The Kerala day.

57 years back, on this day, when the states of India were redrawn on linguistic lines, Kerala was one of the states that had come about in its present form. And today, the Malayalees seemed to be all too eager to celebrate the day - most women sported the state's traditional two piece attire, affectionately called the 'mundum neryathum' and I must confess to my sneaky preference to the attire because it's a class of its own. There seems to be a sudden spurt in enthusiasm to being a Keralite - a phenomenon brought about by the media and the numerous FM channels, I reckon.

It's a welcome turn around because there was a time, not long ago, when Malayalees staying outside the state, were found to be parsimonious in befriending another of their ilk due to some strange reason. The use of Malayalam was confined to the four walls of the homes and in public, the use of English, Hindi or the local language was resorted to, much to the consternation of the listener what with the typical 'pronunciations' - which had become fodder for the others to come out with a whole lot of jokes!

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By kick starting the process of the mass distribution of land entitlement documents to 11,108 beneficiaries of the district, Kannur has become the first 'zero landless' district in the country. An auspicious happening on the birthday of the state. The government promises to continue with the efforts to make Kerala,the first 'zero landless' state in due course.

It's a great boon for the unfortunate and the poor to acquire a tract of land to call it their own. It's my fond hope that houses would also be built on the newly acquired property by voluntary agencies at affordable/low costs!

Was reminded of the time when 'Ezhome' became the first village in Kannur district to become 100% literate in '85 thanks to the concerted efforts of the late PN Panicker and his dedicated team! And when will India become a 'zero landless' country?

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The Sensex had climbed to an all time high of 21,293/88 against the previous record of 21,206/77 reached on 10 Jan 2008. Vigorous foreign fund flows into Indian markets coupled with a renewed optimism regarding the economy seems to be the catalyst as per my limited 'economic' knowledge! Hope the trend continues!!


Tailpiece.

1. I'd like to quote the immortal lines of the renowned poet, Vallathol at this juncture,

  "Bharatham ennu kettaal, abhimaana poorothamaakanam antharangam
   Keralamennu kettaal, thilakkanam chora sirakalil!"

2. But after having cited those wonderful lines, a doubt creeps in, 'Is this the reason why most of us don't think like an Indian and in the process, miss out on the nationalism?'

Under God's nose!

Got up to the lovely hymns, saluting the good lord, wafting from the numerous speakers all around. The temple town doesn't sleep except for the two hours immediately after midnight. People are up and about by three, in the morning, to have the 'darshan' of the 'nirmaalyam' - when the deity is given its bath! The atmosphere is charged with the chants of the pilgrims and their footfalls never, ever seem to end.

The bride's dad's - my uncle - first job was to get a special prayer done on the 'thaali' by the priest at the sanctum. The ornament would be draped on the bride's neck by the bridegroom at the auspicious moment which was around 1050 hrs. Most parents prefer this event to take place in god's presence on the numerous platforms built for the purpose at the eastern entrance of the temple and the subsequent ceremonies take place in one of the halls - there're many nearby and owning one makes good business sense.

.......And all too soon it was a three quarters past 10 and a tight number of family members had taken station in the queue below the platform, awaiting the appointed hour. And as an active(?) observer, I was watching the crowd associated with each couple pushing and jostling one another to get on to the elevated platform meant for the purpose. As it approached the appointed hour, my uncle had started getting restless about not meeting the deadline - of time, mind you - because the ones in the queue before our's were taking an inordinately long time. The priests were going through the ritual of handing over the 'thaali' to the boy's father who then, hands it over to the bridegroom who in turn, drapes it on his would-be-wife's neck that seals them in their new avatar as 'man and wife' and eventually, seek the blessings of the priest and then the God. (Wonder why this order? It's always baffled me but I've refrained from raising the question lest I be considered an ignoramus and also because, according to me the order of precedence should be the parents, the god and finally, the priest!).

It was just one more couple before our's, when an uncle of that contingent jostled rather harshly casting the choicest expletives as he tried to get a ringside view of the proceedings - his right, of course - and I had to tell him that his behaviour was not appropriate for the occasion to which the responses were quick and many totally unexpected, I must admit:-

     (a) a quizzical look as if questioning my temerity to check him.
     (b) a violent sideward swaying of his head as if to quieten and shoo me away and
     (c) a suppressed laughter from the crowd probably sensing the incongruity of it all!

Man shows his true colours even if he's meekly seeking the blessings of his god. Wonder what the god's take on this would be?


Tailpiece.

And come to think of it, as my mom put it, her wedding had taken place right in front of the sanctum with a clutch of friends and close relatives, years ago. There was hardly any crowd other than their's she recalls!

A day packed with events.

Today was hectic. And the beauty was that the events cascaded over one another that, I must admit that I was left gasping in the end but on a high! I'd reached the office at my usual time and half an hour later, my good 'ole classmates - Ramesh, Mohan and his son, Vivek - gave me a surprise by dropping in.

