My experience during the Chennai deluge

     

       Well, I and my family (my parents) had to go to Chennai because it was requisite to some of my things and the date fell exactly on the days of flood. My brother who was already at Chennai informed us it wouldn’t be a good idea as the authorities had given a warning for heavy rains. Chennai faced heavy rains a week back too, that too made headlines, so we were kind of thinking anything would be manageable. And we are from Kerala and rain; small, medium or large is a daily affair for us. But that time when we started our journey on the first of December we had no idea what we were going to confront.

       We are middle a class family, so when we think about a Chennai journey it will always be a train journey (this time I’m happy that we haven’t even think about airlines as people who went to Chennai by planes rounded above Chennai and went back to their places). This was the first time we booked for AC births, just because we couldn’t get any sleeper tickets, but that too turned out to be a blessing, I will tell you later how. It was a smooth journey till 2^nd December morning, if I say exactly till 7am in the morning. Train was on time and we were expected to reach Chennai around 10am. But the train stopped at some station (think it is Jollarpet) and had no intention to move further. Soon my brother called and said he had no clue what was happening at Chennai but whatever it was not good. He said there was continuous rain all night, but where he stayed things were okay other than power and water failures. Soon other passengers started to show pictures of flooded areas at different places and we heard the aerodrome had been closed. After 2 hour wait train moved to the next station, and then the process continued till 2pm (move and stop, rest for hours).

       At 2pm we were at Katpadi and the signs were not at all good. I’m not a control freak but I became restless, I need to be at Chennai before 9 am in next morning. Some compatriots who were working in railway assured me the train would easily reach there before that. We got news that no trains from yesterday night reached the station yet. Again I was consoled that this train had to reach the station because of some technical issue and then only it can go back. And another train which came from Bengaluru stopped at the same station and transferred all the passengers into our train strengthened that assumption. As time passed everybody became nervous and all of us knew there was nothing good going to happen. My brother called again and asked whether it was necessary to come and gave us alternate number in case of not getting his. He said everything is blocked so he was not sure how we going to manage there. And he said he was not sure about the hotel rooms booked for us as they were not attending calls and he was going to the hotel to check that.

        At 4.30pm restlessness turned into chaos. The station announcement instructed all the passengers to move to another train which was going to come at another platform. And we picked everything jumped out of the train and ferociously ran towards the coming train. We could find seats to just sit as we were booked for AC seats. And our new train then was carrying passengers of four trains. And fortunately that train didn’t halt for long compared to the last one even though this was a bit slow. My brother had been waiting for us there at the station for hours then informed us that the authorities got no clue when the train would come or at which platform. And he said the hotel we were chose to stay was under water and there was no chance of finding new one then. The only one thing that comforted us that if we would be able to reach Chennai central before 10 pm we could go by local train to my brother's flat which is a little bit away from Chennai. But if we couldn’t make to Chennai before 10 then we had to forget that because there was no bus service and the local train service stops at 10. Time passed. At 9.30 we called my brother and asked him to go as we were not sure about the train time. We said we would stay at the station and manage till morning. And at 10pm we reached some station and got the information that train wouldn’t go to Chennai central and we had to alight there or go to beach station by that train. We chose to be at the station and called my brother; he became frantic and told us to find some hotels to stay. The railway police officer who travelled with us made all efforts to find a stay for us but all in vain. We were so fortunate that the staff of the nearest hotel allowed us to sit there till 12 in the midnight and took the hardship to make hot water for us. And then we somehow solved the puzzle of that night’s stay.

        There was a girl travelled with us from Kerala to Chennai, a lone traveler whose first ever train adventure turned into a tragedy then, she always stick with us throughout the delays and train changing. Her relative and a friend who made efforts for hours succeed in reaching us finally; they said it was a battle through waters in all the way. We took another half an hour to finalise an auto rickshaw with a whopping 4 digit fare to take us to the quarters they offered us for a stay at night. Since the two taking us to the destination knew and met all the hurdles on the journey to the station had diverted the driver to safer paths whenever it required. After 1am in the morning we reached at our stay, a rare place in Chennai where still got electricity and water. We made a plan for morning and let know my brother all details. We were so lucky that we could find such people in our journey otherwise our fate would be same as people who wandered in the waters of Chennai that night.

