Feast for Thought

Isn't it reminiscent of a day in May 1991? When another leader of promise met a gruesome end just before elections? I'll not attempt any more parallels, of course. Benazir Bhutto's end seems to signify a kind of loss. Actually the feeling may stem out of the hope that this time around BB may have done / intended to do actual good for her country, after the elections? We will await all the rhetoric from the media, and watch what kind of 'democracy', if ever, unfolds within our neighbour's borders. May her soul RIP

A lawyer's nameplate in a posh locality of Chennai reads Mr... SENIOR LECTURER-IN-LAW Govt Law College I wonder if he has law students or students-in-law in his class... What is the origin of '-in-law'? One Google result says 'When you form a JV with your spouse, her (his) mother is your mother - by law!'

The Chalakudy is my 'river-in-law', but means more than a river to me. A decade ago, the banks welcomed an awed bride into the family. That bride knew the value of water, and of pristine surroundings, having grown up in the city of the Adyar, the Cooum & the Buckingham Canal. Idyllic setting: house by the river, potable water, sandy banks, greenery as far as the eye can see... In her westward journey, the river flows by the busy town of Chalakudy (Trissur district, about 75 km north of Kochi). A concerned writer laments that a seventh dam is planned at Athirappilly , where the river cascades magnificently. This, despite the fact that there are sane alternatives to generate the intended 160MW of electricity, and at much lesser cost than the dam's Rs 650 crore budget. Over the past ten years, I have been witness to a rather rapid change in the waterflow. Upstream effluents and illegal sand-mining have almost stopped the flow, the water is murky, and weeds have taken hold...

Discussing a lesson on water pollution with my 9-year old, I explained 'landfill' while giving him a gist of waste segregation and disposal practices in our cities. A week later, I got proof that he had rightly assimilated what I meant. I stack grocery wrappers in a small store-room attached to the kitchen, for reuse or for recycling. During a morning rush I had pulled out a wrapper from the stack, and down cascaded the whole lot. My son passed the store while readying his lunch-bag. Taking one look at the floor of the store, he pronounced..."That's Mom's landfill"

I just tried out good young Google's online transliteration offering . Here is a well known Gandhian thought that reads thus in four different languanges. All I had to do to was type out in English letters the word / words of any of the available Indian languages (Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada as of now) Satyameva Jayate is of course a phrase in Sanskrit. (Check your browser settings if you are unable to read the fonts. See Google's offers of help ) தமிழ் (Tamil) - வாய்மையே வெல்லும (Vaaymaye vellum) മലയാളം (Malayalam) - സത്യമേവ ജയതേ हिन्दी (Hindi) - सत्यमेव जयते ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada) - ಸತ್ಯಮೇವ ಜಯತೆ But hush! Not a word to my son about this.....he's just started attending classes where he learns to read and write Malayalam. [Aside: This is his father's tongue, but submitted as his mother-tongue in school records; the mother's tongue being the much older sibling Tamil] Sorry I digressed. As I said, my son, happy attending classes now, will be happier to give t...

It's probably routine that the Rajya Sabha is adjourned due to lack of quorum . ["One tenth of the total number of members of Rajya Sabha constitutes the quorum for a meeting of the House"]. The latest was on Thursday, Dec 6, 2007, when the Upper House closed shop during a discussion on NREGP . Not even a tenth? Isn't something wrong? Aren't we, the people entitled to know (under the RTI Act) whether the elected or nominated representatives are physically available at both Houses to do their 'job' of running the nation - at least during Parliament sessions? A newspaper could take the lead in presenting daily statistics not unlike schoolrooms, with a front page box item giving ready figures of number of representatives present, and also monthly summaries of each member's presence. I suspect that an hourly update by news channels and portals will reveal a lot about the quantum of 'precious time' our leaders have at their disposal. I wonder how ma...

