Himalayan warming threatens India's economy.

What's at stake?

20%              Share of India's GDP underpinned by the Himalayas

21.5%           Estimated Himalayan-linked economic activity

                      64.8 lakh crore of India's FY24 GDP

18% share   of India's land occupied by the Himalayan region

35% share   of India's disasters occurring in the Himalayan region

0.1%            Share of the estimated 40,000 Himalayan glaciers 

                     currently monitored; only 16-17 are in India

40%             of Indians - Water security underpinned by Himalayan

                     glaciers, springsheds and forests

3mn              + Springs - Around half have dried up or become 

                      seasonal in the Indian Himalayas

75%              Growth in built-up area across the Hindu Kush 

                      Himalaya between 2000 and 2020, 1.7 times

                      population growth

400 mn         India Himalayan region recorded 400 million+ visits

                      in 2025, roughly eight times its resident population  

 

Queer cures.

IMA steps in to put a lid on 'conversion therapy'.

Coming out.....Calling out.

 

 (a) 45.4% of surveyed LGBTQIA+ individuals in Keralam have faced conversion attempts (Dr Sreya

       Mariyam Salim study)

 (b) Almost a third of conversion procedures were administered or endorsed by licensed medical

       professionals

 (c) Conversion therapy centres actively market pseudo-scientific "cures" to panicked parents

 (d) Modalities include heavy psychotropic drug overdoses, spiritual rituals and barbaric electroshock

       procedures

 (e) Parents force gay men, transgender people or women refusing arranged marriages into clinics to

      avoid social stigma

 (f) IMA Keralam has condemned the practice as unscientific and pledged to penalise complicit

      doctors

The IMA has firmly asserted that sexual orientation is not an illness and urges families to choose understanding over coercion, the medical fraternity is finally acting to clean its own ranks.

Courtesy. The NIE of 18 Sep 

Control your 6 Ms.

1. Mouth

    Speak with care. Words can heal or hurt. 

    Choose kindness and truth.

2. Money

    Spend wisely. Don't spend more than you need.

    Value what you have.

3. Mood

    Don't let temporary emotions ruin permanent

    relationships. Stay calm and balanced.

4. Mind

    Protect your thoughts. They shape your reality.

    Focus on what is true, kind and useful.

5. Manners

    Respect costs nothing but means everything.

    Treat everyone with humility.

6. Momentum

    Stay consistent. Small positive actions lead

    to a better life over time.

Unprofessional manoeuvre!

India summoned Pakistan's top diplomatic representative in New Delhi after a Pakistani Naval vessel collided with INS Trishul in the North Arabian Sea, following an "unprofessional and unsafe" manoeuvre.

The collision took place near Gwadar, where two larger Indian naval vessels were monitoring the Pakistani naval exercise. During the operations, a smaller Pakistani naval ship, PNS Hunain, approached  the Indian vessels at high speed and attempted to ram them.

My take

These clumsy, bloody Pakis! 

The Delhi Declaration.

BRICS 2026 adopts landmark Delhi Declaration. 

India bridges Iran-UAE differences on West Asia conflict after marathon negotiations till 4 AM; declaration calls for restraint while not assigning responsibility.

The key points

1. New Delhi Declaration condemns unilateral tariffs, calls carbon border adjustment mechanisms                  protectionist, demands fairer global trade rules.

2. Condemns Pahalgam terror attack, calls for zero tolerance on cross-border terrorism.

3. Call for immediate restoration of fully-functioning WTO dispute settlement system.

4. Bloc-wide grain trading platform and four new farmer-focused initiatives covering seeds, agro-

    inputs, agro-ecology and digital agriculture agriculture endorsed.

5. Declaration urges the developed world to provide finance for biodiversity conservation.

6. Resolves to remain committed to aims of Paris Agreement.

The 81st Grandhasala Dinam..

Dateline 14 Sep

81 years ago, on this date, PN Panicker had set up the Travancore Grandhasala Sangham at a glittering function in Ambalappuzha with 47 libraries. More than 2,000 people had participated in the conference, with the then diwan of Travancore, Sir CP Ramaswamy Iyer, inaugurating it.

Travancore Grandhasala Sangham became the Thiru-Kochi Grandhasala Sangham in 1949 on the merger of the princely states of Travancore and Kochi  and went on to become the Kerala Grandhasala Sangham in 1956 on the formation of the state of Keralam.

PN Panicker, along with his dedicated brand of library workers, set up a network of 5,280 libraries all over the state by 1970 when the Sangham was celebrating its silver jubilee. And it was a thriving people's movement.

This was made possible only because of the young government primary school teacher's vision of setting up a library in every village of his state.

He'd given the Malayalees the powerful slogan of "Vaayichu valaruka, Chinthichu vivekanm neduka".

Today we celebrate is as the "Library Day" with a national conference at the Kanakakkunnu Palace, Thiruvananthapuram from 1000 to 1700 hrs. The deliberations shall be on "Knowledge Centres enhancing community living".

Tailpiece.

Got the Thiruvananthapuram-Guruvayur Intercity Express train and reached The Quarterdeck at 1 AM.

At Thiruvananthapuram.

Got up at my usual time, sent the messages, partially opened up the house, lit up the puja room lamp and switched on the hymns on the home theatre. Recited my prayers while walking within the house.

Bath and offered ‘Bali tharpanam’ for Amma; today’s her 10th Remembrance Day. It was done on our courtyard.

Car, driven by Sharif, came at a quarter past 8 and we left for railway station soon after. Earlier, Paulson had confirmed my booking on the Vande Bharat.

Left Thrissur 20’ late. Lunch on board. An I eventful journey. Reached Thiruvananthapuram by 3, an hour’s wait in the a/c waiting room. Maman came around 4 and we’d gone to the Foundation after a hot cup of tea and a vada.

Dinner, around 10, outside, served to us by Amalia from Dimapur, Nagaland.

Pipe down at 11.

BRICS 2026.

Happenings

1. Builds momentum for local currencies

2. Bilateral agendas on the side lines dominated the meet

3. Russia seeks fruits, pharma to plug trade deficit

4. Push for opening domestic markets, partnerships

5. India for unified digital payments among members

6. India's military engages with all three Quad partners :-

    * US and India      -     Yudh Abhyas

    * Japan and India  -      In Jodhpur

    * Navy Chief is currently in Australia

7. A lot has changed in India-China relationship since Xi Jin Ping last

    visited New Delhi in 2019, including border hostility. With the BRICS

    visit, the neighbours seek rediscovery through trade. 

India AI Impact Summit 2026.

Nandan Nikaleni thanked PM Narendra Modi on a fantastic summit. 

