How do guests become audacious?

Israeli filmmaker, Nadav Lapid was invited by India to chair the panel of judges at the International Film Festival of India 2022 that had just concluded at Goa. 

Lapid had the audacity to call the movie, "Kashmir Files" a propaganda film that did not have an iota of truth in its contents. Can't understand his gumption to trash another creative filmmaker's efforts. Seems to be downright ill mannered. The sad fact is that a few Indian film personalities - who, incidentally look for limelight to fall on them, albeit, even for a short while - have tomtommed his remarks.

He is an acclaimed filmmaker and has also expressed his opinions on issues that he feels strongly about. His beliefs and values have illuminated, his films, highlighting inner conflicts, the idea of nationalism and the complicated issue of his Jewish identity. Moreover, he has been one of the 250 signatories to a letter by the Israeli filmmaking community opposing their government's white washing the Palestinian occupation by giving grants to Jewish settlers in the West Bank.

What is audacious about his comments is that he doesn't believe that the brutality meted out to the Kashmiri Pundits by the Muslim population of Jammu and Kashmir had taken place. The Kashmir Files gives the authentic version of what had happened. 

How dare he call it propaganda? He definitely has no credentials to sit in the jury if he was so biased and hadn't cared to study and understand the facts.

How do dubious, uncouth guys get invitations to participate in such events, I wonder?

Tailpiece.

Got up around a half past 6, the chores and was ready by 10.

Carried out the Wednesday aarathi of the house and washing machinex of the bed linen.

 

Kochi port - unaffordable?

In a setback for Kochi port, a section of Kerala-based exporters has decided to shift to major ports like Thoothukudi and Nhava Sheva in Navi Mumbai, citing unaffordable ocean freight charges, long transit time and hostile attitude of central agencies here. The 180-member Kerala Exporters Forum (KEF) claims a majority of exporters have decided to shift.

The Vegetable and Fruit Exporters Association stopped sending shipments from the port since 25 Nov, claiming that high freight charges and GST had made exports unaffordable. The volume of exports from Kochi port stood at 1,29,437.05 tons in August and 1,04,557.6 tons in September. 

Kerala exports 250 tons of fruits and vegetables by air per day and 375 containers of vegetables by sea per month. The freight charge for a 40 ft container from Kochi to Jebel Ali (Dubai) is $1,545 against $533 from Nhava Sheva port. The VKC group which ships around 120 to 150 containers of footwear a month, has already shifted to Navi Mumbai.

Exporters also complained that the delay in transit of cargo from Kochi was causing loss of business. 

"A container shipped from Kochi takes 14 days to reach Jebel Ali (Dubai), 18 days to reach Doha (Qatar) and 22 days to reach Jeddah (Saudi Arabia). The same consignment from Navi Mumbai reaches the GCC countries in five days. Containers from Kochi are first taken to Colombo port where they are transshipped and sent to their destinations. This delays delivery.

Agricultural products sent by ocean freight from Kerala include tapioca, banana, drumstick, ginger, purple yam, yam, coconut and colocasia.

The high freight charges and GST have made vegetable exports unaffordable. Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh are delivering the same products at cheaper rates.

My take

Is the Mallu arrogance and reticence that are the root cause? The work culture definitely needs to improve.

Tailpiece.

Got up at a quarter past 6, the chores and was ready by 10. Subin fetches up in the morning itself to clean the overhead fresh water tank.

Off to the bank and the supermarket for sundry purchases.

Selvam comes and presses the backlog of clothes.

The Arunachal Frontier Highway - India's toughest project!

The Modi government moves with Arunachal Frontier Highway, among India's 'toughest' projects yet, China in mind. There was a time when China did not allow the then PM Manmohan Singh's chopper to land in Arunachal Pradesh.

The 2,000 km-long highway will be of strategic importance to the Indian military. Same equipment used on the other side of LAC being deployed to carry out work on tough terrain.

Covering the entire Line of Actual Control (LAC) adjacent to Arunachal Pradesh, this project will cost at least Rs.40,000 crores. "One of India's biggest and toughest " road building projects.

* After seven decades of dithering on establishing border connectivity in the Northeast, India has initiated a massive infrastructure building, the showpiece of which is the Arunachal Frontier Highway, one of the country's biggest and toughest projects.

* Work on the project has already started in certain sections with state-of-the-art equipment deployed to fast track the whole process.

* The project, which was objected to by China in the past, is a 2,000-km long road that follows the McMahon Line.

* The road will begin from Mago in Arunachal Pradesh, adjacent to Bhutan and pass through Tawang, Upper Subansiri, Tuting, Mechuka, Upper Siang, Debang Valley, Desali, Chaglagam, Kibithu, Dong before ending at Vijayanagar near the Myanmar border.

* With this project, Arunachal Pradesh will get three national highways - the Frontier Highway, the Trans-Arunachal Highway and the East-West Industrial Corridor Highway.

* Six vertical and diagonal inter highway corridors totalling 2,178 km will be built to provide missing inter-connectivity between the three highways as well as to provide faster access to border areas.

* The corridors include the 402 km-long Thelamara-Tawang-Nelia Highway, the 391 km-long Itakhola-Pakke-Kessang-Seppa-Parsi Parlo Highway, the 285 km-long Gogamukh-Taliha-Tato Highway, the 398 km-long Akajan-Jorging-Pango Highway, the 298 km-long Pasighat-Bishing Highway and the 404 km-long Kanubari-Longding Highway.

* The Arunachal Frontier Highway will be a huge capability jump for the military since it will allow seamless and faster movement of both men and equipment to the border as and when needed for induction and de-induction.

* China had raised objections to the project in 2014 itself after it came across reports that the proposal got preliminary nod from the Prime Minister's Office.

* The project is being implemented by multiple agencies in close co-ordination with each including the Border Roads Organisation, the MoRTH and other agencies.

Faced with an assertive China, India has been carrying out a massive infrastructure push in the Northeast with a major focus on Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, fast tracking work on a number of bridges that can transport heavy equipment to tunnels, highways and feeder roads right up to the LAC.

My take

A much needed thrust in the beefing up of the border infrastructure!

Tailpiece.

Got up at a quarter past 6, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10. 

Rejith comes to collect clothes for dry cleaning, Trijo comes and collects the cheque for his work, the waterman comes and gives me the water bill for the month and I recharged the FASTag.

