Gavi

This time we made another trip to Gavi. It was a decision made at the spur of the moment between cousins. Too much planning can sometimes kill the plan itself.  In year 2013 we went to Gavi from Vandiperiyar and hence missed the road through the thick forest. We were told that this road from Pathanamthitta, via Seethathode needs either the KSRTC (Kerala State Road Transport Corporation) bus or a vehicle with a high ground clearance. None wanted their vehicles tested and hence we decided on KSRTC. Besides, only a certain number of vehicles are given passes each day and one need to obtain this in advance. We were three families and decided to move from Thiruvalla at least by 5 AM to reach Pathanamthitta in time to catch the bus that leaves at by 6:30. Getting families out of the house in time is no small task but we did manage to reach Pathanamthitta to see the bus about to leave. While the men went to find a parking space for the cars, we ran to catch seats. To our dismay we found that the bus was almost full with only a few seats empty. Initially one thought they were all heading to Gavi, but later realized that this was an ordinary bus that would be stopping enroute to Gavi.

The children had to stand for a while and a certain family selfishly occupied a seat which otherwise could have been shared. The bus left in time and the ride early in the morning was too good. Fresh air, light drizzling and low traffic set the right mood for the trip. The bus halted for 15 minutes at Angamuzhi for breakfast. The choice was Kerala Paratha and curry or Appam and egg. The bathroom was also clean for such a small town hotel. We devoured what was ordered while keeping an eye on the Driver and Conductor, lest they left us behind!

After almost 2 decades of not getting an opportunity, the KSRTC bus made me feel like meeting an old pal! The same old seats and paraphernalia. When it started raining my hands went up automatically to loosen the clasps that held the shutters. And down it came with a crash...the familiar sound felt like music to my ears. Silly me! When you lift it back, it needs to be done in such a way that keeps it balanced, else getting the clasp back in place will need some more tinkering. But for me, it happened like old times J

Two buses trying to negotiate on the narrow road

The ride was too good because of the passing scenery even when the road turned bumpy and when the branches kept knocking the sides and the passengers. These branches were also dropping strange bugs and insects. The road for almost 25 km seems not to have seen no tar since it was first laid! It is almost a four hour trip but I never felt it so.

 

 

We got down at the main center at Gavi, only to realize that it was open only to those who have pre-booked.

 

This was done since tourists were harassed for their camera and other stuff. One can pre-book either a day trip or stay over program. Details are provided on the KFDC website.

 

Luckily we found a jeep which took us to Kochu Pampa where the government has developed a second place for the rest. They have a snack bar and boat rides too. Since it was lunch time and stomachs (plenty of them!) started grumbling, the men folks made use of the jeep to fetch lunch from a canteen a little away. Meanwhile the rest of us went for the boat ride.  If one is not pre-booking, it is better to bring along some food. The canteen is a little far away and there are no other shops close by and you may have to be satisfied with packaged  juice, biscuits etc. from the snack bar.

The captain of our boat.. Unni

 

We did see an elephant and wild buffaloes during our trip. We also got to hear about the tragic death of two Gujarati tourists early in 2015. Seems the lady was so engrossed in taking photographs that she failed to heed the warning calls of the rest. When everyone else managed to run away from the Tusker, she continued clicking photos. She was trampled to death instantaneously while the husband who came to her rescue was thrown away and a tree stump went through his neck. This happened very close to the main road.  Wild animals ought to be treated as wild and sometimes one may feel bold, but one can never be sure when they may get irritated.  The following video shows that elephants can be a common sight in Gavi, specially during summer when they move around for water. It is always better to be cautious while enjoying wild life.

The same bus returns from Vandiperiyar around 3 PM. We managed seats this time since it was quite empty. We reached Pathanamthitta around 7 PM. 

One needs to appreciate the driver and conductor of this trip who manages such a precarious route and on a daily basis. As for the driver, while driving his eyes also scans the horizon for wild animals and does not hesitate to stop so that one can see them and photograph them.  Luckily we did not see any very close :)

 

Integrity

Wrong is wrong, even if everyone is doing it.. Right is right even if no one is doing it.

 

 

As one grow older one realizes that the word integrity seems to have no value in our times. But what is value? Value must be something that one can measure? And measure in what ways? Obviously money.

Yes.. money seems to be the only commodity that seems to be having a say these days. Many have tossed out integrity for the sake of money. Look at our politicians. How many can one count? Yet, they garner votes.

Integrity is important for politicians because they are chosen, appointed, or elected to serve society. In order to be able to serve, politicians are given power in their positions to make, execute, or control policy. They have the power to influence something or someone. There is, however, a risk that this power will not be used by politicians to serve society. Aristotle said that because rulers have power they will be tempted to use it for personal gain.^[9] It is important that politicians withstand this temptation, and that requires integrity

 

Success Will Come and Go, But Integrity Is Forever says Amy Rees Anderson in her article:

Copying two paragraphs...

