Malayalam Media... still immature

I have been seeing the visuals and images of the deceased and murdered in Malayalam TV channels and newspapers. A month after 26/11, various government agencies and media organizations issued guidelines to print and visual media about the reporting in the cases of accidents and calamities. The media here in Kerala seems unaware of such guidelines. At the national level, the guidelines were followed by the print and TV media. ,especially English News channels. For mentally weak persons, its really disturbing to see the visuals of dead. In fact even normal people feel sentimental when they see those visuals. Last month a bus drowned in a river in Kottayam. The media here in Kerala celebrated the mishap by giving running commentaries on death toll. The visuals of dead bodies in front of the mortuary, the drowned bodies at the accident site were all shown blatantly. Every accident give way to discussions. The accidents happen again and again, still they discuss the same.

Another instance is the follow up done by the media. All Malayalam channels have a crime programme. In all these programmes they recreate the crime scene. Besides, they show the dead person. Worse is the case when it is murder and there is blood spill. Is it the result of intrusion of corporate people in media. Are they cashing the sentiments of people.Its high time for the media in Kerala to introspect. I hope they will do the needful.

Mulayam's view on Women's Reservation

Last Sunday on the magazine section of The Hindu newspaper, there was a column by Kalpana Sharma( I hope I remember her name correctly) on Women's bill. She wrote about the view of Mulayam Singh Yadav on the bill. Mulayam thinks that giving representation for women will result in the under-representation of men. His finding is that, women who are elected by reservation may be unwilling to give upon the seat to others particularly men, when it is de-reserved. His viewpoint may be logical, but I don't think it as possible considering the male chauvinism in Indian politics. The case of women candidates unwilling to give up the seat will happen only in the case of those women who have a pan India appeal or at least pan state.Those women should strengthen women empowerment by contesting against a male candidate. If there is a possibility(I don't think that) of over-representation after two- three decades, then we should remove the reservation. But after all it is India, we had implemented SC ST reservation for two decades but still the reservation had not achieved its aim of the uplift of the downtrodden.

Image link:http://param1988.blogspot.com/2009/11/womens-reservation-in-panchayat.html

CPM leadership disapproves BIG B for Kerala Tourism

The CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechuri voiced his disapproval for inviting Big B as the ambassador of Kerala Tourism. The disapproval was due to Amitabh Bachan's cooperation with Gujarat government for the promotion of Gujarat tourism. The Gujarat state was in news for the pogrom against minorities in 2002. The current government was also the incumbent at that time. The government was criticized for its delinquency to act against rioters. The Chief Minister Narendra Modi even faced the wrath of Supreme Court. All the secular parties,including CPI(M) had severely criticized the state government for joining sides with the rioters. The leadership have taken this step to avoid antagonizing muslims as the state elections are nearby.

But the disapproval didn't find any excuse. Big B was promoting the brand Gujarat not the actions of Gujarat government. Gujarat is a state with rich heritage. It needed a icon like Bachan for the promotion. The current action of CPI(M) was uncalled-for. Bachan is not responsible for actions of Gujarat government. The artists, particularly Bollywood icons have global appeal which may benefit the Kerala Tourism department. In the past the tourism department had tried to rope in Jackie Chan for the promotion of Kerala Tourism. Big B was thrilled to support the Kerala Tourism. All the bonhomie had gone by a single comment of Yechuri. Once again the ideological stand of the red party had affected poor Keralites.

IPL team sued for using Bhagat Sing's name

IPL team, Kings XI was sued for using the name of Bhagat Singh in the commercial ad of the team. The complaint was filed by the grandson of Bhagat Singh, Abhey Singh Sandhu. The ad of Kings XI read "“The stadium was silent. Chandrashekhar Azad, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru had just walked into the stands. Are you the wildest Kings XI fan in the stadium? Then you are fan of the match...”The complainant filed the suit in view of the commercial nature of ad. He also criticised the greedy nature of IPL. A week ago some NGOs had moved the court and staged demonstrations against the ad. The team administration had taken steps to withdraw the advertisement.Preity Zinta apologized for the advertisement.

