Memories of an old friend - Jose Prakash

My dear Jose Prakash, Bangalore,20/04/09,

Perhaps you may surprise this letter from a very old friend of Kottayam, when you were managing the Jose tailors, opp. to Indian Coffee house and Bank of Deccan, and beneath Palai Central Bank. When I was going to and back

MD Seminary, during my school days I noticed the shop with busy employees doing service to many people of the town. Though I wanted to enter the shop and get a shirt , I could not do so, as shirts were stitched then only once in 6 months and that too at the village tailor shop (at Thiruvarpu ) where the cost was only 4 chakrams (12.5 paise!) , whereas you charged 4 annas (25 paise).

Finally I got permission from mother and got stitched a shirt from your shop at 6 annas. and you reduced it to 4 annas on my negotiation. I do not know whether you are the same person, now in your Sathabishekam. I wish you all prosperity for your family and good health for another 10 years. or more.

I do not remember when you left the shop at Kottayam. Later when I saw you in the films, I identified you and become a fan. I very much appreciate many of your pictures; one among is your Father action with ungrateful children. It was shown in the TV some time back and I spoke to my wife and children about you and our connection for a small time (say b4 or 5 years). Even when I have no business at the shop I used to come and meet you during my return home to Thiruvarpu.

Among the lakhs of fans and well wishers for a person of your stature, you may not have a chance to remember this old association, and that too when I am not in the VIPs class . Any how I am really glad that I could at least remember you now from the Photo in Mathrubhumy and convey this message of good wishes on the occasion of your Sathabishekam. My best regards, and Prayers for your well being and convey this to your family members.

We are of the same age group (self 82), but I could not get an opportunity to meet you after you left Kottayam. I first joined Forward Bank and then in Travancore Bank and retired after 41 years service. Like you, I have 6 children (4 d and 2 s) and all well educated and well placed, two of them in high position. All my grand children are also well educated. I could not get higher education, due to non- availability of colleges at Kottayam then and the sudden death of my father and I compensated it by giving very good education to my children, by the Grace of God.

My wife, who is also an appreciator of your Cinemas, join with me to convey our Best Wishes on this happy occasion of your Sathabishekam and Pray God Almighty to shower His choicest blessings on you and your family, for many more years . If you have time and willingness, please write a reply to this old friend, who is away from you for the past 50 years. Now I am settled in Bangalore with my sons, who care us very well and we are indebted to the Great God, for giving such good opportunity, at the fag end of life.

With regards to all If I get a chance to visit Ernakulam, I surely desire to meet you to renew the relationship ,of 50 years back.

Warm Regards
Thatha

Modi vs Pinarayi - A Joke Blown Up

Dear Latheef,

Communalism

I appreciate your letter dt. 21/04/09 in the Mathrubhumy on communalism. I really wonder, a person of your social set up ,dared to speak against Pinarayi Vijayan, the strong man of the CPM, for communalizing a simple incident , because the two persons involved , were from two religions and also one among them from Gujarat , the No.1 enemy of all the medias and the non BJP political parties . Every now and then these parties utter the common word ”Gujarat” and Modi, but conveniently keep mum over the heinous killing of 4000 minority Sikhs in 1984 in the aftermath of the murder of Indira Gandhi ,at the initiative of the then PM Rajeev in vengeance to his mothers assassination. In Gujarat and in Delhi, both the incidents were in retaliation of certain previous violence and it is quite natural such riots happen every where. Why single out Modi alone and leave Rajeev, who could not control the riot against the Sikhs,. The Govt. Police and Military posed a blind eye for two days and the riot was permitted to go on, killing innocent women and children. Even after 24 years no one was punished. But the mere throw of a boot by a Sikh journalist created wonders and the lady woke up and cancelled the candidature of two criminals involved in the Sikh riot. As everybody blame only Modi, who had done his best to control the riot. But in 1984, the first accused should be Rajeev and the Lady, who persuaded congressmen to continue the violence. Rajeev said, when a big banyan tree fell, the small ones beneath would also fall. This statement itself is enough to include him as first accused. But what has happened. The shoe did wonders and the 4000 Sikh ghosts are circling over the congress leaders and the Lady, who fears a backfire in the election.

