A trip down memory lane.

The day was bright, warm and gummy. I'd washed down the Chevy as part of my morning chores. My sister, Rema and Padmakumar who're at Pidavoor yesterday dropped by at 8. Mom was ready and excited about meeting dad's family, many of whom we'd not met for quite a while. While the ladies went in a car, earmarked for them, Padmakumar and I clambered on to a bus and were entertained by the highly watchable Malayalam movie, Bhaskar, the rascal - the first half that is!

The venue was full of relatives from my dad's side. Let me recall the relations that I'd the privilege of meeting:-

  (a) Varadamma appachi - dad's youngest sister and younger to mom by two years. At 78, she looked
                                            more fragile than what I'd seen of her last, about six months back. But
                                            more agile than mom.
  (b) Rukmini appachi      - related through Unni chettan's dad. She used to come home during the
                                            hols and always made it a point to interact with us. She's in her early
                                            70s, continues to smile and has promised to visit us at Guruvayur!
  (c) Leela chittamma       - again related through Unnichettan's dad and possesses a winsome grace.
                                            In her mid 70s, she did express her angst that we do not call on her
                                            whenever I drive past her house!
  (d) Thankappan Pillai
        chettan                      - was the station master of the Kuri Halt Railway Station when mom was
                                            the post mistress of the Kuri PO. Despite being in his 70s, he's sharp
                                            and agile. Possesses that easy smile without reservations even to this day!
                                            His name is prefixed with 'Poovakkaatte', which is the name of his house.
  (e) Indira chechi             - my elder cousin who cups her mouth while she speaks - to quote her -
                                            "My unwieldy dentures, you see." Her son, Arun and she made a popular
                                            twosome.
  (f) Sasi Pillai                  - he used to be my dad's understudy and looked after the entire range of the
                                           farming activities of the family. Now looks after all the ceremonies on
                                           behalf of the Nair Service Society.

Durga Prasad and Deepti looked radiant and happy. Here's me wishing you a long and happy married life, once again. May you get whatever you wish for.


Tailpiece.

1. Rema and Padmakumar had peeled off soon after the wedding, for Palakkad. By the time we're back at home it was a half past 2. Mom was pleased, meeting very many people after a long time.

2. Maman had come by about 2030h and we dropped on the newlyweds. He was the last of the family to fetch up but timely and appropriate!

                         
                             

At my dad's place.

I'd called up mom and Lekha at 5. The morning chores were gone through and we could finally leave 'The Quarterdeck' by about 0730h. The Sunday morning traffic was sparse and we reached our first stop for breakfast by a half past 8. Resuming the journey, we could pass through the usual choke points of Aluva, Idappalli and Vyttila without much of a wait.

The stop at our usual lunch joint was slightly earlier than normal but Mathew was there at the porch with a welcome smile. As I drove into the porch, I could see him literally shooing away a guest from parking his vehicle at the porch so that I could slot in! Damn sweet of him!! In the course of the lunch, I could see the 'shooed guest' inquire as to who I was.

Mathew must have given an inflated account because while I was helping my mom back into the car, the gentleman and his wife gave us their best smile! We reciprocated to that in equal measure and my mom gave them a high five before we drove off from the spacious compound of the restaurant. We passed through the point, where I was literally waylaid last time because I happened to touch the rear view mirror of a parked car on the roadside. I could only push those harsh thoughts away and wearily whiz past through that point.

We reached Lekha's ancestral house and met her dad, uncle and aunt, her elder sister and Murukesan. It was a pleasure to meet up with Murukesan's mom and interact with her. She's a positively oriented lady despite her numerous medical problems.

We're finally at Raj Nivas much before sunset. Settling down didn't take much time and as is my custom, spoke to dad at his cremation spot. I'd kept him informed of my programme for the week and I could feel a gentle breeze blow past me. I reckon that it's my dad's way of telling me that he was glad to see me again!

A few guests had trickled by to see mom and I'd made the customary visit to my cousin's to see the progress of the wedding preparations.


Tailpiece.

1. Drove a total distance of over 300 kms but the drive was nice and hassle free.
2. I'd gone across to Unni chettan's house for the customary call on the eve of the wedding. Came across a sizeable crowd and it was a pleasure meeting up with people. Quite a sentimental journey, it was!         

A surprise visit!

Radhan chettan and Sathi chechi were the surprise visitors this evening.

I'd returned from outside and finished shutting down the windows of the house in preparation to our week long sojourn at my dad's place. We're taking off tomorrow by 0730h after the newspaper boy delivers ours - he's promised to come by that time.