I'd finished the morning's backlog by then and found time to catch up on our old escapades with my friends. Hence, I didn't feel guilty for a change! Meanwhile there was an other important event that was taking place - auditors were at work as part of their six monthly routine. Soon after my friends' were seen off, it was the turn of the auditor to provide a rundown. Things seem to be okay as he did not have any major points but I've always seen that their insightful observations are reminders that we could make mistakes, despite the best of efforts. A sobering factor, indeed!

And as I was about to leave, my successor had dropped by and I didn't have the heart to tell him that I was scheduled to leave for Guruvayur in connection with my cousin's wedding by 1400h. And after exchanging essential information, we'd bid farewell to meet up next Monday.

And then, it was a race to reach home, have a quick bite of lunch and kicked off for Guruvayur, along with mom. The drive was fine, with the traffic that was really manageable and could reach our destination by teatime. And the family just started growing as each group started fetching up. It was simply great.

And the evening moved onto a late night, but the catching up with everyone's life was still to reach its logical end.


Tailpiece.

Four generations of the PN Panicker family together after a long, long while! Simply fantastic!!     

The games people play.

Can't help but be amused with the way games are played by people - politicians, in this context - bringing me to wonder yet again that they consider the common man to be swayed by the stupid posers and arguments through which brownie points are scored at the expense of their opponents without discussing real issues.

 (a) The fight for Sardar Patel's legacy.

 One can't help but laugh at this non-issue. At the time of the struggle for independence, the Indians without
 any political affiliation had cast themselves with Gandhiji as his means to achieve self-rule from the Britishers
 through the civil disobedience movement, satyagraha and other non-violent means had a mass appeal. The
 post-independence period saw the birth of many political parties - if one were to analyse the splits - to
 satisfy personal egos!

 What I'm trying to say is that every party can claim the legacy of those towering leaders, but what has it
 got to counter the rampant corruption, stagnated growth and the policy of expediency?

 (b) Nitish Kumar vs Narendra Modi.

 Nitish Kumar, according to me, has played into his bete noir's hands by giving a point by point rebuttal
 to the latter's observations against him. Coming to think of it, none would remain idle when one's ego is
 bruised and so, his rebuttal has to be listened to though great leaders show magnanimity in avoiding heaping
 personal insults upon their opponents.

 But then, who's talking about decency or decorum or propriety in politics?

And now, coming to seriousness from the frivolous, can't help but come back to the 'pre-ordained script' that I've touched upon, every now and then.

I'm gonna talk about the Stanford University professor, Nalini Ambady, all of 54 years, who'd passed into the mist of time when she succumbed to the dreaded Leukaemia. After eight years in remission, she was diagnosed with the disease in 2012 and since no donor was found from the US national marrow donor programme, her friends and family had conducted a series of bone marrow drives across the country and had actively campaigned online through the website, nalinineedsyou.com and social networking sites to find a donor for her.

To quote a close friend, "Several potential donors were found but many of them were not a full match. Some refused to donate when the time came.. Finally, a potential donor was found but could not donate as the donor had a low platelet count".

Perhaps, this was what Nalini's life's script was all about.

RIP Nalini. My humble prayers and here's wishing that your near and dear ones have the strength to tide over these difficult times.


Tailpiece.

Am reminded of half a 'sher' - why now, I can't explain but I shall say it all the same,

  "Apni haalat ko ehsaas nahin mujhko...
   Auron se suna hai ki pareshaan hun mein!"

I'm a bad driver. QED.

I'd driven my Chevy to work this morning and realised that there was a persistent low, grumbling noise emanating from the left side of the chassis at slower speeds(< 25 kmph). There wasn't any problem from the point of view of driving but the unwanted noise did bother me and which I gave a miss, the moment I'd entered my office. It was in the afternoon, prior to going home for lunch that I noticed that the front bumper had come apart from its original moorings at the driver's end and that there was a bit of a bend at its extremity.

And Eureka, the tube light in my brain suddenly lit up - the cause of the rumbling noise that I'd heard during the morning drive was established beyond doubt. As I drove through the afternoon traffic, I'd to quickly formalise an action plan. Giving up on my afternoon siesta, rather reluctantly, I'd driven straight to the Geeyem Motors for initiating remedial action as we've a trip planned for Guruvayur this coming Wednesday, to attend my cousin's wedding.

The customer care executive was businesslike and went about his task of assessing the damage and the extent of work - I shudder to think as to what he thought about this latest visit of mine. Perhaps, something like this, "There comes the blighter after getting into another muddle. Thanks to his driving prowess, the company's gonna make a quick buck. God, may there be more customers like him!"

They'd given me a drop at my office after estimating the costs at a little over Rs. 20 grand! Well, it's a sure process of learning against my depleting pocket!!


Tailpiece.

And how did I manage this new 'medal' for my Chevy? On Saturday, while casting off from under the clump of trees in front of my house at Guruvayur, the front bumper had got entangled with one of the logs heaped close by and thinking it to be a minor hurdle, I'd forced my car on the reverse and the damage was done. That it didn't impede the return trip and as the mechanic had said, that I could drive with the existing problem without worry, show the ruggedness of the car.

