MULLAPERIYAR- INSINCERE POLITICIANS

As Kerala reels under the perpetual fear of the Mullaperiyar breaking out and taking away Lakhs of lives, one is astonished to find politicians of all colors, shapes and sizes making a beeline to Chapath which is the site of the agitation for a new dam and announcing fasting for a new dam. The question that arises in one's mind is weather these political god fathers  are sincere in what they demand.

In this blog, I am not trying to discuss the Mullaperiyar issue which is hogging the lime light and much is written about the same. It is a disaster awaiting to happen. What ticks me off is the blatant  and crass politics played out by our leaders with accusations and claims while the real issue keeps on burning with out any valid solutions in sight.

THE POLITICIAN OF TODAY'S INDIA
The politician of today's India is a breed into themselves. They are not concerned about the common man and what they are seeking is raw power and money by any means necessary. For that they will unscrupulously play any games with scant regard for the well being of the common man whom they are obliged to protect. Now coming to the issue at hand, the politicians of both Kerala and Tamilnadu are to be blamed for this fiasco as they have played with the emotions of common man for petty political gains. Now what has happened is that both states have raised the temperature to such an extent that no person can go back. It is a fact that the Mullaperiyar dam which was constructed over 100 years ago is in it's fag end of life and needs either to be rebuild or entirely replaced. No dam worth it's name has ever existed 1000 years. Hence a viable and realistic solution ought to be found in this regard. But our leaders does go with petty political gains and try to extract maximum political mileage from the situation. The same thing had happened to the issues at Attapady where in   the tribals are facing one of the most prolific human rights violations in modern day India. When the matter was a burning issue, every politician worth their name made a beeline to Attapady and announced packages and protests. But soon other issues hogged the lime light and Attapaddy was conveniently swept to the back burner with no viable solutions in sight. The same should be the fate of the Mullaperiyar issue. If our leaders are sincere about any solutions, what is required is to bring a viable solution which shall be acceptable to all the parties concerned. Now I know that is  not easy, but nevertheless has to happen.

ROLE OF THE MEDIA

If our politicians play a game, the media also is to be blamed. Gone were the days when one only had one channel which us that 8.30PM news. Now there are 24 hours news channels competing for the attention of the viewers. What is required is to get the maximum TRP ratings. Now each channel has exclusives  and any thing from a pot hole in a road to a crow sitting above a tree becomes news, all peppered up with nitty details. In such a charged atmosphere, media beats up the hype and builds up unnecessary fear psychosis. Each politician who may be fasting becomes headline news for the day. That takes us away from the real issue.  What is required is for us to filter the imposter from the real man. Media ought to be vigilant and bring the real picture to the public, it is their duty as the fourth pillar of our democracy.

CONCLUSION

As much as we want too, politicians cannot be wished away as we are part of a democracy which is the pillar of the rights and privileges that we enjoy. What is required is for us to be vigilant and filter and distinguish the false from the truth. Maya generation of political leaders emerge who will be sincere to the welfare of the common man and who shall dedicate themselves  for our country and making her the greatest in the world.

VANTE MATHRAM. 

Why is US peddling a hangar queen? | The Asian Age

Why is US peddling a hangar queen? | The Asian Age

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THE GREAT ASIAN POWER GAME- A BRIEF ANALYSIS

As we enter the second half of the new century,  a new power game that will not only define the future of Asia-Pacific but the entire world is quietly been played out. The predominant players in this great game are Japan, China, India, The United States of America and Russia. A brief analysis of all the powers:

JAPAN

Japan has historically been one of the most powerful countries in Asia. After the devastating defeat in the second world war, it took Japan just 3 years to become a global power house. But with the strict curbs on military development, Japan followed a pacifist policy. But America nurtured Japan allowing her to develop a credible defense apparatus under the name of Self Defense. Japan now is slowly coming out of it's self imposed exile and building up it's defenses. With it's massive economy, Japan will be one of the main players of the emerging Asian security architecture.

CHINA

China has predominantly been an Asian super power. With the recent surge in it's economy, China will become the largest economy in Asia by the year 2020. With it's rapid economic development, China also is modernizing it's defense apparatus. China is expected to have a carrier task force with in the next 5 years. China also has an expanding space portfolio which includes manned space missions and Anti Basaltic Missile Defenses. 

INDIA

India is quickly emerging as an economic power house. With an expanding economy , India today has one of the most potent armies in Asia and expected to have one of the most powerful military by the year 2020 ( according to a CIA analysis). India also has an expanding space program which include a manned mission to space by 2015-16 and to moon there after probably by 2020. India is also expanding her armed forces and is expected to induct 5'th generation combat air crafts by the end of the decade. India will also have three Aircraft Carrier task forces by that time and also be inducting nuclear submarines completing the nuclear triad. India also has a vibrant missile development project which has seen the successful development of several types of missiles catering to different needs.

USA

The United States of America is the great equalizer in the security architecture in Asia. Widely believed to be a power in decline., America still wield enough power to be a game changer. At any given time, America has three Carrier task forces in Asia and will remain committed top Asia for at least the second half of this century. America has and maintains the capability to intervene in any conflict in Asia.

RUSSIA

Though after the disintegration of the USSR, Russia was considerably weekend and was out of the security picture for long. But with a robust economy, Russia is slowly making it's mark felt in the Asian security architecture. 

AN OVERVIEW

When one talks about Asia, one cannot ignore China. China will be the predominant power in Asia closely contested by India. The new power struggle will see China and India trying to expand each others influence through out the world. China has an early start in their quest to encircle India with their string of pearls strategy. That strategy implies building strategic relationships with countries that border India that includes Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Pakistan. China had been openly helping Pakistan in all the ways possible. India has failed to destroy this strategic link.

