Dangerous trends

Post-Mumbai terror attacks, there has been a growing feeling of disenchantment towards the political class in the country. This is partly because of the insensitive way in which some politicians dealt with the terror attacks and the failure of the political class to stem the spectre called terror that keeps bearing down on the country at frequent intervals. And there is a tendency to glorify the country’s army, after NSG forces flushed out the terrorists.

Though the frustration towards the political class is understandable, the tendency to look down on politics is inimical to the very concept of democracy. It is born out of a kind of patriotism that is both apolitical and irresponsible. Those who are hero-worshipping the NSG commandos as though they are Bollywood heroes just don’t give a damn to the damning reports that the proof vests provided to three top anti-terrorist officers, all of whom were murdered, had been of substandard quality -- from a batch that had earlier been rejected.

One can see a clear case of bureaucratic bungling in the purchase of these jackets, as the murky world of defence material procurement is mired in the dirty world of corruption and big money. And what about Navy’s failure in heeding to the intelligence inputs regarding the attacks?

But who is concerned about facts? Fuelled by those jingoistic and bombastic TV channels, India’s elite class is clamouring for war. Is war a reality show where they can indulge in the SMS game?

The veneration of the army and loathing of the political class have reached a feverish pitch. Such trends will groom apolitical tendencies in our society. We can see what is happening in countries like Pakistan and Myanmar where the army gained the upper hand and democracy was trampled upon.

Indian democracy may be ailing and needs immediate treatment. But despite all the shortcomings and problems, it still delivers, though slowly. And it is one of the important aspects that keeps the country united.

Democracy is not the best. But there is no better system other than democracy. And history tells us that no army-ruled state has ever succeeded.

That we have inept politicians and a system that works in the most inefficient way possible is not a justification for denouncing democracy and extolling the army, which in turn can result in nothing but autocracy. Let me quote ex-babu Babu Paul IAS, who has served for four decades: “An IAS or IPS officer can never match the experience of a seasoned politician, who has passed through tumultuous experiences in life...One swallow doesn’t make a spring.”

We should learn from history and what’s happening around us. India has gone through the travails of Indira Gandhi’s tyrannical dictatorship codenamed as Emergency. Those who have lived through those hellish days know how it is to be living in a democracy.

You can clamour for autocracy while being in a democratic set up, not vice versa.

Tale of a declining dynasty

The leading scion of India's leading dynasty should realise that cheap antics won't work

Rahul Gandhi recently said the 1984 anti-Sikh riots were "absolutely wrong" and that the perpetrators "should be brought to justice".

This statement seems to be part of his last-ditch attempt to regain his party's dithering ground in view of the disgraceful drubbing at the eight state elections in a row coupled with the declining prospects of the party.

Even the politically naïve know that Rahul was not serious. If he was, the party wouldn't have fielded former police officer Amod Kanth to contest the Delhi assembly election. Kanth was accused of openly helping rioters during the anti-Sikh riots. The Nanavati Commission had even indicted him.

So Rahul’s empty rhetoric simply won’t work, and the 1984 anti-Sikh riots victims' welfare society has now announced support to BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal in the elections!

The Congress has always protected leaders like Jagdish Tytler and H K L Bhagat, accused in goading violent mobs into killing innocent and hapless Sikhs after Indira Gandhi was murdered. It is precisely these shenanigan ways that have worked to the detriment of the party and helped communal forces attain mainstream acceptability.

But what else one should expect from a dynasty-infested party? Even when there are lots of young leaders with a passion for change, the reins of the party continues to rest with the dynasty.

"I would not have been here, if I was not from a political family," said Rahul. So he himself admitted that it was not merit but being born in the Congress dynasty which qualifies one to be at the top of this party. But like his Sikh remark, this one too sounds hollow.

If the party wishes to regain its inimitable position of playing decisive role in the country's national discourse without being thrown into the political dustbin of India's history, the effete idea of dynasty should end and true democracy should prevail. When will the party realise that a coterie of sycophantic yes-men and praise-singers can't win the hearts of the people?

Rahul has other options. The Harvard- educated man, having run internet companies, seems to possess an acumen for business than in politics. In 2006, he bought two shops in a new mall in Delhi, They house clothing companies Les Femme, Koutons and Nike Sports.

So the young chap will be doing a good service to the Indian politics if he concentrates more on business thereby infusing that much-needed fresh air of democracy into the Congress party, instead of making puerile statements on and off. Wishful thinking, auh?

When truth is told

Adiga was just telling the truth. Please do not crib!

Aravind Adiga has not been received with the kind of euphoria and exaltation such an instant celebrity would normally attract, because he portrayed India in a "bad light" in White Tiger, for which he won the Booker prize in 2008.

He is not hailed as national pride, but as one who has maligned India's name abroad. Leading the bandwagon has been the NRIs, the largely right wing, flag-waving, ultra-jingoistic crowd who are the unassuming brand ambassadors of 'India shining' campaign and who think they are the only true patriots. Popular web portals like Rediff, known for adding a pinch of jingoism to every possible news item, were replete with anti-Adiga remarks.

I am yet to read the book; but I can’t buy this-man-is-selling-India-abroad theory.

One would wonder how a middle-class, Oxford-educated chap could create the novel’s central character: the downtrodden, uneducated son of a rickshaw puller. We now know it wasn’t an “arm chair novel writing”, for he has had his share of legwork before settling down to write this novel.

In the first place it is amiss to say that Adiga's portrayal of the country is in bad taste, because he was only telling the truth: an India racked by poverty, diseases and corruption. And there’s no better way than fiction to tell the world about and thereby bring social change as rightly pointed out by Adiga himself in an interview by referring to what writers likes Charles Dickens did in the 19th century.

Articles on poverty shouldn't surprise anyone; but that's not the case with fiction, said journalist Jason Overdorf (himself a friend of Adiga) in Outlook. Fictions can have lasting impact unlike a normal report. (Now I remember about a recent Guardian report on the plight of people in Haiti who eat mud cakes because they don't have money to buy foods. This report doesn’t seem to have made any impact; what if the same issue is a subject of a novel? Of course more people will read it and the issue will get wider audience. I didn't mean to say things like this shouldn't be reported. I am just putting across the idea that how powerful fiction can be ).

Writers should strive for social change and it obviously involves telling the truth, which may turn out to be unpalatable to many. If Adiga had written about India's shiny happy people, a minority, glossing over the much larger picture of what is actually taking place in this country, the same 'patriotic' crowd now sneer ing at him would have been going ga ga after him.

Patriotism is not something that should be limited to cricket stadiums or on reading those flashy headlines about that false veneer of economic growth. Your love for the country remains hollow as long as you neglect the dark underbelly of 400 million people, the deprived, the marginalised and the neglected.

