Kolkata: Cancel the Commerce of the Durga Puja Carnival!

Yes! We ask why shouldn't the pure Commerce show of the Durga Puja Carnival in Kolkata be canceled in view of the worsening medical crisis? For how long this cruel irony of continuing the worship of the Mother Goddess and continuing to torture/kill the Mothers in human forms going to continue? 

Greed, limitless greed of humans! Dear God! This time Goddess Durga came in a cradle which in itself implies ominous times, and further, the tithis from Mahasaptami onward came mixed in such a way that you get three days of worship, technically. Yet, the greedy and selfie-social-media-crazy crowds of 'devotees' were still not satiated, descending on the Puja pandals in uncontrollable hordes for as long as seven days, and to pander to their greed and to have the maximum of business, most of the Puja organizers disregarded the tithi break-up completely and have been celebrating Bijoya Dashami or the Dussehra well into Ekadashi, the eleventh day! They expect the hordes to descend tonight too into their pandals and continue to gorge on their food stalls, generating more business for them!

And, in came heavy thunder showers in the afternoon, probably washing away the pandal premises of various Pujas! Wrath of Mother Goddess and Mother Nature so clearly visible, not just this time, but many other times over the recent years. But to what human avail? The greed, the eternal insatiety, the moral degradation, the paralysing corruption and the tantalising hypocrisy are all irreversible: set seemingly in an automatic motion to bring the End inevitably. And, what can we fools do but for crying or making unreasonable demands? 

And of Adopting a New Approach to Write Truncated Pieces!

That evening in end-July a Bangla family friend came to our house in Kolkata profusely sweating and drenched in it from head to foot. However he was carrying with him a packet of smoking hot beguni (Brinjal fritters) and Chops (Cutlet fritters). Before he could cool himself enough under the full-speed ceiling fan he commanded us to partake of the items before those cooled off! And yes, we had those gobbled up quick in extraordinary gourmet delight and also supported by hot steaming cups of tea! Well, in our traditional belief that ‘heat neutralizes heat’, particularly when the heat (like May) is oppressively humid (like monsoon)! This dictum is of the utmost importance now, because the supposedly wettest months of the South West Monsoon, June and July, have gone with absolutely no rains in South Bangla and Kolkata city. In fact, the month of July has proved to be the driest July in history in the Eastern and North Eastern regions of the country. And into August now, there’s hardly any sign of the monsoon in any mood to expedite its proceedings. The seemingly blackening sky along with false thunder eventually pierced though the merciless sun, countess times!

 

At a time when we’d have loved a few days of genuine rains and cooling weather we were instead forced to have a literal rain of hard cash thanks to the equally hot episode of one minister of the Bangla state government and a stalwart of the ruling regional party getting arrested along with his lady associate, supposedly. About half a billion of rupees have so far been recovered from the lady’s flats along with other properties in hiding and a few missing foreign cars. The veteran minister after being distanced and rebuffed by his own party started crying ‘conspiracy’ saying the money was not his and the lady clamoring out haplessly that she was not aware of the money being hidden in her flat. Well, her connections with ruling state party had been somewhat exposed by the media and therefore, it’s come as a huge setback for the party with its Chief Minister projecting her national ambitions since her landslide assembly election victory in 2021, making the strong ruling national party a poor second.

 

The people of Kolkata are like the people of Mumbai as far as the ‘spirit’ is concerned. While the Mumbaikars always show their indomitable spirit in terms of continuing the hard work and making more and more money come what may, the Kolkattansalways show their spirit in continuing to enjoy life in terms moderate living but high eating come what may. The mouthwatering array of chops, rolls, cutlets, samosas, fish fries, fish and meat curries and so on at cheapest-in-the-world prices anywhere, from the street side open joints to the limited posh restaurants notwithstanding, I think, the Bongs should start worrying now, because the Met office has reportedly made a forecast of less rain in August and in September too which means that Bengal’s main festival of Durga Puja, starting this time right from the start of October, is in some real danger of getting washed away. Therefore, they should give less attention to the ‘heat neutralizing heat’ experiment and should not let themselves be swayed too much by the huge corruption in the education sector, the arrested minister being the former education minister, and should focus on chanting some prayers in advance to God and Mother Nature so that Durga Puja does not come under any threat.