One cannot take a stand on this issue. Since Chandrashekhar Azad, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru are national heroes this may have hurt the feelings of some section of people. Given the stature of martyrs, this was a normal reaction. The team authorities should have consulted someone, considering the volatility of the issue. There is another view in this issue. Pictures of heroes like Cheguevra , Fidel Castro are used in apparels and accessories. They are even used in shoes and chappals. The Kings XI team used our national heroes in an unprovoked way. Now ball is in the court.It is the court to decide.

Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Mayawati's 1000 rupees notes garland

Yesterday in Lucknow, the capital of UP witnessed a maha rally on the the occasion of 25th anniversary of BSP. What caught the attention of nation was the extravagant conduct of rally. Mayawati, the self declared savior of dalits was greeted with a huge garland made of 1000 rupee notes[see picture]. A week ago Mayawati was reluctant to give away compensation for the dead and injured in Ram Janki temple stampede for lack of money. She passed off the duty to the central government. The rally had caused anger nationwide. Estimates say that around 200 crore rupees were spent on rally. The whole UP government machinery were in their toes for the rally.Public money was used for the rally. Her state is known for high poverty level. If she was the true messiah of dalits she could have used the money for dalit's upliftment.In a country where millions live under poverty this was a shoddy act of celebration. Who could explain such pity act? Still her supporters seems undeterred in their support for Bahenji.

Numerous occasions like this have occurred in UP for Bahenji. Hundreds of Crores of rupees were spent for statues in UP. Most of the statues were of non other than herself. She seems to be modern Faroah or Nero. Her birthdays are celebrated usually in huge bash. I don't understand why the followers still idolizes her. Even in state like Kerala there are followers for her party.Thousands see Mayawati as a social reformer. She has reasons for everything. Mayawati is the leader of a state level party called BSP, yet she nurses the dream of becoming the prime minister of India. If that comes true then that day would be a doomsday for India.

From Russia, with love

Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin concluded his Indian trip by sealing deals on strategic and energy fields. Though it was a 22 hour pit stop, several important deals were made. This include deals on nuclear cooperation and defense. There were talks on future commitments in the energy field. Russia has been India's best friend for decades. History teaches that Russia is the only country we can rely on.India had benefited hugely from Russian arms. Yet, India is increasingly taking the friendship as granted and moving towards the crooked Americans. There may be reasons for the shift. First and foremost would be the shrinking clout of Russia. Russia is no match to the Soviet Republic. This is not an alibi for going behind America. At the end of the day, America is with Pakistan. Whatever be our relations with Americans, they have got their strategic interest in Pakistan. Which nation had supported India in a war by sending a warship to intimidate America? It is Russia only.

India should cooperate with Russia in global stages like Shanghai Cooperation,BRIC forum etc. The recent lull in the relations between two countries is due to the increasing clout of US in south block. For our strategic advantage the alliance with Russia is more fruitful. Because whatever planes or missiles we get from US is of no advantage as Pakistan will get those arms for its dubious task of dismantling Al Qaeda terrorists camps. The latest example being the F series planes which India intends to buy. Meanwhile Putin had clearly told the media that Russia won't sell arms to Pakistan in view of its friendship with India. Russia too have some bitter experience with Pakistan.

So far the trade between the two nation has been skewed in favour of Russia. India should think of larger investments in Russia. This is the only way to balance the trade.The Indian Industry must further expand their business in Russia. Russia offers limitless opportunity for energy companies. Some of our government companies like ONGC have begun their investments.Corporate India should seize the opportunity of goodwill with Russia.

The Indian hockey after World Cup

The Indian Team finished eighth in the world cup hockey held in India. This was an improvement as compared to the last world cup where it finished at the eleventh position. As the world cup comes to an end one must see the positive signs. The Dhyan Chand stadium was in its full capacity for all the matches that India played except for the match against Argentina. The whole stadium thundered with slogans. The whole stadium standing and singing for the national anthem was a true treat to watch. Even the TV viewers reverberated the vibe. The audience included families,youth,senior citizens. Everyone had high hopes on India. The TV viewership for the matches was at an all time record. All this was due to the publicity work done by sponsors,media,government bodies. The Hero Honda, SAIL ads projected the pride of Indian Hockey. I think the strike of Indian players about their payment issue also helped the publicity.