         We were happy to see a clear sky in the morning and departed for my brother’s place after 7am. It took some time to make the auto driver agree to take three of us to there as the place is near fully flooded adayar. Last night during our travel we were able to see only 3 waterlogged areas, so we were like the flood news was a hyped one. But then on wards our perception, especially mine on the flood was clearly changed. After reaching the apartment my brother convinced my dad that he, his friend and I would go to the place I need to go and our parents would stay at that place. Then at 8.20 am, to a place 20 minutes journey from where I stood, we got into an auto on agreeing on Rs 250which was 5 times of usual fare. Then it was time for me to see the flood for the first time in my life. Everywhere we went we were instructed no way forward, and had to go back. And that happened for more than 1 hour and 15 reverse gear actions. Auto driver was almost given up on us and the fare then stood at 500 Rs. But I think he was sympathetic towards me as I was looking at the watch and finding the time was elapsing. The driver drove through full water logged areas and finally we saw the sign board of the place I intend to reach. When I was hoping into the premise, my brother and his friend were talking to the driver who charged us 700 Rs then. When I came back after finishing my job there successfully I got to know that the dispute with driver settled on Rs 550.

      Then we wanted to go to Chennai central to check on the train availability for us to get back to Kerala. Well, we had reserved sleeper coach tickets for 3.15pm train on the 3^rd. But as for then we knew there was no chance for that train to go on the scheduled time. And my brother told me to leave Chennai as soon as possible and try to reach Kerala somehow. Even though the entry point from Tamilnadu to Kerala is Palaghat which is northern Kerala, he said we could easily go to Kollam our native in Sothern Kerala by some other trains. So to enquire about trains to Kerala at the railway station we took a Broadway bus. The way to Chennai central was the worst ever seen I have seen in my life. Everywhere, you see water, train in water, buses in water, vehicles in water, animals in water, and people in water. God! That was mayhem. And when we reached the station it was more mayhem; people, people everywhere; with no idea what to do.

      We saw the electronic display showed all trains cancelled. And suddenly at the left hand side there displayed 5 train names which scheduled to leave from nearest stations of Chennai to different places and I spotted a “Trivandrum” suddenly. Hurray! we had a train from Jollarpet to Trivandrum at 6.40pm, and my journey to Chennai easily made me to calculate it is 3 hour journey from Chennai to Jollarpet. Then, how we were going to make to Jollarpet? Then suddenly two other train names popped up, two express trains run as passenger trains, one to Mangalore other to Bengaluru from beach station at 11.30 and 12.30 respectively. For a moment we were happy, and then suddenly the reality about time brought us back to the despair state. We had to spend nearly I hour in the bus which took us to Chennai central because the bus had to find safe routes for the journey and then the time was 11.15. We had a humongous task to complete there, had to bring my parents to the beach station before at least 12.30 in the afternoon which is when our last resort leaves the station. We had two options if we got the Mangalore train from beach station go straight to Palaghat or just alight at Jollarpet, otherwise alight Jollarpet after getting the Bangalore train. From Jollarpet we could catch the 6.40 train. But even in the ‘one touch access everything modern world’ the nature rules and we got to know that soon.

       We were facing serious problems with time, at that point of time we had a more serious problem, no communication with my parents. The only calls got connected was between my brother and his friend, so we decided to split and move to beach station. The plan was like this, the friend who was Tamil well known with the place than my brother went to adayar to fetch my parents to beach station and me and my brother just go to beach station directly. So we moved to local train station, and directly got into the platform as the train to adayar was coming. Brother’s friend had season ticket, so no problem in getting into some train. Then I and my brother got some time to think. We had reached the conclusion that we were going to miss the Mangalore train (so no need for us to hurry) since friend need to first reach adayar station then to apartment and then my parents who were unaware of the developments had to get ready for journey, then back to adayar local station, then passing through the Chennai station to beach station. A train came and we chose not to get in and decided to go back to central and get some clear idea about the train we actually had a reserved ticket. And then when we going back the guards of local station asked for train tickets or platform tickets, and we didn’t have both. My brother tried to explain to them the situation and then I said to him to manage things there as we shouldn’t waste more time and I would go alone to central and come back. May be that had some effects on the guards, which I never intend to make, they let us go.