He met the PM  on 08 Jan '26 and had talked about applying AI to farmers. The PM talked about applying AI to farmers, he said, "Why can't we apply it to cows and cattle? Because if the cow is sick, it can't tell you that it's sick, it can't tell you that it is sick. How can you solve this problem? And he gave us his vision of applying AI to agriculture and dairy.

On the same day, the PMO had a meeting along with Mr Krishnan and Abhishek of MeitY, with Amul and with some of my colleagues and within three weeks, the application went live.

The meeting was on 08 Jan and it went live on 11 Feb.

This is the world's largest co-operative with 3.6 million farmers, 2 billion milk transactions per year and 40 million cattle.

And today all these farmers, a large number of them being women, use the Saral app to get real responses about their cattle , the problems, the pregnancy, their milk production and so on. Look at the speed of diffusion An idea that the PM had on 08 Jan had become reality on 11 Feb. This to me is an example of the speed of execution of AI diffusion in India.

And I get the same sense of excitement I got on 30 Dec 2016, when the PM launched the BHIM payment application on UPI. And when he launched that application, he started something where today we have 21 billion transactions a month with 500 million users and the world's largest payment system. I feel the same sense that AI is at that point, and with his leadership and vision of how AI can be used for the benefit of Indians, common man, farmers, workers and so on, I think it's going to really take off.

Moreover, this is also for sovereign data. The data of Amul remains with Amul, and design is to make sure that it's within India. So, it's really a great and I think by the time many of these people come back in a few months, there will be many, more applications, and India will lead the world on showing how AI diffusion can matter to improve the lives of the common man, farmers, students, patients and so on. And I think this is where the AI road, the race to the top, is going to happen. And thank you for your leadership, sir". 

Prohibited Zone.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards has said that a new "prohibited zone"

would cover waters several miles beyond the Strait of Hormuz and

apply to ships even as far as the Arabian Sea. Iran had first announ-

ced the prohibited zone earlier this week as it continued talks with

Oman over a temporary shipping route through the strait.

The West Asia region is poised for yet another tense week as the

BRICS meeting takes off, in India, this weekend! 

Keralam sweats!

The state is witnessing unusually high temperature. Moreover many districts recorded a high ultraviolet index of above 7. 

The weakening south west monsoon and thinning cloud cover are the reason for this situation.

We normally do not feel the heat so strongly as the SW monsoon brings cloud cover, which blocks a significant amount of sunlight. This is not happening since monsoon has weakened and cloud formation has reduced.

The state has received only 5mm of rainfall or 7% of what is expected!

India's Autonomous Vessel Matangi.

A truly wonderful innovation!

The unmanned ship Matangi was developed by the Indian startup Sagar Defence Engineering. It recently made history by completing an autonomous sea voyage of around1,500 km from Bombay to Tuticorin without any crew on board.

The project was officially flagged off by the Defence Minister as part of the Indian Navy's "Swavlamban initiative", marking a massive milestone for indigenous AI and defence technology!

My take

Simply great!  

Tailpiece.

Two pieces of connected information to this story :-

    * Matangi is the daughter of Matanga maharshi. (Syamala Devi ...Mata Parvati)

    * A community called "Matang" in Maharashtra exists that claims to be  the descendants of this 

       rishi. Their traditional occupation was and still, is making brooms and bamboo products.

Manipur's final electoral roll is ready.

The final photo-electoral rolls for all 60 Assembly constituencies of Manipur were published yesterday putting the total number of voters at 19,60,620.

With 10,06,962, female voters outnumber their male counterparts (9,53,350). The gender ration is 1,056 females for every 1,000 male electors. The state has 308 third-gender electors.

A total of 56,871 electors have been added 30,650 electors have been deleted from the draft electoral roll published on 05 Jul.

BRICS 2026.

Under India's chairship, BRICS is entering a new era of deeper collaboration and stronger representation for the Global South.

     

* 49.5% of the world's population

* 40% of global GDP

* 26% of global trade

Built on Resilience, Innovation, Co-operation and Sustainability, India's leadership is making BRICS more action-oriented while advancing the vision of a fairer, more balanced global order.

The crucial question, however, is whether BRICS can translate this wide-ranging agenda into a common political outcome. The challenge is particularly significant because geopolitical differences, including disagreements over the West Asia conflict, have already made consensus difficult at some ministerial meetings. India's task as chair is consequently not to eliminate differences among members but to find enough common ground for a credible summit declaration.

 

Janmashtami.

No one remembers the baby girl born on the same day who was interchanged with Krishna, a baby boy, to save his life. The boy's life was precious but the girl was born to sacrifice her life. Janmashtami is not only the birthday of Krishna but also of Yogamaya.

It is said that Yogamaya flew off to the heaven freeing herself from the clutches of Kansa while announcing to him that his killer has been born. Scriptures do not clearly mention that she too got killed  like the other siblings of Krishna.

Yogamaya was also an incarnation of Shakti who came to be born along with the incarnation of Lord Vishnu to keep some old promise. When Kansa caught her by her feet and hurled her to the ground, she flew toward the heaven, saying "Kansa, your killer has already taken birth. I could have also killed you but since you caught me by my feet, I take it as your expression of humility and am pardoning you".

Krishna was born in the darkness of the night, into the locked confines of a jail.

However, at the moment of his birth, all the guards fell asleep, the chains were broken and the barred doors gently opened.

Similarly, as soon as Krishna (Chetna, Awareness) takes birth in our hearts, all darkness (Negativity) fades.

All chains (Ego, I, Me, Myself) are broken.

And all prison doors we keep ourselves in (Caste, Religion, Profession, Relations etc) are opened.

And that is the real message of Janmashtami. 

Adieu Gloria Steinem!

The trouble with putting people on a pedestal is that their follies tend to get magnified. So it was with Gloria Steinem, the ground breaking feminist activist whose death at 92 was announced yesterday. But even those who find her work for the CIA projecting American ideas during the Cold War problematic cannot begrudge her formidable work for women's causes. Her activism, from undercover reporting as a Playboy Bunny to championing laws against discrimination and sexual violence, inspired women around the world.

She admittedly learnt about grassroots activism during the years she spent in India in the late 1950s on a fellowship, when she saw Vinoba Bhave's Bhoodan movement up close. 

On her passing, the world would do well to reassess what it still needs to do to bridge the gender gap.

Adieu Gloria! My tears and prayers. 

Toady's revelation.....

The CJP is nothing but filled with guys from the Aam Admi Party. The idiot, Arvind Kejriwal, still hasn't learnt his lesson after the hard whack that he got from the people! The party has split into two - CJP and CJP (Democratic).

The guys have already called off their agitation that they had planned for the 5th of September. 

Meanwhile, RaGa and Akhilesh Yadav are on a tour of the US to meet Sorros and such other guys to collect moolah as the UP state assembly elections is drawing close.

