Second home jun'13 monsoon edition

Dear Members, It is with a deep sense of satisfaction that I write to you as the tenure of the present Executive Committee draws to a close. You elected us with a phenomenal majoritya statement of the faith and confidence reposed in us. It is a matter of pride that we have been able to deliver on most facets of Club life during this past year. Many milestones were passed, despite impediments being created at every step by certain minority groups with their own agenda. There have been instances where thoughts as to whether this is all worth the pain have crept in, as is but human. However, with your active support and encouragement, these dark thoughts were brushed aside and we were able to move forward with increased vigor. The message from the Hon. Secretary elaborates on the achievements and pitfalls that we have had.

There are only two main points that I would like to mention – one is the conduct of our General Body meetings and the second, the functioning of the Executive Committee. In the first General Body meeting of this Club year itself, I had appealed for co-operation in the smooth conduct of the meetings and had stressed on the need for us to maintain decorum. To a very large extent, this appeal was heeded and I take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for the same. I also request all of you to continue to co-operate with the Committees to come in conducting our meetings with pride and dignity.

Moving on to the second matter, it is but imperative that I place on record that whatever that has been achieved this last year, the basis for it has been the cohesiveness in the Executive Committee. In stark contrast to previous experiences, the Executive Committee worked as a single unit with common goals and objectives.

Of course, there have been differences of opinion, as is but natural, but these were resolved amicably and in time. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all my colleagues in the Executive Committee for this sense of oneness as well as for the sincere hard work that each one has put in. I also thank all the members of our Staff community for their co-operation.

Once more, on behalf of the entire Executive Committee, I thank all of you fellow Members for your encouragement and for the active participation in all activities of the Club this past year.

With best wishes,

Babu Sebastian T J President

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Dear Members, One more eventful year has passed. The present Committee has put in all efforts possible to ensure that we were able to live up to the expectations of the Members. We were able to do justice to the confidence placed on us, only because of the unflinching support provided by each and every member of our Second Home. We were able to execute many improvements and introduce new systems. I will briefly touch upon the main areas; the official Secretary’s Report carries a detailed account of all the activities.

It is a matter of great pride that we were able to restore the 100 year old Club House to its old pomp and glory. The renovation of the dining hall attached to P. S. Hall was successfully done to 5 star standards. We had the great privilege to host His Highness Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma, the Maharaja of Travancore, as the Guest of Honour. The entire work could be carried out well within the allotted budget of Rs. 80 lakhs. A new avenue for revenue generation was identified and implemented this year - collection of royalty from service contractors of marriage functions conducted at P. Subramoniam Hall. We were able to collect an amount of Rs. 9,39,000/- within a span of eight months. There will be generation of not less than Rs.50 to Rs.60 lakhs per annum as a result of the renovation works carried out.

After a long interval, admission of new Members took place. As many as 526 Members participated in the balloting for induction of new members. The fact that there was clear exercise of the will of the Members is made evident by the outcome of the ballot. From among 137 aspirants that were subject to balloting 121 cleared the hurdles and became eligible for membership to the club. An amount of Rs. 3.5 crores has already been collected by way of membership fees from the new members. This will go a long way in ensuring that the liability that has become a major headache will be solved once and for all, without passing the baton of liabilities to the future committees. I acknowledge with gratitude the strain taken by Sri. S V Das (R-0029), and Sri. S V Vasanthan (L-0498), Balloting Officers in ensuring that the balloting process was conducted efficiently.

The Club has celebrated all festivals and organized entertainment programmes on all months during this term. The year’s New Year program, without touching the Club coffers. Our fiscal discipline is quite evident from the fact that even when there was a General Body sanction for closing the fixed deposit prematurely and releasing an amount of 114 lakhs towards clearing the urgent statutory demands from sales tax & service tax to the tune of 63 lakhs and Rs 50 lakhs for

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dining hall air conditioning work, we have prematurely closed fixed deposits to the tune of Rs. 57 lakhs only. The balance amount was paid from the surplus generated from the prudent manner in which the financial matters were handled. Some of the departments which were in the red where made profitable. It has to be noted that even in messing, which is heavily subsidised, the net loss has come down from a staggering 19 lakhs to as low as 6 lakhs. For the first time in the annals of Trivandrum Club, we have insured our Club from third party claims arising out of any incident that occurs in our premises to the tune of one crore per annum.

The formation of a trade union in the Club has had an impact on the discipline of the staff. The Committee has not recognised the union, in keeping with the strong sentiments expressed by the Members in the previous EGM. The gravity of the situation is further heightened in that certain members of the union have gone to the extent of personally attacking the Office Bearers, even publishing and sticking posters and banners on the compound walls of our houses and business establishments. It is my sincere request that the incoming Committee should in no way yield to pressures, keeping the best interests of our Club in mind.

Every year the Club Elections are held in a congenial manner, with the election campaigns and related issues being forgotten soon after the new office bearers assume office. It has been hitherto unheard of that certain Members create an atmosphere wherein the elected office bearers often find it difficult to function. It is with utmost humbleness that I request my fellow Members who have lost the mandate to desist from activities which are derogatory to themselves and the Club.

By resorting to such parochial enmity, we are creating an environment which will not only create unpleasantness, but we will be presenting our future generations with a climate of hate and bad blood. Let us learn to forget and forgive, to share our love than spread hatred and create an environment where every Member will feel welcome and at ease in our second home.

I wish to use this opportunity to thank all of my colleagues in the Committee for their sincere efforts and also the Staff for the co-operation extended even in a vitiated atmosphere. I thank all the Members for the unflinching support extended to me as well as the entire Executive Committee this year.

With best wishes,

P V Subramonian (Murugan) Hon.Secretary

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Dear Friends, This is the second issue this year of the ‘Second Home’ and my tenure as the Editor of our Club magazine ends here.

We have witnessed several happenings in the world around us in the past six months, some imparting joy, others wonder, awe and amazement and several others which have touched us with the sharp point of sorrow’s sword. Among the last group, there was one particular incident, that of the senseless massacre of twenty children by a deranged gunman in Newtown, Connecticut, USA, that touched the hearts of most of us. I happened to read a small poem on this, written by Cameo Smith, Mt. Wolf, Pennsylvania, which I am reproducing here –

“T’was 11 days before Christmas, around 9:38, When 20 beautiful children stormed through Heaven’s gate.

Their smiles were contagious, their laughter filled the air, They could hardly believe all the beauty they saw there.

They were filled with such joy, they didn’t know what to say, They remembered nothing of what had happened earlier that day.

“Where are we?” asked a little girl, as quiet as a mouse.

“This is Heaven.” declared a small boy. “We’re spending Christmas at God’s house.”

When what to their wondering eyes did appear, But Jesus, their savior, the children gathered near.

He looked at them and smiled, and they smiled just the same, Then He opened His arms and He called them by name.

And in that moment was joy that only Heaven can bring Those children all flew into the arms of their King.

And as they lingered in the warmth of His embrace, One small girl turned and looked at Jesus’ face.

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And as if He could read all the questions she had He gently whispered to her, “I’ll take care of mom and dad.”

Then He looked down on earth, the world far below, He saw all of the hurt, the sorrow, and woe.

Then He closed His eyes and He outstretched His hand, “Let My power and presence re-enter this land!”

“May this country be delivered from the hands of fools,” “I’m taking back my nation, I’m taking back my schools!”

Then He and the children stood up without a sound, “Come now my children, let me show you around.”

Excitement filled the space, some skipped and some ran, All displaying enthusiasm that only a small child can.

And I heard Him proclaim as He walked out of sight, “In the midst of this darkness, I AM STILL THE LIGHT.”

I took the liberty to reproduce this poem here as a parting note which would re-kindle hope and deliver direction and purpose to all our busy, hectic lives.

I very sincerely hope that I have been able to do justice to the responsibility entrusted to me. I would like to place on record my gratitude to Sri. T C Vijayakumar, who is probably the only person to have voluntarily helped in all matters related to the magazine and of course, to all of you, patrons of the ‘Second Home’.

“Don’t walk behind me; I may not lead.

Don’t walk in front of me; I may not follow.

Just walk beside me and be my friend.”

- Albert Camus Adieu.

Alexander P Jacob

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06 All in a Day’s Walk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sri. Abhinav Kumar S/o Sri. Ajith Kumar (L-1692)

08 STRUGGLE & PRIZE: A De-construction. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Prof. R. Ravindra Panicker (L-1781)

09 The Beauty of Your Fears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Janani Swaminathan D/o V. Swaminathan (R-2608)

10 The Role & Mandate of the CAG. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sri. James Joseph (R-1351)

12 Aayusum Arogyavum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sri. S. Asokan (L-1693)

16 “My right to life and dignity” - WOMAN. . . . . . . . . . . .

Kalyani Kutty R (R-2937)

D/o Sri. Mohan Kumar P (R-766)

19 The Story of the Ganges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Smt. Parvathy Suresh W/o Dr.Suresh G (R-2771) 22 Denguvinte Naalukal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sri. Anil Kumar M R (L-1117)

24 An Eye in the Sky. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sri. Ajith Kumar (L-1692) 26 The Metro Effect: Fiendish traps, blood thirsty mobs &

the survival of the fittest… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sri. Aneesh A S/o Sri. N Ayyappan IAS (Rtd) (L-1872)

28 Manoharangalaya Ettu Pushpangal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Smt. Anandavally D (S-128)

29 Postman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sri. Shaik Ahamed (L-2046) 30 The Mysterious Island. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Ms. Vaishnavi Anand, Std VIII, RCIS, Bangalore D/o Sri.N Anand (R-979)

31 You are my Sunshine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dr. Smt.S V Lekshmi, W/o Sri. Janardhanan Nair (R-719) 32 Collecting Antiques. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sri. Motti John Thomas (R-1070)

36 Madhurachiri. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sri. S. Ayyappan (R-1070)

38 Laugh !!! It is Good for Health. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Prof. Dr. Shaji Prabhakaran (L-1881)

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39 Lalitha. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sri. Gopinath Krishnan (R-2062)

53 Shades of Indigo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Smt. Sulochana Ram Mohan W/o Sri.S.Ram Mohan (L-740)

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All in a Day’s Walk Have you ever travelled to the Museum on an early morning? It’s amazing how many cars you’ll find parked on both sides of the road – their occupants have all gone for their daily routine – a walkathon inside the Museum or the Kanaka Kunnu palace. One day, not long ago, I too decided to take a step forward. ‘Join the crowd’ as they say. Below is an account of the events that followed.

Entering into the museum, it looks no different than a peak hour traffic spot, almost resembling a highway inside the city. Such a sight at the break of dawn is a little hard to digest. People, people, and more people. Some jogging, some brisk walking, and some meandering. But for sure, each one has an agenda – a fixed and common agenda – to reduce, to keep fit, to keep trim. The result? Well, the Museum pathways are no more the solitary healthy pathways of the past; rather, they have become jam-packed lanes where fitness freaks jostle for space.

Taking a closer look, I see the traffic is mainly made up of youth, moving about in their shorts, track-pants, T-shirts and all. And then there is the post retired group – the slow march preferring lot, in caps, hats, kurta’s and jogging suits. I spot an elderly woman walking slowly, two frail old men sitting on a bench reminiscing, all seemingly content in their own world. (An attempt at healthy living in their glorious second innings) A clear distinction is evident, admittedly the younger set of men and women, seem to take the ‘Cholesterol Challenge’ very seriously. And why shouldn’t they? Thanks to our advertisements today oil 6

Sri. Abhinav Kumar S/o Sri. Ajith Kumar (L1692)

brands appear more concerned about our hearts than us. (or so it would seem) Nonetheless, the message is conveyed, the awareness created, the product sold. And now, the Museum is packed.

Well... it’s by far more economically viable than paying big bucks at the city’s premium gyms.

Picking up speed, I look up and see this 90-pound heavyweight champion coming towards me – panting, puffing, and sweating hard. “I must get 25kgs off by 2015 – for sure” his breathing said. Then comes the next one, “My mom and dad want me to shed 10kgs by next year or there will be no wedding proposals for me!” (Ah yes... now that’s incentive enough).

It all seems strange to me, perhaps because I walk for fun while others for health reasons. Can’t really blame them, the pressures of the current age warrant such changes in lifestyle. Nowadays, it’s anything and everything which helps keep the system active. Strict diets, daily exercise, meditation techniques (how sad indeed). I never could relate with such people. Get up every day and come here? I guess, I am just averse to routine and yet somehow marvel their dedication. It’s amazing how so many different people, with different stories come together with a single purpose. It’s more interesting when unexpected encounters happen.

For instance this chubby kid running towards me now, undoubtedly the most passionate in the lot, wearing a T-shirt with a caption that says, “My doctor asked me to give up fatty food and reduce weight. So I gave up, the doctor I mean!” A condescending smirk on my face as he moves past, clearly he has put a lot of thought into this!

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Moving up to the Palace, the scene is not chaotic anymore. It’s far from the maddening crowd.

There is more space to move around, shift paces, and include a light session of exercises. I notice a gentlemen waving his arms, clock-wise and then anti-clockwise while singing loudly. I gather it must be relaxing even though it looks foolish.

Well... worth a shot. No one’s here to watch me and I’m sure the museum has seen stranger cases. So before the other joggers come up, here goes... up, down, up, down. I believe I can start liking this. (Who am I kidding!) I just cannot fit in here, the ‘health conscious’ label is too cliché for my liking. I much rather just pen it all down, and bring some justice to the entire experience.

(Probably be a lot better at it too) I get lost in thought as I keep walking, wondering about different places or the last time I went for a walk. It was the Kowdiar stretch which is hailed as the best promenade in the city. Walkers there included civil servants, senior Govt. officials, retired or about to, the walkways looked rich and opulent. In fact, even the dogs on the leash looked aristocratic with their name tags and shampooed manes, all of them well mannered and graceful (according canine standards). No wonder it’s the wealthy walkway, but still I feel both places have the same agenda. I laugh at the memory and remember saying to myself, “I must move to Pangode. A different kind of crowd awaits me there or at other city corners”. This city truly has enough room for all the different kinds of walkers. But unlike others, weight reduction is not my motive, the sheer joy of walking is what drives me, from the early hours of morning to the darkest ones of the night. And today it’s the Museum, a different kind of experience altogether.

Finally, I start sweating. Very soon, I will proudly wear the registered mark of a walker across my chest and underarms and be considered as one of them. (Not likely though!) Tough to confuse me with these uncles huffing and puffing towards a smaller waist line. A subject worth writing about.

I decide to take it up as my next assignment and get equipped with the right amount of research.

I’ll come here every day for the next few days, pay

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attention to the details. Notice the regulars and the newbie’s, the groups, the timings and so on.

My challenge will be to create and craft stories, or maybe just give a plain account of what goes on. Write about the laughter therapy sessions, the meditations, the running, the yoga.

A feature about people reducing weight, the proud city walkers with their idiosyncrasies. It may not make for an interesting read, but with the right anecdotes, it’s worth some money.

Approaching the entrance now, I wonder if should go for another round? (let’s save it for tomorrow) Stepping out I see the late-comers, the ones that have come after a battle. They fought the urge to sleep a little bit longer and victoriously enter the park. Followed by those falling under the ‘fashionably late’ title with matching socks and a brand new pair of running shoes, look closely and you can see the traces of foundation on some women. A classic sight, one surely worth mentioning in my feature. I feel I have enough material for the day, and plus it’s time for my morning tea. There is a famous tea shop just outside the Museum where I collect my thoughts and start scribbling.

I pick up the morning news, sift past the usual headlines, all the while sipping my tea and smoking a Gold Flake. It helps me marinate the idea, the different crowds, the different areas. Presenting Trivandrum at sunrise. The account of Malayalees going from fat to fit. “Now, that’s a winner!”

I tell myself. I begin to wonder whom to consider for publishing, no one small (obviously) Times?

Hindu? Maybe some fancy local magazine. Well done... I think to myself. With an elated smile and a pompous feeling, I begin to decide my breakfast menu.

“Panthrandu roopa” (that’ll be 12 bucks) says the tea walla, “oh yea!” I snap out of my day dream and give him the change. Just as I hand over the cash, a supplement drops from the paper.

I pick it up and see a shot of the Kowdiar stretch with me in a track pants. The headline reads from ‘Fat to Fit’.

S***!

All in a day’s walk!!!! • 7

STRUGGLE & PRIZE

Prof. R. Ravindra Panicker (L-1781)

A De-construction

“A man can be destroyed but not defeated”, declares Santiago, the hero in the ‘Old Man and the Sea’, the immortal novel that won the Nobel Prize for Ernest Hemingway. Only one who believes in human dignity and valiant fight against odds in life is competent make such a “bold and beautiful” statement. Further, this amply reflects a hero’s conviction that “man is not made for defeat”.

Santiago fishes for his existence because he is a fisherman. A fisherman must go for fishing, a nightingale must sing, a soldier must be ready to fight…(Karmanvaye Vaadhikaarasthe…). Once Santiago was a celebrated champion, had his past, his women, his voyages. Now all that is gone. He is an old, alienated man. He launches himself on a fishing venture. He fishes alone in skiff of the Gulf Stream and has gone 84 days without catching a fish. Far off in the high seas, he is alone!

At last he hooks a really big fish and his struggle begins: a courageous old man against a mighty fish. He endures the pain of sitting alone for hours and hours, holding the line alternately with one hand and the other. He endures the cold of the nights and the heat of the days without complaints. Yes, his conviction that man is not made for defeat empowers him to fight valiantly.

Colouring his dream, Santiago returns to the harbor with his catch. Man proposes, but God disposes. Suddenly, sharks tear apart the fish, his hard-earned prize, to pieces as he watches, powerless to stop them. He faces his loss with dignity 8

and he philosophises, “a pain does not matter to a man, if it brings exaltation and urge towards life and more life”. Santiago is physically exhausted but not mentally, which is why he declares, “a man can be destroyed, but not defeated”.

