Back at The Quarterdeck.

Got up around a half past 2, made a visit to the rest room and returned to bed. However much I tried and wished for it, sleep didn't oblige. I was aimlessly wandering in this delirious state when Lekha's cellphone alarm went off at 4. Realising that I wasn't destined for another stretch of sleep, I too had got up to go through the chores as Lekha brought in the morning cup of tea. Incidentally, by this time I'd said my prayers.

We were ready by 6, I'd called up the caretaker at a 10' past 6 to bring in the coconuts and he brought them almost immediately. Spoke to my parents about our next visit. We'd kick started our journey to Guruvayur in right earnest by going for the morning 'darshan' of Kottarakkara Mahaganapati. The door of the sanctum sanctorium  of Lord Siva opened just as I reached there and to me, it was telling me that the day was gonna be fine!

After a quick circumambulation of the temple, I was back in the Chevy to send my usual morning messages on What'sApp. Lekha had come in soon after; this time I'd parked our car in a new parking slot close to the entrance gate. Lekha was able to get a share of the 'prasadam'. We, then, had proceeded to Vazhuvelil house to pick up Letha. She didn't take much time and we were off on our journey, without ado.

The roads were comparatively free as the traffic was sparse. We had dropped in at the Kalapakavadi Inn, for reducing water levels and also had a cup of tea. The KP Road had less of traffic and we were therefore cruising comfortably. I'd then stopped the car about 150 mts after the Thottappalli spillway to have a breakfast of dosas and chutney, made by Letha. We, also, were able to cross through Alappuzha town as there was no traffic.

Our next break was at the Angamali fuel bunk where we lowered our water levels and then, had a piping hot cup of coffee and snacks and resumed our journey.

We were back at 'The Quarterdeck' by a half past 3 and had the lunch, soon after. The journey from there till our place was a sheer delight. Immediately, sorted our soiled clothes and opened up the house. Suma has taken two days' leave as she cut her fingers and has stitches, nine in number.

It was a quiet evening, thereafter. My monthly mail was fine tuned and I'd sent it by a quarter past 7. Dinner was lovely with Letha's hastily made curry.

Tailpiece.

Saw the good programmes on the television. Rung in the new year and it's my fond hope that the new year is gonna be great.

A sad meeting!

We'd got up at a quarter to 5 as Mini and family were preparing to kick off for Bangalore after their five day sojourn at Raj Nivas. Had to ease my Chevy out of the gate to let their car move freely on to the road. And by about a 10' past 5, they'd set off for their destination via Thenmala. Chakkara Baby was the first visitor and I gave him Rs.100/-.

Had spent time with my dad and mom at their grave site. It was a great feeling to be there as I gave them a briefing about our short stay! 

We'd continued with our sleep and had got up later, the chores and by the time we'd gone to Padmakumar's house it was 10 AM. It was nice to meet Pidavoor Amma after almost 9 months. After a short conversation with her and a lovely and filling breakfast, we were off to Karthika's place by about a half past 10. The Kollam-Chenkotta road was as mad as ever as we passed through in the peak hours. Padmakumar and Rema were with us. 

We reached Karthika's place by a quarter past 11 and met her dad, Byju, mom, Ambili and younger brother, Kiran. She was at her talkative best - in fact, all of them were! It was decided that the wedding of Achu and Karthika will take place on 02 May 2021. About 45' later, we took leave of them and headed straight for the Tayabji Hospital at Paravoor and reached there around 1 o'clock.

Kala and Vijayan Kurup, the nurse-in-attendance, were there. Kurup kochachhan was lying on his back, not registering anything, his eyes wide open and the mouth, open too. It was a sad sight! I'd called him out and patted his face, his bald pate and his chest. He slowly, fixed his gaze at me and and I knew, at that instant, that he was registering me in his brain!

We were with him for about half an hour and left with a lump in my heart. Hope there's a miracle and he comes back out of this sorry state soon and remains with us for some more time. O God, please, because it's a collective request from the family.

Our return course was shaped by about a half past 3; I'd made errors in turning to Kottarakkara and ended, therefore doing a long, short cut! I'd picked up fuel from the Kottarakkara petrol bunk but could not check the tyre pressure because both the pumps were not serviceable. We reached Pidavoor and had lunch at 4! Took a bit of rest, had tea and left for Raj Nivas at 5. 

There were a lot of people who'd dropped by to say hello. Our caretaker was told a series of work to be undertaken in the house before we fetched up by the third week of January. Anand and Letha, Lekha's sister had dropped by and he was handed over his daughter's ear studs. Letha will be joining us tomorrow morning as she's gonna be with us for the next three weeks.

It was a fairly early evening, comparatively.

Tailpiece.

Mini and family had reached their house, at Gottigere, by 2015 hrs. Their journey was hassle free!  

At Raj Nivas.

Dateline 29 Dec.

Got up at 5, thanks to Lekha's cellphone's alarm but decided to get back to sleep because it was a bit too early but sleep wouldn't come and therefore, had got up and began the morning chores! However, an unexplainable lethargy had set in and by the time we kicked off on our journey, it was a half past 8. The breakfast of idlis was quickly polished off reducing the number of meal packs to be carried to just the lunch. 

It was one hour past my estimated time of departure.

Had taken the Kodungalloor route and the journey was smooth as the traffic was manageable though at certain stretches, especially, at Paravoor and Vyttila the choke points existed. Lowered water levels at the Oottupura restaurant in Panampilli Nagar. The time was a half past 10! Meanwhile, had called up Satish Bhat's clinic, advanced my appointment from 1500 hours in the afternoon.

It was a nice meeting with him and we had a short chat within the available time. We talked about various things like the problems of the world, the farmers' agitation and the results of the recently conducted local body elections in Kerala! He was very happy that my blood sugar readings were within acceptable levels. The dosage of one medicine was reduced and it will be so, for a fortnight till I go in for another round of blood tests. We were, then, headed for the Bhima Jewellery from where Lekha had got two pairs of ear studs - one each, for Anand's little daughter and Suma's daughter, for her wedding.

Dropped by at my cousin's office and had the fried rice that Lekha had prepared and it was nice to catch up with Chellakkili. After spending about 45 minutes out there, we had set off for Shenoy Care and reached the clinic by about a quarter past 2. It was a longish wait as Lekha took about three hours to meet up with Dr Padmanabha Shenoy. He was quite satisfied with Lekha's lab results and had told her not to worry about the cold that she was having. He'd attributed it to the change in climate! After exchanging new year wishes and pleasantries, she was back at a half past 5.

Meanwhile, I'd parked the Chevy at the Panasonic Godown and befriended the security guy out there, named Shaji. It was just about 20 days since he'd taken over his job for a remuneration of Rs. 18,000/-. His family, consisting of his wife, a teacher at the Anganwadi School and three children were at Ambalathara in Thiruvananthapuram. As we were in conversation, trucks headed for various district showrooms, came by with a remarkable regularity, loaded themselves up with washing machines, refrigerators and air conditioners kept moving like clockwork.

As I eased the Chevy onto the highway, the traffic was heavy. We'd piping hot cups of tea from a wayside tea stall, at Aroor, owned by Sasi; the vadas were really heavenly. Soon it was darkness and my biggest bane of driving through the night had begun, especially, with vehicles screeching past with their headlights on high beam - very irritating, that rendered me blind on certain occasions! 

The drive through Alappuzha, Kayankulam and Kottarakkara was otherwise, comfortable and we, finally, fetched up at Raj Nivas, at a half past 9. Sanil, Mini, Mithun and Ammu were there, all set to kick off for Bangalore, early morning tomorrow at 5. We'd a quick bite of the lovely dinner that Mini had made and then, it was chat time to catch up with each other's tidings from where we'd left last.

As we hit the sack, I saw the clock chiming a half past 12! Phew, it was a long day but very satisfying.

Tailpiece.

Raj Nivas was active after a long while with conversations, laughter and pleasantness. Will 'meet' my parents tomorrow morning. It's gonna be a long day with visits earmarked to look up Kurup kochachhan and Achu's would-be-bride, her family. 

We are back exactly nine months after our last visit! 

Earning a Rank.

Experiences of the NDA kind!

They told me he was coming to the station. I was dying to meet the General I had been hearing about, ever since my marriage. He was a hero, envied by some and respected by most of his course mates. A veritable legend of his time at the National Defence Academy, 'General' Mago had earned his rank with the sweat of his brow, with great courage and ingenuity.

While there were several official tabs and stripes that the cadets could earn by their exemplary behaviour and bravado, most cadets revered the unofficial ranks of a 'Brigadier' and a 'General'. A cadet became a 'Brigadier' when he was relegated for a term and a 'General' when he was relegated twice.

Anil Mago had set out to bag the highest rank. Those were the days when Commodore RL Pereira was the Deputy Commandant of the NDA. He later went on to become the Navy Chief. A veritable terror, Commodore Pereira was ingenios in devising traps to ensnare the rule-breakers. Surprise checks and stealthy approaches were his forte. One of his favourite ploys was a sudden visit to the squadrons after the fall-in of the cadets.

A number of local boys worked at the Academy. It was their job to keep the rooms clean and polish  the brass and the shoes. Usually, the civilian batmen cleaned up the rooms after the cadets had left for their classes. One morning, after a specially gruelling duty, Mago decided to sleep off his fatigue.

It was the cleaning and the cadets had gone for their classes. The batmen were busy collecting the shoes and their shoe-shine boxes at the end of the corridor. Mago was whistling merrily when Commodore Pereira made his surprise visit to the squadron.

Quick to react, Mago sat down in the corridor and began polishing the shoes stacked by the batmen. He even dared to offer a shine to the Commodore's boots. The offer was taken up. Commodore Pereira's shoes were given a beautiful shine and Mago earned a tip for his efforts. On learning about the incident, the cadets congratulated the hero at having escaped unscathed and Mago's reputation went up by a few notches.

