659 Why did Ms. Asha Parikh approach Mr. Gadkari direct, instead of sending wads of currency notes?

There does not seem to be anything wrong, in Padma Award aspirants directly approaching concerned bureaucrats, leaders recommending or deciding on the conferment of Awards, or the leaders of the particular Region or State, direct with their applications or CVs or CDs.

This can at the most be called sakAma karma (action, seeking fruits of performances). Why should anybody in a Capitalist Society do nishkAma karmas (actions without expecting fruits and results)? Asha Parikh, the Veteran Hindi Star is right in approaching Mr. Nithin Gadkari, seeking his help in getting a Padma Bhushan.

The real rot does not lie in that. Our decay has reached a level, where aspirants send brokers with wads of currency, to canvass for them, and buy it by any means. Nobody knows the size of the India's Padma Market. Of course, Prices will vary depending on the level of the Award (Bharat Ratna 1, Padma Vibhushan 2, Padma Bhushan 3, Padma Shri 4, Padma Shri being the lowest in the ladder).

Are Foreign Investments through Mauritius, Dubai and Singapore welcome? Electronic Money Transfers will not be allowed. Correct!

Will there be concessions for God Persons and Spiritual Gurus? Or the Telugu proverb "ekkaDainA bAvE kAni, vanga tOTalO bAva kAdu" will apply? Here is an anecdote which explains the background of this Telugu proverb. In Telugu lAnguage, an elder sister's husband is called "bAva". (Difference between brother-in-law and bAva is: Brother-in-law of the English language does not make any distinction between two brothers-in-law in age or respectability. For example, English language does not make any distinction between an elder-sister's husband, and an younger sister's husband. But Telugu language aims at mathematical exactitude and fineness of measurements in the meanings of words. bAva, an elder-sister's husband denotes greater respectability, whereas "maridi" an younger-sister's husband indicates, an younger age, less respectability, but more affection. These distinctions will be discussed in another blog post. Maridi is expected to show ample respect to his bAva. But this does not happen in brinjal gardens.

Back to the story of "ekkaDainA bAvE kAni, vanga tOTalO bAva kAdu" (meaning: Anywhere a brother-in-law, but not a brother-in-law in a brinjal garden). A bAva went to his (bAva-maridi= wife's younger brother) maridi's brinjal field, to see his maridi (also maradi). After the exchange of usual affections and courtesies, the bAva went back, empty handed. The maridi has not gifted any brinjals to his bAva either out of affection or respect. (Here, we should remember Karl Marx's saying: All human Relationships are pecuniary, monetary, financial). When the bAva returned home empty-handed, his wife (elder sister "akka" of our brinjal-garden owner) asked her husband (bAva): "Where are the brinjals?" . I am waiting for them to make a curry. The husband wearily replied: "Where are the brinjals? ekkaDainA bAvE kAni vanga tOTalO kAdu. Don't you know this proverb?". The akka became silent.

Click to go to ndtv.com/india-news, which reports a disclosure by Mr. Nithin Gadkari, India's Transport Minister 2014-16.

"(We) receive so many letters for Padmashree and Padma Bhushan recommendations. I have sent around thousand recommendations until now,"

"...One actress met me, she has turned old... Asha Parekh. She came to meet me in Mumbai. The lift to my residence was not working, she climbed up 12 floors. I felt very bad and asked her why she took the trouble. She said I have received Padmashree, Nitinji, now I want Padma Bhushan. I said you have received a Padmashree, it is like Padma Bhushan. She said no, ..."

ybrao-a-donkey's humble comments. वैबीराव एक गधे के विनम्र राय . వైబీరావ్ గాడిద వినమ్ర వాణి. You have every right to differ with me. I respect your right. आपको मेरे मत से भिन्न राय रखने के संपूर्ण हक है। मै उस अधिकार को परिपूर्ण रूप से गौरव देता हुँ. మీకు, మీ భిన్నమైన అభిప్రాయాన్ని కలిగిఉండే సంపూర్ణ హక్కు ఉంది. దానిని ఎంతో నేను గౌరవిస్తాను. However, pl. examine this donkey's views also. परन्तु एस गधे के दृष्टिकोण को भी अनुशीलन कीजिये. కానీ ఈ గాడిద దృష్టికోణాన్ని కూడ ఓర చూపుతో కంటజూడుమీ, క్రీగంట జూడమీ.

