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Election fever in India is over with the results in May 16, 2009. Though the results announced favoured the Congress, it happened exceeding its expectations. Of the six national parties, congress alone is grown to be the biggest party, yet with a shortage of 70 MPs to form a government with absolute majority. BJP, on the other hand, has to suffer its fate for the second term. It is also undeniable that the election, 2009, has brought forth both surprises and shocks alike to parties at national, state and regional level, and has scattered the hope of ruling the nation of many fronts recently formed. It is a miracle for congress itself to form the government for the second term, even among the wave of dislike among the people over the question of the national security, economic recession, killings of Tamils in Srilanka, and above all, contesting the elections without allies in most of the states. Wrecked is the citadel of BJP in states, where it rules, ruled, and is dominant, with particular exception in Chhattisgarh where it managed to win what it won in 2004 elections and in Gujarat. Later will be discussed the factors for the fiascos of the parties, laying special importance to once-efficiently-ruled BJP at the centre.
The election has, no doubt, left on the congress the image of invulnerability, with good number of seats from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. Karunanidhi of Tamilnadu and Mamta Banerjee of West Bengal did their tricks in their respective states, with a huge number of 52 seats contributing to the congress to form the coalition government. Andra Pradesh registered a massive victory of 
winning 33 seats, the highest of all the thirty states for congress, sweeping BJP completely out of the scene as in the 2004 election and the TDP-TRS-Left. People's expectation of Chiranjeevi's Prajya Rajyam Party to play a vital role proved wrong, while, at the same time, his winning of 18 seats out of 294 Assembly might give him a hold in state politics. Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan had the largest share (22 and 20, respectively) for congress next to Andhra Pradesh. The positive results – yet impossible as one expected – in Uttar Pradesh can directly be attributed to the campaign of the “future prime minister of India”, Rahul Gandhi. Punjab, Uttarkhand, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and Kerala have shown the signs of improvement that resulted in the increasing number of MPs from that of the 2004 election, while Karnataka, Jharkhand, Assam and Himachal Pradesh ask for congress to concentrate on, as they contributed the congress in number that is smaller compared to that of the previous one. Of the 30 states in India, Bihar is to be given the primary importance, and in the states like Tamilnadu, Maharashtra and West Bengal, congress is to grow in position of standing on its own foot without allies to win a good and reasonable number of seats.
Winning is winning, and the winner tells their positives alone for their winning. Congress has won the elections, no matter how it has. But, for the BJP, the election has sent a clear message that it can't just avoid, by looking into the might-be-causes for its losses.
That BJP's dream of ruling the nation came untrue is an unexpected one. It ruled and is eligible to rule the country. But the election results left the party with a thousand of questions that can't just let go answered. The election made it a must to analyze the answer the questions, intellectually and immediately, to survive its existence for the next forthcoming election. What went wrong and where?
A layman with a little knowledge of politics even knows that BJP bears the stamp of Hindutva party, the image which must be erased in all of its form, not just to gain the Muslim vote bank, but to retain the vote bank it had in the past, for example, the vote bank it had before Gujarat riots. Narendra Modi, who was projected the standby prime ministerial candidate in the future by the second-level leaders like Arun Jaitley and Arun Shourie, failed to catch the people's attention in his own state, which contributed just a one-seat increase from the 2004 election. 
This also can't just be avoided, as it reflected for the BJP in the negative. His image of an adept administrator was torn into pieces with the Gujarat riots against Muslims. Targeting Dr.Manmohan Singh personally as the weakest prime minister, portraying him as just a puppet in the hands of Sonia Gandhi whose tune he dances, and their slogan of “decisive prime minister for a determined government” did nothing to their expectations, and which, above all, can better be avoided in Advani's campaign. His campaign of getting back to India the black money in Swiss bank failed to reach the mass, i.e., the populace. His visit to and laying wreath at the Jinnah’s mausoleum and his subsequent panegyric note on Muhammad Ali might fester the feelings of Hindutva camps. Varun Gandhi's spoken words – which should be unspoken – which, though, helped him win for himself in his Pilibit constituency, did in fact much harm to the party. The open public spat between the party leader Rajnath Singh and Arun Jaitley has had its own share in the debacle. Its eight MPs' involvement in the bribery for asking questions in the Parliament also gave room for congress to term it a 'stained' party. Also, having failed to find out for themselves a good, young, and eloquent speaker to counter the Rahul Gandhi's impeccable campaign, particularly in the state with large number of seats, where it couldn't get not more than 10 seats as it did in the 2004 elections in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP lead its way to doom in many states.
