Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Sabarimala Issue- My view.

Sabarimala Issue- My view.


 
I don't understand what all this fuss over the sacred Sabarimala is about. Why do we give so much importance to a few so called liberal feminists whose only intention is to create news? Intentions remain the same for those who are behind the ''Ready to Wait'' campaign. If you don't want to go, it's okay..! If you are ready to wait, then wait....! Why such hula-bulah about nothing...? If not for propaganda and for the sake of looking for personal fame and cheap popularity in social media, what the fuss is all about then..? The ban was enforced under rule 3(b) of the Kerala Hindu places of worship (Authorisation of entry) rules 1965. After all the deliberations, the High Court of Kerala, in consultation with different stake holders had upheld the ban in 1991 and directed the Devaswam Board to fix the age for women to go to Sabarimala as below 10 and above 50. Though, courts have generally upholds equality whenever discrimination is reported on the basis of sex, the Supreme Court of India till now has not issued any definitive ruling on Sabarimala matter and hence the decision of the Kerala High Court on this issue still stands. Therefore, the law enforcement agencies in Kerala should have no problem preventing any attempt to physically enter or break into the sanctum sanctorum of Sabarimala by whatever Desais or Gosais more easily and efficiently than I'am here typing on these tiny, frustrating buttons on my smartphone keyboard, that too while sitting in this moving TNSTC bus from Palani.....:-)
Relax guys and gals...and stop making stupid people famous.

According to Hindu customs, we do not take a child, boy or girl, inside any temple before “choroonu” a ceremony we follow since time immemorial. It is something that we observe voluntarily as there is no mechanism available in any temple to meticulously verify whether the devotees observe this custom or not. Many of us, particularly the new generation, are probably less aware of such a custom but we still follow such practices prescribed by our ancestors in all their wisdom with a sense of reverence and fear of divine retribution. Similarly, our ancestors provided us with several such traditions and customs beneficial in many ways to our healthy upbringing and maintenance by incorporating a whole lot of simple health routines by making them part of our religious rituals. But in this digital word, we are in a hurry to thrust aside anything traditional as being labeled as superstition and blind faith without ever giving the matter much thought as to why our ancestors had instituted them in the first place.
Let’s not get hysterical about the present Sabarimala issue, treating it as a matter of gender justice and equality. In both Latin and Orthodox Christianity and also in Zoroastrianism, the priesthood is reserved for only men folk considering this belief in the uncleanness of women. In Muslim community the woman folk are not allowed entry in mosque. Here we have to use wisdom and understand that, all these restrictions are deep rooted in our religious and cultural beliefs that are in a way enforced by the religious institutions and patriarchal society in general. The fair and objective attitude to approach this sensitive topic is to observe enhanced tolerance and wait for an appropriate solution. We all agree that most such customs are not practicable and constitutionally justifiable in today’s world. Let’s be more practical rather than allow our mind be filled with negative thoughts and emotions when it comes to dictate our relationship with God. Let’s focus more on our present day life and travel our own distance towards prosperity. Don’t allow an event or person to control your emotions as they have a hidden agenda behind the curtain. The matter is now with the Supreme Court of India and they will soon be hearing the final arguments on the question of the restriction imposed on menstrual women. There should be no argument in regard to fundamental rights guaranteed to citizens of India irrespective of caste, creed and gender. And we all know, in this modern world, it’s absurd to debate on the notion of menstruating women being impure and if allowed inside the temple they may defile the temple by their presence. These are all man-made and with no current scientific evidence that suggests otherwise, the words of Dr. Ambedkar explain the role of constitution in providing social justice. He had remarked, “The religious conceptions in this country are so vast that they cover every aspect of life, from birth to death. There is nothing which is not religion and if personal law is to be saved, I’am sure about it that in social matters we will come to a standstill”. Here it’s all about collective or common conscience which holds the society together. I agree, as we progress we become more aware of our rights and hence the society as a whole becomes more mature, distinct and developed which demands changes to some age old traditions. Our courts in India have rightly addressed social reform agendas using proper procedure at appropriate times. The laws of the land are set up so that we will have orderly and peaceful societies to make us a better nation of people. We are not supposed to insist that all our religious values be the law of the land. Let’s have faith in our judiciary and since the Supreme Court will soon be hearing the final arguments on this issue, we as a progressive society shall wait and see what the highest court of India comes up with and wait until the Supreme Court gives a final judgment.
Till then relax and go to your classes…….

