New Anti Virus Software !

I have found a new effective anti-virus software. Impressed by it, I developed an advertisement for it. Here it is.

Are you looking for an anti-virus software, that is easy to maintain, does not occupy extra space or require lots of memory; or does not slow your computer; does not expire after one year, (in fact, it is free); and you need not update new virus definitions often. It can catch all the past and future computer viruses and malicious programs ..?

It is available now and it is called Ubuntu.

This is what I do now to my pen drive. Insert it into the ubuntu machine, before and after i use it in any windows machine, Clean it and put it in my pocket !!

As Tarsh says, there isn't any 'Computer virus', but only Windows virus. Switch to Ubuntu and forget about viruses.

Office, Boss and Colleagues

Unfortunately, Accord is not a typical office or workplace. It is an extended family and there aren't those office dynamics that are typical of many organisations.

When I started my carrier with a Central government organisation as a young management graduate, almost 10 of us stayed together and close to each other. Almost every evening when we meet, there will be a cribbing session. Each of us telling stories about our respective bosses. It became a sort of entertainment - after a hard day's work !

After 20 odd years of 'working', I am quite interested about this issue of work environment and organisational culture. The idea of putting Dibert comic strip in my blog was born out of this interest. I love that.
Sajan sent this cartoon strip about nine months ago. Quite nice, quite Indian and very commonplace. When I was in the barber shop last time, the person sitting next to me was having a shave. He got a call in the cellphone, answered saying, "Yes sir, I am in the office, leaving in half an hour. OK sir, good night sir", and then looked at me and grinned ...

More on Office dynamics later.

Pace of Life - 2

After my last blog on broken windows and life's stones, I was thinking about the arguments of the other side. In spite of this, why we go ahead with a fast pace ?

"That all these running around is in fact required. After all, these so-called difficult thingss only make life worthwhile and differentiate a better life from a merely-lived."

Came across a nice small story to illustrate this. I don't know whether I fully agree with this idea; but it was interesting and nicely told.

Was not able to decide whether to publish it in this blog or in my other one. Finally, decided to put it there. Anyway, have a look at it here.

Pace of Life

First, a small story ...

A successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Honda. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something.


As his car passed, no children appeared, instead, a brick smashed into the Honda’s side door. He slammed on the brakes and spun the Honda back to the spot from where the brick had been thrown.

He jumped out of the car, grabbed some kid and pushed him up against a parked car, shouting, “What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing?” Building up a head of steam, he went on.

“This is a new car and that brick you threw is gonna cost a lot of money. Why did you do it?”“Please, mister, please, I’m sorry – I didn’t know what else to do!” pleaded the youngster. “I threw the brick because no one else would stop.”

Tears were dripping down the boy’s chin as he pointed around the parked car. “It’s my brother,” he said. “He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can’t lift him up.”

Sobbing, the boy asked the executive, “Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He’s hurt and he’s too heavy for me.”

Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He lifted the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his hand-kerchief and wiped the scraps and cuts, checking to see that everything was going to be okay.

“Thank you, sir. And god bless you,” the grateful child said to him.


The man then watched the little boy push his brother down the sidewalk toward their home. It was a long walk back to his Honda.. a long, slow walk. He never did repair the side door. He kept the dent to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention.

Life has been throwing stones left, right and centre. A not-so-old man died of heart attack suddenly - he was considered the most pious and as having the proper life-style. Then, there are accidents. Some illnesses for parents, making the stay in Gudalur uncertain. But, these stones just make dents only for brief moments; and then ignored. Some big stones have helped to focus attention on important things like Family and Vennila during the last one year. Thanks, God, for the stones.

Indian Cow.

This is one of the timeless classic. We have read this many times, but still it tickles each time I read it. I am not sure whether it is true, but hilarious all the same. I hope people outside India can also appreciate this blog ...