         In the mean time I was able to call the railway official, who was with us in the previous day journey, and he advised us to get into Jollarpet by any two of those train as our train at 3.30 pm wouldn’t start at least from Chennai. The police men at central reiterated the same. The only change that happened was that both the passenger train’s departure time from beach station delayed by an hour (then it was 12.30 and 1.30 instead of 11.30 and 12.30). But it was already 12.20 then. And then I was in the middle of 1000s of people who were intend to flight from the deadly flood which created chaos and I was looking at the display of trains cancelled due to flood under the scorching sun which almost burned my skin. Then after buying two packets of meals (as we know we wouldn’t get more chances like that to do that) we again moved to local station. My brother stood in the long queue, bought tickets, and moved to platform. My brother who got the insight by seeing a train passed through some time ago took me to the farthest front of platform which was the less dense area. Our train came and within 15 minutes we were at beach station.

       We could easily found the two trains both rested in railway tracks farthest from the station and there was no platform to hire into the train. Since we had a lot of time we walked around the Mangalore train and found that it still got some place to sit. But the talk my brother had with my father through friend’s phone suggested that they would take more time. My brother was devastated as he knows my mother’s health conditions; he was worried how she is going to get into the train, how she survives if we don’t get seats to sit and then sleep. And then suddenly his phone showing ‘low battery’ message created another headache. Then he had to limit his calls to minimum and just let his friend know that he and my parents had to come to the friend end of platform. At 12.55 the Mangalore train left the station very slowly. People were pouring into the beach station like rains, so another problem we faced was how to identify our people in the middle of that sea of people with the help of my brother’s almost dead phone. It was important as most of the people came by the next local train would have an intention to get into the Bengaluru train and we needed to move fast to get into the already filled train, especially with my mom. Then again the old way to communicate came to help us; when left my brother’s friend left his ‘orange’ big umbrella with us. So we decided to open it and held it high so as to notice by him easily. It worked; in the middle of crowd the umbrella showed him the way. It was already 1.50, and the train could move at any moment, we hurriedly got into some compartment against the wish of some passengers. Soon after get into the train my mom and I could easily get seats. My brother and his friend left before our train leaves the station as we had no clue about the departure time and more than that he needed to charge and recharge his phone to pass any information to us when it needed. When the train moved I was all in tears, I was never been in such a helpless situation in my life, even though I took some bold decisions and reached some helping conclusions to get out of the worse at times, it was painful to the core. I was feeling just like when Toto had to flee her town because of world war, yeah, I know I was moving to my place, a safer one, but with a completely lost mind.

         The solace of getting into the train didn’t last long as we were not sure reaching Jollarpet station before 6.40. I had 3 spoons full of meal which was in terrific state in my congested bag, and rest had by my mom. Then I gave some rest to my eyes. All the way through we could see places fully flooded and roofs of houses emerged from water. When I had the last chat with my brother at beach station he told me that he would sent messages to my phone since there was no call connecting. We passed Arkkonam station and some more and at 4.45 we were at Katpadi. Then I checked my phone, there were no messages, and when I looked I had seen a message from IRCTCi in mother’s phone since we registered her number when we booked tickets. It stated our train, the one we had reserved tickets would start from Arkkonam station at 4.15 pm. I let my parents knew this, my father got angry why hadn’t I checked it before, the message had come at 2.35 pm. We could easily alight at Arkkonam station where we were at around 3.30 if I would have seen the message at the time it arrived. And then I became frantic and I made some enquiries with some worker in the railway and he assured me that if there was such a train it would arrive at Jollarpet only after the one which I was in, so didn’t have to worry. But I was feeling responsible of that misery, put a suggestion that we could alight at Katpadi itself and got in our train when it comes. My mother discarded the suggestion instantly, and said we were going Jollarpet, We would get either the train start from Jollarpet or the one come from Arkkonam. I was on my toes all the way after that, it was getting late and our train had stops at every station, even though it moved fast I felt like it scrawl. And it was almost 7 we reached Jollarpet, we could see the train that had reported to be depart at 6.40 at the next platform.   