BJP did a greater mistake by failing to keep AIADMK, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Trinamool Congress (TC) within NDA as its allies, which responded it with a major setback in securing more/or at least a few seats in their respective seats. None can evade the fact the Congress has registered a massive victory by allying itself with TC by making use of the wave of antipathy against the Left, which the BJP missed to. TDP’s 24.6% and TRS’s (Telengana Rastriya Samithi) 6.1% votes can’t simply be ignored in Andhra Pradesh. Yielding to her is what the AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalitha expects, and fulfilling her expectations might get for it at least a few seats in Tamilnadu. What is unbearable is that it lost to congress in many states where it is at present under power. Despite the fact that BJP is the ruling party in Uttarkhand, it lost the total five seats to congress. Its experiencing a major setback in Rajasthan needs not in the least surprised, as the result is almost know with the Assembly elections results last year, which favoured congress to rule the state. But what is pathetic is that the BJP never took into consideration the factors that caused to lose the 2008 Assembly election – like Gujjar issue, the growing hatred over Vansunthara Raja, its failing to find out a solution for the smothering animosities between party leaders, etc. Winning eight seats out of 14 in Jharkhand asks for not that much appreciation, as it is because, as everyone believes, of the breakdown of partnership “between congress and Lalu's Rashtriya Janata Dal”. But coming into conflict with Naveen Patnaik's BJD resulted in the negative. Of the three new-born states in 2005, Chhattisgarh alone made its highest contribution, whereas in states like Arunachal Pradesh and Delhi, the BJP recorded absolute swept. Having lost in Madhya Pradesh where it is ruling, in Maharashtra which is to be believed the fort of Hindutva, and in Punjab where its ally, Akali Dal, is ruling could be better termed none other than an irony of 'fate', as it may think. The BJP-ruling states, with exception to Karnataka, would have learnt the art of making votes from the congress-ruling states like Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan. Incapable of being won even a seat from Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala, the party begs for the people's sympathy. So far as Tamilnadu is concerned, the party has reasons for convincing and consoling itself with number of votes, which it never ever gained, even with alliance of 'yesterday-born' parties.
Apart from what is being discussed, what is alarming is the decrease in the percentage of votes. Though it is the second largest party with a hike in the number of seats from the 2004 election, it is to be noted that it has lost around four percentage of votes in total. With a big question mark about the future of BJP, it is under the compulsion of redefining its principles and to get notice of the hitherto ignored factors, if any. Above all, it is in the need of a leader who is impeccable as Vajpayee and who unites second, third-level leaders and party men alike under one umbrella, putting into them the same sense of purpose. Neither taking right decisions nor taking decisions and making them right is what the BJP did in the 2009 election, and if it lets continue this, no doubt, the party will be “fated” to fail in the future, too.
Congress reaped a good harvest, whereas BJP on its feverish years
Posted by Dhanabalakrishnan KOn Eelam: Tamil politicians are better actors without make-ups
Posted by Dhanabalakrishnan K
Karunanidhi, under the guise of World Tamil Leader
“Ye Tamil folk, if you throw me into sea, binding me with stone, I will come as catamaran and you can travel on me”, this has been the dialogue of the leader of Tamils all over the world. Better known as an excellent script and dialogue writer for decades, our Tamil race failed until recently to understand him the best actor too. His drama of resignation of his party MPs didn’t stand up to his expectation of creating the image of the staunch supporter of Tamils in Eelam. Organizing human chains in every corner of Tamil Nadu to insist on his party-backed Congress government to interfere and stop killings in Eelam and recent contradiction that it is not good to interfere into the affairs of a country of sovereignty ask people for laughing. It is not unknown to him that conducting public meetings in Tamil Nadu won’t do any particular good to Tamils and prevent killings in Eelam, while being himself the part of the weapons-and-radars-providing Congress government to Sri Lankan government. He gathered all party meetings on 25 November, 2008 to discuss the requisite actions to be taken for saving Tamils, and eventually what he has achieved so far. In fact, the death toll is increased as it is never before in Eelam history.
Indian government has sent to Sri Lanka its Forbes tanks and Indian military personnel to operate it for its mission of brutally killing the Tamils. A troupe of Indian doctors visited Sri Lanka under the guise of taking treatments of the war-affected Tamils is really taking care of the wounded and hurt Indian military personnel. Does these happen without the knowledge of the world Tamil leader Karunanidhi, who acts as the senior advisor – when necessity arises – and who has seven ministers in 16 MPs backing the Congress government? (http://www.tn.gov.in/tnassembly/ministers_central.htm). He might have thought of the Tamils for fools to tell that he and his party is ever the first one to voice and strive for the rights of Tamils of all over the world.
(This essay is not with a view to support any party; the intention being behind it is to show what is hidden.)
Sri Lanka is the only country in the world that bombs to kill its own citizens.
We insist on the Sri Lankan government to view the racial struggle with the background of its past history, and not through the telescope of terrorism.
It is shame on the Sinhalese race who called themselves the saver of “Dharma to grab the rights from Tamils and kill them mercilessly.
This was the voice of a Sri Lankan journalist, Lasantha Vikramathunga, who was assassinated on January 8, 2009, just for portraying the real happenings in Eelam
There is no point in accusing India. We have been winning the battles against the LTTE with the support and help of India is the reply of the Sri Lankan health minister Nimal Sribala DeSilva to the Sri Lankan MP Anura Dhisanayaga in the parliament.
India is taking the fight against the LTTE to the front. Sinhalese Forces are on the field just for name-sake, told a Sri Lankan Army Official to the media.
What is the stand of the ruling Congress government on the assertions of the assassinated journalist? How is the Congress government going to counter the open statement of the health minister of Sri Lanka in the Sri Lankan Parliament itself? What is the Congress government’s response to the Army personnel’s statement?