These guys never understand......

Did you know how your organs weighed?

* Spleen                                   150 g

* Kidneys                                 150 g each

* Heart                                     300 g

* Lungs                                    1.3 kg

* Brain                                     1.4 kg

* Liver                                     1.5 kg 

Just a few!

The RSS chief explains "Vasudaiva kutumbakam" in the US, Canada.

RSS Sarsanghchaalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat while addressing a massive gathering at the "Hindu Vishwa Bandhu - Embrace the World in Friendship" event in Toronto, highlighted Bharat's civilizational ethos of "Vasudaiva Kutumbakam", saying diversity is an expression of unity and serving humanity is the nation's enduring tradition.

Key takeaways

  1. Whenever there was crisis anywhere in the world and help from Bharat was sought, Bharat has 

       never said no. 

  2. And without calling for help, it helps.

  3. This is the tradition. This is the DNA of Bharat.

  4. Everything created by the Divine has one job : express beauty and piety of Divine in various forms, 

      shapes, colours and because everything is Divine, everything is one.

  5. When Hiuen Tsang was crossing the Ganges with three Nalanda students, a storm hit.

      * The boatman said to shed weight.

      * Tsang wept for his books - a lifetime's knowledge for China

      * The three students jumped into the river one by one, giving their lives so his wisdom could reach

         China.

  6. In Bharat, there have been many castes, creeds, languages.

      * Everything is many. Nothing is alone, nothing is single.

      * But it is all one.

      * We don't say all are one, we say all is one.

  7. Our ancestors earned global prestige by sharing knowledge.

      * Now we must live up to it.

      * The world today faces conflicts, ecological crises and dilemmas of progress.

      * Our role is to offer balance again.

  8. Long before roads or planes, our ancestors travelled from Mexico to Siberia - on foot across the

      Himalayas, by small boats to Southeast Asia.

      * They conquered no country, converted none.

      * Wherever they went, they gave Mathematics, Ayurveda, Astrology and Civilizational values.

  9. We can bring everyone together without destroying anything.

      * Ancient Bharatiya agriculture kept soil fertile even after 10,000 years of ploughing, using home-

         made pesticides.

      * Our core truth is oneness of existence hence ahimsa - never harming anyone by word or deed.

10. Our rishis tell if you want to have successful, meaningful, worthwhile life,

      * don't go after Artha, Kama in that mad, mad, mad race.

      * you need not run; you pay attention to this sustenance, this balance,

      * that will come automatically.

11. A Hindu must blossom like a flower, spreading fragrance to all.

     * He thrives not for himself but to serve.

     * An individual must benefit his family, a family its village.

     * Only those who serve larger humanity are considered ideal.

12. Humans alone have buddhi.

     * Animals eat only when hungry and never save tiffin for tomorrow.

     * Men can snatch food or share it with the hungry.

     * But without direction, man lives like an animal - not knowing why he is born or when he will

        die.

13. Even 8,000 years on, every village child remembers our ideal kings and donors like the

      billionaire who funded Maharana Pratap.

     * We must upgrade ourselves to be worthy inheritors and fulfill our God-given duty -

     * Hindi Vishwa Bandhu - by serving troubled humanity everywhere.

Courtesy. CHORD - Canadian Hindus for Outreach, Relations and Dialogue.

      

India's rescue operations intensify in Nepal.

After the initial reluctance shown by Nepal, to accept India's rescue efforts on offer, that country has relented and the Indian rescue and relief teams are working at many places.

India has deployed tunnel engineers, doctors, paramedics and forensic experts as rescuers race against time to reach people feared trapped in hydropower tunnels on the fifth day of the disaster.

India has so far provided 68.5 tons of relief material. A fourth Indian flight carrying 11 tons of assistance reached Nepal yesterday. The latest consignment included :-

    * a tunnel technical team

    * equipment for search-and-rescue operations

    * forensic equipment for DNA analysis

    * essential relief supplies like :-

       - blankets

       - sleeping bags

       - tarpaulin

       - plastic sheets and

       - hygiene kits

The rescue effort is focused on the Upper Trishuli hydropower complex, where authorities received information that around 350 people could be trapped in a tunnel.  

"Amor Fati".

It's an invitation to meet life as it comes.

A delayed train, a rejected application, a broken relationship - life regularly hands us circumstances we would rather not have. Amor Fati, Latin for 'love of fate', offers a different response : instead of merely tolerating what cannot be changed, embrace reality and work with it.

The phrase is most closely associated with Friedrich Nietzche, although it has affinities with the ancient  Stoic attitude towards fate. For Nietzsche, it meant more than resignation - it called for an active affirmation of life, including its difficulties. To love one's fate does not mean believing that everything that happens is good; it means accepting what has happened without becoming trapped in resistance to it.

A failure can become a lesson; an unwanted change can reveal a new direction; a difficult person can become an exercise in patience. When something goes wrong, instead of asking, 'Why did this happen to me?', ask, 'Why did this happen to me?', ask, 'What can I do with what has happened?'

The challenge is not to love every circumstance but to meet whatever comes with the freedom to respond wisely.

Courtesy. The NIE of 30 Aug.

Something to ponder upon!

I cried after reading this.

* One day your parents will become your children. Not in age, but in need.

* There will come a time when they forget things you just told them.

* When they move slower, ask the same question twice and need help

   with what used to be easy.

* Don't see it as a burden, see it as debt of love being paid back.

* Call them more, visit them more.

* Speak softer while you still can.

* Because one day the phone will stop ringing.

Love them today, tomorrow might be late.

The real luxuries.

 (a) A good night's sleep.

 (b) Slow mornings.

 (c) Freedom to choose.

 (d) Time for fun and play.

 (e) Listening to birds singing.

 (f) Long walks.

 (g) A good book.

 (h) Favourite home-cooked food.

 (j) Colourful sunsets.

 (k) Ability to freely express yourself.

 (l) A good nap.

 (m) A good conversation.

My take 

Life only gets to be very interesting with experience of any or a combination of the luxuries, cited above.   

Nepal's disaster.

160 killed in deadly Nepal deluge; at least 133 Indians among 844 missing

Water rose 30 feet and at least 160 people were killed, while hundreds of others, including scores of Kailash Manasarovar pilgrims from India, remained missing after a flash flood and mudslide of unprecedented scale in Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers tore through a part of Nepal-Tibet border yesterday morning. It was a glacier break up!

It swept away settlements, hydropower units and the pilgrim route.

My take

A tragedy of unimaginable magnitude! My prayers for Nepal and its people!!

A quiet Thiruvonam.

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

It was pitter patter rain right from early morning!

Walked within the house, recited my prayers, carried out my exercise routine followed by bath.