Show some maturity, please

The ministers in Karnataka’s BJP government speak like Sangh Parivar leaders

The sordid drama enacted to effect the arrest of Bajrang Dal leader Mahendra Kumar is nothing but the result of a last-ditch effort by the Yeddyurappa ministry to save itself from the central government’s ire.

The arrest seemed to be part of a script hammered out inside the portals of the BJP government when it was called on the carpet by the centre over its terrible failure to crack down on fanatics who went on a church-attacking spree at various parts of the state.

Law and order came for a toss in Dakshina Karnataka where Bajrang Dal activists (as admitted openly by none other than its leader Mahendra Kumar) with the tacit support of the state machinery attacked religious places.

From the very beginning of the violence, chief minister Yeddyurappa was talking more like a Sangh Parivar leader rather than an elected representative of the people. He countered the charges against Bajrang Dal with the conversion theory, as if all the attacks were mounted on mass conversion ceremonies. In the first place, he ought to have shown the basic responsibility in his capacity as the chief minister: to nab the culprits and arrest the situation from spiraling out of control.

His cabinet colleagues weren’t better. Their utterances were at best puerile, at worst ridiculous. While home minister V S Acharya was seen defending Bajrang Dal, energy minister K S Eswarappa went to the extent of attributing the attacks on churches to the poojas and homas done by JD (S)! He even advised the JD (S) leaders to do poojas for the welfare of the state, rather than for instigating violence.

Pathetic indeed. Anyone with a modicum of rudimentary common sense and rational thinking wouldn’t dare to utter this type of hogwash. Oh come all ye ministers, you’ve got at least to show to the world that you are ministers and no more Sangh Parivar leaders .

Why should Thangals be spared?

If the yardsticks of pouncing on the fraud seers in Kerala are used in the case of Panakkad Thangals, they should also come under the scanner

So it needed one Aryadan Shoukath to say it, at last. Amid the ongoing controversies over the godmen, the politician-cum-film maker has said something one would dread to utter in Kerala.

He challenged the state government to raid Panakkad Thangal's abode, the headquarters of the state unit of Indian Union of Muslim League, the leading constituent in Congress-led UDF in Kerala.

Though Shoukath is as crooked a politician as his father-politician Aryadan Mohammed and his utterance against the Thangals has to do with the ongoing war of words between his father and Muslim League, he has said something that is long overdue in Kerala's socio-political spectrum.

No government, be it UDF or the present LDF government, will dare to touch the Panakkad Thangals, who have been enjoying a smooth ride on the ignorance of Malabar Muslims and a false interpretation of Islam.

What makes Thangals different from other godmen in Kerala?

The arrest of Santhosh, indicted by Interpol for embezzlement and by the state police over a charade of charges including rape, has triggered titillating and shocking media reports about numerous fraud godmen and godwomen from various parts of the state. Papers and channels these days are flooded with the opulent lifestyles and sexual escapades of the fraud seers.

It is in this context that Aryadan Shoukath has challenged the government to raid the Thangal’s home.

If the police can conduct raids at Santhosh Madhavan's den and other godmen in Kerala, the self-proclaimed religious head and chief of Muslim League Panakkad Shihab Thangal and Company shouldn't also be spared.

Because, the Panakkad Thangals also perform stuff like healing like these seers do, thanks to the Thangal tag, a tag arduously and meticulously used for so long not only for advancing the Thangals’ supremacy over the Malabar region but also for making Malabar an impregnable bastion for the Muslim League.

The main service done at Panakkad is healing. And mind you, the service ain't free.

During a press meet by the Muslim League at Panakkad house in Malappuram, I saw Hyderali Thangal (Shihab Thangal's younger brother) 'counseling' an old lady with the help of Quran and then pocketing the fee. All along the course, the poor lady was standing as if she was in front of the God. At Panakkad, you can witness the long queue of people waiting to get `healed' or `counseled' by the Thangals.

Thangals claim themselves to be the true descendents of the Prophet and they consider themselves to be a leg up over the others. The fact is Islam doesn't accord any such kinds of sanctity, not even the loathsome practice of priesthood. (As said earlier, these Thangals are riding on a misinterpretation of Islam’s true teachings.)

Interestingly, in Kerala's mainstream parlance, the Thangals are considered sacrosanct. Now I am reminded of this small incident happened in 2005 during my previous stint with The New Indian Express. The state government came out with a booklet containing the major tourist spots in Kerala. The Panakkad house was mentioned as a leading healing center in Malabar. Enough of government stamp.

The then Malappuram reporter of Express Jabir Musthari, (incidentally he happens to be a Thangal, but doesn't belong to the tribe out to cash in on the supposed Thangal lineage) filed a story taking a dig at the government's alacrity to sanctify the Thangals’ quack biz. But the story was dumped with a changed intro.

Even the newspapers are afraid of touching the Thangals.

All said, the Panakkad Thangals aren't all about quackery and taking advantage of the ignorant people. The ancestors of Panakkad had an illustrious past of contributing to the 1921 anti-British war by the Malabar Muslims. But now, the present-day Thangals have become an embodiment of an elite class in the Muslim community and the new-age 'healers'.

Apart from the healing stuff, these Thangals have also mastered the art of cutting the ribbons. Yea, it’s about inaugurating jewellery shops and similar private ventures. Malabar Muslim entrepreneurs are under the ludicrous impression that Thangal-inaugurated ventures will flourish like anything.

Shihab Thangal’s name can be nominated to Guinness book for having inaugurated the largest number of jewellery shops in the world! (courtesy: K. Rajeswari, Madhyamam weekly).

(This post has inspired Vasthavam Malayalam daily to come out with an editorial: http://vasthavamdaily.blogspot.com/2008/05/blog-post_29.html)

Honey, this is our new national festival!

A hartal-infested Kerala has started loving a practice considered a menace elsewhere

It’s been four months in Bangalore in my new incarnation as content editor.

When I heard about BJP’s plan to hold a dawn-to dusk hartal on May 2 to protest against inflation, I thought it would be holiday just like it often happens in Kerala, where people celebrate it with gaiety and political fervor! But my colleagues told me that the hartal call wouldn’t have any impact on daily life in Karnataka and that everything will go on as usual.

So my hopes of resting at home for a day vanished into thin air.

And on the hartal day, there was nothing unusual unlike in Kerala where any hartal call would bring about a curfew-like situation, and I forgot about the hartal thing.

It was only when my journalist friend from Kochi asked me about the hartal in Karnataka on that evening that I realized that it was a hartal day. When I told him that it didn’t have any impact here, he dwelt at length on the day’s highlights in Kerala: buses almost kept off the roads; thin attendance in government offices, etc…

I am coming from a state where hartal has become a national festival. So I was bit surprised over the lack of any reaction to the hartal call, and that too by Sang Parivar which has considerable foothold in Karnataka.

At present the situation in Kerala is that any Tom, Dick and Harry can pronounce a hartal. People are so happy accepting it because it is a paid holiday.

