பெரியாரின் சீடர்கள்

இன்று மாலை, தொலைக்காட்சிப் பெட்டியில் செய்திகள் - 'கலைஞர்' சேனல். கண் கொள்ளாக் காட்சி. நடிகர் மற்றும் அ. இ.அ.தி.மு.க சட்ட மன்ற உறுப்பினர் எஸ்.வி.சேகர் ஈழத் தமிழர்களுக்காக நன்கொடை தருகிறார். உன்னிப்பாகக் கவனித்தால், அவர் அளித்த ஃபோல்டேரில் இந்திய நாட்டுக்கொடிப் பளிச்சிடுகிறது. அதற்குப் பிறகு அவர் கேமராவை நோக்கிப் பேசுகிறார். அவர் கழுத்தில் தங்கச் செயினும், பூணூலும் தெளிவாகத் தெரிகின்றன. இவற்றைப்பர்த்து நான் இன்பமாக இருந்த பொழுது அடுத்து அதிர்ச்சி இன்பம். கலைஞர் அவர்களின் அன்பு மகன், மு.க.ஸ்டாலின் தேவர் சிலைக்கு மாலை இடுகிறார். பூசாரி போன்று ஒருவர், விபூதியை அள்ளி அவர் நெற்றியில் பூசுகிறார். அவரும் சிரித்த படியே அதை ஏற்றுக்கொள்கிறார். சந்தோஷம், பரம சந்தோஷம். கடவுளே உன் லீலைகளை என்னென்று சொல்வேன்.

THE BLOODY HARVEST

TODAY I CAME HOME FOR LUNCH. AS MY WIFE WAS SERVING ME LUNCH, I SWITCHED ON THE TELEVISION AND THERE WAS “BREAKING NEWS”. THE NEWS WAS ABOUT THE SERIAL BOMBS IN ASSAM.

I WAS LOOKING AT THE TELEVISION SET AND LISTENING AS IF IT WAS ANOTHER MEGA SERIAL RUNNING. NOT A SERIAL BOMB IN MY MOTHER LAND. AFTER FEW SECONDS I CAME TO MY CONSCIENCE AND ASKED MYSELF

“WHAT AM I DOING?”

“HAVE I BECOME IMMUNE TO SUCH A DEADLY NEWS?”

“ARE MY FEELINGS THE SAME AS I HEARD THE NEWS AFTER THE BLASTS IN BANGALORE, AHMEDABAD AND DELHI?”

“DOES SUCH NEWS CAUSE NO SYMPATHY IN ME ANY MORE?”

I WAS TRYING TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS WHILE DRIVING BACK TO MY OFFICE. I WAS SURPRISED TO FIND LATER, NOT MORE THAN HALF A KILOMETER I PASSED THROUGH, AND I WAS BACK IN MY THOUGHTS ABOUT MY WORK AND TASKS TO COMPLETE LATER IN THE EVENING.

NOW BACK HOME, I SET MY THOUGHTS BACK ON THE SUBJECT.

IT IS WE, WHO HAVE CREATED THE PRESENT. THIS IS BOUND TO HAPPEN TO A COUNTRY, WHERE THE CITIZENS LACK PATRIOTISM. WHERE A LARGE NUMBER OF CITIZENS ARE CORRUPT IN THOUGHTS AND PRACTICE. ‘CHO RAMASWAMI’ – WRITER AND EDITOR IN TAMIL AND ENGLISH, SAID 3 OR 4 DECADES AGO, ‘WE WILL CHECK ALL CREDENTIALS BEFORE GETTING OUR DAUGHTERS MARRIED TO SOMEONE, BUT CHECK NOTHING BEFORE ELECTING OUR RULERS’.

OVER THESE 3, 4 DECADES, WE THE CITIZENS HAVE GROWN TO BE AS CORRUPT AS OUR POLITICIANS, TO THE EXTENT OF OUR STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS. THEREFORE WE HAVE NO QUALMS ABOUT SELECTING AND ELECTING CORRUPT LEADERS. THEY ARE ALL OURS, IN TRUE SPIRITS.