The IFB guy comes to service the washing machine and renew the AMC.

The evening chores.  

Anjali Kulthe of 26/11 fame!

14 years ago - on the night of 26/11/2008, the murderous terrorist 'Ajmal Kasab' entered the premises of 'Kama Hospital' along with his accomplices and started firing indiscriminately...

Both the security guards of the hospital were killed on the spot....Both of them were lying in a pool of blood....A little further a nurse was lying injured.....Kasab and his accomplice were crossing the porch and climbing the stairs of the first floor.

50 year old nurse - Anjali Kulthe - was watching this horrific scene from the first floor....on 26/11 she was on night shift.....she was in-charge of maternity ward....and there were 20 pregnant women in her ward....Seeing two militants with guns in their hands coming from the stairs towards her ward, Anjali rushed forward with all her might.....and she closed the two thick doors of her ward. She moved all the 20 women to a pantry at the end of that floor.

How delicate and risky it was to shift twenty pregnant women in such an emergency. Kasaband his accomplice had gone to the terrace of the hospital and from there were shooting at the police gathered below.....throwing grenades.....

Seeing that, Anjali, came out, took the injured nurse to the casualty and gave her proper treatment. Meanwhile, one out of the twenty women started having labour pains. Anjali took her by the hand, clinging to the wall and walked to the delivery room and with the help of the doctor there, the delivery went smoothly.

After the thrill of the attack was over, Anjali used to wake up scared from sleep for the next several days. After a month, she was called by the police. To establish Kasab's identity....she was later called as a witness in his trial......"To be allowed to wear my uniform!".....'Because, on that terrible night, I realised the responsibility on this uniform and that's why I could dare to do this......' she said.  

Anjali Kulthe had not only saved the lives of twenty women that night but also twenty children who had reached the jaws of death before seeing this world.

Today these children will be fourteen years old.....They may not even know that they have 'two birth mothers'  - one mother who actually gave birth to them after nine months and Anjali Kulthe.....the other mother who gave life before birth!

Salute to Anjalitai for your courage and resourcefulness!

Courtesy. What'sApp.

Tailpiece.

Had got up around a half 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 9.

The maid comes by for work. Earlier, washing machinex was resorted to reduce the maid's washing clothes  requirement.

The evening chores. 

Back at The Quarterdeck.

Got up at a trifle past 6, the chores and was ready for the piping hot cuppa tea that Rema had prepared. A couple of biscuits and I was ready for the day. Had breakfast before my bath as I didn't want to delay the breakfast time of my sister and Padmakumar. 

Was ready by a half past 10 and we took off for Guruvayur without much ado. Padmakumar accompanied us till the main road. Getting out of Kochi, through the choke points like Vyttila, Idappalli and Aluva was quite nice as the traffic was sparse. Had lunch at the Saravana Bhavan at Paliyekkara and the time was 1.

Passing through Thrissur and onward to Guruvayur was slow as there were single-lane traffic stretches  thanks to the ongoing work. Reached Kunnamkulam by about 3 and on reaching Guruvayur, we headed straight for the fruit shop to fetch our fruit basket and from there, to the National Supermarket to buy vegetables and to have a cup of tea and snack.

Reached 'The Quarterdeck' soon after a half past 3. Opened up the house, Lekha prepared fish and meals for Kittu and his family.

A quiet evening as people from the other two houses were out of station.

Went about our chores and got into our usual groove pretty soon.

Tailpiece.

The month of November is about to end!  

When I'd parked the Chevy parked in our porch, we'd clocked a total of 849.5 kms.

The return journey.

Got up at a half past 5 thanks to Lekha’s cellphone. The chores and was ready by 8. Met each and everyone, exchanged pleasantries and bid farewell. 

Packed our bags, vacated our cabin and Soyalin helped us load our luggage into the Chevy’s boot. Since, Jojy and Saly, along with Josekutty, were leaving for Kochi I’d asked him to lead me.

And he did!

We took off from the resort by a 10’ past 9. And Jojy put me on to the highway

We, then, went to the Karikkakom Devi kshetram. The money was paid for as per the wow taken by Anitha when my passport was misplaced, while at Cape Town during our stay there last September!

And then we had shaped course for Rema’s house at Thrippunithura. Tea and snack were had at the Kartika Residency, where we’d lunch yesterday. Lunch was at Changanasserry at a half past 2. And we’d tea on reaching Rema’s place a trifle before sunset. 

Felt very sleepy while driving. 

A quiet evening.

Tailpiece.

The entire drive was peaceful!

Day 2.

Got up at 6, the chores and we were ready by 8. Had breakfast and we were off to the Jatayupara by a quarter past 9.

The drive was nice and we reached before lunchtime. The concept of Jatayupara has lofty ideas and needs to be built up soon. 

Had lunch at the Karthika Residency at Karatte. It was nice. 

We, then, went off to Aazhimala Sivakshetram and it was a nice experience. 

I cut my birthday cake and Lekha gave me my first piece.

The campfire, entertainment and dinner went off well and we hit the sack a trifle late.

Tailpiece.

A day that shall remain etched.

Day 1 of the Get together.

Got up at 7, went through the chores and was ready by a quarter to 9. Had breakfast, interacted with the others and returned to our cabin for wash and change. 

Returned to the reception for boarding the maxi cab. We left in two buses and was in Al Saj for the next two hours for discussions and lunch. It was nice.

Reached our Alma Mater by a half an hour, photograph sessions. The school principal didn’t join us for the tea session.

We left the school by 3. On return we peeled off to go the handloom station, got off at the tea shop. We, then returned by a 10 past 5.

The evening was comfortable with songs and a short entertainment program.

Tailpiece.

The day went of well.

Kochi to Poovar.

Lekha’s cellphone had woken us up at a half past 3. Went about our chores without disturbing Padmakumar and Rema. We were ready and kicked off from Siddhi Kedar by a 10’ past 6 and were at Babu Sahadev and Suma’s place by 20’ to 7. 

We were at the Malliyoor Ganapati kshetram by a quarter past 8, had a good darshan and proceeded to Thiruvaarpu Krishnan’s temple by a quarter to 10. Had a good darshan and proceeded for breakfast at a Farm Fed stall, whose proprietor, Biju befriended us. The temples were listed out by Suma which was good!