The Gujarat Officer did not know even the name of the victim or his religion. He took it as a mere joke and the unscrupulous politicians saw Hindutuva here also.

Real meaning of secularism and democracy is treating all people equally, no discrimination, no appeasement, no denial of opportunity to any one, on the basis of religion, caste, language, region or gender. Do you think, this prevails in India? No

The situation was near equal, to this, during the Rule of Nehru, Sastry and the first term of Indira Gandhi. Afterwards everything was torpedoed to the present situation.

You see the present election scene. Parties, who were bed mates, are now fighting each other and mudslinging carry on towards every one. How these people meet the next step of forming the Govt. and how the people accept it. Please give me a reply to my remarks and comments and if you disagree please point out. Thanking you.

Yours sincerely,

Thatha

Judges vs Politicians -VR Krishna Iyer's 'friendly' advice to Mrs Gandhi

Sri.K.P.Ramachandran,
Advocate, 21-04-09
Ernakulam, Kochi
Kerala.

Dear Sri.Ramachandran,

Judicial thinking.

Your article on the above subject is a fine piece of a real situation now prevailing in the Indian Democracy, especially after the emergency. The Ruling party, particularly the Congress, adopted a dishonest stature towards Judiciary and tried to influence for their sake. You may refer to an article by Sri.Ramkumar, Advocate in the same edition of Mathrubhumy, (21/4) about reservation for Judicial Retirees. It is very interesting. The readers, view these two articles, very interestingly and appreciate the boldness shown by you and Ram Kumar.

I agree with your comments about Sri.VR Krishna Iyer, the most honest and brilliant personality, had also gone wrong in many occasions to save Politicians, of course, not for any benefit.

During the Emergency time, when the appeal of Indira Gandhi, against the Allahabad High court judgment proclaiming the election of Indira Gandhi null and void, on charges of corrupt practices during the election period, which was cent per cent correct and could not be revoked. The appeal came up before Mr. Krishna Iyer, then Supreme court Judge, knowing very well, that the appeal could not stand, he advised in the open court to Mr.Palkhiwala, the senior Advocate appearing for Indira Gandhi, that the appeal could stand only if the Constitution is amended with retrospective effect to counter the corruption charges made in the election petition, as it was so strong against Indira Gandhi who misused the Official position in winning the election. As an ordinary man, not familiar with judicial proceedings, I think it was wrong on the part of Mr. Krishna Iyer to ask the advocate of the appellant party to get the Sacred Constitution amended, that too

With retrospective effect(!), unheard of any where in the World,. His duty was only to look into the High court judgment on its merits or demerits to consider revoking it, or allow..

Indira Gandhi got the amendment of the Constitution of India, the most sacred one, with retrospective effect within a period of 15 days and got the Allahabad High Court Judgment revoked, to save her PM’s chair, i.e. to save the Position of an Individual, who had been declared by the Allahabad High court as an Offender. The same thing had happened in the case of her foreign d-in-law when she also managed to amend the constitution with retrospective effect to save her MP seat in the Parliament. Please reply me about your comments, on my observations, which is purely personal and with no other motive.

Yours sincerely,

Thatha

Gandhi or Vinci?

Dear Rahul Vinci,

I take the liberty to call this name, used by you in your Cambridge University record , instead of the surname of the Father of Nation, stolen by you and your mum, to mislead the people . When you were in Kerala, your outbursts against MrAdvani, a most respected leader of a national party were very cheap and silly to get the applause from sycophants. I sympathize that the heir apparent child PM in waiting has only so much maturity and surprised how this country will be safe in your hands, if by accident the congress gets some numbers. .We pray, that it never happens. .

After 24 years, of murdering 3000 Sikhs minorities by Congress goondas, when you were inside the golden temple under knife threat, you said that the 1984 Sikh riot was absolutely wrong and the perpetrators should be punished, and nothing seen after your return. But a mere boot, thrown by a Sikh youth, changed matters to worse and your mum had to withdraw the candidature of Tytler and Kumar , who were the pets of your dad under whose instigation the killings were carried out by Hindu congressmen. Is this not a violence against minority, as you always murmur on Gujarat riot? Mr.Vinci, the 3000 ghosts of Sikhs killed, would-be circling on your family and the congress for ever .and may also cause the slow elimination of the party and the dynasty.

