First the big story: the Supreme Court decides to reopen the case against Union Carbide – the company responsible for the Bhopal massacre. The charges against the accused may be changed from criminal negligence to culpable homicide; just may… This is good news, but it seems that Warren Anderson is gonna go scot free. And Dow Chemicals will wash its hands off the episode – with scents from Arabia if necessary. Yes, the ‘itr’ from the middle east (and the oil) can wash any stain!
When Tushar Gandhi Was Baffled
There was a show on one of the national channels some time ago (It was a discussion of aam janta with some big shots from media and politics and so on – with Ms Barkha Dutt moderating it). Among the experts, or stars, of the show was Tushar Gandhi – grandson of Mahatma Gandhi. The issue that was debated was the use of Mahatma Gandhi’s name by some U.S. company. There are a lot of ads in the U.S. (on bill boards) issued in public interest which say: Mahatma Gandhi – what did he have? Soul… Pass it on. That kind of stuff is ok, but commercial use of Mahatma Gandhi is not acceptable, to Tushar Gandhi. He said that the company should pay royalty to his kith and kin. One guy in the audience responded to it roundly: “Is Gandhi your grandfather or the father of the nation? If he is your grandfather alone, then he cannot be the father of the nation. If he is, on the other hand, the father of the nation, then the royalty should be shared by all Indians.” This baffled Tushar Gandhi and he retracted his claims.
My Father’s Son…
Mr Y S Jaganmohan Reddy is caught in a similar predicament. If the late lamented Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy is his father and his father alone, then he can claim his legacy. On the other hand if YSR is a Congress leader, the entire party has a claim to his legacy. This is precisely what the Congress high command wants him to be clear about right now. All this while, Jagan’s followers said that there is no clear directive from the high command: but 10 Janpath has responded to the poser Just In Time. It is now up to the dirty dozen who are behind Jagan to respond. Do they want to pay homage to YSR as a Congress leader, or as Jagan’s father?
The AICC made it clear that on the occasion of YSR’s first death anniversary, district-wise meetings would be held, where the local MPs and MLAs participate – along with the district Congress presidents, and distribute Rs 100, 000/- to the next of kin of those who committed suicide after YSR’s untimely death. The amount is much higher than what Jagan has been doling out. At the same time, this is an ‘official’ ceremony which no Congressperson can miss. As the MP of Kadapa, Jagan himself is expected to take part in the meeting in Kadapa: that is the Lakshmana Rekha which he cannot cross. And if he does, he will be leaving the party of his own volition.
A brief history of what transpired in the past two months: Jagan meets the supremo with his mother; the boss tells him not to go on the odarpu yatra, that the party itself will conduct meetings. Jagan goes public with the dialog with Madame, and asserts his intent to go ahead with the yatra. “Soniaji said No, but I am going ahead with the yatra”, he told the press and media people. Somewhere along the way, Mr Ambati Rambabu is issued a show-cause notice and is then suspended from the party. There was some talk of Mrs Konda Surekha being issued a show-cause notice as well, but she is yet to receive it. Then, sometime last week, Mr Ahmed Patel tells the MLAs from Prakasam not to go on the yatra, and they decide not to. Mrs D Purandareswari clarifies that Mr Patel was talking with the high command’s concurrence.
And now comes the statement from Mr Veerappa Moily that there will be meetings district-wise where support will be extended to the families of those who committed suicide. It is now up to Jagan to decide whether YSR is a Congress leader to be cherished as such by all Congressmen and Congresswomen, or if YSR’s legacy is his personal property. Therein lies the rub: the Congress owns YSR and disowns his son who is defiant. And I always maintained that the supremo will not waste her breath talking about a nonentity called Jagan.
In tennis, a game can be won in four serves – 15; 30; 40; game. This time around when the high command serves (say, a show-cause to Jagan), that will be game, set, and match for Signora Sonia.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Where Do The Ducks Go In Winter? And ants, in summer?
There is a ‘function palace’ opposite my ‘portion’ in Vidyanagar called Raj Gardens. This being the festive season – the month of Sravana – there are a lot of weddings and other festivities for which it is booked half the days. On other days, the cops park their jeep and motor bikes there and hang around generally, ready to move into action in case of trouble in their jurisdiction. I wonder where they park their vehicles and themselves when there is a function (for which Raj Gardens is booked). My brother, who visits with us often, told me that they park it under a tree shade elsewhere. But his glib answer doesn’t satisfy me: of course they park it elsewhere – but where? Elsewhere is no place…
I am reminded of Holden Caulfield, in Catcher in the Rye, who wonders where the ducks in the lake in central park of New York go in winter when the lake freezes over. A bit of science I learned at school tells me that water at -4 degrees Celsius expands, and so the fish hang out in the -4 degrees C. zone during winter. It is called the anomalous expansion of water. Science has no answer, just a name, for the odd behavior of water. But ducks cannot get into that zone. J D Salinger, the author of Catcher in the Rye, doesn’t offer any explanation for Holden’s question. It still keeps me sleepless some nights.
Science is a bunch of glib answers
Physics (or the physical sciences) is said to be different from biological sciences in that the former is explanatory and the later is taxonomical. I question that kind of classification of the sciences. The anomalous expansion of water is an example of a glib ‘explanation’ by physical scientists; how did they explain the strange behavior of water at -4 degrees C.? By giving it a name, which is the same as primitive societies giving names to the elements: Varuna, for the rain god, Vayu, for wind, and so on. That was a different ‘explanatory’ level from what ‘modern’ science has to offer.
So also the big bang. There was nothing in the beginning of the universe (in space and time). Christian theology created a God to ‘explain’ how things came to be (and Thank God we have a day off every week ever since). The physics professors theorized a Big Bang: what the heck is that? Another name…
The naming of a cat is a difficult matter – said T S Eliot. The naming of inexplicable things in the physical world is an easy matter. What stops a ball rolling on a smooth surface? “Friction” – pat comes the answer. It is just another name. Physics is all about giving names, and finding parallels. Two things are attracted to each other – they are unlike poles; they hate each other: it is because of their having the same charge. What is charge? Charge is that which makes somethings repel each other and some other things attract each other. All these are mere names, and definitions or tautologies.
The sun rises in the east. But what if the sun rises in the west one fine morning? Well, you will call that the east!
What is beyond names?
Beyond names, there is mathematics. There is engineering. There are machines at work, there is power supply and water going up in pipes instead of sinking into the earth. All these things make our life comfortable and that is why we are crazy about science and technology. That is also called Performance Theory. But more on that in a later piece.
At the same time, science and technology have given us the nuclear bomb (such a horror), ‘accidents’ at nuclear reactors (Chernobil), gas leakage that killed millions (in Bhopal), 9/11 (and hijacking as a method of screwing other people’s happiness). The Unabomber, who was against science and technology also used the very same technology to attack people. Science is a double-edged sword. And humans are not capable of such a weapon.
The less science we have all round, the better off we will be. I think Gandhiji said something of that sort. In fact the fewer humans we have on earth, the better for the planet: that is what the Voluntary Human Extinction Society tries to propagate. I am not a card-carrying member of that society, but there is something in what they say: check out www.vhem.org.
Tailpiece: Where do ants go in summer? Ant-arctica.
I am reminded of Holden Caulfield, in Catcher in the Rye, who wonders where the ducks in the lake in central park of New York go in winter when the lake freezes over. A bit of science I learned at school tells me that water at -4 degrees Celsius expands, and so the fish hang out in the -4 degrees C. zone during winter. It is called the anomalous expansion of water. Science has no answer, just a name, for the odd behavior of water. But ducks cannot get into that zone. J D Salinger, the author of Catcher in the Rye, doesn’t offer any explanation for Holden’s question. It still keeps me sleepless some nights.
Science is a bunch of glib answers
Physics (or the physical sciences) is said to be different from biological sciences in that the former is explanatory and the later is taxonomical. I question that kind of classification of the sciences. The anomalous expansion of water is an example of a glib ‘explanation’ by physical scientists; how did they explain the strange behavior of water at -4 degrees C.? By giving it a name, which is the same as primitive societies giving names to the elements: Varuna, for the rain god, Vayu, for wind, and so on. That was a different ‘explanatory’ level from what ‘modern’ science has to offer.
So also the big bang. There was nothing in the beginning of the universe (in space and time). Christian theology created a God to ‘explain’ how things came to be (and Thank God we have a day off every week ever since). The physics professors theorized a Big Bang: what the heck is that? Another name…
The naming of a cat is a difficult matter – said T S Eliot. The naming of inexplicable things in the physical world is an easy matter. What stops a ball rolling on a smooth surface? “Friction” – pat comes the answer. It is just another name. Physics is all about giving names, and finding parallels. Two things are attracted to each other – they are unlike poles; they hate each other: it is because of their having the same charge. What is charge? Charge is that which makes somethings repel each other and some other things attract each other. All these are mere names, and definitions or tautologies.
The sun rises in the east. But what if the sun rises in the west one fine morning? Well, you will call that the east!
What is beyond names?
Beyond names, there is mathematics. There is engineering. There are machines at work, there is power supply and water going up in pipes instead of sinking into the earth. All these things make our life comfortable and that is why we are crazy about science and technology. That is also called Performance Theory. But more on that in a later piece.
At the same time, science and technology have given us the nuclear bomb (such a horror), ‘accidents’ at nuclear reactors (Chernobil), gas leakage that killed millions (in Bhopal), 9/11 (and hijacking as a method of screwing other people’s happiness). The Unabomber, who was against science and technology also used the very same technology to attack people. Science is a double-edged sword. And humans are not capable of such a weapon.
The less science we have all round, the better off we will be. I think Gandhiji said something of that sort. In fact the fewer humans we have on earth, the better for the planet: that is what the Voluntary Human Extinction Society tries to propagate. I am not a card-carrying member of that society, but there is something in what they say: check out www.vhem.org.
