Sleeping like a soldier.

This 'battle-hardened' viral sleep hack promises to fight insomnia in just two-minutes. But experts say chasing sleep like a soldier might push it away from your reach.

What's the Military Sleep Method?

The Military Sleep Method essentially commands your body to sleep through breathing, muscle relaxation and imagination. The technique developed by sports psychologist Bud Winter, is said to help soldiers and pilots fall asleep in under two minutes despite loud, stressful and dangerous circumstances.

The relaxing regimen

* Progressive muscle relaxation

   Contract and relax the muscles, starting with the face and working downwards through the limbs.

   The goal is to release physical tension and accumulated stress stored in the body.

* Controlled Breathing

   Once the body is slack, focus on controlled breathing, with an emphasis on engaging the diaphragm.

   This activates the vagus nerve and promotes deep relaxation.

* Visualisation

   The final step is purely mental and involves imagining a calm environment like floating on calm

   water or lying peacefully in a quiet field.

How to practice it

 * Close your eyes, position the body the way you like to sleep. Start with deep breathing. Think of

    every body part, sense the accumulated tension and stress and command it to relax.

 * Start with your face muscles, including your clenched jaw. Drop your shoulders to release the

    tension. Keep your palms open to the side of your body.

 * Similarly release accumulated tension and stress from chest, back and pelvic muscles. Loosen

    your thighs and calves muscles.

 * Continue this, till all your muscles, head to toe, feel relaxed. Clear your mind and imagine a

    relaxing and calm scene. 

 * Within a few minutes, you should fall asleep.

Tailpiece.

Got up at a half past 4, sent all the messages, switched on the hymns on the home theatre, lit up the lamp in the puja room and opened up the house for the day.

Walked on the road in front of the house and recited my prayers.

A quiet Sunday!

Train to LoC : Survey on Baramulla - Uri line completed.

Railways has completed the survey and prepared DPR for 46 km Baramulla - Uri line, a project of major strategic importance near the Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmir

Boost for trade and troop movement

The new line will provide all-weather, reliable connectivity to Uri, which faces isolation during harsh winters ; Baramulla is the last existing station in north Kashmir.

The railway minister said the Baramulla - Uri survey and the 118-km Banihal - Baramulla doubling survey are both completed.

He further clarified that project sanction requires consultations and approvals from from state governments, NITI Aayog and the Finance Ministry.

My take

Yet another step in the progress of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir!

Tailpiece.

Got up at a half past 4, sent all the messages, switched on the hymns on the home theatre, lit up the lamp in the puja room and opened up the house for the day.

Walked on the road outside the house and recited my prayers.

The PCI rep carried out the quarterly service.

The local body electioneering.

The electioneering for the local body elections has reached fever pitch. The candidates drop by almost everyday seeking votes.

Have wished all the three of them the very best and have also given my requirement to each of the candidates - to have the convex traffic mirror to be shifted right opposite the opening of our lane into the Guruvayur-Kozhikode/Palakkad highway.

Currently, it’s about 5’ toward the right serving no useful purpose!

Let me see as to how effective my coaxing is gonna be.

Tailpiece.

Rameeza, Ajitha and Rani, of the Land Revenue Department, fetched up by 9 in a taxi. Rani held a contraption mounted atop a longish pole. They’d come to measure and digitise our land holdings. The leader, Razeema, had a tablet that was working efficiently.

The whole procedure took about a half an hour. Was impressed with the team’s efficient performance!

Total chaos - Over 200 Indigo flights cancelled.

Insiders attribute it to Emirates' hiring spree.

Thousands of fliers across airports in the country had a harrowing time as crew shortage at IndiGo resulted in cancellation of at least 200 flights besides delaying many others. This was the second consecutive day that IndiGo failed to operate a large number of flights.

A massive recruitment drive by an international airline at Delhi and Bombay this week is a key reason for it, sources suggest. The shortage is of both the cockpit and cabin crew.

While condemning IndiGo's mismanagement, sources have attributed part of the problem to the DGCA's revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) that kicked in from 01 Nov. Increased weekly rest for pilots from 36 to 48 hours and limiting night landings by pilots to two instead of six are part of the revised FDTL mandate.

The Federation of Indian Pilots blamed the ongoing disruption on "IndiGo's  prolonged and unorthodox lean manpower strategy across departments, particularly in flight operations".

My take

The ongoing flight disruptions need to end by finding suitable solutions as passengers cannot be harried! It needs to stop as Lekha and I are scheduled to go to Pune next Thursday to attend the 49th Course POP Golden Jubilee Celebrations from the 12th to the 14th!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 4, recited my prayers, went through my chores and kicked off at a quarter past 6 for Ayyanthole to offer a floral tribute at the Amar Jawan Square, there on the occasion of Navy Day. Had reached there quite early as the event was supposed to begin at 9 o'clock only. It was a colourful event!

Returned and also finished the following work along with Kannan, as my sa'arathi:-

    * changed our Chevy's number plates to Kerala registration

    * ascertained the time of submission of the 'House Tax Exemption' form from the Pookkode

       panchayat - Akhil and Avina helped me with quick information!

    * pulled out money from the bank

    * bought our fruit basket, vegetables

    * got our Rubyx Credit cards activated.

Arranged and lit the Karthika lamps at sunset.

    

RBI retains SBI, HDFC, ICICI as D-SIBs in '25.

The RBI has retained SBI, HDFC, and ICICI banks - the nation's largest three lenders - in the 2025 list of domestic systematically important banks (D-SIBs) or too-big-to-fail-lenders - a classification that demands core higher capital allocation in according with their risk-weighted assets.

While SBI has been in the list since 2015, the RBI added ICICI Bank to the list in 2016 and HDFC Bank in 2017.

The current update is based on the data collected from banks as of 31 Mar, the RBI said.

The classification will demand from these banks of additional capital requirement under which these banks must maintain an additional equity tier 1 (CETI) capital alongside the capital conservation buffer. 

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, sent all the messages, switched on the hymns on the home theatre, lit up the lamp in the puja room and opened up the house for the day.

Walked within the house and recited my prayers.

A quiet Wednesday. Earlier, had carried out the aarathi of the house.

Going after cyber crime.

State-owned app has been  mandated on every phone the Department of Telecommunications (DoT)

since 28 Nov. Accordingly, all mobile phone manufacturers and importers are required to pre-install state-owned fraud reporting app - Sanchar Saathi - on devices used in India.

Sanchar Saathi

* A government portal and app to protect mobile users from fraud and misuse

* It lets you check all mobile numbers registered in your name, block lost/stolen phones and report

   spam/fraud calls (Chakshu)

* The app launched in Jan 2025, is free and works with OTP login

My take

A step in the right direction in preventing cyber crime!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, all messages were sent, switched on the hymns on the home theatre, lit up the puja room lamp and opened up the house for the day.

Walked on the road in front of the house and recited my prayers.

A quiet Monday.

At Kannur (4).

Got up at 5, sent all my messages, made tea for the both of us, helped Lekha by asking the Housekeeping to get the hot water for her bath. Went out for my walk on the Kannur beach, recited my prayers and returned after about half an hour.

Had breakfast; ordered for lunch and returned to our room (no.212) and completed the packing; had my bath too.

Lunch at a half past 12; had half a portion and had the rest packed for taking home.

We left for the railway station by a quarter to 2. The Vande Bharat came at 1528 hrs. Had coffee and snacks on board.

Reached Thrissur by a 10' past 6 and Sajish was there. Reached The Quarterdeck by a quarter to 8.

Had dinner by 9 and before that, had finished the unpacking!

Hit the sack at our usual time.

Tailpiece.

It's curtains down for yet another wonderful edition of our class mates' get together, done with flair and flamboyance! The next is gonna be in 2027 and it shall be Class of '72 @ 72!   

At Kannur (3).

Got up delayed compared to our usual time, had our breakfast around a half past 8.

