Song of the waves - Parayil A. Tharakan Blog

HAPPY REPUBLIC DAY 2012

2012-01-24T11:47:00.001+05:30

Red Fort, Delhi

Republic Day stamps (below)

Shown below are half rupee and annas coins

which were in circulation when India became a Republic.

And, here is a message for every Indian:

(All images from Wikimedia Commons. The message on the
last picture is written by me.)

Keep on saluting Gen. VK Singh?

2012-01-17T22:06:00.000+05:30

The current Chief of theIndian Army, Gen. VK Singh has filed a petition in the Supreme Court to declarethat he was born in 1951. Of course he has every right to take such an actionas a citizen of India.

It is said that Gen. Singh,in his application for admission to the National Defence Academy, has written inhis own handwriting that his date of birth is May 10, 1950. Well, it could havebeen a mistake. In 2006 when his promotion to Corps Commander came up and forsubsequent promotions, 1950 was accepted as his year of birth though it seemsthat in the Adjutant General Branch there is some paper which mentions 1951. Isthe large Indian Army (1.13 million?) in the arms of a man who does not knowhis own date of birth?

But Gen. Singh reportedlysays that the issue is one of integrity and honour and that he is tackling thematter in organisational interest. Can we blame citizens if they doubt that thereputation of this great army is safe in the hands of the man who ignores hisown handwriting? (That is, if the report and Army records are right.) Or doeshe want one more year in service?

For determining age thereare several ways which includes inspection of teeth. We can be sure that theSupreme Court would decide on the appropriate method. There would be anacceptable and unquestionable verdict.

But what would happen if thedecision is that Gen. Singh was born in 1951 and not 1950? Nothing alarming.His appointment as Army Chief was based on the date of birth of 10/5/1950. Thattenure ends on May 31, 2012. If the Supreme Court finds that Gen. Singh wasborn in 1951, the man can be posted for the rest of his service in the Ministryof Defence to recommend a plan for the future of the Indian Army. Or somethingof that sort.

The honour of the IndianArmy cannot be compromised by one man though he has taken part in the 1971 War.

Also please see:

France:The sound of Indian military boots again

Sappercaste, ‘doopta’, Cotton Maha Prabhu.

Delannoy:Dutch sea captain, Maharaja’s army chief, people’s Valia Kappithan.

Messing up Kochi Metro Project?

2012-01-11T18:55:00.000+05:30

The expectations of thepeople were that Kochi (Cochin)’s metro rail project would move quickly withthe internationally accepted Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) as the nodalagency and India’s ‘Metro Man’ E. Sreedharan in charge. A company under thename Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) was formed for the project. It has 11Directors with the Chief Minister as the Chairman, 5 more ministers, 4 IASofficers including the Managing Director, and the Mayor of Cochin.

It is reported that thestate government wrote to the Ministry of Urban Development in Delhi that "The Kochi Metro Rail Limited(KMRL) was set up to coordinate with other government departments toeffectively implement the project," A noble objective. Probably KMRL wouldrun the Metro once it is completed. We see that DMRC which is constructing theMetro project in Jaipur has asked the government there to start recruitingstation masters, train drivers and support staff so that they can be trained intime, for the Jaipur Metro Rail Corporation.

DMRC was asked to do twopreliminary jobs for the project. Keralites who are quite gullible sometimes believed that herewe go ahead with the Rs.5000+ crores scheme in association with DMRC andSreedharan. But last month the PWD Minister announced that the work would beawarded through a global tender. It was also heard that the KMRL has submittedan affidavit in the Kerala High Court confirming this.

State government sourceshave reportedly asked why the DMRC cannot take part in the global tender. Theanswer is simple. They are not interested. There is enough work on handalready for them in different cities. It was Sreedharan’s interest to bring ametro to his home state that kept him and DMRC involved in the Kochi project. Sreedharan the man and DMRCthe organization have great worldwide reputation for their efficiency andintegrity. I believe that Sreedharan has stated that DMRC doing the projectwould bring down the cost by over Rs.300 crores. Is KMRL interested in that?

KMRL may not have had thetime or inclination to study how DMRC operates. They float global tenders forspecific areas. In Jaipur the world renowned group Mott MacDonald was broughtin to advice on tenders. When the argument for global tender became weak, a newgimmick was introduced – without that procedure Japan Bank for InternationalCooperation (JBIC) would not grant the necessary soft loan for the project.

There are different ways ofsuccessfully managing such situations which many major projects may face. Buthere nothing was necessary. In projects undertaken by DMRC, JBIC does notinsist on that clause. A phone call toJaipur or Delhi or Japan by KMRL would have clarifiedthe position. One is tempted to think that what the Kerala government wantsis Sreedharan’s name but projectmanagement by its own selected people.

Of course, the project canbe successfully completed without Sreedharan and DMRC. But it takes time.Organizing a large team of experts may involve two years or so. A new gang may need more time forimplementation. Finalizing the global tender might itself require a longerperiod. All these would mean cost escalation as well.

It is said that tomorrow afinal decision is to be taken about awarding the contract. If Sreedharan andDMRC are to be involved now because of public pressure, there is the danger ofa variant of the Kerala Crab Syndrome quietly creeping in. The governmentdepartments may not provide the required cooperation. Sreedharan has publiclystated that the KSEB and the PWD are not cooperating with the present work.

The Chief Minister wouldcertainly be aware of all these. Let us see what he does.

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Also see:

Dam Business

PuttingFDI in retail on hold – sense or nonsense?

Five Yercaud Flowers

2012-01-09T11:28:00.000+05:30

Click to enlarge.

Photos by KO Isaac.

Nostalgia:Two Yercaud photos

As birthdays go by…

2012-01-04T14:14:00.001+05:30

Last week we celebrated myelder sister Mariamma’s 80^th birthday. We call her Pengal. She normally stays at Chennaibut had come down to Cochinfor a function. The birthday luncheon party was just for the family, fourgenerations of it. It was a nice get together, but a sad one too in some ways.

In a short period Mariammahad lost her husband Mathew Alapatt, an authority on gear technology, eldestson Francis Alapatt who was a well known management teacher, her seconddaughter Rosie who was an excellent painter, and son-in-law Chandy MathewPallivathukkal, an industrialist and writer. Just six months back one of the brothers, George (Tharakan, formerly Air India's Regional Director, Middle East) too passed away. Thoughts of them must have ranthrough the mind of this brave lady while the youngsters were having fun at the party. One could see tearsrunning down her cheeks occasionally.

I am two years younger to Pengal. Another brother present at the lunch, Joseph Tharakan is six years younger to her.We were the elder group at the gathering, sharing several childhood memoriesmainly about Olavipe (KeralaArchitecture: Nalukettu, ettukettu, pathinarukettu) and our mother’s house Konduparambil(KeralaArchitecture: The house where I was born).

Childhood games and fightsand schemes and secret dreams are so touching to think of and discuss sometimes withothers who were involved. I suppose everyone has plenty of them. But our childhood belonged to another era. (Somememories of WW II, Cochin and the 1940s.)

Life before the Second WorldWar was different. The first indication of the War for us children was that theBritish made toys and dolls stopped coming. Chocolates and toffees and biscuitstoo disappeared. Time was moved ahead by one hour. We had to get up earlier toreach school on time but had extra one hour in the evening to play. Then theWar was over. Soon Indiawas independent. There were elections, and drastic changes in every field thatone had to and did acknowledge and accept.

We who were children grewup, drifted apart, got married and live with our own nuclear families.The same is true for our children as well. Occasionally the siblings meet at a function or an organised get together. Weare fortunate because there is a family meet too, every May. We also keep intouch through phone calls and emails.

Life goes on like this tillone reaches an age when sometimes the image of one’s own garlanded photohanging on the wall flashes through the mind.

Well, that’s the way it is. Ignore that.. Be happy and positive.

Best Wishes

2011-12-31T12:00:00.002+05:30

Wishing You a Very Happy and Prosperous

New Year

Mango trees flower

2011-12-26T10:40:00.000+05:30

Usually, mango trees bloomin December. An indication that one of them is about to blossom is the lightyellowish or pinkish tender leaves that come. They will soon turn dark green.

The flowers have an exoticsmell that fills the air during season. A good portion of the blooms fall offparticularly if there is rain clouds or rain.

Given below are photos thatI took in Chennai and Olavipe. Click on them to enlarge. Copyright is reserved.

Also please see:

Mangoes:First ones of the season at Olavipe

Kerala Cuisine: Manga thera (mango mat) recipe

Mango trees: 'ottu mavu'and 'nattu mavu'

Greetings

2011-12-22T17:28:00.000+05:30

MERRY CHRISTMAS.

Dam Business

2011-12-17T20:58:00.000+05:30

Dr.Rajan Gurukkal, ViceChancellor of the Mahatma Gandhi Universityrecently stated that politics improves the intellectual level of a person.Well, after whipping up emotions and creating a near panic situation in thedispute with Tamil Nadu over the Mullaperiyar Dam, the Kerala UDF leaders havecalled off their agitation. The Communists and BJP who have become practicallytheir political partners are to continue the fight. The by-election to theKerala Assembly from Piravom is around the corner and they are hoping to get afew more votes with this show.

The Mullaperiyar Dam wasbuilt 116 years back at a height of about 3000 feet above sea level by theBritish in what is now the Idukki District of Kerala. The purpose was to supplywater to the barren districts of Tamil Nadu adjoining the Western Ghats. This is done through watershed cutting and tunnels andpipes. Subsequently, power generation from the diverted water was also takenup.

Actually it was one man’sdedication that made the dam a reality – Major John Pennycuick whom the MadrasPresidency Governor had put in charge of the project. But after two coffer damfailures the government withdrew financial support to the plan.

Pennycuick did not give upthough. It is said that he sold his estate in England and his wife’s jewellery tofund the construction of the dam. One product that flowed without water thenwas the local hooch, arrack, which the workers consumed to keep away malaria.In spite of that hundreds of them died of the disease.

When completed, the dam wasconsidered to be one of the great engineering feats performed by man. A largearea of Tamil Nadu – Theni, Madurai,Sivaganga and Ramanathapuram districts - started receiving ample supply ofwater. That changed the lives of the people of those places and Pennycuickbecame a god to them.


By Jayeshj. Published under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0Unported license.

By Captain. Published under

Creative Commons Attribution 3.0Unported license.

At least one temple wasdedicated to the Englishman. Pongal is celebrated for him in some areas. Hisportrait is revered in many homes and shops. Children are named after him.There is also a place called Pennycuick Peravai. The government put up Pennycuick’sstatue in Madurai.When this engineer’s great grandson visited the area in 2002, thousandsgathered to welcome and honour him. The people of Tamil Nadu have a deepattachment to Mullaperiyar Dam and Pennycuick. One has to be sensitive to thataffection.

In 1886 the Travancore Sateand the British signed a 999 year lease agreement for giving the latter 8000acres of land for the reservoir and 100 acres for the dam for rent of Rs.40000per year. This contract became void when India attained independence. Afteryears of negotiation, a new agreement was signed between Kerala and Tamil Naduin 1970. In that the lease rates were increased to Rs.1 million. Kerala now wantsthis agreement to be modified.

Kerala’s concern is that theold dam made using stone rubble masonry has weakened mainly because of age andthe earthquakes in the area and might burst. If that happens there would becolossal loss of human lives and existing development in Kerala. The movie Dam 999 (which is banned in TN) Ibelieve (haven’t seen it) shows the havoc a dam burst can cause. We know thatduring World War II the British developed a special type of bomb to demolishtwo German dams so that the industries downstream would be washed away. Thefamous 1955 British movie, The DamBusters shows the details.

Fears about the safety ofMullaperiyar Dam arose in Kerala in 1979 when Macchu – 2 Dam near Morvi town inGujarat burst due to incessant rains. It isestimated that about 15000 to 25000 people died in that tragedy. From 1990there have been several earthquakes in Idukki District which could haveaffected the strength of the dam. Kerala says there have been twenty twoearthquakes. According to TN, there have been only four. But the CentralGovernment states that there have been sixteen tremors and the dam is inearthquake prone area.

What Kerala wants is toconstruct a new dam downstream and till that is completed to reduce the storagelevel at Mullaperiyar to 120 feet from the present 136 feet. Kerala alsopromises to provide TN as much water as they are getting now, from the new dam.But what the price of water would be and how the new structure is to befinanced and managed is not clear. The present dam, though it is in Kerala isoperated and maintained by TN.

Kerala Government isabsolutely justified in its concern for the safety of its people. But the waythe present government has gone about it is counter productive. The antics andone-upmanship by the Kerala parties over the issue have provoked the Tamilians.Keralites are at the losing end and further problems could arise for peopleliving in Kerala and those Keralites in TN. Going into details would make thisa long essay. As the Supreme Court said, “Both parties, instead of dousing thefire, are adding fuel to it.”

This sort of matters should havebeen discussed quietly and a reasonable agreement reached before publicisingit. Perhaps negotiations should have started in 1990. What is the solution now?The Supreme Court? The Prime Minister or the President?

Somebody should put acrossto TN one basic point. A dam burst would be a one time tragedy for Kerala. But all the areas in TN which haveprospered with water from Mullaperiyar would become barren again.

Click on the photos to enlarge.

All pictures from Wikimedia Commons.

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Also please see Rememberinggrandfather. There may be a connection..

Putting FDI in retail on hold – sense or nonsense?

