NEW ARTICLE IN VIJAYKARNATAKA 28-9-2010

Hi,

Intelligent youth of present day are increasingly becoming cynical because of the incidents amongst us. This is more decelerating for the nation as a whole. In the midst of this absolute cynicism, we often find, marvels such as E.Sridharan aka Metro Sridharan, who defy their age and go on to prove themselves forever. Any amount of acclaim is not sufficient for people like Sridharan.

Should not the present youth consider people like him as true role models? Pls read my writeup appeared in today's Vijay Karnataka.

Best

S.Sureshkuamr

A reward of ultimate contentment!

That was a little effort, which succeeded in bringing smiles on the faces of those little kids. I know, they were the smiles of absolute contentment.

As part of my follow up of Dasara preparations, I was in Mysore yesterday.  After a host of meetings, it was around three in the afternoon, we went to Chamundi hills to oversee the plans afoot. In the midst of the discussions with Officers, I happened to see a bunch of School children with their teachers wearily looking at us. 200 children, all of them had come to Mysore from different government schools of Turuvekere taluk of Tumkur district as part of their “CHINNARA PRAVASA” an annual program, every school follows as part of its curriculum. Although, there was an excitement on those little faces, I somehow felt the smiles were incomplete. In fact, the teachers and those children had even a photo snap session with me. I spoke to some of them, and tried to know the reason for those incomplete smiles.  It was only when I insisted, I came to know, that these kids were starving for food for quite some time as already the DASOHA timings were ended. DASOHA is a daily ritual organized by the temple authorities for all and sundry who visit the place. The teachers had a plan to reach the place early, take darshan of deity as soon as possible and get food for their students there itself. All their plans had taken for a toss as they had come little late. As many as 200 poor children, they could not afford hotels too. And the result, children were left high and dry! The scene of those starving hapless kids and helpless teachers was heartrending.  Stirred, I called up the temple authorities and instructed that these children had to be taken care of immediately.

Half an hour, the children were sitting before the plates relishing the much needed food.  I went up to them curiously to just see if the smiles were back on their faces. Glittering, yes few of them were so excited; they reached up to me and said "thank you" in their own innocent ways. The contentment on those innocent faces was really relieving for me and left me in high spirits for the rest of the day.

These kinds of incidents are all the more rewarding more than any other things!

DISEASED MINDS IN THE SYSTEM GIVE A JOLT TO COMMON MAN- An instance of message sent well

Each district of the State has an In-charge Minister. Presently, I look after Tumkur and Mysore districts. Once in three months, I review the progress of developmental works happening in the respective Districts, in what is known as KDP meeting. MLAs , MLC’s, MPs, Zilla Panchayat President, members, and all officers participate in the meeting.

Yesterday (31.8.10) I was in Tumkur to chair one such KDP meeting. We took up many issues, reviewed Action Taken Reports for the decisions taken during previous meeting, and directed specific actions on various subjects... It was an intense meeting which stretched beyond 5 hours.

Right after the meeting press friends asked few questions which went on well too. Just when I was busy answering, a Journalist came up to me with an issue which made me really furious. He disclosed the indecent attitude of an Executive Officer of a Taluk, who had come to attend the meeting. While everyone is supposed to be all his ears in an important meeting as this, this Officer was quite aloof ‘enjoying’ lewd pictures of females on his mobile. As a proof of it, the Journalist showed the scene caught on his camera.

It left me wild and annoyed. I went up to him, clasped his mobile, handed it over to the Police and later questioned him for his indecent behavior. In jitters, he was shocked. The sudden trap, left him dumbfounds. Obviously, he couldn’t defend himself. A man in his late forties he was, as an Executive Officer, has the serious responsibility of overseeing all the development works of a Taluk. But he must have felt, this meeting was not for him, instead was a time to derive this kind of boorish contentment. My irritation knew no bounds. I took him to task, and thankfully, I could restrain my anger. I decided to suspend him immediately, and ordered for an enquiry.

But that didn’t leave me satisfied at all. What is more afflicting is the growing tribe of such cranky, morally insensitive and otherwise corrupt babus which is increasingly proving a bane for the Government machinery and in turn for the Society. It pains even more, to mention, common man too is not taking these kinds of issues seriously as well and instead treats this as just a matter of joke.

I believe all the Political leaders, should at least resolve to proceed against such characters and never to shield such perverts. The Society is keen to see people at the helm with foresight, savvy, and if possible, some accountability. It is a daunting task, yet, we must revisit to retain our societal sanity.