Nebu's Reflections

14th April = 25th Wedding Anniversary

2011-04-14T22:41:00.007+05:30

On 14th April 1986 the bells of our lady of Dolores forane church Mundakayam tolled announcing our wedding. Suja was then a first year MBBS student at Chengelput Medical College, Tamilnadu. Her father V.J. John (recipient of the first K.M.Chandy award instituted by the Rubber Board for the best rubber planter in the country) was my father’s college mate at St. Philomena’s, Mysore. (Ref my post: genes of mischief and variants of punishment.)

The wedding was solemnised by my Botany Professor and HOD and Principal at Christ College Bangalore, Rev. Fr. Mani Giles who later went on to become Bishop Emmanuel Pothanamuzhy of the Syro Malabar Diocese of Manathavady in Wynad district of Kerala state. Sadly the Bishop succumbed to Cancer a few years later.

Two boys George and John were born to us in 1988 and 1993. George has finished his mandatory three and a half years of articleship with Deloitte Haskins & sells, Chennai and is appearing for the CA final exams in November. John plans to join an engineering college next month.

April 14th 2011

Looking to the next 25 years

Silver Jubilee

Men in DGs

The Heir & The Spare

The product of 25 years

Lunch at Kumarakom Lake resort

Girls call the shots

2011-02-12T10:26:00.004+05:30

Click on the page to enlarge and read

The observation by Kalathil Ramakrishnan in Regional Notebook , “The city-educated girls do not prefer agriculturists in villages though they may be earning more than what the technocrat-engineer-doctor bridegrooms may earn in cities” has nothing to do with skewed sex ratio and is not only confined to the Brahmin community but across the board.

The sons of agriculturists in villages are forced to abandon the family profession and take up glamorous profession like medicine, engineering, chartered accountancy, law etc because it is the girls who are calling the shots these days. They are unwilling to marry boys settled in villages with unglamorous jobs like planting.

As a result lazy boys who are ill-equipped to go for higher studies are forced to do so by their parents. The words of Kerala Education Minister M.A. Baby at the inaugural function of the recently concluded School youth festival that parents look at education from a marriage angle is true for both boys and girls.

Pancake Photos

2010-11-19T21:02:00.005+05:30

For recipe go to

http://saltandspice.blogspot.com/2007/11/muttakuzhalappam-coconut-pancake.html

Land Ceiling act

2010-10-03T14:57:00.009+05:30

A Note on

The Recommendations of

The Committee on State Agrarian Relations

And Unfinished Task of Land Reforms

You can read the full report here:
http://www.dolr.nic.in/agrarian.htm

(Since the report is voluminous those who are short of time can read the recommendations of the ceiling committee on page 72)

1. This Note is in response to the alarming “Recommendations of the Committee on State Agrarian Relations and Unfinished Task of Land Reforms” submitted in March 2009.

2. The most harmful part of the Recommendations is the erroneous understandings of the ceiling limits on land, ignorance of agricultural operations and the pernicious recommendations to implement ceiling limits on land holding. These recommendations display the Maoist bend of mind of the committee members and their total ignorance of agriculture and every type of economic activity.

3. Humanity passed through 5000 years of agrarian economy and 500 years of industrial economy into the knowledge economy. Having become world’s largest English speaking nation, with world’s largest youth population, India has tremendous advantages in the knowledge economy and is poised to become world’s biggest economy within a few decades.

4. Realizing this situation, India’s enemies are using jihadist and Maoist terrorism and tactics to stall India’s development. The strategy of these anti-national elements involves creating terror in India’s economic hubs, perpetuating rural backwardness through uneconomic land holdings, low capital investment in agriculture and outdated agricultural practices and making land scarce for industrialization and infrastructural development. The terror attacks in Mumbai and Bangalore, the constant clamour for land ceiling, the opposition to high technology farm inputs and agitations against infrastructure and industrial projects in various parts of the country, are external manifestations of this hidden agenda.

5. Unfortunately, some of India’s bureaucrats, social activists and so called intellectuals are working hand in glove with these anti-national elements, knowingly and unknowingly. Ever since Independence, the bureaucrats have formulated policies to enhance their power and enslave the Indian citizen in a plethora of restrictive legislations. This facilitates fulfillment of their desire for power and also satiation of their greed through corruption, as citizens are forced to bribe their way through. In addition, envy is a natural human frailty and India’s leftists, bureaucrats, social activists and few misguided intellectuals have found that envy is best satisfied through socialism. Land Ceiling Legislations are the most classic example of this twisted mentality.

6. In the Recommendations of the Committee on Land Reforms, we see a terrifying confluence of the terrorists, imprudent bureaucrats and misguided social activists. This is proved by the fact that the report appears to be the verbatim copy of the Approach Paper of CPI (ML) - New Democracy, presented at the Convention on 4th July 1997 at Hyderabad!

Lessons from Kerala Land Reforms Act and Land Utilization Regulations

7. India can learn many lessons from harm done by the Ceiling provisions of the Kerala Land Reforms Act and the Land Utilization Regulations. These are classic examples of how legislations cause colossal waste of national wealth.

8. The Kerala Land Reforms Act had two aspects. First, it ensured Fixity of Tenure in respect of non-governmental land to the homesteads (kudikidappu) and to the tenants. Second, the Ceiling provisions of the Land Reforms Act limited the extent of Agricultural lands that can be held by a person.

9. Absolute right to private property is the very foundation of entrepreneurship and economic development. Therefore it is necessary that the cultivating agriculturist has absolute, marketable, mortgageable and bankable title to the property cultivated by him. Only this will facilitate rising of equity capital and credit and generate motivation to preserve and develop the soil and land, and to cultivate crops.

10. It was the conferring of fixity of tenure that led to the development of capital intensive, scientific and economically viable agriculture in Kerala. This began with the grant of Government lands and permanent or semi- permanent (at least 100 years) lease of Government and private lands to the British Planters and local large farmers such as Mr. Murikan. Then came the fixity of tenure of Edavagai and other lands to the cultivating agriculturists of Travancore Area during the British/Maharaja’s Rule. The fixity of tenure enabled these Planters and cultivating agriculturists to raise finance and motivated them to clear up the jungle and reclaim the backwaters to grow Cash crops and rice profitably. They carried out extensive and scientific soil conservation practices such as construction of contour bunds or edakayyalas.

11. With the conferring of fixity of tenure under the Kerala Land Reforms Act 1964, all the cultivating agriculturists in Kerala, especially those in erstwhile Malabar Area got absolute, marketable, mortgageable and bankable title to the property cultivated by them. The priority lending for agriculture after 1970 and the mushrooming Land Mortgage and Cooperative Banking System enabled the medium and small agriculturists to invest in soil conservation practices and long term agricultural development. The success story of the Rubber Plantation Industry may be principally attributed to the conferring of the fixity of tenure under the Kerala Land Reforms Act 1964, to all Agriculturists including large scale Planting Companies.

12. It is pertinent to note that the Naxalite menace disappeared from Kerala after the extension of Rubber cultivation to Malabar, spurt in Rubber prices consequent to the 1973 oil price hike and the opening of job market in Gulf. Application of ceiling provisions to all lands will create uneconomic land holding and consequent rural poverty will boost Maoisim and spread of terrorism.

13. It is necessary to realize that some of the large scale Planting Companies had Government lands on lease terminable by first decade of 21^st century and therefore refrained from investing in these properties for the last two or three decades, leading to sharp fall in productivity per hectare even in the case of Rubber. This has resulted in making these Companies economically unviable. (International hotel industry experts say that a similar effect is seen in hotel properties on lease, with the lessees neglecting the properties during the last one-third or quarter period of the lease after milking the properties dry in the initial period.) This shows the absolute necessity of making the provisions regarding fixity of tenure in the Land Reforms Act applicable to government lands also and to grant fixity of tenure to all persons including Companies who have leased government lands.

14.The positive results of fixity of tenure and negative results of leases whether short-term or long-term shows that sustainable agricultural development is possible only if the agriculturist who holds and cultivates the land has absolute, marketable, mortgageable and bankable title to the property cultivated by him.

15. While the provisions on fixity of tenure contained in the Kerala Land Reforms Act 1964 had salutary effects, the ceiling provisions negatively impacted agricultural development in Kerala. The ceiling provisions permit the cultivation of only Rubber, Coffee, Tea, Cardamom, Cocoa and Cinnamon to be grown in plantations above 6 hectares. The ceiling provisions has prevented the optimum use of land, lowered agricultural production and productivity, reduced overall agricultural

income and decelerated growth of GDP of the State. The ceiling provisions has marginalized and impoverished the farmers with average per family holding being brought down below half a hectare.

16. The coconut gardens and rice fields of Kerala are fragmented into uneconomic units. The ceiling provisions deprives the farmer of his fundamental right to cultivate the crop he wants in his land, which makes exit from one crop to another or use of land for other purposes totally impossible. As a result, we witness total abandonment of tea plantations and famine in High ranges. In the new millennium size will matter and small farmers will not be able to survive in many an agricultural crop.

17. Most of the rice paddy lands taken over by Government of Kerala as excess lands and distributed to the landless are left fallow. So also the dry land and cashew plantations lands taken over by Government of Kerala as excess lands and distributed to the landless have been denuded of tree. Productivity has dropped in every piece of excess land taken over by Government. There has been significant reduction in area under paddy and cashew as a result of the ceiling provisions. The ceiling provisions have therefore led to colossal waste of national wealth.

18. The Kerala Land Utilization Order is another law that prevents lands once used for cultivation of paddy and certain specified crops from being used for growing other crops or for other purposes. This has resulted in almost 5 lakh hectares of land being left totally unutilised and has caused a loss of GDP of Rs. 1,500 crores to Kerala. The farmers must be allowed to grow any crop or to utilize the land for any other purpose.

19. It is also necessary to note the dangerous effects of the Kerala Paddy Fields and Wet Lands Preservation Act. Instead of preserving, the legislation will permanently pollute the paddy fields and wet lands and deplete the soil value and water quality. As the property does not belong to the persons to whom the Government will give the land for cultivation, they will never be interested in preserving the lands. If the land is leased land belonging to another, the cultivating farmer will not be able to raise the finance for, nor will he be interested in, carrying out soil conservation practices or sustainable farming methods. This will lead to soil erosion and depletion of soil quality. The cultivating farmer will be more interested in maximising his short-term profits at the cost of long-term quality of land.

20. Even the short-term arrangement for intercropping by pineapple among Immature Rubber Plantations and Coconut Farms is seen to cause harm as many pineapple growers have been found to resort to application of chemical weedicides, interplanting with unauthorised crops, and adopt many other harmful farming practices. It is only the vigilance of the landowner in choosing reasonably ethical pineapple growers and the landowner’s constant watch on his property that has ensured that Kerala’s Rubber – Pineapple inter-planting has been so successful. Harmful farming practices is seen to have been adopted in the case of paddy lands, which is leased out earlier by Government of Kerala under the Land Utilisation Order.

Perpetuating Rural Poverty

21. Application of Ceiling provisions, followed by distribution of excess land will lead to further fragmentation of agricultural land into uneconomic holdings and land ownership by persons devoid of agricultural management skills leading to fall in productivity. The final owners would be earning far less than present agricultural workers per annum. For example, in Kerala, one Rubber tapper is sufficient to tap Rubber trees in 3 hectares. If he owns only the average holding of half a hectare he will earn less as a landowner than at present as a landless agricultural labourer. With agriculture wages reaching as high as Rs. 400 in Kerala, the earnings of landless agricultural labourer is far better than that of a small farmer.

Threat to Industrialization

22. Fragmentation of land into micro holdings will result making it impossible to obtain land for industrial and other development purposes. Even government will find it difficult to acquire land as it will lead to social unrest and riots.

Cost Overruns and Increase in Corruption

23. Industries and Developers will be forced to approach Government to get land acquired for them and get the said lands exempted from the ceiling provisions, leading to delays, cost overruns and colossal corruption.

States have found Land Ceiling Provisions Harmful

24. Most states which enacted Land Ceiling legislations have found it harmful. Many including West Bengal has increased the ceiling limits. Karnataka and Gujarat have almost removed the ceiling limits.

Education, Skill Training and Non – Farm Employment

25. The solution to rural poverty in India is to be found in education and impartation of skills to the rural folk to empower them to find employment in the vast manufacturing, trade and service industry that is opening up. At the same time values have to be imparted to them to free them from wrong lifestyles, superstitions, alcoholism, gambling and other social evils which deprive billions of people throughout the world of their hard earned money. Every effort should be made to encourage consolidation of land holdings into economic holdings.

Therefore all legislations imposing ceilings, limitations and controls on extent of land held and use of land must be repealed. Fixity of tenure of all agricultural land must be ensured in favour of the farmer. The farmers, who are cultivating land, should be freed from any harassment by erstwhile landlords and others to ensure that the farmers obtain absolute marketable title in their lands and also invest adequately in the land. So also, all Government lands held by farmers and companies must be assigned to such farmers and companies to ensure equity, adequate investment and proper development of such lands.

You can download and read the full report of the Govt. Of India on Land Ceiling by going to this link http://www.dolr.nic.in/agrarian.htm

THE MOTHER OF ALL CELEBRATIONS

2010-06-29T21:02:00.002+05:30

"It is Saturday so you must be heading south", said my friend. Whenever he calls me I am driving to attend one of the countless social functions that I am invited to. The balance sheet for May 18 read like this, drove four hundred kilometers, traveled nine hours, profit four free meals!

Celebrations in life starting from birth and not even ending with death are innumerable because there are death anniversaries even after the goodbye forever.