How many Tamil lives the Congress government sacrificed and is still going to sacrifice in Eelam? How long does the the Congress government continue to cheat the Tamils in India telling them that providing arms and radars to Sri Lanka is for both political and defence-related strategies? How long the Congress government is going to take pleasure in the moaning and weeping of our Tamil lives in Sri Lanka? What does it expect in return from the Sri Lankan government for its supplying the Lankan army with weapons? If in expectations, does it know that it will receive their response in the negative? Does it bear what is happening in Eelam is happening for a north Indian race in some other country? What about the Bangladesh’s history? What forces it to send the Indian intelligence to devise plans for Tamil genocide? What made the congress take a sudden turn from the viewpoint that Indira Gandhi held over the issue of Eelam and her open support for Tamils? And why is this contradiction? If the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi is the reason, of course, it is not without a reason. And if this is the only reason in the Congress standpoint, where does the Congress get the gut to appoint a Sikh for the post of Prime Minister of India, who shot Indira Gandhi dead? Or whether the Sonia-led Congress thinks the murder of Indira Gandhi can be excused, whereas that of Rajiv won’t and can’t be, because he is the present Congress supremo’s husband?
Evading these questions will result, no doubt, in avoiding the Congress in Tamil Nadu. But I expect the answers for these questions from the people of Tamil Nadu. If you have the answers, you will realize that ballot is more powerful than (the) bullet, which the Congress government keeps on giving to Sri Lanka to exterminate our Tamil Race.
Acting on the stage is different from administering a state. It is not just a matter of putting make-ups, and fighting for good and justice and coming on the screen wherever the poor and the needy are facing problems are possible for heroes only in the cinemas. It is easier said and done in cinema than in reality. The questions that this essay seeks to clarify are whether the cine heroes can be "real" heroes in reality and just showing off one's face on the screen is just enough for an actor (or actress) to start a political party on his (or her) own or to be a part of an existing political party. If every actor is of the same thought, it is sure that the country couldn't afford to it.
The state of cinema in Indian is absolutely different from that of other countries. In fact, cinema is here not just viewed as a matter of entertainment, and the actors and actresses as entertainers, particularly in the southern part of India. A side-actor in India who has just shown his/her face on the screen attracts a lot of attraction of the people when he/she makes public appearance. This is the case of a side-actor, then think of the one who plays leading roles or acts as a hero/heroine. No matter for the people if they start a political party, because they are always ready to vote for them, no matter who in reality they are. Voting for the actors in the elections is not that much painstaking as erecting a temple that we did for Kusbhu, a Mubai-born Tamil actress, in Trichy.
I try my hand in this essay about the actor-turned-politicians, giving special attention to the ones in the southern part of India. The cinema has become an unavoidable factor in politics and the impact of it can easily be seen in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh and somewhat in the politics of northern states. To strengthen this, we can adduce the chief ministers from the Dravidian parties who have their backgrounds in cinema - C.N. Anna Durai, M.K. Karunanidhi, M.G. Ramachandran and J. Jeyalalitha - among the four, the first two were the writers of stories and dialogues, and the second, full-time actors.
The height of entry of actors into politics reaches its zenith with the arrival of Vijayakanth, a rice mill owner-turned-actor-turned-politicians running his party with hope of becoming the chief minister of Tamil Nadu in 2011. Quite unfit even to be a politician, he has created a kind of 
illusion of invulnerability in the preceding election. A leader, whether political, religious or others, should be a role model for his followers or disciples to follow. Those belong to DDMK should think and question themselves of "under what grounds he can be a role model for them and how"? Above all, a man who can't control himself cannot control the state. The following incidents can corroborate the above statement: scolding one of his fans or party men before the public for throwing garlands that happened to "hurt" his body at Karungalakudi, near Madurai, and beating his PA in election campaign van for unwittingly running into him. Above all, the thing that cannot be pardoned by anyone with sense of respect for people and their feeling is calling the sitting chief minister of Tamil Nadu M.K. Karunanidhi by his name, forgetting "his age is the honourable chief minister's experience in politics".
It is also as obvious as the moon in the clear sky for anyone with a little interest in politics that Panrutti Ramachandran acts as the brain for his party. This is reflected recently when he evaded the question by the reporter about the terrorist attack on the economy capital of India, Mumbai, as he had not "received" any report about the attack from the Panrutti. Also, honouring the voters of his constituency is not in giving the name of his "won" constituency to his film, but in going the assembly as the representative of his people. Alas, he was busy in shooting the film, "Mariyathai" (respect). Yes, he has shown a good respect for "his" people? The supremo of the DMDK has shined a super actor in cinema, no doubt about that. But, in politics?
"Akila India samathuva Makkal Katchi" is another party in Tamil Nadu having an actor as its supremo. Sarath Kumar, having the credit of keeping a muscle-bound body, entered the cinema as a "villain" and managed later to secure a place for himself as a successful hero with subsequent hit movies. Found himself famous, he joined the DMK (Dravida Munnetra Khazhagam) and became the Rajya Sabha MP. Albeit an actor, he knows the art of jumping into parties and then starting a one for his own. (I am not talking here about the stamp that it bears as a party belonged to a particular community to which Sarath Kumar himself belongs to.)
Politics is always taken as a weapon for actors when there are no chances for them in cinema or 
when they are unable to shine as previously in the field. A very good example for the above idea is Karthik, who has recently started a political party, which, he claims, is absolutely for and the development of particular community. It is almost known to everyone that he had been in Forward Block as the state secretary. What are his characteristic traits apart form the fact that he is the son of Muthuraman, also an actor, and belongs to Devar community, and what else has he done for the welfare of his community before entering into politics (i.e. while he was acting)?
