A mega contest that Lalu botched before it set off 

This is the story of one of the rare contests, nay I would like to call it the mother of all contests, in the history of India. Interestingly, it is alleged that sensing the inevitable, miserable and humiliating failure in the contest, the contestant has made up his mind to withdraw from the contest before the formal invitation and announcement of the contest. Nevertheless, I do not believe it.

After Lalu Prasad Yadav ‘won’ rupees one crore in Shahrukh Khan hosted pre-arranged Panchvi Pass show, a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) in Mumbai headed by Sasidharan Nair planned to organise a mega contest in the history of India so far as the prize-money is concerned. Hold your breath - the price money is a whopping Rs 1,10,000 crores, which means 1,000 times more money per head than the current population of India.

The process of selection of the contestants to this contest is very different from the usual reality shows and contests like Kaun Benega Crorepati, Kya Aap Panchvi Pass Se Tez Hai, etc. The contestant will be selected by special invitation and he would be the star attraction of the contest. The specially invited star performer (contestant) of the NGO is wit guru and ‘management expertise personified’, MA, LLB (Bihar fame), Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav.

Unlike other contests, this superb mammoth contest will be lasting only 60 minutes, 30 seconds to listen the question and 30 seconds to think the answer and 120 seconds to answer each question. The contest comprises of 20 very simple questions from two sections - 10 related to test the management expertise from the first section and remaining 10 related to test the evaluation skill on the working of Indian Railways during the last four years in the second section. Ten clues from each section shall be provided after the contestant accepts the invitation and conditions of the contest.

Some might be saying that I am kidding. They have a sound reason to say so because they never ever heard about such a contest with a special invitee and a whopping price money. Just for their knowledge, with the permission of the NGO, I am giving the details of some clues and conditions of the contest.

As the contest is the mother of all contests and the prize-money is whopping Rs 1,10,000 crores, the NGO put some conditions for participation. The first is that the contestant must acknowledge the invitation within 41 days on receipt of it and arrange to send a meagre sum of Re 1 on the first day, rupees two on the second day, rupees four on the third day, rupees eight on the fourth day and like that doubling the money on the following day till the 50th day.

The other condition is that he must come to the venue of the contest at Mumbai with usual protocol and bodyguards, but without any personal assistant or aides. Also, he should arrive at the venue in a simple and humble manner and without chartering any private or government or air force planes. Also not to travel in Mukesh Ambani’s private aircraft like he travelled on a Saturday evening after passing the Panchvi Pass and seeing the Indian Premier League (IPL) semi-final cricket match at Wankhade stadium. Further, no summoning of the general manager of central and western railways or any senior railway officials to the venue of the contest. A very important code of conduct of the contest is that when the host says that he is the fan of the contestant, the contestant should never say that he is the air conditioner of the host as said by him in the show.

I shall try to give as much information as possible on clues of the questions. Firstly, clues from the management expertise section. Definitely, there will be a question related to how much loss the Indian Railways has made in last four years. No reciting ready-made couplets and quartets in Hindi, as he was doing while presenting last four Railway Budgets, is allowed at the contest and if done so, 50 per cent of the prize money will be deducted for the first offence and for the second offence the contestant will be disqualified from the mega contest. Valid, justifiable and sound answer should be given by the contestant.

The second clue is about introducing green toilets in passenger compartments in railways. The contestant can expect a question related to how he is continuously fooling himself, the intelligent leaders of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government and opposition alike, and the Indian public at large. The question could be in a different way as to how he allotted 4,000 crores in the current Railway Budget for green toilets and how cleverly he is not going to introduce these and mismanaging the funds or bifurcating the funds to other account.

Another sure-shot question would be that even after giving guest lectures at Harvard and very recently, in Singapore, the host will say that he is the worst business manager. Be prepared to counter it and give a positive, justifiable and right answer to this question.

From the second section, the questions would be on how the evaluation skill on the working of Indian railways can be used. I hope that the first question shall be how he evaluated to mismanage the railway properties, particularly the railway land, so intelligently in his favour and disclose the exact personal benefits.

The next possible question shall be from reviewing the management of mismanaging contracts and sub-contracts in the Indian Railways and the ultimate beneficiaries. Now I want to give the final clue: Why Rabri Devi, the better half of Lalu Prasad Yadav, is telling that my husband is the best Railway Minster India had seen ever and a sound endorsement and justification of this statement from the contestant.

The special invitation along with conditions of the contest is being sent to the minister and the sources close to him reveal, on condition of anonymity, that he is reluctant to accept the conditions, rather the invitation. Let us wait for the official clarification from him.  