          At the station my father, me and then my mother alighted and then I moved some bit forward to ask a gentleman who was giving information to people and this time I saw my mother moved towards my father. The gentleman in blue shirt told me he had no idea about the train (the one we had tickets) I was talking about and he said the train in the next platform would leave for Trivandrum. He showed me the station office which is in 10 meter distance. And then I turned back I saw my mom by my side and I rushed towards station office in the thinking that my father was with my mom. I showed the message we had from railway to station master and he said he had no information till then about such a train and we should immediately get into the train in the other platform. Then I turned back asked my mother about father and she said she thought I was running after my father. Dud! I looked everywhere I couldn’t find my father, I tried to call and the call was not connected. That’s it, the only train we had, would leave in seconds and we were wandering in some other platform calling out names. Fortunately most of the people who alighted from the train that we came from moved out of that platform which was somewhat deserted then, and two people (I call them angels now) who were with us in the train came towards us and told us that my father was searching for us and showed us where he was. My father,clinging to the phone with one and luggage in other hand shouted at me and was going to scold me. I quipped I was at station master and we needed to get in the train which was in the next platform.

        We had no time to use the fly over, had to cross the railway track. I looked down; the tracks were deeper than the average level. My father almost carried my mother down and I knew I shouldn’t wait for him to do the same with me. I jumped down, and I was at the tracks then. The only parts seen above the platform line was my head and neck, I knew I wouldn’t be able to climb it even with help since I couldn’t lift my knees to that height. At this time my father was trying to lift my mother out of the tracks and I couldn’t just watch that. I yelled for help, a man who looked healthy immediately came for my help, he gave me his hands and I don’t know how he pulled me up. And when I looked back he was trying to help my father in his work. I didn’t waste time, picked up my bag, and ran towards some sleeper compartments since we were near AC coaches. At the door I waited for my parents, there was a little bit rush at every compartments, I checked whether all our properties were at right place and got in the train. We all got places to sit since train was full of people who fled from flood and all were ready to coexist. All faces had some sort consolation of getting rid of something when the train moved after 1 or 2 minutes. I was too relieved but had some kind of pain, a lost kind of feeling. And I knew I had hurt my knees during the jump or climb at Jollarpet station and it was bleeding, but then I had no time to think about that. We were moving away from disaster, but we were still devastated by whatever we had seen there and more than that my brother chose to stay in Chennai due to his works. We hoped Chennai would get well soon, actually whole people who were in the train had the same prayer.

        When the TTR came to check the tickets he assured us to find some seats and he told us our actual train was cancelled. So, why then railway send that message and created some panic, I don’t know. The train was moving fast and stopped at important stations not for more than a few minutes. My mother and father got seats to sleep and I chose to sit at a nearest seat. And at 10.30 I got an upper berth and moved to there. Both my parents had to change seats in between, later the TTR found a permanent seat for my mother. I couldn’t inform my brother about our further proceedings and that worried me (in fact, when we reached home, from the call list in my father’s phone I got to know that my brother called him at 9pm and he thought somebody else and explained all the things). The only call I could make to a relative who called us many times to know that we were okay. At midnight train entered into Kerala and moving faster than anywhere else. I was never into deep sleep; I woke up at 5 am and then just stayed at my seat. I was all set to say good bye to train at 6am.