If I could teach only one value to live by, it would be this: Success will come and go, but integrity is forever. Integrity means doing the right thing at all times and in all circumstances, whether or not anyone is watching. It takes having the courage to do the right thing, no matter what the consequences will be. Building a reputation of integrity takes years, but it takes only a second to lose, so never allow yourself to ever do anything that would damage your integrity.

We live in a world where integrity isn’t talked about nearly enough. We live in a world where “the end justifies the means” has become an acceptable school of thought for far too many. Sales people overpromise and under deliver, all in the name of making their quota for the month. Applicants exaggerate in job interviews because they desperately need a job. CEOs overstate their projected earnings because they don’t want the board of directors to replace them.  Entrepreneurs overstate their pro formas because they want the highest valuation possible from an investor. Investors understate a company’s value in order to negotiate a lower valuation in a deal. Customer service representatives cover up a mistake they made because they are afraid the client will leave them. Employees call in “sick” because they don’t have any more paid time off when they actually just need to get their Christmas shopping done. The list could go on and on, and in each case the person committing the act of dishonesty told themselves they had a perfectly valid reason why the end result justified their lack of integrity. 

 Someone I know has made money the central point of his life that his every relation revolves within it. He made money dubiously and even though everyone is aware of it, none is bothered since money seems to have this wonderful ability to dim the eyes of an onlooker. Money attracts those who love money more than anything else and money whitewashes the wrongs for a while. This person’s love for money is so much that he discarded his parents. The father is no more but the mother who may not be in this world for long wonders how a son whom she doted upon can do thus. And can one beseech the religion he follows? I guess not since those who are leading religious organizations need money and so they close their eyes to such misdeeds.

Has integrity become old fashioned?

Kanis

He maybe a vagabond, a rascal but he is a true gentleman and his name is Kanis.

That was the first time I heard this name and FIL explained that Kanis is a long forgotten football player and one of his favourite. (Maybe the Australian player?)

Kanis wandered home one day when he must have been a few months old and the dog lover inside FIL refused to shoo him away. Kanis is of a mixed breed; black and white in color unlike the brown variety one finds in Kerala. MIL, a pet hater had another reason to dissuade FIL. Cats embracing your home is good while a dog will only bring bad luck. (I succumbed to this old wife’s tale too and removed out of fear, one such dog which had wandered in, from my parent’s place.  While returning from Mavelikara to Tiruvella, we dropped this poor dog somewhere in between. My children and Hubby continue to make me guilty over the same while I hope he found another home)

But Kanis stayed and was well trained by FIL. Give him food and he will stay clear of it for a few minutes. I have never seen him gobble even when he was very hungry. Unlike Jim, our Labrador whose mother the shopkeeper claimed has a pedigree certificate which one never got to see. Show Jim food and he will push you down and will not look up until everything is over. Kanis was also a fierce watchdog unlike Jim. But one cannot blame a Labrador since they are a friendly lot and are seldom used as a watchdog, unless people are deceived by their size.

Poor Kanis can be blamed since when Kanis was around a year or so,  FIL was struck down with a series of illness and finally cancer took him away. But then he was 83 years old, hale and fit until the cancer made him stay put for a while. For 3 whole days, Kani did not eat but lay down whimpering outside FIL’s room. He was also seen visiting FIL's graveyard. MIL did try feeding him but somehow the fellow just wandered off. He became an occasional visitor as though to check up on MIL who was staying alone. Recently when our son landed in Kerala, Kanis paid a visit; stayed around for a few days and left again. When I and Hubby landed in Kerala, I waited for Kanis to show up and feared he was killed. Lo and behold there he was! Wagging his tail vigorously and whimpering in his signature style. But he was very thin and looked very old too. He had cuts and bruises on him. I fed him and once more observed how mannerly he was. I hoped he would stay for a while and he must have hoped we would too. But the fellow mistook our going out for another year long absence (saw his tail go way below when we all climbed into the car) and disappeared once again. He knows our car well and this was proved when we visited a cousin many kilometres away and found Kanis on the way. He ran behind the car for a while and then made another customary visit soon.

Kanis spotted recently by son..you can see his wagging tail..and that must be a smile :)

Kerala always had street dogs and if I remember right, there was regular culling years ago. Everyone fears them. Our maid told me that she has only two fears in her life: robbers and dogs. She has a long walk to our place and is constantly troubled by them. She also lost her nephew to rabies.

Dogs do not deserve our fear and ignorance. They are the most loving and faithful companion that a human being can ever hope for. But rabies is real. We have tried injecting Kanis along with Jim but the task has never been easy. Somehow the fellow always knew something was up and disappeared when the doctor came over to inject!

Kerala government has finally opened its eyes after numerous petitions and precious lives that were lost to rabies. Unlike what is being circulated elsewhere in the country and internationally, they are not being culled but caught and administered anti rabies vaccine. The government is following the ABC scheme, ie Animal Birth Control scheme. My hometown Mavelikara is the first town to go into action I am told. All dogs were rounded up by volunteers and injected. They were let loose later is what I heard.  I think the International Animal Rescue team has been working in Kerala since many years and the following is from year 2003.

