Rail links to Bhutan.

India to build two cross-border rail links to Bhutan for Rs.4,000 crores

Under the project, the two Bhutanese cities of Gelephu and Samtse would be connected with Kokrajhar in Assam and Banarhat in West Bengal.

Relationship of trust, mutual respect

The details of the project were made public by our Railway Minister. Under the two projects, 89 kms of railway lines will be laid and work is expected to be completed in the next four years. "India and Bhutan share a relationship of exceptional trust, mutual respect and understanding.

Big push for Bhutan's economy

* India's announcement of the railway projects have come amid efforts by China to increase its geo-strategic influence over Bhutan.

* It is crucial to have a good seamless rail connectivity for the Bhutanese economy to grow as most of the trade of Bhutan is done through Indian ports.

Rs.10K crores is India's assistance to Bhutan for its ongoing 13th Five Year Plan.

My take

A good strategic decision on our part to improve relations with our immediate neighbours.

Tailpiece.  

Got up at 5, sent all my 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 after a while.

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

Breakfast and bath. Also, saw Indirakkutty on video call. She'll get back to normal.

Sent my September mail before lunchtime. 

Dibang Multipurpose Project (DMP).

The 'Mother of all dams' in India.

The DMP, a flood control cum hydroelectric power project will be located in the Lower Dibang Valley District of Arunachal Pradesh.

Standing at a towering 278 metres, it will be the highest dam in India.

A global tender has been issued for Rs.17,069 crores for the main dam construction. When the dam finally takes shape by 2032 at a cost of Rs.32,000 crores, India would have effectively countered China's giant dam on Yarlung Tsangpo river in Tibet.

The urgency of the government is evident as the deadline for tender opening for major works is slated for Nov 2025.

My take

Now, that's a massive project!

Tailpiece.

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

Made our morning cuppa. Oversaw, Ajitha's dressing of Lekha's wounds.

Photographed them before and sent them to Dr Jyoshid who has said that the bandaging was to be discontinued. Gave orders to Ajitha accordingly.

Giving the final shape to my September mail.

Seven sins of people related to Spirituality.

Common pitfalls of modern spirituality and the subtle signs that reveal when guidance turns misleading.

1. Outsourcing spiritual growth

2. Failing to discern noise from signal

3.Seeking shields against misfortunes

4. Confusing popularity with truth

5. Expecting omniscience, grace or miracles

6. Trading this life for another

7. Feeling superior instead of empathetic

My take

I've seen quite a few talking about how they are into the path of spirituality and some others who deify their gurus! All show offers!! Sorry for being harsh.

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.

Made our morning cuppa and facilitated Lekha in getting ready.

Walked within the house and recited my prayers.

Washing machinex of bed linen.

Another of those quiet Sundays. 

Adieu MiG 21!

MiG 21, the iconic fighter jet of the IAF, made its last flight yesterday. 

Aircraft procured by India since 1960s.

For long the primary aircraft of the IAF, the aircraft was decommissioned after serving the country for more than six decades, yesterday, 26 Sep 2025.

Played key roles in wars with Pakistan

MiG-21, inducted into the IAF in the 1960s, played crucial roles in the India-Pakistan wars of 1965, 1971, and 1999, as well as in the 2019 Balakot air strikes. The mighty machine was a symbol of India's pride. The decommissioning ceremony featured aerial displays including formation take-offs by MiG-21s.

A workhorse with troubled safety record

* The ceremonial switch-off of six MiG-21 aircraft in the presence of dignitaries marked the culmination 

   of the aircraft's operational service.

* While it was hailed as a "workhorse" for its long years of service, the Soviet-era interceptor had a 

    troubled safety record and was involved in multiple crashes, earning it the nickname "flying coffin".

870 MiG-21 fighter air

My take

Adieu MiG-21! We have long and wonderful memories of this fine aircraft who safeguarded our skies and was the pride of the IAF. You shall always be remembered with pride.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, sent all my 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.

Made our morning cuppa. The sister came an hour late thanks to the incessant rain.

A quiet Saturday.

 

A laboratory for landslide research.

The proposed geoheritage zone lies within the 'no go' areas of Meppadi panchayat, stretching 50-100 km along the Punnapuzha river in Wayanad district. Though unsuitable for habitation, the landscape - strewn with buried homes, crushed vehicles and massive dislodged boulders - offers invaluable clues to understand landslide dynamics.

The landslide area needs to be retained as it is. Future technologies may help unravel the unknown factors behind the slide.

The vision

Planned features

  

   * Guided field exploration zones

   * A memorial for victims

   * Educational museum at Chooralmala

   * Real-time geohazard monitoring system

Community engagement

   * Training local residents as guides

   * Involvement of Kudumbashree and Aapda Mitra volunteers

   

Opportunities

   * Disaster education and preparedness

   * Sustainable tourism

   * Scientific research

Challenges

   * Ongoing landslide risk

   * Climate change impacts

   * Vegetation overgrowth and biodiversity loss

Courtesy. Excerpted from Unnikrishnan S @ Tvpm in the NIE

My take

A good thing to happen!

Tailpiece.

Got up at a half past 4, recited my prayers, woke up Lekha at 5 so that she could get ready.

Lit up the puja room lamp, made our cuppa and switched on the hymns on the home theatre at 6.

Left for Kochi at a quarter to 7, moved smoothly through Thrissur town but was stuck in a bad traffic snarl - for 11/2 hours at Muringoor. Modified breakfast of a vada and a cup of tea at Pulinchodu Metro Station and reached Satish Bhat's clinic at 11.

Lineesh of Titan came and handed over Lekha's watch at the clinic. We left the clinic at 12, had lunch at Brindavan and headed for home. Reached at 4 PM.

Kannan washed down the Chevy.

A quiet evening.

Rs.70,000 cr to boost shipbuilding.