 

The local media is not giving enough attention either to Nature’s heat let loose on most parts of the state and in Kolkata or on the farmers staring at a Kharif crop season crisis; no wonder, the way they’ve been consumed up by the hard-cash thunder showers. They’d better started rolling back the focus fully on the ‘monsoon crisis’ so that the lip-smacking people turned their attention to some prayers as we just said so that their thakur dekha (Puja pandal hopping) did not get hampered too.

 

Finally, as to why this writer has suddenly decided to adopt this ‘truncated’ approach to combine several well-planned pieces into a single piece, enough be said that he’s no longer game for the miserable 10 or so hits to the pieces on a rich variety of subjects that he’s devoted a lot to time and energy upon to make those interesting. Often he’s accidentally or even deliberately made mistakes hoping for some discerning readers to point those out. But no! Pointless expectations! So yes! He’s not interested any more in dishing out free matter that nobody cares about, with apologies, of course, to the handful of genuine readers he still has. The writer thinks that it’s better to redirect his energy to writing more books, because even if nobody, again, reads the books, the books would always remain on record as his works. Besides, if the Indian cricket team can go on experimenting with international matches (stopping those only during the IPL for the sheer force of the money power) without bothering about winning or losing why not this humble writer! This writer does possess the power, even though it’s useless, to show his disdain for Indian cricket and stop writing anything about it in future which he’s already and actually started doing, to be honest!

Mutuality: The Ever Growing Exchange For Favors!

Prologue:There is some reason; you may call it even frustration, in republishing my old article here. It is for someone who is getting helplessly caught in the crossfire of favors being granted or taken without having the ability to overcome or neutralize it. It applies anywhere the ‘someone’ works to eke out a living; it may even apply to governments. You all know what to expect when there is change of power—it means persons in key posts either get transfers or even the sack and some others filling up those posts. Naturally, the new rulers do not have ‘mutuality’ with the present ones and therefore take in the ones who fit their exchange for favors granted or taken. In an office the powerful chief possesses the strongest exchange and can thus indulge continuously in giving and taking favors (favors meaning any kind of profitable assignments). In a bigger office where there are more powerful post-holders parallel exchanges for favors work. When one chief does a project s/he invites all members of his/her exchange to participate and gets reciprocated in ‘taking’ ways. But, when several top bosses work together in a project the picture gets complicated, because the process enables, disables, confronts, restricts and bars ‘mutual’ people to get invited.  An open competition takes place for ‘favors’ to be given and only the most powerfully expert one manages to get his/her quota of mutual friends fully filled up. Someone who sticks to his/her yardstick of merit or ability for extending invitation (not favors, but calling upon to contribute productively) languishes and most often is ignored completely.  

The Article: Relationships of all shades and colors have, apparently, undergone a sea change in today's cut-throat modern times. Mutuality or reciprocity, though the underlying strength in olden times too, has now become conscious calculative logistics. And worse, even that conscious logistics have ceased to be respected.

In simpler terms, if every relationship is justified by a policy of 'give and take'; now it has become for some only to give give and give and for some only to take take and take leaving on its trail sufferers and broken hearts and divorced relationships.

Once upon a time one used to call up one's beloved just for the warmth of it. Now, if you call up your loved ones you are most likely to face the crushing query, 'So tell me, why you have called up?' Now, if you want to surprise your loved ones by visiting them you are likely to be most unpleasantly surprised. You will have to take an appointment well before the date and give your reasons for that too.

In fact, there was a lurking danger in the 'give and take' policy, conscious or unconscious. If it's 'give and take' it sort of harmonizes, but if it's 'take and give' it stinks. This danger, most probably, had opened the gates for exploitation and abuse of relationships. The 'takers' have become dominant and the 'givers' have become the sufferers.

