by Deepa BHOOKHUN

Nando Bodha, celebrated opposition leader and the pride of our Republic, is intrigued by attorney general Rama Valayden?s agenda. So troubled is he by this seemingly obscure agenda, that Bodha could not stop himself from posing his insulting question regarding the same agenda over and over again last Tuesday in Parliament as he attempted to add his priceless contribution to the debate on the Criminal Procedure Amendment Bill.

Bodha?s question is, of course, not a question at all. He also does not need any answer to it. What he seeks to do ? disgracefully and indecently so ? is cast aspersions on Valayden?s person. Bodha posed his question in the light of the stands Valayden has taken these past months, namely restoring remission to those detainees who are currently deprived of it, the issue of a certificate of morality to past offenders, the legalisation of consensual sodomy and presently, the abolishment of mandatory sentences with retroactive effect.

Addressing himself to retrogrades ? I mean, who else would pay any attention to Bodha?s twisted arguments? ? Nando Bodha seeks to portray Valayden as an amoral person determined to protect all his criminal friends at all costs. Of course, he doesn?t say it in so many words ? Bodha doesn?t have the recklessness of Bérenger or Bhagwan ? but he poses the question enough times for even the most retarded person to get his point.

Well, Bodha needs to get out more often. He needs to start doing some research on what?s happening elsewhere. It?s not that hard really, he could, during his spare time (I?m sure he has enough), just get on one of the computers at Sun Trust, go online and google the words ?rehabilitation of offenders.? Then he could try ?remission of sentences?. After that why not have a look on the Scandinavian perspective on sentencing?

It might indeed be an eye opener; it might do wonders for Bodha, he might get a sense of the freedom of the mind that comes when one is delivered from conventional wisdom, when one decides to stop regulating one?s life and one?s thoughts with simplistic ideas that do nothing for the mind. Maybe then, he?ll understand the Valayden ?agenda? better.

I, on the hand, have some questions pertaining to Bodha?s agenda. What is his stand, his real one on rehabilitation - a word I notice he used quite profusely in his speech of last Tuesday. What exactly does he understand by the word? What exactly does he think the word ?rehabilitation? entails?

He could also enlighten us on the general agenda of his party. What does the MSM understand by the word ?opposition?? Besides, of course, getting personal and insulting and casting doubts on a person?s integrity so that ideas cannot go further, so that reforms cannot go further.

Who is the MSM, as an opposition party, opposing? And on what grounds? Oh, it would also be interesting to get the MSM?s definition of obsequiousness and the part it has in the agenda in question.