CALCUTTA’S “the Telegraph” has got hold of an answer paper of a candidate at the recent UPSC examinations. The candidate has written an essay on the Indian cow:

The COW

The cow is a success ful animal. Also he is quadrupud, and because he is female, he give milk, but will do so when he is got child. He is same like God, sacred to Hindus and useful to man. But he has got four legs together. Two are forward and two are afterwards. His whole body can be utilised for use. More so the milk. What can it do? Various ghee, butter, cream, curd, why and the condensed milk and so forth. Also he is useful to cobbler, watermans and mankind generally.

His motion is slow. Also his other motion is much useful to trees, plants as well as making flat cakes in hand and drying in the sun. Cow is the only animal that extricates his feeding after eating. Then afterwards she chew with his teeth whom are situated in the inside of the mouth. He is incessantly in the meadows in the grass.

His only attacking and defending organ is the horn, specially so when he is got child. This is done by knowing his hand whereby he causes the weapons to be paralleled to the ground of the earth and instantly proceed with great velocity forwards.


He has got tails also, but not like similar animals. It has hairs on the other end of the other side. this is done to frighten away the flies which alight on his body whereupon he gives hit with it.

The palms of his feet are soft upto the touch. So the grasses head is not crushed. At night time have poses by looking down on the ground and he shouts his eyes like his relatives, the horse does not do so.

That is the Cow !

P.S: We are informed that the candidate passed the exam. Of course, he would have. So sound on his cows !

Professional Wisdom

After working hard in the farm, a peasant was resting, leaning at the bottom of a tall tree. His quietude was disturbed by the noise of a motorboke which stopped near the peasant.


A well dressed young man stood before him and said to him, "Are you the man working in this farm ?"

"Yes, I am working in this farm for a long time," replied the peasant.

"What manure do you apply to this tree ?"

"We normally apply cow dung and mulch."

"You are wrong. I am an agriculture consultant and I tell you if you apply nitrate, phosphate, urea and other such fertilisers, this tree will yield another twenty-five to fifty coconuts every month," advised the consultant.


The peasant on hearing this, looked up and down and said, "No, I am very sure, we will never get that."

"Why do you make such a strong negative statement ?", said the consultant.

The peasant replied sarcastically, "Because it is not a coconut tree."

[Read in the newsletter 'Data' of Palmyra Workers Development Society].

There are quite a few variants of this theme. Supposedly being a professional myself, I have to agree with the underlying message of this story. But, definitely professionals can add value working in villages or with rural communities. We can make a difference - if we spend some time learning which is coconut tree and which is not.

One thing is good. From the days of urban folk making fun of 'illiterate' villagers, we have come quite a long way where rural folk are making fun of the literate fools.

Tamil Writer Sujatha Passes Away ...

Read the Tamil version of this blog here.

One of my most favourite Tamil writers passed away this week. S.Rangarajan, who wrote under his pen name of Sujatha (actually his wife's name), was a prolific writer - wrote about any and everything under the earth. His series of essays under the title 'Katrathum Petrathum' - கற்றதும் பெற்றதும் - was immensely popular.

But, I loved him for his short stories in 60s and 70s; and especially for his early essays in the literary magazine Kanaiyazhi. The ones about young boys in Srirangam learning to ride bicycles, the first time he flew a small plane, the imaginary meeting between Sujatha (the writer) and S.R.Rajan (the critic) - both are himself - are really hilarious and wonderful.

How he kept himself abreast of the latest happenings; he could still write things that were interesting and topical for the younger generation are amazing achievements. Probably, he will be remembered for his work in making science and computers the topics of discussion in the weekly Tamil magazines. One of the members of the team which invented the Electronic Voting Machine, he was first a writer before a scientist or engineer.

Even in his essay about the first trials they made of the EVMs in Kerala, he brought out the excellent human element : How people in Kerala were enthusiastic about the electronic voting machines, how a marxist political leader who opposed the introduction of these machines vehemently, won the election and thanked the team with tears in his eyes, and how he was thrilled to see a nun coming running to the demonstration site ...

And, his interpretation and explanation of Thirukkural is a wonderful piece of creativity

I will miss his writings.

Fine Print. Speed Reading.

“Mutual fund investments are subject to market risks. Read the offer document carefully before investing”.