My choosy son and my choosier husband pronounced before they left for school and work at 7 this morning: “That was a good breakfast”. [As an aside - A working professional–turned freelancer cum home-maker, I have been continuously and increasingly priding myself on striking a good balance between housework and a home-based job]. My husband believes - I don't - that I belong to the Maxine school of thought, according to which the motto of the 'real woman' is: "I made it and you will eat it and I don't care how bad it tastes!" More humanitarianly, I tag my table servings with “If it's tasty, you may appreciate the extra effort and thank your lucky stars; if it's not, it’s health food…" Now back to the breakfast that you are waiting for: Tarla Dalal's Chawal ki Roti , made not entirely that expert's way, but with some wheat flour added to ease the rolling out effort. Here's the modified recipe. Chawal ki Roti (with added wheat flour) Pr...

Read an earliest post about foreign objects in food items like bread, biscuits... ? Well, yesterday it was the turn of an extremely popular brand of noodles, and the offending matter looks like fungus. Note my actions at 8 pm, (even as the family twiddled their thumbs at the table, for dinner that was supposed to have taken mom two minutes to prepare): 1. I called the customer helpline, a number in Gurgaon. An answering machine - honest! - at the call centre asked me to leave name and number. I did. 2. The system and modem were already up and running next to the 'phone, so after using a magnifying glass and a LED booklight to read the mail-id printed on the pack, I wrote to the consumer / customer service mailbox...or so I thought. 3. Not one to easily give the browser a go by, I googled the company's India website, reached the contact-us page and submitted a brief message that included batch no, date of mfg, and details of 'discovery'. 4. By then, an e-mail alert show...

If ever any public figure lives and breathes India and Indianness, it is our former president. You can see and subscribe to his recent venture at his website - a fortnightly newsletter or e-paper

I look forward to the time when application forms, website registration pages, railway reservation forms, and all data gathering documents read like this: 1. Name: 2. Age: 3. Address: 4. e-mail: 5. Nationality: 6. Gender: M/F Most of us are likely to be more comfortable filling answers to these queries above than say such a list: 1. Name: 2. Age: 3. Address: 4. e-mail: 5. Nationality 6. Sex: Why? So that the data gatherer pre-empts responses such as "once a week", "daily", "never", "often", "sometimes" to Item no 6. No, I'm not trivialising an issue. I am rationalising it.

A real 'story' as told by a close friend: "Vani was in her early thirties when I first met her in a Mumbai local sometime in the late ‘70’s. She never talked much but her helping tendency was obvious. She boarded the train at the starting point and always found a seat. Instead of sitting through the hour-long journey, she would offer her seat – a luxury - to another lady. My acquaintance too began this way – a few pleasantries exchanged over the train’s din. After a couple of months, she was not at her usual seat. Everyone presumed that she was on leave. In the busy buzz of the Mumbai life, no one thought twice about her till she came back after nearly 4 months. None of us could recognize her. She had lost weight, her cheeks were sunken, eyes lifeless, and to top it all, she had an almost bald head. Out came the rude shock that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and had to undergo radiation therapy. She hoped that she had won over the disease, but even before ...

CSR Some of the current commercials appear to be efforts at quieting (not stifling thankfully) company conscience (if I sound cynical, I apologise). A tea brand's wake up call is certainly quite refreshing. Another brand's message 'This greeting card has been made using pulp from sustainably managed forests' is also heartening. Nearly all notebooks that my son buys from the local stationer carry a short passage about how the book has been made from ' bagasse , not trees'. But back to the tea commercial. [For those who have not seen it - a youth 'interviews' a vote-seeking neta : Are you educated, qualified and experienced for this job - the job of running the country? The neta is discomfited; the commercial's message is for the citizen to not only arise every morn, but also be(come) aware.] ISR There it is: Being aware is half the battle won, and you'll soon be a practitioner of Individual social responsibilty. In the context of environmental iss...

I used to despair that not enough of us educated literati of urban India are concerned about the environment and effects of our local actions that, put together have a global effect. But recent messages in personal and group mail show that more people have woken up, and are gently tapping others awake. In one group, members encouraged happy Diwali celebrations sans crackers. In another, nearly all the members are vociferously protesting tree-felling in their beloved alma-mater. Of course all this is like a drop in the ocean - one green whiff among millions of tonnes of CO2 emmissions and equivalents. The neighbourhood grocer continues to tell me ' Madam you are the only person to refuse a carrybag - I will lose business if I don't stock them. I know that I can save a couple of 1000 rupees a month and pass the savings to my clients if everyone brought their own bags." In my campus I see quite a few shops that say 'No carry bags'. I step into the shop to find rows an...

