Bike ride went viral - Court has given an apt punishment to get bail

 

He must have felt that prison was better than this!!

Gotla Alex Binoy, a BTech dropout, is a biker with forty thousand followers on Instagram. The 22-year-old Chennaite  performed a motorcycle stunt with his friends in Annasalai without permission from the authorities. The matter went viral on social media. Police registered a case. The boy approached the Madras High Court seeking anticipatory bail to avoid arrest. Justice AD ​​Jagadish Chandira granted bail subject to certain conditions.

 These are the conditions

1. An awareness video should be made at own cost and uploaded on Instagram to show the pitfalls of riding a two-wheeler without wearing a helmet and driving a car without wearing a seat belt.

2. Road safety awareness leaflets should be distributed at the traffic signal at Teynampet-Mount Road junction on three consecutive Mondays from 9.30 am to 10.30 am and 5.30 pm to 6.30 pm. The boy has to bear the cost of this.

3. An affidavit must be given to the court that he will not cause fear or injury to pedestrians and other two-wheelers by driving recklessly.

4. For three consecutive weeks, visit the trauma care center of the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital and help the ward boys who attend to the patients who are injured in road accidents. This should be done on all days except Monday when traffic awareness is conducted.

5. One page report on daily experience at trauma care ward should be submitted to the duty doctor . The dean of the hospital should forward  it to the court.

 No doubt he caught the tiger’s tail, though the ride is viral!!

Idol smuggling - The government has to protect the priceless treasure

 

Idol smuggling - The government has to protect the priceless treasure

In July 2022, in an idol theft case that came before the Madras High Court, there was a situation where two officers of the Idol Wing -Criminal Investigation Department accused each other on abuse of power. Finally the court intervened and tasked the CBI to find out who was telling the truth. As the saying goes, “the  thief is in the ship itself”. We can experience such situation in every area where wealth is involved. It is certain that there will be a group of people protecting the guilty. This is happening everywhere, from Customs and Police to Revenue and Excise.

The case is as follows. The government did not allow Khader Batcha, an ex-DYSP, to retire from the service for allegedly having illicit links with idol smugglers. Khader approached the court. Khader alleged that retired Inspector General of Police AG Pon Manikavel helped international idol smuggler Subhash Chandra Kapoor and his local agent Deendayal. While examining the related files , Justice G. Jayachandran  identified that Khader had  joined the IW-CID in 2007 and was transferred to the Chennai Police in 2011. Khader was the one who found 38 idols and nabbed 8 notorious smugglers while working in IW-CID. He had 329 awards in his credit. A perusal of Manikavel's file showed  that a division bench of the Madras High Court and a judge of the Madurai bench have praised his services.

Khader alleged that Manikavel  falsely implicated him in the case of theft of 13 idols from Tirunelveli Palavur Shiva Temple in 2005. In 2008, Khader had filed a charge sheet against 8 people including Deenadayalan in the Palavur case. But the court also learned that a new FIR was registered against  Khader in 2017 by Manikavel  after the court appointed him as a special officer to investigate all idol theft cases in Tamil Nadu. Khader alleged that the case against him was a drama by Manikavel along with Deendayalan to get media attention. He also said that this was an act of revenge. It was alleged that Manikavel was able to save Deendayalan by making him an approver.

 In Manikavel's final report, Subhash Kapoor was listed as the main accused in the Palavur case. In the additional report of 2017, it was said that Kapoor would be brought to justice. In fact, Kapoor was arrested in Germany in 2011. This was in the 2008 Udayarpalayam idol theft case. He has been in jail since 2012. Contrary to what he said in 2017 in the Court, Manikavel sent a  letter to the government in 2019 recommended that Kapoor be prosecuted only in the 2008 Udayarpalayam case. After considering both the approaches, the court could only rely on the CBI to find out who went wrong and how to squeeze out the truth.

This is not an isolated incident. Hundreds of idol thefts and idol smuggling happening  in India. In July 2022, the 1200-year-old Nataraja idol was captured from a godown  in Chennai. This Chola period idol was planned to be taken by a woman who went to Germany 5 years ago. She failed to do so since she didn’t obtain the non-antiquity certificate from the Archaeological Survey of India. 14 idols were also seized from a gallery in Thanjavur in July.