I do not want to cast any aspersions on Mr. Gadkari, though in his previous incarnation of BJP President, he was made to quit his post, on allegations of some corruption. Of course, the politicians expect, and it is also true, that the memory of People is poor. Hence, what I write here may or may not apply to Mr. Gadkari's thousand recommendations for Padma Awards. There are 29 States in India, and about 650 Districts. Applications for Padma Awards may be recommended from any of these 650 Districts and 29 States, not to speak of Indian Embassies and Consulates Abroad. Probably even Foreign Embassies and Consulates operating in India can also probably put through their recommendations. Can apply to anybody, some or all.

Even if Rs. 10,000 is charged for forwarding an application with no guarantee of success, for 1000 applications, the aggregate will come to Rs. 1 crore (10 million). Suppose, a bargain is struck, with a guarantee of success, and if at least a million Rupees are charged for that particular case, and if a political leader succeeds in getting, say, 10 awards in his quota, the Marginal Revenue will be another Rupees 10 million. Total Revenue will be Rs. 20 million.

The mistake done by Ms. Asha Parikh is, she approached directly, climbing stairs of 12 floors. She ought to have sent wads of currency notes, not necessarily to Mr. Gadkari, to the right person who is an "ande vEsina cEyi" (A Telugu idiom) in lobbying for awards.

Meaning of the Telugu idiom "ande vEsina cEyi" = Hand which is embellished with a gold or diamond studded gold bracelet. This Telugu gold/silver ornament "ande" can be used to adorn either wrists or legs. cEyi= "hand".

Even in the 20th Century, it was a custom in Andhra Pradesh (probably throughout South India), to reward people with "ande"s and en-bangle their hands with "suvarNa ghanTA kankaNams" (gold studded wrist braclets or a sort of bangles with hollow-but-large girth, with interlaced precious stones). The suvarNa ghanTA kankaNams, artists, poets and scholars used to conspicuously demonstrate and exhibit, to show-case their merits.

Back to Mr. Gadkari's quote that Ms. Asha Parikh climbed 12 floors of stairs to reach him at his Residence in Mumbai, as lift was not working. I am unable to convince myself that Mr. Gadkari would have climbed 12 floors on foot to reach his home, if lift was not working. My understanding, --may be erroneous-- is , that there will be a separate lift for a VVIP politician like him which will be kept in a working condition. He ought to have requested her to use that Special VVIP Lift, and instructed the Operator of that Lift over phone to allow Ms. Parikh to use it. It is the way to honor a Senior Artist.

The non-working lift may be for hoi pollois to dissuade them from coming up. We should appreciate Ms. Asha Parikh's stamina, and sincerity in climbing stairs to 12 floors.



About "Padma Awards" in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh States, we shall take up in a separate blog post.

To continue and revise this, with more proof.. सशेष. సశేషం.

462 Are All India BJP leaders viewing the developments in Telangana and Residual A.P. as a Bollywood film?

Nitin Gadkari's words are foolish.  नितीन गडकारी के बातें मूर्खो के दिख रहे हैं నితీన్ గడ్కారీ గారి మాటలు మూర్ఖంగా కనిపిస్తున్నాయి

Mr. Nitin Gadkari is India's 2015 Roads Minister.  Former President of BJP.  Said to be one of the think-tanks of BJP and confidants of Mr. Narendra Modi, of course after Mr. Arun Jaitley and Manohar Parrikar.