        Then we had noticed something, the train was not stopping at stations, even at the ones it was supposed to stop. We actually needed to get at Karunagappally station, but train got no stop there, so we had our tickets till Kollam. But we decided to alight at Kayamkulam station (just before Karunagappally) and we packed everything and bid goodbye to some passengers and moved to the doors. The train slowed, it was almost stopped, then it got speed and we couldn’t do anything. Some people jumped out of the train when it slowed, but we expected it would stop and then we had to go to Kollam. But when we were near Karunagappally station the train started to slow down again and it almost stopped and father was asking people who were alighting ‘could we get down’. And then he spotted red light on the poles and decided to get out there itself. But as father jumped off I felt the train was gaining speed, and my mother somehow managed to make it into the platform and when it was my turn I jumped with all my strength, my only intention was not to fall into the track. The train was really very slow, but I never jumped out from a moving train like the one I did then, so it was kind of freaking out moment. Again railway didn’t persuade us to do it, but tempted a lot, why? I had seen a girl who jumped off from the train, might be from the next coach to us, on her knees; she wasn’t injured but hurted of course, yet we could see a smile on her face, she might be marveling her adventure of jumping out of a moving train or her adventure of facing a flood at Chennai. We were expected to reach Kollam station after 8 in our reserved train and considering it was a special train we might have late for hours. But then we reached our house hours before we expected to reach, all thanks to the torrential rain that wretched Chennai.

      At first I felt all energized but later I succumbed to the trauma. Whatever happened was like a nightmare. The mental agony and physical pain we were going through was unaccountable. If I tell you I understood the word meaning ‘suffer’ and going through the meanings of words is the best lesson one could get in life. How to face uncertainties, chaos and more than that exploitation is the lesson most of the natural calamities brings us. And the only answer I found for all the questions is just having humanity and being human.

       I don’t know what caused Chennai floods. Whether it is global warming or wrong construction methods, it is human made. There was no place for water to go in most of the water logged areas, and I found drainage systems in its worst states. When I was there I didn’t see any rescue works or relief works.  Saw some police and army people who were just standing somewhere. In fact at the starting there was no organizational work happened at any level. I had seen people whose face tell us clearly they got nothing left on earth than life and at the same time I had seen people trying to take selfies in gushing water when vehicles trying to move hardly. I had seen people crowded around vehicles, might be to get some foods and others queuing in front of stores to buy some food.

        So who had to help Chennai first, I would say its residents themselves. The hotels, all the stores were utilizing this chaos to maximum as they were charging even food items many fold. Then it was a happy time for rickshaw drivers, yes, I understood they were risking their rickshaw engines, but should they need to stab people who were already hurt, than a limit? As someone lamented in the train if somebody had to get a bottle of drinking water at 100 Rs then how people were going to survive the days to come since it was a flood, not a solar eclipse. My mother said she ate the food I left in our return journey because she knew people who were sitting by her side were hungry and could not eat because they didn’t have money to buy a meal. So she couldn’t waste food in front of them which was charged Rs 100 at that time.

       I was supposed be at Chennai on the morning of 2^nd, 10am but I reached somewhere near Chennai at 10.30 at night. And after 15 hours I somehow bid goodbye to Chennai and managed to get back at my native place in the same shape I departed from here. I know what we had gone through was nothing when compare with the people who lives there. Actually we never faced any serious threats. I have a ton of thanks to Indian railway for getting us close to Chennai as possible as they could and planned all the trains back from stations near Chennai in a way that all people reach safe zones somehow. There were some flaws and they could manage things a little better way, but in the middle of nothing, that was heaven. And the railway police people who travelled with us helped us a lot in our to and fro journey, never forget their advice which helped us to make right decisions. The staff of hotel aman who let us sits in their premise even at midnight and served us with hot coffee and water is going to stay in our minds for a long time. And the kind hearted relative of our compatriot lady who let us live in their quarters deserve a special thanks from us.

