Vimal Kodai's Critic of V.M Gopaul's TAINTED JUSTICE

V. M. Gopaul’s

“TAINTED JUSTICE”

By Vimal Kodai

(Dated the 13^th of October, 2013)

             V.M. Gopaul’s Tainted Justice is a novel which has truly fascinated me, whereby I have enjoyed slaving through it: “I was entertained and my curiosity was quenched with a sigh of soothing comfort – as I put the book on my office desk, I felt that I had really read something out of ordinary.” The novel is of high calibre. There is an original story in play. A reader, who goes through the author’s first fiction novel, will definitely depict realistic challenges faced by those working for private companies. Mr. Gopaul acknowledges the many facets caricatured by today’s job market through the eyes of his protagonist, Jason McDeere. How politics may have ties to privately run firms, and how their invaluable support to the private sector, erodes the rights of those belonging to the working-class. There is an amalgam of events which are taken upon in the story, as we come to terms with issues related to lay-offs at the workplace, friendship, love, romance, family-ties, hard-work, a struggle for a rightful cause; and finally, a remarkable attempt to settle for a better lifestyle within the society. In his quest for setting things straight and rightfully, the protagonist goes the distance to prove that his being a truthful, honest and a dedicated Senior Software Engineer (a software analyst) at a certain computer firm (Softek) is worth fighting for. The pathway chosen by Jason McDeere, takes him on a road that leads to dignity and self-respect. He challenges his superiors, and he is determined that he will be victorious at the end.

           

A brief outline of the book

Chapter 2, p. 16

Shallen Xu: “Are you blaming the management?”

Jason McDeere: “Absolutely. And politicians too.”

                     Chapter 9, p. 118

V. M. Gopaul: “Jason suddenly realizes he was in the middle of a political storm.”

                     Chapter 14, p. 190

          The clean-shaven driver: “This Company is secretive. You need an insider. Rocky is a good start. Someone who handles money. Rocky and I are techies, not in the money circle. The CEO, CFO, and top management—those are the ones you need to talk to. I hope you can nail the Senator. The politicians use our money and then they look after themselves first.”

          Chapter 15, p. 205

          Terrance’s text message: “Something has to end. Maybe my life.”

                     Chapter 16, p. 215

   Shallen: “This conspiracy theory isn’t new. But Rocky’s lack of cooperation is disappointing. Did you tell him we were in danger?”

                     Chapter 17, p. 243

V. M. Gopaul: “After hours of driving, a sense of relief flooded him, vibrating down his hands as he let go of the steering wheel…. He stared at the falling flakes and reminded himself that it wasn’t a dream. He remembered the pushy reporter from the Post… How my world has changed.”

                     Chapter 18, p. 259

          Jason McDeere: “I don’t believe it. My worst nightmare is ending. Thank God.”

           

          Chapter 18, p. 261

Jason McDeere:  “After I left Corvallis last month, my life completely changed. I entered a war zone. I was engaged in many fights at the same time. I was also fighting a politically corrupt system. Finally it boiled down to discovering a corruption scheme hatched by Senator Quest. Whether you support him or not, it’s none of my business.”

           

          Chapter 19, p. 267

          Kara McDeere:  “Life is a journey, a path of self-discovery. Sometimes we find out more about our strengths, other times about our weaknesses. See, you just became better aware of yourself.”

          Chapter 19, p. 272

          V. M. Gopaul: “Jason admired her room from top to bottom. The sunlight danced in her eyes. Her skin vibrated with fresh color and wisps of dark black hair gently blew as the wind passed through it. His heart was filled with pride for sharing this moment with her. She is beautiful.”

               The approach which Jason McDeere adopts (although, he is no lawyer, no private investigator) upon handling the case of several hundreds of lay-offs from work, is thoroughly based on solid proofs - these lead him to come to the rescue of his estranged family members. Tainted Justice sets the tone as being a novel which portrays an act of great valour, a case which is solved in the midst of conspiracy, and a love-story which entails passion and courage. V.M. Gopaul is a writer who has thoroughly done minute research prior to taking the stand of a fiction writer. He has combed through bits and pieces of various aspects of life within the political arena. A novel of such calibre deserves much esteemed recognition. Also, the author deserves keen merits for having so diligently mastered his writing skills. “It is a novel which shares a blend of each: Courage, Struggle, Love, Respect and Dignity.” 

