Interstellar : A Movie Review

There is that one hilariously sardonic exchange(ostensibly which only the 5 of us in the entire cinema hall found tacky enough to share a laugh) between Coop(Matthew McConaughey) and his daughter Murphy's teacher about how the Apollo moon landings were staged to drain the Soviet resources and its subsequent disownment by the new federal framework. Neither the Academy nor Big Brother will be pleased with such a banter. Ok, so that rules out Interstellar from the race for the Oscars this years.

Speaking beyond those tuxedo clad nights, Interstellar is collosal and ambitious. It is like a spiritual child of Kubrick's Space Odyssey and Tarkovsky's Solaris, contreived by Sagan's Contact. With its own share of gaffes(we'll come to that), Interstellar is a brain-busting sci-fi opus with an unprecedented grandeur, scientific authenticity . (Only that, the latter proves to be a modicum source of inexplicability for a normal movie goer.)

The Pledge
Set in a not-so-distant dystopian future plagued by a crop blight and dust-bowls, Nolan(the uncrowned almighty of every contemporary cinephile) hits the ground running from the word go. He takes no time playing mumbo-jumbo or allaying your curiosity with insipid back-stories. He is in control and he has your full attention. As adamant as he is about filming in stock(the reason for the surprisingly fresh colour palette), and his abstinence from over-cooked CGI, he is a sobriquet for stifling with our minds.

The grand-auteur stages a marvelous, humble tribute-like pastiche of numerous hollywood sci-fi ventures:- when the Kit-kat shaped droids that accompany our heroes on the mission is nothing more than a reinvention of the E2D2 or an archaic opera scoring whilst the ring-like space ship drifts through space is so reminiscent of those iconic scenes from Space Odyssey.

One moment he dares you to fight back your tears when Cooper visits the twenty-three year long recordings sent to him; the next he delves you into a nail-biting tension when our heroes combat a mountain-high wave. The sheer scale and imagination this man crops is audacious and worth applause.

The Act
Matthew McConaughey will always cherish his decision to think beyond the paycheques the big-6 offered him for his rom-coms in the 2000s. Since Jeff Nichols' "Mud" in 2012, this guy's been on a roll. He remains the heartbeat of the film. Will the McConaissance be rewarded with yet another Oscar, when he sure as hell has put himself in contention? Fingers crossed. Anne Hathaway with her sleek cheek, thrives as the no-nonsense Dr.Brand. The Nolan mainstay Sir Caine seems unscathed by muscularity of the project, delivers a composed performance like always. Jessica Chastain chips in astutely.

The Prestige
It is in the final third we see things breakup into a tinge of awriness. The presposterosity is so evident when one of those scientists ask Cooper to have a peep at the singularity on his journey back (seriously?!) Or how our heroes maneuver at the edge of a black hole to sling around ( I repeat, even light cannot escape its sphere of influence) or how Cooper falls into one ( a black hole is never a hole to be exact. Its an infinitesimally tiny dot of infinite mass. Falling onto it would result in disassembly and coalescing with the mass of the black hole). Nolan particularly fumbles when called to deal with those strong scenes like the 20-minute mind-bending, complex climax which seems a tad-too untidy in terms of lingering misgivings, or that potentially emotionally rich rendezvous of Coop and Murph which is seemed particularly rushed.

The Verdict
Set aside all such gaffes, Interstellar is nevertheless an epic in every magnitude. The sheer scale and perfunctory work put in is evident in every frame and Nolan & co. truly deserve the applause for the visual mastery and the audacity. Now forget all that you read; run to the next cinema hall and experience it for yourself. 

Verdict : 4/5

A Hyperbolic Spin: The Post Polls

"A media house is a business firm. It is unwise and imbecile of the audience to expect ethical and moral treatment of information from them!", remarked a vehement Jeemon Jacob (an award-winning investigative journalist and the South Indian chief of the Tehelka, upon meeting him at an event recently). True to his word, I have had my own misgivings on the authenticity and moderation various telecasts by all the media houses. But alas, we have let ourselves be engrossed in this mug's game.

The corporate run national media has yet again proved how manipulative of the public opinion it can be. In a swashbuckling post-poll coverage, every national channel seems to be in a contest on awarding vague and far-fetched numbers to the in-fray fronts. The channels have managed to create a bedlam among the public and a sense of optimism in the markets(things are looking bullish at Dalal Street with the Sensex soaring to all time highs, in the hopes of a stable conglomeration at Sansad Bhavan). 

I cannot be in agreement with these hyperbolic projections for more than one reasons :

1.Wave or a Monsoon?

Irrespective of how many parsecs Mr.Modi criss-crosses across the subcontinent, a Modi wave, tsunami or typhoon or not, BJP+(tantamount to the NDA) has its own demographic and geographic barriers. Even if it manages to sweep the Hindi heartland like a north-western Monsoon, the alliance making inroads into states where the principal party, ie. wherein the BJP has a scanty footfall like Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, etc looks highly unlikely. All these states hold a massive chunk of the seats, and since the age of coalitions, it is a well-understood fact that it is impossible to form a stable government at the centre without the players from one of these states.