नितीन गड्कारी महोदय भारत के २०१५ सडक मंत्री ।  बिजेपी के भूतपूर्व अध्यक्ष महाशय.  बीजॆपी के और मुख्यतः श्री नरेंद्र मोडी के प्रबुध्ध मंडल में एक (श्री अरुण जैट्ली और श्री मनोहर पारीकर के बाद), प्रतीत है।


శ్రీ నితీన్ గడ్కారీ మహోదయుల వారు భారత్ కు ౨౦౧౫ రోడ్ల మంత్రి.  బిజేపీ భూతపూర్వ అధ్యక్షులు.  బిజేపీకి , ముఖ్యంగా శ్రీ నరేంద్ర మోడీకి ఆంతరంగిక యోచనా మండలిలో ఒకరుగా (శ్రీ అరుణ్ జైట్లీ విత్త మంత్రి, మరియు శ్రీ మనోహర్ పారీకర్ రక్షా మంత్రి ల తరువాతే) ప్రతీతులు.


Knowledgeable readers know that Telangana State Govt. of K.C.R., K.T.R., Harish Rao, Kavita - family, and their cronies have unleashed a vindictive oppressive rule against the people of Residual Andhra Pradesh who come and go to Hyderabad, because it was their combined State Capital and is to continue so for another ten years.  As a part of that cruel action plan of theirs, they have started levying heavy road taxes on the buses plying from the Districts of Residual A.P.   As per their unilateral orders, bus operators registered in A.P., and plying to Hyderabad to carry people have to pay as much as Rs.176,000 per bus, per month.   The matter, is of course, sub judice.  We shall not, therefore, touch upon the justification or unjustification in a strictly legal view of their action.


The bus operators, will ultimately pass on the burden to the unfortunate people of Residual Andhra Pradesh who travel to Hyderabad for numerous purposes such as small jobs, visiting native places for festivals etc., apart from visiting the Offices of the A.P. State Government in Hyderabad as common Capital.


What Mr. Nitin Gadkari is reported to have said as per media:

"The decision to impose entry tax on AP vehicles entering into TS is within the jurisdiction of TRS Government. Centre can't interfere in the decision..."

ybrao-a-donkey's humble views वैबीराव गधे के विनम्र टिप्पणी వైబీరావు గాడిద వ్యాఖ్యలు

What does Centre and BJP know then?  Dividing people and States unjustly?  Will they like to see the whole thing as Bollywood film?  अभी केंद्रीय सरकार और बीजेपी को क्या पता है ?  सिर्फ समैक्य आंध्र प्रदेश के लोग और राज्य को अनुचित और अधर्मी पध्धती में विभजन करना, और जगडे को बढा कर, बालीवूड फिल्म देखना ? కేంద్ర ప్రభుత్వానికి మరియు ఆఖిల భారత బిజెపీ కి ఏమి తెలుసు ? స్వల్ప విభేదాలు ఉన్న రెండు ఉప ప్రాంతాల మధ్య జగడాలను పెంచి, ప్రజలను మరియు రాష్ట్రాలను అనుచితంగా, మరియు అధర్మంగా విభజించి పాలించటమా ?  జరుగుతున్న జగడాన్ని బాలీవుడ్ సినిమా చూస్తున్నట్లుగా చూడటమా.



(ఈ విషయంలో ఇపుడు కాంగ్రెస్ ను తప్పు పట్టి ప్రయోజనం లేదు.  ఎందుకంటే ఆపార్టీ అవసాన దశలో ఉంది).



1. I do not wish to say that Mr. Gadkari is a fool.  His words are foolish.


Reasons:


1. The increase made by Telangana Government hurts not only Residual A.P. Bus Operators, but also the COMMON PEOPLE who have to pay the increased fares, who travel under a compulsion to earn their livelihoods.

2. Telangana registered Bus Operators will not pay this tax, and they will have a competitive advantage.  In other words KCR & Co. wants AP bus operators to close down their shops, and that Telangana Bus operators to have a monopoly on buses plying to A.P.


