MONTH-IN-PERSPECTIVE-MARCH 2022

NEW DELHI: Has the democracy gone berserk in India? It’s a strange and crazy question. But frankly India is slipping badly in ethical standard needed for a vibrant democracy. It is demo-crazy or else nothing can explain why there are close to 5000 cases pending against MPs and MLAs in the highest court of the land. A New Delhi datelined print media report informs that amicus curiae, senior advocate Vijay Hansaria has informed the Supreme Court that as of December 2021, there are 4984 cases pending against sitting and former MPs and MLAs. Reportedly it was 4110 in December 2018, now increased by over 20% since then. According to Sr. Advocate Vijay Hansaria, the author of the report to the Apex Court, shockingly there are cases pending for more than three decades against these people's elected representatives. Report informs that of the 4984 pending cases, 3999 cases were against MLAs of which 1675 were against former legislators, leaving 2324 against sitting MLAs. Interestingly in 1991 cases even charges were not framed and in 264 cases there was stay granted by High Courts. The report by the arnicas curiae was prompted by a case connected with the proposed expeditious trial of MPs and MLAs for the purpose of debarring convicted MPs from contesting elections as asked by the apex court. Reportedly, the submission by the senior advocate Hansaria, has contained details of state wise data on pending cases. The list informs Uttar Pradesh, being the biggest state also has the distinction of being at the top of the list with 1339 vases pending for final disposal as on December 1, 2021, that is some 27% of all pending cases an on date. Reportedly Bihar was next in line being at the top after UP. These exercises by the apex court are to expedite the disposal of those pending cases against people's representatives. This is Yeh Mera India. NEW DELHI:The news report datelined New Delhi of February 23, “SC upholds Muslim law depriving widow & daughter share in property”, made a disturbing reading. According to the report, the apex court was disposing a writ where litigation had started in 1977, some 45 years ago, before the trial court in Kolar in south Karnataka. It was for the division of assets belonging to one Mohiuddin Pasha. There are no details in the report, how it travelled to the Supreme Court and remained unsettled for 45 long years. Report informs that Pasha had died in 1964. He had two sons Rahaman and Azgar from his 1st wife Noorbi, who died in 1944. Then Pasha married Mazambi, from whom he had 5 children. Pasha’s son Rahaman from 1st wife had married Rahamathunnisa and had a daughter Noorjahan. Unfortunately Rahaman died in 1945 that is 19 years before his father Pasha died. When Pasha died in 1964, his second wife with children and Rahaman’s widow with daughter sought the division of Pasha’s property. However Muslim Personal Law (MPL) did not give any property right to the widow of Rahaman, who has died before his father Pasha. MPL did not give any property right to Noorjahan also, the daughter of Rahaman. So, as per MPL only second wife Mazambi and her children would get the property rights. Probably this is how it went to court in Kolar, and may be the court did not pass any order acceptable to all. Thus, it has come to the apex court, as the ultimate arbiter of justice. But sadly as the report informs, the highest court of the land went by MPL and denied the share in the property to the widow and daughter of Rahaman. For once, the zealous protector of right to equality, the Supreme Court, has succumbed to play by the iniquitous MPL. How can, a personal law be so framed and enforced where equity is not the basis! There are no details in the report, why and how the highest court of the land could not stand by the daughter and her widowed mother, who have no man to stand by them in case of need! How can elders in a social set-up accept such inequity in its systemic enforcement of denials of natural right of inheritance to their women folks! Such cases of inequity are the reasons why the country should have Uniform Civil Code. To deny the right of a widow and her daughter, only because the husband of the widow and father of the girl had died before the original ancestor, is patently wrong and absolutely unjust. These women are deprived of their rightful, legitimate share in the ancestral property due to some patriarchal mind set, which created MPL. This is injustice in all its unfairness, plain and simple. Strangely none in the media felt outraged and expressed their disapproval of such crude practices. MAHARASHTRA: That all state Home Ministers are the ultimate bosses to the police brass is a well known truth. But the scenario in Maharashtra appears to be more murky. With lot of things having happened post alleged ‘Antilia Bomb Scare’, skeletons of different dimension keep falling off the cupboard at Mumbai Sachivalay, at regular intervals. Latest is the revelations of the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) with former disgraced Home Minister who was a guest at Arthur Road High Security jail. Ravi Vhatkar the OSD has reportedly opened a Pandora’s Box on transfers of policemen in Maharashtra, under the former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh. He was from Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), a coalition partner in the Maha Vikas Agadi (MVA) of Maharashtra government. According to him there were secret parleys on transfers and postings of middle level police officers. He was deposing before the officials of Enforcement Directorate on his knowledge of things happening in the office of discredited Home Minister, who had to resign under dark clouds of serious accusations of financial skull-drudgery, by the former Mumbai Commissioner of Police Param Bir Singh. A report datelined Mumbai, informed, ascribing to OSD Ravi Vhatkar, that private and secret meetings were held by former HM-Anil Deshmukh, Anil Parab, a Shiv Sena Minister and concerned Police Commissioners with regards to finalizing the names for transfers and postings of police officers upto the rank of inspectors of Maharashtra. No records or minutes of such meetings were maintained, the report informed, while adding that a list would be prepared by the OSD based on all communications/ recommendations received from Ministers, MLAs, MLCs, ruling party representatives, and list would be handed over to the Home Minister Deshmuk. Anil Parab would make a list of recommendations from Shiv Sena functionaries on these postings and transfers. Shiv Sena is the leading light of the MVA, the Maharashtra coalition. On list being submitted to the Home Minister, he would have police commissioners and Anil Parab in attendance, deliberate and decide the finalization without any noting. So also there were no set known guidelines for taking final decisions, OSD averred. Surely Home Ministers of all states would be taking decisions on similar lines, but it is only now that the cat is out of the bag. This is the governance of the richest state of India. As they say secret cannot be hidden beyond 9 months, when the product of the sin is delivered for all to see. MAHARASHTRA:Sometime in December 2021, there was this ad in the Mumbai based print media, inviting “NOMINATONS FOR JAMNALAL BAJAJ AWARDS 2022”. As the name suggests, awards are in the memory of late Jamnalal Kaniram Bajaj, who died rather young at the age of 52 years only in 1942. Although he belonged to an affluent business family, it was his distant relation Seth Bachhraj, who adopted him and young Jamnalal grew into a respectable business leader under Seth Bachhraj’s guidance. Bajaj group of companies has some 24 large and medium sized companies, involved in trade, commerce and industries. Among them the most famous is Bajaj Auto Ltd, the biggest two wheeler and three wheelers manufacturer of the country. However his interest did not remain in business alone, he dabbled in politics of freedom movement by joining the Congress party. After Gandhiji arrived on the Indian independent movement scene young Jamnalal took great liking for Gandhiji’s simple living and high thinking. Accordingly he embraced philanthropy also, along with other activities of trade & commerce. He constructed temples for those who were denied entry into temples managed by high caste priests. He constructed wells for those who were denied drawing water from community wells, by caste Hindus. Thus he was a very concerned human being. Unfortunately he did not live long enough to witness the political independence of India. He died on 11th February 1942. In his memory his family instituted awards to recognise individuals from around the world who promote Gandhian values, those who are into community service and social development. During the last over 40 years, since 1978, Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation has identified and honored many stalwarts from around the world including late South African President Nelson Mandela. So the importance and significance of these awards can be gauged. Chief Guests at the awards ceremony has been a kind of who’s who of India’s elites, like late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, His Holiness Dalai Lama, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, President Pranab Mukherjee, Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev and many others, some 40 of them so far. Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation was being administered under the leadership of Rahul Bajaj, who sadly passed away on Saturday the 12th February 2022. All of 83, Rahul Bajaj was the chairman of Bajaj Group. Under his able leadership Bajaj Group grew exponentially. He was the father of TWO WHEELER revolution in the country with his ‘Hamara Bajaj’ tune singing for Bajaj Chetak scooter, which became an aspirational symbol of Indian middle class. It was synonymous with the hopes of a better future for most Indian middle class families. Under his visionary leadership Bajaj scooter found foothold in most parts of the world in direct competition with Japanese products. He was also like his family peers, a very concerned individual. In his capacity as the Chairman of Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation, he had the foresight and magnanimity to include likes of Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi as a Trustee of Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation. The advertisement inviting nomination for the annual awards had also informed that Kailash Satyarthi will be the Chief