Had lunch at Nilamel. The drive to Poovar was nice without hassles. Had tea and snacks by the wayside. Made a wrong turn off Kovalam and overshot. Had to correct it and we reached the resort by a quarter past 5. Quickly went through the registration formalities, parked our Chevy and unpacked in cabin 19 allotted to us.

Completed the washing of soiled clothes. Joined the crowd for the evening function and it was a great occasion to interact with my classmates and their wives.

Tailpiece.

The get together has taken off well.

At my sister’s place.

The day had begun at a half past 3 thanks to Lekha’s cellphone. Went through the chores and we were ready by 6. What Lekha and I can never forget was Kittu’s sad countenance all through. He’d the food given to him by Lekha and watched us go through the process of locking up the house and leaving. Consequently, had a lump in my throat for quite a while.

We were on the highway after an hour but the traffic was heavy because it was Monday morning. A rest room break enroute at the IOC pump and reached the Ananda Bhavan where we shared a ‘combo’ and washed it down with filter coffee.

Dropped Lekha at Floria’s by a half past 10 and parked the Chevy in front of the Aryaa’s Park at Panampilli Nagar. The wait was for about two hours during which I realised that I’d left my laptop at home…saddened me no end. 

Padmakumar, Rema and Lekha had joined me soon after. After a lunch of simple vegetable meals, we’d gone across to Lineesh’s Titan showroom at Broadway. Parking was a difficult exercise for me as the Chevy’s under carriage went through a couple of heavy thuds due to bad manoeuvring. Was upset at my mistake.

Lekha gifted me with a watch for my birthday. We, then, drove to Rema’s place at Thrippunithura. A short nap and had a nice evening where we discussed various things.

Tailpiece.

Lekha has recovered fully well from her recent fall at The Quarterdeck. 

The Ashtavakra Gita.

While everybody has heard of the Bhagwad Gita, not many are aware that there are 25 Gitas in all. One of these is the Ashtavakra Gita. Scholars rate it as highly as the Bhagwad Gita, yet it is virtually unknown among common people. This book is in the form of a dialogue between Ashtavakra and King Janaka of Mithila. Ashtavakra was a sage whose body was deformed at eight places. Thus, he got this name where ashta means eight vakra means deformed.

The Mahabharata tells the story of how he became deformed. When Ashtavakra was in the womb of his mother, he used to hear his father, Kahor, a scholar, recite the Vedas. Ashtavakra was so intelligent that, though unborn, he learnt the Vedas.

One day he politely pointed out mistakes in his father's recitation. Though he was correct, his enraged father cursed him and he was born with deformities in his arms, back and legs.

Kahor went to King Janaka's court and engaged in shastrartha (intellectual debate) with Sri Bandi, the court philosopher. He was defeated and had to work for Sri Bandi. When Ashtavakra was 12 years old, he learnt about his father and immediately left for Videha, the capital of King Janaka. When he arrived in the city, the King, who was taking rounds there noticed him. Ashtavakra saw Kanaka staring at his crooked form and said, "Just as the shape of a temple does not affect the sky, the crookedness of my body has no effect on the atma. A wise man looks at the reality behind the appearances while an ignorant man gets lost in forms".

Janaka was highly impressed by the young boy's intelligence and took him to the palace. After honouring Ashtavakra, he engaged in a dialogue with him. This is the Ashtavakra Gita consisting of 300 verses. Its key teaching is that you are not your body, you are atma. You will remain even when the body dies. It also emphasises the unity of beings saying - you are all beings and all beings are you.

The Ashtavakra Gita maintains that that the world is an illusion not a reality. There is an interesting analogy. Imagine, you are sleeping in a room where a piece of rope is lying. You wake up in the middle of the night and look at the rope and in your sleep think it to be a snake. You are convinced that there is a snake in the room, unable to see the reality that it is a rope. Similarly, due to a lack of knowledge, human beings may think that this world is real but the actual reality lies hidden behind the appearances of this world.

Courtesy. Gaurav Yadav

My take

Awesome!

Tailpiece.

Got up at a half past 6, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10. 

Took the Chevy to the petrol bunk to top it up with fuel and check tyre pressure. Then to the kizhakkenada to buy pappadams for the Laxmans. Paid obeisance to Guruvayurappan. The Chembai Sangeetholsavom was on at the Melpathoor Auditorium and I was enchanted by the music.

The maid left home after work by about a quarter past 2.

Shut down The Quarterdeck in stages.

 

A Village in Bihar Celebrates!

For the first time ever, the residents of Chormara village in Bihar's Maoist-dominated Jamui district witnessed the installation of a 43-inch LED television on Thursday. 

Children jumped with joy while men and women clapped enthusiastically! "We'll also be able to connect with the outside world, from now on", one of the residents said. The TV was brought following an initiative by the officers of the CRPF, who are deployed here to ensure the villagers' safety. The DIG, Muzaffarpur range and the Commandant, approached the Jamui branch of SBI for the initiative and the bank installed the set - with DTH - under the community development program.

Trust, development and security can bring a change in the lives of residents hit by extremism. Moreover, the law and order situation is better with enhanced co-ordination between the CRPF and the police.

Chormara is located under the Barhat police station area, which was one of the hotbeds of left wing extremism in the state till three years ago. The village, inhabited mainly by tribals, is surrounded by forest and hillocks.

The SBI has been advising villagers to explore opportunities to set up small industries by taking bank loans. Women, too, can start self-help groups for earning livelihood.

Courtesy. Ramashankar @ Patna 

My take

The Chormara village is all set for a take off to progress in leaps and bounds! 

Tailpiece.

Got up at a trifle past 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 9.

Trijo's men - Suresh and Unni - set up the scaffolding and fitted the plastic chains from the drain pipe to facilitate water to flow smoothly to the ground. Pushpaakaran, the farmhand, came to do spring cleaning and he'd finished his work by a quarter past 3.

Mission Prarambh : Vikram-S blasts off.

Vikram-S, the country's first privately built rocket by a Hyderabad-based start-up, soared into the sky from the ISRO spaceport in Sriharikota, in a giant leap for the fledgling private space sector in India.