There was this particular case happened not so long ago in Kerala. When some devils in this God’s own country spread a rumour that some petty organization has called for a hartal the next day, it was almost like a hartal the next day; vehicles kept off from the roads and people refused to go out.

On this BJP hartal day there was one news item in a Malayalam TV channel about how people of Kerala have started celebrating the hartal. According to the report, Keralites consider hartal as a best occasion to unwind; special dishes are made and all family members sit together and dine. The report had testimonials of shopkeepers who described about the rush of people and increased sale of stuff like chicken on the day before the hartal day. There are also a couple of testimonials by a few chaps who said they used hartals as merry-making occasions with the family.

A hartal roundup has become a staple new item for the newspapers and TV channels in Kerala because it is happening at frequent intervals. And invariably it has become a mundane and bland exercise.

This hartal saga is just another ironic but interesting story from Kerala, touted as the highly literate state with living standards on par with Western level.

The real estate dealer

By pushing through its real estate agenda, Times of India has put its commercial interests ahead of journalistic values

“The Good Doctor”. That was the head of Times of India editorial dated 1-5-08, taking a dig at PM Manmohan Singh for having called on companies to “discourage conspicuous consumption and pay only moderate salaries to executives”.

The editorial, in Times of India’s inimitable fashion, takes on the PM’s attack on the corporate world by drawing attention to the opulent and extravagant ways in which he (Manmohan) and country’s president live in sprawling Race Course Road and Rashtrapati Bhavan respectively.

The paper says: “Few nations in the world can match Rashtrapathi Bhavan in terms of the vastness and magnificence of the housing accorded, rather conspicuously to its heads of state.”

It also draws the irony of criticizing the corporate world at a time the government has effected a pay hike to the country’s babus.

Quite a reasonable argument indeed as regards the opulent and royal ways in which the PM and president live; for, it is unbecoming of a country of thousands who go to bed empty stomach to waste money just to sustain the vestiges of British Raj which we are happy scorning day and night.

But Times of India’s real intention is revealed only at the end of the editorial as it exhorts Manmohan Singh to focus on the “conspicuous consumption” in central Delhi where the “best real estate” has been occupied by “sprawling ministerial bungalows” and other “government properties”.

The editorial says that Delhi has no dearth of space, but is still among the top 10 cities in terms of “expensive commercial property.”

And finally the paper doesn’t hide its real intentions as it says: “Imagine the impact of revenues if most of the properties owned by the government in Delhi and state capitals could be sold at their true commercial value.”

There you are! It’s all about real estate, honey. Real estate. That is the one word repeated in several areas in this edit piece.

See how the paper has made it so clear and loud. Straight talk. Isn’t it? The Times of India has no qualms in pushing through its real estate agenda through its editorial columns.

But, there shouldn’t be any room for surprise, given Times of India’’ interests in real estate business, with its parent company Bennet & Coleman running its own real estate firm.

Look at the way the paper has cornered in to a subject of its commercial interest by picking up an issue that has no direct link to it and blatantly putting ahead its profit motive above journalistic values.

So Times of India wants the “prime real estate” locations in Delhi to be sold out at the earliest. Are the powers that be in the country’s capital listening?

Coming together on Pangea Day

BANGALORE: They call it Pangea, the name referred to a wonderful idea of what has been called people-to-people diplomacy aimed at working towards a world sans strife, borders and conflicts.

The word Pangea means a single continent. Once upon a time earth was stuck together as a single continent. But modern world divided it with mistrust, conflicts and violence. Noted documentary filmmaker Jehane Noujaim conceptualized the idea, Pangea Day, to bring the world together through films. On May 10, a section of techies in Bangalore witnessed to a clutch of powerful short films and live music as part of Pangea Day, which envisages the congregation of people at different parts of the world simultaneously.

People gathered at different locations such as Cairo, Rwanda, London, Los Angeles and Mumbai, watched the films simultaneously. In Bangalore, the Pangea the film screening became a reality thanks to IT firm ThoughtWorks. Techies gathered at its office at Diamond District way ahead of the scheduled screening at 11 p.m. The casual performance by a local band added spice to the event.

A total of 24 short films were shown, selected from 2500 entries from over 100 countries in an international competition. The show started with a short film, Pale Blue Dot in which American astronomer, late Carl Sagan spoke about a photograph of the earth from a distance of four billion miles.

"The portrait of our home as a tiny, fragile speck of blue adrift in an unimaginably vast sea of space." When he reminded us that earth is a "mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam", it served a stark reminder of all those absurdities humans indulge in these days: wars, conflicts and boundaries.

Some of them were as short as a TV commercial -- powerful enough to stir one's soul and rekindle a sense of awe, hope and oneness. No film went without receiving prolonged applause from the crowd, awed with the powerful messages contained in them.

They clapped their hands in conjunction with the applause of crowds sitting in Rwanda and Cairo on seeing these films, which tell true stories human lives, their tribulations, angst and hope. One woman techie could not help wowing at the sight of a little African boy, who lost his arms and legs in conflict, writing on his notebook.

There were more such similar 'wows' and expressions of awe and disbelief on seeing such stark reminders of life, perhaps a virtual realization for the techies to know that there is life beyond the comforts of home-delivered pizzas and perks.

Despite all odds, few souls from Sierra Leone refugee camp came up with a band and sang their misfortunes away. The band, Refugee All Stars, must be a source of inspiration for anyone, felt down by the little hiccups in life.

The event gave the techies an opportunity to realize that there are people on the other side of the earth, victims of endless chains of conflicts, poverty and war.

Hypernova, an Iranian band was a revelation. The band sang about one love and one world, while telling us that though they don't have answers to all the problems of the world.

It was not just films: there were thought-provoking ideas and revelations about the complexities of human lives, the meaninglessness of boundaries, etc. by psychologists and other experts.

"It is a indeed a good attempt as we come to realize through these films about people who are born to drink the bitter pills of life. Pangea is a good idea as it tries to bring together people through these wonderful films," said Sivakumar, working with a semiconductor firm.

The exotic idea of Pangea brings with it lot of novel concepts which includes promoting people of different nationalities to sing other countries' national anthems so as to imbibe a sense of respect to others' cultures and feelings. So you have Kenyans singing Jana Gana Mana with the same fervor and enthusiasm as that of Indians.

First published in http://www.ciol.com/News/News-Reports/Coming-together-on-Pangea-Day/12508105918/0/

Jackie Chan, latest media victim?

Media reports that he brought his own mineral water and refused to eat Indian food on a flying visit to Chennai had the kung fu star fulminating

There's this story taught in journalism classes, which goes something like this:

On landing in an US airport, the Pope was surrounded by reporters and he was asked this question: “What is your opinion about night clubs here?”

The Pope paused for a while, as he was well aware that these street-smart scribes are adept at the art of making news out of thin air. He knew whatever he’d say could be twisted and polished as a news item. So he threw back a question in the most innocuous way possible: “Oh are there are night clubs here?”

