ഈശ്വരാ രക്ഷിക്കണേ

“ഈശ്വരാ രക്ഷിക്കണേ!”

നിർമ്മാല്യം തൊഴുവാൻ നിന്ന ഭക്തൻ നാരായണന്റെ ശബ്ദത്തിലുള്ള ആത്മവിശ്വാസം കണ്ടു ഈശ്വരൻ ഒന്ന് ശ്രദ്ധിച്ചു നോക്കി.

“ഈശ്വരാ രക്ഷിക്കണേ!, വെറുതെ വേണ്ടട്ടോ ഈശ്വരാ, ഈശ്വരന് ഒരാവശ്യം വരുമ്പോൾ ഞാനുണ്ട്, ഞങ്ങൾ ഭക്തർ ഉണ്ട്”.

എന്നും നിർമ്മാല്യം തൊഴാൻ വരുന്ന, നാഴികക്ക് നാല്പതുവട്ടം ഈശ്വരാ രക്ഷിക്കണേ, എന്നുപറയുന്ന നാരായണന്റെ വാക്കുകൾ കേട്ട് ഈശ്വരൻ ഒന്ന് ഞെട്ടി. വീണ്ടും നാരായണൻ തുടർന്നു.

“ഈശ്വരാ രക്ഷിക്കണേ! വെറുതെ വേണ്ടാട്ടോ ഈശ്വരാ, നാളെ ഈശ്വരന് ഒരാവശ്യം വരുമ്പോൾ ഞാനുണ്ട് ഞങ്ങൾ ഭക്തർ ഉണ്ട്”

ഈശ്വരന് സഹിക്കാൻ കഴിഞ്ഞില്ല. അവസാനം രണ്ടും കല്പിച്ച് ചോദിച്ചു.

“എന്തൂട്ടാടാ ശവി നീ പറയണേ?”

നാരായണൻ തിരിച്ചുചോദിച്ചു?

“അപ്പോൾ ഈശ്വരൻ നാട്ടിൽ നടക്കുന്നതോന്നും അറിയുന്നില്ല?”

“അതൊക്കെ ഞാനറിയുന്നുണ്ട്. നീയെൻറ ആളാണെങ്കിൽ പിന്നെന്തിനാ പള്ളി നിൽക്കുന്നിടത്ത് അമ്പലം പണിയണ്ട കാര്യം സുപ്രീം കോടതി തീരുമാനിക്കട്ടെ”, എന്ന് നീ പറഞ്ഞത്.

“ഈശ്വരാ അതൊക്കെ എൻറെ ഒരു നമ്പറല്ലേ?’

“എന്തൂട്ടാടാ നീ പറയണേ? എന്താ ഈ നമ്പർ?”

“ഈശ്വരന് ഓർമ്മയില്ലേ, നമ്മൾ പണ്ട് ക്രിക്കറ്റ് കളിക്കാറുള്ളപ്പോൾ, ഞാൻ ടോസ് ഇടുപ്പോൾ എന്താ പറയാറ്,”

“തല വീണാൽ നമ്മൾ ജയിക്കും. വാൽ വീണാൽ അവർ തോൽക്കും”.

“അപ്പോൾ, നാരായണ അങ്ങനെയാണോ നീ എപ്പോഴും വിജയിച്ചിരുന്നത്”

“അല്ലാ പിന്നെ?, ഈ ശവികൾക്ക് ഒന്നുമറിയില്ല ഈശ്വരാ”.

“കോടതിവിധി അനുകൂലമായി വന്നാൽ നമ്മൾ അവിടെ അമ്പലം പണിയും. അഥവാ വിപരീതമായി വന്നാൽ, പിന്നെ നമ്മുടെ ആചാരങ്ങൾക്കും വിശ്വാസങ്ങൾക്കും എതിരായി ഒന്നും ചെയ്യാൻ പറ്റില്ലല്ലോ?”

“ഈശ്വരന് മനസ്സിലായില്ലേ, എന്താ ചെയ്യേണ്ടതെന്ന്?”

