48 hours – three tragedies
In just a matter of 48 hours, three tragedies struck the state of Karnataka. Even before the state could come to terms with 30 people meeting their watery grave in Mandya after a bus fell into the canal on Saturday morning, the ‘Man of Mandya’ actor-turned politician Ambarish breathed his last on the very night. And even before his final rites are done, former union minister and senior Congress leader Jaffer Sharief has died.
The bus tragedy in Mandya is a result of human greed and selfishness. It should be called a self-created massacre, more than the tragedy. Because the bus that should have been in scarp yard was being run on the road, illegally by the greedy owners. Our Road Transport department, especially the corrupt officers who sit in cushy places in the department are responsible for the death of 30 people. The driver and conductor too are responsible as much. They were aware of the condition of the bus and yet they packed the vehicle with passengers. This crime is not small by any measure. This tragedy has exposed the state government’s responsibility in ensuring such incidents should never repeat.
Steps to clean up the RTO offices across the state and rid them off the middlemen should begin at the earliest. The transportation department had decided on installing CCTV cameras in all its offices some time ago. But that was never implemented. And the reason for this is more than evident. This goes to prove the middlemen mafia that is controlling the department. Chief Minister Kumaraswamy has wept in the open over the tragedy but these tears do not get the aggrieved any justice. The officers who aided the running of the bus that was to be junked, have to be found out and punished. Along with this, every office that has close links with the RTO needs to be controlled and kept under surveillance. The middlemen have to be eradicated. This way the tribute to those who lost their lives would be more meaningful.
Following this bus tragedy was the passing away of actor-turned-politician Ambarish. He had taken ill even when he was the minister. He had availed treatment abroad during his last bout. He died rather young. But his tryst with alcohol had pushed him closer to the alleys death. As an artist, Ambarish is unparalleled. And he could have achieved this feat even as a politician. But his lifestyle blocked this possibility. Ambarish had a very different personality in cinema industry.
He stood apart with his ‘rebel’ image at a time when Rajkumar and Vishnuvardhan ruled the roost. His film ‘Anta’ gave a new direction to Kannada film industry. Ranganayaki, Paduvaralli Pandavaru, Elu Suttina Kote and other films were loved by everyone and they left a very impressionable remark on general public. His ability to help people even at his own peril had earned him the name ‘Karna’. Though he was a superstar, he lived among people. Hence he was able to make that transition from cinema to politics.
Whatever he had achieved through his cinema, he could not tread that far in politics. Caste based politics had hurt his sensibilities. Though he took to streets for Cauvery issue, he slowly retreated into the background later. He began to hold his caste against his own accomplishments in Congress. He almost got down to blackmailing and turned into a very tricky issue for Congress that they couldn’t discard or accept within the party.
He could have used the political opportunity to carry the messages from farmers to the higher-ups in Delhi. If he had taken to streets for the sake of our farmers, he could have been another MGR. But he lost an opportunity owing to his indiscipline and callousness. The industry respected Ambarish quite a bit after the death of Rajkumar and Vishnuvardhan. He worked like a Supreme court whenever issues cropped up within the film industry. Now the industry is almost orphaned with no big names to lead them.
Jaffer Sharief is a statesman that the state saw. He died just few hours apart Ambarish’s death. He wasn’t too active in politics in the recent times. We need to look at his contribution in 70s-80s than judging him for whatever didn’t take place in our lifetime. As railway minister, his contribution to Karnataka is massive. He is remembered in gauge conversion, engine and wheels factory set up in Bengaluru. If the caste politics within congress had not affected him, he’d have been a chief minister of the state during his lifetime.
Eventually Sharief was sidelined for reasons known to his supporters and followers. He lived as a testimony between statesmen and good politics. Today there are enough and more allegations that Muslims do not want to allow statesmen-like persona within their own community. Hence, there is not a single person within Congress to make him the CM of the state. This is not an accident. That’s the major takeaway from Jaffer Sharief’s death.
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PM Modi explained reason why he doesn't hold press conferences
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently in an interview to India Today said that “the media today was not what it used to be”, and also said as to why he has been selective in attending interviews. During an exclusive conversation with India Today, PM Modi said that his reduced participation in media interviews is a conscious decision aimed at prioritizing direct engagement with grassroots issues over media appearances.
"I have to work hard. I want to go to poor people's homes. I can also cut ribbons and get my photo taken in Vigyan Bhawan. I don't do that. I go to a small district of Jharkhand and work towards a small scheme," PM Modi said.
He said he brought a new work culture, adding, "If that culture feels right, then the media should present it correctly; if not, then they shouldn't."
PM Modi further stated that the media was no longer a separate entity today. "Earlier, I used to talk to Aaj Tak, but now the viewers know who I am talking to (referring to anchors). The media is no longer a separate entity today. Like many others, you (the anchors) have also made your views known to people," the Prime Minister said.
Seconds later, he said in jest, "If maximum people watch me in this election, they will watch me on Aaj Tak."
Pointing out that earlier media were the only source of communication, but now new mediums of communication are available PM Modi said, “Today, if you want to talk to the public, communication is two-way. Today, the public can also make their voice known without the media. Even a person who has to answer can express his views well without the media.”