A large network operating in India and abroad is behind this smuggling. The system has roots in every state. Temple employees may also be a part of this. Hazaribagh, Chhatra and Koderma districts in Jhaarkhand,idol  theft of ancient temples are a common phenomena.  Itkori  Bhadrakali temple in Chhatra which  is spread over hundred acres is one among them. Most of the idols here have been lost. In 1970, the main Bhadrakali itself was stolen. It was found in the house of Naulakha, a notorious idol smuggler in Kolkata.

All the tourist places in Uttar Pradesh are such commercial centers of invaluable idols. Ashta dhatu(8 metals)  idols are mostly sold there. A large amount of idol smuggling is also done through the 1750 km long porous Nepal border. A huge market for precious idols of India is set up in Nepal. A single idol of Buddha itself value more than 5 crores there.

 Idol thieves are punished under Sections 411 and 414 of the Indian Penal Code. It is punishable by three years and a fine only. The first thing that needs to change is this sentencing. Heavy punishment should be imposed for idol theft. India is just like the musk deer which doesn’t know the value of musk that it produces. The country has antiques worth lakhs of crores. It is also doubtful whether there are other countries that have achieved this kind of cultural richness. The government should be able to protect this wealth that still exists after the loot of many invaders including the British and smuggling by Indians and foreigners. The government should take measures to make accurate documentation of idols in small and big temples and viharas . It is better to position dummies in unsafe places and keeps the original idols in museums under high security. If not, the next generation will have to go to America, Germany and Switzerland to see the  invaluable idols.

Oru Thatvika Avalokanam (A theoretical Analysis)- A powerful political sattire

 

 Oru Thathvika Avalokanam  (A Theoretical Review )  - A Powerful political satire

 The Malayalam movie “ Oru Thathvika Avalokanam” released in  theaters on January 7, 2022, is  available on Amazon Prime. The picture did not catch my attention till recently. My friends didn’t discuss on this movie and hence had no idea on its theme.  I started watching it without much hope. But Akhil Marar, the debut director of the movie, kept the rhythm of the movie till the end. He deserves a lot of praise for that intelligence.

 The name of the film is derived from the famous “Sankaradi dialogue” from the all-time great political film “Sandesham”. There have been many political films in Malayalam like Panchavadipalam, Arabikatha, Vellimoonga etc. Thathvika Avalokanam  is a film that mocks on  the political leaders we see, especially a group of  freeloaders  who live only because of politics . When we see the characteristic local leaders in the movie resembling that of the important political parties of Kerala like CPM, Congress and BJP, we can connect them with our area leaders and their follies. Their foolish speeches, backbiting, bribery, grudges, anti-development activities, hartals and protests are all part of the film.

Akhil has composed a good satirical film, though not a film with a serious message. The main characters of the film are a road contractor Shankar whose life was made miserable by a leftist leader just because he didn’t agree for a bribe and a bright young man Nandu who was unable to appear for the PSC exam due to the KSRTC lightning strike. The film ends by taking them revenge on the political parties by using the same democratic system from where their lives were lost.

A psychopath who kidnaps a KSRTC vehicle from a depot, a crazy  ex-Naxal who turns into a dreamer under the influence of ganja ,a few smugglers acting like fools , all appear in the film as figures who travel parallel to the political leaders. This thought-provoking and laugh-out-loud film may anger members and leaders of political parties. But the director who himself prepared the screenplay, has managed to create many moments to remember and laugh again and again for people like me who watch political parties and activists from afar.

Cinematographer Vishnu Narayanan, editor Lijo Paul, Shaan Rahman who composed the background music, Ravi Shankar who composed the songs, Kaithapram and Murugan Kattakkada who wrote the songs have helped a lot in making the film a success. All the actors were excellent. Joju George, Niranjan, Shammi Thilakan, Aju Varghese, Jayakrishnan, Aziz Nedumangad, Major Ravi, Prashant Alexander, Balaji Sharma, Premkumar, Mamukoya, Abhirami, Saji Venjaramood and others have played their role well. The film is produced by Geevarghese Yohannan.

