittingly becoming the parties to the issues in which case they will be killing themselves physically and professionally.
Heard a reporter was about to be fired in a local media house in Bangalore after she was found tipping off a gangster about police planning to eliminate him through an encounter. The rumour is that she was rewarded handsomely by the gangster.
Imagine a rival gang in place of the police and the reporter leaking the information. If she had been killed, we were forced to seen her as a slain and our condolences would have beatified her to the sainthood.
Pray god spares us talking about the ‘rogue reporters’ in the same breath when we remember J Dey, who stood for values of journalism before giving away his life for it.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Health minister's disease
If majority rule is the essence of democracy, then caring for minority is the culture of democracy. In that sense Gulab Nabi Azad’s take on the sexual minority is uncultured.
Even if he thinks men having sex with men (MSM) is a disease, is it a way a health minister dealing with it or its victims? He said, “Unfortunately such people are increasing by the day. While it’s a challenge to identify such people, the disease is unnatural and not good for Indian society.”
In the first place, homosexuality is not a disease. Consistent with disease classification of WHO, UNAIDS does not regard it as a decease. If he is ignorant of this or his mind is so unhealthy to defy it, Azad has no business to be a health minister. His rejoinder that he was not referring to MSM but just talking about HIV won’t help.
But, will his resignation, as the activists of LGBT community demanding, solve the problem? It’s a long way to go before our country gets some clarity about the issue and one or two heads rolled would not ensure equal rights to the sexual minority that includes lesbians, gays, bisexual, and transgender.
A society that has evolved through ancient civilization needs time to come to terms with these things, and it calls for a hell lot of patience and perseverance. More than anything, people must be made to see this from a democratic angle. Being the largest democracy, the Indian society must know a person is free to choose his own way of life, and he cannot be discriminated on the basis of his sexual orientation.
The fact is that we have not attained that stage yet. The US, the bellwether of democracy, is just now waking up to this. The state of New York is set to issue licenses to same-sex couples from 25 July, while individual states like Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Washington DC recognize this sort of alliance. In many of European countries it is no longer a stigma.
While Asia is regarded as a laggard in this regard, Nepal has come as the saving grace. The Himalayan country legalized the same-sex marriage just last month. When the neighbor is taking pride in owing a new thing, will it be a longtime to see the thing at our home?
Heavens did not fall when a book revealed the father of nation was a bisexual, which means the nation is willing for the change. The change should come from all the directions: mindset, polity, and government. And law is the basis for the change.
Asking for a change in law is one thing. But obeying the law till its existence is another thing and the most important thing. For instance, prostitution is illegal until it is regularized. Our liberal view on the issue should only help nudging the government moving in this direction.
The Delhi High Court has said better section 377 be repealed. But the reality is that the legislative is yet to act even after two years the judiciary showed it was more progressive than the other two pillars of democracy. The fourth estate is vocal enough, but its vocal chords are not sound enough to pull the law makers out of political compulsion.
We have things like Azad and Sriramulu. While Azad is a disgrace at national level, Sriramulu, namma health minister in Karnataka, is a double disgrace. He didn’t know the difference between homeopathy and homosexuality till recent past. He used to say, “homo-pathy” whenever he wanted refer to homeopathy.
Concerted and honest effort of sane minds can only bring some sense into them before going for the much needed change.
Even if he thinks men having sex with men (MSM) is a disease, is it a way a health minister dealing with it or its victims? He said, “Unfortunately such people are increasing by the day. While it’s a challenge to identify such people, the disease is unnatural and not good for Indian society.”
In the first place, homosexuality is not a disease. Consistent with disease classification of WHO, UNAIDS does not regard it as a decease. If he is ignorant of this or his mind is so unhealthy to defy it, Azad has no business to be a health minister. His rejoinder that he was not referring to MSM but just talking about HIV won’t help.
But, will his resignation, as the activists of LGBT community demanding, solve the problem? It’s a long way to go before our country gets some clarity about the issue and one or two heads rolled would not ensure equal rights to the sexual minority that includes lesbians, gays, bisexual, and transgender.
A society that has evolved through ancient civilization needs time to come to terms with these things, and it calls for a hell lot of patience and perseverance. More than anything, people must be made to see this from a democratic angle. Being the largest democracy, the Indian society must know a person is free to choose his own way of life, and he cannot be discriminated on the basis of his sexual orientation.
The fact is that we have not attained that stage yet. The US, the bellwether of democracy, is just now waking up to this. The state of New York is set to issue licenses to same-sex couples from 25 July, while individual states like Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Washington DC recognize this sort of alliance. In many of European countries it is no longer a stigma.
While Asia is regarded as a laggard in this regard, Nepal has come as the saving grace. The Himalayan country legalized the same-sex marriage just last month. When the neighbor is taking pride in owing a new thing, will it be a longtime to see the thing at our home?