“അതാ പറഞ്ഞത് അതൊരു ഒരുനമ്പറാണ് എന്ന്”.

“ഈശ്വരൻ ധൈര്യമായിട്ട് ഇരിക്ക്. ഈശ്വരന് ഞങ്ങളുണ്ട്”.

നാരായണൻ വീണ്ടും വിളിച്ചു പറഞ്ഞു.

“ഈശ്വരാ രക്ഷിക്കണേ!,
വെറുതെ വേണ്ടാട്ടോ, ഈശ്വരന് ഒരു ആവശ്യം വന്നാൽ ഞാനുണ്ട്, ഞങ്ങൾ ഭക്തർ ഉണ്ട്”.

യുറേനിയംസ്കാണ്ടല്‍ കമ്മീക്ഷന്‍

ജുഡീഷ്യല്‍ കമ്മീഷന്‍ വിധിവന്നു. അത് കേട്ടുജനം അന്ധാളിച്ചുപോയി. ലൈഗീകചുക്ഷണം നടന്നിട്ടുണ്ട്. ഊര്‍ജം ഉല്‍പാദിപ്പിക്കാന്‍ സഹായിക്കാമെന്ന് പറഞ്ഞു സാവിത്രി മേനോന്‍ മുഖ്യമന്ത്രി, കേന്ദ്രമന്ത്രി, സംസ്ഥാനമന്ത്രിമാര്‍, എം.എല്‍.എ.മാര്‍, ഓപ്പോസിഷന്‍ ലീഡര, മുതല്‍ അനവധിപേരെ ലൈഗികമായി ചുക്ഷണം ചെയ്തിട്ടുണ്ട്. പ്രതിതന്നെ ഇത് തെളിയിക്കുന്ന വീഡിയോ ദൃശ്യങ്ങള്‍ ഹാജരാക്കിയ സ്ഥിതിക്ക് അവര്‍ക്ക് എതിരെ വേശ്യാവൃത്തിക്കു കേസ് എടുക്കാനും ഇരകളെ വെറുതെ വിടാനും കമ്മീക്ഷന്‍ ഉത്തരവിട്ടു.

 

സാവിത്രി മേനോന്‍ കമ്മീഷന്‍റെ വിധിയെ പൂഛിച്ചുതള്ളുകയും അതോടൊപ്പം കമ്മീക്ഷന്‍ സാവിത്രിമേനോനെ ലൈഗീകമായി പീഡിപ്പിക്കുന്ന വീഡിയോ ദൃശ്യങ്ങള്‍ ഉടന്‍ പുറത്തുവിടുമെന്ന് അറിയിക്കുകയും ചെയ്തു.

MY NOTE LEFT ME WITHOUT A NOTE

We climbed the steps from the subway connecting the platforms in Vashi railway station and were just getting out of the main entrance of the station. As we were entering into the lower, tiled region in front of the station entrance, I told my wife to carefully look down as the slabs covering the drainage are dislocated at many places and many are in damaged condition and one can fall and get hurt. While telling this, I kept my hand on my shirt’s pocket to see that my Samsung Galaxy Note Phone does not spill from my pocket. I could touch my small diary containing my railway pass and identity card and the pocket looked empty. I told my wife, “Phone? Oh God, I lost my phone!”

Alice said, “No, it is impossible, you might not have taken it from home. See, today, I did not ask you to confirm that you have taken the phone. It is most probably you didn’t take the phone.”

“No, I received a phone call from Nikhil Mande, just after Sanpada station. I kept the phone back into my pocket. It was protruding from my shirt’s pocket in a crowded second class compartment with an open invitation to all the pickpockets in the world. I remember I carried it that way in crowded places for the last 40 months, to be precisely till that day when the challenger succeeded to lift it from my pocket without my knowledge. 

A strange sense of cool breeze moved through my body from my lower guts to the head. I felt that I am sweating slightly more than the usual response to the summer evening. I lost my pride. Someone outsmarted me and picked my pocket. I used to proudly say during the 32 years of my stay in Mumbai and 54 years of life, no one dared to put his hand in my pocket. The pride ended the epitome of confidence in me and my ability fell and shattered like glass on concrete floor. The age had given way to the 6 feet tall confidence of no small man can pick my pocket.