Friday, August 26, 2016

Leh Ladakh- A Short Flight Offload Travelogue written in "SANCHARI" group.

Leh Ladakh- A Short Flight Offload Travelogue written in "SANCHARI" group.

 
A Short Travelogue....
Sometimes you have to cancel your most sought after excursion, due to some unusual, unexpected, or unavoidable circumstances that are beyond your control. It’s quite normal to happen that way. But, can you just imagine a situation where you have to postpone or cancel your trip for a reason that has nothing to do with you? One such example is when you are offloaded from a flight after a beautiful stewardess gently approaches you and, to your dismay, apologises and says that you can’t board the plane since the flight has been overbooked. And that’s when you realise you have just been bumped off with a confirmed ticket very much available with you. Don’t worry guys, you should feel proud to be among those very few passengers in aviation history who can write a travelogue in the shortest amount of time.
This has happened to me a few years ago.
I arrived at least two hours early at the airport and stood in the security queue. I was relaxed. Once through the security checks and the boarding pass were handed over to me by the police officer, I looked at it over and over again. Aaahh....! Yes, finally I’am going to a place where my mind was longing to go ever since I’ve heard about this place. A place I do repeatedly see in my dreams. A place untouched by the hustle and bustle of torrid city life. An unimaginable terrain with spectacular lakes and magnificent patches of green land.
Nestled in between Himalayas and Karakoram mountain ranges, the Leh-Ladakh and its snow capped mountains have always allured me. I felt that lurching sensation in my heart just by thinking about those pictures of Leh Ladakh that I have had seen in some magazine. The aircraft awaited us on the tarmac. As the shuttle bus took me to the aircraft, I looked back at the terminal building of the Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport to appreciate the enormity of that huge structure. In a few minutes, the bus stopped next to a magnificent aircraft with “Air India” proudly displayed along the side. Near the aircraft door stood a beautiful young flight stewardess who greeted me aboard with her folded hands and sparkling eyes. I smiled back and trudged toward the aisle. I was the last person to board the flight. Once inside the flight, I found there was total cacophony. Many people were standing in the aisle, blocking the others trying to occupy their seats. I was in the queue for almost ten minutes with no one behind me. The whole scenario sounded a bit frenzied and I guessed there was some problem with the seat assignments due to the plane already being full of passengers. I saw the flight attendants were apparently having a hard time dealing with the passengers. Time crawls by. I took a deep breath to compose myself.
“Excuse me sir”, I found a tense flight attended standing in front of me. He said, “You are not flying on this flight sir, we apologise for the serious inconvenience caused to you” and he saw me to the door.
Yes, they bumped me off the flight because the flight was overbooked by one seat and I happened to be the last one to board the flight. One car was waiting down the aircraft ladder to take me back to the terminal building.
Though they have arranged an upgraded seat for me on their next available flight, that thrusting, momentous feeling of happiness that had been elegantly whirling in my mind for past several days was obliterated in the blink of an eye.
If the first thrill and excitement of a journey is broken, then I think, the intensity of pleasure associated with that journey will eventually fades to a large extend.
Now, let me share with you just a few tips you need to know if you get involuntarily bumped from a flight which is quite possible though very rare.
Many airlines acknowledge that they sometimes overbook the flight, which is perfectly legal, to ensure seat optimisation, anticipating last minute cancellations by confirmed passengers particularly during peak seasons. It is normally done to ensure that they don’t lose revenue for “no show” of passengers as nowadays the customers have the choice of cancel or re-book their travel until a couple of hours before the departure. Here, even though you cannot drag the airlines to court but you are absolutely entitled for compensation. In cases of denied boarding, airlines are bounded by DGCA regulations to provide compensation ranges from refund of the air ticket cost or an alternative, comparable transportation arrangement. They also offer monetary compensation for the inconvenience caused. The passenger gets Rs.2000/- for flights with block time of up to one hour, Rs 3000/- for flights with block time exceeding one hour and up to two hours, and Rs. 4000/- for those more than two hours. Block time is the total time from when an aircraft moves for taking off until it comes to rest at the destination point. Some airlines even offer up gradation of seat in their next available flight on the same day or the next by providing accommodation in a very good hotel as the case may be. All this are applicable to passengers denied boarding on flights of foreign airlines flying to or from India with a much higher amount as per the DGCA rules. Readers are requested to get the updated version of these rules from the airline’s website for more information.
Just thought of sharing an experience in my favorite “Sanchari” group for the benefit of my beloved friends here.........Thank you for your patience.
Wish you all a pleasant and relaxing weekend.
Pic Courtesy - Google.