Vikram-S, named after the founder of the country's space program, Dr Vikram Sarabhai, blasted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 1130 hrs. The rocket is a single stage suborbital space launch vehicle of Skyroot Aerospace.

The mission titled 'Prarambh' (beginning) carried two domestic payloads built by Space Kidz India and N-Space Tech India and one foreign payload from Bazoomq of Armenia. The successful launch of the mission created history as this was the first privately-built rocket to soar into the Indian skies after the Union Government opened up the space sector for private players in 2018.

Skyroot Aerospace, the Hyderabad based start-up founded in 2018 by former ISRO scientists Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka, built the rocket, Vikram-S, in two years using advanced technologies like carbon composite structures and 3D-printed components.

The rocket, which boasts of cutting-edge avionics and all-carbon fibre core structure, was powered by solid-fuelled propulsion and weighed 545 kg. It's 6 metres long and 0.375 metres in diameter.

Pitching Vikram series as the "quickest and most affordable" way to reach space, the start-up said Friday's launch will help test and validate majority of the technologies in the Vikram series of orbital class space launch vehicles including many sub-systems and technologies that will be tested across pre-lift-off and post-lift-off phases of the launch.

Courtesy. Deccan Herald

My take

We are passing through exciting times insofar as space research is concerned!

Tailpiece.

Got up at a 20' past 6, the chores and was ready by 10.

Spoke to Mini and Rema.

Helped Lekha water the plants and she helped me wash down our Chevy.

Skin-to-skin contact between mothers and preterm babies.

Prematurity is now the leading cause of death of children under 5. Most born at or after 28 weeks in high-income countries go on to survive but in poorer countries, survival rates can be as low as 10%. WHO advises Kangaroo Care. An estimated 15 million babies are born preterm, amounting to more than 1 in 10 of all births globally and an even higher number - over 20 million babies have a low birthweight. 

* WHO has launched new guidelines to improve survival and health outcomes for babies born early - before 37 weeks of pregnancy or small, under 2.5 kg at birth.

* It recommends skin to skin contact with a caregiver should start immediately after birth without any initial period in an incubator. India is already practicing this regulation, FOGSI (Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India) secretary said.

* Most preterm babies can be saved through feasible, cost-effective measures including quality care before, during and after childbirth.

* Breastfeeding is strongly recommended, until six months.

* Donor human milk if mother's milk is not available or nutrient-enriched preterm formula.

* They should be fed as early as possible from the first day.

* Application of topical oil to body of preterm or low-birthweight infants.

Courtesy. The NIE

Tailpiece.

Got up around a quarter to 7, the chores and was ready by 10.

The maid had come earlier than usual for work.

My course mate, Suresh had called from Toronto and had a long chat.

Our Prime Minister spins a magical web in Bali!

G 20 Indonesia 2022 - Modi echo in G20 draft

1. Draft G20 communique almost echoes Modi's words to Putin in Samarkhand. It says today's era 'must not be of war'.

2. Indian delegation played a big role in achieving consensus among member states over the wording criticising, the Russian invasion, UK's Financial Times reports.

3. 'The use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible. The peaceful resolution of conflicts, efforts to address crises as well as diplomacy and dialogue are vital. Today's era must not be of war', the draft statement said.

Ahead of assuming charge of the G20 Presidency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, yesterday, had a few bilaterals and bonhomie with the heads of state and government at Bali but what caught the eye was his smiling handshake and a brief exchange with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

This was the first time they interacted after the Galwan skirmish in Ladakh in 2020 that left 20 Indian soldiers dead and put bilateral ties into deep freeze. Their exchange may not indicate a return to normalcy between the two countries but it was nevertheless interesting.

Among the meetings Modi had with other leaders included US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and French President Emmanuel Macron.

"Happy to have met Joe Biden, we had fruitful exchanges on key issues", tweeted Modi. He thanked Biden for his constant support for strengthening the India-US strategic partnership, including co-operation in sectors like critical and emerging technologies, advanced computing and artificial Intelligence.

Modi also addressed a G20 session on food and energy security where he said, "We have to find a way to return to the path of ceasefire and diplomacy in Ukraine....I'm confident that next year when the G20 meets in the holy land of Buddha and Gandhi, we will all agree to convey a strong message of peace to the world".

Adapted from Yeshi Seli in the NIE.

My take

What a performance? Prime Minister Modi has cast a spell on the other leaders of the world with his vision and clarity of thought. We are fortunate to have him as our leader! 

Tailpiece.

Got up at a 10' past 6, the chores and carried out the usual Wednesday 'aarathi' of the house. Had breakfast before bath to avoid delaying the others.

Off to collect my courier and to complete bank work.

Padmakumar and Rema left for Thripunithura around a quarter to 3. 

A comedy of errors!

Today's happening in Kerala had a comical touch to it!

The LDF had called for a blockade of the Raj Bhavan as part of its 'struggle' with the Governor over differences. Accordingly, about one lakh Communist volunteers were deployed for the purpose, who shouted anti-Governor slogans throughout. A temporary pandal was erected from where the CPM secretary, Sitaram Yechury reminded the people that his party was fighting an ideological cause and not a personal one. That denial, itself, betrayed the true reason. There were two interesting factors :-

 (a) The Governor was away in Delhi!

 (b) The chief minister and his ministers studiously stayed away from the jamboree!

Not far away from this venue, the Governor of Tamilnadu, Mr RN Ravi was the chief guest in an event arranged by the Lok Ayukta. In his address, he'd said that dilution if any, of the office of the Lok Ayukta, has to be resisted/corrected by the Governor which is what Mr Arif Mohammed Khan has done.

The lengths to which this pantomime is being played out defies logic and the actors seem to be under the impression that the common man is impressed but what they don't realise is that he's having the laugh!

And I don't tire myself saying this : The Commies never miss even a situation to show their love (?) for the Muslims - and we all know that it's for vote-bank purposes! - but they hate people like the late President Abdul Kalam and Arif Mohammed Khan. Why? Because these people have read books like the Bhagwad Gita and have imbibed the good aspects and teachings of Hinduism. They, therefore, emphasise upon those aspects, which neither the hardcore Muslims, the Commies nor the other opposition parties endorse.

Tailpiece.

Got up at a quarter past 6, the chores and was ready by 10.