Singer, song-writer, author & T.V presenter, Kim Wilde

Kim Wilde

~ A short biography ~

[By Vimal Kodai]

          Born on the 18th of November, 1960, in Chiswick, West London, Kim Smith is the daughter of Marty Wilde and Joyce Baker. At the age of 20, after completing a course at St. Albans College of Arts & Design, she adopts the name, Kim Wilde, as she sets foot on the career path of Rock' n' Roll artist.

            Kim Wilde begins working with RAK Records and her chosen career path also leads her to becoming song-writer, author and television presenter. She is known to be one of the top British Pop artists whose songs always keep them moving forward with time. Some of her hit songs are namely: Cambodia, Kids in America, You keep me Hangin', You Came, It's Here, Never Trust a Stranger, Rage of Love, The second time, Can't get enough, and, The Touch.

 Kim Wilde (1960 - still going strong)

ON EDUCATION

Every child, every human being, every man is in need of an education worthy of fitting today's society and satisfying its societal requirements. Education is obtained with honour and privilege, but needs not be taken as luxury. It is every living man's tool setting him assail righteously across the ocean of joy, prospect, good fortune and harmony.

Man is the controller of his own destiny. Education guides him towards this very same destiny which is filled with understanding and self-respect. It teaches him how to operate with willingness, will-power, motivation and maturity. It yields him several paths free from ignorance and blessed with gratifying knowledge.

Education is merely a must as it is the pathway to the doorway of bliss and wisdom. God made us all equal. An education propels us to promoting, strengthening and maintaining this equality which creates this bond between us.

Wayne Dyer's "Wishes Fulfilled" (Review by Vimal Kodai)

Dr. Wayne W. Dyer's "Wishes Fulfilled"

~ A Book Review ~

(By Vimal Kodai)

Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, the author of “Wishes Fulfilled: Mastering the Art of Manifesting” projects herein a masterpiece of a book to his readers: he has put diligent effort in the mastery of this written work... What amazes me the most about this book, is the fact that the writer connects with me while I pursue my reading: I am convinced by Dr. Dyer that whatever he has written is something tangible and it stands well-set for all of us readers. As such, the writer brings upon various themes which best explain, the ‘how?’ and the ‘why?’ human beings need to connect with their innermost self. Being highly optimistic a writer, Dyer convinces his readers that they could choose to make use of the very insightful and truly realistic principles presented in this book, if they desire to benefit from thinking processes which would lead to finding spiritual solutions. Dr. Dyer carries on by stating that there is a “Self”, an “Outer-Self”, an “Inner-Self”, and, a “Higher Self”—these are of great relevance to humans as they provide the latter with a thorough feeling of inner security, whereby, the underlying truth is that there is a divine presence within their spirits.

The last six chapters of “Wishes Fulfilled” come along with significant usages of the “I AM”. The latter words are symbolic to biblical scriptures, but they also promote the welfare of humanity, provided that they are used the right way. Furthermore, the author states that human nature is composed of the tendency of human beings to seek out better lifestyles. Indeed, we observe that throughout their history, human beings have shown persistence in their quest for adventure: they seek out better places to migrate, they are always in search for better opportunities that would bring them prosperity and good health; and finally, they strive to obtain true happiness within the realm of family unit. Thus, Wayne Dyer states that these tendencies are bound to manifest in the lives of humans, only if there is an eminent divine presence in their innermost selves. Finally, it is deemed feasible to say that Dr. Wayne W. Dyer has been successful in reaching out to his readers by his portrayal of the essences of life, which are namely: faith, love, passion, compassion, honesty, integrity, the earning of respect and illumination of the "Self" with spiritual knowledge—the latter elements are the ones that secure the day to day survival of all human beings. Wayne W. Dyer's "Wishes Fulfilled" indeed relays guided steps and principles to its readers so that the latter may achieve their spiritual goals methodically.