2. The Curious case of Uttar Pradesh

In what is phrased as a "nightmare for the psephologist", the state of U.P is a very tumultous issue. The margin of error could stand as high as +/- 15-20 seats, which could make the whole difference between the Modi bandwagon wheeling to 7RCR or not. Uttar Pradesh is a brewing cauldron. In the wake of the Muzzafarnagar riots, the western part of the state has witnessed an unprecendented polarization(not since the Ram Janmabhoomi movt led by Mr.Advani). The sprouting of the so called social coalitions have virtually decimated a whole host of traditional vote banks. With the non-Yadav OBCs and the Pasis rallying behind BJP and a fragmentation of the anti Modi muslim votes, western U.P becomes a safe bet for the BJP. At the same time, a great worry should be the uncertainity of the Poorvanchal(eastern U.P). Any undercurrents in the final few phases of polling towards the Bahujan Samaj Party doesn't seem very unlikely. In any case, a 50+ tally for the BJP in UP will be nothing short of a miracle.

3. The Regional Spoilsports

Most of these polls have persistently underestimated the presence of regional satraps. A vote against the incumbent is seen as a straight vote for the BJP. It is a highly precarious assumption to make in states like Bihar, where a resurgence of Lalu Prasad Yadav is sensed among the voters. The RJD-Cong alliance in Bihar is expected to notch up a meagre 10-14 seats out of a possible 40. For a party that has a goodwill and an organisational cadre-based network in the remotest corners of the state, 10-14 is a very underrated number. Similar is the case with debutant YSR Congress in Seemandhra. Though polls are prediciting a landslide win for the TDP-BJP in Seemandhra, the sympathy for late YSR and his populist schemes still has immense patronage in the coastal and Rayalaseema regions of Seemandhra. Also, there is a sense among the electorate that Jagan was the lone warrior who stood against the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. He could emerge as a dark-horse in the three way battle for the all crucial Seemandhra. These two states could throw up some very surprising results.

4. A flimsy national picture:

The national picture, or the "crunch numbers" projected at the end of the state wise dissection is more of a crude extrapolation (adding on to it the weightage of groundswell), rather than a cumulative representation of the state-wise figures. There is an extensive discrepancy between the two and state-wise numbers never add up to what is being claimed. The harsh fact as I mentioned before, is that there are pockets in this nation wherein the charisma of Mr.Modi cannot do the weightlifting to give his party an emphatic victory, though a marginal improvement in the vote share can be expected. It has also failed to incorporate the patterns of states like Karnataka and Rajasthan which has a history of voting against the trend in previous elections.

What is more irksome for the viewers is the incessant pow-vowing of these predictions. With over-sized panels and begotic politicians on board, you seem to wonder where is this cacophony heading to. Rather than letting the voters relax and breathe , after a month-long exposure to a campaign that was vociferous,vitriolic, exhaustive, unapologetic and fierce, the fourth-estate is in a race to beat an invisible record which they set for themselves. The results are poised to be out in less than 96 hours, and they should be reminded that our people have a highly tolerant character(India has the one among the lowest divorce rates in the world. No puns) In the cross currents of TRPs and catering true-genuine information, the fourth estate seems to have chosen the former.

Hence, considering all these factors, it is more likely that BJP+ may very well fall short of the projected numbers. My instinct, encompassing all the numerous factors like popular vote, anti incumbency, pro-incumbency, visceral sentiments of minorities, the geographic and demographic barriers, the BJP+ could end up with a 210-230 tally, which is a very much formidable and logical number to run a coalition, though it thwarts the "wave" or the "mission 272+". And on a personal note, it is always healthy not to give a single party the clear mandate. A 272- NDA(present) can be more regionally representative by alluring regional factions from across the country, which wouldn't need a herculean effort. As and when Mr.Modi crosses the 200 mark, he will be unstoppable. Hitherto, 272 doesn't look like a magical figure anymore. All the critics and regional moghüls who clamoured and digressed the public discourse to a Communalism vs Secularism debate, will kiss his ring to claim a sip from the holy grail(Sharad Pawar has epitomized this political chameleonism more than once).

This season, suprisingly, the Election commision has posed as a very timid institution. Mr.Sampath (the opposition pointing out the homophone betweem "Sampath" and "10 janpath"), has terribly failed in maintaining the decorum for a free and fair election. The timidity is as white as milk, when the media giants managed to override the suggestion put forth by the CEC not to air post-poll verdicts on Monday as polling in certain booths in Telengana was pending. It comes as a surprise, because the same EC under Mr.T.N.Sheshan was known for holding the whip against anybody who dared the institution. Mr.Seshan's contribution to Indian elections can never be forgotten, and is indicative from the largely peaceful campaigns and polling in the 90s. The commision imminently needs to revise the rules relating to on-ground malpractices as well as its jurisdiction on mass & social media, to restore the credibility of the constitutional body and the faith deposed in it by the 800 million voters. The autonomy of the institution must mean that none have the authority to ride roughshod over the organisation. It should be well equipped to hold firm to the ground.

On the 16th of May, when the curtains fall on the most important electoral process our country has seen, hearts may be shattered, ambitions may plunder, hopes maybe rekindled and new doors may open for the future our country. In what is called a landmark democratic process in the world, the world will yet again witness, how the largest democracy in the world has managed to hold-fast to its principles and not let it go astray. With countries like China holding elections for a trivial cause anymore, transparent elections in India are indicative of the tolerant and optimistic nature of our deeply ingrained culture. We must all take immense pride in this quinquennial spectacle.