Man carrying dead wife's body in Odisha - Cartoon

Man carrying dead wife's body in Odisha - Cartoon

Man carrying dead wife's body in Odisha - Cartoon
 

Thursday, August 25, 2016

The shortest happy ending story

The shortest happy ending story

The shortest happy ending story- Friday evening. The office clock ticked 6 pm.








Friday evening. 
The office clock ticked 6 pm.

The End.

Monday, August 22, 2016

Rio Olympics- Women power India, Cartoon

Rio Olympics- Women power India, Cartoon

India in Olympics - Cartoon


Good Bye Rio.....Thank You Gals..........
Good Bye Rio.....Thank you Gals.....

Monday, August 15, 2016

70th INDEPENDENCE DAY - IOB REGIONAL OFFICE MADURAI- 15th August 2016


 70th INDEPENDENCE DAY - IOB REGIONAL OFFICE MADURAI- 15th August 2016

Just back from the flag hoisting ceremony conducted at the IOB Regional Office, Madurai.


Ha....! My Flag....My Anthem...My Country......!


That feeling of patriotism, love and devotion to my country that evokes from the inner of my heart manifolds whenever I stand in attention and sing my national anthem while the tri-colour flutters high above the sky......!


Reproduced below is a Hindi Poem, published in the I.O.B magazine "Madurai Vani" a few days back.


it's about our flag, our tri-colour, our pride......................!


लाल नहीँ, पीला नहीं हरा नहीं न काला
रंग तिरंगा है हमारा, हम उसके रखवाला
जिए तो उसको सदा स्मरण कर
मर जाये तो उसे नमन कर
जब होंगे कुर्बान यहाँ पर
निकलेंगे शान से उसे पहनकर
लेकिन उड़ेगा हज़ार सिपाही
एक दिल होकर कदम मिलाकर
बढेगा आगे लहर बनाकर
'भारत माता की जय' पुकारकर....!




A very happy "INDEPENDENCE DAY" to one and all......

Sunday, August 14, 2016

Saturday, August 13, 2016

St.Mary's School, Pattom, Trivandrum Students Re-union. A night to remember forever.

St.Mary's School, Pattom, Trivandrum Students Re-union. A night to remember forever.....


Every school reunion carries a nostalgic touch that status updates or chatting in social network can’t replace.
The simplest way to explain what I’ve experienced at “The Residency Tower” on Saturday, the 6th , is through a parable that goes like this, “ You have to be there to love it and feel it”. A group of “youngsters” on the eve of International Friendship Day gathered together and you guess..., hugs, music, handshakes, and dance and of course, scream of joy everywhere. It was indeed an opportunity to see the adult version of our good old friends who went their separate ways and have not laid eyes for so many years. Though many were far more intimate with each other now than they were in high school, thanks to Facebook, this rare opportunity provided them a chance to hang out with their friends and have live conversations. Nothing compares to putting your arms around your classmates, laughing out loud and giving them a big hug. I could see there a lot of what is most beautiful about comradeship. We were there to reconnect, to relive the best times of our life and to create new memories. To give a loud and clear message out to our next generation that we are still pretty young. But then of course, my hearty congratulations to the members of the organising committee whose only goal was to get as many friends as possible from our school Alma mater together for an entertaining and fun filled evening. A big salute to them. It was indeed a very special night with beautiful faces, bright smiles and yes of course those lovely little kids. It brought back a surge of memories and in fact the only really frustrating thing is that I barely had enough time to talk to most of my friends.
Having experienced my first reunion a couple of years back, I felt, this time we were more open and hence the ambience was more exciting and fulfilling. For those first timers, I’am sure, that night was an opportunity to rekindle and strengthen the bonds of friendship that have been dormant for so many years. It’s amazing how, in a matter of seconds, one can turn back time to the good old days as if nothing could possibly have happened in between.
In a short span of four hours, we were able to affirm that our group was really special and indeed a rare reservoir of great talent, compassion, commitment and lot and lot of energy. The high decibel music performances, great poetry recitations, spectacular dances etc were enough to justify the cause. A few were seen here and there exchanging memories and stories from their time at St. Marys, that I believe something we all would cherish forever.
I’am sure, the most if not all who attended the reunion will be revelling in that feeling for many days to come. We had a blast; it was simply profound and truly extraordinary, more than I anticipated. Only regret is that the evening went by much too quickly. I too played a small role thereby singing a song and I know that I made a mess of it. Friends, my apologies and thank you for your patience. Anyway, the reunion was more than success. The best of everything was seeing all those faces again. I think at the end of the day we as a group have given back to our school some appreciation of what it gave us.
Few pictures reflecting those special moments that we will remember forever.....




























