Why aren't we considerate about others?

I've repeatedly come across people who're unwilling to pay their dues, be it to the newspaperboy or to the milkman or the subscription that's required to be paid for allied services like the lift, potable water etc while staying within walled compounds.

The complaints that have been reported are silly and at times, really unofficerlike - to use a service jargon! I shall try to list out the common excuses that people resort to while shooing away the guys who knock at their doors to collect their rightful share and here they are(I've taken the liberty to add my comments/reactions within brackets):-

     (a) Sahib is not at home. He has the money. (Now, don't tell me that you're a prisoner in your own
           home? Your husband has every reason to be behind bars for ill treating you!)

     (b) I don't have the change, come later. (Come on, don't disturb me on something very silly! I only
           keep big denominations).

     (c) Don't disturb me. Don't you see that I was sleeping? (My beauty sleep is the most precious
           in this world and don't you dare disturb me!)

     (d) My little child is fast asleep after a lot of effort. Your ringing of the bell has disturbed her. Come
           later. (Get lost! And usually slams the door shut, loud enough to wake up the sleeping child!)




My take.


Why can't people be considerate of others? If we do not get our pay by the last day of the month, it pinches us and extending the same argument, the vendors who come and knock at our doors to collect their dues are simply asking for their remuneration for the services rendered. And what's the point in holding on to something that isn't yours?

Instantaneous chaos!

After clearing the usual morning load of work, I'd taken time off to attend the wedding of Chakki, the daughter of a classmate and course mate of mine. Another friend of mine had expressed his desire to accompany us and it wasn't long before he had joined us and we're off to the venue without realising as to what we're in for.

The MG road, which is the main arterial road of the town, was jammed hopelessly with vehicles piled up choc-a-bloc and waiting eagerly for the chaos to untangle at the earliest. The traffic policemen on the beat were hard pressed and the restraint they showed in handling errant drivers was remarkable. It took quite a while for us to reach the venue but by the time we'd reached there, the marriage ceremony had been conducted. We could only apologise to the new couple for not having arrived on time. And I shall never forget the quip - "you're the nearest and have still managed to come late" - by one of our friends and I could only return a sheepish grin as a plausible reply!

And what was the reason for the monumental traffic snarl? Thousands of members of the 'kudumbi' community had organised a 'rail roko' movement and also taken to the streets causing blockage of traffic, in anger, at the government's decision of excluding the community from the list of the scheduled castes!


Tailpiece.

The roads have been dug up for laying underground cables and in addition, the surface has taken a beating, exposing cracks and holes at various places. Driving through these roads, during the thick of the monsoon - which is just around the corner - is gonna be very difficult. It's the same story as it was last time! And somebody had said that the roads, this time, have been surfaced to international(?) standards. You, got to be joking!

  

Madness or methodicity in the madness?

One'd always thought and hoped that Kerala, being the most literate state, had a clean and vibrant political system with lots of sound and fury where each and every political outfit respected the other, while fiercely guarding their core issues. Care was also taken not to exceed the limits of propriety while taking on one another on ideological issues.

I can vouch for this healthy state of affairs when we've had the representatives of the entire political spectrum - setting aside ideological differences - eager to be part of the activities organised under the auspices of my grandfather's foundation. And, therefore, it's my belief that the present state of affairs in the murder of TP Chandrasekharan and the volley of allegations and counterallegations by the political parties, in its aftermath, are aberrations that would get cleared once the culprits are brought to book.

I must hasten to add that the startling revelations made by MM Mani, the secretary of Idukki's CPM outfit, that the party had taken on its political opponents with ruthlessness in the early '80s have deepened the gravity of the crisis and has only confirmed political highhandedness in the most literate state! And it's in the fitness of things that some of the cases of those times are being brought under the scanner all over again. The guilty need to be brought to book at this late stage at least!

Though it's the best thing that has happened to expose the rot in the system, why did he open up now? I can only think of one of the following reasons:-

   (a) To impress upon his leaders as to how loyal he's to them. Using his lung power, he was trying
         to provide a counter argument in the heat of the moment. And justifying the old adage that
         'ultimately, truth will out'.

   (b) VS Achuthanandan has been harping on finding the culprits behind TP's murder at the earliest.
         Was Mani's outbursts meant to dilute his stand because he happened to be the secretary of the
         CPM's state unit at that time?


Tailpiece.

However much disgusting the entire situation is, it's one's hope that this will be a stepping stone to cleaning the system and to bring the guilty to book, eventually.

The faithful follower.

This morning I got a call from one of my 'Bong' friends and we'd caught up with each other after what seemed to be a long time. With him around, it's fun and laughter all the way as we share a lot of things in common! And I must tell you as to how we'd ended up being buddies thanks to a humorous incident.

