Diamond jubilee of Indian Independance

On the 60th Independence day of India, several articles are published in the print media highlighting the democratic values adhered to in India during the last 6 decades; about the Constitution; the Institutions like Parliament, Courts, Election Commission etc. They have all more or less content that democracy is flourishing in India.

But, no one cared to suggest improvements!

No doubt, democracy is flourishing in India. The parliament and the State assemblies are conducting sessions regularly, discussing important matters, and legislating. But to one, who is looking at the sessions, in live electronic media, they are a pathetic sight. What with the shouting and fighting; breaking of the mikes; government representatives trying to silence the opposition; opposition not heeding the speaker; suspending of the entire opposition out of the house; marshals snatching away the members…….so on and so on!

WHY DON’T WE REVISE THE PROCEDURES ADOPTED IN THE HOUSES?

Usually the day starts in the house with ‘Question Hour’ as per the age old prevailing practice. As the questions raised by the members to the Government were considered to be of great importance to the public, the question hour was regarded as the most important part of the proceedings and hence the priority.
The public were thrilled to read about the questions and the answers in the print media the next day and discussed how their representatives were extracting information from the Government and how at times the Government was facing critical situations. The best example of the relevance of the question hour was portrayed in one of the Novels of famous writer Jeffery Archer.

As this was the case, when some things considered important by the opposition, demanding immediate attention of the house, they used to place ‘adjournment motions’ in the house. Meaning, the Question hour has to be adjourned to enable immediate discussion on the matters raised in the adjournment motion. At times, the speaker, basing on the urgency of the matter, allowed the motions, adjourning the question hour! The public felt proud that their representatives were taking up the matters of public interest in right earnest.

But now, the question hour has become irrelevant. The audience do not know what are the questions asked, who asked the question etc. Simply the speaker reads out the question number and asks the concerned Minister about his answer. The Minister or his representative answer in mono-syllables like ‘for point a) the answer is ‘No Sir’, for b) ‘Not true Sir’, for c) ‘the question does not arise Sir’. What the members of the house or the Government or the watching public gain from such sessions is only known to God. More over, after the Right to Information Act (though it is not being utilized to the fullest extant) there is no need for the Question Hour!

Recently, it has become a habit for all the political parties in the house to shower adjournment motions on the speaker, some times with ridiculous matters such as ‘a person has publicly scolded our leader and there as to be urgent discussion in the house’! So also it has become customary for the speaker to declare that all the adjournment motions are ‘declined’, thereby lessening the importance of the really urgent matters. At times, it seems to the public that some speakers are aiding the Government in postponing discussions and to face the opposition on urgent public matters.

When the house is in sessions, every day one can see the routine: Speaker calling the house to order, declaring that all the adjournment motions are declined, calling for answer to the days 1st question, the opposition raising cries about their adjournment motions or some allegations against the Government, Speaker not allowing the members to speak and asking to proceed with the question hour, the members moving to the well of the house, leader of the house moving a motion for suspension of the opposition members, the motion declared as ‘carried out’ by the Speaker, the suspended members refusing to go away, the marshals lifting them and practically throwing them out, agitation by the other members and the house declared as ‘adjourned’. What a waste of public money!

Why not, for a change, start the session by placing before the house by the Speaker himself, the important Public issues, raised by the print media the previous day? And asking the Government to react and tell the public the facts?

Just Think of it!




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We are Happy!

యెలాగైతేనేమి, ఇప్పటికి స్వంత ఊరికి చేరాము. అదీ ఆనందానిక్కారణం.
అసలు రిటైర్మెంటు ముందైనా సొంత ఇంటికి చేరాలనీ, ప్రశాంతంగా రిటైరు అవ్వాలని ఎవరికి వుండదు?
కాని దానిక్కూడా అడ్డు పడేవాళ్ళు, చెడగొట్టాలని చూసేవాళ్ళు వుంటారంటే నమ్ముతారా?
అయినా వాటన్నింటినీ అధిగమించి, అడ్డంకులు తొలగించుకుని, అనుకున్నది సాధించేమంటే--ఆనందం కాదూ!
అవునంటారా, కాదంటారా?