Try reading the above statement and find out how long it takes to read this completely. When I tried, it took me five seconds. But, when you watch advertisements in Television or hear them in radio, there are some amazing chaps who read this in just one second.

This is in fact the equivalent of what is technically called 'fine print' in the printed documents. Something the advertisers don't want to communicate, but are required to do just for legal reasons. So, you can see big advertisements in one full page of the newspaper saying, "Reduction sale ! 75% discount ! Computers for free ! Give any old thing at home and take back a new one !" But, in some corner, the advertisers would have printed in a very very small font size something like 'Offer valid till yesterday', 'Delivery charges extra, which may be 100% of the cost itself', 'husbands and wives - however old and working condition they are in - are excluded from the exchange offer', etc.

This is what is called Fine Print.

Now, when the companies started saying all kinds of things about the New Fund Offers by companies, assuring very high interest rates etc., the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) declared that a disclaimer mentioned at the top of this post is a must for every mutual fund product advertisement.

But, as usual, the advertisers tried to bypass this stipulation. While following the law, the advertisers kept the public from hearing it by reading this sentence in just one second. You can just hear some blahblahblah and it is over. I have always been amused by the way many fancy advertisements on Mutual Funds end - with one fast blahblahblah.

However, the SEBI circular issued last week is set to change all that. SEBI has mandated that with effect from April 1, 2008, the time for display and voice over of the standard warning be enhanced to five seconds in audio visual advertisements. In case of audio advertisements, the standard warning shall be read in an easily understandable manner over a period of five seconds.


“The rapid-fire manner in which the standard warning is recited in the audio visual and audio media renders it unintelligible to the viewer/listener,” the regulator said today, pulling up the mutual fund industry. Currently, the disclaimer takes around two or three seconds in a 10 or even a 20-second spot.

"In a 10-second advertisement, if 5 seconds are for the disclaimer, then what will it communicate?” said Jaideep Bhattacharya, chief marketing officer, UTI Mutual Fund. A mute point, of course. Now, I wonder, what they will do to get around this new stipulation ?
Just to get the ball rolling, here are some ideas from my side :

• The advertiser can take 4.5 seconds to say 'Mutual', but can complete the rest of the sentence in 0.5 seconds.
• If someone objects to this after seeing this advertisement for about 3 months, you can offer to change it. Then, the advertiser can finish all but the last word in 0.5 seconds and say 'investing' in 4.5 seconds
• Have a background music louder than the voice reading this sentence.
• We can ask a Tamilian like me to speak this English sentence in proper Tamil accent, or a Bengali / Bihari to speak in their respective accents, and broadcast it in other states. It can be technically English, but no one will be able to understand it !

I am waiting for April 1st to see how they will react. If any one has any bright ideas to help the poor Mutual Fund companies, please write to them. The best idea will get an attractive prize and will get Rs. 10000000 invested in a top class mutual fund*
* conditions apply. * Valid only if you are neither a bachelor nor a married person. * Fund will mature in 327 years. * You have to physically be present yourself to collect the matured amount

Modern Age - the quirks & ironies

We are living in the modern age. On several fronts - especially, technology and communication - we have made amazing progress, I am told. But, along with it, there are some quirky things; some ironical facts about our existence today. With each passing day (or, should I say 'as I grow older' ?), such claims are becoming louder and louder. Read in a magazine recently this news item.

"It is an amazing thing to be told that the effort needed to extract oil from several feet below the ground, ship it to a refinery, turn it into plastic, shape it appropriately, transport it to a departmental store, buy it and then bring it home for use ...

... is considered to be less effort than what it takes to just wash the spoon when you are done with it and use it again."

We are busy and are getting used to such dangerous things. Having a costly life-style is not only careless, but in fact dangerous. It may be okay for rich western countries to follow such life-style, but when a country of over 1 billion population starts adopting to 'use and throw', we are finished ! (I remember the nice words Gandhi had to say sarcastically against the spitting habit of we Indians - "The only thing we need to do to make the British quit our country is to spit together !"