Paappan - an average psychopath crime movie

 

Paappan –an average psychopath crime movie  

I saw Malayalam movie Paappan on Zee5. A not so good film by the director Joshi who has done many wonders in Malayalam film industry. The reason for such a feel is mainly due to the topic of the film. In the last two years, the film buffs were watching psychopath crime movies continuously. Earlier, the Hollywood movies used to portray psychopath criminals. Now half of the films released in Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi are like this. If you watch  TV regularly at home, you must face  psychopaths not only in general channels but in  news channels too. Now, films are also not providing a soothing entertainment means a tragedy. RJ Shan has come up with a script that is not much different from the present trend of psychopath movies.

Here an attempt is made to hide the real criminals till the last moment. That effort needs to be acknowledged. The movie is about tooth for  tooth revenge. Honor killing and revenge are at the forefront of the film, and the horror of the killings has been made disgusting. It is in this main story line that the sentiments of the family life of Vincy Mathew, an IPS officer, and Abraham Mathew Mathan, a retired CI, are drawn. The film failed to effectively present both the stories .

The  lengthy  Suresh Gopi dialogues that rock the theater is absent in Paappan , that itself is a big relief.  Suresh's portrayal as a person burning with intense experiences is commendable. Neeta Pillai who played the role of Vincy Mathew  IAS did the role well. Joshi who did films like 20-20, provided due space for  Asha Sharath, Nyla Usha, Kaniha, Vijayaraghavan, Nandu, Tiny Tom, Gokul Suresh, Sajitha Mathil, Rahul Madhavan, Shammi Thilakan, Ajmal and others . Joshi's son Abhishek is the assistant director and the cinematography is done by producer David Kachapilly's son Ajay. I am sure there will be good films from them in future. Jack Bejoy's soundtrack needs to be bettered

Country's first Dugong Conservation Reserve is notified

 

Country's first Dugong Conservation Reserve is notified

Tamil Nadu notified the country's first Dugong Conservation Reserve in Palk Bay, covering the coastal waters of Thanjavur &Pudukkottai districts with an area of 448 sq km.

Dugongs are the largest herbivorous marine mammals in the world, thriving primarily on seagrass beds, a major carbon sink of the oceans.Dugong is one of four living species of the order Sirenia, which includes three species of manatees. It is the only living representative of the once-diverse family Dugongidae; its closest modern relative, Steller's sea cow (Hydrodamalis gigas), was hunted to extinction in the 18th century.

Dugongs are protected under Schedule 1 of the Wild Life (Protection )Act 1972.However, their population is on the decline due to habitat loss.

There are only about 240 dugongs present in the country, and majority of them are found on Palk Bay.

Conserving Dugongs will help in protecting and improving seagrass beds and sequestering more atmospheric carbon.Seagrass beds are also the breeding and feeding grounds  for  many commercially valuable fishes and marine fauna. Hence, thousands of fisher families directly depend on Dugong habitats for their income.

A great effort of conservation for the future 🙏

Sawar or Sawara - the story on how sounds of letters shattered the life of Adivasis of Chaattisgarg

 

 Sawar or Sawara

--- VR Ajith Kumar

 I am Shivprasad Bhoi. I was born in Bastar district of Chhattisgarh to a Scheduled Tribe community. My parents migrated from the interior of the forest to the village to educate their children. I don't know who advised my father that if you want to be a good adivasi, you should get an education. My father used to smile with clenched and red teeth and says, 'He was not like us, he was a man with a nice white body and clothes,  he was like a king'. Whatever it was, his words stuck inside my father like the words of the God. I learned, passed 10 , Plus 2 and qualified to become a primary teacher.

