Mullaperiyar - A dam of concern!

It is said that forthcoming wars between nations would be over water!

Very valid, considering the fact that two neighboring Indian states are ready to go for each other's throats because of an ancient dam which is threatening to collapse anytime and a treaty that was signed for sharing its waters centuries ago!

As the world goes hi-tech by the minute, as we get smarter and bolder due to innovations in technology, i guess our tolerance level is taking a downward plunge. Otherwise, why would you need the Indian Prime minister to mediate a dispute between two states which should ideally have been settled long back?

In my opinion, people's lives are much more important than any treaty or political party. Instead of politicizing the issue or wasting time on discussions and verbal warfare, the Kerala Govt urgently needs to take steps to lower the water level in the dam so that the threat of an imminent disaster can be averted to a great degree.

Disaster management techniques ought to be employed by the Govt and other NGO's and steps need to be taken to educate people in this regard. Life is certainly precious and i hope an amicable solution be reached soon so that we Malayalees can breath again without the Damocles sword of a Mullaperiyar dam hanging over our heads!

Resuming after a long break...

After a long while, here i am again, trying to break the jinx and resume my blogs. So, let me wish myself a happy blogging period again.

Malayalee Planet ???

No, this is not the name of the latest Kerala style restaurant!

A small planet,Planet 5178 has finally got a name , that too the name of a lecturer at SN College Kollam, Sainudeen Pattazhy. Why? Because in far away California, The Jet Propulsion Lab , a unit of Nasa, has recognized that this environmental scientist’s incredible work red rain, biological control of mosquitoes, health hazards of cell phone towers etc. is ground breaking! So now we have Planet 5178 Pattazhy! Great job maashe!

A Barbaric Custom

I just saw a really barbaric custom in television today. Called the Jallikkattu, which culminates the harvest festival of Pongal, in Tamilnadu, it involves trying to clamber upon a fiery ox, which is allowed to run amok. The bull is ruthlessly starved for a few days, and fed with rice mixed with a local liquor, and then a bag of coins is tied to it’s horns. A huge noise is made and the frightened creature, in it’s bid for escape, runs wild with fury, with a dozen young men running behind it, and the unmanageable, enthusiastic crowd gathered around, cheers this disgusting spectacle. In this mayhem, obviously, lots of people get injured, and the less said about the animal, the better. No one ever speaks of that part.

It seems that in the Jallikkattu conducted in a village in Madurai yesterday, about eight people have been seriously injured. Due to widespread protests, especially among the animal enthusiasts, the court had previously tried to interfere and put an end to it, but it seems, in respect to the people’s religious sentiments(!), the Supreme Court had waved the green flag! And look at the consequences….

There must be thousands of such meaningless customs around, like the parade of the naked sanyasis some place in North India, mindless animal sacrifice in the name of religion, or the practice of piercing the cheeks and tounge to appease God. I really feel, such traditions ought to be reviewed seriously. After all, I am sure God doesn’t want to see his devotees hurt and injured.. Least of all, poor, dumb, animals at that!

School Youth Festivals

Kollam is a very busy place these days. Hosting the state school youth festival has never been an easy task, as has been proved time and again, and this time too, the various cultural events are being conducted admist mixed reactions.

Though it brings up a lot of young talents, the youth festival these days, is considered to be a ‘harvest time’ for most dance and music teachers, with most of them charging hefty amounts to teach a single ‘item’, worthy of winning the prize. More than the inborn talents of the students, it is the money power of the parents which are often at display, dazzling the eyes of the common man. This is true especially among the dance items like Bharathanatyam, Mohiniyattam, Kathakali, Keralanadanam, etc.

Though the school youth festival started with the noble intention of familiarizing the upcoming generation with the art and culture of the state, I think it has reached a very sorry state, what with the unhealthy competition among the participants, supported wholeheartedly by their families and respective schools. Every year, we get to hear of accusations regarding the credibility of the judges, many of who have been judging the same items regularly, for more than a decade!