The central government has cleared a Rs. 69,725 cr package to revitalise India's shipbuilding sector and reduce dependence on foreign ships.

Atmanirbharta in shipping sector

The package will extend the Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Scheme, help launch a a National Shipbuilding Mission and set up a Maritime Development Fund. It is designed to boost domestic shipbuilding capacity and create substantial job and investment opportunities.

My take

A boost in the shipbuilding sector will have a cascading effect on all round development.

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.

Made our morning cuppa.

Nurse Ajitha had come by 7 for dressing up Lekha's wound and the Rajah Medical team had dropped by to collect my blood samples.

A quiet Thursday.

Adieu Dickie Bird!

Harold 'Dickie' Bird was the gold standard for accuracy of decisions and considered a man of great integrity. Players respected him and never doubted his judgement. His popularity ran beyond cricket as he was a favourite of spectators as well.

It will now be part of fond memories as Bird passed into the mist of  time yesterday, at the age of 92. The former Yorkshire cricketer officiated in 66 tests and 69 ODIs. He'd officiated in the three World Cup finals including the 1983 summit clash when India shocked the mighty West Indies to lift the trophy.

A few interesting anecdotes about Bird :-

     * Former Indian wicket keeper batsman Kirmani says that he was the best umpire in their time and era.

        "He was very straight forward and genuine".

     * Bird's last Test was the 1996 Lord's match between India and England in which former captains 

        Saurav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid made their debut.

     * "During the 1983 WC final, when Balwinder Sandhu came out to bat, he was the last man and 

        (I) Kirmani was at the non-striker's end. Malcolm Marshall bowled a bouncer to Ballu and it hit him

        on his helmet, so Bird fired the hell out of the West Indian pacer and made him apologise to

        Ballu".

My take

Adieu Dickie Bird! My heartfelt condolences!! Tears and prayers!!!

Tailpiece.

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

Made Lekha wait for me in the morning, which was unpardonable.

Made our morning cuppa.

Lekha had conducted the usual Wednesday morning 'aarathi'.

A quiet Wednesday.

        

 

Interesting facts about Delhi.

Some interesting facts about Delhi!

1. INA market is not named after the Indian National Army. It's actually named after a private airline, the        Indian National Airways, that was later nationalized and became part of Indian Airlines. 

2. Khan market is named after Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan's brother, Khan Abdul Jabbar Khan. Ghaffar            market is the one named after the Frontier Gandhi, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan.

3. Bengali market is named after Lala Bengali Mal Lohia, who built the place and had no connection with

    Bengal or Bengalis.

4. Mehrchand market and Khanna market, separated by a few hundred yards, are named after one person,

    Mehrchand Khanna, who was Rehabilitation Minister after independence.

5. The famous Pandara Road was actually Pandava Road. It was a clerk's misreading while copying it

    that led to the current name.

6. Rai Sina village and surrounding areas were cleared to make way for Viceroy House (Now President's        Estate on Raisina Hill). The villagers were resettled under the Deputy Commissioner, Mr. Young. Thus, 

    the resettlement colony was named as Youngpura, which people pronounce as Jungpura.

Truly amazing facts!

Tailpiece.

Got up at a half past 4, recited my prayers. Woke up Lekha at 5. Went through the chores and was ready by 7 when both Sukesan and Kannan were present and we kicked off for the Elite Mission Hospital.

Dr Jyoshid's review of Lekha's graft and wound. Has lightened her bandages and has encouraged her to walk. She's thus visible all over the house after a long gap.

Ribi and team inspected the seepage from the roof. He'll get his technical team and rectify the defect.

A quiet evening!

After chaos, a u-turn!

The Trump administration has clarified that the new $100,000 fee for H-1B visas is a one-time payment applicable only to new petitions and does not apply current visa holders, providing a huge relief for thousands of concerned professionals working in the US, including from India.

H-1B petitions submitted before the effective proclamation date of 21 Sep are not affected. Those visa-holders currently outside the US also do not need to pay the fee for re-entering the country. They can leave and re-enter the country as earlier.

Following announcement on H-1B visa fees, several IT stocks fell on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Sify Technologies Ltd slipped 0.17%, WNS Holdings Ltd ended flat, while Cognizant Technology Solutions dropped 4.73% to $66.94 on NASDAQ on 19 Sep. The clarification by the US authorities on H-1B visas will comfort Indian equity markets.

My take

President Trump is making a great impact on the American whites - especially - with his MAGA efforts! For him the midterm elections will give positive results!! And also after the redistricting process that's currently on!!!

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.

Made our morning cuppa; the cats did not fetch up today either.

A quiet Monday and the beginning of Navaratri!

Nine nights, nine forms of Goddess Durga.

From tomorrow begins Navaratri!

Each day honours a different form of Durga, symbolising power, wisdom and protection. For nine nights the Goddess fought. Each night she defeated one demon.

Day 1. Shailaputri

Daughter of the mountains, embodying strength and resolve.

On the first night she quelled Kama, the demon of Lust.

Offer pure ghee diya. Removes health issues.

Day 2. Brahmacharini

Goddess of penance and devotion, representing discipline.

On the second night she extinguished Krodha, the demon of Anger.

Offer sugar. Brings peace of mind.

Day 3. Chandraghanta

Adorned with a crescent moon, symbol of courage and grace.

On the third night she dispelled Moha, the demon of Attraction.

Offer milk sweets. Removes family conflicts.

Day 4. Kushmanda

Creator of the universe, radiating energy and vitality.

On the fourth night, she shattered Lobha, the demon of Greed.

Offer Malpua. Improves finances.

Day 5. Skandamata

Mother of Kartikeya, embodying nurturing and motherly love.

On the fifth night, she vanquished Hubris, the demon Mada.

Offer bananas. Blesses children and relationships.

Day 6. Katyayani

Warrior goddess, fierce protector against injustice.