The late-sevalie Sivaji Ganesan – appointed as Congress MP in 1980s, later started a political party and contested in 1989 Assembly elections and got defeated – and Bhackiyaraj of Tamil Nadu need not that much attention as the above-mentioned four actors, as the parties of these two "expired". Excluding these discussed, we had and have actors as MLAs in Tamil Nadu assembly, like Napolean and S.V. Sekar and MPs like S.S. Chandran and actors contested in the previous elections, like Mansoor Alikhan.
Apart from the actors, actresses are also actively participating in political business. Latha had been in politics with Thirunavukarasu's M.G.R.Khazhagam. Roja and Vijaya Shanthi are becoming popular figures both within their respective parties and Andhra Pradesh political scene. Vijaya Shanthi is the leader of Thalli Telungana party, and Roja is the Telugu Desam Party women secretary.
When one even thinks of the Andra Pradesh politics, Chiranjeevi becomes an inevitable leader. 
though the Tollywood superstar inaugurated his party "Praja Rajyam" a few months ago, his popularity among the people make the previous "IT" chief minister Chandrababu Naidu and the sitting "Agri" chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy shivering alike. But the question why the Tollywood super star is so fond of doing service to the people of Andhra, which he can do while he is acting and not entering into politics, is mysterious.
To counter the emerging party of Chiranjeevi, Telugu Desam of Chandrababu Naidu has brought the actor Balakrishna and Junior NTR, both the son and the grandson of N.T. Rama Rao, respectively, into the political battle. He has also made Roja, an actress, the women secretary. Congress is on the hunt for actors and actresses for campaigns. This is the fate of a century-old party!
N.T. Rama Rao starting Telugu Desam Party in 1983 at the age of 60, a party that is now owned by Chandrababu Naidu and co., had the history for himself becoming the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh just within nine months after starting his party.
If we look in a nutshell at the actor-turned-politicians from the Bollywood we can find that the North too made the history of making actors into MPs and ministers. Nargis Dutt, a Bollywood actress and the wife of Sunil Dutt – the later himself was the congress MP and the cabinet minister – was appointed Rajya Sabha MP by Indira Gandhi. From that onward, the actor-family continues to be inseparable from politics. Sanjay Dutt, the son of Sunil Dutt, is on the move into politics and expresses his willingness to contest in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, representing Samajwadi party. His sister Priya Dutt is already the Congress MP in Congress-ruling government. This might be true in the case of Samajwadi party, as this is the only party in the national level that has had the notoriety of making politics as the primary business for actors and actresses.
The ever-superstar of Bollywood, Amitabh Bachchan, was also for some time doing political business in Samajwadi party. His wife Jeya Bachchan is the current Samajwadi party MP in Rajya Sabha. There are rumours about the entry of Aishwarya Rai into politics, and it seems that “negotiations” for making her a politician from Samajwadi party is under process. Now it becomes our duty to remind political parties in India, especially Samajwadi party, that Abisheik Bachchan the actor is still left only as an actor in the family.
Shabana Azmi, another actress from the Bollywood, was an MP, representing no party in the Rajya Sabha. Vaijayanthi Mala, Hema Malini, Jeyapradha, Poonam Dhillon, and Juhi Chawla already made their marks in politics. Coming to the actors-turned-politicians, we have Rajesh Khanna (a Congress MP during 1991–1996), Shatrughan Sinha (BJP), Govinda (a Congress MP for Mumbai North), Raj Popper (a Samajwadi party MP for Agra in UP), Vinoth Khanna (a BJP MP for Kurthaspur in Punjab), and Dharmendra (a BJP MP for Bihaner in Rajasthan). The last three earned infamy for not participating in debates in the Parliament (7, 5, and 0, respectively).
Talking internationally, Ronald Regan and Arnold Schwarzenegger need special mentioning here, as they became the President and Governor of California, respectively, in the United States, yet they started their careers just as actors. First being a member of Democratic party, Regan then jumped (into) Republic party and started canvassing in support of his republic party. While having got defeated in the Presidential election as the Presidential candidate of Republic party in 1968 and 1976, he then succeeded in becoming the governor of California in 1964 and 1970. “Famed” a failed actor by the people, he finally laurelled his head as the head of the United States in 1980 and 1984.
No doubt, cinema plays a vital role and has a significant impact in changing people’s lives. But the question the essay seeks to clarify is whether it is possible for4 the actors to do good and strive for the welfare of the people without getting into politics. The answer will be a simple “yes”. Charlie Chaplin propagated his ideas in support of socialism and condemned Nazis and tyranny in his films. Kazhaivanar N.S. Krishnan and M.R. Radha from India agitated for and brought about social reforms through their films and plays. Marvin Brando, Paul Newman, Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, all are actors, were in the news for their strife against racism, weapons of mass destruction (WMD), and atrocities against the natural inhabitants of America, and got supported from the political viewers.
As the people above-mentioned, albeit actors, proved themselves to be useful to the society without getting into politics. It is also worth noting here the Hindi director Mahesh Butt’s standpoint that an actor standing out of the circle of politics can succeed in getting things done for the people. Dev Anand, who was in politics for sometime, especially in 1977, also corroborated Butt’s viewpoint.