On the strike of 8 a.m , when counting begins, the news traders will put a plethora of issues under the knife : post-result equations, shift of allegiences, et al, a few pairs of eyes like mine will also be verifying the credibility of the hyperbolic claims.

As the age old aphorism goes, "May the Best man win".

India awaits. Tick tock.

The plight of Desi Boys: an unravelling of the deep-rooted propaganda

Though,traditionally,the western world regards Indian women to be the submissive,meeky, shy, hiding-behind the curtain cloth type , there was always the dormant alter-ego which was battling the constraints of conventionalism and the great Indian propriety. You can't complain the Whites either for their conception, when we ourselves served fodder with our practises.

Adhering to the societal dignity of their family, the Indian wives were bound to defend and espouse their husbands even in the face of a misdeed commited by him which brings shame to the same 'dignity' she is protecting. Men, were thus immune from losing the respect of the world. He never mulled over the kind of grief and embarrasment his lady may be subjected to.

In the event of a skirmish between the two, the society always held the women responsible. According to the incontrovertible union of ageing grey-haired parents and in-laws, men must stay pervicacious and women must make the effort to bury the hatchet. The effort may vary from spending hours in the kitchen scrambling over innumerable culinary delicacies; weighing the odds on the number of tinches of salt or sesame her 'better-half' may prefer , to making herself look pleasing by smearing her face with extra talc or festooning her braided hair with aromatic lily flowers. The man's adamance quells, and everything rolls back to the quasi-hunky-dory at home.

By the turn of the 80s, this narration wasn't to be. The emancipation arrived in the form of televisions. Once reserved to the sleeveless mommy-darling rotary women's clubs and societies, TV sets gradually found their way into the middle-class homes. Along with it came unexplored lifestyles , cultures and possibilities. The once stereotyped frail, timid and pusillanimous figure was now a strong, aplomb, and guileful woman who had the wit to challenge the conventions of the aforesaid 'incontrovertible union'. Women could never again be kept in the dark on whom is she going to spend her lifetime with.

She was enchanted by the hippie of Boris Becker dancing in resonance to his tennis rackets. She was mesmerized by the baby-faced Aamir Khan singing Papa Kehthe hain Bada Naam Karega at his fairwell party. Hearts were shattered when Ravi Shastri's alleged affair with Amrita Singh came to the limelight. Hours were spent on sympathising with Demi Moore for losing her soul-mate, the then heart-throb Patrick Swayze in the 1991 supernatural drama Ghost(it was also rumored the same women wept for hours when Cancer claimed him in '09). They witnessed the transition of Shahrukh Khan from being a soapstar(as Raghavan in Aziz Mirza's soap drama Circus and the excellent Fauji) to arguably the most sought-after actor in Asian cinema.

Bollywood & pop culture were deeply ingrained in the women of the 80s , and contributed ardently to the empowerment of the inept Indian woman. Must say,it wasn't stagnant. The confidence and out-spokenness grew proportional to the number of TV channels they were exposed to.

Love has always been(and still is) considered a taboo. Irrespective of the quantum of westernisation that has been afflicted upon, the Indian daddies and mommies still find it bonkers and precarious for their baby dolls. They still make much ado for the most inanest of issues like a guy calling their baby doll at 12 noon. The girls had to unwillingly friendzone every single guy who proposed them. The sheer thought of what lay ahead(estrangement was the traditional curse), if a love letter was found in her room in one of those lightning raids their rooms were subjected to sporadically, made them aghast.

But many skillfully managed to outfox their parents.

Now here comes the real downside of the disproportionate exposure to arts and culture they received. On one side we have girls who desperately want to fall in love but can't fly out of their nests , while on the other , we have girls who face no hassles BUT SET BLOODY CRITERIA ON THEIR PREFERENCE.

In the 90s, picturising every men they meet to be Rajiv Gandhi or Aamir Khan or Ravi Shastri became ubiquitous. In the 2000s , it evolved into the Ik Pal Ka Jeena hunky Hrithik Roshan with shirt-tearing bisceps. Poor lads spent hours working on the iconic step from his debut Kaho Na Pyaar Hai. The egg and protein supplement sale in soared to an all time high, with production units abroad not able to the satiate the highly demanding Indian markets. I don't know of what happened to those locale Kapoors and Roshans, but I can say this with conviction that all those chicks who demanded the unlikely from those poor desi-boys , married off an IT dawg their parent's matchmade for them after rigorous consultations on the alignment, collision and annihilation of the celestial bodies(and the girl) which they claim has the life-map of every single Hindu in India. Those dames put the lives of my desi boys on the rocks. *Sad Music on Violin, play*

I cannot empathize with them as they belonged to another era (Yes.  I am coming to it! :D).

2010s

10 years is a pretty long time.
Times have changed.
Winds have changed.
IT boom is over.

*Cricket has evolved so much that no more Ravi Shastris can demoralize the minds of people.

*R.I.P Rajiv Gandhi and thankfully your son is so dumb that he is almost innocuous to the common man.