On the sixth night, she defeated Matsara, the demon of Jealousy.

Offer honey. Removes marriage delays.

Day 7. Kalaratri

Dark and powerful form, destroyer of evil and fear.

On the seventh night with the energy of beauty, she smote Swartha, the demon of selfishness. 

Offer jaggery. Destroys enemies and fears.

Day 8. Mahagauri

Goddess of purity, serenity and compassion.

On the eighth night, she killed Anyaya, the demon of Injustice.

Offer coconut. Brings purity and harmony in relationships.

Day 9. Siddidatri

Bestower of wisdom and supernatural powers, completing the cycle of divinity.

On the ninth night using only her kindness, she banished the dreadful demon of cruelty, Amanavata.

Offer navrang flowers. Grants success and wish fulfillment.

Then on the morning after the ninth night, she was about to rest when she realised that her most difficult foe was upon her. She sat in the Lotus position, laid down all her weapons and with a gentle sigh and a quiet smile, she dissolved the final demon, Ahankara, her ego.

My take

Happy Navaratri to all of you and your families! Praying that all your demons get conquered!

Tailpiece.

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

Made our morning cuppa; the cats failed to fetch up today too.

Bath, followed by breakfast.

A quiet Sunday.

                                                                 

Homebound.

Neeraj Ghaywan's Homebound is India's official entry to 98th Oscars in the Best International Feature category.

The film is produced by Karan Johar, Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta and Somen Mishra with Marijke deSouza and Melita Toscan Du Plantier as co-producers. It also has legendary Hollywood filmmaker Martin Scorsese as an executive producer.

The film has Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor in lead roles.

Homebound portrays the story of two childhood friends from a small north Indian village who chase a police job that promises them the dignity they have long been denied.

My take

Come back with the Oscar!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 0353 hrs to go around the corner and sleep wasn't forthcoming after that. Recited my prayers. Awoke at 5, woke up Lekha and helped her to go through her chores.

Lit up the lamp in the puja room, made our morning cuppa and was ready by 7. Kannan and Sukesan were there on the dot and we set off for the Elite Mission Hospital. Since we were there half an hour early, bought Kannan his breakfast.

Met Dr Jyoshid at a half past 8 who renewed Lekha's dressing on the graft and we returned home by a half past 10.

A quiet day, thereafter.

 

India weighs Pak-Saudi defence pact.

It's a NATO-style agreement to treat attack on one country as attack on both.

Implications for India

* India to assess the Pak-Saudi pact's impact on national security and regional stability

* Future military conflicts with Pak could technically evoke a response from Saudi Arabia

* India worried about nuclear proliferation as Pak is expected to provide N-cover to the Saudis

Energy security, Diaspora safety

India is expected to weigh not just the military dimensions of the pact but also its broader strategic implications on energy security, diaspora safety and the evolving balance of power in the Gulf. Over 8 million Indians live and work across the Gulf, with a substantial population in Saudi Arabia.

My take

Perhaps, to counter our position vis-a-vis Israel on its recent strikes on Hamas in Qatar!

Tailpiece.

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

Made our morning cuppa. The cats didn't fetch up this morning.

Nothing has come from the RTO's office and the agent as promised yesterday. Sajish has strangely gone silent!

Lekha's watch is ready at the Kochi showroom.

Two days gone waste at the RTO!

My Cheverolet Cruze is due for its re-registration on completion of 15 years on 25 Nov, this year. Sajish, a cab driver had come along to help me go through the maze of the RTO's office.

It all began with the buying of a stamp paper worth Rs.200/- yesterday afternoon. Thankfully, the computer didn't hang for long and I was able to get my requirement within a matter of half an hour! Soon after, we went across to Chavakkad, to get an affidavit countersigned by a notary. Had to take a set of passport size photographs prior to it!

Had deposited all the requisite documents for the re-registration with my agent last evening. Had to pay Rs. 8,600/- which I did with the help of the payment app SBI Bhim.  But a glitch online transferred the money into the agent's a/c only to revert the action and returned the money into my a/c, wonder why.

This morning, after getting the amount pulled out from my a/c, finally handed it over to my agent. Armed with all the documents - and hoping like mad that everything was gonna be all right after getting the vehicle's servicing done, for inspection by the Motor Vehicle Department Inspector - we'd reached the Sub RTO to get the certificate.

The vehicle inspector had cleared the vehicle but alas, the lady at the counter said that since the 'No Objection Certificate' from RTO, Gurgaon was dated Jun 2015, I'd have to pay the tax arrears from that year @ Rs.500/- per month!

The NOC that I'd submitted, was collected by my friend and course mate, Col R Sathyan. It was the duplicate of the original with the notation of having been verified in Jun 2024! By the time this fact was put up to the section clerk, it was her pack up time and the agent had told me that he'd have it sorted out tomorrow. Hope he's able to do it!

My take

Two days down the drain with nil results! Here, the government employees do not want to help a customer but put hurdles instead, by their misinterpretation of existing rules.

They need to identify a faux pas that's free of any malafide intention on the part of the customer. Period! And additionally, that wouldn't cause any loss for the state exchequer!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, the morning messages were sent, my cousin, Santhi had made an early morning call, switched on the hymns on the home theatre, lit up the lamp at the puja room and opened up the house for the day.

Made our morning cuppa and fed the cats.

Bath, followed by breakfast and went off with Sajish for the day's work!

Returned for lunch and snooze.

A quiet evening, thereafter.  

PM Modi @ 75.