Rema and Padmakumar fetched up by teatime. After tea and a quick wash and change, they had gone to the temple for 'darshan'. Yakkittiyak, followed by a late night.  

Weekend dance and fun on Kartavya Path.

Visitors coming to India Gate lawns on weekends can enthrall themselves with dance performances, musical shows, plays and painting exhibitions as the Culture ministry has decided to organise cultural events every Saturday and Sunday on the Kartavya Path.

Demo of Indian Culture

* Dance performances, musical shows, plays and painting exhibitions at Kartavya Path on Saturdays and Sundays.

* All the events planned at India Gate are open to all.

* Ministry has tied up with cultural bodies like Sangeet Natak Akademi and National School of Drama for the initiative named 'Kalanjali'.

Series of events will continue till Aug 2023 with the culmination of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.

The idea is to tell citizens about the rich heritage and culture of India which has generally not been talked about. All the events planned at India Gate are open to all. The plays by the NSD are aimed to educate the audience on a variety of topics like :-

        * on-line fraud

        * security measures

        * legal provisions

My take

A good idea! Would help the citizens to understand all about their country.

Courtesy. Parvez Sultan @ New Delhi in the NIE

Tailpiece.

Got up at a quarter past 6, the chores and was ready by a quarter past 10.

It was a quiet day as we went about our usual activities.

Rema and Padmakumar will fetch up tomorrow.

Rail-related incidents and train operations.

The rise in incidents of passengers pulling alarm chain in trains, stone pelting and jumping in front of trains (average of three per day under the the jurisdiction of the Palakkad DRM) is affecting the functioning of the rail operations in the division.

The DRM sought the support of DRUCC (Divisional Rail Users Consultative Committee members on an online meeting to reach out to the public to make them aware of its ill effects.

In Oct '22, the passenger revenue is 21.52% higher than the target for October set by the Southern Railway headquarters.

A total of 14 DRUCC members representing trade bodies, passenger associations, industries, consumer organisations, the association of differently abled and members nominated by the MPs attended the meeting.

This needs to take place frequently so that the railways benefit in the long run.

Tailpiece.

Got up around a 20' past 6, the chores and was ready by a 20' past 10.

Went across to the kizhakkenada shops to pick up a gift for Vijayakumar's grandson after breakfast. Could finally get one!

The maid was busy all through the day .and left by about a half past 4.

Vijay and family had come by to spend about 2 hours+ with us after their visit to the temple. Their grandson, li'l Vedant became friendly with us in no time. 

. 

End of Ola and Uber?

Ratan Tata and Mukesh Ambani have joined hands with a start up (BluSmart) to transform India's public transportation system.

BluSmart is India's first electric taxi company. The company's 600+ electric vehicle fleet now runs only in Delhi, NCR. Earlier, taxi rental companies revolutionized the way we commute.

But now, complaints about Uber and Ola's bad customer service are at an all-time high. And we are all sick of their surge pricing and cancellations.

When compared to Ola and Uber, this startup promises to be at least 30% cheaper. The company intends to expand to other Indian cities.

Last year, Tata Motors agreed to supply BluSmart with 3,500 electric vehicles. It has also collaborated with Jio-BP, a joint venture between Reliance Industries and British Petroleum, to build smart charging stations across India.

British Petroleum has invested $13 million in BluSmart, providing the company with the financial strength to compete with Ola and Uber in India.

BluSmart's mission is to provide reliable, zero-ride denials, zero surges, zero emission, affordable and sustainable mobility.

Tailpiece.

Got up a trifle late, the chores and was ready by 10.

A quiet Saturday.

Mithun delivered the grocery we'd ordered before sunset. The sky was overcast most of the day and it rained in the evening. 

Quite a few imponderables, all of a sudden.

A lot many things are happening these days that have raised plenty of queries in my mind and I would like to share some of them with you. So, without much ado, let me go through them.

(a) What's Stalin and his DMK Celebrating?

Today, as per the latest verdict of the Supreme Court, the convicted assassins of the late Indian Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi have been set free. They will be leaving the jail after 31 years of captivity. Consequently, the streets of Tamil Nadu are lit up with crackers and fireworks by cadres of the ruling party in the state.

Their good conduct during captivity, having become literate and academics over the years have been cited as reasons for their release. However, these people were the prime movers of the assassination of our Prime Minister and definitely have to answer important questions on national security.

Brings me back to a doubt that was prevalent during those days immediately after the assassination. What was DMK's position - on the assassination (The party had stayed away from the reception ceremony laid out for the brave IPKF soldiers, sailors and airmen - during that time when it gave whole hearted support to Prabhakaran and his LTTE?

(b) What has the Kerala government achieved by ousting the Governor from the Kerala Kalamandalam-deemed-to-be-University?

A very petty decision, I would say. The new chancellor is the state's minister for culture! Can you beat that? A highly volatile decision that could have been avoided as it doesn't stand legal scrutiny.

(c) Why do people get away after disgracing the President of India?

Today, we'd the unfortunate incident of a minister from the Mamata Banerjee government of West Bengal making disgusting, crass and belittling references to the President who's currently in that state on tour.

He needs to be shamed and kicked out of the cabinet.

(d) Why this pantomime, CNN?

It was pathetic to see the news channel concentrating on a few stories of the Russia-Ukraine war and gave a lot of hype to President Biden's address at the climate meeting COP 27 at Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt today. He was being projected as providing inspirational leadership for the noble cause but is he really capable of it given the contradictory positions of the US.

Was it also to downplay certain hard facts of the country's domestic politics where Donald Trump and the Republicans are creating a 'red surge' in the midterm elections? The Senate and the House of Representatives will have Republican majority at the end of it all, next week. Your hatred towards your former President needs to be dumped, pronto!

Tailpiece.

Got up at a 10' past 6, the chores and was ready by 10. Lekha's discomfort on her leg did hamper her movements today but she had performed fairly well in the kitchen.

A quiet and wet day all through.

The Governor - Government tussle continues.

The government has decided to bring in an ordinance stripping the Governor off the chancellorship of universities. The Governor has retorted that he will refer the the ordinance to the President, indicating a natural death for the decree.

Governor's Options

* Ask government to cite reason for ordinance

* Refuse to promulgate ordinance citing reasons

* Refer ordinance to President for opinion

Government's Options

* Move Supreme Court against Governor saying that he's not fulfilling obligations

* Unleash campaign by LDF saying Khan backtracked from assurance

Other States that did it

* 2013 Gujarat passes law stripping governor of chancellorship. Bill gets nod in 2015 by new governor.