It is time for India to get our act together. India should cultivate closer relationships with countries including Vietnam  to contain China. India should support the development of credible and a strong defense establishment in all the countries in East Asia counter China. India ought to establish a strategic relationship with Japan and America to successfully counter China. India ought to make China understand that India is not the same power that it defeated in 1962. China had been trying all it could recently to play a big brother and threaten India. India ought to make China understand that it means business and will not tolerate such provocative steps.

The new strategic confluence is emerging in the world in which the powers of Asia namely China, India and Japan will play a crucial part. As the economic powers of both the countries increase, there will be a great jockey for precious economic resources by both China and India. What both countries need to keep in mind is that there should not be any escalation to an extent that a new cold war emerges. There can be a competitive rivalry but there ought to be checks beyond which the matters should not escalate.

It is time for India to embark on strategies that will secure us as one of the emerging powers of Asia. It is time to exert ourselves and make the world understand that we have arrived in the world stage. There is no time like now. Let India be the emerge as the most powerful country in the world. 

VANTE MATHRAM.

LAWYER JOKES (VERY FUNNY, JUST WANTED TO ADD IT HERE)

These are from a book called 'Disorder in the American Courts' and are things people
actually said in court, word for word, taken down and now published by court
reportersthat had the torment of staying calm while these exchanges were actually
taking place. 
_____________________________________ 

ATTORNEY: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And in what ways does it affect your memory?
WITNESS: I forget.
ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot?
_____________________________________

ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know
about it until the next morning?
WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?
____________________________________

ATTORNEY: The youngest son, the twenty-year-old, how old is he?
WITNESS: He's twenty, much like your IQ
-------------------------------------------------
ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken?
WITNESS: Are you shitting me?
_____________________________________

ATTORNEY: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And what were you doing at that time?
WITNESS: Getting laid
_____________________________________

ATTORNEY: She had three children, right?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: How many were boys?
WITNESS: None.
ATTORNEY: Were there any girls?
WITNESS : Your Honor, I think I need a different attorney Can I get a new attorney?
_____________________________________

ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated?
WITNESS: By death.
ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated?
WITNESS: Take a guess
_____________________________________

ATTORNEY: Can you describe the individual?
WITNESS: He was about medium height and had a beard.
ATTORNEY: Was this a male or a female?
WITNESS: Unless the Circus was in town I'm going with male
_____________________________________

ATTORNEY: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice
which I sent to your attorney?
WITNESS: No, this is how I dress when I go to work.
_____________________________________

ATTORNEY: Doctor, how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people?
WITNESS: All of them. The live ones put up too much of a fight.
_____________________________________

ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to?
WITNESS: Oral.
_____________________________________
ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?
WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 pm.
ATTORNEY: And Mr. Denton was dead at the time?
WITNESS: If not, he was by the time I finished
_____________________________________

ATTORNEY: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?
WITNESS: Are you qualified to ask that question?
_____________________________________

ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
ATTORNEY: I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?
WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law

SOWMYA MURDER CASE- THE CASE THAT TOUCHED OUR CONSCIENCE

                                                 
                                                                                                                                                                                                   

As a lawyer, I see hundreds of criminal cases every day in the courts. At the time when I started my practice 12 years ago, as a young lawyer, I had dreams of doing my bit to change the world. But as times went by and hundreds of cases later, we as a lawyers sort of get professionally detached from the cases. For us criminal lawyers, the evidence is nothing but a bunch of raw data which we dig through to bring out contradictions and omissions, to bring out the failures of the prosecution. Like a skilled  surgeon, for us lawyers it becomes a day's work to conduct a case, a work that goes off our mind before the day is off and which only gets revived during the next posting. But there comes a case occasionally that steer our conscience and makes a lasting impressions in our minds.

The infamous Sowmya murder case was a case in point. Even from the beginning, I was keeping a close tab on the case, the brutality of which have shaken my conscience beyond belief. But as the matter was sub judice ( pending before the consideration of the court), as a lawyer I was not in a position to express my opinion. Now that the trial court has give it's judgement, I can express my self in this regard. 

What touched me more about is the fact that the girl who is the dream of her family and who is returning home with a dream of a better tomorrow was brutally assaulted, raped and killed by a person who showed little or no remorse. In my line of work, we see only such emotionless state only from hardened criminals. In such persons too, after spending their days in court, they sort of break down. But the accused in this case defied all that and he was stone cold. 

This brings to the question, where are we as a society going from here? Now there is scant regard for the dignity of our fellow human beings. Human rights violations and abuse of our sisters and mothers are rampant. On the other scale, men are targeted by their wife's and her household ( a subject that I will deal with in my next blog). What seems to have disappeared is the human feeling, sort of quality that differentiates us humans from animals. It is time to redeem our selves else humanity will be on road to extinction. Remember, mother nature does not allow a burden to be carried along for long. 

I am not going to do an autopsy on this case. What is required is that we learn our lessons from this case. The authorities ought to make sure that such criminal elements are not allowed access into the trains. A nation only becomes great if there is rule of law, where our sisters and mothers can walk freely with out the fear of anybody. Let us dream of such a day and hope and pray such a golden time comes about. Lest the sacrifice made by the dear sister will go in vain. Let us pledge our selves to redeem our society of all the evils lest the coming generations never will forgive us for our failures and deeds.

VANTE MATHRAM. 

India’s naval assertions | Deccan Chronicle

India’s naval assertions | Deccan Chronicle