Another morning, Mago decided that he needed to skip the routine and rest his weary limbs. He instructed his batman to lock him from outside. The entire complex was deserted when Commodore Pereira began stalking the corridors, in search of a prey. Since a cricket match was on, the Commodore was walking around with his transistor. Mago heard the commentary and assuming that a batman was around, he shouted from within the confines of his room - "Score kya hai?"

The Commodore halted in his tracks and listened through the door. Mago shouted again - "Abe suna nahin, score kya hai?"

I leave the rest to the imagination of the readers. Let me only say that Mago earned his rank of a 'Brigadier' after this incident. How he earned the 'General's' rank is another story.

- Tanushree Podder

My take

Only an individual who's passed through the portals of that great institution can find mirth in such trivia but very much relevant to his existence!

Tailpiece.

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

Got the feedback about Kurup kochachhan's medical condition from Maman and Indira kunjamma who'd visited him at the Tayabji Hospital. It's my fond hope that he recovers at the earliest.

The responsibility of the receipt of the LPG refill has been handed over to Suma. There was a bit of a suspense that Shenoy Care had not called up to confirm Lekha's appointment with the doctor tomorrow. Finally, it had come around 1700 hrs!

The Quarterdeck was systematically shut down after 9 months, in the evening.    

Soldier to soldier!

When a would-be Army officer met a Pakistani ex-serviceman.

Almost four decades ago, I was selected to join the Army, subject to graduating in engineering. I got the result of my final year examination just three days to the deadline for its submission at the Army Headquarters in New Delhi. With neither courier services nor easy air connectivity available, the only option was to take a train and hand over the document in person.

With reservation unavailable at short notice, I travelled in general compartments from Mangalore to Madras Central and thence to Delhi. From Madras, I took the Grand Trunk Express, occupying a window seat for the 2,200-km, 40-hour journey. Soon, I made friends with most of my co-passengers. At the slightest opportunity, I would proudly announce that I was an engineering graduate, on my way to join the Army. In fact, even when there was no such opportunity, I created one to tell this to anyone within earshot. That is how the tall, well-built gentleman with a weather-beaten countenance who boarded the train at Nagpur the next afternoon learnt about me.

Generally quiet, he kept to himself. When the train pulled into the Bhopal station and I got down to have a bite, he followed me to the refreshment stall. I politely offered him a samosa. He gladly accepted it and insisted on sharing the bill. I said it was not acceptable but he was insistent. I told him that it was just a samosa but he would have none of it. "Soldier to soldier, let us follow the tradition of going Dutch", he said.

Though I had a momentary joy of being accepted as a soldier, I was quick to ask, "You are a soldier?" After a long pause during which I could make out that he was undergoing some mixed emotions, he said, "Yes, I was a soldier...." What followed, stunned me, "....in the Pakistan Army". By this time, we were back on the train.

Human gestures

Speaking almost in whispers, the man - let us call him Imtiaz - told me that he had been a Havildar posted in Sylhet during the 1971 India-Pakistan war. He spoke of how they were let down by their leaders. It was an incredible experience for me, to listen to an "enemy" talking in such a composed, matter-of-fact manner. Despite the bitterness of defeat, he had immense praise for the Indian Armed Forces. "Your Army was a deserving winner. Though we lost the war and surrendered to you, we were accorded the respect that every soldier deserves", he said and narrated a few instances of the humane gestures of the Indian troops at the prisoner-of-war camp that he was in.

Returning to Pakistan after the war, he left the Army and opened a grocery shop in his village near Multan. In Nagpur, he was visiting his ailing aunt.

Brought up in a civilian environment, on an almost staple diet of "all Pakistanis are wicked", this had been a sobering experience for me and I was unable to decide what my reactions should be. I was unusually silent during the remaining few hours of the journey.

Next morning, when I woke up with just an hour or so to Delhi, Imtiaz greeted me with a cheerful "Good Morning, janab".

When we got down from the train at New Delhi, he shook my hands and conveyed his best wishes to me for a great career as an Army officer. Then, in a dramatic gesture, he put his luggage down, took a few steps back and suddenly clicking his heels, came to attention and offered me a smart salute, "Soldier to soldier, let us continue the tradition of respecting each other".

My eyes were moist when I instinctively put my luggage down took a few steps forward and hugged him and wished him well.

- K Thammayya Udupa

My take

This is the exclusivity of relationships nurtured in the armed forces. The love and respect for each other are spontaneous, hard earned and ever lasting! 

Tailpiece.

Got up later than usual, being a Sunday, at a quarter to 7. The chores and I was ready by a quarter to 10.

It was a quiet Sunday as I did my usual browsing of the net and answered the mail.

  

News views.

I would like to go through news that have grabbed the headlines in recent days and carry out an analysis. So, without much ado, here I go.

(a) The Special Assembly Session.

The LDF government wants to convene a one-day session of the Kerala Assembly to pass a resolution against the farm laws framed by the central government. Without taking sides, the session is gonna be a hogwash, because it's basically meant to be 'a-fire-for-effect' to show that the communist front had defied the Modi government.

Why I say so is that the farm laws in its current form, in no way, infringes upon the existing, sparse agricultural activities practiced in the state. Kerala takes rice and pulses from Andhra and vegetables from Tamilnadu. Naturally, the 'mandi culture' is non-existent. The intended tamasha reminds me of the anti-CAA resolution passed by the Kerala Assembly a while back when frankly, the CAA is of no consequence here.

The Governor, knowledgeable about the cause and the effect, had not approved the convening of the session as he found that there was neither anything grave nor was there an emergency requirement. The UDF and the LDF cried foul and the former even wanted to have the session outside the Assembly! The UDF's yet to come out of the trauma of its pathetic show in the local body elections!

O, the games these politicians play!

(b) PM to Launch GAIL Pipeline Stretch.

The Prime Minister will inaugurate the GAIL pipeline's Kochi-Mangalore stretch on 05 Jan '21, in virtual mode. The Pinarayi government is tom-tomming the completion of laying of the pipeline, despite the many doubting Thomases within the state.

But the harsh fact is that despite great efforts on the part of Oommen Chandy during his tenure as chief minister, the present LDF leadership had ensured that the project never took off as the credit would have rightfully gone to Mr. Chandy!

Am amazed by the perfidy carried out by the LDF and the consequent change of script to show it in good light! 

(c) The Ongoing Farmers' Agitation.

The farmers, predominantly from Punjab, have amassed at the Delhi border for almost a month demanding the repeal of the new farm laws brought out by the central government. That the laws have been welcomed by many states is a clear indicator that they have more advantages than disadvantages. So the doubts that come to my mind are * Who are the real perpetrators of this month-long drama? * Have anti-nationals joined the agitation with the sole intention of showing the Indian government in bad light? * Who wants a turmoil within the country to score brownie political points?

Saw that disgusting sight in the Delhi Assembly where Kejriwal tore the farm laws, earning a quick and sharp rebuke from the chief minister of Punjab. And Rahul Gandhi handing over the 2-crore-farmers'-signatures - to the President - without contact numbers and addresses

Thankfully, the farmers' organisations have agreed to resume their talks with the government on 29 Dec. Hope something positive emerges and the agitation is called off.

A section of society taking the government to ransom! Sad!!

(d) The Peaceful District Development Council Elections.

The peaceful conduct of the local body elections in the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and the outcome, must have given the shivers to the Abdulla-Mufti-Congress gang. Not to mention the treacherous Pakis too.

That the BJP, which had no previous presence, has established a firm footprint shows that the people really want quietude and good governance.

It's a fantastic achievement.  

Tailpiece.

Got up at a half past 5, the chores and was ready well before 7 AM to receive the medical team from the Rajah Hospital that had come to collect specimen samples. The team had once again visited me to draw blood for the post prandial blood sugar, around a half past 9. 

The results were encouraging though there has been a spike in Lekha's fasting blood sugar reading. It needs to be brought down but we shall wait for the doctor's opinion on the 29th. It could be a spike that might not have any significance.

Participated in the Aazchakkoottam, "Covid 19 vaccine - the pluses and the minuses" by Dr TS Anish, Associate Professor, Department of Community Medicine from 1600-1700 hrs. It was a nicely covered talk and had told him that in my reply. 

About the planet, Neptune.

It's one of the weirdest planets scientists have ever found. Its weather is a phenomenon that is still confusing. Winds on the planet race at 1.5 times the speed of sound. But now, Neptune's dark storms are behaving in a way that defies all that we know about the planet.

Hubble Telescope

Since 1989, only Hubble has had the ability and "sensitivity in visible light" to track these storms that appear as dark spots. They have sequentially appeared and then faded away over the years.

Unruly Storms

* Neptune's storms are not your average Earth cyclone. They have deep roots that reach into the planet's core and this makes the storms susceptible to be moved about across the giant blue planet.

* And when they move south towards Neptune's equator, the storms disintegrate. As if it's a law of nature on Neptune, the storms take a direct path to the equatorial "kill zone".

* Only this time around, these two storms - the large one spotted first in 2018 and the smaller one in January, this year - didn't disappear. In fact, they reversed direction and are moving north.

Large Storm

7,403 km is its size, wider than the Atlantic Ocean on Earth.

2 - 5 years

is the average lifespan of a Neptune storm, as per estimates. These storms are high-pressure ones that rotate clockwise, in sync with the planet's rotation. In contrast, storms on Earth are low-pressure systems that rotate counterclockwise. Astronomers get to use the Hubble only one time a year to look at Neptune, making tracking of the planet's atmosphere difficult.

3rd

most massive planet in our solar system.

8th

and outermost planet from the Sun.

"It was really exciting to see this (storm) act like it's supposed to act and then all of a sudden it just stops and swings back. That was surprising......This is a process that's never been observed" Michael H Wong of the University of California at Berkeley.