Then what makes the actors choose politics as the only means for doing service to the people is left to them themselves. It will be good for all if the actors entered and with the aim of entering understand the fact the politics is not just “start-camera-action” business, and fighting for the sake of the poor is possible and easier in “reel” than in “real”. Will they?
What is democracy? I have the stupidity at times, but not often, to ask my friends and people whom I know by acquaintance the above-asked question, to which they simply at most times replied quoting Lincoln's famous assertion - of the people, for the people, by the people. But my mind questioned the answer as to whether "the people" referred to here really refers to the people who elected or "the elected's people". To put it another way, the sons and daughters (grandchildren also come into scene at times) of the "rulers", by rulers you may call whatever with the title you want to call "chief ministers, ministers, or others".
Though the topic that forms the bone of contention to this essay is applicable almost to the entire world politics, with some exceptions in certain countries, as far as I know, this essay specifically focuses on Indian Politics. Being a curse for the people of India right from the day Indians got independence from the "whites", the severity of it reaches its height in the recent decades. Governments, whether central or state and no matter what they are, are being "the properties" of particular families. Apart from what they ruled or rule the state(s), there are other families that seek and strive hard to see their sons and daughters or both as the supreme leaders of the state or central governments, and some among the families already managed to be up in the power ladder as state and central ministers, and some others are looking for opportune moments for adorning their kith and kin’s' heads with crowns. To corroborate these points, a number of examples and instances can be adduced both from the past and the present, and both at the central level and state level.
India has seen several politicians who wished to the well-wishers of their families themselves and want them to step into politics. During the independence, leaders of all parties, though their parties varied, fought against the "whites", forgetting their families, and with the hope that their posterity will breathe the freedom air. Nowadays, as earlier said, power is being the property of particular families.
Indians should be gratitude for Nehru for his part in the fight against the "whites". And, his daughter Indira Gandhi and his grandson, Rajiv Gandhi, have also sacrified their lives for the sake of the nation. Of course, no doubt about that. But the question is how long are we going to put their heirs on the forefront of India's supreme chair and why, telling "the tales of gratitude". Or is it just enough to be the grandson or granddaughter of Nehru or Indira Gandhi to decide the destiny of India. Past history of particular families is to be revised and the efficient one alone should adorn the "chair" of India.
In Tamilnadu, dynasty politics is worse that the worst when compared to other states of India. M. Karunanidhi, the present chief minister of Tamilnadu, always seems to set his mind to get his son, Stalin (not his sons, as one can only be the chief minister of a state) seated on the chair of chief minister, though the so-called welfare plans for the people come from his mouth every day. As Shelley calls poets "the unacknowledged legislators of the world, the sitting chief minister wants his eldest son M.K.Azhagiri to be the unackowledged legislator of the southern Tamilnadu. And, of course, the latter is so. It is a strange thing and it never happens in the history of Indian politics, as far as I know, a man who is not even a councilor of a ward controls the half of the state. But it happens in Tamilnadu and it is just because he is the son of the chief minister. His daughter, Kanimozhi was already granted to be the Member of Parliament and is expected to come in car with siren as the cabinet minister (though the parliamentary election is approaching soon). His grand daughter through M.K.Azhagiri was given the title of "Kavithayini" at Cuddalore party women function and it is assumed to be a signal of her entry into (heir) politics. It is the assumption of many that there is a rivalry for the party young men secretary between Durai Thayanidhi, the son of M.K.Azhagiri, and Udhayanidhi, the son of M.K.Stalin. No wonder, if a children association is formed under the head of Kanimozhi's son, Adhithya.
Thank god! The ex-chief minister of Tamilnadu, J. Jeyalalitha, is not getting married and does not have sons and/or daughters.
Next comes into scene is Ramadoss, who infamously calls himself the deciding factor of winning the elections in the northern parts of Tamilnadu. It is almost unknown to the people of Tamilnadu that while he was inaugurating an association called "Vanniyar Sangam", he famously said that no one from his family will enjoy the benefits of what he starts and if it happens, roared Ramadoss, "beat me in the streets with chapels and cut my hands before the public". But his son Anbumani Ramadoss is the present Cabinet minister for health in Indian government. People of Tamilnadu should think of how he acts against what he asserted!
Another man from the southern part of Tamilnadu, who claimed the fame of being the best finance minister in Asia once, is Chidambaram, the current finance minister of India, already brought his son Karthi Chidambaram into political scene.
G.K. Vasan and E.V.K.S. Elangovan, who are also central ministers in Indian government, are also enjoying the power of their fathers that they had in their parties. (Of the two, G.K. Vasan might be excused as he entered into politics after the demise of his father, G.K. Moopanar). The tow previous state leaders of Tamilnadu congress, late-Vallappadi Ramamoorthy and Krishnasamy did not forget their sons – Rama Suganthan and Vishnu Prasad – to make them walk on their foot prints.
Writing of the dynasty politics both on and under the district level will force me to write this essay into a book, and because of this I don't intend to write further about Tamilnadu politics, just for the sake of your time, readers!
The neighbouring union territory, Puducherry, has also witnessed "heir" chief ministers and ministers – the present chief minister V.Vaithiyalingam is the son of ex-chief minister Vankada subba Reddy and the present minister for education, Shajahan, the son of ex-central minister F.M.Faruk Maraikkayar.
