A historic day!

Now that the provisions of the Art 370 have been struck down and consequently Article 35 A is out,  these are the changes in Jammu and Kashmir wef today:-

  Before.

  1. Special powers exercised by Jammu and Kashmir.
  2. Dual citizenship.
  3. Separate flag for Jammu and Kashmir.
  4. Article 360 (Financial Emergency) not applicable.
  5. No reservation for minorities such as Hindus and Sikhs.
  6. Indian citizens from other states cannot buy land or property in Jammu and Kashmir.
  7. RTI not applicable.
  8. Duration of Legislative Assembly for 6 years.
  9. If a woman from the state marries out of state, she would lose the citizenship of the state.
10. Panchayats did not have any rights.
11. Right to Education (RTE) was not applicable.

   Now.

  1. No special powers now.
  2. Single citizenship.
  3. Tricolour will be the only flag.
  4. Article 360 will be applicable.
  5. Minorities will be eligible for 16% reservation.
  6. People from other states will now be able to purchase land or property in Jammu and Kashmir.
  7. RTI will be applicable.
  8. Assembly duration in Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir will be for five years.
  9. If a woman marries out of state or country, she will still retain all her rights and Indian
      citizenship.
10. Panchayats will have the same rights as in other states.
11. Children of the state will benefit from RTE.


Tailpiece.

From 'The Quarterdeck' to 'C-3, Gandhinagar'.

We'd set off from our house around a quarter past 7 and the drive was through blinding rain and since
it was a half past 8 when we'd crossed the Paliyekkara toll gate, we had breakfast at the Saravana
Bhavan. We allowed the rain to pass but the next wave did catch us at Chalakkudi. We reached Panampilli Nagar by a quarter past 11, parked our Chevy there and went to do a small round of shopping that Lekha was keen to do.

On return, much to my consternation, I realised that I'd left my Chevy unlocked and I could only kick my shin in despair on realising it. A quick vegetarian 'thaali' at the Oottupura and we had to do another round of buying small stuff. By the time we reached Prabha's house, it was a quarter past 3. After a round of tea with my brother-in-law, Ramakrishnan it was snooze time. There were guests who'd come to visit us and the evening passed off swiftly.

Earlier, Vishnu was dispatched after ensuring that his work was completed! 

   

News from here and there.

There seems to be a lot of things happening around us. The Parliament has done unprecedented business this session, during recent times, by clearing a number of bills thanks to a badly divided opposition despite it having a majority! The Amarnath Yatra has been called off, the yatris and the tourists have been airlifted out of Jammu and Kashmir to safety because of intelligence received regarding terrorist threats and the way the Muftis, Abdullas and Azad are spreading stories through media interactions - almost everyday - makes one believe that something serious is under way. The additional troop deployment has taken care of the LoC violations of the Pakistanis.

         *                     *                     *

In Kerala, at Thiruvananthapuram, there was hectic activity regarding Sreeram Venkitaraman's custody and many of the police actions come under a shadow of doubt. With the media exerting tremendous pressure, his admission at the posh KIMS Hospital was cut short, checked by the judicial magistrate who had ordered for his judicial custody for 14 days, taken in an ambulance to the Poojappura Central Jail and subsequently, to the casualty wing of the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College by this evening. He has, since, applied for bail to the Chief Judicial Magistrate which will be considered tomorrow.

I've a few queries about this case:-

     * Why was the blood sample of the accused not taken immediately after the police had reached
        the scene of accident?
     * Why wasn't Wafa Firoz grilled immediately after the incident was reported?
     * Why was the accused allowed to get admitted into a private hospital of his choice?
     * Why was the dithering on the part of the police regarding registering of the FIR?
     * Is the law of this country different for different people?
     * Thankfully, the person he'd slaughtered happens to be a media person and the media would,
        naturally, hasten the process of investigation on the right lines!
     * Sreeram's custody is on a non-bailable warrant. So, why is his bail request being considered
        tomorrow in haste?
     * And the biggest joke was, that, for a minor medical condition, the IAS guy had a face mask and
        was stretcher ridden! Wish he'd the moral courage to say that he was wrong!! What a wastage
        of public money on preserving his medical outlook and for what purpose!!!