When future generations study about our 'civilization' many centuries later - if human beings exist till then, of course -, then I wonder what will be their judgement ? Anthropology students, I am sure, will discuss something like this :


And, by the way, what is our modern age called ? We had stone age, iron age and what not ! Computer age ? Electronics age ? Science age ? Came across a nice cartoon which compared the different ages and presented an important common factor - which is clearly 'striking' ! Click on the following picture to see it in a new window :

There was a very good discussion on using computers in our village centres. We experimented having computers in three such centres for the last one year or so. Whether it is good and should we go ahead with introducing computers to other centres as well. Though everyone said that computers are important for modern age and future, there were some interesting comments.

"Many of us don't know how to operate. One or two people only use it. We don't know if what they are doing is work related or if they are just playing"

I told them this is not only their problem; but very big IT companies in the world are also 'facing' the same problem. Whether their employees working or are they just chatting with their friends or blogging or social networking through facebook ! (In India, reading the ball-by-ball commentary of cricket matches ?) They don't have a clue and they even try to block blogger, facebook and googlechat in their office network.

Another more important comment was this :

"Things were earlier a bit easy. If we want any data, we will open the register and read it ourselves. Now, we need to wait for this person and ask her to give us the print-out"

This is a real challenge. How do we make computer literacy more democratic ? How to encourage all our village activists access computers and use it just like they use calculators ? This is important; otherwise, it will create a 'class' within our team here.

The evolution of our species over the different ages is nicely given in this picture. At the cost of offending the monkeys, let me say that we are coming round a full cycle and are tending towards our early ancestors once again. Except that our tools and techniques have become a bit modern, but the instincts remain the same or even, more pronounced.


We Indians took to the mobile phone technology in the country quite well and the number of mobile consumers is increasing in the country every day. I was thinking, soon we are going to have the mobile number as the Citizenship number in India, instead of the social security number in western countries ! I am sure we will be able to embrace the computer technology as well - if it is utilitarian and useful for the common man - not just as recipients of information but as active users.

Abstinence

You may remember about the Lent abstinence I had written in the blog on 'Carbon Foot Print'. Just to recall,

Two Church of England bishops called for Britons to cut back on carbon, rather than alcohol, for the period of Lent.

After reading this, I was wondering about abstinence and especially, when it gets linked to food items. Our political parties have perfected the art of 'Fasting' as a protest - Gandhi will cry to see our politicians conducting 'relay fasting' ! Mockery of the concept of satyagraha Gandhi practised ! Gandhi wanted to punish himself by fasting continuously for days. But, our politicians fast between 9 AM to 1 PM, then a lunch break, then they fast between 2 PM to 4.30 PM, then a tea break; then someone else takes over to fast from 5 PM to 8 PM, rush home for a sumptuous dinner before retiring for a good night's sleep.

I have heard about the practice of Hindus not eating on certain days; the sabaribala swami not eating non-veg during those 40 days; our muslim friends not eating during the day time in Ramzan season etc. Wanted to learn a bit more about this Lent abstinence. Here is what I read about Lent in the internet.

"Fasting during Lent was more severe in ancient times than today. In some places, all animal products were strictly forbidden, while some will permit fish, some others permit fish and fowl; others prohibit fruit and eggs, and still others eat only bread."

I wonder, how do they decide which one to prohibit ? The most popular ones ? Tastiest ? Healthiest ?

"In some places, believers abstained from food for an entire day; others took only one meal each day, while others abstained from all food until 3 o'clock. In most places, however, the practice was to abstain from eating until the evening, when a small meal without meat or alcohol was eaten.

Today, in the West, the practice is considerably relaxed. On days of fasting, one eats only one full meal, but may eat two smaller meals as necessary to keep up one's strength. The two small meals together must sum to less than the one full meal."

Interesting ! There is prescription not only for the kind of food, but also how much you can eat ! But, how do they measure this ?

"Many modern Protestants consider the observation of Lent to be a choice, rather than an obligation. They may decide to give up a favorite food or drink (e.g. chocolate, alcohol) or activity (e.g. going to the movies, playing video games) for Lent, or they may instead decide to take on a Lenten discipline such as devotions, volunteering for charity work, and so forth."

