Corked Blessing

Monday seemed so long ago. Sarah worked hard like most of the people around her. And this was a tiring week at the office, the current project was boiling eggs inside her head. Though, she liked it when she was always busy. The world was running, with men and women of her like, and she was not any far behind.

God gave her everything what she did asked for. A perfect bunch of friends, a perfect man, a perfect job, a perfect home and a perfect lot of money. This was what life was all about, but was this the end and why was she not happy. She always wondered.

The breeze through her office window brought those jingles they sang together, she looked at the sky and smiled. She was feeling her life getting sucked into a vortex of emptiness. She was missing the pats and hugs. She was missing the brownies he used to make for her. She was missing him.

A countryside trip and paragliding were some of the things on her list, but tonight she was going to their favourite place with her usual girl gang. The clock was seeming slow today, she packed an hour before and wished those hands moved faster, when it struck five she raced down the stairs and drove her car out of the parking lot and reached her place in a wink. She wore his favourite white dress sequenced with purple satin, she looked simple but elegant.

She drove at windspeed, she liked it. She reached the beach. The girls were a happy bunch, Sarah loved them. They danced around the bonfire singing crazy numbers, a little wine and good food helped. She was happy, she liked this completely but could not keep her mind of him. Somehow today was not her day.

She missed him more during her good times, she walked away along the shore where they had made castles together. The grains of sand kissed her feet, the layers of waves danced beneath. He seemed to be walking a few steps ahead, turning and waving her a good bye, the moonlight flattering his already perfect smile.

She wished for a fairy who could drop him back to her world again. She gazed at the stars, there was a strange silence, a tear rolled down her cheek.

She took a few steps ahead and stumbled on something, the waves had brought it just then beneath her feet. It was an old wine bottle, like the ones her father used to drink. It seemed strange, she opened the cork

A ring fell on her palm…memories flew past like clouds…how did it get in here…she wondered…

There was something else inside too, a crumpled note tied in loose threads…she opened it and read…
Dear Sarah,

Life gives us many things by chance and more things to choose,

Among them we know not when and where what we are going to lose,

But some people will never let you alone be,

And one among them is me!

PS: I threw this into the sea because you liked that tiny tot Peter’s doll more than this ring I gave on your twelfth birthday, I knew that lad is going be behind my daughter for all his life! If he ever ends up being your husband, tell him your father loves you more…always…and if you find this someday…ask him to put it on your finger and he better take care of my Angel.

“I love you”

-Dad.

Dad! Her heart eased, he never let her stay alone! Just then her phone rang, she picked up, and it was Peter.

“Hello Sarah, hope you are having a great time. I tried making some brownies, your Dad’s kinds, they are tasting good. It’s time we marry, now that I can cook! Come home soon. Can I keep you forever? I love you”

It was a perfect life indeed!

Regards

Raksha Bhat

The Question

She was bored. The music was pumping. The drinks were flowing. And she was dressed to kill. She stood in front of the bar, running her eyes over the couple’s who were slow dancing along with the pace of the music and then she saw him.

He stood tall, in a pale satin pink shirt and black linen pants. She could not quite figure out his face, as he was enveloped in the darkness. However, something about him attracted her, in a sudden impulse she thought He resembled her prince charming.
Keenly observing him, she ordered her fifth drink. She could understand in her head that something was making her go weak for that unknown man, with every gulp of her drink she was drowning deeper in his thoughts… Madhu wondered who this stranger might be? She could not let go of his thought for an instance and was staring blankly at the
silhouette of the man as if assuming that he would somehow turn out to be her
Mr. Right in real.

Madhu felt she had crossed her drinking limits but, today somehow she was content getting drunk!!

Was it because of him?? But she doesn’t even know who he was. Then why was she happy??

“Am Rishi – Rishi Malhotra…can I have a dance with you?”

She was lost in her own thoughts about him, when suddenly his hoarse manly voice cut her. For sometime she thought it was just a chunk of her imagination that has forced her to see him in front of her.

She smiled and turned to her. “Madam! He is calling you” nudged the bartender
to her. Madhu wasn’t in a state to react, she just jolted up and stood on the floor, next to her chair. The next thing she knew was that she was dancing with the stranger, she had been admiring all this while. She found herself floating on the dance floor, she just felt she was living her dream at the moment. Every moment was exotic and ethereal to her and she could not for once contemplate, what was happening. The evening had already made her numb and then the drinks had just soothed and relaxed her nerves to
such an extent that she could just not feel any impulse. Rishi was just not an
ordinary man to her anymore, she had already regarded him as an attractive
stranger and now he has just become a prince to her. She kept her eyes closed
and kept travelling through her dream that had turned into reality.

“Damn! You are very beautiful!”

Those petty comments didn’t matter to her at that moment, when she was actually living and experiencing her dreams. She could feel the heat of his body in hers. His touch felt so intoxicating that Madhu kept on getting immersed in his thoughts more and more. He was more like a passion fruit to her, which she was biting into every moment to quench her
thirst for that companion.

“Rishi where were you all these years??” Madhu asked in a demanding tone.

Madhu was getting turned on with every kiss from him.

She never knew she could get so aroused just by a man’s touch. Every second they spent together, he became more real to her.

She just swayed away with him, without even stopping to think what was
happening!!

Madhu only knew that she was experiencing her life’s best moments. She never knew how long it would last and she did not even want to know as well. But her momentary pleasure filled her with bliss. The entire feeling was divine. And Rishi? She did not know how to actually draw out his personality. She was just a part of everything that was happening, and for the time she felt, he was more unreal and resumed the face of God! He resembled dreams in more concrete ways rather than reality.

How could a stranger a moment ago feel so close the next?? Madhu wondered. She did not want to waste her time just looking for answers and that too when she knew in her heart that this was what she had expected of her man for all these years.

However, she couldn’t stop herself and kept on searching for answers in the midst of the night, but in vain. It was really hard for her to concentrate and drive her attention to something else when she was way too busy walking the paths of her imagination with this stranger for the night. Even though, she was losing herself to this man but, she did not know what tomorrow had in store. Analysis, thoughts, reality and even logic has
somewhere got blurred for her and faded out from her memory in to the
distant past.

*************

“Madam your chauffeur’s here!” the house keeping staff nudged her to make her alert.

