The front page reports of today (12.10.2022), "Gory Kerala" really gave a gory reading. It is quite unbelievable that such a thing has happened in the state which boasts of highest literacy rate in the country.

But, as I have always been maintaining, the high literacy rate only pointed to the ability of the people to read and right and not to their reasonable thinking ! Otherwise how can the entire state be hijacked by the religious fanatics and such superstition spreaders, i wonder! It is this lack of ability to think freely or rather the hesitancy to think has become the bane of the state, i believe.

The latest report also points to a reasonable chance of other such instances given the number of person missing cases reported where the police have not been able to trace the missing persons. In the instant case it is unbelievable that the accused could single handedly perpetrate the crime and could.lure the ladies to their tragic ends. Does it mean that an average malayali can go to any extent for monetary benefits . 

And now, in the light of the gory killings people have started demanding a.law to ban such superstitious acts! But I think there is already a law prohibiting even advertisements relating to such acts, still one can see any number of advertisements in the leading publications and even some tv channels offering such 'solutions' to the peoples problems! For that matter, i would like to ask, aren't the various offerings done at various temples miniature forms of such superstitions? Isn't the present incident a culmination or the extreme of such 'minor' beliefs ? 

So basically what is needed immediately is educating people against such superstitions and I am sure all political and religious leaders would agree with me. Will they take initiative to have an ongoing campaign against such acts, i would like to ask. Simultaneously,, the law enforcement agencies should strictly implement the provisions of the prevention of magical remedies act without any fear or favour. The print and visual media also can play a positive role by refusing to carry an ads about such acts and earmarking some slot regularly to create awareness among the public about the futility of such acts, including the offerings in religious institution

10 lakh employment

 PM Modi has announced a scheme wherein 10 lakh people will be offered jobs in the next one and a half years! While I appreciate  the eagerness of the government to help the unemployed, a closer look into the affairs will reveal that it is only a gimmick. 

It is reported that all the departments are.gearing up to speed up recruitment and fill the existing vacancies in the coming one and a.half years. These vacancies have reportedly accumulated over the past several years, if reports are to be believed ! In that case what is so great in the announcement, one wonders. After denying the unemployed their chance to secure a job by keeping the existing vacancies unfilled , suddenly the government decides to fill all the vacancies, running into lakhs, and announces that the government is providing succour to the unemployed. Actual job creation is only about 50000, including the "Agni veers" announced to be recruited by the defence forces (which in itself appears to be a short sighted decision to Rob the exchequer )

I hope the voters will see through the gimmick while casting their votes at the end of the one and half year period.

Recovery of.bank loans

 Yet another suicide fearing seizure and sale of mortgaged property by a bank has been reported from the state, which is quite unfortunate. I always opine suicide is not a solution to amy problem and wonder why even educated people like Adv Tomy succumbs to this tendency. Has he thought of the surviving family members while running away from the issue , leaving them to settle it? If they can settle, why can't he, i wonder!

More reprehensible is the act of the local people who took a protest march to the bank branch. In a video visual of the protest , a person is seen literally threatening the bank officials with physical harm if any bank official attempted recovery of bank loan through sale of mortgaged security . Waynad district has always been notorious for such stand against the lenders, even pressurising the borrowers not to sign the document revival letters to keep the documents live . I wonder why the bankers and the government take such pressure tactics lying down. Instead of inculcating a culture of prompt repayment of loans taken , which will only help in getting more credits in future, such acts will only prompt the bankers to stop providing credit to genuine persons, which will.noy be a healthy situation . I would appeal to the government to initiate suitable action against such persons who insinuate people not to repay the loans and threaten the officials who try to recover the loan. If individual borrowers faces any financial constraint resulting in loan default he/she should be encouraged to discuss the issue with the banker and arrive at a suitable repayment programme, which will be the right approach. The banks are answerable to the depositors of the bank, whose money they lend to others. As a depositor , will these people agree if the bank says their deposits will not be repaid because borrowers were not repaying the loans?

It is high time the state government and SLBC took serious note of such incidents and initiate action to end such anti bank activities by some miscreants, in the larger interest of the genuine borrowers.

Courts and loan policy of banks

This is in response to a verdict by HC ordering SBI to sanction education loan irrespective of the low credit score of the parent who is the co borrower

While appreciating the concern of the court regarding the availability of education loans to the needy, i regret to observe that the courts stepping into the basic loan policy of commercial banks and directing to take a particular stand is fraught with great risks. One can understand the intervention if the denial is in contravention of the laid down policy. In the instant case, as per the loan policy of the bank, duly approved by the appropriate authority, credit rating of the borrower or co borrower of the loan needs to be taken into account while   considering a loan proposal. Now, as per the court order, parents credit rating is inconsequential as teh repayment of the education loan is to be decided based ' solely on the projected future earnings of the students on employment after education'. This observation will only give strength to the demands of the "education loanees parents' association " which has been demanding waiver of interest, write off of principal etc where the student was not in a position to get suitable employment after studies ! 