The march past of the ladies was much better compared to ours! 

Sent my November mail, by 1 PM, from Josekutty’s laptop.

Lunch and I’d a vodka tonic!

Snooze.

Got up by a half past 4, had tea, got ready and was down at the Shivoham lawns for the valedictory function. Lekha took party in the lady’s musical program. O sang the ‘Jamaican Farewell’ on Suresh’s prodding.

Our final interaction for the evening was with Alboy and Anand Somayaji!

At Kannur (2).

Got up at a half past 4, the chores and we were ready by a half past 7. Breakfast followed by the group photography session.

Left for the boat cruise on River Valapattanam. An enjoyable one with toddy and lunch. Good fish was served but we were vegetarian.

Visited the Parassinikkadavu Muthappan temple. Massive crowd, being a weekend.

Returned, washed and changed.

A great evening with our skit being shown. The entertainment program was good; the ladies did good.

To Kannur.

Got up at 4, the chores and was ready well in time. Kicked off for the railway station at a quarter past 7. Two massive blocks - one at Kechery and the other on diversion at Viyyur - kept us on tenterhooks. Reached the railway station at a 5’ past 9.

Sanjeev, the porter helped us to go to the appropriate spot on platform no.2 after Lekha having gone round the corner. On the Vande Bharat, the class of ‘72 had the monopoly.

Reached Kannur by 1203 hrs. Prakasan, the coolie helped in conveying our luggage.

At the Krishna Beach Resort by lunchtime. Neha, Shivani and Shafna helped us at every step!

Practised our roles. A wash and change, the entertainment program followed by dinner. Slept at 11.

Ahmadabad will host 2030 Commonwealth Games.

The Commonwealth Sport General Body has ratified Ahmedabad (Amdavad) as the host for the Centenary CWG in 2030.

A heart warming news for all Indians!

Tailpiece.

A quiet Thursday! 

The Dharma Dhwaj.

PM Narendra Modi hoisted the Dharma Dhwaj (sacred flag) atop the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

The sacred flag is adorned with the Sun symbol (representing Rama's royal surya vansh lineage),

Om (signifying cosmic consciousness) and the Kovidar tree (the emblem linked to Rama Rajya, governance and prosperity in the ancient texts).

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, sent all the messages, switched on the hymns on the home theatre, lit up the puja room lamp and opened up the house for the day.

Walked on the road in front of The Quarterdeck and recited my prayers.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch.

Watched television followed by siesta.

A quiet evening.

Adieu Dharmender!

Dharmender, all of 89 years and 14 days short of his 90th birthday, passed into the mist of time the day before yesterday, due to an acute breathing problem. 

Have watched most of his movies during my younger days. My favourite is a picturisation of him and Rakhee in the film, Blackmail, singing that evergreen number, 

         "Pal, pal dil ke paas tum rahti ho

          Jeevan meethi pyaas......"

And then there's another number "Mai Jat yamla pagla diwana......." in the movie, "Pratigya".

Both the numbers showed the very essence of the actor!

Had watched both the movies cited above while I was a cadet in the NDA, in the early '70s.

Adieu Dharmender! My tears and prayers. May your near and dear ones have the strength to tide over these difficult times.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, sent all the messages, switched on the hymns on the home theatre, lit up the puja room lamp and opened up the house for the day.

Sajish gives me a good haircut and massage.

Walked within the house and recited my prayers.

Lekha goes to the ration stand and to the fruit shop.

A quiet evening.

The G20 Summits.

PM Narendra Modi's vision that influenced the 12 G20 Agenda.

2014 Australia (Brisbane)

         * Financial transparency

         * Call for crackdown on global black money

2015 Turkey (Antalya)

          * Pitched for global strategy to counter terror financing

2016 China (Hangzhou)

          * Economic reform/Terrorism/Environment

          * Need for unified global approach to innovation and structural reforms

          *Collective global action against terrorism

          * Call for equity, CBDR and sustainable lifestyles

2017 Germany (Hamburg)

          * Health

          * Proposed International Coalition on technology

          * Global Health Security call

2018 Argentina (Buenos Aires)

          * Infrastructure

          * Nine-point agenda for fugitive economic offenders

          * Infrastructure for development and innovative financing via 

            the Global Infrastructure Hub

2019 Japan (Osaka)

          * Digitalisation

          * Proposal for global framework for digital governance and secure data flow

2020 Saudi Arabia (Riyadh/Virtual)

          * Human-centric growth

          * 'Ease of Living' as Development Metric

2021 Italy (Rome)

          * Health & Environment/

             Energy transition 

          * 'One earth, one health' approach

          * Indian Railways Net Zero by 2030

          * Proposed clean energy projects fund

          * Call for green hydrogen standards

2022 Indonesia (Bali)

          * Climate and sustainability

          * Global launch of Mission LiFE

             Aarogya maitri project

2023 India (New Delhi)

          * Institutional reform/Digitalisation/

             Energy/Resilience/Space

          * African Union permanent membership in G20

          * Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Framework

          * Social Impact Fund proposal

          * Launch of global biofuels alliance

          * G20 Disaster Risk Reduction Working group

          * Suggestion for G20 Talent Visa proposal

          * Proposal for "G20 Satellite Mission for

             Environment and Climate Observation

2024 Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)

          * Consensus Follow-through

          * Push to implement New Delhi Leaders' 

             Declaration and Integration of global south

2025 South Africa (Johannesburg)

          * Technology and Global South

          * Focus on AI governance for development

          * Push for debt relief for vulnerable nations

My take

A Prime Minister that all Indians need to be proud of. His thinking is about all round development!

Tailpiece

Is there anything more to be told about PM Modi - the far-sighted statesman and the global leader?  

The ten signs of dharma.

Manusmriti provides a list of ten signs or qualities, whose presence in a person indicates that they have dharma in them.

 1. Dhriti (fortitude or patience). All good things are difficult to attain. One needs to be patient. Even

     after attainment, things may be lost. One needs to bear it with fortitude.

 2. Kshama (Forgiveness or tolerance). There's no need to reply to every wrong with another wrong.

     Sometimes, it is better not to respond and break the cycle of action-reaction.

 3. Dama (Self-control). One should not be arrogant or excessively proud of one's qualities. It also

     means being judicious and not saying whatever comes to mind.

 4. Asteyam (Non-stealing). We need to have integrity and honesty, not just in our actions but also

     in our thoughts.

 5. Shauch (Purity). Cleanliness is of two types - external (keeping our body, clothes and surroundings

     clean and eating clean food) and internal (keeping our thoughts clean).

 6. Indriya Nigrah (Control of sensory and motor organs). We have five sensory and five motor organs.

     We need to keep them under our control rather than becoming their slaves.

 7. Dhi (Wisdom).  This can also be called the power of discrimination. This means true knowledge,

     which allows one to discriminate between right and wrong paths in every situation, despite diffi-

     culties and temptations.

 8. Vidya (Knowledge). Refers to our education as well as our understanding of the practical realities

     of life. Upanishads talk about knowledge of two types : vidya which refers to the higher knowledge

     of the soul and avidya which refers to the lower knowledge of material things. To be successful, one

     needs both kinds of knowledge : avidya to perform successfully in the physical world and vidya

     for spiritual enlightenment.

 9. Satyam (Truthfulness). It means seeking truth and always following the path of truthfulness.

     Being truthful gives us enormous peace of mind and is our protective shield in difficult times.

10.Akrodha (Absence of anger). Absence of anger does not mean one never gets angry but is not

     angry without justification.

Tailpiece.

A quiet and lazy Sunday!

Labour Codes notified by the central government.

The Centre notified the four Labour Codes pending since 2020, ushering in several worker-friendly measures such as universal social security and timely minimum wage, while also trying to make life easy for companies in terms of compliance and paper work.

Big-Bang Labour Reforms

29 labour laws streamlined into 4 comprehensive Labour Codes.

