The Hindu : Karnataka News : Mysore musings

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Tuesday, Jul 07, 2009
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Karnataka

Karnataka

Mysore musings

An eye-opener

The meeting convened last week to review the progress of projects under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) was an eye-opener in more ways than one.

For, it brought to light the need for “capacity building” of a section of the elected representatives of Mysore and also highlighted their vanity and ignorance. Leading the pack was Tanvir Sait, MLA, who tried to derail the meeting by putting himself in the centre of things while the core issue should have been infrastructure projects germane to the public. Mr. Sait not only raised objections stating that he had not been invited but staged a mini-drama of walking out only to be held back by his cronies. As if this display of putting one’s ego first was not enough,the elected representatives proved how they could stretch an uninformed debate endlessly without reaching any conclusion. The same questions and doubts as to how JUSCO was selected were aired repeatedly despite clarifications that it was a global tender and the lowest bidder won the contract. The meeting only established the wisdom of the prevailing practice of separating public administration from politicians.

A thoughtful gesture

Many people were caught unawares by the bandh call given by the Hindu Jagaran Samiti last Saturday to condemn the attack on BJP Yuva Morcha city unit president Giridhar.

Parents sent their children to school as usual on Saturday. But as the news of the bandh spread across the city, anxious parents started calling up schools to check whether they were functioning.

Even before the schools decided to suspend classes, autorickshaw and van drivers who had just dropped the children at their respective schools went back to the schools. After the schools decided to suspend classes, they dropped the children back home. Indeed, a thoughtful gesture.

R. KRISHNA KUMAR

SHANKAR BENNUR

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