For people whose devotion to food is as much as that to God, there is a loophole in the rules, of course. A bit similar to our 'special darshan' in many Indian temples, where you can see the God faster - jumping the queue - and for longer (you are allowed one second more than the other normal 1.5 seconds).

"However, dispensations for dairy products were given, frequently for a donation, from which several churches are popularly believed to have been built, including the "Butter Tower" of the Rouen Cathedral. In Spain, the bull of the Holy Crusade allowed the consumption of dairy products and eggs during Lent in exchange for a contribution to the war against Islam."

There is a cusom in Hindu religion. People are required to visit Kaasi (Varanasi) in North India at least once in their life time. When they visit, they are required to take a vow that they will stop eating one vegetable, one fruit and stop using one flower. I know, what will be my choice, if ever I get to go to Kaasi. It is going to be Brinjal (I don't eat it anyway), Straw Berry (we don't get it in Gudalur at all) and I will stop wearing Jasmine in my hair ! (or, should it be rose ? Anyway, there is time to solve this dilemma. I can decide that while traveling to Kasi in the train.)

You too think ahead and plan for things that you would like to abstain from. (I should not have added the words 'like to' in the last sentence on abstinence, I think).

But, if we take the spirit of abstinence seriously - leaving out the popular association with sex alone, what are all the dear things that we should consider abstaining from.

As a cartoon said, should we 'Leave Google during Lent' ? Checking Emails or reading newspapers ? Listening to Music or going for the relaxed walk in the evening ? Enjoying the morning mist or laughing aloud for a silly joke ? With changing times, if the religious institutions come out with such stipulations, what shall we do ? I will tell you what.

Let us contribute to the Iraq war and abstain from any such abstinence !

Turned out to be a rather long, sacrilegious blog !

Costly Slaves

During the last couple of days, a terrible tamasha is happening in India. Cricketers - the already pampered lot and blue eyed boys of the society - are being bought and sold like commodities. It is really sickening to read the figures and how overnight their bank balances increased by lakhs of rupees. Read the headlines of some news items for example :

• Film star Shah Rukh Khan buys Delhi lad, Ishant Sharma for US $950,000
• Liquor Baron, Vijay Mallya buys South African, Jacques Kallis for US $9,00,000
• Indian Captain, Dhoni was bought by Indian Cements, owner of the Chennai franchise, for a whopping 1.5 million US dollars, approximately Rs six crore.
• Australia's wicketkeeping ace Adam Gilchrist was bought by Newspaper group, Deccan Chronicle's Hyderabad franchise for US $7,00,000 (around Rs 2.8 crore).
• Spin legend Shane Warne of Australia was purchased by Emerging Media's Jaipur franchise form US $4,50,000 (Rs 1.8 crore).
• The Sri Lankan duo of Muttiah Muralitharan and Mahela Jayawardene also fetched high prices.

I can't help but remembering the bad old days when people were bought and sold like things. Slaves they were. But, these modern Gods have also become things that can be bought and sold, bargained, negotiated and bid.

The Australian cricket captain is sad and shocked to know that he is only worth $ 400,000 while his teammate Symonds has been sold for $1,200,000 ! "Now onwards, when we go out, Symonds has to pay !", Ponting has told, it seems.

If all these millions have gone to improve the sports infrastructure of the country, if not for other social investments like health and education, what difference it would have made for hundreds of thousands of people, I thought.

But, even otherwise, the thought of someone buying and owning me, makes me feel a bit sick - even if they pay a million. Now, if someone else pays a few hundred thousand rupees more, these players can be sold and transferred as well. If India Cements wants Dhoni to promote their brand, he has to do. His shirt should be yellow colour, his pants have to be pink colour - they may specify. He has to ride brand x motorbike in public, should wear brand y shoes, eat this, drink that - of course, we will pay you !

Costly slaves, I guess.
Question : Now, why is it illegal if someone hits a six or does not hit a six, if someone pays them the money ? Why betting is considered wrong ?

Hope : I hope, problems crop up between players in the dressing rooms - "I was paid only so much. So, it is enough if I hit 3 runs. You were paid so much, so you better take more catches and run harder !"