2011-12-13T11:59:00.001+05:30

What prompted me to writethis was reading Yaswant Sinha’s statements about FDI in retail field in aninterview published recently in the Deccan Chronicle.

About fifteen or twentyyears back when supermarkets came to Cochinthere was considerable fear among the small retailers that their business wouldbe affected. The magnitude of this concern spread to more areas when the bigshops started selling meat, fish and vegetables too.

What really happened? Onechain of supermarkets closed down, obviously due to mismanagement. Unfortunatelythey did not know Yaswant Sinha’s miracle therapy – send your people outside tolearn best management practices in retail. (It would be useful if he canpublish a list of places where such training is available to Indian retailers.)Another well-known chain also pulled down its shutters. Some others are doingwell of course. Even Reliance and More have entered the scene in a big way. Butit has not affected the small retailers.

Take the area where I livein Cochin. Sevenyears back when we moved to Chennai the place had three or four vegetable shopsand a few retail outlets for other goods. We shifted back three months ago. Thesituation is interesting. Within a radius of less than 1km, there is a RelianceFresh (with a notice on the front door that they need personnel), around tenvegetable shops and a number of retailers dealing in every imaginable goodsfrom pencils to electronics. All of them seem to be doing well.

We go to Relianceoccasionally. The main reason is that there is a good fish stall and a medicalshop near Reliance. It also helps us to learn what the new goods on the marketare. But it is the corner shop near the house that we depend on mostly. It hasalmost all the stuff we need for the house. That shop too has grown. Incidentally,women still bring fish home. The cold storages apparently have not affectedtheir business

If Walmart or Morrison’s orCarrefour opens a super shop in the heart of the town not many people arelikely to drive in the traffic congestion to do regular shopping there. It istrue that the malls which have come up in Cochin seem to be doing well. But mostly,people stick to their local shops where they are known. The habit of buying inlarge quantities and stocking for a month or so is not common.

Yaswant Sinha says thatforeign involvement in retail would mean cultural invasion. Well, the middlemanculture would be under threat. That should benefit the farmers and theconsumers. As a matter of fact, reading through the whole interview gives onethe feeling that FDI is something that Sinha is not really against, though hisintention was to justify his party’s stand to oppose it.

If the major internationalretail chains come to India,they would require people to man the new facilities. It is unlikely that theywould grab staff from the existing small outlets. They would recruit accordingto their set standards and train the personnel. This should certainly create manynew job opportunities.

Would the customers have anybenefits? Let me give my wife’s and my example. After a recent cataractoperation, I had to use different types of eye drops. They are cheaper in thehospital pharmacy by about 20% compared to the medical shops. The same is trueabout my wife’s diabetic medicines and equipments for taking sugar readings.The reason is that these hospitals buy in volumes and regularly.

Efficient and quantitativebuying certainly reduces the cost for the outlet. You might have noticed ads inthe media and otherwise by big shops offering commonly used goods cheaper thanmarket prices and MRPs.

Now, on the political angle.In fact the BJP was for FDI in retail when they were ruling. But that proposalwas not pushed through for some reason. Now they are objecting to it becausethe UPA is trying to implement it. Purely political reason.

BJP must realize that theparty is very important to India.They would be/should be either running the government or sitting the oppositionin a responsible manner. Seeing the BJP lining up with the left parties toooften these days makes one worried. TheCommunists have opposed everything good for the country from Quit India tocomputers. That is why they are where they are today.

Inactivating the Parliament forpolitical reasons – sometimes silly ones – for days at a stretch and wastingthe taxpayer’s money is not right. Stayin the Parliament and bring a no confidence motion if the government is reallydoing something seriously wrong.

That is the true democraticprocess.

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Also please see

Ofcuisine, climate and ketchup

A tree of sorrow and its flowers that are teardrops

2011-12-03T11:06:00.001+05:30

Onceupon a time in a kingdom in Indiawas a princess. Her name was Parijathika.She fell in love with the Sun. After years of waiting and pleading, sherealized that her wishes were in vain. She committed suicide. From her ashes arosea plant. It grew fast, and started flowering. The plant and its flowers werenamed parijatham, after the princess. The fragrant blossoms opened only atnight so that they won’t have to see the Sun. They fall off in the morning.They are the teardrops of Parijathika.

Parijatham thirumizhithurannu…. (parijathamflower has opened its royal eyes….) is a famous song that the Malayalis(Mallus) have loved for decades. Though it is a native of Southeast Asia (Pakistan to Thailand) not many people arefamiliar with parijatham. Actually I don’t even remember seeing one. We have aplant with beautiful white flowers which is locally called parijatham. But itis a day-flowering one. I have given its photo in the post Canyou help identify these flowers form Olavipe?

Then,last week I met Prof. Joy Joseph at a luncheon party at the Cochin SuburbanClub. He had been the Secretary of Ernakulam District Agri-Horti Society fornine years and has organized several flower shows. I asked him about parijatham.He got me its botanical name Nyctanthes arbor-tristis and said thatin English it is called night flowering jasmine. Later on I found that it isalso referred to as coral jasmine and tree of sorrow. I believe that arbor-tristis literally means sad tree. Itbelongs to the Oleaceaefamily. Parijatham is the Malayalam name. Some of the names in other languagesare given in the ‘Labels’ section below.

Well, parijatham is notreally a tree. It grows to a height of only a few meters. More like a shrub.The 1-2 inch flowers are beautiful and highly fragrant. Though they fall off inthe morning, the aroma lingers in the air for hours. Parijatham is a divineflower and is used for worship by the Hindus and Buddhists. I believe that theyare not to be plucked from the shrub. Only the fallen ones are taken.

Apart from the story of the princess falling in love with theSun, there are two other stories that I came across about its origin. One isthat, according to the Puranas, parijathamwas found during the Palazhi Madhanam (Churningof the Sea of Milk)

Another episode states thatSri Krishna stole a branch of the parijatham tree from the heavenly garden of Indra. His wives Satyabhama and Rukminiwere staying in adjoining houses. Each wanted parijatham to be planted in hergarden. Sri Krishna placed the plant in a slanting manner in one garden so thatwhen it grew up the flowering would be over the other garden.

It is claimed that all partsof parijatham except perhaps its roots have great medicinal value. It is usedfor gout, piles, dry cough, skin problems, ring worm, intestinal worms, certain gynecological troubles, chronic feverand as purgative. Hair tonic is also made from parijatham.

Parijatham is not to beconfused with ‘nishagandhi (Queen of the night or night-blooming Cerus plant).Incidentally, in the post Visit of aqueen I have given sequentialphotographs of a nishagandhi flower opening. Please do have a look at it.

West Bengal State, India and Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand have parijatham as the official Stateflower.

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Click on photos to enlarge.

The ancient painting of Sri Krishna uprooting or planting parijatha is in the public domain and is taken from Wikimedia Commons.

The photos are by J.M.Garg of Calcutta.

They are reproduced here from Wikimedia Commons under

GNU Free Documentation License

Art and Wine

2011-11-28T10:30:00.001+05:30

What is art? What is the connection between art andwine? These were some of the questions a few of us discussed some days back. Itwas at the Art & Wine event at Ramada Resort that was promoted by PaulGeorge (on the right in photo), a well known art connoisseur and business man of Cochin, and Sulu Wines. The opening lamp waslit by Mr. K. Ramachandran Nair (on the left in photo), who has contributed so much for the promotionof art with his galleries.

Perhaps it would be correct to say that art relatesto skill, expression and imagination. A portrait is a matter of skill. Theartist studies the subject keenly and translates the details to the canvas asperfectly as he can. A few sittings may be required to complete a portrait.Does the final product contain any imagination or expression of the artist? Itshould not. It would be almost like a photograph. Copying landscape is more orless the same.

An artist of course may use models to createimaginary situations. The pose and expressions of the model/s come withimagination of the artist. An illustration of this can be found in the paintingby the great artist Raja Ravi Varma reproduced below:

It portrays the parting of King Pururavas and ApsarasUrvashi. The situation is a sad one. The king is uncertain whether they willever meet again. Urvashi has a better understanding of what the future wouldbe. The Royal Painter has so brilliantly brought this on the faces of hissubjects in the painting.

A photographer is an artist too. He can use methodsthat are not artificial to transform his subject into a condition that hevisualises in his mind. Saying ‘cheese’ is not what I mean. I am thinking ofthe famous photo of Winston Churchill which Yousuf Karsh took on 30 December1941 at the Canadian Parliament House premises. The British PM had made asuccessful speech to the MPs and had come out smiling.

What Karsh wanted was a stern looking Churchill. Heset his camera and quickly moved near the PM and pulled the cigar from theman’s mouth. By the time Karsh got back to his camera, Churchill’s face was belligerent.That was how the famous photo of Churchill that came to be known as The AngryLion was created. Here it is:

When an artist gives expression to what he feelsabout an object, he does not normally go in for details. See this one:

(Annie Tharakan. Copyright Reserved.)

It is supposed to be sunset.The clouds are not shown in detail. The artist has presented her impression ofsunset, and it is beautiful. It was done by my granddaughter Annie Tharakan(please also see Olakkuda– Palmyra leaf umbrella and The tooth fairy came by...) when she was eight years old. Another painting she did at that time hangs in theoffice room of the Executive Director of a Chennai company. Unfortunately shedoes not paint these days.

Someof the paintings exhibited at the Art & Wine event were good. I am givingbelow one of them. The artist is Linu John.

(Linu John. Copyright Reserved)

Art and wineevents are quite common in the West. Tarissa Tiberti, Director of BellagioGallery of Fine Art (BGFA) claims that there are “many commonalities of art andwine. They are both subjective, evoke emotion and tend to be very personal.”

I like thename of a string of art classes in the U.S. which says that they hold “creativeclass for folks who want to learn the basics of acrylic painting in the companyof great friends and good wine” – Spirited Art.

With champagne by Sulu and wellknown brands of other liquor flowing, the Ramada event was truly spirited art.

Also see PopularizingRaja Ravi Varma

Click on the pictures to enlarge. The Karsh photo and Ravi Varma painting given here are in the public domain

Gin and tonic

2011-11-15T10:49:00.001+05:30

The midday drink of thesahibs when they ruled Indiawas gin and tonic. Whiskey, usually with soda from which the gas is churned outwas from sun down onwards. Gin and tonic is still popular in the UK and some other countries but in India very fewstick to it or the new innovation, vodka and tonic. The British had a purposein taking that drink other than alcoholic aspect. The ‘tonic’ is quinine waterwhich prevents/cures malaria and is health wise beneficial in several ways.

I was reminded of quininewhile talking to a young Darjeelinggirl (she is getting married next month) at a luncheon party last week. We weretalking about Darjeelingand she mentioned about the quinine plantations in that area. I didn’t knowthat Indiacultivated the medicinal tree chinchona. Quinineis obtained by powdering its bark. On checking I find that several tropicalcountries grow this tree for its commercial value.

The story of cinchona andquinine is fascinating. The medicinal value of quinine was first discovered bythe QuechuaIndians of Peru and Bolivia. If Imention the ailments for which quinine is used, it will take 200 words more. InIndiait was used mainly for treating malaria and fever. Some of the elder Indianreaders might remember C.A.Q. tablets in small dabbas like the ones in which gramophone needles used to come.These were prescribed often, except to pregnant women, for treating fever.

The Jesuits brought themedicine from S. America to Europe. In fact,it was known as “Jesuit Powder”. It is said to have saved thousands of Romansincluding Popes and Cardinals from Malarial deaths. Doctors in Europe accepted quinine as the most effectiveanti-malaria medicine. It remained so till the 1940s when chemical substituteswere found. But quinine is still prescribed against Malaria. It is said thatthe Europeans were able to conquer Africa onlybecause they had this wonder drug against the dreaded disease.

Realizing the value ofquinine Peruand neighbouring states proscribed the export of cinchona saplings and seedsduring the first half of 19c. The Dutch succeeded in smuggling out thecultivars and established large cinchona plantations in Java. These trees growto a height of 15-20 meters. They havewhite, yellow or pink flowers. The genus has about forty species. Normally theygrow in the altitude of 1500 to 3000 meters.

Come World War II and thedemand for quinine for use by troops deployed in malaria-risk areas shot up.When Holland was captured by the Germans and Philippines by theJapanese, the Allies ran short of this vital medicine. The US managed to collect whatever quantities ofquinine that Costa Ricahad. But those supplies came late and were not really sufficient. The Britishhad some supplies from Indiaand other colonies. It is said that the Japanese were not aware of the properuse of quinine. In spite of having large supplies from the Philippines,many Jap soldiers died of malaria. It is a fact that with proper availabilityand distribution of quinine, the causalities in the Second World War would havebeen considerably lesser.

Well, continue with gin andtonic if you like it. Alternatively, in some countries there are aperitifs andliqueurs containing quinine, and all over the world many brands of tonic wateris available. Malaria is no threat now. But taking limited quantities ofquinine (other than by pregnant ladies) is supposed to help from heart to liverto general health.

Also see:

TropicalMedicinal Plants: Thumpa, a vanishing beauty

Petroleum products manufacturing and pricing policy

2011-11-08T18:12:00.000+05:30

There cannot be a single person in India who is happy about the latest increase in petrol prices. Also, it has in its wake brought some shocking views.