Tailpiece: Where do ants go in summer? Ant-arctica.
Saffron Terrorism; Sexy Drugs; Chiru Says No To Merger…
First, let us talk about ‘saffron terrorism’ as formulated by Mr P Chidambaram. Saffron stands for Hindu in this context. But up until now, the official line on terrorism is that it knows no religion – that terrorists are just plain terrorists and that it is incorrect (at least politically) to associate it with one or other religion. That was only until it was restricted to one particular religion, right? Now that some Hindus by birth (they cannot be Hindus the moment they resort to terrorism) are indulging in terrorist acts, it is alright to color it saffron? That is the beauty of India: you can say anything about the majority community, sitting in the highest office at ‘home’ and play fast and loose with the sentiments of millions.
When the neighbouring country wages war against us, in broad daylight in Mumbai and holds important buildings in its claws – we as a nation cannot force the world community to declare that ‘impure’ neighbour a terrorist nation. We rejoice at some Narendra Modi being refused VISA to the U.S. We don’t take it as a national insult: we forget the ‘vayam panchadhika satam’ moral. During the vanavas of pandavas, all the kauravas were rounded up by the gandharvas, because one of the kauravas misbehaved. Yudhishtir asks Arjuna to go and release the kauravas from the gandharvas. Arjuna says, “Why should we bother? What we wanted to do, the gandharvas are doing (defeating the kauravas)” And then Yudhishtir explains: “When we fight the kauravas, we are 5 and they are 100. But when an outsider comes to attack kauravas, we must join them and we are 105 of us.” That is the story behind ‘Pancha (5) adhika (more than) satam (100).’
The powers that be in New Delhi, and sundry secularists of the country, should have known the subtlety involved in one of our leaders – whatever differences you may have with him – is humiliated by the U.S. Embassy and lodged a protest. No, these secular elements were watching the fun from the ring side! In everything else, they oppose the U.S., but when Narendra Modi is refused VISA, they have all praise for it.
Sexy drugs
In recent days in Hyderabad, there has been a lot of talk about cocaine smuggling, prostitution rackets, and sundry high profile crimes. We hear of well-connected people being involved not only in drug abuse but also drug trafficking (not to mention flesh trade). Our stars seem to be competing with Hollywood on that ‘score’ if not in the quality of movies produced and standards of histrionics. My question is – why do the police hesitate to reveal the names of suspects or apprehend them. If it is a case of ‘ganza’ (or grass, if you like a posh name for it), the names and addresses of the guys carrying it are given in the newspapers. (That of course only makes them popular and junkies know where to go for their fix.)
Why then aren’t the cops naming the have-been stars and wannabe heart-throbs who are involved in this business. That is because in the free country of ours it is the rich who are free to have a gala time. Ganja is a poor man’s escape route: it costs Rs 15/- per 10 grams; I think 10 grams of ‘coke’ costs in thousands. Coke is sexy – it is the rich man’s preserve: and the rich are above the law. The lesser mortals get lectured on the ill effects of tobacco and ghutka, while the rich have their fancy pubs where they openly indulge in drugs. Some rich kids indulge in romance in the classrooms, while the teacher is watching helplessly. I wonder if that kind of calf-love is allowed in classrooms in the west.
Chiru says no to merger with the Congress
Setting to rest speculation of a merger with the Congress party, the Praja Rajyam supremo, Mr K Chiranjeevi categorically stated that the PRP will not merge with the Congress. He said that if the government does good, his party would support it; and if the government is doing the wrong thing, they will condemn it. Fair enough. He also pointed out that the PRP got 70 lakh votes, although it could win only18 seats – that is a point to be noted. In this context, he said, he may have an alliance with the Congress, but not a merger. That is sweet news for the Congress party: because, if he merges with the Congress, he will be a contender for the Chief Minister’s position. As long as he is outside, and works with them, the CM gaddi will be restricted to a Congress leader – and all the Congress leaders would welcome Chiru’s stance.
Bottomline: Chiru has a red carpet welcome, as an ally; Jagan has a red carpet – leading out of 10 Janpath.
When the neighbouring country wages war against us, in broad daylight in Mumbai and holds important buildings in its claws – we as a nation cannot force the world community to declare that ‘impure’ neighbour a terrorist nation. We rejoice at some Narendra Modi being refused VISA to the U.S. We don’t take it as a national insult: we forget the ‘vayam panchadhika satam’ moral. During the vanavas of pandavas, all the kauravas were rounded up by the gandharvas, because one of the kauravas misbehaved. Yudhishtir asks Arjuna to go and release the kauravas from the gandharvas. Arjuna says, “Why should we bother? What we wanted to do, the gandharvas are doing (defeating the kauravas)” And then Yudhishtir explains: “When we fight the kauravas, we are 5 and they are 100. But when an outsider comes to attack kauravas, we must join them and we are 105 of us.” That is the story behind ‘Pancha (5) adhika (more than) satam (100).’
The powers that be in New Delhi, and sundry secularists of the country, should have known the subtlety involved in one of our leaders – whatever differences you may have with him – is humiliated by the U.S. Embassy and lodged a protest. No, these secular elements were watching the fun from the ring side! In everything else, they oppose the U.S., but when Narendra Modi is refused VISA, they have all praise for it.
Sexy drugs
In recent days in Hyderabad, there has been a lot of talk about cocaine smuggling, prostitution rackets, and sundry high profile crimes. We hear of well-connected people being involved not only in drug abuse but also drug trafficking (not to mention flesh trade). Our stars seem to be competing with Hollywood on that ‘score’ if not in the quality of movies produced and standards of histrionics. My question is – why do the police hesitate to reveal the names of suspects or apprehend them. If it is a case of ‘ganza’ (or grass, if you like a posh name for it), the names and addresses of the guys carrying it are given in the newspapers. (That of course only makes them popular and junkies know where to go for their fix.)
Why then aren’t the cops naming the have-been stars and wannabe heart-throbs who are involved in this business. That is because in the free country of ours it is the rich who are free to have a gala time. Ganja is a poor man’s escape route: it costs Rs 15/- per 10 grams; I think 10 grams of ‘coke’ costs in thousands. Coke is sexy – it is the rich man’s preserve: and the rich are above the law. The lesser mortals get lectured on the ill effects of tobacco and ghutka, while the rich have their fancy pubs where they openly indulge in drugs. Some rich kids indulge in romance in the classrooms, while the teacher is watching helplessly. I wonder if that kind of calf-love is allowed in classrooms in the west.
Chiru says no to merger with the Congress
Setting to rest speculation of a merger with the Congress party, the Praja Rajyam supremo, Mr K Chiranjeevi categorically stated that the PRP will not merge with the Congress. He said that if the government does good, his party would support it; and if the government is doing the wrong thing, they will condemn it. Fair enough. He also pointed out that the PRP got 70 lakh votes, although it could win only18 seats – that is a point to be noted. In this context, he said, he may have an alliance with the Congress, but not a merger. That is sweet news for the Congress party: because, if he merges with the Congress, he will be a contender for the Chief Minister’s position. As long as he is outside, and works with them, the CM gaddi will be restricted to a Congress leader – and all the Congress leaders would welcome Chiru’s stance.
Bottomline: Chiru has a red carpet welcome, as an ally; Jagan has a red carpet – leading out of 10 Janpath.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Land of Rakhi Brothers and Cousin Sisters…
In north India, it is common for girls to tie the
Rakhi on a boy of her age for whom she has
as sisterly affection, and call him a Rakhi brother. In the south too, this happens these days but not to the extent to which it happens in the north. It is said jokingly that some boys avoid meeting girls on Raksha Bandhan day (the full moon day in the month of Sawan or Sravana - this year, the 24th, yesterday). There are a lot of jokes about boys with romantic designs on a girl being thwarted by the girl by tying a Rakhi on him.
Interestingly, the convention of Rakhi cuts across religions: I have a friend who is born and brought up as a Hindu, but took to Christianity after marriage (to another friend of mine). One Rakhi day five years or so ago, I met her and her husband, with their children, and she naturally tied the Rakhi on my hand. It is much more meaningful than the friendship bands which are in vogue these days. It is much more expensive too - when someone ties the Rakhi on you, you have to give money, however less or more.
This year, another girl I have known for years sent me an SMS saying 'I think of you as an elder brother'on Rakhi day. She could not tie the Rakhi since we were in two different cities. She is a muslim and Rakhi is not a part of their culture. Therein lies the greatness of India: that people across communities follow common conventions. It is sad that these common conventions tend to be the Hindu customs, but there are exceptions. Years ago when I was in Singapore, I had a close friend who was a muslim: I kept the fasting (roza) during the holy month of Ramadan, just to keep him company - although I did not follow it to the T. I used to have coffee and tea during the day.
Talking of inter-communal harmony, I must mention this episode: Years ago, my good friend Salahuddin Tak was playing with color on Holi quite vigorously and one person on whom he was going to put color said don't do that - I am a muslim. Tak saab went ahead and put color, and said: "So am I." I can never forget the enthusiasm with which he used to celebrate diwali. He had a thing against New Year, however: he said it had nothing to do with India. May his tribe grow!
Cousin brothers
In south India, it is a common thing for cross cousins to get married to each other: cross cousins are your maternal uncle's son or daughter, or your paternal aunt's son or daughter. However, it is sacrilege to marry a parallel cousin (your paternal uncle's son or daughter or your maternal aunt's son or daughter). So much so that you address the parallel cousins as cousin brother or cousin sister. In the north of course, all cousins are considered brothers or sisters and marriage with any of them is anathema.
It is quite common in India to ask people when they say My brother works in Bangalore, Is it your own brother or cousin brother?
Tanguturi Prakasam
It is not the case that I forgot to write about Shri Tanguturi Prakasam on the 23rd August; it is just that I don't know much about that great man, except that there is a district in Andhra Pradesh named after him, and that he was the first Chief Minister of the composite Andhra Pradesh state. There is also an apocryphal story, which is likely very true.