1. Code of wages

     * Establishes a statutory right to minimum wages for all, including those in unorganised sector.

     * Review of minimum wages every 5 years.

     * Equal remuneration to male and female workers.

2. Code on social security

     * Benefit of pension scheme to all workers of organised, unorganised and self-employed sectors.

     * Employees engaged on fixed term (contract) to get same social security benefit as permanent

        employees.

     * Social security fund for the unorganised sector.

3. Code on occupational safety, health and working conditions

     * Creating safe working conditions in business-friendly environment.

     * Mandatory, free annual health check-up of workers.

     * Database of migrant workers.

4. Code of Industrial Relations

     * Allows direct, time-bound contracts with full parity in wages, benefits; gratuity eligibility

        after one year.

     * Re-skilling fund to train retrenched employees; amount equal to 15 days' wages for every

        worker retrenched.

My take

* While the government claims the move will go a long way in ease of doing business, it will also

   increase operating costs for companies due to higher wages and greater accountability on

   safety and working conditions.

* Meanwhile, a joint platform of 10 central trade unions called for a nation-wide protest on 26 Nov

   demanding the withdrawal of the codes, terming them "anti-worker" and "pro-employer". Some

   trade unions welcomed the reforms.

* The next step is framing the rules. As labour is a concurrent subject, the centre and states have to 

   frame laws and rules.

Tailpiece.

A quiet Saturday. The maid was on leave.

@ 70 by the Malayalam calendar.

Was born 70 years back on this day, by the Malayalam calendar, to K Kuttappan Nair and C Chandramathykutty Amma at TC 804, Opp Model School’s main gate in the residence of my mom’s parents at Thiruvananthapuram of PN Panicker and G Chempakakutty Amma. Their’s was a joint family.

Got up this morning, at 5, sent all the messages, switched on the hymns, lit up the puja room lamp and opened up the house for the day.

Padmakumar, Rema and Achu had gone for a quick ‘darshan’ of the good Lord soon after a sumptuous breakfast of idiappams and Chanakya.

On their return, I cut my birthday cake and had it distributed to everyone. 

Rema and gang left by a half past 12, shaping course to Thrippunithura and then, onward to Ayathil, Kollam.

A quiet evening thereafter.

Achu drives in.

Padmakumar, Rema, Achu and Karthika drop by. A great evening thereafter!

Recalibrating investment regime.

Commerce ministry had a meeting with several industry representatives, stake holders to recalibrate India's investment regime.

The discussion, attended by senior representatives from RBI, Sebi and other regulators, focuses on streamlining approvals, speeding up regulatory clearances and addressing frictions faced by foreign funds.

The ministry seeks to ensure better inflow of foreign direct investment to India.

Senior officials say the government's approach would remain balanced.

While no policy announcements have been made so far, the government is planning to take measures to revive investment sentiment.

My take

It's quite important that the country must be projected as FDI-friendly and its internal environment should have a positive outlook towards it.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, sent all the messages, switched on the hymns on the home theatre, lit up the puja room lamp and opened up the house for the day.

Walked on the road outside and recited my prayers.

A quiet day otherwise.

The Finance Commission submits report to the President.

The 16th Finance Commission  submitted its report on devolution of taxes between the Centre and the states.

Members of the Commission led by Dr Arvind Panagariya had handed over the report. The commission was constituted on 31 Dec 2023 to determine the formula for the states' share of central taxes and the grants-in-aid for five financial years from 2026 - '27. It's gonna be the financial roadmap for the next five years.

Report closely watched by states

* A majority of states had asked the commission to increase their share of central taxes to 50% from the

  current 41%.

* The commission has also reviewed the present arrangements for financing disaster management 

   initiatives with reference to the funds constituted under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

There are four members in the Finance Commission.

My take

Hope the clarity regarding the allocation of funds is being brought about.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, sent all the messages, switched on the hymns on the home theatre, lit up the lamp in the puja room and opened up the house for the day.

Walked on the road outside the house and recited my prayers.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch, watched serial followed by siesta.

A quiet evening.

It's been 400 days!

Four hundred days and counting! The indefinite relay hunger strike on the premises of Velankanni Matha Church in Munambam, may have hit a milestone, but the fate of the over 600 local families remains in suspended animation. 

Even after the Kerala High Court ruled that their land is not Waqf, the state government has not initiated any steps towards restoring their revenue rights.

My take

Political cowardice in not executing the right decision! Sad!!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, switched on the hymns on the home theatre, lit up the lamp in the puja room and opened up the house for the day. Aarti of Lekha with the silver coin, today being the 1st of the Malayalam month of Vrushchikam!

Walked on the road in front of our house and recited my prayers.

To the Devaswom PRO's office on Suma kunjamma's work and realised that the information given to me by her was scanty. So, I'd to return empty handed.

Lunch.

Watched television serials. Siesta.

Lekha goes to the Mammiyoor temple at 5 and returns after an hour.

Kalpathy's Grand Trundle.

Simply known as 'Kalpathy Theyru', this cultural festival showcases Palakkad's regional identity.

The undeniable crescendo of Kalpathy festival is the convergence of chariots. The largest chariot carries Lord Shiva, the primary deity of the Vishwanathaswamy Temple, along with his consort, Goddess Parvathy. Flanking them in smaller, equally ornate chariots are their sons, Lord Ganesha and Lord Subrahmanya.

The air in Palakkad, Kerala, grows thick with anticipation as the Malayalam month of Thulaam arrives. Along the tranquil banks of the Kalpathy River, five quaint villages - Old Kalpathy, New Kalpathy, Chathapuram, Govindarajapuram and Manthakkara - begin their month-long transformation. This is the prelude to the world-renowned Kalpathy Ratholsavam, a spectacular 10-day festival of faith, heritage and cultural confluence that draws a global audience.

Often simply called Kalpathy Theyru (Kalpathy Chariot), this festival holds the remarkable distinction of being the second-biggest of its kind in Indi, surpassed only by the grand Car Festival at the Puri Jagannath Temple in Orissa. It is more than just a religious observance ; it is quite literally a cultural festival of Palakkad, a vibrant showcase of the region's unique identity.

My take

A truly spectacular and colourful festival!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, sent all the messages, switched on the hymns on the home theatre, lit up the  lamp in the puja room and opened up the house for the day.

Walked on the road in front of our house; recited my prayers.

Breakfast. Had bath subsequently after working on my laptop.

Lunch, watched Crime Patrol on television followed by siesta.

A quiet evening.

Tropical Forests Forever Facility.

India welcomed Brazil's initiative to establish a Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF) during the leaders' summit at COP 30 in Belem, Brazil. Recognising it as a significant step towards collective and sustained global action for the preservation of tropical forests, the country joined as an observer. However, its benefit may be marginal because India has a smaller area of tropical rain forest.

The TFFF is proposed as a blended-finance mechanism to incentivise countries to prevent the deforestation and degradation of moist broadleaf tropical forests.

The fund will operate like a commercial bank, where it will obtain loans of $125 billion at lower interest rates and lend them at higher rates to generate a profit of around $4 billion annually.

My take

A nice initiative!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, sent all the messages, switched on the hymns on the home theatre, lit up the puja room lamp and opened up the house for the day.

Walked on the road in front of the house and recited my prayers.

A quiet Saturday.

Lekha's medicines have been administered and she says that there's a forward development.

NDA sweeps Bihar!

In the run up toward the election, there appeared to be serious differences among potential coalition partners there by affecting/delaying the final line up of the candidates to fight the elections.

The logjam had begun regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll of the entire state by the Election Commission. The impasse was sorted out at the Supreme Court and the election jamboree had begun in right earnest. The BJP-JD(U)-Paswan's party formed the NDA, Congress-RJD-Communists formed the Indi alliance and Prashant Kishore's Jan Suraaj Party were the main contenders.