The story touches many levels of human existence. It suggests myriad layers of meanings due to its symbolic nature. Santiago is a symbolic figure representing a man who seeks solace in spiritual triumph. His struggle with the fish and later the sharks is suggestive of the human struggle to achieve the extraordinary. The moral is that isolation and loneliness need not deter one from electing to fight.

People who imbibe the spirit of the adage, “Aim at the moon; if you fail, you fall among the stars” and engage themselves in selfless service domains, must be ready to fight against odds in society. “Every great achievement is a victory of a flaming heart”, said R.W. Emerson. A mediocre man can never make an impact in any field. Let us listen to the words of Eugene O’ Neil, one of the pioneer dramatists of modern American stage: “The man who pursues mere attainable should be destined to get it and keep it. Let him rest his laurels and enthrone himself in Morris’s chair, in which the laurels and the hero must wither away together. Only through the un-attainable does man achieve a hope with living and dying for and so attains himself ”. You may agree or disagree with these views fully or partially, but they excel in refreshing originality. • The Second Home

Janani Swaminathan D/o V. Swaminathan (R-2608)

The Beauty of Your Fears You fill your emptiness with my grief Injustice is your armour I am adorned with an ornament of scars Bedecked with the fog of your pall I'm draped in a shroud of your shadow I'm armed with the shield of sand You sing upon the roads of my soul Etching ballads of you in blood on my hand The confessions of a sinner The promise of a priest The reverence of the father The glory of the beast My words swim in the abyss of my tears I am chastened by the beauty of your fears You are the wrath of an uncrowned king You are the vengeance without a soul within. •

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The Role and Mandate of the CAG There is a saying in Malayalam that the elephant does not know its power. As never before, Shri. Vinod Rai, the present Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has realized the power and potential of the exalted constitutional post he is holding. Maybe because, he has seen Guruvayoor Kesavan, the most powerful and formidable temple elephant of Kerala while he was District Collector of Trichur! It is heartening that the CAG has become a ray of hope at a time of rampant corruption in India today. CAG is not a one-man-army. He is supported by about 50,000 auditors and a hundred Accountants General who are functioning as the white corpuscles in the body-politic of the country watching wasteful expenditure and leakage of revenue with eagles’ eyes. With the recent explosive reports on Common Wealth Games, 2G Spectrum and Coal Field Allocation, CAG has become a scourge against corruption, nepotism and mis-governance.

Those who are experiencing the whiplash have started questioning the mandate and authority of the CAG to brandish the whip.

As the subject is a serious, let me start on a lighter vein. An Accountant General (AG) was attending a pool-side party of batchmates from various other services such as IAS, IPS, and IRS etc. A beautiful woman was taking photographs near the swimming pool. Suddenly her camera fell into the pool. Crestfallen, she sought the help 10

Sri. James Joseph (R-1351)

of the AG exciting the jealousy of his batch mates.

Flattered, he told the lady he would certainly help but wanted to know why she selected him for the task. She said “I understand that you are an AG and I believe that AG can go down deeper, stay down longer and come up drier”. Although this is a contrived story it is relevant because the Auditors do in-depth analysis of all the facts, figures and factors leading to decision-making and come up with dispassionate, objective, precise and matter of fact findings. Most people do not know that every sentence in the CAG’s report is supported by a key document obtained from the auditee organization. There is no masala, only meat in them – only truth and nothing but the truth.

Now let me explain the professional strength and capability of the CAG’s office to carry out the mandate. As mentioned earlier, there are 50,000 auditors under the CAG spread all over the country covering the entire gamut of Governance including defence, railways, public sector

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undertakings, local bodies etc. These auditors are the best talents in the country. They are continuously trained every three years in India or abroad.

There are 13 regional training institutes and 3 national academies which are of global standards.

About 50 international auditors attend training every year in the National Academy at Noida.

The audit techniques and processes evolved over the last sixty years by the CAG of India are time tested and clinically precise. It is a matter of pride that the CAG of India was selected as the Chairman of the prestigious UN Board of Audit for two successive terms earlier in recognition of this professionalism. Now the Audit of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) is done by India.

Despite all the professionalism and capability of the CAG, there is a debilitating factor. Shri.

Vinod Rai himself explained it like this: “if an RTI applicant asks ‘Mr. CAG how many times in 2011did you go abroad?’ then I have to give the reply within 30 days. On the other hand if I ask the same question to a Secretary to Government, I am at his mercy.” This lack of authority to ensure production of documents in time has in the past hampered the process of audit and the consequent delay in the finalisation of audit reports has affected their effectiveness. However it is a measure of the moral authority of the CAG and the efficiency of his organization that, not withstanding this handicap, delays in finalisation of the audit reports have been reduced substantially. In this connection, you will appreciate the great job that the CAG is doing by way of revenue audit. If expenditure audit reports are sleep inducing, the tax collectors all over the country lose sleep over revenue audit reports bringing out huge under assessments in Income Tax, Central Excise, Customs etc as well as state revenues. So

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effective is revenue audit that in the year 2009-10 under assessments to the tune of Rs.25000 crores have been accepted by the Governments, Central and States.

Having mentioned about the professionalism of the CAG’s organization let me come to the burning issue that is the mandate of the CAG. It is encapsuled in his oath prescribed by the Constitution of India: “I shall uphold the Constitution and the Laws of the land.” Therefore CAG is the sentinel of the Constitution. To hold that the CAG is a mere book keeper is puerile to say the least. Dr Ambedkar, the architect of the Constitution has described the CAG as the most important officer under it. Last but not least, the question as to whether the CAG can enter the realm of policy has to be addressed. Of late, it is seen that the executive is trying to insulate decisions however unwise, from audit scrutiny under guise of policy. This reminds me of the story of a centipede which approached the wise old owl for consultation as it was suffering from arthritis.

The wise old owl muttered “cut it off ”. When the centipede further asked “which one of my one hundred legs shall I cut off?” the wise old owl retorted, “I have taken a policy decision: implementation is your business, over.”. Be that as it may, the Supreme Court of India has pronounced that the touch- stone of policy is whether common good has been achieved. In the absence of any defence that mobile charges have been contained and power supply has increased the audit reports on 2G spectrum and Coal field allocation respectively remain unchallenged. Finally I would like all of you to imagine the predicament of the country in the absence of the CAG. Let me sum up with an Urdu couplet : “Jo hum nahi honge, tho kya rang ae mehfil? kise dekh kar aap sharmaoge”. If I am not there, whom will you look at and blush? •

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Sri. S. Asokan (L-1693)

`mKw þ 6 CXp-hsc imco-cn-Im-tcm-Ky-¯n-s\-¡p-dn-¨m-bn-cp-¶tÃm A Sp-¯X - mbn am\-Ên-Im-tcmKyw H¶p t\m¡mw. Ah-km\ ambn kmaq-ln-Im-tcm-Ky-hpw. hnhm-l¯ - n-\p-ap¼v PmX-Is- ¸m-cp¯w t\m¡p-t¼mÄ Ah-bn {][m-\a- mb Hcp s]mcp-¯a- p-≠v. s]mcp¯w \¶m-bn-«p-s≠-¦n thsd- ]-e- s]m-cp-¯§ - f - p-tSbpw Ipdhv henb {]iv\a- s- Ã-¶mWv tPymXnjw ]d-bp-¶X - v. (Cu a\s¸m-cp-¯a- p-t≠m-sb¶ t\m¡p-¶t≠msb¶Xv thsd.) CXpt]mse Xs¶ imco-cn-Im-tcm-Ky-¯n-t\-¡mfpw {][m-\a- mb H¶mWv am\-kn-Im-tcm-Kyw. CXn-ÃmsX F{X imco-cn-Im-tcm-Kyap-s≠-¦nepw HcÀ°-hp-an-Ã. am\-kn-Im-tcm-Ky-¡p-dhv imco-cnIm-tcm-Ky-s¯-¯s¶ _m[n-t¨-bv¡pw. BbqÀt∆Z NnIn-Õmco-Xn-bn hfsc ]≠p apX ico-c¯ - n-t\m-sSm¸w a\-Ên-t\ bpw tNÀ¯v NnIn-Õn-¨n-cp-¶p. B[p-\nI sshZy-im-kv{X¯n A[nIw sshIn-bm-sW-¦nepw Holistic medicine F¶ t]cn«v Hcp {]tXyI hn`mKw Xs¶ a\-Ên-t\bpw tNÀ¯p NnIn-Õn¨p XpS§n-bn-«p-≠v.

Cu a\Êv ico-c¯ - n Fhn-sS-bm-sW¶p tNmZn-¨m NneÀ lrZ-bs¯ Nq≠n-¡m-Wn¡pw. aäp NneÀ Xe-t¨m-dns\ Nq≠n-¡m-Wn¡pw. ]≠v Xangv Ihn sshc-apÅ At±-l¯nsâ Hcp kn\n-am-]m-«n ico-c¯ - n Poh³ Fhn-sS-bm-sW¶p tNmZn¨v AXn-ib - n-¨X - p-t] m-se. kvIqfn ]Tn-¸n¨p sIm≠n-cn-¡p¶ A²ym-]I - À IqsS-¡qsS tNmZn¡pw t]mse “a\-Ên-emtbm” F¶v. “a\-Ên-em-Im-¯X - ns\ a\-Ên-em-sb¶p ] d-ªm a\-Ên-em-bXpw IqSn a\-Ên-em-ImsX t]mIpw, a\-Ên-emtbm” F¶v emte-«³ Hcp kn\n-ab - n ]dªtXmÀ½ hcp-¶p.

F´mWv Cu “a\Êv”? CXv ico-c12

¯n-se-hn-sS-bmWv ØnXn sN¿p-¶X - v. F¶n-«p tht≠ AXnsâ Btcm-Ky-s¯-¡p-dn¨v ]Tn-¡m³ “a\-Ên-emtbm”, “hnh-ca - n-tÃ, “kmam-\y-t_m-[a- pt≠m” (Common Sense) F s¶ms¡ tI«n-«ntÃ? CXn-s\-sbm-s¡-sbm¶p ]cn-tim-[n¨p t\m¡mw. At¸m-sg-¦nepw Cu “a\Êv” Fhn-sS-bm-sW¶p “a\-ÊnÂ’’ BIp-at- Ãm. imco-cn-Im-tcm-Kys¯¡pdn¨p ]d-ªt- ¸mÄ icocw Hcp incredible factory complex BsW-¶p-]a - n-¨Xv ad-¶n-«n-Ãt- Ãm.

- mWv Cu complexs\ copybSn¨p a\p-jy³ I≠p-]n-Sn-¨X computer. (]S-t¨msâ krjvSnsb copy ASn-s¨-¦nepw AXnsâ Gg-bÂh¡¯pt]mepw F¯n-bn-«n-Ãs- b-¶Xp thsd. `mhn-bn Nne-t¸mÄ F¯p-am-bn-cn-¡mw). Cu I¼yq-«d- nsâ {][m-\`- m-K§ - Ä Adn-bm-¯h - À Ct¸mÄ hnc-fa- m-Wv. Input device (mouse, Keyboard etc), Output device (monitor, printer

The Second Home

etc). Central proecssing unit (CPU), power supply unit(SMPS), Main memory (RAM), Auxiliary memory (Hard disc, CD, pendrive etc) Ch-sbms¡ \½psS incredible factory complex sâ

X\n-¸I - À¸m-sW¶p ]d-ªt- Ãm. F§-s\-bm-sW¶p IqSn H¶p t\m¡mw. \½psS complexse memory device H¶p t\m¡mw. Fhn-sS-bm-W¯ - ns\ LSn-¸n-¨n-cn-¡p-¶X - v. \½psS Xe-t¨m-dn Hcp Ipªp P\n¨v hf-cp-t¼mÄ amXr-`m-jb - n XpS§n ImWp-¶Xpw tIÄ¡p-¶Xpw sXm«-dn-bp-¶Xpw aW¯-dn-bp-¶Xpw cpNn-¨d- n-bp-¶Xpw Hs¡ Fhn-sS-bmWv tcJs¸-Sp-¯n-h¨ - n-cn-¡p-¶p-sX¶p tNmZn-¨m AXp-ap-gp-h\pw Xe-t¨m-dn Nne-`m-K¯ - m-bn-s«¶p tUmIvSÀamÀ ]d-bpw.

At¸mÄ \½psS ineredible factiory complex se input deviecs GsXm-s¡-bm-sW¶p a\-Ên-em-¡m³ Ffp-¸a- m-bn-tÃ. ImWp¶Xpw tIÄ¡p-¶Xpw Fhn-sS-Iq-Sn-bm-Wv. I®pw, sNhn-bpw.

Npcp-¡¯ - n \½psS ]t©-{µob§fn¡qSn tiJ-cn¨p kq£n-¨n-cn-¡p¶ data bank BWtÃm Adnhv AYhm Knowledge. Cu tcJ-cn¨p h¨n-«pÅ Adn-hnsâ {]tbm-Ka - m-WtÃm _p²n AYhm Intelligence. Cu _p²nsb \½p-sS, kaq-l¯n-sâ, a\p-jy-cm-in-bpsS Xs¶ \·bv¡pw Xn·bv¡pw D]tbm-Kn-¡mw. Intelligenc Dw wisdom Dw X½n-epÅ hyXymkw Xs¶ CXm-bn-cn-¡mw. (Hcp hyàn-bpsS {]mb-¯n-s\m¯v AYhm A{Xbpw Imew tiJ-cn¨p hbvt¡≠ Afhv hnh-c¯ns\ common sense F¶p ]d-bmw. AtÃ. Cu Af-hn Ipd-ªm aµ-_p-²n-sbt¶m below average Ft¶m, IqSnbm brilliant F¶pw aäpw hnfn-¡m-dp-ap-≠v) CXv “\½psS” AXm-bXv kz´w \·bv¡pw Xn·bv¡pw Fs´¶p t\m¡q.

Xn·-bv¡m-sW-¦n BÀ¡m \jvSw. \½psS am\-kn-Im-tcm- ³ hmfm”, Ky-¯n\p Xs¶. kwi-ba- pt≠m “hmsf-Sp-¯h “Xm³ Ipgn¨ Ipgn-bn Xm³ Xs¶ hogpw”, “hnX-¨Xp - s- a-¦nepw thWw _p²n. AXv _qa-dmMv sIm¿pw” h©n-¡W t]mse Xncn-¨S- n-¡p-¶Xpw Ah-\h - \ - p-Xs- ¶-bm-bn-cn-¡pw.

Imaw, t{Im[w, tamlw F¶n-§s\ Ggp-i{- Xp-¡Ä \½p sS a\-ÊnÂX-s¶-bp-Åt- ¸mÄ Chsb \nb-{´n-¨n-sÃ-¦n Ch \ap-¡p-Xs¶ tZmjw sN¿pw. Cu i{Xp-¡sf ISn-ªmWn«p \nb-{´n-¨n-sÃ-¦n Ch-·mÀ Ibdn \s½-¯s¶ `cn¡m³ XpS-§p. DZm-lc- W - ¯ - n\v B{K-lhpw AXym-{K-lhpw - a- mb B{Klw t\m¡mw Natural desire AYhm {]Ir-Xn-Z¯ aqs¶-®a- m-sW-¶mWv ]d-bp-¶X - v.

1. A[nIw Imew Pohn-¡p-hm³ 2. A{Xbpw Imew IjvSs- ¸-SmsX Ign-bp-¶Xpw ]c-kl - m-ban-ÃmsX kpJ-amb PohnXw 3. IqSp-X Adnhp k¼m-Zn-¡m-\pÅ B{Klw Cu aq¶v B{K-l§ - s- fm-gnsI asäÃm B{K-lhpw AXym-

The Second Home

{K-ls- a-¶mWv XXz-imkv{Xw ]d-bp-¶X - v. CXp-t]mse Bßhn-izm-k¯ - n\v Al-¦m-c¯ - n\pw sNdnb hyXym-kt- a-bp-Åp.

Rm³ hnNm-cn-¨m Hcp Imcyw sN¿m³ Ignbpw F¶Xv Bß-hn-izm-ks- a-¦n Rm³ am{Xta AYhm Fs¶s¡m≠p am{Xta Cu Imcyw sN¿m³ km[n¡qsb¶Xv Al-¦m-ca- mWv. GsXm-cp-Im-cyhpw IjvSs- ¸«p sN¿p-¶X - n-t\-¡mfpw \ ÃXv CjvSs- ¸«p sN¿p-¶X - tÃ? am\-kn-Im-tcm-Ky-¯ns\ _m[n¡pw hn[w hà {]iv\h - pap-s≠-¦n AXp ]cn-lc- n-¡m³ Nne-Im-cy-§Â {i²n¡mw - Ä FSp-¡m-Xn-cn1. Confusion Bbn-cn-¡p-t¼mÄ Xocp-am-\§ ¡mw. Aev]w Ignªv im´-am-bn-¡g- n-ªm hgn Xmt\ In«pw.

