At long last!

I'm very, very impatient. And that too, the accompanying irritation consumes the whole of me especially when a deadline is to be met. One thing, after the other, starts going wrong and it looks so conspiratorial.

It happens to be a similar situation right now. I'm hurtling dangerously close to the deadline to write down my thoughts but the telephone line seems to be off and there seems to be a loose connection. Again, my thoughts are hazy and yet to crystallise! Life can, indeed, be difficult!!


Tailpiece.

The line has just come around. And I've decided to lay bare the confusion that's surrounding me. Apologies, folks!   

A game changer, they say.

The UDF government in Kerala has tom-tommed its decision as the game changer of all times. Come 01 Jan '13, a set of subsidies will be paid directly into the bank accounts of individuals to ensure speedy disbursement, avoid duplication and also to prevent exploitation by middlemen! The idea seems to have germinated from the late Rajiv Gandhi's lament that only 15 paise out of every rupee, spent by the government on an individual's welfare, reaches the beneficiary!! By end '13, the central government intends to have this scheme extended to the entire country.

The first list of subsidies will have 29 items, the notable among them being the widow pension, the old age pension, pension for the handicapped and the educational scholarships.

Much of the beneficiaries would belong to the families living below poverty line who do not boast of having a personal bank account. And what's on offer to tide over this difficulty? The following steps have been mooted:-

     (a) 'Aadhaar' documents would suffice to open an account.
     (b) No money is required as initial deposit.
     (c) If direct access to the bank is difficult, the account holder can operate by proxy. The bank reps
          will visit such homes for direct disbursement through portable 'mini ATMs'.
     (d) The 'anganwadi' workers, teachers and 'self help groups' can assume the role of bank reps!
           Their remuneration would be determined by the volume of their business. Post Offices and
           hospitals can also do the duties of bank reps.
     (e) No minimum amount, will be insisted upon, in the account!

At one look it looks a fine idea with noble intentions. Let's see how it rolls!


Tailpiece.

Being a thoroughbred Malayalee and having been witness to many a grandiose scheme turning out to be duds, I've the following doubts:-
     (a) Wouldn't the poor people be open to exploitation by a new breed of population in the form
           of bank reps?
     (b) How many of the 'bpl' population have the 'aadhaar' documents?
     (c) And mind you, the project is being taken up just before a general election. Isn't it another
          poll gimmick?
     (d) Who's the greatest beneficiary? The banks. And the banking system is gonna encompass the
           entire Indian population.
     (e) A small question, finally. What about the illiterates, though Kerala seems to be on a good    
          wicket here?
   

Why the intolerance?

I'm part of my school's group on the net where anecdotes, appeals for help/assistance, news about the old boys who're seldom heard and spirited discussions on various issues take place quite frequently. In other words, it's a lively forum and I spend sometime, everyday, to go through the happenings on the circuit. And I must admit that I come away a much wiser man on issues, having perused the opinions of a wide cross section of my school mates in terms of age and geographical separation - it definitely ensures a meaningful dialogue!

But, of late, there are trends that alarm and sadden me. An opinion is viciously trashed and the originator is often hit below the belt with sarcastic comments tinged with malicious content. The individual is almost asked to just "shut up".

The great art of a debate or a discussion is the thrill that one gets from hearing all the opposing and contradicting viewpoints on a subject and by using reasonable and forceful articulations, one's able to get the majority, if not everyone, to accept one's way of thinking! And of course, in extreme situations, agree to disagree but never by belittling the opposition nor by resorting to personal digs.

Sadly, the tendency to shout down the opposition is a rising trend and individuals have displayed levels of intolerance that doesn't augur well. I'd still like to believe that it's an aberration and an attempt to generate 'heat' in the circuit and shall wait for it to pass.


Tailpiece.

What amazes me is that the intolerant behaviour is generally restricted to guys who've been nurtured by many of us or even my seniors. I thought the mulishness came from some of our elders with their set pattern of thinking or am I far off the mark on this one? 

Weekend musings.

It was a busy weekend as I'd packed quite a few activities that needed to be done and could not be made to wait. A sense of timing is a must to put things in perspective.

1. To the hospital.

97 year old grand aunt of mine , Ammini Amma, has been having difficulty in breathing and is fighting a general weakness because of alarmingly low Sodium levels in her system. She's been derisive occasionally but at other times, shows clarity in her thinking. I'd gone to meet her and though she didn't seem to recognise me by sight - she held on to my hand tightly while blabbering away, incoherently, all through.