We Never Take Chances ...Nor We Give - Special Protection Group

We Never Take Chances ...Nor We Give - Special Protection Group

We Never Take Chances ...Nor We Give - Special Protection Group
 

Monday, August 8, 2016

Friendship Day Write Up Posted in Fb

Friendship Day Write Up Posted in Fb

Kallar, a much infamous river that situated en route to the popular hill station of Ponmudi in Trivandrum district, where Mother Nature has hidden many of her most amazing treasures deep inside her mysterious sereness, is known for its unusually strong undercurrents and flash floods. This river has claimed several lives, mostly students, so far.
It was drizzling when a group of students from the L.B.S institute of science and technology descended there to spend some time on the river bank. As the group hiked through the rough and narrow boulevard they found the forest growing more and more denser. One among them, somewhere on the bank of the river, befriended a small local boy who promised to take them to a spectacular waterfall on the other bank of the river which according to him, will be remembered by all forever.
Kallar River was sweeping down at an astonishing pace. The river bed, a jumble of large slippery boulders bore a terrifying appearance. Students grew concerned that the river would turn violent any time. Looming dark clouds across the mountain ranges and a thunder that pealed out over the uphill further justified their apprehensions. When they reached a sandy shore near the river bank, the local boy said, “you must now cross the river and walk through the woods along a path to reach the waterfall”. Some local elders who were seen fishing near the bank, warned the students against venturing into the river on realizing that it’s raining on the other side of the mountain range. But the local boy was determined and so was the leader of the group. His friends pointed out to him the rashness of the river that changes its mood in minutes. She could be silent at times, serene and mellifluous and at the next, she turns edacious and ravenous, all depends on the rain. They even told him that they did not expect to witness his death right in front of them. But nothing discouraged him. No dangers appalled him. The first rush of blood to surge beyond the human limits and access the secret of the waterfall eventually resulted in him and the local boy getting into the river.
“You are not going in there”, his friends yelled from behind when they saw him descend into the river. They pleaded with him to pull back from his treacherous mission, having now learned from more locals how dangerous the river could be. They urged him to abandoned his mission and return to the river bank. He heard nothing.
Almost into the middle of the river where the water, which was now waist deep, he heard from behind a noise. “Wait there, I’am coming. We will go together”. It was his best friend, fully aware of the consequences of his action, was about to join him. Together they had the satisfaction of finding each succeeding step was stronger to its predecessor. And at the end they were rewarded by finding that magnificent waterfall deep inside the forest. They rejoiced and thanked each other for their comradeship.
Although this incident happened over 25 years ago, it is still firmly etched in my memory. I think, Perhaps a brave man is not he who doesn’t feel afraid of taking risks, but someone who risks one’s life to save someone else, fully aware of the risk of life involved in it.
Thank you my dear friend Shuhaib Pallickal, on this friendship day.
And a very happy "Friendship Day" to all my dear friends........


പ്രകൃതിയെ തൊട്ടറിയൂ......
പക്ഷെ
 തൊട്ടുകളിക്കരുത്‌......