·         This article was published soon after Lalu Prasad Yadav, the Railway Minister, participated in the pre-planned
        Panchvi Pass programme hosted by actor Shah Rukh Khan during the last week of May 2008

Lalu's Budget and Eco-friendly Toilets 

The Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav presented this year’s Railway Budget in parliament the other day with pomp and fair. His better half and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi hailed the budget and said Lalu Prasad Yadav is the best railway minister India had seen ever. The railway made profit 9,000 crore in 2005, 14,000 crore in 2006, 20,000 crore in 2007, 25.000 crore in 2008 and projected a profit of 37,000 crore in 2009. He announced many sops in the budget and flagged off the Poll Express. The one, which most attracted me, is introducing the eco-friendly toilets, called green toilets, in all passenger trains.

The minister earmarked 4,000 crore in this budget for introducing eco-friendly toilets, similar to aeroplane, in 36,000 passenger coaches. It is welcoming news and all will congratulate the minister. However, this project will be implemented in a phased manner and completed by the end of the 11th Plan. The 11th Five Year Plan started in 2007 and completed in 2012. This means a waiting period of another four years to have eco-friendly green toilets in 36000 coaches.

The railway ministry has already started work in this direction. According to the railway minister, over the next four years annually 1000 crore would be pumped in for Green Toilet Project. The irony is the railway ministry has yet not studied properly and finalized which model green toilet to be adopted. Presently two different models of discharge-less toilets are experimenting in Delhi Reva Express and Barauni Express. Two techniques are being studied. First, having biological decomposition mechanism on board and the other one to empty the tank (like in planes) at big stations where the sewage would be treated before discharge.

Unless any decision is taken immediately on which model green toilet to be adopted in coaches, proper arrangements for treating and discharging the sewage are made and workers are trained to handle green toilet sewage, the project will remain in paper only. The railway ministry should take concrete steps soon in this direction.

The Verdict News weekly, Mumbai, March 2 -8, 2008 & www.merinews.com uploaded in February, 2008

Why this North Indian exodus? 

I am a Malayali staying in Maharashtra since last 35 years. Kerala, my native state, gave birth to me and Maharashtra is another mother who looked after me in these 35 years. I love Marathi language, which is sweet and noble. I cherish the ethos of Maharashtra and its rich traditions. Marathi literature, literary figures like V.S. Khandekar, Tamasha, Lavni, Mahatma Gandhi’s personal secretary Kaka Kalkekar, Baba Amte are dear and near and sublime to me. Incidentally, I compiled a Marathi-English-Malayalam Dictionary in four parts with pronunciation guide, pronunciation of important and difficult words, Marathi Grammar through Malayalam and an appendix. Chatrapati Shivaji invented guerilla warfare and superbly practiced it against Mughals. Two centuries later, in Kerala King Pazhassi, known as Pazhassi Raja, used guerilla warfare against British. Maharashtrians are gentle, warm and friendly people. However, what Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and Shiv Sena are wooing now in the name of Marathi and the culture of Maharashtra is quite embarrassing, saddening and unacceptable to those who really love and respect Marathi, culture of Maharashtra and Maharashtrians.

The clamor raised by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena founder-leader Raj Thackeray against north Indians is a cleverly scripted pure power politics drama. Before finding out the answers as to why this north Indian exodus, we have to look at the fundamental factors influenced the exodus.

Mumbai, the financial capital of India, presently has a population of 12 million people. Every fourth person we see in Mumbai is a north Indian. In another words, the estimated north Indian population in Mumbai is 4 million. Every day more and more north Indian migrants are coming in to Mumbai and based on the present migration statistics the annual north Indian influx would be 2 million. According to a United Nations report, by 2015 Mumbai will have 30 million people, higher than the entire Australian continental population that is currently only 21 million, making it the world’s second most crowed city after Tokyo. As against a designated commuter capacity of 2500, during peak hours Mumbai local trains carry 7500 passengers. Here every day 500 new cars are adding to the fleet of vehicles and making the already congested roads more congested.

Raj Thackeray quit Shiv Sena in 2005 protesting Bal Thackeray, the founder-leader of Shiv Sena, ignored him and made his son Uddhav the executive president of the party. Uddhav is now 47 and Raj is 39. However, Uddhav had entered politics a decade later Raj began working for Shiv Sena in 1983. Raj used to accompany his uncle Bal Thackeray to political rallies and meetings from the tender age of six and sit in the stage often fiddling with his uncle’s garland. Raj is an artiste like his uncle Bal and cousin Uddhav.

