A TRIBUTE TO THE GREAT SAINT OF OUR TIMES

If there is one personality who is an inspiration to every youth of this land, it must be undoubtedly Swami Vivekananda. Millions and millions have been influenced by his life and his noble mission. Incidentally, Anna Hazare’s path of social reformation is an influence of this great saint. That being the case, it is my firm belief that we should bring Swami Vivekananda emotionally nearer to everyone and wherever it is possible. Government of Karnataka got an opportunity recently and it was done exactly what it was expected to.

Everyone knows that Belgaum City is a historical town. All India Congress Committee Conference that was held in 1924 here was presided by none other than Mahatma Gandhi. And that was the only time that Gandhiji presided a Congress session ever.  Very few know another significant feature of this City. In 1892, Swami Vivekananda, when he visited Belgaum for over a week stayed in a house. This house went on to become a centre of attraction for all the social and political leaders during the freedom movement. The road on which this house is situated is also named after him.

In fact, Mahathma Gandhi during his visit in 1924 stayed in this very own house. Many other eminent personalities also drew inspiration after their visit here. The entire house is a place of great historical importance and sanctity. And incidentally, this year happens to be Swami Vivekananda’s 150^th birth anniversary year.

Unfortunately in these days of real estate “allurement”, the historical value takes a backseat to commercial craving. One third of this house is owned by Ramakrishna Mission of Belgaum. But the owner of the remaining 2/3^rd of the property had his own ideas. Infact, the authorities of Ramakrishna Mission of Belgaum requested the owner to sell the remaining portion of the property to them so that entire property could be preserved. But the owner had refused the request saying he neither had an idea to sell it nor alienate it. A few days later, an advertisement in a vernacular daily made the intentions of the owner clear when he had announced his intentions to demolish it. The Ramakrishna Mission authorities were flabbergasted and the Swamiji of Ramakrishna  Ashram communicated to me the sinister design of the owner to demolish and probably come up with a commercial complex.

Being aware of the importance of the holy place, I immediately swung into action and instructed the officers to act. In less than 24  hours the Government Order was issued as per the provisions of concerned laws (Karnataka Town and Country planning act  1961) declaring the house as a "heritage site". The restoration and maintenance of the house will be taken up by the authorities concerned immediately and this place will soon become a centre of Inspiration in its real sense. Of course, the present owner will be compensated monetarily. He will be paid the guidance sum of the property by the Government itself.

I think that was the minimum one could have done from the Government’s side and I am happy the Government did it.

- S.SURESHKUMAR

RELIGION AND RITUALS - THE DIVERSITY AND THE INTEREST THEY OFFER

Religion is something which you live with your soul. Most diversified Country as ours, India is home to many religions and sects which follow different rituals in a bid to connect with the omnipotent.

Although I am not very ritualistic, I am always quite curious about the ways and the means people follow them. It was one such experience that I went through yesterday through one of my friends.

Jainism is a sect which prescribes the path of complete non violence. It advocates the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards consciousness. Here was a Sadhwiji called Sarveshwari Sri Yash Varji who must be in her late thirties sitting on a complete fast for the last 100 days. Mind you, she is surviving only on hot water and just that and she desires to complete 111 days of her Vrath. She hails from Nagpur and is a lady born to a very rich family. She has left every material pleasure of hers to take up sanyas. Her routine is that she keeps travelling through the whole of country barefooted spreading the message of Jainism. There were around 800 people who assembled to celebrate the 100^th day of Sadhwi’s fasting. Mind you, the Sadhwi was still able to stand up to wish the gathering.

It was quite an interesting experience for me which left me in high spirits. Felt I shared this piece with you.

S.SURESHKUMAR

Judgement reserved!

HOW DO YOU DECIDE THIS CASE IF YOU WERE TO BE A JUDGE? THIS ONE IS AN INTERESTING, HILLARIOUS ONE! AND SO ELOQUENT! 