The most common celebrations for us are baptism when one is initiated into Christendom which takes place anytime after a week or month of birth followed by the first birthday party where oblivious to the baby the parents and their friends make merry. Then there is a lull in the celebrations unless there are birthday parties every year which thankfully are rare. First Holy Communion happens when you are around eight or nine years old. Then comes the major celebrations starting with betrothal or engagement as some call it, followed by the grandest of them all, the wedding. Now weddings run to three days of festivities. On the preceding night of the wedding is the ‘Mathuram veppu’ which is a rehearsal of the actual one that is going to take place on the stage, or ‘manakolam’ at the reception on the day of the wedding. And then the culmination of the wedding function is the wedding night party where sometimes liquor flows freely. The cycle repeats with the newborn of the newly wedded couple.

The final ceremony one is present albeit in rigor mortis is one’s own funeral. But for friends and relatives it is not all over as they will have to make one or more journeys to attend the seventh day, or thirtieth day, or forty first day memorial services as the case may be and without fail there would be the death anniversary. These could be breakfast, lunch, or tea but never dinner.

May be because it was an auspicious day, there was a rare confluence of social functions on May 18 and we were invited for all the four meals. A very rare event when the kitchen was completely shut down for a day. I stay at Kottayam, Kerala. My brother invited us for his son’s first Holy Communion and breakfast at our native place Mundakayam which is a little more than an hour’s drive about fifty five kilometers east. Then it was westward returning to Kottayam to attend the betrothal of my brother-in-law’s niece followed by lunch. As soon as the lunch was over I set off to Trichur hundred and fifty kilometers to the north and a drive of about three hours to attend the wedding of one of my friend’s daughter and tea thereafter. The day culminated with attending the wedding reception of another friend’s daughter seventy five kilometers south of Trichur at Kochi and dinner was taken care off. Finally I returned home well past midnight.

In the past invitees were seated for enjoying the spread. Now- a- day’s because of the large number of guests the food is served in buffet style. Since everybody is in a hurry to leave all tend to go to the food counter simultaneously causing a serpentine queue. Attending a large number of these functions day in and day out, one becomes a veteran as to how to tackle these situations. The technique I have perfected is, as the function on the stage is going on I wash my hands and strategically place myself near the head of the counter where the plates are stacked. That way I’ll be the first to delve into the spread and avoid waiting in queue with plate in hand for my turn.

One celebration that has not so far been launched is divorce. And the day is not far when an invitation reading “you are cordially invited to our divorce and to the reception in connection with the same”. That will be the mother of all celebrations!

How my dad fooled the police

2010-05-27T14:37:00.002+05:30

The following story by my son John was published in their School magazine

It was the 23^rd of December, the day I had been waiting for, this was the day our family used to really enjoy. It was the Christmas celebrations day in Mundakayam Club. The day was even more special because the heats of the Christmas exams were just over.

The moon was shining brightly that night and so were all my uncles after they got drunk. Happiness, love and the smell of alcohol filled the air.

That was when horrible news approached the club. One of the members who were just arriving passed on the information that the police had been checking with breath analyzers’ right outside the club, and there was only one exit. Some of the uncles called home and asked their children to pick them up from the club. Others just like my dad had no option as they did not have a child who had a valid driving license at that time. Some even decided to stay in the club till morning, but my father could not. He promised my grandmother that he would be home before 2am, but he didn’t bother to call her, “because he didn’t want to disturb her sleep.” at least that was what he said. We decided to head back home after 1:30am and my father was really drunk. He suddenly thought of an idea and he asked my mother to take a sip of whiskey...... but she wouldn’t. After much persuasion he asked her to rinse her mouth with whiskey, she was confused but obeyed him when he said that otherwise he would be arrested. But we didn’t understand what he was up to at that time.

We got out of the club and the police asked my father to stop the car. He did so. Then the policeman tested him with the breath analyzer and it showed that my dad was too drunk (drunk above the permissible limits). That was when he took his ultimate weapon, he argued with the officer saying that he was not drunk but the instrument was at fault. Finally he asked the officer to check on my mother also and the instrument showed that she was drunk too. That was when we realized his idea. The policeman was surprised at first. But then he surprised us by testing it on my brother. That was when we feared that the plan was failing. But to our delight it turned out that he had drunk some beer without anyone of us knowing..... The instrument showed that my brother was also drunk... then the officer accepted that the instrument was at fault. Maybe he had been too embarrassed to test it on himself.... if he had done so then my dad’s plan would have failed. It was a close miss. But the trouble was not yet over when we reached back home my mother started screaming at my brother for having the beer and rescuing the day!!

Read the original post here http://nebugeorge.blogspot.com/2009/01/oothometer-indigenous-breath-analyser.html and see how well he twisted it by introducing his brother!

How I contacted Shevlin

2010-04-28T21:47:00.002+05:30

Dear Mr. /Mrs. /Ms. Shevlin Sebastian,
Your name is very familiar to me as a regular reader, an occasional letter to the editor writer and an irregular contributor to 'Time Out' to TNIE. However the unusual name leaves one guessing your gender. Just out of curiosity may I ask you are you a Mr. Mrs. or Ms?

Your's truly,
A curious cat!
Nebu George,

What a Let down

Dear Mr. Shevlin,

Don’t be offended by the subject line. Just joking ha...ha... Visited your blog, saw your photo. To tell you the truth Shevlin sounded like a female half my age!

Regards,
Nebu.

And the reply

Dear Nebu,

Sorry to disappoint you.

Shevlin

Shevlin happens to be the brother of my son's Principal (Which I found out only much later) We still haven't met each other.

It's My Birthday but No wishes please

2010-03-26T11:44:00.004+05:30

Dear All,
All of you I am sure are receiving birthday notifications duly from the family site. My birthday is falling on 22nd March. I can't come to terms with aging since I passed 40. So I request not to remind me of this day by sending birthday wishes.
Regards,
Nebu.

As long as I get a birthday treat I promise not to trouble you by
reminding how old you've become....
Sunil

ha...ha... that's what I offer my sisters. Don't wish me I'll give you a treat!
Nebu.

Dear Nebu

Tks for the msg. So... I’m getting a treat?!!! Right now I’m in Ooty/Kotagiri will be back by Thursday reaching before ur Happy Birthday

Love Roschedathy

Dear Nebu,

Just couldn’t resist replying to your mail, which is a good thing in itself, just wanted to say that age is just a number, and it is all in your head!

Fond regards, Rema chechy.

Hi Nebu Chettan,

This is not in any way a Birthday wish (sorry! I mentioned the word) but a blessing.

The least I can do for a cousin who has helped us connect, reconnect and stay connected through the heritage website.

Cheers.
Sindhu

IRISH BLESSINGS

May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields and,
Until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Hi Nebu,

Missed it this year but will continue to wish you if my ageing memory is up to it despite your request ! My sister Vimala says that every birthday her one satisfaction is that I will always be older than her no matter what ! Maybe that could be a consolation. BELATED HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

Rani chechy

haa.....haa... Thanks any way Rani chechi. Really get concerned when I look in the mirror and see my mustache turning Grey and depressed when the PYTs call me uncle. God in 9 years I'll be 60 and most likely a grandfather.
Bye...
Nebu.

Hi Nebu,

Many Happy Returns of the Day. Let the Lord shower you with his Blessings. Have good Day. You look great. Welcome to 50's group. Have a great day.
All the Best.
Reena,Suresh,Sandeep & Kiran

Dear Nebu
You are truly ageless and your ready wit keeps you even more so.
Here's wishing you many happy returns in advance.
Cheers
Jochan

My dear Nebu,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MANY HAPPY RETURNS.
I am sending the greetings in spite of your request not to. I have been planning to write to you in detail for some time but am yet to do that.
Anyway, all the best. God Bless.
Affectionately,
Pappachan.

Corynespora attacks my Rubber trees

2010-03-15T23:56:00.011+05:30

Every year the rubber trees shed their leaves to regenerate between the end of December and mid February. During regeneration it is common for the tender leaves and shoots to be affected by a disease known as Powdery Mildew caused by Oidium heveae Stien subjecting it to gnarling. To prevent the attack of Oidium, dusting of sulphur during refoliation period commencing from bud break is done at fortnightly interval.

Healthy Foliage (click on the picture to enlarge)

Generally sulphur is dusted in the tapping mature areas only because the incidence of leaf fall is more in tapping trees of age 7 years and above. This year, as a precaution I also dusted my 6 year old 2004 replanted area which is to be opened for tapping in 2011. After about 10 days of the second round my supervisor called me to say that there was abnormal drying of leaves. I assumed it to be due to the extreme hot weather conditions. Since I stay close to the Rubber Research Institute of India I dropped into their Pathology department and explained the symptoms. They too regarded it has drought induced drying.

Corynespora affected foliage (click on the picture to enlarge)

A week later when I visited the estate I was taken aback by the intensity of the leaf fall and figured that the patches followed a distinct path, that through which the duster was carried. I reckoned that it must be due to excess sulphur dusting on the immature young trees. I collected some sample leaves and took it to RRII. Unfortunately the Dy. Director was out of station and so had to leave the specimen there and come off. Promptly the next day I got a call from the Dy. Director who asked me to explain the occurrence. Both of us initially concluded that due to the young age of the trees and excessive use of sulphur it could be chemical toxicity and that there was nothing much to do about it. But he offered to visit the estate if I insisted. I asked him to make a visit and offered transportation.

Affected shoots

The next day morning we reached the estate which is 60 kms from Kottyam on NH220 towards Kumily. After taking a good look he identified it to be the leaf disease known as Corynespora Cassiicola or Leaf spot. I had heard of the disease before and was under the impression that it affects only the nursery plants. With 3 generations and 75 years of experience in rubber planting it was the first time that the disease was seen in any of our estates. So it came as a rude shock. It is also worthwhile to note that so far it is the first reporting of the disease from the Meenachil – Kanjirappally belt, the heartland of rubber growing tract of Kerala.

Affected leaves

Corynespora leaf disease formerly affected only the plants in the nursery. But now it has started attacking the mature trees as well. A few years ago Corynespora appeared in South Canara in Karnataka and now it has started appearing in many places in Kerala. The terrible nature of the disease can be gauged from the fact that the entire rubber area in Ceylon which was planted with RRIC 103 which was highly susceptible to Corynespora was cut and removed because of this disease. And it is a nightmare that our own RRII 105 is similarly susceptible!

Conditions for Development

Extended periods of rainfall and warm temperatures favor disease development. The fungus survives in crop debris or on weeds and other crops. It has a very wide host range. Spores are moved by wind and rain splash.

Control
Now I have to keep watch for the leafs to regenerate and as soon as they are tender green spray Copper Oxy Chloride mixed in rubber spray oil. And hope for the best. Since it has been identified positively, during subsequent years too I have to be careful and give an additional COC spray during regeneration of leaves after defoliation apart from the usual prophylactic spraying done before the onset of the monsoon rains.

Terrible day
To make matters worse, I lost my car keys while walking through the affected areas of the estate and couldn’t find it . A taxi was summoned from the nearby town Mundakayam . The taxi brought us back to Kottayam and after leaving the Dy. Director at RRII, I returned in the same taxi to the estate with the spare key to bring the car back home.

For more information on corynespora disease in rubber trees go to :- http://clinic.rubberboard.org.in/images/Researcharticles.pdf

Middle Wife Story

2010-02-28T19:39:00.001+05:30

I've been teaching now for about fifteen years. I have two kids myself,but the best birth story I know is the one I saw in my own second grade classroom a few years back. When I was a kid, I loved show-and-tell. So I always have a few sessions with my students. It helps them get over shyness and usually, show- and-tell is pretty tame. Kids bring in pet turtles, model airplanes, pictures of fish they catch, stuff like that. And I never, ever place any boundaries or limitations on them. If they want to lug it in to school and talk about it, they're welcome.

Well, one day this little girl, Erica, a very bright, very outgoing kid, takes her turn and waddles up to the front of the class with a pillow stuffed under her sweater. She holds up a snapshot of an infant. 'This is Luke, my baby brother, and I'm going to tell you about his birthday.' 'First, Mom and Dad made him as a symbol of their love, and then Dad put a seed in my Mom's stomach, and Luke grew in there. He ate for nine months through an umbrella cord.' She's standing there with her hands on the pillow, and I'm trying not to laugh and wishing I had my camcorder with me. The kids are watching her in amazement. 'Then, about two Saturdays ago, my Mom starts saying and going, 'Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh!' Erica puts a hand behind her back and groans. 'She walked around the house for, like an hour, 'Oh, oh, oh!' (Now this kid is doing a hysterical duck walk and groaning.) ' My Dad called the middle wife. She delivers babies, but she doesn't have a sign
on the car like the Domino's man. They got my Mom to lie down in bed like this.' (Then Erica lies down with her back against the wall.) 'And then, pop! My Mom had this bag of water she kept in there in case he got thirsty, and it just blew up and spilled all over the bed, like psshhheew!' (This kid has her legs spread with her little hands mimicking water flowing away. It was too much!) 'Then the middle wife starts saying 'push, push,' and 'breathe, breathe. They started counting, but never even got past ten. Then, all of a sudden, out comes my brother. He was covered in yucky stuff that they all said it was from Mom's play-center, (placenta) so there must be a lot of toys inside there. When he got out, the middle wife spanked him for crawling up in there.'

Then Erica stood up, took a big theatrical bow and returned to her seat.

I'm sure I applauded the loudest. Ever since then, when it's show-and-tell day, I bring my camcorder, just in case another ' Middle Wife' comes along.