The poor Rubber stamp PM created by your mum, after her so called sacrifice drama, has neither power nor any capability to deliver. He and your mum frequently mention about the Kandahar episode. Please understand that the sacrifice of Mr.Jawaant Singh of his prestige and honor saved the life of 160 innocent people, while your deploying commandos to Bombay could not save about 300 lives massacred by the terrorists. NDA’s decision in this connection was approved by you all and now find fault. Your mum’s sacrifice was forced by the people and the friendly advice of the President, that it was not proper for a foreigner to become the PM of India. Impotent sycophants of congress converted it as a sacrifice, without knowing the real meaning of the word.

Why Mr. Vinci, you and mum use the good name of the Mahatma, as surname just to mislead the public. Nehru and Gandhiji are not related, belongs to different castes. The Media, and others now and then mention as “Nehru Gandhi family rule, scion etc” to cheat the people. Please remove the surname Gandhi from the names of you and your mum. Why did your mum bring her parents and relatives in chartered flight to witness the swearing in ceremony of Sonia on two occasions, if she did not like to become the PM? They had to return empty handed, to Italy. Where is the sacrifice here?

Modi called the congress gudia or bhudia, but your sister took it as her age. What your mum had done for the country so far.? After her taking leadership, forcibly throwing out the old man Kesari, the congress had shrinked like a mango seed and pushed to a corner. You said in Kerala that you will not permit dynastic rule. Mr. Vinci you are in a fools’ paradise. Nehru handed over to his daughter, she to her son, and now trying hard to nominate his wife or son. Is this not dynastic?, Both your grand mother and father ditched their own grave by foolish actions, (blustar operation and IPKF}.

It is better for the country if the congress, the most corrupt, dishonest, anti-Hindu opportunistic and communal, is fully eliminated as early as possible. A new set of young honest and sincere class should come forward and take the governance of this vast country. The entire people should be treated equally, without discrimination on the; basis of religion, caste, or language. Now the congress is left with the alliance of only the old guard in Chennai, who was with the BJP for 6 years and he may jump again if the other side is found more greener. The left also gone out, but your Mukherjee, says there is a chance of a remarriage. It is wonderful, the ways of the congress to retain power. Lalu and Paswam. one time mates of your mum also cheated her. In Vikramaditya story, the Lady, cheated both Vikramaditya and Bhatti who were placed on both her side, without the knowledge of each other. In your case, the Lalu and Paswan on both sides, cheated the lady, see the difference. It is the same with Mulayam. Now your mum is running after all of them to get hold.

The country was lead by a person, not elected by voters, who entered parliament by back door by giving a false address in Assam, where he cannot go to vote, due to terrorist problem. You now say that his health does not permit to stand for election. If this position prevails in BJP, how could be your protests? If he is not well, ask him to take rest instead of trying to sit on the same chair for another 5 years without being a member of the parliament. There are so many others waiting, such as poor Pranab for the last 25 years. If not given to any other family, you and your sister are there. You cannot fool all people all the time by using the hired surname and a tilak in the forehead, on some particular visits to particular places. If you can get a simple majority of your own I shall appreciate and withdraw all my comments and join with you. But no chance Vinci, In case of a hung house, we know you will again stretch your begging hands to the left party and others. Mr. Mukherjee said that there are good chances for a remarriage with the left parties. You only want to retain power at any cost. And also to keep it with your dynasty, as you think that all others are not born for rule and only to be ruled by a foreign dynasty. .. .

Sincerely,

Thatha

Whats happening in Bangalore!

A few of my friends and I were just paying our bills and coming out of our regular Friday night watering hole and dinner place in Rest House Road, just off Brigade Road, and most of the women in the company were already standing outside. Some of us outside were smoking, people were happy, there was laughter and jokes, as there were many other people in the street, all coming out, satiated, in the closing hour of the various pubs and restaurants around.

Suddenly from up the street a massive SUV comes revving and speeding, hurtling down, and stops in a scream of brakes and swirling dust, millimeters away from this group of 4 women, barely missing one of their legs. A white Audi, imported, still under transfer, with the registration plate of KA-51 TR-2767. Some millionaire's toy thing, that in the wrong hands can kill.