* Personal achievement

   Scams                                                 Nil

   Leave                                                  Nil

   Favours done to family                      Nil

   Elections lost                                      Nil

   Apologised in court                            Nil

* Most popular leader in the world

Narendra Damodardas Modi

 DoB                                                       17 Feb 1950

 Place of Birth                                        Vadnagar, Gujarat

* Positions held

   Prime Minister of India                       11 years (2014 to the present)

   Chief Minister of Gujarat                    13 years (2001 - 2014)

* Professional achievements

   Made Gujarat Model state as CM

   Abrogated article 370

   Ram Mandir construction

   Pioneered Digital India through UPI revolution

   Tackled inflation

   Citizenship to persecuted Hindus from Islamic countries

   Ending naxalism

   Launched Vande Bharat, NaMo Bharat trains

   Making India a manufacturing powerhouse

   Thrashed Pakistan multiple times with surgical strikes

   Resisted China's adventurism

   Stood up to US hegemony

   Improved India's global influence

My take

Many happy returns of the day, Mr Prime Minister! Hope you've had a fantastic day. May god look after you in all your endeavours. Take care and god speed! And the PN Panicker Foundation thanks you for your blessings!

Tailpiece.

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

Made our morning cuppa, fed the cats. walked within the house and recited my prayers.

Bath and was off with Sajish, my chauffeur to begin the process of re-registration of my Chevy. Toward that end, bought a stamp paper for Rs.200/-, took my passport-size photographs, to the notary for the affidavit on that paper and submitted the complete application to the agent!

Earlier Preetha, Lekha's younger sister, had dropped by.

Siesta, followed by the evening chores. 

   

   

The Asia Cup aftermath.

Indian players' refusal to shake hands with Pakistani players after the Asia Cup clash has sparked a row. The PCB has threatened to withdraw from the match if match referee Andy Pycroft is not removed.

My take

Why did we play the game at all? Remember, Operation Sindoor is still very much on!

Shaking hands is a goodwill gesture and a sort of convention, not law, that is followed globally across the sporting spectrum. 

We were boorish in behaviour! Period!!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, sent all the messages, chatted with my cousin, Santhi, switched on the morning hymns, lit up the lamp in the puja room, opened up the house for the day.

Made our morning cuppa, fed the cats.

Walked inside the house, exercised and recited my prayers.

Off to Elite Mission Hospital for Lekha's review. Since it was the doctor's day of surgery, she was able to meet him only around a half past 4. Joju, the chauffeur was superb.

Had tea and snack at the Kudumbasree's wayside stall around a half past 5.

Settled down at home for a quiet evening.

Kerala's Library Movement.

Yesterday was the 80th anniversary of the mammoth Ambalapuzha conference when Travancore Grandhasala Sangham came into being with 47 rural libraries under the leadership of PN Panicker. The then Dewan of Travancore, Sir CP Ramaswami Iyer presided over the function.

The Travancore Grandhasala Sangham went on to become the Thiru-Kochi Grandhasala Sangham in 1949 and the Kerala Grandhasala Sangham in 1956.

In 1970, when the Kerala Grandhasala Sangham celebrated its silver jubilee it had a network of over 5,280 libraries all over Kerala.

It was born out of PN Panicker's desire of establishing at least one library in every village of his state. He'd gone into the far flung areas with this aim in mind, often subsisting on bananas and tap water besides spending the nights on shops' verandahs!

In the process, he'd established this vibrant peoples' movement and there was this saying that "there's no piece of land in Kerala that has not felt the footsteps of PN Panicker".

Remembering the legend on the occasion with a salute for his perseverance, hard work and dedication!

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, opened up the house for the day.

Made our morning cuppa, fed the cats and went for the walk on the road in front of the house. Exercises, breakfast and bath in that sequence.

A quiet Monday.

Voyager 1.

Now 15 billion miles away. Still runs on 69 KB of memory, 8-track tape and 1977 Fortran Code.

Far beyond the planets, more than 15 billion miles from home, Voyager 1 still sails through the cosmic dark - lone messenger from 1977.

Launched when disco ruled the radio, it carries less memory than a single smartphone photo, stores data on an 8-track tape system and runs on FORTRAN code written before most of today's engineers were born.

Its endurance comes from tough, radiation-hardened parts, a minimalist design with fewer failure points and redundant systems ready to take over when one falters. The spacecraft also holds the famous Golden Record a time capsule of Earth's music, greetings and sounds meant for any distant civilization that might find it.

Keeping it alive isn't easy : every signal takes 22 hours to arrive, so engineers must solve problems without instant feedback, often referencing 50-year-old blueprints and hand-drawn schematics.

Voyager 1 isn't just a machine. It is a reminder of what happens when we build for durability, think creatively and dream beyond our own lifetimes.

My take

48 years after it had lifted off from the earth, the spacecraft is a grim reminder of what "galloping technology" is all about. (I was a seagoing cadet on board the old INS Delhi - ex-HMS Achilles - during Spring '77 and a Midshipman on board the old INS Beas during Autumn '77!)

PS.

Today's also the 80th anniversary of the mammoth conference organised by PN Panicker, at Ambalappuzha on 14 Sep 1945, where the then Dewan of Travancore, Sir CP Ramaswami Iyer inaugurated the "Thiruvithaankoor Grandhasaala Sangham", with 47 rural libraries.

Tailpiece.

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

Made our morning cuppa' and fed the cats.

Walked within the house and recited my prayers. Had a nap between 12 and 1 PM and felt guilty about it.

A quiet evening!

Letters, Pickles and Lineage (2).

...contd (2).

Childhood summers unfolded like endless myths in Dharmadam, where six of us girl cousins would gather at Onaparambth, our ancestral house shaded by mangoes, jackfruit and pepper vines. The Arabian Sea was a ten-minute walk away, its briny invitation irresistible. We crossed to Thiruthi island during low tide, scribbling "Parashurama, you lost!" in the sand, our rebellion against myth washed clean by returning waves. Evenings were spent on the verandah, where Aunt Radha, silhouetted against the bleeding colours of the sunset, watched us with indulgent silence, as though she too understood that small acts of defiance carried their own kind of holiness.