Madhu woke up with a jerk. She could not for a few minutes understand anything.

Where is she? What is she doing here? What happened the previous night? She started sorting out these questions slowly in her mind, when the recollection of her dream the
night before brought a smile on her lips!!

*************

Madhu shifts her position inside the car. She is unable to sit with ease. She has never been used to discomfort this way. She has been bearing with this pain and unease for quite sometime now. However, a sudden change in a woman makes her quite steady with time and Madhu is no exception. She has learnt to behave more like a woman with the passage of time, and has put on a check to a few of her unruly habits.

She always keeps a few cushions handy in her car these days. Her gynecologist has advised her to be a bit cautious these days.

Three months into her pregnancy, Madhu has become quite conscious about herself. It’s her first baby after all…

*************

Is this Rishi’s baby? Was that night reality or dream?

Anurima Das

The Case Of Haunted House

The Adventures of Quinn Higgins, Boy Detective (Series #3)

By Douglas Quinn

Who doesn’t love a haunted house story? In The Case of The Haunted House, by Douglas Quinn, readers have a suspenseful, haunted adventure along with Quinn Higgins and the gang. This story is a grabber and a page-turner. I couldn’t put it down and I challenge other readers to try.


The story begins when Quinn returns from his visit to his father in book Two. Quinn is fresh from an escapade involving Bigfoot and is ready for more excitement. He is reunited with his best friend, Reggie, and makes a couple of friends who are new to his school and neighborhood.

Douglas Quinn’s characters are likable and varied. They have integrity, charm, intelligence and, of course, a lively sense of humor. The friends stick together and stick up for one another. These characters have character. They have fun, too.

The issue of bullying is raised and dealt with in a simple and effective way that can help readers understand the causes of bullying. It is suggested that those who are bullies do not like themselves and should be pitied, but it doesn’t end there. As Quinn says “My dad says that if someone doesn’t stand up for the person being bullied, then they are just as guilty as the ones doing it.” What a wonderful lesson for young readers. It written right into the characters’ conversation. While subtle, it is effective.

I won’t give away any more details about the haunted house mystery. You’ll have to grab a copy and find out for yourself. I can tell you that when you read it, you will be glad you did.

Jatin Gupta

A Day inside the Browser

This young engineering student could pass for any regular guy.

Dressed in T-shirt and bug-eyed, he keeps his bony fingers through flicking through different tabs on his Firefox browser. When they start loading (”man, you can’t wait to see the page you want”), he fidgets; when it crashes(”this sucks”), he cusses. When power is off(or when he has to return to the nether-world you and me live in, for God’s sake), he moans.

World Wide Web is his default reality. Firefox is his default door into that.

What sets this young man, and people like him, apart, is the amount of time they spend inside their browsers,fussing over which browser to use, which loads faster, tweaking them to ramp up their performance. They have a feel fro the browsers. “I cannot do without being on the web,” says Raghu Ram, an engineering student. “It’s cool, you know, just feeling the kick out of clicking, and clicking and browsing.” With the browser mediating his experience with WWB, he says, ” I always look for improvements in different browsers, the way they perform, I just don’t want getting slowed.”

The Zen of Browsers:

A web browser , Wikipedia says, is ” a software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web.” As such, it’s an existential necessity for the those who spend most of thier lives cooped up inside the browser.

You have to have an in. Browsers— Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer, and Opera—do give you an in.”what is interesting is , you just type in, off it goes and fetches the web page,” says

Kiran Kumar, a castaway into the web land who keeps several windows of his Chrome browser open at the same, each teeming with multiple tabs and them firing, and him flipping them for the heck of it.

For those who spend a lot of time inside the browser, using a particular browser seems an obsession, a harmless passion. They have a feel for simplicity, elegance, speed, compatibility, and above all, about how many tabs one could keep running concurrently. In addition to these, gushing about it to whoever listens. “Chrome is the best thing, it runs each process in parallel, so even one of the things gets messed up, it doesn’t affect the whole performance of the browser.” Moreover,”Chrome is kind of intuitive, with its no-frills input bar, it knows when to search, and when to just show the web page.”

In the soft glow of the screen, the browser is capable of astonishing things. “I am really hooked to the web,” says Satyanarayana, a developer, “it’s all because now we have browsers that can do a lot of work.” With lot of images, graphics, audio and video streaming through the web, browsers have lot riding on them.

“Yeah, there are truckloads of them out there on the web,’ he continues, ” and with that load you are looking for browser that’s  really fast, doesn’t eat up system’s resources and doesn’t crash. I use different browsers like Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Chrome for different purposes. I love this. It’s a developer’s game.”

A lot of mouth-breathing is done when the graphics and images pop on the screen. This is the place you go soak it —inside the browser.

The Grand Prix and the Irony

When we have the Indian Premier League, Common
Wealth Games, why not the Formula 1. That was
enough logic to justify hosting the mega event of the
year .The inaugural Formula 1 Grand Prix circuit
was the toast of the country and made international
news . In Greater Noida, New Delhi , a state of
the art arena has been unveiled and vying to be
clubbed along with other world class racing circuits.
We have done it , to stand shoulder to shoulder with
other advanced countries. The Buddh Racing Circuit
is now an Indian international brand . The Ferraris ,
McLarens, the Indian Sahara Force, all gave the
90000 strong crowd it’s value for money . Like
the IPL , the upwardly mobile middle class was the
bulk consumer . Whether the $400 million spent on
the infrastructure is really relevant is not being asked
knowing it is a private enterprise unlike the botched
up Common Wealth Games. All the champagne
hadn’t spilled over before the who’s who of the
grand event gathered at an after event party . They

were ready to rock at Rs 40000/- a ticket, and
the item girl Lady Gaga flew in to spice up the
evening . She performed to the rapturous beat and
wild applause of those gathered , corporate honchos
and the well heeled in that festooned private basket
ball court.

But the newspaper had another piece that touched
a raw nerve, the report on children going missing
and dying in rape and kidnapping. Our national
capital recorded the highest number of cases 2982
cases in 2010. What a shame . Is our capital that
unsafe a place .When we talk of the speed transport
systems, the much touted Yamuna Expressway to
Agra, showcasing of the Commonwealth Games
and so on, we think our capital city is comparable
to any other around the globe. Is it here that our
children are being taken away , molested and killed
for whatever reasons. They fall easy victims to anti
social elements. Across the country Bihar and UP
are leading in the list of unsafe states. What a sorry
state of affairs, we do not know if our children will
return home safe from school . Who is responsible
for ensuring safety on the streets . Are the criminals
roaming free in our cosmopolitan cities . Female
infanticide is another scourge we cannot gloss over.