Voyager 2

Two other dark storms were discovered by the Voyager 2 in 1989 as it flew by the planet - the only human-built spacecraft to ever cross Neptune. The first dark storm was "huge, a big monster (as big as planet Earth)", astronomer Heidi Hammel told The New York Times. But the two storms had disappeared before Hubble Telescope could observe them.

1,770 km/hr

speed of Neptune's winds.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores. Washing machinex of bed linen. Was ready by a quarter to 10.

A quiet Christmas day with plenty of calls from/to friends.

Off to Kochi.

It was a long pending job because the restrictions brought by the periodic spikes of Covid-19 prevented me from going to Dr Srikant Mallan's clinic at Muhamma. Earlier in December, I'd decided to firm up the programme and fixed up the appointment.

We had got up at 3, thanks to Lekha's cellphone alarm and went about our chores. Abhilash came in by a 10' to 5 and we'd kicked off by 19' past 5. The roads were comparatively sparse traffic-wise and we'd a smooth run past the usual choke points and had reached the petrol bunk, a trifle beyond the Aroor junction. Lekha and I'd lowered our water levels, had breakfast of idlis and chutney - Abhilash preferred having breakfast around 10 - and cruised further south to get hot cups of tea from Chathu's tea stall.

We were at Mallan's dental clinic by 0915 hrs and promptly by a half past 9, I was called in. The doc and me had a short chat before he got on the job in right earnest. The bridge on the top right was put in place, all my teeth went through a round of scaling and by a half past 10, we had taken leave of the toothy and we were on our return leg. 

We'd picked up home wear sandals and slip-ons from the Bata showroom at Thevara. And from there, we went to the Titan Showroom at the marine Drive. Lekha picked up a few knick knacks, we had our lunch, consisting of the delicious Tomato Rice, pickle and salad. But alas, Abhilash was in no mood to eat. The extra food was passed on to two gentlemen - Prasad, the Security-in-charge and Ajayan, the parking attendant, with a disability. I was skeptical because I didn't expect anyone to share our food because of the Covid scare!

Lineesh, Reshmi and the owner, Babu Alappat looked after us as we went through the formalities of purchase. I gave them a short insight about my grandfather and his contributions to the good of the Malayalees.

The return drive was hassle free and on the dot at 4, we had our evening round of piping hot tea from Prasad's wayside tea shop where we also tucked in a few snacks. The toilets were a letdown in two of the three petrol bunks that we'd visited. When will we attach importance to the cleanliness of the toilets, I wonder?

A short trip where we could complete our work without difficulty!

Tailpiece.

Today's Kurup kochachhan's 93rd birthday as per the Malayalam calendar. He continues to be in a semi-comatose state. The doctor had removed the excessive sputum from his system and I was told that he felt much better.

We reached home by a half past 5 and slowly wound up to our usual evening routine.  

A sad day!

Today is a sad day. Two people, with whom I've had the privilege to interact very closely, left for their heavenly abode one after the other.

Adieu Sugathakumari teacher!

The Covid-stricken Sugathakumari teacher passed away this morning, around a half past 5, at the Medical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram. She was 86. A poetess, environmentalist and a social activist, she was active despite her advancing age. Much has been written about and much more will be written about her in the days to come. I shall, therefore, restrict myself to a small anecdote that I was a party to.

She was an ardent admirer of my grandfather and I remember her clinging on to me and weeping like a child, during his funeral. Her genuine grief was touching and she used to make it a point to attend every Social Workers' day (His birthday celebrations on 01 Mar) and the Reading Day (His remembrance Day on 19 Jun) as an integral part of the family. She even chided us once for presenting a guest with an expensive shawl, saying that PN Panicker would have resorted to presenting a simple khadi shawl! She genuinely felt that she had the right to take care of us by encouraging us in the Foundation's activities.

RIP teacher! My salute, tears and prayers to a gritty and loving lady. May God give the strength to her immediate family to pass through these stressful times.

Adieu Sathiamma!

Sathiamma, all of 66, had a peculiar illness of reducing platelet count and her doctors had insisted that it was not cancer. She passed away around a half past 6 in the morning, at her home with her only daughter, Archanakingini and her husband, Suraj looking on. She had been ill for the past few months, moving from one hospital to the other.

Sathiamma was our first maid when we had fetched up at Guruvayur in Nov '13. She was so full of life and had taken it as her responsibility to look after Lekha. At that point of time, her husband was in the final stages of prostate cancer. We'd insisted upon his last Diwali celebrations of 2014 to be played with us. I still remember the look of gratitude on his face when he said that he knew that his wife and daughter were safe with us. He had passed away in Jan 2015 after giving away his daughter's hand to Suraj.

Sathiamma had left us soon after, to be with her daughter and son-in-law. Her ailment used to bother her as the expenses, for her treatment, were quite high. She was one person who always had a smile on her face despite the difficulties that she was going through.

RIP Sathiamme! My salute, tears and prayers to a valiant lady, full of love and affection. May your daughter have the strength to tide over this irreplaceable loss. 

Tailpiece.

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

Earlier, Seena had come by to take care of Lekha's requirements. I'd driven our Chevy to renew the 'Pollution Under Control' certificate, for which I'd to drive beyond Chovvallurpadi. On return, the car was fuelled and tyre pressure was checked.

We are off to Muhamma - about 10 kms beyond Kochi - tomorrow as we have an appointment with Dr Srikant Mallan, the dentist. Abhilash will be the chauffeur and we shall return by late afternoon.   

Finally, The Closure of Sister Abhaya Case!

In 1992, Abhaya, a 19 year old nun was found dead in the well of Pious Xth Convent in the Kottayam district of Kerala. According to the CBI, Sister Abhaya was killed by two priests, Thomas Kottoor and Jose Poothrikkayil and another nun in her convent, Sephy. 

However, Jose Poothrikkayil was later removed from the list of accused.

Sister Abhaya found the priests and Sephy in a compromising position in the convent kitchen and they killed her, fearing she would speak out about this.

In 1993, the Kerala Crime Branch closed the case, saying it was a suicide. The CBI, then, took over the case and it had submitted three reports. The first said it was a suicide. In the other two reports, it said that she was murdered but did not leave any evidence to pin down the perpetrators.

15 years after the CBI had taken over the case, the priests and the nun were arrested in 2008.

After 28 years, the verdict on the mysterious death of Sister Abhaya, the teenage nun, was pronounced by the CBI Court Judge Sanal Kumar in Thiruvananthapuram convicting the accused - Father Thomas Kottoor and Sister Sephy - for charges of murdering the nun in 1992. They have been found guilty under Section 302 (Murder) and Section 449 (House trespass in order to commit murder). The quantum of punishment will be decided tomorrow.

The trial began in 2019 and eight witnesses had turned hostile. The conviction has, now, been possible due to the strongest bunch of evidence which were :-

 (a) The statement of witnesses over the mess in the kitchen after Abhaya's body was found in the well.

 (b) Her slippers, the opened fridge-door, a water bottle, her veil and some other misplaced objects that indicated a struggle when the victim went to drink water, early in the morning of 27 Mar 1992.

 (c) Adakka Raju was another important witness who had entered the convent to rob. He had entered the convent at 4 AM and saw the two priests.

The investigation has put many responsible people and their organisations in bad light because of the lopsided manner in which its course had meandered!

PS.

It has come out vividly that Sister Abhaya's head was smashed by the the culprits and her dead body was thrown into the well.

The punishment is life term imprisonments to Father Kottoor and for Sister Sephy along with attendant fines.

Tailpiece.

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

Had video called Ceedee (New Delhi), Inani (Chittorgarh), Daljeet-Sohona (New Delhi) and Vipin-Leena (Thiruvananthapuram). The interactions were peppy and could update from where we'd left last.

Suma was on leave on account of a wedding in her family. So, it was Lekha's show all the way! 

 

A great celestial activity!

The Jupiter-Saturn conjunction is being called the Christmas Star because even though both the planets will be apart, they will very much appear as one big star. It is believed to be the Christmas Star or the Star of Bethlehem, which appeared in the eastern sky when Jesus Christ was born. The Book of Matthew mentions this star which according to the Bible led the three wise men to Jerusalem.

It was visible all over India on the southwestern sky this evening between 1830 and 1930 hrs!

Jupiter passes its neighbour Saturn in their respective laps, around the sun every 20 years.

The conjunction will also coincide with the December (Winter) Solstice which is the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere and the longest day in the southern hemisphere. 

And today is Winter Solstice. That is, the longest night for us who are north of equator. 

As we all have learnt in school Geography, the axis of the earth (about which it rotates) is tilted at 23.5 degrees from the plane (path) of earth's orbit around the sun. So, sun appears to move between the latitudes of 23.5 degrees North (Tropic of Cancer) and 23.5 degrees South of equator (Tropic of Capricorn) during the course of one year.

The sun crosses the equator twice a year, on 21 Mar when it moves northward and 6 months later, on 21 Sep when it moves southward. Today it is at its southern most point, farthest away from us. 

     *        *         *

The new corona virus strain VUI-202012/01, which has been identified in the UK, can spread faster and more easily. However, there is no evidence yet that it is more deadly. In other words, the mutation may have NOT affected its ability to cause more severe symptoms. Nonetheless, this still needs to be verified. According to official reports, the new strain is becoming the dominant variant. It was causing over 60% of infections in London.

Tailpiece.

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

Appu and Anseel had come to take on the work that has been pending for quite a few days, which were * Clearing of the kitchen waste sump * Clearing the bathwater-sink water sump * Emptying the waste management disposal drum off its fermented waste. They did a fantastic job and finished their work by lunchtime. 

Abhilash has been tied up, as our chauffeur, for our trip to Kochi on Thursday.

     

 

Food for thought!

Just to tickle your minds........

* How does an attorney sleep? First he lies on one side then he lies on the other side.