The future income is only a hypothetical one (which is conditional) and the bank cannot be sure of this! With the present verdict, the onus of finding a suitable job for the student falls on the banker ,to ensure repayment of the loan, which is ridiculous. I only hope the bank(s) challenge this order and convince the court to get it reversed. The court should have considered the fact that the loans are given out of the deposits received by the bank's from public and not from goverment funds and the bank's have a responsibility to the depositors while deploying their funds as loans.

Sedition and law

It is highly unfortunate that the supreme court has chosen to freeze section 124A of Indian Penal Code dealing with seditious acts. The court has taken this extreme step noting the widespread misuse of the section by the ruling party. 

As a layman i am of the opinion that this act of the court is like throwing the baby along with the bath water ! Instead of initiating action to prevent the misuse of the act, the court has chosen to freeze the section itself which will have wider ramifications, i am afraid. Will it not embolden those extremist elements who are out to destroy the unity and integrity of the country, i wonder.

I sincerely hope better sense will prevail over the judges when the issue comes up for final disposal.

ACTIONS UNDER SARFAESI ACT

 This refers to the report about taking possession of a mortgaged asset by a Bank under SARFAESI Act and and subsequent developments at Muvattupuzha .

Personally I feel that both the bank and the MLA have erred grossly in the issue. First let us take the case of the bank. It may be true that the bank might have followed the prescribed procedure under SARFAESI Act for recovering the defaulted loan. But the act provides for taking symbolic possession under sec 13(4) by serving the possession notice on the owner against acknowledgment. The actual possession is taken only after a sale of the property is effected subsequently. And as far as I know the bank cannot evict the occupants and keep the custody of the property without am actual sale taking place. In the instant case the bank has erred grossly in as much as locking the property after evicting the minor girls when the defaulter was known to be admitted in hospital for treatment. No sky would have fallen if the bank had waited for teh defaulter to return from hospital before taking such a drastic step. Such inhuman acts on the part of a co operative bank (governed by a party which is branded as a poor man's party!) leaves the other bankers also in a bad light, which should have been avoided.

Now let us consider the act of the MLA in breaking open the lock of the house , which was declared to be under banks possession through the notice displayed there. This act can at the most be called an act for cheap publicity. Who has given power to the MLA (whom I like as a young, clean politician) to trespass into a property and break open the door? Will he be booked by the police for this criminal offence? Should an MLA take law into his hands whatever be the provocation? Is he not expected to be a model for any law abiding citizen? Mr Kuzhalnadan could have taken the girls to a proper shelter and arrange to liquidate the bank dues (as he has offered) and legally take back possession of the house and hand it over to the family, which would have remained as a.noble gesture in the minds of the people. The present act could have got him some momentary applauses , which he could have lived without, I am sure.

The hijab row

 As expected , the verdict on the hijab row by the karnataka high court has been received by both the groups as per their stated stands. And sure enough the 'aggrieved' girls have declared they would approach supreme court for justice!

Seeing all these one or two basic questions come to my mind. How long the muslim girls have been using the hijab while out of their homes? Have they checked with their mothers or grandmothers whether they used to wear this in their younger ages? This will clearly show that the practice has been introduced quite recently by the religious fundamentalists and the students are playing into their hands. I remember , during my school or college days around 50 years ago the muslim girly used to cover theri hair only with a small piece of cloth called thattam. Covering the entire body except eyes is a recent phenomenon i feel. Hence the stand of the girls that it is their religious and fundamental right cannot be accepted . 

Second question is how many of these girls willingly use the hijab and if compulsion from home or the religious leaders is not there, would they be using it? While in service i used to see one girl employed by the outsourced agency working at the office coming to the office wearing a burkha and removing the same once in office. She use to wear the salwar kameez during the working time and used to put the burkha back while returning home . Doesn't it clearly show that she was wearing it just to please others ?

More important question is who is funding the girls in their fight in high court and supreme court . I am sure they will have to pay through their nose to the advocates, unless the advocates offer free service.

In kerala the educational institutions rum by muslim educational society has long back barred the girls from coming to the institutions wearing burkhas and it has been accepted by all without any protest.

In view of the above i would request the agitating girls and whoever support them to see reason and climb down from the adamant  stand to ensure a peaceful atmosphere in the campuses .

assembly elections

 At least now, the leaders of the grand old party ( read INC) should honestly do na introspection if any of them is really interested in the future of the party. If they corrected themselves i am sure the party can come like a phoenix bird. 

But , for this, the party should go for a complete overhaul bringing new blood into the leadership. The overwhelming dependence on the nehru family has not helped it at all in the latest war at the hustings. Also the octogenarian leaders of the party should confine themselves to an advisory role and let the younger generation of leaders irrespective of any family connections take over the day to day activities of the party so that it can think of staging a comeback at least in the 2024 parliament elections. I sincerely hope better sense will prevail over the leaders at least now.

Pension to personal staff of ministers

 The latest actions/ mutterings of the Kerala governor appear to be maverick, to say the least.

