Topical

Sunday Column 03-09-2023

One of my readers sent me a message saying that he was missing this Sunday’s article. Sorry for the delay. Here is why.

Both me and my better half were down with, you know what, cough and cold. This virus is currently spreading all across the households like a wildfire. Once it reaches your home, it infects everyone in the house. Is it some remnant covid virus? Who knows? I mean, WHO should know. I am tempted to ask our government to declare month of September as (sic) “Cough and Cold Month”.

Now that I have been enjoying my retired life for some time, with reasonably good mental, physical, and fiscal wealth, I can look back at my past in a sort of detached way. I came from a lower middle class family, and went through quite a bit of struggle to reach here. I am sure most of my peers went through similar challenges in their lives. Through hard work, most of us are now able to give all those things to our kids, which we could not afford at that age.

This brings me inevitably, to today’s politics and the politicians. Take a look at what is happening around us. All the politicians are rolling in money. Particularly, the sons and daughters of the politicians.

One year back, the MVA government, although formed against the wishes of general public was brought down. For about a month, 40-50 MLAs toured Surat, Guwahati and Goa, staying in five star resorts all along. Not a single person is curious about the question of footing the bill for such a ‘pilgrimage’, which must have run into crores of rupees.

Recently we had the spectacle of 27 opposition parties holding their meeting in a five star hotel in Mumbai. All the leaders, the champions of the poor people, stayed there for 2-3 days, splurging money. Who paid for the crores spent?

As soon as the meeting ended, trouble started in Jalna, Maharashtra. How convenient that all leaders could peacefully enjoy their five star stay. Next day, everyone makes a beeline to Jalna. Is it Jalna, or jalana, meaning burn it?

Tell me, which common man moves around with a match box, couple of petrol drums and few rubber tires, not to mention some handy stones? On concrete roads, try and find stones to throw. No way.

Coming to the issue itself, we already have 50% reservation. It cannot and should not be increased further. I firmly believe in reservation on economic criteria, if at all reservation is needed. When reservation was implemented, it was supposed to be only for ten years. All political parties simply overlook this point for their own good.

Tailpiece: I suspect, ABP maza, marathi news channel will soon start a special news bulletin of 15 minutes every hour on the hour, where the reporter will read out that days Samana news paper verbatim.

Shashank Purandare 04/09/2023