Most of us now feel that cricket hogged undue attention. Hockey is back in the hearts of India. Hockey needs to be promoted as it is a game that demands greater skill and stamina. The game is not at all a child's play. The government,media and corporate world should give hockey its past glory and attention. The Indian hockey administrators must take this opportunity for the popularity of the game. They should conduct more competitive tournaments.The International Hockey Federation must be happy about the overall conduct of the World Cup. The whole committee did their best from their limitations.

The Indian team had done their best in the world cup. They had their problems, but they put them aside for the nation. There is plenty to improve. Everything can't be achieved in a single tournament. We need patience. Let us not axe our coach Brasa. He had done a pretty decent job. Let him continue. We need a permanent coach I think Brasa is the best for that job. Let us hope for the best in Commonwealth games.

Image source:http://sifyimg.edgesuite.net/static.sify.com/content/media/image/kc2w8vgibga.jpg

Mayavati's poster coloured..children arrested

Yesterday in Lucknow, the UP police arrested minors for colouring the poster of Mayavati..Behenji. The children were apparently playing Holi. The UP police in a bid to please Mayavati arrested the minors. The children arrested were having board exams. As news channels brought up this incident, the chief minister Mayavati had to order for their release.She told the media that she wasn't aware of the incident. The incident has mentally affected the children. The parents were also tensed.The incident must be reported to Human Rights Commission.The police should have ignored the prank. This was a strange act by the police in a country where effigies of famous people are burnt daily . The UP police should have diverted their valuable time in other cases.

The incident truly reflects the infringement of child rights. The mental trauma the children must have faced will affect their board exams. The school authorities claim the act as a vengeance for denying an admission for a police official's relative. The lawyer of the children claim that there was never such an incident. They were framed. In a state where the government machinery is indulged in spenting millions for the construction of Bahenji statues, this was not a serious incident.
Cartoon courtesy:manjul.com

Obama..We are disappointed

He came with the catchy..YES WE CAN CHANGE. The whole world saw him as the messiah of America. Even the left hardliners saw a new hope in him. For the first time in the history of Nobel Peace Prize, someone was awarded for his promises rather than his work. The Americans became obsessed with Obama. Some even had a pipe dream of socialist America. Obama was ebullient in his speeches. The Americans began to dream after a long time. The world leaders cherished for World peace. But all these dreams went to vain.

The reality was different. All his speeches were blah.. blah. They were all Utopian in nature. He enthusiastically talked about the bailout package, health reforms, Afpak policy. As he took the charge he understood the reality of American politics. The changes that he campaigned for are near impossibilities in American Congress and Senate. Leaving a life as the President of America is different from a charismatic orator. Seeing the ground reality he had to procrastinate the Guantanamo Jail plan. He was forced to dilute his health care package. The Republicans increasingly became conservative. There was no proper exit plan for the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. He did somersaults in other areas also. The Nobel Committee did a blunder by giving him the price. It was too early for such a prize, considering the fact that even Mahatma Gandhi didn't get it.

He failed in his promises. He promised about a new America. But the policies he brought were too diluted. Even today the newspapers carry news about him, the latest being his cholesterol levels. He may have excuses for his failure.He may even put the blame on Republicans. Though it is true, he must exhibit his eloquence in thwarting them.

Women's Reservation Bill- An Unbiased View

For the last couple of days we have been hearing about women's reservation bill. The majority seems to support the bill. That's a good thing. The media in India reports the whole affair. Most of us see the merit of bill. Let us hope that the bill will be passed. But there are questions about the bill that need to answered. The media is highligting the views of supporters,the dissenters occupy less space. I support the passage of bill in condition that there should be equitable participation from women of all spheres. The Bill says nothing about the inclusiveness of all sections. In Indian society the elite castes enjoy the benefits in unreserved areas. If the bill is allowed to continue without any amendment, it will disturb the very basic of Indian Constitution. It will result in the over representation of upper castes. It is clearly visible in the current scenario.Most of the current women MPs belong to the upper caste.But this doesn't allow for opposition of bill. First allow the bill to be passed. Gradually the government will amend it to include the deprived sections. But the Lalus, Mulayams are simply opposing it. The government must clear the air about the future amendments in the bill.