* I have a few jokes about unemployed people but none of them work.

* "I have a split personality", said Tom being Frank.

* I renamed my iPod 'The Titanic', so when I plug it in, it says "The Titanic is syncing".

* How do you make holy water? You boil the hell out of it.

* When life gives you melons, you're dyslexic.

* Will glass coffins be a success? Remains to be seen.

* It's hard to explain puns to kleptomaniacs because they always take things literally.

* What's the difference between a hippo and a zippo? One is really heavy and the other is a little lighter.

* Two windmills are standing in a wind farm. One asks, "What's your favourite kind of music?" The other says, "I'm a big metal fan".

* Hear about the new restaurant called Karma? There's no menu - you get what you deserve.

* I went to buy some camouflage trousers yesterday but couldn't find any.

* What do you call a bee that can't make up its mind? A maybe.

* I tried to sue the airline for losing my luggage. I lost my case.

* When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

* A cross-eyed teacher couldn't control his pupils.

* She had a photographic memory but never developed it.

* Is it ignorance or apathy that's destroying the world today? I don't know and don't really care.

* I wasn't originally going to get a brain transplant but then I changed my mind.

* Which country's capital has the fastest-growing population? Ireland. Everyday it's Dublin.

* My ex-wife still misses me but her aim is starting to improve.

* Two fish are in a tank, one says to the other, "How do you drive this thing?"

* The guy who invented the door knocker got a no-bell prize.

* I saw an ad for burial plots and I thought : "That's the last thing I need!"

* Need an ark? I Noah guy.

* I used to be indecisive; now I'm not so sure.

* Sleeping comes so naturally to me, I could do it with my eyes closed.

* What did the grape say when it got stepped on? Nothing - but it let out a little whine.

* What do you call a super articulate dinosaur? A Thesaurus.

Tailpiece.

It was another windy day! Got up at a half past 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 9. Appu and Muniyappa who were supposed to come for work gave me a clean ditch. So, the three jobs are pending.

Video called two of my Squadron mates and their wives - Shekhar-Girija (Nagpur) and Jamwal-Geeta (Jammu). Shekhar's 12-year-old Dalmatian, Pebble, looked matured and their grandchildren, Nitya and Ishan were full of chatter. Jamwal was under a heavy quilt to beat the prevalent temperature of 2 degrees Celsius, out there - and it was great to catch up with them.

A quiet Sunday otherwise!

God's sense of humour!

God was in the process of creating the universe.

And he was explaining to his subordinates

"Look everything should be in balance".

For example, after every 10 deer there should be a lion.

Look here my fellow angels; here is the country of United States.

I have blessed them with prosperity and money.

But at the same time I have given them insecurity and tension.....

And here is Africa.

I have given them beautiful nature.

But at the same time, I have given them climatic extremes.

And here is South America.

I have given them lots of forests.

But at the same time, I have given them lesser land so that they would have to cut off the forests....

So you see fellows, everything should be in balance.

One of the angels asked......

"God, what is this extremely beautiful country here?"

God said......"Ahah....that is the crown piece of all.

INDIA

My most precious creation.

It has understanding and friendly people. Sparkling streams and serene mountains.

A culture which speaks of the great tradition that they live.

Technologically brilliant and with a heart of gold......

The angel was quite surprised :

"But God, you said everything should be in balance".

God replied.......

"Look at the neighbours I gave them".

    *         *           *

Genuine tragedies in the world are not conflicts between right and wrong. They are conflicts between two rights.

- Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

    *          *          *

My take.

Yesterday while watching Prime Minister Narendra Modi making a fervent appeal to the farmers to come back to the negotiation table, two things struck me which were :-

       (a) He had come back to power last year with a thumping majority. Any politician in his place

             would have been haughty and proud.

       (b) Yet he was pleading to a section of his people to come back to the negotiating table to solve the

             misconceptions about the farm laws.

       (c) He was basically acknowledging the fact that the common man, who had voted him to power,

             was his boss.

       (d) Showed true humility!

       (e) And being the Devil's Advocate, see how things are being made difficult for him because almost

             everyone seems to have realised that the farm laws actually serve the farmers' interests! But

             there seem to be quite a few who want to see him down on his knees.

Great to have a leader like him!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 9. It was a windy day throughout!

Were subjected to a power interruption that came in spurts and therefore, the electronic equipment could be used sparingly. The newly elected Ward Member, Bibitha, had come by in the afternoon on a victory lap, to seek our blessings and distributed sweets. The party maintains these lofty traditions which is a step in the right direction. I'd reminded her and the people who'd accompanied her to replace the convex mirror opposite the entrance of the lane to the right position. She has agreed to do that after taking the oath of office, next Thursday and had sought my help to show the exact spot.  

Participated in the Aazhchakkoottam on the "Prominance of Muringa (Drumstick) in the International Market" by Dr Kamalasanan Pillai, Senior Scientist from 1600 - 1730 hrs". 

The Essar's reps came by around sunset time to tell us about the digging up at the entrance of our lane for their proposed domestic piped gas distribution. The work will be over by tomorrow night. 

All about the local body elections.

The Analysis!

What worked for the LDF?

* Better selection of candidates * Alliance with Jose K Mani, the Kerala Congress (Mani), helped, mainly in Kottayam and also in Idukki and Pathanamthitta * Free food kits were a hit with the people * Could convince the voters about the "communal pampering" by the UDF, especially the latter's tie up with Jamaat-e-Islami-backed Welfare Party * The strategy to field a large number of candidates as independents, who contested without the party symbol.

And what didn't for the UDF?

* Relentless campaign on LDF's "gold smuggling scandal and corruption" * Candidate selection especially going with old and familiar faces * Lack of unity among top Congress leaders on various issues which sent confusing signals to the electorate * Tie up with Welfare Party sent out a wrong message.

And what about BJP?

* Constant bickering and disunity among top leaders * Inability to present itself as a credible, winnable alternative and turn support base into votes * Failed to capitalise on investigation against the Chief Minister's Office. If any, it helped the CM and the government earn sympathy * Sabarimala is no longer an election issue.

It, definitely, has given a shot in the arm for the CPM and a dose of confidence to the beleagured chief minister!

   *          *           *

Some more election snippets.

(a) Elated by its win in four grama panchayats after defeating both LDF and UDF, Kitex-backed Twenty20 has announced its decision to contest the upcoming Assembly polls in a big way.

(b) LDF's Abdul Rashid who contested against Karat Faisal got zero vote in Koduvally Municipality. CPM withdrew support for Faisal after he was questioned by the Customs.

(c) LDF loses Pullur-Periya panchayat where two Youth Congress workers - Kripesh and Sarath Lal - were hacked to death in Feb '19.

(d) 24 years since it last ruled, the LDF wrests Puthuppally panchayat, also comprising former CM Oommen Chandy's Ward from the UDF. 

Tailpiece.

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

To the courier, nearby, to collect some important papers just before lunchtime. Fresh fruits were delivered after an order was placed over the telephone.

All about cakes!

The story of the country's first Christmas cake that was baked way back in 1883.

The year was 1880. In the small coastal town of Thalasserry, in north Kerala, Mambally Bapu - a businessman who shipped milk, tea and bread to the British troops in Egypt - decided to set up his own little borma (bakery). 

He had just returned from Burma where he had mastered the art of biscuit making and wanted to popularise baked goods among the local Malayalees (back then, there was just one other bakery in the country and it catered solely to the British.

So Bapu set up his small bakery, named it Royal Biscuit Factory and got to work. He began producing almost 40 different varieties of biscuits, rusks, bread and buns. Interestingly, the bread dough was made using local toddy (for fermenting) until the British started importing yeast into the country. In 1883, a few days before Christmas, Murdoch Brown (a British planter who had started a cinnamon plantation at Anjarakkandy) got off his jadka (carriage) and walked into the bakery with a rich plum cake he had brought from England. He asked Bapu to taste the cake and asked him if he could bake one just like that.

Intrigued, the busy baker agreed to try, having no clue that he was about to create culinary history! To start off with, Brown gave a 10 minute demonstration about the basics of cake baking. He then handed over a sundry bunch of ingredients (that included cocoa, dates, raisins and other dry fruits) and suggested a French brandy from erstwhile Mayyazhi (now Mahe), for the Christmas cake. 

But Bapu had his own ideas about how he would go about this novel project. He procured the mould from a blacksmith in Dharmadam, sourced the choicest of spices from farms along the Malabar coast and introduced a desi flavour by using alocal brew made using cashew apple and kadalipazham, a variety of banana.

On 20 Dec 1884, Bapu presented his creation to Brown. On tasting, the delighted Briton certified it as "one of the best cakes he had ever had" and ordered a dozen more.

Unsurprisingly, the Christmas cakes quickly became a favourite with the locals and Bapu's business flourished. in the years that followed, his descendants went on to establish successful bakery chains in different parts of the country.

Today, more than 130 years after Bapu-made-India's-first-Christmas cake was presented, Thalasserry remains a trendsetter in the cake industry of not just Kerala but of India. Every year, expatriates from USA and UAE place huge orders of Christmas cakes from the town's bakeries, so much so that many of them stock nothing else nor accept orders for birthday cakes during the whole of December.

The numerous bakeries set up by branches of the Mambally family are * In Thiruvalla, PM  Lakshmanan Bapu's Son Mambally's Best bakery * Cochin Bakery in Kochi * Shantha Bakery in Thiruvananthapuram * Modern Bakery in Kozhikode * Tops Bakery in Nagercoil * Best Bakery in Kottayam * Best Bakery in Changanacherry.

Interestingly, the walls of Best Bakery are adorned by two paintings depicting the historic moment of Bapu handing over the cake to Brown.

The Cochin Bakery too has a fascinating legacy of its own - such was the Maharajah of Cochin's fondness for its bakes that every day his car would be specially sent to procure some along with the daily newspaper!