2. AXym-hi - y-ambn th≠ Hcp KpWw, £a 3. Cu {]iv\¯ - n At§-bäw hcm³ t]mIp¶ \jvSw Fs´-¶p-d¸ - n-¡p-I. (A-Xn-\¸ - pdw thsdm-¶p-an-Ãt- Ãm) 4. £a-bp-s≠-¦n Nne-t¸mÄ H¶pw {]hÀ¯n-¡msX X s¶ {]iv\w Xocmw. (\-½psS Ex.PM Narasima Rio’s theory “Let the problem solve itself ”)

Cu coXn-bn {]iv\§ - sf ssIImcyw sN¿p-Ib - m-sW- p-t]mse” F¶m ¦n ]g-s©m-Ãn-se-t¸mse “DÅn sXmen-¨X Imw {]iv\h - pw. CXp-ambn _Ô-apÅ Hcp IY HmÀ½ hcp 13

¶ - p. Hcp ao³ I¨-hS- ¡ - m-csâ IY. IYm-\m-bI - ³ ao³ I¨-hSw XpS-§m³ Xocp-am-\n¨v Hcp IS hmS-Is- b-¡S- p¯v AXn-\p-ap-If - n Hcp t_mÀUv hbv¡m³ Xocp-am-\n-¡p-¶p. t_mÀsU-gp-¯p-Im-cs\ N«w sI«n-bX - \ - p-kc- n¨v AbmÄ F¯n tPmen-Xp-S§ - n. IYm-\m-bI - sâ Bhiyw “ChnsS \Ã-bn\w ao³ hnev¡s- ¸Spw” Fs¶-gp-Xm³ Fgp-¯p-Im-cs\mcp kwi-bw. “hnev¡s- ¸Spw” thtWm F¶v. ImcWw ao³ hnev¡msX shdpsX sImSp-¡n-ÃtÃm F¶v. F¶m¸ns¶ “hnev¡s - ¸Spw” ambv¨p If-bm³ IYm-\m-bI - ³ ]d-ªp. _m¡n “ChnsS \Ã-bn\w ao³” F¶m-bn. Fgp-¯p-Im-c\pw ho≠pw kwi-bw. “\Ã-bn\w” thtWm F¶v. AÃmsX Noª ao³ apX-emfn hnev¡ptam F¶m-bn. F¦n AXpw amäm-sa-¶m-bn. Ct¸mÄ t_mÀ-Un “ChnsS ao³” Fgp¯pIm-c³ Aev]w amdn\n¶p t\m¡n-bt- ¸mÄ “ChnsS” bv¡v Hcp tNÀ¨-¡p-dh - v. AXpw amän. HSp-hn “ao³” F¶p-am-{Xam-bn. Ahn-tSbpw XoÀ¶nà Abm-fpsS kwi-bw. apXemfn ao³ IS-bn acpt¶m sNcpt¸m hne-¡ptam? ]ns¶´n\o “ao³” F¶v. HSp-hn t_mÀUn H¶pw-an-Ãm¯ ØnXn. C{X-tb-bpÅp a\-Ênse {]iv\§ - f - pw. Hcp Xpd¸ apgp-h\ mbn HSn-¡m³ {ian-¨m ]än-Ãm-bn-cn-¡mw. ]t£ Hmtcm CuÀ¡n-embn HSn-¨mtem!

Imaw, t{Im[w, tamlw F¶n-§s\ Ggp i{Xp-¡Ä \½psS a\-Ên¯s¶bpÅ-t¸mÄ Chsb \nb-{´n-¨n-sæn Ch-\a- p¡p Xs¶ tZmjw sN¿pw. Cu i{Xp-¡sf ISnªm-Wn«p \nb-{´n-¨n-sÃ-¦n Ch-·mÀ Ibcn \s½-¯s¶ `cn-¡m³ XpS-§pw. DZm-lc- W - ¯ - n\v B{K-lhpw AXym-{Klhpw t\m¡mw. Natural desire AYhm {]IrXn Z¯-amb B{Klw aqs¶-®a- m-sW-¶mWv ]d-bp-¶X - v.

1. A[n-II - mew Pohn-¡p-hm³ 2. A{Xbpw Imew IjvSs- ¸-SmsX Ign-bp-¶Xpw ]c-kl - m-ban-ÃmsX kpJ-amb Pohn-Xw. 3. IqSp-XÂ Adnhv k¼m-Zn-¡m-\pÅ B{K-lw.

Cu aq¶v B{K-l§ - s- fm-gnsI asäÃm BXym-{K-la- m-sW¶mWv XXz-imkv{Xw ]d-bp-¶X - v. CXp-t]mse Bß-hn-izm-k¯n\pw Al-¦m-c¯ - n\pw sNdnb hyXym-kt- a-bp-Åp. Rm³ hnNm-cn-¨m Hcp Imcyw sN¿m³ Ignbpw F¶Xpw Bßhn-izm-ks- a-¦n Rm³ am{Xta AYhm Fs¶-s¡m≠p am{Xta Cu Imcyw sN¿m³ km[n-¡q-sb-¶Xv Al-¦m-ca- mWv. GsXmcp Imcyhpw IjvSs- ¸«p sN¿p-¶X - n-t\-¡mfpw \ ÃXv CjvSs- ¸«p sN¿p-¶X - tÃ?

Internal enemiesþse Hcw-Ka - mb Imas¯ \nb-{´n-¡m³ Ign-hn-Ãm-¯h - À¡v AXns\ H¶p ]pdw XÅm-\pÅ kwhn14

[m\w t_mws_ t]mepÅ h³\-Kc- § - f - n-ep-ÅXp t]mse “Red Streets” t]mepÅ kwhn-[m\w \½psS sIm¨p tIcf-¯n-en-Ãm-¯X - p-sIm-≠mhmw ]oV-\t- ¡-kp-IÄ Zn\w{]Xn hÀ²n¨p hcp¶ hmÀ¯-IÄ ]{X-§f - n ImWm-dp-ÅX - v, {]m b-t`Zw t]mep-an-Ãm-sX. t{Im[w AWp-hm-bp-[s- ¯-¡mfpw \io-Ic- W - t- i-jn-bp-ÅXm-sW-¶mWv “Art of Living” ]Tn-¸n-¡p-¶X - v. tIm]w hcpt¼mÄ complex- ]e-Xcw Stress harmones Dev]m-Zn-¸n-¡s- ¸Sp-¶p. Ch \½psS Only one pump house Bb lrZ-b¯ - nsâ `n¯n-Isf _e-lo-\a- m¡n XfÀ¯pw. lrZ-b¯ - nsâ `n¯nIsf _e-ln-\a- m¡n XfÀ¯pw. lrZ-bm-LmXw h¶m ka-b¯ - n-\p-Nn-In-ÕI - n-«n-bm c£-s¸-Sm-sa-¦n lrZ-bX - fÀ¨-bn \n¶pw c£-s¸-Sm³ A{X Ffp-¸a- à - m-sb-¶mWv tUmIvSÀamÀ ]d-bp-¶X - v. `K-hXvKoX-bn t{Im[-¯n-s\-¸än ]d-bp-¶Xv t{Im[waqew _p²n-\i - n-¡p-sa-¶m-Wv. ASp¯ XhWw tIm]w hcp-t¼mÄ lrZ-b¯ - n-t\bpw _p²n-tbbpw \in-¸n-¡t- Wm-sb-t¶mÀ¯v tIm]s¯ \nb-{´n-¡mw.

ASp¯ enemy tamlw. ]W-an-Ãm-¯h - ³ ]nWw F¶mW-tÃm. F¶m ]Ww A[n-Ia- m-bmtem th≠m-¯s- XÃmw tXm¶mw. BZyw _Ôp-¡t- fbpw AbÂhmkn-Itfbpw tXmev]n-¡m³ tamlw. AXp km[n-¨m Forbes- Ib-dn-¸ä- m³ tamlw. Ib-dn-bm AXp \ne-\nÀ¯m³ tamlw ]ns¶ H¶m-a\ - m-Im³ tamlw. BZyw kz´w cmPys¯ H¶m-a³, ASp-¯Xv temIs¯ H¶m-a³. Cu taml-¯n\v AXn-cntÃ?

D≠-tÃm. Ah-\h - sâ AXncv Ah-\h - ³ Xs¶ Xocp-am-\n-¡Ww. AsÃ-¦n ssIhn«p t]mIpw. A§s\ ssIhn-«p-t]mb ]e-tcbpw am[y-a§ - f - n¡qSn \mw Adn-bp-¶n-tÃ. F¶n«pw \½psS AXn-scm-¸n-¡m³ ]äp-¶n-Ãm-bn-cn-¡mw. AsÃ-¦n {ian¡p-¶n-Ãm-bn-cn-¡mw. {ian-¡W - w. “shdptX Cu taml-§Ä F¶-dn-bp-t¼mgpw shdpsX tamln-¡p-hm³ tamlw” shdptX tamln-¨m Ipg-¸n-an-Ã. ]t£ AXp t\Sn-sb-Sp-¡m³ {ian¨mtem ssIhn-«p-t]m-bXp Xs¶. ]≠v s]m§¨w ]d-ªp-ckn¨p sIm≠n-cp¶ Hcp Iq«w kplr-¯p-¡sf I≠p-sIm-≠ncp¶ AXn-sem-cp-¯sâ A¦nÄ D]-tZ-in-¨Xv HmÀ½ hcp-¶p.

“Bosting is good to a certain extent once you repeat it, then it is dangerous, and once you start believing it yourself, then it is

- n ]IÂkz]v\w t_m[ ]qÀ∆-amgrave” F¶v. Npcp-¡¯ sW-¦n \Ã-Xv. AsÃ-¦n tISp-Xs- ¶. \ap¡p Pohn-¡m³ ]Ww Bh-iy-am-Wv. ]s£ F{X? F¶Xv Dd-¸n-¡W - s- a-¦n Nne AXn-cpIv \nP-s¸-Sp-¯W - w. Cu AXncv \nP-s¸-Sp-¯n-bnsÃ-¦n dº-dp-t]mse \ofpw. ]n¶n-SpÅ Dd-¸ncv henb ]m Sm-Ipw. CXn\v Finance Management \Ã-h®w ]Tn-¡W - w.

The Second Home

Adn-bm-¯h - , Adn-bp-¶h - c- n \n¶pw tNmZn¨p ]Tn-¡W - w.

AXn\p bmsXmcp aSnbpw th≠. Ct¸m-gmWv Allavdeen - p-¶X - v. ASp¯ Ime¯p Factor (A.F) s\ ¡pdn¨p HmÀ½-hc ]cn-Nb - s- ¸« Hcp kplr-¯nsâ {]tbm-Ka- mWv IS-sa-Sp-¯ncn-¡p-¶X - v. AXm-bXv Aem-hp-Zo\pw AÛp-Xh - n-f¡pw F¶ IY tI«n-«p-≠t- Ãm. AXn Aem-hp-±o³ AÛp-Xh - n-f¡ - ns\ XShn F´p tNmZn-¨mepw `qXw km[n-¨p-Xc- w. ]t£ tNmZn¡msX hÃXpw In«ptam F¶v. AXp-t]mse \ap-¡d- n-bm¯ F{Xtbm Imcy-§Ä {]]-©¯ - n-ep-≠v. FÃmt]À¡p-ad- n-bW - sa-¶n-Ãt- Ãm, ]t£ Adn-bm-¯h Adn-bp-¶h - t- cmSp tNmZn¨p a\-Ên-em-¡m³ F´n\p \mWn-¡Ww? AXn-\tà ssZhw \ ap¡p Hcp hmbpw c≠p sNhnbpw X¶n-cn-¡p-¶X - v. AÃmsX FÃmw Adn-bm-sa¶p `mhn-¨v, tNmZn-¨d- n-bm³ aSn-Im-Wn¨v Ipg-¸§ - f - n NmStWm? AXp-sIm≠v Adn-bm-¯h Adnbp-¶h - t- cmSv tNmZn¨p “a\-Ên-em¡mw” Adn-bp-¶h - sc¡≠p ap«n-bn-sÃ-¦n At\z-jWw XpS-cmw. Hcp sXäp-an-Ã. Hcp aSnbpw th≠. F¦n-età \ap¡p Imcy-§Ä “a\-Ên-” BIq. C§s\ ]eXpw Adnªp XpS-§p-t¼mÄ \½psS Adnhv (Data base) hep-Xm-Ip-at- Ãm. A§s\ Pohn-X¯ - nse ]e-{]-iv\§ - Ä¡pw ]cn-lmcw Is≠-¯m³ Cu Adnhv {] tbm-P\ - s- ¸-Sp-at- Ãm. {]]-©¯ - nsâ Dev]¯ - n-sb-¡p-dn-¨pÅ kn²m-´a- mb BigBang theorybpw a\p-tjym-ev]¯ - nsb kqNn-¸n-¡p¶ Darvin theorybpsams¡ Ct¶-hsc “Most acceptable theory” sb¶p am{Xta hniz-kn¨p t]mcp-¶p. Ch-sb-¡mfpw hyà-amb asämcp kn²m´w hcp-¶h - s- c-sb-¦nepw Cu Xnbdn hniz-kn¡msX thsd hgn-bn-Ãt- Ãm. Ch-sbm¶pw A{X hyà-ambn \ap-¡d- n-bn-Ãs- b¶ ]c-ak - X - y-am-WX - n\p ImcWw. GsXmcp hkvXp-hn\pw Hcp krjvSmhv ImW-Wa- t- Ãm. Cu Fgp-Xm³ D]-tbm-Kn-¡p¶ t]¸dpw t]\bpw GXp I¼\n \nÀ½n-¨Xm-sW¶pw F´n\p \nÀ½n¨p F¶Xpw hfsc hyà-am-Wv. AXp-t]mse a\p-jys\ ssZhw krjvSn-¨p-sb¶p hniz-knt¡≠n hcp¶ kml-Nc- y-¯n F´n\p krjvSn-¨p-sh-¶Xv ssZh-¯n-\d- n-bm-am-bn-cn-¡pw. Adn-bW - s- a-¶p-Åh - À At\zjWw XpS-cW - w. CXn\p aq¶p amÀ¤-§f - p-s≠-¶mWv hbv]v.

1. `àn-amÀ¤w 2. IÀ½amÀ¤w 3.-Úm-\a- mÀ¤w. `àn-amÀ¤sa¶p ]d-ªm Ultimate surrender. AXm-bXv kÀ∆Xpw XyPn-¨pÅ kmjvSmw-Kw. FÃmw ssZh-¯n-\À¸n-¨pÅ AY hm ASn-bd- s- h-¨pÅ A\p-kc- W - . H¶pw tNmZn-¡m-sX, IÀ½amÀ¤-am-sW-¦n a\-Êm, hmNm, IÀ½Wm (a-\ÊpsImt≠m, hm¡p-sIm-t≠m, {]hr¯nsImt≠m) Bscbpw thZ-\n-¸n¡m-sX-bpÅ Pohn-Xc- o-Xn-bn IqSn t\Sm-hp-¶X - v. Úm\ The Second Home

amÀ¤-¯n aq¶m-as¯ ASn-Øm-\t- am-la- mb IqSp-X Adnhp k¼m-Zn-¡p-¶Xp hgn Adn-hn¡q-Sn-bpÅ At\z-jWw. D¯cw In«p-thm-fa- pÅ XpSÀ At\z-jWw Cu aq¶p amÀ¤-§fpw A{X Ffp-¸a- m-sW¶p tXm¶p-¶n-Ã. BßmÀ°X-tbm-Sp-IqSn Dt±i ip²n-tbmSp IqSn-bpÅ At\z-jW - w.

CSbv¡p h¨p \nÀ¯m-sX-bpw.

At\z-jW - s- ¯-¡p-dn-s¨-gp-Xp-t¼mÄ Hcp sNdp-IY HmÀ½ h - c- p-¶p. Hcp tImSo-iz-csâ At\z-jWw e£-ap-Åh - ³ {]`p hpw tImSn-bp-Åh - ³ Cuiz-c\pamsW-¶m-WtÃm shbv]v (e-£{- ]-`p, tImSo-iz-c³ Fs¶m-s¡) IYm-\m-bI - \ - mb tImSo-iz-c³ Pohn-X¯ - nse A[nI Imehpw tImSn-If - p-≠m-¡m-\p Å ]c¡w ]m¨n-en Pohn-¡m³ ad¶p t]mbn. Ah-km\w tImSn-IÄ ]eXpw t\Sn. F¶m Cu t\Snb tImSn-IÄ sNe-hm-¡m³ BbpÊv C\n A[n-Ia- n-Ã. AXp-sIm≠v t\ Snb tImSn-IÄ apgp-h\pw acn-¡p-t¼mÄ sIm≠p t]mI-Wsa¶v Bibpw hnizm-khpw. ]e-tcbpw I≠p tNmZn-¨p.

F§s\! I≠-hs- cÃmw Htc-kz-c¯ - n D¯cw ]d-ªp, ]än-Ãm-sb¶v. F¶m IYm-\m-bI - \p tXm¶p-¶X - p-th-sd. hgn-bp-≠v, Ch-·mÀs¡m¶pw AX-dn-bn-Ãm-sb-¶v. F¶m Adn-bm-hp-¶h - sc FhnsS t]mbn-t¯-Spw. F¶mepw Bi ssIhn-«n-Ã. HSp-hn A§p lnam-eb - ¯ - n Hcp k\ymkn-sb-¡≠p tNmZyw BhÀ¯n-¨p. AXp-tI« k\ymkn DSs\ “Bcp ]dªp ]änÔsb¶p Xncn-s¨mcp tNmZyw. IYm-\m-bI - \p apJw sXfn-ªp. AX-dn-bm-hp¶ Hcm-sf-sb¦nepw I≠pap«n-bX - nsâ Xr]vXn. k\ym-kn-bpsS ASp¯ tNmZyw, tImSn-IÄ GXp-cq-]¯ - n-em-sW-¶v. D¯cw sF.F³.-BÀ Bbn-«v, k\ym-kn-bpsS ASp-¯t- Nm-Zyw, “Xm¦Ä C´ybv¡p ]pd¯p Fhn-sS-sbms¡ bm{X sNbvXn-«p≠v?”

D¯-cw, Ata-cn-¡, kn¦¸qÀ F¶p XpS§n H«p-an-¡c- m-Py-§fpw. Ahn-sS-sbms¡ sF.-F³.-BÀ Nne-hm-¡m³ ]äntbm?