He was a great trial court lawyer and on one occasion he was in the midst of an argument when he received a telegram. He is said to have looked at the contents of it and put it in his pocket and continued with his case. People came to know later that the telegram contained news of his wife's death. He was a man of steel and the Sardar Patel of the south.
Rakhi on a boy of her age for whom she has
as sisterly affection, and call him a Rakhi brother. In the south too, this happens these days but not to the extent to which it happens in the north. It is said jokingly that some boys avoid meeting girls on Raksha Bandhan day (the full moon day in the month of Sawan or Sravana - this year, the 24th, yesterday). There are a lot of jokes about boys with romantic designs on a girl being thwarted by the girl by tying a Rakhi on him.
Interestingly, the convention of Rakhi cuts across religions: I have a friend who is born and brought up as a Hindu, but took to Christianity after marriage (to another friend of mine). One Rakhi day five years or so ago, I met her and her husband, with their children, and she naturally tied the Rakhi on my hand. It is much more meaningful than the friendship bands which are in vogue these days. It is much more expensive too - when someone ties the Rakhi on you, you have to give money, however less or more.
This year, another girl I have known for years sent me an SMS saying 'I think of you as an elder brother'on Rakhi day. She could not tie the Rakhi since we were in two different cities. She is a muslim and Rakhi is not a part of their culture. Therein lies the greatness of India: that people across communities follow common conventions. It is sad that these common conventions tend to be the Hindu customs, but there are exceptions. Years ago when I was in Singapore, I had a close friend who was a muslim: I kept the fasting (roza) during the holy month of Ramadan, just to keep him company - although I did not follow it to the T. I used to have coffee and tea during the day.
Talking of inter-communal harmony, I must mention this episode: Years ago, my good friend Salahuddin Tak was playing with color on Holi quite vigorously and one person on whom he was going to put color said don't do that - I am a muslim. Tak saab went ahead and put color, and said: "So am I." I can never forget the enthusiasm with which he used to celebrate diwali. He had a thing against New Year, however: he said it had nothing to do with India. May his tribe grow!
Cousin brothers
In south India, it is a common thing for cross cousins to get married to each other: cross cousins are your maternal uncle's son or daughter, or your paternal aunt's son or daughter. However, it is sacrilege to marry a parallel cousin (your paternal uncle's son or daughter or your maternal aunt's son or daughter). So much so that you address the parallel cousins as cousin brother or cousin sister. In the north of course, all cousins are considered brothers or sisters and marriage with any of them is anathema.
It is quite common in India to ask people when they say My brother works in Bangalore, Is it your own brother or cousin brother?
Tanguturi Prakasam
It is not the case that I forgot to write about Shri Tanguturi Prakasam on the 23rd August; it is just that I don't know much about that great man, except that there is a district in Andhra Pradesh named after him, and that he was the first Chief Minister of the composite Andhra Pradesh state. There is also an apocryphal story, which is likely very true.
He was a great trial court lawyer and on one occasion he was in the midst of an argument when he received a telegram. He is said to have looked at the contents of it and put it in his pocket and continued with his case. People came to know later that the telegram contained news of his wife's death. He was a man of steel and the Sardar Patel of the south.
Saffron Terrorism; Sexy Drugs; Chiru Says No To Merger…
First, let us talk about ‘saffron terrorism’ as formulated by Mr P Chidambaram. Saffron stands for Hindu in this context. But up until now, the official line on terrorism is that it knows no religion – that terrorists are just plain terrorists and that it is incorrect (at least politically) to associate it with one or other religion. That was only until it was restricted to one particular religion, right? Now that some Hindus by birth (they cannot be Hindus the moment they resort to terrorism) are indulging in terrorist acts, it is alright to color it saffron? That is the beauty of India: you can say anything about the majority community, sitting in the highest office at ‘home’ and play fast and loose with the sentiments of millions.
When the neighbouring country wages war against us, in broad daylight in Mumbai and holds important buildings in its claws – we as a nation cannot force the world community to declare that ‘impure’ neighbour a terrorist nation. We rejoice at some Narendra Modi being refused VISA to the U.S. We don’t take it as a national insult: we forget the ‘vayam panchadhika satam’ moral. During the vanavas of pandavas, all the kauravas were rounded up by the gandharvas, because one of the kauravas misbehaved. Yudhishtir asks Arjuna to go and release the kauravas from the gandharvas. Arjuna says, “Why should we bother? What we wanted to do, the gandharvas are doing (defeating the kauravas)” And then Yudhishtir explains: “When we fight the kauravas, we are 5 and they are 100. But when an outsider comes to attack kauravas, we must join them and we are 105 of us.” That is the story behind ‘Pancha (5) adhika (more than) satam (100).’
The powers that be in New Delhi, and sundry secularists of the country, should have known the subtlety involved in the panchadhikasatam law. one of our leaders – whatever differences you may have with him – is humiliated by the U.S. Embassy and the government should have lodged a protest. No, these secular elements were watching the fun from the ring side! The left parties which oppose the U.S. in everything else are all praise for it when Mr Modi is refused VISA by it.
Sexy drugs
In recent days in Hyderabad, there has been a lot of talk about cocaine smuggling, prostitution rackets, and sundry high profile crimes. We hear of well-connected people being involved not only in drug abuse but also drug trafficking (not to mention flesh trade). Our stars seem to be competing with Hollywood on that ‘score’ if not in the quality of movies produced and standards of histrionics. My question is – why do the police hesitate to reveal the names of suspects or apprehend them. If it is a case of ‘ganza’ (or grass, if you like a posh name for it), the names and addresses of the guys carrying it are given in the newspapers. (That of course only makes them popular and junkies know where to go for their fix.)
Why then aren’t the cops naming the have-been stars and wannabe heart-throbs who are involved in this business. That is because in the free country of ours it is the rich who are free to have a gala time. Ganja is a poor man’s escape route: it costs Rs 15/- per 10 grams; I think 10 grams of ‘coke’ costs in thousands. Coke is sexy – it is the rich man’s preserve: and the rich are above the law. The lesser mortals get lectured on the ill effects of tobacco and ghutka, while the rich have their fancy pubs where they openly indulge in drugs. Some rich kids indulge in romance in the classrooms, while the teacher is watching helplessly. I wonder if that kind of calf-love is allowed in classrooms in the west.
Chiru says no to merger with the Congress
Setting to rest speculation of a merger with the Congress party, the Praja Rajyam supremo, Mr K Chiranjeevi categorically stated that the PRP will not merge with the Congress. He said that if the government does good, his party would support it; and if the government is doing the wrong thing, they will condemn it. Fair enough. He also pointed out that the PRP got 70 lakh votes, although it could win only18 seats – that is a point to be noted. In this context, he said, he may have an alliance with the Congress, but not a merger. That is sweet news for the Congress party: because, if he merges with the Congress, he will be a contender for the Chief Minister’s position. As long as he is outside, and works with them, the CM gaddi will be restricted to a Congress leader – and all the Congress leaders would welcome Chiru’s stance.
Bottomline: Chiru has a red carpet welcome, as an ally; Jagan has a red carpet – leading out of 10 Janpath.
When the neighbouring country wages war against us, in broad daylight in Mumbai and holds important buildings in its claws – we as a nation cannot force the world community to declare that ‘impure’ neighbour a terrorist nation. We rejoice at some Narendra Modi being refused VISA to the U.S. We don’t take it as a national insult: we forget the ‘vayam panchadhika satam’ moral. During the vanavas of pandavas, all the kauravas were rounded up by the gandharvas, because one of the kauravas misbehaved. Yudhishtir asks Arjuna to go and release the kauravas from the gandharvas. Arjuna says, “Why should we bother? What we wanted to do, the gandharvas are doing (defeating the kauravas)” And then Yudhishtir explains: “When we fight the kauravas, we are 5 and they are 100. But when an outsider comes to attack kauravas, we must join them and we are 105 of us.” That is the story behind ‘Pancha (5) adhika (more than) satam (100).’
The powers that be in New Delhi, and sundry secularists of the country, should have known the subtlety involved in the panchadhikasatam law. one of our leaders – whatever differences you may have with him – is humiliated by the U.S. Embassy and the government should have lodged a protest. No, these secular elements were watching the fun from the ring side! The left parties which oppose the U.S. in everything else are all praise for it when Mr Modi is refused VISA by it.
Sexy drugs
In recent days in Hyderabad, there has been a lot of talk about cocaine smuggling, prostitution rackets, and sundry high profile crimes. We hear of well-connected people being involved not only in drug abuse but also drug trafficking (not to mention flesh trade). Our stars seem to be competing with Hollywood on that ‘score’ if not in the quality of movies produced and standards of histrionics. My question is – why do the police hesitate to reveal the names of suspects or apprehend them. If it is a case of ‘ganza’ (or grass, if you like a posh name for it), the names and addresses of the guys carrying it are given in the newspapers. (That of course only makes them popular and junkies know where to go for their fix.)
Why then aren’t the cops naming the have-been stars and wannabe heart-throbs who are involved in this business. That is because in the free country of ours it is the rich who are free to have a gala time. Ganja is a poor man’s escape route: it costs Rs 15/- per 10 grams; I think 10 grams of ‘coke’ costs in thousands. Coke is sexy – it is the rich man’s preserve: and the rich are above the law. The lesser mortals get lectured on the ill effects of tobacco and ghutka, while the rich have their fancy pubs where they openly indulge in drugs. Some rich kids indulge in romance in the classrooms, while the teacher is watching helplessly. I wonder if that kind of calf-love is allowed in classrooms in the west.