The cuisine of the Thiyas, curiously absent from Kerala's celebrated culinary pantheon, was a mosaic of flavours both inventive and ancient. My grand-aunt Sunanda made unnakai - ripe nendra bananas filled with coconut, raisins, cashews and cardamom, fried to golden perfection - that perfumed the air with sweetness. Kinnathappam, spiced with fennel and shallots and ulava kanni, a fenugreek payasam thickened with jaggery and coconut milk, occupied places of reverence.

Serrated gooseberries plucked from our compound were simmered into a jam of wine-red brilliance, spread onto bakery-fresh bread in an act that fused the rustic with the urbane. Fish remained at the centre of our meals, whether as fried oysters spiced with shallots and pepper for breakfast, or fish curry soured with vilumbi fruit, its tartness our version of sambhar. Even today my Canadian son-in-law requests it on every visit, as though the dish were a bridge between continents. And always, in the background, there was Patanjali, the house help, grinding coconut, chilli and turmeric on stone slabs, her rhythmic pounding echoing across decades, a music of sustenance.

Memory, in my family, often arrives flavoured with mussels. My grandmother's mussel pickle, packed into jars I smuggled into hostel rooms, transformed bland rice into a feast. Aunt Thangam, who passed only last year, could conjure arikadaka - mussel steamed and fried in rice batter - for tea with a magician's flourish. A pilgrimage to Kannur took us once to Parassinikadavu Muthappan temple on the Valapattanam river, where Theyyam dancers embody the deity, listening to the troubles of the devotees and offering counsel. Here, caste dissolves, dogs are fed as sacred beings and the boundaries between the human and the divine blur in the firelit ritual.

The brilliance of these women lay not merely in their education or culinary talent but in the richness of their lives. Even now, Aunt Sitala, at ninety, embroiders tirelessly for charity, each stitch a testament to patience. Girija paints flowers with devotion that borders on prayer. Uma aunty, trail blazing in her own way, became one of Tamil Nadu's most beloved tourist guides, her voice carrying the grandeur of Chola temples and the intimacy of untold stories. When my husband's centenarian aunt from New York visited, she declared Uma to be the finest guide she had ever met. Watching them converse, two nonagenarians exchanging admiration, was like watching history unfold.

None of this would have been possible without the men who, instead of gatekeeping, opened doors. My father, a Brigadier in the Indian Army, gave my sister and me a childhood that was both disciplined and untamed : fishing expeditions, camping trips, pets of all varieties and rum bottles smuggled into the JNU hostel for our not-yet-husbands. His only advice on marriage was disarmingly simple : "Find someone who will take care of you and enjoy a drink with me".

When my sister married a Punjabi, his only concern was whether the man could indeed care for her, caste or region be damned. Our cousins, who lost their mother when they were too young, were raised by grandparents who taught them to swim in the kollam's waters, shoot at bullseyes, tend trees and even clean their grandfather's guns. Reverence was reserved not for patriarchal authority but for the sarpakavu, the sacred snake grove in our compound. It tended with a spirituality that was as ecological as it was religious.

For me, identity has always been both rooted and itinerant. I am deeply Malayali, yet my life has traversed the map of India, from the Kashmir valley to the Nilgiris, Madras to Delhi, Ranikhet to Uttar Pradesh. Now, in Chennai, in what feel like the sunset years, I find myself reflecting on a worldview shaped not by political manifestos or sweeping revolutions but by mango trees and mussel pickles, midnight card games and Shakespeare read in bed, embroidery circles and fish curry mornings, laughter that was as untamed as the sea. It is a worldview shaped by women - not loud revolutionaries but quiet architects of freedom - who stitched independence into the fabric of daily life until it became indistinguishable from existence itself.

....concluded.

Courtesy. Lata Govind.

Tailpiece.

Had got up at a half past 1 to go around the corner but sleep wasn't forthcoming and was awake till about 4!

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, opened up the house for the day, fed the cats, made the morning cuppa and was ready for the barber who'd come in by 7. 

Breakfast and bath, an hour later. Went to town to book the hotel rooms for DP and friends coming on 06 Oct. Changed my cell phone's cover.

Sukesan got us sweets and chakka upperi.

   

Letters, Pickles and Lineage (1).

A matrilineal memoir from Malabar.

Here's a deeply personal, unique family story that weaves through generations of memories and tells the story of women who grew up in a matrilineal household in Malabar.

In the lush and storied land of North Malabar, once folded into the cartography of the Madras Presidency, the coastal towns of Kannur, Tellicherry, Mahe, Dharmadam and Vadagara pulsed with the rhythms of trade winds and the slow churn of history. It was here that the Thiyas, a matrilineal community, quietly nurtured generations of women who seemed at once deeply rooted in tradition yet ahead of their time. While colonial and princely India largely imagined women as secondary - cloistered, ornamental, dependent - these women of Malabar were charting another path, their lives infused with a dignity and autonomy that puzzled outsiders yet seemed entirely natural to them.

Marriage itself took on a form that confounded the prevailing norms. A Thiya wedding, until not too many generations ago, was orchestrated not by the bride's family but by the groom's family. There was no exchange of dowry, no parade of trunks laden with silks, brass lamps or carved furniture. Instead, the groom's family gathered the trousseau and his sister or aunt procured sarees, blouses, underskirts and even undergarments - an unspoken gesture of solidarity between women across households. The gold tali chain too, came from the groom's side and the only wealth  the  bride carried was the jewellery she wore on her wedding day. Yet she did not enter her new life impoverished, for her maternal home remained her anchor, the enduring source of both emotional and material support.   

Education was not merely encouraged but regarded as essential. In this community, there was no bifurcation between sons and daughters in their schooling. My great grandmother, improbably modern for her times, attended a French convent in Mahe in the 1880s. Another ancestor, equally resolute, went to the Sacred Heart's Convent in Tellicherry, making her daily pilgrimage to school in a jutka vandi, its wheels rattling against red laterite roads. My grandmother Leela, who wrote in English with a grace and precision that could rival professional scribes, left behind delicate blue inland letters addressed to me when I lived in the Assistant Commissioner's residence in Ranikhet. 