I purchased the phone from “Big Boss” Mobile showroom barely 20 meters away from where I stood in front of Vashi Station. It was the costliest Samsung Smart Phone when I brought it nearly three and half years back. It had a MRP of Rs. 35,000/-, the shop fellow gave it to me at Rs.33,000/-. It was destined to be pick pocketed hardly 100 meters away from the same shop at Vashi.

When I regained ground and realized that I need to understand that it is lost. I told Alice that we can go back home, forgetting the beautiful evening we planned at Vashi. Then she said, “We need to report the theft to the nearest police station”. Out of my great respect to the Police and legal system in the country, I told her that there is no point in wasting time and we can forget it. She is stronger under such conditions and told me that we need to get back the SIM card as the number is registered with all my bank accounts and all money transaction points.

This fact made me think about the data available in the phone. I had everything in the Phone. It contained all the official and personal data. I had portable document files of the Policies and Procedures, latest Purchase Orders, Raw Materials Price List, Outstanding dues of all suppliers and all office related records. Data regarding my bank accounts, fixed deposits, NSC Certificates, scanned copies of passports, PAN Cards, Adhar Cards, sale deeds of our properties and anything and everything you can imagine were all stored in the phone. I also have these data on my computer and tab, hence I was not worried about the loss of information. These information are important to me, but of no use to anyone who goes through it.  Hence I am not worried about it being used or misused.

Next thing was to find the nearest police station. I asked the “May I help you” desk. They directed me to the Vashi Railway Police Station in the first Platform. The police was very courteous. They expected people like me with lost mobile phones. One Mr Amol Gade told me that nothing is to worry and 90% I will get back my phone. But he told me I need the IMEI number of the phone to register a compliant and track the phone. I know I had written down it somewhere, but most precisely as expected I don’t know where it is written down. It must be in my diary. He asked me to call home and get the number. I told him no one is at home. He made me write my name and details on a register and asked me to come next day with IMEI number, bill of the phone to register a complaint. He told me he will give a receipt of the compliant and that is enough to show in the BSNL office to get a new SIM with same number.

We went for a small scroll in the CIDCO exhibition hall and returned immediately. Once at home we searched for the bill of the phone. I very well remembered that the box of the phone was discarded when we shifted house from Rasayani to Panvel in June 2013. There is a briefcase in which I kept all the bills of items which carried guarantee. I could locate the bill of my Samsung Galaxy Note in that briefcase. The IMEI number was given on the bill. Once the bill was located, I called the BSNL call centre number and informed them to lock my phone number. However they told me I need to go to the nearest BSNL office with an FIR registered in the police station to block my number.

I could barely sleep on that night. The phone was outdated. It was giving me trouble for quite some time. The charge in the battery exhausted quickly if I used internet, hence I had stopped using internet on phone. After my Nexus Tab came, the phone was used only for making and receiving calls and SMS. The phone had virtually reduced to a “dubba (box)”. Two weeks back I asked my office boy Sachin Godkar, who is an expert in mobile phones, “How much I can get for this phone?” He told me that Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is available in the market for Rs 5000/-. Hence if I have the original bill, I can get anywhere between Rs. 4000/- to 5000/- in secondary market, that too if I exchange for another phone. He advised me to present it to someone I desire. I know that you cannot present an outdated dubba phone to someone you desire. All these thoughts went through my sleepless brain. I felt that my phone must have desired to leave me before I left it, as it could have happened with anyone whom I loved once and left.

My phone was my constant companion for the last 40 months. It was with me even when my wife was not with me. It travelled with me everywhere I went, in office, on business locations. If it had a heart it was eyewitness to all my happiness and sorrows. I loved it and kept it. I had made my mind to go for a new phone and two days back registered for a flash sale at Flipkart. It is a strange coincidence that I lost my Samsung Galaxy Note one day before my bid for the new pone.