Raj joined J.J. School of Arts and became a students’ union leader there. Though Bal Thackeray politically groomed his nephew Raj, indeed Raj extensively credited with the rise of Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Sena, the Shiv Sena’s students outfit that Bal Thackeray gave him to run and nurture in the 1980s and which has long provided its share of the Shiv Sena’s dreaded muscle power. For much of that period and subsequently, Raj was among Bal Thackeray’s closest coterie, and became a key leader of Shiv Sena cadre.

“Raj has had a strong and loyal following even within the Shiv Sena and it is entirely possible that once the Bal Thackeray era ends, many may defect Uddhav and join to Raj Thackeray,” says political commentator Ketkar. “This vote bank may be scattered and chaotic, but there are enough lumpen elements to keep up the rabblerousing and they could prefer Raj over Uddhav”.

As widely expected to make a position, even after two years, Raj Thackeray’s MNS could not make a creditable presence and impact in the political arena. On the other hand, learning lessons from the repeated defeats, Shiv Sena changed their strategy from “Me, Marathi” to “Me, Mumbaikar” eying and hunting north Indian vote bank, which is significant that influencing the victory and defeat in the electorate, and reaped the fruits in Mumbai Municipal election.. Raj Thackeray’s MNS lost heavily and almost wiped out. From the total contested 221 seats, MNS could win only a meager 6 seats. MNS defeat lead Shiv Sena to claim that they proved that they are the ‘real party’ stands for the rights of Maharasthrians.

The strategy paid off as the Shiv Sena retained power from substantial support from the north Indian vote in last year’s high-profile elections to the Mumbai Municipal Corporation, which is India’s richest municipality with a staggering annual turnover of Rs. 12,000 crore. Indeed, the Shiva Sena runs six municipalities in Maharashtra namely Mumbai, Thane, Nasik, Nagpur, Aurangabad and Pune. In Pune municipality, the Shiv Sena actually junked it ally BJP and teamed up rival NCP to seize power.

After last year’s Mumbai municipal elections Raj was very much depressed and struggling hard to stay politically afloat. He was desperately trying for an occasion to strike in search of a political space. Raj was well aware of that before the elections to state assembly and parliament in 2009 a substantial political clout is necessary for survival. He decided to follow the tested and proved example of his uncle Bal Thackeray and started from what his uncle did in 1966. Instead of south Indians, Raj targeted north Indians. He cleverly selected the iconic Amitabh Bachan and verbally attacked him at a right time.

Then the verbal exchanges started between Abu Azmi, Amar Singh, and Jaya Bachan etc. Next scenes with MNS attacks and vandalism against north Indians saying “outsiders” spoiling ‘Maharashtrian culture’ and they are not ‘respecting’ and learning Marathi etc., followed by Raj Thackeray’s great arrest and release on bail circus, the death of a Marathi Manus and innocent statement with “folded hand apology”, after two days another death of north Indian Manus, both incidents were due to wreckage and stone throwing, but in later no folded hands apology and sorrow, daily episode of statements, comments and justifications from Raj Thackery in press when there was a gag order prevails from the court not to make public statement, giving or publishing interview or incite his workers and thus making the gag order a mockery etc. Now a fresh gag order issued effective till March 3, 2008. One example, during the prevailing of gag order Raj’s statement appeared in press “to give our R.S. Gavai and take back 25, 00,000 Biharis”. Ironically, R.S. Gavai, Governor of Bihar, clearly said that he does not agree with Raj Thackeray and not in need of his sympathy.

Many a private television channels comprising lollypop journalist babes with their verbal-diarrhea, the self-addressing ‘media people’ celebrated the incidents and competed each other with their gross ignorance, ignorance and mediocrity. Overnight Raj Thackeray has become a national figure and the coverage and free publicity he got in the print and visual media is worth above a 100 crore planned publicity campaign. Yes, Congress-NCP government in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena, BJP, Abu Azmi, Amar Singh and the futile attitude of law and order system in Maharashtra and above all the UPA government in centre are responsible for making him a national figure. The fundamental rights of the people violated and questioned, the Constitution, law and order, peace and tranquility of society and the country shattered were the repercussions.

Nikhil Wagh, the editor of Mahanagar and veteran activist-journalist pointed out that it was a different world 40 years ago and Bal Thackeray could succeed at polarizing opinion then. He added that now is the age of globalization and today Maharahtrians like him are dependent on the non-Maharashtrians at every turn in their daily lives. Therefore Raj Thackeray’s attempt at polarizing will not work.