Kerala High Court to lift ban on killing stray dogs

In additon to our meeting with the Mayor, we have also written letters to the editors of major newspapers regarding our position on the killing of stray dogs and have sent a copies to reporters whom we’ve had dealings with in the past and who have been sympathetic to our cause.

IAR believe that killing stray dogs is not a solution. The only approach which will yield long term results is a sterilisation programme (such as the Animal Birth Control scheme, commonly known as ABC, under which we are registered). The purpose of such programmes is to reduce the number of street dogs in a humane manner and to bring down the number of rabies cases. But time and effort have to be put into making sterilisation programmes work. Unfortunately, many local municipalities have failed in implementing the ABC scheme in a consistent manner and have, as a result, resorted to killing the animals which they had already sterilised and vaccinated! It is important to note that over one hundred years of catching and killing stray dogs has not worked in either reducing the canine population nor the incidence of rabies in India (nor anywhere else in the world). We must therefore turn to more humane alternatives, such as the ABC scheme, which have proven to be highly effective if properly implemented.

I sincerely hope the government keep up their act so that dogs do not become a menace to the society. They are man’s best friend but it is not easy to tell those who have to walk on the street to not mind them. There are many who cannot travel in cars and there are children who walk or use their bicycles to go to school. The fear of them need to be removed so that they are loved and taken care of.

Edited to add the following:

The boycott Kerala campaign is still going on and I think it is only right to sign the following petition so that people understand the real matter.

https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-hate-campaign-against-kerala

The #BoycottKerala spiel is a result of misinformation actively spread by AWBI (Animal Welfare Board of India) and misunderstanding of the State Government's stance. The State Government has decided to use Animal Birth Control measures in view of recommendations made by animal rights activists and experts.

 

Screeeeeeeeeeeech!

As a kid or as an adult one may have experienced the exciting feeling during a ride on a giant wheel or a roller coaster or even plain sliding on a smooth floor, until it stops suddenly with a screech or maybe soundlessly. It is only you who experienced it until you join the rest who walks around normally. It is this same feeling that I now experience after both the kids have flown the nest. It was an exciting, never stopping, nerve wracking experience similar to a giant wheel or a roller coaster. You chose it and then something or someone took control of everything. All you could do was either enjoy, scream, laugh or even cry. But now that I am out of it, it is like standing alone and trying to make a sense of it all. You are back on solid ground. But what do you do?

Still trying to figure out what I shall do.. maybe the world will throw me something or maybe I would need to grab something myself.

One day..

One day.. this is the small voice inside the head of each expat in the Gulf region. This day may come for some unexpectedly, when only their dead bodies reach their homeland.  A few others make this day come sooner by their meticulous planning, but for the majority this day remains in the head only, until certain circumstances force them to meet that day in their homeland. It might come as a job loss or the urgent requirement of a loved one back home or old age itself.

Our son too will soon fly the nest since his board exam is about to get over the coming week.  This makes me think about that “one day” pretty often.  I was never a good planner and always had to take life as it came. So guess even this “one day” if ever it comes and whenever it comes may end up the same way! Yet, why should I not dream? So this post is only to poke my conscious later and hope that it may nudge me to action.

It is not a lofty dream either..not at all. It is only to grow a vegetable garden and maybe have a few hens, fish? and maybe a cow and a few ducks…. Hah! Not sure why on Facebook I always land up on such pages so as to get all such ridiculous ideas! This is surely not for the lazy ones and for those who would prefer to sit in front of the idiot box instead. I may end up as such a person too, so let me just jot down to jolt me later.

Imagine growing a lemon tree indoors? Read it here 

I do have a very very small collection of plants out here but the issue is that once we leave for our summer vacation it needs to be shifted to some place where it can be looked after during our absence.

Other than normal gardening, I stumbled upon Hydroponics and Aquaponics systems. Tried the latter at home but am yet to succeed. Aquaponics interests me more since you can have fishes too in the bargain. My colleague told me about a friend of his who returned to Kerala and is now successfully managing it in only a cent of land! He dug a small pond, spread a tarpaulin sheet which extended a feet or two around the pond. Then he spread broken rocks on this extended space to plant vegetables. The pond was used to grow fish and the water was brought out  at fixed times with the aid of a pump to flow through these rocks back into the pond. The nutrients in this water was enough for the vegetables to grow and there was not much loss in water too. One only need to feed the fish. 

Hydroponics is a subset of hydroculture and is a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions, in water, without soil. Terrestrialplants may be grown with their roots in the mineral nutrient solution only or in an inert medium,such as perlite or gravel.