In all marital relationships the husband is the natural 'taker' taking things for granted. The 'giving' wife suffers. The husband makes promises to give while taking and after promises fall flat he renews his promises to take more. Some aggressive wives, of course, can reverse this scenario, but then the misery only shifts to the other party. Relationships hardly get better.

All top functionaries, be it in government or in private firms or in corporations, enjoy immense powers of 'giving' in terms of huge favors, contracts, promotions, transfers, loans or sanctions. The shrewd ones expertly bargain for these powers and get compensated with plain cuts or bribes or more real benefits. The upright ones go on only giving expecting a natural mutuality that never comes. The expert ones in the opposite camp, like the taker husband, make promises to take favors, do not keep them and periodically renew the promises to take more favors. Relationships hardly get more productive.

All the credit card issuers make big promises to squeeze as much out of their customers as possible and when their lies are caught they make much more lofty promises to squeeze some more. Relationships hardly last.

Teenagers indulge in fast gives and takes. The expert ones try to optimize only the takes while the ones in the opposite camp try to minimize the gives. Relationships hardly grow.

The profound question that surfaces is: do the relationships have to be based on a harmonious policy of give and take? Has it then become a conditional access into a defined relationship? And even that conditional access is not at all free of the bug or the hackers? The unconscious 'harmony' of relationships in the olden times is lost forever?

The relationship matrix is getting more complicated, more perplexing and more frustrating day by day. Someone needs to try find out newer keywords for relationships very quickly and urgently.  (Source:)

Epilogue:The mutuality exchange leaves the ones who go by merit or ability fully frustrated, wasted and angry. However, s/he should not lose heart. Sometime somewhere s/he might still come out successful, fulfilled and happy.

Darbari Politics: Do Not Go Overboard, Mr. Kejriwal!

Emperors or Kings of ancient and medieval India used to have their ‘darbar’ or ‘courts’ to hear and address the subjects’ problems. These autocratic monarchs had full authority to decide action or punishment on the spot and nobody dared question the verdicts. However, modern Indian democracy is much more different, and Arvind Kejriwal’s brand of ‘common man rule’ is the extreme contrast with everybody having the right to ask, question or contest. Besides, Indian mob behavior is only too predictably well known. In an almost unmanageably overpopulated country plagued by unemployment and inflation the huge crowds at the employment exchanges, freebie events and public transport stations are only to be seen to be believed. And then the ‘me first’ mentality has been a constant witness to innumerable stampedes at religious places, fatal road accidents and huge traffic snarls. Having a Chief Minister within a touching distance you can lucidly imagine how desperately the crowd would behave. Therefore, the common man’s Chief Minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal’s decision or promise to have ‘janta darbar’ or ‘people’s court’ to hear and redress problems on the spot was fraught with dangers from the start. Yesterday on Saturday, the utter chaos of his first attempt of ‘janta darbar’ proved the point beyond doubt. He had to escape from the desperate ‘janta’ by canceling the hearing and had to apologize later expressing his fear of ‘being crushed by the crowd otherwise’. However, he stuck to his promise saying that next time suitable arrangements would be in place. Alas!

As per his most important anti-corruption agenda-related promise Arvind Kejriwal launched the Corruption Helpline in Delhi on Wednesday, 8^th of January and in the first three days it received nearly 15,000 complaints. So far so very good. Normally, a Helpline is supposed to ‘help’ the callers or complainants and not ask/solicit their help. But this Helpline demands the complainants to execute a sting thus providing crucial ‘evidence’ against the ‘guilty’ parties to the government. Now, how a complainant is supposed to do a sting is left to the imagination of the unspecified. Cynics would say that this compulsion of doing a sting is set to initiate another corruption racket with complainants trying to hire ‘resourceful’ professionals for the job at minimum cost implying a chain of bargaining or influence, not to say about how the stressed police or the overburdened courts are going to view or review such precious sting ‘evidence’ eventually. The inherent dangers involved in this system are well imaginable. Fighting corruption in India is extremely difficult and therefore the way to fight it must be foolproof. Sticking to his promise Kejriwal on Friday replaced the normal number with a friendlier four-digit number, which is 1031. Alas!

