decent politicians

with a sense of belongingness

By Kulamarva Balakrishna

Vienna,Wednesday,December 5,2007: (The photo from the kind courtesy of Mr.Louie Pinto/daijiworld.com) I welcome,the putting up the portraits of the late Joachim and
Mrs.Violet Alvas,in a single frame, as the first couple to adorn the both houses of Parliament dividing among themselves.He was elected for the Lok Sabha and she was in the Rajya Sabha.
For one thing, they represented my district.For another,the Late Joachim Alva was an unassuming politician,who used to visit Samyukta Karnataka office in Hubli in the late fifties.Some times when I was on duty in charge for the Sunday addition,he used to sit on my table and write in large letters some news of Karwar or other places he intended for publication.He used to run in Bombay a monthly called Forum,which was later managed by my own friend,always smiling Simkie Noronha Sarkar,who is a niece of his.Simkie was a determined girl. Living at Sofia College hostel, she had made friends with Mr.Anand Sarkar.She had told her determination to marry him.Mrs.Noronha who lived behind Metro Cinema as my neighbor was upset.She said to me I should persuade Simkie to change her mind. Instead I persuaded the mother to meet Mr.Sarkar and Simkie to introduce her boyfriend to her mother.This resulted in agreed settlement.

Mrs.Violet Alva was also a very charming person.It was a pleasure reporting her as Vice-chairman of the Rajya Sabha or Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Home Affairs on visit to Bombay.To the point without letting herself involve in any controversies.Both the husband and wife team belonged to the rare species of decent politicians.

In Margaret Alva,their daughter in law,whose father was a judicial officer in Kasaragod, there is always a sense of belongingness.When she came to Vienna,as a Minister in the Ministry of Home
Affairs heading the Cabinet Secretariat,she surprised me one night knocking at my door asking =is it Mr.Balakrishna´s house?=.When I ushered her in she said:= I wanted to have some gonjie (rice soup) with you=. As I spoke to her, I made the soup of lentils,Basmati rice, and rushed down to get
Korneuberger St.Lauriant red wine, and the famous backed chicken (=back hendl=) from the famous =Winerwald= restuarant chain.She had brought with her a dress as present for my wife Eva,very thoughtful of her.

Later on many occasions,when she came to attend the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, even when she no more a minister she had shared meals with us at the traditional wooden table combined with benches at =Arsenal Stube= located at Vienna´s Military Museum´s known as Arsenal.I think once it was on our day of Independence and my late mother inlaw´s birth day!During our last meeting with her on lunch table I remember pointing out to her how short sighted it was to air not so well researched but colourful =ramlila= type Mahabharata Ramayana series through government owned =door darshan= tv.That was it along with the comic strips of Anant Pai =amar chitra katha= comic strips that fanned Hindu fundamentalism.She agreed with me that we are paying for it now.

The late Alvas belonged to immediately next to the Nehru generation.They considered all humans are equal.A sense of belongingness as Indians was very important to them in public or private life.
India misses such decent politicians.(end)