*Hrithik Roshan got hitched to Suzanne(much after the aforementioned dames spoiled the lives of desi boys).

*Shahrukh Khan from being an innocent soap-star has become a supreme celebrity who has bought humungous awards on the way(You read me right).

Succinctly putting forth, almost everything palpable thing has undergone a change or two .(Talking about change,gritty red-eyed bus conductors threaten you if don't have 'change'. That is a change from the conventional system of 'change' , from which you can infer the change the world has undergone).

But something hasn't. . . .

Voíla! WOMEN AND THEIR F*%#ING CHOICES WHEN IT COMES TO MEN!

Even when they spend their Daddy's hard-earned quids on Colonel Sander's corrupted recipe on hens , which they now serve in red coloured buckets and tanks, they are turning a blind eye to the fact that these hens feed on the same WORMS , REPTILES , LIZARDS , SPIDERS , ROACHES which supposedly "freak" these people out. I can't fathom the psychosis which is leading to this paranoia for harmless life-forms, among these pampered sweethearts.

From where I see it , these pink-loving, real life adaptation of Barbie dolls have crossed many major wide stretches of oceans and seas like the Arabian Sea, Red Sea, Medeterranian Sea , Atlantic ocean to reach the land of self-glorification and head-quarters of global patrolling and jassoosi(Snooping) ; the land which the India Inc, lovingly calls Uncle Sam : U.S of A.

As a dilligent and empathetic representative of the Federation of All Desperate and Heart-Broken Indian Men(FADHBIM) , I had like to bring to your notice that Hollywood hills in L.A harbours the two greatest modern day nemesis of our league : Channing Tatum and Ryan Gosling.

Not a day passes by for the cheedly-cuddly-cutie sweethearts without chanting the names of these Greek Gods. Acceptable.

But how on earth can they expect us, the rice-eating, chaa-drinking, apathetic, lazy arsed, dark desi laadlaas to be their Ryan Goslings and Channing tatums? As the facade of the FADHBIM , I strongly detest and protest your demand. What will become of our boys, in that case?

(Ornob Goshwaamy incoming)

Never ever , ever ever , juxtapose a desi boy with your white trash heart-throbs. We belong to a class of our own. And the nation needs an answer tonight! *Fuming Ornob*

Shaanth ho jaao Arnab baba, aapki madad chaahiye toh hum bilkul bula lenge. Aap jaakar Congress or BJP ki vaat lagaiye. Sachi , hum sambhaalenge. ( What the hell does this married nut-crack want?! -.-)

Let this be the clarion call , Ladies.

- We desis live in a tropical country. We are exposed to the raw sun while alternating between one line bus to the other. We reside in chimney cities like Mumbai and Delhi. It is unwise of you to expect us to be fair and handsome.

- We eat roti, sambhar, curd-rice, idly-vadai, et al. If you are large hearted enough to supply us with imported sushi, sashimi, pancakes, pasta and meat balls, we will be very glad to be your Gosling or Tatum.

- Asking broke desi boys to overhaul their drink from Rum or Whiskey to shots of Vodka or Martini is like asking the Congress Party to choose a better Prime Minister than Manmohan Singh.

Despite of all these handicaps , we will not let anything happen to you. We will defend you with all our strength and will power, unlike Gosling and Tatum. With Gosling and Tatum, all women suffer very bad. Rachel McAdams suffered memory losses with both of them , in The Notebook and The Vow respectively. So it is safe to assume that both of those sulking bastards would cast a spell on you for Box Office gains.

But we never do that. We don't have anything to gain out of anything. We are jobless, basically. Oops. *Puppy Dog Eyes*

On a wrap-up note , there are always exceptions. There are women out there who aren't visceral and who don't set these boorish benchmarks. There are men like-wise who can be accomodative and affable. (And sometimes good-looking as well !) Albeit habits like friendzoning, brotherzoning(which smothers our fellow Desi boys to death) will die hard, we are the most optimistic of people in the world. "I have a dream that one day, girls will put down the false dread for harmless life-forms, so that we men can comfort them from the heart. I also have a dream that the sly propaganda by Hollywood will be put to rest by U.S of A's own racist , obese, fast-food binging women. I also have a dream that our Desi Boys will have better luck than being friendzoned and brotherzoned."

...faint echoes of Ornob thundering..

..How dare you question the integrity of Indian Men?! I'm taking the charge to the women community of the country! The nation needs an answer...

N.B : This is a material of pure fiction and any act of derogation is not intentional and I deeply regret if I have provoked the sentiments of any gender.

The Bubble of Kerala must burst An account of how misled the electorate has been.

 In the wake of the recent election debates and propaganda, I happened to fall into a number of charades of words which left me emotionally drained out. One of the key issues of our interest had been the "prominence of Member of Parliaments from Kerala at the center". Being a residental non-malayalee since birth, I was forced to take the "aggressive lad speaking against the motion" stand in most circumstances. There was a dogged effort from my opponents to rebutt any argument I pose with a set of important yet cliched points :

1. Kerala has the highest literacy rate in the country.
2. It is a frontrunner in terms of the HDI.
3. Inclusive development had been the key to the above achievements and panacea of all problems in the state.