Next day newspaper reports on Pope’s visit were something like this: “On landing the airport, the first thing the Pope asked was whether there are any night clubs…”

I am reminded of this story - often repeated to talk about journalists’ quest for sensationalism - on reading a posting by action hero Jackie Chan on his website dated April 27.

His lengthy posting was meant to clear up a controversy caused by media reports that he refused to eat Indian food and that he declined to talk to anyone and dismissed Indian stars during his recent visit to Chennai for an audio release of Kamal Haasan-starrer Tamil movie Dasavatharam.

“One article accused me of ridiculous things like refusing to drink India’s bottled water – they said I brought my own imported mineral water - and of traveling with my own personal chefs because I refuse to eat Indian food,” he wrote.

Terming all the reports “complete nonsense”, he said that he had nothing but respect for Indian culture and Indian cinema. “And saying that I won’t eat Indian food! Nothing could be further from the truth; I adore Indian food, and in fact had two excellent meals on this trip and was so full I could barely leave my seat!,” he said in the website.

The actor has challenged the reporters to prove that he actually brought his own water and asked them to check up with the housekeepers at the hotel whether he did such a thing.

“What brand did I bring? You say I refused to eat Indian food. Do your research and talk to the three butlers the hotel assigned to my room and ask them what I ate! You say I holed up in my air-conditioned hotel room, ignoring my hosts. Why would I travel all the way to India and refuse to leave my hotel room?”

He said that he had put up with a lot of ridiculous things written about him as he had been in the public eye for many years and that he seldom attacked anyone. But, it seems that he couldn’t hold it anymore. He said that few “irresponsible reporters” had spoiled the memory of his trip to India. “I am so afraid that when my gracious and wonderful hosts read the lies, they may get the complete wrong impression of me and my feelings about them and about the event. Therefore, I am posting this message on my website immediately to set the record straight.”

So this is not the end of it all. He also narrates one more instance of how journalists’ innate penchant for sensationalism can be damaging.

When some reporters asked him about his participation in the Olympic torch run, he jokingly answered that “no one had better try to come near me while I’m carrying the torch.” “I said it as a joke, and believe me, I made it quite clear that I was fooling around,” he wrote on his website.

But his comments were more than enough fodder for the media as the next day, news reports poured in with headlines like “Jackie Chan Threatens Olympic Protestors” and “Kung Fu Star Will Chop Down Protestors.”

This is a classic case of how media’s senseless actions can vitiate things; in this case adding fuel to the Tibetan cauldron, (His participation in the torch run had grabbed media headlines worldwide on account of his pro-Chinese stand.)

I don’t think even the most cynical would completely disbelieve in Jackie Chan’s version, at least his argument with regard to the Olympic torch run.
This is just another case of media indulging in the obnoxious practice of sensationalism.

Should there be an authority to rein in such practices that run contrary to journalist ethics?

(Appeared in Hoot)

Social media scares Indian corporates

Indian firms yet to realize true potential of corporate blogging

BANGALORE: Blogging needs no introduction. From bedroom bloggers who write on personal topics to those blogs on specific subjects like technology, you have them all on the cyberspace.
Corporate blogging, however, is in a nascent stage in India.
Companies worldwide see blogging as a cost-effective medium to talk about its products and services or share insights among all shareholders.
Indian companies like Infosys, TCS, Rediff, Milagrow, HCL, Cleartrip, Gridstone, FrotoLay and Naukri and Indian arms of MNCs like Microsoft, IBM, Hindustan Lever are into corporate blogging. Opening a new window
Companies like Tata and Infosys have realized the potential of blogging in many ways.
Tata's blog, Tata Interactive Systems (TIS), got off to a good start; members of its Instructional Design group were first off the mark in posting their thoughts and engaging others within the broader worldwide ID and eLearning community.
"We have received some very positive feedback for our photo albums capturing life@TIS, from people considering TIS as a potential employer. I think this is because from the outside an organization often appears impregnable and this is one of the boundaries that we have been successful in lowering," says Ankush Gupta, manager, corporate marketing group and blog evangelist.
Infosys was among the first in the Indian IT industry to start a theme-based corporate blog, Think Flat, launched in 2006 to promote its 'Win in the Flat World' campaign.
Today, it maintains more than ten corporate blogs, attracting a community of global readers interested in understanding and discussing various facets of business, technology and global sourcing.
"At Infosys, blogs are an important part of our thought leadership strategy. Blogs provide our subject experts with a suitable medium for sharing ideas and receiving feedback from target audiences. We have evolved a blogging policy that specifies the protocols and standards for communicating to an external audience," states Srinivas Uppaluri, vice president and global head of Marketing, Infosys.
He feels that companies can use blogs effectively as a marketing platform to share new ideas and create thought leadership.
Blogs, like other social media, offer feeds – a feature that allows readers to subscribe to and receive blog updates without having to visit the blog periodically.
"This shrinks the 'time-to-market' of information delivery," adds Uppaluri.
Is there a fear factor?
A close look at the number of complaints in social media like mouthshut.com and complaints.com on various customer service deficiencies points to the necessity for companies to have their own mechanism -- blogging -- to take care of customer grievances.
Normally companies don't visit these sites and respond to the complainants, reveals K. Srinivasan, a Chennai-based PR consultant and president of Prime Point Foundation.
"New generation companies are extremely good as long as everything goes smooth. If you have any difficulty, they'd just blink. They are bad in handling customer grievances. Social media will put them straight," adds Srinivasan, an ardent advocate of social media.
Experts are unanimous in their view that Indian companies are hesitant to tap the possibilities thrown up social media.
Is it because the Indian corporates are reluctant to shake off their stuffy corporate image that they are shying away from taking to corporate blogging?
Mumbai-based Tushar Panchal, vice president of Rediffusion/DYR, feels that not many corporate houses understand the true value the social media platforms offer them.
"Traditionally Indians are not very effective communicators. And corporates are even worst. It is indeed very effective tool to reach out to your stakeholders in one of the most cost effective and personalized manner. There is a space for every subject and for everyone – use it wisely and effectively and you never know, you might even don't need to invest anything in traditional advertising," says Panchal.
He feels that it is high time that Indian companies had Chief Bloggers or Chief Knowledge Officers.
Another aspect, feel experts, that pulls corporates away from taking to blogging is their unwillingness to tolerate any adverse outcomes they fear would be generated as a result of blogging.
Says Nidhi Dewan, manager, corporate communication, Webchutney: "More corporates often back off from the prospect of dealing with negative feedback and comments on a blog. They obsessively worry about user comments or criticism sullying a company's equity. Consequently, they shy away from incorporating the practice."
Using a blog to patronize one's consumers with bigger words and promises isn't the way to go. Instead, a corporate blog should single-mindedly focus on being honest and being always receptive to feedback, both positive and negative.
Negative feedback is a reality and one that any corporate should be ready to confront without going on the defensive.
"If you have made a mistake, be the first one to admit it on your blog. If you cracked that long due product update, post it in straight away on the blog. That's what it is for, to talk to the people who matter honestly and frankly," says Dewan.
Prime Point's Srinivasan agrees with her, adding that the Indian companies fear that employees and the customers may post negative comments about them.
According to New Delhi-based social media expert Palin Ningthoujam, many people are reluctant to the idea of talking business openly as they fear that they will share trade secrets in the process.
Corporates also feel that they might lose control of their key messages and might not be able to control negative feedback.
However, he is sanguine about the future of corporate blogging in India.
"As business blogging gets popular in India I am sure more Indian corporates will also come forward to benefit from blogging like many abroad have," says Ningthoujam.
Meanwhile Dewan feels the biggest roadblock to corporate blogging in India is a serious lack of understanding about what corporate blogging involves and the goals and objectives of the practice.
"Lack of time is often a CEO's biggest grouse when it comes to blogging actively. A blog is only useful if it is updated regularly and has something useful or interesting to say," she adds.
PR redefined?
Some believe that effective use of corporate blogging may redefine the way PR agencies function today.
Rediffusion's Panchal believes the PR model is set to change and it can happen much sooner than expected.
"So, if you are a PR agency which is relying heavily on media relations model and doing an effective job of post office, you are soon going to be out of business and I advice you to do it now voluntarily, before you are forced to do it," says Panchal.
But at the same time, experts warn that complete reliance on blogs for dissemination of company announcements will be disastrous.
Ningthoujam feels corporate blogging will become one of the most important methods to initiate a discussion with the target audience. This and other forms of social media outreach will play a significant role in the future and PR agencies can help their clients strategize and implement such outreaches.
"I think ours is a PR agency-driven culture and will continue to remain so for sometime to come. Companies are not sure how this direct line of communication effectively operates and hence they choose to take the PR agency route but corporate blogs are pretty much a permanent fixture of the internet startup ecosystem and that's a great sign of things to come," sums up Dewan.