Prediction : Terrific way of killing patriotism. When Sachin gets out, most of India (outside Mumbai) now may clap. So will be the case, when Symonds hits Harbhajan Singh for a sixer. We will be thrilled ! What an ironical twist to the racism row of the last two months ...

Wish : I wish something happens to the satellites during the tournament period and no coverage is possible !

A nice animation

Got this interesting image (GIF file) from Dr.Sunil today. Thought of sharing with everyone through the blog. Click on it to see it in a new window.


I wonder, how they have done it. Terrific !

Carbon Foot Print

The whole world is talking about Global Warming, Climate Change and Carbon Foot Print. The Nobel Prize awarded to R.K.Pachouri and Al Gore has generally increased awareness about these vital issues, it looks like. Last week, when I went to buy vegetables, I found that the cost of lemons had shot up. "What happened ?", I asked. The vegetable seller told, "Things have become very hot nowadays, sir. Lemons are high in demand and short in supply. All because of Global Warming !"
And, North India is reeling under terrible cold. In Srinagar, there is nine feet of snow, we read. Soon, we may have sun rising at 12 in the night and the street lights getting lit just after lunch. One can't say. The children in UK had written that they had floods this year due to climate change. Probably, that is the reason, I am having running nose continuously for two weeks now ...

But, goodthing. Everyone is becoming aware of how much we are 'contributing' to the global catastrophe called Global Warming. And, very poetically, it is called Carbon Foot Print. Each of us are required to put forwad as small a footprint as possible.

So, I was wondering what will be the size of my carbon foot print ! How much am I contributing to the global warming. How am I cheating my grandchildren by borrowing resources from them. We can't say that only rich people or people in rich nations or people in cities are contributing to global warming. (On the other hand, most of them think that forests are being destroyed by poor people and adivasis, and that causes global warming.) But, the fact is each of us are putting our footprint every day in every little thing that we do.

So, I was quite happy to find that there is a tool to calculate the size of our foot print. If we give some details about our family size, energy consumption, a bit about our way of life etc., voila, you get the size of your foot print. It is an online tool and can be accessed at http://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx


So, I tried to calculate my carbon footprint. The tool is more tuned to people in western countries. So, there may be some problem in the calculation. For example, when we choose Bus or train travel, they may assume that the bus or train will have 10 or 100 people against the seating capacity of 25 or 500 respectively. But, in India, as you know, we will have 75 or 1200 against the same capacity of bus / train, thereby 'reducing the carbon used by each individual' !

Here is the screenshot of my result. I cheated little bit, when I mentioned that there is no air travel - though I went to UK in 2006 March. You can click on this image to see a larger picture in a new window.


Good to feel that my footprint is about half of Indian average. May be, because we don't have a bike or vehicle personally. We hardly travel, have very few 'carbon consuming' things at home, are living in Gudalur which is 'centrally air conditioned' by God - all these help. I need hot water every day, but. This is one energy eating luxury I probably can do away with. I doubt if I can manage that.

Now, as a tail piece, here is a news :

London : Two Church of England bishops called for Britons to cut back on carbon, rather than alcohol, for the period of Lent.

I get a feeling that this fight on carbon emission will work, because religious tinge is also being given to this. If God says, I am sure, all Britons will follow suit and cut carbon. (Will write about what our Indian Gods want us to cut back. In another post later. I need to consult my mother for the details and fine prints !)

Natural recyclers

People in the rural India are natural recyclers. I mean, recycling things - using them again and again before discarding anything - comes naturally to our people in the villages, especially the women. At least till today.

When I had gone to my parent's place recently, where they are growing fruits in about 10 acres, I could see quite a few things to support this claim. So, I wanted to document this and share with all of you.

My father learnt grafting of trees and raises his own nurseries. Old used fertiliser bags are used for this nursery. These plastic bags are big and sturdy; plants are grown in these for about 2 years before planted into the field. (In fact, these fertiliser and cement bags are quite useful for many things in our villages - people make them into handbags, carrying sand in construction places etc.)