Chiru says no to merger with the Congress
Setting to rest speculation of a merger with the Congress party, the Praja Rajyam supremo, Mr K Chiranjeevi categorically stated that the PRP will not merge with the Congress. He said that if the government does good, his party would support it; and if the government is doing the wrong thing, they will condemn it. Fair enough. He also pointed out that the PRP got 70 lakh votes, although it could win only18 seats – that is a point to be noted. In this context, he said, he may have an alliance with the Congress, but not a merger. That is sweet news for the Congress party: because, if he merges with the Congress, he will be a contender for the Chief Minister’s position. As long as he is outside, and works with them, the CM gaddi will be restricted to a Congress leader – and all the Congress leaders would welcome Chiru’s stance.
Bottomline: Chiru has a red carpet welcome, as an ally; Jagan has a red carpet – leading out of 10 Janpath.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
You are a south Indian if…
You encourage your children to call the neighborhood girl ‘akka’ (big sister) or the boy ‘anna’ (big brother)
You say that people at the work place are one big family (and cut the cake on their birthday, and sing “Happy birthday to you” out of tune)
You let your children sleep in your bed until they are 12 or even above.
You believe in Shirdi Saibaba and don’t know (or argue against) the fact that he was a muslim mendicant
You care for your parents more than for your progeny, even at the age of 40
You pay for your children’s education until they get a job – even until they are 30+ (and encourage them to learn all manner of software languages, past, present, and future)
Your first sexperience is with your wife or husband; or, you get hitched to the person you first have sex with ever in your life.
You allow your children to get on facebook on condition that they share their password with you
You believe that money given to your sisters will come back to you ten fold from some other sources
You are convinced that Vivekananda was a Malayalee
You believe in Nadi Jatakam and what they tell you about what you were in the previous life
You sit and drink with your buddies while the wives are huddled in a corner, starving
You collect milk packets and sell them once in a month; and, before putting them away, you wash them and pour that water into the milk, to get the last drop of milk out of the packet
Your furniture and car seats have the plastic cover in which they come, even several years after you bought them
You empty the drops of tea from the saucer into the cup – in Irani cafes
You believe that people speak Hindi in Hyderabad
You celebrate Ganesh Immersion with greater gusto than Vinayaka Chaturdhi
You bring in what is published in the Hindu as conclusive evidence for your argument
You carefully unwrap gift packages and fold them up and keep aside for ‘later use’ and you keep the cardboard cartons in which television or the fridge come in the attic
You say you are driving when you are actually riding a scooter or a bike.
You vote for the guy from your state on Indian Idol
You believe that Bruce Lee’s favorite breakfast is Idlee
You tie a meal (thali) around the neck of the bride during the marriage rites
You say that people at the work place are one big family (and cut the cake on their birthday, and sing “Happy birthday to you” out of tune)
You let your children sleep in your bed until they are 12 or even above.
You believe in Shirdi Saibaba and don’t know (or argue against) the fact that he was a muslim mendicant
You care for your parents more than for your progeny, even at the age of 40
You pay for your children’s education until they get a job – even until they are 30+ (and encourage them to learn all manner of software languages, past, present, and future)
Your first sexperience is with your wife or husband; or, you get hitched to the person you first have sex with ever in your life.
You allow your children to get on facebook on condition that they share their password with you
You believe that money given to your sisters will come back to you ten fold from some other sources
You are convinced that Vivekananda was a Malayalee
You believe in Nadi Jatakam and what they tell you about what you were in the previous life
You sit and drink with your buddies while the wives are huddled in a corner, starving
You collect milk packets and sell them once in a month; and, before putting them away, you wash them and pour that water into the milk, to get the last drop of milk out of the packet
Your furniture and car seats have the plastic cover in which they come, even several years after you bought them
You empty the drops of tea from the saucer into the cup – in Irani cafes
You believe that people speak Hindi in Hyderabad
You celebrate Ganesh Immersion with greater gusto than Vinayaka Chaturdhi
You bring in what is published in the Hindu as conclusive evidence for your argument
You carefully unwrap gift packages and fold them up and keep aside for ‘later use’ and you keep the cardboard cartons in which television or the fridge come in the attic
You say you are driving when you are actually riding a scooter or a bike.
You vote for the guy from your state on Indian Idol
You believe that Bruce Lee’s favorite breakfast is Idlee
You tie a meal (thali) around the neck of the bride during the marriage rites
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Of Human Error: The Six Sigma Principle
3.4 flights in a million will crash, if you leave the business of airlines to GE or Motorola: that is the guarantee given by companies which claim to offer six-sigma quality assurance. “Six Sigma is a highly disciplined process that helps us focus on developing and delivering near-perfect products and services. Why 'Sigma'? The word is a statistical term that measures how far a given process deviates from perfection. The central idea behind Six Sigma is that if you can measure how many 'defects' you have in a process, you can systematically figure out how to eliminate them and get as close to 'zero defects' as possible. To achieve Six Sigma Quality, a process must produce no more than 3.4 defects per million opportunities. An 'opportunity' is defined as a chance for nonconformance, or not meeting the required specifications. This means we need to be nearly flawless in executing our key processes.” [http://www.businessballs.com/sixsigma.htm]
Note that the whole thing talks about near perfection and nearly flawless. But not exactly. If you are travelling by a train, and it is relying on a six-sigma signaling system, and assuming that the signaling system has provided correct signals one million times before your journey, it is likely to collide with another train; in fact, 3.4 percent chances are there that it will collide. You do the math…
Do we hear of birds that crash once in a million, except when they collide with human contraptions like airplanes? No. The reason is the fledglings are allowed to fly only when the parents are one-hundred percent sure that the little ones can fly. In the human world however planes that have been tried and tested in labs are allowed to fly, with an error rate of 3.4. That is six sigma for you in brief. Should we do that? Should we allow our children to ride motor cycles at ages when they are too young to handle the bike? We should not, but we do. We allow trains to carry passengers knowing full well that 3.4 in a million of them will die in an accident. That is a small number, unless it is you…
We don’t see monkeys and chipmunks falling off trees – not the smallest of them. So then are we humans a superior species? We are not. We are not better off than animals in the forests; we are not better off than birds in the sky: we are not, as the Christians believe – made in the image of God. Unless of course, as we all are beginning to suspect, God himself is not infallible. A God who cannot stop things colliding in His creation, a God who is watching us helplessly as we destroy mother earth. A God who is not omnipotent (He cannot stop accidents from occurring), not omnipresent (if He is, he is a silent bystander), omniscient (if He is, he doesn’t stop us from self-destruction). If he is, what kind of a God is He or She?
Birds are better off
My theory of evolution is that the losers from the monkey-chimp era ‘evolved’ into humans and have created a mess on this earth. The real smart ones went on to be birds. They are free; they communicate without worrying about grammar and tense. Birds also eat very little and they don’t visit gyms to reduce weight. All manner of diseases are associated with human beings, but not with birds. I am not a vet, but only animals associated with humans have health problems. Animals in the wild die of natural causes. So who argues that humans are a superior specious to all others. That is sheer nonsense: it is Darwin’s ideology that permeates through the ages and makes us believe that we are closest to God.
It is actually the birds which are closest to God (heaven). In fact, I don’t think birds will have a re-birth. So what if they get eaten in this life. Eternal life is available to them: they go straight to ‘apunarbhavam’. Vivekananda said: Natvaham Kaamaye Rajyam, Na Swargam, Na apunarbhavam; Kamaye duhkha taptanam praninam arti nashanam (I don’t want kingdom, nor heaven; nor even release from the cycle of birth and death. I want that the thirst of the wretched of this planet to be quenched.)
Maybe the best of us will come back as birds and become food for the hungry and thirsty?
Note that the whole thing talks about near perfection and nearly flawless. But not exactly. If you are travelling by a train, and it is relying on a six-sigma signaling system, and assuming that the signaling system has provided correct signals one million times before your journey, it is likely to collide with another train; in fact, 3.4 percent chances are there that it will collide. You do the math…
Do we hear of birds that crash once in a million, except when they collide with human contraptions like airplanes? No. The reason is the fledglings are allowed to fly only when the parents are one-hundred percent sure that the little ones can fly. In the human world however planes that have been tried and tested in labs are allowed to fly, with an error rate of 3.4. That is six sigma for you in brief. Should we do that? Should we allow our children to ride motor cycles at ages when they are too young to handle the bike? We should not, but we do. We allow trains to carry passengers knowing full well that 3.4 in a million of them will die in an accident. That is a small number, unless it is you…
We don’t see monkeys and chipmunks falling off trees – not the smallest of them. So then are we humans a superior species? We are not. We are not better off than animals in the forests; we are not better off than birds in the sky: we are not, as the Christians believe – made in the image of God. Unless of course, as we all are beginning to suspect, God himself is not infallible. A God who cannot stop things colliding in His creation, a God who is watching us helplessly as we destroy mother earth. A God who is not omnipotent (He cannot stop accidents from occurring), not omnipresent (if He is, he is a silent bystander), omniscient (if He is, he doesn’t stop us from self-destruction). If he is, what kind of a God is He or She?
Birds are better off
My theory of evolution is that the losers from the monkey-chimp era ‘evolved’ into humans and have created a mess on this earth. The real smart ones went on to be birds. They are free; they communicate without worrying about grammar and tense. Birds also eat very little and they don’t visit gyms to reduce weight. All manner of diseases are associated with human beings, but not with birds. I am not a vet, but only animals associated with humans have health problems. Animals in the wild die of natural causes. So who argues that humans are a superior specious to all others. That is sheer nonsense: it is Darwin’s ideology that permeates through the ages and makes us believe that we are closest to God.
It is actually the birds which are closest to God (heaven). In fact, I don’t think birds will have a re-birth. So what if they get eaten in this life. Eternal life is available to them: they go straight to ‘apunarbhavam’. Vivekananda said: Natvaham Kaamaye Rajyam, Na Swargam, Na apunarbhavam; Kamaye duhkha taptanam praninam arti nashanam (I don’t want kingdom, nor heaven; nor even release from the cycle of birth and death. I want that the thirst of the wretched of this planet to be quenched.)
Maybe the best of us will come back as birds and become food for the hungry and thirsty?