Sad!

         *                         *                       *

We were anticipating heavy rains today because the forecasts said so but it was a bright, sunny day with overcast sky. Bombay, instead, received more than its share of rain and normal life has been hit. The rain doesn't show any sign of reducing in intensity.


Tailpiece.

Another of those quiet Sundays with many phone calls. In the forenoon, had gone to the nearby Petrol Bunk to top up our Chevy and check tyre pressure. 'The Quarterdeck' was progressively shut down for our trip to Kochi for Lekha's medical review.

After a marathon session - in two sittings - Lekha has finished the Ramayana recital by this evening. She'd wanted to do so before going to Kochi for her medical review.        

What a fall?

The year was 2017. After the CPI(M) leadership in Idukki locked horns with the IAS officer over the latter's drive against encroachment, Sreeram Venkitaraman, IAS was removed as the Sub Collector of Idukki. He had initiated strong action against 'illegal constructions' in Munnar hill station.

He was the toast of the town as an upright officer who brooked no nonsense, however mighty his opponent was. Also a medical doctor and Fullbright Fellow, he had recently returned to the state after completing higher studies abroad.

K Muhammed Basheer was the Thiruvananthapuram Bureau Chief of the Malayalam daily 'Siraj'. He was killed in a road accident in the state capital late last night - around 1 AM in the heart of the city, near the Museum Police Station when he was returning home from work.

A blue Volkswagen had crashed into the wall, killing the journalist who was standing, at the roadside beside his bike. The man behind the wheel was 33 year old Sreeram Venkitaraman, IAS who has been appointed Survey Director by the state cabinet on Thursday. The owner of the car, Wafa Firoz, a model working in the Gulf, was his pillion at the time of the accident. The fact was that the couple were returning after a party and Sreeram was:-

       * Under the influence of liquor.
       * Driving the car at prohibitive speeds.
       * The damaged car was towed away from the site of accident even before the FIR was filed.

The policemen, on arrival at the site, recognised him and they initiated action to extricate him from trouble - helping a bigwig, you see. After consequent pressure from the media and when the details about the accident were out in the open, a case was registered but not after doing a damage towards proving the case - Sreeram did not undergo the mandatory medical test to confirm his inebriated condition for over nine hours. And he was allowed to get admitted into a private clinic.

By evening, he was arrested without bail under:-

        * Section 279 (Rash driving on a public way)
        * Section 304 (Culpable homicide not amounting to murder).

But since he's injured, he remains in the hospital.

35 year old Basheer is survived by his wife and two children.

Indeed, what a fall? Sreeram Venkitaraman will rue this day for life!

And always remember, no one can professionally take bold stands if his/her personal life is not clean.



Tailpiece.

Had gone to town to drop the credit card cheque into the bank's drop box and to buy some fruits. The messaging facility in my phone had ceased since afternoon and I was cursing the service provider but later realised that it was my own fault - I'd hit a button that should have been left alone! I still seem to be fumbling with technology!!

Now, the other side!

Having talked of VG Siddhartha's nicer aspects, it's incumbent upon us to have a peek of the other side of his story. One mustn't talk ill of the dead but it's important to know the complete story. And perhaps, the actual persona of VG Siddhartha must lie somewhere in the middle of the two extremes. Let's read through.

I maintained a dignified silence as the man (VGS) was dead but not found. Now that his body has been laid to rest, it is time to look at the other side of him.

They say, a man who lives by the sword, dies by the sword. VGS ran a mafia in Chikmagalur - Coorg coffee estate, where he came from. Often he would come and sit at the auctions with his goondas and the others would quietly exit the scene, fearing violence. He would set the price. About 139 of his cheques had bounced and the Bank recovery officer was met by VGS at his estate with handmade guns. He was rescued by the CRPF and the matter was hushed up by his powerful father-in-law.