Another oft-recited family folklore of the Mamballys goes that Field Marshal KM Cariappa had tasted their bakery's biscuits in Egypt while fighting in the World War II. He liked it so much that when he returned to Coorg, he sent people to the bakery especially for the biscuits.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10. Finished a few pending jobs.

Have told the caretaker about our intended programme to visit my dad's house during the third week of December. 

The light was got going; the problem was the plug point. 

I really don't understand politics!

Kerala's LDF government was almost into a tail spin with quite a few scams popping up with a sickening regularity, over the past few months. The few that I can remember are :-

* The gold smuggling case through the diplomatic channel * The life mission case - where huge commissions were siphoned off from the project that was providing low cast housing for the people * The k-fone investigation where miles of semi conductor cables are in the process of being laid for establishing wi-fi spots all over the state * The engagement of the Price Water Cooper agency, a US-based IT company whose background seems to be under the scanner.

The cases are in various stages of probe by the Enforcement Directorate, the Customs authorities and the NIA. The probe agencies have even entered the inner circle of the chief minister's secretariat by zeroing in on CM Raveendran, the Asst PS to the chief minister.

The local body elections to take place at such a point of time, for any government, could turn out to be disastrous in the final reckoning.

In addition to the scams listed above, Bineesh Kodiyeri, the younger son of the CPM's state party secretary was jailed for getting entangled in a drug pushing case costing the former his party position!

Despite all these, the LDF has done quite well in the local body elections and I congratulate the dispensation for their fine showing. I was trying to figure out as to how it had pulled off such a massive victory from a position of weakness and here they are :-

 * The general public has not taken the scam charges seriously. No accused can be punished until proved guilty! * The government's management of the disastrous times viz. the Nipah attack, the back to back floods that had caused massive losses and the Covid containment have given it a credibility in the eyes of the people * The UDF was in a total disarray with its constituents fighting with each other and its leadership was all at sea * The BJP is yet to become a cogent party in the state.

You will understand my dilemma, about being a novice in understanding politics, when I narrate the next story.      

   *          *           *

The caretaker of my dad's house, the Raj Nivas, had stood as an independent candidate at the Nadutheri Ward of the Thalavoor Panchayat in Kollam district. When he'd spoken to me one early morning, last month, seeking my permission and blessings to do so, I'd endorsed him and given my backing even offering to canvas for him, if the Covid situation improved in between. He was enthusiastic and was sure that he'd win without any difficulty.

There were enough of impediments towards the run up to the filing of the nomination papers. The LDF and the UDF asked him to withdraw from the fray but when the BJP had fielded its candidate, something told me that his detractors had done this to split his votes.

He is a well meaning, persevering, hard working, sincere and clean person who has no greed for money! I and my family can vouch for it.

When he had called me around a half past 3, this afternoon, his broken voice said it all. Gone was the confidence as well as the bluster and he was sad that even people, whom he thought were his close friends and supporters, had ditched him towards the end. I could only offer my shoulders for him to unburden his woes and let go his angst that he was holding on, perhaps for a long while - leading to long silences in between the conversation. 

He would have really worked hard for for the good of the people of the Ward but they don't deserve him! That funny feeling down in the pit of my stomach continues even as I punch in these thoughts of mine!!  

We are still not a mature democracy where well meaning people are elected by the people as a matter of course!

Tailpiece.

Today's the first day of the Malayalam month of Dhanu. The previous month of Vrishchikam seems to have sped past! Today's also the 'Kuchela dinam' where the poor friend of Sri Krishna, Sudama or Kuchela had gone to meet him at his palace much to the happiness of the good Lord. 

Got up at 6, the chores and the usual Wednesday 'aarathi' of the house was performed and I was ready by a quarter to 10. Didn't waste my time in front of the television for the election results but I was getting frequent updates from friends and well wishers.

It's Bibitha, the LDF candidate - the seasoned of the three candidates - who has won in this Ward. I wished her well when she had called up to share the happy news.

The melancholia - of Vijayan's angst - persisted all through the evening.

Hoisted the Christmas Star at the balcony of our house. It shall be there till we ring in the new year. The light, inside the star, did not work!

All you wanted to know about Covid Vaccines.

1. What are the different types of Corona vaccines likely to be available for use in the near future?

* mRNA vaccine (Pfizer and Moderna)

Consists of messenger RNA molecules of the virus which code for parts of the target pathogen that are recognised by our immune system (Antigens). Inside our body's cells, the RNA molecules are converted into antigens which are then detected by our immune cells to produce antibodies.

* Vector vaccine (Oxford Astra Zenica - Serum Institute of India)

Covishield viruses that have been modified to contain antigens from the target pathogen. The modified viruses act as delivery systems that display the antigens from the target pathogen. The modified viruses act as delivery systems that display the antigens to our immune cells. Replicatingviral vectors make extra copies of themselves in our body's cells. Non-replicating viral vectors do not. Chimpanzee adenovirus is the vector used to deliver the corona virus antigen in the SII vaccine covishield.

* Inactivated vaccine (Bharat Biotech India Ltd). Covaxin and the Sputnik V from Russia's Gamaleya Research Institute, marketed by Dr Reddy's lab in India

Consist of inactivated versions of the virus. These are detected by our immune cells but cannot cause illness.

2. How effective are those vaccines?

* The Oxford Astra Serum Institute vaccine has demonstrated efficacy of 70.4% against symptomatic Covid-19 and 100% efficacy against hospitalisation due to severe Covid-19.

* The Pfizer vaccine has been demonstrated to have 95% efficacy.

* The Sputnik vaccine has demonstrated 92% efficacy.

3. Who can be administered the vaccine?

The 4 vaccines mentioned have undergone immunogenicity, efficacy and safety trials in 18 years and above and hence will be allowed to be used in adults under "Emergency Use Authorisation". Trials are underway for age group 12-18 and in due course of time, the vaccines may be allowed to be used in this age group.

4. Will all the 4 vaccines be made available and will everyone have access to all the vaccines?

The Oxford Astra-Serum Institute vaccine has applied for EUA and is likely to be made available soon.

The BBIL vaccine is yet to complete the phase 3 trial and submit the trial results for EUA. Sputnik is being tested in India.

Pfizer vaccine may be made available in private sector. Frontline workers, elderly, individuals with comorbidities and then, then other healthy adults will be vaccinated in order of priority.

Neither is any vaccine available nor is it recommended for use in individuals below 18 years of age.

5. Does an individual already suffered need the vaccine?

It is not very clear if a natural infection would protect an individual in the long run. The antibodies developed by the corona infected individual wane over time. In the absence of a direct correlate of protection in the form of antibody titres and considering the cell mediated immunity, waned antibody levels may not mean loss of protection. However, given the huge number of doses required, the individuals who have recovered from Covid 19 will be considered last for vaccination.

6. Can a pregnant lady take the vaccine?

As of date there is no data on safety in pregnant women. Pregnant women were excluded from the trials.

7. Can it be given to immunocompromised individuals?

Yes, the mRNA vaccine and inactivated vaccines are safe and even the adenovirus vector vaccine is safe as the vector is nonreplicating.

8. What is the recommended dose and schedule?

2 doses of 0.5 ml 28 days apart for the Oxford Astra serum vaccine and 2 doses of 0.5 ml 21 days apart for the mRNA vaccine and the Sputnik vaccine.

9. How long does it take for the vaccine to develop antibodies (protection)?

Generally, it takes two weeks for the antibody response. The mRNA vaccine of Pfizer has demonstrated response as early as 10 days after the 1st dose.

10. What are the cold chain requirements for these vaccines?

The Oxford Astra serum vaccine and Sputnik can be stored at 2 to 8 degrees. However the mRNA vaccines need to be stored at -70 degrees. It can be kept at -20 degrees for a week and on field retains viability for a day at 2 to 8 degrees.

Source. Excerpted from the compilation by IAP Navi Mumbai.

Tailpiece.

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

The Kudumbasree's scavenging team had come and collected the dry waste - plastic and empty milk covers - as part of their monthly beat.

It was a rather quiet Monday!  

We complicate things!

Some years ago, there was a Mensa convention in San Fransisco. Mensa is an international organisation for people who have an IQ of 140 or higher.

Several of the Mensa members went out for lunch at a local cafe.

When they sat down, one of them discovered that their salt shaker contained pepper and their pepper shaker was full of salt.

How could they swap the contents of the two bottles without spilling any and using only the implements at hand?

Clearly.....this was a job for Mensa minds.

The group debated the problem and presented ideas and finally, came up with a brilliant solution involving a napkin, a straw and an empty saucer.

They then called the waitress over, ready to dazzle her with their solution.

"Ma'am", they said, "we couldn't help but notice that the pepper shaker contains salt and the salt shaker contains pepper......."

But before they could finish, the waitress interrupted and said.....

"Oh......sorry about that".

She leaned over the table, unscrewed the caps of both bottles and switched them.

There was dead silence at the Mensa table.

For most of the problems in our lives there are simple solutions but it is our "brilliant" minds that complicate every simple solution......Change the Caps and enjoy life!

   *           *           *

Can A Word Be Its Own Opposite?

Yes! They are called Contronyms - words that are their own antonyms, depending on usage. Here are a few examples :-

Dust : can mean 'to add fine particles' or 'to remove fine particles'.

Left : can mean both 'remaining' and 'departed'.

Off : can mean both 'activated' and 'deactivated'. Eg. "Set off"- Activated. "Switch off " - Deactivated.

Oversight : means both 'watchful care' and 'an inadvertent error'.

Screen : can mean both 'to show' and 'to hide'.

Sanction : can mean both a penalty for disobeying a law and official permission or approval for an action.

Tailpiece.

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

Could work on my laptop and the unfortunate 'crash' of Google was yet to take place. Phew!