Heavens did not fall when a book revealed the father of nation was a bisexual, which means the nation is willing for the change. The change should come from all the directions: mindset, polity, and government. And law is the basis for the change.
Asking for a change in law is one thing. But obeying the law till its existence is another thing and the most important thing. For instance, prostitution is illegal until it is regularized. Our liberal view on the issue should only help nudging the government moving in this direction.
The Delhi High Court has said better section 377 be repealed. But the reality is that the legislative is yet to act even after two years the judiciary showed it was more progressive than the other two pillars of democracy. The fourth estate is vocal enough, but its vocal chords are not sound enough to pull the law makers out of political compulsion.
We have things like Azad and Sriramulu. While Azad is a disgrace at national level, Sriramulu, namma health minister in Karnataka, is a double disgrace. He didn’t know the difference between homeopathy and homosexuality till recent past. He used to say, “homo-pathy” whenever he wanted refer to homeopathy.
Concerted and honest effort of sane minds can only bring some sense into them before going for the much needed change.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
A case for Anna
For Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Lokpal is not a magic wand to check corruption. But, chief minister Yeddyurappa sees a magical possibility of using Lokayukta to cover-up his corruption.
Santhosh Hegde will demit office as the Lokayukta on 2 August, but there are no signs of procedure taking off to find a person to replace him. Given a chance Yeddyurappa wants his man, preferably a fellow Lingayat, there. So the names like S R Bannurmatt, and Shivaraj Patil are doing rounds. Projection of RV Ravindran’s candidature is just a hogwash. A non-Lingayat (Ravindran is from Vaishya community) in the race is due to retire as a Supreme Court Judge in October and he is unlikely to take baton from Hegde in August.
Yeddyurappa is not so dumb to ignore the fact that both the positions of Lokayukata and Upa Lokayukta occupied by Lingayat would be an eyesore. Best bet for him to keep Lokayukta post vacant for a period convenient for him and allow Upa Lokayukat S B Majjigi to rule the roost. Majjigi is his handpicked man and so naïve that the CM can rest assure.
This is the exact design in Yeddyurappa’s mind and we can not expect a new man as Lokayukata for now.
And can you expect a wily politician stopping at that?
If you don’t have a proper control over Registrar, you can’t regulate the Lokayukta effectively. The Registrar position is an important one. As an administrative head he is the one who supervises the scrutiny and registration of complaints, and sending reports to the competent authority.
Not for no reason such a significant post is vacant for months now. The chief minister has set out to bring a revolutionary change in the Lokayukta system and that is bringing in an IAS officer as the registrar otherwise the position is judiciary and a district magistrate or a person of equivalent rank is eligible. Yeddyurappa wants a babu there and the attempts of amending the rules are underway.
Now you could have got the picture. A chief minister, who is immersed neck deep in corruption charges, wants a corruption watch dog there which can bark but not bite.
The hitch is in the very system. The Karnataka Lokayukta Act empowers the chief minister to select a candidate for Lokayukta in consultation with the chief justice of the high court, presiding officers of legislative assembly and legislative council, and opposition leaders of the respective houses.
If a wolf is given a mandate to look for a thing to herd the sheep, what you can expect?
Unless effective change in the system is brought in there will be no end to the farce we are witnessing. By the time we wake up to this, can any one give guarantee that the state is not bankrupt?
Can’t Anna Hazare see a case in Karnataka?
Santhosh Hegde will demit office as the Lokayukta on 2 August, but there are no signs of procedure taking off to find a person to replace him. Given a chance Yeddyurappa wants his man, preferably a fellow Lingayat, there. So the names like S R Bannurmatt, and Shivaraj Patil are doing rounds. Projection of RV Ravindran’s candidature is just a hogwash. A non-Lingayat (Ravindran is from Vaishya community) in the race is due to retire as a Supreme Court Judge in October and he is unlikely to take baton from Hegde in August.
Yeddyurappa is not so dumb to ignore the fact that both the positions of Lokayukata and Upa Lokayukta occupied by Lingayat would be an eyesore. Best bet for him to keep Lokayukta post vacant for a period convenient for him and allow Upa Lokayukat S B Majjigi to rule the roost. Majjigi is his handpicked man and so naïve that the CM can rest assure.
This is the exact design in Yeddyurappa’s mind and we can not expect a new man as Lokayukata for now.
And can you expect a wily politician stopping at that?
If you don’t have a proper control over Registrar, you can’t regulate the Lokayukta effectively. The Registrar position is an important one. As an administrative head he is the one who supervises the scrutiny and registration of complaints, and sending reports to the competent authority.
Not for no reason such a significant post is vacant for months now. The chief minister has set out to bring a revolutionary change in the Lokayukta system and that is bringing in an IAS officer as the registrar otherwise the position is judiciary and a district magistrate or a person of equivalent rank is eligible. Yeddyurappa wants a babu there and the attempts of amending the rules are underway.