Aquaponics is a food production system that combines conventional aquaculture (raising aquatic animals such as snails,fish, crayfish or prawns in tanks) with hydroponics (cultivating plants in water) in a symbiotic environment. In normal aquaculture, excretionsfrom the animals being raised can accumulate in the water, increasing toxicity. In an aquaponic system, water from an aquaculture system is fed to a hydroponic system where the by-products are broken down by nitrification bacteria into nitrates and nitrites, which are utilized by the plants as nutrients. The water is then recirculated back to the aquaculture system.

The following video shows a successful Aquaponics system in Kerala https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=636542556468002

Source:

http://theaquaponicsource.com/aquaponics-vs-hydroponics/

The gentle giants of a bygone era

This post has been sitting in draft mode from the day I read Maddy's tribute and realized that the world of blogging has changed for me yet again. To me, Abraham Tharakan belonged to a bygone era so much different from the one that my children is facing. I may have tasted a bit of it but time allows none to tarry.

Abraham Tharakan did not tarry but gracefully bridged the generation gap and wrote ever so splendidly until he bid good bye. He wrote on diverse subjects and made each post informative and interesting. While reading about Deepika Pallikal, I remembered him yet again and now realize that his post on her was prophetic. She is the first female Indian to make it to the semifinals of the squash event. 

Not sure what prompted him to post this obituary. But here was a man who had seen this world and specially India, change before his very eyes. And today when the nation celebrates ISRO's success, I am sure he would have celebrated it in his own unique way on his blog.

My only regret is that I was irregular in keeping up with his posts since I myself became irregular on this space. I cherish and value the reminder he left on my blog but will always regret for not having taken up his gentle reminder.

We will miss you dear soul.

The Greatest Commandment

Majority of the tribe and scribes in the Middle East can identify with the passages from one book or collection of passages; a Christian like me calls it the Old Testament while the rest differently. It is from this book the greatest commandment of all emerges:

“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.

And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these”

Religion is once again giving me goose bumps and it sure looks crazy to quote from it at this point. But then as everyone knows, religion can also be a tool to manipulate and to basically make people cooperate by making them feel different from the rest. And over the years men has perfected this art and especially in this age that provides them with sophisticated technology to aid them in this task. Religion gives many the powers to control what they cannot otherwise.


Now how are humans from each religion different?

1. The blood which runs in each is red in color.

2. The anatomy of a human is: a pair of legs, hands, eyes, ears that helps them touch, feel, hear, and basically know the world and its wonders.

3. One laughs when one is happy and cries when sad.

4. Everyone wants to be loved and accepted for what he/she is.

5. Nothing but food suffices when one is hungry and nothing but water when one is thirsty.

6. The minute one ceases to breathe, he/she dies.

I pointed out the similarities since it is a futile to attempt to do otherwise and I am very sure it is a challenge which no expert in this world has successfully undertaken.

And how do differences emerge? This takes us to the commandments that I first quoted and mainly the second one: love your neighbor as yourself. How easy it is to read but how difficult to implement! Hence let me once again quote the following text that I chanced to read from a religious site. Let me refrain from giving the link and also hope that the author forgives me for plagiarizing.

The one common denominator to all of your experiences with difficult people is you. In my case, it is me. People we call “difficult” are really people who we consciously or subconsciously identify as being “different”. Different from who? Different from us, of course!

We implicitly assume we are the standard of reference by which all other persons must be judged. To the extent that someone differs from us in any way, they could become a candidate for our scrupulous examination. They may or may not pass our “test”, based on our standards, and of course, we are the sole judge. Just remember that the other person has reserved a similar right to judge you by their standards, and may have concluded that you are a difficult person to live with.


When we understand that “difficult” means “different”, and we accept that God made us individually with different fingerprints and different DNA peculiarities, we are ready to focus less on the differences between us and more on the similarities that unite us.

Times are difficult but it can be made easy only if we focus on the similarities that human beings share in this world and focus less on the differences that humans have thrust upon themselves under the guise of religion.

Peace is what majority wants but it is this same peace that a few wants to take away for their own selfish wants. 

Another Vacation

Am back after another vacation, hectic as usual. This time it was to admit our daughter for higher studies, a task which can be like climbing Mount Everest! Every parent who has admitted a ward anywhere, be it even a nursery, knows the feeling. Leaving her behind was even more heartbreaking and much tears were silently shed on the way to the Airport, but I thank technology for connecting us at least when it is possible. My watch continues to be on Indian time so that I don't miss the window of opportunity to call her.

Due to the uncertainty of opening dates, we could only travel to places close by. Saw a few places that I have never seen earlier in Kerala, this time too. Travelled through roads that are holding well (the monsoon was late) and left Kerala just when the rains started to play havoc. But it was enough to rock the Airplane and scare the passengers.