It's my fond hope that she comes out of this difficulty as quickly as possible. One might call us greedy and not in sync with life's vagaries, but what's wrong in us wanting her to be around for some more time?


2. Voter's ID card.

We'll soon have our voter's ID card. The online registration, the consequent appointment for photography and other activities had taken its stipulated time but finally, that work has been done. At least, one feels armed for the next elections and is not required to scan voters' lists and move around with slips, in lieu. Whatever said and done, the election commission has been going about it systematically and there sure's a methodicity in the madness.


3.  Review of the security system.

Owing to the recent burglary, the entire security system of our residential area is under close scrutiny. I really feel small because I've been reactive, rather than being proactive, in this aspect and the irony is total when I've been a staunch critic of the security system prevalent all around! Tighter measures - which might invite strong disapproval from the residents themselves - including plugging of the gaps of a porous boundary and enhancing the height/augmenting with coils of barbed wire of a section of the wall and instituting a 'biometric' entry for all are some of the measures that are being discussed.

But the biggest hurdle is to bring about a change in attitude in the people. They've to understand that security can only be foolproof if they're willing to go through frequent queries by the sentry and frisks, if required. There's no short cut to an efficient and effective security system. The administering of the 'bitter pill' is my responsibility and I need to do it at the earliest.


4. 'Changing' neighbourhood.

Our neighbours are set to move for Bombay shortly. They're in the process of undoing their house and putting their articles into packing cartons. We've been providing them with logistic support which is the usual custom anywhere and there's nothing great to write home about. But they've been extremely grateful and have gone to town about our 'helpful' attitude. I can only smile at the fact that it just requires minutely small deeds to get acclaimed and as I'd said, we've not done anything spectacular or gone out of the way.


Tailpiece.

And there was a bit of work which required my presence in station and therefore, going home to meet mom had to be put off. She's recovered completely and probably sensing my predicament, she had said, "You don't have to worry about me and anyways, I'm going to be with you by the second week of next month when your sister goes off to Bangalore", during our customary morning chat, today, over the telephone.

Was she disappointed with me? Had I let her down?......She'll never let me know!
  

A couple of thoughts.

1. 24 Nov.

Today's my birthday and as is the usual trend, there were calls, smses and messages by e-mail from friends - quite a few of them were being heard after a long, long time. I really can't explain the sheer thrill that I'd experienced from each of the gestures. While thanking each one of them, it's great to know that they care and that the bonds that we'd created continue to exist with the same intensity overcoming time and distances.

The most notable was when my phone went off charge, talking to young Gavvy - a youngster that I'm fond of - who'd called me yet again on the landline to continue with our conversation. A truly amazing day as messages continued to pour in even into the night. Now it would be understood as to why I like celebrating my birthdays. And mind you, my birthday as per the Malayalam calendar is on the twelfth of next month when my family makes it a point to get in touch. Yes, it's a double delight!

Today is auspicious because it's the day when the 'Ekadasi' is celebrated with all the attendant pomp and show at the Guruvayur temple - its significance being that almost 5,000 years ago, Lord Krishna had imparted the 'Gitopadesam' to an unsure Arjuna, prior to the battle of 'Kurukshetra'. Arjuna's transformation and the course that the battle had subsequently taken is folklore. It also happens to be the day when Melpathoor Narayana Bhattathiri had dedicated his 'Narayaneeyam' to his god and to the people.


2. A sad end.

Came to know that Prakash, my cousin's husband, had passed into the mist of time but the exact whereabouts of his end is still a mystery thanks to his close family wanting to keep it a secret. And it has a sad story behind it.

They used to stay near my father's house till a couple of years back. Prakash and Syamala chechi have a son and a daughter and their small world took a jolt when the son - a well behaved young man who was into the business of film making as an assistant director - went and married a girl older than him and to make matters worse(?), she was from another community. The angry parents separated the couple forcibly and had their son under lock and key in their house claiming that he was mentally unsound. That the girl and a few of her close associates came and took away the boy, with police help, was a blow to Prakash's ego whose carefully nurtured image in the village was in tatters. So overwheming was the bruised ego that they'd left their house one night and had lived in an undisclosed place ever since. The story has it that they're with their daughter, at Kochi, when his end came about thanks to the cirhossis of his liver.