Map of Kerala

 I was miserble. Honestly shaken when I was simply overpowered with these dogmatic mantras for every rebuttal. I set out to demystify and break-down the scenario.

Maharajah of Travancore

 History teaches you that Kerala has been a prosperous state since time unknown. Its spice trade with the rest of world and the role of an bridge it played between various trading kingdoms on either side of the seas has been one of key reasons for its prosperity and well-being . And the prosperity of the then kingdoms of Travancore and Cochin can still be observed in the riches and magnificence posed by the temples and monuments.The Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple, on whose sands I used to summersault as an 8-year old clad in the traditional silk "mundu", is known as the "El Dorado" of India. Therein resides assets and antiquities whose face value could nothing be short of a 115,000 million dollars. The prudent potentates of Travancore had deposited in order to offset any shortage or crisis that might afflict their kingdom. So the upshot is that Kerala has been, inherently, a well-off state.

Velayudhan Chempakaraman Thampi, a Dalawa(Prime minister) of Travancore who led the one of the earliest rebellions against the British East India Company.

Barring a handful of dissidents like Keralavarma Pazhassiraja, Kunhali Marakkar and Veluthambi Dhalawa(Also the fictional Kelu Nayanar from Santhosh Sivan's Urumi :P ) who fought for their land, we were never rebellious in the freedom struggle. We had goodwill among the British and the Kings were canny enough to put their acquaintance to the advantage of their people.

Kerala's achievements in education- near cent percent literacy rates, gender equality, free and universal primary education, etc are well known. It is undeniable that Kerala has "one of the" highest literacy rates in the country. At a 93.91% it is only second to the Tripura which recently pipped Kerala with a 94.65%. The per capita spending on education by the rural households in Kerala was reported to be 41, which is almost double the national average. This culture has been deeply ingrained the history of the state.

   

Chrisitan missionaries played a critical role of interweaving various strata of the society through education.

 At the turn of the century, a number of Christian missionaries that gained roots(Catholic missionaries from Portugal and Anglican missionaries from the Great Britain) established elementary schools and institutions across the lengths and breadths of the state which was very keen on promoting education. The awareness of an "educated diaspora" was made pervasive, thanks to such missionaries. The thing of beauty about saintly foreigners is that they act like one. They were truly messengers of the Lord himself(not the Queen :P ). They welcomed people from different walks of life; from a manifold of social segments and strata; into their gates with open arms. Rev.Kuriakose Elias Chavara, a key social reformer of the 19th century, aired the idea of "a school for a church"(which is why schools in malayalam are known as "pallikudam"). Also the kings believed in empowering their people. Their innumerable ties with across the globe resulted in cognizance and eventually they used it for the well being of the people and trend of attaining "Primary education" continued through the decades and has resulted in this appreciable achievement.The contribution of the Highness' of the various kingdom is unparalleled. To quote some, His highness Swati Thirunal installed the Maharaja's College(now University College) and Maharaja's School. He also set up the Trivandrum Observatory which is an outcome of his avid interest in astronomy and physical sciences.

Kerala has the most pleasant climate in the country.

Kerala lies along the coastal line. Neither are we forayed by frequent adverse weather conditions nor any natural phenomena that are precarious. We have a moderate and balanced climate that is the best in the country.The temperature lies between 18ºC-33ºC which is rendered pleasant in a country where it lies between 10ºC to 43ºC.The climate is so pleasing that it allures/allured tourists and migratory aves from across the globe. Part of Kerala's success in achieving near-developed-world levels of basic health indicators results from a rapid expansion of medical facilities. Another part derives from the development of public health and disease prevention programmes by enlightened maharajahs. We have been able to encage deadly contagious diseases from searing through the state.

So in effect, the achievements of Kerala is a focalization of a number of favorable conditions which PRE-EXISTED, contrary to the claims of the so-called linguistic and regional fundamentalists! And I strongly disapprove of and pity anyone who attributes any of this COMPLETELY to a particular political regime in the state.

The aforementioned feats courtesy of the largely historical implications and the marginal contributions of the succeeding legislatives, no doubt laudable, is a thing of the past. The higher education standard in the state is an ignominious affair. It has persistently been on the decline. The reasons cited by various organisations which conduct consensus are : Lack of proper infrastructure, poor teachers to students ratios,etc. There has been an exponential increase in self-financing colleges and schools to cater the societal demand. But significant compromises have been made in the quality of education rendered. Though Kerala succeeds in attaining a near cent % achievement in elementary education, the drop-out rates ascend as soon as the child gets into 10th. Only about 50% of the students who appear for the 10th matriculation examination get through in spite of liberal valuation and provision of grace marks.

The quality of higher education in the state is abysmal thanks to the political parties who have been making the resourceful students their pawns.

Government schools and colleges are plagued by student politics upon whom the two political parties have a commanding say, which has resulted in an employability deficit.As per the Economic Review report  2012, Kerala is in fourth position in unemployment level among states, with an unemployment level of 9.9 per cent.The report indicates that among the larger Indian states, the unemployment level in the state is the highest in India. The ones with "Gulf-NRI daddies" survive while the ones without, cannot find any respite. Manual labourers and small-time retailers are unwilling to pitch their shops and services in Kerala and instead flock to other states like Tamil Nadu  and Maharashtra or the middle-east(and contribute to their respective state's SDP ). Even the ones who graduate are forced to find jobs elsewhere.In the process of catering to the limited segments of white collar job markets within the state and outside,education in Kerala remained frozen as an inert academic exercise. Unravelling this paradox of the low-growth-high-literacy of Kerala throws up some really harsh facts. Kerala, irrespective of all the advantages it had as a resourceful state, is left to languish. Job generation has been in doldrums thanks to some irresponsible governance and policy paralysis. Literacy in the state has become a liability. 

