Between you & me

CHENNAI

CHARLES DICKENS, parodying a famous poem of his time, has one of his characters say: ``I never nursed a dear gazelle... it was sure to marry a market-gardner.'' I feel pretty much the same way about the Prime Minister. I was so impressed by his ceasefire initiative, saw it as a brave and imaginative move, that I felt a new respect for him, and said so as one of the billion citizens of this country. It was a move that won the appreciation of many nations, and to which our neighbour, however grudgingly, seemed to respond to. But along came the anniversary of the unholy demolition of Babri Masjid. The opposition Congress and a few other parties demanded the resignation of the Home Minister and others now in the Cabinet, who, if memory serves me right, had front seats on that occasion. The Prime Minister dismissed the demand. Then he made his incredible statement to the effect that building a Rama temple where the Masjid was, was an unfulfilled national aspiration. What he said afterwards, the explanations he gave, his repetition of the same sentiment at an Iftar party took us back to the RSS man behind the mask of the Prime Minister. Readers will remember that at a meeting of Indians on Staten Island in the United States, which was shanghaied by V.H.P. types, the Prime Minister had declared, in ringing RSS language, that he was a swayamsevak. I don't have to expatiate much more on this subject. Everybody, depending on which side of the dividing line he happens to be, will have his own views. What I would like to reiterate here is that the Prime Minister is the Prime Minister for the entire country, including the populations of Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Animists. I think what we can hope for at this critical moment is for the allies in the National Democratic Alliance demand to know what happened to the much-bruited national agenda in which the Ram temple affair had been put on the back-burner; and for the Opposition to remain united for a change in fighting the colossally partisan attitude of the Prime Minister. Incidentally, I am sure readers would have seen the wild allegation of the RSS chief that the Babri Masjid was actually blown up by a bomb placed by the Congress. It is easily the worst counsel of despair I have heard in a long life. On the other hand it is also an indication of how far the RSS is willing to go in its efforts to bamboozle its faithful, and create confusion in the mind of the gullible.

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ANOTHER point of interest during a particularly incident- packed week was the leader of the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam branding the sandalwood smuggler as a brigand, and taking objection to his being compared or associated with the LTTE supremo, who is a great hero. The MDMK is of course a partner of the Prime Minister's National Democratic Alliance Government, which has banned the LTTE.

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MY views on the action of the punishment inflicted on cricket players by the BCCI probably will not meet with the approval of most readers. I feel very disturbed by many aspects. For one thing the investigating agency seems to have said that no criminal act can be proved against any of the players. The question also should be asked what the Board of Control was doing all these years, when it should have had at least some inkling of what was going on. And what does the punishment amount to? Three players who really have no cricket ahead of them are barred from the game for life, or for five years. Their services to the game and therefore to the country - one of them, a former captain, easily one of the greatest cricketers in the world - have not been taken into account. The trauma that the punishment must have caused them and those around them, in my opinion, is very incommensurate with their sins in a country in which politicians who have swindled hundreds of crores go about with impunity. The punishment awarded to the one player, who still has many years of cricket in him, I think, is iniquitous. ``He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.''

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SEVERAL letters to the column need to be attended to:

- The column has received a copy of a letter, signed by a number of residents of Besant Nagar, sent to the Excise Commissioner, and to the Police Commissioner of the State, complaining about a wine shop that has sprung up at No. 9, II Main Road, Besant Nagar. ``This wine shop is located in the first floor of a residential building. In the ground floor of the same building, the Indian Overseas Bank is functioning with its locker departments. The location of this shop is in a predominantly residential area amidst a shopping centre catering to the residents here.'' There are other banks, a temple, a school in the neighbourhood. ``Women and children shudder to step into this road junction.'' It is hoped that the authorities will take necessary action, if they have not already done so.

- Dignity Foundation, which was started in Bombay in 1995, proposes to start a chapter in Madras now. Its purpose is pursuing socially relevant action programmes for the care and betterment of the conditions of the old in India. A variety of projects beneficial to senior citizens will be undertaken. Those interested should get in touch with the Foundation at 225-D, T.T.K. Road, Alwarpet, Madras 600 018.

- The depositors of R.P.S. Nidhi, a company that is now in liquidation, have formed an association to help depositors in submitting claims form. The address of the Association is: No. 23, Lake View Road, West Mambalam, Madras-600033. The Association does the service on an honorary basis.

- Here is another complaint for the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board. House no 297, 4th South Cross Street, Sri Kapaleeswar Nagar, Neelangarai, is converted into a prayer hall by a Christian group every Sunday. The residents would have no objection if the praying and singing is limited to the small congregation, but the singing, with loudspeakers, is at high pitch, and disturbs the Sunday morning activities of the neighbours. The neighbours do not want to create tension between the communities, and it would seem that the Pollution Board's action is called for.

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WELL, it goes on and on, Parthasarathy, and you know quite well that I am referring to the never-ending and to us the mysterious business of vote counting in Florida to decide who will be the next President of the United States. The latest tit-bit I got from an American Professor goes as follows. (If you don't know it already, Florida has many swamps and therefore many alligators.) My friend tells me that sources in Florida claim that there are now more lawyers than alligators in Florida, and it is hard to tell them apart. But if you look carefully you can see that the lawyers are fatter, have sharper teeth and thicker skins. It's important to tell the difference though, because lawyers don't make as good a wallet or purse.

``A Norwegian student of mine responded to this analysis by suggesting that if you cross an alligator with a lawyer, you get a litigator.''

S. KRISHNAN

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