"A dog has a master but a cat has slaves". If anyone still doubts the meaning of this maxim, it's likely that they have never been close to a cat. They were born on September 1. The mother was a frequent visitor, having smelt a cat-adorer in the house. This cat-adorer (CA for short) was thus delighted to find three kittens in the cupboard among the household linen. A box with comfortable bedding was prepared and the babies instated. Father and son proudly showed off the litter to visiting friends, of course, if the feline and human moms were not around. It’s said that cats shift the litter seven times during the nurturing phase. In this case, though, the shifting was done by packers and movers. Father and son moved the litter-box from cupboard to kitchen, kitchen to Room 1, Room 1 to Room 3, back to kitchen, a few days more in Room 3. The babies opened their eyes when they were a couple of weeks old. They now had a play-box and a bed-box, each with suitable cut-outs for e...

We hear about sustainable development and green technologies that try to positively impact on global warming and climate change. From vulgar market-mad-media-driven consumerism and mindless material acquisition, some enlightened elite few are moving towards green ideas, both elsewhere and at home...because they can ' afford ' it. The emphasis is on changing the consuming habit from mere material acquisition to material that is a product of green thoughts, actions, and technologies...be it green homes, green AC's, green fridges, green clothing...green luxury! Why do people hesitate to talk about anti-consumerism or non-consumerism? I feel I sound quite 'green' (meaning both naive as well as eco-conscious!). Am I more eco-friendly if I reduce my consumption, or just because I switch to green stuff? In India, we need to go ahead with radical efforts on sustainable development in every sector...even if it means slowing down the so-called economic growth rate. What is...

Touch(ing) the Sky with Glory - a phrase from the Bhagvad Gita (Ch 11, Verse 24) is the motto of the IAF, which celebrates 75 glorious years today - October 8, 2007. As the men and women in blue mark this day with parades and parties, their families continue to support them with happy homes, and contribute to 'blue skies' through community welfare activities. I am proud of my batchmates who continue to serve in the Air Force, since their commissioning among the first batch of 25 women engineers in the IAF on 06 April 1993 . They have served a good career span of 15 jubilee years - diamond to platinum - true value addition! These professionals continue to be pioneers and set examples of the right kind for other aspirants to emulate. A good number of women have been commissioned later in other branches of the IAF [Education, Administration, Logistics, Accounts, Meteorological, Flying]. What will the morrow bring? Here's wishing you - Wing Commanders AG, BS, PKA and VG -the be...

Ganesh Chaturti is celebrated with much fanfare and devotion every year. In most places (Maharashtra) idols of the beloved diety are immersed in available water bodies (sea,lakes) on the Anant Chaturdasi after the Chaturti. Not any different this year; except that the number and size of idols is sure to have gone up. There is a mail circulationg with gory pictures of the revered idols washed ashore. We need campaigns in Mumbai (besides other places) against this kind of practice. Possible solutions: 1. Limit size of idol 2. Ban painted idols 3. Ban immersion in public water bodies. One possible solution. In houses in Chennai, the idol - usually a small one, and never painted is always immersed in the well that is located in the premises (this is done on the assumption that the clay used for the idol was just that). Another possible solution, which quite a few families I know have been practising: immerse the idol in a big bucket / tub, and pour the water after a couple of days to plant...

At last a city corporation has managed to initiate a real effort at waste segregation. Two different coloured bins are being given to residents with indications as to what should go where. (Sadly in the advice, batteries are included in the general non-biodegradable category that will go to landfills - a third category for electronic toxic waste was preferrable - but let's be optimistic). Just give a thought to the kind of waste that we members of educated urban households generate, and for which we are therefore totally responsible. It does not take much effort to segregate the 'wet' waste from the 'dry' waste; and we could go a long way in reducing the volume of garbage several fold...yes, several fold. Next we need concerted efforts at large-scale recycling. [Whatever happened to the 'zapping of plastics' ?] Again at household level, we could put away used envelopes, grocery wrappers, used toiletry and cosmetic containers, along with old newspapers for d...

