WISH YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Sending greetings by email, mobile and all possible communication media kept me busy for half a day ( from 31st night to 1st morning). Searching through the phone numbers in 05 diary, trying to relate the number to the name ( how many Kannans I have to deal with ?) , 'Oh , sorry, This used tobe my friend's number six months ago' - excuses for those lazy chums who have not updated their new numbers... fun and exhilarating.
Perai Srini has taken a new year resolution-- visit the temple and don't offer in Hundi. He has his reasons for it. I have been asked by my wife several years to take a resolution. which I cannot fulfil. Probably, I should tell her to take a resolution - not to ask me to take one. That too will be a resolution for me - knowing her intransigence.
One list in Hindustan Times captured my attention. Just a simple list. Nice to have them. It will be very nice to execute as well. One I liked " DO SOMETHING GOOD TODAY TO OTHERS WHOM YOU DON"T KNOW." This brings back a memory of a timely help in Mysore I received by one pastor on my way from Kochi. Will write about that one day.
One thing for sure. A resolve to take a resolution itself is half job done. Perhaps the execution has to do a lot with the commitment and determination. Resolutions are good to imbue the spirit of getting orderliness out of chaos. It is like getting the house cleaned once an year - in the name of festivals. As long as the memoirs and habbits don't give a hangover of last year, New Year resolutions are fine. Whatever that be.
Saturday, December 31, 2005
Saturday, December 24, 2005
Tsunamika - messenger of Peace , Love and Hope
Tsunami hit one year ago -exactly. Lives were lost in numbers. Families decimated and entire villages wiped out. No word would be sufficient to cover the depth of devastation it had brought to families who had survivors.
One thing stood out... The human values of support and optimism. Auroville had worked with the fisherwomen . Out of the unfathomable sadness and
despair, the energy of keeping the world alive emerged. It was so strong and
so voluntary, it had spread it's wings across the world as a messenger of
humanity and love - like the major religions who took ages to spread the
message.
The symbol of the spirit is a doll Tsunamika. It is a rag doll made of wasteclothes and small items found in houses. The people get Tsunamika with the
passion and love and give it to other fellow men to spread the message
"Peace and Love". In return, one can give money to the people who make the
dolls - which is purely voluntary. No fixed limits of sum is advocated.
Anything out of love is accepted. What can be the best way to spread Love
and Peace in the world which cannot be benchmarked with money?
You can have a look at the www.Tsunamika.com and decide what you want to do - as a human.
One thing stood out... The human values of support and optimism. Auroville had worked with the fisherwomen . Out of the unfathomable sadness and
despair, the energy of keeping the world alive emerged. It was so strong and
so voluntary, it had spread it's wings across the world as a messenger of
humanity and love - like the major religions who took ages to spread the
message.
The symbol of the spirit is a doll Tsunamika. It is a rag doll made of wasteclothes and small items found in houses. The people get Tsunamika with the
passion and love and give it to other fellow men to spread the message
"Peace and Love". In return, one can give money to the people who make the
dolls - which is purely voluntary. No fixed limits of sum is advocated.
Anything out of love is accepted. What can be the best way to spread Love
and Peace in the world which cannot be benchmarked with money?
You can have a look at the www.Tsunamika.com and decide what you want to do - as a human.
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Plastic Ban
There was such a hue and cry after the "day of deluge" in Mumbai to ban the plastic. Society ,cutting across all social and political barriers welcomed this decision. People had even prepared to move in the market with their own bags.
Just then, the curse of democracy prevailed. Anyone can challenge any damn thing here. Political pressure came heavily on the decision makers. The delay in implementation of the ban was a clear indication.. This time too, this is going to die.
It is now official. The decision on the ban is deferred. You can see the celebration of the dirt on the road side. Ugly colored thin plastic bags inflated in the dusty winds fly happily on the roadside corners and decorate the gutters.
Who has ever said that slum dwellers would not comply with laws if the plastic ban comes to effect? Ask a slum dweller. He would tell a different story. No way to carry the things to his home. That is logistics.. not to do with the convenience of plastic. They are also aware of it's ugly side. But, there is no alternative.
The NGOs need to look at this problem from a different paradigm. Instead of just focussing on Plastic ban, let them try to educate people to move away from plastic and use the alternate sources of carry bags. This will be more pragmatic as the plastic lobby is as strong as the cigarette lobby. No money is sufficient to fight with them. Socially ostracize the habbit .. that would work.
Just then, the curse of democracy prevailed. Anyone can challenge any damn thing here. Political pressure came heavily on the decision makers. The delay in implementation of the ban was a clear indication.. This time too, this is going to die.