(Written for ciol.com: http://www.ciol.com/News/Features/News-Reports/Social-media-scares-Indian-corporates/28408105582/0/)

Nostalgic, but…

The very mention of names like Boney-M and ABBA evoke a tinge of nostalgia. Both the bands dominated the disco pop arena of the 70’s, enthralling music lovers from across the globe with their foot-tapping melodious numbers.

And for a person like me who has grown up listening to Boney-M from childhood days onwards, the very thought of a Boney-M show was a virtual trip down memory lane. The show was held in Bangalore Palace Ground on March 8, '08.

To my surprise, there was only one member from the original Boney-M, Marica Barret. She managed to bring two young ladies, each from Indonesia and Germany; but never a match for the original ravishing Maizie Williams and Liz Mitchell, whose wonderful voices continue to enchant music lovers.

And in place of Bobby Farrel, Marcia brought an Italian guy, whose acrobatics and clowning acts didn’t give any value to the performance, and never a match for the original Bobby, whose spectacular dance performances on stage gave extra charm to Boney-M shows.

But still, for the thousands of Boney-M fans who gathered at the Palace ground, the mere presence of Marcia Barret was more than enough. She was at her best, oozing oomph and energy in her filly skirt, making the fans jump to those nostalgic oldies.

Frenzied fans danced and waved hands to the accompaniment of such hits like By the Rivers of Babylon, Rasputin, Sunny, No Woman No Cry, etc. Everyone, cutting across age and gender, danced and enjoyed.

It was really heartening to see a lanky teenaged girl and her mother next to me dancing all along the show. And when the frenzy reached that feverish pitch, both of them got on top of the chairs, dancing and waving hands till the end of the show. The mother-daughter duo’s spirit simply amazed me and I realized how the Boney-M spirit still lingers on, transcending generations.

On seeing such an overwhelming reaction from the crowd, Marica said touchingly: “I am happy that you still enjoy these songs even after 30 years. I really feel honoured.”
Of course, she must be. But I felt sad because Boney-M has broken up.

Post-show, I googled and found that each Boney-M member is active with own versions of the band.

Here’s the perennial problem of breaking away. It happens with many of the popular bands. Beatles is a good example. It is indeed a sad affair. Bands reach the zenith of popularity and then the inevitable happens, breaking away for some reason or other. In the case of Boney-M, there are even court cases over the copyrights.

When the band tried to reunite in the late 80's, Frank Farian, the original producer of the band, objected to it and refused them to use the original Boney-M name.

After the show, I wished how wonderful it would have been to see all the members singing together, re-enacting the good old 70’s.

Quell any parochial moves

It is in everyone’s interest to quell any moves powered by parochial and chauvinistic elements to disturb the placid social waters of Karnataka

BANGALORE: The unsavory happenings occurred at Sasken Communication Technologies Ltd in Bangalore after one of its employees working for its outsourcing customer wrote an anti-Kannada poem and the subsequent brouhaha created over this issue throw up some disturbing questions.
No doubt the alleged attempt by this fellow to cast aspersions on Kannada should be condemned in unequivocal terms as it amounted to hurting the sentiments of people of this state.

That this came from an educated person, and not from a popularity-crazy rabble-rouser, is amazing and at the same time regrettable. Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) has already taken up the issue and has sent warning signals to anyone out there to "take disparage on Kannada."

Talking to CyberMedia News, Swaminathan Krishnan, senior vice president (Global Business Operations) and chief marketing officer, said that the accused person named 'Lee' was not directly employed by the company, but was working for one of their outsourcing customers.

"We have spoken to our customers and we have taken action accordingly," he said. "We have also set of code of conduct and policies. Still individuals don't take the responsibility and create problems. We won't be aware till it comes to us. We regret it and we do stand by our nation and people," he said.

However, the KRV activists say that this derogatory poem was being distributed for the last three months. So the question is no one has taken a notice of it. Do companies have a foolproof policy to check such kinds of nefarious acts by a few? Mostly techies are young, just out of college, and they often tend to tease others unmindful of the repercussions.

Though companies have lot of trainings and team building workshops etc, there are no mechanisms in place to teach them to respect others' sentiment and imbibe a world view without any parochial vibes.

At the same time one of the issues is the widespread allegation that locals are being denied job opportunities. As rightly pointed out by one of the readers responding to our report on this issue, the locals here have embraced people from other states with open arms, but are denied opportunities.

Recently, a popular blog published the resignation letter of a senior journalist with an English daily in Bangalore. In that blog there are quite a number of postings against 'mallus' (a derogatory term used to refer to Keralites) being favoured in an undue manner at the Bangalore office of the paper.