Next morning I reached Vashi Railway Police Station at 8.30 A.M. They gave me an application which I filled and after that they put their signature and seal on it and gave a copy of the intimation letter to me. I reached back home at 9.45 and went to BSNL office at Panvel and at a cost of Rs 20/-, BSNL office first blocked and then gave me a new SIM with the same number. Thus within less than 24 hours, my phone number became active again.

Now I don’t keep my purse containing money on my pant pocket. I keep my phone inside the bag while travelling especially before reaching any crowded place. I tell people not to keep their phone in pocket as I did.  I learned my lesson, no more self confidence that no one can pick pocket me. Probably there are more smart and specialized people out in the world who can pick anything from anywhere. However I wonder where and in which shape my Samsung Galaxy Note will be right now.

“Please close the door, कृपया दरवासा बंध कीजिये”

Ramesh is living in a seven- storeyed building in the heart of Panvel City. He was proud of his new residence which is at a stone’s throw from Panvel Railway Station. He stayed in the fifth floor of the building with his wife and only son. There are 4 flats opening to a pentagon shaped large lobby. The lift is situated at the base of the pentagon. The stairs are at the opposite corner of the lift. There is one more flat opening to the stairs on the same floor. Hence there are 5 flats using the same lift for going up and down in the building.

There is a beautiful young girl, called Kalyani, the daughter of a South Indian neighbor Kalyanaraman who lived in the same floor. Ramesh liked the girl as much as his wife disliked her. Ramesh had even plans to get the girl married to his only son. She is studying in V.J.T.I for second year of Electrical Engineering. She leaves home at 7.30 A.M. and returns at 7.00 P.M. Ramesh and family know the exact timing of her departure and arrival for the last two years.

Kalyani is short, fair and good looking. She got a style for walking, looking and doing anything. Ramesh liked every aspect of her except a particular behavior of Kalyani. This aspect of Kalyani is something which disturbed Ramesh’s wife Geetha more than anything. Geetha believed that Kalyani did this particular thing purposefully. Ramesh believed that it is just carelessness. However Geetha said, “No one can be so consistently careless”.

The lifts in the multi-wing multi-storeyed building have no liftman. It operated on a semi-automatic system. There is an automatically closing outer door in each floor and the lift cubicle had a manually closing sliding door. When the sliding door opens, an automatically set alarm politely asks, “Please close the door, कृपया दरवासा बंध कीजिये (in Hindi)”. Problem with Kalyani is that she is deaf to this message. She will just open the sliding door and rush out of the lift and the outdoor closes automatically. Otherwise capable of normal hearing, Kalyani being deaf to the alarm, “Please close the door”, leaves the lift nonfunctional till another person opens and uses the lift in the same floor.

Every day at 7.30 A.M. the lift starts giving this message, “Please close the door”. The lift will be at the ground floor and Ramesh and family cannot do anything. Geetha will shout saying, “The arrogant girl left for the college”. Ramesh will say, “She forgot to close the door”. This will lead to an argument between Ramesh and his wife. The day will pass as usual. Evening at 7.00 P.M. again the lift will start giving the message, “Please close the door”. Geetha will again shout saying, “That अहंकारी (proud girl) had returned from the college”. Ramesh will say, “Kalyani again forgot to close the door”.

This continued for many days, months and now for last two years. Ramesh talked to Kalyanaraman. Geetha talked to Mrs. Kalyanaraman. She said, “We are fed up with this girl” and shouted, “Kalyani, listen to what Geetha aunty is saying, how many times I told you to close the lift door before you leave the lift?”

Kalyani never changed. The lift door remained open whenever Kalyani used the lift. When Geetha hears the alarm, she will become angry and keep cursing Kalyani. Ramesh always tried to calm Geetha, but could never be able to do it.

One day Ramesh could silence Geetha with just one argument. He could convincingly prove to Geetha that Kalyani is not doing it purposefully.