Friday, August 13, 2010
I Learned To Be Proud Of India From The RSS
Long before India arrived on the world scene, long before Julia Roberts took to Hinduism, and long before Mr Mukesh Ambani joined the list of the richest people in the world, I was proud to be an Indian. It was something inculcated in me by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). That was when the RSS had not degenerated to playing second fiddle to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Vishwa Hindu Parishat (VHP). VHP started taking the lead in affairs related to Hinduism in the late 80s and relegated RSS to a second position. The BJP took over in 1989 and relegated VHP to the second and RSS to the third position. The RSS of today is entirely different from what it used to be.
Back in the 70s, the RSS was a bunch of middle-aged men who were convinced of the importance (not superiority) of Hindu thought, and its propagation. There was no militant Hindutva then. Yes, a few ‘radical’ youths did shout slogans against Pakistan in a camp I attended but that was all. When I asked the seniors in the organization why they have slogans like “Hindu-Hindu Bhai Bhai” (and not “Hindu-Muslim Bhai Bhai,” which is the Congress slogan really) they said, when you get stronger as a community, other communities will come calling on you as brother. That sounded reasonable. I no longer subscribe to the RSS doxa. I am more of a Hindu than the intolerant, intolerable RSS.
“What is Hinduism?” asked my friend, a devout Roman Catholic. I was not in a position to define it. “What is the central doctrine of Hinduism?” Another meek reply: “I am not sure…” This went on for some time. Then I said, after some deep thought: It is all about tolerance. True, Hinduism tolerates belief in all manner of gods; and even atheism! The other thing about Hinduism is renunciation. The greatest virtue is not remaining a bachelor, not doing good deeds all your life, but giving it all up.
When Bill Gates was baffled
In 1997, when Bill Gates visited India for the first time, someone in the audience got up and asked: “Are you thinking of giving some of your wealth for charity?” This visibly baffled Bill Gates. “I haven’t thought about it,” he said. Now he is coming to India and China together with Mr Warren Buffet (another Richie Rich) to appeal to the billionaires to give away money in charity. I don’t understand why people have to accumulate wealth by fair means (and more often foul means) and then give it away to poor people. If the folks in the top twenty-five richest people of Fortune’s list stop making more and more money and resorting to the destruction of the planet (let us face it, you cannot get richer by kinder means), the world would be a much better place.
Mistake Clerk
In banks and other offices in Britain, according to P G Wodehouse, there is a clerk dedicated to take a dressing down from the manager when an angry customer comes and complains about some wrong doing. The ‘mistake clerk’ is promptly dismissed, only to be taken back into service soon after the angry customer leaves the premises. Now, it appears that the Congress party has found a mistake clerk in Mr P V Narasimharao at the center; and Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy at the state level. All previous wrong doings (like letting off Warren Anderson of Union Carbide; and all of the mining-lease irregularities) are attributed to PV and YSR respectively.
Lepers along the hospital road
In the middle of Hyderabad, in Vidyanagar, there is a hospital called AMS Durgabai Deshmukh hospital: by the side of its wall, there is a road lined with lepers, whose only means of support is begging. This has been the case for the past 20 years that I have been familiar with Vidyanagar. Nobody gives a second thought; the kindly ones drop a rupee or two in their bowls. Isn’t it a shame that in India, which is home to two of the top 25 rich people has this unseemly sight in the middle of the silicon hub of India? It’s a silly-con hub.
Back in the 70s, the RSS was a bunch of middle-aged men who were convinced of the importance (not superiority) of Hindu thought, and its propagation. There was no militant Hindutva then. Yes, a few ‘radical’ youths did shout slogans against Pakistan in a camp I attended but that was all. When I asked the seniors in the organization why they have slogans like “Hindu-Hindu Bhai Bhai” (and not “Hindu-Muslim Bhai Bhai,” which is the Congress slogan really) they said, when you get stronger as a community, other communities will come calling on you as brother. That sounded reasonable. I no longer subscribe to the RSS doxa. I am more of a Hindu than the intolerant, intolerable RSS.
“What is Hinduism?” asked my friend, a devout Roman Catholic. I was not in a position to define it. “What is the central doctrine of Hinduism?” Another meek reply: “I am not sure…” This went on for some time. Then I said, after some deep thought: It is all about tolerance. True, Hinduism tolerates belief in all manner of gods; and even atheism! The other thing about Hinduism is renunciation. The greatest virtue is not remaining a bachelor, not doing good deeds all your life, but giving it all up.
When Bill Gates was baffled
In 1997, when Bill Gates visited India for the first time, someone in the audience got up and asked: “Are you thinking of giving some of your wealth for charity?” This visibly baffled Bill Gates. “I haven’t thought about it,” he said. Now he is coming to India and China together with Mr Warren Buffet (another Richie Rich) to appeal to the billionaires to give away money in charity. I don’t understand why people have to accumulate wealth by fair means (and more often foul means) and then give it away to poor people. If the folks in the top twenty-five richest people of Fortune’s list stop making more and more money and resorting to the destruction of the planet (let us face it, you cannot get richer by kinder means), the world would be a much better place.
Mistake Clerk
In banks and other offices in Britain, according to P G Wodehouse, there is a clerk dedicated to take a dressing down from the manager when an angry customer comes and complains about some wrong doing. The ‘mistake clerk’ is promptly dismissed, only to be taken back into service soon after the angry customer leaves the premises. Now, it appears that the Congress party has found a mistake clerk in Mr P V Narasimharao at the center; and Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy at the state level. All previous wrong doings (like letting off Warren Anderson of Union Carbide; and all of the mining-lease irregularities) are attributed to PV and YSR respectively.
Lepers along the hospital road
In the middle of Hyderabad, in Vidyanagar, there is a hospital called AMS Durgabai Deshmukh hospital: by the side of its wall, there is a road lined with lepers, whose only means of support is begging. This has been the case for the past 20 years that I have been familiar with Vidyanagar. Nobody gives a second thought; the kindly ones drop a rupee or two in their bowls. Isn’t it a shame that in India, which is home to two of the top 25 rich people has this unseemly sight in the middle of the silicon hub of India? It’s a silly-con hub.
Will Jagan Get The Mining Portfolio In The Central Cabinet?
Mr C Adinarayana Reddy (MLA supporting Mr Y S Jaganmohan Reddy) ‘requested’ the Congress high command to consider a cabinet berth for Jagan. He did not specify the portfolio but mining would perhaps be Jagan’s choice. That would be in the fitness of things given that Jagan has a profound understanding of mines and leases. It is now for the Congress high command to decide: I believe it is nonsensical to talk about a truce between the Kadapa MP and the Congress party. He is clearly not with the party. Earlier this week, it was reported that when Madame Gandhi Jr and Mr Rahul Gandhi entered the parliament, Jagan did not approach them as did many other MPs who were present. That kind of arrogance is only going to land him in deeper trouble.
Already, Mrs Konda Surekha failed to attract suspension; that would have put the ball in Jagan’s court. The high command is in no hurry to take the battle to Jagan’s camp. It is just dribbling with the ball for the time being. Konda Surekha is in a state of limbo, not knowing whether to up the ante or lie low. Jagan himself is clueless. The high command refuses to strike in spite of all the barbs aimed to irk them. This inaction from the high command makes Jagan and co. think that the high command now wants to come to an understanding with Jagan. It is just that 10 Janpath does not want to give any attention to Jagan; it is infradig. As I wrote quite a while ago, Jagan burnt his bridges when he announced the details of his meeting with Soniaji to the public. There is no going back after that.
In the meantime, senior leaders of the Congress party in the state are preparing notes on various misdeeds and wheelings and dealings of Jagan and his camp followers. The principal opposition paper is doing its bit in providing details. The Telugu Desam Party submitted two booklets – “Raja of Corruption” and “Mining Mafia…” to the Prime Minister earlier. It seems that the Congress leaders are queuing up for copies of those books. It seems they are out of print. All this means only one thing: Jagan is heading for Sankaragiri…
Who will be the next PCC Chief?
Alternatively, Mr C Adinarayana Reddy said: Give Jagan the Pradesh Congress Committee chief’s position. Another emphatic “No”. If ever the high command entertains a dialog with Jagan, it will be very short, and direct: “Get lost!” So who will be the next PCC chief? Obviously not Mr D Srinivas. Speculation is that Mr Jana Reddy and K Suresh Reddy are in the race. Of the two, Suresh Reddy is said to be equally acceptable for both the Telangana and Andhra leaders. Traditionally, the Chief Minister is from the Reddy community and the PCC chief is either a backward leader or a Dalit. Now that the CM is from a different community, it is being proposed by some that the PCC post will go to a Reddy.
I beg to differ. I think Mr K Rosaiah will step down when conditions are back to normal (that is, after the storm in the tea cup created by Jagan subsides). Let us face it, Mr Rosaiah is not in the pink of his health. It is only a matter of months before he renounces the CM post. The CM post will eventually go to a Reddy (My vote is for Mrs J Geeta Reddy, as I said many times). Therefore, the PCC chief will be a dalit leader: in all likelihood, Dr Mallu Ravi. He is said to be a YSR loyalist, and enjoys the support of Jagan as well. Mr Rosaiah and Dr K V P Ramachandra Rao also second his candidature.
Another name doing the rounds is that of Mr Nandi Yellaih but again he is too old. For that matter, Dr Mallu Ravi himself is none too young. He is known to be a capable person with a rather clean image, if not pure as driven snow. More importantly, he stayed clear of the whole battle between the high command and Jagan in the past couple of months. I wish him luck.
Bottomline: Julia Roberts is a practicing Hindu: I am thrilled. Apparently, she is intrigued by Hinduism!