He lived and thrived in the business by speculation and valuation games. He was groomed in the initial years by the ever greedy stock market players. He tasted initial success and made big money with Infosys shares (Of course, there's nothing wrong but that defined his life - highly leveraged and speculative games!). Most of his CCD outlets didn't break even, even after a decade of existence but his game was valuation. Much like our alumnus (IIMA) Subramanian of Subiksha chain of outlets (He's now in jail, almost on identical situations). VGS failed when Starbucks bucked the trend of buying out the home grown entrepreneurs like Ramesh Chauhan of Thumbs Up fame of the '80s. Mindtree was another mindless acquisition, which had no connect with his core business. Though he made a whopping profit, it would have diverted his focus. The IT authorities had every right to extract their pound of flesh, with his known track record of default of IT dues. They had to keep a check, which they did, despite SM Krishna's interventions. That the BJP government stood firm on the tax collection, is not a point to cheer at this point of time.

We get soft when someone takes his life when Mallya-type exit was an option. However, that doesn't take away the fault lines of the individual.

The above are my personal views and not any forward. I have a few Coorgi friends and bankers and one of my colleagues was an ex-CCD finance man. It is unfair to criticise a big entrepreneur on his unfortunate death; it is equally unfair to glorify him.

May his Aatma attain shanti.

Shankar.

Source. What'sApp.


Tailpiece.

1. Lekha had gone to the Mammiyoor Siva kshetram as part of her weekly trysts, in the morning.

2. My phone became active by about a half past 12, this afternoon, after a senior executive of the
    service provider had intervened and cut the red tape! 

The cost of success.

Yesterday morning, the dead body of the celebrated entrepreneur and technology investor, VG Siddhartha was found in the Netravati river, off Mangalore, in Karnataka.

VG Siddhartha had all the check boxes that have been described for one to be successful in life and business.

He was diversified - his billion dollar empire spread over coffee production, cafe chains and IT. He knew scaling - 2100+ stores of his brand Cafe Coffee Day is witness to this.

He was humble - was known to accompany his friends to the elevator after a meeting with them. He was focussed - shied away from interviews and spent time 'doing' rather than 'showing'. He was a family man - he has two sons and attended family functions.

And yet, in his words, he failed.

Some are blaming the business environment, some the tax authorities and others have their own theories. However, what cannot be ignored is that this seemingly massively successful man had a storm stirring behind his calm demeanour.

What can we learn from this?

If you are an entrepreneur, know that you are contributing directly and indirectly to the lives of people and never be sorry for failure. You started off with good intention but sometimes things can go wrong and will be a bumpy ride. Recall the dark times that you have surpassed and emerged in the light and no matter how dismal it may seem, you will recover. You chose this path and you have the power, will and capacity to own it till the end.

If you are the family or friend of the entrepreneur, please support them. They may not show it but they are insecure due to the unpredictability of the future of their venture. They might not be earning enough revenue, debt might be mounting or salaries are due, however, if they have your mental support, they can sail through this. Don't let their smiles fool you, they are salesmen. Dig deeper and understand them.

If you are a person, please be a good one. Even after VG Siddhartha is gone, people are coming together to talk, not about his business or wealth or success, but about how good a person he was and how he made them humane.

Adieu VG Siddhartha! Rest in peace.


Tailpiece.

1. Our coconut palm has yielded for the first time and Lekha had vowed that the first fruit would be placed as an offering to Guruvayoorappan. Of the six, a tender coconut was plucked by our gardener, Ramesh and Lekha went, soon after, for an evening 'darshan' to give the offering.

Actually, there was an old coconut palm that was existent when we'd bought the house in Nov '09 but it, along with a Guava tree, had to be cut off to put the truss work over the garage. My instruction to the contractor, then, was to plant samplings of the same variety. I remember, I was at a meeting then and was irritated with the call! It is the new coconut palm that has yielded now.


2. My cellphone has still not come on line despite the fact that the 'sim swap' took place at 1715 hrs with the promise by the front office that it would get active within an hour. In utter angst and disgust, I've asked one of their senior executives three questions viz.:-

   (a) When will my phone be operational?
   (b) What happens to the loss of service for the last four days? And I ain't even talking about the
         angst that it has caused me!
   (c) Why is it happening time and again? I'd changed my sim only a few months back - under a year
         if my memory serves me right. You're yet to give me an answer for that question of mine that
         I'd asked last time.