Just look at these facts and you may read clearly the unwritten letters. The irony is quite enjoyable. The MNS vice-president is a migrant from Aligarh in U.P. who speaks only broken Marathi. Prem Shukla, the Shiv Sena leader and newspaper editor is a migrant from U.P. Bal Thackeray was a mere current affairs cartoonist in the Free Press Journal. Now Raj Thackery is doing partnership realtor business with Manohar Joshi’s son. Raj Thackeray’s father Shrikant Thackery, the younger brother of Bal Thackeray, was a music composer who sung Mohamed Rafi, a migrant and Muslim, first time in Marathi.

Jobs are plenty for Maharashtrians in Mumbai and elsewhere in Maharashtra. But, many of them are not willing to work and all want government jobs. They are not ready to become taxi drivers, rickshaw drivers, vegetable vendors, fish vendors, milk suppliers, newspaper boys etc. According to the Mumbai Taxi Drivers Union President, Maharashtrians own 60 per cent taxis and 90 per cent of them are driven by north Indians. North Indians ready to work 12 – 18 hours and doing such jobs Marathi Manus are reluctant to do and thus they are not taking away any opportunities of Marathi Manus.

I think Raj Thackery has to learn perfectly the doctrine live and let live. Mumbai is the most populated metropolitan city of India and its culture is pluralistic. In India, all cultures are pluralistic and unity in diversity is our strength. Constitution gives every Indian citizen the fundamental right to live, work and travel in any part of India freely. The Constitution also enjoins upon Central government to make sure that its provisions, together with the laws passed by the Parliament, are implemented by the states. The Centre also has both the responsibility and authority to discipline the states that refuses to do so. Neither UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi nor Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh or NCP leader Sharad Pawar condemned the attack to north Indians. After 13 days of wreckage and vandalism, Government of Maharashtra arrested Raj Thackery. As rightly pointed out by a newspaper, the passivity of Vilas Rao Desmukh government is most reprehensible. Was there any secret agenda or lining up of any new political equations?

I fail to understand how Marathi language and Maharashtrian culture are spoiled by north Indians. Is studying in English medium schools, sending their children in English medium schools and instructing children and grandchildren to read Marathi (family) newspaper regularly symbol of showing respect of Marathi language and Maharashtrian culture? I am amused to read Raj Thackeray’s response to Sudheendra Kulkarni’s open letter and equating him with Mahatma Gandhi and justifying the ‘spontaneous outrage in a people’s movement’ and ignoring lion share of the questions raised by him. Incidentally, Sudheendra Kulkarni is the most adored person by Raj as ‘a person who has handled the country’s politics and culture from the Prime Minister’s Office’. I am equally amused to see how Raj Thackeray cleverly evaded responding the valid questions asked by Prasarbharati ex-Chairman M.V. Kamath in his column in The Free Press Journal, Shobhaa De in the Times of India, Sujata Ananadan in the Hindustan Times and many more writers, political observers, editors, politicians and the public.

In sum, if the exodus continues the economy of Maharashtra in general and the financial capital of India Mumbai in particular will suffer severely which in turn will affect all Indians including the families of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena workers and Shiv Sena workers.

* Published in the Sunny News, March 1-15, 2008

Original Sree Narayana Disciple

versus

‘Fraud’ Sree Narayana Disciple

This is about two mighty organizations in Mumbai. One is Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP), a recent entry to Mumbai region, and the other Sree Narayana Mandira Samithi (SNMS). Sree Narayana Guru (1854-1928) was a great saint and social reformer who stood for one caste, one religion, and one God for man, which embodies the universal brotherhood of man. Guru preached, “Essence of all religions is the same”, “Whatever be the religion of a man it is enough if he becomes virtuous”, Gain freedom through education”, “Gain strength through organization”, “Be prosperous by agriculture, business and industry”. “Act that one performs for one’s own sake should also aim at the benefit of others”. These and many other messages and teachings that Guru gave by words and through his personal life are more relevant today than at any other time.

Sree Narayana Guru founded Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam and now Vellappalli Natesan is the General Secretary of the organization. However, in Bombay Dr. K.K. Damodaran founded Sree Narayana Mandira Samiti 43 years ago to uphold the ideologies and vision of Sree Narayana Guru. A unique, noble and enterprising organization functioning with representation of all communities that cherishes the true ideologies and vision of Guru, one caste, one religion and one God, Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam is now hijacking Sree Narayana Mandira Samiti.