The elections took place in two phases on the 6th and the 11th. There was a record 67.13% votes polled with women forming a great chunk. 

And the results of the 243 seats are there for all to see:-

    NDA                     202

    INDI                       35

    AIMIM                     5

    BSP                           1

Here's wishing Nitish Kumar a fruitful tenure where Bihar makes rapid progress.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, sent all the messages, switched on the hymns on the home theatre, lit up the puja room lamp, opened up the house for the day.

Walked on the road in front of the house and recited my prayers.

Worked on my laptop.

An early lunch and were off to the Rajah Hospital to show Lekha to the Skin Specialist for her tongue's problem. Returned after an hour.

A quiet evening.

Inflation hits record low.

Inflation is down to 0.25% in Oct on the back of GST cuts.

Tax cuts on 400 mass-consumption items, coupled with subdued prices for vegetables, fruits and eggs helped push retail inflation to a record low.

Food inflation stays in negative zone

Food inflation remained negative at -5.02%, as prices of vegetables, cereals and pulses eased amid improved supplies and favourable weather. Vegetable prices fell 28% year-on-year, while pulses and spices declined by 16% and just over 3%, respectively. Clothing and footwear recorded only a 1.7% annual rise, thanks to GST rate cuts.

Fuels hope of further rate cut in December

* Inflation stood at 1.44% in Sep and 6.21% in Oct 2024. The figure this Oct was the lowest in the 

   current series (base year 2012), which tracked data since Jan 2014

* The record low inflation raises hopes for another round of rate cut, when the RBI monetary policy

   committee meets in Dec

8.56% The Oct inflation in Kerala - the highest among all states.

Tailpiece

Got up at 5, sent all the messages, switched on the hymns on the home theatre, lit up the lamp in the puja room and opened up the house for the day.

Walked on the road in front of our house and recited my prayers.

Breakfast followed by bath after work on the laptop.

Lunch, watched television.

Lekha goes for the Lord's darshan at a half past 3, does marketing and returns.

A quiet evening.

   

The pathetic state of the Medical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram.

Long wait for beds, lack of privacy, overcrowded wards.....

Lack of coordination between tiers of health system puts tertiary hospitals under severe strain, says Director of Medical Education.

Overcrowded and underequipped : Life inside MCH

* MCH has 1952 beds but routinely treats 300-400 in-patients above capacity each day

* The general medicine department, with over 600 beds, requires at least 300 more to meet demand

* Of the 28 wards, six have been demolished for renovation, causing overcrowding in the remaining wards

* Patients are often referred from taluk and district hospitals even for minor ailments, officials say

* Restrooms are frequently clogged

* The cardiology department has only 40 beds, leading to spill over into corridors

* Patients with serious conditions such as heart attacks, leukaemia, autoimmune diseases and infections 

   are treated together in the same wards

* A revised referral protocol has been issued to improve co-ordination between primary, secondary

   and tertiary centres

* Expansion projects, including 250 new surgical beds and a hospital complex by 2026, are expected

   to ease the load

My take

A real pathetic state! The government must provide assistance and nurture the MCH. Nothing short of overall excellence is expected.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, sent all the messages, switched on the hymns on the home theatre, lit up the lamp in the puja room and opened up the house for the day.

Walked within the house because of rain in the morning: recited my prayers.

A quick bath and breakfast. Sajish fetched up a trifle after 10 and we headed for the Sub RTO. Binitha, the comely girl at the counter, was sad that I was being made to pay a high penalty! Told her that it was her 'niceness' that made her think so and thanked her. Rajesh, the MVI cleared my vehicle and the entire set of documents was submitted. Returned by lunchtime.

Lunch, viewing of the television and siesta.

The evening chores.

The anatomy of the Delhi blast.

Hours after nearly 2,900 kg of explosives were seized in Haryana's Faridabad, a powerful blast jolted Delhi last evening, killing at least eight people and injuring several others outside the bustling Red Fort area.

1852 hrs  Slow moving Hyundai 120 blows up near Red Fort traffic signal.

1855 hrs  Delhi Fire Department receives alert. No crater, no shrapnel injury noticed.

1925 hrs  Around 30 people injured taken to LNJP hospital. Of them, eight declared brought dead.

1929 hrs  Ten fire tenders arrive, area cordoned off; fire brought under control.

2028 hrs  NIA, NSG and forensic teams reach the spot, collect evidence.

2030 hrs  Home Minister briefs PM. Shah visits LNJP hospital and the blast site.

All angles being probed, says HM

* All angles being probed, no possibility is ruled out, says the HM. "Unless the samples recovered from 

   the blast site are analysed by forensics and NSG, nothing can be said".

* Nationwide alert announced, CISF tightens vigil at all installations in Delhi-NCR, including the IGI

   Airport and metro stations.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, sent all the messages, switched on the hymns on the home theatre, lit up the puja room lamp and opened up the house for the day.

Walked on the road in front of the house and recited my prayers.

Monish fetches our Chevy. Comes back after 28 days. Bath and a quick breakfast.

Harish takes me to the SBI and the ICICI banks. And I return to spend time with Sathyan and Indu, who'd dropped by. It was nice to interact with them.

Lunch followed by television viewing and then, siesta.

The evening chores.

An appointment with the dentist.

Our day had begun this morning at 4 AM. Earlier, sleep wasn't forthcoming and I was awake till about 2, much past midnight! Recited my prayers during the time; and sleep had come by but had to get up after two hours.

Went through our chores and was ready by a half past 5. Rahul was our chauffeur, who drove well and we fetched up at the Vypin 'jhankaar' point to cross across to the Fort Kochi area but since a waiting period of 40' were anticipated - as per estimates - we retraced our route and went via Tharangini, High Court. 

Reached Dr Sreekanth Mallan's dental clinic, at Muhamma, by a half past 9. Had a quick breakfast at Mallan's kitchen. Lekha's apprehensions were sorted out and my scaling was also done by the doctor. Seeing the red blotches on my right fore arm, the doc had suggested that I keep my cardiologist in the loop.

I asked him as to what I should worry about and he said that I must bear in mind that my blood would not clot easily because of my daily intake of Ecosprin 75 mg tablet, after lunch. Well, that was definitely a sobering thought! 

Shaped our return to Guruvayur and headed back straight.

Had lunch at a hotel beyond Edappalli.

Reached home by a quarter to 5.

Settled down to a quiet evening. Am glad that we could meet up with our friend and doctor, after what seemed to be a long time.

66th SAARC Literature festival.

The festival began today without Pakistan. The four-day festival in New Delhi will see a mix of poetry, fiction and academic papers featuring celebrated voices from South Asia.

Pak writers barred till terrorism stops

The literature festival, organised by Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature (FOSWAL), is hosting writers and scholars from all SAARC countries except Pakistan. Its participation is a "political issue" and the organisers "cannot invite Pakistani writers till terrorism stops".

Cross-border cultural exchanges

* The festival began with an inaugural session by Sahitya Akademi president , scholar Ashis Nandy and       the diplomats of the seven countries that are participating in this year's event.

* Established in 1996, FOSWAL has organised cross-border cultural exchanges through conferences,

   festivals and youth outreach fetes.

The festival will come to a close on 12 Nov.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, sent all the messages, switched on the hymns on the home theatre, lit up the puja room lamp and opened up the house for the day.

Heard 'Rangoli' on television.

Walked on the road in front of our house and recited my prayers.

A heavy lunch of 'aloo paranthas', dahi and pickle; ate myself silly.

The evening's dinner was a delectable soup!

Women's cricket in India.

As the sun set over Navi Mumbai that night, the Indian team took a victory lap, draped in the tricolour. The crowd chanted their names, phones lit up like stars and fireworks burst into the sky.

Captain Harmanpreet Kaur lifted the gleaming trophy high, her teammates gathered around her and for a moment, the world seemed to stand still.