The above story is reproduced from a forwarded mail. - Author unknown

Write a Caption

2010-02-16T12:35:00.002+05:30

M.K.Jinachandran of Kalpetta

2010-02-03T15:50:00.004+05:30

Recently I was invited to a wedding at Sulthan batheri in Wynad district of Kerala State. Sulthan batheri is the vernacular version of Sulthan’s Battery. Sulthan referred to here is none other than the Tippu Sultan of Mysore. It can be safely assumed that the Sultan camped at this place with his army during his march to annex Kerala.

While returning I dropped in at Vijaya Mahal to visit my friend M.J. Vijaya Padman. Padman is the first cousin brother of M.P.Veerendra Kumar Ex Member of Parliament from Kozhikode and Managing Director of the Malayalam daily ‘Mathruboomi’. Padman is also a director of the same. Padman’s father M.K. Jinachandran was a member of the 2nd Lok Sabha – the lower house of the Indian parliament and a regional whip of the congress party in Parliment during 1961-62 and was also an executive committee member of the congress party during 1961-62.

I am reproducing below a few photos of the period in which Shri M. K. Jinachandran and others can be seen along with the then Indian Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. (click on the photos to enlarge)

Members of the second Lok Sabha

M.K. Jinachandran standing directly behind Pandit Nehru

Congress Executive Committee Members 1961-62
Congress Parlimentary regional Whips 1961-62

Privatise stage carriage operations.

2010-01-14T17:15:00.001+05:30

The Kerala private bus operators went on a strike demanding an increase in fares. It must be assumed that the government silently supported the strike because increased fares will also be beneficial to the state transport corporation too, which is hopelessly in debt and a white elephant. To hoodwink the public the government threatened the bus operators that Essential Services Maintenance Act would be invoked. But the bluff by both the parties was called off due to the intervention of the Kerala High court which decried that any fare increase will have to be with its concurrence.

My suggestion for this recurrent issue would be as follows:-

Instead of invoking ESMA the government should completely withdraw from the road transport sector and leave it to the private operators. The present practice of granting permits, routes, timings and fixing fares should be done away with totally.

Let any willing investor acquire buses and ply on any route at any time and charge the fare he likes as long as he does not compel the passenger to travel in his bus. The consequent competition will take care of the fares, routes and timings. We have the outstanding example of the telecommunication sector before us for falling tariff rates and better services.

The present KSRTC should be made a limited company and allowed to sink or float by competing with the private player’s like the BSNL with their advantage they have in existing infrastructure and prime property throughout the state.

Wishing for low fares and better services is like wishing to eat the cake and trying to keep it. The socialistic mindset of the government as well as the governed has to change for comprehensive development.

2009-12-21T14:07:00.002+05:30

WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS
AND
A HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR.

Who am I ?

2009-11-24T09:11:00.007+05:30

My friend and fellow blogger Murali Rama Varma http://muralirvarma.blogspot.com/2009/11/some-questions-and-answers.html sent this Q & A to me, "I came across a blog from a most promising and talented teen-aged girl. She had quoted a questionnaire supposedly asked to a celebrity by a media man and had given her own interesting and most original answers, assuming that these questions were aimed at her.This made me to think as to how I would have answered these questions, if it were asked to me. I think, by answering these questions, we express our personality to enable a friend or reader to understand us more."

I would request my fellow bloggers and readers to answer these questions themselves- whether to publish or not- for the fun of it and for a self analyzis. It can be quite exhilarating.Here are the questions and my answers.

(1). Fun to you is...
Party with lots of beer and dancing.
(2). If you were invisible for a day, you would...
Have a look at many that is not possible otherwise.
(3).The one invention you're really waiting for...
Stop ageing.
(4).Would you like to be young forever?
Certainly yes.
(5).What are you reading at the moment?
http://inorite.wordpress.com/2009/10/16/the-reluctant-princess/
(6).Who is your favourite cartoon character?
Lockhorns.
(7).The place you really want to visit and why?
United States of America, because I haven’t been there.
(8).Which film's hero/heroine do you most identify with?
Naren in Robin Hood (Malayalam movie) .
(9).Your idea of a perfect meal?
Buffet Lunch / Dinner in a star hotel.
(10). Lean or brawny?
Lean.
(11). Three people from history you'd like to meet?
John F. Kennedy, Lord Mountbatten, Diana Princess of Wales.
(12).Your worst date ever?
Alas, never had one.
(13). Ethnic wear or Western wear?
Both according to the occasion.
(14). Morning person or night person?
Night person.
(15).What are you addicted to?
I am embarrassed to disclose.
(16).The naughtiest thing you've ever done?
The Answer is censored.
(17).What's your retirement dream?
Buy a plot opposite to my ancestral place, build a home, enjoy the visits of children and friends and visit them. Then, I would want to travel first class to places of interest staying in the best hotels.
(18). Five personal care products you can't do without?
My toothbrush, comb, my garments, chapels and my eye glasses.
(19).Who do you think your partner has a crush on?

She doesn't have time after her worries !
20).Your favourite drink?
Budweiser Beer.
(21).The one food you can never say no to?
Puddings.
(22). Rate in order of importance: fame, money, power.
Power, fame, money.
(23).Your next move?
Putting it up for the world to come to a conclusion about me.

Comments about me are most welcome.

Communist citadel

2009-11-08T15:22:00.005+05:30

Don’t confuse the above picture to be from somewhere in China. It is the K.I. Rajan memorial (click on the picture to enlarge), the late communist Member of the Kerala legislative Assembly. It is situated between Pambanar and Vandiperiyar on National Highway 220 connecting Kollam with Theni via Kottayam and Kumily. Before it was elevated to a NH it was known as K.K.road.

Soviet Union may have vanished, China maybe practising communism and socialism in name only but here in Kerala the Idukki District is a communist citadel. The party apparatchiks control everything here with the help of their union members. The amount of funds they collect from the hapless is mind boggling. The communists are to be blamed for the investment unfriendly situation prevailing in Kerala and keeping Kerala still in the socialist backward era. The SFI, DYFI, and CITU, or the students wing, the youth wing and the headload wing of the communist party is the precursor of the present goonda, mafia, quotation gangs.

Jeb We Met

2009-11-03T05:43:00.007+05:30

Dr. Titus with glass in hand, Thomas Matthew parackel standing behind

Couple of years ago Kerala Minister Paloli Mohamed kutty made an adverse comment about the Kerala High Court Judges being influenced by the wealthy. The High court initiated contempt of court proceedings against the minister. Two letters, one by Dr. Titus and one by me, both criticizing the minister were published in the Indian Express on the same day. Both the letters were published under the caption ‘Just desserts’. Since I couldn’t figure out the meaning of the caption I searched out Dr. Titus’s phone number from the BSNL online directory and called him. He was surprised by my call and asked me how I got his number. Even he too didn’t know the meaning of the caption which was given by the (sub) editor. Later after finding the meaning of the word he called me back.

Dr. Titus is an avid tennis player. Mundakayam club conducts veteran’s tennis tournament every year in February. Being originally from Mundakayam I happen to be a member of the club. The tournament was taking place in a couple of month’s time and we decided to meet. As planned we met for the first time at the club and talked for the next 2 hours as if we knew each other since childhood! Ever since, almost every day we are in touch with each other either by phone or text message.

It was destiny that brought us together, a letter by me titled ‘Phew what a relief!’ which I had written supporting Dr. Titus regarding (something about children and their studies) was published when we were total strangers to each other and he had preserved the newspaper showing it to his friends and relatives who called on him and whom he thought were interested. As a mark of our friendship he gave that newspaper to me when I called on him at his place.

A couple of months later I got in touch with Mr. Thomas Mathew Parackel, Muvattupuzha , another prolific writer, the same way. It was a coincidence that he knew my father-in-law and was neighbors with my wife’s maternal uncle. Apart from letters to the editor he used to contribute to ‘Time out’ as well. He gave me the email id of Mr. Swaminathan who was handling ‘Time out’ at Express. I passed on the email to Dr. Titus and we too started sending anecdotes to ‘Time out’. Many of which were published.

All three of us got –together for lunch at hotel Windsor castle, Kottayam last year and regally cemented our friendship over a bottle of Chivas.

Kerala Higher Secondary Model Question Paper

2009-10-29T20:19:00.004+05:30

There is a raging controversy in Kerala about the question paper for the mid term examination in the Government higher secondary schools. The question papers are set by teachers’ affiliated to the communist unions.
In the mid-term Plus 1 examination, students were asked to comment on the media coverage of the death of Mercy Ravi, suggesting that the death was overplayed because she had been rich and influential.
There was also a suggestion that students write to the editor, protesting against the lopsided treatment of news, giving `undue’ importance to the death. (of the Federal Minister’s wife).

The congress affiliated teachers union could come out with the following question paper to counter their communist counterparts.

Write an essay on one of the following.

(1). Explain why communist parties constantly agitate for increased wages when according to the Dus Capital workers are not to be paid anything more than what is necessary for their daily sustenance.

(2). According to the communist manifesto all land belongs to the state. Then why do the communist parties support redistribution of land to the landless?

(3). Why is it said that communism is the offspring of jealousy?

( Anyone who answers all questions satisfactorily will be promoted to Std.XII immediately).

The Kannur fiasco

2009-10-22T07:34:00.000+05:30

There is a big uproar about the enrolment of hardcore communist party voters in Kannoor from other constituencies. The United Democratic Front (Opposition in Kerala) should have considered this scenario earlier as this is what happens when you try to eat the cake and have it too. It’s next to impossible to beat the Left Democratic Front (the communist ruling alliance) in a by election when they are in power. They will utilise the entire government machinery to their advantage not to mention the substantial number of their bogus voters. If the LDF wins they will claim the earlier trend seen during the recently concluded Parliament election in which the UDF romped home in majority of the seats to have been reversed (in the short span of 5months). The UDF should not have pulled out the sitting MLAs to contest the parliament elections and avoided this needless by-election. This is called bad planning and I am reluctant to bet on the UDF.

Living Puritanically.

2009-10-11T10:22:00.005+05:30

The following is an excerpt from (Senior counsel Supreme Court of India) Soli J. Sorabjee’s Soliloquies in the Sunday Express of the 11th October : Pre -censorship of Nehru Edwina Movie.

At long last the film Nehru – Edwina has been okayed by the Government of India. It is reported that the ministry of Information and Broadcasting had called for a copy of the film’s script and asked the producers to tone down some intimate scenes featuring Nehru and Edwina. If true this is deplorable pre – censorship. And pray what are intimate scenes? Holding hands, or lying in each other’s arms or kissing and embracing? Such scenes depict deep mutual affection and do not necessarily have sexual implications. If Nehru, a warm blooded Kashmiri, were passionately fond of Edwina, does that diminish his stature as a great national leader? No mature, balanced person would think so except those who are obsessed with sex and discern it in every physical act or gesture. In the past publication of letters by Netaji Subash Chandra Bose to his close friend Emile Schenold evoked vociferous protests.

Are we living in the puritanical reign of Oliver Cromwell? For God’s sake grow up.

My question to the interested readers is that, do the above apply to all presently married warm blooded people or to the so called Great National leaders only?

Sir. C.P. Ramaswamy Iyer - Dewan of Travancore / Random thoughts

2009-10-09T13:11:00.022+05:30

Dewan Sir C.P.Ramaswamy Iyer standing next to
His Highness Sree Chitra Tirunal Balarama Varma the Maharaja of Travancore.
click on the photo to enlarge (photo courtesy Kerala police history.com)

Southern Kerala has not seen development since Travancore days, says former Royal (Click on Text to read)
It is the truth and nothing but the truth, what His Highness. Sree Uthradom Tirunal Marthanda Varma, the Mharajah of Travancore said about Sir. C.P. Ramaswamy Iyer, the erstwhile Dewan of Travancore. It is for the first time someone at his level or rather anyone at all is publicly praising Sir. C.P. I fully concur with HH. "C.P. should not have been mistreated".

The following is the comment I had posted in the blog about Sir. Mirza Mohammad Ismail - ‘Musings from Antique Origins’ http://muralirvarma.blogspot.com/2009/02/sir-mirza-mohammad-ismail-kcie-obe.html. “You are absolutely correct in your observation that the quality of administration of the princely states had been great with the contributions of men of exceptional caliber like Sir Syed Mirza Ismail and Sir C.P.Ramaswamy Iyer. India and more particular Kerala suffer from lack of such able administrators. In my opinion Kerala is in this present state of morass may be because Sir. C.P. cursed this state for having tried to kill him.

The Communist parties of course have an understandable hatred towards Sir. C.P because he would have crushed them. But 'Malayala Manorama' the leading right wing daily in Kerala too have an animosity towards him. They state that he deliberately sealed the newspaper office and liquidated the National and Quilon Bank in which the present Chief Editor K.M. Mathew’s father Mammen Mappilai was a director. Not only that, he even incarcerated Mammen Mappilai. Recently I happened to see (couldn’t read) a book written by Prof. Sreedhara Menon, in which the actions of Sir.C.P. regarding the National and Quilon Bank is lauded. In the book it is written that but for his timely action the public would have lost their deposits in the bank.

The Pottamkulam family to which I belong too has an axe to grind with Sir. C.P. See the attached pages from our family history. But I always took the entire episode with a pinch of salt for two reasons. one, as a Diwan who encouraged economic and industrial reforms could a man of such high competence be communal and or jealous whatsoever, and two the lack of business acumen coupled with the legendary extravagant lifestyle of the people in the picture too may have contributed to the cause of the shut down.

I must point out that Mr. & Mrs. K.V.Thomas Pottamkulam (my great grandfather's brother)were supposed to be close with Kaudiar Palace especially with Amma Maharani Karthika Tirunal lakshmi Bayi. It was he who originally bought the Ammachy Kottaram (Regent's summer palace) at Kuttikanam, Peerumade, Idukki district, Kerala; from the Regent Maharani Pooradam Thirunal Sethu Lakshmi Bayi and made it his residence before selling it to its present owners the Kallivayalils (incidentally my maternal grandfather's brother).