* 2021 Maharashtra cabinet okays bill that disallows governor from appointing VCs directly. Bill rolled back in Sep 2022 after change in regime.

* Apr 2022 Tamilnadu passes two bills to transfer power of VC appointment from governor to government. Bills yet to receive governor's assent.

* Jun 2022 West Bengal passes legislation making CM as chancellor. Bill returned by governor.

* Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Punjab are planning a similar legislation.

Sticky wicket

Experts say the government will be on a sticky wicket if the governor refers the ordinance to the President. The state will not be able to bring in a Bill on the matter in the Assembly until the president takes a call on the decree.

My take

A typical way of taking action by non-BJP ruled states throwing a spanner on to Federalism.

Tailpiece.

Got up at a quarter past 6, the chores and was ready by 10.

Earlier, Lekha had taken a tumble in the work area and has hurt her left knee. Had gone to the fruit shop to pick up our fruit basket and Raamacham.

The maid had come earlier than usual and finished her work by 4 in the evening.

A soulful request.

The following Indian ex-Naval personnel have been languishing in a jail in Qatar for suspected anti-national work. They are :-

* Cdr Purnendu Tiwari (Managing Director)

* Capt Navtej Singh Gill (Director Naval Training)

* Capt Birender Kumar Verma (Director Naval Academy)

* Capt Saurabh Vashisht (Director Equipment & Maintenance)

* Cdr Sugunakar Pakala (Director FCN)

* Cdr Amit Nagpal (Director)

* Cdr Sanjeev Gupta (Dy Director T&S)

* Mr Ragesh (Sailor and Co-ordinator)

The Government of India is in discussions with the Qatari government for their release. Meanwhile, reproduced below is the soulful appeal from Mrs Aman Gill, wife of Captain Navtej Singh Gill.

We, Indians always remain grateful to the Indian Government for all support as always provided.

(a) I, Aman Gill, am wife of Capt Navtej Singh Gill (ex-Indian Navy) who is working in Doha, Qatar since 2016. I also come from a defence background and my father Col GR Singh(Retd) ex-Corps of Signals and my father-in-law Brig NT Singh (Retd) ex-Corps of Signals who was Commandant 2STC Goa have all served the country.

(b) I beg to take the liberty and respectfully submit and bring to your kind attention that my husband Capt Navtej Singh Gill is working with Dahra Global Technologies & Consultancy Services at Doha, Qatar since 08 Jun 2016. Please note that the Government of India runs re-employment  program to train Navies of friendly countries under a signed MoU in 2019 and such employment is in line with the policy of the country.

(c) The company is well reported on the website by both, Dr Deepak Mittal, present Ambassador and Mr P Kumaran, the previous Ambassador.

(d) From 30 Aug 2022, I was not being able to get him on WhatsApp or any other mode of communication and there was no contact by him with anyone in the family. On discussing with his office, we came to know that six directors of the company of which he is one, along with the CEO and MD were picked up by the Ministry of Interior (State Security Bureau) of Qatar. They are Indian Navy veterans. Since the 30th Aug, there has been no contact between the officers and their families.

(e) Our gratitude that on intervention from your office and the embassy, a brief telephonic contact on 30 Sep 2022 was given and consular access given of 03 Oct 2022, which in fact should have been agreed to by the Qatari authorities immediately after they were taken in custody. After that consular access has been pending.

(f) Sir, my husband Capt Navtej Singh Gill who was distinguished by Sword of Honour while in the IN. He, along with other ex-Naval Officers are now confined in small solitary cells for more than 57 days and under extreme danger to their lives. He has indicated that he has done nothing wrong. Thus, the matter needs to be taken at the national level between both the countries to ensure release of our esteemed officers without any further delay; it will be appreciated.

(g) Further, my husband was brought on 05 Oct 2022 with four escorts. He was made to pack a bag and then taken back without being allowed to speak to me. In a scale of condition where 10 is for best health, he is looking 3 and seemed to have lost a tremendous amount of weight, signifying that he is being put under severe mental torture.

(h) My mother-in-law, who is 83 years, is in a high state of anxiety. Also, wives and the families of all officers are in traumatic distress.

My take

Since it's known that the allegations are false, Qatar must release the personnel forthwith and tender an unconditional apology to India.

Courtesy. What'sApp

Tailpiece.

Was up by 6, the chores and saw off Salini and Lakshmi to their schools. We set off by a half past 9, reached Mallan's Dental Clinic by a trifle after 11. The three-week-old-stitches were removed and sh will be under observation for three months.

Met my doctor and the remaining medicines were collected. Went to the INCS, had a snack at the cafe there, picked up grocery and set off on our return trip. However, there was a traffic block for almost an hour at Angamali. Eventually reached The Quarterdeck by 1900 hrs. Opened up the house, sorted out each and every item and stowed them in appropriate places.

Kittu was given his supper. 

   

  

At Kochi.

Had got up at a 10' past 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 9. Went about shutting down The Quarterdeck in a systematic manner. An early lunch and we had kicked off for Kochi by a 10' to 1. I'd taken the route via the Jubilee Mission hospital - Kuttanelloor - the NH towards Ernakulam and had reached Mustang Automobiles by a 10' past 2.

I'd gone there for three reasons viz. :-

 * to have a first hand experience of our Chevy's new servicing station.

 * to change the wiper blades before the monsoon got heavy and

 * doing this on the return journey was what I wanted to avoid as the circuit was cumbersome.

After spending about a half an hour, we proceeded with our onward journey. Thankfully, we didn't encounter any rain enroute. Made a double circuit around the Vyttila junction because of my mistake. Reached Panampilli Nagar by about 4, headed straight for the bookshop, "Crossword" to pick up a book-as-gift for li'l Lakshmi that I'd promised for her good showing in the class X exams.

After picking up what we'd wanted, we settled down at the Aryaa's, next door, for a cup of coffee and evening snack. And then, we headed straight for Leela chittamma's house at Idappalli, where we were spending this evening. 

It's nice being with chittamma, Salini and Lakshmi all over again and catching up from where we'd left last. Yakkittiyak all the way.