Now you could have got the picture. A chief minister, who is immersed neck deep in corruption charges, wants a corruption watch dog there which can bark but not bite.
The hitch is in the very system. The Karnataka Lokayukta Act empowers the chief minister to select a candidate for Lokayukta in consultation with the chief justice of the high court, presiding officers of legislative assembly and legislative council, and opposition leaders of the respective houses.
If a wolf is given a mandate to look for a thing to herd the sheep, what you can expect?
Unless effective change in the system is brought in there will be no end to the farce we are witnessing. By the time we wake up to this, can any one give guarantee that the state is not bankrupt?
Can’t Anna Hazare see a case in Karnataka?
Monday, July 4, 2011
Can't you stop Yeddy?
Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa has made Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) allotting over150 plum sites using his discretion under G-category after he assumed office three years back. Over sixty among the beneficiaries are the politicians from his party BJP and rest are his relatives including his son, sisters, and their kin, and his friends and close aides.
Yet, he has no explanation for the BDA not allotting site to the common man for whose service the authority is established. A propertyless civilian could dream of owning a site in Bangalore, when S M Krishna was the chief minister as the BDA allotted some sixty thousand sites during his tenure between 1999 and 2004. While Krishna, with a dubious distinction of favouring journalists with G-category sites, is not above board, people at least remember him for hopes instilled in them.
The BDA has not even allotted a single site in the regular route ever since the BJP came to power in 2008. Yeddyurappa has the Bangalore urban development portfolio with him and he is the answerable.
Hearing a public interest litigation (PIL), the High Court has ruled the chief minister has no discretionary powers to goad BDA giving away sites under G-category. The beneficiaries of Yeddyurappa’s largess may have to forgo their gifts as the court has issued them notice in response to the petitioner’s plea to cancel the allotments.
Shame was that Yeddyurappa’s son and relatives had to surrender the sites after the land scams linking to the chief minister were unearthed last year. But, his family members still own those sites indirectly. The site B Y Raghavendra,Yeddyurappa's MP-son from Shimoga, surrendered has gone to former BJP state president Basavaraja Patil Sedam. Everyone knows Sedam is one of Yeddyurappa’s sidekicks and he is only guarding the son’s site being its name sake owner.
While the so-called BJP high command is still panting after receiving blow after blow in the form of Yeddyurappa’s corruption cases, the fresh blow comes from Mysore. MUDA (Mysore Urban Development Authority) has allotted 36 sites under G-category and ten of them have gone to the chief minister’s relatives.
The news was the headlines for the TV channels, on Sunday, and will be sumptuous fodder for the newspapers from Monday onwards.
Fresh bout of political circus is in the waiting with repetition of mud singling between the ruling and opposition parties which are the common scenes right from Yeddyurappa took charge as the CM.
When are we going to see an end to it?
Yet, he has no explanation for the BDA not allotting site to the common man for whose service the authority is established. A propertyless civilian could dream of owning a site in Bangalore, when S M Krishna was the chief minister as the BDA allotted some sixty thousand sites during his tenure between 1999 and 2004. While Krishna, with a dubious distinction of favouring journalists with G-category sites, is not above board, people at least remember him for hopes instilled in them.
The BDA has not even allotted a single site in the regular route ever since the BJP came to power in 2008. Yeddyurappa has the Bangalore urban development portfolio with him and he is the answerable.
Hearing a public interest litigation (PIL), the High Court has ruled the chief minister has no discretionary powers to goad BDA giving away sites under G-category. The beneficiaries of Yeddyurappa’s largess may have to forgo their gifts as the court has issued them notice in response to the petitioner’s plea to cancel the allotments.
Shame was that Yeddyurappa’s son and relatives had to surrender the sites after the land scams linking to the chief minister were unearthed last year. But, his family members still own those sites indirectly. The site B Y Raghavendra,Yeddyurappa's MP-son from Shimoga, surrendered has gone to former BJP state president Basavaraja Patil Sedam. Everyone knows Sedam is one of Yeddyurappa’s sidekicks and he is only guarding the son’s site being its name sake owner.
While the so-called BJP high command is still panting after receiving blow after blow in the form of Yeddyurappa’s corruption cases, the fresh blow comes from Mysore. MUDA (Mysore Urban Development Authority) has allotted 36 sites under G-category and ten of them have gone to the chief minister’s relatives.
The news was the headlines for the TV channels, on Sunday, and will be sumptuous fodder for the newspapers from Monday onwards.
Fresh bout of political circus is in the waiting with repetition of mud singling between the ruling and opposition parties which are the common scenes right from Yeddyurappa took charge as the CM.
When are we going to see an end to it?
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