Gbv. Ata-cn-¡bv¡v t]mb-t¸mÄ bq.-Fk - v.Un B¡n amäns¡m≠p t]mbn. ate-jy-bn dn¦äv B¡n amän Fs¶ms¡ ho¼v. F¶m acn-¡p-t¼mÄ Ft§m-«p- t]m-hp-I. Adn-bnà F¶m-bn. F¶n-«p-tht≠ Ahn-Ss¯ \mW-ba- m-¡n-s¡m≠p t]mhm³. Ahn-tS-bv¡p-t]m-bn-«pÅ ]cn-Nb - a- n-söp am{X-aÃ, t]mbn-«p-Åh - À h¶p ]dªp tI«n-«p-t]m-ep-an-Ã. F¶m k\ym-kn¡v D¯-ca- p-≠v. Ahn-Ss¯ \mW-ba- mWv “]pWyw” tImSn-IÄ sam¯w ]pWy-am-¡n-am-än-sh-t¨m-fp. AhnsS sNÃp-t¼mÄ CjvSw t]mse Nnehv sN¿mw.” tImSo-iz-c\p GI-tZi Imcy-§Ä ]nSn-In-«n. At\z-jW - hpw \nÀ¯n. \ ap¡pw Xev¡mew ChnsS \nÀ¯mw. _m¡n ASp¯ `mK¯nÂ, kmaq-ln-Im-tcm-Ky-s¯-¡p-dn-¨v. • 15

“My right to life and dignity”

Kalyani Kutty R (R 2937) D/o Sri. Mohan Kumar P (R 766)

WOMAN

Two images constantly flash across my mind from these past weeks - an Indian man sitting at one of the protests with a candle at his feet with a placard which read: "Let us look at ourselves first." And a young girl with a banner displaying ‘Don’t teach me what to wear but teach him not to stare”……

What kind of culture is this where sex is a bad word, and rape is a norm. How does one account for the strange contrast between our outrage about rape — and our unwillingness, as a society, to actually do anything about it? We need to address how we as a society are implicated in producing such appalling levels of violence against women, which is increasingly being tolerated and even normalised. The horrific rape and battery of a young physiotherapy student in a moving bus in South Delhi is just a part of the continuum of violence millions of Indian women face every single day; a continuum that stretches from sexual harassment in public spaces and the workplace to physical abuse that plays itself out in the privacy of our homes far more often than on the street. Across the nation, a woman is raped every 20 minutes, according to the National Crime Records Bureau. These frightening figures have risen steadily in recent years. The number of unreported rapes is without a doubt greater.

Rape happens everywhere: it happens inside homes, in families, in neighborhoods, in police stations, in towns and cities, in villages. Each time a sensational rape hits the headlines, it is an unwelcome reminder of this other India- a brutal 16

dangerous India that stubbornly refuses to grow or change. Every day brings a more horrid story in the city. Ever since this savage crime, India’s political leadership has been loudly engaged in what it appears to believe is advocacy of women’s rights — in the main, dramatic calls for summary trials, castration and mandatory death penalties. They want the rapists to be caught, they want them to be taught a lesson, many are suggesting they should be hanged, or castrated, but also that the State should act, bring in effective laws, fast track courts, police procedures and more.

The key changes required in the law may be harsher punishment for rape, including an increase in the maximum prison term, and in the case of heinous crimes perhaps even the death penalty. The abysmally low conviction rate for rape needs to go up through a legal system that takes such crimes seriously and prosecutes them vigorously under the existing laws of the land. The definition of rape should be broadened and amendments are required to the Juvenile Justice Act. However, apart from legal reform, it is imperative that victims are assured of effective implementation of the law. Fast track courts are needed, as is transparency and auditing of the judiciary. Police reforms are required - including sensitization of the police and increasing the number of women police officers - as well as a greater use of technology to aid the investigative process.

But prosecution and punishment is only a small part of the solution. It comes after the crime. The challenge is to prevent sexual assaults in the first The Second Home

place. More law — or calls for the death sentence and castration may not be the answer to what is a deeply ingrained societal problem. For so widespread a crime, band aid solutions are not the answer. Law reform or hanging the perpetrators will not solve the problem. Law reforms in the area of rape have been taking place over three decades but they do not appear to have arrested the appalling levels of violence to which Indian women are subjected. It is time for us to recognize that these men who commit these crimes are not aliens from another planet but the fact that how we as a society are implicated in producing the very individuals who are perpetrating such heinous crimes against women, and to start taking responsibility for bringing it to an end..

As Urvashi Butalia ( a feminist writer and founder of Zubaan) puts it rightly “Let’s ask ourselves how we, our society, we as people, create and sustain the mindset that leads to rape, how we make our men so violent, how we insult our women so regularly, let’s ask ourselves how privilege creates violence.”.

Amidst the public outcry over the brutal gang rape in Delhi, a politician called the protests by students in the heart of the national capital "fashionable" and termed the protesters "dented and painted" women chasing their two minutes of fame. Similarly, one of the male-dominated village councils in the north Indian state of Haryana said that authorities should not get carried away by emotions in the wake of public protests and demands of the death penalty for rapists. Recommendations from conservative sections of society to combat rape range from women wearing traditional clothes to their avoiding venturing out alone at night. This India’s society rails against rape, in the main, not out of concern for victims but because of the despicable notion that a woman’s body is the repository of family honour.

It is this honour our society seeks to protect, not individual women.

And I as a woman retaliate, “We as human beings make hundreds of choices each day. While all choices are good we have the right to make neutral or bad choices without anticipating someone else will take The Second Home

advantage of us and rape us. We have the right to have a drink or go on a walk through a park or wear the cloths we want to. Yes this may make us vulnerable, but no one has the right to rape us, ever, no matter what we do or say. No rapist rapes by accident. He makes a choice.

Were there choices you could have made that would have protected you? Of course. You could have spent your life learning self defense. You could have stayed in bed all day. You could have not moved to that city in the first place. You could never walk by yourself. I don't think that there's anything you can do to ultimately thwart being victimized, possibly with the exception of locking yourself in a room and you're the only one with a key.

The absolute bottom line is this: Only one person makes the choice to rape. There are things we can (should) do to protect ourselves, but the only person who can prevent a rape is the rapist himself. A bad decision, good decisions, neutral decisions, good decision to me doesn’t matter. We should be able to live our lives; we should be able to trust our family and our neighbors. Women should not be raped. Period.

But how do you change mindsets at a societal level, that too of 1.2 billion people? These are troubling questions. More than 90 per cent of rapes are committed by people known to the victim/ survivor, a staggering number of rapists are family members. When we demand the death penalty, do we mean therefore that we should kill large numbers of uncles, fathers, brothers, husbands, neighbors?

How many of us would even report cases of rape then? What we’re seeing now — the slow, painful increase in even reports being filed — will all disappear. Second, the death penalty has never been a deterrent against anything — where, for example, is the evidence that death penalties have reduced the incidence of murders?

There are no easy answers. We can begin by debating and discussing this issue much more than we do, in our schools and colleges, in the columns of our newspapers, and in our families.

Changing the way Indian society treats women 17

COL PRG NAIR (R-1010) (President of Tagore Nagar Residence Association) Honoured Padmavibhooshan Prof ONV KURUP and Hon' Ministers SIVAKUMAR and GANESH KUMAR.

50th Wedding Anniversary

on 04-04-2013.

COL Mekkolla PRG NAIR (R-1010) and Smt. Koyikkal Rajeswari Nair) Congrats-Wishes for many more.

is, in the end, the only safeguard. The grooming of boys to have a feeling of entitlement by Indian parents breeds a sense of masculinity and male privilege. Son preference simultaneously erodes the possibility of respect for women, as girls are seen as unwanted or burdensome. What is the need of the hour is greater responsibility on the part of parents as well as society not to raise sons in a way in which they are indoctrinated with a sense of superiority and privilege. There is also a need on the part of young men to be actively involved in their schools 18

and communities in advocating women’s equality rights. Teaching boys to respect women, to control their urges. Cinema, the media and our repressive society have exaggerated the social stigma attached to rape and rape victims and this also needs to change.

But the need of the hour is to collectively challenge and change both the legal and cultural framework of the country. It is time for the people, the government, the media, and the courts to introspect and come to a rational and correct conclusion. • The Second Home

Smt. Parvathy Suresh W/o Dr.Suresh G (R-2771)

The Story of the Ganges Gangadvara is the door of the Ganges in the mountainous gorge at the foot of the Himalayas in Haridwar. The place where the Ganges descended from the Heavens is Gangotri, her legendary source. Ganga-utri-implies Ganga descends.

Gangotri is one of the longest glaciers of India.

From its snout, Ganga descends steep down from the height of 7138m from the northwest slopes of Chaukhambha peaks. Bhagirathi, one of the tributaries of the Ganga originates here. Alakananda, the other main tributary emerged from the Bhagirathi Khark and Satopanth glaciers, east of Chaukhamba peak. Flowing towards opposite directions from their snouts, they meet at Deoprayag and came to be known as Ganga.

The snout of the Gangotri glacier from which the mighty Ganges originates is also the source of the Bhagirathi River. The legend says that it is here that Goddess Ganga pleased at the prolonged penance of King Bhagiratha, descended from heaven.

In this birthplace, a temple dedicated to Ganga exists and Bhagiratha’s Herculean task became a synonym for very strenuous endeavour. A difficult task pursued till it is crowned with success is Bhagiratha prayatnam. Yatnam means effort. It is Bhagiratha who through years of penance in Satya Yuga, worked hard to bring the river Ganga down from heaven to the earth. His endeavour earned the status of a phrase, Bhagiratha Prayatna, in Indian languages. Various scientific facts and records that support this great feat of ancients, reinforce The Second Home

how this indeed qualifies to be called Bhagiratha Prayatnam. The sacred stone slab/rock, known as Bhagiratha Shila is believed to be the place where the great King Bhagiratha performed his penance to get Mother Ganga on Mother Earth. Bhagiratha himself is the source of the name of the River Ganga and his name came to be called Bhagirathi, to flow through the Himalayan ranges.

The observation that an individual alone could not accomplish a river engineering project of this massive magnitude reaffirms the legend of the descent of the Ganga to earth. It is the cumulative effort of five generations, starting from Raja Sagara, to his 60,000 strong Sagaraputra, their successors

19

Anshuman, Dilipa and finally on to Bhagiratha that succeeded in the completion of the Gangavataran.

The saint Kapila Muni had an ashram at Kapilastan named after him. Kapila means “goldencoloured,” reddish-brown, hot, molten, copper coloured and the like. In meditation, one perceives this copper colour. The sage turned into a mountain of ashes of King Sagara’s sixty thousand sons by his very glance. It is like the personifications of the human mental and emotional attributes.

Kapilaksha (Sanskrit) is Kapila’s eye, often referred to as an allegorical name for certain spiritual and intellectual powers evoking vibratory forces which neutralise and bend to their will all the lower human mentations and emotions.

The forest tract of Jharkhand is a part of Gondwana land. This ancient landmass portrays areas formed of rock formations ranging from the earliest Archean Era to the latest post-tertiary period.

Jurassic Period hills, formed by the volcanic activity in the Jurassic Era spread to the east in the state of Jharkhand, are oriented in a north-south axis with an average elevation of 200-300 m (600-1,000 ft). The topography of Raj Mahal hills bears witness to the remnants of volcanic activity. The rivers flowing in the hills in Jharkhand are older than the Himalayas and the Ganga. The River Ganges meanders around these hills, changes direction and flows from eastwards to southwards.

20

It is assumed that the Sagaraputra engaged in digging a path for Ganga to flow. He encountered environmental debacle at Raj Mahal in the shape of volcanoes.

Anshuman who inherited the unfinished task surveyed the upper reaches of the Himalayas as well as the Raj Mahal hills. His successor Dilipa spent a major part of his life in the Sivalik Ranges, to create the pathway for Ganga to reach the planes. Clearing of the course for the river from the Bindu Sarovar to the seas at Raj Mahal, signalled Bhagiratha to break open the gorge. The release of Ganga into the channel that the Sagaraputra dug, led her all the way through the Sivalik range, down the canal finally reaching the seas.

Ganga is said nowhere to be a gift of God or a divine miracle (deivadanam) of Siva. Ganga, a river in the myth, descends from the heavens and falls upon the gracious head of Siva, who caught its destructive force allowing it to flow harmlessly through his matted hair to bless India with the unmatched powers of purification. Emerging out of Gangotri glacier, the river Ganga remained as a centre of attraction to the Hindus ever since.

The Portuguese Jesuit father, Antonio de Andrade, in the garb of a Hindu pilgrim, was the first European to climb those stupendous mountain walls to discover the principal sources of the sacred Ganges, during 1624. He tried to locate the source

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of Ganga but mistook Mansarovar as the source. An expedition team King Akbar had sent at the end of the 16th century on the same returned with tales of a world beyond the Himalayas where humans lived on a great plateau. Monserrate, a courtier during Akbar’s regime, accurately described the Himalaya and Lake Mansarovar, based on these data.

The deeds of the great kings and stories around them were so far considered to be legends. The Indians treated the Puranic stories as historical legends till about 200 years ago. This purely mysterious arcane knowledge of India of an earlier age is now reduced to scientific information when the quest for finding the source of the river Ganges began with the advent of British colonialism. Literary, local, topographical, geographical, geological and historical records give us various perspectives of Ganga. The advent of colonial historians of India marked changes in this thought process, which started from James Mill and Charles Grant in 1808.

When scientific facts begin to be used to validate the legends, they stand vindicated. Studies on the course of the river in three stages, from the angle of the Ganga legend, have suggested that the Ganga was a man-made engineering marvel that involved river engineering work of a massive magnitude.

Channelising the river Ganga showcases the biggest and most valuable civil engineering marvel of the world for times to come. An alternative focus on verifying if there was indeed civil engineering, gained momentum with the quest for the origin of the Ganga River, in modern times.

The British colonial surveyors in India carried out extensive survey of the Himalayan region from the late 1700’s. They emphatically and unambiguously declared that the Ganga is not natural, but a man-made river, started as a canal along with many other canals dug in ancient times. The findings of illustrious surveyors like Captain Herbert, Rennel and Sir William Willcocks, recorded in journals and books of their times, speak volumes.

Major James Rennel, a Surveyor with the East The Second Home

India Company, stated in his Memoir of a Map of Hindustan (1783) that the emergence of Ganga from a cow’s head is a figment of imagination. The Hindus believed that the mouth of the cave from where the Ganga emerges from the Gangotri area resembled the shape of a cow’s mouth, and “is near 300 miles above the place where the Ganges enters Hindustan…”

More than 100 years ago, the British surveyors surveyed the sources of the Himalayan Rivers extensively. In 1808, the East India Company deputed Army Surveyor Lt. W.S.Webb to explore the source of Ganga. The team, though failed to reach Gaumukh, declared that Ganga emerges from a spot beyond human reach. These missions continued, under Capton Raper. Though James Baillie Fraser (1815), reached Gangotri on 20 July 1815, he failed to locate ‘Gaumukh.’ Captain Hodgson managed to locate the cave on 31 May 1817. His vivid description of the snout of Gangotri says that the source of the River Ganga appeared like a cow’s forehead.

But the British could achieve the mission only after 1857. Griesbach, a geologist with the Geological Survey of India (GSI), reached Gangotri and made the first sketch of the snout in 1891. In 1935, J. B. Auden of GSI prepared a map of Gaumukh and its surrounding areas and also produced data on glacial retreat. B S Jangpangi of GSI, in 1956, mapped the snout and the glacier, which in 1967 A P Tewari, from GSI, refined.

In addition to the onsite findings of the British Surveyors’ report, the geological knowledge about these areas and other historical records clearly corroborates the details in the Indian legend that India owes the Ganga to Bhagiratha and to the river engineering efforts of his ancestors. The ground reality and scientific data thus uphold the legend of Ganga as the feat of civil engineering of the ancients, perhaps the greatest in the human endeavour history. Such a great project, planned and executed by the five generations of Sagara to Bhagiratha, survived for thousands of years. • 21

sU¦phn³ \mfpIÄ P\t£a {]hÀ¯\§fn Xev]c\mb kzmXn Xncp\mÄ almcmPmhv \Kc¯nse BZys¯ [À½mip]{Xn XpS§n. ]n¶oSv \Kc¯nsâ A`nam\ambn Xncph\´]pcw saUn ¡ÂtImtfPmip]{Xn h¶p. sImXpIpIfnÃm¯ kphÀ® Imew. \Kcwat\mlcw, lcnXm`w, Ip¶pIfpw, NcnhpIfpw, ]mS§fpw. Imew ]n¶n«t¸mÄ a\pjys¡mXpIÄ lÖqÀ It¨cnbn IS¶pIqSn. Poh\pff ^bepIfn Hfnªn cp¶p Ip¯n. ]pd¯p cmjv{Snb sImXpIpIÄ tNcn Xncn ªv ]d¶p Ip¯n. \Kcw hfÀ¶p Babng©m³ tXmSn eqsS Agp¡pshffw thfn¡mbense¯n CSbv¡nsS shff s¡mXpIpw, ]pffns¡mXpIpw P\¯ns\ BªpIp¯n P\w ]\n¨p hnd¨p. A[nImcnIÄ angn¨p \n¶p. acp¶nÃ, shffw IpSn, ]\n KpfnI A{Xam{Xw. P\w heªp. \K c¯nse ]pXp]p¯³ Bip]{XnIÄ U¦p]\n¡msc kzm KXw sNbvXp. cà]cntim[\, ]\n IqSp¶p, Ipdbp¶p. {Un¸v ASn¨p Ibäp¶p. NneÀ Ipc¨p càw OÀ±n¡p¶p.

