At Hyderabad.

At Kochi.

Got up at 4, thanks to Lekha’s cell phone alarm. We went through our chores and kicked off from The Quarterdeck by 8’ to 6. Rain had stopped by then. Kittu wasn’t there to see us off though Chakki and Manjakkandan were at the balcony.

The journey through Chavakad and beyond was peaceful with no sign of rain. 35.7 km from our porch we turned on to the Moonnupeedika-Potta road and reached Ananda Bhavan at Chalakkudi by a half past 8 to have a Combo, shared between Lekha and me.

We’d reached Panampilli Nagar by about 10, when the Chevy’s clutch developed trouble and was stuck. Luckily, like godsend, Commodore Mohan Ancheri and his brother-in-law, Babu Abraham were sighted right in front of the car. We got dropped at the INCS complex and they were off on their way. Damn sweet of them!

Our Chevy was emptied and we’d put our luggage in the Zamorin suite of the Engineer Officers’ Mess. She was parked in front of the Kairali Apartments! Had spoken to Mohan, my mechanic at Kottarakkara who dispatched Monish, pronto, for defect rectification. 

We’d picked up grocery and wines, Lekha had gone for her 12 o’clock appointment with Fleury while Murali dropped me at Oottupura, the eatery. After Lekha’s return at 4, we did three other jobs before getting back to the Engineer Officers’ Mess.

And thereafter, to a lovely evening with Murali and Radhika at the NOI club!

PM Modi’s nine requests.

The Prime Minister has put forth nine ‘requests’, urging the people to fulfil them :-

1. Save every drop of water and make more people

    aware about water conservation.

2. Go from village to village and make people aware

     about digital transaction, teach them about online

     payment.

3. Work to make your village, your locality, your city

     number one in cleanliness.

4. Promote local products, use only Made in India 

    products.

5. First see your own country, travel around in your

    country and if you want to go to another country 

    then you should not feel like going abroad until

    you see the whole country.

6. Keep making farmers more about natural farming.

7. Include Millets as Shri-Ann in your daily eating

    life, promote it widely, it is a super food.

8. Be it fitness, yoga or sports, make it an integral 

    part of your life.

9. Be a supporter of at least one poor family, help 

    them. This is necessary to remove poverty in

    India.

My take

What a simple way to ask his people to do their

duty!

Tailpiece.

Got up at my usual time, the chores and was ready

by a quarter past 10.

The maid was at work.

Off to town for the following:-

* drop credit card cheque 

* bank work

* completed scanning of documents 

* gave my laptop for repair

Shut down The Quarterdeck in stages.

Sajish, the hair stylist.

Sajish, a young lad of about 30 yrs, is a hair stylist and works in the outfit called Amigos which is just next door to ours. Owned by Kunjumon, it has established itself well and the local, fashion-conscious youngsters flock to this place to fine tune their appearances!

He had come by, this morning, to give me my monthly haircut and massage.

I am impressed with the way he carries himself, the way he carries his working tools in a designer bag and the manner in which he maintains a smart appearance at all times.

He earns about 40 grand and is contended with what he has got. 

May god bless you, Sajish, with all that you want. His wife stays with his mother at Ponnani and every month, he goes home at least twice.

Tailpiece.

He told me about Majid, who used to own a grocery shop which I used to frequent in the evenings during the last leg of my walk. He used to look forward to our interactions!

He was inflicted with Myasthenia Gravis and had shut down his shop, choosing to stay stay at home. I believe he passed into the mist of time almost a year back. Kunjumon of Amigos is his younger brother.

Adieu Majid! Om Shanti! Sadgati. Sorry for coming to know about you so late.

Adieu Charlie Mike!

Commander CM Mohan 01 Dec 1956 - 01 Nov 2024

Cadet Cheethampadi Murali Mohan, Roll no.395 joined Sainik School, Kazhakootam in Jan 1966, one year before I'd joined school. While at school, we came across each other be it on the PT fields, on the parade ground for drill, during Academic periods etc in fact,  during all the activities in school and we were not the best of friends while at school either. During our final days, he was stricken with Trachoma - an ailment of the eyes.

