Role of MPs/MLAs in India

         Role of MPs and MLAs in the developmental process

With the new Narendra Modi govt coming to power at the center,there has been a perceptible change in the outlook required in the  developmental activities being taken up in the various regions.Unless we keep a constant vigil on the planning and  proper execution of these projects there will be inordinate delay,misuse of funds,and also quality drain  by the time the envisaged work is over.

 At present the public feeling is that the responsibility of the legislators is over once they come out of the legislature hall.Once the session is over the members spend most of their time in inaugural ceremonies,attending marriages,funerals ,festivals etc in their constituencies.Recently every legislator is entitled for a llocation of a sizeable amount which they can give for any projects of their choice.When we consider the total funds allotted to an assembly/parliamentary constituency the amount may come to several hundred crores during the tenure of the house.

 The tragedy with our present system is that the legislators feel that their sole duty is to support/oppose the government  on all fronts.They are not really committed to their electorates but to their political outfits.In a true democracy like ours eternal vigilance by all is the key to success.The representatives of the people have to act as administrators also.For successfully discharging this duty the members should have a good knowledge or at least an aptitude to master this skill.They must ensure the timely execution of the various projects in their place in an effective manner.This does not mean that they should keep the concerned officials executing the work in the shadow and stealing the limelight.They can solve the problems coming in the way of timely completion of a work.This may be acquiring land,dispute regarding the size of the work,guaranteeing periodic check by higher officials,other local problems etc.If the MLAs/MPs pay due attention to most of these it will facilitate the timely commissioning of most projects.We have several instances where a project intended to be completed with 50 crores have run into several hundred crores due to ‘ProjectOver run’.

 Same is the case of maintenance of several statehighways or local roads.The legislators should find time to hear the grievances from the public and also prepare a list of the urgent  construction/repair works to be taken up on a priority basis.He can peruade the officials or ministers to include such items  in the SOS category.

  An  MLA/MP should be an easily accessible person for all his voters.They should also realize that only if they bring their complaints/suggestions to the elected people they can remedy the problem.

A lesson for youngsters

                                                       AYYO ACCHAA POKALLE

Yesterday there was the annual meet of an organization in Ernakuam.About 100 members including youngsters and kids attended it.A few VIP speakers were also invited. The 1^st item was the presentation of accounts for the year passed by.A lady member pointed out some inadequacies and non inclusion of some funds collected and spent for some journeys.She got the reply that as the exact amount alone for the journey was collected and spent there is nothing wrong in not including the same in the annual accounts.

The next item in the  agenda was the election of the office bearers . The president declared that he will not continue in the post any longer.In spite of persuasions from several members he didn’t budge a bit.The secretary and other office bearers also pressed for a change in guard for the house.A few members then suggested some other names for the post .As the arguments got heated some members left the place.The meeting appeared to be noisy.All thesetimes one or two members were bent upon the old team to continue .

  The members who left the place fearing some unruly scenes returned after half an hour.To their surprise there was perfect harmony between the leaders in the group .The same old team was elected for the next year also.The youth who attended the function got several valuable lessons for their future use as how to handle such situations when their time comes

The Message of the Epics as I feel it.

                                                        Message of the Epics

When we read the epics like Mahabhaaratham,Bhaagavatham or Raamaayanam,we see contradictory characters appear  in different contexts.Some of them are uniformly noble characters,some are eternal evils while a 3^rd set have diverse qualities.The reader should be sensible enough to judge the right and wrong  from this basket.A wise person will be able to assess the worthwhile qualities that help him/her to lead a healthy life.The perverted ones will be fascinated by the crooked  characters  who have initial successes, but finally meet with a tragic end.God teaches us that it is the wisdom to choose the right course which shape our lives.There are devilish ones who challenged the Lord himself .The Lord let them reach their legitimate point.This churning makes Hinduism a unique one.The Lord says no one including Himself cannot escape from the reward for one’s actions during our life.

                    The water in a well remains pure only when it is agitated well and frequently.If the water remains stagnant for a few months it becomes filthy and people who enter that well may even die of the poisonous gases emanating from that.Stirred water remains the best always.Questioning and clarifications ociety’s healthy growth.Only thing is that both actions should be done gracefully.

                                        In the Semetic religions one has to strictly follow the directions given by the Almighty.There is no place for one’s intelligence or reasoning mentality.The whole system being stagnant the malignants that accumulate over a period never flow out and the entire system keeps it’s status quo and never improves the reasoning ability of it’s members.While Hindus can live happily in democracies where there are dissenting voices always,the others have to be in an autocracy.That is what happened in the West Asian countries.In case of any dissenting voice they will be beheaded as Saddaam Hussain did with his own family members.

But nothing to worry over others.We are lucky in having been in a culture which  is more than 5000 years old.When the other sects also grow older the inevitable changes will take place and they will be like the Hindus of today ,while we would have crossed many more stages.