It may be recalled that KRV had held a demonstration in front of Infosys some time back demanding reservations for the locals. It is a fact that the number of employees hailing from other states is increasing day by day. But at the same time, there is this issue of talent crunch that is often heard in the job market, mostly in the IT sector. Everyone would agree that it is just impossible to run the show using the manpower available locally. So the need for people from `outside', and this tricky issue of talent crunch Vs denial of job opportunities to the locals.

In this particular issue, there haven't been any disturbances or son-of-soil war cries. But an issue like this has the potential to create an obnoxious 'us-and-them' scenario, which will be detrimental to the image of Bangalore in particular and the Indian IT industry at large.Karnataka in general and particularly Bangalore, known as India's IT capital and part of the flat world, has always attracted people from different parts of the globe. And IT has just boosted this influx, which is still continuing.

Bangalore, home to an eclectic blend of different races, languages and origins from across the country, can afford to remain as diverse and vibrant as the rest of the country. But it cannot afford to have divisive forces of any hues out to disturb the spirit called Bangalore.

This diversity is what makes Bangalore special. You have construction workers from Tamil Nadu, carpenters from Rajastan, cleaning workers from Bihar and techies from various parts of the country. So it is in everyone's interest to quell any moves powered by parochial and chauvinistic elements to disturb the placid social waters of this state.

(Originally published in ciol.com. http://www.ciol.com/News/News-Reports/Calm-the-brewing-storm/4308104174/0/)

Chequered dreams of God's own e-state

Kerala’s tryst with controversies continues

Kerala’s belated attempts to prominently position itself in the global IT map have been generously sprinkled with troubles and hiccups.

Controversies and scams have become staple diet of the state. And it makes no surprise to see new contracts and controversies and shady deals come together in the same package.

The ambitious Smart City project, inked recently by the state government with the Dubai Internet City (DIC), too had its share of controversies. The project has a chequered history of more than three years. When the previous Oommen Chandy-led UDF government originally envisaged the project, there were allegations that the main aim of the deal was to help real estate mafia.

There was strong opposition by the then Left-led opposition against the agreement, which envisaged selling 236 acres of land for a mere Rs 26 crores and to give DIC full ownership over the land.

It was also agreed to transfer the 62-acres of government-owned Infopark in Kochi to the DIC. The agreement didn’t allow any more IT ventures sponsored by the state government in Kochi, where the Smart City project was to come up.

All these were staunchly opposed by the then opposition leader V S Achuthanandan, who now as the chief minister clinched the deal last year, making the DIC agree to 246 acres of land at a cost of Rs.1.06 billion (Rs.106 crores) on lease for 99 years.
Then came the Merchinston scandal, involving the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), which bought 81.50 acres of land in Thiruvananthapuram for an ambitious Indian Institute of Space Technology (IIST). It raged into a major controversy after the state government issued a notice to ISRO for “unauthorized purchase of ecologically fragile land”. The controversy is still raging on.

And the latest land scam, involving the state’s IT dreams is a proposed cyber city at Kalamassery in Ernakulam district. Mumbai-based real estate company Housing Development Infrastructure Ltd (HDIL) purchased 70 acres of land from public sector Hindustan Machines Tools (HMT) at Kalamassery for building a Rs 4000-crore cyber city on a price much below the market rate.

Controversy arose after none other than the chief minister kept away from the foundation stone laying ceremony of the cyber city on January 19 after media reported anomalies on allocation of land to HDIL. When asked, Achuthanandan went on record saying that neither he nor the state IT department had any idea of the project. Incidentally, the chief minister holds the IT portfolio.

The issue has put the state industries minister Elamaram Karim and revenue minister K P Rajendran in the dock, as they were the ones who gave the nod when revenue officials raised objections to the land deal. Karim, who earlier maintained that the government had held discussions with the unions and management and that the deal was ‘impeccable’ in its entirety, had to backtrack it later, expressing readiness for a ‘review’ of the land transaction process.

He said that if the HDIL had been favored in any way that will be revoked. This is
following the intervention of the Kerala High Court, which admitted a public interest litigation seeking CBI probe into the deal.

Those opposing the deal say that it was to favor the HDIL, as the realtor was allowed to do something other than ‘industrial’ and that it had no history of building IT parks anywhere in the country.

That there was something fishy about the whole affair can be gauged from the allegation that the ad for the sale of the 70 acres of land was given to two national English dailies having scant circulation in Kerala. The ad was not given in any local dailies.

It is argued that HMT had no authority to sell the land, as it was part of 878 acres of land allotted to the public sector unit free of cost for starting industrial ventures. The issue, as it stands now, is being examined by a committee of secretaries headed by the chief secretary.

(Written for www.ciol.com)

Banana Republic

Binayak represents humanity. Please rescue him

Is India a Banana Republic? The way in which human rights activists are treated like hardcore criminals gives such an impression.

Take the case of Dr Binayak Sen, who has been detained by the Chattisgarh government for the last several months on charge of `assisting Maoists’.

Dr Sen was arrested on May 14 2007 under the draconian Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act 2006 that gives the state sweeping powers to act against anyone it thinks should be put behind the bars. But the truth is that Sen brought to light the gross human rights violations in Bastar and Dantewada districts of the state and opposed the government’s support to Salwa Judum, a private army set up ostensibly to counter Naxals.

Binayak Sen is a doctor and was the General Secretary of the state People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL). A paediatrician and public health/social activist, he has done commendable service to the cause of healthcare in Chhattisgarh including the setting up the Shaheed Hospital for Mine Workers in Dalli Rajahara and the establishment of the Mitaneen programme, a pioneering model putting the Village Health Worker at the forefront of rural healthcare. (Asian Tribune). He chose to work among the downtrodden instead of using his profession to make money.

A committed people's rights activist he has been struggling to protect the rights and liberties of tribal people in Chattisgarh and has been on the forefront to work on the health, social and human rights fronts for the last 25 years.

The fervent appeals by the likes of Magsaysay Award winner Dr Sandeep Pandey to release Sen fell on deaf ears. The overall condemnation and outrage over the illegal detention of Sen doesn’t seem to have any effect on the state government. Worse, Supreme Court even rejected him bail.

Pls show solidarity to this human rights activist by signing the online petition: http://petitions.aidindia.org/Binayak_Dec_2007/supporters.php

Redemption Songs

They were pushed to the wall by a callous government. But the tribals in Kerala's Wayanad district are all set to fight back


Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our minds.
-Redemption Songs - Bob Marley, 1980

It is history now. February 19, 2003: the day when a ruthless State with all its brutal force suppressed the genuine cause of the weak and the marginalised. It was on this day that the forces of the State mercilessly went on a rampage on the tribals at Muthanga in Kerala's Wayanad district, leading to the death (officially) of one Adivasi and a policeman. It hasbeen a year since then and lots have changed except the misery and hardships of the tribals in this district. The tribals' rightful clamour for land still remains unfulfilled even as the State government goes on with its empty promises.