I admire Sir.C.P. maybe because of the belief that he would not have allowed the communists to be anywhere near where they are now, keeping Kerala still in the socialist era . I also appreciated his call for independent Travancore (for which the State Congress too disliked him). But had Travancore been independent and in the course of time became a democracy, the communists when they come to power by rotation as it is happening now in Kerala, would have implemented the land reforms act much more stringently and none of the other parties would repeal it when they come to power for fear of loosing support of those who got the land for free. The plantation sector escaped the Kerala land reforms act because of certain control of Indian Parliament.

Click on photo to enlarge

(Translation) "If that K.V. Thomas is allowed to to grow and become successful like this, he'll become very rich" Sir.C.P. said to his secretary on their way to Trivandrum after inaugurating Travancore Wood Works with a Golden Key. The rapid raise of KVT was such that even the Dewan of Travancore became jealous.

Click on photo to enlarge

(Translation) In 1938 The then Dewan of Travancore Sir C.P. Ramasawmy Iyer himself came to inaugurate Travancore Wood Works which had about 1000 workers. Surprisingly on his return to Trivandrum he issued orders to stop cutting of trees within an area of 10 square miles of the factory and put pressure for foreclosure of all bank loans.

ASEAN Free Trade Pact & Kerala Farmers

2009-10-06T09:19:00.003+05:30

The Communist Party as usual showed its cadre strength with the human chain from one end to the other across Kerala against signing of the ASEAN free trade agreement. As a grower having major interests in Rubber and cardamom and minor in coffee and pepper, we are more worried and afraid of the local leaders of the Marxist party and their support to indiscipline and militancy among workers than all the so called ill effects attributed to the ASEAN trade pact. We can live with competition from any part of the world but not communist highhandedness and extortion.

Does anybody remember when, why and the outcome of the last human chain protest carried out in Kerala? Bet the recent one too will meet the same fate.

In defence of MOS.Sashi Tharoor

2009-09-18T13:19:00.003+05:30

The people at large and the congress party media managers are making a mountain out of a mole hill regarding MOS Sashi Tharoor’s innocent ‘Twitter’ jibe regarding the ‘Cattle classes’ and the ‘Holy cows’. It was an entertaining reply to a clever question. One has to be of the same feather to appreciate a joke of the same and that is what Tharoor realized at his own peril; the difference between his international and native friends. Where has our collective sense of humor disappeared? One should learn to laugh at one self. Looks like we didn't inherit the good qualities from the British, but at least the Italian born Congress President Sonia Gandhi should show better sense of humor and laugh it off.

http://hariwrite.blogspot.com/2009/09/when-mr-tharoor-was-asked-if-he-will.html

The VIP syndrome

2009-08-26T17:44:00.001+05:30

There is a big outrage in the Indian media against detaining and frisking of Shah Rukh Khan at Newark airport. When you look at the occurrence in right perspective we will see the appropriateness of the action.

We don’t realize that there is a perceptible difference in the Indian and American way of doing things. It stems from the fact that in India we have a category, especially politicians, their kith and kin, celebrities and those in the Ambani league, who think that they are privileged to bypass the simple rules followed by the commons. This is where Dr. Kalam stands apart and that is what makes him truly great!

The other day in an interview by Larry King Gen. Colin Powell ex Secretary of state said, that every time he flew he was frisked and checked thoroughly. He said that as a senior dignitary he expected them to do it and since he was one, they did it or they may have got into big trouble with him noticing their laxity. Larry asked him, do they not know who you are? And he said, yes, “Of course and that is why they ensure I am frisked thoroughly”.

If Sonia Gandhi is subjected to frisking and checking we can do the same to Hillary Clinton as well. (Forgive me, I am a self confessed Gandhi loyalist)

Controversy on (Hon.) Lt. Col. Mohanlal's Royal Salute

2009-08-10T23:20:00.015+05:30

Sitting Left to Right:-
Lt.Col. Padmasree Bharat Mohanlal.

His Highness Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma the Maharaja of Travancore.

Gowri & Prabha the twin daughters of Avittom Thirunal Aditya Varma, younger son of the Junior Princess of Travancore

Pooyam Thirunal Gowri Parvathy Bayi,The Senior Princess of Travancore .

Mohanlal's mother.

Standing Left to Right:-

Avittom Thirunal Aditya Varma, younger son of the Junior Princess of Travancore, Aswathy Thirunal Gouri Lakshmy Bayi.

Manya Rajya RajyaSree Chathayam Naal Raja Raja Varma Valiyal Koil Thampuran Avergal of Chemprol Kottaram, Consort of the Senior Princess of Travancore Pooyam Thirunal Gowri Parvathy Bayi.

his younger son Aswathy Thirunal Rama Varma, well known singer.

Sree Padmanabhan Thampi, son of His Highness the Maharaja Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma.

On 1st August 2009 a letter to the Editor, written by a Professor of History was published in the 'Deepika' the oldest Malayalam daily (Estd. in1887) criticising Mohanlal for visiting Kaudiar palace in full uniform of Lt. Col Territorial Army, Madras Regiment and saluting HH. The Maharaja of Travancore terming it as undemocratic, unconstitutional and born out of colonial hangover. The letter is reproduced below. Click on it to enlarge and read.

On reading the above I wrote a reply letter to the Editor which was published on Sunday 9th August 2009. It is reproduced below. There is nothing neither undemocratic nor unconstitutional in Lt. Col. Mohanlal paying respects to a higher ranking officer of his regiment as His Highness Sree Uthradom Tirunal Marthanda Varma the present head of the Travancore Royal family is a Honorary Colonel in the Madras regiment. In fact the FOC-in-C Southern Naval command and Southern Air command as well as the Police DGP customarily drop in at Kaudiar Palace when paying a visit to the city for the first time. Click on the picture to enlarge and read.

It is a historic fact that two Travancore infantry battalions were integrated into Madras regiment after the states merged with the Indian union and were called 9th (Travancore) and 16th (Travancore) battalions of the Madras regiment.

Frisking of Dr. Kalam by Justice (Retd.) K.T. Thomas

2009-07-28T19:04:00.003+05:30

The news that A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, a former President of India, was recently subjected to security-checks by the staff of Continental Airlines at the New Delhi airport as he was leaving on an overseas trip has evoked a sharp reaction in India. Barring Mr. Kalam himself, there appears to be near-unanimity of opinion that the frisking of a former President amounted to humiliation.
Mr. Kalam has not come out with a statement that he personally considered it a humiliation.

Security-checks for air-travellers were initially confined to international sectors. As incidents of hijacking escalated over the years, pre-embarkation security-checks were extended to domestic flights. There was a time when security officers had the discretion to exempt from security-check those passengers whom they did not deem it necessary to check.

Frisking was imposed with extreme rigour in the U.S. after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre.

For passengers, such pre-embarkation inspection often leads to a harrowing experience. Yet, after that monstrous man-made catastrophe in the U.S., nobody is exempt from such pre-emptive scrutiny — not even the U.S. President. (I am told that for security reasons the U.S. President is being checked by a separate set of personnel). In India also security- checks became rigorous. Still, exemption is given to VVIPs. Should they be exempted from it?

In 2004 I was in the Cairo airport as one among 32 passengers waiting for an onward flight. The security-check involved the frisking of each passenger and the examination of cabin baggage apart from X-ray scrutiny of the check-in baggage. It took six hours to complete the pre-embarkation checking of 32 passengers.

When my turn came, the chaperoning senior officer was heard murmuring to the security staff a plea to exempt me from elaborate checking on the ground that I was a former Judge of the Supreme Court of India. A senior staff-member came and asked me: “Sir, we can trust you. But can you trust that none would have stamped a button type bomb in your trouser pockets?” I said I cannot. Next he asked: “Can you trust that none would have surreptitiously inserted a nail-type bomb in your baggage?” I said I cannot. Then he said: “Sir, this checking is not only for our security, it is for your security also.” I explained to him that I never wanted exemption from the security-check.

The remonstration that the former President should have been exempted from checking is over a non-issue. When Zia-ul Haq was President of Pakistan, he and his baggage were exempted from security-checks. His weakness for ripe mangoes was well-known. It has been reliably theorised that his adversaries managed to have a small packet of mangoes to be included in his cabin baggage, that one of the “mangoes” was in fact a small bomb and that it exploded when the aircraft was air-borne. All the crew-members and passengers in the flight, including the General, were killed in a trice.

What is disquieting is the criticism that a security-check amounted to insulting or humiliating the former President. In an egalitarian society like India, if something is insulting or humiliating to a VIP or VVIP, it is equally insulting to other citizens.

It is indeed an agonising exercise for the security staff of airlines and the security agencies to subject every passenger to pre-embarkation frisking, and scrutinising minutely all baggage, whether it is cabin baggage or checked-in baggage. It is a monotonous and weary job when each day thousands of passengers and their baggage are to be individually checked. Some of the passengers put on a long face.

Yet, by and large the security staff do it with dedication because they know they are thus ensuring the safety of the air-borne passengers.

To exempt some persons from security-checks by categorising them as VVIPs is but the consequence of a hangover of a feudal and colonial culture. Let Mr. Kalam stand out as model to our ruling elite and other VIP-VVIPs to persuade them to willingly yield to security-checks in the same manner as any other citizen of India.

Source: The Hindu (Opinion) http://www.hinduonnet.com/2009/07/25/stories/2009072556080900.htm

Ménage à trios

2009-07-21T07:01:00.000+05:30

The Central Bureau of Investigation has finally filed the charge sheet in Sister Abhaya case. According to it Sr. Abhaya is supposed to have been put away by the three accused, two priests and a nun, as she was preview to their illicit relationship. More often than not such liaisons are conducted in utmost secrecy and one does not take others along for such nocturnal trips and that too when the place of action is a convent. Then what were three doing there, having a Ménage à trios? There seems to be some ambiguity. An acquittal appears to be in the offing.

Track ur lost mobile phone

2009-07-13T20:55:00.003+05:30

Got an interesting fact to share. Nowdays each one of us carry Hi Fi mobile devices and always fear that it may be stolen. Each mobile carries a unique IMEI i.e International Mobile Identity No which can be used to track your mobile anywhere in the world.

This is how it works:-

1. Dial *#06# from ur mobile.

2. Your mobile shows a unique no. (it could be a mix of alpha numeric digit code)

3. Note down this number anywhere but except in your mobile as this is the number which will help trace your mobile in case of a theft.

4. Once stolen you just have to mail this IMEI No. to cop@vsnl.net

5. No need to go to police.

6. Your Mobile will be traced withing next 24 hrs via a complex system of GPRS and Internet.

7. You will find where your hand set is being operated even in case your no is being changed.

PS:- The e-mail id is distinctively Indian, so this may be India specific.

Female Tennis Outfits

2009-07-13T20:49:00.002+05:30

Multitudes who are least interested in the game of tennis won't even stop by while channel surfing if it is not for the tinyoutfits. However making a fool of oneself like how the two besotted guys did at the Mirza residence is too demeaning.

'Waste Minister'

2009-06-26T18:00:00.001+05:30

One of the primary duties of the corporations, municipalities and panchayats is and should be waste management. Our ministers who are waiting for an opportunity to fly to foreign destinations on the pretext of signing MOUs should undertake a trip to New York , Tokyo or at least Shanghai to study how domestic/ kitchen waste is managed in those metropolis which surely must be producing mammoth quantities of the same and waste no time in implementing it here.
As most of our ministers are a big waste on the exchequer, we should have a ‘Waste Minister’ to tackle this serious issue.

Jealousy & Women

2009-06-25T12:10:00.002+05:30

The Phantom cartoon in The New Indian Express reveal Diana Palmer Walker feeling jealous about her husband Mr. walker the Phantom and the female captain of his ship. Is jelousy a universal phenomenon in women that not even cartoon characters are not spared off? Are women intensely jealous about or in a relationship?Can't they do without it and spare the men a lot of heart burn?Perhaps some women readers of The New Indian Express could throw some light and be a catalyst for change .

E Ahamed

2009-06-25T12:09:00.001+05:30

E Ahamed being made the minister of state Railways is a very welcome development. The priority of the new M.O.S. Vis-a-vis Kerala should be the completion of doubling and electification of all the existing lines on a war footing rather than going for new lines. Only then we can have more new trains and faster movement.

Maoists

2009-06-25T12:06:00.002+05:30

Usually Maoists fight against Monarchy and bourgeois. That they are now leading a struggle against Communist rule in West Bengal speaks volumes about the condition of the downtrodden in that state even after 30 years of uninterrupted rule by the left parties. So evidently milk and honey are not going to flow even if ruled by those who swear by the proletariat.

2009-06-09T10:04:00.000+05:30

Testing a new air bag for two wheelers

Advice for Prakash Karat

2009-05-26T18:19:00.001+05:30

The CPM general secretary Prakash Karat has said that after identifying the reasons for the setback in the elections, the party would initiate corrective steps. Well, you don’t have to look very far Mr. Karat, we are afraid of your Goons, your ‘Attimari Thozhilaly’, your ‘Vikasana Virodam’, your Trade Unions , your Coercive Fund Collection, your ‘Rektha Pathaka’ and the insignias of violence on it above all your fascist fundamentals. Be humane in your approach and speech. Respect the views of the opposite side, don’t raise the spectre of America in everything and leave us alone to lead a peaceful life.