In a small town, a person decided to open up a brothel, which was right opposite to a church. The church and its congregation started a campaign to block the brothel from opening with petitions and prayed daily against his business. Work progressed. However, when it was almost complete and was about to open a few days later, a strong lightning struck the brothel and it was burnt to the ground.The church folks were rather smug in their outlook after that, till the brothel owner sued the church authorities on the grounds that the church through its congregation and prayers was ultimately responsible for the destruction of his brothel, either through direct or indirect actions or means.In its reply to the court, the church vehemently denied all responsibility or any connection that their prayers were reasons for the act of God. As the case made its way into court, the judge looked over the paperwork at the hearing and commented:

"I don't know how I'm going to decide this case, but it appears from the paperwork, "we have a brothel owner who believes in the power of prayer and we have an entire church that doesn't."

S.SURESH KUMAR

WILL THE MENACE OF CORRUPTION END?

It happened yesterday in Chikmagalur District which is my 'Incharge' District. From 10 00 am to 1 00 pm, we had the review of Chikmagalur City Municipal Council. Then after lunch, inspected few places and then chaired a meeting to review the civil works progress at Datta Peeta. After the meeting, as I came down from the Deputy Commissioner's office, one of my friends brought before me a visually completely impaired person aged about 35-40 years. He was Chandrappa a villager from Tarikere Taluk. His Disability Pension has been stopped from July this year. He depends solely on this small amount of money.(Rs 1000/-per month) His many visits to the Village Accountant has not helped. Latest development was when one person approached this hapless man asking him to pay Rs 500/- to the village accountant as the necessary 'favor' to get the pension which is actually his right.   Chandrappa has become desperate. This poor man somehow managed to reach DC's office at Chikmagalur and incidentally came to my knowledge.

After hearing his sordid situation, I necessarily became furious. But instead of asking the DC to look into the case in the usual manner, I decided to take the matter myself. I made him to sit in my official car. I had a programme at Tarikere. I took this new victim friend of mine to Tarikere. On the way I came to know about his family and made him even to sing a song too.  He sang a beautiful prayer song on Ganesha. But his Vighna had not been resolved yet.

I had sent words to the local Tahsildar to make the delinquent Village Accountant to be present at my destination. Once I reached Tarikere circuit house, I exchanged pleasantries with our local MLA friend Sri DS Suresh and other persons. After my informal Interaction with my press friends I came out and that VA was brought before me. He was a young officer with a very long innings in this Govt service lying before him. As I had planned I asked the blind man to offer Rs 500/- (given by one of my friends earlier) to the village accountant in front of more than one hundred on lookers and the team of Taluk Officers and the local MLA. Words are not sufficient to explain the situation in the Circuit House then. Everyone was stunned. The village accountant stood crestfallen. I just asked the VA, what if he himself was to be that blind man in that hopeless situation. After some initial blah-blah excuses, the village accountant fell silent. Then I turned towards the concerned Assistant Commissioner and Tahsildar (incidentally both were lady officers) to see that Chandrappa gets pension immediately and this should serve all those responsible in this social welfare schemes a lesson. Then the on lookers came and said that this is the best lesson one could teach to these heart less officers who make the people hapless.

It is another matter that the Village Accountant will face necessary action and the disabled man will be sanctioned his pension immediately. But if I had lost  my cool and had done  some unpleasant act against that errant officer in my lost temper what would have been the immediate result. The  whole story would have become a negative story by the next hour and the real human angle would have gone missing. Obviously Anna (yes, i meanAnna Hazare) has obviously not reached   these merciless though young officers. The sight of the blind man and his bitter state of helplessness do not touch the chords even to the minimum extent.

It may appear as a solitary solution to a stray incident. One may ask, what as a person in authority I am doing to cleanse the entire system. That question is very  relevant and my answer is that I shall  continuously send this message wherever I go and or I am in charge that these inhuman attitudes will not be tolerated. Yes for me Corruption  more than anything else is 'Inhuman' pure and simple.

S.SURESHKUMAR