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Simhaavalokanam (Reminisences of the Lion)

The Lion, the king of the forest, (somewhere in
African jungles or Sundarbans of India), after his sumptous Luch (at midnight), lies on a boulder near his Home Cave and starting his 'siesta' starts reminiscing. It is called "Simhavalokanam" in Indian Language--TELUGU.

In this, he while he remembers--scene by scene--the previous day's happenings--whereby, like on a television screne, the scenes move one by one to create a perennial movie for him, as well as for us, if we can see with our mind's eye.

The opening scene starts thus:

The forest is silent more or less. The Sun is setting in the West. The birds are reaching their nests, making all sorts of sounds, their off spring welcoming them with the same sorts of sounds. The snakes start hissing to frighten the birds. The other animals, who take their meal in the day (including humans) are returning to their abodes for a night's rest in the hope to start the next day with renewed vigour.

The Lion, the king of the forest, lazily wakes up and roars mildly and irritated by the insects etc. in the hairs on his head, trys to shake them off by roaring louder. The entire forest becomes 'stand still'. The siblings of the lion, having their early break-fast of milk from the lioness, the queen of the forest, start to moan and the lioness admonishes, "No need to wake up so early. His Royal Highness, your father has just now woken up and it is his warning to the forest and his 'people'. You continue with your task and I will wake you up on time."

TL, tkotf, gets up, stretches his body, yawns, and as the forest sounds are being resumed, 'Rrrrrroars...' again loudly to signify his presence. The small 'people' like the hares, rabbits, mice, rodents, squirrels etc., searching for their food by then, move rapidly to their hide-outs in fear. The deer, gazelles, sambars, foxes, jackals, hyenas, zebras, the elephants near the water front recognize the significance of the roar and move fast, making their own sounds.

TL, tkotf, starts its 'morning chores' (Don't ask me 'do the lions brush their teeth?'), attends calls of nature, goes to the pool, immerses in the water, relaxes and 'Rrrrrrroar...............s' in a self satisfactory way. Then comes out, moves to the cave to visit the lioness, tqotf.

The siblings, having filled their bellies, start playing around. At a distance is, still asleep, the Junior Lion, 'The Prince of the Forest', thinking whether to wake up or not at this time.

TL, tkotf, comes around, licks on the face of the liness, as if fondling her, asks "everything OK?", roams around, looks at the JL, 'tpotf' proudly and sits leizurely overlooking all of them.

One of the siblings says, "Momma, shall we have good lunch today?" and another says, "I want to have a deer" and another says, "I want a bison" and the others "so......on". The mother says "Shush....... Let papa go and find out".

By then, the JL, tpotf, fully awake, stretches, move out to attend his 'morning chores'.

Meanwhile, TL, tkotf, concentrates on his sense of listening; hears movment of a 'herd' somewhere, about a Kilo Metre from the den! (Don't ask me--'Do lions know to measure the distance in KMs?). Suddenly, a pang of hunger moves in his stomach. "Aaaaaaaggggrrrrrhhhh"
he roars and thinks---"Yesterday was not a good day......had to content with the lame zebra, which could not run fast with its herd....had to eat the meat around its thighs & buttocks! The family had to contend with the remnants..............No. Today will not be and should not be like that..........have to have a sumptuous meal.... have to feed the family also, a meal they will not forget in the near future............"

Again, feeling another pang of hunger, jumps up, looks meaningfully at the JL, tpotf, just entering the den, and moves out on a run.

JL, tpotf, understands and follows his father also on the double (or have we to say 'quadraple'), enthusiastic of sharing the hunting experience.

Running, stopping, crouching, hearing, moving slowly, sniffing the air, changing direction, running fast again etc. for half a Kilo Metre, observing for any 'huntable' animal, it finally stops behind a thick bush, observing a cloud of dust moving in their direction from a few feet of distance. They also hear the trumpets of the elephents, who were cause of the cloud, moving, jostling each other, in a melee. Lo! ahead of the herd is the King of the elephants of the forest!

TL, tkotf, with still more reddening eyes, stares at the KOE!
.......to continue