The 2025 World Cup win will be remembered as the day Indian women didn't just play cricket - they changed it. They showed that champions aren't defined by gender, but by grit and grace. That one day, a young girl with a bat in her hand will see equal opportunities, equal respect and equal pay.

Analysts have called it India's "1983 moment", which is a reference to their male counterparts' historic first World Cup win that changed the nation's sporting landscape. Four decades later, it is the women who have given Indian cricket a new dawn.

Courtesy. The NIE

Tailpiece.

A quiet Saturday. 

 

Kerala's oldest long-haul train moves on.

Around 3 PM, the electric locomotive pulled into Kanhangad railway station, bringing in its wake the yellow and maroon liveried rakes of the 12602 Mangalore Central-MGR Chennai Central Mail for its scheduled two-minute stop.

The train bears history as the first long-haul service to have chugged into Kerala - the erstwhile Malabar presidency to be precise - in 1867, 14 years after the country's first passenger railroad made it from Bori Bunder to Thane. And, it seems to be having trouble shaking off its legacy, sporting as it continues to do the old, rugged ICF cars, when most other trains have moved on to Linke-Hofmann-Busch (LHB) coaches.

Its services were numbered 1 and 2 (presently 12601 and 12602), running from Royapuram near Chennai to Chaliyam (present-day Beypore). It was named the Mangalore-Madras Mail in 1887 even though the train was extended to Mangalore only after the completion of the Netravati Bridge in 1907.

Travelling back in time

* The Madras-Mangalore Mail started on 01 Jul 1867, running from Royapuram - the first railway station 

   of South India, opened in 1856 - to Chaliyam.

* It was first christened 01UP/02DOWN Mail and did not get its official name until 1887.

* The train was extended till Mangalore in 1907 after Netravati bridge was constructed.

* It was also moved from Royapuram to Chennai Central when the terminus was constructed in 1907.

* As one of the oldest running trains of South India, it has had steam, diesel and electric locomotives.

   Currently, it is hauled by locomotive class WAP 7 on most days.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, sent off all the messages, switched on the hymns on the home theatre, lit up the lamp in the puja room and opened up the house for the day.

Walked on the road in front of our house and recited my prayers.

To the SBI and the ICICI banks to get their apps streamlined but achieved only partial success.

Praveen and Asha call on. It was great seeing them!       

A quiet evening.   

A new cell phone.

Got up at 5, sent all the morning messages, switched on the hymns on the home theatre, lit up the lamp in the puja room and opened up the house for the day.

Went through the chores and walked on the road in front of The Quarterdeck; recited my prayers.

Breakfast followed by bath. Worked on my laptop.

Lunch and a short siesta.

Sajish, comes at a half past 2 and we set off for Thrissur. Went to MyG but didn’t get a favourable quote and so, went to Venu’s. Bought an iPhone15 and an Induction cooktop.

Returned by a quarter to 9.

A quiet evening thereafter.

Guru Purab!

About 2,100 Indian Sikh devotees crossed into Pakistan yesterday, through the Attari-Wagah border to attend the 556th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev ji. This is the first people-to-people contact between the two neighbours since Operation Sindoor.

The Pakistan government had issued 2,150 visas for the Sikh pilgrims but this year, India allowed only Indian citizens to participate, excluding NRIs, a departure from earlier years.

The pilgrims are scheduled to return on 13 Nov after visiting key historic gurdwaras like, Janmasthan in Nankhana Sahib, Sri Panja Sahib in Hasan Abdal, Sacha Sauda in Farooqabad and Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, sent all the messages, switched on the hymns on the home theatre, lit up the puja room lamp and opened up the house for the day.

Walked on the road in front of The Quarterdeck and recited my prayers.

Return to Guruvayur.

Got up leisurely, Kamalasanan Pillai sir gave us our morning cup of Suleimani and we talked about a number of things. Was ready on time, breakfast was bought in by Kamalasanan Pillai sir after his leaving the guests for the airport.

Maman came in late, spent time on discussions and left at a half past 10. Aniyan and I hopped on to the first bus to Kottarakkara, got down there, had lunch, went to the Boss workshop and boarded my Chevy. However, she has problems on her brakes and had to return to the workshop from Thiruvalla.

Got a low floor bus to Kozhikode, Aniyan left by a Pala bus. Monish left with the Chevy after seeing us off. Befriended a young lady, Sneha from the nursing profession and her 11/2-year-old-son, Felis who were with me till Perumbavoor. She even fed me with biscuits. Damn sweet of her..

An uneventful journey and got down at Kunnamkulam. Got an autorickshaw and reached home without delay..

Libraries empowering communities: Global perspectives (2).

Got up at 5, sent all the messages and turned off to sleep yet again to get up at a half past 6. The morning chores and was ready well on time. Maman had arrived by a half past 8 and soon after, we went off to the Kanakakkunnu Palace. Had breakfast of idlis and tea.

The second day's session commenced on the dot at 10. Vijayakumar sir was efficient in his work and the panel discussions were conducted efficiently.

Lunch was at a half past 1 but by the time we'd got to have ours, it was past 2.....we sat on the last set. The next session was by the CMD of the CSC, online.

After two more sessions, we'd 'bondas' and tea. 

The valedictory function went off well, the minister for civil supplies, GR Anil was the chief guest.

Went to drop Prabhajyot Kaur, of the Patiala Library, at her hotel. Bought her dinner and a bottle of water.

Aniyan and me had gone to look up Indirakkutty. There's no change in her from what I saw last of her. Sad!

Bina is looking after her on a temporary basis and she's caring.

Returned in Nazar's uber; he's from Beemappalli. A very nice boy! He stopped at a wayside shop so that we could buy dosas/eggs/tomato chutney!

A quiet dinner with Dr Kamalasanan Pillai sir.

Libraries empowering communities: Global perspectives.

Got up at 6, Kamalasanan Pillai sir made black tea for the three of us and it was more than enough. Went through the chores and was ready by 8. Maman had come to the Foundation; everyone left for the Kanakakkunnu Palace while I went to pick up Dr VM Rajasekharan Pillai and Shri Yashvir Singh from their hotel.

Maman was made to keep his speech short. The chief minister was late by an hour, he was quite jovial and spoke for about a half an hour.

The sessions began one by one, beginning with Shaddy’s. Vijayakumar sir conducted the sessions well. 

Lunch was ‘sadya’ and it was good. 

The afternoon sessions went off well and it ended by 7.  The first day of the international conference went off damn well. 

Manakkaala Gopalakrishnan and party’s rendition of Carnatic Music, subsequent to that was heavenly.

A quick bite of dinner and I went dropping the guests and to h/o dinner to another. 

Slept at a half past 10.

At Thiruvananthapuram.

Got up at 4, went through the chores and was ready well within time. Sajish was at the gate by a half past 6 and I went off to the railway station. Had breakfast that Lekha had packed, at the air conditioned waiting room.

The Jan Shatabdi was late by 15’. A quiet, uneventful journey.

Reached Tvpm by a half past 2. Caught an autorickshaw to go to the Foundation.

Lunch of a sandwich, the big banana and sweets!

The evening saw me going to pick up our guests for the international conference. Earlier, visited the site of the two-day program, the Kanakakkunnu Palace.

Received Yashvir Singh ji and Swarna Prabha at the airport.

A quiet evening thereafter.

Back at Guruvayur.

Dateline 31 Oct

The day began at 4, thanks to the cellphone alarm. Went through our chores and were ready well in time. Boarded the bus and the eight of us headed for the airport. Finished with all the formalities and the flight took off on time.

The transit time at Bangalore was spent in retrieving my watch which I’d forgotten and we had lunch - Lekha had idlis and I, ‘Puliyogara’, Left Bangalore by a half past 3 for Thiruvananthapuram.

Reached Kochi by a half past 4, Sajish was there with the car and we hurtled toward Guruvayur without further delays. Dinner at the Saravana Bhavan, at Choondal; had soup only. 