        And my brother’s friend was always there to help us. In fact he had more knowledge than my brother about what should we do at times. That is not a surprise as he is Tamil. But the thing is when he was trying to help me to get the place I wanted to go and then again taking my parents to beach station, his family was also suffering from the flood. He helped us in a time when he and his family needed help and he used all his resources for us when he needed that himself most. Mere thanksgiving means nothing to what he had done. The auto driver who sympathized with us and took the hardship to take us to Nungampakam fared heavily but for his sympathy he deserves our gratitude. I don’t know if it is good for thanking somebody for not doing their duty, but thanks to the guards of local station who let us go even after we entered the platform without a platform ticket.

       A boy who helped to get the heavy bag from my father at the right time so I could find a safe place for it deserve a thanks which I couldn’t give it that time. Then the angels who led me and my mother to my father when we kind of lost each other are life saviors. The man who pulled me up from railway track is clearly the sole reason that we got the train. The people I have met throughout the journey; those who were going to the devastation or returning from it are thanked for their support, their ‘everything will be okay’ motto was always a big positive.

      And again thanks for the reason why I had to go to Chennai because otherwise even though sitting in the comfort zone and in a safe position at home we would be worrying about my brother as there was no means to contact him at the time of nature’s win over advanced modern technology, and even if we could contact that wouldn’t be enough as meeting him. This disaster, again is a lesson that tells us, nothing is confined to some people or places, everything affect everybody regardless the geographical difference, when it needed we should coexist than compete.

           

To make each day count!

       Nobody wants to hear death news, but each day we hear many. We have to; until our death, because death is inevitable. Even though it brings sorrow, I think I live in a world where people rate ‘death’ differently. Well, I don’t know why but most of the media I follow brings news of a bomb blast or terror attack in London or New York with a lot of enthusiasm but 100’s of deaths in Middle East or Africa for the same reasons just come to us as a daily affair. I don’t know if these media consider some lives are better than others but I just feel like they felt so. Death is horrible, and I don’t think I have to feel differently for anybody according to their country, religion or race, especially when I don’t know them closely. Of course the departure of our closed ones affects us most as they were shared some time with us in person. But why we feel so bad about the demise of a number of people whom we never met?

      I never wanted to hear any death news. It kind of scares me, upsets me; such news shows us the vulnerability of lives. But there is certain death news which made me cry even though I have no clue about the people or others shocked me like hell. I know these people because they were famous but I haven’t shed tears because they were famous, I felt I lost somebody.

     I was 9 year old when I heard the accidental death of Princess Diana. 1997, august probably a Saturday or Sunday, because I didn’t have classes and I was hearing the All India Radio noon news in Malayalam. I heard it and I felt bad and I cried. It was devastating at that time, I still don’t know why. She was the only princess known to me and I only had the information about her from news I heard from radio and I read from the Malayalam newspaper, no other access. I saw her pictures in the newspaper and read about her charity works. I had no clue about Buckingham palace affairs or any other people. I still remember the picture of her with mother Theresa in a Malayalam daily. Apparently that takes me to the next demise which I heard with shock.

    It was not very far from the death of Diana, again I heard it from the radio news, and I lamented why this happens to all good people. Mother Theresa was an angel for me, from whatever I read from books and newspaper. Suddenly I felt people help others die soon and was very unhappy with God then.

     It was in 2003 February, I read the news of Columbia tragedy in the newspaper and I just felt like I was going to explode. All the passengers of the space ship died. I looked at the picture of Kalpana Chawla and just couldn’t move for some time. I had tears in my eyes when I read about the incident in some paper recently and the photo of Kalpana in orange suit is still in my eyes.

     The death of the crocodile hunter Steve Irwin was a shock. I heard it from TV news. And the death by the attack of an animal (a ray) was unbelievable. He was invincible to me. His pleasant face is still a painful memory.

    When I had visited my college to get some information about my graduation results I was asked to download some forms. When I searched on some sites at the internet café I saw the picture of Michael Jackson with some flowers inscribed in front on the web page. Well, I didn’t search much, I checked the things I wanted to know and I came out of the café. I didn’t read any news, I just saw the picture. And whole the way back home, I was thinking what I had seen? I knew what that picture meant, but couldn’t agree with that. How could Michael Jackson die? I was not a hardcore fan of Michael Jackson, in fact I had no idea about albums and troops of anybody than reading it in newspapers and all. But the songs and moves of Michael Jackson had some influence on me. That news made that day a dreadful one.

