India’s education system made its first fateful step into muck when in the eighties the Central and State governments abdicated in favour of private parties. Ideally, donors and charities should have stepped in. But instead politicos, bootleggers and sundry other inhabitants of the netherworld, flush with ill-gotten wealth, took over. In fact, a politico without a college is not worth his loot. Some even quit politics to pitch into the more lucrative education business.
Author: T R Jawahar
Sorry! It’s not going to be Sindbad’s saga but our own sordid stories. The adventures of the fabled sailor, the longest surviving caricature in Tamil journalism, is tempting, but with news of the government listening into everything other than the common man’s woes bugging the nation,
The fancy for fables continues. With realities being so harsh one has no choice but to fall back on fantasies. So after Alibaba and 40n thieves, it is now wise to see if Anna-Baba and the rest of us, flatteringly described as civil society, can invoke Alladdin, or to be precise, his Magic Lamp to solve our problems.
Now this is turning out to be a sick charade. While no doubt scams are raging fast and furious, fasts themselves are becoming some kind of a scam. The urge to put an end to loot of public money is surely commendable and pervasive. More so when not only lakhs of crores but even whole telephone exchanges disappear into the ministerial kitty.
Should the office of the PM be brought under the purview of Lokpal? The UPA government does not think so and has forthwith unleashed a barrage of ‘Kill Bill’ tactics to ensure that such proposals are disposed of long before they are debated in Parli. Now why would the ruling regime want to insulate the PM’s post? Is it really to protect that ‘sacrosanct’ office from frivolous charges as is being touted or are there deeper devious motives as suspected by knowledgeable skeptics?
I beseech readers to spare this week’s personal indulgence. Of course, the alibi is that many may feel or reflect this way on their most memorable day and, therefore, I claim to speak for them too: That old, familiar ‘public-interest in self-interest’ gag. So, having thus secured a pre-pardon, let me embark on this ego trip, as it would seem, though I would still call it an Experience trip. And thanks for the B-day greetings.
The political Sun may have set but the real one is at its blazing best. As Chennai reels under its relentless assault, even the white collared AC dweller gets dragged into an afternoon siesta. It was perhaps during one such sleepy sojourn that the ensuing (day) dreams might have emanated. And I am pretty sure, these dreams are shared by all fellow denizens.
One almost forgot! We had an election in TN sometime last month, did we not? That cacophonic event seems like a long time back, having faded from our minds otherwise jaded by relentless heat, power cuts, IPLs, not to speak of dead gurus and deadly ‘Geronimos’. The post-poll, pre-result thirty days were quite eventful indeed contrary to my predictions of utter boredom.
Thanks to an eventful world this week, a stroll through the global streets looks quite in order. The latest will be dealt with first though this has got nothing to do with the discrediting of the first-in-first-out norm. I told you I am going global and so none of the local 2G stuff though India and its infirm leadership may well figure.