We had a long chat with the Ancheries after quite a while. They are currently in Tasmania, baby sitting their elder daughter, Sneha's two adorable sons! Floated my suggestion of the LLMC 3 class get together along with the CO and the instructors and their families sometime in Jun '21. They were game!

 

Two beautiful stories.

Story 1.

A man often bought oranges from an old lady.

After they were weighed, paid for and put in his bag, he would always pick one from his bag, peel it, put a segment in his mouth, complain it's sour and pass on the orange to the seller.

The old lady would put one segment  in her mouth and retort, "Why, it's sweet", but by then he was gone with his bag.

His wife, always with him, asked, "the oranges are always sweet, then why this drama every time?"

He smiled, "the old mother sells sweet oranges but never eats them herself.

This way I get her to eat one, without losing her money.

That's all".

The vegetable seller next to the old lady, saw this everyday.

She chided, "every time this man fusses over your oranges and I see that you always weigh a few extra for him. Why?"

The old lady smiled, "I know he does this to feed me an orange, only, he thinks I don't understand.

I never weigh extra.  His love tilts the scale slightly every time".

Life's joys are in these sweet little gestures of love and respect for our fellow beings. O God, grant us always the ability to show such amazing kindness and gestures......

Story 2.

Many hundreds of years ago in a small Italian town, a merchant had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to the moneylender. The moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the merchant's beautiful daughter so he proposed to bargain. He said he would forego the merchant's debt if he could marry the daughter. Both the merchant and the daughter were horrified by the proposal.

The moneylender told them that he would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty bag. The girl would then have to pick one pebble from the bag. if she picked the black pebble, she'd become the moneylender's wife and her father's debt would be forgiven. If she picked the white pebble she need not marry him and her father's debt would still be forgiven. But if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into the jail.

They were standing on a pebble strewn path in the merchant's garden. As they talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. As he picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two black pebbles and put them into the bag. He then asked the girl to pick her pebble from the bag.

What would you have done if you were the girl? If you had to advise her, what would you have told her? Careful analysis would produce three possibilities :-

* The girl should refuse to take a pebble * The girl should show that there were two black pebbles in the bag and expose the moneylender as a cheat * The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order to save her father from his debt and imprisonment.

The above story is used with the hope that it will make us appreciate the difference between lateral and logical thinking.

The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a pebble. Without looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles.

"Oh, how clumsy of me", she said. "But never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tellwhich pebble I picked". Since the remaining pebble is black, it must be assumed that she had picked the white one. And since the moneylender dared not admit his dishonesty, the girl changed what seemed an impossible situation into an advantageous one.

Moral of the story. 

Most complex problems do have a solution, sometimes we have to think about them in a different way. 

Your attitude decides your life!  

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, thanks to the early morning call from Mini and Sanil wishing me many happy returns as today was my birthday as per the Malayalam calendar. Went through the chores and was ready by a half past 9. Ammu had called up by about 11 AM.

It was a quiet Sunday. Lekha had made a traditional lunch and it was yummy. Rema, Padmakumar and Achu had called up around teatime.  

45 years ago, on this date, I'd passed out of the National Defence Academy as an Air Force cadet. The, then, Prime Minister of India Mrs Indira Gandhi was the chief guest for our POP(Passing Out Parade)! It was a Saturday, as all POPs by tradition, take place on that day of the week. And the entire Academy had left for their homes, for the break that evening itself, after which I was to embark on my life in the Indian Air Force at the EFS (Elementary Flying School), Mohammadabad Bidar with the initial flying training on the HT-2s! 

To tackle plastic pollution.

Researchers at the University of Buffalo are developing a novel set of tools that aims to reduce plastic waste and decrease the production of plastic.

  * The research worth $ 1.9 million is funded by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) * Everyday approximately 8 million pieces of plastic pollution find their way into our oceans * There may now be around 5.25 trillion macro and micro plastic pieces floating in the open ocean * Plastics consistently make up 60 to 90% of all marine debris studied. 

Aim of the study

* The researchers look to create an advanced mixed-waste sorting process that captures and reuses materials found in plastic recycling streams such as contaminants and non-polymeric waste for easy and cost effective recycling process.

* The robotic system also aims to detect the use of environmentally responsible solvents for segregating the desired plastics from ingrained impurities.

* The researchers also want to develop models that will spearhead the controlled breakdown of plastic molecules into raw materials.

Not only is this work critically important to our planet, it also contributes to the country's advanced manufacturing capabilities. It will help meet both consumer demand for and corporate commitments to incorporating recycled plastics into commercial products - Paschalls Alexandridis, professor who is leading the multidisciplinary effort.

Act now

Plastic consumption is among the major concern thwarting the earth's sustainable growth. It is the major environmental pollutant, affecting the flora and fauna equally. Despite the many measures taken by the global authorities, the surge in plastic consumption shadows sustainability.

Alarming trend 

The World Economic Forum has estimated that by 2050, more plastic will be present in the ocean compared to the fish. Henceforth, to address the challenges associated with plastic consumption, the researchers have formulated a new AI-driven robotic tool for the plastic recycling industry.

Tailpiece.

Got up around 6, the chores and had breakfast, before my bath as I didn't want to delay Lekha. Earlier, washing machinex of bed linen was carried out. 

Siesta, followed by the Aazhchakkoottam on "One country one election" by Mr PJ Antony, Joint Managing Director, Jeevan TV from 1600 hrs to 1700 hrs. 

A remarkable journey!

Was up, along with Lekha at 3 AM, thanks to the alarm. Went through the chores and by a half past 3, Abhilash arrived on his Bullet Motorcycle. He did a jugglery of the cars - Mini's car was put into the porch and our Chevy was ready for take off within no time.

Lekha, meanwhile, had given us a piping hot cup of tea while packing our breakfast of idlis, chutney and the chutney powder. Everything was put in place for the journey to Pulinkunnu Sub Registrar's office. It was Padmakumar who'd given me the right inputs about the road to take and further, went on to predict that we'd be at the venue much earlier than required!

I'd decided to leave at 4 and Mini was ready on the dot. Being the indisciplined guy that I am, we had finally set off for Kuttanad by a 26 minutes past 4! Abhilash is 39, a bachelor and is set on returning to the gulf, once the pandemic subsides. What bothers me about him is his overweight and I told him about it.

Kannan was the first to board our car from the front of Lulu Mall by around a half past 5. The poor guy waited for almost 40' at the pick up point. We, then, shaped our course towards Rema's house at Thrippunithura - the final set of lanes confused me but Padmakumar, guided me into their building. It was a quick lowering of water levels followed by a sumptuous breakfast, rustled up earlier by Lekha!

After having an early breakfast by a half past 6, we were off to Pulinkunnu after a lapse of 20'. Abhilash stayed back with the Chevy, saying that his breakfast time was much later. After having our share, we carried his back to the car, along with the lunch prepared by Rema. Going up to the house was a right idea because both my sisters found it comfortable and safe.

The Pulinkunnu Sub Registrar's office is on the AC (Alappuzha-Chenganasserry) Road. Based on instructions from Maman, we did make a chukker to ascertain the location of the office! Indira kunjamma, Suma kunjamma, Gopu, Santhi and Sindhu were in a hired Innova and had their breakfast at Kala's place, at Kayankulam. Maman, retired Sub Registrar Seena and her husband, Malik along with Sajila had come by another car and they, too, had breakfast at Kala's place. 

Kala and Unni, followed them in their car. The family was, therefore, available by a half past 11 with Aniyan reaching from Ettumanoor. The proceedings had begun in right earnest with Seena and Malik ensuring that the documents were filled correctly. Each one of us affixed our signatures and our left thumb impression. 

The legal document covering our handing over the Puthuvayil House (PN Panicker's house) and the 7 cents of land surrounding it, at Neelamperoor to the government - the Governor of Kerala, that is - for being converted into a National Monument was received by Maman from the Sub Registrar, covered by the media. The rest of the family was witness to this historic occasion! The time was about a quarter past 3 and then, we had parted and were on our separate ways.

Today's proceedings ensured that Chandramathykutty Amma (Represented by her children, Rajeev, Rema and Renjini aka Mini), Leela Kumari (Represented by her children, Gopu, Kala and Kannan), Vilasinikutty Amma (Represented by her children, Bindhu and Sindhu), Indirakutty Amma, N Balagopal, Sumangala Devi and N Krishna Kumar had consented to hand over the Puthuvayil House and the 7 cents of land around it to the government of Kerala for converting it into a national monument!

We'd our lunch by the wayside and proceeded northward, while the rest of the family proceeded southward. Dropped Rema at her place by a half past 4, had our tea and snack and continued our journey, dropping Kannan at Edappalli by 5. By the time we reached 'The Quarterdeck' it was 8. Mini had a quick wash and dinner before she, Ammu and Mithun set off back to Bangalore by a quarter to 9. My sister has been travelling continuously since yesterday afternoon.

We'd our dinner a trifle later than usual.

Tailpiece.

Abhilash has been a nice chauffeur. He saved the situation from a bad accident with a stupid motor cyclist, who'd cut across the road in front of us. Abhilash's good driving, the Chevy's new tyres and probably, Muthachhan's safety 'kavach' helped us from a very bad moment! A lovely journey altogether where all of us felt nice at having contributed to a noble cause.

   

     

Mt Everest grows almost a metre taller!

The highest point on Earth got a bit higher as China and Nepal finally agreed on a precise elevation for Mount Everest after decades of debate. Let's take a look.

Why the discrepancy?

This was owing to China measuring the rock base on the summit and not - as with the new reading - the covering of snow and ice on the peak.

Use of Trigonometry

In 1856 British colonial geographers first determined Everest's height at 8,840 metres above sea level by employing trigonometry hundreds of kilometres away on the Indian plains.

Readjustment

On 29 May 1953, Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay reached the summit of Everest. After the successful climb, an Indian survey readjusted the altitude to 8,848 metres. That measurement was widely accepted, with the number alluring to adventure seekers.