Condonation Petition

2009-05-08T17:59:00.002+05:30

Dear All,
I have not been posting as frequently as I would like these days. My home Internet account had expired and I did not renew it deliberately because my son is home for his examination leave. He is taking the CA (PCC) exams in June . Face book and orkut are a distraction for him. So kindly bear with me till the middle of June.
Nebu.

A Simple way of Barring NSD

2009-04-27T08:54:00.000+05:30

My late grandmother was a telephone addict. She used to get up at 4.00 am in the morning and start her long distance calls by 5.00 in order to avail the discounted early morning rates. Though she used to keep her speech low, so as not to disturb me, I used to wake up hearing her murmurs into the phone. Finally I figured out a way to dissuade her. I would pull out the cord before going to bed and would plug it back only after I got up. If the phone goes dead the tension was palpable as she used to feel like out of oxygen.

As age got up with my mother, she too started showing signs of her mother’s genes. One day when I visited her she was irritated as the phone was out of order for a couple of days and about the same time her cellular phone also had konged out. On my way back I stopped at my brother's petrol station to register the complaint on 198. When I keyed in the phone number - 272460, the answering machine stated that there's no telephone corresponding to the number. However much I tried the response was the same. I accepted defeat and proceeded to register the complaint in writing including the frivolous response of the answering machine.

Couple of days passed and still the complaint was not rectified. I talked to my brother about not being able to register the complaint from the phone at the petrol station. To my amazement he revealed that in order to mislead freeloaders he had switched the dialling buttons zero and star. All NSD / ISD codes start with zero. So when I thought I was dialling 272460 in effect I was dialling 27246*. No wonder the system couldn't recognize the phone number and kept repeating, "There is no phone corresponding to the number you dialled".

I couldn't but admire my brother's indigenous and simple NSD/ISD barring technique

This is what happened to Chechi.......

2009-04-17T13:52:00.009+05:30

Chechi = Malayalam for elder sister

In the eighteenth year of our wedding, Suja who was a 1st year medical student at the time of our marriage (discontinued since) started to complain about an irritation in her right ear. Naturally I took her to an ENT specialist in the nearby town. He examined her ear and found that she had a minor hearing loss and directed us to get an audiometer test done. The test confirmed his findings and we were asked to come after a year to repeat the test and if there was a significant increase in the loss of hearing go for further investigations.

Some months passed by and Suja started feeling as if an insect got inside her ear. Off we went to a senior ENT specialist in the city who happened to be the professor of the ENT specialist whom we consulted first. He examined her and came to the same conclusion of minor hearing loss and asked us not to make a fuss about it and to ignore it. Since a senior ENT specialist gave a concurring second opinion we totally ignored the fluttering sensation, as she used to refer, in her ears and did not go for the re-evaluation after one year as recommended by our original consultant.

A couple of years passed by and Suja started to get tired more often. One would find her taking rest frequently even after short journeys. Celebrations for the 50th wedding anniversary of her parents were planned and among the invitees was Dr. Paul Puthooran, a family friend. While talking to Dr. Puthooran, he mentioned that he had recently undergone a craniotomy (brain surgery) to remove a tumour the size of a tennis ball and made me put my hand on his head to feel the soft portion in his skull, where the surgeons had opened to remove the tumour. Casually I asked him what the symptoms were and how he suddenly became aware of it. He said that one day while examining patients in the OP he felt numbness at the tip of his fingers and called in the neurologist who conducted an MRI scan and the tumour was detected.

After the wedding anniversary celebrations, while we were driving back home I narrated the incident to Suja when she said she too has numbness at a particular spot on her right cheek. The next day morning we went to the ENT specialist whom we had consulted originally. On preliminary examination itself he said that the hearing loss had worsened and recommended a CT or MRI scan. The ENT specialist at the hospital where MRI scanning could be done was a close friend of mine. I rang him up and fixed a date for the scan convenient for the periodic servicing of my car!

We waited till the servicing date was due, gave the car for the routine servicing and went to the hospital for the scan as if it was only of secondary importance (I happen to be a perennial optimist). As the scan was in progress I found my friend, the ENT specialist, rushing into the scan room. After a while the nurse came and made me sign an indemnity letter, I did sense some danger then. Scan completed, the doctor friend took us both to dinner and admitted us in the hospital, (for purposes of claiming the medical insurance), saying that there was nothing serious and we’ll be discharged the next morning. By next day noon I found my mother, brother and sister at the hospital to break the news to me that the scan report showed a large tumour on Suja’s right acoustic nerve which had grown too large and had already started pressing other parts of the brain.

The ENT specialists we consulted originally as well as for second opinion missed to diagnose the tumour because she had told them about a fluttering feeling and not used the medical term ‘titinis’ or something to that effect (how are we, laypeople to know). We too had missed some tell tale symptoms like patches on the pillow cover caused by oozing of saliva at night due to weakness of the lip muscles.

The doctor friend said that the tumour called medically – Right vestibular shwananoma, has to be removed at the earliest but since the tumour had grown so large and that it was adhesive to the facial nerve, we need to find the expert in the field of CP angle surgery as facial nerve damage could cause severe disfigurement of the face. My brother-in-law who is a doctor contacted his colleagues and finally shortlisted two neurosurgeons, one at Hinduja hospital Mumbai and the other at Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute of Medical Sciences Trivandrum (SCTIMST).

Suja preferred to do the surgery at Trivandrum considering the logistics and language. At SCTIMST, were treatment is highly subsidised by the Govt. Of India, there is always a long queue of patients waiting for surgery, and only life threatening cases are given out of turn preference. It so happened that my maternal uncle was the Director of the State police at that time with HQ at Trivandrum. He got an appointment with the HOD of Neurosurgery as soon as I telephoned him. The surgery was fixed after two days and the tumour was removed along with the right acoustic nerve which left Suja permanently deaf on the right side. As expected it was a benign tumour as 99% of acoustic shwananoma tumours are found to be.

However since the tumour had grown too large and was severely adhesived to the facial nerve some damage was caused to the facial nerve which resulted in partial facial palsy. As a result she lost her ability to smile naturally as well as lost the functioning of the right eyelid to close and open. The atrophy of the lachrymal glands dried up the production of tears on the right eye; so she has to use artificial tears for the rest of her life for her right eye. This causes irritation and redness in the eye often while travelling due to dryness of the eye and she becomes tired after prolonged introductions.

Subsequently she has had two minor episodes of exposure Keratitis (cornea-the black portion of the eye, becoming white which could lead to eventual loss of sight) of the eye due to the failure of repeated tarsoraphy (stitching together of the eyelids at the corner of the eye to facilitate closure of the eyes). Finally a small gold (for its non infectious quality) plate was inserted in her upper eyelid as a weight to aid closure of the eyelid.

For a year after the surgery she shunned social interactions and public functions. Now she has got accustomed to or forgets the minor disfigurement of her face but still becomes uncomfortable if she is being photographed.

PS: This post is in response to the question from a friend during our recent visit to Chennai. “What happened to Chechy, She did look off colour?”.

Poor little Rich man

2009-03-21T13:37:00.001+05:30

I am a poor little rich man who undeservedly utilise the benefits of government subsidies.

I was forced to apply for a ration card to be produced before all and sundry government offices as proof of my name, age, sex, address, and what not. While applying for the same, I had declared an income which I believe must be the highest in my servicing ration shop if not the locality (nobody gives the true figures).

By virtue of the ration card I was issued, I became entitled to two litres of subsidised kerosene every month which I use for my generator. The shop sells somebody else’s subsidised rice at a higher rate to me with which I feed my dog. I am entitled to subsidised sugar only during festival season, which I fully make use of.

I buy the kerosene and sugar only because I am entitled to it and if I do not take delivery of the same, obviously the shop keeper will sell it in the market and make a profit at my expense because he would have already taken delivery of these items from the civil supplies godown on my account.

I do not require any subsidy on any item whatsoever. I don’t mind taking them away, but put an end to the cross subsidisation. Take away the subsidy on kerosene and cooking gas and other petroleum products, but pass the corresponding reduction on to prices of petrol and diesel.

Please note that this might be a case more particularly of relevance to the state of Kerala where there is no abject poverty as seen in the north or other parts of India. The gap between the rich and the poor is comparatively less here because of the exorbitantly high wages.

A Tale of Two Extortions.

2009-03-12T14:23:00.005+05:30

Extortion No. I
A year ago I temporarily shifted my place of residence from the estate to the town owing to my son’s education. He was in school as a boarder from the 1st standard and since he is to appear for the 2009 ICSE exams, bitter half wanted him under her tutelage.

Being a Syrian Catholic it is obligatory for us to attend Holy Mass on all Sundays and the church rules stipulate that anyone who resides in the jurisdiction of a parish for more than six months should transfer their name from the old parish to the new.

The first Sunday I attended Mass at the new place I noticed that the church was not very impressive and thought why the priests had not so far contemplated remodelling it. As if the vicar read my mind, the very next Sunday after the Mass he started a prayer for divine help to renovate the church.

Immediately I sensed what was in store if I joined this parish because just before I relocated from my former place of residence, the vicar there had imposed a hefty donation on me for building the parish hall. The only course of action for me to save from yet another heavy donation at the new place was to go for Mass at the nearby Latin Church which is an outstanding edifice and definitely not going to be remodelled in the near future.

Incidentally the most expensive piece of real estate at Kottayam in Kerala, India, is situated at the church cemetery! A 6 feet x 3 feet plot costs Rs. 2 ,00,000/- ($3,850) rate as on 26th Jan.2009.

Extortion No. II
I happen to have a small cardamom plantation is in the high ranges at Vandanmedu in Idukki district of Kerala, a state at the southern most part of India. The plantation was acquired by my grandfather in 1950 in the name of my then 18 year old father, from Mr. M.M. Mani Modayil, and has been in the family for now nearly 60 years.

Though we are supposed to be the lord and master of our land, there is a superior authority above us. If you thought I am referring to God almighty, you are mistaken. It is the all powerful union leader whose interference hangs as the dread Damocles's sword over our head.

Even though we pay the prescribed minimum wages plus all fringe benefits such as Bonus, Leave With Wages, National and Festival Holiday Wages, Sickness benefit, weather protection allowance, Extra Wages for insecticide and fungicide spraying and Gratuity, the militant communist trade union leaders precipitate issues to hold-up work with their muscle power if they are not kept in good humour.

During the 1st week of February the local CPI (Marxist) office bearers approached me for a donation to the party fund. I stated that I was willing to contribute Rs. 2000/-, which step by step I increased to Rs.4000/- but they sought Rs.8000/- and after bargaining wouldn’t settle for anything less than Rs.5000/- which reluctantly I had to part with which much heartburn. After they left I was shocked to find that only Rs.500/- was written on the receipt. I sent the receipt to the person and got it corrected but the amount he has written on the counterfoil remains a mystery!

A week after they ripped me I received a notice informing me that they were starting a union in my estate. Maybe the thought that I might not oblige them with funds once they opened a branch must have prompted them to make the raid in advance.

Agony of a driver

2009-03-07T09:58:00.009+05:30

Kollam (Kerala) – Theni (Tamilnadu) NH.220, Chottupara stretch between Peermade and Kumily on the way to the world famous Periyar Tiger Reserve (Thekkady).

The unlucky driver fell into the pothole and broke the axel of the car (click on the picture to view the full impact). The 15 year lifetime road tax collected at the time of registration of the new car is used to pay the exorbitant salaries of the Government employees. Then where is the fund to maintain roads?

Stop charging road tax. Give the important roads to private entrepreneurs, let them maintain the roads and collect user’s fee.

Truth is Stranger than Fiction.

2009-03-01T13:57:00.001+05:30

Owing to the excitement of becoming a father for the first time, he got so crazy that he went to the goldsmith to make a spoon with the date of birth of the baby engraved on it. But the level headed mother who had her feet perfectly planted on the ground wouldn’t let him know the exact date so he had to be content with just the month and year embossed on it. The boy was literally born with a golden spoon in his mouth.

True to the excellent stock that he came from the boy grew up to become so handsome that girls couldn’t help from exclaiming about his good looks. Like all boys of his age he grew up into a mischievous young man.

Entering college he had a big fan following because of his pleasing and easy manners. Things came to a state where he had to discontinue studies half way through the first year and return home. But the brains he inherited from his brilliant mother saw him through the entrance examination for CA with distinction.

The brand conscious person he was would do his training only in one of the big four. As luck would have it he managed to get into one of them. In the city where he was undergoing training the office of a famous film producer was directly opposite to the office where he had joined for training. Many a day the producer and he would travel up the same elevator. The producer noted his good looks and one day asked him if he would like to join movies.

Though a little apprehensive he thought of giving it a try and answered in the affirmative. He was cast opposite a pretty young thing in a movie which went on to become a block buster. So the CA course too was abandoned midstream.

Further movies didn’t takeoff and he was left in the lurch. But destiny was benevolent. That’s when thankfully his distance education Bachelors degree came in handy. Armed with the degree he applied for the civil service examinations. Because of his casual nature there too he was unsuccessful in the first two attempts. With his back to the wall he put in rigorous work and finally came out successful and was enrolled into the Indian Police Service.

NB: Any resemblance to any person living or dead is intentional

Agricultural Income Tax

2009-02-22T13:27:00.006+05:30

The planter and the NRI have one thing in common. Both of them do not pay Income tax (To Central Govt.) However the planter has to pay tax to the state government. Kerala is one of the last remaining states in India which still levy’s this tax. The tax has to be paid in advance on or before the last day of February for the approaching assessment year.

Before 1990 this tax was levied based on income against appropriate slab rates as in central Income tax. The basic exemption those days given for Agricultural Income was Rs.20, 000/- and the rate of tax was as high as 80% in the final slab. Those days almost everybody used to declare only Rs. 10,000/- to 15,000/- as income. How on earth one could live with that income for a year was conveniently ignored.