NneÀ hbdnfIn, càw hmÀ¶p acn¡p¶p. NneÀ sXmen ¸pd¯p sNmdnIÄ h¶p s]m«n \cIn¡p¶p. sSenhnj³ Nm\en BtLmjhpw, sU¦n hntijhpw Bªp Iqhn. ] {X¸cky¯neqsS BtcmKyhIp¸p sImXpIpIsf sImÃm³ sXm≠Iodn Blzm\w sNbvXp. U¦p H¶pw c≠pw L«w Ignªp. \KchmknIsf HmSn¨n«p Ip¯n. \Kcamen\yw F´p sN¿pw? Nn´bpw, ]p\ÀNn´bpw NÀ¨bpw; hnf¸nÂime, IpSpw_{io, tImÀ¸tdj³, tabÀ, Fw.]n, Aen þ U¦p ]d¶p ISn¨p.

A¶p ]Xnhpt]mse Fsâ Zn\NcyIÄ Bcw`n¨p. `mcy sb sImïp hn«v, Imbw Ipft¯¡pt]mbn. AhnsS F¯nb t¸mÄ ]Xnhn\p hn]coXambn icoc£oWw. H¸w A\mh iyamb sS³j³. F´mWp ImcWw F¶p ]dbm\nÃ. D¨ bqWv Igns¨¶p hcp¯n. icocw sNdpXmbn hndbv¡p¶p ≠mbncp¶p. ImÀ ss{Uhv sNbvXv XncnsIsImÃs¯¯n IfIvt{Sän\p kao]w ]mÀ¡p sNbvXp. `mcysb Im¯p\n¶p. icoc£oWw kln¡m³ Ignbp¶nÃ. £oWw, Zmlw, 22

Sri. Anil Kumar M R (L-1117)

BImw£, Hcp ]nSnbpw In«p¶nÃ. icoc¯n\p NqSv CÃ.

Hcmbncw Nn´IÄ H¶n¨v a\ÊneqsS ]d¶p. Hcp hn[w Xncph\´]pc¯v ho«nse¯n sshd ]\nbmbncn¡pw F¶v `mcybpsS \nKa\w. kzbw NnInÕ þ ]mcskätamÄ, ]\n IpdhnÃ. ]ntäZnh kw cà]cntim[\ \S¯n. {]apJ kzImcy Bip]{Xnbn Â, sU¦p t]mknäohv. cà¯nse t¹ävseäv Ipdªp XpS§n. icoc¯nsâ _ew Ipdbp¶p. BsI Hcp AhiX \Kc ¯nse asämcp kzImcy Bip]{Xn XncsªSp¯p NnInÕ Bcw`n¨p. AXn\mbpff {]tXyI D]IcWw AhnsS am{Xw IqSmsX sU¦p¸\n¡v hnZKv[ NnInÕ In«pw F¶v Cu Bip]{Xn t]scSp¯p Ignªp. A£cmÀ°¯n AXv icnbpw Xs¶. U¦p A]ISImcnbmWv. e£W§Ä ] eXmWv. icnbmb acp¶nÃ. NnInÕbnÃ.

BtcmKyhIp¸v þ- SnhnbneqsS kn\namXmc§fneqsS ]c kyw, ]{X am[ya§Ä¡p ]ckyw sImSp¯p kwXr]vXn ASbp¶p. Cu amcItcmKw \½psS kwØm\¯v ]Xn\m bnc¡W¡n\p P\§sf th«bmSpt¼mÄ \½psS a{´namÀ F´psN¿p¶p?.

The Second Home

\Kcw amen\yIq¼mcambn, Hcp ho«pImc\pw \nb{´n¡m hp¶Xn\pa¸pdw. kmw{IanI tcmK§Ä ]c¯p¶, iànbpw, B{IaW tijnbpw hÀ²n¡p¶ sImXpIpXc§Ä hfcp¶p. BcmWv CXn\p¯chmZn?. BcmWv CXn\p ]cn lmcw ImtW≠Xv, ]cnkchpw, {]IrXnbpw \in¸n¨v \K cw aen\am¡n, s]mXpP\s¯ kmw{IanI tcmK§fpsS ]nSn bneaÀ¯nbhsc F§s\bmWv \nba¯nsâ ap¶n F¯n ¡pI? hne]n¡m\pw, ]cnX]n¡m\pw, Ahkm\w cmjv{Sob hngp¸e¡ensâ am{Xw CcbmIm\pw hn[n¨ \Kchmkno \o HmSn c£s¸SpI. anSp¡cmb tUmIvSÀamÀ þ cmjv{Sob XmÂ]cy§fpw, kzmÀ °XmXv]cy§fpw Ahsc Iq¨phne§n«ncn¡p¶p. Btcm Ky amt\Pvsaâ v cwK¯v kÀ¡mcnsâ ]cnXm]Icamb hogvN Ifpw, ]cnanXnIfpw {Iqcamb kmUnkväpIfpsS FÌm»n jvsaâpw tcmKnIsf t\m¡n _o`Õ ZwjvS§Ä ImWn¡p¶p.

BtcmKycwKs¯ tImÀ¸tdäv amt\PvsaâpIfpw, tkh\ tI{µ§fpw P\§sf shÃphnfn¨p ]Ww sIm¿p¶p.

FXnÀ¡p¶hsc ASn¨p XIÀ¡p¶p. F´n\mbncp¶p almcmPmhnsâ [À½mip]{XnIÄ?. BÀ¡pth≠nbmbncp¶p [À ½mip]{XnIÄ? {]PIÄ¡mbn. {]PIÄ ]nXvIme¯v ]W¡mc\p ]mhs¸«h\pambn thÀXncnªp \nev¡p¶p.

P\mb¯ `cWb{´w ]W¡mc\p th≠nbpw ]mhs¸«h³ kakvX taJeIfneqsS XnckvIcn¡s¸Sp¶p. Ahsâ hcpam\w B[p\nI tImÀ¸tdäv NnInÕm kuIcy§Ä¡v A{]m]yw. ]ns¶bpw Ah³ \ne\n¡p¶p. Ahsâbpw IpSpw_¯nsâbpw BtcmKyw, a\sskXvcyw, Zpc´§Ä XcWw sN¿p¶Xn aebmfn¡pff A]mcamb XtâSw, A`nam\w, AsXms¡bmWv Ahs\ \ne\nÀ¯p¶Xv. \Kc¯nse NhÀIq\bv¡v ap³]n FÃm {]Xntcm[ {]hÀ¯\§fpw XIÀ¶p Xcn¸Wamb ØnXn hntijw. \½psS sImXpIp\nhmcW ]²XnIÄ FhnsS \nev¡p¶p.

Ime¯n\\pkcn¨pff amä§Ä \nÀt±in¡s¸«n«pt≠m?

Nnc«Iagv¯nbm NhdpIq\bnse sImXpIpev]mZ\w \n ev¡ptam? sU¦phns\bpw, sU¦psImXpIpIsfbpw Ipdn¨pff amcIamb, kaql¯n\p≠mtb¡mhp¶ hn]¯pIÄ ZqÀ ZÀi\neqsSbpw, tdUntbmbneqsSbpw imkv{XÚ·mcpsS {]`mjW§Ä, {i²n¡pItbm {ihn¡pItbm sNbvXn«pff kmam\yP\¯n\p a\Ênembn«p≠v. \½psS cmjv{Sob¡mÀ, kmaqly{]hÀ¯IÀ, imkv{XÚ³amcpambn C¯cw Imcy §fpsS Kuchw a\Ênem¡n th≠Xp sNbvXmÂ, ]mhs¸« P\§Ä¡p KpWw sN¿pw. kaqlw hensbmcp hn]¯n \n¶pw c£s¸Sm\pff aps¶mcp¡§Ä imkv{Xobambn The Second Home

Bkq{XWw sN¿m³ km[n¡pw. skan\mdpIfntem, DZv LmS\ NS§nsetbm Ipdn¸p hmbn¨p Adnhpt\Sm³ {]m]v Xcmb F{X t\Xm¡Ä \ap¡p≠v?. \½psS Ab kwØm\amb Xangv\m«n XpSsc sU¦p ]Scp¶p. Dff kuIcy¯n AhcpsS {]mYanI BtcmKy tI{µ§fnÂ, Hmtcm tcmKn¡pw {]tXyIw sImXpIphesI«n BImhp¶ Xc¯n P\§Ä¡v Bizmkhpw kwc£ Whpw \evIp¶ ImgvN ImWm³ Sn.hn.bneqsS Ignªp.

Ct¸mgs¯ tIcfkÀ¡mÀ ]mhs¸« P\§Ä¡p t\sc I®S¡p¶p .AhcpsS AP³U kwimbmkv]Zw Xs¶ tImÀ¸tdäpIÄ¡p th≠n am{Xw `cn¡p¶ kÀ¡mÀ. tIcf¯nse P\§fpsS icmicn hcpam\w F{XbmWv? AXv ho«pImcyhpw, hnZym`ymkw, BtcmKyw XpS§nb Imcy§Ä¡p XnIbptam? Hcp km[mcWImc\v kzImcy Bip]{Xn tkh\w Xm§m³ sIev]pt≠m? Cà Xs¶ kzImcy Bip]{XnIfpsS amt\Pvsaâ v kwhn[m\¯n BXpc ip{iqjbv¡v F´v am\ZWvU§ÄBWv DffXv?. kzImcy Bip]{XnIÄ em`ap≠m¡n \ne\nevt¡≠Xv AhcpsS Bhiyw a\pjysâ \nÊlmbamb tcmKmhØbn Poh\pth≠n F´pw hnäps]dp¡n sImSp¡pw, cà_ԧġp ap³]n hnet]im³ a\pjy a\ km£n¡pkm²yaÃ, kÀ¡mÀ Bip]{XnIfpsS timN\obmhØ, \nba §fneqsS tUmIvSÀamÀ, ssIhne§ns¸«ncn¡p¶ AhØ.

CsXÃm¯n\p]cn, Xm§m³ ]äp¶Xn\¸pdw Dff Xnc¡v.

BßmÀ°ambpw Nn´n¨m \ap¡v kÀ¡mcmip]{Xnbn \n¶pw e`n¡p¶Xv, ]cnanXnIfpsSbpw \nb{´W§fpsSbpw BXpctkh\w tIcfobÀ sshhn²y§fpsS Iq¼mcatÃ, km¼¯nIambpw kmaqlnIambpw CsXms¡ _me³kp sNbvXp sIm≠pff Hcp kÀ¡mÀ BtcmKykwhn[m\w \ ap¡pt≠m? Csæn F§s\ D≠mIpw?. Ffp¸amÀ¤w Nne cmjv{Sob¡mcpsS `mjbn kzImcy\nt£]w AXp Xs¶bmWv tIcf¯nsâ im]w F¶m tIcf¯nsâ BtcmKy cq]oIcW kanXn sNbÀam³ tUm. Fw. _meN{µ³ \mbcpsS (Unkw_À 8 se ssSw Hm^v C³Uy) {]Ømh\ Bi¦bpfhm¡p¶p.

At±l¯nsâ ]n.]n.]n. Ad_n¡Sen Fdnªnsæn B \bw tIcf¯nsâ BtcmKy taJebv¡pff Ahkm\ BWn IqSn ASn¨p F¶p IcpXmw. tIcfw t]mse P\km{µX IqSnbXpw BtcmKyt£a {]hÀ¯\§Ä Imcy£ahpaÃm¯ Hcp kwØm\w ssZh ¯n\p ap¶n {]mÀ°n¡pIbÃmsX F´p sN¿m³!! •

23

An Eye in the Sky I can never understand these things, or how they work. But every time I pass under the traffic lights at the crossroads, a dull white tubular contraption - glass eyed at one end and wire-tailed at the other – gives me a nasty look; a cold, business-like stare.

And more often than not, I hear an apprehensive voice whispering right into my ears, as distinctly as it were for real, “Thank you for crossing these lights.

You’ve just been transformed into a running pile of compressed digital pixels. You will now be packed into a ‘folder’, parked inside a computer hard disk and eventually be tucked away neatly into a labelled storage bin, hidden somewhere deep inside the corridors of power”.

Safe as it may sound to you, because only the long arm of the law would access and retrieve me from there and that, after it succeeds to negotiate its way through a maze of passwords, secret codes and access control systems manipulated by a series of artificially intelligent micro chips and additionally supported and co-ordinated by a battery of kakhi uniformed, naturally intelligent ‘manpower machinery’ with their well-earned qualifications and the three shining initials, ‘IPS’, firmly clipped onto their epaulets, somehow a gut feel rises up within me saying that all is not going to be well in this ‘Big Brother Is Watching’ syndrome.

Somewhere, something is going to go wrong, I fear. Take it from me. One day, weeks, months or years down the lane, someone sitting in an air-conditioned chamber and gazing at an array of flashing digital monitors is going to re-run that footage of 24

Sri. Ajith Kumar (L-1692)

me and howl blue murder!

“Take a look, boys”, he might holler down the alleys, “here’s that white hatch-back that crossed by and missed your eye. Zoom in, man, zoom in ...” and with an eagle-eye precision, he’ll track down the intersection, the date, the hour, minute and second, right down to the last 3-digit 0’s. “Kilometre speed: 55, whereas he ought to have kept it down to 30”, he might add.

Woe is me. There goes another traffic violation ticket through the laser printer, ready and waiting to be mailed to my “given names and address as appearing on our records!”.

What’s worse, if my ‘times are not favourable’, there would be some more serious zooming-in and spot-magnification, as it were, to closely establish the victim’s identity. ‘A middle-aged, goatee bearded driver, wearing rimless glasses and a puzzled look.’, or so, the description would go. “We do not rule out the possibility that he may have been in an inebriated state as well … the times are such, y’see!”, another expert comment would second the accusation.

The innuendos and demeaning thus would take flights of fantasy, as much as the human minds can.

Yes, it could happen, I fear.

As I keep reflecting on this fantasy-like slide show of several ‘what if ’s’, I realize that this ‘watching eye’ is switched on, 24-hours a day, 7-days a week, 365days a year. That’s how many trillions or zillions of giga or meta or even zeta bytes of cyber space consumption in a year! ‘Where would they be storing this information overload’? I wonder. Or, is it that, The Second Home

they’d just wipe it all out after every now and then or dump it into a bottomless black hole somewhere up there in the backyard of another universe some hundreds of thousand billion light years away!?

Talk of e-waste; and cyber pollution. In a flash of a moment, another picture appears in my vision.

Cloud computing!

Aha, so that’s it! Could it be that I am suddenly transported into limbo and jettisoned into an interior dwelling place inside a beautifully shaped soft white cloud, about 35000 feet above sea level? And all I hear and see for light entertainment there is the heavy traffic of Boeings and Airbus 300 titanium bodies zipping by and through me, like kids playing their helium-balloons after an outdoor birthday party!

Imagine being parked inside a cloud and left to drift across all around this planet Earth. No specific design or destination in life, except wake up and scram unto the earth when summoned, at the touch of a button.

The weird ways of technology; and of this everwatchful eye in the sky.

One of these days it’s going to happen, I tell you.

They’ll download some faded footage from the clouds. Zoom into it with megalomaniac exaggeration and magnification. And, decide for sure that this is the guy they were looking for, for decades!

Never mind if he has been driving in and out right under their noses all these days or passing through security checks at airports, tube rails and shopping malls a dozen times in a day, countrywide. Or, for that matter, walking-in at the middle of the night through bullet-proof glass windows, picking up the car keys from the desk-tray and driving away a fully computerised SUV, without waking a soul up in the house – be it the night watchman ‘who never sleeps on the job’ or the Doberman off his leash and trained to catch even a ‘sleeping-pill-coated chicken bone’ up in the air, before it hits the ground!

So the bottom-line is this: hats off to the intricacies and intrigues of an ever-alert Scotland Yard-

The Second Home

trained cop force we have here, in the city where I live. They go by the phrase – ‘have clue or no clue, will pounce.’ Simple.

No wonder, they’ve been rated amongst the country’s top ranks, the very best. And what better feeling of security could be there, than to have them planted right next to our own ‘second home’. That’s a perfect kind of security one can actually feel in the air - as strong as the 3” thick brass letters that adorn the exterior wall of their head quarters.

So I wait. With confidence, yet not without a faint alertness that goes back into that glass eye as invisible signals of uneasiness of being watched and video recorded by a remotely-controlled extra-terrestrial or something similar. What if those zillions of pixels would get intermixed and run berserk, and come alive as a look-alike of me displaying all I.D.s, documents and even hologram-proofed certificates to make a ‘perfect-to-original clone’ who can even pass of as another writer of this piece and collect a princely fee as compensation for the services rendered for months together!

What if, I wonder….

The next thing I realize is the sound of a beaconflashing, siren-blaring cop van, pulling over on my driveway. Three armed and uniformed coppers jump out and as the first one crouches and tip-toes toward the porch and verandah, the other two keep him covered with their .32’s pointing at anything that makes a move.

And, as the former would intercept the target, who, as you may have guessed by now, is actually ruminating on the contents of this story as these events unfold, those unmistakable words are played out, straight from the script of a Hollywood movie…

“You’ve the right to remain silent … anything you say or do may be taken as an evidence in a court of law ...”

Hey, who switched off the ignition... How come, my car is on standstill ...And, what’s this blaring of horns going on, behind my back?

Oh, my God! The lights have changed. It’s green! • 25

The Metro Effect

Fiendish traps, blood thirsty mobs and the survival of the fittest…

If you’ve always wanted to know what it feels like to be in the innards of an anaconda without actually being swallowed by it, then all you need to do is take a ride in the Metro. Sometimes, it’s not enough to use a single analogy to describe the Metro Experience. So here’s the second one. Taking the Metro is like taking a bottle of laxative: it gets the job done in no time, but by the time it’s over you’ll be sweating and panting as though you were tied to Usain Bolt when he was being chased by a pack of hungry hounds. It’s a possibility that my less than genial attitude towards this very useful

26

Mr. Aneesh A S/o Sri. N Ayyappan IAS (Rtd) (L-1872)

mode of transportation has got to do with unique experiences that I’ve encountered, but I’ll let you be the judge of that.