What a striking contrast this is, a country whose

capital isn’t a safe place , where children are killed
or go missing in hundreds and showcasing a mega
event the racing Grand prix . Our leaders want to bid
for the Olympics . New Delhi is no Baghdad or
Nairobi, or a terror stricken Islamabad, yet we are
appalled at such a magnitude of the crime . What is
the police force doing . As a country we churn out
the best of IIMs and IITs, but aren’t they shy to
stand up for a good cause and prove their mettle.
Many of our primary and secondary schools across
the countryside do not have tables and chairs for the
students , and proper toilets, forget computers. Why
do we have a high percentage of drop outs in
schools, and what do such children do next .
Gujarat , recording high GDP tops in the list . What
about our health care statistics that show Govt
primary health centres, but without medicines. Can
our average citizen afford the cost of private
healthcare that has taken over the medical practice.
Yes , we have medical tourism that brings in much
needed foreign currency thro’ world class private
enterprise . But the common citizen has to make do
with mediocre facilities in poorly run state
government hospitals, forget the red tape and the
cost of unavailable medicines.

By playing host to mega events and making a case
for such elite sport, are we trying to prove to the

world that our country is equally advanced and
prosperous. That our citizens are a truly sophisticated
and eclectic group. ‘World raises toast to India’,
read one headline , what more . Remember, we are
a country of millionaires and slumdogs . Are our
priorities right. Yes, there’s big money in sports
like cricket and now the high profile speed racing
when the automotive firms are waiting to sponsor
and promote their brands cashing in the exuberant
attitude . The media laps up the fervor and makes
it a all too pervasive western megalomania . But
what about the country’s inclusive agenda . Are we
really a developing nation. Does the megabucks
translate to better schools for our kids, safety on the
streets and healthcare for the aged and the sick . Only
looking to aid and support from altruistic corporate
houses like Wipro, Infosys, Tatas and so on to fund
the lackluster public utilities . Are we dividing the
country into the rich and the poor, where the middle
class is only a growing number, not really secure and
constantly chasing a dream .

- Bijoy Joseph

All By Themselves

The nuclear disaster caused by the Tohoku tsunami at the Dai-ichi nuclear power plant has led to confusion, governmental fumbling, and months with no cleanup. Now, the Fukushima Prefectural government, in collaboration with the Japanese Society of Radiation Safety Management, is giving residents instructions on how to do their own cleanup, and recommending that they do so. Seriously? DIY nuclear cleanup? Apparently so, because the Prefecture has published guidelines:

Fukushima Prefecture’s guidelines recommend wearing a hat, face mask, gloves, waterproof boots, long-sleeved shirt and long pants to lessen external and internal exposure, and experts add that the garb should be disposable.

When decontamination efforts involve use of water, the guideline advises rain gear and eye protection, plus a helmet and safety line when cleaning roofs.

The Prefecture has spent five months trying to come up with a plan that gets residents safely involved in the cleanup from the nuclear disaster, while accepting responsibility for some of the more dangerous work such as roof cleaning and trimming of tall trees.

But people pull plants out of yards and gardens, reducing Cesium-134 contamination simply by disposing of the plants that contain it. How does one “dispose of” radioactive plants, soil, and rocks? Bag it all in plastic and bury it in a hole with at least 20-30 cm of layers of tarps and soil. Eventually, the municipalities will pick up the buried material and move it to landfills, whence it will eventually go to a “secure” location.

The government is hoping for a 10% reduction in over-all contamination, but rainfall and cesium-134 half-life degradation of about two years should create a 40%-60% reduction, without any human help, in the same areas people are attempting cleanup.

One scientist said that the government seems to be simply waiting for nature to do the work, but giving homeowners make-work in the meantime. It’s hard to tell, sometimes, just what the Japanese federal government is playing at. One wonders whether the federal government of the USA would have any better plan when such a nuclear disaster occur at a US power plant.

Chuck Larlham

Santhosh Pandit Interview On Manorama News:Part 1

It's Serious Wake-Up Call !

The streets are not safe for many teens in London due to youth violence. Young people never know who might be carrying a knife. “Carrying a knife is for protection, that’s why they do it,” says Benjamin Akande who was threatened at close range with a knife by another youth before. Akande is one of 90 teens gathered at City Hall from areas with the highest youth crime rates in London to discuss youth violence. This group was assembled by Mayor Boris Johnson and the Metropolitan Police.

Knife Crimes

In 2008, 22 young people were killed due to knife violence in London. With just 8 teen knife homicides in 2011, the number of deaths has definitely declined. This decline serves as a metric that the mayor and police have used to take credit for improvement.

However, Trauma Surgeon Duncan Bew poses the possibility that the decline in youth killed in knife violence has to do with the increased practice the hospital is receiving in severe wounds caused by knives. In fact, knife crime overall is up by 11%. “There is no doubt that some patients are surviving who would not have done so before we improved our trauma service,” Bew says.

Next Steps

At this meeting with London’s youth, government officials explained new mandatory custodial sentences for all 16- and 17-year-olds found carrying knives. The youth in attendance support these harsher penalties in general, but aren’t convinced that this is the solution. Teenagers suggested more youth centers and greater regard for young people’s opinions as solutions.

Hopefully, this event will not be the only one of its kind. This youth violence affects everyone in the community including law enforcement, health professionals, and city officials in one way or another. However, the biggest and most immediate impact is on youth themselves. Any help youth can offer to help professionals understand the thought process of other young people is a step closer to a solution.

Sania Gulati

How To Make A Habit Of Succeeding?

Success is not a property owned by some specific group of people. In fact success belongs to those who are passionate about achieving excellence in whatever they do. Your key to personal success is through building a dynamic purpose. Purpose differs from goals, for purpose is like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow – the ideal that we seek.