P.s : Kerala accounts for 10% of the total suicides in the country at tops the statistics in student suicides which simply buttresses the fact that the education system in Kerala is haphazard. 

Kerala is the state with least employability; a staggering number of people remain unemployed.

The same conundrum of low-growth-high-literacy can be linked with the lack of adequate industries in the state. The skewed nature of the state's economy has been primarily due to the "money order economy". Kerala lives off remittances and it lacks a manufacturing base. It hasn't been able to attract giants in various fields to set up their shops , when states with lesser HDI and literacy like Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra have been able to. Kerala's pet projects : The Vizhinjam Port and the Smart City which can provide significant strides in the economy. God knows who is impeding the development of the state? The funnier thing is there has been unprecedented pressurising for a mug's game called Aranmula Airport Terminal.

The proposed Vizhinjam Port project with no environmental hassles has been stalled for reasons unknown.

Reflecting on the leaders who we have sent as our representatives, what have they done substantially for the betterment of the state? Post the E.M.S, K.Karunakaran era, strong regional leaders who laid off all their partisanship and worked for the betterment of the state, we have a dearth of robust leadership. Let it be the Left or the Right, both have priorities greater than what they have been chosen for. We've had many minister from the state in the form of A.K.Antony, E.Ahamed, Shashi Tharoor(MoS), K.V.Thomas, etc but none have been able to channelize their power and position for the betterment of the state. For God's sake, where do these people go after the elections? They sparsely visit their constituency to understand the grievances and plight. If none of the political formations in Kerala could capitalize on the advantageous situation they had during independence, what have they remarkably achieved sitting in the air-conditioned cabins and travelled in beacon lit cars? 

The only detour in the story is with O.Rajagopal of the BJP who was nominated to the Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh(1992-2004) and was made the MoS for Railway and later Defence and Parliamentary Affairs under the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA Government. Mr.Rajagopal's tenure at the center had been illustrious and lucrative for the state of Kerala.

• 12 New Trains for Kerala including Janashatabdi, Amrita,Ananthapuri, Maveli, Gurudev express trains which have now become an inevitable part of daily travellers across Kerala.
• Doubling of Railway Lines was made possible by BJP. This was one of the major development leap in the history of Indian Railways in Kerala.
•  In 2002-2003, used 14.17 crore Rupees for development of slum areas in Kerala.
• Saved KSRTC from bankruptcy by arranging Rs. 100 crore from HUDCO fund. 550 fast passenger and 350 mini buses were purchased using this fund.
• Prior to the modification of Christian Marriage Act, he called up a meeting of topmost leaders of all prominent Christian Communities in Kerala, which in turn became a milestone in the history. This paved the way to enable Christian women to inherit ancestral properties, which
  was denied to them previously.

 And the list goes on. Domiciled in Kerala, he never again could represent the people in the lower house. For a man who had done such impressive work for the state, it was the most thankless way Keralites could respond. And I will stick my neck to say that none in recent times have been dilligent in what he was entitled to do. And I believe the electorate of Kerala will not be misled by the bogus claims of Shashi Tharoor developing Trivandrum.(He made the people of the state red-faced by his indulgence in the IPL Scam and the dubious mystery death of his 3rd wife is yet to be solved)

"Shashi Tharoor's development in Trivandrum"

This election calls for sensibility and prudence from the electorate. This bubble of ill-information must burst. As the saying goes, "You can cheat all people sometimes, You can cheat some people all the time, but never all the people all the time".  The blog post is a food for thought for all the voters who will cast their votes this summer. And I strongly believe that you will choose your representative wisely. Jai Hind.

Delusion of the Moment : Aam Aadmi Party

This is to all those are deluded by the populist wave happening in the country capital helmed by none but a "man-at-the-right-moment". When a new party is formed with just one idea that makes it stand apart from the flock(the idea also happens to be their USP), add on the widespread discontent against the system, drives people into a state of delirium. What Arvind Kejriwal and his partymen are pulling off in Delhi is a show once put forth by people like Jayalalitha which earned her cult status over the years(not surprising that many a people of Tamil Nadu consider her a Prime Minister in imminence) . What is the viability of the freebie culture in an economically well-off state like Delhi ?

Delhi is a state with 2nd highest per capita income in the country at Rs.175812(only coming second to Goa). If Mr.Arvind Kejriwal and his stooges can note, the people of Delhi aren't bothered to pay. For that case, none in the country is, if what he pays for is available at the right time. The case of Delhi is that they pay for the electricity and the water, yet there are lengthened periods of interruption of both. So what you need to do as a RESPONSIBLE-EDUCATED-MESSIAH of the common man is to expand the source, expand the productivity than satiate and set up vote banks by distributing freebies. I'm looking at a stage when Yogendra Yadav, Prasanth Bhushan and co. will be distributing packets of Dal-Roti in neat aluminum foils by the turn of parliamentary elections stating it to be the only way they can bring down the inflationary effect on FMCG and food products.  Still waiting for the Kejriwal economics to work out.