Tailpiece.

Lekha's appointment with the dentist, tomorrow, will be at a half past 10.   

The trial run begins.

The revenue minister inaugurated the trial run of the faecal sludge treatment plant at Mattamuram last Saturday. Thrissur corporation, with the support of UNICEF, spent Rs.1 crore for setting up the plant on 25 cents of land. The plant has the capacity to process 10,000 litres, approximately 3 to 4 loads, of faecal sludge per day.

The minister had rightly emphasised on two things on the occasion :-

 * Create awareness among the public for proper treatment of faecal waste.

 * Cooperation from the public is crucial for setting up such treatment plants.

Though the treatment plant is set up by the corporation, the region comes under the Madakkathara panchayat. Initially, faecal waste from the panchayat will be collected and treated at the plant. The transportation of the faecal waste to the plant should be managed by the respective local body.

The manure, which would be a byproduct of the plant, would be distributed among the nurseries of the panchayat.

The "Tiger Bio-filter" technology will be used for the treatment process. The vermincompost and water, the byproducts of the whole process can be used for gardening purposes.  

The treatment process is totally eco-friendly and will not cause any nuisance for the people.

The same group had earlier set up a similar faecal sludge treatment plant in Wayanad.

My take

Setting up of similar plants at more venues can only be done with the whole hearted support of the local populace with any reservations, whatsoever!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6 because Lekha had got up around a half past 5, the chores and was ready by 10.

The maid had come for work, earlier than usual as she had an appointment with her doctor around 4, in the evening. Had driven the Chevy for topping up with fuel and checking tyre pressure.

A quiet evening.

The government challenging the Governor!

Armed with advice from Constitutional experts and senior Supreme Court lawyers, the Pinarayi Vijayan government is planning to take legal recourse against Governor Arif Mohammed Khan.

The state government has sanctioned a total of Rs.45.9 lakhs for getting written legal opinion on the legislation pending before the Governor. The law department has come out with an order of 02 Nov, sanctioning Rs.30 lakhs to senior Supreme Court lawyer Fali S Nariman.

Going by the responses from legal experts on further action against the Governor, the government plans to point out in court that the Governor has failed to discharge his constitutional duties as per Article 200.

The Governor has not taken action on two controversial legislations viz. the Lok Ayukta and University Amendment Bills. Realising its  inability to get the bills cleared for their contents that he finds objectionable and not according to the laid down statutes, the government is contemplating the following actions :-

    (a) Legal options being explored as the Governor's action is unconstitutional.

    (b) Bring certain statements made by the Governor - making it clear that he would not give assent - to the court.

    (c) To bring in a legislation to remove the governor as chancellor of universities.

    (d) Plans to knock on the President's door.

My take

* In a democracy, unfortunately, the party in power usually tries to fill up educational and administrative posts with professionals who've allegiance towards it. 

* The LDF-government has appointed Vice Chancellors whose qualifications are suspect. In fact, the court had pointed out this discrepancy regarding the VC of the Kerala Technical University. Consequently, the Governor has appointed the new incumbent but the office staff - packed with LDF sympathisers - are not letting her function ( About 5,000 degree certificates are pending for the VC's signature). This is the story of the University Amendment Bill!

*  Similarly, with the proposed legislation regarding the powers of the Lok Ayukta, that authority will become a toothless, rubber stamp office which will cater to the tainted politicians' diktats!

* When there is an acute fund shortage in the government coffers to carry out developmental work, why is money being wasted for paying expensive lawyers just to have an ego-victory over the governor?

* Who is now carrying out governance - that has been paralysed; it is badly needed?

* A real sad state of affairs!

Tailpiece.

Got up around a quarter past 6, the chores and was ready by a 10' past 10.

Spoke to my sisters. Went about our usual work and saw snatches of Mammooty movies, 'Bhaskar the rascal' and 'One'.

A quiet evening thereafter.

Court nod for abortion.

Procreate or abstain is a woman's choice says Kerala High Court. Allowing a 23-year-old to medically terminate her 24-week-old foetus, the court has held that there can be no restriction on a woman's right to exercise her reproductive choice to procreate or abstain from it.

The court was hearing the petition of a girl, an MBA student, who had conceived from a consensual relationship with a classmate. The petition said the girl came to know she was pregnant following an ultrasound scan that was done on the advice of the doctor whom she had visited complaining of irregular menstrual cycle and other physical discomfort.

News of the pregnancy left her mentally and emotionally disturbed, said the petition, adding that the classmate with whom she was in relationship had left the country for higher studies.

The girl sought the nod to terminate the pregnancy saying she was convinced that continuing with it will aggravate her agony and impact her education and ability to earn a livelihood.

However, since the pregnancy had crossed 24 weeks, hospitals were not willing to terminate it in view of the interdiction contained under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971.

The girl's counsel submitted that in view of the stress, social isolation as well as considering the need for continuing her education, the girl was willing to face the risks associated with the termination of pregnancy.

Considering the report of a medical board, the court said the petitioner was experiencing acute stress reaction and continuation of the pregnancy may exacerbate her medical distress, risking her life.

My take

God, please help the young lady come out safe from the MTP.

Courtesy. ENS @ Kochi

Tailpiece.

Got up at a quarter past 6, the chores and was ready by a 10' past 10.

Went about our work as usual. Lekha's beautician comes by and goes off by lunch time.

A quiet evening thereafter. 

Fund Crunch for Indian Start Ups?

Two decades after the infamous dotcom burst, India start ups are staring at a grave fund crunch. The global economic slowdown and the plummeting of IT stocks in the US market have created a hostile environment for the new-age companies looking for funds here. After peaking at $17 billion in Jul-Sep quarter of 2021, the funding has lost its momentum and reported a steady decline quarter on quarter.

What has crippled the drive is the decision by international investors and venture capitalists to go slow on new deals and commitments amid the raging global slowdown.

Several large investors such as Tiger Global and SoftBank have significantly pulled back from the market. In October, total funding slipped to $1.34 billion, sharply lower than the $4.2 billion raised by start-ups in the corresponding month last year. The companies that raised money at sky-high valuations in 2021 - over 20-25 times their annual revenues - have seen the multiple dwindle in 2022. So far, 2022 has seen a total of $22 billion in funding compared to $42 billion raised in 2021, a blockbuster year with over 1,500-plus deals.