Nat Geo has a different number

In 1999, the US National Geographic Society concluded the world's highest point was higher at 8,850 metres. However, Nepal never officially recognised this new height, although it is widely quoted. 

China's numbers vs Nepal's

China, meanwhile, conducted several surveys. In 2005, it came up with its measurement of 8,844.43 metres. This provoked a row with Nepal which was only resolved in 2010 when Kathmandu and Beijing agreed that their measurements referred to different things - one to the height of Everest's rock and the other to the height of its snow cap.

New calculations

Nepalese experts and surveyors were involved in the exercise, some walking on foot with others using helicopters to reach data collection stations. Last spring, Nepalese surveyors reached the summit of Everest with over 40 kg of equipment, including a Global Satellite Navigation System (GNSS) receiver. Nepal was due to release the results earlier this year but then China became involved, after a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping in Oct 2019.

Earthquake Impact

Nepal decided to conduct the survey - the first time it has done its own - after suggestions that tectonic plate movements including a major earthquake in 2015 may have affected the height.

Average

Dang Yamin, an expert at the National Bureau of Surveying and Mapping, told Chinese State Broadcaster CCTV that the final result  was an average value between the measurements by Nepal and China, in accordance with scientific rules. 

Geopolitics at play

For China, the announcement appeared to be as much about politics as geography. China has drawn Nepal ever closer into its orbit with investments in its economy and the building of highways, dams, airports and other infrastructure in the mountain nation.

Everest's other names

In Tibetan language, Mount Everest is known as Mount Qomolangma. In Nepal, the world's tallest peak is called Sagarmatha.

Why is it named Everest?

Andrew Waugh, British Surveyor General of India, recommended the name of George Everest, his predecessor in the post, in 1865, which was accepted.

So, what is the new height?

8,848.86 metres.

* The agreed height unveiled at a joint news conference in Kathmandu * This is 86 mteres higher than the measurement previously recognised by Nepal * This is also more than 4 metres above China's official figure.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, the chores and we were off to the polling booth at the nearby Little Flower College by a 10' to 7. We'd driven down because there was a bit of a walk, within the campus, which I'd wanted Lekha to avoid. Our neighbours chose to walk.

The whole process took about 40 mts and then I'd the Chevy's tyre pressure checked but trying to update the PUC turned out to be futile. The machine misbehaved in the place nearest to our house and the remaining two were closed on account of the elections!

Suma came in after lunch and completed the cleanship well before sunset. Mini, Ammu and Mithun were at Perundurai (Achu's old place of work) at sunset. They had started from Bangalore by about 1400 hrs. They reached us by about a half past 11. Phew! Mini will accompany me to Pulinkunnu Sub Registrar's Office tomorrow morning at 0400 hrs. 

 

Cinderella Revisited.

Cinderella is now 95 years old.

After a fulfilling life with the now dead prince, she happily sits upon her rocking chair, watching the world go by from her front porch, with a cat named Brian for companionship.

One sunny afternoon out of nowhere, appeared the fairy godmother.

Cinderella said, "Fairy Godmother, what are you doing here after all these years?" The fairy godmother replied, "Cinderella, you have lived an exemplary life since I last saw you. Is there anything for which your heart still yearns?"

Cinderella was taken aback, overjoyed and after some thoughtful consideration, she uttered her first wish :

"The prince was wonderful but not much of an investor. I'm living hand-to-mouth on my disability cheques and I wish I were wealthy beyond comprehension".

Instantly, her rocking chair turned into solid gold. Cinderella said, "Ooh, thank you, Fairy Godmother". The fairy godmother replied, "It is the least that I can do. What do you want for your second wish?"

Cinderella looked down at her frail body and said, "I wish I were young and full of the beauty and youth I once had". At once, her wish became reality and her beautiful young visage returned. Cinderella felt stirrings inside her that had been dormant for years.

And then the fairy godmother spoke once more, "You have one more wish; what shall it be?"

Cinderella looks over to the frightened cat in the corner and says, I wish for you to transform Brian, my old cat, into a kind and handsome young man".

Magically, Brian suddenly underwent so fundamental a change in his biological make-up that, when he stood before her, he was a man so beautiful the likes of him neither she nor the world had ever seen. The fairy godmother said, "Congratulations, Cinderella, enjoy your new life".

With a blazing shock of bright blue electricity, the fairy godmother was gone suddenly as suddenly as she appeared.

For a few eerie moments, Brian and Cinderella looked into each other's eyes. Cinderella sat, breathless, gazing at the most beautiful, stunningly perfect man she had ever seen.

Then Brian walked over to Cinderella, who sat transfixed in her rocking chair and held her close in his young muscular arms.

He leaned in close, blowing her golden hair with his warm breath as he whispered........"Bet you're sorry now that you had me neutered".

Source. What'sApp

Tailpiece.

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

The move, day after to my grandfather's birthplace, has slowly got firmed up. Abhilash - my would-be-chauffeur - came by to familiarise himself soon after sunset.

Earlier Lekha and I had washed down our Chevy.

The Principle of Abundance.

Once a man got lost in a desert. The water in his flask had run out two days ago and he was on his last legs. He knew that if he didn't get some water soon, he would surely die. The man saw a small hut ahead of him. he thought it would be a mirage or maybe a hallucination but having no other option, he moved towards it. As he got closer, he realised it was quite real. So he dragged his tired body to the door with the last of his strength.

The hut was not occupied and seemed like it had been abandoned for quite some time. The man entered into it, hoping against hope that he might find water inside.

His heart skipped a beat when he saw what was in the hut - a water hand pump......it had a pipe going down through the floor, perhaps tapping a source of water deep underground.

He began working the hand pump but no water came out. He kept at it and still nothing happened. Finally, he gave up from exhaustion and frustration. He threw up his hands in despair. It looked as if he was going to die after all.

Then the man noticed a bottle in one corner of the hut. It was filled with water and corked up to prevent evaporation.

He uncorked the bottle and was about to gulp down the sweet life-giving water, when he noticed a piece of paper attached to it. Handwriting on the paper read : "Use this water to start the pump. Don't forget to fill the bottle when you're done".

He had a dilemma. He could follow the instruction and pour the water into the pump or he could ignore it and just drink the water.

What to do? If he let the water go into the pump, what assurance did he have that it would work? What if the pump malfunctioned? What if the pipe had a leak? What if the underground reservoir had long dried up?

But then.......maybe the instruction was correct. Should he risk it? If it turned out to be false, he would be throwing away the last water he would ever see.

Hands trembling, he poured the water into the pump. Then he closed his eyes, said a prayer and started working the pump.

He heard a gurgling sound and then water came gushing out, more than he could possibly use. He luxuriated in the cool and refreshing stream. He was going to live!

After drinking his fill and feeling much better, he looked around the hut. He found a pencil and a map of the region. The map showed that he was still far away from civilization but at least now he knew where he was and which direction to go.

He filled his flask for the journey ahead. He also filled the bottle and put the cork back in. Before leaving the hut, he added his own writing below the instruction : "Believe me, it works!"

This story is all about life. It teaches us that we must give before we can receive receive abundantly.

More importantly, it also teaches that faith plays an important role in giving.

The man did not know if his action would be rewarded but he proceeded regardless.

Without knowing what to expect, he made a leap of faith.

Water, in this story represents the good things in life.

Give life some "water" to work with and it will return far more than you put in!

Tailpiece.

Got up at our usual time, the chores and was ready by 10.

It was the last day of electioneering; the LDF and the BJP candidates, along with their groups, came and gave us our voter's slips. I'm serial 49 and Lekha is 50 on the voters' list.

The monthly grocery was delivered by the boy from the department store, nearby. 

Today's 'Bharat Bandh' - called for by the entire array of opposition in support of the farmers' agitation - was a no no in Kerala because of the ongoing local body elections.

English and Mathematics.

Nutty language this English......

  1. When you say "a, e, i, o, u" your mouth gets smaller with each vowel you say.

  2. You don't really wash your hands.....they wash each other while you stand there and watch......

  3. Things are not on fire.......fire is on things!

  4. When you say 'forward' or 'backward'....your lips move in those directions! (Yes...just like that!)

  5. The word 'Australia' has three As.....all of which look the same, but are pronounced differently! (Surprised??).

  6. If you rip a hole in a net, there are actually fewer holes in it than before!

  7. The sentence "All the faith he had had had had no effect on the outcome of his life"...is actually correct! (Getting too much??) 

  8. Sometimes you have to sing the whole alphabet in your head.....just to find the next letter!

  9. "Dammit I'm Mad" backwards is still "Dammit I'm Mad". (And that's the condition you have almost reached).

 10. Nothing is behind your back. It is always in front of your back!! (Now that's stretching it a little bit too far!!)

 11. Most of the time the people who tell you to calm down are the same people that made you angry in the first place! (Yeah....you got that right!)

 12. Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is not fun to say but ironically, this is the medical term for the fear of long words! (Nailed it?...Right?)

  *         *          *

Basics of Mathematics

One of the basics of Mathematics is knowing whether the number is even or odd, divisible by 2 and by the sum of its numbers.....but look at this strange number....

The number 2520 looks like a normal number like other numbers but it is not like that. It is a strange number and is rarely found between numbers and has puzzled Mathematics geniuses to this day......!

The strange thing is that it is divisible by numbers from 1 to 10, whether these numbers are odd or even!

It is known that it is difficult or even impossible to find a number that does that!

And when we say the division is accepted, we mean without any fractions remaining after the division process......!

Follow the practical application :

2520 divide by 1 = 2520 * 2520 divided by 2 = 1260 * 2520 divided by 3 = 840 * 2520 divided by 4 = 630 * 2520 divided by 5 = 504 * 2520 divided by 6 = 420 * 2520 divided by 7 = 360 * 2520 divided by 8 = 315 * 2520 divided by 9 = 280 * 2520 divided by 10 = 252.