We joined the NDA , he in Autumn '72 with the 48th course in Echo Squadron and I, during Spring '73 in Hunter Squadron. Whenever we used to meet at the Academy, it was always a smile and a hello; and that was that! Both of us had passed out as AF cadets, got grounded and returned to the Academy, as naval cadets.

On passing out, this time, we were posted as 'seagoing cadets' on board the old INS Delhi in Spring '77. We were allotted adjacent bunks in the roomy, airy and well lit starboard chest flat - his was bunk 59 while mine was 61. From then on, it was an uninterrupted beginning of a lasting relationship...we became friends with a vengeance to make up for lost time.

On board INS Delhi, there was a pitiable sight that I saw him in, just once. He'd gone out on liberty at Bombay and returned late in the evening with a bruised face and swollen lips. It was a taste of the thugs who create havoc on the suburban trains - his shirt, that he'd borrowed from me, was torn and they'd snatched away his brand new Ray Ban goggles!

We were appointed on board INS Beas, in Autumn'77, as Midshipmen and our friendship grew. He used to come and listen to my classes to a few, on intricate Seamanship and Navigation. After becoming Sub Lieutenants, we were in different groups during the SLt Tech courses and we went about our respective professional paths, thereafter.

But there were hellos and hugs between us whenever we met off and on. And we came together at the Defence Services Staff College at Wellington in Apr '91. Both of us stayed at Gorkha Hill and we used to interact regularly on exercises; I used to be fascinated by his quick grasp of tactical situations to formulate a straightforward appreciation! We talked of life in general, during breaks, and offered our solutions always within the stipulated time. Our families had also got close.

We, then went our ways again but I'd got in touch with him soon after, when he was posted in my ex-ship, INS Agrani. He'd made a statement then, "Rajeev, I knew that come what may, you'd be my classmate/course mate who'll make an endeavour to get in touch with me".    

On retirement, after we'd settled at Guruvayur, he and his family had dropped by and stayed with us for a couple of days. It was sometime in 2015 and my mom was also with us, then. Mom and Charlie Mike got along famously, like a house on fire! He had gifted us with a beautiful electronic clock which occupies a prominent place in our house, 'The Quarterdeck'.

We were in touch on WhatsApp till the day before, around 1620 hrs! Was wondering as to why he'd not replied to my morning hellos yesterday and today. It was this morning that I came to know of the tragedy. He'd contracted a viral fever that got complicated and took away Charlie Mike from our midst.

There was never a dull moment with him around as he'd a fantastic sense of humour!

Adieu Muahanu! You shouldn't have left so early. Om Shanti! Sadgati. My tears and prayers. May god give strength to Sasikala, Arjun and Anish to pass through these difficult times. 

Tailpiece.

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

Sajish had come to give me a haircut and massage. Selvam dropped by to press clothes.

Many happy returns of the day, Keralam!

68 years back, the state of Kerala was formed - on linguistic basis - on 01 Nov 1956!

Numberspeak

* 97.03% of the people of the state speak Malayalam, while Tamil speakers constitute 1.49%, in 

   Kasaragod district, 8.77% speaks Tulu while Kannada speakers comprise 4.23%

* 1,084 females per 1,000 males as per the 2011 census; sex ratio higher than the national 

   average of 943

* Rs 9.78 lakh crore is the annual Gross State Product

* 35 lakh Keralites work in the Gulf countries

* 900 km of lakes, rivers, canals and lagoons

* 1 major port in Kochi and 17 intermediate ports

Courtesy. The NIE

Tailpiece.

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

Rema, Achu and Karthika went to have a 'darshan' of the good Lord by a half past 7. They left after

after breakfast for Kochi.

The maid was at work.

A quiet day.