CRY THE BELOVED COUNTRY ( OPINION )
26 SEPTEMBER 2013
In 1948, the great South African novelist, Alan Paton, published his novel,
' Cry the beloved Country ', which unravelled the pain and suffering caused
to blacks and whites in South Africa, as a result of the injustices of
apartheid. The whites also suffered during apartheid , in the form of attacks
by black criminals on them, resulting in unnecessary loss of lives.
The title ' Cry the Beloved Country ' can be applied to Kerala today, as shocking
revelations of crimes, fraud and theft involving glob-trotting elite criminals,
with links to politicians, Govt.officials, film stars, big business etc etc, emerge one
after the other, like a relay race, with perfect baton change. The fraud in Kerala
has reached a point of no return, whereby ordinary people have totally lost faith
in the system. The people have lost faith in both the UDF and the LDF.
Kerala has been hijacked by the so-called lobbies, mafias and quotation gangs.
The gold-smuggling at the Cochin Airport, aided and abetted by Customs officials,
show the extent to which accountability has sunk in the state. Fraudsters and
thieves break the law with impunity, with the officials who are paid by the people
to stamp out crime playing the second fiddle, or dancing to the tune of criminal
syndicates.
The arrested persons smile in front of the cameras, knowing full well that nothing
will happen to them. They have the means and audacity to 'buy' even the public
prosecutors, who will 'self-goal' the case.
While the fraudsters and thieves enjoy their flamboyant life, the ordinary people
struggle to make ends meet, constantly tightening their belts, forced to pay
exorbitant prices for basic things.The prices are manipulated by lobbies or mafias.
For example, black money has flooded the state, culminating in exorbitant prices
for land, making it impossible for ordinary people to buy a plot of land to make a
roof over their heads.
The people themselves are partly responsible for the unacceptable levels of fraud,
corruption and goondaraj in the state. In Shakespeare's play, Julius Caesar,
Cassius, who is vehemently opposed to the alleged dictatorship of Caesar, tells
Brutus :
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars
But in ourselves, that we are underlings ( Act 1, scene 2)
Yes, we keralites are underlings and we are constantly duped by fraudsters,
syndicates, lobbies, mafias and quotation gangs because we allowed them to
flourish unchallenged. Keralites blindly believe and follow politicians, Channels,
film stars etc and have now been reduced to mere , helpless onlookers.
( katha ariyathe aattam kanuka')
If anyone believe that the UDF or the LDF will reverse the lawlessness in the
state, he/she is living in a fool's paradise.
Due to the corruption in our airports, they have become sitting ducks for terrorists.
If 5 kg of gold can be smuggled through our airports, with the connivance of
the very same people who are paid by the government to uphold the law,what
difficulty is there for anyone to smuggle 10 grams of explosives to the airport,or
into an aircraft ? There's no shortage of people who are ready to betray the country
and the people.
We are paying a high price for our culture of display. For eg, a bride is laden
with a heavy load of jewellery, for display to friends and relatives. Some people
build big mansions, even though they are overseas, just for displaying wealth.
Keralites are the biggest buyers of gold in the whole world. This desire for gold
is the root cause of black money and gold smuggling.
In sharp contrast, here in South Africa, which is a leading producer of gold and
diamonds, the people know nothing about gold. About 60 kms from my place, there's
a gold mine. But there's no jewellery in my town. This is because the people can't
afford it. Even if some people have spare money to afford it, they have other needs
and priorities. In Kerala, the film stars encourage the people to buy gold, and due
to hero -worship of the megastars, the people blindly believe them. Some of the
stars are breakers of law, for eg , due to their busy schedule, they forget to pay their taxes!
Sometimes, the taxmen have to visit their homes to remind them about paying taxes.
It's 'pongacham' or a false sense of pride that has enslaved Keralites by all sorts
of mafias, blade gangs, fraudsters, lobbyists, syndicates etc etc. Many people
practise 'pongacham' using borrowed money, which draw them deeper and deeper
into penury.
For Keralites to regain their freedom , safety and dignity, a change in attitudes
and lifestyle is highly necessary. The first step is to give up gold, or at least to
reduce the quantity of it. Second, the people should opt for smaller houses. For
example, if a person has 10 cents of land, he/she may use 5 cents for the house,
and use the other 5 cents for a vegetable garden. Now Keralites pay high prices
for poisoned vegetables and fruits from Tamil Nadu. If every family has a small
vegetable garden, dependence on poisoned vegetables and fruits can be minimised.
Most importantly, don't borrow money, whatever be the reason, because borrowing is
the road to disaster.
Last but not the least, do not blindly believe or follow film stars and politicians.
A free person should make his/her decisions and make his/her own choices.
For example, when you entrust your head to a barber for a hair-cut or dyeing,it's
a good thing, because you come out with a fresh look, and those whose hair is
dyed, emerge 10 years younger ! But if you give your head to others for thinking
and for taking decisions on your behalf, you are most likely to lose your head.
