Hassles of using BSNL Land Line!

Suffered with noisy telephone (Land line:033-25440992) for couple of days. The BSNL technician yesterday (30.10.2013) corrected the fault and noise disappeared altogether. For some time the telephone functioned normally but much to my despair its dial tone suddenly went off and the telephone became stone dead. What’s most alarming, the handset of my cordless phone started displaying ‘Line in use’. I’m afraid my telephone line is being used by somebody else. I tried to lodge complaint at automatic complaint booking site but again I was dismayed by the recorded voice emanating from the above mentioned site that ‘my complaint is already there and work is in progress. I was confronted with similar situation last year and I couldn’t register fresh complaint as the complaint was already there. I don’t know what’s in store for me now and how long I would have to suffer. I like to solicit your assistance to bail out of such predicament, thanks to the quality of service offered by such a big telecom giant compared with the service rendered by private players in this field. Perhaps this is one of the many reasons which painfully compel longtime subscribers to part with BSNL.For myself I’ve bidden farewell to BSNL Broad Band service. Nevertheless perhaps those who are still reluctant to untie the knot with BSNL earnestly wish it best of luck!

A dream that 'd never come true!

Gorkha land is a day-dream for the sponsors of the movement. Hill leaders also know they are fighting vainly for a separate state which will never come into being. Whoever comes to power in Bengal would not allow further division of the state at least for its own existence. Nor would Center allow carve out Gorkhaland to open Pandora’s box again after Telengana either. Truly, the Gorkha leaders in hills are whipping up ethnic sentiment to keep the movement alive for their own interest for power, money etc. Already they’ve amassed immense fortune like Subhas Ghising.Unfortunately, no political parties have ever tried to nip the movement in the bud. On the contrary, they pampered it for electoral gain. Mamata has taken rather a tough stand which has yielded some results too.Hoewever,how long the hills would remain peaceful is difficult to predict. Probably Gorkha activists would not go in for politics of Bandh in near future. Now perhaps movement would continue at low key. Come opportunity, it might gain momentum and flare up again.However, it may be reassured whatever be the intensity of the movement formation of separate Gorkhaland would ever elude the Gorkha people and it’d prove only a wild goose chase.

What Prez said!

Our Prez.Pranab Mukherjee has rightly said our universities deserve no credit for Nobel laureates like Dr.Hargobind Khorana, Amartya Sen and others.They did their research work in foreign universities and became Nobel awardees.They were Indian by birth only.However, C.V. Raman was the only Indian scientist who won Nobel Prize in Science and he did his entire research project in India at Indian Institute of Cultivation of Science ,Calcutta, that too in much adverse ambiance. Another man who was Indian born British doctor became Nobel Laureate in Medicine by pursuing his research project in india.He was Ronald Ross.He worked on Maleria at Predsidency General Hospital , Calcutta, now called SSKM Hospital . Prez has rightly contended that it's regrettable none of the Indian universities has achieved the distinction of being placed even at the 200th position in the list of 400 world ranking universities published this month.However, it's our consolation that five Indian universities have figured in positions 200-400.Punjab university has sprang a surprise by occupying 225-250 position while IITs-Kgp,IIT-Kanpur, IIT-Delhi and IIT-Roorkee are placed in 350-400 positions.Incidentally, earlier IIT-Kgp was in225-250 position.It's intersting our top ranking national universities like D.U,JNU,BHU, C.U,J.U,IISc,BESU etc are no where in the scale. It may be noted in China and Japan 7 and 5 universities respectively have found place among 200 top global universities. Among other criteria standard of a university is judged by its quality of research activities.In most of our universities research work suffer for lack of infrastructural facilities.That apart, bureaucratic bungling, political interference and teachers' too much involvement in politics also hamper research activities in a big way.More over, research supervisors spend more time in departmental politics than in academic pursuit.

Irresponsible people in responsible trade!

Blanket closures of medicine out-lets: It’s regrettable almost all the medicine out-lets, big or small, were kept shut in the evening(however, I can’t say if they were closed in the morning too) at Belgharia on the occasion of Subha Vijaya Dashami(14 Oct) which turned out to be the most ‘Asubha’ (inauspicious) to those who had to move length and breadth of the town in search of essential drugs with tension and anxieties writ large on their faces. Owners of the medicine shops should feel their business is quite different from other trades. Nonavailability of medicines at the right moment because of blanket closure of all medical out-lets as on the present occasion might lead to loss of precious lives. So the dealers in medicine should have a sense of social commitment and humane deal is always expected of them. Those who can’t afford this little bit of humanity has no right to run a business in medicines. They should be looked upon as intruders or gatecrashers in the medicine trade. On the day of Subha Vijaya I’ve referred to above, the Medicine dealers’ association of Belgharia could have instructed some selected shop owners to keep their medicine outlets open at least in public interest. Perhaps they didn’t even think of such an idea, perhaps nor did they have that mindset to think this way, thanks to their insensitivity and lack of sensibility. It may be further mentioned it's a regular practice at Belgharia to keep all the medicine shops closed in the after noon much to the inconveniences and consternation of those who're badly in need of procuring a drug to administer to critical patients.It's another instance of insensitiveness and lack of responsibility of shop owners.This situation can be easily addressed by keeping some selected shops open by turn each day. Notwithstanding the criticism, I'm sure, the same thing(blanket closure of shops) would be repeated in the evening of ensuing Kojagari Lakshmi Puja too. In fact, unless social awareness develops and popular protest pours in things are not likely to improve in any way.