A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court chaired by the Acting Chief Justice has made a statement that the oil companies are trying to choke people with a string and that the citizens should launch protests. In my opinion, the duty of Judges is to look at the legality of the matters that come before them and not to exhort people to start agitations. For fear of Contempt of Court I dare not say anything more.

First of all, let us understand why price hikes become necessary in the petroleum field. The price of the basic raw material continues to be at a high level even though occasionally there is nominal fall. The oil producing countries decide on the output, usually at a rate that is beneficial to them. This is, one should assume, known to most people.

Recently I heard a politician speak on the TV that even though the price of crude fell by $2 per barrel, the UPA increased the petrol prices. I suppose that the fellow, like many of his colleagues, did not study the subject or even if they tried, are incapable of understanding it.

There was another one, an ex-minister telling The Kerala Assembly that from a high of $118 per barrel of oil the prices have been coming down, but the Government of India keeps increasing the price. This man has either forgotten his economics or he was purposely misleading the others.

We pay for the crude in US dollars. Fall in oil price becomes beneficial to us if the rupee-dollar parity remains steady or tilts in our favour. But look at the situation today. Rupee has slipped against the US currency; it is around Rs.50 per USD now. The calculation should be simple.

There are three ways of buying oil – spot buying, futures trading and contractual arrangement. Futures’ trading which is being increasingly applied to most of the commodities is a tricky business which requires a great deal of expertise. Like in all industries, in the petroleum field also, the efficiency in buying raw materials adds to the profit margin and provides the elbow room for price reduction and competition. Many of the important officials in the nationalized organisations are not specially trained in business management.

The NDA and the UPA whenever they were/are in power have been following the policy of subsidizing the prices of petroleum products. Obviously, vote bank politics are behind this. Subsidy expended in one sector, negatively affects the development of some other sector/s. Finally, when the day of reckoning comes, the quantum of price increase required becomes shockingly high.

Three years back I had written a post titled Tackling the oil crisis. One point I failed mentioning then was that the vehicles should be kept in good condition. Anyway, let us have a look at what could be done to handle the situation:

1. Take a look at the crude oil buying procedure and see whether improvements can be made. There could be a committee of experts to oversee the details. At what prices other major countries are buying oil and their retail prices should be followed and the details should be publicised through the media. Even though the information is in the public domain, it is not easy for a common man to get it.

2. The Central Government should review the customs duty on oil import and see whether it can be lowered.

3. The sales tax charged by the States should be changed from the present ad valorem system to per unit, say per litre basis. Today each increase in petroleum price is a bumper lottery to the States. They get huge unbudgeted revenue from sales tax. Many States run on income from liquor and petrol.

4. A price escalation formulae should be worked out and implemented, say, every quarter. There could be a similar system which shall apply to taxi and auto rickshaw charges.

But the real answer is none of these. Large scale corruption in the oil companies cannot be ruled out. Right now, reportedly one of them is into real estate. It is spending large amounts to buy land in several places in the country. It seems that Rs.40 crores have been spent in Kerala itself. The idea it seems, is to build holiday homes for employees. If true, it is shocking.

We have seen the damage the Socialistic (non existent?) pattern of society path has done to the country. Nationalisation, license raj, ruining of a world class airline and so on. The nation should be grateful to Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh for starting the correction process.

Now Manmohan Singh should take the final step – privatize the oil companies. Let there be competition in the market but ensure that no cartel/monopoly comes into existence. The government’s business is governance, not manufacturing goods from condoms to petrol. The BJP should support the Congress in this endeavour, or start the move themselves. Probably both would like to wait till the forthcoming State Assembly elections are over.

The people are likely to accept and agree if the idea that price reduction may be possible is presented to them properly. The only serious objection, if political interests are avoided, would be from the Communists. Well, for eighty years they have been making a lot of noise about many things but have not achieved anything. If some private entrepreneurs make some money while supplying goods to the people at cheaper rates, why should anyone bother?

Also see:

Contempt of Court - comment and response

Contempt of Court - express your views

Two months of silence – relocation and cataract operation

2011-10-31T16:24:00.000+05:30

Well, my keeping quiet on the blogosphere for two months was not because of any mouna vrutha. Such noble undertakings are only for people like our present day ‘Gandhian’ in creaseless clothes.

I was busy with relocating from Chennai to Cochin after seven years, and then a cataract operation. The shifting was really bothersome. The main problem is that one does not know where the things are and that involves quite a bit of searching. Some of my papers are yet to come from Chennai. By the time the computer became operational, it was time for my cataract operation.

The surgery took about fifteen or twenty minutes. One doesn’t even feel it. I was lucky to have Dr. Sandhya Rao doing the procedure. She must be one of the very few FRCS (UK) doctors in the ophthalmic field in India. Very good.

Even though cataract operation is completed a short time, it takes about five weeks for the eyes to become fully operational. I believe that it takes one month for the inserted lens to settle completely. That is a time of regularly using eye drops. Only after that the appropriate spectacles can be prescribed. And getting it made may take two days or so.

But in my case the wait was longer. The operation was done at Vasan Eye Care (they claim to the world’s largest eye care organization) Hospital on the Bypass Road, Cochin. A good place – clean, courteous attention by the staff and you can meet the doctors by appointment

But my problem was with their spectacles section. They made a pair of glasses which didn’t suit me. They were not bothered with my protests. Absolutely discourteous and disinterested people. They didn’t even give me something to read and check my vision. You know, take it or leave it attitude. Of course, I had already paid for it.

To end the cataract story – I went to another optician and got a suitable pair of glasses for half the price. In the process, lost three days. I am keeping the Vasan spectacles as a memento of wasted money.

Anyway, it is nice for me to be back in Cochin – close relatives, old club, good friends, awful roads, impertinent people, mosquitoes and so on.

Greetings

2011-09-01T14:12:00.000+05:30

“No Pillows, No Blankets”

2011-08-24T13:12:00.000+05:30

Yesterday (Aug.23) I took an early morning flight of a major Indian airways from Cochin to Chennai.. Usually there would be the airline chaps to help needy passengers with baggage and checking in. I required assistance because of a back problem. Looked around for support staff. No luck.

A young girl offered to help but she had much luggage. So I thanked her and managed on my on with difficulty. The counter chap said that porter service was available at the Metros only. Just five days earlier I had received this facility at Cochin when I landed from Chennai. Anyway he was kind enough to assure me that he would ask his Chennai office to provide me assistance on landing.

After we took off, I asked one of the hostesses for a pillow. Pat came the answer, “No pillows, no blankets” and she went marching away. No politeness, no apology, not even a smile. My poor back had to suffer the nearly one hour forty minutes ATR flight because of an ill trained and incompetent hostess.

A little while later the hostess came selling ‘you make your own tea’. No coffee. I let her pass. There was nothing to do because I had forgotten to carry a book. Newspapers are too costly for some airlines to provide free. They could at least think of selling them and making a profit. After all, if you can have a roving tea stall on board, why not a moving bookshop? Some major booksellers and several passengers might be interested. But, buy pillows with the profit. They could even rent out pillows at the check in counter.

One had the choice of either keeping the eyes closed, or staring at the two large advertisements (I was on row 3 and could easily see them) for Whyte and Mackay and Black Dog CDs. I suppose that most people know what those really are. But you can’t get them on board. It was too early for Scotch anyway.

The Air India one hour flight I took to Cochin on 18^th Aug had pillows and blankets and a pleasant crew. It was almost like the Air India of the good old days. We were served a good solid brunch that was included in the fare which was just Rs.1223. The ‘no pillows’ carrier cost me Rs.2426. One reason I can think of for the higher fare is that they flew me forty minutes longer. Can you fault the logic? Reportedly, this airline is running at a heavy loss for the last five years.

At Chennai Airport baggage collection there was just one porter of this airline. A lady with her little baby and rather heavy baggage was already on to him. I managed on my on, ignoring the back problem.

If you travel by this particular airline it is advisable to carry along a pillow.

Also see Douglas DC 3, The Dakota

Happy Independance Day

2011-08-14T19:35:00.001+05:30

Photo by

Ronaldo Lazzari

Creating Gen Next Engineers

2011-08-01T15:42:00.000+05:30

The motivation to convert young men and women into efficient technicians on whom the future of the country depends is noble. First requirement for this of course is an engineering college. Take Kerala for instance where there are quite a few of them. As long as friendly politicians are around the necessary clearances don’t pose a problem. Thereafter it is a simple process of accounting, sometimes in the books, sometimes outside them. If you happen to hear the tinkle of money, don’t be surprised.

There has to be a building to run a college. Of course, there is one. In fact a few, if you consider attached structures too. If you see the photos in the college advertisements you might think that you are joining one of the finest educational institutions in the world. It is good to dream sometimes.

The Principal might be a post graduate in engineering. He might be a laid up old man though. But there are a handful of Bachelors in Engineering on the college staff. One or two of them might have just passed out of that college itself a couple of years back. The others are credited with five or six years experience. That is great. Sometimes teachers from nearby Government Colleges snoop in to take classes. Several other teachers have no engineering degree. Some of the institutions are bright – they share teachers. There are no reports yet of peons and gardeners getting a chance.

A court ordered enquiry into 28 of the 84 private engineering colleges in Kerala has come out with some shocking revelations. God knows what the inspection of the rest of the institutions will reveal. How did this preposterous situation develop? Who are responsible? Surely the money makers, the universities, government, and parents of the students can’t escape the blame.

Finally The Kerala High Court has intervened. No more sanctions for private engineering colleges. All the colleges are to be inspected. Permission of some of the existing ones might be withdrawn. (What will happen to the students of those colleges?) The ultimate verdict will come only after the inspection of the rest of the colleges is also completed.

But imagine the damage that has been already done. Some of the half baked graduates from the existing colleges will be teaching engineering students in future.

A Travancore Lady by Raja Ravi Varma

2011-07-25T09:58:00.000+05:30

From Venad to World Focus: The Travancore Royal Family

2011-07-13T21:32:00.002+05:30

The photo above must have been taken many a decade back. It captures the grandeur of the Travancore Maharaja’s royal carriage in front of Sree Padmanamaswamy Temple, Trivandrum. How does it compare with Sree Chithira Thirunal, the former Maharaja rushing one morning to his deity in an auto rickshaw that I described in The last of the Travancore Maharajas?

Not that it matters for the Travancore Royal Family. The important thing was that the Chief had to present himself before Sree Padmanabha in Ananthashayanam every morning. There is a fine if he fails in this, no matter what the reason for the absence is. It is not fear of the penalty that makes them maintain the routine. It is duty, a matter of honor, something that has been going on for 260 years

What do they do at A Temple of Gold? Pray, of course. But there was something more important. They had to report to Sree Padmanamaswamy the details of all that happened in the kingdom the previous day. During that period they must have been receiving divine guidance on how to manage the affairs of the State.

The story really starts in 1706. At the south western corner of India there was a small kingdom named Venad, stretching from Attingal to Kanyakumari. The capital was Padmanabhapuram. That year, under the Anizham Star was born Marthanda Varma who would succeed his uncle Rama Varma as king under the matrilineal system.

The baby prince did not come into the hostile world around him with a sword in his hand but he was to swirl one almost throughout his life. Raja Rama Varma apparently was not a strong man. There were enemies all around. The Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple was managed by Ettara (eight and a half) Yogam (committee), the half vote being the raja’s. The others included seven Brahmins and one Nair noble family Palliyadi Karanatta Kurup or Azhakath Kurup. Their powerful associates were eight Nair lords known to history as Ettuveettil Pillamar who controlled the vast land holdings of the Temple.

Marthanda Varma survived some assassination attempts. He waited patiently, planned and began striking. He ascended the throne in 1729. One by one the Ettuveettil Pillamar was eliminated. Among the Pottys of Ettara Yogam two were banished from the kingdom and the others were brought down to the ground level to do ordinary priestly duties. The Nair noble man must have been on the Raja’s side because he continued in a responsible position. Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple came under the direct control of the Raja of Venad. In 1730, Marthanda Varma rebuilt the Temple

With Venad stabilized, Marthanda Varma’s armies marched northwards victoriously. One by one the kingdoms fell to him. The Dutch who supported some of the beaten rulers decided on a surprise sea bound attack on the capital Padmanabhapuram in 1741. This is known as the Colachel War. They almost succeeded, reaching the walls of the palace, but in a fierce counter attack Marthanda Varma’s Nair soldiers beat them resoundingly.

Among the Dutch Prisoners of War was one Capt. Delannoy. (See Delannoy: Dutch sea captain, Maharaja’s army chief, people’s Valia Kappithan.) Marthanda Varma was highly impressed with his skills. He was granted freedom and asked to train the Venad soldiers in modern warfare. He was perhaps the number one military man for Marthanda Varma and his successor Dharma Raja. He also built Nedumkotta, a 48km long fortress along the northern boundary of the kingdom which had, with the Delannoy trained army, expanded to the borders of Cochin. The State was now generally known as Travancore under Marthanda Varma Maharaja.

In 1750, the Maharaja did something unique and incredible. He dedicated himself and his kingdom to Sree Padmanabha in an event known as Thripadidanam. From then on, the entire country belonged to Lord Vishnu (Sree Padmanabha) and the Travancore kings were to be His plenipotentiaries. The submission was all encompassing – the assets of the country and its people including Hindus, Christians, Muslims and even all those who could not go anywhere near the Temple till the Temple Entry Proclamation of1936. He also made a formal change in the official name of all Travancore Maharajas starting with him – it had to begin with the word “Padmanabhadasa” (Servant of Padmanabha).