Sree Narayana Mandira Samiti is an Educational and Charitable Trust formed 43 years ago to starting educational and charitable institutions in Mumbai city and suburbs and Thane District including Navi Mumbai for the benefits of the public to perpetuate the memory of Sree Narayana Guru and to spread the messages and teachings of the Guru. Membership of the Samiti is open to all irrespective of caste, creed, religion or language. Samiti has now 11800 Life members and 655 Patrons. Samiti has 26 Units and 15 Guru Centres. In Samiti’s Chembur Complex Samiti has Sree Narayana Guru High School (English Medium), Sree Narayana Guru College of Commerce (Junior College and Degree College), Sree Narayana Guru Marathi Medium School, Kumaran Asan Pre-Primary School, Sree Narayana Institute of Information Technology, Guru Mandiram and a multipurpose hall.

More than 4500 students, most of them from economically weaker sections, are studying in Sree Narayana Mandira Samiti Educational Institutions. Samiti promoted Sree Narayana Guru Co-operative Bank Ltd., which is running efficiently for the last five years in Samiti’s Chembur Complex. Samiti has also set up an International Centre for Sree Narayana Guru Studies at Nerul, Navi Mumbai. The main object of the Centre is to spread Guru’s messages and teachings throughout India and the World. The Samiti has received the Holy Teeth of Sree Narayana Guru on11th January 2004 and the Holy Teeth kept in a specially constructed Temple at Samiti’s Gurudevagiri Complex. Barring SNDP in Kerala, Sree Narayana Mandira Samiti is the biggest organization in the world to uphold Guru’s ideologies and vision and it is the one and only principal Sree Narayana Guru Organization outside Kerala. E.P. Vasu is the present General Secretary of SNMS. E.P. Vasu has good social acumen, superb organizing and leadership qualities. Not only SNMS and SNDP members or well-wishers appreciate his hard work, honesty, sacrifice, philanthropy and social work, but also largely by all communities and people of Mumbai and suburbs.

The self-esteem and competition between the members of any organization will pave way for splitting up, decaying, polarization, and shoddy and divulge deeds, which ultimately weaken and destroy the organizations. Now an average Malayali in Mumbai feels that when some leadership aspiring SNMS members with self-motives and stakes approached the SNDP leaders in Kerala sometime back, they should have discouraged them and avoided the spit! It is the common belief amongst SNMS members and the public that the rich, sound and mighty Vellapalli Natesan, the General Secretary of SNDP, was instrumental to chalk out master plans to split the Sree Narayana Mandira Samiti in Mumbai. Many SNMS members opined that the present SNDP Mumbai region leader Harilat Pottath jumped to the wagon to join the band of power and position hungered mediocre leaders. Harilal Pottath is a good organizer, hard worker and has good business acumen and his services would have benefited to strengthen the SNMS. It is pity that the leaders of both the organizations and the mighty Vellappali Natesan are watching the fun instead of calling for the unity.

Sree Narayana Dharma Paripala Yogam Mumbai has many branches in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Thane District and enjoys the patronage of the parent organization in Kerala. Both organizations stand for a many good to uphold the ideology of Sree Narayana Guru. Nevertheless, the SNDP in Mumbai region has the image of a militant trade union amongst Sree Narayana Dharma followers. They pretend and fight tooth and nail to establish their supremacy as the legitimate and righteous organization who only upholds Guru’s teachings. Guru believed, preached and practiced oneness. However, SNDP is imposing supremacy amongst Sree Narayana Dharma believers and making double-deal in his name. If SNDP Mumbai region is also stands for Guru’s teachings and thoughts and their intention is genuine to serve Sree Narayana Dharma believers, why these competitions like rival trade unions in companies? All trade unions will claim that they are working for the rights and benefits of workers and all of them will exploit the poor workers. Equally, it will be ridiculous if leaders of a new entrant organization at Mumbai region in the name of Sree Narayana Guru fight and compete for supremacy and taking oath to serve to the followers of Sree Naryana Dharma or Sreenarayaneeyar

Sree Narayana Guru preached “one caste, one religion and one God”. Then two organizations are necessary to uphold his vision and ideology? We understand that personal supremacy or egoistic attitudes persisting in SNDP. The present SNDP Mumbai region leadership under Harilal Pottath, who parted earlier from Dr. K.K. Damodaran’s SNMS, is aversely opposing and fearing Dr. K.K. Damodaran and his battalion of Sree Narayana Dharma believers and reluctant to merge with SNMS. Is the parent SNDP organization in Kerala encourages this attitude ? Which SNMS and SNDP rat will bell the mighty Vellappalli Natesan cat that only can be the catalyst for the merger of SNDP Mumbai region with SNMS? Which leader will address this significant issue?