At home by a quarter to 9. Settled down for the night and finished the monthly mail a bit after midnight!

At Jodhpur (5).

Got up at 5, sent all my messages and turned off to sleep yet again. Got up leisurely and was ready to go for today’s outing by 10.

Our first place of interest was the Umaid Bhavan where we’d a good walk around. The present royal descendant, Maharaja Gaj Singh - all of 77 years - stays here with his family. He has a good collection of vintage cars.

Our next stop was at a Bishnoi neighbourhood where we saw unending flocks of Siberian Cranes that had migrated from that far. We’d alighted from the bus and taken in smaller groups in sturdy jeeps to drive through the rough terrain. 

We also saw plenty of Black Bucks - incidentally, it was a few more distance, from where we’d turned around to return - where the famous Salman Khan and the Black Bucks’ case had taken place.

The Bishnois are a clan who are animal lovers and tree lovers. If anyone were to mess with them on these two issues, they’re goners because the Bishnois wouldn’t hesitate to even kill the culprits.

Was the actor planned to be encountered by the clan for his misdeed? It’s rumoured that he’d got himself entangled with someone from the royal family! It seems to be folklore.

Finally, it was time for our dispersal party which started young and entertainment on till 11 PM.

A great get together with a promise to meet next in Dec ‘26.

At Jodhpur (4).

Got up at 5, sent all the messages. Was ready by a half past 8, had a light breakfast and we were off on a visit to historical sights.

The first monument was ‘Jaswant Thaada’. A beautifully made mausoleum, in white marble, by the eight wives of a popular king. Has properly manicured lawns and it was nice to be there.

Prashant Singh, our guide, spoke flawless English and I liked his narrative that covered places and events very accurately.

Our next destination was the Mehrangarh fort, a massive and well preserved monument. Went by the elevator for Lekha’s sake. At the end, came to know Makhan and Meena closer. Bought coffee for Bina and Asha.

A nice - but cautious lunch - at a retired Major Saab’s hotel called the “Spice Story”.

Returned to our hotel for a quiet evening.

At Jodhpur (3).

Got up at 5, the tent was quite comfortable and the weather was excellent. Sent all the morning messages, wished Pat and Parameswaran many happy returns. Had my morning cuppa and took Lekha’s to the tent for her to have.

Breakfast, followed by packing up and kicked off for today’s assignment. Stunned the people with my temple-going rig and we’d the darshan of the “Satya Chhaya devi”. Since there were a lot of steps, Lekha sat below while I’d gone for the darshan of the goddess. Reached ‘Ghanta ghar’ and from there carried out the heritage walk to the wondrous water conservation system. Had 'kesar lassi and chilli pakoras'.

Lunch at at a wayside restaurant and finally, settled down at Indana, our home for the next three days! A quick wash and change and we were off for the son et lumiere about Jodhpur. Went by ‘mock train’ and Sudha - Wads’ wife - narrowly escaped an accident under my watch because of the callousness of the driver. Lekha walked on the return leg.

A quiet dinner at Indana on return.

At Jodhpur (2).

Got up at 2, sleep played hard to resume, recited my prayers and went back to sleep.

Got up at 5, sent all the messages. No, we were at the Fairfield by Marriott, had both breakfast and lunch then left for the ‘desert safari. We were there by a half past 4, Vijay took us for the romp, Lekha misplaced the wallet but could retrieve it as the driver was honest.

Acknowledged Vijay’s honesty by presenting him with Rs.500/- Went for a camel ride on Hukam Singh’s Pappu. Felt nice.

Living in tent for the night.

Entertainment and dinner.

At Jodhpur.

The day started at 1 - after midnight- as the chimes of the alarm went off. Felt a twad bad that Lekha was being put through this time regime.

We were ready by a half past 2 when Sajish came by with his taxi and we kicked off for the airport soon after but not before handing over all the papers regarding our Chevy for its re-registration by the 31st of this month. Hope everything falls into place!

We reached Kochi airport by a quarter past 4 and thanks to our being there at that time helped us to clear things to make it a great journey. Our flight took off on the dot and landed at Hyderabad on the scheduled time. The wheel chair helper, Arun dropped us at Gate 10 for our onward journey to Jodhpur.

Had a mighty breakfast of ‘Chhole Bhature and chana’ along with grilled veg sandwiches, soaked with coffee. The waiting for our onward flight ended at a quarter to 3, finally from gate 120. The flight was uneventful and Lekha and I’d ‘kadi chaval’ and hot chocolate. Reached Jodhpur by a quarter to 4.

The entire Kochi gang celebrated our get together right in front of the airport It was a fantastic evening!

Stitched ship!

Navy recreates stitched ship based on 5th century Ajanta paintings.

Funded by the Ministry of Culture, the INSV Kaundinya has been constructed using a traditional method of stitching by a team of skilled artisans from Kerala and is based on a 5th century ship depicted in paintings seen in the Ajantha caves.

The Indian Navy formally inducted and named an ancient stitched sail ship as the INSV Kaundinya at a ceremonial  event held at the Naval Base in Karwar. 

The project was initiated through a tripartite agreement signed in Jul 2023 between the Union Ministry of Culture, the Indian Navy and Hodi Innovations, with funding from the Ministry of Culture and is meant to showcase India's rich shipbuilding heritage.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, sent all the messages, switched on the hymns on the home theatre, lit up the puja room lamp and opened up the house for the day.

Walked on the road in front of the house as there was bright sunshine and recited my prayers.

Lekha'd groomed me, bath and breakfast.

Lekha goes to town to fetch an off white top for the forthcoming get together.

Lunch, saw Crime Patrol.

Siesta.

Shut down The Quarterdeck. A quiet evening.

 

Vision 2031 : Kerala wants to be India's leading industrial destination.

Transforming Kerala into India's premier industrial destination through strategic reforms. dedicated corridors, innovation hubs and sustainable development initiatives is the core aim of Vision 2031.

Innovation hubs

(a) Vizhinjam - Eight integrated growth clusters

(b) Thiruvananthapuram - Aero-defence and drone industrial cluster

(c) Kochi - Global City smart hub

(d) Wayanad - Coffee and agro clusters

(e) Malabar region - Kerala sports metropolis

Plausible and attainable with sustained efforts. 

My take

But will our militant trade unions permit such a growth?

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, sent all the messages, switched on the hymns on the home theatre, lit up the puja room lamp and opened up the house for the day.

Walked within the house because of rain and recited my prayers.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch, watched Crime Patrol, Snehakkoottu followed by siesta.

Started our packing for the Jodhpur trip commencing Sunday.

Gold.

Records worst single-day plunge since 2013, falls over 6%

After record rally of more than 70% so far this year, the yellow metal fell 6.3% on the 21st, its biggest single-day fall in more than 12 years.

Profit-booking, trade talks behind slump

The sharp fall in prices is attributed primarily to profit booking and a slew of positive news flows which have shaved the sheen off the safe-haven metal. A key factor is the upcoming meeting of US President Donald Trump and China's Xi Jinping to iron out their trade differences. Other factors are a strong dollar and the likelihood of the ending of the US shutdown.

Analysts warn of short-term volatility

* Silver too registered a sharp fall of 7.8% - its worst since 2011 - on the 21st as the historic squeeze in 

   the London market began to ease

* Analysts warn of more volatility in the short term as the market is likely to correct further. On whether

   the price of gold will fall below Rs.1 Lakh per 10 gms soon, one analyst said, it is difficult to predict

Rs 1,32,294 per 10 gms - the record price peak gold touched last Friday

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, sent all the messages, switched on the hymns on the home theatre, lit up the puja room lamp and opened up the house for the day.

Sajish comes by to give me my haircut and massage.