Alapuzha beach is the closest for us, yet it is strange that I have never been there! It was always a passing point to Kochi or other destinations and was always dismissed. Hence when we planned a day trip with cousins this was the perfect choice. It started with Azheekal beach, made even more closer to Tiruvalla due to the roads that are now better maintained. The one via Haripad has been recently repaired and ply through paddy fields. It was sheer pleasure travelling through the same. At Arattupuzha one was able to see the much talked about black sand (karimanal) and memorials for the the December 2004 Tsunami. It is still a sleepy village with a road running parallel to the beach and ending at Azheekkal, a common name for a place where the sea meets the end of the land or a lake? The locals told us that the sea is very deep around here and anyone unfortunate enough to be swept away will surely be eaten away by sharks, since it is near impossible to retrieve the body. The beach is not clean and hence we did not stay long. (the photographs are in another device and need to be uploaded later).

We proceeded towards Alapuzha and visited another secluded but a very beautiful beach: the Mararikulam beach. We were 4 adults and the rest were a big bunch of teens who immediately took to the waters. There were enough coconut trees to provide a good shade from where my camera could get some good shots. There were only a few foreigners who might have wandered away from the more frequented Alapuzha beach.

The best part of the visit was the fresh fish that we bought directly from the fishermen who were transferring it from their nets. My greed for it was so much that upon returning home quite late at night, me who very rarely handles fish (due to lack of experience) proceeded to cut, clean, fry and eat before I did anything else. No way was I going to miss this opportunity to eat fish so fresh, without ammonia or whatever they add and after having sat in the freezer/ice for God only knows how many days. The trouble was worth it. Fresh fish can taste so lovely! Nothing beats the taste and now I can understand those who patiently fish by the river that passes by in front of our home.

Time well spent..

I went on a short trip to Kerala to leave our daughter, who is planning to pursue her higher studies in India. Time is indeed flying and it was with a pang that I saw girls in school uniform this morning.

While at Kerala, I could spend some time with my parents too, and let me express it in pictures.

Who said cooking cannot be mastered after the age of 80??
The Vada is store bought: here my Father is soaking it in boiling water to make curd vada..

Chopped ginger, green chilly and enough curd. Never mind the presentation!

This one loves eating the long bean (vanpayare)! a rare sight? 

Another beauty, though a little snooty in this picture: elder brother to the white one and now the mother is pregnant with the next lot!

Summer bloom

Early morning drive to Trivandrum and where else but at the Indian Coffee House

Aham Bhumika

Thought I shall dedicate this post to Aham Bhumika. Have been seeing their tweets and the least I could do was an RT. Today I saw a request from them to re-post the following on blogs. 

‘Aham Bhumika’ is an NGO, a group of like minded people based in Bhopal, a city in the state of Madhya Pradesh in India. The diverse group consists of artists, housewives, engineers, tourist guides, teachers and government employees. 

        Gift a book to our library of rural  children 

Ahambhumika, working with the rural children in village Borda, Bhopal intends to set up a small library for the rural children. For these children, having a story book is a luxury.

At Ahambhumika we have a support centre for our rural children namely Mehak (Fragrance) wherein there are 120 children in the age group of 4 to 14 years.

We need people willing to support us in this initiative.The books and magazines  discarded by your children will be of immense use to our children.
What we need :  1. We need books in Hindi and English. 2. The books need to be on the topic of interest of children who are in the age group of 4 to 14 years.3. The books need to be of use for the children like  story books, Art and craft books, Biographies, Autobiographies, Cartoon, Colouring  books and Magazines.
How to send old books / magazinesThe best way of sending  books  and magazines discarded by your children is through Speed Post service of Government of India. The charges of Speed Post are very economical and you can track the books shipped through them.
( At the bottom is the address to send the books )

From where  to gift new books If you wish to donate new books, then books published by Pratham books are the best option. The Pratham books are very economical and cover all topics of interests in Hindi and English as well.You can connect with them on Twitter @prathambooks   You can choose books from following  link of Pratham books http://store.prathambooks.org/control/keywordsearch?SEARCH_STRING=Hindi You may order them directly to deliver the books to us on the following address.Ahambhumika Swayam Sevi Sanstha65, Elegant Estate, ( Sai Ganesh Mandir ) Near Mother Tereasa School, Bairagarh Chichli, Kolar Road, Bhopal -4620042 .For any query mail us at ahambhumika@gmail.com  Lastly : If you wish you may contribute financially too. The financial contribution made by you will be utilized to buy shelves, almirah and activity books.

Online bank transfer Aham Bhumika Swayam Sevi SansthaSavings Account Number 2073 1010 15874ISFC CODE :CNRB 000 2073Canara Bank Branch : Maharana Pratap Nagar , Bhopal. 

Aham Bhumika I believe was started by Subrat Goswami  who works with the Archaeological Survey of India. 

AAP and me

Addiction to twitter has kept me away from this space that I so loved. This was where I used to pen my thoughts which would seldom fit within 140 words. Twitter is different; there is more cacophony. It is easy to lose yourself in it if one is not careful. Anyway, here I am once more with no guarantee that I shall return soon!


The success of AAP has many implications/conclusions in our so called democratic nation. Thought I would pen down few that came to my mind after the not so bad victory of the Aam Aadmy party.