Edutech major Byju's is a classic case. India's highest-valued start-up found itself in trouble and struggled to close the deal it entered into with Akash Educational Services. Its delayed audited results for 2020-21 threw a shocking surprise, with losses soaring nearly 20-fold to Rs.4,589 crores. The company had to lay off several of its staff. In October, it, however, raised $250 million from its existing investors, with the valuation remaining unchanged at $22 billion.

Several other edutech and fintech companies faced a similar situation as the number of funding rounds shrank month-on-month in 2022, with a steady fall in average ticket size. It has been a long struggle for them to save their valuations from slipping down. As a start-up investor rightly said, India's new-age companies ought to prioritise value creation over valuation and chase 'profit pools' rather than 'capital pools' as they scale up. Certainly, the 'funding' winter is unlikely to go away in the next two to three quarters and it will be a big challenge for several start-ups as they continue to book losses. Some unicorns may see a change in their status with the rupee fall jeopardising their dollar valuatios. Some others will have to shed the growing image that they are valued on shaky metrics. The fund crunch and the rupee fall have decelerated the evolution of India's unicorn club.

My take

A scary situation and everyone of us hopes desperately for more funds and the fall of the rupee arrested!

Courtesy.

The editorial, NIE.

Tailpiece.

Got up at a 10' past 6, the chores and was ready by a 10' to 10.

A quiet Friday.

"Kodathi Vilakku" - High Court tells officers to skip it.

The Kerala High has ordered judicial officers in Thrissur district not to be actively involved in organising 'Kodathi Vilakku', a century-old annual event held at Guruvayur temple, in future.

Kodathi Vilakku, like 'SBI Vilakku' and 'Devaswom Employees Vilakku', is an annual program held at the Guruvayur temple during the Ekadasi festival. It is hosted by an organising committee having members of Chavakkad Munsiff Court Bar Association.

In the order issued on 01 Nov, the HC said courts cannot be seen engaging in activities that promote a particular religion. 

Guruvayur Ekadasi falls on 03 Dec, this year, while the vilakku offerings will begin from tomorrow. Kodathi Vilakku is scheduled for 05 Nov.

My take

It's a case of 'Much ado about nothing'. An unnecessary controversy over a non issue!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, Lekha gets ready and goes for 'darshan' at the Guruvayur temple - around a quarter to 8 - after quite a while.

The maid fetches up earlier than normal.

Lekha goes to the ration stand to buy our dues for the month. The maid assists her.

SCO Meet : India Stays Out of China Move on BRI.

At the 21st meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member-states held virtually yesterday, India stayed out of the joint statement reference to China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) for which other countries affirmed their support.

The countries backing were Kazakstan, Kyryz Republic, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. They also spoke about jointly implementing the project, which included efforts to link the construction of the Eurasian Economic Union and BRI. The meeting was chaired by the premier of China's State Council Li Kegiang.

In an apparent reference to China's controversial BRI project, our EAM said, "Connectivity projects should respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member-states and respect international law. Fair market access is the only way to move forward. The Chabahar port and the International North South Transport Corridor would become enablers for better connectivity in the SCO region".

The International North South Transport Corridor that combines road, rail and maritime routes connecting Russia and India via Central Asia and Iran. It links the Indian Ocean to the Caspian Sea via the Persian Gulf onwards into Russia and Northern Europe.

The Indian EAM also spoke about Mission LiFE launched by PM Narendra Modi in Gujarat recently which envisions replacing the prevalent "use and dispose" economy by a circular economy.

India also highlighted that in 2023 the UN International Year of Millets, India intends foster greater cooperation with SCO member-states on countering the food crisis.

Our total trade with SCO members is only $141 billion, which has the potential to increase manifold. Fair market access is to our mutual benefit and will only move forward.

India has repeatedly registered its protests over China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the flagship project of China's BRI as it passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) which is Indian territory.

The SCO is seen as an eastern counter-balance to NATO and India's membership has allowed her to push effective action in combating terrorism and security issues. The SCO's significance for India mainly lies in economics and geopolitics with member states. 

SCO is also a potential platform to advance India's Central  Asia policy.

My take

India is on a strong wicket here.

Courtesy. Yeshi Seli in the NIE

Tailpiece.

Got up at a quarter past 6, the chores and was ready by a 10' to 10. Earlier, carried out the usual Wednesday aarathi of the house.

Went to town and Mohandas was my faithful sa'arthi for the entire journey. Finished up work at the SBI and ICICI banks. The Life Certificate activity was done.

Went for the Mohanlal starrer 'Monster' but saw the Kannada 'Kantara' instead at Devaki. We, both, liked it!

Kittu was given his supper at sunset. 

We are passing through exciting times!

Deprecating the regressive and invasive "two-finger test" conducted on rape survivors, the Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre to ensure the abhorrent practice stopped forthwith. The top court has also called for reviewing curriculum in medical schools to ensure that the two-finger test is not prescribed as one of the procedures to be adopted while examining rape survivors.

Justices DY Chandrachud and Hima Kohli said the pre-vaginum test, purportedly conducted to determine whether the survivor is sexually active, has no scientific basis and instead revictimises women who may have been raped. 

Expressing concerns over the continued practice despite the same being declared as violative of the survivors' right to privacy, integrity and dignity by the top court in 2013, the bench said it is patriarchal and sexist to suggest that a woman can't be believed when she states that she was raped, just because she is sexually active. 

Anyone who does the test while examining a survivor shall be guilty of misconduct.

Whether a woman is "habituated to sexual intercourse" or "habitual to sexual intercourse" is irrelevant for the purposes of determining whether the ingredients of Section 375 of the IPC are present in a particular case. The so-called test is based on the incorrect assumption that a sexually active woman cannot be raped.

Nothing could be further from the truth - a woman's sexual history is wholly immaterial while adjudicating whether the accused raped her. Further, the probative value of a woman's testimony does not depend upon her sexual history.

My take

A great decision that dumps the existent inhuman treatment of rape survivors!

Courtesy. The NIE

Tailpiece.

Got up around a quarter past 6, the chores and was ready by a 10' to 10.

Tobias, the cooking range servicing rep, came by around a half past 3 and had serviced the range.

A quiet evening thereafter.