Those letters still survive, paper ghosts whispering across time. Her coconut toffee recipe - soft, pale pink, tinged with cochineal - remains etched in memory, just as much a part of  of her legacy as the upright bookstand, the card table and the long reclining chairs of our ancestral home in Calicut. As children, we consumed not only kilos of banana chips but also her carefully inked letters, a form of nourishment as important as food itself.

Among my father's aunts, education blossomed into eccentric brilliance. Janaki Ammal, the renowned cytogeneticist, once confessed in her journal that she read each of Shakespeare's plays twice in order to fully absorb them, her appetite for literature as methodical as her science. Another aunt, Sumitra, offered in her diary a confession both tender and defiant : "I am suffering from womb pain. I just want to lie in bed and read". When the British decreed English proficiency as a requirement for government service in North Malabar, it was the Thiyas - unencumbered by caste pride in Sanskrit or Malayalam - who seized the colonial tongues swiftly, transforming it into a tool of aspiration. Letters to our educated aunts were invariably addressed with degrees appended : Miss V Radha, BA for learning itself was a form of adornment.

The sense of practicality that defined these women extended even to the rituals of death. My grandmother, with characteristic clarity, declared she wished not to be cremated but buried beneath the Malgova mango tree in our compound. "Let my body be of some use", she said, her words a premonition of sustainability before the word entered common parlance. In that gesture of becoming nourishment for the earth, she enacted a philosophy that lay dormant in the soil of Malabar, where mango groves and coconut palms held the wisdom of centuries.

.....to be contd.

Courtesy. Lata Govind

Tailpiece.

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

Walked within the house, recited my prayers.

A quiet Friday.

Sumathi chechi was cremated at the Santhi kavaadam, Thiruvananthapuram by a half past 9, this morning.

The commissioning of INS Aravali.

The IN will commission INS Aravalli in the presence of the Chief of the Naval Staff tomorrow, 12 Sep 2025.

INS Aravali deriving its name from the unwavering Aravali range, shall support various information and communication centres of the IN  which are key to India's  and IN's command, control and Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) framework.

Guided by the motto 'Saamudrikasurakshaayaaha sahayogam', the naval base exemplifies supportive and collaborative ethos, working seamlessly with naval units, MDA centres and allied stakeholders.

The crest of the base comprises of central mountain imagery perfectly symbolising the unwavering and strong Aravali Range and the rising sun representing the eternal vigilance, resilience and energy, in addition to the dawn of niche technological capabilities in the field of Communications and MDA. Thus the crest embodies the steadfast commitment of of the Base to facilitate eternal vigilance in order to defend India's maritime interests.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready as usual.

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

Off to the Elite Mission Hospital for Lekha's medical review by a half past 11. Returned by 5. In between, had gone to the MyG store and had got my cell phone going!

Padmakumar's elder sister, Sumathi chechi passed into the mist of time, this afternoon, due to old age related illnesses.

Sukesan and Kannan helped me in shifting Lekha.   

Nuclear energy.

Uranium A single fuel pellet (the size of a fingertip) produces as much energy as a ton of coal, 149 gallons of oil or 17,000 cubic feet of natural gas.

Nuclear plants run at over 90% capacity - more than wind, solar or fossil fuels which means less downtime and more consistent electricity.

France gets - 70% of its electricity from nuclear plants and has some of the cleanest air in Europe.

Germany spent billions to phase out nuclear plants and ended up burning more coal to keep the lights on.

Nuclear fusion the same process that powers the Sun - produced a net energy gain in a US lab for the first time in 2022.

Small Modular Reactors could power entire towns and be built in under three years - a fraction of traditional timelines.

More people die annually from air pollution caused by fossil fuels than have ever died from nuclear accidents in history. Radiation fear often overshadows real daily threats.

All of the US nuclear waste ever produced could fit inside a single football field stacked 10 metres high. The problem isn't volume - it's long term storage and politics.

To match the output of one  nuclear plant, you'd need over 3,000 acres of solar panels - or a small mountain's worth of batteries.

While the upfront cost of nuclear plant is high, the average lifespan of a plant is over 60 years - longer than most renewable installations.

My take

The hesitation among people to chose nuclear power over others is the fear that they have in times of catastrophe!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, switched on the hymns on the home theatre, lit up the lamp in the puja room and opened up the house for the day.

A quiet day and the maid was on leave.

Walked within the house and recited my prayers.

A quiet day otherwise.

Worrying turmoil in Nepal.

On 04 Sep, Nepal's telecommunications Authority directed the country's mobile and internet service providers to deactivate 26 social media platforms that failed to comply with an order to register with the government within a seven-day deadline starting 28 Aug 2025. The ban was for Facebook, What'sApp, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn including 21 others.

KP Olli and his government have resigned and the PM has fled to some Gulf nation, it's learnt.

Gen Zee protest over social media ban. 

My take

An American deep state tool kit?!

Tailpiece.

Got up at our usual time, the chores and was ready as usual.

A quiet day!

Ultimatums don't work on civilizations (2)

 ....contd (2)

"When people from the outside say, 'We are going to make things hard for you and punish you' " Putin asked, "how are the leaders of these countries...supposed to react to that?" His answer was clear : like sovereign nations who have buried empires before. Ukraine, of course, is just the smokescreen. This war isn't about democracy or freedom, it's about delusions of preserving a fading Western monopoly over Eurasia. The goal was never Ukrainian sovereignty; it was containment. Russia was to be bled, India coerced, China boxed in. But the empire miscalculated. Russia retooled. India doubled down on autonomy. China accelerated de-dollarization and built its own tech stack.