Guest for the 2022 awards distribution function. It is indeed a matter of deep satisfaction and happiness for ISSUES & CONCERNS that Rahul Bajaj considers the Nobel Laureate as an honourable and an important inclusion in the activities of trust, especially when the national government of India failed to recognise and honour this rare human being. Kailash Satyarthi was recognized the world over as the Champion of Child Rights. He got Nobel Peace Prize in October 2014 besides many other international awards. We all know, that Nobel Prize is the ultimate in recognition of one’s contribution towards a universal cause, yet government of India has done precious little to acknowledge the contribution of this stalwart of a human, who refuse to accept that “our laws are incapable of saving our children from child labour”. At this point we stop to pay tribute to the noble soul of Shri Rahul Bajaj to Rest In Everlasting Peace. Hope Nobel Laureate Satyarthi will serve the Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation and continue to keep the lamp at Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation burning bright and long. Om Shanti. KARNATAKA: A Mangalooru based report had informed about the fare like in KSRTC buses since last few days. Reportedly and understandably some of the passengers were unhappy. Among those unhappy was UT Khader, a former minister in the Karnataka government who is presently an MLA. General public and MLA are not same. General public can be excused for their ignorance but not an educated MLA and a former minister. He cannot get down to the level of general public to air his view, may be because he is not in the government, but now in the opposition. It is likely that all MLAs or former ministers of other political parties in opposition may also have reacted the same way-unhappy about the fare rise-since they are in the opposition. Similarly when your own government does it, you go to town to justify it, rightly or wrongly. Coming to KSRTC, it is certainly not exploitative. It must have justification as a cost centre to maintain a fare structure or to increase it. It is true, diesel price has been increasing and KSRTC has not increased it for quite some time. So some increase should be supported. However in the light of what AAP government does for its female commuters in Delhi, may be Karnataka too should find out, how it can replicate to reduce fare to all and may be reap even political dividends. But not free like AAP government in Delhi. However, funnily, no minister or MLA, whether UT Khader or any ruling party MLA has not gone on record on the steep increase by private bus operators in Dakshina Kannada. They are quite literally over charging if not looting without any control by RTO. This is sad and bad. Private operators should be reined in by RTO and political class should make necessary noises, unless they are hand-in-glove with the private bus lobby. Hope government intervenes to rein private bus operators to regulate bus fares. KARNATAKA:Her name was Suma. She was a 4th standard student going to a government school in a village outside Udupi, in coastal Karnataka. She was the only child of her parents Richard and Rita. He was an attender at a power company, some 20kms away from his residence. He was getting only Rs.500/- for a whole month as salary. The year was 1995. He bought a second hand bicycle to peddle his way to work, just to save bus fare. Wife Rita was working as a domestic helper to earn some more to keep the wolf away. They had only one dream to educate their only girl child. They were ideal parents for that child. But poverty and lack of earning had made things difficult. They could afford only one set of dress, the school uniform, for their darling daughter. Richard would wash his daughter’s uniform on Saturday evening. Through Saturday night and Sunday, the uniform would dry and ready on Monday morning for Suma to wear again to school. During monsoon months, it would not be fully dry, but child Suma had to endure it, for want of another set of uniform. Certainly life was difficult. But seeing their child going to school like all other children in the uniform was making Richard & Rita happy. She was one like the rest of the children in the school. Poverty was not visible in the uniform. What if the uniform was not there and she had to go with any dress to school? The poverty could be writ-large on the dress, with only one dress being worn to the school, day after day, washed on Saturday, dried on Sunday, but worn again on Monday! How it could have worked on the psyche of the small child Suma and that of her parents! It could have had disastrous psychological impact, which none could have endured. Result could have been, probably the child would have given up school and become a child labourer along with her domestic-helper mother. Indeed uniform was the savior. A government school meant for poor children, or even a government college where poor students go to study Uniform is the savior of human dignity. If uniform was not there? It’s a very disturbing question, affecting the psyche of millions of parents across the country who could not have afforded different dresses for their children. Indeed uniform is the savior under the prevailing Indian conditions. The