I have a justified peeve. I am Indian-born, I live in India, and thankyou, but, no, let not the Net confuse me with 'Red-Indian', 'American-Indian' or 'native-American Indian'. Will we need to copyright our nativity? Or will we soon have labels that read Asian-Indian or India-Indian? As it is, if i google 'Indian xxxxx' I end up bemusedly looking at mixed results...

...so says a popular Indian news channel to its viewers while giving sound bytes and video clippings of the festival. Is the viewing community so elite, and so far removed from Indian ethos, and so lost in the future, that we have to be told or be reminded about things and events uniquely Indian... I am glad I know that Christmas is Christ's birthday, wonder if the channel will flash this as well?

Here I am, worrying myself sick about global warming, climate change, and continued indifference of the Average Earth Inhabitant, and there they are - the five countries (US, Russia, Denmark, Norway, Canada) around the North Pole sitting smugly satisfied to see the melting ice, and ready to fight each other to get to the bottom! Not right, to say the least, and frankly speaking - vulgar! Why this greed for control? Despite being fully aware of the short and long term effect of burning and depleting fossil fuels, why do these states seek even more?

Kanpur, 1999: One morning my husband was about to bite into a sandwich, and stopped in time…he stared at a black embedded object in the slice that had, well, several legs. After initial appalled reactions, we decided to call the (well-known) baker. The local telephone directory helped. We called, and were assured that utmost standards of quality were always maintained. A seasoned marketing person came pronto, collected the offending piece, deposited two crisp fresh loaves of very special milk bread, and left. Bangalore, 2001: Same brand, same product, this time a different foreign object, but just as firmly ensconced and baked to perfection. Out went a call to the Yeswantpur source, history repeated. This time a young, enthusiastic and well-coached marketing person turned up to convey the ‘we-have-high-standards-and-quality-checks’ USP. This time we said ‘no, thanks’ to the replacement loaves. Bangalore, 2004: It was the turn of a packet of sweet corn soup. My all-vegetarian family ...

When a breeze rustles the tricolor When all eyes look to the chakra When the overture begins My heart fills to the brim To attention I stand But let the mind travel Back to the glory that was And to the Future in our hands Sentiments they may be, Sentimental too, Not wrong, not amiss, surely? Don’t you feel as I do? As the last strains fade in the ear, I stare - to burn away the tear, Add to history I may or not Blur or change it – I dare not. Will my son feel for the homeland? If that doth lie in my hand He will shed a tear or two - be assured For the country - and his son will, too!

A P and a Q Brighten a day Hold open the door, Give another a say. A civil word here, A kudos-pat there The place lights up, And dark clouds beware. Put U before I, And reverse a Nay, For a tap of your heels, Could make the floor give way. A sorry for a wrong, Does not pinch you, Check it out right away - do And smile your way through!

Grow out of my arms - my son - my baby, Grow up a man well loved to be, Go out into the arms of the wide-wide world Grow out of my arms - my son - my baby. Stride ahead with firmness of step, Put forth your hand to aid and help, Be it a friend, be it a foe, Jus' remember - goodwill - it needs a hoe. Take out the venom, put in the honey, Lay the sweet open, for all to see, Water a plant, pick out a weed, Look to the sun - and place a seed. When I could gather all of you to me, I knew - the day will come early, When your eyes and mind are ready, To go out of my arms- my son - my baby

What prevents educated persons from being environmentally conscious? What blocks their mind from seeing the consequences of their everyday actions? Of late (I mean as long as 6 years) I look at tings through a waste-management eye - trying to answer the question “Where will this go once its useful life is spent?” And then in my mind loom pictures of stinking landfills and rag-pickers rummaging through certainly toxic garbage. Let’s take a few items of everyday use for starters. 1. The alkaline battery that toys, clocks, personal gadgets use: When you buy a pair of these cells, do you ever spare a thought to their after-life? A few years ago, Bangalore civic authorities had a scheme by which spent batteries could be deposited in a receptacle on MG Road for safe disposal later. (I wonder what came of that.) I had changed over to rechargeable batteries (not that I have shelf-loads of them) to use at home in toys, clocks, the camera and the remote. That's also the time I stopped buing ...