But I've taken the 'desirable' option as I do not want it to fester into a larger defect!  

A collage of thoughts.

It was a quiet Sunday to begin with. The normal chores were performed in a leisurely manner with the feeling that there was plenty of time around. Today happens to be Leela kunjamma's second remembrance day and it was an occasion to remember her, with mom recalling many of the things that they did together during their childhood at Ambalapuzha. Saw her eyes brimming with tears, many a time, during the narration accentuating the fact as to how much she missed her all the while!

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Oommen Chandy, the chief minister, was hurt by broken shards of glass when the LDF demonstrators had pelted stones at his car. He was in Kannur to attend the concluding ceremony of the Kerala Police annual athletic meet and also to attend a public meeting organised by the Congress. It definitely, was a bad scene.

The LDF's plans to prevent the chief minister from attending any public function till he resigned on the solar scam issue has backfired yet again. Wonder why such meaningless, strong arm tactics are being resorted to? I mean, such protests must have a meaningful, peaceful agenda that must essentially have the support of the people. Otherwise, the entire script can go haywire! Let's see as to how they've burnt their fingers on this score till now:-

    (a) The siege of the government secretariat at Thiruvananthapuram by thousands of LDF volunteers was
         called off on the second day itself without any result. The influx of additional people in the city was
         choking the city's already bursting infrastructure and the sustained disruption of normal life would have
         got the anti-stir sentiments of the city's population against them.

    (b) Their plans to disrupt the CM's 'mass contact programme' with the masses was hastily called off
          because of strong public sentiments which acknowledges that the event helps many of them to get
          relief for their long standing problems, cutting through bureaucratic red tape.
           
    (c) And now the media's coverage of an injured CM has garnered public sympathy best summed up
         by my mom's reaction, "The poor man was up till the wee hours of the morning just the other day
         at Kochi, patiently listening to the grievances of the public and providing 'on the spot' relief and this
         is what we ungrateful wretches give him in return. Why don't the communists shun their violence?"

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Li'l Shanaya - she's 71/2 months old and hyperactive and as her mom, cutely puts it, 'warms up' to guys in general - along with her mom, dad and grandmom had called on us in the evening. I'd intentionally kept myself away from holding and cuddling her, despite her inclination, because I was awash with sweat after my evening walk and had to contend with a couple of pecks on her cheeks!

Her 'quizzical' looks at my strange behaviour had to be silently borne with regret!! I've promised to be all spruced up when she drops in on us during her next visit!!!


Tailpiece.

And the so-called serial blasts in Patna before Narendra Modi's rally was definitely in bad taste. One's political opponents must be blunted with one's own positive and meaningful agenda. And all the guys around in the field must exhibit decency, speak and act within the limits of propriety expected of every individual in public life and must be shining examples of sportsmanship!

Another hectic day.

We could finally kick off for Guruvayur by 7. My cousin had to be picked up on the way as I needed his expertise in interior designing for our house that's slowly being brought up to habitable standards as the date of our shifting in, looms near. It has a sentimental angle, in that, had his dad - my dad's youngest brother - been around he'd have actively involved himself in the making of my house, a desire that he'd expressed quite often during our interactions.

The drive was nice, the traffic manageable and we could reach the spot much before 10. There were a lot of people that had to be met so that detail instructions could be given for tying up a host of little things prior to our final shifting. This trip was formalised after a lot of juggling around of events, tying up with the various individuals involved and after three aborted attempts! And it was good that it had taken place today because we could correct the truss work, according to our requirement, before it was completed.

And in the process of meeting up with the groups, I'd forgotten to punch in my thoughts within the correct time slot. And boy, didn't I feel miserable for the slip which was of my own doing? I'd carried my laptop with me for the purpose but had completely forgotten about what I'd planned to do, in the enthusiasm of overseeing the work in the house and giving instructions to the executors of the project.

And soon it was kick off time back for Kochi, after lunch at our regular eating place. The drive was nice and we're back in time so that I could keep my date with my evening walk!


Tailpiece.

1. The housewarming will be on 20 Nov and no, I don't intend making it an extravagant event. It shall be a day of prayers, essential religious ceremonies carried out on such occasions and a meal for the men and women who'd made it all possible. I've begun telling my friends and relatives about the big day with the rider, "No gifts, only wishes but if you still insist that you must, then do discuss with me and I shall tell you as to what needs to be done". The usual response has been a loud guffaw but I really mean by what I say because the house gets cluttered with a whole lot of things, of which, many never fit into the scheme of things and lie, gathering dust, in some remote corner of the house!

2. Getting a land line telephone connection seems to be tedious especially when the house is not situated in the path of the existing lines as it is in our case. With the availability of cellphones, does one require it, one might ask but it has the following advantages:-
     (a) it circumvents the twin problems of call drops and lack of coverage - frequent occurrences in
          cellphones.
     (b) it gives the owner a 'proof of residence'.

3. And of course, the water from the municipality's distribution line also needs to be streamlined. Hope it's not gonna be a long wait, the water currently being pumped in from the well, notwithstanding!