Wore the onakkodi got from the Kuthaampulli received as complimentary from the weavers' village when we'd gone there shopping a few months back! Lekha had also done that!!

A great Thiruvonam sadya - a wonderful effort on the part of Lekha and the maid.

Had a siesta while Lekha watched the Malayalam flick, "Mohiniyaattam".

The evening chores.

We saw Drishyam 3. Good movie; the suspense was maintained till the end.

We, also, saw the grand finale of the children's reality show, "Top Singer Season 6" on the Flowers channel.

  

Wise Zen Monk Once Said....

1. When you walk, walk fully - rushing makes you miss the journey.

2. Eat with gratitude, every grain of rice carries unseen hands.

3. Own little, for possessions quickly begin to own you.

4. Speak only when your words are better than silence.

5. Anger is like hot coal - you burn yourself first before anyone else.

6. The mind becomes calm when the body learns stillness.

Tailpiece.

A great lesson!

The energies.

Positive energy

* Giving

* Forgiving

* Honesty

* Love

* Trust

* Calm

* Motivated

* Gratitude

* Passionate

* Efficient

* Happy

* Bravery

* Joy

* Inspired

* Loyal

* Selfless

* Proactive

* Diligent

* Kindness

* Creative

* Responsible

* Confidence

* Supportive

* Peaceful

Negative Energy

* Dishonest

* Complain

* Sadness

* Selfish

* Lazy

* Jealousy

* Confused

* Hate

* Procrastinate

* Fake

* Regret

* Hopeless

* Stress

* Worried

* Superficial

* Worried

* Self-center

* Ego

* Arrogant

* Greed

* Ignorant

* Violent

* Anger

* Fear

* Impatient

* Inferiority

* Indecisive

* Loneliness

* Indifferent

* Uncertainty

My take

Don't have to emphasise on being positive! Your energy shapes your life!!

Something big is moving under Kashmir.

That was my first instinct when 

Sergio Gor entered the Valley and

met CM Omar Abdullah.

Because history has a bad habit.

It whispers first.

Then it screams.

So forget today's sweet words.

Below is the American trail.

Ambassadors.

Envoys.

Meetings.

And then....

Look at the aftermath.

1950-52

Loy Henderson.

Chester Bowles.

Met Sheikh Abdullah.

1953

Sheikh resisted full integration with 

India.

Sheikh was later arrested.

1961

JK Galbraith

Srinagar.

1962

Sino-Indian conflict.

Ladakh burned.

1963

Hazratbal relic crisis.

Mass unrest erupted.

1964

Chester Bowles.

1965

Pakistan launched Operation

Gibraltar.

Infiltration began.

Full war followed.

1987

John Gunther Dean.

Met Farooq Abdullah.

1988-'89

Armed insurgency exploded.

Jun 1995

Frank Wisner.

Met officials and separatists.

Days later

Tourists kidnapped.

India was embarrassed.

1996.

Wisner returned.

Hostage crisis continued.

Militancy remained brutal.

1996

Wisner again.

Weeks later.

Candidates attacked.

Rallies bombed.

Polling challenged by militants.

Feb 1997

Wisner again.

Met Hurriyat separatists.

Mar 1997

Sangrampora massacre.

Jan 1998

Wandhama massacre.

Oct 1998

Richard Celeste.

Met Farooq Abdullah.

Separatist Shabir Shah.

May 1999

Kargil war.

Dec 1999

IC-814 hijacked.

India released Masood Azhar.

Oct-Dec 2001

American strategic activity surges.

Powell.

Rumsfeld.

Blackwill.

Blair.

Feith.

Haass.

13 Dec

Parliament was attacked.

Jan 2002

Robert Blackwill.

May 2002

Kaluchak massacre.

Dec 2002

Blackwill again.

Mar 2003

Nandimarg massacre.

24 Pandits killed.

2006

David Mulford.

US activity inside Kashmir

intensified.

Jul 2006

Bombay local train blasts.

189 people killed.

2008

David Mulford again.

Washington watched Kashmir 

closely.

Separatist politics.

Then...

Nov 2008

Bombay terror attack.

166 people killed.

2013

Tim Roemer.

Met Omar Abdullah.

Afzal Guru executed.

Valley unrest returned.

2015-'17

Richard Verma.

Visited Valley reportedly.

2016

Burhan Wani killed.

Mass unrest followed.

Then Uri.

19 soldiers killed.

Aug 2018

Kenneth Juster.

Met Omar.

Feb 2019

Pulwama.

40 CRPF personnel killed.

Jan 20

Juster returned.

May 2020

Handwara operation.

Senior officers were killed.

Apr 2025

US VP JD Vance arrives in India.

Next day.

Pahalgam.

26 people killed.

And now...

Aug 2026.

Sergio Gor.

Srinagar.

Met Omar Abdullah.

He calls J&K an "important part of India".

Good words.

But he did not say "integral part of

India".

History leaves an uncomfortable 

shadow.

Tailpiece.

(a) Watch the room after the

handshake.

Watch the border after the

photograph.

Watch who starts moving after the

cameras leave.

Correlation is not causation.

But intelligence agencies do not

survive on coincidence.

They survive on patterns.

And Kashmir has punished 

complacency before.

Don't look at his words.

Watch the actions that follow. 

(b) The BRICS summit is slated 

during mid-Sep in India. Xi Jin 

Ping and Putin are going to be

with Modi. A new economic 

order is in the pipeline which

the US dreads.

Is the US trying to torpedo it?

 

"Periyar Kullan" gets national recognition.

Bringing joy to around 200 farmers in Ernakulam and Thrissur who have been working for its conservation, Periyar cow, also known as Periyar Kullan, has been recognised as a cattle breed indigenous to Keralam.

Through the ICAR National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources' registration,  Periyar cow is the second breed to get the tag in the state after Vechur Cow. 

It's mainly seen in Koovappady, Angamaly, Kothamangalam and Chalakudy regions. With minimal human interaction, it thrives under semi-feral and graze in a single managed unit in vegetation comprising trees, shrubs and grass rather than open pastures.

They are small to medium in size and weigh between 150 and 200 kg. It has a dark brown colour which makes it stand out from other native varieties.

Know-cow

* Periyar cow population : Around 1,000 in central Keralam farms.

* Average milk yield : 2.5 to 4 litres.

* Milk is classified as A2 Beta casein, the healthiest variety.

* It contains 4.5% fat and 9.1% SNF (Solids Not Fat).

* First breeding usually occurs at 26 months and first calving at 35 months. Gestation period is 279

   days.          

Courtesy : Excerpted from Gopika Varrier's article in the NIE, 22 Aug.

Brazil emerges.

Brazil emerges as alternative to China as US, Australia race to secure rare earths.