It is doubtful if this grand school gala serves its intended purpose in any way. The only aim of the participants or their parents, seem to be the momentary glory and fame, after a victory, and obviously, the extra 30 marks, which every winner gets in their board examinations, courtesy the Kerala State Education Department. For some of the female candidates, a victory may also mean an easy ticket to filmdom, as can be seen from examples like Manju Warriar, Kavya Madhavan, Navya Nair, etc, (popularMalayalam actresses of today) who entered the arena of films after excelling in the State school youth festivals. Otherwise, just how many of these winners follow their artistic pursuits seriously???

Yesterday, during a group performance, one of the dancers fainted and fell down unconscious. If you thought that the other group members immediately came to her aid, you are wrong. The others continued without her! No one , including the eminent judges, paid any heed to that poor girl’s plight for a few minutes. It was only after a considerable time had elapsed that people came to help her out. Today again, a Kathakali performer, in the midst of her performance, had to discontinue it, due to a near fainting spell. Forget about first aid kits, they didn’t even have drinking water nearby to give the breathless girl!

Psychologists say that the number of students getting treatment for stress related problems, growing from inability to cope up with failure, is on the rise. Many of them are not able to come to terms with disappointments, and react in unpredictable manners.

I think it is the parents and teachers who ought to get psychiatric help. Why are we subjecting our children to such atrocities? Why don’t we let them develop their talents as per their will, and guide them accordingly, instead of pushing them into this mindless stream of competitions???

It is definitely time we started thinking of alternate means to promote our art and culture! Is anybody listening???

Kudos to Kerala Police!

Interestingly enough, Kerala Police seems to be in the limelight for all the good reasons... They have managed to strategically place our own Palakkad in the world map, and that too, for a prestegious reason.

It might interest you to know that the palakkad town south police station has been adjudged the best Police station in India in a survey done by the Netherlands based Altus Global, an accredited agency working for the UN...

That's not all folks, The palakkad town south police station has also been ranked as the second best police station in the whole of South East Asia, in a test conducted by the same agency! It seems they were tested in Professionalism, physical condition, community orientation, equal treatment of the general public, and transperancy and accountability in their detention centers... and guess what?? They emerged with a cool 85 marks out of 100, in these tests! Now, isn't that impressive?

The police, these days, especially after this rare honour, seems to be getting down from their high horses, to mingle with the common people on the road in an extremely friendly manner. They go to resedential colonies for this purpose, and meet the residents, giving them friendly tips to remain alert and ward off theft and other activities, and also request them to remain alert to what happens in their neighbourhood. Patrolling is done throughout the night, enhancing the security measures. The residents are encouraged to call in 100, the police help line, if they encounter any problems and they are also invited to the police station to get themselves familiar with the faces in the rouges gallery, so that they can inform the police if they spot them anyplace. The police station itself seems to have undergone a change, with the incorporation of a reception area and seperate sections for women, children, and the aged. This Policestation infact boasts of a library too! any takers for that???

Moreover, it seems 47 closed circuit cameras are going to be installed in prime localities, so that these places can be monitored closely 24 hours a day. One of them have already been installed in the IMA junction, a popular place for nefarious activities in the dark.

The town south police station, recognising the merits of education, is placing emphasis on enrolling educated policemen and women in their rolls, and it seems, the present sub inspector, Mr. Unnikrishnan, is actually a highly qualified computer engineer, who is enthusiastically into technology. Let us hope that his qualifications are utilised in the best possible manner...

Nano, The new car model from TATA

Come monsoons, and the most common sight on the road would be that of whole families, complete with the husband, wife and two or more small kids, squeezed together in a motorbike or scooter, trying to ward off the torrents by means of a raincoat or umbrella, wavering dangerously in the wind! With the state of the roads these days, it is a marvel that they all get home in one piece!

well.. looks like such scenes will soon be coming to an end, because, of the arrival of NANO, the new family car model from the house of the TATA's. It is supposed to be a five seater, with the engine positioned at the back. Tata claims it has a mileage of 20 km/ltr, which is indeed great, in Indian roads. Since it's unveiling a couple of days back at the international auto expo at New Delhi, The Nano has been the main talk of the town, primarily due to it's low pricing of Rs. One Lakh! Guess the common man's prayers have been answered...Let us wait and watch out for this tiny wonder.