Topic started by Mani M. Manivannan on Mon Feb 14 18:28:18 .
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

The verdict against one of the accused in the disproportionate wealth case is expected tomorrow.

http://www.the-hindu.com/stories/0415223j.htm

If this guy is convicted, there won't be any riots on the streets; but it might indicate that JJ's may end up with a similar fate. Hopefully, the police would be better prepared to handle any attempt by JJ's supporters to riot.

Besides these, if JJ is convicted and ends up going to jail and Lallu, Narasimha Rao, Advani and other luminaries actually face the music, won't it send a message to the political and administrative classes that their party is over? But I doubt if that would happen. And that would be an even stronger message to the political class - even if you get caught and sentenced, you still don't spend time in the jail and you get to keep the money - well that is an invitation to rob the people blind. And if the people still elect those robbers, the deserve what they get

Responses:

• From: Paneermasala (@ 195.224.238.98) on: Tue Feb 15 06:49:22 EST 2000
  
  Mani: Give me your address and wait for the "Auto's" to arrive... :):):)
  
  
• From: Sugrutha (@ 1cust253.tnt3.rahway.nj.da.uu.net) on: Wed Feb 16 12:49:51 EST 2000
  
  ManivaNNan,
  
  Your last sentence, "They deserve what they get" hit the nail on the head.
  
  But who is "they" - the educated You and Me. Not my auto-driver friend Paulraj (name changed) from Chennai, who actually casts the vote for these people.
  
  Everyday, for a year I and Paulraj would discuss politics as I travelled to office in his auto. He was at that time shifting loyalties from JJ to MK (via Rajnikanth). I did not critisize his beleifs, but tried to make him more objective in his premises. One day he said "Amma, nAnga YAradhan nambaNumnu sollreenga. Idho, ivvalavu pEsareenga, neenga En electionla nikkale. JJ thappu panna, Mkkku vote pOduvOm. Mk thappu paNNunA JJkku pOduvom. EngaLukku indha rendu katchiyadhAn theriyum.". "En Paulraj, Revathikku vote podungaLen". "Avanga ippadi thideernu ninna naanga eppadi vote podaradhu. Munna pinna avangalaiyo avanga saarndha katchiyo engakitta pEsiyirukkAngaLa. Neenga nillunga, ungalukku vote mattumilla prachAramum seiyyaren. Nalla padichu pEsaravanga ellam officekku poyiduveenga, illa America poyiduveenga, nAnga edho enga budhikku ettunamAdhiri seyyarom." He meant it.
  
  Now tell me, does Paulraj desrve JJ or MK ? Who let him down - he himself ? JJ ? MK ? You ? Me ?
  
  
• From: Mani M. Manivannan (@ pc-242-61.corp.3com.com) on: Wed Feb 16 14:29:49 EST 2000
  
  Sugrutha,
  
  I don't share your optimism regarding well-educated candidates. After all Narasimha Rao, Jayalalitha, Subramaniyam Swamy, Rajiv Gandhi had much better education than most people.
  
  If Paulraj is serious about wanting better leaders, he shouldn't be looking at a class of people who deserting India. He has to find the leadership among the people. He knows what issues are important to him. An engineer or a doctor may not even be able to relate to his issues.
  
  Paulraj may have friends living in a platform shanty town. The engineer might think of these as eye sores and attempt to remove them without providing alternatives. The aspirations of the middle class differ from the poor ones.
  
  Paulraj must attempt to reform his ward politics. If he is willing to campaign for a person who rides his vehicle, why can't he campaign amongst his friends for a better leader, better policy. Soon, he might find that he himself has become a leader. That is OK. As long as he remembers where he came from and serves his constituency, the country will benefit.
  
  
• From: Sathish (@ mesquite.eas.asu.edu) on: Wed Feb 16 16:55:08 EST 2000
  
  I think Narasimha Rao is already out of all cases.
  
  
• From: Sugrutha (@ 1cust154.tnt1.rahway.nj.da.uu.net) on: Wed Feb 16 17:31:07 EST 2000
  
  ManivaNNan,
  
  You misunderstood me completely. I did not catogarise JJ or MK as 'educated' people. The theives that they are, they still managed to get elected. I just was analysing the 'how's of it.
  
  And Paulraj did not talk of middle-class educated people deserting him and his likes just by leaving India. He says that those who have remained in India have also deserted them.
  
  You say "An engineer or a doctor may not even be able to relate to his issues. Paulraj may have friends living in a platform shanty town. The engineer might think of these as eye sores and attempt to remove them without providing alternatives. The aspirations of the middle class differ from the poor ones."
  
  This is exactly what I keep wailing about. How can the moddle-classes distance themselves from the issues in such a pathetic way ? Cant you see that that is really the problem ?
  
  
• From: Mani M. Manivannan (@ pc-242-61.corp.3com.com) on: Wed Feb 16 19:02:29 EST 2000
  
  Sugrutha,
  
  Not really. That is just human nature. In the U.S., daughters and sons of laborers and immigrants are now largely anti-union and support the Republicans. Grand-children of the great depression era citizens are hostile to the new deal and great society policies. Social security was once sacro sanct to those old timers and liberals. Today, their children are likely to be neo-conservatives. (There is no such thing as compassionate conservatism. ;-))
  
  Besides, the Indian milieu is fragmented by caste. There is no such thing as a stable community of shared minds and shared interests. How many middle class people identify with an autorickshaw driver or a housemaid? What do people see in a beggar? Their own kith and kin? What percentage of the dirt poor, homeless, slum dwellers, beggers belong to the upper castes? There is really no empathy towards the unfortunate poor. There is at best an attitude of noblesse oblige.
  
  
  
• From: Sugrutha (@ 1cust71.tnt5.rahway.nj.da.uu.net) on: Thu Feb 17 21:51:21 EST 2000
  
  Ah, Manivannan, all roads lead to Caste, dont they ?
  
  There is no need for empathy. Just a broader perspective that includes reasonable well-being of the society for the well-being of the self in the long run.
  
  Many people write that with India's economic upswing, Caste and Poverty will be annhilated automatically.
  
  Pray why do you see poverty in the U.S then ? The economy has never been this good before. If this was not the time to eradicate poverty, then when ?
  
  As for India, most people relate wealth creation to economic prowess and clout. I differ. This is the malady with not just India, but all developing countries at large. For all the education that we have we are no bettter than the African countries, politically.
  
  Despite their immense wealth, what political powers are Saudi Arabia or Kuwait really ?
  
  My humble submission is that unless our middle-classes, Engineers, Doctors, Academecians etc. become politically active, India can never exercise her clout using her wealth.
  
  
• From: Newsman (@ london-hse-ppp3539479.sympatico.ca) on: Tue Dec 4 07:49:08
  
  NEWSFLASH:
  
  Jaya and Sasikala are acquitted in the TANSI case.
  
  
• From: Politician (@ cache8.156ce.maxonline.com.sg) on: Sat Mar 13 05:03:36
  
  Huh There is no other Court than "SUPREME COURT" for DMK to Appeal again ?
  
  Only People has to give Judgement , but our people have any brains ?( they always forget all also exactly in election time )
  
  And will elect the same Corrupt people.
  
  
• From: Surya (@ cache-ntc-ad02.proxy.aol.com) on: Sat Mar 13 15:10:32 EST 2004
  
  Jayalalitha is great. NO one files court cases on KK if they did, then the court wouldn't have enought time to deal with all of them. Stalin himself should have like 90 rape cases on him, since when he was in his 20's, and 30's.
  
  

Want to post a response?