Now, let us see in a nutshell about the impact of "dynasty politics" in other parts of India. The three neighbouring states of Tamilnadu - Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh - also suffer the fate of dynasty politics. The senior congressman in Kerala, K. Karunakaran, had the courage to start a political party under his leadership just for the sake of his son, Muraleedharan. In Karnataka, the former "farmer" prime minister of India, Deva Gowda, found (and tried to find) ecstasy in seeing his son, H.D. Kumaraswamy as the chief minister of the state, and now, his daughter-in-law Anita Kumarasamy is an MLA representing Madhugiri constituency. N.T. Rama Rao of Andhra Pradesh managed to become the chief minister of the state just within nine months after starting a political party for himself and gave to his wife, Parvathi, both the party and his position in government when he kicked the bucket. Now that his nephew Chandrababu Naidu is the leader of the party is another story altogether. The late chief minister Rajasekara Reddy's son Jaganmohan Reddy is a sitting MP for Kadapa Lok Saba constituency.
Northern states are also not exception for dynasty politics. In Maharashtra, we have Paul Thackeray and his son Uttav Thackeray. The supremeo of the Nationalist Congress Party Sharad Pawar and his daughter Supriya Sule are the central minister in the present UPA coalition government. His nephew Ajit Pawar is already "ornamenting" as a minister in the Ashok Chavan-led Congress-NCP coalition government. The present Chief Minister of Maharashtra is also a product of the son-rise syndrome. He is the son of former chief minister S.B.Chavan. The 2009 Maharashtra assembly election is to come providing yet another good and strong base for dynasty politics. Vilasrao Deshmukh, who was the chief minister of Maharastra and the current Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises in the present congress government managed to get a seat for his son Amit to contest from Latur city constituency and another ex-chief minister of Maharastra Shinde, for his part, got a seat for his daughter Praniti for Solapur city central. Rajendra Shekhawat, son of President Pratibha Patil, has already been nominated from Amravati constituency. It is also expected that the Maharashtra's deputy CM Chhagan Bhujbal is of mind to see his son Pangaj Bhujbal as an MLA representing NCP. On the part of BJP, it is the turn for the late Pramod Mahajan's daughter, Poonam Mahajan-Rao to get the seat and contest the election. BJP general secretary Gopinath Munde raised many eyebrows getting three seats for his daughter, son-in-law and niece. He seemed to have forgotten the fact that the state has 288 seats in total.
In Bihar, We have Lalu Prasad Yadav and his wife Rabri Devi. Rajasthan witnessed her first woman chief minister, Vasundhara Raje, whose no-more mother Vijayaraje Scindia served the both houses of the Parliament as MP and his late brother as MP and minister in the congress-ruled government. In Jammu and Kashmir, We have the former Chief Minister Faruk Abdullah and his son Umar Abdullah, the present chief minister, and the former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and his daughter Mehbooba Mufti Sayeed, who is the opposition party leader in the present assembly.
The list extends and will extend. But, as a citizen of India, it is our duty to vote them in every election. Long live DEMOCRACY! (Last updated 25/09/09)
Economy of any country is determined by its workforce and natural resources it has, and India is not an exception for this. India having a history of cultural richness is now taking decisive steps to set its foot on the so-called developed world, and is already taking the lead in the developing countries along with the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries. But the question that is almost unassailable is whether India will survive its economy without its highly educated workforce.
India has a rich-in-knowledge workforce, and it is obvious from the fact that the countries like the USA, the UK and some others have outsourced jobs to and off shored their branches in India. It is always winning the race of getting outsourcing from foreign countries among other Asian giants like China, Philippines and Thailand and the fact that should not be forgotten is that it is because it has highly educated workforce. To keep this stand firm, India has to have the workforce in its hand.
It is no exaggeration to say that India has now shifted its attention from its natural resources to knowledge resources for its economy, and as is expected resulted in the positive. Institutions like IITs, IIMs and Universities all over India keep on contributing in creating educated minds. It is estimated in a survey that around 5,000 PhDs pass out every year and about 300,000 engineering students graduate annually in India. Yet the thing that is threatening India is the acute shortage of talents in the fields of science, engineering and technology India is to face in the future, or to put in simple term, India is going to suffer the brain drain in the very future.
What is brain drain? Brain drain, also called human capital flight, is defined as the migration of educated workforce to a foreign country, almost with the intention settling there permanently. A 1969 UNESCO report describes brain drain as an abnormal form of scientific exchange between countries, characterized by a one-way flow in the favour of the most highly developed countries. Brain drain can occur either when individuals who study abroad and complete their education do not return to their home country, or when individuals educated in the home country emigrate for higher wages or better opportunities (thanks Wikipedia). Of the two kinds of brain drain, the erstwhile is less severe when compared to the second as the second exploits the intellect gained from the home country to earn for foreign countries.
India had once the history of having excess of workforce and produced in more abundance economists, statisticians, etc. that it could provide with jobs. According to a report, there were around 75,000 unemployed engineers in India in 1965. Let the past live in the past. L.M. Naik of L & T was told to have reported in 2005 that his company requires 2,000 fresh engineers every year to keep up with the pace. It is the case of a single company, but India has big companies like this in thousands, both local and foreign. Suffered from brain overflow in the past, what is frightening India at present is brain drain. What caused this?