story of Suma is real with names changed. It is true that with some positive development in the life of Richard & Rita things changed for better. Suma is a successful academician today. KARNATAKA:There was this print media report datelined Bengalooru, “When 2 budding women cricketers had to pay the price for speaking up”. The report made some interesting reading. Cricket is in the blood of most Indians, especially men, but it has proved that women are not far behind with willows and cherries, swinging and hitting. After all games that need physical swinging and hitting has its therapeutic effects, it has no gender bar whatever the game. Hence, no wonder even girls have taken to the game of cricket almost like a duck to water. Thus, it was way back in October 1976, there was this maiden All Indian Women’s Junior Cricket Championship in Kozhikode, Kerala, or Calicut as it is called in English. Reportedly Karnataka team travelled by bus to Kozhikode, and played its first match on 14th October 1976 against Andhra Pradesh. Karnataka outplayed Andhra Pradesh without much difficulty. Players in the team recollect that they had no cricket kits or jerseys provided by the government or the Karnataka Cricket Association, yet they all procured their needs themselves. Despite all drawbacks Karnataka team made it to the final against Kerala, the host state. On October 14, 1976, the final match was broadcast live by the All India Radio and all institutions in Karnataka were given holiday for students to follow the match through the live commentary. And Karnataka Junior Women’s Team despite being under dogs emerged victorious after thrashing Kerala in the final by seven wickets. Naturally there was a grand reception to the team on returning to Bengalooru. Karnataka Cricket Association felicitated the team at high-end West End Hotel in the city centre, followed by an announcement by the Karnataka government a reward of Rs.5000/- for the team, consisting of 15 girls aged between 11 and 15 years. So it was a princely sum of Rs. 333/- for each one of them, a big sum those days. But believe it or not, reportedly the money never reached the players. According to Jayawanthi Shyam, then 11 year old bowler in the team, the women’s cricket organizers made these players sign some papers; probably vouchers for the cash prize received, but didn’t part with the money. Thus, these young players were cheated by the organizers, who pocketed the award money received from the government. How cheap that some adults-and sportsmen to boot-can enjoy the money that truly belonged those 15 young girls! Currently Jayawanthi is the National Basketball Coach for Women. But, these sadist organizers didn’t stop there. They went further and stopped, two girls-Jayawanthi and another girl Melissa- from playing further cricket after 1978. Reportedly, it so happened, that Sophia School in Bengalooru was conducting annual athletics meet and basketball tournament and a sports journalist happened to have dropped in to cover the sports events. He interviewed these two girls in the school campus on their achievement in state level basketball and athletics. In the course of the interview, the journalist casually asked what have they done with the prize money of Rs. 333/-! These girls innocently mentioned that they never received the money. Understandably, when the report appeared in the press that these young cricketers never got that 5000/- prize money, it became a noisy issue on the floor of the Vidhana Saudha, the assembly. Reportedly the then Minister of Youth Services KH Srinivas, promised these girls another reward and issued show cause notice to the State Women’s Cricket Association (SWCA). Women to women, these SWCA functionaries, punished these budding cricket talents by not giving them any opportunity to play for the state thereafter, by just making them sit through for having spoken to the press. This is Yeh Mera India, in its unsporting ways. KARNATAKA:‘Law is an ass’, is an idiom in vogue and is used at different place with different connotations, when usually there is a miscarriage of justice in the enforcement of law. One M.S Kodekal, a clerical grade officer in the Public Works Department in Dharwad, was caught with Rs. 50 found in his socks on the basis of a Lokayukta trap on January 16, 1998. At that time, reportedly, he had 15 years of service left. After departmental proceedings, he was compulsorily retired on September 7, 2004. Prima facie, compulsory retirement of a staff for an alleged financial misconduct of Rs. 50/- is hugely disproportionate. Under no law, such massively hurting punishment could have been meted out to anybody anywhere! Aggrieved at the huge loss of livelihood due to the compulsory retirement, Kodekal knocked the door of Karnataka High Court. But as the general pace of our development, legal process too took 24 years to decide the case. How this middle level staff of Karnataka government would have managed to live without salary from September 2004 to 2022 that is close to 18 years is a question none bothered to ponder about, including the staff union of Karnataka government, which in all probability did not take up the case. Better late than never; the High Court Bench in Dharwad, disgusted at the scale of injustice forced on Kodekal