Naturally the women are in shock. And quickly following the shock comes indignation. These are self made women running their own businesses, managing state responsibilities for global NGO firms, successful doctors. They are not used to being bullied. So they turn around, instead of shrinking back in fear. They protest.

And as soon as they turn around in protest, the car doors are flung open, and a stream of 4-5 rabid men run out towards these women, screaming obscenities in Hindi and Kannada against women in general, fists flailing. Some of us who came in running at the sound of the screaming brakes now stand in the middle in defense of our women, and then blows start raining down. One of the goons make a couple of calls over the cellphone, and in seconds a stream of other equally rabid goondas land up. They gun straight for the women, and everyone – a few well-meaning bystanders, acquaintances who know us from the
restaurant, basically everyone who tries to help the women – starts getting thoroughly beaten up.

Women are kicked in the groin, punched in the stomach, slapped across the face, grabbed everywhere, abused constantly. Men are smashed up professionally, blows aimed at livers, groins, kidneys and nose. A friend is hit repeatedly on the head by a stone until he passes out in a flood of blood.

A plain-clothes policeman (Vittal Kumar) who saunters in late stands by watching and urging people to stop, but doing absolutely nothing else. A 'cheetah' biker cop comes in, with our women pleading him to stop this madness, but he refuses action, saying a police van will come in soon and he cannot do anything. Everyone keeps getting hammered. Relentlessly.

The carnage continues for over 20 minutes.

Finally when the police van does come in it is this vandals who are raging and ranting, claiming to be true "sons of the Kannadiga soil", and we are positioned to be the villainous outsiders, bleeding, outraged. How do the cops believe them, especially seeing the bloody faces of our men and the violated rage of our women, while they carry nary a scratch on their bodies? Don't ask me! Yet, it is us who these goondas urge the newly arrived law-keepers to arrest, and the police promptly comply, and we are bundled into the van, some still being
beaten as we are pushed in. Some blessed relief from pain inside the police van at least, even if we are inside and the real goons outside, driving alongside in their spanking white Audi. The guy who was hit by the stone is taken separately by the women to Mallya hospital.

Inside the police station at Cubbon Park it becomes clear that these goons and the police know each other by their first names. The policeman in charge (Thimmappa) initially refuses to even register any complaint from me, on the purported grounds that I am not fluent in Kannada and I have taken a few drinks (3 Kingfisher pints, to be precise) over the evening. No, it doesn't matter that I didn't have my car and was not driving, and no, it doesn't mater that the complaint will be written in English. We watch them and the goons exchange
smiles and nods with our our bloodied and swelling eyes and realize in our pain-clouded still-in-shock brains the extent of truth in the claim of one of the main goons when he claimed earlier in the evening in virulent aggression: we own this town, this car belongs to an MLA, we will see how you return to this street!!

This was the turning point of the saga, I guess. For we refused to lie down quietly and be victims.

One of our girls, a vintage and proud Bangalorean who is running one of the town's most successful organic farming initiatives, took upon herself to write the complaint, when I was not allowed to write the same. Another Bangalore girl, a state director of a global NGO firm, wrote the other molestation complaint separately on behalf of all the girls. Some of us called our friends in the media and corporate world. Everyone stepped up. And even when the odds were down and we were out, we did not give up, and as a singular body of violated citizens we spoke in one voice of courage and indomitable spirit. That voice had no limitation of language, not Kannada, nor English, or Hindi. It was the voice of human spirit that cannot be broken.

And in the face of that spirit, for the first time, we saw the ugly visage of vandalism, hiding behind the thin and inadequate veil of political corrupt power, narrow-vision regionalism and self-serving morality, start to wilt.

We spent 6 hours next day in the police station. The sub-inspector of police who filed our FIR, Ajay R M, seemed a breath of fresh air inasmuch that he did not appear a-priori biased like others, even though the hand of corruption and politico-criminal power backing these goons was still manifest in many ways: a starched, white-linen power-broker walked in handing over his card to the sub-inspector in support of the goons; the goons got an audience with the Inspector because of this intervention, while we had to interact one level lower
down in the hierarchy; the plains cloth policeman of last night, even though he had arrived far too late in the crime scene, gave a warped statement, passing it off as a "neutral" point of view, repeatedly stressing that we came out of a pub and hence were drinking, positioning this as a 'drunken brawl', while completely forgetting to mention the unprovoked attack against the women and the one-sided vandalism and violence that ensued. I guess one cannot blame the low ranked police officer – the criminal connections of these goons must be pervasive enough for him to be careful.