People devoted to Sree Naryana Dharma are in utter confusion and dilemma as both organizations approach them for their support and asking lively participation in their activities. Appeasing both equally at a time is just impossible and unpractical. Since both organizations are approaching them in the name of Sree Narayana Guru’s thoughts and messages, poor Sree Narayana Dharma believers are helpless and much against their wish forced to spare time and money to these two organizations alike.

It is high time and we earnestly request the leaders of both organizations to sit together and discuss the issues and sort out them amicably and merge into a single more strong organization. May Sree Narayana Guru bless you all.

(Lead story published in Sunny News February 1-15, 2008)

For another article written by Sasidharan Nair and to read the discussion board postings about the above article, kindly log on http://www.sunnynewsonline.com/

Sex and the fair sex 

What is sex? Ab initio, sex is appreciable, beautiful, charming, divine, elegant, festal, grand, happy, ideal, jocund, knowable, lusty, magnificent, natural, opulent, pious, quenching, revering, stupendous, taming, uplifting, virtual, whopping, xilling, yeoman and zealous. Sex is the heavenly synartesis of male and female bodies. Therefore sex is blissful and not a sin. According to great western writer Richard F. Ames, “sex pervades our modern culture. Some consider it a ‘forbidden fruit,’ while others seek to experience it in all its forms.”

I love sex, the fair sex, sex kitten, setulae and the sex fruits. Nevertheless, the cent percent literate Malayalis are hypocrites in sex. While openly go up against sex, at the same moment they secretly carry out adoring ludicrous illicit sex. Instead of direct, open and natural sex, they prefer covert grungy sex. I ask Malayalis please do not skimp sex. Our conventional wisdom and family set up generally consider discussing about sex openly at home with children is indecent and taboo and many a parents discourage and strictly prohibit such talks. According to Hindu philosophy, sex is a Godly act. Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha are equally important and absence of any of these principle pursuits of life will make human life incomplete. It may note that Valsyayanan, a Hindu sage, wrote Kamasastram, the science of sex, for the whole people of the world.

Sex is an urge of human body and inexorable for the existence of humankind. If we ignore sex, human society will disappear. We should not keep a grubby, hypocrite, erroneous and immature attitude towards sex. In sex, lack of knowledge and improper knowledge is equally harmful and shall endanger the society. Our children must get proper orientation on sex, healthy sex and sex hygiene at younger age. In olden days, joint-family system imparted sex education. Parents and guardians, especially mothers, grandmothers and grand grandmothers, effectively educated sex to their children through religion, customs, traditions and rituals. However, nowadays the scenario has been changed to nuclear family set up which resulted children are not properly guided and adequately educated in sex. The present LDF government in Kerala was dubious to start sex education in schools fearing the wrath of fundamental religious elements. However, many other states with less literacy rate already introduced sex education in their school curriculum.

Being a researcher on sex, I would like to articulate my studies and acquired knowledge in a better aesthetic and moral manner for sex education. Derived from my learning and research I am planning to write a new free translation, commentary and interpretation about Valsyayanan’s Kamasastram incorporating my case studies, first in Malayalam and later in English. Obviously, it will be a totally different and new book written with the analysis of modern sex life in India, especially by Malayalis, and without any resemblance to Nalappad Narayana Menon’s Rathisamrajyam.

Recalling the molestation of a foreign tourist girl during the revelries of New Year celebration on 31 December 2007 night at Marine Drive in Ernakulam and later the molestation of a teenage tourist girl at Kumarakam by a security staff of a resort I would suggest, nay demand, to Government of Kerala to take immediate steps to implement the following:

1. Earmark some place in Thiruvanathapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode to start brothels and allow legality to prostitution at the designated places similar to red streets of Mumbai and Kolkata.
2. Introduce sex education in all schools.
3. Strict adherence of laws and severe punishments against molestation, sexual harassments, attempt to seduce the modesty of a woman and rape.
4. Frequently conduct seminars and debates on sex in visual and print media to create awareness amongst teens and youth about sex, sex hygiene, sex problems and sex diseases. Similarly, educational institutions, civic bodies, social organizations and NGOs do take initiative to organize road shows, discussions, symposia and exhibitions to teach sex sanctity.

* Published in the Sunny News, February 1-15, 2008 issue