In the case of kannur university VC, he had to eat humble pie and agree to continue aa chancellor , even though he had declared that he would not hold that post!

Then came the policy declaration speech which was ro be made in the assembly.  His refusal to sign the speech which was approved by the cabinet , was clearly against constitutional provisions. Here too he had to make a retreat the same after some hours of uncertainty, even though after getting government secretary removed from the post!

And then he makes an issue about the pension being paid to political workers appointed as personal staff of ministers! While his intentions are unquestionable, i wonder , why he has raised the issue knowing fully well that he would not be able to do anything about a decision taken by cabinet and approved by the then governor.

Still it is good that he has flagged the issue to the public domain from where the youth of the state , irrespective of religious or political leanings, should escalate to reach a logical conclusion in the matter. I am sure no youth organization affiliated to various political parties will not move a little finger in the matter. Let us wait and see

Dress with religious connotations

 A new row has started in Karnataka regarding the uniform worn by students to the school/college. While the muslim girls insist on wearing the 'hijab' , students from the right wing object to this and start wearing saffron head gears/ shawls and the college authorities have disallowed both the practices .

Here the pertinent question to be asked is why the row has started all of a sudden. Have the muslim girls been wearing the hijab as part of the uniform till date and was it permitted earlier? If yes, why the other students started objecting to it now only , which clearly points out to an element of intolerance on their part and should be condemned and dealt with seriously. However, if wearing the hijab is a practice started recently, one needs to look into the reasons why a new practice has been introduced suddenly , which will only point towards the 'assertion' of the minority community.

Personally I would like to take a totally different stand on the issue . Why a person should display his religious beliefs publicly by displaying it through the dress worn, colour of the accessories and other tell tale signs. Then it can be argued that anything on the body, even a simple ring on the finger , ear lobes on the ears or a locket on a chain can be construed to declare the religion. So there needs a definition of which can be worn as part of the uniform in school or in other public places. If a christian nun or priest  is permitted to wear the 'sacred gown' to the school / college , why a muslim girl cannot wear a hijab, it may be asked! While the former can be part of their profession, the latter cannot be said to be that. The specifications should be clearly spelt out in the details of the prescribed uniform , after arriving at a consensus in the academic council/ management committee/ PTA as the case may be. 

In any case it is high time all of us , whether belonging to majority or minority religion, showed tolerance to the belief of others and avoided such skirmishes in the larger interest of the country's image and it's vast population. Hope better sense will prevail over everybody who incite such ill feelings in the minds of the followers.

Amendment to lok ayuktha act

 I write this to register my angst and anxiety on the proposed move of the state government to issue ordinance amending the lok ayuktha act, curtailing the power of the lok ayuktha. I am afraid the proposed amendment will take the teeth out of the institution and will defeat the very purpose of establishing the lok ayuktha. The argument of the government that the amendment ia proposed after getting legal opinion from advocate general and to align the act in tune with similar acts of other states has to be taken with a pinch of salt. The move coming from a government which came to power on the promise of offering a corruption free government will be a direct affront to the electorate, i feel. 

I am of the opinion that the act itself has got enough provisions to ensure that the accuses person is given adequate opportunities to defend himself and after that leaving the final decision to the appointing authority will be like handing over the keys to the thief himself . If the persons holding the public office behave honestly , the need for having the institution itself will not arise . 

So axing the quasi judicial powers of the institution will be great blow to the general public and hence I urge upon His  excellency the governor of kerala to persuade the government to desist from the move and also not to sign the ordinance, for which the common man will be highly obliged to him

The crypto fraud

 Once again the so called 'highly literate' malayali is getting exposed to monetary rackets, thanks to his 'greed' to make a quick buck. ( '₹1200 crore crypto fraud pulle off by keralite with just a website' NIE 12.01.2022). It is quite amazing to learn how such people can be conned so easily by a conman. As such , the crypto currencies are tradeable answers like shares or gold etc to be traded in exchange to really make money, but monkey is able to assess the underlying value of the asset. And in the instant case, the moriscoin is a.new.entrant and yet to be established! The command could lure the prospective investors by assuring a 3% as daily returns! But nobody suspected that he was throwing small fish to catch big fish. This reminds me of a similar operation which was seen in many parts of gujarat in the eighties (when i was there as a banker). These people used to offer house gold appliances like electric iron, mixie etc.at half the market price initially and after some time slowly graduate to charlie items like refrigerator, tv etc. Then they moved into bigger things like.two.wheelers, cars etc for which booking were taken with the half price paid while booking promising delivery in a week to 10 days! And when the d day came, they simply vanished !! Mr Nishad is also trying the same approach by offering the 3% daily return.

The 'learned' malayali, who had experience of 'the blade companies' of.late 70s, 'mail order rackets' of 80s, 'goat/ teak/ manjium' schemes of 90s and 'the e lotteries' of the 2000s have never learnt from these mistakes and still fall for such offers. I feel pity for them . Personally i feel they themselves only are to be blamed and should be arraigned as co culprits in the case filed by police. (For creating unnecessary burden on the system by their foolish act)!