Monday, June 26, 2017

China's double standards, yet again and other stories.

1. China at it again.

     "The dedicated air corridor between India and Afghanistan, bypassing Pakistan, is an attempt by
     New Delhi to counterbalance China's ambitious economic corridor through PoK and shows its
     stubborn geopolitical thinking", says the state run Global Times. India has been closely working
     with Kabul to create alternate and reliable access routes. It's also working with Afghanistan and
     Iran for the development of the Chabahar port. A trilateral transport and transit agreement based
     on sea access through Chabahar was signed between the three countries in May '16.

      Increased tensions prevail at the Sikkim-China border after a scuffle broke out between the Indian
      Army and the PLA troops, in the first week of June, leading to the latter damaging bunkers
      on the Indian side of the border. The exact spot is near the Lalten post in the Doka La general area
      in Sikkim.

      Another bit of news is that the Chinese have not allowed the Manasarovar pilgrims to go to
      Mt Kailash through the Nathu La pass, this year.

      It's crystal clear that China doesn't want India to take any initiative which it believes to be against
      its own interests. What double standards?

 2. The champion's shenanigans on the race course.

      Consider the following:-
            (a) The venue and the occasion. At Baku, during the Formula One Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
            (b) Lewis Hamilton in his Mercedes and Sebastian Vettel in his Ferrari are participants.
            (c) Hamilton was leading after a clean start from the 60th pole position of his career, had
                  initially slowed down to avoid the slow moving safety car ahead of him(Perhaps, this 
                  action of his may have caused Vettel to drive into the rear of his Mercedes).
             (d) Vettel was, consequently, given a 10-second-stop-go penalty.
             (e) Hamilton says that it's "just not the correct driver conduct" and asks Vettel to, "Prove
                   you're a man".

        Sebastian Vettel has to speak out and clear the air. The earliest, the better!

  3. The "price to pay" for becoming a doctor.

       The Justice R Rajendra Babu Commission has proposed the fixing of the fees for the merit
       and management quota MBBS seats in Medical Colleges in Kerala at Rs.5.5 lakhs per annum.
       The fees for the NRI seats will be Rs.20 lakhs. This is a steep hike from the last year's fees. The
       self financing management association, however, has refused to accept the proposal.

       If these students, on becoming doctors, made money to make up their expenses while studying,
       one can understand where the real problem lies!


Tailpiece.

Rains are creating havoc out here at Guruvayur. The tiles of the house in which our maid, Preetha lives, was blown off by spiraling winds gusting to over 60 kmph on Sunday afternoon. Her mother has not recovered from the shock as yet. Earlier, a friend of mine had sent me a few snaps about a church whose roof was blown off by the same winds!

The water level in the well has come up to the ground level thanks to the rains. And it was just last month when we're hoping for rain as the level had receded to the last rung!
   
            

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