And mind you this service provider claims, through its advertisements, that it's the best and the most efficient in the field. I can't help but laugh at such a falsehood.


    

Celebrate life with gratitude.

7 short stories shared by Satya Nadella (CEO Microsoft)

Looking Back.

I interviewed my grandmother for part of a research paper I'm working on for my Psychology class. When I asked her to define success in her own words, she said, "Success is when you look back at your life and the memories make you smile".

Love Conquers Pain.

After I watched my dog get run over by a car, I sat on the side of the road holding him and crying. And just before he died, he licked the tears off my face.

Togetherness.

As my father, three brothers and two sisters stood around my mother's hospital bed, my mother uttered her last coherent words before she died. She simply said, "I feel so loved right now. We should have gotten together like this more often".

Affection.

I kissed my dad on the forehead as he passed away in a small hospital bed. About five seconds after he passed, I realised it was the first time I had given a kiss since I was a little boy.

Joy.

When I witnessed a 27 year-old cancer patient laughing hysterically at her 2 year-old daughter's antics, I suddenly realised that I need to stop complaining about my life and start celebrating it again.

Kindness.

A boy in a wheelchair saw me desperately struggling on crutches with my broken leg and offered to carry my backpack and books for me all the way across the campus to my class and as he was leaving, he said, "I hope you feel better soon".

Sharing.

I was travelling in Kenya and I met a refugee from Zimbabwe. He said he hadn't eaten anything in over three days and looked extremely skinny and unhealthy. Then my friend offered him the rest of the sandwich he was eating. The first thing the man said was, "We can share it".

                          Celebrate Life with Gratitude


Tailpiece.

Today's the new moon of Karkkidakom. People remember their dead and place offerings for all of them. Lekha and I had got up at 6 as usual, gone through the chores and placed the offering for all our relatives, friends and those who mattered in our life, at the courtyard. None of the crows - for whom that was primarily meant - came by and after returning from Thrissur, we found the offerings almost untouched.

Wonder why? Was there any mistake in the way we had done it? 

Historic!

The Triple Talaq Bill has been passed by both the houses in Parliament. Come to think of it, since the ruling benches did not have the requisite numbers of its own, effective floor management did make the passage of the bill possible! From today, triple talaq has been criminalised. It's a great achievement of the Narendra Modi government! 

Triple Talaq - also known as 'talaq-e-biddat' or instant divorce and talaq-e-mughallazah(Irrevocable divorce) is a form of Islamic divorce which has been used by Muslims in India, especially adherents of Hanafi Sunni Islamic schools of jurisprudence. It allows any Muslim man to legally divorce his wife by stating the word talaq (The Arabic word for 'divorce') three times in oral, written or more recently, electronic form.

The use and stature of triple talaq in India has been a subject of controversy and debate. Those questioning the practice have raised issues of justice, gender, equality, human rights and secularism. The debate has involved the Government of India and the Supreme Court of India and is connected to the debate about a uniform civil code (Article 44) in India. 

On 22 Aug 2017, the Indian Supreme Court deemed instant triple talaq was unconstitutional. Three of the five judges in the panel concurred that the practice of triple talaq was unconstitutional. The remaining two declared the practice to be constitutional while simultaneously asking the government to ban the practice by enacting a law.

The practice of 'talaq-e-biddat' is said to have been around since the period of Caliph Omar, more than 1400 years ago. It is 'manifestly arbitrary' and allows a man to breakdown a marriage whimsically and capriciously.

Here's a very interesting fact. 19 Muslim countries have laws against the practice. They are:-

  (a) The Arab States.  Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Sudan,                                                 Syria, Tunisia, UAE and Yemen.

  (b) The SE Asian States. Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines.

  (c)  And Around Us. Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

A great, historic day for India!

Tailpiece.

It was another quiet day with rain, in patches. Achu, my nephew, begins his next phase of his profession at the Tata Tea, Munnar. He has been put up at the High Range Club and takes up his new job at 9 AM tomorrow.