In order to understand how Ramesh could convince Geetha that Kalyani is not closing sliding door of the lift purposefully, we need to go to the other part of the story.

Ramesh lived with his wife Geetha and his son, Amol. Amol is an Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay educated computer engineer working for a US based multinational company. He just completed his B.Tech. and was staying in Hostel for the last four years. He shifted to home and is now commuting daily to his work place at Churchgate, Mumbai.

Ramesh is a highly disciplined man in his life. It looked as if he did everything as per time. He taught his son, Amol also in the same manner. Ramesh went to bed at 11.00 P.M. and got up from bed at 5.00 A.M. There are no Sundays or holidays in his schedule. He always went to bed and got up from bed at the same time. Amol followed his father as he had no alternative. Amol always wondered how a civilian, his father is so much disciplined. But he hated everything his father preached and taught him. He liked to sleep late and get up late in the morning. He hated his father waking him up at 5.00 A.M. on Sundays and holidays. Geetha always supported her son and said, “Today is a holiday and let him sleep for some more time”.

Amol was very intelligent and cleared his JEE and shifted to IIT Bomaby. His freedom started there. He liked to get up only to take breakfast at the closing hours of the mess at 9.30 A.M. Amol was one of the last to take breakfast. He slept only after 2.00 A.M. He believed that he enjoyed his life, when he undone everything his father taught him during the early 17 years. Amol liked to say that he became a man only when he could sleep and wake up at his will and when his father is not around to wake him up at 5.00 A.M.

Everything went as planned and Amol completed his B.Tech., but could not crack CAT for his MBA admission to IIMs and joined his plum job. His expectations of leaving home to another city went off roof when he was placed in Mumbai. Once again he had to return to his father’s military rule. But surprisingly he found his father as a different person. He told Amol, “Now you are financially independent and can live and go anywhere without asking for my permissions”. Amol came out of his biggest worry and enjoyed the freedom he obtained.

Amol found his mother taking more of a controlling role now. She found fault with his awkward ways of living. He got up at 8.00 A.M. and started out for job at 9.30 A.M. He will relax on bed till 9.00 A.M., attend his official calls and then hurriedly start to get ready.

This haphazard ways of hurry burry led to so many mistakes in his daily life. He forgets to take his train pass, money purse and so on. The most annoying aspect was that connected with the bathroom Geyser. Amol’s bathroom got a boiler type Geyser which he used to make hot water for his bath. In his hurry, he always forgot to put off the Geyser. His father or mother will find that the Geyser is on even after Amol had left the bath room or even home. This disturbed Geetha and she always advised Amol to be careful. 

Amol’s experiments with Geyser continued without fail. He always forgot to put off the Geyser. Geetha always shouted at him for this. Ramesh only gently reminded him the consequences of keeping Geyser on. This continued as if Amol is not able to coordinate his mental faculty to keep him reminded about the Geyser. IIT graduate and the high profile multi-national executive lived with the problem of not able to put off his Geyser after use.

It was one of those days and early morning 7.30 A.M, when the lift alarm started, “Please close the door”. Geetha started shouting, “Yes, this Girl had gone to college without closing the sliding door of the lift. I will teach her a lesson today. The proud girl is incorrigible. Her parents are also not bothered about her disturbing the entire society. What type of people are they? They cannot tell their daughter to behave in a society”.

Ramesh said, “Geetha, she got a problem and she is living with the problem”.

Geetha asked, “What problem? She is the most useless girl I came across. You always like her. I do not know why you are sympathetic to her. Today I am going to find an end to her misbehavior. I will catch her and stop her using the lift.”

Ramesh said, “It is not purposefully, she is having a problem. She is not doing it to disturb you. She needs time to come out of it”

Geetha shouted, “You don’t take the side of that stupid girl. She is doing it purposefully to disturb the people in the society”.

Ramesh said, “You mean to say that Amol is keeping the Geyser on purposefully to get his home burned of fire”.

This made sense to Geetha. Amol is her darling son. She knew that Amol will not do anything purposefully to put his household into difficulty.