Occidental countries are always interested in utilizing the Indian intellect to make themselves richer than ever, and considering this godsend opportunity, the young educated Indian minds are yearning to earn their money in dollars. They are not, of course, seeking after impossibilities as they have acquired what foreign companies require, and get succeeded to secure for themselves jobs in foreign countries, forgetting their home land.
What are the measures to be taken to prevent this? What will be India’s future if this continues? Whether any law is to be implemented to prevent people going for work in foreign countries? All these questions become unnecessary if the every educated mind in India starts thinking of their own country and its development.
Dhanush, with his Yaradi Nee Mohini, set his foot in three subsequent hits. Although it is not an unusual story ever told in Tamil cinema, it is a deliberate attempt to delineate it in a different manner, with all things that satisfy the audience appetite.
Vasu (Dhanush), the only son of the teacher (Raguvaran), is on the job hunt, but of no avail. His inability to secure a job for himself in any organization earned him a bad name both at his home and outside. Frustrated with this, he comes into conflict with his father over trivial things. Life turned all of a sudden when he got selected in a company, where Geerthi (Nayanthara) was his trainer. His interview with Geerthi, who is the interviewer, fulfills its intention of making the audience laugh, along with such scenes as when Ganesh (Karnaas) is forced talk over phone to Geerthi telling her that Vasu is mad in love with her. Her rejection of love for Vasu saying that she already got engaged and is not in a position to even think of love results in great disappointment in Vasu and the incidents coming after in the demise of his father.
The second half of the movie concentrates absolutely on comedy, while gradually moving the story along the main line. Geerthi’s sister’s love at first sight for Vasu and the subsequent events form the comedy track. Regretting sorry for her rejection of Vasu’s love for her, the fiancé and the going-to-be bride in the morning embraces Vasu in the presence of uncle-going-to-be husband, Cheenu (Karthik Kumar), though without her knowledge. It is an unwritten law in any movie in any language that hero should take the hands of the heroine at the end. So happens here.
Raguvaran and the one played the role of Nayanthara’s sister in this movie deserve mentioning in a separate paragraph. Whether it is talking to his son trying to console him when Dhanush told him that his love was rejected, or talking to Nayanthara asking her to accept his son’s love, or drinking with Dhanush and uttering dialogues subsequently in his own style, he proves to be an impeccable actor. (But, it is unfortunate that Indian cine industry lost such an excellent actor.) Nayanthara’s sister makes the audience raise their brows with her performance. Comedy comes without hurdles in her acting. Mind refuses to accept that it is her debut movie.
The movie is not without its shortcomings – for example, making unknown the company’s name in which Dhanush is working to his friend where his fiancé, Nayanthara, is the trainer – but are vanished with the screenplay that makes the movie go smoother till the end.
Yuvan Shankar Raja has done his job well as usual, both in the songs and in the background music. Udit Narayan’s lisping voice and Hariharan’s mesmerizing tone in songs “Engeyo” and “Venmegam”, respectively, bind the hearts of listeners. Camera captures scenes perspicuously even at a misty dawn. Dhanush can be given a pat on his back for shedding his hero image for the sake of character he is playing and for accepting words as “night beggar”, though for cinema. Already being a hit for actor Vengadesh in Telugu film Aadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule, the director A. Jawahar helps Dhanush have a hat-trick with this movie.
In short, the movie is worth the money spending for the ticket.
Scientific advancements lead mankind to development or destruction?
Posted by Dhanabalakrishnan KWe live in a world of scientific advancements and innovations. Of course, science has played a vital role in changing our lives. We are no longer in the stone age, and everything in the world is almost made to be controlled by codings and programs. But, before taking pride in what science has achieved so far, we have to ask ourselves and answer the question, Whether scientific advancements led, leads and will lead mankind to development or destruction? (I use the word "science" to mean "scientific advancements" in the paragraphs to come.)
The answer, in my standpoint, will not be affirmative, and I am certain to corroborate my points with a number of events evident from the past. Though I agree to the fact that I have already mentioned that science has played a paramount part in changing our lives of every sort, we can find that science takes us on the destructive path, if we look into the so-called "developments" a little bit deeper.
We cannot ignore the fact that the middle of the twentieth century has seen the two World Wars which resulted in the deaths of millions of people and in which science in the form of the atom, the worst enemy of all times until human kind survives on the earth, helped increase the death toll. Hiroshima and Nagasaki recorded themselves in the history as the first victims for atom bombs. Science strengthens the atom bombs in various and sundry forms now. But the world is still to see several wars!
An oft-quoted and almost all the times lauded notion about science that it has increased the longevity of people's lives through innovations in medicines. It should not be forgotten that the advancements in medicines cure us through decorated tablets and pills, but finally result in the so-called side effects. Science heals us to kill!
One of the most important things that troubles the mankind is man’s attempt to making the man himself through cloning. Imagine a man with a face similar to that of your own, sharing your same characteristics, walking around, speaking with you. Even thinking of such thing is disturbing the whole mankind. It is not such a thing that can just be tolerated as this is absolutely against Nature. What is more!