To start with, I have a serious problem with the ‘automatic abdomen smashers’ that are there at the Station right before you flash your token to gain access to the Metro. I know this because I’ve actually timed it but that demonic contraption gives you approximately three nanoseconds to make your way past it before it slides shut with a deadly click. Every time I go through that thing I run the risk of losing my power to carry on my family name.

The Second Home

The ‘automatic crotch crushers’, shockingly, are just the beginning. But like in an Indiana Jones movie, there are a million bizarre obstacles in the traveller’s way before one can reach the Metro; the biggest hurdle being the ‘molestation mob’. These incredibly violent throngs are found all throughout the Metro disguised as unsuspecting individuals; calm, harmless and completely Gandhian, until, they hear the Metro screech to a halt, at which point these innocuous Metro-goers transform into grasping, groping, grabbing gargoyles (Yes, I alliterate when I’m angry). When you’re caught in the middle of the ‘molestation mob’ whose singleminded mission is to thrust themselves into the train at any cost, there’s nothing you can do to stop them. It’s like one of those zombie movies where even if you’re pumping bullets into their bodies, flinging grenades at them, smacking them on their heads with baseball bats, they keep clutching at you tirelessly. This phenomenon can go on for long periods of time until you find yourself involuntarily pushed inside the Metro, feeling guilty, ashamed, angry and, on some lonely days, even a little bit excited.

And if you think that’s when the infernal agony stops, then you couldn’t be more wrong. From the time you find yourself inside the train to the time you reach your stop, you’re on an endless mission to find a place to sit. There are so many seats reserved for physically challenged people, women and old people that it’s next to impossible for a non-disabled young male to find himself a seat inside the Metro.

That’s why when there was a recent incident in the news about a man getting beaten up for entering the women’s section inside the Metro, there was a part of me that somewhat empathised with him.

Having presented my side of the story, it’s also true that there are people who love taking the

The Second Home

Metro. I have friends who swear by the Metro and tell me that it’s a pleasurable joy ride that liberates their senses. Now, I’m not sure if I should inform the narcotics department in order to investigate the root cause of such bizarre statements or reconsider my own perspective about taking the Metro. After ruminating for a while, I have concluded that there are three kinds of Metro-goers - Metrophiles: people who love taking the Metro; Metrosexuals: people who take the Metro just to rub against other passengers; and I, on the other hand, fall into the third category; I am a Metrophobe. • (The article was the third Editorial of Times of India dated 15th February 2011) [Courtesy: Times of India]

[Attached below the appreciation letter sent by Shri. E. Sreedharan, CMD, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation to Times of India and published on 18th Feb, 2011]

27

at\m-l-c-§-fmb F«p-]p-jv]-§Ä

Smt. Anandavally D (S-128)

{]Y-a-am-bXv Alnw-k, ]ns¶ C{µn-b-\n-{K-lw, Zb, £a, im´n, X]w, [ym\w Ah-km-\-t¯-sX-¦nepw {][m\w kXyw F¶ ]pjv]w. at\m-l-c-§-fmb Cu F«p-]p-jv]-§Ä GsXÃmamsW¶v Adn-tbt≠. ]d-bmw. Ah -`-K-hm\v {]km-Z-ambn kaÀ¸nt¡≠ F«p-]p-jv]-§-fm-Wv. Cu ]pjv]-§Ä¡v DÅ {]tXy-IX Ah [\w sImSp¯v shfn-bn \n¶pw hm§m³ In«p-¶X-Ã. F¶m hm§m³ In«p¶ [\w \½-fn Hmtcm-c-¯cnepw D≠v. Cu ]q¡Ä hncn-bp¶ sNSn hfÀ¯n-sb-Sp-¡-W-sa-¦n \½-fn IpSn-sIm-Åp¶ ssNX\y¯nsâ klmbw Bh-iy-am-Wv. \à hf-¡qdv DÅ-Xm-sW-¦n s]s«¶v hfÀ¶v ]pjv]n¡p-sa¶v ]d-tb-≠-Xn-Ã-tÃm. A§s\ AXp Xg-¨p-h-fÀ¶v ]qhn-Sp-t¼mÄ `K-hm\p kaÀ¸n-¡p-I. PK-Zo-iz-c³ {]km-Zn¡pw. F«v ]pjv]-§-fpsS t]cv CsXm-s¡-bm-Wv. {]Y-a-am-bXv Alnw-k, ]ns¶ C{µn-b-\n-{K-lw, Zb, £a, im´n, X]w, [ym\w Ah-km-\-t¯-sX-¦nepw {][m\w kXyw F¶ ]pjv]w.

Alnwk F¶ ]pjv]-t¯bpw kXyw F¶ ]pjv]-t¯bpw ]än FSp¯p ]d-tªm-s«. Alnwk F¶ hm¡v tIÄ¡p-t¼mÄ \½psS a\-Ên DZn-¡p¶ kv]X-hmIyw Alnwkm]-c-ta-[À½ F¶m-W-tÃm. ]s£ B hm¡nsâ hym]vXn hfsc hep-Xm-Wv. ‘Alnwk’ lnwkn-¡m-Xn-cn-¡p-I. AXv h[n-¡p-Itbm Ip¯n apdn-th¸n-¡m-Xn-cn-¡p-Itbm Fs¶ms¡bmhmw. ]s£ CXn-t\-¡mÄ {i² sNep-t¯-≠Xv hm¡p-IÄ sIm≠p t]mepw lnwkn-¡m-Xn-cn-¡p-I. AXp D≠m-¡p¶ apdnhv Hcn-¡epw amªp t]mIp-¶-X-Ã. ac-sIm¼v apdn-¨mepw ag-¡mew hcp-t¼mÄ Xfn-cn-Spw. A¼psIm-≠pÅ apdnhv Imew-sIm≠v amªp-t]m-Ipw. ]mgvhm¡p-IÄ ]dªv Hcmsf Ip¯n apdn-th¸n-¡p-¶Xv H«pw A`nImayaà -X-s¶.

Ah-km-\-t¯Xpw Gähpw {][m-\-amb ]pjv]w kXyw Xs¶-bm-Wv. kXyw{_qbm-Xv, {]nbw-{_q-bm-Xv, \:{_qbmXv kXyw-A-{]n-bw. kXyw ]d-bpI AXv {]nb-¦-c-am-sW-¦n hf-sc-\-Ã-Xv. ]s£ Gähpw {][m\w A{]n-b-amb kXyw ]d-bm-Xn-cn¡pI Xs¶. kwkm-cn-¡p-¶-Xnepw al-¯cw au\-am-Wv. Nne-t¸mÄ hm¡p-IÄ¡v shÅnbpsS hne In«p-t¼mÄ au\¯n\v kzÀ®-¯nsâ hne e`n-t¨-¡mw. kwkm-cnt¨ Xocp-sb-¦n B hm¡p-IÄ kXy-hpw, t\cpw am[p-cy-hp-ap-Å-Xmbn-cn-¡-s«.

AXoh kpµ-c§fmb Cu F«p ]pjv]-§Ä hnjvWp-`-K-hm\v am{X-aà Cuizc³ F¶ \mw k¦-ev]n-¡p¶ \½fn IpSn-sIm-Åp¶ ssNX-\ys¯ Xs¶-bm-Wv. hnjvWp-`-K-hm-\pw, tbip-`-K-hm\pw AÃm-lp[nw Hs¡ kaÀ¸n-¡m\p-Å-Xm-Wv. \ndp-¯-s«. Hmw. im´n. im´n. im´n: • 28

The Second Home

Sri. Shaik Ahamed (L-2046)

Postman T

o many a desolate heart how many whispers of affection have you carried across! how many caresses of love have you transmitted around!!

Bringing sparks of hope and many sleepless nights, Postman, you are a golden relic, spun on the looms of memory.

Peal of bells of your cycle drifted across the valleys heralding your arrival.

The letters you brought, smudged with stain of woeful tears or sometimes with cascade of mirth.

Years fleet over, Face-less face book spread its tentacles, But Postman, a rare specious are you; Even now our hearts reach out to you for we are mortals of a sandwiched generation, carrying the backpack of yesteryears caught in between present and past. • A bridge costing Rs.1.5 crores, linking the two shores of the Killi river, e benefiting nearly 5000 people of orat p r o ‘C ocial t’ Pipinmoodu and Kanjirampara, S tmen mi was constructed and donated by Com Dr. A.R. Babu, (Institutional Member), Managing Director of Heera Construction Co. (P) Ltd., as part of the company’s commitment to society.

The Second Home

29

Ms.Vaishnavi Anand Std VIII, RCIS, Bangalore

The Mysterious Island A few days back, I got this strange dream I had never got before. It was about a mysterious island.

I am putting down on paper the whole story. Read on….

“Vaishnavi, wake up! Its your birthday!”, mom screamed excited! Dad had planned for a surprise birthday party at a Chinese restaurant.

Later that evening my mom asked me to dress up and said that we were going to my aunt’s house.

After that visit, we landed up at “Chutney Chang”, the famous Chinese restaurant. I went inside and saw my friends standing around a huge cake meant for me. We all had a blast and my brother splattered the cake all over my face!. Most of these Chinese restaurants have fortune cookies. A cookie was given to me in a plate. I am a very superstitious person and I love adventure. I read what was written on the cookie and this was what it said: “YOU ARE THE LUCKY ONE! YOU MUST BELIEVE IN SOME SUPERSTITIONS WHICH MAY APPEAR STRANGE!”.

I was shocked. Could this mean something? But my family did not believe in such things. The next moment a man came running inside and shouted“If the island sinks the treasure will sink too!” Everyone stood still and the room was covered in silence. After a few minutes, the waiter pushed the man out. I was scared as my fortune cookie also said something similar!.

The next day was a big day for me. I had to leave to the U.S.A. for a science project. It was the first time I traveled alone in a plane! I boarded the flight 30

D/o Sri.N Anand (R-979)

and after a couple of hours, there was a bad storm and the pilot had to make an emergency landing.

We landed up in some mysterious island. The pilot informed that the plane landing wheel had to be repaired and it would take a whole night. So that day, we slept and took rest.

The next day morning I woke up finding water all over the place and realized that the island was sinking. My co passengers and the plane were not to be seen!.I also noticed that I was sleeping on a huge dinosaur egg!! A big dinosaur came chasing me- I ran the fastest I could and reached a huge sticky web like place. I then realized that they were actually huge spider cob-webs! The spider was as huge as ten elephants together! I somehow climbed out of the web without making a noise and came out. The place was in fact mysterious and everything seemed so huge! I then came to a cave outside which was a board “THE TREASURE OF THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND”. I ran in and found the treasure but as soon as I touched it, many huge scorpions pounced on me. I struggled to make my way through them.

Then it suddenly dawned upon me that somehow I had to go home. I related all these incidents to a book written by an unknown author. Everything was the same and the last part said that there would be a submarine under the sea. I swam all the way down and found the submarine. I started the engine and reached a human settlement. The next instant I got up and narrated the whole story to my family and like I thought they just had a hearty laugh.

I wish my dream would come true!!!. • The Second Home

Dr. Smt.S V Lekshmi

W/o Sri. Janardhanan Nair (R-719)

You are my Sunshine

A Boy singing to his little sister.....

“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine” Like any good mother, when Karen found out that another baby was on the way, she did what she could to help her 3-year-old son, Michael, prepare for a new sibling. They found out that the new baby was going be a girl, and day after day, night after night, Michael sang to his sister in mommy's tummy. He was building a bond of love with his little sister before he even met her. The pregnancy progressed normally for Karen, an active member of the Panther Creek United Methodist Church in Morristown, Tennessee.

In time, the labor pains came. Soon it was every five minutes, every three, every minute. But serious complications arose during delivery and Karen found herself in hours of labor. Would a C-section be required? Finally, after a long struggle, Michael's little sister was born. But she was in very serious condition. With a siren howling in the night, the ambulance rushed the infant to the neo-natal intensive care unit at St. Mary's Hospital, Knoxville, Tennessee The days inched by. The little girl got worse. The pediatrician had to tell the parents there is very little hope. Be prepared for the worst. Karen and her husband contacted a local cemetery about a burial plot. They had fixed up a special room in their house for their new baby but now they found themselves having to plan for a funeral. Michael, however, kept begging his parents to let him see his sister. I want to sing to her, he kept saying. Week two in The Second Home

intensive care looked as if a funeral would come before the week was over. Michael kept nagging about singing to his sister, but kids are never allowed in Intensive Care. Karen decided to take Michael whether they liked it or not. If he didn't see his sister right then, he may never see her alive.

She dressed him in an oversized scrub suit and marched him into ICU. He looked like a walking laundry basket. The head nurse recognized him as a child and bellowed, 'Get that kid out of here now. No children are allowed.' The mother rose up strong in Karen, and the usually mild-mannered lady glared steel-eyed right into the head nurse's face, her lips a firm line. 'He is not leaving until he sings to his sister' she stated. Then Karen towed Michael to his sister's bedside. He gazed at the tiny infant losing the battle to live. After a moment, he began to sing. In the pure-hearted voice of a 3-yearold, Michael sang, 'You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are gray.'

Instantly the baby girl seemed to respond. The pulse rate began to calm down and become steady.

'Keep on singing, Michael,' encouraged Karen with tears in her eyes 'You never know, dear, how much I love you, please don't take my sunshine away.'

As Michael sang to his sister, the baby's ragged, strained breathing became as smooth as a kitten's purr 'Keep on singing, sweetheart.' 'The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping, I dreamt I held you in my arms' Michael's little sister began to relax as rest, healing rest, seemed to sweep over her. 'Keep on singing, Michael.' Tears had now conquered 31

Sri. Motti John Thomas (R-1070)

Collecting Antiques So you love antiques?

Working in a leading IT organization, not many people know that I adore antiques.

Partly because, people deign at me as it is deemed forte of the fairer sex and not many in my field venture into it. I had a manager while working in UK, (you guessed it right – an Indian) who thought that collecting antique makes your thinking outdated. Fortunately he is not my manager any more.

Antiques An antique in India is a misnomer item for many. Antique profession is considered as equivalent of junk handler. Let me ask you what comes into your mind when you think about antique?

Heaps of junk, perhaps? When I show photos of my home, people look at me as if to ask me “where are the antiques”?

So what is an antique? A common practice is to define “antique” as objects at least 100 years old. Some exceptions do occur, for example – cars.

There are different views on the subject based on the quality and styles etc. For most of the practical

purposes above definition will apply.

The collection of antiques has been one of the best loved hobbies for many years.

There are so many different antique items that can be found today, that people can easily begin a collection of almost anything they could ever imagine. Some may prefer antique furniture; some collectors even make a hobby out of collecting bottles. The possibilities are basically endless when it comes to collecting antiques.

Another popular item that people love to collect is antique coins and money. Paper money is also a favorite antique to collect. Many avid antique collectors also love collecting old gold or silver dining pieces, such as flatware or tea sets. A solid silver tea set from the 1800s would be valued at thousands of dollars or more today based on its condition and manufacturer.

Antique furniture is also a very popular item for collectors. These antiques can be found rather easily at antique shops and used furniture stores. The better the condition the furniture is in, the more

the face of the bossy head nurse. Karen glowed.

'You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. Please don't take my sunshine away.' The next day...the very next day the little girl was well enough to go home.

Woman's Day Magazine called it ‘The Miracle

of a Brother's Song’. The medical staff just called it a miracle. Karen called it a miracle of God's love.

NEVER GIVE UP ON THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE. LOVE IS SO INCREDIBLY POWERFUL. Life is good. •

32

The Second Home

valuable it is considered to be. If it still retains an excellent original finish, this type of antique can be extremely valuable. These antiques may include beds, chairs, or any furniture that was on the market many years ago.

Who collects Antique?

The fondness of antiques is ever green. People from all walks of life collect antiques for the sheer beauty, craftsmanship and rarity. If I told you that Art and Antiques is a $45 Billion industry, you may be surprised. Antique business is more widespread and more organized, with supporting infrastructures in Europe and America. One look at Portobello Road in UK or Brimfield in US would be a good eye opener as how many people are involved.

Though China had made an impact in this business in 2010 and 2011, the US continues to be the No1 market.

Some of the Indian antique collections in museums today have been donated by respected collectors of yester years. Salarjung, Tatas to name a few…

The tradition of crafts in India has grown around religious themes, the taste of the ruling elites and needs of common people. From Indus Valley civilization to today, Indian craft has gone through various changes. The Gupta age saw rapid advancement in the field of handicrafts and art forms. The Chola and Vijaynagar Empires contributed vastly to the field of sculptures. The Mughals brought with them a rich heritage and introduced methods like stone inlay work, carpet weaving, brocades, enameling etc.

Foreign trade and occupation played an important role in the evolution of different craft forms in India. Indian Antiques are today some of the most coveted pieces any antique collector can possess and get a continued focus in major auctions across the world.

However, though we have a tradition of supporting arts and craft in India, we don’t have the necessary infrastructure for The Second Home

Antique trade in place. This leads to smuggling and illegal trade.

In one of the recent auctions in India, conducted

by Maharaja Gaj Singh II, celebrities from Mumbai’s glamour world and top international collectors flocked to the Umaid Bhavan Palace. The art works included pieces from M.F. Husain, Ram Kumar and Jogen Chowdhury along with Lalique and other pieces. This is a positive emerging trend in India, after the closure of earlier auction houses.

Why should I spend my money on antiques?

Most people become fascinated in antiques for two or three reasons; either they have an interest in collecting antiques purely for personal enjoyment, they had collected something like match box covers earlier or they inherited an antique piece from a family member. The most common items people collect in India are jewellery, furniture, clocks, coins, books, porcelain, glass, lamps, photographs and watches. Some people developed an interest in antiques purely because they inherited an item from a relative. The process of finding the value starts and they slowly begin their hunt for some more pieces. No matter how they start a collection, everybody wants to be sure that it will increment in value. That is what antique collection is all about An antique item will retain value if it is something collectible and unique. It is a common misconception that the older they look, the more valuable they must be. Just because a piece looks like it is old does not necessarily mean that it’s an antique.