There are alternatives to this bag also. When the big drum used to store water broke on top, it was immediately cut and used as a container for another big plant.Sometime ago, I had seen this used for storing drinking water for the cows. Plastic cans, buckets of any size, any shape will be useful and treasured in the villages. These days, Paint companies sell materials for painting walls in plastic buckets. As they have handles, people use them for carrying water, vegetables and fruits from the fields, garbage from home ... almost anything.


Here, is our bucket with washed clothes waiting to be dried. See the photograph below in which something else is dried. Old used plastic wires are used for all kinds of things - hanging clothes for drying, binding things and as a support for growing plants. Old television cables are sought after things - quite good they are !

Not that they do not buy anything in plastic covers. They do. These days, everything purchased in the shop are sold in plastic covers only. But, the difference is they recycle these covers. Like the carry bag and the cover in which detergent powder was purchased. They wash them, dry them to store household things - ranging from onions to cash, from rusted nails to ash. Here is ash stored in a 'Semia' cover.

Why Ash, you ask ? Since most of them use firewood, they get quite a lot of ash. It is used for cleaning vessels. Vessels get really black and dirty when cooked using firewood. So, they need good powder for cleaning them. Sometimes, they come out with some ingenious methods. My father has hypertension and hence has to take tablets every day. All the used tablet covers were saved in our house and I asked my mother the reason.

She said, "They are quite good for washing dirty vessels. We use ash and these tablet covers, rub the vessels strongly and all the dirt, black soot, everything will get cleaned," proudly she said - without realising what a terrific method of recycling this is. This comes naturally and people want to use anything that can last again and again - in whatever way.

When adults are like this, children must surely be one step ahead, isn't it ? Here is how they 'recycle' things literally !!

The old cycle tyre is used by this boy for playing. He never tires of running around, driving his vehicle - a sight that symbolises the recycling spirit of our people in the villages.

DEATH

(Translation of my Tamil Blog.)

நெருநெல் உளனொருவன் இன்றில்லையென்னும்
பெருமை படைத்தது இவ்வுலகு.

A Thirukkural on Death. Yesterday they were there. But, not there today. This is the 'fame' of this earth. Fame ? It should be the Notoriety ...

This morning, Appu, a 30 years old colleague of us died. Heart Attack, it seems. Wasn't in the best of health; but, none of us expected that this will happen.

To add another name to the famous list of this earth, he died this morning. When he was brought to the hospital, he had almost reached the entrance of death itself. As I type this sentence, I wonder whether I will be there till I press the Publish button below.

Did Appu say everything he wanted to say ? Did I say everything that I have to tell him ? Got a big shock. But, mind is full of - as if I am going to be there for ever - plans, ambitions, dreams, fights, jealousy and what not !

Once again, I am convinced that I should not wait for auspicious time to do anything good. Do Now. Here. Feel like throwing all my 'strong convictions', and 'resolutions' to wind; and just try to do what is needed by anyone around.

May be, this sort of philosophical thoughts will be there only till I sleep tonight and wake up tomorrow.

God's Murder

Three men were applying for a job. As a Detective.

One was a sardarji, one was Jewish, and one was Italian. The chief decided to ask each applicant just one question and base his decision upon that answer.

When the Jewish man arrived for his interview, the chief asked him, “Who killed Jesus Christ?” The Jew answered without hesitation “The Romans killed him.” The chief thanked him and he left.

When the Italian man arrived for his interview, the chief asked the same question. He replied “Jesus was killed by the Jews.” Again, the chief thanked the man who then left.

Finally the Sardarji arrived for his interview, he was asked the same question. He thought for a long time, before saying, “Could I have some time to think about it?” The chief said, “OK, but get back to me tomorrow.”

When the Sardarji arrived home, his wife asked “How did the interview go?”

Pat came the reply, “Great, I got the job, and not only that ..."

"... I am already investigating a Murder."

Leprosy - Part 2

After reading yesterday's blog on Leprosy, Tariq had written,

"Anyone with just common sense can help tackle this disease." I didn't quite understand what you meant by this.