Machine replace men in every filed, and the impact of it is severe in agriculture, especially in countries like India, resulting in the unemployment of several in the villages. The “backbones” (coolies) are now broken with the advent of machines, ever making them remain the same with the innovations in the existing ones. Natural fertilizers are no longer in use, and those who use it, at least in some places, are seen just “illiterates”. We reap the benefit within months, eventually making us eat just junk(s).
The world witness every second an accident, a wreck or a crash, on the land, in the water or over the sky. Science has made not only the things cheaper, but also the human lives. Advancements in transportation decrease the distance to hell. Rapid growth in scientific advancements result the people to lose their lives rapidly. And it will be no exaggeration to say that journeys are undertaken now not with the feeling of enjoyment, but with the fear of saving lives. One cannot be sure to go back home!
I may sound in this essay as against the scientific advancements, which is not true. While agreeing with the fact that science enables our lives and works easier, we cannot just ignore the negatives, which I aimed writing in this essay. Though there is lot more to be discussed over this issue, I have confined myself within limits, trying in this essay to define some of the devastating effects of the so-called scientific advancements.
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Not all born on the Earth earn fame for his name, either in the political world or in the business world. Not all who earned fame in either of these be the source of inspiration for the younger generation. But the essay is about a man whose name hits Google in an unimaginable way 14,000 times, and for whom fame is not a sought-after, instead awards--whether it is India’s Padma Bhushan, or a honorary doctorate in business administration by the Ohio State University, or honorary doctorate in Technology by the Asian Institute of Technology, or honorary doctorate in Science by the University of
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Not for nothing is culture a good thing to adopt in our lives
Posted by Dhanabalakrishnan KCulture is to a nation as heart is to a human being. Have you ever imagined any living creature without a backbone of its own? Certainly not! It would be apt to call culture the backbone of any nation. The word “culture” having its root from the Latin word “Cultura” means "to cultivate". It is the thing which cultivated the stone-age man and turned him to sophisticated man.
Culture is always defined as a set of general customs or belief of a particular group of people or any nation or a part of a nation. To put it in simple terms, it is “the way of life of an entire society”. It is almost always applied to the way people are to behave or to lead their life, to the manners, customs and beliefs, albeit applied to other forms such as art, literature, film, painting, sculpture and theater.
Every nation has its own culture. Among the European nations,
The Tamils (an ethnic group that form the southern part of
Culture has changed a lot nowadays. There is no gender discrimination between people. The advent of science made its impact in the every sphere of people’s lives and also in their culture. Cinema has its devastating effect in making the culture go on the way of wrack and ruin. Cultural dress like sarees and dhotis are replaced by churidhars and pants. T-shirts and jeans become a common thing for both men and women. I am not here to say that such kind of changes should not be welcomed, but not affecting the roots of culture.
Of course, everything in this world is subject to change except the word “change” itself, and it is acceptable that it is ineluctable to have changes in the basics of culture because of the factors like “contact between societies” and “changes in the natural environment”, but not at the cost of culture itself. For, culture, according to a critic, is “the best that has been thought and said in the world”, and it is our duty and responsibility to save it from the so-called fashions of the modern era.
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Beauteous to behold is the placid place,
And blessed with bliss is the bird and its race,
That rummages through the ramages of the trees,
To peck the fruits scrumptious in the gentle breeze.
The brook flowing beneath is glowing in gloaming,
Flinging pebbles small slowly on its moving;
And whisper with rustling all through its route,
In the air, the Cuckoo’s poised canorous note.
The well-spring of glee in my weird world,
Winding-down worries from my wearied mind and sad;
Wither you flit, blithe and blissful bird,
Wake I am the ecstatic songs thine to be heard.
No shifts for you to work, ye happy bird,
Nor to meet the evenings ever tired;
No dinner in hungry stomachs to gorge,
Nor have you the peccable minds to forge.
Wake we to work and work, and work till night,
With all our endless efforts and might,
And rest we in beds a little while to make
The tired minds and bodies afresh, Lo! again to wake.
Fly away and bring me into your blissful region,
From the land perilous with farragoes legion;
Or come out to make my dull soul be shone,
From your coppices dark and fully-grown.
Ye, enchorial to the ever ecstatic world,
Take me to live ever in thine joyous shade;
Cos, agonizing is the life here and there,
As the Ten Plagues occurring altogether.
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O, my beloved, be with me forever,
Let us prove to the world
The ecstasies infinite yet undiscovered.
Come my Love, I will get for you
The heavenly apples from the Hesperides.
Or gift you gathering the sands all
Stained with gold from the Pactolus filled.
O, the Helen of the heart of mine,
Let us bid Daedalus to fashion
The feathered-wings to be fixed,
And wander with clouds the world around,
And make those under the sun dumb-found.
Or grab with Athena's harness golden
The Pegasus from the Hippocrene and fly.
O, the walking perennial beauty enviable,
Let us order Apollo to speed up
His day chariot to driving it fast;
And get us hurt from the Cupid's bows
To feel the painful pleasures of nights.
And asking Aurora to be ever at rest
And find we in Love the finest and best.
Hark to me, my honied heart, to the words
Of the willing slave of your winking eyes;
'Come live with me and be my love'.
We shall dine upon the Idunn's apples ever
In the elation-filled Elysian fields,
To be ebullient with eternal youth, and find
The dimwitted Tithonus felt jealous-found.
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