We're at the examination hall to attempt an important subject. He was seated behind me saying that he wasn't confident at all and the examination started on the dot, as per schedule. All of us started attempting the longish question paper in right earnest. I've this habit of answering all my examination papers from the last question and work upwards. And if you're to ask me as to why I do so, I really do not have an answer and no, there's nothing superstitious about it but a habit evolved over time!

 I remember that there were thirteen questions in all and I'd begun with the one at serial 13(c), left a blank against 13(b) as I was unsure of the answer and decided to attempt it later, time permitting and so on! (If my memory serves me right, I'd left it blank, even while returning the answer sheets, as the answer was not forthcoming!)

A few days later, the instructor walked in with the corrected papers and began distributing them, giving his comments on each. My paper was given at the end with the comment that he expected everyone to emulate the manner in which I'd answered the paper - my score was 86 and I was first.

It was then that my friend made an unequivocal declaration and I quote, 'Sir, I can't fail in this paper. Probably, my handwriting might have let me down!' The instructor decided to tackle the issue by checking out his answers against mine and as he went about doing so his mood had changed. I could sense that trouble was just around the corner, waiting to embrace me! And then came the unkindest cut, 'Who has copied whose?'

My friend had then offered his feeble explanation that he'd indulged in a bit of a 'look-see' to ensure as to  whether he'd got them answers right! The instructor was red faced and left the class in a huff.


Tailpiece.

(a) I was finally given pass marks(40%) for aiding and abetting a partner in crime(?) and my friend was failed requiring him to go through a re-scrub!

(b) My friend is yet to answer me as to why he'd recreated my answer sheet verbatim - with the blank spaces, punctuation et all!!


PS.

Was awarded a month's negative seniority for this incident and frankly speaking, it has never affected me, ever. After all, what's a month's negative seniority vis-a-vis a life long friendship?

My friend's birthday.

Today happens to be my classmate's birthday but wishing him 'many happy returns' was a hard task - nay, inappropriate according to me - simply because he'd lost his wife recently. He's still in mourning and the 41st day ceremony is slated for sometime, next week.

I must confess - after a lot of contemplation - that I'd resorted to sending him a mail rather than speak to him over the telephone. It shows the 'funk' in me to tackle such difficult situations!

But he was eloquent in his reaction and sentimental to the core.

Off to Kidangoor.

After working hours, we'd set off for a function in the family being held at Kidangoor, short of Kottayam.

Enroute, we'd stopped at Ettumanoor to look up and spend time with my grand aunt who's 92 yrs and in fine fettle, though she has problems of locomotion. Her mind is sharp and I was really bowled over when she gleefully announced my arrival, to the others in the house, on sighting me. She was insistent that I sit next to her on the sofa and had her right hand intertwined with my left, as she picked up the thread of conversation and narrated quite a few anecdotes.

Chiding me for not making my visits more frequent, she narrated the happenings of the day when I was packed off to the Sainik School. My great grandmother seemed to have been extremely sad that I was being sent away. And she went on to narrate as to how upset she was when I'd returned on my first vacation in a pair of jeans that was faded at the right places. She just couldn't comprehend as to how I could be wearing faded clothes and was sure that the school authorities(she'd surmised that the trouser was issued by the school) had given the requisite quality checks the short shrift, despite my fervent explanations! She'd even given me money to buy new clothes before I went back to school!!

Wonder what my great grandmother would have had to say if she saw the current vogue of wearing torn jeans?

The chatty coffee evening - spread over a couple of hours - that I'd with my grand aunt prompted me to take a resolve that I would drop in more often. And I hope to stick to that!! God, do please take care of my grand aunt!       

On the run.

Everyday, there's some thing or the other that keeps cropping up and yes, it's taxing - and patience is not my virtue - to pay attention to the minutest details and I shall cite just two examples to highlight as to why I say this:-

     (a) An old lady has been admitted in a hospital nearby for cardiology complications and is in the coronary
          care unit. She's fond of me, has looked after me many a time saying that she looks forward to my
          visits and I'm aware of the fact that she likes listening to my rendition of the excerpts from any old  
          classic. I intend doing that this evening as it's my belief that she'd get better!

     (b) Soon after, I do have to attend the birthday celebrations of a li'l girl and she's already told me as to what
           she needs from me as a present.

Now, the problem is that I need to club both the things one after the other. The timings at the hospital need to
be adhered to and I need to take permission for spending some time with the old lay within the 'out of bounds' area. The li'l one's requirement needs to be picked up and gift-wrapped. I've no problems doing any of these activities because I like doing them because that's my way of returning their love, albeit, in a very small measure.

But to achieve it through horrible traffic that would be prevalent at the time makes me shudder! I only hope that my fellow motorists, that I'd encounter, would drive with compassion.

You see, I'm on the run, literally!