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24-30 Nov, 2011
small world
Motive
The Speaker as Tiger Killer
Anil Budur Lulla

BANGALORE ~ This is not something that falls into the ambit of a legistlative assembly’s speaker’s duties, but that didn't really matter to Karnataka Assembly Speaker KG Bopaiah. He has sought permission to shoot dead a tiger that has developed a taste for cattle in his constituency.

The tiger has so far accounted for 24 cattlekills in Virajpet, in southern Coorg (or Kodagu, as it is now called), which is Bopaiah’s constituency. It maps its prey after raiding cattlesheds in villages. When Bopaiah visited the affected areas recently, villagers requested him to obtain a forest department sanction to shoot the beast. “There is a provision in the Wildlife Act (Rule 11-A) to kill any endangered animal if it attacks humans or posses a threat to human life. They can invoke it,” he was quoted as saying.

Bopaiah, a Coorgi elected on a PJP ticket belongs to a community known for its hunting exploits, but which has since the late 1970s made peace with wild animals and turned conservationist. The state’s forest department was surprised to receive such a request from the Speaker, but didn't have to think much to deny it. “We have turned down permission to shoot the tiger dead. We have made all arrangements to capture it alive,” says state Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Wildlife, BK Singh.

Wildlife enthusiasts are also staunchly opposed to the killing since the tiger has not yet turned into a maneater. They are not very pleased with Bopaiah. After the Speaker’s suggestion, there has been an angry flow of letters in newspapers and lively exchanges on social networking sites to save the tiger. “Tranquilise and relocate it, don't kill and give our country a bad name,” says one Tweeter, Amit.

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Take Two
Return of the Stained Saint
Madhavankutty Pillai

In one of the interviews Jyoti Basu gave towards the fag end of his career, he explained why the CPM Politburo’s not permitting him to be Prime Minister in 1996 was a mistake. He said large parts of the country and many Indians just didn’t know something called the Left existed and his prime ministership would have changed that. Soon after, Deve Gowda became Prime Minister, and while all of India still has no clue what he stands for, that such a man exists is known. For a politician, the greatest sorrow is not disgrace, but anonymity. And having tasted the spoils of the Anna revolution, it was a sorrow staring Agnivesh very strongly in the face.

Those who smirked at Agnivesh going on the Big Boss show got it wrong. Consider this: most of the participants themselves didn’t know who Agnivesh was when he entered the house and these were mostly regular middle, upper middle class city people who are supposed to be abreast of national events that affect them. But the truth is, even in this semi-elite category, only a few read a newspaper or watch a news channel.

Agnivesh was, at most, a hazy figure kicked out of the Anna movement. His involvement in issues like combating bonded labour, foeticide or brokering talks with Maoists was unknown to most Indians. It is still unknown after three days with Big Boss. But what is different is that now he’s a human being in blood, flesh, form, a name, and to a politician, that is nothing short of a coup.

He also managed his presence carefully. He did not badmouth Team Anna, he offered to clean the toilet, he played peace broker (a gimmick so obviously planned with the producers), and he even wept while going out. As a show, it was as good as it came. Astutely, Agnivesh knew when to
get out.

The show’s premise is that after sometime, your true character will emerge. Most who appear on it expecting an image makeover return showing a nasty side of themselves only their wives or husbands know of. Three days, however, is manageable.
A few more days and we might have seen a swami snapping and biting like everyone else.

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High Spirited
Affluence of Incohol

Karnataka’s excise minister, who vowed to put an end to bootlegging and bring liquor retailers in line, has found his enthusiasm going down a notch, and no thanks to his own bravado.

Minister MP Renukacharya, who had busted a few bootleggers in full media glare recently, announced that he would now turn his attention to wine shops overcharging customers, and asked the press to publicise his mobile number so that anyone who is charged `even a rupee above the maximum retail price printed on liquor bottles could call him directly and complain.

That was enough to give him two months of sleepless nights, as he started getting thousands of complaint calls. “Once dusk fell, every time the mobile rang, it would give me jitters,’’ he was quoted as saying. Callers invariably complained of overcharging by liquor shops. They would also ask him if he had taken down the name and address of the joint. While many grievances were genuine, there were also calls cursing him for his policies and actions. There were also tips on extending bar timings and on how to regulate the liquor mafia and earn more money for the state exchequer.

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VIGILANTE
God’s Own Taliban
Shahina KK

A lynch mob doubling as the moral police is something you expect in places like Afghanistan under the Taliban. God’s Own Country is catching up. A man was beaten to death recently because it was suspected he was having an affair. Shahid Bava, a 26-year-old, had been repeatedly “warned” to call off his relationship with a woman in Mukkom in Kozhikode. On 10 November, he was caught by a group of 15 men, tied to an electric post and badly beaten up with iron rods. The attackers even tried to stop the actual police from taking him to a hospital. More policemen arrived and finally managed to take him to hospital. Bava succumbed to his injuries after two days. Twelve goons have been identified in the case and one arrested.

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24-30 Nov, 2011