The only state in the country 24 hour electrically powered is that flourishing state of Gujarat. Power rates always stay stable irrespective of the season(unlike the Congress ruled Andhra Pradesh where the rates are highest in the country and there are major blackouts ranging from 8-12 hours on a daily basis leading to widespread discouragement in enterprising in the manufacturing sector in the state), thanks to some shrewd law-making from Mr.Modi's part : with Projects like the 'Jyoti Gram' and the Asia's largest Solar Park in Charanka, Gujarat which has a capacity of 600MW . The state produces 14000MW of power, of which 2000MW is surplus. The state earns Rs.1800 crores upon selling the surplus power to neighbouring states.

Now I am not sounding skeptic, and I'm just stating facts. I vouch for a man who puts cause above self, I vouch for a man who has proved his credentials in governance and service beyond doubt , I vouch for a true Aam Aadmi. I vouch for a man who doesn't sell the Aam Aadmi like the Aam Aadmi Party and Kejriwal is doing. I vouch for a united India.

Memoir of an optimist : Part 1

Politics isn't the last resort of a scoundrel . There is huge responsibility , pride and a respect which no other profession can claim . You may have ample thoughts and revolutionary ideas . Unless you have the implementation power , it will remain crude sometimes forever . I still remember the earliest exposure as an 8 year old I had , to politics . It was an election summer . There we gypsies and Ambassadors harbouring huge sound systems vrooming across the city roads and roaring the manifestoes and the motto of the parties . Usually there used to be a movie song whose lyrics were manipulated to suit the respective ideologies . The possible logic behind such a move could be : The party parodying the hottest song on chart would garner more votes . There were large processions into our colony in Kowdiar by both the major fronts contesting in the ballot and with the respective candidate leading the pack in the door-to-door campaign. There were promises of advancement , welfare schemes and panacea of all prevailing miseries . I used to stare at them with puppy dog eyes and the leader appeared to be rising to an unprecendented height . That was the day it all began : Be a politician . One who commands respect with a word . One who salvages the country . Images of a heroic white "khadar" wearing men were one of my most frequent dreams . (Interestingly more than the number of times Madhuri Dixit came to my sub-conscious)

On the decisive day , we had our parents and grandparents swarm into the nearest booths to cast a vote (A power which hardly anybody will put to the right use) . But the ones back home , the preteen young guns ,wait in anticipation for the crucial numbers . A week passes without clamour when suddenly you wake up to the noiseof crackers ! Wait , Diwali is a few months away and Vishu is long gone (As it is a popular tradition to burst crackers in Kerala during Vishu. The irony is , to watch the hard-earned money on a Vishu day go up in flames :D ) . Blowing the heat of my steaming Bourne Vita , I hear the reporter declare the result of the ballot in full glory . I recogonize the frequently flashing face on screen as the one who left a deep impact standing at my doorstep . Moments later , there was an open van progressing slowly on the road ,holding out the victor . He waved all around, thanking the electorate for their mass support . This time he neither rocked me nor stared at me with his penetrating and influential eyes . He was too busy squirming in his success least bothered of the young mind he had ignited .

Years have passed . I have seen politicians come and go . I have seen them write thought-provoking columns in dailies . I have seen them erupt into a battle of words in News Channels . But the greatest quality which I noticed they possess is the will power and composed attitude during a debate . They seem to have a tryst with articulation. Its as easy as gulping a glass of water . They make it look so easy. From Martin Luther King to Narendra Modi to Shashi Tharoor , oration is an art for which these men are truly masters ! At least untill sometime ago , I used to wonder if oratory skills are a requisite for good leadership . Reflecting closely on some of the most revolutionary speeches , it has been proved beyond doubt that , it is necessary . I envy them , the politicians . They taught me a very important lesson : It doesn't matter what you say , but how you say . Let it be false promises or about facts which you have the least idea about , standing up for what you say will earn far more patronage than a blunt and spineless delivery .

While counselling the upcoming generations , I believe politics should be described as a viable choice to the future. Rather than highlighting the flaws in the existing system , they should be taught of what a good polician can do . He should be an extrovert . A politician can easily find his ways into the books , in two ways : for noble causes like Nelson Mandela for combating apartheid OR for all the wrong reasons like "A King" who looted "lakh crores" from the common man's wallet ! So its basically preceiving . If we want , we really can mould solid artefacts . Somebody needs to take the initiative . Ask me the best time ? Its now . You may be thrashed and scrutinized for misleading your brothers , but it wouldn't be long before their y impulses realize the fact of the matter .

Hitherto , we have looked at our representatives with sheer contempt . It gets funnier when I meet people with no say or idea about the system , victimize the political community as misdoers and harbringers of all problems . Like the infatuated 8 year old , I still firmly believe politics in no way is an inferior profession . Let us clutch to the hopes of witnessing a stirred responsible group of young energetic men leading the nation from the front leaving behind all prejudices , preconceptions . . .