Considering the tremendous euphoria and hope all over the country following Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) coming to power in Delhi with big shots from almost all fields including industry, IT, electronic media and the arts joining the AAP fold, Arvind Kejriwal must tread very carefully controlling his populism and fulfillment of election agenda impulses, and not to go overboard. He also must understand that the big and established political parties are waiting patiently for a huge AAP mistake so as to expose the ‘common man rule’. They would be too overjoyed if they get a chance to expose before the General Elections in April-May, 2014.

Politics Of Corruption: The Mystery Of The Adarsh Scam!

Nagpur: The final Report of the Two-member Inquiry Commission appointed in January, 2011 to look into the Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society scam was tabled in Maharashtra Legislature by a hesitant Government yesterday. The Report names three ex-Chief Ministers of Maharashtra in same roles, one former CM in the role of revenue minister and two existing cabinet ministers in the roles of urban development ministers for giving political patronage to the Adarsh society in Mumbai. It names about twenty top existing and retired bureaucrats for illegal ownership of flats, nepotism and favouritism, and blatant violation of housing rules. Citing the classic saying that ' a man needs just five and half feet of land finally' the Report terms the Adarsh as a tale of absolute greed and corruption and the most shameful act for a progressive state like Maharashtra.

The high drama and suspense leading to tabling the Report started, in fact, from 19th of April, 2013 when the Commission had submitted its final Report to Maharashtra Government. Pressure had been mounting on the Government since then to table the Report in Legislature. Opposition political parties had been keeping no stone unturned to corner the Government at every opportunity. The Government had avoided the burden saying it needed time to prepare an action taken report. The winter session of Maharashtra began on 9th of this month-a day after main Opposition BJP had spectacular election victories in four states. This single fact made the Opposition emboldened and extremely attacking from the beginning.

During the session Bombay High Court issued a directive to Maharashtra Government to present the Report positively in this session. BJP claimed credit for this saying one of its party-men moved the PIL in the High Court. Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan assured that the Report would in fact be tabled during this Nagpur session. Opposition parties alleged that the Report would be kept for the last day so that discussion could not be initiated.

Meantime in another twist to the Adarsh story Maharashtra Governor denied CBI permission to prosecute Ashok Chavan-one of the tainted ex-Chief Ministers in the Adarsh scam. Agitated Opposition members smelt conspiracy in this too.

On the final day when tabling of the Report was expected any time the confusion got compounded by one more twist. Around noon news of Maharashtra Cabinet rejecting the Adarsh Report in a special morning meeting in Nagpur was raging across news channels. Out efforts to confirm this from CMO office failed as officials confirmed only the meeting and not the decision which they said would be announced during the tabling of the Report.

However, the ambiguity prevailed even after the winter Session concluded. Even as the Speakers in both houses of Maharashtra Legislature continued to disallow discussion on the Report leading to repeated adjournments the Government still did not spell out why it had rejected the Report or if rejected at at all. Much later it was more or less revealed in the four-line Action Taken Report submitted in the house that said the Government had rejected the Report. Opposition protests reached huge dimensions as angry members tore up the Report outside the assembly house. They charged that the Government was trying to protect its corrupt Ministers and top bureaucrats. The Opposition had in fact been relentless in its fight against former and present tainted Cabinet Ministers disrupting the house for days as the Anti Corruption Lokpal Bill was debated and passed by the Indian Parliament, with BJP supporting.

Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, in his press conference immediately after the Maharashtra Legislature got adjourned till Budget Session in Mumbai from 24th February, 2014, decided to keep mum on possible reasons for rejecting the Report saying it would be discussed at the appropriate time. Prithviraj Chavan has been known for integrity and clean image. Now Opposition parties are raising serious questions on him while Congress party-men continue to repose faith in his decision.

Knowledgeable sources offer the argument that since the Maharashtra Governor refused permission to CBI to prosecute Ashok Chavan the Cabinet perhaps found it inappropriate to accept the Report. Whatever, the mystery around the Adarsh scam only deepens at this moment. The story looks far from being a closed chapter with the anti corruption spirit engulfing the country in a most positive and unprecedented way. And of course, with the General Elections-2014 just round the corner.