remarked “Punishment of compulsory retirement awarded to him is shockingly disproportionate to the gravity of the alleged offence”, and asked the authorities to review the matter. However what was worrying is the attitude of authorities who took such disproportionate punitive action. The case was a complaint by an Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) Chandrachari, who was transferred from Byadgi town in Haveri district to Dharwad. His service records had to be transferred. The concerned Second Division Assistant, one Naiker, had demanded Rs. 150/- as unofficial consideration to do the job. AEE gave 3 currency notes of Rs. 50/- to Naiker, who in turn gave one to Kodekal being his colleague. Thus in the trap that was laid for Naiker, Kodekal too got caught in the crossfire. Kodekal was probably an unwitting beneficiary of the bribe. He never demanded the money from the complainant. But Kodekal probably had the knowledge of the deal and hence Naiker shared the booty, although Kodekal claimed it as a hand loan from Naiker. Surely the authorities could have taken different view of the roles of both the staff, which they didn’t, so too was, the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT), which had dismissed the petition of Kodekal. Actually Kodekal challenged the compulsory retirement before the Karnataka SAT in 2004. And believe it or not, KSAT took 12 long years to dismiss the petition- June 2016 -on a case of a mere Rs. 50/- as bribe! Dharwad Bench of Karnataka High Court did note that the role of Kodekal was “extremely passive” and “two unequals have been treated equally, besides complainant did not pay the amount to the petitioner”. Therefore prima facie, there cannot be any case against the petitioner. However, he was a partial beneficiary of the bribe and therefore, he could have been punitively fined to recover a bigger sum than Rs. 50/- which Kodekal had received. Hence under no-circumstance he deserved compulsory retirement. Now coming to the main accused, Naiker, who benefitted by Rs. 100/- the compulsory retirement is very harsh for him as well. Probably he didn’t challenge the disproportionate punishment. But, this too deserve a relook and to review the quantum of punishment. In a scenario prevailing in the corridors of power where crores are the figures spoken about in such financial misdemeanor, this scale of punishment for bribes of Rs. 50 & Rs. 100 is the cruelest that can be classified as! Oh poor mother India! While we are about it, it is interesting to note that according to a data of Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Maharashtra, authorities are yet to suspend some 148 government officials for actions of corruption while discharging their official duties. They include 12 class I officers, 10 class II officers, 72 are class III officials. Data also revealed 26 officials who should have been terminated for corruption offences were still not terminated. Data informed that, some of the cases in which officials have not been placed under suspension were as old as 2014. If ACB has been involved, it must be of larger size of corruption and here we have peanuts-Rs. 50/- Rs.100/- and they lose their job! This is another dimension of Yeh Mera India, where powerless end-up as victims and powerful survive and thrive, inequity galore in Mera Bharath Mahan! The TIMES OF INDIA, India’s largest English newspaper of Sunday the 13th February 2022, had, believe it or not, 9 reports, news items and articles on hijab and related issues. This is the level of ‘importance’, this India’s largest English newspaper gives to a divisive issue like hijab. The newspaper had this top billed first page news “US wades into hijab row”. On page 2 was “Communal flare-up along coast for political gain: Gowda.” This report ascribed to former Prime Minister Deve Gowda, the JD(S) Chief, fishing in troubled water for his own political survival and that of his kith and kin. Page 4 had “BJP government should have nipped hijab controversy in the bud: Experts”, “DDPI circular raises eyebrows”, “Police hold peace committee meetings”, “Role of organization under the scanner-Hijab Row”. On page 10, there were two pieces by two writers “Why I started wearing the hijab” & “If I question you about how you dress, you too will feel attacked”. The first report was about a tweet by an official of US President Joe Biden’s administration. She tried to lecture on religious freedom without knowing anything on the genesis of the issue. No wonder India’s Ministry of External Affairs reacted sharply by asking her ‘not to poke her nose into internal matters of India’. Rest of the reports are only highlighting an insignificant issue, making a mountain of a mole hill. What newspapers like TOI should recognise is, that there is more than one dimension for any issue. The newspaper could have also presented the views of the other side due to which the issue has become 'controversial'. Among these 9 reports, there could have been at least one or two reports about the contrary views on the issue. TOI didn’t do it, which means it failed in its journalistic duty of covering both sides. As they say, there are 3 sides to all issues, your view, my view and the correct view. A newspaper’s responsibility is to play the role of a median, which