First time she stopped blaming Kalyani and accepted Ramesh’s theory that something may be wrong with her. Both Kalyani and Amol lived in a new world. They believe that everything can be done at the nick of time. In the process they delay everything to the last moment. In the hurry burry of finishing the work at the nick of time, they forget to close the sliding door of the lift or to put off the Geyser after taking the hot bath. Let us hope a day will come when the young generation realizes the need for discipline in life.

“Kamath’s Wedding”

It was raining cats and dogs.  Last week of August is marked for the heaviest rains in Kerala. Whenever there was flood in Kerala, it happened during August last week. Ramesh’s building at Tripunitara was a stilt building. Hence water never entered flats in his building. However Ramesh kept a watch on the water level in the area. There was water logging in the back side of his building. The space between his building and the neighboring building was flooded. He was watching the water level, when his mobile started ringing.

“Sir, I am P.S. Kamath calling. Sorry to disturb you”. Kamath was his assistant in the Plant when he was Production in charge.

Ramesh told, “No, don’t worry, tell me what is the matter?”

“Sir, I am extremely sorry that I could not come to your home and invite you. My daughter is getting married tomorrow. The Venue is Udyan Hall, Kochi. You must bless the occasion with your presence along with madam and daughter. Everything happened so fast. I needed to arrange it in such a short notice of just one week. Please do come at 12.00 A.M. tomorrow to Udyan Hall, Kochi”.

“Yes, Kamath, I will come, thanks for calling me”.

Next day was Sunday. Ramesh kept the phone and told his wife and daughter. Both of them said they are not interested to go out in such heavy rains. He was also not interested to go out in the heavy rains. But then Kamath is known to him for more than 20 years. He also worked directly under Ramesh for nearly 5 years. He invited Ramesh for his only daughter’s marriage, on phone one day before the marriage. Kamath must have scanned his memory to confirm the people close to him, whom he could not call for marriage.

Sunday morning was as lazy as it used to be. The climate as predicted was changing from moderate to heavy rains. Ramesh was sitting on his computer, not decided to go or not to go. At 11.00 A.M. his wife gave him last warning. He needs to give her, his confirmation whether he is there for lunch or not. Hesitantly Ramesh decided to go for Kamath’s marriage. He got up and started in the heavy rains in his car. He kept thinking why people get married in such heavy rains and invite people to trouble them. However the decision was taken and he started driving. It was really heavy rains. There was water logging everywhere on road.

Ramesh reached Udyan hall at 11.50 A.M. The hall was full of people. He could see Kamath standing on the stage making arrangements. After seeing Ramesh, Kamath suddenly jumped off the stage and started running towards the entrance of the hall to welcome him. Ramesh was so moved by this gesture. After seeing the happiness in his face, Ramesh felt as if his heart was placed alone in air conditioned environment. Ramesh felt it could have been a great mistake if he did not come for the marriage. He found Mr. Kamath finding way through the crowd pushing his guests around and moving towards him with full smile on his face and his hands stretching towards him to hold his hands. Ramesh also stretched his hands towards him with a smile right from his heart.

Suddenly he could see Mr. Kamath pushing him to the side as he did with lot of his guests to reach him and going ahead. Ramesh slowly pulled his hand down and the smile on his face vanished as if someone slapped him on face. He did not turn around to see to whom Mr. Kamath was rushing to welcome.

Ramesh slowly moved ahead, he could see some of his colleagues from the company sitting in the crowd. His colleague, Mr. A.K. Kaul, called him and he sat on a chair near him. Ramesh could see Mr Kamath guiding a couple towards the front row and they were well positioned in previously reserved seats for chief guests.

Mr. Kamath did not look towards him. Ramesh was sure that he did see him in his mad rush to welcome that Very Important Person. The marriage took place as usual. Mr and Mrs. Kamath invited everyone to have the delicious lunch arranged on the first floor. The newlywed couple went for changing the dress. The guests were queuing up for blessing the couple. Another group of guests were running towards the stairs to queue up for lunch as if they had never seen food before. Ramesh felt it was a wrong decision to drive in the heavy rain to Kochi to attend the wedding. Ramesh was just coming out of the hall, when he saw Mr. Kamath moving towards the first floor. 