Already, Mrs Konda Surekha failed to attract suspension; that would have put the ball in Jagan’s court. The high command is in no hurry to take the battle to Jagan’s camp. It is just dribbling with the ball for the time being. Konda Surekha is in a state of limbo, not knowing whether to up the ante or lie low. Jagan himself is clueless. The high command refuses to strike in spite of all the barbs aimed to irk them. This inaction from the high command makes Jagan and co. think that the high command now wants to come to an understanding with Jagan. It is just that 10 Janpath does not want to give any attention to Jagan; it is infradig. As I wrote quite a while ago, Jagan burnt his bridges when he announced the details of his meeting with Soniaji to the public. There is no going back after that.
In the meantime, senior leaders of the Congress party in the state are preparing notes on various misdeeds and wheelings and dealings of Jagan and his camp followers. The principal opposition paper is doing its bit in providing details. The Telugu Desam Party submitted two booklets – “Raja of Corruption” and “Mining Mafia…” to the Prime Minister earlier. It seems that the Congress leaders are queuing up for copies of those books. It seems they are out of print. All this means only one thing: Jagan is heading for Sankaragiri…
Who will be the next PCC Chief?
Alternatively, Mr C Adinarayana Reddy said: Give Jagan the Pradesh Congress Committee chief’s position. Another emphatic “No”. If ever the high command entertains a dialog with Jagan, it will be very short, and direct: “Get lost!” So who will be the next PCC chief? Obviously not Mr D Srinivas. Speculation is that Mr Jana Reddy and K Suresh Reddy are in the race. Of the two, Suresh Reddy is said to be equally acceptable for both the Telangana and Andhra leaders. Traditionally, the Chief Minister is from the Reddy community and the PCC chief is either a backward leader or a Dalit. Now that the CM is from a different community, it is being proposed by some that the PCC post will go to a Reddy.
I beg to differ. I think Mr K Rosaiah will step down when conditions are back to normal (that is, after the storm in the tea cup created by Jagan subsides). Let us face it, Mr Rosaiah is not in the pink of his health. It is only a matter of months before he renounces the CM post. The CM post will eventually go to a Reddy (My vote is for Mrs J Geeta Reddy, as I said many times). Therefore, the PCC chief will be a dalit leader: in all likelihood, Dr Mallu Ravi. He is said to be a YSR loyalist, and enjoys the support of Jagan as well. Mr Rosaiah and Dr K V P Ramachandra Rao also second his candidature.
Another name doing the rounds is that of Mr Nandi Yellaih but again he is too old. For that matter, Dr Mallu Ravi himself is none too young. He is known to be a capable person with a rather clean image, if not pure as driven snow. More importantly, he stayed clear of the whole battle between the high command and Jagan in the past couple of months. I wish him luck.
Bottomline: Julia Roberts is a practicing Hindu: I am thrilled. Apparently, she is intrigued by Hinduism!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
When Renuka Chaudhary Was In Tears
In 1991, when Shri Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated, many leaders of the Congress party were begging Mrs Sonia Gandhi to take up the reins of the party. The redoubtable Renuka Chaudhary – who straddled Andhra politics in the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Congress party over a decade by then – was in tears (actually in tears, on network television) appealing to Mrs Gandhi Jr to take over the Congress party. Mrs Gandhi, Jr, in her wisdom, did not accede to appeals from Mrs Chaudhary or other party functionaries. It was only in 1996 or 1997, when she felt that the Congress government under Mr P V Narasimha Rao had not done enough to clear the image of the late Rajiv Gandhi from the Bofors scandal that she entered active politics.
Even then, she did not take a role in the government and restricted herself to administering the party. Eventually, Rajiv Gandhi’s name was cleared of the murky Bofors deal. Her job is done, but she got inexorably linked with the party. She is going on with that ‘duty’, despite criticism (sometimes vile). People said nasty things about her foreign origins but she remained loyal to the country of her late husband and his memory.
Mrs Gandhi Jr has lost her mother-in-law and her husband to militant/terrorist attacks but she was unmoved. She argued with Rajiv not to enter politics, because he would be killed. According to her, he said: ‘I would be killed anyway!’ What an awful condition to be in, knowing that your husband is on short notice from the guns of trained terrorists and that he would be killed anytime. Killing is so easy: It must be harrowing for the Gandhi family to know that they are targeted by militant and terrorist groups even now.
Consider the fact that Rahul Gandhi is the Prime Minister in waiting; there was (hasn’t been anything) between him and the Prime Minister’s Kursi. Initially, it was thought that Dr Manmohan Singh was only a ‘seat-warmer’ and that Rahul will take over. Dr Singh is into his second term as Prime Minister and looks good to complete this term. Will Rahul take over in 2014? That is a question exercising the minds of politically minded people even now. My guess is that he will not. If Congress does come to power a third time (coalitions and all), it may be someone outside the Gandhi dynasty.
Compared to that, what is Y S Jaganmohan Reddy? Who is Y S R? The most corrupt politician of this century. Who is brother Anil Kumar? YSR and the bunch of people around him (who are around Jagan now) are looting the natural resources of Andhra. Who is funding Sakshi newspaper and the channel? It is unfortunate that the high command is acting on the misdeeds of the Y S R regime only to check-mate Jagan. If he had towed the party line, all the corrupt deals would have been swept under the carpet. Mr Ramoji Rao, who is himself accused of misappropriating other people’s property (according to Sakshi), would have kept quiet about the mining leases and other misdeeds of the former rulers. Why is Eenadu making a noise about all the old deals now? There is a cozy equation between the opposition paper and the ruling party. Jagan upset the apple cart and now both ‘position’ and opposition are going for Jagan’s jugular.
That Jagan is persona non-grata in the Congress party now is clear. Mr Sandeep Dikshit is not negotiating truce between Jagan and the high command. War or truce is between two equal forces; Jagan is a spent force. The high command is all powerful. As I said, the high command would have forgiven all the misdeeds of the previous government, would have turned a blind eye on Jagan’s misdeeds (and Ambati Rambabu’s involvement in nefarious deals involving the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation [APIIDC]), would have named Jagan the future leader of the party – if Jagan hadn’t been in such a hurry to become the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh. Corruption is a worldwide phenomenon, Mrs Gandhi Sr said famously. Jagan is not the first Congress leader, nor the last, who is corrupt.
Rahul is waiting in the wings; indeed, Rahul may hang up his boots once he brings back Congress to number one position in U.P. Jagan should learn to play solitaire; he may find that is the only distraction he is allowed in days to come.
Bottomline: When asked whether Mr Varun Gandhi is allowed to tour Bihar, Mr Sharad Yadav said: Who is Varun Gandhi? Madame may very well ask, if asked: Who is Jagan?
Even then, she did not take a role in the government and restricted herself to administering the party. Eventually, Rajiv Gandhi’s name was cleared of the murky Bofors deal. Her job is done, but she got inexorably linked with the party. She is going on with that ‘duty’, despite criticism (sometimes vile). People said nasty things about her foreign origins but she remained loyal to the country of her late husband and his memory.
Mrs Gandhi Jr has lost her mother-in-law and her husband to militant/terrorist attacks but she was unmoved. She argued with Rajiv not to enter politics, because he would be killed. According to her, he said: ‘I would be killed anyway!’ What an awful condition to be in, knowing that your husband is on short notice from the guns of trained terrorists and that he would be killed anytime. Killing is so easy: It must be harrowing for the Gandhi family to know that they are targeted by militant and terrorist groups even now.
Consider the fact that Rahul Gandhi is the Prime Minister in waiting; there was (hasn’t been anything) between him and the Prime Minister’s Kursi. Initially, it was thought that Dr Manmohan Singh was only a ‘seat-warmer’ and that Rahul will take over. Dr Singh is into his second term as Prime Minister and looks good to complete this term. Will Rahul take over in 2014? That is a question exercising the minds of politically minded people even now. My guess is that he will not. If Congress does come to power a third time (coalitions and all), it may be someone outside the Gandhi dynasty.
Compared to that, what is Y S Jaganmohan Reddy? Who is Y S R? The most corrupt politician of this century. Who is brother Anil Kumar? YSR and the bunch of people around him (who are around Jagan now) are looting the natural resources of Andhra. Who is funding Sakshi newspaper and the channel? It is unfortunate that the high command is acting on the misdeeds of the Y S R regime only to check-mate Jagan. If he had towed the party line, all the corrupt deals would have been swept under the carpet. Mr Ramoji Rao, who is himself accused of misappropriating other people’s property (according to Sakshi), would have kept quiet about the mining leases and other misdeeds of the former rulers. Why is Eenadu making a noise about all the old deals now? There is a cozy equation between the opposition paper and the ruling party. Jagan upset the apple cart and now both ‘position’ and opposition are going for Jagan’s jugular.
That Jagan is persona non-grata in the Congress party now is clear. Mr Sandeep Dikshit is not negotiating truce between Jagan and the high command. War or truce is between two equal forces; Jagan is a spent force. The high command is all powerful. As I said, the high command would have forgiven all the misdeeds of the previous government, would have turned a blind eye on Jagan’s misdeeds (and Ambati Rambabu’s involvement in nefarious deals involving the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation [APIIDC]), would have named Jagan the future leader of the party – if Jagan hadn’t been in such a hurry to become the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh. Corruption is a worldwide phenomenon, Mrs Gandhi Sr said famously. Jagan is not the first Congress leader, nor the last, who is corrupt.
Rahul is waiting in the wings; indeed, Rahul may hang up his boots once he brings back Congress to number one position in U.P. Jagan should learn to play solitaire; he may find that is the only distraction he is allowed in days to come.
Bottomline: When asked whether Mr Varun Gandhi is allowed to tour Bihar, Mr Sharad Yadav said: Who is Varun Gandhi? Madame may very well ask, if asked: Who is Jagan?