I'd begun to walk my mom out in the courtyard, which is the usual evening routine. It was then that their auto rickshaw had fetched up and I watched my mom. Her face had lit up on seeing them. Chechi's opening statement, "Now I understand as to why everyone is saying that you're the one spoiling your mom. She can walk by herself, don't hold her hand!" Saying that, she'd taken over my mom's charge and sure enough, my mom really required no help.

Chettan had the urge to meet mom and they'd dropped by. Their chemistry is fantastic. After sitting with us for about half an hour, they'd taken leave.

      *                                    *                                         *

The walk was businesslike as usual. Lekha was busy with the packing, ticking off the points on her slop chit systematically. Meanwhile, my sister had called up to say that they'd boarded the train. They'd also join up with us for the wedding on the 19th. Rajamma appachi - dad's sister immediately younger to him and who was extremely fond of him - would be happy, wherever she is that we're making it to her grandson's wedding.


Tailpiece.

The evening was comparatively an early one because tomorrow's gonna be a long day!

Those who live in glass houses............

"Those who live in glass houses must not throw stones", so goes the saying. Similarly, people holding high positions in society have the responsibility of showing decorum and be correct in all their dealings while being at public places and functions. But unfortunately, of late, many such worthies tend to forget the limits and the propriety expected of them. I'm just touching upon a few incidents that happened in recent days which highlight the sad phenomena:-

 1. The Speaker's Faux Pas.

      Mr. Sakthan, the Speaker of the Kerala Assembly, got into an unnecessary controversy when his
      driver was caught on camera putting on the straps of his sandals after he'd come out of a paddy
      field, where he'd joined the others in the inauguration of a harvest programme. As the media
      spread the misdemeanour, the Speaker had explained at a hastily called press conference that
      he's grievously ill and has been medically advised not to bend. His driver, who's his own relative,
      had taken upon himself to help him out at similar occasions!

      Rightfully, he should have piped down after that because he didn't have the guts to accept his
      mistake. But what he did after that was even crazier! He shows everyone at another public
      function, an archival photograph of a minister of the previous LDF government being helped
      with his footwear.

      What was he trying to convey? Was he justifying his unjustifiable action?

 2. The Uplokayukta's Cup of Woes.

     The incident, being narrated, is from the proceedings of the infamous 'Bar Case' before the Lok
     Ayukta. The Uplokayukta was reacting to many of the records not being presented to him and
     in a fit of anguish had queried as to whether such a treatment was being meted out to him because
     they thought him to be from the SC/ST?

     Realising that he'd stirred a hornet's nest, he was quick to clarify that he did not mean to hurt
     the sentiments of the SC/ST and had never meant to insult them.

     Another case of uttering things without realising the complications that can arise! The friction
     between the Lokayukta and the Uplokayukta has been an ongoing one and has been the cause
     of this avoidable incident!

 3. The Haryana Chief Minister's Opinion that was Avoidable.

     The Haryana Chief Minister's statement, "Muslims can continue to live in this country but they
     will have to give up eating beef because cow is an article of faith here", has not only landed him
     in a controversy but also put the BJP into a tight spot.

     Why can't this guy concentrate on providing good governance to his people and the state rather
     than wasting time on non issues?


Tailpiece.

Most of today's leaders are small men with big egos!
  

The Foundation on its way to UP.

Three topics that are current being discussed.

1. PN Panicker Foundation to UP.

After initiating the drive for bringing about 100% e-literacy in Kerala, the PN Panicker Foundation has been sought by the government of Uttar Pradesh to provide leadership to a similar drive in that state. A memorandum of understanding has been signed between the concerned parties at Lucknow, towards the beginning of this week.

As part of the first phase of the project, 100 panchayats will be short listed where the e-literacy training will be imparted. The Foundation's expertise - gained from its experience in implementing the programme in Kerala - would be an added advantage for the speedy execution of the project. This is for the first time that the Foundation would be extending its footprint outside Kerala.

       *                                        *                                          *

2. Pachayat Elections in Kerala.

With the withdrawal of nomination papers to be completed by tomorrow, the fight for the panchayats, municipalities and corporations between the political parties is gonna get into top gear by the beginning of next week. It's gonna be a hard campaign, especially with the three fronts trying to show their prowess at the hustings.

The amusing part towards the run up was the government - state election commission mismatch regarding the conduct of the elections within the 01 Dec deadline on account of the delineation/revamping of the panchayats/municipalities/corporations and the LDF was quick to announce that it would go in for a state wide agitation in case of a delay. There was even a rumour being pushed that the state's election commissioner had left leanings! Well, as we see now, all those slanging matches were of no consequence as the elections are being conducted on schedule. Oommen Chandy and his government have the last laugh on this too!