EARLIER THERE WERE CORRUPT POLITICIANS. TODAY WE HAVE CORRUPT CLERKS, CORRUPT OFFICERS, CORRUPT POLICEMEN, CORRUPT LAWERS, CORRUPT JUDGES, CORRUPT DOCTORS, CORRUPT ENGINEERS, CORRUPT ARMY MEN, AND CORRUPT CITIZENS. THEY ARE THERE EVERYWHERE. WE HAVE TO REAP WHAT WE DID SOW.

WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE BLOODY HARVEST! BY GIVING OUR LIVES. NOT IN A WAR AGAINST OUR ENEMIES. BY THE ENEMIES WE HAVE BUILT IN OUR OWN SELVES IN FREE INDIA.

BHARAT DESH MAHAN!
HUM SAB HINDUSTANI!
VANDE MATARAM!
JAI HIND!

THE UNLAWFUL CITIZENS OF AHMEDABAD

NANO CARS WILL ROLL OUT FROM THE CITY OF AHMEDABAD. THE CHIEF MINISTER THROUGH HIS VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS WILL ENSURE THAT THE CITY INFRASTRUCTURE IS UPGRADED CONSTANTLY. BUT THE ROAD RULE BREAKING AHMEDABADIS WILL NOT CHANGE. WHAT DO THEY DO ON THE ROADS - ON BUSY ROADS - SOME GLIMPSES

1. A OWNER/DRIVER, OR A PASSENGER IN AN EXPENSIVE CAR SLOWS DOWN THE CAR OR STOPS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, OPENS THE DOOR AND SPITS HIS PAN FILLED SALIVA.

2. 2 OR 3 BIKES MOVE TOGETHER PARALLELLY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD - WITH SCANT RESPECT TO THE PEDESTRIANS, CYCLISTS AND OTHER VEHICLE DRIVERS.

3. WHEREVER THERE IS A ROAD DIVIDER, AT TIMES, YOU WILL FIND MORE NUMBER OF VEHICLES DRIVING DOWN ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD.

4. INTERESTINGLY MANY OF THESE AHMEDABADIS VISIT/LIVE IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES, EUROPE, AMERICA AND OTHER CONTINENTS. ARE THEY EQUALLY RECKLESS THERE. I HOPE NOT.

5. WATCH THE AUTO RICKSHA CAREFULLY. EVEN IF HIS VEHICLE HAS AN INDICATOR, HE WILL NOT SWITCH THAT ON. HE WILL PUSH HIS WRITE LEG OUT TO INDICATE THAT HE IS TURNING TO THE RIGHT.

6. YOU CAN FIND A NUMBER OF UNLICENSED, SIDE CARS ATTACHED TO SCOOTERS. AND THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PASSENGERS CAN VARY FROM 3 TO 8 OR 9. UNCHECKED, UNSTOPPED, UNQUESTIONED ON A BUSY ROAD.

THE QUESTION IS WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH BETTER INFRA STRUCTURE AND MORE VEHICLES ON THE ROAD. WILL THE AHMEDABADIS WILL EVER LEARN CIVIC SENSE ON THE ROADS. I DOUBT, NOT, GIVEN THEIR HABITS.

ONE OF MY FRIENDS SAID "IF YOU DRIVE IN AHMEDABAD, YOU CAN DRIVE ELSE-WHERE". I SAID "NO-WHERE". IF YOU DO WHAT YOU DO ON AHMEDABAD ROADS, IN MAJOR CITIES, YOU WILL NOT EXIST TO SEE THE NEXT DAY.

YOU CAN EXPECT MORE PHOTOGRAPHS NEXT TIME.

RATAN DRIVES NANO DOWN TO AHMEDABAD

THE ‘MOU’ IS SIGNED. NANO PLANT IS COMING UP AT SANAND TALUKA IN AHMEDABAD DISTRICT. THE NAVRATRI FESTIVALS HAD MORE GLAMOUR WITH NANO COMING TO GUJARAT. BOMB-SCARE FORGOTTEN. PEOPLE THOROUGHLY ENJOYED, RATHER CELEBRATED THE NANO ENTRY.