Supreme Court Of India Brings CBI Back To Business!

Nobody could have imagined in his/her wildest of dreams that the premiere and the most trustworthy investigating agency of India would find itself suddenly out of business. It actually happened on Thursday, the 7^th of November, 2013 when the Gauhati (Guwahati) High Court while hearing on a petition held the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) ‘unconstitutional’, and not even a ‘police force’. It quashed the April 1, 1963 Resolution constituting CBI under the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946 and declared all its actions unconstitutional.  The judgment by the division bench, comprising justices I A Ansari and Indira Shah, came on a writ petition filed by Navendra Kumar challenging an order by a single judge of the high court in 2007 on the resolution through which CBI was set up. The whole country was plunged into a deep crisis.

For obvious reasons. CBI has been investigating innumerable cases relating to corruption, frauds, high profile murders and more all over the country. Charge-sheets have been filed in various huge scams, big personalities ranging from former ministers, bureaucrats and business tycoons have been arrested and put into jails, and various scams are in various stages of litigation. The Government of India, the opposition political parties irrespective of what they spell out aloud, the states of the country and of course the citizens have been pinning their hopes on this agency for punishing the guilty. It has also been known that different states of India always ask for CBI investigation in all high profile crimes where actions of the local police and politicians are suspect. And suddenly, the CBI stopping to function, not accepting new cases and casting a shadow over the future of many scams.

There are some hilarious effects too. Quite few scam-accused including central and state ministers have started appealing in courts for stalling future proceedings of their respective cases as the lawful prosecutor became ‘illegal’. These corrupt criminals reacted as if clutching the last straw. All others are pitifully short of articulating proper and correct reactions as most did not know how to react. The main opposition political parties who always chase the CBI as the main manipulative instrument in the hands of the ruling coalition suddenly could not welcome this dramatic development and appealed to the Government only to get a stay from the Supreme Court of India immediately. Maybe these parties understood that they also have hopes of coming to power and in that case they would need the CBI as urgently as the present power.

The Government of India got into top gear to resolve the issue. Speculation was that the appeal against the verdict would be filed today and a probable hearing would be on Monday. But perhaps in a never-before development the Government not only filed the appeal today but also paved the way for a hearing in the afternoon. The Supreme Court of India hearing was held in the residence of the Chief Justice of India and as expected, a stay on the Gauhati High Court verdict was granted. The Supreme Court expressed concern at criminals asking for stay of trials and the large number of accused in various sensational scams citing this as reasons for the stay. The next hearing would be on December 6, 2013.

The unprecedented crisis was resolved and the CBI went back to business. There is a collective sigh of relief all over the country with the exception perhaps of the frustrated corrupt criminals of the country.

Humor In Corruption: The Grateful Bribe Taker!

The corrupt are the most despicable creatures infesting our Mother Earth in large numbers, particularly India. This is just not right not to be seriously critical about it. However some amount of humor in corrupt practices is always there to tickle you in the abyss of absolute darkness. And, if you are corrupt you can still laugh in a guilt-ridden introspection and maybe you give it up in the effort to enjoy. If you are honest you can laugh all the clearer and louder. Since in the present constipated situation in India you need to laugh out a lot we have decided to start a new Series ‘Humor In Corruption’ on September 8, 2013 and today this is the second installment. If you have your experience on this please leave your plot or write out the full story as a ‘comment’ below. We will publish it in your name.

Once upon a time somewhere in India I was having my warm cup of tea wrapped up cozily in woolens with the newspapers for extra company that wintry morning. I was on a family visit to one of my relatives in a lonely little town. My relative was an officer of the civil service posted there. I was to take the afternoon bus back home that day.

There was a knock on the door, and immediately the man servant came up to open it. As the door opened I could get a glimpse of two men in not so presentable attire fighting against the cold and with rather haggard looks. The servant asked them to wait and ran inside. I directed my attention back to my newspaper assuming that, as usual, they were the locals with those land related problems or issues.