Marthanda Varma died in 1758. He was succeeded by Karthika Thirunal Rama Varma (1724–1798). He was popularly known as ‘Dharma Raja’ because he was such a just and honorable person who followed the Dharma Sastra. It was during his time that the Mysore attacks on Kerala (Malabar in the north, Cochin and Travancore) came. First it was Hyder Ali and then his son Tippu Sultan.

During the Mysore attacks thousands of Hindus and Christians fled to Travancore from Malabar and northern parts of Cochin. They were given asylum and treated well. First Hyder and Then Tippu demanded return of these people. They also asked for a tribute of 15 lakhs rupees and thirty elephants. The answer was ‘no’ to both.

In December 1789 Tippu attacked Nedumkotta and was beaten back. But subsequently the fort was broken under heavy pressure and the Mysore Army reached Periyar River. While crossing the almost dry river bed, there were sudden heavy floods and Tippu’s forces were almost wiped away. It is said that Travancore had built a bund upriver to prevent water flowing down and it was cut open at the crucial moment to wash off the Mysore soldiers. But Tippu perhaps withdrew because the final Anglo-Mysore war almost on.

Before his death in 1798, Dharma Raja had shifted his capital to Trivandrum from Padmanabhapuram. Years earlier, Aditya Varma Raja of Venad had wanted to build a palace at Trivandrum, but though the matter did not come under their authority, the Ettara Yogam had prevented it. Dharma Raja is known to be the man who set Travancore on the path of development.

Balarama Varma was only 16 years old when he succeeded Dharma Raja. Perhaps because of his age, it would appear that he was the weakest among the Travancore Maharajas. His predecessors had kept a tactful friendly relation with the East India Company. But Velu Thampy, his Dewan (Minister), along with the counterpart in Cochin rebelled against the English. They suffered a series of defeats and finally the Maharaja condemned his minister. Velu Thampy committed suicide. By now the Company had started getting involved in the internal administration of the kingdom.

When Balarama Varma died in 1810 there was no male descendant in the Travancore Royal Family. Gowri Lakshmi Bayi became the Queen. Her position changed to Regent Queen when a male child was born to her. At her death in 1815, Gowri Parvathy Bayi took over the position.

The boy, Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma was enthroned in 1829. He too was only 16 at that time. He is better known as a king of music for his enduring and enchanting compositions. But he did not ignore his administrative responsibilities. He streamlined the tax system. He started an English school and hospital in Trivandrum.

Travancore was on the path of progress under the next three Maharajas - Uthradom Thirunal, Ayilyam Thirunal, and Visakham Thirunal. Each one served his people well. Their reforms include abolition of slavery, schools for girls, colleges, the right of low caste women to cover their breasts, promotion of irrigation and pathways, charity hospitals, lunatic asylum, postal services, Census, and vaccination. Visakham Thirunal was the first Indian Royal to be on the Viceroy’s Executive Council.

Sree Moolam Thirunal who ruled from 1885 to 1924 continued with the modernization of Travancore. Several schools and colleges were established during his time. He streamlined the medical services. But his greatest achievement was establishing a Legislative Council which was the first among Indian Native States. Even women were allowed to vote. Of course, the voters list was confined to subjects of certain status.

When Sree Moolam Thirunal died, his nephew and successor Bala Rama Varma, son of Sethu Parvathi Bayi was a minor. Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi, the aunt of the boy king took over as Regent Oueen since she was the senior. Hers was a remarkable reign of seven years. Mahatma Gandhi was highly impressed by her when he called on her in 1925. Instead of the usual practice of Brahmin or Nair Dewans, she appointed a Travancore Anglo Indian Christian ME Watts as Dewan.

Travancore progressed much during the Regent’s short reign. Animal sacrifice and Devadassi system were banned soon after she took over. The public was allowed telephone services. Trivandrum glowed with electric lights in 1929. Panchayath system was introduced. One fifth of the State revenue was spent on education. It is a long list. But her most remarkable deed was to amend the Travancore Nair Act to change the matrilineal system to Patrileneal system. Travancore lost much because of the bitter friction that existed between the two Maharanis.

Sree Chithira Thirunal Bala Rama Varma, The last of the Travancore Maharajas ascended the throne in 1931 and Travancore’s march towards progress continued. It must be remembered that he became the Maharaja at the time of deep depression the world over. That was followed by World II. This bachelor gentleman king encouraged industrialization and maintained the progress of the state. It was during his reign that the University of Travancore was started. But what made him world famous was the Temple Entry Proclamation of 1936. Till then, only high caste Hindus could enter the temples. With the new law, the temples of Travancore were opened to all castes.

While his subjects loved the Maharaja, many were against his Dewan Sir CP Ramaswamy Iyer. After alienating the Christians on the educational front, CP mooted, as Indian Independence was nearing, the proposal of Swathanthra Thiruvithamcoor (Travancore as a separate country independent of India). He escaped from the state after being physically wounded in a personal attack.

The Maharaja signed Instrument of Accession to the Indian Union. When the Travancore- Cochin State was formed he was the Rajapramukh (something like Governor) of that entity. It would appear that technically Sree Chithira Thirunal was Majaraja of Travancore till June 30, 1949 because the formal merger with the Indian Union was on July 1, 1949. The Maharaja died on July 19, 1991.

Aerial photo by

HH Marthanda Varma

Uttradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma never formally became the Maharaja but to the people of erstwhile Travancore, he is almost like one. He fits the role. After all, he is the Padmanabhadasa. Reportedly he once mentioned about selling part of the family property for repairing the Temple. Not a miniscule portion of the Temple treasure was utilized even for that.

How did the treasure grow to what it is today? A good portion of it must have come from the offering of the devotees. There is a view that every year the State budget made a provision to handle famine in case it happened, like in 1919. It appears that if there was no famine the allotted funds went to the Temple. The last Maharaja is believed to have said after seeing part of the Temple cache that Travancore will never have a famine. There was enough to buy any amount of food stuffs.

But the major contribution apparently came from the Royal Family, from their own sources and the offerings and presentations they received from different classes of people during the last three centuries. Whatever that came to them belonged to Sree Padmanabha.

The Malayala Manaora of July 11 (2011) carried a brief article by Dr. Syriac Thomas, former Vice Chancellor of the Mahatma Gandhi University. When Uthradom Thirunal was invited for convocation, he was presented an amount that befits his position. A week later Dr. Syriac Thomas received a receipt from Trustee of Sree Padmanabha Temple stating that the amount was being used for free feeding in the temple for the well being of the college.

There must be tens of thousands of lawyers ready to argue in court that the Travancore Royal Family has a right over the treasure of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple. But the Family says that it is not theirs, it belongs to Sree Padmanabha. That is what the politicians, societies and communal leaders who have started making noises about the cache should remember. Surely, the Supreme Court would make a just arrangement keeping in mind that Sree Padmanabha did not sign any Instrument of Accession to the Indian Union. His Kingdoms are different.

In the final count, what can one say about the Travancore Royal Family? Generations of royal people, basically humble and frugal, concerned about the people they ruled over, and always at the feet of Sree Padmanabha mentally.

Glitter of gold and radiance of diamond were not their forte. With the simple white dress, they stand tall, and the world looks on admiringly.

(Click on photos to enlarge.)

A Temple of Gold

2011-07-04T01:01:00.000+05:30

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Trivandrum is in the news the world over for its colossal collection of gold and gems. The Kerala High Court had ordered the Kerala State Government to takeover the administration of the shrine. For fear of contempt of Court, I am not saying anything about the judgement.

Fortunately the Supreme Court of India intervened and appointed a seven member team to inspect the assets of the shrine managed by a Trust constituted by the Travancore Royal Family. Reportedly, complete records of what the secret cells contain already exist and that all along the Royal Family and the British were aware of it. But nobody would have estimated that it may be worth around 1,00,00,000 crores rupees. This is sure to upset the estimates given in my post India’s gold stockpile, Kerala’s gold rush

No harm rechecking the temple cache, but as the news spread, the police deputed an Addl. Director General of Police and an armed force to safeguard the valuables. So far, only Lord Padmanabha was doing that job.

What set these events rolling was, according to a TV debate yesterday, the usual Kerala muck - irresponsible trade unionism and unjustifiable monetary gains. What I understood was that there is friction between two trade unions (are they permitted in the Temple?), and a professional is inducing one of them to pursue the case.

According to what was said on TV this man is using Temple premises without rent or for a nominal rent; he had been asked to vacate but refuses. If this is true, the problems have been created for irrelevant and personal reasons.

Whether the Temple belonged to the Royal Family or the Royal Family and the Travancore State belonged to the Temple is an interesting point. After expanding the principality of Venad into the Travancore Kingdom Maharaja Marthanda Varma submitted himself and his State to Lord Padmanabha and in effect turned himself into a plenipotentiary of the Lord. From that moment till now, the coffers of the Temple has been continuously filled and nothing was taken out.

I was in Trivandrum during 1947 – 49 and heard this story which not many in the public might be aware of. When the Indian Independence was nearing there was a great deal of apprehension about what would happen to the private wealth of the Royal Family. An important gold and jewellery dealer from Bombay came in a chartered Dakota and took away the ornaments.

But not a single piece was from the Temple though if the Palace wanted, the entire lot could have been carried away. The Travancore Royal Family’s culture does not permit taking back what it has given. Some of the storage rooms have not been opened for over a century.

Just to conclude the airlift story, what I have heard is that the man who took away the Palace jewellery came back later. He had a full list of the items taken, the market price at which they were sold, and the sales proceeds less his commission.

The last of the Travancore Maharajas, Sri Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, after seeing part of the Temple treasure, is reported to have said, “Travancore will never have a famine”. The reason was that wealth was mainly meant to be used to obtain foodstuffs in case of a famine in the Kingdom.

I was shocked to hear V. Muraleedharan, BJP’s Kerala President saying, amongst other things, that the Travancore Royal Family has no right in the treasure. I have not bothered to check from which part of the State he is from. Apparently he does not know the culture of Travancore.

Let this gentleman realize that the Palace has made no claim that the treasure belongs to it. A bit of history also might not be a bad idea. At the beginning of the 18c, the Temple was managed by ettarakoottam, consisting of eight Ettuveettil Pillais and (half) Venad raja.

That Venad raja, Marthanda Varma, defeated the Pillais and took control of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple. He defeated the Dutch at Colachal. His armies marched northward and created Travancore State. Marthanda Varma Maharaja submitted his kingdom to Lord Vishnu in Ananthashayanam. That was the beginning of the treasure.

Marthanda Varma and his descendants led a frugal life. They never touched the treasure but safeguarded it and made it grow. Muraleedharan should realize that no devotee would have knowingly made offerings if he did not have faith in Sree Padmanabha and Padmanabhadasa.

How the treasure is to be managed in future is a very important matter. A perfectly effective and safe scheme should be formulated. But any proposition without consulting the Travancore Royal Family and obtaining its approval would be absolutely unjust.

Tragedy: Indian vs. Indian, Hindu vs. Hindu, Caste vs. Caste

2011-06-26T22:57:00.000+05:30

Have you come across the news that I am writing about? It appeared on page 6 of the Chennai Edition of the Indian Express yesterday (June 25). It is absolutely shocking and hard to believe. Some of the details for the report are provided by Evidence, a Madurai (TN) based NGO.

Patchirajan, 48 years old Dalit, had gone to a pump on his motorcycle to put in petrol. Just behind him came a caste Hindu named Muthu from a neighbouring village in a van. He wanted to be served first. But Patchirajan objected since he had arrived ahead of the other. Muthu referred to Patchirajan's caste and abused him and hit him with an iron rod.

That was not the end.

Muthu must have got back into his van quickly and started it because the report says that he rammed the motorcycle with his vehicle. When the Dalit fell off, the van was driven over him. That was the end for Patchirajan. He succumbed to the injuries en route to the hospital. He is survived by his wife, son and daughter.

Muthu has been arrested for wilful murder under the Prevention of Atrocities Act and remanded to police custody. A spokesman of Evidence asserts that in such cases the culprits should be charged under every law which can be applied and not only murder.

One of my most read blog posts is Caste System: Is Kerala still a madhouse? Visiting Kerala a century back Vivekananda Swamy felt that he had wandered into a lunatic asylum. Another relevant blog post of mine is The Caste Wall Story

One feels so sad reading such news. Centuries pass but some people do not allow certain systems to go through necessary changes. If the question ‘What is Karma?’ is asked, they would not know the answer that it is a path to reach Brahman. Are they high caste or low caste?

Corruption is bad, communalism is terrible and campaigning against such evils is really noble. But what about casteism? Chaturvarna was never meant to generate clashes between social divisions. Anyway its rigidity and significance have naturally transformed with the passage of time.

Is there some true Gandhian around to initiate a crusade? Educate the ‘high caste’ and ‘low caste’ that all of them have equal rights under the laws of India. That is unlikely because of political and other considerations. Counting the potential votes first is what matters to the netas.

But the schools can hopefully do something effective provided there is ample government support ignoring political platforms. Teach the children about Chaturveda objectively, not as part of Hindutva, but as history, as a system that has undergone transformations over the millenniums and would absorb more changes. Today there are Dalits who are not Hindus, even Dalits who are temple priests.

Will the Muslims and Christians go for their guns for teaching “Hinduism” in schools? If some netas feel that they could get political mileage they would tell the people that the subject is part of the cultural history of India and that knowing history is a basis of meaningful life.