In the global race to secure rare earths that are key for everything from mobile phones to green technologies, Brazil is emerging as an alternative to China's dominance, particularly for the US and Australia.  

Back at The Quarterdeck.

Was up and awake most of the night to monitor a drip that was being administered on Lekha. Sleep was constantly interrupted and in between, I'd recited my prayers. However, what made me comfortable was that Lekha never complained of pain, post-surgery!

Got up at 5, sent the messages, went partially through my chores and was out of the room by a trifle before 6. Walked those 60 metres to the Thiruvambady kshetram, had a great darshan of the good Lord. There was hardly any crowd and my visit this morning was for thanksgiving on Lekha's behalf for easing out things thus far and for the procedure having gone off fine.

Returned, had my cuppa tea and carried Lekha's cuppa to the room, along with the sweet buns. The forenoon was spent in collecting the discharge summary, bills for payment and having a short nap, in between. Manoj was our chauffeur and had arrived at the hospital's parking, on the dot at 2!

We, finally, left the hospital by a half past 2. Did the following things :-

    

    * bought vegetables

    * bought fruits and

    * all the three of us had tea and snacks before reaching home.

Was at home by a half past 4, opened up the house soon after and arranged things that were to be done tomorrow.

A good scrub and bath; lit up the puja room lamp and settled down to watch our favourite television programs. Frequent power cuts made our viewing difficult.

Lekha had made a beautiful dinner and we'd non-vegetarian food after more than a month thanks to the Ramayanam month!

Tailpiece.

Another mission accomplished; shall wait for the biopsy results.

    

 

Lekha’s surgery.

Was up and awake around a half past 1, past midnight. Had, then, got up at 5, sent the messages, the morning chores and was out of the room a trifle before 6. Walked all the way to the Thiruvampaadi temple for my tryst with the good Lord.

Prayed for Lekha’s surgery to go well, with minimal or no pain at all and to steady Dr Sreekumar Pillai’s hands during the surgery! Returned, collected Lekha’s morning tea and buns from the canteen.

Both of us were ready before 8 so that Lekha could be readied for the procedure by the staff who’d come by for the forenoon watch. Rema and Padmakumar had dropped in by then from Thrippunithura. Lekha was wheeled into the pre-operative ward by a half past 10 and the surgery of removing the plaque from her tongue was over by a quarter past 12. She was in the ICU-post surgery till 8 in the evening.

Rema and Padmakumar had returned by 10’ past 5.

A quiet evening after the hectic activities and tense moments of the day!

Karnataka is finishing its SIR

Over 1.08 crore voters will be removed from the electoral rolls of Karnataka at the end of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). Another 25 lakh voters could find their names missing if they don’t provide relevant documents to the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) in the next phase of the exercise.

Till date, the state has 5,54,32,314 total electors. As of 17 Aug, 1,08,31,945 electors (19.54% of the total electorate) were listed under the Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate and Others (ASDDO)category after the house-to-house enumeration process.

15 lakhs ‘untraceable/absent’ category; 65,61,607 (11.84%) under permanently shifted; 16,38,839 (2.96%) dead, 7,07,792 (1.28%) duplicate or already enrolled and 3,94,722 (0.71%) as others or not wanting to sign the forms.

Of those removed, 43.53% were from Bangalore’s four districts - Bangalore Urban (17,26,634 or 42.94%), BBMP North (10,58,104 or 45.36%), BBMP South (10,64,044 or 49.61%, the highest in the state) and BBMP Central (8,66,406 or 45.84%).

Lowest deletions are in Udupi (63,364 or 5.96%) followed by Haveri (1,15,068 or 8.62%).

My take

The Election Commission of India is doing a thorough job and I sincerely hope that wrongdoers and frauds are put in their place.

Tailpiece.

Left home by a quarter past 8 to reach the Saroja Hospital by a quarter past 9. Lekha was put through the pre-surgery checks like :-

      * X-ray chest PA view

      * Blood and urine tests

      * ECG

      * Lekha had also met the ENT specialist for the discomfort in her ears.

Our room was 208. Padmakumar and Rema had come to be with us, all the way from Thrippunithura and it was wonderful! They returned by the 1710 Paalaruvi train.

Mission Samudra.

Vizhinjam port is set to script a historic milestone in India's maritime sector as it prepares for the official inauguration of its export-import (EXIM) operations slated tomorrow.

Mission Samudra - state government's flagship port-led industrial and logistics development - is built around the vision of a 'Port City' that positions Vizhinjam as the anchor of a wider Vizhinjam Maritime Economic Region. The scheme is backed by a Rs.400-crore catalytic fund. Officials expect 'Mission Samudra' to draw over ten times the public investment in private capital by 2031.

Located just 10 nautical miles from the major east-west international maritime route. Vizhinjam possesses

a geographical edge that no other port in the country can match, requiring minimal diversion for ultra-large container ships traversing the Indian Ocean.

This strategic-positioning allows European-bound cargo to reach its destination in just 24 days - a full 10 days faster than existing routes - prompting global shipping giant Mediteranean Shipping Company (MSC) to integrate Vizhinjam into its prestigious direct Jade Service connecting Europe and Asia. Exporters who have thus far shipped cargo to western markets via Colombo, Singapore and Dubai will now be able to send consignments directly from Vizhinjam.

Excerpted from : The NIE 17 Aug

My take.

Vizhinjam is gonna take off from here to unimaginable heights and levels!

A quiet Sunday.

Today's the last day of Karkkidakom and it's Atham. Mom's remembrance day comes toward the end of Chingam!

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

Walked within the house, recited my prayers, carried out my exercise regimen followed by bath.

Breakfast of appams and stew.

Worked on my laptop. 

Lekha's beautician had dropped by on her beckoning and got all her jewellery removed as preparation for the surgery.

Lunch followed by siesta.

The evening chores.

Lekha finished her Ramayanam recital 2026 this evening! Put the copy of our Ramayanam into its bag and into the wooden vault of the puja room.

Completed a month of vegetarianism and felt nice about it!

A quiet evening.

The 80th Independence Day.

Got up at 5, sent the messages, opened up the house for the day, lit up the puja room lamp and switched on the hymns on the home theatre. The chores and hoisted the tricolour at our balcony on the dot, at 8 AM. It always gives me a great sense of satisfaction and pride while hoisting the national flag!

The Independence day function at New Delhi was being played at the background. 

Walked within the house as it was raining outside, recited my prayers, carried out my exercise regimen and had breakfast before bath.

Sporting a red turban with a yellow, green and white Bandhani pattern, PM Narendra Modi outlined the 'saptadhara' vision to achieve holistic national development and self-reliance viz. :-

    * Manufacturing excellence (cost, quality and scale)

    * Farming/food processing

    * Technological innovation

    * Gati Shakti connectivity

    * Self reliance in defence

    * Push toward green and blue economies and

    * Global soft power (yoga, healthcare, tourism and creative arts).