The value of an antique is based on demand due to its condition and rarity.

If you become a collector, two main principles that apply- know everything possible that you can about the antique that interests you and secondly, obtain them at the lowest possible price. Doing so will not only give you satisfaction and enjoyment, but at the same time you will also be assured that your investment will appreciate in value. Sometimes it may be good to ask 33

yourself a question - whether you would be able to sell it later.

There are a number of factors to consider when valuing an antique - condition, age, provenance, material and rarity. Being a collector for more than 15 years, I have noticed that sometimes the value of an item varies with the trend in market as well.

The price will also depend on the interest of the seller and the buyer and also on the market trend.

The international market trend is noticed to be exactly opposite the housing trend. This is because people spend more in buying a home and not in decorating it. When people are not buying a home, they buying things to decorate their home. As one of the dealers put it – there is no specific price of an antique. It is what the buyer and seller decide.

However the prices of unique pieces have retained value, but may be cyclic.

Dating an antique piece It’s true that people could have bought a piece of furniture to decorate their home a long time ago and that furniture, if it were of fine quality, would now be worth something. But while the personal associations of heirlooms add to their interest, they can’t be relied upon to place their date and source.

Antiques are often passed on from one generation to the next, and hence it is often impossible to date exactly when they were manufactured especially pieces made in India. However due to the tax related rules most of the foreign items may have marks which makes identification easy (forgery as well).

Some of the old pieces have a pedigree or a maker’s mark or label, but everyone has characteristics that identify it which make it valuable to someone else. The secret of where and when and by whom it was made is in its material, its design and its workmanship.

The knowledge in dating and identification comes through experience, handling and knowing similar pieces.

When there are marks of identification available 34

there are multiple identification guides available which makes it easier to identify most of the pieces.

However this is the most difficult part in antique collecting. Identifying the right and genuine piece holds the key.

Once you have identified a piece, to know the actual cost of a piece look at internet sites and other collections. Do not always believe the cost the antique dealer quotes or the seller’s quotes; do you mini-research before you go head-on with the purchase. In India most of the dealers are traders and don’t invest their time in understanding the nuances of the pieces they sell. However there are exceptions to this. So sometimes you could be lucky, especially if it is a high end piece. Hence it makes sense to buy from a reputed dealer rather than a small-time dealer when you are buying an expensive piece or starting a collection.

The Antiques Marketplace If you search internet, you may be amazed at the items people collect. Certain objects (e.g., comic books), more properly called curios, have become collector’s items by virtue of nostalgic association or content rather than intrinsic value.

If you visit the more established Antique dealers, they not only acquire antiques but also objects that are characteristic of a period (e.g., art nouveau and art deco) that may experience a revival of interest.

With the tremendous growth of interest in antiques, necessity for identification of precious objects has developed. Some of the online sites publish extensive guides to provide a consistent appraisal.

Prominent Collections Many museums and private institutions have built up outstanding antique collections. Some of the best Museums where you can see some fine pieces abroad are Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Louvre, Paris, Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

My perspective I once happened to go to one of my relative’s house The Second Home

and asked about an old plate. That is when I realized a low end plate all of a sudden became one of the rarest plates in the world. I was able to pick up a similar plate in Kottayam for less than Rs1000.

Sometimes when a family piece is passed from one generation to the next, its history takes on wings.

That was also when I decided that a piece which I get gifted may be more costly than buying it from a stranger.

While starting to get addicted to antiques, you can be serious collector or just accumulator. It is simple enough to become a collector of antiques and you will eventually find something that you truly love. If you are a seller of antiques in general, then you will obviously be looking for many different things to offer your many different customers. As a collector; the majority of the things I buy are those which I collect and know something about already.

My decision to buy comes from my understanding and value it adds to my collection as a whole.

But you now want to decide on what you are actually going to start your collection on. This is simple, just find something that you love and start your collection. Some people may decide to collect antique jewellery whilst others may decide to collect something as obscure as utensils. At the end of the day the choice is yours as to what you collect. It should give you joy and a pleasure.

However, once you have made the decision on what you are going to collect then the real fun starts. You will soon find yourself always looking where ever you go and constantly your eyes will stray to the windows of the little antique shops that you pass. Certainly, this is a big part of the fun of collecting.

Not only is there personal enjoyment to be had in collecting, but another reason for collecting antiques is the possible potential value of the items you have. Just think if you had kept those small coins and notes that you received when you were a child, you would be amazed at just how much they can sell today for.

It is clearly obvious that collecting antiques can The Second Home

be one of the most enjoyable, interesting hobbies to have. At times, it may even be quite expensive, depending upon what type of antiques you prefer to collect. But, this is a way of holding on to a piece of history –one piece at a time. Many avid collectors feel this is a treasure that you cannot put a price tag on.

The other aspect, one could indulge in antiques is the appreciation it enjoys over the years. It could turn out to be a smart investment and an even smarter possession.

Fakes, Reproductions One of the biggest pitfalls in the antique industry is the fakes. Sometimes even experienced dealers also get taken for a ride. They can fake the marks, style and color schemes. Some of the earlier fake products now have carved a niche of their own that it is collected as a fake (e.g. French porcelain manufacturer Samson).

Manufacturers in quite a few countries, especially in India and China are making reproductions of a range of products to tap the increasing and rapidly expanding worldwide antique products market.

India is emerging as a major country exporting a large number of antique reproductions right from furniture to jewellery.

Indian Scenario With constant demand from abroad and high 35

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Uâ v {io _m_p sk_m-Ìy³, Cu teJ-I³, t^mdw ap³ sk-{I-«dn {io. the-¸³ \mbÀ F¶n-hc- psS kvt\lm-iw-kIÄ; {io a[p-hnsâ kap-Nn-Xhpw kt´m-jI - c- h - p-amb adp-]Sn {]kwKw; t^mdw sk{I-«dn {io. ]n.hn tPmWnsâ IrX-ÚX; t^mdw sa¼-dpw ap³ Xncp-h\ - ´ - ] - pcw PnÃm If-ISv d- p-amb {io. F³ A¿-¸³ Ah-Xc- n-¸n¨ {ihya[pcw \ndª 3 {] kà Km\-§Ä; tZiobKm\w F¶o ]cn-]m-Sn-IÄ ae-bmf kn\nam temI-¯nse {]ikvX kwhn-[m-bI - cpw \nÀam-Xm¡fpw DÄs¸« {]uV-amb kZÊv A`n-am-\t- ¯msS {i²n-¨p.

corruption within the museums and temple officials in India, it is common knowledge that rampant loot takes place to quench that demand. The source of collection remains far and few reputed antique dealers, even fewer auctions and collections from older collectors. However the Indian antiquities are still are a worry to collect and it is mostly the lower end or the European pieces that get collected in India currently.

Contrary to the international trend in growth of used markets in US, Europe and other countries, Indian antique and used market is still in nascent stage except for architectural and fashion antiques (jewellery, paintings, textiles etc). Even some of the reputed auction houses, dealers are lamenting the lack of quality goods they used to get and shift to more lucrative replicas.

Freeing up of the Indian domestic markets through legal reforms, will give an impetus and stop

pilferage by Machiavellian elements. This would need support from government and people. Government support is needed provide a frame work to ease the laws and educated people to educate and support means of valuation and authentication.

With the growing numbers of nouveau rich people in India and an awareness of investment in antiques by them, it is hoped that the framework of rules for collections, exchange and exhibitions are revised, making more people aware and proud of their heritage while still transacting the collections freely, either exchanging or selling.

Although there have been collectors in this field for many years, it is an extremely specialized area, full of pitfalls for the unwary, so seeking the advice of an experienced specialist is advisable. However lack of knowledge in the existing dealer community across India and efficient laws are bound to change if newer educated dealer come into the market. •

36

The Second Home

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Prof. Dr. Shaji Prabhakaran (L-1881)

LAUGH !!!

IT IS GOOD FOR HEALTH

� An Ad in Hospital waiting Room

Smoking helps you to reduce weight …one lung at a time !!

� On a bulletin board

Success is relative. The more the success, more the relatives !!

� Outcome of reading about the evils of drinking

Reading given up !!

� My grandfather is eighty and still doesn’t need glasses

He drinks straight out of the bottle !!

� Sign in a Bar

Those of you who are drinking to forget, please do pay in advance !!

� Sign in a Driving School

If your wife wants to learn to drive, don’t stand in her way !!

� The reason why men lie

Because women ask too many questions !!

� Advertisement in a shop

38

Guitar for sale…..cheap…… no strings attached !! •

The Second Home

Sri. Gopinath Krishnan (R-2062)

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The Second Home

aq¡pw IÀ®-§fpw IpN-§fpw sh«n-¡f - ª - p. sh«p-sIm≠ iqÀ¸-WI `b-¦c- a- mb apd-hn-fn-tbmsS hcsâ ASp-t¯bv¡v t]mIp-¶p. CXmWv hc-h[ - ¯ - nse iqÀ¸-WI - b - psS efn-Xt- hjw. ""tIm«-b¯p X¼p-cmsâ InÀ½-cI - h - [w'' F¶ IY-If - nemWv knwln-Ib - psS efn-Xt- hjw ImWp-¶X - v. ]mÞ-hc- psS h\-hm-k¡ - m-e¯v h\-¯n imÀ±q-e³ F¶p t]cpÅ Hcp cm£-k³ Xma-kn-¨p-cp-¶p. Hcp Znhkw imÀ±q-e³ AÀÖp\s\ sIm¶v Xn¶mw F¶ taml-t¯msS AÀÖp-\sâ t\ sc FSp-¯p-Nm-Sn. AÀÖp-\³ Xsâ icw sIm≠v imÀ±q-es\ sIm¶p. imÀ±q-e³ acWw Adn-RvHm Ahsâ `mcy knwlnI Hcp Xocp-am-\s- a-Sp-¯p. ]mÞ-hc- psS ]Xv\n-bmb ]m©mensb X«n-s¡m≠p h¶v Xsâ ktlm-Zc- \ - mb InÀ½n-cI - \p ImgvN shbv¡mw. cm£-kn-bmb knwlnI Xsâ ambm-_ew sIm≠v Hcp kpµ-cn-bmb efn-Xb - psS thjw [cn-¨p. F¶n«v kmh-[m-\¯ - n ]m©m-en-bpsS kao-]s- ¯-¯n. ]m©m-en-bpambn kw`m-jW - hpw XpS-§n. Xm³ Hcp tZhkv{Xo BsW¶pw AhnsS ASp-¯mbn Hcp ZpÀ¤m-t£{Xw Ds≠¶pw AhnsS 39

sXmgm³ t]mIm-sa¶pw ]m©m-en-tbmSp ]d-ªp. AhÄ ]m©m-ensb h\-¯nsâ A´À`m-Kt- ¯bv¡v sIm≠pt]m-bn. Aev]Z- qcw t]mb-t¸mÄ Ft´m ]´n-tISv Ds≠¶p ]m©m-en¡p tXm¶n. X\n¡p Xncn-¨p-t]m-IWw ]m©men ] d-ªp. ]t£ aäv klm-bs- am¶pw ]m©m-en¡p e`n-¡m³ X¡ kuIcyw AhnsS Cà F¶p a\-Ên-em-¡nb knwlnI Xsâ efnX thjw shSn-ªn«v cm£-kn-bpsS cq]w FSp¯n«p hmkvXh - s- aÃmw ]d-ªp. `b¶p hnd¨v ]m©men \ne h - nfn XpS-§n. ]m©m-en-bpsS \ne-hnfn tI«n«v kl-tZ-h³ AhnsS HmSn F¯n. ]m©m-ensb knwln-Ib - psS ssIbn \n¶pw c£-s¸-Sn-¯n-bn«p knwln-Ib - psS aq¡pw IÀ®-§fpw IpN-§fpw hmfp-sIm≠v sh«n If-ªp. knwlnI \ne-hn-fn¨p-sIm≠v ktlm-Zc- \ - mb InÀ½n-cI - sâ ASp-t¯¡v HmSn. CXmWv InÀ½n-Ih - [ - ¯ - nse knwln-Ib - psS efn-Xt- h-jhpw cm£-kn-bpsS thj-hpw. tIm«bw X¼p-cmsâ _I-h[w IY-bn-emWv lnUp-¼nbpsS efn-Xt- hjw DÅ-Xv. ]mÞ-hc- pw, Iuc-hcpw Hcp Øe¯p Xma-kn-¨m hg-¡p-≠mIpw F¶p a\-Ên-em-¡nb [rX-cm-jv{SÀ ]mÞ-hsc hmc-Wm-hcw F¶ Øe-t¯¡v amän Xma-kn-¸n-¡m³ XoÀ¨-s¸-Sp-¯n. hmc-Wm-hc- ¯v Hcp sI«nSw t]mIp¶p F¶p Xocp-am-\n-¨t- ¸mÄ Zptcym-[\ - ³ s]s«¶p I¯n-¨m-¼e - m-Ip¶p Hcp Ac-¡nÃw D≠m-¡m-\p Å ]cn-]mSn Bkq-{XWw sNbvXp. sI«nSw ]qÀ¯n-bm-bt¸mÄ [rX-cm-jv{SÀ ]mÞ-ht- cmSv AhnsS t]mbn Xmakn-¡p-hm³ ]d-ªp. ]ptcm-N\ - ³ F¶p t]cp-tI« Hcp ] Wn-¡m-c\ - m-bn-cp¶p ]mÞ-hsc sImÃm-\mbn Zptcym-[\ - sâ \nÀt±-i{- ]-Imcw Hcp Ac-¡nà sI«n-bX - v. F¶m AhnsS Xma-kn-¨t- ijw Hcp Bimcn AhnsS h¶v cl-ky-ambn Ip´n-tbmSpw ]mÞ-ht- cmSpw Imcyw ]dªp a\-Ên-em-¡n. hnZq-cc- mWv Bim-cnsb Ab-¨X - v. Bimcn Ip´o-tZ-hn¡pw ]m Þ-hÀ¡pw c£-s¸-Sm-\mbn Hcp Xpc¦w D≠m¡n sImSp¡p-Ibpw sNbvXp. `oasâ \nÀt±-i{- ]-Imcw ]mÞ-hÀ Xmakn-¡p¶ sI«n-S¯ - n\p Xobn-«n«p Im«n-te¡v bm{X Xncn-¨p.

I¯n Nm¼-emb sI«n-S¯ - n ]ptcm-N´ - ³ InS¶v Dd-§p¶Xp ImcWw Ah³ I¯n Nm¼-em-bn.

B Im«n lnUpwkn Fs¶mcp cm£-k³ Xma-kn-¡p¶p-≠m-bn-cp-¶p. lnUp-w_\v a\p-jy-hmkw hfsc CjvSa- mbn-cp-¶p. Im«n Ipd¨p a\p-jyÀ Ds≠¶p a\-Ên-em-¡nb lnUp-w_³ hnhcw At\z-jn-¡m-\mbn Xsâ ktlm-Zc- n-bmb lnUp-w_nsb ]d-ªb - ¨ - p. lnUpw_n ]e Øe¯p \ S¶v ]mÞ-hÀ Xmh-fa- S- n-¨n-cn¡p¶ Øew I≠p-]n-Sn-¨p. lnUpw_n t\m¡n-bt- ¸mÄ I≠Xv XSn-¨p-sIm-gp¯ Hcp Im´n-am³ Dd-§n-¡n-S¡ - p-¶X - m-Wv. C{Xbpw kpµ-c\ - mb Hcp XSn-bs\ I≠-t¸mÄ lnUw-_n¡p kt´m-ja- m-bn. Abmsf Xsâ `À¯m-hmbn In«n-bm \¶m-bn-cp¶p F¶v AhÄ Nn´n-¨p. AXn-\mbn AhÀ Xsâ cm£-kÀ¸w shSn-ªn«v 40

AXn-kp-µc- n-bmb Hcp efn-Xb - psS cq]-sa-Sp-¯p. F¶n-«h - Ä `o-asâ ap¼n t]mbn sN¶p \n¶p. ImSnsâ \Sp-hn C{X kpµ-cn-bmb kv{Xosb I≠-t¸mÄ `oa³ AÔm-fn-¨p-t]m-bn. lnUpw_n `oa-t\mSp ]d-ªp. Cu Im«n Xma-kn-¡p-¶Xv {Iqc-\mb lnUp-w_-s\¶ cm£-k\ - m-Wv. Ahsâ ktlmZ-cn-bmb lnUpw-_n-bmWv Rm³. \n§sf sIm¶p sIm≠v sNÃm³ lnUpw-_³ Fs¶ Ab-¨n-cn-¡p-Ib - m-Wv. ]s£ A§s\ I≠-t¸mÄ F\n¡p ]pXnb Hcp B{Klw D≠m-bn.