1- It proves beyond doubt that democracy is still alive and can function well within the existing frameworks. Compare this to nations where people have given up voting due to various reasons.

2- For poll victory, the nation need not have a party claiming years of experience or certain ideologies.

3- That the nation is thirsting for a drastic change which the current political parties may not suffice or they fail to give such a hope to the voter.

4- That each citizen craves for clean governance and nothing more.


Arvind Kejrival's speech echoes the thoughts that goes through the mind of every well meaning citizen. Do listen to it without prejudice. His Delhi Assembly speech has been compiled here: Know 42 Facts from Arvind Kejriwal Speech in Delhi Assembly.


It is a fact that the victory of AAP has disturbed the Congress, BJP and the Communist party. It was amusing to see the Communist party trying to claim AAP as one of their own while the media did the same for Congress and mainly Rahul! BJP at least showed the sense not to do so knowing well that it will not be bought.

The commentary said that the virtues that AAP claims for itself - a clean image, incorruptibility, denial of perks and privileges of power and funding based on people's contributions - “are all part of the style and practice of the communists from the outset”.Read more at: http://www.firstpost.com/politics/aap-is-like-left-but-it-must-reveal-its-economic-policies-karat-1319547.html?utm_source=ref_article

http://m.economictimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/rahul-gandhi-the-arvind-kejriwal-of-congress-tries-to-inject-aam-aadmi-blood-into-a-decrepit-party/articleshow/msid-27370665.cmsRahul is talking about "transformation" of "traditional" politics, "embedding" people's voice in the party and pushing "aggressively" for change of the kind we "cannot imagine" whereas Sonia is happy to "rectify" the party's "mistakes" and "way of functioning". If that is not political maturity let's have some more of Rahul's political naivete because soon all political parties will be forced to respond to the challenge called Arvind Kejriwal. The Congress is lucky. It will not have to work too hard because Rahul is their Kejriwal, the outlier within.

But a skeptic I am, let me wait and watch how AAP will govern now that power is in their hands. They may not sound realistic at times and may even falter under pressure since the old dogs in the system will be up to their usual tricks. But if the intentions of AAP is right, then I see no reason why it should not succeed. The voters may not be hoping for utopia but they will sense very quickly if there is even a hint of  insincerity.

And if it does not succeed, let me at least hope that it will change the current political parties in the way they function. Maybe even a kill a few in the process!

A secular nation?

We proudly call our nation multi-religious while forgetting the fact that this alone has killed many over the years! Why is that secularism does not work for India but it works for many others? Does the fault lie with our constitution? Or is it the blood of innocents over whom this nation was formed? Even if India did not have to shed much blood fighting for independence, it had to shed much over partition.More than a million they say. Did it all start from there? Will it's ghost never leave this nation?

Let us recall that the majority inherited this nation while the minority trusted the majority enough, to share this nation. Yet, there are a few among the minority as well as the majority who continue to feel insecure enough to fear each other. The politicians continue to fan this insecurity while they build their empire. Let me not blame one party alone since riots have occurred under both the major parties. If there was a 2002 Gujarat riot under BJP, there has been others under the Congress too. I mentioned Gujarat since this is where the nation's conscience stand rooted. From where it refuse to budge. But it is not from where it all started. If one party does it under the secular banner, the other under the Hinduvata banner.

Have a look at the various massacres that took place in India over the years and see the number of precious lives lost. Most of these massacres have been communal in nature.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_massacres_in_India

Communal riots are seldom caused spontaneously and very rarely caused by religious animosity. They are mostly caused due to conflicting political interests, which are often linked to economic interests. 

And in all these riots the police force was reduced to a mute spectator or an active party to the killing. A chronology of riots as reported by Hindustan Times details how police have always been let loose. I believe that before each religious killing or riots, there will be a smoldering time. The small fire from it all starts. Why is that this nation has never been able to douse this fire but does everything to fan it? I also continue to believe that the minute this smoldering starts, killers begin to sharpen their weapons. They have always been ready and yet our police and political party pretend not see them. You and me may never do the act, but there are those who have been trained to do so. Yes, those who are governing the state and the police force are responsible. Yet, over the years we have seen none of them being punished. Why? Are our courts biased too?

Police reforms may help they say. I believe too. The duty of the police is only to serve the people. They should never be a tool for the politicians to play with lives. Make them independent? Other nations are doing it, why not India? How much worse can it get, if it so? A force not governed by each state but as a separate entity. A force whose only duty is to protect the masses. What can go wrong? If there are mistakes, this will be more visible and can be easily punished?

Let the police force be politically neutral. Let them be recruited from a central pool and transferred like the bank employees. Let them be paid well for a start.

2014 LS elections are nearing. Do I have hopes for any positive change. Why should there be? On one side is the so called secular party trying to woo the minorities by all means while on the other side is the party for the majority trying to woo the majority. Will anything change on the ground? Or will both these parties lose and political mongering bring about an even more worse situation?

