Think Before...

A number of farmers committed suicide in Andhra Pradesh during the tenure of Mr. Chandra Babu Naidu as the Chief Minister.

When Late Mr Rajashekhar Reddy came to power, he came out with a policy of paying ex gratia compensation to the family members of all those farmers who committed suicide.

To everyone's shock and horror, the incidents of suicides increased after the said policy was announced. Extreme Poverty and want drove the farmers to take such drastic steps. There was more monetary incentive in dying rather than surviving and seeing ones family members starve.

The Government of Kashmir has proposed to come out with a rehabilitation policy for stone pelters. I do hope that the Governments decision is based on expert advise and that the Policy does not create more problems than it aims to resolve.

In my opinion though, a better option would be to identify the root causes of the problem and seek to address them instead.

Happy Birthday Dad!

Had you been alive, you would have been 100 today. I know you could have lived much longer had you so desired. However, you chose to die and died 12 years ago. You wanted to face the thrill of death and you faced it when you wanted to. You died on your own terms.

How are you enjoying the hereafter and the company of Saadi and Jaami, Rumi and Iqbal, Sheikh Noor Din and now, Hassan Sofi?

You did tell me that they have put you up on the fourth floor of a multi story building. You complained of not being able to read news papers. Do you get them now? Do they still interest you? How is Mom? I know she must be in permanent attendance.

I do not miss you because I know you are always around-guiding, cajoling. However, I do wish that you communicate. It has been a while since I heard from you.

Wish you a very Happy Birthday Dad.

Rule of Men/Rule of Law

Birdi has been arrested and booked under Section 302 of the R.P C along with others for committing murder of Zahid, an innocent boy. Scores of killings of innocent persons were allegedly committed by Security Forces in the last two decades in Jammu & Kashmir. It is generally perceived that these cases were not even investigated.

I think Zahids case is only the second case where investigation took place. The first being that of Mr. Jaleel Andrabi. Though that case was investigated because of the intervention by the High Court, yet the accused was not brought by the Government before the Court to face trial.. Zahid's case thus assumes significance in view of the fact that the Chief Minister was not only able to register a case against a high ranking official, but was also able to place him before the law.

Birdi may or may not be guilty. However, it appears that there is prima facie evidence against him. It is the cardinal principle of law that if there is prima facie evidence against a person, he must face trial. None of the Chief Ministers have been able to pursue this Principle so far.

Omar therefore needs to be congratulated and his efforts lauded by one and all. Mr Abdullah should however remember that the bringing the accused to law should not not depend on a Mufti or an Abdullah but on the system. Action must not depend upon a person but on a system established under law.A Chief Minister should not be driven to force the Central Government to take Action every time such an unfortunate incident takes place . The action must be inherent in the system.

Omar is well advised to devise a mechanism where all, who are prima facie guilty are brought before the courts. I wish the persons who man the system remember that what is expected of them is that they will ensure that the system functions in accordance with the Rule of law. We are governed not by men but by the Rule of Law.

food for thought

We are better placed in terms of economy. We have conquered recession. We are better placed than USA ,China and the rest. We are an atomic power. We produce the highest number of scientists, doctors and engineers in the world. We have been maintaining a growth rate of more then 7%. An industrialist constructs a house for 35 thousand crores. A film does a business of one thousand crores.

sixty five people die in the hope of getting Rupees twenty.

Are we really progressing or creating conditions to graduate from functional democracy to anarchy.

Ya tou ujala hee ujala hai.

ya tou andhera he andhera.

Yeh waham hai ki sarab.

Yeh rat ki tareeki

Yeh din ka ujala.