He said youth will play a crucial part in these reforms. Moreover, he exuded confidence that India will have achieved the target of being a 'Vikasit Bharat' when the nation celebrates Independence Day in 1947. 

My take

While for the first time, the national song "Vande Mataram" was played at the Red Fort. Keralam became the only Congress-ruled state to avoid singing of the national song! At the Congress party headquarters at New Delhi, the group sang the entire national song with Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi desperately trying to stop the rendition of the national song but to no avail! Made a spectacle of themselves in the bargain!! Serves them right. Have still not got as to what their anti-national-song-stance is for!!!

  

Women hold very few top management roles.

Latest data submitted in Parliament shows that women held only 17.2% of senior management positions in corporate India in 2025-'26.

9 Women CEOs in India's 500 listed firms

Of the 2,52,103 senior management roles recorded that financial year, women held 43,331 positions (17.2%), while men accounted for the remaining 2,08,772, government data presented in Parliament showed. There were only nine women chief executive officers (CEOs) leading the country's top 500 listed firms, as per the Ministry of Corporate Affairs data.

Women hold only 29% of Director posts

* On company boards, the disparity was similarly stark. Women held 10, 36, 694 director posts against 

   25, 09, 619 director positions held by men, which is about 29% of the total as of 30 Jun 2026.

* However, women in senior management rose from 34, 879 in 2022-'23 to 43,331 in 2025-'26, a jump of

   24%, outpacing the 12% rise in men.

Last 3 financial years were taken into account to compile the data.

 

Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill.

Much against many agencies and the opposition parties, the FCRA Bill, 2026, has been referred to a 31-member joint committee of Parliament. The opposition came up with its standard argument that the bill is against minorities and NGOs.

The committee has been asked to submit its report to the Lok Sabha by the last day of the first week of the Winter Session of Parliament in 2026.

My take

A few important bills that should have been legislated in Parliament have to now wait till the Winter Session 2026 of Parliament.  

NASA invites India to be part of its Moon Base Mission.

The ambitious Moon base mission is a program to build humanity's first lunar outpost near the Moon's South Pole.

Invite follows US-India Space Group Meet

According to the US space agency, the project aims to unlock scientific discoveries and prepare for future deep space exploration. India and US explored expanding space co-operation at a meeting of their Civil Space Joint Working Group held in Bangalore last week. The two sides agreed to advance discussions for co-operation on open scientific data sharing.

Step-by-step approach to build base

* The Moon base will be built in phases, says NASA. It will begin with robotic missions to test new

   technology, then build systems and infrastructure needed to establish humanity's first long-term

   presence on the Moon.

* The first phase will focus on gaining reliable access to lunar surface and building a deeper under-

   standing of the environment.

This is the 9th meet of the India-US Space Joint Working Group held last week.    

Muziris project set for a global push.

Revived water-taxi services by Onam

* To feature in upcoming Travel Mart.

   The plan is to revive and relaunch the Muziris project by featuring it as a major global attraction

   in the upcoming edition of the Kerala Travel Mart (KTM). Around 1,200 tour operators are exp-

   ected to participate in KTM, providing a platform to promote Muziris as a heritage tourism dest-

   ination.

* Earlier, the project had a total of 11 vessels, including five water taxis and six open-top boats.

   Three outdated boats had been scrapped, while the remaining boats have been taken up for

   repair and maintenance.

* Plans on

   * Tourism department expects the repaired vessels to resume services during the Onam holiday

      season.

   * Water tourism circuits connecting various heritage locations are also being planned as part of

      the revival. 

Kerala's fishermen rescue system.

The key concerns 

1. Rescue infra exists but operational readiness a concern.

    Rescue vessels face issues due to lack of maintenance. They become ineffective if they can't be

    deployed immediately during emergencies.

2. Lack of trained personnel to operate rescue boats.

    Proposals to appoint dedicated trained personnel for operating rescue boats remain unimplemented.

3. Delayed emergency response during critical hours.

    Rescue mechanism needs to become operational within the golden hour after an accident, as survival

    chances reduce rapidly when fishermen go missing at sea.

4. Fragmented rescue system with multiple agencies.

    Coastal police, Marine enforcement, Coast Guard, Navy and other agencies share responsibilities.

    However, absence of a single, co-ordinated command mechanism often leads to delays in decision-

    making and mobilisation.

5. Delayed access to aircraft and advanced rescue assets.

    Requests for aircraft support through the Joint Operations Centre at Kochi Naval Base reportedly

    pass through multiple administrative levels. Delays in approvals can hamper aerial and search

    operations during crucial initial hours.

6. Fishermen's rescue capacity remains under utilised.

    Fishing communities have repeatedly played a key role in rescue missions, including deploying

    dozens of boats during major operations. However, their roles have not been formally integrated

    into the state's disaster response framework through training, equipment and recognition.

7. Livelihood pressures weaken compliance with warnings.

    Fishermen often venture into the sea despite warnings because staying ashore directly affects

    their daily income. Safety advisories need to be linked with timely livelihood compensation.

8. Inadequate preparedness for extreme weather events.

    Despite lessons repeated extreme weather events, fishermen argue that Kerala's marine disaster

    preparedness remains inadequate for increasingly unpredictable sea conditions.

9. Warning systems not sufficiently localised.

    Broad coastal warnings may not reflect variations in sea conditions between different districts

    and fishing zones. Fishermen demand zonal or panchayat-level weather advisories for more

    accurate decision making.

Courtesy. TNIE 10 Aug

My take.

Along with what have been cited above come the personal egos and intense departmental rivalry

that have this typical Indian problem of looking at the other side as being 'not up to the mark!' A

sure recipe for disaster!

Bringing "Green Boots" home!

India plans high-risk mission to bring "green Boots" home

India is seeking a specialist recovery team to retrieve the remains of Dorjee Morup, a 48-year-old lance naik of ITBP, from Mt Everest's summit.

Part of historic Everest expedition

For nearly 30 years, a body known as "Green Boots" has been frozen under a rock near Mount Everest's summit, Morup was part of a historic 1996 ITBP expedition aiming to become the first Indian team to summit Everest from the Chinese side. Three climbers reached the top; but a blizzard claimed all three. Two bodies remain missing. The third was Morup's.

Tricky recovery has September deadline

* Authorities hope to return Morup's remains to his family in Ladakh for DNA confirmation and final

   closure.

* Recovery from the death zone at 8,500 metres is hazardous. Temperatures can fall to -40 degrees                 Celsius and the Chinese side lacks helicopter evacuation. ITBP aims to complete the operation by               September.