Let me end this by praying that any party which comes to power in 2014 will concentrate on building more toilets!

You will agree with me once you see the toilet map of our nation.

Animals

I was fortunate to grow up with pets and there were times when our house could be pictured for the nursery rhyme "Old MacDonald had a farm"! There were ducks, hens, cows, goats, pigs, more than one dog, a clowder of cats and even a monkey! And it was the companion of a pet that I missed most after my books when I first landed here in Kuwait. But since I was too busy bringing up my kids, I somehow put down the urge to have a pet. When the kids were a little bigger, we had our first pet. A few love birds. It was fun watching them preen and croon to each other. One of them even hatched a few eggs but the chicks died for some reasons. The last one died after I handed it over to my friend when we went for vacation. The next was a hamster who was fun as long as it did not chew the wires of the speakers! The fellow was doing fine until daughter brought another one from her friend. She was an aggressive one and was forever fighting and injuring the poor fellow. But we had to hand over them to a friend while we went on vacation and they died either due to the extreme heat or because of the constant fights. 

And then she seduced us with her ways and captured our hearts. 

She was not really a stray cat but was looked after by this girl in one of the flats in our building. She waited for me when I returned from work and then just plopped down under the sofa. A very fuzzy eater and hence was hard to feed her. But if you meet her outside with her friends she gave no signs of recognition! She was the typical selfish cat!

Before we left for our vacation, I found her forever sleeping and now I realize why! As soon as our luggage was hauled up we found her lugging one kitten after another and dropping them under our bed! I am not sure how she knew we were back from our vacation! Three beautiful kittens and they were just a week old!

And then it became our job to open the door to let her out whenever she wanted! She found means to wake us up even from our deepest sleep. Luckily, during the day she decided to stay inside until the kids came back from school.

And the other day it was just another trip for her while the kittens stayed with us and since we were busy watching a movie ( a little loud I think), we missed hearing her call us to open the door. Someone had harmed her and her front legs were all cut and her beautiful face all blackened! I cannot understand how some can harm animals! I have seen little children do it and have wondered if it was out of fear or just to see the fear in the eyes of the animal. Or was it a car? We are still not sure.

We left her at home while she nursed her wound. Initially she refused to feed her kittens and we hoped she will be alright after a day or two. Right now she is much better, but two of the kittens have died. Now only one remain!

This reminded me of the guide who took us on our trek in Gavi. He explained to us why men are called animals when they turn cruel. He said animals are never as cruel as men and it was wrong to give this name to a man. Only men can be cruel while animals only try to protect themselves. According to him, the only two stupid animal in the forest are the wild buffalo and the boar. They are the only ones who may attack you without any reason. And rightfully dumb humans are called buffalos! or in Malayalam "Pothe"! It was good to see the love this young chap had for the forest and it's original dwellers. He is part of the group of Sri Lankans who were forced to flee during the troubled times. Indian government let them stay inside these forests where they act as guides and also contribute towards cardamom cultivation. They don't own lands and some of them have left this place for good.

Here is something I wrote decades ago during my troublesome teen years and when animals gave me the right kind of solace.

Animals

I feel those who don't like animals miss a lot of fun and solace in this life. To me, they make up most of my happy moments. They show me a different world, a beautiful place of innocence, of loyalty, of unselfishness too. They can teach us human beings a lot, a lot we ignore.

A kitten, so cute and playful! When I see it lift it's paws playfully, I feel so happy in seeing it's beauty. At that moment it looks as though God has bestowed upon it, all the beauty and sweetness in this world. It's eyes all round and it's body all fluffy and soft. The cat, the way it stretches itself, so tempting, so sensuous! No wonder a lady is complimented as sensuous as a cat! It has got that attractiveness which just pulls you. You just have to hold it. They have that royal look, that untouched grace.

A dog, ever loving and faithful. Ever ready to please you. It is so happy when you notice it, when you touch it, when you pet it. That is the most important thing that they yearn from their masters. That look which somehow tells them that we care. That trust in their eyes. Oh those beautiful brown eyes! The loving licks it give you.  And it asks not much in return. Have you seen it's happiness upon seeing you back from a trip? Can any human being replicate that happiness? 

People should never miss all this. They are God's soothing balm in this world full of sorrows. God knows that at times men need something more than the contact of human beings. Animals are God's wonderful gift to us.

Every animal in this world looks beautiful to me. I know that some of them are dangerous but God has never created any evil ones and they don't turn evil like men. They are consistent and they only defend themselves and in that process we indifferent human beings get hurt.

Love animals, they are worth your love! 

Violets

These are the pictures of the violets at my parent's place.

They were planted more than two decades back while they were in the tea estate and travelled all the way to Mavelikara. I don't know how it adapted to the hot climate. But my mother used to feed it daily with tea leaves that were left after brewing tea. Now she has lost interest in everything and it is Father who looks after them. Only a leaf is enough to create a new plant. If you place a leaf in water it will produce roots. Earlier there used to be more colors but now only the blue is left. 

