Writings of Kerala Geek

We just finished decorating the pulkoodu (crib). It was fun and we ended up putting over 1000 mini bulbs not to mention dozens of balloons. It is a modern pulkoodu made of flower pots!

There are two kinds of mini bulb sets (100 bulbs in a set) -  one which is white and transparent and the other with different colors. The blinking of bulbs is programmable via a push switch. Transparent ones cost me Rs. 60 per set while the colored one is Rs. 50 per set. Bargaining would have probably reduced the price a bit, but hey, who will bargain on a christmas hunt?

Now I got to go for the midnight mass. It is going to be cold out there

Wish you all a very happy Christmas.

The goonda menace in Kerala has reached such epic proportions that even current ruling party (which was against any such law before) is now implementing Kerala Anti-social Activities (Prevention) Ordinance! But unless there is genuine interest to curb the menace, this ordinance will be of no use.

What powers does the ordinance provide? First of all police can take the goonda on preventive custody upto 21 days without judicial review. It can be further extended with judicial review upto 6 months. Frankly looking at the current serious situation, I think even 6 months is not enough. Also Kerala has a unique problem of human rights activists who are ready to go to any extend to free even the hard core criminal (there was even a long running dharna to free Afzal, one of the prime accused in parliment attack). 

Every day all Kerala newspapers carry fresh news about Goonda attacks. Today is no exception. Only this time I know the place where it happened since I take the route daily. It happened on the aakulam NH 47 bypass which goes to Kovalam (Trivandrum). There is a toll bridge on the way and most of the time there is a queue on both directions. Even if you have a monthly pass you will have to be in the queue. It is all up to the whims of the people at the toll booth.

I think most of them at the toll are rowdies and goondas. I myself had seen a few instances of abuse and goondagiri at the toll. One day a fellow on auto (a gulf malayali I guess) who was going to airport was stopped and verbally abused. Last line I heard from the goondas was - “gulf modayanu kettaa..”! Poor fellow.

So it was waiting to happen. Today Malayala Manorama carries the news - “Toll pirivukar  kudumbathe aakramichu. car thakarthu” (Toll goondas attacked a family and destroyed their car). Is there going to be any action? I doubt it since goondas invariably enjoy political protection…

First thing government should do is to remove that damn toll there. They have been collecting money for too long!

Check out the news clipping below (click on picture to read).