300

At least 300 people have died in the region since records began. 

Pakistan-Saudi-Turkiye pact.

It's a NATO-style pact under which an attack against one will be treated as an attack against all three. Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkiye, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan signed the trilateral agreement in the holy city of Mecca yesterday. 

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia already have a bilateral defence pact.

The trilateral defence agreement was signed a day after Iran said it was in the final stages of an agreement with Oman on a framework for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. An Iranian lawmaker had said the trilateral "paper agreement" will not bring security.

India is watching the fall out and further developments.

Indian astronaut Anil Menon conducts spacewalk.

NASA astronauts Anil Menon and Jessica Meir began a spacewalk yesterday to carry out modifications for a future power upgrade at the ISS.

Duo performs ISS power system upgrades

The spacewalkers spent hours in the vacuum of space, carrying out necessary modifications for future installation of Roll-Out Solar Arrays on the International Space Station. The arrays are expected to provide additional power to support critical station operations, NASA said. This was the 281st spacewalk in support of ISS maintenance and upgrades.

Menon's first spacewalk, Meir's sixth

* Menon was born in Minnesota in 1976 to Indian and Ukrainian immigrants. This was Menon's first         and Meir's sixth spacewalk.

* Menon was SpaceX's first flight surgeon, helping it to launch its first humans to space during the             Demo - 2 mission. He joined NASA in 2014 as a space surgeon and began a tw0-year astronaut               training in 2022.

6 PM IST, 06 Jul

When the astronauts stepped outside the ISS to carry out tasks.

 

The 7th anniversary of the repeal of Articles 370 and 35A in J&K.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A, seven years ago, ushered in a "decisive new chapter" for Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, asserting that the constitutional changes have driven progress in infrastructure, education, healthcare, entrepreneurship and social empowerment across the two Union Territories.

The move had transformed the lives of people in the region by ensuring the full application of the Constitution and extending constitutional rights to communities that had remained deprived for decades.

The region has since witnessed changes in key sectors. Women and marginalised communities, who had long been denied full constitutional rights, have been empowered.

Tailpiece.

As Pakistan had rightfully said, then, "Modi hai toh mumkin ho!"

The aftermath!

After three days of heavy rain, it has subsided here at Guruvayur and hopefully the trend should continue. At least there's no weather warning!

Flood waters are yet to recede in places like Kuttanad, many places in Kottayam and in many other places. Feel bad for the plight of the people whose houses have shipped in muck and water! The cleanship is gonna take time and the stench doesn't go away that easily.

The Alappuzha-Changanacherry road looks pathetic with flood waters! Remember the times that we'd driven past and enjoyed the rides!

One needs to see as to what all post-rain illnesses are waiting to befall on the people!

Hope things get back to normal soon.

Ernakulam drives state's UPI economy.

From roadside tea stalls and fish markets, hospitals and educational institutions, QR codes have become as common as cash counters across Kerala. And true to its billing as Kerala's commercial capital, Ernakulam district is leading the state's shift to digital payments.

Kerala recorded 454.91 million Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions - 2% of the country's total volume - valued at Rs.63,489.63 crores, or 2.2% of the national total in June. Ernakulam logged 91.4 million transactions worth Rs.11,938.18 crores during the period.

Thiruvananthapuram ranked second with 54.74 million transactions worth Rs.7,460.96 crores. Kozhikode, Malappuram, Thrissur closely follow.

Banking experts say the numbers reflect more than just population. Ernakulam's emergence as the leading as the leading district for UPI transactions reflects its strong digital ecosystem, high smartphone penetration and vibrant economic activity.

As Kerala's commercial hub, it has a diverse mix of retail consumers, businesses, professionals, educational institutions and merchants who have made digital payments part of daily life.

Elappully to get 1st 'groundnut village' tag.

As the country looks to reduce its dependence on imported edible oils, a village in Palakkad is betting on a one small oilseed that can make a big difference. Elappully panchayat has launched an ambitious effort to revive groundnut cultivation, hoping to transform itself into Kerala's first organised 'groundnut village' while creating a new source of income for local farmers.

Barely a decade ago, groundnut fields had become a familiar sight across parts of Elappully. Though the crop was cultivated only for a brief period, it attracted scores of farmers, with traders and small processing units emerging to procure the harvest but as cultivation dwindled, the crop once again vanished from the village.

The panchayat authorities, with the help of the department of agriculture and the National Mission on Edible Oils-Oilseeds (NMEO-OS), are hoping to script a second comeback story with groundnut cultivation planned across 112 acres in the first phase. More than 65 farmers have already enrolled, raising hopes that the crop could once again become a viable source of income.

Unlike the previous revival, this one is backed by scientific planning. Farmers will receive high-yielding, disease-resistant varieties such as Kadiri, Lepakshi, VR-10, TMV-14 and TGS-1694. Soil samples from every participating field will be analysed, soil health crisis cards issued and extensive training programs conducted to promote scientific cultivation practices.

The project has identified areas such as Menonpara, Kottilpara and Eduppukulam as being particularly suited for cultivation. Groundnut with shell fetches around Rs.80/- per kg while cultivation costs are low. The crop offers farmers a profitable alternative and also supports crop diversification in the region.

Groundnut also has a deeper history in Elappully. Before sugarcane became the dominant crop following the establishment of the Menonpara Sugar factory, groundnut was widely cultivated in the area. As farmers shifted to sugarcane, groundnut cultivation declined. The current initiative seeks not only to restore groundnut cultivation but to establish a complete value chain - from production and procurement to oil extraction and marketing.

The first sowing of the new varieties is scheduled at Kottilpara on the 10th.

Border trade via Nathu La pass resumes.

Border trade via Nathu La Pass, which had remained suspended for six years amid the Covid-19 pandemic and Sino-India border tensions resumed yesterday.

The reopening is expected to inject fresh economy by generating business for registered traders, transport operators and other stake holders dependent on border trade. Border trade through Nathu La will operate from Monday to Thursday and continue till November. Under the Nathu La border trade arrangement, the approved categories of goods, including handicrafts, handloom products, traditional religious items and ready-made garments, can now be imported and exported. 

This year, 38 traders have been issued passes to participate in the cross-border trade. Currently, there are around 35 tradable items.

Tailpiece.

Heavy rains since evening. 

Taslima Nasrin returns to Calcutta.

Bangladesh-born writer Taslima Nasrin returned to Calcutta yesterday, after she was accorded a civic reception at Rabindra Sadan, sharing the dais with the West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari during a literary program against fundamentalism.

She'd left in 2007 during the tenure of the CPM-led Left Front government led by Buddhadeb Bhattacharya in Bengal after violent protests over her novel "Dwikhandito" led to a deterioration of the law and order situation in Calcutta. 