Bath followed by a quick breakfast. Off to town for the following :-

     * pick up the print outs of our tickets from Jimmy's

     * give our clothes to the pressman as Selvam is away in Pondicherry on holiday

     * to the bank to pull out money, clear my doubts from the Manager

     * buy a charger for my new power bank

     * collect our dues for the month from the ration stand

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch, followed by an episode of Crime Patrol and 'Snehakkoottu'.

Siesta.

The evening chores.

8

UDAN network to cover 120 new destinations.

UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik), the regional Connectivity Scheme  will be continued beyond 2027 and its network will extend to 120 new destinations. The focus of connectivity will be with hilly, North-Eastern and aspirational regions.

UDAN was implemented on 21 Oct 2016 under the National Civil Aviation Poilcy to make flying accessible and affordable for all. It was launched with a 10-year vision to connect  Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities through a market-driven yet financially supported model.

UDAN is not just a scheme; it is a catalyst for change and a testament to India's commitment to make air travel inclusive, sustainable and an integral part of our development journey. So far, over 1.56 crore passengers have travelled on board the 3.23 lakh flights operated under it.

Under the scheme, 649 routes have been operationalised as on date connecting 93 unserved and underserved airports, including 15 heliports and 2 water aerodromes. The government has disbursed more than Rs.4,300 cr as Viability Gap Funding (VGF) and invested Rs.4,638 cr in airport development.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, sent all the messages, switched on the hymns on the home theatre, lit up the puja room lamp and opened up the house for the day. Carried out our customary Wednesday 'aarathi' and then, had our morning cuppa which Lekha had made.

Walked within the house and recited my prayers.

Breakfast of Poorie-bhaaji.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch, watched Crime Patrol and our regular serials. Siesta.

A quiet evening, thereafter.

Paraprosdokians.

Are figures of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected and is frequently humorous (Winston Churchill loved them).

  1. Where there's a will, I want to be in it.

  2. The last thing I want to do is hurt you....but it's still on my list.

  3. Since light travels faster than sound, some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

  4. If I agreed with you, we'd be both be wrong.

  5. We never really grow up....we only learn to act in public.

  6. War does not determine who is right, only who is left.

  7. Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

  8. To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research.

  9. I didn't say it was your fault., I said I was blaming you.

10. In filling out an application, where it says, "In case of emergency, notify....."I answered, "a doctor".

11. Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer 

      gut and still think they are sexy.

12, You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.

13. I used to be indecisive but now, I am not sure.

14. To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.

15. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian, any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.

16. You are neve too old to learn something stupid.

17. I'm supposed to respect my elders but it's getting harder and harder for me to find one now.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, sent all the messages, switched on the hymns on the home theatre, lit up the puja room lamp and opened up the house for the day.

Lekha and I had the morning cuppa at a quarter past 7.

Updated Ramadasan kochachhan about Indirakkutty's medical condition. The chores, walked within the house and recited my prayers.

Breakfast.

Worked on my laptop for a while.

Lunch.

Watched Snehakkoottu, and an episode of Crime Patrol.

Prasanna and her daughter, Bhavana called on us.

A Guinness record!

Today's Deepavali - the festival of lights. On this occasion, 29 lakh 'diyas' (earthenware lamps) were lit in the 56 ghats of Ayodhya. The "Deepotsavam" has found a place in the Guinness Book of World Records!

Epilogue.

Got up at 5, all messages were sent, the hymns were switched on the home theatre, lit the puja room lamp and opened up the house for the day.

The maid was on leave on account of Diwali.

Breakfast and recited my prayers after that.

A quiet Monday otherwise but the day started with the water motor not working. Roy, the plumber, came at a half past 10 and got it going....the foot valve had got faulty! The plug point in the master bedroom was also repaired.

Lit up the 'diyas' after sunset on the balcony and on the ground floor. Nothing was kept on the front boundary wall's pillars thanks to pitter patter rain! 

Finishing up the backlog.

Got up at 5, sent all the messages, switched on the hymns on the home theatre, lit up the puja room lamp and opened up the house for the day. Lekha gave me my morning cuppa at a quarter past 7.

Sukesan had come by at a quarter to 8. Saw Rema off at the KSRTC bus stand as she boarded the FP to Vyttila which left around a 5' past 8.

Breakfast before bath. Clothes and bedlinen put in for washing machinex.

Worked on my laptop.

Madhu-Sudha dropped by for a tete-e-tete. 

Lunch followed by siesta.

Unni and Kala dropped by and we went yakkitiyakking.

A quiet evening! 

Back @ The Quarterdeck!

Got up at 5, sent all the messages and went back to sleep yet again. Ammayi gives me my morning cuppa at a quarter past 7.

Got ready quickly, had my breakfast of idlis and Rajan dropped me at the autorickshaw stand. Reached the bus stand, made friends with a young PG student, Salman. He was floored to hear about the saga of the Kerala Library/Literacy Movements and PN Panicker.

Got the Kozhikode-bound low floor a/c bus @ 10. Met and befriended Emmanuel and Manju, my co-passengers. Lunch at Karunagappally. 

The conductor, Nisha was very helpful and blushed when I thanked her.

Tea and snack @ 1700 hrs along with Emmanuel and Aamir..

Reached home @ 1030 hrs. It was raining.

Dinner and a quiet night’s sleep.

Back to Tvpm.

Dateline 17 Oct 

Got up at 5, sent all the messages and turned in to sleep yet again. Ajay ji gives us our morning cuppa.

We had our bath at Vandana's house as our geyser wasn't working. Left the guest house at a half past 11. Had toasts and omelette for breakfast.

To the Khanna market to get Maman his electronic clock.

To the NITI Aayog and met Mr Talwar and Shashank Shah; both were helpful. I suppose we'll hear the positive news by next Wednesday, the important being, the use of their emblems for our International Conference on 02/03 Nov.

Lunch at New Madras Cafe.

Maman was ungodly sick and puked after having tea given by Ajay ji. Hats off to his determination for holding forth during our visit despite his illness.

Left the guest house by 6 PM. Gave a small Diwali gift and wasn't he thrilled?

Had just Rs.150/- in my wallet. Will pull out money from the ATM at Tvpm before setting off to Guruvayur.

Our flight t/o at 2250 hrs.  

At New Delhi (3).

Got up at 5, sent all my messages, leisurely grooming and was ready by a half past 9. Lekha, from Mini’s place, reports about our Chevy’s clutch problem. They proceed in Aarcha’s car for Lekha’d appachi’s sanchayanam. 

They attend the event, Lekha was glad that she could meet all her relatives. She and Rema look up Indira kunjamma and return. They proceed to Guruvayur in Aarcha’s car.

We were out of the guest house by a half past 10. Breakfast of Mysore Masala dosa and filter coffee. Bought my moccasins, socks, polish and belt from Sreeleathers. To Shaddy’s for discussions and lunch.

Meeting with the CMD, CSC regarding the impending international conference. Returned after Maman’s purchase of electronic timer device and honey.

Dinner for Vandana’s family and Pamposh. A late night. 

Lekha and Rema were crossing Chalakkudi @ 2305 hrs!

At New Delhi (2).

Got up at 5, sent all the messages. Got up leisurely by a half past 7 when Ajay ji got us our morning cuppa. There was water flow disruption in the morning; and therefore, had to take bath in the landlady’s house.

Left for our work at a half past 10. Breakfast of bread and omelette at the thattukada - superb! 

At Shaddy’s place; interacted with him and his staff. A great interaction.

At Ayush Bhavan and got our man’s details.

At the NITI Aayog; met Shashank Shah who has promised to get back to Maman on Friday.

‘Lunch’ at Karnataka Bhavan, at a half past 4, in the evening.

Back at our guest house by a half past 6. Pamposh had dropped by and we’d talked till 8, over many things.

A quiet evening. 

Lekha and Rema takes off at a half past 9, in the evening, to Tvpm to attend Appachi’s sanchayanam.