My relative entered with a bovine smile as if he was expecting them, and waved them inside. Only then I noticed the loads they carried. One entered with two real big river fishes and laid them on the floor. The other entered with a maund of rice (maybe around 25 kilos), opened it a little and showed the variety. I immediately recognized it as the finest quality of rice with a sweet fragrance. The men stood aside bowing respectfully.

Aware of my quizzical looks my relative assured me, “Grateful folks, you know! How I helped them to clear their land settlement issues! No…it is not what you people want to think. They are just expressing their gratitude. This rice they have just harvested from the land they own now. And the fish…seem almost alive…no? Caught live and fresh from their ponds in their courtyards, you see!” The men remained expressionless all the while not even with faintest hint of a smile or grin.

I muttered to myself, oh really! They hardly sow and harvest this kind of export quality rice these areas. …And the fish seemed too big for their ponds. They must have spent a lot of money to be ‘grateful’. I kept on staring at the ‘gifts’ and back to the grinning officer.

Sensing my total unwillingness to believe him my relative came and sat by my side grinning ear to ear now. He called the servant who took away the loads to the kitchen. The men saluted and left. He leaned back on the sofa philosophically.

“You just cannot refuse such wonderfully simple and large hearted local folks, can you? That will break their hearts. It is only the love and joy they want to share with you. Anyway…I would suggest you stay back for the night. Have a feast! You’ll really relish the fish curry with that steaming and fragrant rice!”

I decided to take the 11 o’clock bus so that I did not have to stay even for lunch.  I refused to think about how heavenly the fish curry would taste.

“Grateful people!”

“(to myself) Grateful, huh? Try to fool me…you bloody fool!”

IPL Fixing Scandal: Son-in-Law Chargesheeted, Father-in-Law Still Wants To Be In Charge!

Mumbai Police today chargesheeted Gurunath Meiyappan, the former Boss of IPL franchise Chennai Super King (CSK) and son-in-law of the step-aside BCCI Boss N Srinivasan, for betting and leaking crucial team information along with Bollywood actor Vindoo Dara Singh and twenty others. Pakistan umpire Asad Rauf and 15 bookies were also named as ‘wanted accused’ in the 11,500 pages long chargesheet filed four months after the IPL Spot Fixing Scandal rocked Indian cricket and the world of cricket. Gurunath Meiyappan who was arrested on 25^thMay, 2013 has been charged under section 66A of the Information Technology Act, sections 4 and 5 of the Gambling Act. He has also been charged under sections 465 (forgery), 466 (forgery of record of court or of public register), 468 (forgery for cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document), 490 (breach of contract), 420 (cheating), 212 (harboring the offender), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code. Vindoo Dara Singh provided the Bollywood connection to the scandal and was allegedly working in close association with Meiyappan. Both of them were granted bail on 3^rd June. As per reports they have been charged only for betting and not for spot fixing, maybe due to lack of concrete evidence. The next date for hearing on the chargesheet is fixed as November 21, 2013.

‘Unofficial’ owner of the CSK and ‘de facto’ Boss of the Indian Cricket Board BCCI, N Srinivasan termed his son-in-law as just an ‘enthusiast’ when Meiyappan’s name came up in the scandal, but as the muck gathered his Board was forced to suspend Meiyappan. Now, N Srinivasan washes his off on his son-in-law saying that Meiyappan was already suspended and will have to face it entirely on his own as the law takes its due course. Well, the ‘doting’ dad-in-law cannot risk any link to any of his family members or friends simply because he cannot afford to give up on his hopes of bossing the BCCI again. During the peak of the IPL Fixing Scandal involving his own team and his own son-in-law plus the national clamor for his resignation he was, of course, forced to step aside, but he managed to do it in such a way that his clout over the BCCI was never impaired. Now, he is set to seek reelection as the President of the BCCI at the Annual General Meeting scheduled for 29^thof September, 2013 in Chennai and he exudes full confidence in garnering the required votes.  Meanwhile, Asad Rauf claimed his innocence from the IPL Fixing Scandal while reacting to he being named in the chargesheet.