      The death of Aaron Swartz was come to me through online. Untimely death, that too suicide, felt really unbelievable. The year 2013 thus started on a horrible note. Even though I heard about his name before I had a detailed read about him online just a week before his death. I felt what he was doing amazing and for public. Then when I suddenly heard his death; I kind of felt guilt, I don’t know why. His innocent face still remains in my memory.

      I came to familiar with the face of Paul walker because of the fast and furious series even though I saw one or two other films before. The walk and talk of O’Connor earned a place in my heart. The interview I watched of him showed a man sincere in his talks and actions. But November became a painful memory forever because of the accident that took his life. Well here also I’m not in the die-hard fan category, but that news of accident and death left me, heartbroken.

    Then again three weeks back, I changed channel to news from a film and I saw breaking news which made me say ‘no God, please’, but it was confirmed news; Dr APJ Abdul Kalam is no more. Well, he was a scientist; the missile man, and a former president of India but he was more to people of India. He gave new definition to the word ‘dream’ and probably he was the man who could easily say ‘my life is my message’. I still remember how envious I felt when I got to know that my classmate got a chance to meet Mr Kalam when we were in high school. It was more than meeting the then president of India, he was totally different (with due respect to other presidents). All kids wanted to meet him. He was a humble human life who advised us to modernize our thoughts while uprooted in our culture. So his Death was unimaginable and unexpected, when it happened it put me in great sorrow like millions of other Indians.

      Death is inevitable. Most of the times, we lament on every death. I don’t know whether the above mentioned personalities are equal or perfect in their lives. But even though I didn’t know them personally I felt their loss on various stages of my life. Their deaths came as a shock because of their lives. I don’t know whether they did something amazing, but they did want they want to do in their lives and to many people like me, theirs become extra ordinary lives. We cherished their lives, so their deaths become our personal loss. This is very important now because it is a time when many demands death of humans because of the life they led. If we can live and cherish our lives with dignity then why should choose the lives of condemned? Consider the situation of millions mourning a death and millions demanding another death, the whole difference comes from the difference in life they led. If everyone understands the value of lives then there will be no violence and murders (which include the murders of the murderers). Use the freedom we have to change our lives and the lives of people around us in a good way. Live life and let live.

 

   

‘The Lalit Modi Affairs’

    The controversies surrounded Lalit Modi has been fuming in Indian politics for more than a fortnight. All political parties except the ruling BJP found fault with the Union External affairs minister as well as the current Rajasthan Chief Minister. But BJP and its leaders accuses the opposition in making a hill out of a mole. Is that true? Does the common man of India really swallow whatever the BJP (exactly, BJP spokespersons) saying?

            The external affairs minister of India Ms. Sushama Swaraj helped Lalit Modi getting travel documents from British authorities. She said India didn’t have any objection in letting Modi visit Portugal on behalf of Indian Government. Lalit modi is an Indian citizen wanted by the enforcement directorate of India for questioning, related to some economic offences committed by him in India. He is now a fugitive, residing in England. And India is still trying to bring him back for questioning (well, a part of India). So a year back, when Lalit modi wished to meet his ailing wife who was being treated in Portugal he asked for help from Ms Swaraj. And on humanitarian ground she interacted with the British officials. So how it became impropriety?

         The friendship between Lalit Modi and the Swaraj’s is not a secret. So when Lalit Modi needed a favour, he asked for it. But how could the foreign minister of a country help an offender to the law of the land on her personal interest? If Lalit Modi approached her, she should have directed him to the Indian high commission, which would be the proper way to follow such a thing whether it is on humanitarian ground or not. And even if she acted herself to help on humanitarian grounds she should have consult the executive and its head, the prime minister. She must have told other ministers (like finance since Lalit Modi facing ED charges). Did she do that? Is there any files relating to this whole matters? Ms Swaraj was approached by Lalit Modi because she had (has) some powers, if she were a home maker not a foreign minister she shouldn’t have asked for such a favour. And if she had done the helping in an improper way means impropriety. If the executive was known about this and the matter was informed to the Government of India then it should be explained like that. Without any proper filing, a minister helping somebody who is close to her with back door recommendation is visible impropriety.