The unexpected turn of events that led to the Muthanga tragedy was the culmination of the State's inaction on the Adivasis' just demands for a homeland. When the State government failed to keep its promise on the distribution of land to the landless Adivasis, hundreds of them 'encroached' upon the Muthanga wild life sanctuary on last January 5.

Days later, policemen fired indiscriminately at the tribal group that included women and children. One tribal was killed in the police firing, while many others were wounded. A policeman who was held hostage by the tribals was also killed in the fight.

The mainstream media, and the State government tried to demonise the tribals by alleging that they were connected with militant groups like the LTTE. There were even attempts to connect the tribals' agitation to Naxal groups. But all these allegations have proved to be groundless as none of these sabre-rattlers or media analysts couldn't establish any terrorist connection. The Chief Minister A K Antony had defended the police action by saying that what had happened in Muthanga was an "armed rebellion".

The gory incidents in Muthanga attracted international condemnation. The world at large came to know about the kind of hardships the tribals had been undergoing for their very survival. The National Human Rights Commission dismissed the reports of both the police and the State government on the incident, and suggested an enquiry by an independent agency like the CBI. Even though the government ordered a CBI enquiry, justice continues to elude the tribals. Worse, the CBI officials have pinned the blame on the Adivasis. Some of the tribals were reportedly even beaten up by the CBI officials during interrogation.

The wounds, both physical and psychological, caused by last year's bloody events remain unhealed. Lots of tribals who were wounded in the police action are struggling to get back to normal life. They are the living martyrs of State brutality. Like Velayudhan. After being injured in the police firing, he lives the life of a recluse, cocooned in the darkness of his hut.

Then there is Tankamani (22) of Erankolli colony, who escaped narrowly from the police bullets. On that dreadful night, she tried to flee from the police. Before dawn, the police caught her and began ruthlessly bashing her up. When she fell unconscious, the policemen went on to kick her. Soon she was hospitalised and imprisoned. She is now completely devastated and unable to perform any work.

The State government has been driving home the point that only one tribal was killed in the firing. In fact, video footages taken by a Malayalam channel questions this version by the State. It highlights the case of Njenan (43) who had participated in the Muthanga struggle. Along with several Adivasis, he was also taken to jail and tortured. After coming out of jail, he used to omit blood frequently and was unable to do any work.

One day, he fell down dead in the paddy field, with blood oozing out of his nose and mouth, recalls his wife. Was this a normal death? "No. He died because of severe torture by the police," says Njenan's sister Onathi. "It was after the imprisonment that he started bleeding from his head. He told me about the kind of torture methods used by the police. They used to thrash his head with lathis and then kick him in his head." But Njenan's death wasn't reported by the media, nor was this issue taken up by any organisation. Isn't his death directly related to the atrocities committed by the police in Muthanga? How can Njenan's death be placed outside the realm of February 19?

The story of Gopalan (32), another Adivasi, is different from that of Njenan, but here again, police torture played a large part. So much so that Gopalan came back to his dear and near ones as a deranged person, and then committed suicide last September. His parents and wife say that ever since his return from Kannur Central Prison, he used to behave strangely.

They say that at nights, he used to perch atop trees after screaming that he was being chased by the police. After examining him, a native physician diagnosed that he had sustained a serious injury in his brain. Though Gopalan had started taking herbal medicines, one night he ran out of home shouting that somebody was chasing him to beat him up. Later, he was found dead. Both his parents assert that he had never shown any kind of mental disturbance before the police torture. Gopalan is survived by his wife and two kids, who are now in the throes of poverty and despair.

The police atrocities in Muthanga should also be viewed in the context of the above-mentioned two cases. Njenan and Gopalan would have been alive today if the State had dealt with the Adivasis' grievances in a civilised manner. And for sure, there are several more Gopalans and Njenans.

Cut to Balan (35) and his 60-year-old mother Poli who were part of the agitating group of Adivasis in Muthanga. They recall that police started to fire without issuing any warning. Both of them were at that time in the temporary shed put up by the tribals. After grabbing them from the shed, the police beat them up, breaking the hand of the old woman. Balan is now a wreck, and unable to carry out normal chores.

Malu is another innocent victim of police brutality although she was not part of the protest group. When things were hotting up in Muthanga, she was taking rest as she had given birth only a few days back. Since some tribals from her colony had taken part in the agitation, the police searched her colony as well. Fearing police torture, all the tribals in the colony, including Malu, escaped to the forest. They had to hide inside the forest for several days without any means for food or water.

That's when Malu suffered the biggest tragedy of her life. Her seven-day-old infant died as it could not cope with the hostile conditions in the forest. It couldn't have got more worse for Malu as she was childless for several years after marriage.

Surendran, a teacher, was also picked up by the police after the Muthanga incident. Constantly, for as many as 12 hours, he was subjected to severe torture by the policemen. His crime: teaching the Adivasi children. The police arrested him on the flimsy ground that his phone number was found in the diary of a tribal leader. Due to the incessant torture, Surendran has now lost his hearing capacity, and he complains of acute pain in his hips.

He is still haunted by the abuse hurled at him by the policemen. He says the policemen were blatantly racist. Surendran is planning legal action against the errant policemen.

Veliyan (22) is another Adivasi who bore the brunt of the State's boot. The police bullet hit his leg, and a bleeding Veliyan limped deep into the forest. After four days, he was found lying in coma and was taken to the hospital. His legs still give him acute pain and sleepless nights.

These are the 'ghosts' of a State's way of dealing with dissent. To make matters worse and more inhuman, the Antony government, far from tendering an apology over the brutal acts of the policemen, has not even bothered to carry out relief measures. Scores of Adivasi men, women and children have been traumatised by the events, but the government machinery has been looking the other way. All that the government is vehemently concerned about is in haunting those people, including journalists, who cried foul at the brutal State action.

Muthanga has become a symbol of how a cruel State can terrorise the poor and the hapless. And it is both intriguing and appalling that such a gross case of human rights violations, has been taken lightly by a society that prides itself on its literacy, cultural refinement and social responsibility.

But the Adivasi may no longer be looking to this society for redemption; with the recent announcement of a new political party-Rashtriya Mahasabha--for Kerala's Adivasis, the Adivasi has made his intention clear to fight his own battle by taking on the mainstream society.

(Written for MEANTIME magazine in 2004 and republished in http://www.countercurrents.org/)

NO JUSTICE FOR MUTHANGA VICTIMS: They Fall Down And Die

03 March, 2003

A year has passed since the tragic turn of events in Muthanga when a brutal State clamped down on the rightful protest of Adivasis (tribals) for the right to land. The larger Kerala society has viewed the Adivasis’ struggle with indifference and at times with hostility. But with the announcement of a new political party for the marginalised tribals, the Adivasi is sending a clear message that he is going to fight his battles by joining the mainstream society and taking it on.