Making Kind Choices…
Thanks Chiru, But No Thanks – Says CM
Mr Chiranjeevi of Praja Rajyam Party formally offered support to the Congress party in case there is some trouble because of Mr Y S Jaganmohan Reddy. He said that he didn’t want another election so soon: which is commendable. He also made allegations, which we have seen in the main opposition newspaper, about Jagan accumulating thousands of crores. It is now official: Chiranjeevi is going to be the front runner for the CM’s job if the Congress comes back to power. However, there is a catch: The Congress party has to create a separate Telangana state to keep its existence in that region. And Chiru is loathe to splitting the state.
Be that as it may, the Chief Minister Mr K Roasaiah has welcomed the support offered by Chiru gracefully, but stated that the government is stable, that there is no threat to its existence. The offer of support Chiru made has to be seen in the context of Jagan’s camp followers writing letters to the high command of Congress. The high command wisely countered all the noise from the Jagan camp with an oblique statement from Chiranjeevi. It means two things: “You (Jagan) cannot take out more than 20 – 25 MLAs with you; and that shortfall will be made up by the PRP MLAs. Go take a walk now!”
In the meantime, Jagan is going ahead with plans for his consolation trip in Prakasam district. By the time he starts on his third phase of the consolation, he would have severed his links with the Congress party. That should happen on his own accord. I do wish the high command keeps its cool and lets him go, rather than push him out. The high command’s moves so far indicate that it is going to be Jagan’s choice and not the high command’s push.
PETA and Pest Control…
On the surface of it, the business of pest control seems to be at loggerheads with the cause of People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) or the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty towards Animals (ASPCA). There is no room for critters that spread diseases and cause no end of trouble for humans. Flies and mosquitoes are on top of that list. Recently, Barack Obama – reports said – was criticized by PETA for swatting a fly during a television interview: it appeared unreasonalble. I thought it was ridiculous to protest against a trivial matter like this. However, here is what PETA had to say on the matter:
“As we all know, human beings often don’t think before they act. We don’t condemn President Obama for acting on instinct. When the media began contacting us in droves for a statement, we obliged, simply by saying that the president isn’t the Buddha and shouldn’t be expected to do everything right—if not for that, we would not have brought it up. It’s the media who are making a big deal about the fly swat—not PETA. However, we took the opportunity, when asked, to point out that we do offer lots of ways in which to control insects of all kinds without harming them. There is even a chapter in PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk’s book, Making Kind Choices, about how to rid your home of “uninvited guests.”
A friend of mine in the business of pest control threw some light on this: “The ethics underlying pest control are based on the distribution of the species - rats and mice are aplenty; so there is no restriction on killing them. Mosquitoes and flies breed prolifically: Try as you might, you cannot exterminate them. But you should not touch honeybees (you can relocate them) because honeybees help pollination of flowers. So also, snakes of various types have to be captured and set into the wild but cannot be killed. In India, we have a tradition of snake charmers. Wild animals of various types – including tigers and panthers, deer and antelopes, have to be protected: if they endanger people, you should trap them and let them into the wild once again.”
Recently, we had a case of a panther that strayed into the path used by pilgrims going up the Tirumala hills. It was promptly captured and sent back into the Abhayaranya.
Bottomline: If there is one species that needs to be exterminated, believe the folk at voluntary human extinction movement, (www.vhemt.org/ecology.htm), it is homo sapiens.
Mr Chiranjeevi of Praja Rajyam Party formally offered support to the Congress party in case there is some trouble because of Mr Y S Jaganmohan Reddy. He said that he didn’t want another election so soon: which is commendable. He also made allegations, which we have seen in the main opposition newspaper, about Jagan accumulating thousands of crores. It is now official: Chiranjeevi is going to be the front runner for the CM’s job if the Congress comes back to power. However, there is a catch: The Congress party has to create a separate Telangana state to keep its existence in that region. And Chiru is loathe to splitting the state.
Be that as it may, the Chief Minister Mr K Roasaiah has welcomed the support offered by Chiru gracefully, but stated that the government is stable, that there is no threat to its existence. The offer of support Chiru made has to be seen in the context of Jagan’s camp followers writing letters to the high command of Congress. The high command wisely countered all the noise from the Jagan camp with an oblique statement from Chiranjeevi. It means two things: “You (Jagan) cannot take out more than 20 – 25 MLAs with you; and that shortfall will be made up by the PRP MLAs. Go take a walk now!”
In the meantime, Jagan is going ahead with plans for his consolation trip in Prakasam district. By the time he starts on his third phase of the consolation, he would have severed his links with the Congress party. That should happen on his own accord. I do wish the high command keeps its cool and lets him go, rather than push him out. The high command’s moves so far indicate that it is going to be Jagan’s choice and not the high command’s push.
PETA and Pest Control…
On the surface of it, the business of pest control seems to be at loggerheads with the cause of People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) or the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty towards Animals (ASPCA). There is no room for critters that spread diseases and cause no end of trouble for humans. Flies and mosquitoes are on top of that list. Recently, Barack Obama – reports said – was criticized by PETA for swatting a fly during a television interview: it appeared unreasonalble. I thought it was ridiculous to protest against a trivial matter like this. However, here is what PETA had to say on the matter:
“As we all know, human beings often don’t think before they act. We don’t condemn President Obama for acting on instinct. When the media began contacting us in droves for a statement, we obliged, simply by saying that the president isn’t the Buddha and shouldn’t be expected to do everything right—if not for that, we would not have brought it up. It’s the media who are making a big deal about the fly swat—not PETA. However, we took the opportunity, when asked, to point out that we do offer lots of ways in which to control insects of all kinds without harming them. There is even a chapter in PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk’s book, Making Kind Choices, about how to rid your home of “uninvited guests.”
A friend of mine in the business of pest control threw some light on this: “The ethics underlying pest control are based on the distribution of the species - rats and mice are aplenty; so there is no restriction on killing them. Mosquitoes and flies breed prolifically: Try as you might, you cannot exterminate them. But you should not touch honeybees (you can relocate them) because honeybees help pollination of flowers. So also, snakes of various types have to be captured and set into the wild but cannot be killed. In India, we have a tradition of snake charmers. Wild animals of various types – including tigers and panthers, deer and antelopes, have to be protected: if they endanger people, you should trap them and let them into the wild once again.”
Recently, we had a case of a panther that strayed into the path used by pilgrims going up the Tirumala hills. It was promptly captured and sent back into the Abhayaranya.
Bottomline: If there is one species that needs to be exterminated, believe the folk at voluntary human extinction movement, (www.vhemt.org/ecology.htm), it is homo sapiens.
Monday, August 9, 2010
You Don’t Need A Driving License To Get Laid…
This piece is occasioned by an article titled Sex Gets Younger in a popular broadsheet a couple of weeks ago. It was based on interviews with ‘young’ people in the 21 – 26 segment who are indulging in premarital sex. The article went on as if the wannabe western denizens of India have got a sexual revolution going: that the age at which people are indulging in sex is getting lower. Traditionally, that is, until 50 years ago, young, prepubescent girls were married off and were seen off with their husbands, after what was called “nuptials”, that is – consummation – soon after they attained puberty. Can sex get any younger than that?
“The 1891 Age of Consent Act was legislation introduced in British India to raise the age of consent of consummation from ten to twelve years. While an 1880 case in a Bombay high court by a child-bride, Rukhmabai, renewed discussion of such a law, the death of an eleven-year-old Bengali girl, Phulomnee, due to forceful intercourse by her 35 year old husband in 1889, necessitated intervention by the British.” Interestingly, Bal Gangadhar Tilak opposed the bill on the grounds that this was not an issue for the British but Hindus to decide.
It is not my case that child marriages and early age of consent are acceptable. I am only saying that having sex early in life nothing new to this holy land. Indeed, there were many child marriages and child widowhoods in our inglorious past. Nobody will ever want those days to come back. We all also condemn young girls forced to become sex workers as soon as they are ‘eligible’. Obviously, I don’t belong a paedophile advocacy group.
In India, today, the age of consent is 16, although the official age for girls to get married is 18 and for boys, 21. That is, a girl (or boy) can get laid before they can get a driving license for a two-wheeler with gears. Talking of sex getting younger is so ridiculous.
“In January 2004, a Division bench of the Kerala's High Court in Southern India suggested that the age of consent should be raised from 16 to 18 in that state. Justice R. Basant said he considered illogical that a legal system in which an age of 18 is used for other purposes – like the Indian Majority Act, the Contract Act, the Juvenile Justice Act, the Child Marriage Restraint Act and the Representation of People Act – has a different approach in the case of sexual consent.”
The age of marriage 18 – 21 (for girls and boys respectively) is a healthy framework. Otherwise we have a situation where boys and girls who are not allowed inside pubs or to smoke can get raunchy.
Age of Consent Around the world…
In 1979, the now-defunct Dutch Pacifist Socialist Party supported an unsuccessful petition to lower the age of consent to 12. In Canada, the age of consent was raised from 14 to 16 on 1 May 2008 (in 1890 it was raised from 12 to 14).
“In 1977 while a reform in the French penal code was under discussion in the parliament, a petition to decriminalize of all consented relations between adults and minors below the age of fifteen was sent to Parliament but did not succeed in changing the law. In 1978 the petition was discussed in a broadcast by radio France Culture in the program "Dialogues", with the transcript later published under the title Sexual Morality and the Law in a book by Michel Foucault...”
Talking of Michael Foucault, he wrote in his celebrated History of Sexuality that India was by far much more liberal (not licentious) than the west in matters of sexuality. It was only the British and their Victorian morality that made a mess of things in India.
About Michael Foucault and his ouvre, another day…
[Much of this article is sourced from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_consent_reform and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1891_Age_of_Consent_Act]
“The 1891 Age of Consent Act was legislation introduced in British India to raise the age of consent of consummation from ten to twelve years. While an 1880 case in a Bombay high court by a child-bride, Rukhmabai, renewed discussion of such a law, the death of an eleven-year-old Bengali girl, Phulomnee, due to forceful intercourse by her 35 year old husband in 1889, necessitated intervention by the British.” Interestingly, Bal Gangadhar Tilak opposed the bill on the grounds that this was not an issue for the British but Hindus to decide.