         Many argue that Ms Swaraj should be spared considering her long honest political career. She had never seen in such a situation before, I agree and she was very much appeared to be on the right side always. But this particular act definitely showed the conflict of interest of her. Even on humanitarian ground or helping a friend should be done the way our constitution permits. She definitely misused her power. And I would also like to know whether the Government of India had a chance to negotiate with Lalit Modi if everything held in a diplomatic manner (like giving permission only if he agrees to comeback to India after the visit). And with the given travel documents, Lalit Modi went to Portugal and partied with his friends was the aftermath of Ms swaraj’s humanity shower. And after all these, other ministers in the executive came out stated ‘nothing improper done by Sushama’. Well, if that being the case there is no need of law and order or judiciary. The ministers give clean chit to each other and  then‘all is well’.

        The second lady Ms Vasundhara Raje Scindia the then leader of opposition and now the Chief Minister of Rajasthan tried to help Lalit Modi getting immigration clearance when he took asylum in London in 2011. She filed a witness statement in which she said Lalit Modi is a victim of the witch hunt by the then central government which actually aimed at her. She then specifically demanded that the presence of such a witness statement by her should be kept secret from the Indian Government. Yes, I agree Lalit Modi is not a wanted terrorist or criminal, but he was a person guilty of money laundering and was escaping from India. And that time, an MLA and the leader of opposition of a state, gave clean chit to the offender in an affidavit that filed in a foreign country and wanted that to be a secret! I consider that as anti-national, whatever others may say! The excuses like the affidavit didn’t really submit can’t even stand as the intention of Ms Vasundara raje is very clear there.

      Now what the BJP spokespersons are actually doing is pathetic. They said first other ministers are saying there is no impropriety, so there is nothing. Each time they countered questions with the former UPA rule misdoings (c’mon, that’s why they are sitting in the opposition not even with a majority that could get them a leader of opposition). It seems they are trying to justify their minister’s acts with comparing the misgivings done by previous ministers, like which is greater, which is the greatest! Those ladies acted against the morals and ethics of the positions they bore. They broke rules. If they are going to defend those by saying ‘we don’t see anything’ along with the preaching of ‘zero tolerance to corruption’ then that’s just arrogance that the monument mandate they got in the last election brought to them. And the finding that impropriety or corruption occurs only when money transactions occur is an awful defense. Even without any favours received those two had done grave mistakes which are punishable by the law. And by clinging to the excuses they are mocking at people, they think people are fool (are we?).

          And somebody who has the authority to say something about this, like the ministers themselves or Prime minister should come and explain things. I don’t mean the bluffing of spokespersons or chorus support of other ministers. Somebody who can clarify things should come out. And the Prime minister should explain if Ms Sushama Swaraj acted by herself or with the knowledge of him. And if he knew about the matter then he should explain why such an improper way followed in such a case. It is not a silly question that why the prime minister who has always a take in every matter is silent in this matter, especially on an issue in which the external affairs minister and one of his chief ministers facing grave charges. Or is it true that everybody fears their name may come out next if they say something against Lalit Modi?

       And during this time Lalit Modi is playing with all the cards he has. I’m thankful to him for his contribution to the creation of Indian Premier League, that’s just awesome. But if he did something wrong he should be punished. But he can do one thing. He can give the details of incidents which he think our politicians or other personalities did for him or others as favours (means impropriety) if he has evidence. It is a thing that may bring politicians of all parties before people with their real faces. So he could do that rather than bargaining with tweets and posts. I don’t think that may bring all the politicians or people involved before law, but still we could see how many are there wearing masks.