3. All India B.J.P. and Congress have collusively and conspiratarily divided the United Andhra Pradesh for their selfish reasons.  Mr. Gadkari was also a part of that collusion.


4. Foreseeing the evil motives of KCR & Co., the people of Residual Andhra Pradesh wanted Hyderabad to be a Union Territory and common Capital for a few years till Residual A.P. settles with new Capital.  The BJP-Congress conspirators did not allow the just demand of Union Territory status to Hyderabad, but condescended to allow Hyderabad to be a common Capital for 10 years.


5. KCR & Co. does not want to wait even these ten years!  They want to drive out the people of Residual A.P. from Hyderabad by making their entry and existence impossible.   We can compare the conditions which KCR & Co. is creating to the conditions which Pakisthan has created for Hindus in West Pakisthan.  The idea of KCR & Co. is that:  the people of Residual A.P. who live in Hyderabad should be forced to sell their homes and flee back to Andhra like the Hindu refugees of the 1947 partition.  Just as Pakisthani Muslimis occupied the homes abandoned by Pakisthani Hindus, KCR & Co. and its supporting builder mafia want to buy properties of Residual AP people cheaply, or if possible, occupy them.


6.  Govt. of India appointed a common Governor for both the States, to clear the apprehensions in the minds of the people of the Residual A.P.   But the common  Governor proved to be a silent spectator.   Common Governor should have been proactive in preventing these oppressive actions of Telangana Government.  Unfortunately, he is busy visiting temples.  The Central Home Ministry who has to oversee all the arrangements to protect the migrants in Hyderabad does nothing concrete, in action.   That part, we shall take up in a separate blog.


7.  Mr. Gadkari should be able to visualise future.   People from all over India go to Mumbai and try to eke out their livelihood there.  Suppose the Maharashtra Government levy heavy road tax on buses plied by Non-Mumbai operators?  Mr. Gadkari as he is from Maharashtra, he will love it.  But how does Mr. Nitish Kumar, Mr. Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Ms. Vasundhara Raje think of it?

One must have an All India look.  If taxation on buses is a State subject, an exemption can be given to inter-State buses.  Or some other preventive process to reduce oppressive behaviors can be found.    Centre, is already eager to use ordinances, bye-passing the Parliament.  Centre can to start with, issue an immediate ordinance, followed by a bill in the next Session of Parliament.

All India BJP leaders should realise that providing justice is more important than, stabilising BJP in Telangana.


TAIL PIECE

Mr. Gadkari has begged the People of Telangana to elect a BJP Government in next Elections. 

Justifying the cruel-vindictive high road tax levied by Telangana Government, stating that Road Tax is a State subject, Mr. Gadkari is trying to win support of Telangana people.

Suppose Gadkari comes to Residual Andhra Pradesh, what will he say?  He will not raise this road tax issue.  He will say that there are strong bonds between Satavahanas of Paithan (Prathishtanapuram in Vidarbha) and Satavahanas of Dhanyakatakam (Dharanikota- Amaravati) AP's new Capital.

In Telugu language, we have a proverb: E roti daggara A pATa pADaTam.  Approx. English meaning:  In old days when there were no rice mills and flour mills, paddy and grain used to be dehusked and pounded with pestles in mortars.  Women used assist one another in the village, either freely as neighbourhood help or work for  labour charges.   Whatever it was, while pounding grain with pestles women used to sing folk songs.  Sometimes, these songs used to differ from one home to another or from one street to another.  Women used to change their songs and tunes wherever they went depending on the houses, streets, localities, castes etc. 


Political leaders are very adept in this.  In 2014 General Elections, when Mr. Narendra Modi visited Tirupati and Guntur in Residual Andhra Pradesh, he said that Andhra Pradesh was made orphan by the Congress Government, and promised the voters of Residual A.P., everything under the sky. 

(To continue.  सशेष.  ఇంకా ఉంది.)