During the proceedings of the assessment like issuance of pre-assessment notice and calling for objections which invariably the assessing officer rejected on flimsy grounds the assesse bribed the officials and the officer would enhance the income to somewhere around 25,000/- levied a small income tax and matters were settled to the advantage of the assesee and the personal profit of the officer and considerable loss to the exchequer. (The officers in turn bribe the powers that be to get posted to lucrative offices like Kanjirappally and vandanmedu)

Then in 1990 the Finance Minister in the LDF ministry Mr. Vishwanatha Menon (he was dismissed from the communist Marxist party some time ago and contested unsuccessfully as an independent in Ernakulam and I am not sure whether he is back in the party) introduced the compounding system of payment based on area and the crop that is cultivated. It was a great relief to the assesse in as much as that the amount of tax was fixed irrespective of the income earned and it also took away the discretionary powers of the assessing officers.

Now the planters have accounted surplus in their books. The officers have lost interest in doing the nominal work since they do not benefit otherwise.

The statement below shows how compounded tax is calculated.

Pseudo Bucket Collection

2009-02-20T15:34:00.002+05:30

Last week the local CPI(M) office bearers of Vandanmedu a small village in Idukki district of Kerala State, India, approached me for a donation to the party fund. I stated that I was willing to contribute Rs. 2000/- but they asked for Rs.8000/- and wouldn’t settle for anything less than Rs.5000/- which I had to give with heart burn. Of course receipt was duly issued.
I would rather remain silent if the political parties (loot the public money) target MNCs like SNC-Lavalin etc. for their fund requirements and leave small fry’s like us alone.

Vandanmed Photos

2009-02-12T13:39:00.006+05:30

My single bed-room Palace.......!!!!!!!!

Is this the flame of the forest? Even if it is not, it certainly looks like its flaming...!!

Saga of ‘Kayal Rajah Muriken’

2009-02-04T22:04:00.009+05:30

Mrs. & Mr. Joseph Muriken

Audience with His Holiness Pope John XXIII at the Vatican

(personal audiences with the Pope for laypeople are extremely rare)

The church the 'Kayal Rajah' Muriken built on a large bund in the midst of his three kayals

The person standing between Pandit Nehru and Indira Gandhi with some sort of a badge pinned to his shirt/jubba pocket is the ‘Kayal Rajah’. The person seated along with Nehru and Mrs. Gandhi is Pattom Thanu Pillay the then CM of Kerala.

Text of the condolence message by

His Highness Sree ChitiraTirunal Balaramavarma

The Maharaja of Travancore

on the passing away of Muricken

The perpetrators repenting albiet 38 years late

News report of Muriken's Grandson Adv. Mohan's tragic end on 26th January
at Mandya near Mysore

Visit http://prometheanally.blogspot.com/2008/07/economies-of-scale-and-property-rights.html and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8P9YdLOwBEU for an excellent article by Rosemary Abraham with an animated vedio of the Kayal Rajah's farming technique.

Tragedy at Mandya

2009-01-30T14:31:00.004+05:30

My father’s sister’s son (first cousin brother) met with a ghastly end on the night of the 26th Jan. Adv.Mohan (42) was residing with his wife and two boys studying in the 6th and 9th standard at Mysore. For the past 6 months he was working at Chennai TIDEL Park for an American company doing legal transcription work.

On the night of 26th he boarded the Kaveri express bound for Chennai and at Mandya station, which is 1 hour from Mysore, got down from the compartment presumably for some fresh air/ washing his face. Unfortunately while trying to board the moving train slipped and fell on to the track and was mauled beyond recognition.

The Railway Protection force dialed the last called numbers, on his undamaged mobile phone, one of which happened to be his brother-in –law’s. I got the news around midnight. His parents stay less than a kilometer from where I presently stay. So I rushed and had to break the tragic news to them little by little.

His younger brother and co-brother (Mohan's wife is from the jeweler’s family ‘Chemmannoor’ of Trichur) had to go to Mandya which is 10 hours drive from Kottayam to identify and bring the body. By that time friends and relatives from Mysore and Bangalore had rushed to the spot and there was plenty of support and help. After all the formalities the body reached Kottayam early morning of 28th and was buried the same day afternoon.

Mohan was extremely proud of his lineage.

Mohan happens to be the Grandson of the so called ‘Kayal Rajah Murikken’ of Kavalam who owned the famous Chithra, Rani and Marthandam Kayals* of Kuttanad, each of them being in excess of 500 acres. The famous kayals got their respective names after the three principal members of the Travancore Royal family His Highness. Sree Chitra Tirunal Balaramavarma the Maharajah of Travancore, Amma Maharani Her Highness.Sree Karthika Tirunal and His Highness .Sree Uthradam Tirunal Marthandavarma the then Elayarajah, the present Maharajah; they graciously travelled to Kavalam to ceremonially inaugurate the first sowing.

*The three famous kuttanadan kayals fields are paddy fields made cultivable by building 12-15 feet deep, thick walls around an area each of more than 500 acres in the Vembanad Lake. It’s like an unimaginably big swimming pool from which water is pumped out to make them dry lands. It was an unparalleled feat in the world carried out in the erstwhile state of Travancore. No wonder that the Sovereign along with the Amma Maharani and Elayarajah arrived for the inauguration.

The communist government of EMS nationalized the Kayals in 1971which are left fallow at present, a perfect example of dog in the manger.

Tryst with a Sub-Editor

2009-01-25T13:20:00.002+05:30

Giji Marykulam became a familiar by-line through the articles appearing in "Time out" and "Unseen Kerala". It was rather difficult to guess the gender of the person from the name, which subsequently I found out, was not confined to me. Unexpectedly one day the articles disappeared from the paper. After sometime a public notice appeared in the same paper asking Mr. Giji Marykulam of Adackamundackal house, a reporter with the paper to show cause for unauthorised absence from duty, thus the gender and house name was revealed.

Marykulam is a sleepy village in Idukki district of Kerala, on the road from Peermade to Kattappana through which I pass a dozen times a year. Ever since the by line was noticed and whenever I passed the place I always wondered whether Giji took the name from the same place and lived there. Two days after the show cause notice appeared I was driving past Marykulam and on an intuition I stopped at a wayside shop and enquired whether a person named Giji Marykulam lived there, the mention that he worked with Indian Express immediately elicited favourable reply and a kind soul offered to show the house which happened to be a short distance away.

The nondescript house was a forewarning of the person himself. The famous Sub-Editor cum reporter of the mighty Indian Express hailing from a place where there is not a single subscriber for any English newspaper let alone the Indian express. Bewilderment turned to astonishment as he spoke of his schooling in the local school where he was not the brightest and his pre-degree course as a private candidate from where he went to a college that does not figure in the list rated by India today. The secret of his English language was his voracious appetite for reading of all things philosophy.

He was a determined journalist who after stints with different journals at far off places like Gawhati finally landed at the New Indian Express, Kochi. His interests where in wildlife, environment, and historic architecture and has published numerous articles in NIE and won awards. At present he is the staff correspondent of ‘The Hindu’ at Kattappana.

Epilogue: - After reading my Time Out ‘Looks can be deceptive’ in the NIE, he rang me up to say that when he saw me at his house when I went to meet him, he was about to bolt thinking I was a police officer sent by Indian Express to pick him up for unauthorised absence from duty.

Man proposes God disposes

2009-01-19T15:16:00.001+05:30

I must have been twenty two when late one night my father woke me up. My maternal grandfather and great grandfather had arrived at that unearthly hour and wanted me to accompany them urgently to vellore. They wanted my services as an expert driver.

Word had come from CMC hospital that grandmother’s sister, who was admitted there critically ill, was sinking. Grandfather who had a Willy’s station wagon immediately set out proposing to take the patient’s father, his own father-in law, to see the dying daughter once more for the last time and also to bring back the body as soon as the inevitable occurred.

I changed in a jiffy and we set out earnestly on the 400kms journey. The diesel vehicle wouldn’t move as fast as the present day turbo charged engines and there weren’t a patch of four lanes in all of India those days. As we wanted to reach before she passed away, we drove non stop except for a brief while for tea and reached Vellore after about sixteen hours on the road.

Grandmother’s sister was in a very serious condition and the doctors gave her a maximum of 24 hours. Planning started immediately for the return journey with the body by the next day evening. Since there won’t be room for great grandfather to accompany us along with the body on the journey back, he was to be taken to Madras early the next morning and put on a flight to Cochin. That too was entrusted to me and we left after getting a wink of sleep.

At the airport while waiting for the boarding pass I told the person standing next in the queue that great grandfather was travelling alone and to be of assistance should the need arises. Probably feeling a bit scared seeing the old man, he asked me whether he can go the toilet by himself. Great grandfather was a little hard of hearing otherwise he would have been offended.

We the advance party of undertakers waited for the eventuality which never occurred the next day nor four days after defying all the doctor’s conclusions. So we returned rather uneventfully.
A couple of months passed and the patient was discharged from the hospital not because she was cured but because the doctors said there was nothing more to be done. She was brought home and was bedridden for the rest of her days.

Meanwhile grandfather developed a chest pain and was referred to a famous cardiologist at Trivandrum. On the day he was given appointment he took along with him for company, a retired doctor friend. At Trivandrum at the prodding of grandfather his doctor friend too underwent investigations and when the findings were announced, grandfather’s heart was pumping well but his friend the doctor who accompanied him just for the heck of it was found to have a cardiac snag. They were prescribed medicines and sent back by the cardiologist. On the way back grandfather dropped his friend at his house and asked his wife to take good care of him since it was revealed that her husband had a heart problem.

Two days later my grandfather who was all of 63 years passed away in his sleep. His sister-in law whom he had gone to vellore to bring back dead, breathed her last only a week after him. The doctor friend who accompanied him just to pass time but was found to have a heart condition lived for another eighteen more years. And Great grandfather out lived all of them to the ripe old age of103.

Man proposes God disposes.

Financial crisis

2009-01-18T10:22:00.001+05:30

The State Finance Minister's admittance of the state facing acute financial crisis is not surprising at all.With the kind of financial management the state is subjected to for the last decade and more by both the fronts which governed the state, it is surprising that we have not been asked by the Reserve Bank to create an equitable mortgage of the entire state.The proliferation of welfare schemes, the unimaginative tax measures and above all the burgeoning salary and pension bill is the bane of the state.The Government should be bold enough to appoint an economist like Manmohan singh to bail it out.The communists with their socialist agenda can never pull this state out of this morass.

What's up 4 Kerala

2009-01-13T13:40:00.002+05:30

From the responses of the ministers to the ‘What’s Up’ column carried by ‘The New Indian Express’, one is forced to come to the conclusion not to expect anything better in Kerala in the year ahead as far as governance is concerned.

None of the ministers had anything new or imaginative to offer except the mundane. Especially the Chief Minister’s, “Houses and land for all” is like pouring water down the drain. Instead of wasting a huge amount like 5000 crores on giving free land and houses and thereby making the already lazy Kerala populace even more slothful, the amount should be better used for improving the infrastructure. The consequent increase in economic activity would have brought liquidity into the hands of the common man and help him to buy land and build houses on it by himself.

Nevertheless one need not worry about the Rs. 5000 crores going waste because the state does not and will not have even 50 crores in its treasury after paying the salaries and pension of its huge wealth of bureaucratic employees.

Oothometer - An indigenous breath analyser

2009-01-02T06:30:00.001+05:30

Mundakayam is a plantation countryside opened by the British and Irish planters during the early part of 1900 and is literally a place where milk flows; the only difference being that it is of the latex verity or rubber paal as called locally. Mundakayam has the largest single plot under rubber plantation in India and is situated at the midpoint between Kottayam and Kumily on the famous 110 kms K.K. road now known as Kollam – Theni NH220. I am fortunate to have been born and brought up there, with both my parents belonging to the same place.

I was driving down the NH220 from Mundakayam to Kottayam during Christmas. It is during this period that the tipplers in their inebriated condition cause maximum havoc on the roads. And since Kerala holds the dubious record for the highest alcohol consumption in the country the highway police were very vigilant.

As I negotiated a serpentine curve, which the road is well-known for, there was a highway patrol car waiting as if to pounce on unsuspecting drivers. When my car approached the cop waved me down. Since all the papers were in order, I stopped confidently and waited for the officer. After the routine queries he asked me to blow. I was perplexed; blow where and what for? Suddenly it dawned on me that he was trying to find out whether I was intoxicated. But there was no breath analyzer, a device for estimating blood alcohol content which measures the level of alcohol in an appropriate sample of breath expired, with him. So I asked him, “Blow where”? The inspector held out his hand and asked me to blow into his palm that was his breath analyser or ‘Oothometer’! (In Malayalam ‘oothuka’ means – to blow). Trust our cops to be inventive.

On New year’s day when I regaled this incident to friends, one of them, a confirmed bar hopper with “good capacity”- a common terminology used by tipplers, revealed how he hoodwinked the cops once while returning from the club. He had had one too many when the arriving members warned him about the cops checking with breath analyzer down the road. Before finishing his ‘one for the road’ he asked his wife to lace her mouth with a peg of brandy and spit it out if she didn’t like the taste. She was confused to say the least and refused bluntly. After much cajoling she relented when he told her, “Otherwise I’ll have to spend the night in a police lockup and you will have to go home alone”. Section 203 of the motor vehicle act empowers the police to require any person driving a motor vehicle in a public place to submit to a breath test, and if the presence of alcohol is found to be above the permissible limit in his blood or urine, the individual may be arrested without a warrant

As expected the cops stopped him on the way. He was asked to blow into the breath analyzer and it showed that the alcohol content was way above the permissible 30mg/100ml limits. He wouldn’t agree with the cop and argued that he was not drunk but the apparatus was faulty. The cops too wouldn’t yield. Then he took out his ultimate weapon. He said, “I’ll prove that your machine is faulty, try it on my teetotaller wife and see for yourself?” The inspector wasn’t amused but nevertheless agreed after some persuasion. You can imagine the inspector’s bewilderment when the breath analyzer showed that she too was pissed drunk but without any of the attendant indications. Shocked he tried it out on her once more with the same effect. Probably he was too embarrassed to try it on himself not sure of the result. Convinced that the apparatus was indeed faulty he let them go!

