Ringside view

The recent hooch,err 'chemical' tragedy in the Gurjari Nagar slums was ruled out as hooch by the State Police Department.

Chemical locha
AHMEDABAD: The recent hooch,err ‘chemical’ tragedy in the Gurjari Nagar slums was ruled out as hooch by the State Police Department. On the other hand,the locals staying in the slums not only said that they consumed alcohol,but also revealed the names of suppliers and the centres from where the ‘chemical’ flowed; and this,despite strict police vigil. The police claimed that people mixed solvents with water and consumed the liquid “thinking it was alcohol”. One of the locals when asked,remarked,”We have many options for addictions: charas,tobbaco etc. We can also identify desi alcohol and ‘foreign’ alcohol.” Now,one would wonder if the Police Department really looks upon the poor people as being ‘ignorant’ and ‘innocent’ or was it the embarrassment of the department over its failure to stop the local brewing of alcohol in the city.

More than a slip
AT times,careless use of words leads to disaster,turning a good,well-intended gesture into demonising a whole group of people. A classic example of this came to light when city Mayor Kanaji Thakor greeted the Parsi community on its New Year day. In his congratulatory message,sent originally in Gujarati,the mayor said: “Despite being a minority,the Parsi community has got a special place in the social life of Gujarat by its harmonious conduct,affection,good behaviour,civility and etiquette The honourable mayor tried to praise the community like anything,but at the same time,gave away the saffron mindset,which despises minorities no end. Thus,with the rider it remains a backhand complement,more offending than flattering. Can’t be said how the Parsi community took the complement,but other minorities like Sikhs,Muslims and Jews may feel demonised for no fault of theirs because the word “despite” presupposes that minorities are devoid of the qualities attributed to the Parsis.

Seeking RSS: Remedy,Solution,Solace
THE Jaswant Singh book controversy and the Arun Shourie outbursts against the BJP leadership last week had its ripple effect in the BJP echelons in Gujarat as well. The media room,the other day,was agog with observations on how the party reached such a pass. Some suggested that the RSS would ultimately take care of all problems because it is the “father of the BJP”. This sent curious souls wondering how an organisation wedded to celibacy could be a “father”. A red-faced party worker was quick to suggest: “What was meant was that it is like a “father-figure” for the party”.

Wake up,report
INDIRA Gandhi had once said that corruption is a global phenomenon and India can’t escape it. Now,this is very much relevant even today and aiming to check this global phenomenon from mushrooming in the country,the premier investigating agency,the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has sent an SMS stating “Jo koi kendra sarkar no adhikari tamari paase laanch ni mangni karto hoi to teni jaan,SP,CBI,Gandhinagar ne 9427553186 par karvee (If any Central Government officer demands bribe from you,do intimate the SP,CBI Gandhinagar on 9427553186). One just hopes that this mission succeeds with an active participation of concerned citizens.

Poor are safe!
THE swine flu scare in Gujarat seems to have rendered the ‘rich people’ unwanted in public places,like courts. At the Gujarat High Court,in a recent interaction with a petitioner belonging to a ‘poor’ locality in Ahmedabad one mediaperson could perceive how some people refer to this disease as being a ‘foreign’ one. The petitioner maintained,I do not mind apparently poor people around me since there is almost no risk of them being affected by the ‘foreign bimari’. I think it’s only the rich people,who move around places,get affected by this ‘foreign bimari’, he reasoned!

Beyond rituals
JUNAGADH: WHEN rituals and social service go hand-in-hand,it not only helps the beneficiary,but also sets a good example for others to follow,thus serving a larger goal. Recently,a goldsmith family in Junagadh saw the death of an elderly member. The family,while observing the rituals,decided to go beyond. So,they organised a blood donation camp simultaneously. Friends,family members and guests,all came forward for this noble gesture and at the end of ceremony,51 bottles of blood were collected. The blood was later donated to a local blood bank to be used for the children suffering from thalassemia.

Off Tangent
The ultimate questionnaire!
BOTH the BJP and the Congress in Gujarat race each other to lay their claim on Sardar Patels legacy. More so,after the Gujarat government’s ban on Jaswant Singhs book,Jinnah: India-Partition-Independence. The ban stirred a hornet’s nest within the ranks of the BJP and as much outside for the defenders of free speech. A Gujarati daily on Sunday put the record straight in the simplest manner. Their knowledge on Sardar’s life,though,belies their claim to his legacy.
It posed five questions about Sardar Patel to politicians,including Ahmedabad city Mayor Kanaji Thakore,Leader of Opposition Shaktisinh Gohil and even State Agriculture Minister Dileep Sanghani.
Simple questions Where was Sardar Patel born? How many children did he have? From where did he start his political career? Who was most educated – Nehru,Sardar or Gandhiji? And the last one what did Gandhiji say when Sardar Patel passed away?
Well,no guesses for the outcome of this questionnaire; as per the Gujarati newspaper’s reports that the first citizen of Ahmedabad city,Thakore got them all wrong! Ahmedabad city BJP president Jagdish Patel is reported to have said that Gandhiji did not give an appropriate response to Sardar Patel’s death. Well,a bit difficult for Gandhiji for he died before Sardar!

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 Contributed by Parimal Dabhi,R Manikamvasagam,Sibte Husain Bukhari,Tanvir A Siddiqui and Ujjwala Nayudu.

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