The Myanmar border to be fenced.

The government has decided to fence the entire 1,643-km-long India-Myanmar border, which hopefully would end the Free Movement Regime (FMR) prevalent along the existing porous border.

To facilitate better surveillance, a patrol track along the border will also be paved. 

A 10-km stretch of the border in Moreh in Manipur has already been fenced and two pilot projects of fencing through a hybrid surveillance system are under execution.

The FMR facilitates people living close to the border to venture 16 km into each other's territory without any document. The Myanmar border which passes through Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh, currently has FMR, as it was introduced by the Modi government in 2018 as part of India's Act East Policy.

Imphal valley-based Meitei groups have long been demanding fencing along the border, particularly after ethnic violence in the state, which started in May last year. They have been alleging that tribal militants often enter into India through the porous borders. The Meitei groups also allege that narcotics is being smuggled into India taking advantage of the unfenced international border.

Manipur shares around 390 km of border with Myanmar but only 10 km has been fenced so far. In july, the government shared data with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs that around 700 illegal immigrants entered the state.

Mizoram has also seen an influx of anti-Junta rebels in thousands since the military coup in Myanmar on 01 Feb 2021. According to government estimates, several thousand refugees are living in different parts of Mizoram since the coup. Mizoram shares a 510-km-long border with Myanmar.

Tailpiece.

Got up at a 20' to 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 9. The usual Wednesday aarathi of the house was carried out.

The maid was sick and hence didn't come for work.  

Crazy has been fixed with the new rear-view mirror that Mohan had sent. sajish had taken the Chevy to get it fixed.

The external paintwork is being done and the three rest rooms are nearing completion.

The CPM comes around!

In the state budget, this year, the LDF's finance minister has said that the government welcomes foreign universities and educational institutions in the state.

Sometime in 2016, Mr TP Srinivasan, former ambassador, had articulated the same idea when the SFI students had cornered him, bashed him up leaving him badly mauled and bleeding, saying that what he had uttered was blasphemous!

Today, when two of the top spokespersons for the party - one was none other than the party's current state secretary and the other was the Minister of Higher Education - had articulated the idea, there was no remorse, no apology for changing its stance so dramatically!

The SFI has, however, issued its disapproval to the idea.

Tailpiece.

Got up around a half past 4, the chores and was ready by a half past 9.

The maid did not come for work as she was unwell. Hope she hasn't contracted our cough and cold; if that be so, she's gonna be absent for a few more days.

The external paint workers and the top two bathroom workers continued with their work.

US - UK against Houthis.

In joint operation, US and UK hit 36 Houthi targets in Yemen.

The US, UK troops bombed Houthi targets at 13 locations in Yemen, with support from Australia, New Zealand, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark and the Netherlands.

Strikes to degrade militia's capability : US

The US Central Command in a X post said it struck Houthis' multiple underground storage facilities, command and control, missile systems, UAV storage and operation sites, radars and choppers. The strikes will degrade Houthis' capabilities to attack US Navy, merchant vessels in the region and make international waters safe and more secure, said the US.

Rebels warn of escalation of conflict

* These attacks will not discourage Yemeni forces from maintaining their support for Palestinians in the face of the Zionist occupation and crimes," Houthi sources said. "The aggressors' airstrikes will not go unanswered."

* Separately, US struck a Houthi anti-ship cruise missile in self defence.

Breaking news

News report that Iran backed-outfit carried out a drone attack on eastern Syria killing six American-allied-Kurdish fighters, this evening.

Tailpiece.

Got up at a half past 4, hearing Lekha going through a bout of cough. Went through the chores and was ready by a half past 9.

Saw Lekha snoozing it out during day time - unusual and she said that she was feeling weak! The maid was at work.

Allocation of funds for the ongoing work :-

      * well washing at Raj Nivas.

      * payment of both the landline telephones.

      * the credit card owing and

      * the bathroom tiles.

     

Could a lie be better than a truth?