can bring about the greatest good of greatest number, by creating an atmosphere of consensus without taking any side. TOI has clearly failed in this objective. Besides, there are many well placed well educated Muslim women, who would be more than willing to talk about why they abhor hijab and why it is a sign of backwardness. Their opinion could have made the reportage more representative. That too TOI didn’t care to present. The controversy involving hijab by Muslim women is pretty old but keeps raising its head at different intervals to keep the non-issue alive as an issue of political relevance, since there is a significant section of women among Muslim who do not wear hijab. Most important aspect of hijab is why at all it has come about long after the advent of Islam. There are enough and more information in Islamic scripture about all do’s and don’ts for its followers. About hijab, the public space like websites, Wikipedia etc. have many information stating, why women wear hijab, which is mostly known to most of the readers of newspapers. But there is a reference in its scriptures about those days when toilet inside the residential premises was not there. Both men and women would attend to the calls of nature in some open, secluded place away from the public glare. The practice was that women would go only after the sun set so that their identity is not visible. But when an important lady of the clan was recognized by somebody while attending to her nature’s call, and it became a public knowledge, it was decided by the higher authorities in the hierarchy of Islamic teachings and practices that women must wear a full body cover with only eyes exposed to see. This is fairly a plausible explanation. Then the evolving life styles over the centuries have given different interpretation of the necessity of hijab for Muslim women, which some believe has not been mandated in the Islamic scriptures. So clearly, one is free to wear it or not to wear it. But here is a situation, in those educational institutions where they have mandated the wearing of uniform for all its students, both male and female. So if there is a rule to wear uniform, then there is no debate. The matter ends there. Don’t the Aligarh Muslim University insist on Salwar Khamees for all its female students who include a large number of non-Muslims! Here it is pertinent to reproduce a photograph available in the public space of Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein, King of Jordan with family who is the 41st generation direct descendant of Prophet Mohammad. KARNATAKA:There is this news in the print media on Monday, the February 21, “KSRTC introduces city bus services to Mangalooru Junction Railway Station”. Reportedly on Sunday, the February 20, KSRTC Mangalooru division commenced city bus services between State Bank Bus Terminus and Mangalooru Junction Railway Station. MJRS, is a point where there is a track diversion for trains to go towards Kerala or to proceed to Mangalooru Central Station, the Mangalooru Terminal point of Southern Railway. MJRS is in the outskirts of Mangalooru city. Many passengers get down at MJRS from trains proceeding to Kerala, so also to avoid possible delay due to signals before the train reaches Mangalooru Central. Similarly, there are many who come to MJRS to board trains from Kerala to North, also to board trains to Bengalooru or other destinations. So there is fair amount of traffic and there was a dire need for transport connectivity, especially buses, either from KSRTC or private operators. In fact, private operators were plying limited number of services. However KSRTC service was the long felt need of locals. A social activist Gopalkrishna Bhat, reportedly has been fighting for over 8 years for the KSRTC services- to and from MJRS. He had even approached Lokayukta, informs the report. Reportedly the then Lokayukta, Justice P. Vishwanath Shetty had directed both Deputy Collector and Regional Transport Authority (RTA) to look into the suggestion way back in 2017. The report in the print media informs that Mangalooru City South MLA Vedavyasa Kamath flagged off this KSRTC’s latest bus service between MJRS and SBI Bus Terminus. Two buses are expected to ply between these two points, with 19 trips on both sides of one hour interval, starting at 6.50 am to 6.35 pm from MJRS and from 7.30 am to 5.55 pm from SBI Terminus. The bus route is MJRS, Padil, Maroli, Nanthoor, Kadri, Bunts Hostel, Jyothi Circle, SBI Terminus. It is expected to greatly help both passengers of rail services so also residents of MJRS/ Padil area. It will be a boon of some kind, for aam aadmi. While thanking KSRTC for starting this bus service, it may not be out of place to mention that Social Activist Gopalkrishna Bhat should have been part of the flagging off function and probably even honoured. This act on the part of the KSRTC or the local MLA would have, in all probability, helped sustain social activists to continue their selfless activism. Politicians who spend time cutting ribbons and public sector organizations providing services should remember such social activists to keep alive the dynamism in our socio-political sphere. This write-up is intended to be a tribute to the efforts of activist Gopalkrishna Bhat, may his tribe grow.