It is history now. February 19, 2003: the day when a ruthless State with all its brutal force suppressed the genuine cause of the weak and the marginalised. It was on this day that the forces of the State mercilessly went on a rampage on the tribals at Muthanga in Kerala’s Wayanad district, leading to the death (officially) of one Adivasi and a policeman.

It has been a year since then and lots have changed except the misery and hardships of the tribals in this district. The tribals’ rightful clamour for land still remains unfulfilled even as the State government goes on with its empty promises.

The unexpected turn of events that led to the Muthanga tragedy was the culmination of the State’s inaction on the Adivasis’ just demands for a homeland. When the State government failed to keep its promise on the distribution of land to the landless Adivasis, hundreds of them ‘encroached’ upon the Muthanga wild life sanctuary on last January 5.

Days later, policemen fired indiscriminately at the tribal group that included women and children. One tribal was killed in the police firing, while many others were wounded. A policeman who was held hostage by the tribals was also killed in the fight.

The mainstream media, and the State government tried to demonise the tribals by alleging that they were connected with militant groups like the LTTE. There were even attempts to connect the tribals’ agitation to Naxal groups. But all these allegations have proved to be groundless as none of these sabre-rattlers or media analysts couldn’t establish any terrorist connection. The Chief Minister A K Antony had defended the police action by saying that what had happened in Muthanga was an “armed rebellion”.

The gory incidents in Muthanga attracted international condemnation. The world at large came to know about the kind of hardships the tribals had been undergoing for their very survival. The National Human Rights Commission dismissed the reports of both the police and the State government on the incident, and suggested an enquiry by an independent agency like the CBI. Even though the government ordered a CBI enquiry, justice continues to elude the tribals. Worse, the CBI officials have pinned the blame on the Adivasis. Some of the tribals were reportedly even beaten up by the CBI officials during interrogation.

The wounds, both physical and psychological, caused by last year’s bloody events remain unhealed. Lots of tribals who were wounded in the police action are struggling to get back to normal life. They are the living martyrs of State brutality. Like Velayudhan. After being injured in the police firing, he lives the life of a recluse, cocooned in the darkness of his hut.

Then there is Tankamani (22) of Erankolli colony, who escaped narrowly from the police bullets. On that dreadful night, she tried to flee from the police. Before dawn, the police caught her and began ruthlessly bashing her up. When she fell unconscious, the policemen went on to kick her.

Soon she was hospitalised and imprisoned. She is now completely devastated and unable to perform any work.

The State government has been driving home the point that only one tribal was killed in the firing. In fact, video footages taken by a Malayalam channel questions this version by the State. It highlights the case of Njenan (43) who had participated in the Muthanga struggle. Along with several Adivasis, he was also taken to jail and tortured. After coming out of jail, he used to omit blood frequently and was unable to do any work.

One day, he fell down dead in the paddy field, with blood oozing out of his nose and mouth, recalls his wife. Was this a normal death? “No. He died because of severe torture by the police,” says Njenan’s sister Onathi. “It was after the imprisonment that he started bleeding from his head. He told me about the kind of torture methods used by the police. They used to thrash his head with lathis and then kick him in his head.”

But Njenan’s death wasn’t reported by the media, nor was this issue taken up by any organisation. Isn’t his death directly related to the atrocities committed by the police in Muthanga? How can Njenan’s death be placed outside the realm of February 19?

The story of Gopalan (32), another Adivasi, is different from that of Njenan, but here again, police torture played a large part. So much so that Gopalan came back to his dear and near ones as a deranged person, and then committed suicide last September. His parents and wife say that ever since his return from Kannur Central Prison, he used to behave strangely.

They say that at nights, he used to perch atop trees after screaming that he was being chased by the police. After examining him, a native physician diagnosed that he had sustained a serious injury in his brain. Though Gopalan had started taking herbal medicines, one night he ran out of home shouting that somebody was chasing him to beat him up. Later, he was found dead. Both his parents assert that he had never shown any kind of mental disturbance before the police torture. Gopalan is survived by his wife and two kids, who are now in the throes of poverty and despair.

The police atrocities in Muthanga should also be viewed in the context of the above-mentioned two cases. Njenan and Gopalan would have been alive today if the State had dealt with the Adivasis’ grievances in a civilised manner. And for sure, there are several more Gopalans and Njenans.

Cut to Balan (35) and his 60-year-old mother Poli who were part of the agitating group of Adivasis in Muthanga. They recall that police started to fire without issuing any warning. Both of them were at that time in the temporary shed put up by the tribals. After grabbing them from the shed, the police beat them up, breaking the hand of the old woman. Balan is now a wreck, and unable to carry out normal chores.

Malu is another innocent victim of police brutality although she was not part of the protest group. When things were hotting up in Muthanga, she was taking rest as she had given birth only a few days back. Since some tribals from her colony had taken part in the agitation, the police searched her colony as well. Fearing police torture, all the tribals in the colony, including Malu, escaped to the forest.

They had to hide inside the forest for several days without any means for food or water. That’s when Malu suffered the biggest tragedy of her life. Her seven-day-old infant died as it could not cope with the hostile conditions in the forest. It couldn’t have got more worse for Malu as she was childless for several years after marriage.

Surendran, a teacher, was also picked up by the police after the Muthanga incident. Constantly, for as many as 12 hours, he was subjected to severe torture by the policemen. His crime: teaching the Adivasi children. The police arrested him on the flimsy ground that his phone number was found in the diary of a tribal leader. Due to the incessant torture, Surendran has now lost his hearing capacity, and he complains of acute pain in his hips.

He is still haunted by the abuse hurled at him by the policemen. He says the policemen were blatantly racist. Surendran is planning legal action against the errant policemen.

Veliyan (22) is another Adivasi who bore the brunt of the State’s boot. The police bullet hit his leg, and a bleeding Veliyan limped deep into the forest. After four days, he was found lying in coma and was taken to the hospital. His legs still give him acute pain and sleepless nights.

These are the ‘ghosts’ of a State’s way of dealing with dissent. To make matters worse and more inhuman, the Antony government, far from tendering an apology over the brutal acts of the policemen, has not even bothered to carry out relief measures. Scores of Adivasi men, women and children have been traumatised by the events, but the government machinery has been looking the other way. All that the government is vehemently concerned about is in haunting those people, including journalists, who cried foul at the brutal State action.

Muthanga has become a symbol of how a cruel State can terrorise the poor and the hapless. And it is both intriguing and appalling that such a gross case of human rights violations, has been taken lightly by a society that prides itself on its literacy, cultural refinement and social responsibility.

But the Adivasi may no longer be looking to this society for redemption; with the recent announcement of a new political party—Rashtriya Mahasabha--for Kerala’s Adivasis, the Adivasi has made his intention clear to fight his own battle by taking on the mainstream society.

(First appeared in Kozhikode-based MEANTIME magazine in 2003)