So when Putin sat with Modi in his Aurus limousine and briefed him on his talks with Trump, it wasn't for diplomatic theatre. It was a message : the centre of global power has shifted.

Multipolarity, isn't a theory anymore, it's a living organism. Moscow doesn't ask permission. Delhi doesn't flinch. Beijing doesn't bow. The West continues to bark about "rules", but the rest of the world remembers Iraq, Libya and the IMF's colonial shackles. And they are done pretending the empire wears clothes.

What Putin said : calmly, deliberately - is what the Global South has long whispered : enough. Enough of the moral extortion. Enough of the economic coercion. Enough of the sermons from those who perfected the art of plunder. The leaders of India and China aren't "partners" in a Western hierarchy, they are stewards of civilizations.

This is not just a geopolitical shift, it's also a spiritual one. A karmic reversal. A final reckoning with the centuries of theft, famine and forced obedience masked as "progress". The West threatens collapse if it is not obeyed. But the world has learned to say : then collapse. We will trade without you. Build without you. Thrive without you.

And as the Western world clings to a past that it can no longer resurrect, the furure is no longer asking for permission, it's speaking Mandarin, bargaining in rupees, trading in roubles and securing its energy in gold-backed contracts. The empire wants to provoke all out war and is falling, it is being quietly left behind, as sovereign civilizations walk forward without it, toward a world no longer built on threats but on dignity. 

....concluded.

Courtesy. Gerry Nolan

My take

Trump had to be shown his place. Probably, he didn't see Russia, China and India come together. He just made that happen!

Tailpiece.

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

Made the morning cuppa, fed the cats.

Took Lekha for her review with Dr Jyoshid by a half past 12. The bandage was renewed and her next appointment is on Thursday.

My cell phone has gone kaput.

A quiet evening thereafter.

Ultimatums don't work on civilizations (1)

When Vladimir Putin stood in Beijing and told the west to stop treating India and China like colonies, he wasn't posturing, he was detonating the last illusions of Western exceptionalism.

Flanked by history at the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, he didn't give so much a speech, but rather a civilizational rebuke. "Events in Ukraine", he said, "are being used merely as a pretext for resolving economic issues with some countries whose economic ties and advantages do not suit someone". That "someone", of course is the collective West, cornered by its own decline and lashing out at nations it can no longer control.

The colonial virus never died. It simply evolved, from gunboats and red coats to sanctions, tariffs and more blackmail. When India buys Russian oil, Washington responds with 50% tariffs. When China refuses to join the West's theatre of sanctions, it is met with semiconductor bans and military encirclement. The West doesn't negotiate; it tries to dictate and engages in gangsterism. But as Putin reminded the world, this isn't 1947. "Countries like India, almost 1.5 billion people and China, 1.3 billion people, boast powerful economies and live by their own domestic political laws". In other words : the days telling ancient civilizations how to behave are over.

The arrogance embedded in Western foreign policy is both tone deaf and suicidal. You cannot browbeat India, a country with the memory of British-engineered famines still smouldering in its bones. You cannot threaten China, which withstood centuries of foreign subjugation and emerged stronger. And you cannot isolate Russia, which has turned every round of sanctions into new layers of domestic resilience and global leverage. 

.....to be contd.

Courtesy. Gerry Nolan

Tailpiece.

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

Bath was after breakfast. Tried to speak to Indirakkutty through a video call on Resmi's cell phone but to no avail.

Lunch and siesta. saw a combination of Mammootty's films as today's his birthday.

A quiet evening.

Next-Gen GST Reform

Historic Diwali gift for the nation for ease of living and to build Atmanirbhar Bharat

From farmers to enterprises, from households to businesses, the next-gen GST brings happiness for all

1. Save big on daily essentials 

                 Items                                   From                  to

     Hair oil, shampoo, toothpaste,

     toilet soap bar, tooth brushes,

     shaving cream                                    18%                 5%

     Butter, ghee, cheese and dairy

     spreads                                                12%                5%

     Pre-packaged namkeens, bhujia

     and mixtures                                       12%                5%

     Utensils                                               12%                5%

     Feeding bottles, napkins for

     babies and clinical diapers                  12%                5%

    Sewing machines and parts                  12%                5%

2. Relief in healthcare sector

    Individual Health and Life 

    insurance                                               18%                Nil

    Thermometer                                         18%                 5%

    Medical grade Oxygen                          12%                 5%

   All diagnostic kits and

   reagents                                                   12%                 5%

   Glucometer and test strips                       12%                 5%

   Corrective spectacles                               12%                 5%

3. Affordable education

   Maps, charts and globes                           12%                 Nil

   Pencils, sharpeners, crayons

   and pastels                                                12%                 Nil

   Exercise books and note books                12%                 Nil

   Eraser                                                         5%                 Nil

4. Uplifting farmers and agriculture

    Tractor tyres and parts                              18%                  5%

    Tractors                                                     12%                  5%

    Specified bio-pesticides, micro

    nutrients                                                    12%                  5%

    Drip irrigation system and

    sprinklers                                                  12%                  5%

    Agricultural, horticultural or

    forestry, Machines for soil prep-

    aration, cultivation, harvesting

    and threshing                                             12%                 5%

5. Automobiles made affordable

    Petrol and petrol hybrid, LPG, 

    CNG cars (not exceeding 1200 cc

    and 4000 mm)                                            28%                 18%

    Diesel and diesel hybrid cars

    (not exceeding1500 cc and

    400 mm)                                                     28%                 18%

    3 wheeled vehicles                                     28%                 18%

    Motor cycles (350 cc and below)              28%                  18%

    Motor vehicles for transport of

    goods                                                         28%                   18%

6. Save on electronic appliances

    Air conditioners                                        28%                    18%

    Television (above 32")                              

    (including LED and LCD TVs)                28%                    18%

    Monitors and projectors                            28%                    18%

    Dish washing machines                             28%                    18%

Process Reforms

7. Registration

    Automatic registration within 3 working days for applicants

    Identified by the system based on data analysis

    Who determines that he would not pass Input Tax Credit 

    exceedingRs.2.5 lakhs per month and opts for the scheme

8. Refund

    Sanction of provisional refunds by proper officer, through system

    based risk evaluation for :-

    * Zero Rated Supplies

    * Supplies with Inverted Duty Structure 

My take

Well, PM Modi has delivered on his promises that he'd made to us this Independence Day, from the ramparts of the Red Fort!