Flower photos

2011-06-15T00:06:00.000+05:30

Click to enlarge.

Figs – Medicine store in a tree

2011-06-04T19:17:00.000+05:30

The photos given below were taken during my last trip to Olavipe. We call the tree athimaram and the fruit athipazham. I am told that in English it is known as Elephant Ear Fig tree or Giant Indian Fig and the botanical name is Ficus auriculata Lour. It grows wild, to about 10m or so height.

Click to enlarge

Fig is an ancient fruit tree. Its cultivation is believed to have started two or three millenniums back. There are nearly 800 types of Ficus genus. This in the photo is one. They belong to the mulberry family. Fig is Brahma’s Holy Tree and is also mentioned in the Bible and the Koran. The banyan tree also belongs to this group and therefore is significant to the Buddhists as well. Adam and Eve, it is said, covered their nakedness with fig leaves when they were banished from Eden.

I think the most important fig is Ficus carica Linn [Moraceae]. Its nutritive index is 11 against 9 of apple. It is supposed to contain vitamins and minerals including vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, iron, calcium, manganese, phosphorus, sodium, potassium chlorine, Omega 3, Omega 6, calcium, Pectin and so on.

Some of the problems where Ficus carica is said to be helpful include, sexual weakness, smooth labour, lowering cholesterol, preventing coronary heart disease, protect against cancer, effectively control of diabetes, management of hypertension, resisting vision loss in elderly people, and strengthening of bones.

The fruits are seasonal. But dried fruits are available in shops throughout the year. In fact, 80% of the production is consumed in dry form. In certain cases figs are used as replacement for sugar. They also have an important presence in the confectionery industry.

Fig is truly a wonderful fruit.

Photos: Hibiscus flowers

2011-05-29T13:00:00.001+05:30

Click to enlarge.

Copyright Reserved.

The Kerala Political Scenario

2011-05-22T22:59:00.001+05:30

Oommen Chandy is back as Chief Minister of Kerala and ready to lead the State to where he did five years ago – a landslide victory for the Left. In the recent election the surprise result was that the Congress and the UDF slipped from boasting of a 100 seat victory to a miserably narrow margin. Three people are mainly responsible for this verdict – Oommen Chandy, Ramesh Chennithala and VS Achuthanandan.

The Achuthanandan government was a failure mainly because of the infighting in the CPI (M) and lack of experience of some ministers. But the former CM is a fighter. I have personally suffered because of his vettinirathal (scorched earth) policy some years ago. Also, in my opinion, Communism is an outmoded concept. But I do appreciate VS Achuthanandan’s leadership and determination.

I believe that this is a true event. During the Chinese War, VS was locked up in Poojappura Jail, Trivandrum, along with many Communist leaders. He committed a “great crime” by donating blood for the Indian soldiers. For this he was demoted from the Central Committee of the Communist Party to the State Committee. During his tenure as Kerala CM also he was relegated from the Polit Bureau (PB) due to pressure from the Party’s officialdom in the State. In the last two elections, VS was initially denied seat. Finally the State unit had to give in because the party men wanted him. And Achuthanandan became the star.

State CPM leaders are still reluctant to acknowledge Achuthanandan’s contribution to the Party’s unexpectedly good performance. The Left had written off any hope in the election. Then one man stood erect and announced that LDF would win. He put the message across so effectively that the demoralized Comrades started believing him and waking up. They worked so hard that CPI (M) almost won.

What happened to the Congress? The overconfident leaders failed to galvanize the party members. Two aspirants for Chief Ministership first made sure that Central Minister Vayalar Ravi’s chance is blocked. They were sure that VM Sudheeran would only talk and not get into the act.

Then the question was Oommen Chandy or Chennithala? This adversely affected the Congress at every stage of the election process. The people of Kerala did not appreciate both of them contesting the election. People knew that both aspired the CM's post. Finally Oommen Chandy got the apple and Chennithala put up an unhappy looking brave face. The former also let fly a statement that Hindu consolidation against UDF was worrying. What does that mean? If there was such a move shouldn’t the two leaders have realized it before the election?

One of the first acts of the new CM was to reportedly interfere in the Kannur University affairs. It is said that he wrote to the Governor who is the Chancellor that something was wrong with the University administration. It is doubtful whether he bothered to check the reality. His Congress people went on the war path and locked the Vice Chancellor in his room.

The demand of the Congress was most ridiculous. They wanted a written undertaking from the Vice Chacellor that the University would obey the verdict of the Kerala High Court in a case that is going on about the technicality of an appointment. May be they didn’t know that every Indian is duty bound to abide by court judgements. They themselves were breaking the law and court judgements at that point of time.

The CPM is already on the war path. The Vigilance Department has been instructed by the Government to re-investigate a case against a ministerial nominee even though the charge sheet has been already filed and the matter is before the court. The Left is protesting.

The list of Ministers has been finalized. The sad part is that a most suitable man is dropped – VD Satishan who scored a remarkable victory over Panyan Ravindran, the CPI leader at N. Parur in the recent election. The TV debate in which he so thoroughly humbled Thomas Isaac would be remembered for long by those who saw it. He is outstanding among the present lot of Congress men of Kerala. A strong, capable newcomer could be a challenge to those in comfortable positions. Therefore nip him in the bud or sidetrack him with Speaker post or something like that.

The Left of course is waiting. They seem to be confident that this Government would not last for long. Back to the polls? Or cross over of some from UDF to LDF? But the tension within the LDF might help the UDF. If Oommen Chandy makes a mess, Ramesh Chennithala might get a chance contribute his bit. Till the next elections.

God save God's own country.

About Karnataka

2011-05-16T14:31:00.001+05:30

Yercaud, Montfort, SHY

2011-05-07T11:42:00.000+05:30

Yercaud is at about 5000ft elevation on the Shevroy Hills near Salem in South India. It is famous for its cool climate, scenic beauty and two schools, Sacred Heart's Girl's School and Montfort Boy"s School.

Except the first two, the rest of the photos were taken by Mr. KO Isaac, former President of the Madras Photographic Society. Copyright Reserved. Click to enlarge.

Also see:

Nostalgia: Two Yercaud photos

Boxing: ‘Tiger’ Nat Terry – a champion and a gentleman

Kuttanad, a weeping beauty

2011-04-29T15:34:00.000+05:30

Kuttanad near Alleppey in Kerala is a fascinatingly beautiful area. It provides 40% of Kerala’s paddy production and has tremendous tourism potential that includes excellent cuisine. (The visitors are unaware that the water is awfully polluted but anyway they use packaged pure water.)

It is only the second place in the world where large scale cultivation is done below sea level. The Government of India has sanctioned for the all round development of the area a Rs.1840 crores Kuttanad Package conceived by the world famous agricultural scientist Dr. MS Swaminathan who is a native of the place.

The original area under paddy cultivation in Kuttanad was 55,000 hectares but due to various reasons it is only 37,000 hectares now. It is all part of a continuing tragic story. This year a good crop was ready to be harvested but summer rains came and washed out large areas.

The natural question is why the harvest not done in time. No labor. But this is the 21^st century. Machines do harvesting. Sorry, Kerala does not have such machines. We get them from neighboring states when their harvesting season does not clash with ours like this year. Even when they are available rent has to be paid, there are agent’s fees and finally the local politicians reportedly take their cut for allowing priority in usage.

You can have the best of schemes and all the money needed but there have to be committed people to do the work under committed people who allow them to work. But in Kerala who bothers? If something goes wrong blame the Central Government and hold bandhs. Or let the machines (when bought) go to rot. Some time back the Kerala Police got a few most modern boats to fight smuggling and seaborne terrorism. You can see them tied to the piers. They have not been used. Nobody knows how to.

Before the land limitation laws came in 1970, Kuttanad had families who owned hundreds or even thousands of hectares of land. It was the owner’s responsibility to ensure regular cultivation. People from almost the entire district came for the harvests. But quite often the crops failed. The landowners had to borrow money for the next season. Many a famous Kuttanad family were indebted almost continuously to a particular money lending family.

Now there is an interesting change. The land owners do not directly cultivate any more. They lease the fields on seasonal basis to others, mostly agricultural workers. The rent is collected in advance. If a crop fails the landowner loses nothing. The tears that follow are that of the poor agricultural worker. Some people have formed associations for combined operations, but it is not easy for them to keep fighting the powerful trade unions and the elements.

Kerala Leftists fought the introduction of tractors, mechanization of coir factories, and even the use of computers by the Government. That kind of negative approach has done enough harm to Kerala in many ways. How much hold will they have over the Kuttanad Package? Why blame the Reds alone. There are others also who can make the scheme a mess.

There is something that the users, trade unions and responsible government officials have to be alert about. I understand that the charge for harvesters (as and when available) is per working hour. This leaves a huge potential for corruption. Part of the working time is recorded as “breakdown”. The “ghost money” would be shared. Another method, where the user loses, is spare parts money. The classic one is ‘Go buy a new one, or I can repair if you pay.” I know a couple of such cases..

I am shocked to learn that Kuttanad is earning names like ‘poison bowl’ and ‘drowning granary’ in the media and studies.

We must save this beautiful land.

Also read Kerala: Left with empty granaries written two years ago.

Photos: Wikimedia Commons. Click to enlarge

Greetings

2011-04-23T22:05:00.000+05:30

Back to nalukettus?

2011-04-20T16:23:00.001+05:30

The revival of interest in the old Kerala style nalukettu houses (structure on all four sides around an open space called nadumuttam in the middle) is quite amazing. I had posted several articles and photos on the subject and they still draw many visitors. That must be so too for other bloggers who also handle the subject, and for architects.

Two of my popular articles on nalukettu are, I think,

Kerala Architecture: Nalukettu, ettukettu, pathinarukettu and

Kerala Architecture: Nalukettu for modern times

This is Thekkanatt at Olavipe one of the five existing Parayil Tharakan Heritage Homes, Cherthala Thaluk. The other four are larger, older and ettukettus. In this building the single storied portion is the nalukettu. The second picture is of the eastern veranda of the nalukettu where local women normally come to meet the ladies of the house.

Anyone planning to built a nalukettu should first understand that this type of houses were meant for a different era, diverse lifestyle and a social system that was so contrasting to what we have today. Only people of a certain status could build a nalukettu, ettukettu and pathinarukettu. There were even rules about who could enter the house and which part.

Even within the family normally the women dominated the nalukettu side while the front area was for the men. They were meant for large families to live in with an army of servants to support them, starting at dawn with ‘muttamadi’ (sweeping the compound). They are so far removed from the nuclear houses we see mostly now.

Are large buildings with nalukettus going to be part of the changing scenario? Even if you build one of them, where would you get the employees for the upkeep? The solution is to have scaled down, space fully utilized structures, a kind of fusion of the old and the new. This requires quality architects.

Size of the nadumuttam would have a considerable effect on the cost of the house. The bigger the inner court, the larger would be the built up area around it and therefore the cost. Start with a reasonably sized open space in the centre and start planning around. Depending on the size of the nadumuttam (open space within the building) the built area and therefore the cost would be more.

How many bedrooms on the same level can you have in a nalukettu? You can have normally two, three or four. The design possibilities are many depending on the money you are willing to spend, the land you have and the conveniences you want.

Recently I stayed in the modified portion of an old nalukettu for a few days. The ambiance was beautiful. I simply had to congratulate the young lady architect who did the work.

I have seen advertisements of individual villas/gated communities of nalukettus. Wonder how they are to live in.

(Photos copyright reserved. Click to enlarge.)

Vishu Greetings

2011-04-12T11:45:00.000+05:30

Wishing you all happiness, health and prosperity for this VISHU.

Kani Konna (Golden Shower or cassia fistula) is the symbol of VISHU, one of Kerala’s important festivals. This beautiful photograph of a floret of Kani Konna is by Jim Conrad

Suggest also read

Vishu: Did God Create Earth on This Day?

COLORFUL LEAVES

2011-04-05T14:48:00.001+05:30

A tsunami story

2011-03-22T23:41:00.000+05:30

[I wrote this short story just after the tsunami in 2004. It was well received. I am re- publishing it in the context of the Japanese tragedy.]

Songs of the sea

The little girl wearing a faded green dress sat alone on the deserted beach, a few feet away from the waterline, looking westward and waiting. She tried to flatten her hair that tossed about in the strong evening breeze with her hands but the strands wouldn’t stay back.

The sun was setting against a dull, cloudless sky. Waves rolled in with foam on their crests. Some new, colorful fishing boats along with older ones were out in the distance on their way back home. Birds flew around looking for prey before returning to their nesting places. But the girl was not concerned with the details. She was watching the vast expanse of the Arabian Sea. Somewhere under that water mass was the Palace of Kadalamma, the Mother Goddess of all oceans and fisher folk.

Occasionally there was talk about the waves striking again. But the girl was not afraid. After they shifted to a small new cottage beside the beach, she went to the seashore every evening all by herself. It had become a routine. Sometimes when she was tired of sitting up, she would lie on the sand. Often she dropped off to sleep and had dreams that were mostly pleasant.

She loved Kadalamma in spite of what had happened. Her grandmother had told her so many stories about the great ocean goddess who was kind, loving, and caring. It was only when her subjects broke her laws that Kadalamma became angry. And once that happened, the goddess was blind and raving mad. Someone somewhere would have breached the rules. That was why Kadalamma had sent those huge waves of destruction.