The above bill if passed will affect the politicians who have been occupying the constituency for decades. This will help the constituency because the party will look after the constituency in view of the possibility of change in the candidate for the next election. I am telling this because there are examples of neglected constituencies, which are occupied by the veteran politicians.The complaints about the difficulty in nursing the constituency must be ignored.This bill is a great opportunity for India. It will help the Indian democracy to mature. But this won't sound good for those people.

So Let us support the bill after that amend it.

Source of cartoon:www.manjul.com

Social Advertising in Kerala

Lately some firms based in Kerala are showing interest for the public cause. To name a few are Mathrubhumi, Manorama,Malabar Gold..I can't remember other firms. The social ads of Mathrubhumi daily are very touching and urge us to think. The ad that features a bus driver and his father is very touching and amazing. I give it a five star rating. All the social ads of mathrubhumi are good. The ads of Malabar gold features clean Kerala mission. Manorama ads shows its various campaigns for water conservation and road accidents.

Social Advertising in Kerala is quite a new concept of marketing. We are familiar with polio, aids ads in national level. They are all carried by different government agencies. Other than this are the ads of Tata tea-jagori,Hindustan times..to name a few. Its time for business establishments to give more thrust to social advertising. When a brand promotes its product by social advertising there is greater appeal. I hope more and more firms will follow the way.

India thrashed by Australia and Spain

Australia was too hot to handle Australia with its speed hockey sneaked into our defense and scored easily. Our defense was really week. We were not adept in handling those long passes which were with pinpoint precision. They easily created tremors in our defence. India surely missed Sivendra. Deepak Thakur was offbeat.We were able to contain the Australians in the second half, but goals didn't come.

Spain was lackluster in the field. It was the weakness of Indian defense that helped Spain. In order to make any impression in the remaining matches we need to get the defense strong. Coach Brasa did a commendable job in transforming the side from broken pieces to a united one. Team had improved a lot.

The IPL Fantasy

IPL(Indian Premier League) is back in India. The league starts next week. The ads this time have given importance to its return to India. Projecting it as a matter of Indian pride with national song Sare Jahan Se Acha .One thing about IPL is its innovative ad campaigns. I like their campaigns. Last year the agency was O&M now it is some other ad agency(JWT). The red carpet ad has some charges of plagiarism. Its similar to the coke ad for Olympics 2008.

I was not at all interested in IPL in its inaugural edition. I was averse to the idea of supporting a club. All that matters was nationality. I supported all Indian players. But when the second edition came I became a CSK fan. During that time we had no other job as it was our final year in the college. We had a TV in our hostel .The petty fight in the name of clubs was really funny to watch. IPL was the talking point whether it was in mess, classrooms, labs or bars.

IPL had changed the mindset of Indian cricket fans. They started supporting Gilchrist against Sevag. Club mattered more than nationality at IPL. All this was a smart move that made BCCI richer. The original credit should go to Zee and Kapil for their ICL.

Sivendra's ban minimised

Good news for India!! Sivendra's ban reduced to two matches. Still he misses the all important matches. If it was cricket the situation would have been different(the ban would have been quashed). Sadly India is not ruling the federation, unlike ICC.

From the replays we can't find the incident as intentional.Even the live TV commentator told that it wasn't intentional. On what basis did they ban him?

All the best for today's match.

Hockey World Cup

India started off the World Cup campaign by drubbing Pakistan. I was watching the live match after a long time. Thanks to the campaign of Hero Honda. Actually our game has improved. We were attacking right from the start. We were converting our penalty corners. I couldn't believe how we missed out Olympics last year. The new coach, Brasa has done his job. But its too early too predict.

There was too much chaos before the start. Issues like player's pay,captaincy, team unity,exhibition match caught the attention of the media. But all these issues were in the back burner once the match started. Sadly, our front player Sivendra is banned from three matches. I think it was too harsh. Whether its cricket or hockey India is always at the receiving end.

The organizing committee had been poor with too many masters. Government too bear the blame for this state of affairs. All this are affecting our Commonwealth games. Before signing off I wish all the best for the hockey team ... DHAK DHAK GO..

My first blog

This is my first post. I am looking to take blogging as a hobby. I had been thinking of blogging for quite a while. But didn't get the time. I am a novice with no great skill in writing. I will be expressing my views on various issues.