Season's Greetings

2008-12-23T13:43:00.003+05:30

Wish You a Merry Christmas
&
A Happy and Prosperous New Year

Actionable Intelligence

2008-12-19T12:57:00.000+05:30

Reliable sources say that there definitely was useful information that was available. If an input says that a ship carrying terrorists has left from Karachi, the Navy and Coast Guard cannot say we want the name of the ship and the names of the terrorists so that we can intercept them. What they should have done is to send out a message to subordinate formations and ask them to step up surveillance and board a few ships at random so that the terrorists would know that they were taking a major risk of being apprehended. If the terrorists managed to land despite such checks, the Navy and the Coast Guard could then have said that with the available intelligence we did what we could.
This is not to say that the intelligence agencies did all they could. However the technical competence of our intelligence gathering, especially the external intelligence gathering, is very high. They can’t go to town crowing about their supremacy for it will compromise our sources of information as well as intelligence gathering techniques.

Abhaya Case - Arrest a Closure motion?

2008-11-24T09:21:00.002+05:30

The entire episode of the CBI team arresting the so called culprits in the Sr. Abhaya case within a few days of taking over the investigation seem to be running along a well scripted plan. This may be the only way for them to close the case as the courts were not allowing them to do so otherwise. The clever ploy seem to be to arrest the priests and nun who have been in the distrustful eyes of the public all along and charge sheet them. When the verdict comes they may be acquitted for want of sufficient evidence. Thereafter there will be one or two appeals and the case will be logically closed.
The public and Joemon Puthenpurackel is happy because they could see a couple of priests and a nun in cassock arrested and paraded and the media gleeful for they could feast on the visuals as well as the report. And above all it’s a win win situation for the CBI. If by chance the arrested are guilty a feather in their cap, if not, relived that they could finally close this ignominious case once and for all. That leaves everybody except the priests and the nun; in case they are innocent, the mental agony and the irreparable damage to their reputation will be indelible.

Upendra Verma IPS

2008-11-11T14:08:00.000+05:30

After the indomitable K.J. Joseph and the gentleman officer P.K. Hormis Tharakan, according to seniority it was rightfully Upendra Verma’s turn as DGP Law and Order. It is true that both the UDF as well as the LDF Governments neglected the services of the brilliant officer. Maybe they did not want an uncompromising person to head the state police force.
However Mr. Verma should thank the powers that be for unwittingly sparing him the ignominy of presiding over the extremely politicised force which has to dance to the tune of their political masters, more so in the present dispensation. The incidents of politicians and their cadres forcefully taking away detainees from the police station almost every other day has severely eroded the credibility of the force to act impartially.
Mr. Verma should take heart that even though both the Governments meted out injustice to him, the discerning public had taken note of the bias against him.

When will Indians start being proud of themselves

2008-10-22T21:36:00.002+05:30

The answer to Monsieur Francois Gautier’s question, “When will Indians start being proud of themselves and their own culture and stop looking down on their own society?” is, we will do so only when people of other countries start looking at us in admiration.

For this to happen, to name a few, we must have six lane express ways crisscrossing the length and breadth of our country, Bullet trains speeding from one end to the other, hop in and out of flights and trains at everybody’s convenience, have uninterrupted supply of cheap electricity, petrol and diesel at one tenth of today’s prices, and last but not the least, get fifty US dollars for every single Indian Rupee! (By that time the drinking water, health care and education of the under privileged which are our perennial problems would have ceased to exist.)

If ever someday it happens then we will hold our heads high.

Indian Administrative Service and their penchant for Flags

2008-10-11T21:09:00.003+05:30

Recently travelling along the state highway a VIP car with beacon light passed by flying not the national flag but a new and hitherto unseen flag. The car did not have any stars denoting the high ranks of the police and military personal that usually fly flags. After a few weeks when I saw the same flag being displayed on the official car of the District Collector it became evident that the IAS cadre was getting even with their IPS counterparts. It seems the IAS cadre which considers God, IAS and the rest of the world in that order, couldn't digest the IPS officers above the rank of DIGs flying flags on their official vehicles, so they invented one for themselves, since even the chief secretary doesn’t have an official flag to show about.
Flags are better left to uniformed personals. Are the IAS officers planning to don uniforms too to stand out in the crowd. Pray what will they do for the stars, use stripes instead?

Variants of Punishments & Genes of mischief

2008-09-30T10:45:00.002+05:30

Born and brought up in the midst of rubber plantation, where educational institutions were far and few, I was packed off to the boarding school as early as five years old. My first alma mater was a famous convent school in Kochi where boys only of the safe age group of five to ten were allowed.
Rest of my school years were with the Carmelite fathers of Mary Immaculate, pioneers in running educational institutions like military garrisons. One evening the rector stormed into the study hall holding a small packet, which a mischief monger had stealthily put in his room. None of the boys would own up responsibility as immediate expulsion would be the consequence. The academic year came to a close and there was a purge, all suspects were asked to find other schools to complete their further studies. Though not remotely connected with the mischief I too was disgracefully discharged from the school. For a eighth grader it was equivalent to capital punishment. With pull and push I managed to get admission and complete the rest of my schooling in another school of the same congregation though at a different location.

As living surroundings hadn’t changed much, I too admitted my son to a co-educational boarding school in the first standard itself. It was a smooth passage from the first to the seventh, the so called safe phase. While in class eight he slipped out of the hostel at night to buy snacks for his friends and himself. He was caught by the matron while sneaking back and reported to the principal. Naturally the principal send for me. I arrived a bit apprehensively thinking, “Like father like son”, he too will be dismissed from the school. On reaching the school my younger son casually asked me, “Dad in which class were you when you were compulsorily sent off”. The import of his query was apparent; yes I too was in the eighth. However the punishment my elder one got was, thanks to the changed times, cancellation of day out for the rest of the term.

Couple of years passed without further incidents. One day I was again summoned by the principal. He was caught for bullying his juniors. As the matter was serious and since I too disapproved of his behaviour, I agreed with the principal to take any punitive action that she considered appropriate. I was praying silently that the punishment should be anything but dismissal, since new admission in the tenth class was very difficult to obtain.

Incredibly the punishment he got for bullying the boys in the junior dormitory was to stay in the girls’ dormitory for a week. To be politically correct I pretended to be annoyed. Surreptitiously I thought “A few more years and he’ll wish for more of the same kind of punishment”.

Had he known that his paternal and maternal Grand fathers were college mates at St. Philomina’s, Mysore and that both of them were packed off from college, he would have said “ Dad don’t blame me, blame it on the genes.”

Man proposes God disposes

2008-09-28T14:33:00.000+05:30

I must have been twenty two when late one night my father woke me up. My maternal grandfather and great grandfather had arrived at that unearthly hour and wanted me to accompany them to vellore urgently. They wanted my services as an expert driver.
Word had come from CMC hospital that grandmother’s sister, who was admitted there critically ill, was sinking. Grandfather who had a Willy’s station wagon immediately set out proposing to take the patient’s father, his own father-in law, to see the dying daughter once more for the last time and also to bring back the body as soon as the inevitable occurred.
I changed in a jiffy and we set out earnestly on the 400kms journey. The diesel vehicle wouldn’t move as fast as the present day turbo charged engines and there weren’t a patch of four lanes in all of India those days. As we wanted to reach before she passed away, we drove non stop except for a brief while for tea and reached Vellore after about sixteen hours on the road.
Grandmother’s sister was in a very serious condition and the doctors gave her a maximum of 24 hours. Planning started immediately for the return journey with the body by the next day evening. Since there won’t be room for great grandfather to accompany us along with the body on the journey back, he was to be taken to Madras early the next morning and put on a flight to Cochin. That too was entrusted to me and we left after getting a wink of sleep.
At the airport while waiting for the boarding pass I told the person standing next in the queue that great grandfather was travelling alone and to be of assistance should the need arises. Probably feeling a bit scared seeing the old man, he asked me whether he can go the toilet by himself. Great grandfather was a little hard of hearing otherwise he would have been offended.
We the advance party of undertakers waited for the eventuality which never occurred the next day nor four days after defying all the doctor’s conclusions. So we returned rather uneventfully.
A couple of months passed and the patient was discharged from the hospital not because she was cured but because the doctors said there was nothing more to be done. She was brought home and was bedridden for the rest of her days.
Meanwhile grandfather developed a chest pain and was referred to a famous cardiologist at Trivandrum. On the day he was given appointment he took along with him for company, a retired doctor friend. At Trivandrum at the prodding of grandfather his doctor friend too underwent investigations and when the findings were announced, grandfather’s heart was pumping well but his friend the doctor who accompanied him just for the heck of it was found to have a cardiac snag. They were prescribed medicines and sent back by the cardiologist. On the way back grandfather dropped his friend at his house and asked his wife to take good care of him since it was revealed that her husband had a heart problem.
Two days later my grandfather who was all of 63 years passed away in his sleep. His sister-in law whom he had gone to vellore to bring back dead, breathed her last only a week after him. The doctor friend who accompanied him just to pass time but was found to have a heart condition lived for another eighteen more years. And Great grandfather out lived all of them to the ripe old age of103. Man proposes God disposes.

Visiting Spaniards

2008-05-04T12:55:00.000+05:30

I was privileged to stay with The Duke and Duchess of Santa Elena, their graces Alberto and Eugenia de Bourbon for couple of days in Madrid, during my trip to Europe in 1984. Closely related to the Spanish royal family; Their Majesties King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia were godparents to their only son Alfonso.
The duchess’s aunt was part of a group of nuns who came to India in the late forties to establish the order of the discalced Carmelite of St. Teresa in Kerala. It’s a peculiar order, that once cloistered they are forever confined to the convent and not allowed to go out under any circumstances except medical, nor anyone outside the order allowed in. The stringent conditions have been relaxed only recently. My grand aunt too had joined the order. When the Spanish sister came to know from my aunt that I was travelling to Spain she asked me to visit her niece whom she had left almost half a century ago.
The Basque separatist movement was at its height during that period. After the strict checking at the San Sebastian border station which was teeming with armed guards I entered Spain from France. News about my impending visit had already reached the Duchess from the convent. Warmly greeted in the customary style with kisses on either cheek, they were eager to know all about their aunt way back in India.
After seeing the various tourist attractions in and around Madrid like the Royal Palace, the Prado museum and deliberately avoiding the gory bull fight; I took leave after two days stay. Four years passed quickly. I invited the Duke and Duchess to the baptism of my son and my brother-in law’s wedding that were taking place the same day. They graciously accepted the invitation.
A group of nine which included the Duchess’s daughter, sister and her husband who was the Spanish consul general in Istanbul, their two children, The Duchess’s younger sister and her three teenage daughters, the elder, already the Duchess of Montemar, landed at Cochin airport in the last week of December1988. They were taken straight from the airport to St. Joseph’s convent Thiruvalla to meet their aunt.
I took them sightseeing to Thekkady, Kanyakumari, Kovalam and other tourist destinations. The wedding and baptism was on New Year’s Day of 1989. The Spanish guests brought with them a baptism dress as gift. It was a family heirloom, the same dress in which the Duchess’s son was baptised with the King and queen of Spain as Godparents. George was christened in that dress.
In the evening there was much merry making with music and dance. The Spaniards entertained with their famous flamingo dance. Two days after the function they flew back home. A week later I asked a local visitor how the function went and whether everyone enjoyed. His reply left me astounded, “It was a grand function, there were cabaret artistes from Bombay to entertain the guests.” I thanked my stars that the Spaniards were out of earshot and safely home.

NEBU

2008-03-28T06:35:00.000+05:30

What’s there in a name?
You don’t choose your parents so also your name. Usually mother’s have an upper hand in choosing the name of the new born. It was not after the Babylonian king Nebuchadnasser that I was named.
The Wikipedia says, “Nebu is the Egyptian symbol of gold. It depicts a golden collar with the ends hanging off of the sides and seven spines dangling from the middle”. I am sure my mother never knew it then as well as now. The fact is that I grew up disliking my own name and even considered officially changing it.
When VSNL queried me for a user name I opted for nebu@vsnl.com. But to my dismay it was already taken. On the spur of the moment I send a mail to nebu@vsnl.com saying that I too am a Nebu. Prompt was the reply from a dermatologist.
That it was a doctor of medicine aroused my curiosity. I knew from my mother that the original Nebu, her friend’s brother was a Doctor. It was his turn to be baffled reading my next mail asking him whether he was so and so. He thought it was one of his friends pulling his leg.
He was astonished when I narrated the story that I was named after him. After a few mails to and fro, it had to happen sooner or later, we arranged to meet. I took my mom for the first time to meet the person after whom she named her first born; it had been 45 years.
Her old friend had passed away a couple of years ago. The tragedy was compounded when her daughter too passed away embracing the mother’s dead body.