On behalf of the family, I'm endeavouring to get my cousin and her children back to their house and in the process try to put it across to her that ego and false pride have no place in life, if one were to wish for peace and tranquility. And yes, I'd be leaving the narrative incomplete if I did not mention the fact that my cousin's mother had rocked their household, years back, when she'd eloped with the man she loved while she was staying with my dad and they're pursuing with their studies.

RIP Prakash and my prayers will be with you. And wish me luck to get your family on even keel!  

In the line of fire.

Mac Murphy has expounded famously that, 'If anything has to go wrong, it will'.

Well it seems that the axiom has proved to be true in our residential area today. I'd started feeling comfortable that all checks and procedures have been streamlined for the smooth running of the residential area with the state of security established at 'Zulu Alpha' levels - meaning that no loophole was left unattended! And now it seems as to how foolhardy I was in that assumption of mine.

I got a call this morning, from the caretaker, that the house of a resident - the family is away on leave - has been burgled. The padlock on the main door of the house has been mysteriously left untampered with, and it has been unhinged instead. Whosoever had done it had kept an enormous amount of time in hand to carry out the perfidy! On initial check, one of the cupboards within the house is seen to be ransacked. Further losses, if any, will be pinpointed once the owner returns and thankfully, he's from the neighbourhood and so, it's not gonna take much time.

The case will be thoroughly investigated by the appropriate agencies and the culprits brought to book. And till that happens it would be miserable. I would be naive if I were to ask as to why this is happening because my assumption is that everyone staying, under my umbrella, is contended and no one requires wealth acquired through ill gotten means. And I shall definitely not resort to any crystal ball gazing to ascertain the guilty though the temptation gets strong in the course of time when pieces of information come trickling down.


Tailpiece.

I need to have a relook at the security arrangements that have been put in place. Perhaps, a revamp is required as I must have missed out on the details. And the buck stops with me. Period!  

Another farewell.

It was fairly a quiet day with nothing much happening. Around 7, in the morning, I'd made a dash to the nearby lab to collect Lekha's test results as she'd an appointment with her doctor later in the day. Eventhough, we'd fetched up at the hospital by a half past 3, we could return only by 8 thanks to the fairly long queue of patients before us. So my evening walk had gone for a toss and on returning home it was a quiet dinner, viewing of the TV for a few of our favourite programmes and as I was floating into sleep came a call from Thiruvananthapuram, informing me about the passing away of Mr. P Govinda Pillai, the veteran Marxist idealogue and one of the popular leaders of the CPM. He was 86.

I remembered the gentle, bespectacled elder with whom I'd the privilege to interact, a few years back when I'd fetched him from his house, for a programme on the occasion of my grandfather's remembrance day.

He and my grandfather were friends because they'd a common passion - books and the library! And it was only befitting that he graced the occasion. On introducing myself, he'd expressed his happiness at having met my grandfather's grandson and he was only too eager to pass on quite a few anecdotes that bound the two of them. For me it was interesting information and I lapped it all up, savouring each story. As we're about 20 minutes into our journey to the venue, I found him to be restless and going through a bit of discomfort. As I gave him a glass of water to drink, he said that he'd like to have a chocolate to tide over his discomfort which seemed to bother him - and weakly he conceded that he was badly diabetic. 

I remember having pulled my car towards a shop by the roadside, literally grabbed a couple of Cadbury's chocolate bars from the shopkeeper, unwrapped one and handed it over to PG(he was popularly known by his initials) sir who'd started sweating by then. I waited awhile as he devoured the chocolates and slowly returned to his normal self - I must concede that they're agonising moments for me! And as we continued our journey towards the venue, he continued with his stock of anecdotes about my grandfather without giving an inkling of the acute discomfort that had engulfed him, only moments earlier.

As I drove in through the gates of the VJT Hall and dropped him at the venue, he tells the crowd that had gathered to receive him, "I owe my life to PN Panicker's grandson and had he not taken appropriate action you wouldn't have had me here this moment". And turning to me he said, "I owe you some money for those chocolates and I shall keep it that way just to ensure that you return to me and I shall tell you more about your grandfather and of course, give you the money!" 

RIP PG sir. My humble prayers and I shall always remember the time spent with you and the enormous love that you'd showered upon me then.

Tailpiece.

In the eagerness of living my life, I have not had an opportunity to meet up with him subsequently and the loss is entirely mine..........no, not for the cost of the chocolates(it was a grandson's gift to his grandfather's friend) but for the immense fund of anecdotes concerning the two of them!