Once we attain success in one endeavor, we look forward to another and again another which is still ahead of us. The key to any personal success is to have a definite purpose. People mostly go by the popular notion that happiness depends on external circumstances consisting of people like friends, superiors, relatives, colleagues and public apart from surroundings like temples, churches, mosques, playgrounds, cinema halls etc. In reality, we derive happiness through internal conviction, determined by character that is the direct result of this purpose.

The key to any personal success is in finding the power of purpose. More than 80 percent of the students studying in schools and colleges do not know the importance of the goals and this part of education is rarely imparted to them by their teachers, parents or elders.

Even though they are studying in their educational institutions, in order to attain the purpose – i.e. acquiring one educational qualification, instead of attaining the purpose through step by step goals, they are in the habit of wasting much of their time in undesirable activities. The purpose cannot be achieved or attained immediately and it is possible to reach the target or purpose only through achievement of goals by living each moment.

The purpose can be treated as long term vision whereas goals are short term achievements. Each moment with us should be allocated with some goals like going to the shop to purchase some goods; visiting the bank; attending to a patient and listening to music or a lecture etc. In other words, any activity planned for an achievement or performance can be defined as a goal and any activity performed without any purpose or goal can be defined as “deviation from goals”.

How goals can change our life style? The personal success is achieved through establishing a goal and the goals are concrete; measurable and related to a definite period. Everybody should fix his mind on the purpose with persistence and should take steps to search for that which he seeks, making use of all the accumulated knowledge and education which he already has or acquired from others. In fact, during every moment of attaining a goal, the individual enjoys a sense of achievement which in turn acts like an elixir for further course of action.

The success of the so called entrepreneurs, scientists and administrators is on account of their characters developed through “positive” habits towards achieving tiny goals leading to their long term purposes or targets.

Gauri Sankar

Airtel Cheating Customers

I deeply regret to say that Airtel’s appellate officer also could not solve the issue rather they keep on telling about a HYPOTHETICAL TELEVERIFICATION call all time. But from the beginning I am telling the same that I did not get any call and Airtel people least care of what I say. From morning I only called to Airtel people and nobody even bothered to call me. Lately I came to know that my balance about Rs 150 was detached from my account without any reason.How can that happen?
When I called the customer service,they told me that someone from their mobile has asked activate caller tune and missed call alert in my mobile. And when I asked about the proof they told me that it cannot be disclosed and at last they had given me an Idea number and the number they gave me was out of service. But the question is that How can an Idea customer can call the Airtel Customer Care.

I asked about the refund of talktime..that also failed and when I asked about it the representative hung up the call. From the very beginning I did have terrible experience with Airtel Kerala. The only reason why I maitain with Airtel until now was my number was not eligible for MNP yet. Now the hopes are completely lost as my number is supposed to completely barred. Very very pathetic customer care I believe. Never again I will go to Airtel!!

Recorded Proof Available.

With Regards,
Akhil Ramesh
(akhilrameshv@gmail.com)

Beyond the beach Kovala - PAUL V MATHEW

Sometimes you may think - What else in Kovalam to see other than Beach?

I also felt it many times by seeing the bored and ugly beach. But last year I went their in search for new initiatives. I met one guy Mr. Anil who is associated with Kerala Tourism as part of a project called 'Responsible Tourism'. I wondered about this project called Responsible Tourism which envisaged to benefit community through tourism. He explained me about the newly designed Village tours and he promised that he will take you to to the hinterlands of Kovalam village and give you an outstanding experience.

The trip was started from the Tourist Information Centre, Kovalam at 9 am, with a briefing about the trip and it was in a local vehicle auto rikshaw.Our journey through Kovalam coastal village were started from Sri Krishna temple, where the idol was believed to be erected and consecrated by a women ascetic Bharathi Amma. There is a myth connected to the establishment of the temple here, which goes like this. The inhabitants of this area were experiencing insecurity as the land along the sea line was experiencing serious soil erosion and other problems. It is believed that the consecration of Lord Krishna's idol has resulted in bringing back the peace and prosperity. And today, the villagers begin their daily chores after a visit to the temple.

Just a few steps ahead, we entered in to a flower shop and such shops are quite a common feature in the vicinity of temples in Kerala. And what attract us here are the variety of flowers and other materials used for making different garlands and the exquisite skills of garland making will also be on display. Such garlands are offered at the temple as a sign of devotion. Amongst many flowers used for garland making the most popular ones are Arali (Nerium), Mulla (Jasmine), Pichhi (a kind of Jasmine) and they are delicately woven with Thulsi (the holy basil- Ocimum Sanctum) leaves. You can lend your hands in garland making with the help of the workers in the flower shop.

Then we moved to Gomathi's house and her house resembles a typical Kerala house made out of clayey bricks with thatched coconut leaves. It was very interesting to observe the art of weaving the coconut leaves. Our host Gomathi finds her living out of such neatly woven coconut leaves. Her house and immediate surrounding might evoke interest in us as it ensembles the much discussed 'Kerala home gardens'. In around 7 cents of land available, Gomathi and her family rears a wide variety of plants and trees like teak, asoka, kanikonna, mahagony and fruit bearing trees like jackfruit, mango and alongside she rears plants like anthurium, hibiscus, jasmine, thulasi, aloe vera, etc. Really the home gardens of Kerala are a vanishing heritage with significant cultural values and were considered to be a symbol sustainable living.

Another stop over was really interesting and enjoying. That was an industrial unit meant for women, specializing in manufacturing of coir and coir products. And what we got to see there is not only the diverse and detailed process involved in coir manufacturing but the social association which binds the women folk for their livelihood needs. An elaborate exercise; coir and coir product making involves several steps starting from the beating up of the coconut husks, which act as the raw material. Such beaten husks are then allowed to decay in water for some period (6 months) before the fibers are extracted. Using the indigenously designed machines these fibers are woven together to make coir and largely women folk are involved in this activity. This coir making society is in existence from last 12 years with working hours spread between 9 am to 5 pm every day and Sunday being a holiday. Depending on the availability, husks may cost between 50 ps to Re 1. This unit manufactures different handicrafts and value added products like mats, etc out of coir. obviously very interesting ................