The Mahabharata tells the story of a Brahmin called Kausika who had taken a vow to always tell the truth. Once, when he was meditating in the forest, a young couple ran past him. Kausika noticed them. A little while later, a group of armed robbers came running. They stopped and asked Kausika which way the couple had escaped. Kausika understood the situation and the danger to the couple if he spoke the truth.. Yet, due to his vow, he told the robbers. The robbers caught up with the couple and robbed and killed them.. Kausika had to go to hell after death.

This is a curious situation where somebody went to hell for telling the truth. Would it have been better for Kausika to tell a lie? What about telling others to lie? For example, a parent might send their young child to ward off an unwelcome visitor at the door and tell a lie that they are not at home.

There are two views about always speaking the truth. One emphatically says yes. The German philosopher Immanuel Kant said that truth-telling is a "perfect duty" which cannot be overridden by other values like sparing someone's life or their feelings. In this view, Kausika was obligated to tell the truth.

The other view says it is not always so black and white. The Mahabharata says :

  Bhavet satyamvaktavyam na vyaktavya manushthitam

  Satyanrite vinishchatya tato bhavati dharmavita.

Words that are literally true need not necessarily be the truth: one needs to consider the effect of the words to determine if they are the truth or untruth.

Mahabharata further elaborates on what it means by the effect of the words :

  Sarvasvasyapahaare tu vaktavymanritam bhavet

  Tatranritam bhavet satyam chapyanritam bhavet

  tadrisham pashyate balo yasya satyamanushthitam.

If one's everything is being threatened, one may resort to a lie to save oneself: in this situation, a lie has the effect of a truth and a truth has the effect of a lie. Only a fool imagines that literal truth is required to be spoken under all circumstances.

In the prashnottar-ratne-malika, ascribed to Adi Shankaracharya among others, the following question-answers can be seen :

'Who is not to be trusted?'

'One who, as a rule, utters lies.'

'On what occasions, even a lie is sinless?'

'That which is uttered for the sake of protecting dharma.'

There are no easy answers to the moral dilemma of choosing between truth and lie in certain situations. If we do choose to tell a lie, we have to make sure we are doing it for a justifiable reason like preventing harm; not for our own convenience or benefit.

Tailpiece.

Got up as usual, the chores and was ready by a half past 9.

It was very quiet all around as there were no workers swarming the place! The maid was at work.

A quiet evening.

The myth of the Pandora's box.

Long ago, there lived a titan named Prometheus, who loved the humans he'd created. He wanted to help them and he taught them many skills and arts. He also stole fire from the gods and gave it to the humans, so that they could keep warm and cook their food.

The gods, especially Zeus, the king of the gods, were angry with Prometheus for his disobedience and his generosity. They decided to punish him and the humans, for their insolence. Zeus ordered Hephaestus, the god of fire and metal work, to create a woman out of clay. He named her "Pandora", which means "all gifted" and he gave her many gifts, such as beauty, charm, intelligence and curiosity. He also gave her a box and he told her never to open it. He said that it was a wedding present and that it contained many blessings for her and her future husband.

Zeus then sent Pandora to Earth, where she met and married Epimetheus, the brother of Prometheus. Epimetheus was a kind and gentle titan, who accepted Pandora as his wife, despite the warnings of his brother. He loved Pandora and he gave her a beautiful home and garden. He also showed her his collection of animals, which he had named and cared for.

Pandora was happy with Epimetheus but she was also curious about the box that Zeus had given her. She wondered what was inside and why she was not allowed to open it. She thought that it must be something very good and very valuable. She wanted to see it and share it with her husband. She asked Epimetheus if she could open the box, just a little bit, but he refused. He told her that Zeus had forbidden it and they should respect his wish. He told her that the box was a mystery and that they should leave it alone.

Pandora tried to obey but she couldn't resist her curiosity. She though that Epimetheus would not notice and that Zeus would not care. She thought that it was harmless and that it was fun. She waited until Epimetheus was away and then she sneaked to the box. She lifted the lid and she peeked inside.