        *                                        *                                           *

3. China's Activities on the River Brahmaputra.

China has operationalised the Zangmu dam - a gravity dam - on the middle reaches of the River Brahmaputra in the Tibet Autonomous Region. It will generate 510 MW of electricity. Three more dams have been cleared for construction viz. :-

             (a) At Dagu, 18 km upstream of the Zangmu that will generate 640 MW of electricity.
             (b) At Jiacha and
             (c) At Jiexu. The two latter ones are of smaller capacities.

India, has been concerned because the damming of the waters of the river will affect the people living on its banks in the downstream. China has, however, all along been maintaining that the dams are 'run of the river' projects for generating power and it will not divert the river waters!


Tailpiece.

It's said that the future wars will be fought between nations for water and in that context, China building a series of dams on the Brahmaputra has to be viewed with all seriousness regarding the ramifications!





  

Transitions.........

Having covered a wide range of topics over the last few days, it is my responsibility to update you with the latest on each. The transitions have been very, very interesting and here, I go:-

  (a) The Plantation Crisis in Kerala.
        The striking plantation workers, the trade unions, the plantation management and the 
        government have finally reached an agreement at the Plantation Labour Committee 
        meeting held today which encompasses the following:-

              (i) Wages as against the demand for Rs.500/-                              
                   * Coffee plantation workers                                      Rs. 301/- (Rs.232/-)
                   * Cardamom workers                                                Rs. 330/- (Rs.267/-)
                   * Rubber plantation workers                                     Rs. 381/- (Rs.317/-)
                   * Note. The figures given in brackets are the existing rates.

             (ii) 25 kgs of tea/coffe leaves will be plucked daily against the existing 21 kgs.
            (iii) Free medical aid.
            (iv) Family residential areas will be set up.
             (v) Primary schools will be set up for the workers' children close to the plantation centres.
            (vi) Special schools for differently abled children.

            * It's a big victory for the Oommen Chandy government on the eve of the Panchayat elections.
              The LDF, was meanwhile, clamouring for a special session of the state Assembly to thrash
              out the issue!

    (b) The Declassification of the Netaji Files.

          At a meeting between the Prime Minister and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose's kin, the former
          has announced that while the initial process is on, the Netaji files in the custody of the union
          government will be declassified from 23 Jan '16, the birth anniversary of the great man.

    (c) The Prime Minister's Condemnation.

         The Prime Minister has condemned the following incidents after what seemed to be a long
         pause:-
             
             (i) The Dadri incident.
            (ii) The cancellation of the Ghulam Ali concert.
           (iii) The blackening of Mr. Sudheendra Kulkarni's face at Kasuri's book launch.


Tailpiece.

Meanwhile, the following snatched the headlines today:-

 (a) Over 800,000 chemists shut shops across the country in protest against the online sale of drugs.
 (b) Many more writers have returned their Sahitya Academy awards in protest against the so-called
       growing intolerance in the country.
 
       




              
  

The act of returning awards..........

One continues to read about the returning of their awards by the literati and during the last ten days, it has been in droves. They seem to be outraged by the silence of the Sahitya Academy over the assassinations of writers like Kalburgi, Pansare etc for their stand on societal issues. While trying to decipher the sphinx like attitude of the Academy and appreciating the stand of the literati on behalf of their fellow writers, a doubt creeps into a complete outsider - like me, for instance - as to whether there's something more to it. I mean the timing and the reasons that many espouse, just don't seem to tally.

The fundamental question is that if they've been anguished - for genuine reasons - then what were they doing when things had gone wrong earlier? Why didn't their conscience prick them then? Or is it because they have an aversion towards the new leader and his government? And the protest has been fuelled by their political affiliations?

And now coming to the specific act of returning an award. I suppose everyone of them has returned the attendant prize money, too, along with the statuette/certificate or whatever. And since the awards are that of the government's, as per law, the accrued interest on the prize money is also returnable. If this salient aspect has been missed out, for whatever reasons, the return of the prize by all the worthies has no meaning except for the momentary exposure under the spotlight. Shorn of all the niceties, the morality of their act comes under scrutiny.

And I'm waiting for that extraordinary meeting of the Sahitya Academy, scheduled during the last week of this month, where something meaningful will emerge!

         *                                 *                                     *

And today, we come to witness the ignominy of the four ruffian Shiv Sainiks - who'd blackened Mr. Sudheendra Kulkarni's face yesterday - being felicitated by the Sena leadership. What's the message that they're trying to convey? That their writ runs - notwithstanding the unlawfulness - with the entire state machinery standing to impotent inaction?

And it's day 2.....there has still not been any condemnation of the unfortunate incident from any quarter. What a shame?


Tailpiece.

The rains, in the evening, were harsh accompanied by lightning and thunder. The power interruption was for about 21/2 hours which was mercifully restored!