When corruption is the mantra for a degenerating country you can only imagine how many million chargesheets would be required to effect some clean sense in. Be it cricket or sports, politics or anything. We can only hope for positive developments. Let the good things happen…faster…effectively.

Humor In Corruption: The License To Drive Your Hurdles Away!

The corrupt are the most despicable creatures infesting our Mother Earth in large numbers, particularly India. This is just not right not to be seriously critical about it. However some amount of humor in corrupt practices is always there to tickle you in the abyss of absolute darkness. And, if you are corrupt you can still laugh in a guilt-ridden introspection and maybe you give it up in the effort to enjoy. If you are honest you can laugh all the clearer and louder. Since in the present constipated situation in India you need to laugh out a lot we have decided to start a new Series ‘Humor In Corruption’ from today. If you have your experiences on this please leave your plot or write out the full story as a ‘comment’ below. We will edit and publish it in your name.

Once upon a time one young man in a town somewhere in India submitted an application for a driving license in the local office. He had already bought a second-hand scooter and learnt how to drive it too through a friend trainer. As per normal procedure he was called for a driving test consisting of mostly objective questions. He wrote out his answers feeling relatively confident that he would sail through.

To his utter dismay he was informed that he failed miserably. He understood that some people there wanted money and if he reappeared the same result would follow. Therefore, he approached a family friend who was a high-ranking civil service officer. The officer spoke to concerned people in the transport office and asked the young man to go there the next day.

The young man nervously entered the room of the transport officer. His answer sheet was immediately called for. As the clerk brought it for inspection by the officer the young man could see the cross marks encompassing the sheet. The transport officer took his pen; cut out the cross marks and put in the ‘right’ marks against all the questions. The young man sat there spellbound.

“Okay…you have passed with distinction. Come tomorrow for the driving test and get your license.”

The young man was finally ready to drive away to ecstasy while some souls there in the office shed tears of agony of a missed opportunity.

BCCI In Shackles: N Srinivasan Comeback Bid Fails!

Coming as one more refreshing victory against pervasive Indian corruption the defiantly greedy N Srinivasan failed to come back as the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) President after he had to call off the Working Group meeting in New Delhi today. There had been widespread rumors of a revolt within the BCCI in the last three days following the Bombay High Court stricture against the dubious goings-on in the richest cricket Board of the world. Reports today confirmed that at least 6 BCCI members revolted against Srini, and if he happened to chair the meeting today two vice presidents and at least two members would have resigned. Visuals on a national television news channel even showed how the IPL Commissioner cum a Union Minister Rajiv Shukla brushed aside a Srini greeting in the meeting lounge. The wily fox sensed all this and called off the meeting apparently to avoid an open confrontation.

In a press statement issued last evening N Srinivasan was set to defy even the Judiciary by announcing that he would indeed chair the meeting as President of BCCI who stepped aside recently following the uproar over the IPL Spot Fixing Scandal. Maybe such colossal callousness could not be digested by many though as money-rich and powerful as him. Reports reveal that Srini has no chance of coming back in the near future. The status quo with Jagmohan Dalmiya as the interim president will continue till all issues get resolved. This effectively means that the BCCI would either constitute a new probe panel or wait for the Mumbai Police investigations to get over or would contest the Bombay High Court order in the Supreme Court. This would also open up persisting issues like transparency in the BCCI accounts and bringing the Board under the RTI. Much better that way for BCCI rather losing total credibility.

Victories against corruption must continue. The corrupt ruffians mess up and pollute every organization, every office and the government in India. They hardly want to work hard, but desperately need power so as to intimidate and harass the honest, the upright and the most vulnerable. Even in the elite Indian Administrative Service (IAS) the corruption mafia hounds, hunts and even punishes them on the slightest pretext. We observe as of now the national outrage over the suspension of an honest lady IAS officer, Durga Shakti (remember Goddess Durga?) Nagpal in the feudal den of the country called Uttar Pradesh. The madness must stop before the ‘crime and punishment’ phrase gets replaced by ‘honesty and punishment’. Fight Corruption.