One of her grandma’s stories warned that if a fisher woman went astray Kadalamma would take her husband away. The old lady had a song for it. She had songs for most of her yarns. She would sing exposing the few teeth she still had, clapping her hands in rhythm and then give the narration.

The girl didn’t know what ‘astray’ meant and guessed that it was something not good. But she couldn’t understand why the innocent man was taken away? May be it was to save him from the shame of his wife turning bad and the troubles of the world. People were always talking about problems and difficulties.

Many of granny’s other tales though, were of men who braved angry seas and fought giant sharks and returned victoriously to become heroes. And they lived on. Strange were the ways of the grown-ups, the girl thought. When she asked her grandmother about it, there was a ready answer – the actions of bad people sometimes caused loss and hurt to good people as well.

Granny was away at the girl’s uncle’s place in land when the sea attacked. Her father had gone there to bring back the old woman. They had not seen Kadalamma’s fury. But the girl had, and remembered every little detail till she become unconscious during the rage of the waves.

When she opened her eyes again sometime in the night, she was lying on a bench in the partially damaged schoolhouse near their hamlet and a tired-looking doctor was examining her. Her father was back. He stood nearby with tearful eyes, along with other people. Someone was describing how she was found trapped among the fronds of a fallen coconut palm.

She looked around and whispered, “Amma”.

Nobody answered. Father told her later that they were searching for Amma and other missing persons. Hope lingered for a few days and slowly turned to numb acceptance. The girl couldn’t even cry.

They were housed in a crowded temporary shed after the tragedy. The girl didn’t like the place or the people there and kept aloof even from children of her age group. Some called her dumb because she hardly talked. Initially, food was scarce. Fisher folk were used to that during times of poor catches or when the men were careless with money. Then supplies started coming in regularly. The first lot of old clothes distributed to them were the type the sahibs wore, thick and warm. Those were taken back and lighter garments were brought. The girl got three dresses. One was slightly torn and another a bit too large, but they were all nice.

Everyone was talking about tsunami all the time. It sounded like a girl’s name. However the she realized soon that it referred to the disaster that had ravaged their hamlet and had left a strange impact on the victims. People were grumpy and very irritable. They fought amongst them even over small things and always blamed government. She too was angry.

Then, one day, she got to see government.

He came in a big, fat car accompanied by others in several vehicles, and Jeep-loads of policemen. Initially the girl was a little afraid but forced herself to look. Government was an elderly person with tousled hair and seemed like other men. His name was Chief Minister. He listened to complaints of the inmates, talked to important-looking people, and gave a speech.

The girl didn’t understand what was said. But after Government left, the grown-ups argued as usual. Some said that they would get new houses and boats soon. Others were doubtful. Many felt that people with Government would cheat the poor fishermen and make money for themselves. Her father kept out of such discussions. He was always sad and quiet. She felt sorry for him. She knew that he had loved Amma very much even though sometimes he used to fight with her. Men were like that.

One night the girl saw the waves again in her sleep and woke up crying. She couldn’t stop. Some of the people in the camp cursed loudly because they were angry at being disturbed in their sleep. That hurt more and she wailed louder. Father carried her outside and they spent the rest of the night on the moon-washed sands.

By morning the girl had high fever and started vomiting. The doctor said that it was partially a delayed effect of the trauma caused by the tsunami and needed expert treatment. He sent them to a large hospital run by nuns in the nearby town.

They were directed to a doctor who attended to tsunami related cases. The lady faintly resembled Amma. She wore a white coat over a pink sari, and smelt of jasmine. The girl secretly named her ‘Jasmine doctor’.

“What’s your name?” the doctor asked.

“Parvathy,” the girl answered. “Amma used to call me Paru.”

“Shall I also call you Paru?”

“Yes,” the girl said with a shy smile.

After examining the girl and asking questions, the doctor said, “You’re fine, Paru. Only a little frightened inside. We’ll remove that fear.”

The doctor went to the refugee camp frequently and took Paru for long walks along the beach. They talked a great deal, told stories, and played games.

One day the girl asked the doctor abruptly, “Have you ever played chasing crabs?”

“No. What sort of game is that?”

“You find little pinkish crabs on the seashore. Go near them and they start running. You run after them. It’s very exciting.”

“Well,” the doctor said, “I missed the fun. There were no crabs where I grew up. But why did you ask?”

Paru suddenly burst out crying. The doctor knelt beside her on the beach and hugged her. After a while she asked, “Paru, what’s the matter?”

“Amma died,” the girl replied between sobs, “because of me.”

The doctor hugged her again, gave her a gentle kiss, and said, “I’m sure that you’re wrong.”

“No, it’s true.”

“Would you care to talk about it?”

The girl nodded.

On the day of the waves, Paru said, she was walking back from the local shop with Amma around noon, carrying Dolly, her plastic baby. She wanted to chase crabs. That was something they did together often. Amma told her that it was too hot for the crabs to be out. But the daughter ran to the shore anyway and was surprised to find several of the little creatures moving around frantically. She called her mother who was waiting by the shade of a coconut palm at the edge of the sands.

Amma came out to the beach. She looked concerned when she saw the frenzied crabs.

It was then that they heard the roar like a thousand motorboats racing together. Amma looked towards the sea once, lifted Paru and ran, her blue and white checked dhoti flapping about. She did not scream or shout for help but sprinted with all the speed she could muster.

But not fast enough.

When they reached the coconut grove the gushing waves overtook. The last thing Paru remembered before becoming unconscious was Amma trying desperately to reach her in the swirling waters and Dolly drifting away.

The girl told the doctor between sobs that if she hadn’t stopped for chasing crabs they would have been safely home.

“My dear child,” the doctor said gently, “you’re wrong. Your house too was washed away.”

That was true, Paru thought.

After months at the camp Paru and her father shifted to one of the few identical little houses that were newly built near the beach for the tsunami victims by some good people. Father said that it was theirs. Others who weren’t so lucky complained that Government wasn’t doing anything. There were protest marches and slogan shouting. The girl didn’t care. Now they had a home again.

Jasmine doctor had come to see them off to the new place. As they were leaving she had told the girl, “Paru, you’re a good girl. You are all right now. Look after yourself and your father.”

Shortly after they moved to their new abode, grandma joined them. The old lady told the little girl that she shouldn’t worry. Kadalamma wanted Amma at her Palace and had called her. She was happy there and would come to see Paru one-day.

And the girl waited.

She would look towards the sea often during the day though the glare hurt the eyes, and went to the beach every evening. It was good that she hadn’t started school yet, she thought. Otherwise, when Amma came she might be away in class.

Her one great worry was whether Amma would get sick, being wet in the sea because Kadalamma’s Palace was underwater. Grandma said no. Would Amma stay when she came? No, she would have to go back. That was the rule. In the end everybody returned to Kadalamma’s castle, which was the real home. It had different tiers. The sinners and the bad people would be at the lowest, in the muddy filth of the ocean floor. Forever. Slimy snakes and fearsome fishes and craggy crabs would keep on nibbling at them. They would freeze and thaw, freeze and thaw, as the water temperature changed. That was bad enough, but knowing that it was coming, the wait for it, made them even more miserable.

It was frightening. Clutching grandma, Paru resolved silently that she would always be good. She wanted to be on the upper levels of Kadalamma’s Palace where Amma surely would be. That was the place for good people. Grandma wouldn’t describe those parts of the castle except saying that they were beautiful beyond words. That didn’t make a picture in the mind. May be that was one thing the old lady didn’t know.

That evening, after sitting up on the sands for some time, Paru lay down. The breeze had softened and caressed her hair gently. It felt nice and she drifted off to sleep.

Then her mother came.

Amma rose from the water suddenly and rushed to the shore where the daughter was. She looked more beautiful than she was when the waves took her. Paru ran forward. Amma lifted her, held her against the bosom and whirled around like a top. Amma’s clothes were dry even though she had just come out of the sea.

They sat on the sand and talked. There was so much to tell each other. The girl gave details of the camp and the problems they had to face. She described the new house. Even now they had no money because the fish catches were poor. Father was always sad and silent. The mother explained that one had to be patient and bear the difficulties. She said that the situation would improve. Kadalamma was rearing large schools of fishes to be sent out to the sea for her sons to catch. The beach would soon see days of plenty.

Paru wanted to hear the song, which Amma had sung to put her to sleep on the night before the tsunami. It was about men venturing out to the endless sea on catamarans and women waiting anxiously beside wick lamps in windswept huts praying for the safe return of their husbands. Amma’s beautiful voice rose once again over the murmur of the waves. It lingered in the air briefly and faded away.

The mother described Kadalamma’s Palace. It was made of innumerable types of seashells and pearls of sizes that ranged from little beads to huge boulders. The garden around the building had corals of different colours and lovely plants that swayed with the currents. Pretty fishes of varying hues swam around like little angels all the time. There was continuous music that often changed in pitch and tune and tempo like wind on the palms, and the waves danced in rhythm. Certain types of sea life emitted light and kept darkness away. Everybody inside the castle was happy and cheerful and loved each other.

Now the Palace made a picture in the mind – clear, like a photo. There couldn’t be a lovelier place, the girl thought.

“Amma, I want to come there,” Paru said.

“Of course you must.”

“Now. With you.”

“No Paru, only when Kadalamma calls.”

“When will she call?”

“When it’s time,” Amma explained. “After you grow up and have babies of your own.”

“You mean real babies? Not like Dolly?”

“Real babies.”

“But Amma, you’ll be very old by then, like grandma.”

“At Kadalamma’s place each one would be herself. Always.”

The girl thought for a while. “Okay,” she said. “But will you come again?”

“If Kadalamma permits. Now I have to go.”

By the time Paru awoke and scrambled up Amma was gone. After a moment of hesitation she raced to the water, thinking that she could follow her mother’s footprints, reach the Palace and be with her. But there were no marks on the wet sand to guide her. May be, Paru thought, Kadalamma had the waves erase Amma’s trail because it wasn’t the time yet. She had to stay back. She had to look after herself and her father. And, she had to grow up and have babies of her own. Real babies. Not like Dolly.

Paru looked at the last remnant of the sun for a moment and turned around to the long way home.

■

My family’s hearts are in Japan

2011-03-15T23:00:00.000+05:30

A week back my mind was full of the sea and sailors and ships and pirates. I was planning a blog post on the Somali buccaneers. I was in the process of collecting data. Suddenly Somalia was out and it was all Japan as I sat down to watch the noon news on March 11.

As the pictures and news of the devastation ignited by the 8.9 earthquake flooded the screen, I was trying to think whether I knew anyone in Japan. Just one couple. Didn’t have their telephone numbers.

Then the shock hit me – my elder son. He is a Master Mariner. His ship carrying cargo from the US was due in Japan around that date. I rushed to the computer and checked his emails. Yes, his ship was due in Tokyo around the 10^th.

My heart sank.

I knew that the communications systems would be in a mess but nevertheless contacted the shipping company’s Bombay branch. They promised to get back to me. Then almost a miracle happened. My daughter-in-law called from Cochin. As soon as she saw the TV news, she rang my son’s number on the ship in Tokyo and got through. She spoke to him. In the meantime the company also called back to say that the ship was safe.

Same evening we had an email from my son stating that they were unloading cargo when the earthquake hit. “… suddenly the whole ship started shaking very violently. I ran out on deck and saw that the trucks on the jetty were shaking also and I knew it was an earthquake. A building quite close to the ship caught fire and we could see huge clouds of smoke.”

Then the Tsunami came. As the escalating ravage continued on an incredible level as shown on TV, the stress on us increased. Later we learned that the ship was moved out to the anchorage. When the conditions were better they berthed again and discharged the goods.

This morning the ship sailed out of Tokyo.

We were lucky to have been in contact with our son. Still the anxiety was tremendous. But there was always the hope, the faith, the belief that the Almighty would take care.

I can’t help thinking of the millions who are facing similar situation. There must be so many Japanese working in other countries while their families are staying back home. And people from many nations are in Japan, away from their dear ones. Many of them may not be able to contact their family. Then there are injured and the sick.

Those who believe in God please pray for them.

Photos: Olavipe, my village

2011-03-06T10:58:00.000+05:30

Banana flowers: photos, cuisine suggestions

2011-02-26T16:45:00.000+05:30

Banana flowers contain vitamins A and C, calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium. It is considered to be health food and has been used for many centuries in different cuisines.

The range of food items made with banana flowers includes soups and salads to curries and cutlets. Bake them if you like. They can be used in both vegetarian and non-vegetarians cuisines. Most of the dishes look more attractive if served in the outer sepals that are not used

There are several recipes for banana flowers on the Internet. Here are two sites which provide details

Banana Flower Soup with coconut and shrimp, and

Banana Flower Side Dish Recipe: A Tasty and Filling Indian and Thai With Tamarind

Also see:

Kerala food: Peechappam, a forgotten item?

A 100 years old school sustains the memory of Sree Moolam Thirunal Maharaja

2011-02-18T22:55:00.098+05:30

Sixty-three years have passed since India attained Independence and the Native States and the Maharajas faded into history. But some of them are still remembered. One such king is Sree Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma, the second last Maharaja of the former Travancore State.

This is a painting of the Maharaja by the world famous painter

Raja Ravi Varma.

Travancore Flag.

Sree Moolam Thirunal succeeded his uncle Visakham Thirunal in 1885. He ruled Travancore from 1885 till his death in 1924. During his reign he introduced many reforms that benefited his people. These included even bus services (the first in any Native State) and insurance.