Fsâ B{Klw A§v Fsâ `À¯m-hm-IWw F¶m-Wv. CXp tI«v `oa³ BsI Ipg-§n. Btem-Nn-¨t- ijw `oa³ lnUpw-_n-tbmSv C{]-Imcw ]d-ªp. ""Fsâ tPyjvT³ [À½-]p-{X³ C\nbpw IeymWw Ign-¨n-«n-Ã. At±lw IeymWw Ign-¡msX F\n¡p IeymWw Ign-¡p-hm³ km[n¡p-Ib - n-Ã. AXp-sIm≠v \o \nsâ B{Klw Dt]-£n-¡W - w. lnUpw_n `oasâ hN-\s¯ Iq«m-¡n-bn-Ã. AhÄ `oat\mSv Xs¶ `mcy-bmbn kzoI-cn-¡Ww F¶p ]d-ªp-sIm-t≠-bncp-¶p. lnUpw_n t]mbn«p hfsc t\c-am-bX - n-\m lnUpw-_³ I£-sI«p lnUpw-_³ hni-¶p-he - ªp lnUpw_n t]mb Im«n-eqsS t]mbn. lnUpw-_³ _lfw D≠m-¡n-s¡m≠v Im«n-eqsS hcp-¶Xp I≠ lnUpw_n `b-¶n«v hnhcw `oas\ Adn-bn-¨p. lnUpw-_n¡p `oa\nep-≠mb kvt\l-amWv ImcysaÃmw apS-¡n-bs- X¶v a\-Ên-em-¡nb lnUpw-_³ in£n¯m³ Hcp-s¼-«p. CXp I≠ `oa³ lnUpw-ls\ t\cn-«p. `oa³ Xsâ _mlp-_ew sIm≠v lnUpw-_s\ sIm¶p. _lfw tI«v aäp ]mÞ-hÀ Dd-¡¯ - n \n¶pw DWÀ¶p-t\m-¡n-bt¸mÄ I≠-Xv. tZl¯p apgp-h\pw s]mSnbpw sNfnbpw ] änb `oas\bpw `oasâ ASp¯p \nev¡p¶ kpµ-cn-bmb Hcp kv{Xotb-bpw. F´mWv sNt¿-≠s- X¶v ]mÞ-hÀ BtemNn-¨p-sIm-≠n-cn-¡p-t¼mÄ th-Zh - ym-ka- p\n AhnsS F¯n. thZ-hym-k³ ]mÞ-hc- psS ]nXm-al - \ - m-Wt- Ãm. AhÀ thZhym-kt- \mSv F´p-sN-¿Ww F¶v tNmZn-¨p. thZ-hym-k³ C{]-Imcw Dt]-Zi - n-¨p. ""\n§Ä k¦-Ss- ¸-tS-≠, \n§Ä¡v Ft¸mgpw Cuiz-ck - l - mbw D≠m-Ipw. F¶n«v `oat\mSv C{]Imcw D]-tZ-in-¨p. ""`oam \o lnUpw-_nsb AhÄ¡v Hcp ]p {X³ D≠m-Ip-¶X - p-hsc `mcy-bmbn kzoI-cn-¨p-sIm-Åp-I. `oa³ lnUpw-_nsb `mcymbn kzoI-cn-¨p. `oa\v lnUp-_n-bn L{SmÂI-N³ Fs¶mcp ]p{X³ D≠m-bn. LtSmÂX-N³ P\n-¨p. DS³Xs¶ ]qÀ®-hf - À¨ {]m]n-¨p. LtSmÂI-N³ Xsâ ]nXm-hmb `oat\mSv C{]-Imcw ]dªp ""Rm³ A½bpsS IqsS t]mIp-Ib - m-Wv. AÑ\v Fsâ Bhiyw Ft¸mÄ thW-sa¶v a\-Ên tXm¶p-t¼mÄ Rm³ F¯n-s¡mÅmw CXmWv _I-h[ - ¯ - nse lnUpw-_n-bpsS efn-Xt- h-jw.

ImÀ¯nI Xncp-\mÄ alm-cm-Pmhv Fgp-Xnb \c-Im-ep-ch[w IY-If - n-emWv \{I-kp-Ôn-bpsS efn-Xt- hjw ImWp-¶Xv. \c-Im-kp-c³ Fs¶mcp {]Xn-]m-imen temIw `cn-¨n-cp-¶p.

The Second Home

\cIm-kp-c\v \{I-XpÞn Fs¶mcp ktlm-Zcn D≠m-bn-cp¶p. \c-Im-kp-csâ B{K-l{- ]-Imcw \{I-XpÞn Ipsd tZhkv{Xo-Isf ]nSn-¨p-sIm≠p hcp-hm³ tZh-tem-It- ¯¡v t]m bn. cm£-kt- hjw shSn-ªn«v kpµ-cn-bmb efn-Xt- hjw FSp-¯n-«mWv \{I-XpÞn kzÀ¤-tem-It- ¯bv¡v t]mbn. \ {I-XpÞn efn-Xt- h-j¯ - n kzÀ¤-¯nse Imh¡m-cpsS {i²sb adn-IS- ¶v kzÀ¤-¯n F¯n. kzÀ¤-¯n F¯nb \{I-XpÞn tZh-kv{Xo-IÄ ]mÀ¡p¶ Øe-§Ä t\m¡n \S-¶p. t]mIp¶ hgn-bn efn-Xt- hjw [cn¨ \{I-XpÞn tZth-{µsâ ]p{X-\mb Pb-µs\ I≠p. AXn-kp-µc- n-bmb Pbµs\ I≠-t¸mÄ X\n¡p `À¯m-hmbn In«n-bm sImÅmsa¶v \{I-Xp-Þn¡p tXm¶n. \{I-XpÞn Pb-µt- \mSv Xs¶ `mcy-bmbn kzoI-cn-¡Ww F¶p At]-£n-¨p. Pb-µ³ C{X kpµ-cn-bmb Hcp kv{Xosb A¶p-hsc I≠n-«n-Ã. \{IXp-Þn-tbmSv Pb-µ³ tNmZn-¨p. ""\o BcmWv'' \{I-XpÞn Pb-µt- \mSv C{]-Imcw ]d-ªp. ""Rm³ Hcp tZh-kv{Xo-bm-Wv. F\n¡p A§-bpsS kuµcyw I≠n«v A§sb `À¯m-hmbn In«Ww F¶ B{Klw tXm¶n. A§v Zb-hp-sNbvXv Fsâ At]£ kzoI-cn-¨m-epw. CXp tI«n«v Pb-µ³ C{]-Imcw ] d-ªp. ""F\n¡v IeymWw Ign-¡W - s- a-¦n Fsâ AÑsâ k½Xw thWw''. \{I-Xp-Þn-bpsS B{Klw km[n-¡msX h¶-t¸mÄ Pb-µs\ _em¡m-ca- mbn IS-¶p-]n-Sn-¨p. efn-Xthjw shSnª AhÄ AhnsS apgph\pw A«-lk - n¨p s]m Sn-¨p. tZh-kv{Xo-Isf A]-lc- n-¡m³ h¶-hf - m-sW¶p a\-Ênem-¡nb Pb-µ³ \{I-Xp-Þn-bpsS aq¡pw, IÀ®-§f - pw, IpN§fpw hmfp-sIm-≠v sh«n¡f-ªp. sh«p-sIm≠ \{I-XpÞn cm£-kn-bpsS thj-¯n IqIn hnfn-¨p-sIm≠v ktlm-Zc- \ - m b \c-Im-kp-Isâ ASp-t¯¡v t]mbn. CXmWv \c-Im-kp-ch - [-¯nse \{I-Xp-Þn-bpsS efn-X. F¶m efn-Xt- h-j§ - f - n Gähpw {]kn-²a- mb thjw AizXn Xncp\mÄ Fgp-Xnb ]qX-\m-thjw F¶ IY-If - n-emWv. ]qX\ F¶ cm£kn Iwksâ BÚ-{]-Imcw A¼m-Snbnse sIm¨p-Ip-ªmb D®n-Ir-jvWs\ sImÃm-\mbn efnX cq]w [cn-¨p tKmIp-e¯ - n F¯p-¶p. A¼m-Sn-bnse {]Ir-Xnku-µcyw I≠n«v ]qX\ hnkvac- n-¡p-¶p. A¼m-Sn-bnse KpW-§Ä hÀ®n-¡m³ Bbncw \mhpÅ A\´\pt]mepw km[n-¡p-Ib - nà F¶v ]qX\ a\-Ên-em-¡p-¶p. A¼-cN - pw-_nI-fmb Ggp-\neamfn-II - Ä, IpfnÀP-es- am-gp-Ip¶ ]q¦m-hp-IÄ, hnt\m-Z§ - f - n GÀs¸-«n-cn-¡p¶ tKm]-kp-µc- n-IÄ, \r¯-eoe-If - n apgp-Inb \À¯-IÀ F¶n-§s\ a\-Ên\v IpfnÀa tXm-¶p¶ ]e ImgvNI - fpw ]qX\ AhnsS I≠p. AXnsâ Xmgvhc- b - n abn-ep-IÄ ]oen hnSÀ¯n \r¯w sN¿p-¶Xpw ]qX\ I≠p. {ItaW \µ-tKm-]c- psS Krlw efn-Xt- hjw sI«nb ]qX-\ b - psS I®p-IÄ¡pw hnjbo`hn-¡p-¶p. \µ-tKm-]c- psS Krl¯n ]ip-¡Ä hnl-cn-¡p-¶Xp ]qX\ ImWp-¶p. tKm]-

The Second Home

kv{Xo-IÄ ]ip-¡sf Id-¡m³ ]m{X-hp-ambn hcp-¶p. asäm-cnS¯p tKm]-kv{Xo-IÄ ssXcp-IS- ªp sh® FSp-¡p-¶p. ]q X\ kmh-[m-\¯ - n \µ-tKm-]c- psS Krl-¯n-\p-Ån-te¡v {] th-in-¡p-¶p. Cu Krl-¯n-emWv D®n-Ir-jvW³ hmgp-¶X - v.

Ipªns\ sImÃp-¶X - mWv ]qX\bpsS Dt±-iyw. Xs¶ Bcpw {i²n-¡p-¶pà F¶Xp a\-Ên-em¡n ]qX\ hfsc kq£n¨v IrjvWs\ InS-¯n-bn-cn-¡p¶ apdn-bn {]th-in¡p-¶p. Akm-am\y tXP-ÊpÅ Ipªns\ I≠n«v AZv`p-Xt¯msS t\m¡p-¶p. ]qX-\b - psS a\-Ên At¸mÄ hncp-²h - nIm-c§ - f - psS kwL-S\w \S-¡p-Ib - m-Wv. ]qX\ Nn´n-¡p-¶p. ""Cu AXn-kp-µc- \ - mb Cu Ipªn-s\-btà Rm³ sImÃm³ t]mIp-¶X - v. lrZ-ba- pÅ Bcp sN¿pw Cu {Iqc-IrXyw? ] t£ cm£-kn-bmb F\n¡v Cu arZp-eh - n-Imcw hcm³ ]mSn-Ã.

Rm³ Iwksâ BÚ A\p-kc- nt¨ aXn-bm-Iq. A§s\ ]q X\bpsS IÀ¯-hy-t_m[w inip kvt\ls¯ Pbn-¡p-¶p. ]qX\ hmÕeyw \Sn¨p Ipªns\ FSp¯p Xmtem-en¨-tijw hnjw ]pc-«nb Xsâ ape Ipªn\p sImSp-¡p-¶p. ape-¸mtemsS IrjvW³ ]qX\bpsS Poh-t\bpw hen-s¨-Sp¡p-¶p. ac-Wt- h-Z\ - t- bmsS ]qX\ Ipªns\ amdn \n¶p AI-äm-\pÅ {iaw hn^-ea- m-Ip-¶p. HSp-hn ZpÊ-la- mb ac-Wt- h-Z\ - t- bmsS ]qX\ efn-Xt- hjw shSnªv cm£-knbpsS cq]-¯n ae-t]mse ]pd-tIm«p adn-bp-¶p. `K-hm³ IrjvWsâ I¿n \n¶pw acWw kw`-hn-¨p-ÅXp ImcWw cm£-kn-bmb ]qX\bv¡p tam£w kn²n-¡p-¶p. • 41

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Adv. K. Ponnachan (L-1286) has been appointed by the Government of Kerala as Director of the Kerala Financial Corporation (KFC). Adv. Ponnachan has been the President of our Club previously and is also the District President of Kerala Congress(M).

Sri. Sethunath K S (L-484) has been elected as Regional Director (E), 2013-2014, for South West India Region, India Area of Y’s Men International.

Dr. V. Girijadevi, W/o Sri. P. Venugopal (L1615) assumed charge as Regional Director, Indira Gandhi National Open University, (IGNOU), Regional Centre Trivandrum.

Smt. Nitya K. Prasad, W/o Sri. R. Ramakrishnan Nair (R-3136) has been presented with the Best Paper Award in the National Seminar on Psychology of Women – Emerging Research & Strategies. Smt.Nitya Prasad is a Research Scholar with the department of Psychology, University of Kerala.

Smt. Lakshmi K. Prasad, W/o Dr. Krishnakumar .M (R-3137) has been awarded the Ph.D. degree in Psychology of the University of Kerala. She is the daughter of Dr. Krishna Prasad Sreedhar and Mrs. Latha K. Prasad (R-2067).

The Second Home

51

Mr. Kishor Govind Nayar, S/o Sri. Suresh Kumar (R-2540) and Smt. G. Geetha has secured admission to MS, Mechanical Engineering in the Massachusets Institute of Technology, (MIT), Cambridge, USA with fellowship. He had obtained his B.Tech degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, (IIT), Mumbai.

Conferment of gallantry medal Shourya Chakra by the Hon President of India on Maj T.N. Unnikrishnan (R-2960).

The function was held on 23 Mar 2013 in the Ashoka Hall of Rashtrapathi Bhavan.

Gail Kuttappan, who played a crucial role in securing the victory of Kerala Strikers in the Celebrity Cricket League, was given a cash award of Rs.25000/- by Sri. Antony G George (L1757), Managing Director of Graphic International, at a function held in the Chamber of the H’ble Speaker of the Kerala Legislative Assembly, Sri. G. Karthikeyan. Graphic International has also pledged financial support for his future training requirements.

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The Second Home

Courtesy: Metro Manorama

The above report came out in the Metro Manorama dated 6th March, 2013. Seen in the picture is Sri. Ram Mohan S (L-740), in the role of Vayalar in the recently released and widely acclaimed cinema, ‘Celluloid’. A Chartered Accountant by profession, he is a familiar face in Malayalam TV serials and cinemas. He was previously the Secretary of our Club and also an Election Officer.

Shades of Indigo Indigo is neither blue nor quite white somewhere in between where the blue merges into white in the thin border line space of the beginning of colorlessness, spacelessness, nothingness, indigo is born, an insignia of infinity, where you too lose your ego, sense of self.

Inside indigo I see perfect pale replicas of what I once were and will never be ever again.

Like slithery serpents I have shed so many skins of my identity knowing it is no longer defined

by nation, language, religion, Sulochana Ram Mohan or all their entrapments.

W/o Sri.S.Ram Mohan (L-740) Rather I seek my face of blue and white In the sun, the sky, the stars, playing a senseless game of In this vast sea of indigo. hide and seek When a scintillating sharp in the evening twilight Sun ray indigo lies laughing Pierces a portion uncaptured by of indigo cloud mountains the rigid rules set by the sun. the parts holding together Looking out the shape of the mountains at this surreal scene scatter hurriedly so high up in the sky into ethereal golden puffs I can feel identities and join haphazardly again and again being stripped away forming valleys, summits, towers, domes in the sudden surge flowing white rivers, of sunlight and then only all mere mirages tricking the eye, the I. Indigo glitters In between Powerfully, painfully. the nether states

(Looking out thro' the little window of an Indigo Airways flight, the spread of indigo sky, moving white clouds and the feel of being high up among them created this mood of passing fantasy.)

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Anjali Vijaykumar (R-3106) D/o G. Vijayakumar (L-1838)

& Rajiv Pillai

Gokul Nath.S (R-2830)

S/o K.G. Sasikumaran Nair (R-1418)

& Devika Nair. S

l l a u yo h s i e f i l W d e i rr a m y p p a h a 54

Anjana

D/o Girish Kumar.K (L-419)

& Hari Kumar

Naveed

S/o  Dr. Sajid Hussain (R-2575)

& Haseena

all u o y Wish rried life a m y p a hap Rajive Vijayakumar

S/o K. Vijayakumar (R-2176)

& Jaspreet

Vishak Suresh (R-2371)

S/o G. Suresh Kumar (R-1090)

& Shruti Kannara

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Minnu Anna Joseph D/o Joseph Thomas (1368)

& Mithun Kuriakose

Siddarth (R-2822) S/o Ashok P. Menon (R-1195)

& Mitha Kiran

D/o Krishnakumar (R-1067)

l l a u yo h s i e f i l W d e i rr a m y p p a h a 56

Dr. Jobin Mathew Jose (R-3295) S/o P.M. Jose (L-2144)

& Dr. Jessy

Revathy Mariam Thomas (R- 3442) D/o Thomas Jacob (L-1353)

& Neeraj Kurishingal

Ayshwarya (R-2893) S/o George K. Pulimood (L-1227)

& Sherry

Golden Wedding Anniversary

l l a u yo h s i e f i l W d e i rr a m y p p a h a

Senior Member Dr. N. Rishikesh (L-0843) & Mrs. V. Rishikesh (seen at the forefront of the photo) watching their grand-daughters dancing at the celebration of their Golden Wedding Anniversary at Geneva, Switzerland on 18 June 2012.

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Dr. M.R.R. Menon

Sri. Abdul Salem M.E.

Chevalier B.M. Edward

Sri. Baiju D.G.

(R-0225)

(N-0087)

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(R-0702)

(R-3027)

Sri. Jos T. Mookken

Sri. K. Karthikeya Kurup

Sri. M.A. Korah

Sri. Eugine Fernandez .F

(N-0065)

(L-0839)

(L-1789)

(L-2112)

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Sri. S. Ramachandran Pillai

Sri. P. Parameswaran

Sri. K.T. Thomas Kayyalackakom

Sri. P. Sukumaran Nair

(L-1485)

(L-0417)

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(L-0842)

(L-0227)

Printed & Published by P.V. Subramanian, Secretary, Trivandrum Club, Thiruvananthapuram, Editor: Alexander P. Jacob For Private Circulation only. Not for sale. Design & Printing: Akshara Offset, Tvpm. Ph: 2471174