A critic and book review of "7 Ways to Obtain Divine Gifts & Powers"

A critic and book review of V.M Gopaul’s 7 Ways to

Obtain Divine Gifts & Powers

(By Vimal Kodai)

Readers would very easily depict a universally accepted doctrine of spiritual faiths and religious principles from V.M. Gopaul’s 7 Ways to Obtain Divine Gifts & Powers. The writer undertakes an in-depth journey to the core of a human being’s ideal “Healthy Spiritual Lifestyle.” My understanding of V.M Gopaul’s message to his readers is that one should always aim at deriving fresh joy and happiness in one’s life. Herein, the message of how to achieve this goal is brought forward in a beautifully engaged arena. Mr. Gopaul is in pursuit of showing to his readers that happiness can be obtained by attempting to use the seven simple systematic ways which are marvellously displayed in his booklet. Also, with a thorough and concise reflection given by him as the concluding portion of each of the eight chapters of his booklet, the writer gives a better personal summary to every one of them. As its title indicates, 7 ways to Obtain Divine Gifts & Powers has seven pillars which expand on thorough but precise spiritual principles that are very clearly described by the writer. I am not always in agreement with the fact that the deeds done by political figures in the history of mankind should have been addressed in such spiritual setting, but I endorse the fact that the writer portrays some of these personalities as the mere philanthropists who made a difference in today’s world. While stressing on various highlights in human history and by granting honourable merits to those humanitarians and great souls who made significant changes for a better and brighter tomorrow, Mr. Gopaul suggests that the latter indeed possessed divine gifts and divine powers. With borrowed quotes from the Bahá’ì sacred scriptures and from other biblical sources, 7 Ways to Obtain Divine Gifts & Powers is indeed directing its teachings towards the achieving of a “Healthy Spiritual Lifestyle.” Thus, V.M Gopaul's latest masterpiece reaches the heart of its readers while diligently guiding them to the doorway of acquiring spiritual and divine gifts and powers. I firmly believe that this book (or booklet) narrows in the gap between the searching for spiritual enlightenment and the obtaining of spiritual knowledge and divine intelligence. 7 Ways to Obtain Divine Gifts & Powers hails spiritual maturity as every man’s ultimate goal. To sum up, I have suited myself to choose the following Bahá’ù’lláh quote out of other several ones provided in this book; it is as follows: “Every pure, every refined and sanctified soul will be endowed with tremendous power, and shall rejoice with exceeding gladness.”

A brief survey of Yoga: History of Yoga, Yoga practices and forms, and the benefits of Yoga

A Short briefing on Yoga practices      

       The word Yoga derives from the Sanskrit word 'yog.' It signifies the binding of the mind with the body through the discipline of the senses. The first book of Yoga, the Bhagavad-Gita, which is an excerpt taken from one of the most ancient sacred scriptures known to man, the Mahabharata, relates on how Lord Krishna instructed the greatest form of yoga (a transcendental form of yoga known as Karma Yoga) to his devotee, cousin and friend, Arjuna. The Lord advises that one should let go of irrelevant materialistic presences from this age of Kali (Kali Yuga.) Therefore, the Lord vividly recommends the practice of Yoga as it is crucial to liberating one from all miseries originating from our material world.

    The history of modern Yoga begins with the enlightening knowledge spread by the Great Indian sage, Patanjali. The latter instructed Yoga so that it serves as spiritual and philosophical guide to all humans. Swami Patanjali presented eight such Yoga Sutras which are the basic forms of Yoga(along with their sub-roots) destined to fulfilling the entire requirements of all yogis. As such, Yoga is the direct means through which human beings free themselves from materialistic bondage that creates chaotic effects upon their physical and spiritual well-being.