It is not my case that child marriages and early age of consent are acceptable. I am only saying that having sex early in life nothing new to this holy land. Indeed, there were many child marriages and child widowhoods in our inglorious past. Nobody will ever want those days to come back. We all also condemn young girls forced to become sex workers as soon as they are ‘eligible’. Obviously, I don’t belong a paedophile advocacy group.
In India, today, the age of consent is 16, although the official age for girls to get married is 18 and for boys, 21. That is, a girl (or boy) can get laid before they can get a driving license for a two-wheeler with gears. Talking of sex getting younger is so ridiculous.
“In January 2004, a Division bench of the Kerala's High Court in Southern India suggested that the age of consent should be raised from 16 to 18 in that state. Justice R. Basant said he considered illogical that a legal system in which an age of 18 is used for other purposes – like the Indian Majority Act, the Contract Act, the Juvenile Justice Act, the Child Marriage Restraint Act and the Representation of People Act – has a different approach in the case of sexual consent.”
The age of marriage 18 – 21 (for girls and boys respectively) is a healthy framework. Otherwise we have a situation where boys and girls who are not allowed inside pubs or to smoke can get raunchy.
Age of Consent Around the world…
In 1979, the now-defunct Dutch Pacifist Socialist Party supported an unsuccessful petition to lower the age of consent to 12. In Canada, the age of consent was raised from 14 to 16 on 1 May 2008 (in 1890 it was raised from 12 to 14).
“In 1977 while a reform in the French penal code was under discussion in the parliament, a petition to decriminalize of all consented relations between adults and minors below the age of fifteen was sent to Parliament but did not succeed in changing the law. In 1978 the petition was discussed in a broadcast by radio France Culture in the program "Dialogues", with the transcript later published under the title Sexual Morality and the Law in a book by Michel Foucault...”
Talking of Michael Foucault, he wrote in his celebrated History of Sexuality that India was by far much more liberal (not licentious) than the west in matters of sexuality. It was only the British and their Victorian morality that made a mess of things in India.
About Michael Foucault and his ouvre, another day…
[Much of this article is sourced from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_consent_reform and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1891_Age_of_Consent_Act]
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Ma tujhe salaam!
On Friendship Bands, And Other Kinds Of Human Bonds...
This should have appeared two days ago, but I did not realize it that the friendship day has passed by yesterday, until one of my students wished me Happy Friendship Day; another girl came with a ‘friendship band’. Back in my college days, this madness hasn’t reached India: I have some very close friends whom I cherish, and here is the kind of bonding we all share:
“Your friend is your needs answered…. For you come to him with your hunger,
and you seek him for peace…. When your friend is silent your heart ceases
not to listen to his heart; For without words, in friendship, all thoughts,
all desires, all expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unacclaimed.”
(From Kahlil Gibran’s Prophet 'On Friendship')
I don’t find any of these wonderful thoughts or feelings reflected in the gross friendship bands; boys and girls of a particular age are not aware of the deeper meaning of friendship. That is understandable – but college-going boys and girls behaving like kids is beyond me. I don’t understand what they mean by putting bands. I think all this got started with the over-aged kid Sharukh Khan and the bubbly Kajol in one of those sick bollywood movies.
There are all kinds of other days, for bosses, for secretaries, for chaukidars, and for martyrs. Of all these, the most nauseating Hallmark holidays, for an Indian, is Mothers’ day.
The scholar and poet, Shiv K Kumar says that in India we don’t have one day earmarked for mothers: every single day of our lives we worship out mothers. Oh yes, there is that thing that Indian males are all momma’s boys; there is nothing to be ashamed of there. Take my mom for instance. She is nonchalant in the most stressful of times, like packing for a long journey, like not getting the train tickets confirmed before time, like a child of ten not returning home even after 5 p.m. Here are a couple of vignettes of her strength, fortitude, and forbearance…
As a young boy of 9 or 10 years, I once came upon a two-rupee note (back then there were no one or two rupee coins) in the cupboard. I grabbed it and went out to the nearest corner shop. I proffered the note hesitatingly (I thought the shopkeeper, who know our family, will report me to my parents). He quietly took it, business as usual, and gave me the éclairs I wanted. After thus sating my appetite for candy, I started feeling guilty and went back home. Mother was in the kitchen; I told her that I found 2 rupees. She said what did you do with it? I said I spent 10 paisa and have the remaining change. “OK, now keep that where you found the money in the first place”. Nor did she say a word to my father about it.
Years later, in fact a couple of decades later, I was in an apartment owned by my company (Orient Longman). There were 4 other apartments belonging to the company in that block. In one of them, my good friend and Arabic scholar Dr Salahuddin Tak (of Anantnag, now with the University of Kashmir, Srinagar) used to stay and in another, our sales manager used to stay. I went to work one morning, leaving my mother and my sister’s 3-year old son (Ashwin). Ma was taking care of the boy since my sister had no one to look after him when she went to work.
Around 2 p.m., I get a call from the sales manager’s house: The long and short of what I could make out was that my mother was locked outside the house (the latch key was inside; luckily, I had a duplicate). The boy was outside too, playing on the terrace. I was worried, it was a cloudy day. I was in the middle of something important. I spoke to Dr Tak, who said he had to go on office work to a printer near our apartment block around 4 p.m. and that he would take the key then.
Around 3 p.m. he came around to my desk: “Pandit, give me the key. I am leaving now. I don’t know what state your mom and Ashwin are; maybe it is raining there” Of course ma had other friends in that block, but we decided that it is best for him to go as early as possible.
Later in the evening, Salahuddin was rolling on the floor laughing, telling me his encounter with my mother in the afternoon. As he reached the apartment block, it was drizzling a bit, just a droplet here and a droplet there. He rushed up to the terrace to find ma playing with Ashwin. He managed to convey to her that he brought the key. And to his bafflement, ma just indicated the top step of the stairway, and said (in Telugu): “Keep it there” She seemed to be in no hurry to get back to the apartment, to be enjoying the breeze, not at all bothered about the few drops of rain. “Into each life some rain must fall” seemed to be her credo.
This should have appeared two days ago, but I did not realize it that the friendship day has passed by yesterday, until one of my students wished me Happy Friendship Day; another girl came with a ‘friendship band’. Back in my college days, this madness hasn’t reached India: I have some very close friends whom I cherish, and here is the kind of bonding we all share:
“Your friend is your needs answered…. For you come to him with your hunger,
and you seek him for peace…. When your friend is silent your heart ceases
not to listen to his heart; For without words, in friendship, all thoughts,
all desires, all expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unacclaimed.”
(From Kahlil Gibran’s Prophet 'On Friendship')
I don’t find any of these wonderful thoughts or feelings reflected in the gross friendship bands; boys and girls of a particular age are not aware of the deeper meaning of friendship. That is understandable – but college-going boys and girls behaving like kids is beyond me. I don’t understand what they mean by putting bands. I think all this got started with the over-aged kid Sharukh Khan and the bubbly Kajol in one of those sick bollywood movies.
There are all kinds of other days, for bosses, for secretaries, for chaukidars, and for martyrs. Of all these, the most nauseating Hallmark holidays, for an Indian, is Mothers’ day.
The scholar and poet, Shiv K Kumar says that in India we don’t have one day earmarked for mothers: every single day of our lives we worship out mothers. Oh yes, there is that thing that Indian males are all momma’s boys; there is nothing to be ashamed of there. Take my mom for instance. She is nonchalant in the most stressful of times, like packing for a long journey, like not getting the train tickets confirmed before time, like a child of ten not returning home even after 5 p.m. Here are a couple of vignettes of her strength, fortitude, and forbearance…
As a young boy of 9 or 10 years, I once came upon a two-rupee note (back then there were no one or two rupee coins) in the cupboard. I grabbed it and went out to the nearest corner shop. I proffered the note hesitatingly (I thought the shopkeeper, who know our family, will report me to my parents). He quietly took it, business as usual, and gave me the éclairs I wanted. After thus sating my appetite for candy, I started feeling guilty and went back home. Mother was in the kitchen; I told her that I found 2 rupees. She said what did you do with it? I said I spent 10 paisa and have the remaining change. “OK, now keep that where you found the money in the first place”. Nor did she say a word to my father about it.
Years later, in fact a couple of decades later, I was in an apartment owned by my company (Orient Longman). There were 4 other apartments belonging to the company in that block. In one of them, my good friend and Arabic scholar Dr Salahuddin Tak (of Anantnag, now with the University of Kashmir, Srinagar) used to stay and in another, our sales manager used to stay. I went to work one morning, leaving my mother and my sister’s 3-year old son (Ashwin). Ma was taking care of the boy since my sister had no one to look after him when she went to work.
Around 2 p.m., I get a call from the sales manager’s house: The long and short of what I could make out was that my mother was locked outside the house (the latch key was inside; luckily, I had a duplicate). The boy was outside too, playing on the terrace. I was worried, it was a cloudy day. I was in the middle of something important. I spoke to Dr Tak, who said he had to go on office work to a printer near our apartment block around 4 p.m. and that he would take the key then.
Around 3 p.m. he came around to my desk: “Pandit, give me the key. I am leaving now. I don’t know what state your mom and Ashwin are; maybe it is raining there” Of course ma had other friends in that block, but we decided that it is best for him to go as early as possible.
Later in the evening, Salahuddin was rolling on the floor laughing, telling me his encounter with my mother in the afternoon. As he reached the apartment block, it was drizzling a bit, just a droplet here and a droplet there. He rushed up to the terrace to find ma playing with Ashwin. He managed to convey to her that he brought the key. And to his bafflement, ma just indicated the top step of the stairway, and said (in Telugu): “Keep it there” She seemed to be in no hurry to get back to the apartment, to be enjoying the breeze, not at all bothered about the few drops of rain. “Into each life some rain must fall” seemed to be her credo.
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