She is now a Swedish national.

Tailpiece.

It rained heavily in the whole of Kerala, today.

The FIFA shenanigans.

European nations to boycott FIFA competitions in protest

UEFA and its member nations have agreed to boycott FIFA events if the global body goes ahead with its privatisation plans. A look....

Infantino plan faces major backlash

FIFA President Gianni Infantino's plan to sell stakes in the WC to private equity investors was hit hard on Thursday by his former colleagues at UEFA, who agreed to boycott all the FIFA competitions in protest. "UEFA and its national associations will not participate in the FIFA competitions". The European body said after an online meeting of its 55 member nations.

Somethings are too important to sell

* Some things are simply too important to sell. "The FIFA World Cup belongs to football. It always           will. And so long as Europe has a voice, it will never be for sale".

* The meeting was called to counter Infantino's offer of $20M to each of FIFA's 211 members that has       to be accepted by mid-September.

05 Sep

Is when Women's U20 World Cup, the next FIFA event will begin.

The trawl ban to end tomorrow.

The 52-day annual trawl ban period is set to end tomorrow, with a feeling of hope and anxiety prevalent among the fisher folk, all across the state. For the 30,000 fishing crafts operated by traditional fishermen, the trawl ban period, that offers them a season of bountiful catch, has not been encouraging.

While a few motorised crafts got bounteous catch, most of them had to struggle to meet the operating costs. This uncertainty has spread anxiety among the 3,500-odd mechanised boat operators who fear they will have to undertake longer fishing trips this time.

Tailpiece.

Mini and Mithun are on their way to New Jersey. They should reach Ammu by tomorrow forenoon. 

A quiet Wednesday.

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

The usual Wednesday aa'arathi of the house was carried out this morning.

Walked on the courtyard and recited my prayers. Bath followed by breakfast.

Spoke to Dr(Mrs ) RS Sodhi regarding Lekha's continuing fever and cough. According to her instructions, the following were done at the Rajah Hospital :-

            * cbc

            * crp and

            * chest x-ray PA view

Lunch.

Armed with the results, we'd visited the doctor at 2, got medicines. Review on Saturday.

A quiet evening. 

 

A thoroughly wet day!

Got up at a half past 4, went about my chores, opened up the house for the day, lit up the puja room lamp and switched on the hymns on the home theatre.

A thoroughly wet day; the maid was at work.

Ramesh, the gardener, had fetched up with his understudy to clean up the compound, clear the wet/dry waste bins and clean the kitchen washing outlet. He finished his work by a half past 12.

My first outing after I'd returned from the long break of the Reading Month Activities. To my bank to reset certain readings, etc.

Lunch followed by siesta.

Teatime.

The caretaker called up to say that the wild grass that had grown all along the skirt of the second tier of the compound have been cut and disposed.

Recited my prayers.

A quiet evening, watching television.

I'm good!

After a week's round of medicines, I'm fine with my cough having disappeared but Lekha's case hasn't been the same.

Offered 'bali tharpanam' for Ammachi on her 35th remembrance day as per the Malayalam calendar.

In the evening, therefore, we went across to Jimmy for the review and he has put her on another round of medicines for the next five days. Her cough continues to be stubborn! 

It was a rainy day today!

Getting better!

Slowly coming out of the grip of viral fever. There's a slight weakness but otherwise, am fighting fit. Lekha is also getting better.

A bout of fever and cough!

 In the process of recovering from a bout of fever and cough. Hence my no shows!

A long delayed call on!

Lekha and Mini had got up at 4 and I'd followed them at a quarter past 4. Went through the chores and was ready by a half past 6. Monish had come in on the dot and we hit straight for the DDRC laboratory at Randalummoodu. Kaavya was the sister-in-attendance and the sample for my FBS (Fasting Blood Sugar) along with Hb was collected.

Lekha had given me a roll of purie-bhaaji for breakfast washed down with a cup of tea from a tea stall. And we set off for Kottayam. Lekha, Mini and Monish had breakfast at the Padma Cafe in Changanasserry. And sample was drawn for my PPBS (Post Prandial Blood Sugar), by the sister-in-attendance, Preetha, at a nearby laboratory.

We, then, set off to the Thiruvaarppu Sri Krishna kshetram. We'd a good darshan of the good Lord and Mini had offered butter on the occasion! Picked up fruits enroute and reached Sarala kunjamma's house at Puthuppally.

She's 86, looks frail has very little food and is given a measured amount of water to drink everyday! Badly diabetic, her survival is courtesy the efforts put in by her two daughters Sini and Vidya who observe her movements every moment! Her grandchildren, Nandu (He's a CA), Achu (looks after the folks in the house and is waiting to give an exam in September) and the li'l girl who's doing her internship, after completing her course in nursing! 

Am always impressed with the genuine love and affection that I find in the house - all thanks to the great upbringing! They, now, have a cute golden retriever called Sophie who stood against me with her paws on my chest!!!

It was great being with Sarala kunjamma for those three and a half hours. The three of us viz. Lekha, Mini and I enjoyed every minute with her and of course, the rest of the family!!

On our return, we dropped Mini at Ayoor and reached Raj Nivas by a half past 5. Tomorrow's programs in the two schools have been cancelled because the government has declared a holiday in view of the World Cup Football final between Spain and Argentina, tonight at a half past 12.

A quiet evening!   

Reading Day (30).

Got up at a quarter to 5, washed up, recited my prayers and commenced my chores. Also did my packing and we'd kicked off for the Foundation by a quarter to 9.

Reached there, picked up the requisite systems and headed for the quiz competition at the Chinmaya Mission School, Kunnumpuram. The competition began at a quarter past 10 after passing on the necessary instructions to the participants. 

Wayanad was 1st followed by Malappuram, in the 2nd place!

As I wound up, had told the parents to send in their valuable suggestions, if any, by mail for improving the quiz competition system. Came off from there early as I found that the staff was taking time to pay up the travelling allowances to the participants and their chaperones.

Lunch was vegetarian as it's the Ramayana maasam.

To Poojappura, for the finale, which began with the prize distribution for the winners of all the competitions conducted during the Reading Month and it was very nice to see a lot many children come and collect the prizes. There was an air of festivities!

The prizes were given away by the Foundation's chairman, Pannian Ravindran. This was followed by the "gaana sandhya" by the Fine Arts Society. The singing efforts were okay.

Then we'd film star, Prem Kumar, talk about Muthachchan and his closeness with Maman.

Dinner was laid out by the team!

Anyways, I'd left Poojappura earlier by the KSRTC superfast passenger headed for Kumily. Reached Kottarakkara by 9; Lekha, Mini and Monish were there to welcome me, with packed dinner!

Hit the sack at 11!