* * * *
26 SEPTEMBER 2013
In 1948, the great South African novelist, Alan Paton, published his novel,
' Cry the beloved Country ', which unravelled the pain and suffering caused
to blacks and whites in South Africa, as a result of the injustices of
apartheid. The whites also suffered during apartheid , in the form of attacks
by black criminals on them, resulting in unnecessary loss of lives.
The title ' Cry the Beloved Country ' can be applied to Kerala today, as shocking
revelations of crimes, fraud and theft involving glob-trotting elite criminals,
with links to politicians, Govt.officials, film stars, big business etc etc, emerge one
after the other, like a relay race, with perfect baton change. The fraud in Kerala
has reached a point of no return, whereby ordinary people have totally lost faith
in the system. The people have lost faith in both the UDF and the LDF.
Kerala has been hijacked by the so-called lobbies, mafias and quotation gangs.
The gold-smuggling at the Cochin Airport, aided and abetted by Customs officials,
show the extent to which accountability has sunk in the state. Fraudsters and
thieves break the law with impunity, with the officials who are paid by the people
to stamp out crime playing the second fiddle, or dancing to the tune of criminal
syndicates.
The arrested persons smile in front of the cameras, knowing full well that nothing
will happen to them. They have the means and audacity to 'buy' even the public
prosecutors, who will 'self-goal' the case.
While the fraudsters and thieves enjoy their flamboyant life, the ordinary people
struggle to make ends meet, constantly tightening their belts, forced to pay
exorbitant prices for basic things.The prices are manipulated by lobbies or mafias.
For example, black money has flooded the state, culminating in exorbitant prices
for land, making it impossible for ordinary people to buy a plot of land to make a
roof over their heads.
The people themselves are partly responsible for the unacceptable levels of fraud,
corruption and goondaraj in the state. In Shakespeare's play, Julius Caesar,
Cassius, who is vehemently opposed to the alleged dictatorship of Caesar, tells
Brutus :
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars
But in ourselves, that we are underlings ( Act 1, scene 2)
Yes, we keralites are underlings and we are constantly duped by fraudsters,
syndicates, lobbies, mafias and quotation gangs because we allowed them to
flourish unchallenged. Keralites blindly believe and follow politicians, Channels,
film stars etc and have now been reduced to mere , helpless onlookers.
( katha ariyathe aattam kanuka')
If anyone believe that the UDF or the LDF will reverse the lawlessness in the
state, he/she is living in a fool's paradise.
Due to the corruption in our airports, they have become sitting ducks for terrorists.
If 5 kg of gold can be smuggled through our airports, with the connivance of
the very same people who are paid by the government to uphold the law,what
difficulty is there for anyone to smuggle 10 grams of explosives to the airport,or
into an aircraft ? There's no shortage of people who are ready to betray the country
and the people.
We are paying a high price for our culture of display. For eg, a bride is laden
with a heavy load of jewellery, for display to friends and relatives. Some people
build big mansions, even though they are overseas, just for displaying wealth.
Keralites are the biggest buyers of gold in the whole world. This desire for gold
is the root cause of black money and gold smuggling.
In sharp contrast, here in South Africa, which is a leading producer of gold and
diamonds, the people know nothing about gold. About 60 kms from my place, there's
a gold mine. But there's no jewellery in my town. This is because the people can't
afford it. Even if some people have spare money to afford it, they have other needs
and priorities. In Kerala, the film stars encourage the people to buy gold, and due
to hero -worship of the megastars, the people blindly believe them. Some of the
stars are breakers of law, for eg , due to their busy schedule, they forget to pay their taxes!
Sometimes, the taxmen have to visit their homes to remind them about paying taxes.
It's 'pongacham' or a false sense of pride that has enslaved Keralites by all sorts
of mafias, blade gangs, fraudsters, lobbyists, syndicates etc etc. Many people
practise 'pongacham' using borrowed money, which draw them deeper and deeper
into penury.
For Keralites to regain their freedom , safety and dignity, a change in attitudes
and lifestyle is highly necessary. The first step is to give up gold, or at least to
reduce the quantity of it. Second, the people should opt for smaller houses. For
example, if a person has 10 cents of land, he/she may use 5 cents for the house,
and use the other 5 cents for a vegetable garden. Now Keralites pay high prices
for poisoned vegetables and fruits from Tamil Nadu. If every family has a small
vegetable garden, dependence on poisoned vegetables and fruits can be minimised.
Most importantly, don't borrow money, whatever be the reason, because borrowing is
the road to disaster.
Last but not the least, do not blindly believe or follow film stars and politicians.
A free person should make his/her decisions and make his/her own choices.
For example, when you entrust your head to a barber for a hair-cut or dyeing,it's
a good thing, because you come out with a fresh look, and those whose hair is
dyed, emerge 10 years younger ! But if you give your head to others for thinking
and for taking decisions on your behalf, you are most likely to lose your head.
* * * *
Correction : Cry, the Beloved Country, not 'Cry the Beloved Country"
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