The Great Indian Paisa League

The IPL reminds me of an instance in an Indian mythological tale . Remember the Kauravas and Pandavas battling out over a board game ?! The Indian Cricket is facing a similar crisis at the moment in which the BCI , the IPL and the players being the Kauravas who play with then biased die . With we , the staunch followers , the ones who have adopted the game as a religion being the Pandavas . At the end of the game , some among us , the bookies get stripped . And then we are set into an year waiting for the next carnival .
              This has been the trend among the youth for the past 6 years . The people are building an extremely vulnerable culture by putting all their eggs into a single basket - cricket . Inherently , it is a gentleman's game . But lately , when big money started indulging in it , it is facing a grave credibility crisis . The recent spot fixing(as they call these mischieves) allegations and charges , both against cricketers and bollywood actors , have raised a cloud of uncertainity over the game . Neither the government nor the governing bodies seems to take up any responsibility on the issue . The IPL and Indian Cricketing watchdog , the Board of Cricket Control in India (dominated by top bureaucrats , politicians and Industrialists) neither want to propose some antidote to the corruption in the game .
          The fact that IPL is flawed is simply not only based on the recent controversies . Money is good for any sports and cricket is no exception . It helps proper structuring , help develop proper roots in the nation , and also the most important , give recogonition to talented youngsters on a bigger stage . But for an economy like India , this splashing of the macro-million figures simply indicates the worst economic slowdown behind us . For a nation where a large section of its population still under the Below Poverty Line(BPL) , these millions of dollars aren't gonna feed their hunger .
             Also just try to recollect certain facts : where does this money come from ? These franchisees anyway cannot make sufficient profits out of this really short version of 76 games . So eventually , they are looking upon their other business ventures to raise the amount . I wouldn't say all the owners are bad . But many of those consortiums which have purchased the teams are flawed . One of them having debts of 1000s of crores to the government of India which is being relaxed by certain high officials . Another owner has a reputation of cheating 30 million small town investors an amount of $4.5 billion ! Another franchise family having close relationships with the founder of India's biggest scam ever! So , ultimately it is the money which rightfully belongs to the people of this nation . It is also decorated with a popular name : "Black Money" ! In a nutshell , IPL simply sets a stage for money laundering .
               Now to the fixing saga . IPL is a game which handle quite huge amounts . So eventually there can be a lot eye popping offers on and off the field which could lure players into playing against the doctrines of sport . They,especially the local players, are bound to be offered sums which they never could've imagined . This makes them offend their own morality and conscience ! Thus leading to spot fixing . Spot-fixing isn't the only bane of the game . IPL is another WWF kind of scripted drama ! It has its chills which goes down the wire , it has its own controversies in the form of on-field exchanges , late night bar brawls . All summing up into a good-looking performance . With the billion fans lauding them quite innocently like a baby while the actors grinning behind their back in the success of having cheated the people openly ! They have taken the fans into such a confidance that , a boy kidnapped and killed his cousin , to obtain a ransom to redeem the money lost on betting .
Talking about legacy . Well yes , IPL is pretty young as of now . Still 6 years old . Let's assume that IPL is straight as an arrow . Apparently , this dumb league doesn't even have the credibility of Ranji cricket . In Ranji , the players play out for their home team . What relation does MSD have to Chennai ?! What is Virat Kohli's relationship with Bangalore ? So in a way , they don't have any obligation to the fans and the land they play for . It's only the pay cheques they receive upon 45 days . Imagine the case of foreign players ! This is so unlike the EPL . The EPL model though has players playing for other counties , it has a pretty well established fan base and solid team structure . Unlike IPL , EPL doesn't auction all the players after a few seasons ! So you have players getting committed !
The government should also rather try to reduce the nation's indulgence into cricket . Where is India's national game , hockey ? The government should realize that cricket isn't a game which brings in glory . It doesn't have a place in the olympics or any other renowned sporting leagues . It is also interesting to realize that barring Australia and New Zealand , every other nation which "Promotes" cricket are developing or under-developed nations : India , Sri Lanka , Pakistan , RSA , Bangladesh ,etc . England "plays" cricket , but doesn't promote it which is visible from contrasting stands of a cricket match and soccer match . I would suggest a lot of diversity in sporting culture for our growing population . If the government could even channel a fraction of the amount which is earmarked for cricket into athletics and other sports , it would surely bear fruit .
                I don't want them to scrap the IPL as a whole . They wouldn't do it because it gets the cash registers ringing . They wouldn't want to give up a method to make easy money . But it needs to make transparency the prime issue . We can imagine the influence a team like the Chennai Super Kings can have when its owner is the president of the BCCI ! No wonder , they have so easily gone through to the play offs on the trot! The BCCI needs to overhaul itself . Throwing out the bureaucrats and industrialists and bringing in those who know a wee-bit about the game . Another one is to set up dedicated enforcement units to check into the proceedings and workings of the league . The sole aim of the units should be to curb the discrepancies . Moreover the number of matches have to be reduced considerably .
At the end of the day , the people must realise . I see future engineers and doctors who are supposed to be the ambassadors of sense and sensibility ,waving the flags and whistling like buffoons at this IPL thamasha ! Even after exposing the truth , they can't convince themselves that IPL is a sham . The nation can't change if not the people !
Jai Hind !