As a fulfillment of my father's wish, I joined as a primary school teacher in a school in Bastar. It was  in 2010. The certificate stating that the person belongs to Scheduled Tribe  should be attested by a gazetted officer. Once it was sent, the appointment would be confirmed and I would get my salary. I met the Tehsildar with the certificate. He examined the certificate through his microscope. Then he said, 'I don't see your caste in the Scheduled Tribes list.' I was shocked. My studies and stipend had all been based on this till date. Moreover, when I am  an adivasi by birth, how can I suddenly become non-adivasi when I enters a profession. 'Sir, how can you tell like this?  I was born to adivasi parent ,lived till this day as an adivasi. At the age of twenty-six, while I am going to be a Government servant, all of a sudden I become a Non-adivasi ? How could it be?  Sir, have you looked at the list  seriously? '

 “Are you making me crack? See man, Sawar is a tribal  community,You are Sawara. It's not on this list. ', he returned the certificate. 'Sir, this letter “a” might have entered by mistake while the officer prepared the certificate.There is no caste called Sawara in Chhattisgarh. Sir please help me', I lamented.

 'See man, if I help you, I will lose my job. If someone gives a complaint, my work will be over. You file a complaint at the village office from where you got the certificate. Let them decide', he turned his attention to the next man. I went down the steps of the office in despair, realizing that there was no point in staying there anymore. I approached the village officer and lodged a complaint. He checked the documents and ensured that the entry made in the book is also sawara. 'Shivaprasad, this can’t be rectified by me. Your petition has to be sent to the higher ups”, he said. ' This should have been taken care of while given the certificate.Your father didn't look at it, that was the problem '

'Sir, my father is illiterate, how could he read it ' I asked. The non-tribal village officer could not understand the depth of those words. He buried his face in the files. Along with teaching children in the school, I  also followed the file. The file moved from pillar to post. Everyone kept writing in the file according to their mood. The file became thick. Officials put many solutions to the cause. Some wrote  that the officer should correct the mistake and issue a new certificate to Shiv Prasad. Others wrote he cheated the government by creating a fake certificate saying that he is an adivasi, and that the stipend received till date should be recovered with interest.

 After fifteen months, I was dismissed from my job on the grounds that I did not produce a sufficient certificate proving my caste. The salary for the work done till then was not paid. I was exhausted. I met Sidar, the community leader. 'Shivaprasad, thousands of people like you are in the entanglement of the same problem. We are constantly in and out of offices to raise the issue. We met many  political leaders. Send letters to both Central and State Governments. We are regularly meeting the Scheduled Tribe Development Commissioner. Everyone wants to help us, but no one knows how to, and no one has the courage. It may also be based on the traditional sense of officers that what can be gained by helping an adivasi. Anyway, your complaint is serious. The issue  will be  solved one day,Shivaprasad, let's try', he reassured.

Many young people who came to see the leader  were also facing  the same situation. One of them told me, 'There is only one way to change this'. I looked at him, 'he cautiously looked around and slowly said, join the Naxals. Are you coming with me', the fervor in his eyes scared me. I walked on without looking back. I realized that if I continued to pursue my case, I would either become a Naxal or starve to death. I returned to my traditional land and started farming on a serious way. My father was very sad that his son lost his job. As the worry did not go away, he became sleepless. He met many leaders and all of them tried to pacify him. On such a journey, he was hit by a vehicle and died. I tried to forget everything I had studied and devoted my body and mind to agriculture. My wife was also with me. I have two children. My bitter experience did not pull me from providing education to kids. Unfortunately, they were also listed as ‘Sawara ‘, a non-existent caste. But, the officials were merciful enough to provide stipend to them. Time went on and I forgot on the complaint I had given. But there were hundreds of such files moving around in many lofts.

Although ,Article 342 (1) and (2) of the Constitution clearly defines who is adivasi, the root cause of these problems was the book prepared and published by Chhattisgarh Tribal Research and Training Center in 2004, recently reported in a newspaper. Anthropologists and ethnologists say that the problem lies in the book's misinterpretation of a Supreme Court order and confusing interpretation of the words synonym and synonymous.

In any case, the mistakes that followed for the last  twenty years had destroyed the life dreams of many like me, but the next generation can take comfort, as the Central Cabinet has issued an order approving eleven more adivasi clan words which are facing such a crisis. Now I  dream of the days when my son and daughter will become officers