The Unkindest Cut!

The students, teachers and guardians of Christ Church School for girls at Dumum are happy that their Principal has resumed her duties after 11days since the school reopened. The Principal too looked visibly happy and made a brief speech to her students.She said she feel satisfied her students could properly differentiate between ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ and it meant school had imparted 'proper education' to them.But what’s most strikingly surprising is she didn’t utter the name of Oindrila, whose death bled every heart, even once in her speech. Nor did she reportedly pay a visit to the house of Oindrila’s bereaved parents who amidst their profound grief briefed for early reopening of school in the interest of the students. This incident would hurt any sensible soul.Only she best knows why she omitted Oindrila’s name.However,whatever be the cause this unkindest cut is unpardonable.What's more,this 'omission' would send a wrong message to the students who the Principal claims are receiving 'proper education' from school.

Pay-dole politics!

Writers’ Building badly needed renovation and repair. In that context shifting of most of the departments from Writers’ to new building at Howrah christened Nabanna was necessary. But the cost involved in transshipment and what’s more, in according a spick and span corporate look to the new building is too high for a state that is badly suffering from financial constraints. That apart, it’s a temporary measure as after renovation of Writers’ the departments would be shifted back to this age old heritage building again. May be, it’s on card that some departments would remain at Nabanna permanently but the money expended does not worth this purpose too. Mamata Banerjee has been clamouring since she assumed office as Chief minister that the state is now carrying the legacy of colossal debt of the earlier govt. which had no fiscal discipline at all. Debt has reached astronomical figure for wanton expenditure and misappropriation of money as well over the years in Left regime. The present govt has to repay the sky-high debt and as a result developmental works suffer badly. If the above allegations are correct, the same blame may be laid at the door of the new govt too.The present govt is giving away money generously to private institutions and individuals as well.To start with it has paid handsome amount of money to clubs. Imams are getting monthly allowances and unemployed youths are paid doles every month in Yubashree and Kanyashree projects from govt coffer. Even the depositors who lost money in Saradha scam are compensated from public exchequer.Paying monetary assistance to Durga Puja committees are being contemplated. Who knows how many more such projects are in the pipeline. This apart, a lot of money is spent in window dressing. How does a govt that is encumbered with enormous burden of debt spend money so lavishly to meet so called ‘social commitments’? Isn’t it at the cost of developmental work that our state badly needs?Really unfortunate, in deed!

Saradha Scam

It’s interesting cops started calling Rajyasabha MP Kunal Ghosh to Bidhannagar commissionarate for grilling immediately after he declared revolt against Trinomool leadership at a blood donation camp which was attended by Soumen Mitra , his wife Sikha Mitra and film stars turned MPs Tapas Pal and Satabdi Roy. Before this incident however, Kunal was not called for questioning by police so frequently. Both Tapas and Satapdi also raised their voices against TMC leadership though very mildly and later even tendered apology for their remark.Kunal seems fully cooperating with police administration but interestingly after each grilling he keeps all guessing about what he has up his sleeve. It’s true Kunal should have been served show cause notice to explain his position with his party. Now he rightly complains he was denied an opportunity to defend himself prior to his suspension and party seems to have no answer to his contention.Perhaps,party tried to avoid any unwanted situation that could have arisen if Kunal were allowed to make any statement in his favour in response to the show cause letter. Perhaps it could stir up a hornet’s nest. So party simply sent a message to potentially dissenting voices that they would have the same fate as that of Kunal if they openly speak their mind.However,pressure would be kept mounting on Kunal so that he does not open his mouth any more though he would keep tantalizing public that he’d divulge many secrets of Saradha scam.

Crumbling Kamduni!

The girl in Kamduni was no less brutally raped and murdered than the medical student Nirvaya at Delhi.In the latter case trial took place at breakneck speed and the accused were awarded death sentences. But in Kamduni case trial is limping forward with snail’s space and no body knows when the judgment would be pronounced. Cops made inordinate delay in tendering charge sheet. By this time a key witness has also died much to the advantage of the accused. Those who took initiative for fast trial of this tragic and barbaric incident in Kamduni were termed Maoist by CM herself. She, however, promised to see the trial complete in a month. She also ensured she’d see if the accused were sentenced to death. Incidentally, immediately after this gruesome incident govt offered employment and financial assistance to kin of the victim, but they flatly refused the offer. Villagers formed a Pratibadi Mancha which waited upon Prez at Delhi for precipitate action in Kamduni incident and the intellectuals took out protest rallies in Kolkata streets. In fact, there happened no significant change in the present scenario. On the contrary, Kamduni rape-murder case was transferred to Court in Kolkata much to the disadvantage of Kamduni people. Govt took this Pradibadi Mancha as an affront to them and treated it as an handiwork of the opposition. In a bid to crash the Mancha Govt floated another parallel Mancha.Govt also offered employment to three members of victim’s family along with 1 lac rupees. This time, of course, the poor and needy family gladly accepted the offer. Not only that they wrote a letter to CM vilifying Pratibadi Manchi in all possible ways and making all sorts of allegations against it.They also heaped praise on Mamata Banerjee generously.Now let us wait and watch the fate of the most brutal rape-murder case of the innocent girl of Kamduni.