‘AL ITALIA’

2008-03-28T06:30:00.000+05:30

Lost Rome for a Lira
The ten hour flight from Bombay landed at the Leonardo da Vinci international airport Rome on a chilly afternoon. As an amateur traveller wearing inadequate attire the cold was biting.
Twenty four years ago it was the start of my solo two month trip to Europe. Not finding the familiar face of my uncle who was the first secretary in the Indian Embassy to greet me, I started to feel anxious.
There was only one other passenger who had boarded from Bombay and travelled all the way to Rome. The others had either disembarked or joined from Kuwait. Ricardo was on his way back to his home in Milan after visiting India. I narrated my predicament and he guided me with the formalities.
The bus from the airport dropped us at Roma Termini (train station). The Indian Embassy on Via Venti Settembre was only a short distance from the station. The embassy staff told me that the first secretary and his family had left for Paris before my telex reached informing about my advanced arrival. He would return only after a couple of days.
Ricardo helped me find a hotel to stay for the night in Pizza Barberini at the centre of which is the famous Triton’s fountain. He left after inviting me to his home in Milan; which I did after a few days.
The next day I went to see the famous Trevi fountain. Legend has it that you will return to Rome if you throw a coin into the water over your shoulder with your back to the fountain. Having seen Rome, I saved the change. Now I wish for another visit but somehow or the other it doesn’t happen. I realise a Lira saved is Rome lost eternally.
NEBU GEORGE.

self reliance

2008-02-04T10:58:00.001+05:30

Aristocrat, Everinsky, Own opinion, Track Lightning- to the uninitiated these might sound as some random words from the dictionary. An avid race goer of the early eighties will immediately identify these champion thoroughbreds.
Those were the days when the Bangalore Derby was the only derby still eluding Dr. M.A.M. Ramaswamy. The Punters were divided as to whom among M. Jagdish and V. Shinde was the champion Jockey. Though R.R. Byramji was far ahead of other trainers, A.B. David was immensely respected. Bangloreans were yet to discover the I.T.E.S and one could fend oneself with five hundred rupees a month.
I was a science undergraduate at the prestigious Christ College. Through some enthusiastic horse racing YMCA hostel mates I got introduced to this pastime of the rich and the famous. The race course was the place I spent several of those days at Bangalore instead of College. When cash ran out and all options of borrowing from friends too came to a naught I used my great equation with the Reverend Father Principal to borrow money on the pretext that the money order from home is late in arriving; which was promptly reimbursed from the winnings.
One fine race day a champion horse by the name self reliance a sure bet was running. The punter in me got the better of me and throwing all caution to winds, wagered the princely sum of three thousand rupees on the forty on sixty odds on favourite. The race started “Self reliance” was leading the field from the start, coming to the home stretch still in the lead. Alas but was piped at the post by the second favourite which too belonged to the same owner. I felt like sinking into the ground, how will I repay to all those whom I had borrowed.
Those days for students owning a four wheeler was extravagance and two wheelers luxury. What I had was the lowly moped but luckily two of them- a T.V.S.50 and a Kinetic Luna. Luna the older of the two was sacrificed at the altar of racing and all loans squared off.

Looks can be Deceptive.

2008-01-30T14:30:00.000+05:30

Not too long ago I was driving through Ernakulam searching for a particular domestic appliances service centre. The service personal was giving me instructions on my mobile phone how to locate the place. Out of the blue a traffic constable waved me down for using mobile phone while driving.

Caught red-handed and with no explanation to offer, he directed me to pay the fine. Cursing my fate I asked for the inspector so that I would pay up and get on with it. Over hearing the expletives used while cursing myself, probably he thought I was a bird of the same feather.

As I was crossing the road to go to the traffic inspector to pay the fine the constable came after me and asked where I work. Reluctant to say that I am a planter which the uninitiated do not comprehend, I smiled at him and kept mum. He asked me whether I was from the department, meaning the police. I still kept quiet with the same smile on my face. Now he grew more doubtful and kept stalking me for an answer. Finally I half nodded with fear of getting caught for impersonation.

By this time I had reached the traffic Inspector who was busy collecting fine from another person. As soon as I gave the half nod the constable said, Sir, you should have said so before, and asked me to carry on without paying the fine.

People have mistaken me for police, armed forces etc; looks can be deceptive nevertheless save your skin at the best of times too.

Hectic Christmas Holidays

2007-12-30T20:47:00.000+05:30

Never had a more hectic Christmas holidays. Believe it or not, it was like this, 25th 1st Holy Communion at Thodupuzha, 26th Baptism at Ernakulam, 27th Wedding at Ernakulam and house warming Dinner at Mundakayam, 28th Kudumbayogam (family get together) at Palai and Bachelors party Dinner at Mundakayam, 29th wedding at Kanjirappally, 30th Betrothal at Palai, not yet over.

Still to go, 31st wedding at Kanjirappally, 1st Wedding of a 22 year old male MBBS student (obviously with his batch mate) at Palai, 2nd School reopening and fees payment, 3rd Wedding at Palai, 4th the only rest day, 5th betrothal at Palai, 6th wedding lunch at Ekm, Tea another wedding at Aleppey followed with a grand finale dinner of the same wedding at Aleppey.

Can you beat that, probably can be done only by planters for who else has the time.

“Gegeneophis Mahadeiensis”

2007-12-18T14:59:00.000+05:30

More than a couple of times “Gegeneophis Mahadeiensis” the newly named legless amphibian was sighted moving through our front lawn, mainly during the rainy season. We ignored thinking it to be a retarded snake or an overgrown earthworm. Looks like I lost a golden opportunity to name it after our locality or even me.

GOD

2007-12-02T19:43:00.000+05:30

God is depicted resembling us for humans to easily relate to the otherwise unfathomable. That does not mean in any sense that the Supreme Being has any likeness to us. If God was to think and behave like us and was waiting to take vengeance on us, God ceases to be God. So by all means criticise God, for the omnipresent may not even realise it.

Marriage

2007-11-09T11:42:00.000+05:30

Marriage is an inevitable event in a woman’s / man's life, the one which they say happens in heaven, so does thunder and lightning. It is a licensed live-in agreement, which is like a magic circle, those who are outside it wants to get in and those who are inside it wants to get out. It is a complete license to do what boys always wanted to do without anyone asking what the hell you are doing. Sex is the price woman has to pay for marriage and marriage is the price men have to pay for sex. Marriage is the only war where you get to sleep with the enemy.

Mullaperiyar a Disaster waiting to happen?

2007-11-01T11:44:00.001+05:30

1st November 2007, having crossed 136 feet, water has started flowing through the spillways of the Mullaperiyar dam; Idukki dam which is downstream though almost full should be able to hold this overflow under normal circumstances. The massive Idukki dam might even be able to contain all of the waters of the Mullaperiyar reservoir in case of a mishap during summer when the storage in both the dams will be low but it is out of the question if any disaster happens during the monsoons at a point when both the dams are near their full storage capacity.
God forbid, if unfortunately the more than a century old Mullaperiyar dam where to give way at this juncture when the Idukki dam is brimming, it is unlikely that the rushing waters can be contained even if all the shutters of the Cheruthoni dam were to be opened to the maximum; the deluge is likely to knock down the shutters and in a worst case scenario tear down the dam itself leading to a catastrophe of gigantic proportions all the way downstream.
The Mullaperiyar dam structure seen above the water level does appear to be able to withstand for another century, but it is not the case with what is visible of the foundation when the water recedes. If all is well with the foundation of the dam the Tamilnadu Government would not have objected to the naval team sent by Kerala to inspect it last year. The foundation at the reservoir face of the Mullaperiyar dam should be inspected immediately and do whatever is best for its safety.
When the life of any construction let alone a dam cannot be more than a couple of centuries at the most, the Mullaperiyar agreement between the erstwhile states of Travancore and Madras for a period of 999 years evokes suspicion.

Dinner @ Jothynivas

2007-10-29T17:28:00.000+05:30

Long before IT, BT and BPO became household names and Bangalore city towards Madiwala ended at the diary circle, I was doing my final year BSc at the then males only Christ College and was the treasurer of the students union. Every year during the 2nd week of February the college conducted a three day carnival called Spring Festival in which colleges from and around Bangalore as well as some from Madras participated.
We came to know that the hostelites of our sister college Jothinivas were not being given permission to attend the evening session citing lack of transportation facilities and security concerns. The transportation problem was solved by arranging with the KSRTC to run a few busses from the college after the programme ended, agreeing to their condition that the last bus would leave the college at 8.00.This was conveyed to the hostel warden of Jothynivas and permission for the hostelites obtained. Mother Mary of Jothynivas was particular that I would be personally responsible for the safe return of all her inmates which was readily agreed and off went the Spring Festival to a colourful start.
Every thing went according to plans for the first two days but on the last day by the time the western music competition ended and the prize distribution was over it was well past 11.00 and the pre arranged KSRTC busses had already left. The Jothynivas girls were left stranded (in 1980 the stretch from Christ College to Jothynivas was a deserted patch with hardly any building). As Mother Mary had entrusted the safe return of her wards to me, chivalrously I volunteered to escort them to the hostel and we started walking the one km. stretch with no dearth for guys accompanying the group. On reaching the hostel the girls went straight to the dinning hall for they hadn’t had their dinner I went in to personally apologise to Mother Mary for the late arrival. I was about to return to the guys who were waiting at the gate when one of the girls told Mother Mary that I too hadn’t had dinner. The ever courteous Mother invited me to join the girls and the unbelievable happened- dinner at Jothynivas hostel at midnight 12 O’clock, probably the one and only guy in the annals of a girl’s hostel to have had such an opportunity!!

Fast Forward to 2003:-

When my son was in the tenth standard, one day we were summoned by the school principal to counsel us about him bullying his juniors, making them do errands and punishing them for refusing to comply with his orders. We agreed with the principal to take any punitive action that she considered fit. As he was bullying the boys in the junior boy’s dorm he was made to stay in the girl’s dorm for a week!!!.

If the father had midnight dinner at a womens hostel the son improved on it by staying in the girls dorm.

An unforgettable incident.

2007-09-21T13:36:00.000+05:30

This incident happened in the year 1972. I was studying in the eighth standard at Rajagiri High school Kalamasserry. During the summer vacation my father was summoned by Fr. Rector and was conveyed that I should find some other school to continue my studies and was being compulsorily sent off from the school. I believe that some petty allegations were levelled against me for the unceremonious packing off. (It was particularly humiliating because in those days changing schools in the ninth standard was very uncommon and peers in the new school will conclusively know that a new admission in the ninth standard is a chucked out student as well as it was embarrassing for parents to go begging for admission in the ninth standard. As the Rev. Fathers were the lord and masters of all that they surveyed their word was absolute and I got my compulsory T.C.
Luckily my Maternal G.Father could use his influence to get me admitted in a school belonging to the same congregation of priests at Palai. To this day I wonder what could a boy all of thirteen years have done so grave has to warrant such severe punishment.
After about 20 years I met my old vice Rector at an old boys gathering, when I introduced myself he said that he remembers me very well because he was the one who complained about me and got me packed off. His answer to my enquiry about the reason was as simple as – “you were naughty”, as if no thirteen year old isn’t
Epilogue:-
One day the principal of the school summoned us to complain about my elder son jumping out of the hostel at night to buy chicken and porotta from “Thattu kada”. Thinking about the punishment he is likely to get we reached the school a bit apprehensively. At the school my younger son casually asked me, in which class I was when I got the compulsory T.C, the import of his query was apparent. However the punishment my son got was in tune with the changed times.

The planter revealed

2007-08-23T13:54:00.000+05:30

Planters are supposed to be sitting on considerable wealth in terms of land, but those having liquidity is an exception rather than the rule. The income from sale of rubber sheets is used for his day to day expenses. Once in a while much cash comes into his hands in a very short span of time from the sale of rubber trees which he uses to buy more land now a days mostly in urban area or to build or renovate his bungalow or marry off his daughter or to square up existing loans.

A comparison of the value of plantation land with that of in urban areas will be interesting. If you take the value of one acre (100 cents) of plantation as 20 lakhs (maximum) it will be equivalent of 5 cents in Kottayam, 4 cents in Ernakulam, 3 cents in Chennai, 2 cents in Bangalore and probably 1 cent in Mumbai!

With this post I have come to the end of the "Planter" series.

The present day scenario

2007-08-22T16:17:00.000+05:30

In the good old days the children used to be sent to far off boarding schools but now with only one and two per family and to get the boys into professional colleges to make them all the more eligible, as the girls as well as their parents prefer the employed urban settled, these days it has become a common practice for the planters to move out of the plantations and reside in the nearby towns, children’s education being the sole reason..

Social Life.

2007-08-15T10:54:00.000+05:30

The down side of plantation life is the nonexistent social life. The estate bunglows are far from each other and the wife of a planter has hardly anything to do except keep the fire in the kitchen burning and the bed warm (pun intended).

Crisis looming large.

2007-08-13T18:54:00.000+05:30

The planting community is facing two major crisis one of their own making and the other more imminent, shortage of labour.
None from the present generation of the existing workers, for that matter even the planter’s, follow their parents and the educated youth are not inclined to take up jobs which include manual labour.
The one of their own making is that for various reasons the fraternity does not encourage its own next generation to become a planter. It has reached a stage where a planter is reluctant to give his daughter in marriage to another planter.

Myths & Realities regarding Planters.

2007-08-11T11:17:00.000+05:30

Planters lead a relaxed and leisurely life. The one thing they have in plenty is time and not money as others tend to think.

Who is a planter.

2007-08-10T11:52:00.000+05:30

Who is a planter? To the uninitiated a planter may be a gardener but reality is far from it. A planter is a person who owns vast areas of land in which any or all of the plantation crops such as Tea, Coffee, Rubber, Cardamom and Cocoa are cultivated. In essence he is a landlord but after feudalism became abhorrent the more civilised word Planter is commonly used.