THERE ARE FEW INTERESTING THINGS TO RECALL:
1. PARSIS, SAILED FROM IRAN TO INDIA. THEY PUT THEIR FIRST STEP ON THE INDIAN SOIL IN GUJARAT. OVER TIME THEY HAVE BECOME A PART OF GUJARATI CULTURE. THE OLDER PARSIS SPEAK GUJARATI FLUENTLY. THEY HAVE HIGH SENSE OF GRATITUDE FOR GUJARATIS FOR GENERATIONS DOWN FROM THE TIME THEY LANDED IN GUJARAT.

2. SHRI.RATAN’S GRANDFATHER JAMSHEDJI TATA DONATED RS.1000 DURING THE FAMINES IN THIS PART OF THE COUNTRY, FOR BUYING CATTLE FEEDS. A STONE PLACARD ERECTED AT THE SAME SPOT WHERE THE NANO PLANT WILL BE SHAPING UP DECLARES THIS.

3. WHEN TATAS DECIDED TO MOVE OUT OF SINGUR, SHRI.NARENDRA MODI SENT A SIMPLE MESSAGE TO SHRI.RATAN TATA “SWAGATAM”. EARLIER WHEN THINGS WERE GOING THROUGH A BAD PHASE FOR TATAS, MODI TALKED TO RATAN SEVERAL TIMES AND SHARED HIS CONCERN. NOT ONLY THIS, HE EXPRESSED THAT HE WISHES THAT NANO ROLLS OUT OF SINGUR AT THE EARLIEST. RATAN TATA WAS SURPRISED THAT AS A STATE C.M, HE NEVER TRIED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SITUATION. RATHER HE WISHED HIM GOOD AT SINGUR.

4. THE FARMERS AT SANAND, SOME OF THEIR LANDS NEEDED TO BE ACQUIRED FOR MAKING THE ROAD TO THE SITE, VOLUNTARILY HANDED OVER THE DOCUMENTS AND WERE PREPARED TO HELP MORE IF NEEDED. LUCKILY WE DO NOT HAVE A MAMTA IN GUJARAT.

5. FROM THE WORD GO, THAT TATAS WILL BE INTERESTED IN SHIFTING TO GUJARAT, ALL THE FORMALITIES, ALL THE PREPARATIONS FOR THE MOU, INCLUDING THE LEGAL PERSPECTIVES WERE EXECUTED IN TEN DAYS FLAT. LATER MODI MENTIONED THAT THE GUJARAT GOVERNMENT WORKED EVEN FASTER THAN TATA ITSELF.

6. LONG AGO THE ASSEMBLY UNIT OF AMBASSADOR, A BIRLA COMPANY SHIFTED FROM GUJARAT TO WEST BENGAL. GUJARATIS THOSE DAYS SAID “TATA” TO BIRLA AND WE SAY “WELCOME” TO TATA.

7. THE PEOPLE OF ‘SANAND’ CELEBRATED DIWALI IN ADVANCE. THEY FIRED CRACKERS, AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE. THEY HEARTILY WELCOMED RATAN AND THE NANO PROJECT. GUJARATI’S ARE JUBILIANT. PEOPLE OVERALL FEEL GREAT ABOUT THEIR CHIEF MINISTER.

மீண்டும் வேண்டும் விடுதலை

நான் 1947 க்குப்பிறகு பிறந்தவன். சுதந்திரப் போராட்டத்தைப் பற்றி நிறையப் படித்திருக்கிறேன். பெரியோர்கள் சொல்லக் கேடடு இருக்கிறேன். ஆனால் வருடம் செல்லச் செல்ல நல்மனம் கொண்டோர் மீண்டும் புத்துணர்வு பெற்று, புதிய விடுதலைப் போராட்டத்திற்கித் தேவையான உணர்வுகளைப் புதுப்பித்துக் கொள்ள வேண்டிய நேரம் வந்து விட்டது.

இன்றைய பெரியோர்கள் அதாவது, 1947 லிருந்து 1955 க்கு இடையில் பிறந்தவர்கள், தம் சிறு வயதில் சுதந்திரப் போராட்ட வீரர்களை நேரில் பார்த்தவர்கள், அவர்கள் பேசக்கேட்டவர்கள் இளைஞர்களை வழி நடத்த வேண்டும்.