Mr. Kamath wished him and told, “Sir, nice that you came for the marriage. It is arranged in such a short time. I could not invite many of my friends. Please have food before you leave”.

Ramesh made up his decision to leave immediately. He learned his lesson. He could not tell his wife and daughter what happened during the marriage. On his way back home, he stopped near “Surabhi” hotel and had his lunch. He took an important decision on that day. Ramesh will not take pains to attend marriages of people whom he distantly knows. He understood that people want crowd for their marriages to show to the people. He will attend only those marriages where his presence is absolutely necessary. He will not sacrifice his time and efforts to become just a number in the crowd.

 

 

“Kiss of Love”

““Kiss of Love Protest”, we are not going to make it a routine. It is just a protest. When Mahatma Gandhi organized “Non-corporation movement”, he did not mean that Indian people will never co-operate with rulers. Hunger strike does not mean that people will continue to remain without food. These are all methods of protest. Kiss of Love is also a protest.”

This was what the new generation talk about the movement which is catching fire at different parts of the country. They say that they have the right to decide with whom they want to intimately mingle at public places.

This all started with a group of people supposed to be belonging to a Hindu right wing movement, opposed young people meeting in a hotel at Kozhikode. These protesters crash landed in this hotel and destroyed furniture and beaten couples eating food there. They claimed that the hotel allowed young people to sit in compromising or compassionate positions in the hotel.

Then a group of people, not necessarily visitors to this hotel opened a facebook page called “Kiss of Love” and asked young people to assemble at Marine Drive, Kochi on November 2 to protest against moral policing by publically hugging and kissing. This movement was then hijacked by different groups. On November 2, nearly 30 young people assembled at Marine Drive, Kochi to protest by “Kiss of Love” and another 30,000 people assembled there to see the protest. What happened on that day is now history.

The movement is now spreading to various parts of the country. It may be worthwhile to pause for a moment and think what is it all about?

The youth of the country wanted the freedom to express affections publicly as in other developed countries. I appreciate their interest and support their movement. But I have some points to explain. I want the young generation to remember a proverb in Malayalam, “ഇരുന്നിട്ട് വേണം കാലുനീട്ടാന്‍”, it means you need to first sit to stretch both legs together.

We need to travel lot of distance to reach the freedom to express love by hugging and kissing publicly. We are living in a society where we do not do it even in our homes in front of others. You need not worry about the 30 people you saw for protest at Marine Drive, Kochi. The culprits are the 30,000 assembled to watch the protest. These are the representatives of our society. They just watch the fun. They neither participate in the protest nor oppose the movement. It is the mindset of these people we need to change.

In India even today, most of the marriages are arranged marriages. People oppose love marriages even within the same community and social status. Caste and community based professions existed in earlier days. It was necessary to have marriages between families. Now things have changed. People are choosing new professions. Hence caste, community, religion are not having much influence in our life.  We started working with people of different religion and from different areas of the country. The technology had developed. We use the technology for online matrimonial searches. The parents still search for matches in the same caste, community and religion. 

In my opinion, before the public display of hugging and kissing, we need to change the way we marry. Today’s youth decides the profession they want to follow. They decide their job and work place. When it comes to marriage, they say our parents are searching for a match. Change this attitude. Choose your partner. This is your fundamental right. The person with whom you are going to live with must be your choice. I see young people spend lot of time before choosing their dresses. Trial rooms are common in malls selling readymade dresses. Young people line up in front of the trial rooms. Something you will wear for few days is selected with such care and affection. Then why the choice of your life partner is left to all others to decide. Change this culture. This is the only way you can change the attitude of the people.