During my recent visit, I found a poem that my mother had written about the violets. While we were kids she maintained a journal where each of us siblings contributed something. It was called the Philip's Journal. There used to be a box where we siblings were required to drop our contributions. Mother being the publisher and elder brother the editor each contribution were scrutinised before selection. It was mostly to keep us quiet at least a few hours during the holidays. With no neighbours around, we kids needed innovation to keep us occupied. 

I found these journals still intact and found time to capture some of her jottings which I intend to copy it here.

It looks crude but it was entirely home made! My mother used to maintain a blog earlier but not anymore.

Violets

I wonder who named you violets,

Beautiful, beautiful indeed

of various colors; purple, violet

pink, lilac, blue and white

Tending you is a jole sweet.

It teaches anyone patience.

How tender and timid you seem

But living ever in silence.

No on can kill your life.

Your single leaf can live again

Each giving to a new life

Shaming the destroyer's gain.

Who cannot love and tend you?

Nobody can be jealous,

if I say I love you

And love to see you everyday.

Time to return?

These days I realize that we are returning to the good old days than anything new! The past few decades were fast paced and we embraced the new with no second thoughts while discarding the old ways. Luckily, they are making a comeback. 

Let me go through some of it on this blog which has been neglected since some time! Yes..I was on vacation and had a wonderful one too. Am back much relaxed.

While in Kerala, I noticed that most households have started a vegetable garden. Two decades back it was common to have one where you could have your daily requirement of different coloured spinach, long beans, chilly, yam, gourds etc. etc. Now even those without much land can grow vegetables in grow bags on their terrace or balconies. At my parent's place I noticed the grow bags supplied by the panchayat at the rate of Rs. 500/-. Guess this is as per the scheme run by the Kerala Agriculture department; the details for the same is here: But since the rains were bad, it did not take off well initially. But just before I returned and when the rains subsided, I found them yielding well.

The Grow bags supplied to my Parent's place

3. Promotion of Urban Clusters: Rs. 400 Lakhs 

3.a. Terrace Cultivation :
It is proposed to popularize vegetable cultivation, in two corporation areas viz. Kollam and Thrissur Corporations by selecting 13250 beneficiaries from each 10  corporation. 25 nos of grow bags along with seedlings of major 4-6 vegetable  crops, preferably nonpandal varieties like Amaranthus, chillies, brinjal, Bhindi  Bush cowpea, tomato, cabbage, cauliflower, palak etc.worth Rs. 2000/- will be supplied to each beneficiary at 75 % subsidy (Rs. 1500 ). Grow bags will have a dimension of 40cmx24cmx24cm, 600 gauge (150 micron) thickness, UV Stabilised , white outer and black inner and should contain 10 to 12 kg potting mixture. The growbag should contain the details of the scheme as Name of Department, name of programme and year of implementation (in Malayalam) along with the details of the supplying agency. Minimum 15 houses as a cluster
in a residence association will be supplied with growbag with seedlings, wherein the association should take the lead role for the supervision and maintenance of the garden including collection of beneficiary contribution of Rs. 500 each.

Most food bloggers write about the best cooking utensils and I realize that these were and still being used by Indians. The ones made with iron/Cheenachatti and Earthenware/Manchatti. I have stopped buying the non stick pans and pots. I do have some manchattis and also use ceramic coated pans. The fish curries have to be prepared in earthenwares since the acid from the kokam can seep into the vessel. The taste of a sambar made in an earthenware is distinct. 

And now the latest invention from the west: the healthy way to poop! The idea of squatting when defecating is not a new one. Indians (maybe the whole world?)  did it all the time and still do. Our railways I think, still have it. But the Indian style toilets have almost disappeared from most households in Kerala.  Have a look at this article. 

Cycles are back with a vengeance on the Indian roads! Good! With the petrol price being increased every other day and government thinking of ridiculous ideas like shutting pumps after 8 PM, the best and healthy way of transportation would be the cycle.

Shoddy tracks no deterrent, cycle sales graph soars

Cyclists may have been decrying the poor and unusable condition of cycle tracks across Pune roads, but this has not affected the sale of cycles in the city. From medium-end bikes to the more expensive imported versions, they are all available and have takers in all age groups.

Hero cycles' new plant to target premium bikers

Targeting the premium bicycle market which is growing at 40 percent annually, Hero cycles Monday opened a new all-aluminium cycle plant here with an aim to increase sales five-fold.

Riding to success on a bicycle 

When M S Athirup, a Thiruvananthapuram-based engineer launched At his  Bicycle Club (abc), the city’s first cross-city bicycling club, little did he know about the immense response his initiative would garner.The club, which started off with 35 members in Kochi, now has more than 1,000 members. The club rents bicycle for two hours for Rs 2.Athirup is excited that corporates are showing interest in his initiative. He said three companies from Infopark have approached him to seeking the  service of Athi Bicycle Club.