Is the cure cheap and easily available? And when we see lepers on the road side with multiple amputations do they still have the disease or would it have been cured?

I thought of replying to this comment in the blog itself, so that everyone can read. So, here it is ...

All Primary health centres are supposed to have the required medicines. If they do not have, at the District level, they will be surely available. If we inform them about a patient, they will come to the house and start treatment free of cost.

Depending on the kind of infection, the treatment can be either 6 months or 1 year. With the therapy, the disease can be completely cured.

But, once the nerves are completely affected and the fingers / wrists, toes are totally infected, then it cannot be repaired / brought back to the original stage. Costly procedures / reconstructive surgeries are, however, possible. NLEP can do only Treatment.

So, important thing is to see the symptoms and start treatment immediately at the early stage. It is communicable and there is no vaccine yet. (Like TB, this bacteria may also be in the air and all of us might have it. But, those without immunity only seem to get affected). Hence, early detection / prevention is the only way.

Since the key to this therapy is to early detection, everyone in the village / society can help tackle the disease. If we find white patches in the skin without sensation, then immediately refer them to the doctor for diagnosis. After confirmed by the doctor, the treatment involved taking tablets regularly, that is it. So, everyone can help control this disease.

If Pain was not there ...

This week, I had the opportunity of listening to someone working on Leprosy in our area. Mr. Soman of Nilgiri Wayanad Adivasi Welfare Society. Due to the National Leprosy Eradication Programme of the Central Government, we seemed to have reduced the leprosy rates from about 4 per 1000 to even less than 1 per 10000.


Same success is not achieved in Tuberculosis control - in some areas, the disease is going out of control, even becoming resistant to the drugs.

But, Leprosy has been managed well, he said. Fortunately, it is not a killer disease like TB or AIDS. Lepers don't die because of leprosy. But, after deformity in the body, stigma and social neglect, what is the point living, I wondered. The positive point is, if we can identify the symptoms early and come for treatment, it can be completely cured. Anyone with just common sense can help tackle this disease.

But, the most striking aspect of Leprosy is the one about Pain.


This disease affects few nerves in our body, causing loss of sensation in our extremities. Feet can't feel the pain even if we step on a stone or a pin or fire. Often these patients will have their feet or fingers burnt by fire, because they don't feel the pain. A pin stays inside the feet and the patient does not know, causing infection etc.

My God ! How important Pain is. To save ourselves from things that are not good for our body. Mind is racing towards all sorts of philosophical conclusions about pain ...


Let us be thankful to Pain.

Bird Flu

As the dreaded H5N1 virus causing Bird Flu has re-entered India through West Bengal, things are going topsy-turvy in the wingled world of Chickens and birds. I am sure, they must be scared of any human coming towards them. Ask any chicken, how is it feeling, I am sure it will answer, "I am fine."


The hundreds of chickens in all our poultry farms wouldn't know what hit them. Why suddenly they are getting killed in hundreds of thousands. I guess there will be panic all over. I remember the wonderful animation film, "Chicken Run", where they try to escape the clutches of a woman and a man.

The newspapers say that the virus has spread to almost all the districts of West Bengal and has even started getting into couple of North Eastern states of India. Egg prices have dropped drastically. No country wants import of poultry products from India. Chicken meat is available at a cheap rate throughout the country, I am told.

But, what I am wondering is, what gives man the privilege to go around killing hundreds of thousands of chickens because the virus may infect some humans as well ? In the last decades, some 350 people have died due to this virus; but how many millions of birds have been killed by us ?


What will happen if we are affected by some virus which will spread by air / water, and affect other humans or animals ? Though TB and Leprosy also spread like this, most of us have immunity and get away from the bacteria causing these diseases. But, if one of these killer diseases become resistant and if an affected person coughs next to us and if that results in we getting infected and eventually die, what will be our reaction ? Will we go around culling all the infected people ?

But, everyone is not so heartless. In the Hindu, there was a moving picture of a woman crying for the birds in her house when she was asked to hand over them for culling.
The dominance of man over everything else is sickening, but such images give some hope that humanity may survive - though these birds didn't.