But as soon as she did, a swarm of evil things flew out of the box. They were diseases, pains, sorrows, fears, wars, crimes and all kinds of misfortunes. They spread over the Earth and they attacked the humans and the animals. They caused suffering and death and they made the world a dark and dreadful place.

Pandora was horrified and she quickly closed the box. She realised that she had made a big mistake and that she had unleashed a curse. She cried and she apologised but it was too late. The evil things had escaped and they could not be put back.

Epimetheus returned and he saw what had happened. He was shocked and saddened and he blamed Pandora for her folly and her disobedience. He also blamed himself for his weakness and his ignorance. He wished he had listened to his brother and that he had never accepted Pandora as his wife. He wished that he had never seen the box and that he had never opened it.

But as he was lamenting, he heard a faint voice coming from the box. It was a sweet and soothing voice and it said, "Do not despair, for there is still hope". Epimetheus and Pandora looked at each other and they felt a glimmer of hope in their hearts. They opened the box again and they saw a small and delicate creature, with wings and a halo. It was Hope, the only good thing that Zeus had put in the box and the only that had not escaped. Hope flew out of the box and she touched the humans and the animals with her light. She gave them courage and comfort and she helped them cope with their troubles. She told them that there was still beauty and goodness in the world and they should not give up.

And so, the myth of Pandora's box became a legend and a symbol of the origin of evil and the power of hope. It also explained why life is full of hardships and joys and why humans have to struggle and strive. It was a tale of curiosity and consequence, of temptation and redemption, of Pandora, the first woman and the box that changed the world.

Tailpiece.

Got up at a half past 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 9.

Today, there was the team that worked on preparing the house's exterior for the final paintwork while Saiju worked on waterproofing the top bathrooms.

The new tiles were dropped by the CITU guys in the eveining.

  

"Rang Ghar' to get a facelift.

The Assam chief minister performed the "bhoomi pujan" for a beautification project of the architectural heritage. The PM had laid the foundation stone for the project in April last year.

Built during the reign of Ahom ruler Swargadeo Rudra Singha in 1744, Rang Ghar is Asia's oldest surviving amphitheatre and a symbol of Assam's cultural heritage. It stands tall near Sivasagar town in upper Assam.

It's a two-storey building, constructed specially for enjoyment of recreational/sports activities by the royal families of the Ahom dynasty.

The state's architecture took a new form after Swargadeo Rudra Singha had established the capital at Rangpur. The Doul Pukhuri dug under his stewardship added a new dimension to the glory of Rangpur.

The project's outlay entails a financial outlay of Rs.140 crores and it would be completed and dedicated to the people before 2026.

The beautification plan includes building an encroachment-free perimeter, an amphitheatre with seating capacity for 3,000 people and other amenities.

Tailpiece.

Got up at a quarter to 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 9.

Today, the working party consisted of four workers to get the exterior levelled up.

A quiet evening.  

Factors about the economy.

Core sector growth slows to 14-month low in Dec 2023

Growth of eight key infrastructure industries slipped to 3.8% due to poor performance of crude oil, electricity, steel and cement sectors.

Last reported low was 0.9% in Oct '22

For Dec 2022, the growth of the eight core sectors was 7.4%. The last time the growth was so bad was in Oct 2022, at 0.9%. The eight core sectors are cement, coal, crude oil, electricity, fertilisers, natural gas, refinery products and steel. The cumulative growth of the key sectors during Apr-Dec 2023 was flat at 8.1% versus 8% a year ago.

Industrial growth rate may slow down

* Crude oil production in Dec 2023 witnessed a decline of 1% compared to Dec 2022. The other seven sectors grew but at a slow pace. The eight core industries' numbers are significant as they carry a 40.27% weight in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).

* Slow core sector growth means industrial growth may power down.

My take

Points to ponder!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, the chores and was ready by a half past 6. 

To Rajah hospital to give Lekha's blood sample for assessing CRP value. On return, drew cash and bought fish for the cats.

Only Saiju and Sunil today and they finished the breaking up of the second toilet by the end of the day.