But the most remarkable development during the Sree Moolam regime was the establishment of the Travancore Legislative Council, in 1888. In fact Travancore was the first Indian State to take this progressive step. Later the name of the Legislature was changed to Sree Moolam Popular Assembly, with elected members also from 1905.

One of the members of the Popular Assembly was Ayanat Parayil Kunjavira Tharakan of Thycattussarry on the Pallippuram Island near Cherthala. He was a Knight of the Order of St. Gregory (KSG), a Papal honour which the British Protocol and therefore the Native States accepted.

Tharakan was a remarkable person, one of the most outstanding members in the long history of the Parayil Family. The family background, social status, visionary qualities, popular support and financial eminence automatically made him a leader in any venture that he involved himself.

And there were many noble projects that he took on. Each one was meticulously worked out and meant to benefit the people of Thycattussarry and nearby areas. These include the Poochakkal Canal, Cooperate Society, hospital, famine relief measures and so on.

But the most important achievement of Kunjavira Tharakan, in my opinion, was establishing an English School. It was accomplished during the 25^th year of the rule of Sree Moolam Thirunal and was appropriately named Sree Moolam Silver Jubilee English School.

But Tharakan’s dream of converting it into a High School had to wait for a few decades. After his death in 1938 his son PK Hormis Tharakan took over the management of SMSJ School. The necessary permission was obtained in due course and the people of Thycattussarry could boast of a new achievement when the institution was elevated to a High School in 1949. The first Headmaster was Sree Rajaraja Varma Thampan.

This photo of one of the buildings in the school complex is by Ebby Tharakan. For a well marked comprehensive view of the school and surroundings please see

http://wikimapia.org/1531018/S-M-S-J-HIGH-SCHOOL

PK Hormis Tharakan effectively managed the school for about 50 years. In his old age he handed over the responsibility to the St. Antony’s Church Thycattussarry. But that was not meant to affect the secular character which had been the hallmark of SMSJ School.

As far back as 1925 the Vatican wanted to check what the Catholic managed school in a far off corner of India was doing for the Church. A questionnaire was sent to Kunjavira Tharakan through the Archbishop of Ernakulam. Tharakan’s reply makes interesting reading: out of 139 students, only 36 were Catholics, and there was only one Catholic among the nine teachers.

The other questions and answers:

Q: “What is being done to announce our Lord to non-Christians?”

A: “Nothing.”

Q: “Are prayers said before and after classes?”

A: “No.”

Q: “Is there the image of the Crucifix or other religious symbols in the school rooms?”

A: “No.”

Q: “How many conversions among pagans, Protestants or schismatics have taken place in the ten last years?”

A: “None.”

These details are quoted from PROFILES OF PARAYIL THARAKANS (pp.143) by Dr. PK Mathew Tharakan, Professor Emeritus, University of Antwerp. He was in the first High School batch from SMSJ School.

Remarkably, all along SMSJ has been and is a people’s school where caste and creed do not matter. Rich boys and poor boys have passed through the portals of this great institution. Many of them have done well in life. You can see them in different parts of the world.

I came across a blog titled Koottunkal obviously owned by a former student of SMSJ. His article about the Mid-day Meal Programme of the 1970s is touching. Please read it at http://www.koottunkal.com/2007/10/mid-day-meal-programme-of-1970s.html There were so many students who could not afford lunch.

This takes me back to the book mentioned above. Page 145 quotes a letter dated 14^th July, 1919 from Asst. Inspector of Rural Schools to Kunjavira Tharakan “… the attendance on the day of inspection was only 4…. One chief reason for this low attendance is the extreme poverty of the pupils who are unable to satisfy their stomach even once a day. Even out of the 4 pupils present, 2 had complete starvation for the day.”

Tharakan did not offer to feed the starving students. Instead, he provided them light part time jobs outside school hours so that they could buy food with the pay. We know that in the modern times countless Indian students have been managing to study abroad with income from part time work.

I passed out from SMSJ School before it was elevated to the higher level. The teachers during my time were committed people. The same I believe is true of those who followed. But I must specially mention Mr. CJ Sebastian who was the last Headmaster of the Middle School.

Once I heard him ask ‘One can take the horse to the pond but how to make him drink?’ That was about me. Actually I was not too bad in school. But Mr. Sebastian wanted more out of me, particularly in English. Whatever capabilities I have in that language have come from this gentleman teacher. Sir, thank you.

Big plans are on for the centenary celebrations which would start with a meeting today (February 20), and last for one year. It would be a people’s affair though there is a committee to coordinate the activities. Fr. Sebastian Palatti is the Chairman and the present Headmaster Mr. K Paul Joseph the General Convener.

His Excellency Thomas Chakyath, Bishop of Angamally-Ernakulam will be presiding over today’s meeting. Central Ministers Sri Vayalar Ravi and Sri KC Venugopal, Vice Chancellor of the Kannur University Dr. PK Michael Tharakan (a former student), Mr. Zacharias Keezhanjili and others are expected to address the gathering.

Quite appropriately, PH Paul Tharakan, grandson of the founder of the school, Kunjavira Tharakan, had informed the Travancore Royal Family about the event. The response received, signed by ‘Sree Padmanabhadasa Uthradam Thirunal Marthanda Varma', the current Head of the Royal Family, will be read out at the meeting.

The last of the Travancore Maharajas

A Princess leaves her land

A Medicinal Tree With Many Names And Great Uses

2011-02-14T22:42:00.001+05:30

Tropical America was probably the original home of this tree. From there it spread to Philippines, South East Asia, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka and to some other areas too. It has so much of medicinal value and adds flavour to local cuisine.

In the small Indian State of Kerala where the little cucumber shaped fruit of this tree is often used in cooking it is known by several names - Ilimbi, Ilumbanpuli, Bilimbi, Chilimbi, Irumban puli, Chemmeen puli, Keerichakka. In my area it is called ‘chemmipuli’ possibly because it goes well in curried shrimps.

The botanical name of this tree is Averrhoa Bilimbi Linn. In English it is called bilimbi or cucumber tree. It grows to a height of 5m to 12m.

Some of the photographs of the tree I took at Kerala are given below.

Click to enlarge.

You will note that the fruits grow on the trunk and branches that are old. The Vitamin C rich fruits are used mainly for curries and flavouring. Bilimbi chutney with coconut is excellent. Different types of pickles are made with this fruit. One of them is made after sun drying the fruit. The larger fruits are cut into small pieces for pickling. Even the pickles can be used for flavouring.

Till recently bilimbi did not have much commercial potential. But of late pickles and other products made from it are being exported to Western countries. Now even jams, squashes, toffees etc are also produced from this fruit. For some recipes see http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gulf-goans/message/3629

It is claimed that bilimbi has extensive medicinal properties which are used in different countries. The leaves are considered good for handling diabetes and cholesterol. A paste made from them is used in treating itches, mumps, rheumatism, and pimples. Direct consumption of the leaves, or concoctions made from them are said to be effective for managing syphilis and inflammation of the rectum.

Coughs and cold are treated with an infusion of the flowers. The fruit is an astringent and is good for removing stains on clothes. It stimulates gastric digestion and sharpens appetite. A syrup made from the fruit juice is taken as a tonic. It also brings down body heat and temperature and is considered effective against scurvy. The fruit can be used in treating piles, beriberi and liver/bile problems.

Ayurveda acknowledges that bilimbi is effective in anaemia, anorexia, vata, pitta, scurvy, haemorrhoids, internal haemorrhage, hypercholestremia, hepato-splenomegali, fever, poison, gingivitis, vomiting, ringworm and indigestion.

I now think of the bilimbi with respect. It is such a pity that some like me are ignorant of the importance of the flora around us.

Photo: Floating candles

2011-02-09T22:38:00.000+05:30

This was part of our Christmas decorations

Fill up and feel the difference

2011-02-04T16:31:00.001+05:30

A few decades back hoardings with the message “Fill up and feel the difference” was a common sight along the highways. It was an oil company ad and the meaning was very clear - use their petroleum products. But some people did give it a twist – “(men) fill up (with alcohol) and feel the difference”.

Not really a joke, is it? When drivers fill themselves up with liquor, the result quite often is a tragic road accident.

What reminded me of the old hoardings was an article on commodity prices titled ‘Fluid logic’ in The Economist of January 22, 2011. It deals with the findings of two IMF economists, Serhan Cevik and Tashin Saadi Sedic, that supply factor has only a minimal impact on wine prices. The article goes on to illustrate the similarity in price fluctuation of wine and crude oil. The emerging economies are the key players in both these commodities.

The developing countries are using up more oil than before. That goes for wine as well. Last year, for Bordeaux wines China became the biggest export market displacing Britain. If the Chinese like red wine with Coca-cola, that’s their business. The wine makers keep their mouth shut and sell more bottles. The art of wine drinking is not easy to come by.

An interesting revelation in The Economist article is that compared to some high quality wines the equivalent quantity of crude oil costs less than 50 US cents. (The current crude price is around $90 per barrel containing about 42 US gallons/159 litres.) Well, not many people drink $5000 a bottle wine.

What do Indians fill up with?

Truck drivers and car owners consume different types of liquor. How much do they spend on the stuff per day? What the former knocks back may be cheaper liquor but the quantity consumed is presumably more. In good clubs the medium priced popular brands seem to be priced around Rs.50 per peg (60ml). Both give kicks, sometimes more than what the consumer can bear.

According to GreenFacts Scientific Board the recorded per capita consumption of Indian population of 15+ (in litres of pure alcohol) is 0.82. The estimate of intake that is not recorded is 1.7 litres. The world average is about 5 litres. About 50% of the male adults in India consume liquor. Details of how many sip from the glass or knock back are not available.

A new trend, which indicates increased spendable income, is wine drinking. The Vinexpo/IWSR 2010 study places India at 10^th position in world wine consumption and fifth in Asia. Imported wines accounted for 14.4% of the total volume of Indian consumption in 2008. Value wise it was 29.3%. The yearly rate of expansion of the Indian wine market is expected to be 25% or more.

There are a few interesting factors which promote wine drinking in India. With some people in Metropolitan cities particularly, wine is slowly becoming a family drink. Then there is the snob market which in many cases means promotion of the drink by those who hardly know about it. The heart friendly angle, and the belief that less alcohol is being consumed (actually depends on the quantity of intake) also help.

But what makes the major international brands and the smaller ones make a beeline for India is the low cost of establishing a winery in the country. Then too, there is the colossal market potential.

Well, there is one more interesting point. Increase of petroleum products prices invariably cause agitation in India. I can’t recall any such problem about liquor.

Also please see

Merry Mallus and mosquitoes

Happy Republic Day

2011-01-25T18:40:00.000+05:30

Image from Wikimedia Commons

Photos: Hibiscus, Red and White

2011-01-19T14:43:00.000+05:30

Photos from Olavaipe.

Advani, Jinnah and the question of secularity

2011-01-14T22:10:00.001+05:30

LK Advani has again indicated that Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the Father of Pakistan, had wanted a secular state with Muslim majority. He did this at the launch of the veteran journalist MJ Akbar’s book ''Tinderbox - The Past and Future of Pakistan'' on Jan.12 at New Delhi.

Advani had made a similar statement in 2005, in Pakistan. He was the BJP President then. The comment that Jinnah was a secularist upset his party colleagues and the RSS which he had joined at the tender age of 14. As a result Advani had to step down from the top spot in the BJP. It was only by December 2007 that his party condoned him.

How will the BJP and the RSS react this time?

Perhaps Advani is right. There is enough evidence in Jinnah’s speeches over the years to indicate that he was not against other communities. One cannot say that he was a prejudiced man. His paternal grandfather was a Rajput who converted to Islam. He had a Parsi wife, again converted to Islam. He dressed like a Britt. He drank whiskey, ate ham sandwiches and smoked heavily. At one time he was hailed as the icon of Hindu Muslim unity.

Three days before Independence Jinnah said in a public speech, ‘You are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques…. You may belong to any religion, caste or creed – that has nothing to do with the fundamental principle that we are all citizens and equal citizens of one State.’

That doesn’t sound non-secular at all.

But what about us? Mahatma Gandhi’s Ramrajya can be explained away as a concept of a perfect state where all are well and happy. But Advani’s Ramjanmabhoomi certainly added a particular hue to the picture.

There is an argument that Jinnah did not really want Pakistan. Those with this view claim that he had brought up the question of a Muslim State only as a bargaining point and was surprised when Britain agreed to it.

Kanji Dwarkadas in his book Ruttie Jinnah: The story of a great friendship says that Jinnah cried only twice in public all his life. First was at the burial of his beautiful wife Miriam (Rattanbai "Ruttie" Petit), “the flower of Bombay”. The second time was at Miriam’s grave, in August 1947 just before leaving for Karachi. It was the final goodbye to his wife and to India. Whether he liked it or not, he had to go.

Perhaps Jinnah would have set Pakistan on the right path if he had the time and the health. There are claims that he was upset with the great tragedy which followed the partition and was depressed after that. All the while, tuberculosis was gaining on him.

Muhammad Ali Jinnah died in Karachi on 11 September, 1948, officially of a heart attack. And the country of which he was the Governor General for a little over a year steadily slipped away from the concept of secularism to the ignominy of being a failed/failing State.

