The Poochakkal Police Station in my native place is again in the news. In the post Police & Astrology: Cowries tell the story I had described how the policemen were resorting to astrology to ward off problems they were facing.
I had expressed the doubt whether the cops had taken permission from higher authorities for bringing an astrologer to the Station and consulting him. The answer for that is in today’s newspapers.
Under instructions from the Director General of Police, the entire police personnel of the Station including the Sub Inspector, Asst. Sub Inspectors, Head Constables and Constables have been transferred to various other Stations.
Now the question is whether this action is a punishment or a boon to those who have been shifted. After all, what they wanted was to escape the bad times the Station was going through.
Mallus have money in their pockets - Minister
According to the Civil Supplies Minister of Kerala, even if prices of food items increase by a couple of rupees, the Keralites don’t bother. They have plenty of money in their pockets. He does not know where the money comes from, though. The Malayalees go to hotels and eat well and don’t bargain about the prices.
Can you think of an Indian being punished in India for donating blood to Indian soldiers? Sometimes the Communists do such things. They have their own logic, though people outside the organization may not comprehend it.
The Communists have been active in India for 80 years. Their professed motive of uplifting the downtrodden was, and continues to be, commendable. The people’s struggle, they call it. And India is a country with a colossal population of oppressed people – apparently an ideal ground for effectively proving the Communist doctrine.
Yet, in eight decades what has happened to the movement? It has managed to consolidate in a few isolated locations and even that position appears to be rather shaky now. Their vote share in the National elections is about 5 or 6%.
What brought about this situation? The Comrades failed to identify who ‘the people’ are and what problems they face. A fraction of organized workers do not represent the people of India; they are among the fortunate few. There is a suffering India from which the high flying leaders seem to be far removed.
One hoped that with the battering they took in the recent Parliament elections the Comrades, particularly the CPI (M), would objectively analyze the causes and take corrective steps. All their recent policies, starting with scuttling the proposal to make Jyothi Basu the Prime Minister, to the much touted Third Front and election strategies turned out to be fiascoes.
Further, in the recent months the major asset the Communists had – the conviction that they would always fight corruption and communalism – was unnecessarily compromised. A different approach and choice words, particularly in the Lavelin case which was committed to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) by the Kerala High Court, would have given the Party much more credibility.
I have personally known, and in several cases genuinely respected some of the Communist leaders of yesteryears, including EMS Namboodiripad. For me it is sad to see the chaos created by the Party’s present bosses.
Instead of tackling the real problems facing the Party, the CPI (M) has reduced them to the struggle between VS Achudanandan (VS), Chief Minister of Kerala, and the State’s Party Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan. Disciplinary action has been taken against VS by demoting him from the Polit Bureau (PB). But he is allowed to continue as Chief Minister. The Party Secretary goes unscathed.
Does any one really believe that this solution would effectively solve the problems of the Party? In this process, have the Marxists lost or forgotten or buried the national perspective?
The action presents a strange juxtaposition. VS would be chairing the meetings of the Council of Ministers but he would be outranked by the Home Minister who is a Member of the PB. Who will have the final word in explaining the policies of the government to the people? The Chief Minister or the Home Minister?
A brief note on VS: I have personally suffered as a result of his ‘vettinirathal’ (scorched earth) policy in the 1990s, which saw party activists destroying agricultural crops on reclaimed lands though I have not done any reclamation. But one has to admit that, even at the age of 86, he is a fighter. He may lack finesse, but he is an icon for the party cadre. His fights against corruption have projected him as a hero.
VS was carrying the Red Flag and fighting for the Communist cause before some of the kings and kingmakers of the Party today were born. He was a victim of severe police brutality. It is said that once the authorities were about to bury him, thinking he was dead from the torture inflicted on him. He is one of the few surviving leaders from among those who formed the CPI (M) in 1964.
In 1962, during the Chinese War, VS was jailed along with other Left leaders. While in prison he donated blood for the war effort. That was against the then Party policy and, as punishment, he was demoted from the Central Committee.
A soldier wanted to build a house. That’s fine. Everyone wants to own a home. This jawan started construction in his home district of Alleppey one and a half years back. He would not have anticipated any problem.
Trouble started when he and his brother unloaded some building materials that had been brought to the site.
Enter members of the Marxist-led workers union. They had no objection to the brothers handling the unloading. They only wanted to be paid for the job which they did not do. It is known as ‘nokkukooli’, which means looking charges.
Eighteen months passed and more construction material arrived. Again, the brothers and their men did the unloading. The Comrades were back, demanding Rs.4000/- as ‘nokkukooli’ including their unmet demand on the earlier occasion.
The soldier refused to pay. The union men beat up the brothers and their men, and threatened the womenfolk.
This is not an isolated incident. ‘Nokkukooli” is quite prevalent in Kerala, particularly in Alleppey district. The Marxists leaders preach against the practice, but turn a Nelson’s eye when such instances happen.
There used to be a law that permitted citizens to unload domestic items and construction materials for their own use, either themselves or with their employees. The police could interfere if there was any obstruction by outsiders. Likewise, a farmer could handle his produce himself or with his men.
The present Communist-led government changed the law. Now the police cannot interfere. They can watch if they want, but won’t charge anything for that.
Rupees 4,617.5 crore (46,175 million)
Five Year Plan expenditure? A major industrial venture? Some scheme to help the poor? Money set apart for a worthwhile project?
No.
It is the sales turnover for liquor by the Kerala State Beverages Corporation for the year ended March 31, 2009. It shows an increase of Rs.948 crores over the previous year. The figure does not, I believe, include toddy, illegally sold spirits, and liquor directly imported by luxury hotels.
The Kerala tipplers, famous for their drinking capabilities, could be a confused lot for the time being. The State Government has just released the new liquor policy. It permits stronger drinks to be marketed in Kerala.
Before coming to the Slumdog Cocktail, let me briefly explain what I understand about the new liquor rules from newspaper reports. Don’t get put off by the accounts figures.
Till now, the hard stuff could only have an alcohol content of 42.86% v/v (volume to volume) with a tolerance of plus or minus 1%. The revised rule increases the tolerance to 3%. This means that the strength of the liquor one buys could be anywhere from 39.86% to 45.86%.
The million dollar question is: will this change result in more liquor consumption, or reduced the intake?
The new policy has two possibilities that would coexist. One is that the quantity of alcohol consumed by a person would be less if the lower tolerance level is applied. They would be paying the same price, but at least it would be more liver friendly. On the other hand, at 45.86%, for no additional cost the customer would be getting potion that is really potent.
I must be turning dull in my old age because I can’t understand the rationale behind the change in the specifications. But one thing appears certain – after the initial perplexity, the Keralites would keep on blissfully downing the stuff regardless. Come hell or high-water, the spirits must be kept up. The espirit de corps!
You would be wondering about the Slumdog connection.
Well, at the 81st Oscar Awards party, one of the drinks served was imaginatively named ‘Slumdog Cocktail’. It was a vodka based mix according to Jijeesh Kuttalita of Malayala Manorama (jijeeshmm@manoramamail.com), prepared with raspberry and lime (juice?) and served with a lollipop.
If prepared with fortified Kerala vodka, fewer Slumdogs could induce deeper slumber.