Nafeesa kissing Arun Nair publicly or Jacob Mathew hugging Latha Menon publicly will not change the mind set of people. If you want to change, tell your parents to accept them as your life partners. Let us have a society where religion, caste, sub-caste and community do not interfere with your choice of partner for life. If people from different religion, caste and community can work together in different work places, ministries and national missions, they can work together and build families also. Accept this change first. Once we understand man and women are the only two divisions God made and the rest of the divisions were made by those who are ruling us, the change will come automatically. Don’t build the top floor without building the foundation. First you change and then expect the society to change. There is no point in these 30 people publicly hugging or kissing, as long as 30,000 assemble only to watch the fun.

Some related links are
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/We-took-kiss-of-love-activists-into-custody-to-save-their-lives/articleshow/45043053.cms

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/IIT-B-to-lock-lips-with-Kochis-Kiss-of-Love-movement/articleshow/45009285.cms

“My City Stinks”

I shifted to Panvel in June 2013. I had lot of expectations when I shifted here. I stay very near to Panvel Railway Station. Living near to the station got its advantages and disadvantages. Soon after my shifting to Panvel, I was transferred to our corporate office at Marine Lines. I started to travel by train. It takes hardly 8 minutes by walk to reach station.

My journey to work place at Rasayani used to take hardly 20 minutes traveling by car. There is something common between my journeys to my working place. Those who travelled from HOC Colony Rasayani to Factory will remember a small stretch near HOC temporary colony at “Waveghar” to Factory crossing the Vivek Petrol Pump. This side of the road stinks. Anyone passing through that road is forced to close his nose and mouth with a towel. I used to travel through this road initially in bus and then in my scooter and later in my car. I used to keep the windows of my car closed so that the stinking smell never entered my car.

The road leading to Panvel Railway Station from my residence covers Kings Electronics mall which they claim as the biggest 35000 sq. ft. electronic mall in Navi Mumbai  and Big Bazzar mall. After Big Bazzar, there is 150 meter stretch encircling the “Arunodhaya Chowk”. This area reminds me about the “Waveghar” area at Rasayani. These areas have a common smell, the smell of mixed solid and liquid human waste (stool and urine). During my childhood at Anthikad, we used to have cows at our home. It was my duty to milk the cows and clean the cow shed. There is a particular smell in the cow shed, the smell of cow dung and urine. I am sorry to say it but what was common between those cows and the people lived near the station road is that they evacuate their bowels where they sleep and they sleep where they evacuate their bowels. The sides of the beautiful roads which are supposed to be the foot paths for passengers are occupied by street vendors. They sell mobile phones to potatoes on those paths. It is difficult for anyone to pass through this area without feeling the stinking smell. If you keep your eyes open and take care, you will not land yourself on human faeces. I regularly see youngsters attending mobile phones landing on human faeces.

The people living on the sides of the road are permanent illegal residents of the area. I must correct myself and tell you that they are legal residents with Adhar Cards, PAN Cards, Ration Cards and even Passports. Their address read as Arunodhaya Chowk, Station Road, Takka, Panvel. When I tried to make my Adhar Card and Passport with my Panvel address, I had hell of a time. I dropped the idea of changing the address in my ration card after the difficulties I faced with the authorities. However these people had no difficulty in getting all their legal requirements as citizens of India.

I must admit that the station roads leading to any local train station in Mumbai is no different. I do not think it is different elsewhere in the country.

Our Prime Minister had launched a nationwide “Swacch Bharat” (Clean India) campaign. I appreciate his campaign and hope that someday we will have a Clean India. Let us start from our city. Let us keep our roads clean. Let us give everyone a chance to live, but not at the cost of others. There has to be strict rules against the people who dirty our city. It is not only important that you should not dirty our city, but also not allow anyone else to dirty our city. Unless and until this attitude comes in our people, our city will stink.

” A letter to PM helps a retired employee to get her dues”

A letter to Indian Prime Minister helps a retired Professor to get her gratuity payment which was due in 2013. Posted for the benefit of retired employees from many organizations who are running from post to pillar to get their dues. You are not helpless. You have a Prime Minister who listens to the injustice met out by you. Get up and act.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/noida/Letter-to-PM-quadruples-ex-professors-gratuity/articleshow/44965650.cms