A short story.

I'm just back from Walmart and I have to tell you this, I was behind a grandfather and his badly-behaved grandson. He had his hands full with the child screaming for candies, toys and all sorts of other kiddo things.

The granddad is saying in a controlled voice....."Easy William, we won't be long.....easy boy".

Another outburst and I heard the granddad calmly say : "It's okay William. Just a couple more minutes and we'll be out of here. Hang in there, boy".

At the check out the little horror is throwing items out of the trolley.. Granddad says again in a controlled

voice : "William, William, relax buddy, don't get upset. We'll be home in five minutes, stay cool, stay cool, We'll be home in five minutes, stay cool William."

Well, I was really impressed, so I went outside where the grandfather is loading his groceries and the boy into the car. I said to the granddad, "It's none of my business but you were amazing in there. I don't know how you did it.  That whole time you kept your composure and no matter how loud and disruptive he got, you just calmly kept saying  things would be okay. William is very lucky to have you as his granddad".

"Thanks", said the granddad. "But I am William. The little bastard's name is Kevin".

My take.

I think the day of confrontation just got over!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and I was ready by a quarter past 9. Before that, the three of us had breakfast and by 10, we'd gone to my cousin's office. After being there for a while, Lekha and I had gone to finish off our remaining serials. 

Set off to Guruvayur and reached the Chevrolet service station to show Shibu, the Chevy's problems. The a/c wasn't working because I'd shut it down. Period. Reached home by a half past 8. 

Opened up The Quarterdeck! Kittu was waiting for us and he went away only after having his food.    

US Navy ship arrives in India for repairs.

In a first, a US Navy Ship Charles Drew, arrived in India for carrying out repairs and allied services at Larsen & Toubro's (L&T) shipyard at Kattupalli, Madras on Sunday adding a new dimension to the fast expanding Indo-US strategic partnership.

The event signifies the capabilities of India shipyards in the global ship repairing market. The USNS Charles Drew will be at the Kattupalli shipyard for a period of 11 days and undergo repairs from 07 to 17 Aug.

At the India-US 2+2 in April, both sides agreed to explore the possibilities of utilising Indian shipyards for the repair and maintenance of ships of the US Maritime Sealift Command to support mid-voyage repair of US Naval ships. 

The country has seen significant progress in the Indo-US Defence relationship in the last couple of years.

My take

A great boost for the shipyards!

Tailpiece.

Our day had begun at a half past 3, the chores and we'd finally cast for Kochi by a half past 6, the delay being primarily caused by me.

Had breakfast of idlis at the Saravana Bhavan at Paliyekkara around a quarter to 8.

There were traffic stoppages enroute and I could drop Lekha at Floria around 10. I'd then gone across to the Santa Monica Travels to hand over a few documents.

Lunch at Aaryas at Panampilli Nagar and we then, went across to the INCS to renew our cards and for buying grocery and wines to stock up my cabinet.

Handed over Lekha's watch at the Titan's and we'd a short session at Bhima's too. 

Settled down at my cousin's place at 8.

It was a fairly long day!  

 

Trump phobia?

Is a section of the American population sure that Donald Trump would be elected president, again,  in 2024? I've heard that such a possibility is being discussed in many forums. The FBI raids of Trump's estate, Mar-a-Lago, in Florida just substantiates that fear and by trying to get its hand on anything, is it trying to fix the former President for good! Just my hunch, you know.

The FBI searched Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate as part of an investigation into whether he took classified records from the White House to his Florida residence, a move that represents a dramatic and unprecedented escalation of law enforcement scrutiny of the former president.

Trump did not elaborate on the basis for the search but the Justice Department has been investigating the potential mishandling of classified information after the National Archives and Records Administration said it had received from Mar-a-Lago 15 boxes of White House records, including documents containing classified information, earlier this year. The National Archives said Trump should have turned over that material upon leaving office and it asked the Justice Department to investigate.

Asked how the documents ended up at the estate, Eric - son of Trump - said the boxes were among items that got moved out of the White House during six hours on Inauguration Day, as the Bidens prepared to move into the building.

My take

What a messy affair! Just shows that the American politicos play real dirty; it would be interesting to note as to who wins in the end of this ugly tug of war. I think the more the Democrats try to throw mud at Trump, the Republicans and Trump will have the last laugh!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and carried out the usual Wednesday arathi. 

Offered the 'bali tharpanam' for my grandmother, Mrs PN Panicker on the occasion of her 31st Remembrance Day by the Malayalam calendar. Saw the crows swoop in on the offering after quite a wait.

Off to Thrissur for urgent purchases and pending work.

The dynamics of the new Electricity Amendment Bill.

The new Electricity Bill will radically change how we consume electricity and will end the 'Revadi

Culture'. After tabling it in Parliament, it has been sent to the select committee which will deliberate on it.

Freebies have become a menace in India. The culture has put a bad reputation on the concept of welfare state altogether. The electricity sector is also one of them where this infamous 'Revadi Culture' has reached. A radical change was required to course correct and the Modi government may have hit the nail right on the head.