Thanks however to the impartial handling of the situation by Ajay, soon the goons were all identified. The lead actor was one Ravi Mallaya (38), a real estate honcho and owner of a small property off Brigade Road which he has converted into a "gaming" (you know what that means, don't you?) adda. The others identified are Mohan Basava (22) of Chamarajapet 12th Cross, R. Vijay Kumar Ramalingaraju (25) and Shivu Rajashekar (20). All are residents of 12th & 13th Cross in Vyalikaval. Their bravado and machismo were by that time evaporated.
It was good to see their faces then.

Of course nothing much happened to them, nor did we expect it. They were supposed to be in lock up for at least the weekend till they were produced in court, but we understand that they were quickly released on (anticipatory?) bail. The car, purportedly belonging to an MLA, also does not figure in the FIR, apparently for reasons of "irrelevance to the case".The media also have given us fantastic coverage and support so far, strengthening the cause.

The goons meanwhile, as an after thought, also filed the customary reverse complaint on the morning after we filed our own complaint: the women have apparently scratched the car! (Why did they not file the complaint the same night, considering they came to the Police Station in the same car? Why was the car allowed to be taken off police custody? Why is the car still irrelevant to the case and not in the FIR? Questions.. questions..).

Is this the end of this saga? Probably not. Are these women, more precious to us as friends and wives than most things in our lives, safe to walk or drive down Brigade Road from now on or are the goonda elements, slighted by this arrest and disgrace, are lying in ambush, waiting, biding their time to cause some of us more grievous harm? We don't know. Is there reason for us to remain apprehensive of future attacks and victimization? Perhaps.

But here is the point.

We stood up.

We believed in the power of individual citizens even in the face of hooliganism, intolerance, corruption and power mongering. Even though many of us have the option of leveraging political or government connections, we deliberately chose to fight this battle as individuals. Sure, these connections have been activated and they have been kept informed, should the worst case scenario unfold tomorrow .
But we have chosen to not leverage them. And in every small win we register as a group of individual outraged citizens of Bangalore and India, however insignificant these milestones may be in the larger scheme of things, there is one small notch adding up in favor of what is right, one small notch against what is wrong. And we believe that every such small notch counts, each such mark is absolutely invaluable.

It is the people who make this city, this country, this world. It is you and I, as much as the terrorists inside and outside. And in our small insignificant little ways, it is my responsibility and yours to not shirk from investing effort – not just lip service or any token attempt, but real effort – in backing up what we ourselves believe in.
It is so easy to logically argue that everything is corrupt, nothing is worth it, there are so many risks involved. We must not fall trap to this escapist trend. We must not fail to try.

Next time you feel outraged, violated, abused, don't let it go by and add up to your list of litanies and complaints. Stand up and take it to the limit - at least your own limit. Not in the same way as they wrong you, but in the way that every citizen, at least in theory, is entitled to complain and protest. Do not let the hooligans power rant scare you or prompt you into submission. Do not allow the corrupt cop make you give up trying. Carry the flame forward. Try harder.

If are up to it, start right now.

Forward this note to everyone you want to be made aware of this. Postit in your own blogs. Talk about it amongst your circles. And if anyone of you should like to step forward with a word of empathy or advise, talk to me. Comment.

It is not Bangalore that is going to the dogs. It is us. We have far too long become accustomed to let everything go. And the more we let things go without any protest or fight, the dormant criminal and dark elements of the society get that much more encouraged. Every time we turn the other way, the hooligan next street gets incentivized to push the boundary a little further, provoke a little more, try something a little more atrocious. It is time for us to refuse to let this go on.
We are responsible for making ourselves proud. Lets believe in ourselves. We can do this.

My name is Saugata Chatterjee. And I am standing up.I refuse to let Bangalore go to the hooligan slumdogs, even if some of them are pets of corrupt power millionaires.