இனிமேல் நடக்க வேண்டிய சுதந்திர போராட்டம், 1900 களில் நடந்த சுதந்திரப் போராட்டத்தை விட வலிமையானதாக இருக்க வேண்டும். ஏனெனில் இன்று நமது எதிரிகள் வெளி நாட்டவர்கள் அல்ல. நம் நாட்டு மக்கள். அரசியல்வாதி, அதிகாரி, வியாபாரி, குடும்பத் தலைவன், குடும்பத் தலைவி என்ற பெயர்களில், அயோக்கியத் தனத்திற்கும், அநியாயத்திற்கும், ஊழல் செயல்களுக்கும் துணை போகும் நாணயம் இழந்த மக்கள்.

இவர்கள் எல்லாரிடமுமிருந்து வேண்டும் மீண்டும் ஒரு சுதந்திரம். மீண்டும் தலை தூக்கட்டும் ஒரு "விடுதலைப் போராட்டம்".

NANO TO GUJARAT

FROM SOME NEWS PAPER REPORTS IT APPEARS, THAT THE 'NANO' PLANT IS MOVING TOWARDS GUJARAT. GUJARATIS ARE JUBILIANT. MODISAB IS ON TOP OF THE WORLD. IT APPEARS THAT ONLY THE LAST MOVE IS PENDING TOWARDS THE PLANT SHIFTING TO SANAND TALUKA VERY CLOSE TO AHMEDABAD. IF THAT HAPPENS, A POINT WON FOR 'GAURAV GUJARAT' AND SEVERAL POINTS TO THE CHIEF MINISTER OF GUJARAT MR.NARENDRA MODI. AFTER ALL HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN WORKING FOR GUJARAT VIKAS AND GUJARAT GAURAV.

TAIL PIECE: 'MARI PASE NANO CHE' IN GUJARATI MEANS 'I HAVE A NANO'. BUT IF THESE GUJARATI WORDS ARE TRANSLATED WORD TO WORD, IT SAYS "I HAVE A SMALL ONE".

COMMUNISM COMES FULL CIRCLE

WHAT A GREAT DAY TODAY! THE GREAT COMMUNIST PARTY - MARXIST, THE FOLLOWERS OF KARL MARX WENT ON A STRIKE IN SUPPORT OF THE NANO FACTORY. THAT IS IN SUPPORT OF THE GREAT CAPITALIST OF THE COUNTRY SHRI.RATAN TATA. ALL COMRADES WERE SITTING ON THE ROADS AND SHOUTING, PROBABLY FOR THE FIRST TIME, NOT FOR SHUTTING A PLANT, BUT FOR REOPENING A NEARLY SHUT FACTORY.

I HAVE A CYNICAL PLEASURE THINKING THAT A CONGRESS PARTY HEAD MADE THIS HAPPEN. I MEAN 'TRINAMOOL CONGRESS'. THE WORD 'CONGRESS' IN HER PARTY'S NAME, MAKES ME FEEL TOO GOOD ABOUT THE EPISODE.

I READ KARL MARX WHEN I WAS YOUNG. MY UNDERSTANDING OF HIS PHILOSOPHY SEEMS TO BE INCORRECT IN THE PRESENT CONTEXT. CAN SOME COMMUNIST LEADER HELP PEOPLE LIKE ME UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF COMMUNISM CORRECTLY. MAY BE BY WRITING A BOOK WITH THE TITLE "THE MODERN COMMUNISM"

தமிழன் புகழ்

கம்பன் அன்று படித்தான் - இன்றோ
சும்பனுக்கும் சிலை வடிக்கிறான்
பாரதியை வாய் நிறைய புகழ்ந்தான் - இன்றோ
பச்சைப்பொருள் பாடலாசிரியனை
புலவர்களின் தலைவெனென்கிறான்
கண்ணகியின் நெறியைப் புகழ்ந்தான் - இன்றோ
காசுக்கு உடை களையும் கதா நாயகிகளுக்கு
கோவில் கட்டுகிறான்.

தமிழ் வளர்ந்து விட்டது, தமிழன் உயர்ந்து விட்டான் .