The 'Thanal zero waste centre' at Kovalam is an initiative intended for tackling the issue of waste generation and aims at a Kovalam with less/no wastes. Zero waste projects try to address the issue of waste management through a series of activities including recycling the wastes by converting them as useful and attractive objects. Working in different departments, the centre converts different wastes, be it cloth, paper or hard substances, into products of daily use or with incredible showcase value. This centre has another remarkable distinction of a unit fully managed by women. Understanding the abundance of coconut in the region, the centre has got a dedicated section for making products from coconut shells, fibers and other parts. This ethical, economical, and efficient way of recycling the wastes helps in waste management and also as a source of income generation also. Mr. Jayakumar explained...........

The project in the beginning had 13 members and in the due course has grown to a bigger organistion. The centre in its growth has established a strong market linkage and some of the recognized hotels and tour establishments started giving direct orders for various items. In its large range of products, items like paper bags, files, table tops, cloth covers, etc occupies a special place and custom made souvenir items are made and distributed to many reputed hotels in and Trivandrum like The Leela Kovalam, Hotel Mascot International, Hotel Samudra etc. At the display cum sale centre attached to the centre we can see the varieties of products offered by the centre and we have the option to buy things of our choice as well. The team also offered a gift pack consists of paper bag, paper pen and paper hat. I was really wondered about this concept of creating money from waste. a great idea.

After the visit of Anganvadi and local market we moved to a forge in the village. Aala (Forge), where of different metal items are manufactured. This aala represents a bygone era where almost all the tools and implements were made through traditional methods. In the orthodox metalsmithing technique charcoal is used as the fuel to light hearth for heating the metal and tongs are used to hold the work piece, anvil and hammer to beat and shape the tools. Establishments like 'aalas' have played a crucial role in mankind's stride for progress and it's to be considered as a cultural symbol of our bygone era.

'Ralkoodu Raju'
He is the super star in this tour. A man with a long mo stash. He makes a traditional Fish traps (Raalkkoodu)which is used for lobster catching. What makes Raju so special is the fact that he belongs to the few who had mastered the art of making raalkoodu. Raju demonstrated the art of raalkoodu making with all the details from the raw materials to the making. Lobsters are one of the most expensive fish found mostly in the deep sea. It involves spectacular skill and hardship to catch them and raalkoodu acts as the special trap used for this purpose. There are 3 types of lobsters: Pulikannan- the heaviest of all (2.5 kg), Columbus (1kg) and the Chemraal(1kg), the taste and the price may vary between each variety. The raalkodu mode of capturing lobsters is practiced only in Kerala. The traps were placed near the side of rocks under the sea by expert swimmers. The trap can be adjusted in such a way that only big fishes are trapped and small fishes can escape. This is why it is considered as a ecofriendly model. This method is used in the season from August to May as the lobsters are in plenty in these periods. The lobster normally costs upto Rs 800 per kg. Working of a raal koodu is mentioned by Mr. Raju. There are 3 parts in a raal koodu, the top, bottom and a gate. The same trap can be made out of iron, but it rusts in due to saline sea water and is expensive. The natural fibre raal koodu can be used for one month and it is less expensive. It takes only one hour to build one and five of such kind can be built in a day. The indigenously designed traps for catching the fish are a thing of immense interest.

After this nice experience we were served with a sumptuous lunch which includes fish curry, fish fry, aveel, sambar, pappadam, paayasam etc. Really tasteful and elaborate. Took a small rest. Next we walked into the world of Kalarippayattu, the most ancient martial art of God\'s own land. It is the martial tradition of self defence practiced in Kerala and it has its roots deep in the Vedic culture of India. The Kalarippayattu is possibly one of the oldest fighting systems in existence and it includes strikes, kicks, grappling, preset forms, weaponry and healing methods. YDM kalari was formed in 1980. Urumipayattu, vaalpayattu, karuvadipayattu, kalaripayattu, neduvadi payattu etc are the different types of kalari.The commonly used arms are sword, knife, etc. In the Handicraft unit, we had a close look on the handicrafts by Women groups in this area. The main item of their production is Kathakali Mask. The waste paper from the press is recycled and used for the preparation of Kathakali mask. The paper is dipped in water for about one month and powdered. The paper pulp, chalk pieces and gum from tapioca is mixed and dried. Then flour is added and dried. It is polished using sand paper, put colours and then add tags on its back side and thus the mask production is completed. We have purchased some interesting models.

After this we moved to a Handlooms unit. It was really fascinating to see the handloom weaving of the cloths using silk and fine threads of gold and silver. The clothes are made out according to the needs of the customers. The embroidery designs are really marvelous and mostly golden borders are used for clothes. Wearing these clothes on marriage and other functions gives the feel of traditional-royal style. The price of the handloom clothes ranges from 1500/- to about one and half lacs, depending on the designs and quality. The handlooms were supplied to the major show rooms and textile shops in the city. No women are working in this field. One month is needed to weave a saree and one saree is weaved by a single person. People who have recieved Padmashree award from President A.P.J Abdul Kalam are also working here.

We also explored the life beyond the Kovalam Beach marks an end with demonstration of traditional fishing at Vellayani Lake. The banks of the lake offers perfect ambience to sit and relax for some time. This place covers 70 hectares of land filled with greenery. The lake is rich in a variety of fishes and migratory birds. White crane, kingfisher, eagle, wood pecker etc reside here. Different varieties of lillies and lotus can also seen here. Before one decade the water from the lake was used for irrigation. The Vellayani Lake is indeed a great advantage to the farmers. We really amazed my the village beauty of Kovalm. I think no one imagine such beauty ever. Thanks to Anil. Thanks to Kerala Toursim

Indo-US Relations Today

The US operation that killed Osama bin Laden took place in Pakistan. That fact means that Bin Laden’s death, although an unqualified triumph, will have potentially disturbing implications for relations between the two countries. Bin Laden wasn’t hiding in some cave in Afghanistan or even in those northern areas of Pakistan that are arguably beyond the power of that country’s military but in a city just 90 miles north of Islamabad, the capital.

That country has long had an ambivalent approach to dealing with Islamist militants. It has conducted operations against its own Taliban who once even threatened the capital and has had to provide some assistance against al-Qaeda, such as the capture of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. However, it has been accused of continuing to help the Afghani Taliban and has long supported Islamist militants operating against India.