The Asana Yoga (Yogic Postures)

The eight forms of Yoga (The 8 pillars of Yoga) are as follows:

1) Pranayama Yoga (Yoga of Breathing)

2) Yama Yoga (Yoga of restraints)

3) Asana Yoga (Yoga of Postures)

4) Niyama Yoga (Yoga of Observances)

5) Pratyahara Yoga (Yoga of Withdrawal of senses)

6) Dharana Yoga (Yoga of Concentration)

7) Samadhi Yoga (Yoga of Absorption)

8) Dhyana Yoga (Yoga of Meditation)

          

Some more Asana Yoga (Yogic Postures)

LE MORNE: A World Heritage Site (A book review by Vimal Kodai)

LE MORNE: A World Heritage Site

(Book review by Vimal Kodai)

            This sensitive and historical booklet marks the great many facets of botany, history, geography, geology, and the epic journey of slaves and indentured labourers—in the very surroundings of Le Morne. I truly adapt to this booklet as a very mere reader who cherishes lots about the rich history of the Republic of Mauritius. I have learnt from other newly fed events depicted from this booklet which were brought forward and well-set by the author, Mr. Abdool Wahab Owadally.

            My having been a student of Mr. Jocelyn Chan Low (from Form I to Form 3) has obviously driven my curiosity and increased my eagerness to learn about what Mr. Owadally is so willingly quoting from excerpts taken from the former’s written historical masterpieces. I have diligently skimmed through this booklet, before reading it minutely, and while sharing an open mind as to how certain events shaped Le Morne to what it displays on this very day. The author suggests and distinctly mentions that this particular region is today a monument and moreover “A World Heritage Site.” I lay my convictions upon certain issues that trace this ‘heritage site’ and others that would suggest better characteristics of its Fauna and Flora that have shaped and which still to this day shapes the coastal area of Le Morne. To a broader extent, certain moral and ethical factors which have evolved around this site as it happens to claim its symbolic emblem, are by all means meaningful and embellishing—obviously, I refer back to slavery and its impact on this world ‘heritage site.’

            I truly believe that the booklet is rich; keen merit is deservingly aimed towards the author for the amount of research he has done, and for his provision of historical facts to shape his masterpiece. I regard this book as an accomplishment of high degree for it compiles botany, geology and history in a harmonious manner. I have revived certain key issues that slaves and indentured labourers faced during their early arrivals to Île de France and also during the British rule. My knowledge of botany is very poor, and I vividly say that likewise, any reader of my nature would have been overwhelmed to know all the Latin names of Flora that existed and which still exists in the region of Le Morne. Mr. Owadally sets aside a richly blended flavour of his very expertise of botany, geology, history and geography in his writing.

DIRE STRAITS: British Rock' n' Roll music band of the late 70s, mid-80s and mid-90s

 Dire Straits & Mark Knopfler  

       Mark Knopfler

          Mark Knopfler, lead singer and guitarist of Dire Straits successfully brought his 80s music band to well-deserved fame after the release of hit songs: "Once upon a time in the West", "Water of Love", "Sultans of Swing," "Money for Nothing", "Why Worry?", " "Walk of Life", "Brothers in Arms" & "Romeo and Juliet."

From left to right: John Illsley, Mark Knopfler, Pick Withers and David Knopfler

The British singer-guitarist-songwriter was the son of an architect. His brother, David Knopfler and he began learning the guitar while still in their teenage years. With much to look forward to, the two brothers teamed up with John Illsley, a University of London sociology student, and Pick Withers, a studio drummer, to officially launch their music entertainers’ career in July of 1977.

Dire Straits

The band of four began their U.K tour in 1978. Afterwards, with increasing commitments towards song-writing, song-composing and most of all, through their ingenious in guitar-playing, Dire Straits entered the 1980s with several thousands of fans entailing them. Admirers of Dire Straits mostly crazed for the sound of music derived from Mark's magical guitar touches. In the United Kingdom, Europe and around the globe, Dire Straits has been reckoned for its original music and songs. The band has also performed musical scores and soundtracks for movies, such as: "The Princess Bride" and "Local Hero."