Prime Minister's laison offices in State capitalsThe decision of the Prime minister to open the PM’s laison offices at all state capitals is a welcome move with far reaching advantages. India is a very big nation with a large number of states and union territories.Naturally the states will have regular demand for new projects,follow up of earlier proposals,other special representation etc.The present practice is for taking frequent flights to Delhi by the CM alone,groups of ministers,all party delegations etc wasting crores of money intended for developmental activities.Also much of the time/energy of these busy people are wasted on such journeys.The already busy Delhi becomes more crowded adding to the miseries of the people there. When the PM’s laison office is opened in a state capital any proposal for old or new projects can be given to this office which will have all modern technological installations/telecom/video conferencing facilities etc.In case of urgent need even the PM can be contacted from there and the decisions will come in the flash of a second. There will be no dispute whether the papers are really sent or not as all these are backed up with file saving facilities The present practice to send a delegation of a crowd of ministers and MLAs by flight even to invite the PM or other union ministers for a function in the state. It will be in the fairness of things in a democracy if the ministers do not spend valuable time for inauguration of even petty functions all over the state/country adding to the financial strain.Let these functions be held without wastefull festivals.Only major projects alone should be opened my ministers.( They can send video messages for the functions to satisfy the organizers or local people. Hope and wish the esteemed PM will give attention to some of these small items which when put together will save hundreds of crores of the valuable resources of India.We may even be able to build a small dam in a major Indian river.

Believers and nonbelievers in India.

The main threat for the Hindus who dominate the population only in India is that followers of other semetic faiths never consider Hindus as 'BELIEVERS',even though the Hindus take pride in that they are followers of a great and ancient culture that is several thousand years old.The Semetic groups feel that it is their Sacred duty to convert all NONBELIEVERS in to the God's chosen sects.As Both Christians and Muslims claim the same origin they don't label each other as non believers .The only dispute is which of the 2 streams is the genuine faith ?The poor Hindus who spend much of their time for prayers,Satsangas and reading/ hearing of the epics are considered as outcasts in their own land. Hindus never consider other faiths as atheisms.
When all religions are given equal respects India will become a truly SECULAR nation.The God of one religion should not be the devil for another faith.

Orphanages in Kerala and human trafficking

Kerala Police and Palakkad district officials rescued almost 600 children being transported into the state from Bihar and Jharkhand on the pretext of sending them to orphanages. Officials, however, fear this to be a clear case of child trafficking.

On May 24, the authorities rescued 456 children, who were being transported from Bihar and Jharkhand. On May 25, 123 boys were rescued from another train at Palakkad railway station.

The authorities rescued the children following tips from Railway Police.

Eight people among the 43 who were escorting the children who were rescued on May 24 have been arrested. Of the 43 adults, 10 were women who had 10 infants with them, 8 boys and 2 girls.

The children, between the ages of 6 and 14, were packed in 3 unreserved compartments of the Patna-Ernakulam Express.

All that the children know is that they have been sent from home to an unknown place in Kerala to a so-called shelter home which would give them food and education. But is that what lies in store for them? The children were accompanied by 43 adults, who claimed to be their caretakers.

Palakkad district collector K. Ramachandran said, "Based on a tip-off, we found that 456 children were being transported to Kerala. We rescued the children who were being brought from Bihar and Jharkhand. Many of the kids are between the age of 6 to 14. They speak Hindi and they were told that they are going to be given food and education."

The children were apparently being taken to a shelter home, the Moiuddin Poya Haji Memorial Home in Kozhikode, north Kerala. V. Beeran, the manager of the shelter home, said, "For the last few years, we haven't been getting any children in our home. So we got these children so that we can take care of needy children. There is no exploitation here."

The police are yet to ascertain whether the children were being brought to the shelter home or were being brought to be trafficked. As of now, 156 children (88 boys and 68 girls) have been housed in the government shelter in Palakkad after the child welfare committee took down their statements.

Another 124 boys have been shifted to Pezhumkara government home and 175 kids, 161 girls and 14 infant boys, have been shifted to Providence home, a home for the destitute run by nuns in Malampuzha.

Father Jose, chairperson, Child Welfare committee, Palakkad, said, "We have requested that the police investigate the matter. We are in touch with the police in the states these children belong. We are trying to get the addresses so that we can help trace their homes."

Obviously, there is more than what meets the eye.

The 123 boys, who were intercepted at Palakkad railway station, have been housed in the government boys' home in Malappuram. These children also were carrying ID cards of an orphanage in Malappuram. Investigations are on to confirm the veracity of the orphanage.

The collector added, "We are trying to trace where the children were actually being taken."

He has issued orders that until the probe has not been completed, the children will be taken care of by the government.

Kerala Police has filed an FIR under the Juvenile Justice Act and begun investigations. The collector is now seeking Chief Minister Oommen Chandy's intervention in rehabilitating these children back to their homes.