Tailpiece.

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

Made the morning tea and gave it to Lekha. Fed the cats.

Sukesan gets us our breakfast. He got our lunch, too, by noon.

Siesta followed by the evening chores.

   

Just not acceptable!

Today is a combination of three important days - especially, for the Keralites, which are :-

       * The second day of Onam (Thiruvonam)

       * Teacher's Day

       * Milad un Nabi

And, therefore, what had happened at the shrine of Hazratbal Shrine situated at the northern bank of Dal lake in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir was just not right. Some among the Muslim devotees defaced the national icon on the inauguration plaque of the renovated shrine.

Now, this action is totally anti-national and classified as treason. For such categories of people, the immediate action is to have them rounded up forthwith, tried for treason in a fast-track court and punished with death.

These people cannot get developmental projects in the union territory, funded by the central government. Of late, we've seen a tremendous amount of progress in the state under the initiative of PM Modi and therefore, these people must show respect toward India and nothing short of it. Otherwise, they must ask for going to Pakistan or whichever Muslim country they want to go. 

It will be good riddance to bad rubbish!

They've no right to live on our resources and had better surrender their passports, aadhaar cards and any other thing that has our national icons and leave!

The governments of the U/T of J&K and the Government of India must take immediate action. All the culprits have been filmed by the government's media and that would make it easy for identification for the law to proceed with urgent action.   

Tailpiece.

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

The maid was on leave for the day.

Sukesan, our errand boy, brought in our lunch from the Pazhayidam Hotel.

Saw Janaki vs State of Kerala, Vettaiyan, the grand finale of Top Singer on the Flowers Channel.

 

Structural Reform.

5% and 18% : Just two GST slabs from 22 Sep

The 56th GST Council meeting held in New Delhi yesterday cleared all the proposed changes in the Goods and Services Taxes (GST), including the two-rate tax structure. Taxes on most daily use items, which were earlier in the 18% and 12% slabs, have been cut to 5%. Many goods in the 28% slabs were also brought down to 18%.

All these rates will come into effect wef 22 Sep.

This was as promised by PM Modi from the ramparts of the Red Fort on 15 Aug 2025.

Tailpiece.

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

Fed the cats.

Walked within the house and recited my prayers.

The maid took away old newspapers and other items in the autorickshaw that had come by. 

India-US Economic Flows : Who earns more?

Figures 2024-2025. Sources : USTR, BEA, IIE Open Doors, World Bank, RBI, Statista, company reports. Corporate revenue growth projected based on past CAGR; digital/IP estimated from platform-level revenue disclosures (Google, Meta, AWS, etc.)

Flow Type

1. Goods (Exports & Imports)

India earns from US                            87 billion

US earns from India                            41 billion

Advantage                                           India (+46 B)

2. Services (IT, Consulting etc.)

India earns from US                           41.6 billion

US earns from India                           41.8 billion

Advantage                                           US (flat)

3. Company Revenues

    (Local Ops, Sales)

India earns from US                            40 billion

US earns from India                            81 billion

Advantage                                            US (+41 B) 

4. Students (Tuition & Living)             

    

India earns from US                                  -

US earns from India                             13 billion

Advantage                                             US (+13 B)

5. Digital/IP/Investment                 

 

India earns from US                                    -

US earns from India                              20 billion

Advantage                                              US (+20 B)

6. Defence & Aerospace                              

India earns from US                                     -

US earns from India                               2 billion

Advantage                                               US (+2 b)

7. Remittances from diaspora

India earns from US                                27 billion

US earns from India                                      -

Advantage                                                India (+27 B)

Summary. While India runs a clear surplus in goods and services, the dominance of the US companies operating in India is significant keeping the balance overall flat.

My take

This is why I say that US President Trump's monstrous tariffs don't hurt us in the real sense!

Tailpiece.

Got up a trifle late, sent all my morning messages, switched on the hymns on the home theatre, lit up the puja room lamp and opened up the house for the day.

Had breakfast before bath as it had to be warmed up and I did the needful.

Lekha had spruced me up followed by bath.

Lunch.

Siesta after watching television.

A quiet evening thereafter. 

A quiet Tuesday.

Lekha was fast asleep as I opened up the door of her bedroom. The last night throwing up before going to bed did not have any after effects as I observed. And since I anticipated that she would be ravenously hungry, made the morning cuppa earlier than usual and provided her with it along with rusks.

Walked within the house as the maid had not checked in and I didn't want to leave Lekha all by herself.

Breakfast was hot, piping idlis and sambar.

Washing machinex of the bed linen.

Browsed my mail and took action on the mail that needed urgent action.

Met Dr Jimmy Francis as a review to my earlier visit.

It was a quiet Tuesday.

Lekha's skin graft has been done.

After seven day course of antibiotics, Lekha went under the surgeon's knife this afternoon for a skin graft over the hole that had developed on the fold of her left foot.

Driver Shelji drove us both to the Elite Mission Hospital by a half past 12 and we were with the doctor on the appointed hour. The procedure had taken almost three hours for the surgeon's assistants to sew up the bandage and affix the vacuum system atop the wound.

Shelji and Sukesan, helped me in transferring Lekha from the house into the car and the vice versa on return.

It's my fond hope that the problem has been licked once for all!