Pakistan has had to officially align itself with the attack on Bin Laden, even inaccurately claiming it as a joint operation. Certainly, it must have had at least the acquiescence of President Asif Zardari. However, Bin Laden was in a compound that was virtually next door to a military academy and that is embarrassing for the ISI, which had long denied knowledge of his whereabouts. Further, it has long bridled at US drone strikes in the anarchic north of the country the killing of two Pakistanis by CIA operative Raymond David in Lahore lead to that country’s military demanding a reduction of US operations in Pakistan.

Bin Laden’s death and the expected draw down in US forces in Afghanistan may ease the strains somewhat. However there is still Ayman al-Zawahiri, presumably now the new head of al-Qaeda who has to be hunted.

There are a couple of implications of this. Civilian government has long had a shaky history in Pakistan, and the sign-off that Zardari must’ve given to the attack won’t make him many friends in the military. The military’s sentiments aren’t just a question of touchiness regarding national sovereignty.

Its generals have question the wisdom of working with the US, no doubt partially motivated by the widespread sympathy for Islamists held by many mid-level officers. There is popular support for such a sentiment. A Pew poll taken last year had only 3 percent of its respondents considering al-Qaeda a threat while 68 percent had a negative opinion of the United States.

There is the likelihood of further pressure on the government to oppose further US operations. On the other hand, US ability to think of Pakistan as a partner will be undercut by where Bin Laden actually was and may be more inclined to proceed unilaterally against those of Bin Laden’s lieutenants who are still at large in Pakistan. Fortunately, that may be offset by what may now be a higher priority to al-Qaeda militants in Yemen.

Jefferson Locke

A Plausible Reply

Frontline,
November 4, 2011

Cover Story,
Titled: “Modi Makeover”- Anupama Katakam

URL:

http://www.frontlineonnet.com/stories/20111104282202400.htm

It is my personal 1st edition of FRONTLINE magazine, bought only because of the bland legacy of THE HINDU.

I was enjoying the article and the credit, quite evidently goes to the content, expressed with utter panache and finesse, until a line on page no. 26, which stated “The arrest of the senior IPS officer with an unblemished record raised eyebrows.” Here in this line, Senior IPS Officer, I palpably assume to be none other than Shri Sanjeev Bhatt, aka now better known as Suspended Senior IPS Officer Shri Sanjeev Bhatt.

The article perturbed me a lot since it was a diligent manifestation of being anti-NaMO by depicting him to be a wily politician, like he is the only one adopting so called ‘sordid’ ways in Indian politics. The uncanny thing of the article; all words were veiled on behest of sociologists, which may be true though, but I can’t stop being skeptical about it all the way.

A very simple question, straight away pointed to Madam Anupama Katakam, Did you ever give it a thought, before proclaiming Shri Sanjeev Bhatt to have an unblemished record, and how far is it true? This proclamation did halt my thoughts and was mystified with the penchant being flaunted for him. I never doubted your journalism skills until this article of yours made me do so.

I will pose another straight question to a veteran writer like you, “why didn’t you do an autopsy before writing such a line?”. Had it been done, you would have realized the reason of my wariness. When an ordinary engineering guy like me can do a bit of digging in this matter then why can’t you? After all it’s your profession and an identity source of yours in the society…

Your article didn’t answer many questions of mine. It was totally biased towards suspended IPS Officer Shri Sanjeev Bhatt. I did not do any research on rocket science but a simple googling helped me to understand the actual facts and not the rant conceived by English Media.

I have enough evidence to show you that truth, which is contradicting to your truth. I will provide you the links and when it comes to authentication of those links, that’s where your real job starts.
1. http://news.oneindia.in/feature/2011/sanjeev-bhatt-arrest-was-inevitable.html
2. http://thammayya.wordpress.com/2011/10/07/a-note-on-the-cases-and-conduct-of-sanjiv-bhatt/
3. http://indiawires.com/2373/news/state-news/a-note-on-the-cases-and-conduct-of-sanjiv-bhatt/

How can a SENIOR IPS OFFICER, having a horrendous criminal record in his career, be credible enough to hide “important” information, which would have purportedly punished the perpetrators by now, is getting such a media hype? Didn’t he consider throwing light upon his STRONG EVIDENCES to show it to the whole Nation so that justice wouldn’t have been delayed??

That was the 1st part of my appalling worry and now comes the latter part; Since three months I have been arduously reading magazines: Outlook, India Today and The Week. Newspapers: The Hindu, TOI, Daily news & analysis and all I can conclude is “Every Journalist and Journals are keen in bringing up the Gujrat riots of 2002 again and again; Trying to indict Shri Narendra Modi for allowing a so called ‘Unprecedented Riot’.

Why it is that all the media personnel only highlight the death toll of Muslims and not even a single Hindu? Is or was it like the corpse of a Hindu a mere zilch? The stats say, for the first two days Hindus were the ones who were killed more than Muslims; who will pave a way for this truth to see the broad daylight i.e. who will tell this to the whole world?

Why aren’t victimized Hindu families fighting for justice? Do they wish to be eluded from justice or dream of some Dancer or a pontificating Justice for Peace Activist, who’s been proved for foiling the truth by forcing to file identical and false affidavit and who is a paradigm of converting facts to fallacies. The rule, as of now in India has changed drastically; Minority Dominating the Majority.

Every journalist claims to be secular and in the process forgets that, not every time the MAJORITY is at fault in being non secular. The articulating reason for this ostentation is clear; write well or highlight the atrocities on the MINORITIES and thus gain fair share of lauds, laurels and not forget, the appraisals for bringing in more readership.

All these months, I was least bothered of what other magazines had to write about this, because I know they are trying hard to prove their liberty in thoughts and articles, but the truth is, they aren’t!!!

A magazine like Frontline, having a tremendous stature and an unchallenged legacy of not being morally corrupt, is not a pretty sight for eyes and an insight for mind.

For the first time ever, I found an article from FRONTLINE, devoid of reality and a sheer attempt to fill the space with ruing words.

I, being a citizen of India and a true apostle of THE HINDU GROUP, have the right to seek an answer for such an unobtrusive mistake…

Aniruddh.V.Naik

Not an Option...But a Duty

Problems never seem to end for a nation we need to get them to an end. Another problem that needs to be looked after by us which is eating up our country with every passing day is politics. Thinking about the term politics, is it really justified to call the biggest democratic nation’s governing system merely a political game. I guess not. We all know at what stage our country’s leaders have brought us to.