It is now official. The decision on the ban is deferred. You can see the celebration of the dirt on the road side. Ugly colored thin plastic bags inflated in the dusty winds fly happily on the roadside corners and decorate the gutters.
Who has ever said that slum dwellers would not comply with laws if the plastic ban comes to effect? Ask a slum dweller. He would tell a different story. No way to carry the things to his home. That is logistics.. not to do with the convenience of plastic. They are also aware of it's ugly side. But, there is no alternative.
The NGOs need to look at this problem from a different paradigm. Instead of just focussing on Plastic ban, let them try to educate people to move away from plastic and use the alternate sources of carry bags. This will be more pragmatic as the plastic lobby is as strong as the cigarette lobby. No money is sufficient to fight with them. Socially ostracize the habbit .. that would work.
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Killing The Cats
Twelve tigers were killed in Rathambore in two years.
Twelve?.. Is this in the same ratio, that the Maharashtra govt declared on the number of people died on 27th August? Govt wants a consistency in its statistics you see.. It could be much more.
What is more pitiable is the ignorance of what is being wiped out. The community which revers the Tiger as the seat of Godess Durga , mercilessly kills it for some Green bucks.
In Nagpur, a villager simply poisoned a tiger in a personal vendetta. It killed his cow.
The difference between killing for survival and killing to show who is the mightier is not understood by that poor man, despite the harmonious living the villagers had with the wild beasts for ages.
Just wishing that the tribals and villagers in the borders of jungles know how to live there, is disasterous. Probably they don't know anymyore.
We have poisoned the villagers enough with the ugly display of new found wealths in media. It is quite natural for a man to be greedy. What he would turn to.. when he can get more money for just killing a beast which endangers his livelyhood?
A proper media campaign in these areas is a must. NGOs who can take this excercise can be helped by those who have expertise in dealing with tribals.
If we fail to do immediately, probably one more news you would read very soon " Tigers Extinct in India".
Satellite Radio- a pain reliever
More Sting Operations... more exposures of corrupt politicians on video.. More of them gobbling the airtime of Breaking News on prime time news channels. Surfeited and bloated with the sickening news , I just turn off the TV and turn on the satellite radio. Bereft of advertisements on new and improved sanitary napkins, the radio is a solace many a times.
I am not an avid radio listener. Neither am I a music afficanado. I cannot even tell a symphony from an opera. Rocks and country are fine for me for 5 minutes or so max.. Drifting a lot, my bad habbit of switching channels in a TV , just follows happily in the satellite radio routine too. The scanning addiction is one way a blessing in disguise.. I tumble across on nice programs in different channels which suddenly captures the mood perfectly.
Amore is a good channel to get famiarized. The India specific (?) channels of regional languages and classical music channels are at best ,a compromise , appealing to the surface level expectations of an average music afficianado. Still, something is different in these channels. The quality of delivery/ absence of advertisements/ selection of songs ...? dont know for sure. May be a mix of all.
If I go with my experience of Tamil channel, I can extrapolate that all regional channels should be utter disappointments to those who want something different from the shreiking FM channels. Full of banal and vapid programs,they do not appeal me at all. My car is always driven in absolute silence when I dont have the selected cassetes or CDs. FM is turned ON to check your time and adjust my watch.
Perhaps, FM has to be that way to keep your expectations unfulfilled sothat they just remain expectations. The satellite radio can relieve the pain you get by listening all these noises of FM.
Try this paracetamol /ibuprofen. Just see that you dont get acidity.
Happy listening
I am not an avid radio listener. Neither am I a music afficanado. I cannot even tell a symphony from an opera. Rocks and country are fine for me for 5 minutes or so max.. Drifting a lot, my bad habbit of switching channels in a TV , just follows happily in the satellite radio routine too. The scanning addiction is one way a blessing in disguise.. I tumble across on nice programs in different channels which suddenly captures the mood perfectly.
Amore is a good channel to get famiarized. The India specific (?) channels of regional languages and classical music channels are at best ,a compromise , appealing to the surface level expectations of an average music afficianado. Still, something is different in these channels. The quality of delivery/ absence of advertisements/ selection of songs ...? dont know for sure. May be a mix of all.
If I go with my experience of Tamil channel, I can extrapolate that all regional channels should be utter disappointments to those who want something different from the shreiking FM channels. Full of banal and vapid programs,they do not appeal me at all. My car is always driven in absolute silence when I dont have the selected cassetes or CDs. FM is turned ON to check your time and adjust my watch.
Perhaps, FM has to be that way to keep your expectations unfulfilled sothat they just remain expectations. The satellite radio can relieve the pain you get by listening all these noises of FM.
Try this paracetamol /ibuprofen. Just see that you dont get acidity.
Happy listening
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