Electricity Amendment Bill in Standing Committee

The Electricity Amendment Bill-2022 was tabled in Parliament. The bill seeks to transform the way in which companies provide us electricity and how we consume it. As expected, it was subjected to fierce opposition from almost every political party on the other end of the spectrum. These parties include Congress, Left parties, TMC and DMK among others. The bill has been referred to the parliamentary standing committee on energy, for wider consultations.

The Electricity Amendment Bill-2022 is being termed contentious for many reasons. On the face of it, naysayers are talking about it being anti-federal, anti-Constitution and many other names but the real reason behind its opposition is somewhat different. This bill seeks to end the socialist era of Babus and their patron, Netajis. In other words, the amendment is aimed at ensuring that consumers have a wider pool to choose their distributors from.

Will Increase Competition

The bill has provisions to amend Section 14 of the Electricity Act to bring more parity in distribution networks. If this bill in its current form takes the shape of law then all licensees will be able to use distribution networks, even in other distribution licensee's networks.

The amendment is designed to increase competition, ultimately leading to improved service accessibility to consumers. Similar goals will be achieved through amending Section 42 of the act.

Cross Subsidisation Sorted

By inserting Section 60A in the Act, the Modi government is attempting to streamline power purchasing and subsidisation in the sector. Currently, various populist governments have created a problem called cross-subsidy in the sector.

Cross subsidisation is the practice of charging higher prices to one type of consumer to artificially lower prices for another group. To provide freebies, a particular group of consumers is charged higher than normal. This problem will be solved if the bill were to be passed.

Balance Between Free Market and Legislation

Though the bill provides for easier introduction of the private sector, it also has provisions to strike a balancing line between free market and legislative orders. By amending Section 62 of the act, the government has made it compulsory for graded revision of tariffs over the years. However, at the same time, appropriate commissions have been mandated to fix a maximum ceiling and a minimum tariff.

The very fact that the private sector will be competing for providing electricity is not digestible to anyone even closely benefitting from the freebie culture in the sector. Throughout the last 7 and a half decades, politicians have gained votes by promising free electricity to various groups. While some of them like farmers, key industries needed it, the revadi culture ended up hurting state coffers more than it increased its productivity.

Debts Owed to Companies

According to report by the Power Ministry, states have to pay about Rs.1 lakh crores to power generation companies. Maharashtra with Rs.21,656 crores, Tamil Nadu with Rs.20,990 crores, Andhra Pradesh with Rs.10,109 crores, Telangana and Rajasthan with Rs.7,388 crores each are some of the major debtors of these companies.

All these problems have been caused because governments did not risk their voters to use free electricity efficiently. Rather than taking course corrective measures, governments are enabling more and more free electricity, sometimes to the tune of free electricity over months. The new bill will change that.

If you've any doubt over the efficacy of the bill, then just bear in mind that Arvind Kejriwal is opposing it tooth and nail.

Courtesy. Abhishek Kumar Singh in TFIPOST.

Tailpiece.

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

It was a quiet Tuesday.

Fixed up things for tomorrow and for our impending trip to Kochi.

Transition in Kenya.

Spiralling prices, corruption and a mammoth debt mountain :  whoever takes the helm after Kenya's presidential election will face a raft of challenges.

Cost of Living Crisis

Demonstrators took to the streets in July, vowing to shun the ballot box in the face of ever-higher fuel and food costs. Inflation soared, hitting a five-year high of 8.3% in July.

The government, in May, had raised the minimum wage by 12% and last month pledged to halve the price of maize flour used to prepare ugali, Kenya's staple food.

From 7.5% in 2021, growth should average 5.2% in 2023 - 2024, according to the World Bank, which also forecasts deterioration in Kenya's trade balance this year.

Youth Time Bomb

With three quarters of the population under the age of 34, young people are one of Kenya's key assets but many struggle to find jobs.

About 500,000 students obtain a higher education diploma every year. But corruption, nepotism or the demand for experience are all obstacles to their entry into working life.

According to census figures published in 2020, five million young people were without jobs.

Corruption

Kenya's fight against graft has stagnated, says Transparency International, which ranked it 128th out of 180 in its 2021 corruption perceptions index.

Last year, outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta said at least $16.8 million was stolen each day from the government.

Last month, a candidate for deputy president was ordered to forfeit the equivalent of $1.7 million after he could not explain the source of the money.

Debt Mountain

By 2050, half of Kenya's population will live in cities, which will lead to a myriad of challenges such as education and healthcare.

To promote development, successive governments have pursued an ambitious program dubbed Kenya Vision 2030.

As a result, the debt has more than quadrupled to about $70 billion during Uhuru Kenyatta's near decade in office.

China is now second largest creditor, notably lending $5 billion for a railway linking Nairobi to the Indian Ocean port of Mombasa.

Courtesy. The NIE.

My take

I find the same culprits - China's investments on its own terms and conditions without caring a damn about the host country's economic health and an ambitious ruling elite, who do not care a damn about the welfare and well being of their own people but are busy in lining up their own pockets - in action. Hope the new President is able to steer the country to safety by the combined use of tough measures coupled with imaginative methods to revive the economy.

Tailpiece.