The biggest democracy in the world is run by self-centered, community biased, compassionless politicians who talk about everything but development. The increasing corruption, bureaucracy and blame game doesn’t seem to end for our nation soon. But the thing to think upon is that how come these unworthy people make up to the topmost positions in our country. May be the quote summarizes the answer a bit “Bad leaders are elected by good citizens who don’t vote”.

India is the world’s largest democratic nation with a gigantic electorate of approximately 714 million; it has used 8.2 lakh polling stations, 46.9 lakh polling staff, 15 lakh electronic voting machines with a mammoth sized budget of Rs 1120 crores to complete the election process for its 15thparliamentary elections in year 2009 but its unhealthy 59.7% voter turnout pales in comparison to many of the democracies in the developed world that went to polls in the last five years like France (76.8), Germany (72), Japan (66.6), Argentina (70.9) and Italy (79.1) with their respective voter turnout.

Voter turnout is nothing but the percentage of electors on the voters list who marked a ballot during an election. Through the years Italy is scoring high among the others with an average voter turnout in its 14 elections of about incredible 92.5%. In the same survey, that spans 50 years, India has a low 105th place, with an average of 60.7% in 12 elections. So where do we stand, despite of having the 2nd largest electorate in the world we’re unable to get a significant amount of voting percentage and give a better Government to our nation.

One of the major causes of this is the decreasing youth voter turnout in India. India has a huge youth population covering 41.05% youth of the total population but the voter turnout amongst youth is as low as about 50% which is a serious affair. Recent studies show that youngsters’ votes played a major part in the elections. President Barack Obama showed a few years ago that the powerful voting force of American youth can play a heroic role when he secured 60% of the youth votes compared to 45% of those 65 and older.

It is indeed a very pertinent issue that we have witnessed a steady decrease in the youth voting percentage despite of all the development and modernization that is taking place. It is a cause of great concern as the future of our country depends on the young leaders and voters. A reason because of which youngsters aren’t voting is that they find politics dull and uninspiring. They don’t think that politics is something that is going to affect them at all. But that is so untrue. They can’t distinct between different parties and their respective policies which will get imposed on them for the rest 5 years.

Young voters between the ages of 18-24 have long been hailed as the most apathetic demographic in the nation. For decades, they have voted at rates between 10 percent and 25 percent lower than the national average. May be the is youth giving more importance to music, movies, malls n multiplexes and don’t think that their carelessness isgoing to pay them back in form of roads with pot holes, broken bridges, lazy govt. Servants and filthy surroundings. And if still we keep on blaming the politicians for all this then sorry to say but we have no right to remind them of their responsibilities if we don’t fulfill ours.

Your browser may not support display of this image. There is also a lack of knowledge and understanding in youngsters of what politics is and which one to vote for and one of the reasons for this is the lack of interaction between candidates and youngsters. Politicians want to reach people who will vote for them so they don’t engage with young guys at all but I guess they’re missing the big picture. A lot of young people think that their individual vote won’t make any difference but they don’t see that they make half of the population of the country and their voting can bring about a revolutionary change in the government.

In a democracy it’s vital that as many people register to vote as possible and both govt. and commercial sector should encourage young people to take part. Further more voter turnout can be increased by lowering the voting age, compulsory voting and civic education in schools.

And youngsters should realize that spending an hour on a polling day and vote will not harm their enjoyment much but it’ll surely help the country to get a more responsible government. Those who stay away from the election think that one vote will do no good: ‘It’s but one step more to think one vote will do no harm.Believe in yourself we can bring a change. Payback to you country & act as a responsible citizen, “PLEASE VOTE!!”

Naveen Sharma

India's Love Affair With Football

Relationships are hard to maintain. They always need constant attention and extra effort. Long distance relationship is much harder. It probably never works. India’s love affair with a popular sport Soccer is long distance and has worked so well over the last 2 decades or so. For a country that is ranked close to 150 on the FIFA tables, ain’t the soccer love too much? Well, I am Indian and I love watching the sport. My favorite team in the EPL is Chelsea and my bet was on Germany to win FIFA 2010.
India’s association with soccer only proves that “Love is blind!”. The best soccer player from India was/is Baichang Bhutia. I did not start following soccer until the cable TV boom in India. My dad tells me how he learnt of soccer news in the 80′s. I believe, newspapers in the 80′s published this teeny-tiny news article in the last page of Sports Illustrated that spoke about football. But, today, thanks to super technology and cable tv we are able to watch 9 months of LIVE soccer! Indians follow EPL with sincerity. And for the record – India had one of the highest viewership numbers of FIFA 2010. Imagine, in the future when India actually plays in a FIFA world cup!! – Well, that’s not even a distant dream given the plight of soccer as a sport in India!
I have only watched Maradona score two goals against England – with the infamous Hand of God goal and a few minutes later, with an absolute master piece when he beat all the Englishmen just by himself – on highlights. But, today most Indian kids talk like they had seen these scenes live! That’s how much Indian kids know and have learnt about football.
There is no logic behind the popularity of world football in India. In spite of the popularity of the sport and the huge fan base, India is yet to come up with a good national football team. One of my friend’s elder brother told us about how he made his wife wait for him on his honeymoon since he was glued to a 2006 world cup soccer final between Italy and France. He remained dejected through his honeymoon since France lost and Zidane retired! Well, that’s the kind of love affair Indians have for soccer. The affair will surely continue uninterrupted!
Prasanna Rengarajan