And after mathematicians were confused about finding a convincing mathematical relationship that would make one number divisible in this strange way, they discovered that this number is the product of the numbers : 7x30x12 that may appear at first glance to be random numbers but it is not!

So the surprise that made them more confused than their first was that this number 2520 is a multiplication of days in a week 7 x days in a month 30 x months in a year 12.

Tailpiece.

Got up a trifle late, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10. It was a quiet Monday.

The LDF candidate had come by for seeking our votes.

An eye opener about the farmers' agitation.

Background

I am still not clear about the issues involved in the farmers' agitation. So, I asked a friend of mine, who besides being an engineer, professionally, is a farmer from Abohar-Fazilka region of Punjab. Now, after retirement, he is a full time farmer. 

This is what he told me. "I have been actively farming for almost two decades now and I have witnessed many things happen at the APMCs.

I have seen classifications of C grade grain miraculously change to B grade grain.

Similarly, I have also witnessed the weighbridge weigh in an empty truck at 39 tons and the full truck at 55 tons and later found that the unloaded truck weighed 43 tons at another weighbridge.

Yes I know, you know what I know. Yet let me tell you more about what you may already know.

There are 30,000 registered 'adtiyas' in Punjab.

These 30,000 employ another 30,000 sub agents or sidekicks or people who wouldn't have made it into doing anything any place were it not for the patronage network of these 30,000.

There are only 1,500 farming villages in Punjab.

3,30,000/1,500 is about 220 people on an average per village doing the work of middlemen.

Why is this case?

The Actual Drama

It's a long story but someone needs to begin talking about this at some time.And so, here we go..

We had a food shortage and a ship to mouth existence till the 1970s. Norman Borlaugh pioneered a variety of wheat which gave 10 times the yield but needed 3 times the fertiliser. The Punjab was chosen as the battleground against hunger. Enterprising Sikh farmers worked hard to create what we know as the green revolution.

Since there were huge shortages, laws were made which didn't allow for stockholding or selling at farm gates. Essential Commodities Act, APMC Act (farmers were compelled to sell only at APMCs to licensed traders - remember licence permit quota raj?) As an assurance to the farmer for his hard work, minimum support prices were guaranteed. 

No matter what the quantum, 'sarkar' would pick it up and provide the farmers with a minimum amount as compensation per quintal or ton as the case maybe. Getting money out of the sarkari treasury is a muck filled process. Thus was born the breed of middle men who walked the corridors of bureaucracy, government and worked up corrupt sarkari babus.

Political patronage networks flourished.

220 : 1 is the ration of middlemen to a single village in Punjab today. 

This business got integrated backwards. Corruption was professionalised. For instance, I have in my circle of influence or immediate family, folks who own very large tracts of land (100 acre plus holding).

The thekedar comes and takes the theka of growing on the land. For those unfamiliar with the woed, theka is also referred to as contract. i know there are grumblings about corporates contracting with farmers directly now. I also know why. You should too.

Anyways, to cut a long story short, plenty of farmers do not expect to receive much as their rightful dues at the end of each crop season.

* What is grown? * What grade or quality? * For how much is it sold? * Would it have fetched a similar price in open market? * Where is it sold? * How is it sold? * Who's the end beneficiary? * Does anybody consume it or does it go waste? * Was there a better way to do what's being done?

As long as you receive your cheque, why do you care?

The Jamkhedkar Committee, meanwhile reports that over 40% of the grain acquired under MSP by the FCI is either unfit for consumption or is simply wasted.

All told, one out of every two kilos acquired is wasted.

Years of perfidy have, today, given birth to this situation. MSP has ensured that there is no necessity to seek profitable enterprise. It has also given birth to the patronage networks which survive off the sarkari teat and refuse to break away.

It has given rise to a political class which thrives and survives on being Specialist Corrupt Thugs.

There was no sunset clause on this. Nobody foresaw a time of surplus production of foodgrains.

Result : all other states such as Haryana, UP, Bihar, Rajasthan and MP all produce surfeits of grain. They also have their own MSP mechanisms which have proliferated and created similar political patronage networks. 

More is acquired at Mandis in Punjab. Remember the central government's promise. Grain from UP and Bihar also finds its way into the mandi system of Punjab! 

The trucks being underweight and overpaid for and grades changing are common practices, you can go for a few days to the mandi and figure out how to make a killing by doing this. I don't advise it, this is what the system is in the current day. I advise, try doing truthful clean work. It's more fulfilling.

Soon enough, you will also be one of those 'know alls' in the mandi who doesn't talk to others. After all information is power.

All this is paid for by you, dear tax payer.

The annual bill for this is approximately Rs. 8 lakh crores.

Why doesn't the farmer grow something else? Something more profitable?

If I'm being paid for doing precisely nothing, why bother with competing? Where's the incentive to compete? 

I would rather go and picket the roads leading into Delhi to ensure that the existing system isn't threatened.

Epilogue

These, then in a nutshell, are the hard facts of the farmers' agitation. What a shame? And the entire lot of opposition is trying to board the bandwagon with their one point-agenda of showing Modi in bad light! The paradox is that all of them - without exception - have batted for this bill earlier but couldn't/wouldn't bring it up for legislation!!

And to recapitulate, let's run through the farm bills yet again....

* Bill on Agri market ( Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce - promotion and facilitation Bill) 

- To create an ecosystem where farmers and traders enjoy the freedom to sell and purchase farm produce outside registered 'mandis' under states' APMCs - To promote barrier-free inter-state and intra-state trade of farmers' produce - to reduce marketing/transportation costs and help farmers in getting better prices - To provide a facilitative framework for electronic trading.

* Bill on Contract Farming ( Farmers' Empowerment and Protection - agreement of price assurance and farm services Bill)

- Farmers can enter into a contract with agri-business firms - processors, wholesalers, exporters or large retailers for sale of future farming produce at a pre-agreed price - Marginal and small farmers, with land less than five hectares to gain via aggregation and contract (these, incidentally, account for 86% of the total farmers in India) - To transfer the risk of market unpredictability from farmers to sponsors - To enable farmers to access modern technology and get better inputs - To reduce cost of marketing and boost farmers' income - Farmers can engage in direct marketing by eliminating intermediaries for full price realisation - Effective dispute resolution mechanism with redressal timelines

* Bill Relating to Commodities (The Essential Commodities - amendment Bill)

- To remove commodities like cereals, pulses, oil seeds, onions and potatoes from the list of essential commodities. It will do away with the imposition of stock holding limits on such items except under "extraordinary circumstances" of private investors of excessive regulatory interference in business operations - To bring investment for farm infrastructure like cold storages, and modernising food supply chain - To help both farmers and consumers while bringing in latest technology.

My take.

A comprehensive and exhaustive set of laws that defang the middlemen completely. And note that it's the farmers of Punjab who've raked up the defiance against the laws as the corrupt system loses out entirely. 

And under the pretext of carrying out a peaceful agitation, they seem to desperately want anarchy, otherwise, why should they choke the ingress/egress in and out of Delhi?    

 

Tailpiece.

Got up at a half past 6, being a Sunday, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10. Today's Rangoli had good songs!

Videocalled my sisters and had our weekly chat.

 

The Church That Came Out Of A Story Book.

Saint Basil's Cathedral of Vasily the Blessed has been a symbol of Moscow for many centuries. The cathedral is famous for its fairy tale like appearance, with bright red walls and onion shaped domes. Let's take a closer look at the classic example of medieval Russian architecture.

Who Built It?

It was built by Ivan Vasilyevich, popularly called Ivan the Terrible (1530-1584), the first Tsar of Russia to commemorate the victories over Khanate of Kazan and Asrakhan.

Asian or European?

* The church is unique owing to the lack of analogue - preceding, contemporary or later architecture of Muscovy and Byzantine * Some researchers reject European roots for the cathedral, saying that its corbel arches were Byzantine and hence Asian * Another theory states that the cathedral may be a recreation Qolsarif Mosque Which was destroyed by the Russians after capturing Kazan.

Asymmetric

* The cathedral is not in perfect symmetry even if the side churches are arranged in perfect symmetry * The larger central church was deliberately offset to the west from the geometric centre of the side churches to accommodate its larger apse (semicircular recess) on the eastern side * As a result of this, the view from the north and the south is complex with multi-axial shapes. The view from the west, facing the Kremlin, appears to be symmetric and monolithic.

1555 - '61 

Years the cathedral was built. Architects were Postnik Yakovlev and Ivan Barma.

Originally White

The church may be known for its bright colours but the vibrant exterior we know today was added only 200 years after the structure was completed. Historians are of the opinion that the cathedral was originally painted with golden domes.

Biblical Inspiration

17th century-Russia saw architectural styles incorporating whimsical colour schemes. The cathedral took inspiration from the Heavenly City that was described in the Book of Revelations.

Made Up Of 10 Churches

The layout of the cathedral is based around one massive central church called the Intercession.

Four other churches surround the Intercession like compass points with four smaller churches diagonally placed. 

1558

A tenth chapel was later added.

Under Communist USSR - 1928

* The church was confiscated from the Russian Orthodox Church during the Soviet Union's anti religious campaigns * It then operated as a division of the State Historical Museum and was secularised a year later.

UNESCO Site - 1990

The cathedral was added to UNESCO's World Heritage Site along with the Kremlin and Red Square.

Open for Prayers - 1997

With the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, weekly church services with prayers to Saint Basil have been restored.

Courtesy. The NIE

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a quarter to 10. The BJP candidate came on a house visit, soliciting for votes.

Had a nice chat with Gavvy and Smita from Paris. Damn sweet of them to call us!

Participated in the Azhchakkoottam between 1600-1700 hrs. "The Reading Experience during the Online Period" by Ms. Suja Suresh, Librarian, Kerala University.