The sad story has gone to the extent that Admiral Mike Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States said on Jan. 13 that Pakistan was the epicentre of global terrorism.

I wonder if the Admiral is aware of the role of his country in Pakistan’s tragic journey into the wilderness.

Please also see:

The Benazir tragedy: is Pakistan a failed State?

But for Jinnah, would ‘Pakistan’ have been named ‘Industan”?

Maryknoll, A Dream House

2011-01-10T17:21:00.001+05:30

Last month I went to Maryknoll again. [Do these words remind you of the most famous opening sentence in English fiction? See Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.]

I was going to Trivandrum (see A New Year in Kerala) and to Maryknoll after a long time. Now, Maryknoll was a dream of Dr. Jacob Taliat, F.R.C.S. who was the Palace Doctor to the Travancore Royal Family, and the Surgeon General of Travancore-Cochin State. (See The greatness of human nature – a true story.) The Mary after whom he named the hilltop house in Trivandrum was his wife. She was also my aunt, my father’s sister.

On my trips to Trivandrum I used to visit Maryknoll and stay there sometimes. The responsibility of the architect of the building was, I am sure, only to put together the details including the design of the window grills the famous surgeon had worked out. There are five splendid bedrooms, spacious drawing, dining, living rooms and pantry. A veranda leads to the kitchen area which includes living facilities for servants as well.

But what is more important is the atmosphere of Maryknoll which is on a one and a half acres plot in the heart of Trivandrum city. It is so quiet and peaceful. Perhaps it combines the best of Vastu also. In Astrology: Horoscope for houses? I wrote “It is meant to harness the positive energies from the elements and create the perfect ambiance for physical and mental health, and prosperity and happiness of those who stay in the house.”

When I stayed at Maryknoll last December 28 and 29, there were eight others in our family group. One of them had been very depressed for some time following a heart problem. He would hardly talk or eat properly. But on 29^th morning he came for breakfast bright and shining, saying that there was something about the house that made him feel so good. He talked almost non-stop and ate very well!

Jacob Taliat (Jagan), the grandson of Dr. Jacob Taliat and son of Dr. George Taliat F.R.C.S., has converted Maryknoll into a homestay; a different kind of homestay, I must say. You can read more about it and see pictures at http://www.maryknoll.in/

Some of the photos I took at Maryknoll are reproduced below:

A New Year in Kerala

2011-01-07T22:02:00.001+05:30

I spent the New Year in Kerala, at our ancestral home. It was nice. Would you believe that I was able to photograph a grasshopper there who it seemed, was trying to get a sip of beer. See below:

Poor chap. He didn’t get any, though Kerala reportedly drank Rs.92 crores of liquor for Christmas and Rs.45 crores for the New Year!

Getting to Kerala from Chennai after Christmas and returning after New Year was quite difficult. The trains were full no matter what class you were looking for. Air fares were atrocious; around Rs.14000 one way. Fortunately I was able to get a seat for Rs.6300 one way. Book early and save! But one can’t do that always. The opportunity hike of domestic air fares in India is shocking. A friend was kind enough to arrange the return passage by train.

I had to go to Trivandrum from Cochin. That was done by car. The Honda City with our driver took 5 ½ hours (2pm to 7.30 pm) non-stop to cover the 220kms on National Highway 47. Years ago, it used to take about 3 ½ hours with an Ambassador or Fiat! The road surface was not too bad but the two lane width mostly and heavy traffic caused problems.

Imagine there is a demand that the National Highways in Kerala need to have only two lanes. As of now the width is pegged at 35 meters in Kerala against the national specification of 70 meters! The State Government's idea of permitting public meetings on National Highways has been quashed by the Supreme Court.

Today’s news papers carry a report that a road project in Kerala which was delayed for four years is to be implemented now. That’s good. Who bothers that the cost estimate of Rs.1 crore per kilometer four years back has escalated to Rs.4 crores per kilometer now.

God save God’s own Country!

Related post: Kerala politics: Confused Comrades

2010-12-24T11:33:00.000+05:30

Kerala Food: Recipes from ‘The Suriani Kitchen’

2010-12-21T13:51:00.000+05:30

In a casual conversation I heard that ‘The Suriani Kitchen’ by Lathika George has won the Indian nomination for the Best Asian Cuisine Book section in the Gourmand World Cookbooks Awards. I had this confirmed on the Internet. The winners for the different sectors will be announced at the Paris Cookbook Fair next March.

My wife had the book and I took a look at it yesterday. It covers the cuisine of Kerala’s Syrian Christians. Well, Madhur Jaffrey is right in saying that it contains “The best of Kerala’s fine foods…”

Suriani is the Malayalam word for Syriac. The descendants of the high caste families which, it is believed were converted by the Apostle St. Thomas at the beginning of the Christian era and a group of about 400 who came from Syria in the 4c are known as Syrian Christians. The reason is that they followed the Syriac liturgy. They are also known as Nazranis.

Those converted later by the Portuguese and others, are known as Latin Christians because they followed the Latin liturgy. The Latin Christians have some specialties in their cuisine.

Over the centuries the Surianis developed their cuisine. All along, Kerala had a booming international trade. Traders and ship crews from many nations visited the state. Some items of their menus and that of other communities were copied or adapted by the Nazranis. The result is a fine cuisine full of tasty food. What Lathika George has done is to present the recipes for the delectable culinary specialties of an ancient community. However, in different houses the names of some of the dishes may be different and there may also be variations in the recipes of dishes.

Several short articles about Syrian Christians and life in Kerala add to the charm of the book. The photographs and drawings are excellent too. But I wish that to complete the total Suriani scenario, the author had included the recipe for INRI Appam, the Suriani special that is made only on Maundy Thursday. (See Memories: Passion Week, half a century back) It is mentioned in the Glossary but I could not locate the recipe.

‘The Suriani Kitchen’ was first published in 2009 by Hippocrene Books Inc, New York. The Indian publication is by westland ltd. Priced at Rs.450, it is available in bookstalls and with Amazon.

Well, let us wish that ‘The Suriani Kitchen’ wins the award at the world’s culinary centre, Paris.

Related post: Kerala Food: Breakfast range

Petrol Price Increase

2010-12-16T16:19:00.000+05:30

It would appear that people have started accepting periodic petrol and diesel price hikes as a fact of life. One cannot turn a Nelson’s eye to the variation of crude oil prices and maintain a rigid price level for petroleum based products. Political parties outside the ruling ones will say all sorts of things and trigger off demonstrations but realities cannot be ignored. Heavy subsidies cannot be maintained interminably.

The sensible thing to do is to try and save fuel in every possible way. I am quoting below a part from my post two years ago titled Tackling the oil crisis :

“What are the ways by which we can reduce oil consumption? The oft-repeated suggestions of avoiding unnecessary travel and organizing car pools are definitely effective. But there is more that can be done:

Stop or reduce the use of air-conditioning on vehicles. The citizens should be willing to forgo some small comforts in the interest of the nation
Improved driving techniques can save fuel. Two simple examples – (a) cold starting a vehicle in reverse consumes more fuel. Park the car front forward at night, and (b) maintaining a steady pace on highways instead of ‘speed and brake’ pattern saves fuel. There is much more.
Traffic jams result in idling waste. Switch off the engine if you have to stop for more than a couple of minutes. Also, the concerned authorities should give more attention to streamlining the traffic.
Good road surface increases fuel efficiency. Single lane roads, unscientific speed breakers and potholes result in vehicles guzzling up gas.
At home, reduce the use of cooking gas. On each cylinder, the oil firms are absorbing Rs.306.
Reduce petroleum based power production.”

Maintaining the vehicle in good condition is something I missed including in that list.

If everybody follows these simple suggestions, the total saving of petroleum products in the country would be considerable.

A Warning to Those Buying Land in Kerala

2010-12-13T16:07:00.000+05:30

The incident narrated here happened late last month but I came to know about it only yesterday. I am blogging this so that those who stay outside Kerala would be aware of some of the problems involved in land transactions in God's Own Country.

Normally it should be a simple transaction. The price is agreed upon and paid, proper document drawn up, and the land purchase registered before the appropriate Registrar. If there is a broker involved, he would be paid a commission. The document writer would be paid his fees and miscellaneous expenses at the Registrar’s office.

Yesterday I had lunch with a Keralite who has been staying outside Kerala most of his life. He had sold some of his ancestral lands to a Keralite from the Gulf. Practically they were strangers to the place. They went to the concerned office along with the broker for registering the document. Initially the Registrar refused to act, citing all sort of reasons. The seller succeeded in persuading her and the document was registered.

Then the real trouble started. A group of brokers in the locality surrounded them demanding brokerage for them also. The demand was made to the buyer and the seller.

The buyer and seller escaped from there and proceeded to Kottayam separately. What they didn’t realize was that the brokers were following along with the local Sub-Inspector of Police. Registration of land has nothing to do with the police.

The seller stopped at a hotel for a quick cup of tea. Then cinema-like scenes started. The police Jeep screeched to a halt and the SI jumped out along with the brokers. The seller was threatened that he would be arrested unless he paid.

The seller now told the SI that he would pay if the Office of the Director General of Police confirmed that was to be done, and that they would wait in the hotel till the confirmation came. He took out his cell phone. He really has contacts at high level.

The brokers vamoosed and the SI stayed back apologizing. Unfortunately my friend did not make a complaint.

Also see Kerala: Left with empty granaries

Supper Theatre

2010-12-04T17:46:00.000+05:30

Supper Theatre means just what the two words indicate – eat (and drink) while watching a live performance. The entertainment part could be anything from a play to kalaripattu, the Kerala martial art. Food, snacks and drinks would be available and you eat and drink as you enjoy the performance.

How does a supper theatre differ from a night club or a restaurant with a floor show? It is a theatre where food and drinks are also served. The play is the important event. You sit at a table meant for say, six to eight people and concentrate on the performance while sipping your drink and munching a snack.

Supper theatre is a Western idea which has recently come to India. Such events have been held in Mumbai, Calcutta, Bangalore and Hyderabad. I am not sure about the other places. Anyway, Chennai had a successful supper theatre on November 21 at Le Royal Meridien. Perhaps the Chennai socialites are asking around, ‘Where you there?’ You know, a place to be seen at.

The play at the supper theatre at Le Royal Meridien was “FIVE”, a political satire by Shreekumar Varma, the well known novelist and playwright. His works have been published by Penguin, Harper Collins and Macmillan. He was awarded Charles Wallace Fellowship in 2004. Varma is the grandson of Regent Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bai of Travancore and the great grandson of the world famous artist Raja Ravi Varma.

FIVE was directed by Ajit Chitturi and presented by ‘thespian en’. Chitturi was the man who founded the drama group under the inspiration of the theatre veteran Mohammed Yousuf in 1994. Today ‘thespian en’ offers theatre, comprehensive voice training, comprehensive theatre training, children’s theatre and women’s theatre. Some of its personnel were associated with The Madras Players who entertained the city with classy stuff for half a century and more. The ‘thespian en’ email is thespianen@yahoo.com

The credit for organizing this supper theatre goes to three dynamic ladies with proven track record– Divya Reddy, Sujatha Robin Singh, and Usha Shekar. Here is what they say about their venture, “E – tonite plans to provide high quality entertainment programmes, while also supporting lesser known social and charitable organizations. A part of the proceeds of every E – tonite event will go to charity.

Well, let us look forward to more supper theatre events.

Song of the waves - Parayil A. Tharakan Blog

HAPPY REPUBLIC DAY 2012

Keep on saluting Gen. VK Singh?

Messing up Kochi Metro Project?

Five Yercaud Flowers

As birthdays go by…

Best Wishes

Mango trees flower

Mangoes:First ones of the season at Olavipe

Kerala Cuisine: Manga thera (mango mat) recipe

Greetings

Dam Business

Putting FDI in retail on hold – sense or nonsense?

A tree of sorrow and its flowers that are teardrops

Art and Wine

Gin and tonic

Petroleum products manufacturing and pricing policy

Two months of silence – relocation and cataract operation

Greetings

“No Pillows, No Blankets”

Also see Douglas DC 3, The Dakota

Happy Independance Day

Creating Gen Next Engineers

A Travancore Lady by Raja Ravi Varma

From Venad to World Focus: The Travancore Royal Family

A Temple of Gold

Tragedy: Indian vs. Indian, Hindu vs. Hindu, Caste vs. Caste

Flower photos

Figs – Medicine store in a tree

Photos: Hibiscus flowers

The Kerala Political Scenario

About Karnataka

Yercaud, Montfort, SHY

Nostalgia: Two Yercaud photos

Kuttanad, a weeping beauty

Greetings

Back to nalukettus?

Vishu Greetings

COLORFUL LEAVES

A tsunami story

My family’s hearts are in Japan

Photos: Olavipe, my village

Banana flowers: photos, cuisine suggestions

Kerala food: Peechappam, a forgotten item?

A 100 years old school sustains the memory of Sree Moolam Thirunal Maharaja

A Medicinal Tree With Many Names And Great Uses

Kerala food: The humble ‘ambazhanga’

Photo: Floating candles

Fill up and feel the difference

Merry Mallus and mosquitoes

Happy Republic Day

Photos: Hibiscus, Red and White

Advani, Jinnah and the question of secularity

Maryknoll, A Dream House

A New Year in Kerala

Kerala Food: Recipes from ‘The Suriani Kitchen’

Petrol Price Increase

A Warning to Those Buying Land in Kerala

Supper Theatre