The Dhoni Way

Mahi or MS Dhoni as we all know him is the current superstar of Indian Cricket. His brave and innovative captaincy has brought him accolades as well as numerous trophies. ICC World T20, One-day series down under, Asia Cup and ICC Test Rankings 1 for India have all come under his leadership. Even the Chennai outfit: the Chennai Super Kings broke the jinx of the first edition and were crowned the champions this year. Is Dhoni lucky or are things finally falling into place for the great India Tamasha that is Cricket.
Coming from the same school as MS Dhoni, I had the good fortune of seeing the prodigy unfold in the boondocks of Ranchi. I fondly remember him hitting the then Indian players Prasad and Sunil Joshi, out of the park in a Ranji match. The nonchalance in his stroke play comes from the fact that he is naturally a very cool and composed kind of a person. Even after a hard match, his effervescent smile would eventually rub onto you.
After 2000, there was a crisis of sorts when it came to wicket keepers in the Indian team. Nayan Mongia was not getting any younger or fitter and the bench strength that was tested was not really up to the mark. It was during these tumultuous times, that Dhoni sensed an opportunity and started working on his batting as well as his keeping skills. The rest as they say is history.
Dhoni took to captaincy after the World cup disappointment as a fish takes to water. His bold moves and innovative techniques caught the eye of decision makers and a rightful heir to Ganguly’s legacy had been found. The team has achieved so much under his captaincy that it is hard to fathom that he had never captained a side in his formative years. The presence of the golden generation of Indian players and someone called Sachin Tendulkar also came in handy.
So is Dhoni lucky? Hard to say – or even if he is, then let him make hay while the sun shines. It’s true that some of his craziest moves have come good in crunch situations but we must also consider that a lot of planning and preparation goes into a match and being a captain Dhoni does his job completely.
Outside the park, he has been on a roll too. Dhoni has recently signed a 200 Cr. sponsor deal that makes him India’s biggest sportsperson by commercial deals, surpassing the great Sachin Tendulkar. Not a surprise given that coming from a small town as Ranchi, Dhoni is the ultimate epitome of success for the burgeoning middle class in India. Though he has achieved so much in a short span of time, his roots are still intact and his small town boy image has been lapped up by the advertising industry. With ads like Aircel, Pepsi, Orient PSPO, TVS, Big Bazaar etc, in his bag, the industry is cashing on Dhoni’s clean and the boy next door image.
Dhoni is now married, and we all hope that his lady luck rubs off on Indian Cricket too. World Cup 2011 beckons the poster boy of India. Winning the Mahi Way!
Ravish Prabhakar

India Outsources

Outsourced. You might have seen the movie. You might have watched the TV show. You might be a U.S survivor in a company that outsourced, or maybe you didn’t survive. You might have a family member or friend who was affected by outsourcing. You might have friends or coworkers from India; you know they are great people. If any of these are true for you, you might read with interest the Wall Street Journal blog posting Amol Sharma on “How Obama Will Address Outsourcing in India.”

It won’t surprise U.S. readers that we’ve been sending jobs to India. Many of you can attest to the pain outsourcing causes U.S. employees. Language barriers, widely differing time zones, cultural differences, the need to add huge bureaucracies to manage the work and to ensure it meets quality standards. If your employer outsourced to save money; you might well wonder if it actually did.

This article doesn’t cite any actual savings achieved through outsourcing, though they seem to be assumed. It discusses broader benefits to the U.S. economy from our trade relationship with India. Sharma cites a transcript of some remarks by Mr. Froman, who is deputy U.S. national security advisor for international economic affairs: “With 1.2 billion people and an economy…expected to grow at 8 percent a year for the next several years, we really see India as a potentially very important market for U.S. exports.” Apparently, Indian companies are hiring in the U.S. as well, and they are fast growing investors.

President Obama, who has not supported a tax code that favors outsourcing, has an upcoming trip to India. How will he handle the issue of outsourcing? Sharma suggests that it would difficult to stop or reduce outsourcing; a better approach is to make a case to Americans that this economic relationship can benefit the U.S. as well.

You’ll be glad to hear we may be getting something back from outsourcing. If you have friends or coworkers were from India, you may have heard first hand how outsourcing had improved their lives. How can we say they should continue to live in poverty when they had the skills and work ethic to climb out of it? But, you also knew the pain of U.S. workers who lived in anxiety over losing their jobs. You may have lost your job yourself, or you may be expecting to lose it any day.

Overall, it’s not easy to say outsourcing is good or evil. One thing is certain; for U.S. workers, it is painful.

Page Coleman

Traits of The New Age Professionals

We are living in perhaps the most fertile era of the human history. These are times when opportunities are galore and the price of not taking a chance far overweight that of failing. The tried and tested ways are fast yielding into situational smartness and a risk pro behavior. While our education and societies are still gearing to embrace this change, the new age professional is busy scripting success stories. Having spent time in the industry and academia, I have seen professionals emerging and inspiring others. The more I interact with people the stronger my belief becomes that the new age calls for new styles of carrying oneself in the professional and the personal arenas. Here are the five lessons from my career for you with a wish that you could hone them.

• Better Ask for Forgiveness than to Seek Permission: In your career there would be occasions when you are trying something novel. One of the obvious resorts is conventional- wisdom, which in my view is not only an oxymoron but also is dangerous for new pursuits. Best is to go ahead. Don’t wait for someone to grant you permission; better still don’t seek for one. Just Do It! If you fail, it’s ok. Just say sorry and move on.

• Be a Foot Soldier: Every B- School graduate believes that from the very day she joins the firm, it would be all about decision making. But to become a good general one needs to start as a foot soldier. It helps gain perspective and respect. So start from the trenches!

• Balance Curiosity and Sincerity: At the start of a career people often miss sincerity, while towards the later part it’s curiosity that’s obscure. For a richer career, a blend of Sincerity and Curiosity is an imperative, as the former helps learning and the latter helps building.

• Take Half Chances: Opportunities in life seldom come wrapped. You have to sniff them out. If the chances were so apparent, then anyone would grab those, but the very nature of opportunities makes them like the door half-open. You need to walk towards it and open it before others do to know what’s lying ahead. Scout for those half-chances.

• Charm of Personality is more powerful than Power of Authority: We all have those plans waiting to be executed the moment we assume certain status or authority. As life has it, the day never comes. Instead of awaiting the right authority, hone your personality, as increasingly the charm of personality is more effective than the power of authority for real change to come.

These are the cardinal traits that I wish drives your career. The very realization that we are living in exciting times, every chance not taken is a chance lost forever. To sum it all up, let me have three wishes for you. Restless, Fearless and Lucky. And yes, you can design your own luck. How? By being Fearless and Restless. All the best!

Pavan Soni

An Innovation Evangelist by Profession and a Teacher by Passion, Pavan has a rich experience in industry and academia. His interest lies in Innovation Management and Creativity; and how organizations nurture a Culture of Innovation. He regularly lectures at various schools and colleges; and does training programs and consulting assignments with leading firms. Pavan is currently pursuing his Doctoral Studies from IIM Bangalore.