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

Went to town to clear a lot of pending work. Meanwhile the new maid, Latha, was in action.

Naveen Malik wins gold

Naveen wins a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in the 52 kg wrestling event when he beat Pakistan's Mohammad Sharif Tahir in the final. His victory, on his first outing itself, speaks about the saga of his parents' sacrifices.

Naveen's father, Dharampal Malik, who owns a small piece of land in Pugthala village in Haryana, has been doing the same chores for the last 10 years, so that his sons shine on the mat. His elder brother, Parveen who was pursuing Greco-Roman wrestling is employed with the Indian Navy, as a Petty Officer and is currently at the Raipur Akhada in Sonepat, where the Navy's wrestlers train.

The father used to travel 35 - 40 km every day, from his village to Sonepat to deliver milk, butter, ghee and home cooked food to his son. He used to leave his home at a half past 5 in the morning, board a bus to reach Sonepat, about two hours later. The mother, Gunwanti used to wake up at a half past 3, to cook food. 

The proud parents saw their son win the gold medal, yesterday at Birmingham!

Apart from studies, Naveen used to cook food, clean rooms and do other work while staying with his brother, Parveen. He also started practising wrestling and it was then that coach, Kuldeep Singh saw him and started training him along with other civilian wrestlers.

My take

Just as the individual players put in hard work to excel in their sport, their parents supported them whole heartedly, often sacrificing their own interests! Take a bow, all of you!! India salutes your selfless actions in contributing to the country's name and fame.

Tailpiece.

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

It was a quiet Sunday.

Prabhu Anna's musings.

Going by the sequence of a few events over the last eight years, I think the gentleman is talking sense! Let's see as to what he says on Facebook. 

When Modi came to Delhi in 2014, he thought he'll create a Gujarat model.

Kept talking about it.

He realised that :-

* the judiciary was still with Congress.

* the media was with Congress.

* Bureaucracy was with Congress.

He just had Lok Sabha with him not even the entire Rajya Sabha.

BJP tried to nail Vadra, Raja, Kanimozhi and P Chidambaram.

It also tried to touch the others.

But couldn't.

Modi wasn't expected to last beyond one term.

But they didn't know the crafty Modi mind.

He pulled out a few magic public pulling events and became a huge crowd pullerin India and with the NRI crowd.

He promised change.

He promised to break the Congress 'loot maar' ideology which kept India a poor country but made its leaders rich.

Thus he got through 2019. He got another 5 years.

* Within the first year, he put his hand on Chidambaram though that man was not touchable yet finally, he was charged. FIR filed. Put in judicial custody for interrogation for 106 days. That's not a joke! PC's "strong legal team" would not let that happen. A team that knew how to manipulate the system and get the best out of it. Yet, despite everything they tried - they couldn't get their man out. The same Chidambaram who went in on day one, saying he'll be back for breakfast, took 106 days to return.

Unless the government had something to get him into Tihar Jail, it couldn't have put him there simply because the BJP wanted it. A matter worth keeping in mind.

* Corrupt Gandhi family being questioned by ED?

This wasn't possible before 2019.

All the anti-India forces living within the country, the NGOs, journalists, awardees who acted as "urban naxals" etc are being exposed and put behind bars.

This is all about the birth of a new India.

A self reliant India with modern armed forces and well guarded territories.

Lastly, every single anti-Modi entity is using whatever means they can to besmirch the Modi government.

They are all anti-India - Rajdeep Sardesai, Barkha Dutt, Ranna Ayub, the entire Congress High Command and the legal team that works for them, Kanhaiya Kumar and his ilk from JNU, Javed Akhtar, AAP, TMC, Shiv Sena, NCP.

You can add whoever else you think is anti-India.

You can make out from their posture viz. anything that is pro India is bad for them, anything that is done by Modi is wrong for them.

If India must become a global power, we must become a highly efficient nation.

We need a strong leadership.

A brainy leadership that we did not have had before.

This is the leadership that can lead us to global respect.

India must change

India must be re-born.

After 75 years.

We are seeing a PM who can create a truly great Bharat.

Yes, he's tough.

If you have a sportsman as a friend, ask him how difficult it is to train to be #1.

We need Modi more than Modi needs us.

India's time has come.

India has always been a great country with its rich ancient culture, heritage and values.

My take

Why don't all of us unite - irrespective of caste, creed, religion or political ideology - and strive to make India a great superpower? I'm sure we can do it because we have it in us!

Tailpiece.

Got up a trifle after 6, the chores and was ready by a 10' past 10.

To Harisree Supermarket to buy grocery.

Participated in the 580th episode of Aazhchakkoottam : "Sex Education and Equality of the Sexes" by Dr Little Helen, Asst Director-in-Charge, Kerala Language Institute from 1600 - 1715 hrs. She'd delivered a prepared speech that touched upon all the right points but it was during the Q & A session that she showed as to how close to her heart the subject was, became emotional and touched upon her sustained efforts on that score. It was consequent to a few, among the audience, who had doubted the efficacy of the suggestions she'd put forth. 

I'd wound up the session - as Maman was away on work - and touched upon this aspect of Helen ma'am and had told her that her services would be needed for the Foundation.