Off to New Delhi.

Sleep was cut short thanks to the departure time of a half past 6, of the AI 830 to New Delhi. Got up at 3, washed up and went about my chores and I was ready by a half past 4, when we left for the airport.

Anish had brought his car as ours had a starting trouble. We brought up the rear among the passengers but entered the aircraft first as Maman was provided wheelchair assistance. Keeping my fingers crossed while egging him on during the journey.

Got seats 14 D to F since there were no passengers to claim the middle seat, we placed our hand bags in it during the flight. We reached New Delhi by a half past 9 and Munna chauffeured us around. Earlier, prepared the documents for handing over at the Logani’s in Khan Market. Lunch was at Karnataka Bhavan and I’d a masala dosa.

Dropped our mail for the Prime Minister at the PMO. Went to NITI Aayog but none of the people, whom we wanted to meet, were available on their seats. We then visited the Khadi Bhavan.

Returned to our guest house thereafter. Vandana gave us tea. Scientist Pamposh dropped by and we had a long chat. Dinner from Vandana which was lovely.

Slept earlier than normal.

Tailpiece.

Our dear Thampi sir, all of 85 years, passed into the mist of time this morning around a quarter past 8. Can never forget the new year celebrations of 2015 at the Somatheeram with him. After the evening, I’d forgotten my car keys there and he’d collected it to hand it over to me the next morning.

At Thiruvananthapuram.

Got up at 4, recited my prayers and went through the morning chores. Was ready by a half past 6, Kannan was available. We set off soon after, dropped off Rema and Karthika’s mom at the eastern entrance of the temple.

Reached Thrissur railway station half an hour before my train’s arrival. Had breakfast soon after boarding, chocolate around 11 and the banana at 12.

The train reached its destination by a quarter past 2, Anish picked me up in the Magic. Lunch, served by Girija and Sindhu as company.

Corrected two mail for our Delhi trip.

Off to Lekha’s appachi’s place. Sat with Mohan and Preeti for about half an hour reminiscing about Ammaavan and appachi.

Returned to the Foundation and headed for the Pallium to see Indirakkutty. She’s in a sad state. Sat with her for more than an hour.

Reached Maman’s place by a quarter past 8. A quiet and an early evening!

An alternate viewpoint (2).

...contd (2).

Machado was also one of the political architects of La Salida, the 2014 opposition campaign that called  for escalated protests, including guarimba tactics. Those weren't 'peaceful protests as the foreign press 

claimed; they were organised barricades meant to paralyse the country and force the government's fall.    Streets were blocked with burning trash and barbed wire, buses carrying workers were torched and peo-

ple suspected of being Chavista were beaten or killed. Even ambulances and doctors were attacked. 

Some Cuban medical brigades were nearly burned alive. Public buildings, food trucks and schools were

destroyed. Entire neighbourhoods were held hostage by fear  while opposition leaders like Machado

cheered from the side lines and called it "resistance".

She praises Trump's "decisive actions" against what she calls a "criminal enterprise", aligning herself

the same man who cages migrant children and tears families apart under ICE's watch while Venezuelan 

mothers search for their children disappeared by US migration policies.

Machado isn't a symbol of peace or progress. She is part of a global alliance of fascism, Zionism and

neoliberalism, an axis that justifies domination in the language of democracy and peace. In Venezuela,

that alliance has meant coups, sanctions and privatisation. In Gaza, it means genocide and the erasure 

of a people. The ideology is the same: a belief that some lives are disposable, that sovereignty is nego-

tiable and that violence can be sold as order.

If Henry Kissinger could win a Peace Prize, why not Maria Corina Machado? Maybe next year                they'll give one to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation for "compassion under occupation". Every            time this award is handed to an architect of violence disguised as diplomacy, it spits in the face of            those who actually fight for peace : the Palestinian medics digging bodies from rubble, the jour-

nalists risking their lives in Gaza to document the truth and the humanitarian workers of the flotilla

sailing to break the siege and deliver aid to starving children in Gaza, with nothing but courage and

conviction. 

But real peace is not negotiated in boardrooms or awarded on stages. Real peace is built  by women      organising food networks during blockades, by Indigenous communities defending rivers from              extraction, by workers who refuse to be starved into obedience by Venezuelan mothers mobilising

to demand the return of children seized under US, ICE and migration policies and by nations that          choose sovereignty over servitude. That's the peace Venezuela, Cuba, Palestine and every nation 

of the Global South deserves.

....concluded.

Courtesy. Michelle Ellner

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, sent all the morning messages, switched on the hymns on the home theatre, lit up the lamp in the puja room and opened up the house for the day. 

Lekha made our morning cuppa.

Walked on the road in front of The Quarterdeck and recited my prayers.

Bath followed by breakfast. Rema and Byja went, soon after.

Got reservation in the non-a/c chair car.

Did my packing. 

A quiet evening, yakkittiyakking.

An alternate viewpoint (1).

When Maria Corina Machado wins the Nobel Peace Prize, "Peace" has lost its meaning. 

I almost laughed at the absurdity. But I didn't, because there's nothing funny about rewarding someone whose politics have brought so much suffering. Anyone who knows what she stands for knows there's nothing remotely peaceful about her politics.

If this is what counts as "peace" in 2025, then the prize itself has lost every ounce of credibility. I'm Venezuelan-American and I know exactly what Machado represents.

She's the smiling face of Washington's regime-change machine, the polished spokesperson for sanctions, privatisation and foreign intervention dressed up as democracy.

Machado's politics are steeped in violence. She has called for foreign intervention, even appealing directly to Benjamin Netanyahu, the architect of Gaza's annihilation, to help "liberate" Venezuela with bombs under the banner of "freedom." She has demanded sanctions, that silent form of warfare whose effects - as studies in the Lancet and other journals have shown - have killed more people than war, cutting off medicine, food and energy to entire populations.

Machado has spent her entire political life promoting division, eroding Venezuela's sovereignty and denying its people the right to live with dignity.

This is who Maria Corina Machado really is :-

* She helped lead the 2002 coup that briefly overthrew a democratically elected president and signed 

   the Carmona Decree that erased the Constitution and dissolved every public institution overnight.

* She worked hand in hand with Washington to justify regime change, using her platform to demand         foreign military intervention to "liberate" Venezuela through force.

* She cheered on Donald Trump's threats of invasion and his naval deployments in the Caribbean, a

   show of force that risks igniting regional war under the pretext of "combating narcotrafficking."

   While Trump sent warships and froze assets, Machado stood ready to serve as his local proxy,

   promising to deliver Venezuelan sovereignty on a silver platter.

* She pushed for the US sanctions that strangled the economy, knowing exactly who would pay the

   price: the poor, the sick, the working class.

* She helped construct the so-called "interim government" a Washington backed puppet show by a             self-appointed "president" who looted Venezuela's resources abroad while children at home went

   hungry.

* She vows to reopen Venezuela's embassy in Jerusalem, aligning herself openly with the same

   apartheid state that bombs hospitals and calls it self defence.

* Now she wants to hand over the country's oil, water and infrastructure to private corporations. 

   This is the same recipe that made Latin America the laboratory of neoliberal misery in the 1990s.

....to be continued.

Courtesy. Michelle Ellner

Tailpiece.

Got up at a quarter past 4, sleep wasn't forthcoming. Switched on the hymns on the home theatre, lit up the lamp in the puja room and opened up the house for the day.

Lekha made our morning cuppa.

Walked within the house due to the morning rain, recited my prayers.

Bath and breakfast. Worked on my laptop.

Rema and Byja arrived by a quarter past 11. A boisterous lunch!

Siesta.

The Asian Paint's technical team inspected the seepage on the roof. Remedial action will be taken from 05 Nov due to the rain and our forthcoming journeys.

Rema, Byja went for the 'darshan' in the evening.

A boisterous dinner followed by yakkitiyak. A late night.