The Mango Tree
May 4, 2008 
Mang
Mango Tree tall and big evokes a strong sense of nostalgia in me, for much of my life in childhood was spent under the precincts of big mango trees. We were fortunate to have neighbors who had 5 big mango trees with lithe branches in their garden providing much succor and shade to near by roads and houses.
Kids of Chottupura (our locality) virtually grew up under the shades of mango trees. Our evenings were spent under these giant trees. The galli cricket or table tennis or just chit chat the avenue always was facilitated in the shades of mango tree. Come summer the mango trees provided an anodyne milieu for starting our game in sultry heat at 2pm. The Mango Trees have witnessed it all, the thrilling cricket matches played with much verve and passion, the little skirmishes off the field and who can forget the Chottupura slapgate? The Bully Proto slapped the innocuous Natraj under the mango tree. The slapgate of Chottupura snow-balled to a big controversy and was settled out again under the Mango Tree. I vividly remember the outrageous parents and neighbors of Natraj protesting and walking to Proto’s house to tame the bully. Unfortunately the bully never had compunction of his deeds. Stalemate prevailed and no action took place on the field for next couple of days, Proto was unofficially banned. But then things cooled down and back were the boys for action and fun under the mango tree. Summer was also the time of mangoes raw and ripe. Miscreants attacked the mango trees with stones and aimed high at the perching mangoes. Passer by had torrid time evading stones falling on their head or mangoes falling on their heads. We bore the brunt as an old house with tiled roofs the tiles broke when the stone fell on them. But it was all taken in stride because having mango trees burgeoning over the roof outweighed these small hardships.
I was really lucky to have access to mangoes high on the branches by just a grasp of hands from my terrace. Have a look at this picture.
Raw mangoes cut into slices peppered with salt – a real mouth watery stuff. Later part of my year during graduation and post graduation mango tree played a major part in my studies providing a bevy of convenience and a comfortable study arena. During study holidays early mornings and much of the evenings were spent in the terrace under the shade of mango tree reading and working on the subjects. It was as if the Mango Trees providing a cornucopia of energy and inspiration to slog out long hours.
Ok, why these entire mango talk now? Is it just that summer is bringing in the mango memories, well No! When I moved to my apartment in Hyderabad, we had a mango sapling at one of the corners of our compound; it was reminiscent of the giant mango trees which I was used to, infact like a stripling of those grand daddies. I was ecstatic; I was dreaming of the days when it would bloom out and become tall and strong providing the shade and comfort. I was waiting for the day in which raw mangoes would be borne out of it and I can pluck those to revisit the good old days of eating raw mango peppered with salt. Till yesterday it was there on the corner growing more than 12ft high and daily I would check its progress. Alas! today its no more, the lust and greed of human mind has cut its life short. With a stroke of axe it has fallen and rooted out and I have given it a poignant farewell. All this for building a shed for drivers, oh! Man you just could have sat on the shades of Mango Tree rather than under an abestos sheet. But in today’s world there is hardly any sense prevailing…..for such magnificent trees to survive.
Hopefully someday I too will own a piece of land and plant a mango tree!
Serving Trash – The Hindu
May 12, 2007 
The filter coffee and The Hindu the quintessential combo for many South Indian homes for starting the day. But now the combo has gone awry at least for me. The Hindu the leading light for news and analysis for decades has renegaded itself to a voluble mouth-piece for Commies dishing out acerbic articles for the sake of Socialists.
So what we see now – fortnightly bashing for BJP, Narendra Modi and Gujarat. Then once in two weeks the obedient sycophant M/S. Harish Khare would play out his sycophantic notes for the family and Manmohan. Attack the US capitalism and harp on Iran. Its a such a sham the editorial and analysis. A case in point, is the analysis of UP verdict where Mr. Khare has surmised it like this
“Above all, the U.P. vote is the first evidence of a kind of “Manmohan Effect”: the country’s collective nerves remain calm and un-excitable, despite occasional provocations from jihadi groups.
While there is no cause for the UPA bosses to feel greatly excited, there is also no need for them to persist with their self-doubts.”
At the ground level its pretty eminent that verdict is decisively against UPA and the family has abjectly failed in its propaganda, The Hindu and Khare wants to make us believe that defeat of BJP is a victory for the family. The height of Commie-ism was witnessed in Nandigram coverage when editorial were penned by Karats absolving themselves (Commies) from the blame of taking innocent lives and putting it squarely on other parties and naxalites, where as the fact of the matter remains Buddha bungled it when coming to maintaining law and order/acquiring farm lands. Whatever the Commies say, truth remains that Guajarat remains the best managed state with best-in-class infrastructure and investments and the 30years of Commie rule is not taking West Bengal anywhere in terms of investments, industry or quality of life.
I reckon editorials and analysis should subjugate the people to think apolitically and should be the medium for vibrant discussions. Instead The Hindu is just serving trash by enslaving itself in its nepotism and jingoisms for a few parties and bereft ideologies.
Now if anyone is really interested in some quality opinions and analysis I recommend make a switch to Business Line, though from the same media house of The Hindu, I hear its under different management. The difference is distinct and quality is top notch. Even though a Business News oriented paper, it really serves the purpose for a reader who is really looking for some quality analysis, views, and opinions. The opinions are written by eminent scholars and researchers without any political moorings and most articles have positive connotations and this is something which all should read, rather than being entangled in the morbid political rivalries and blame games and casteisms which is eating out the psyche of this nation.
So next time a CRR is hiked or 123 agreement is signed or Wheat price is raised by 100/quintal or a Vidharba happens or a SEZ is acquiring lands scan through the Business Line OP-Eds to see the real implications and ramifications of course all without the tinge of political shades. Apart from the OP-Eds Business Line also has some quality add-ons like New Manager (as the word says its about managing people/organizations by new manager), e-world (happenings in IT world), Life, Investment world (shares, mutual funds, loans the whole of investments), Mentor and of course the daily Last Page titled Variety which can enthuse all and sundry with interesting stories.
So I have made the decisive switch, The Hindu to trash and The Business Line in hand with a mug of aromatic coffee.
Muslim Nepotism – II
November 3, 2006 
Congress is at it again. Lame ducks have contested that “Shariat panchayats could be established to settle disputes between two persons and their fatwas are not in conflict with or parallel to the Indian judicial system”.
Wow! smacks off logic and proprietary. Talking about Muslim Personal Law and Shariat the greatest testament is the Imrana rape by her Father-in-law. The elites and erudite of the Shariat Law have pronounced the dastardly verdict “Treat your husband as your son!”. But Congress feels this is the fundamental right of Muslims to live in this pre-medieval and barbaric traditions and project them as India’s historical tolerance and pillars of secularism.
And what a coincidence another enlightened Muslim Panchayat has delivered another landmark verdict today — drive out the rape victim out of village and cut her off from the family; justifying our parties stand of Shariat as heightened seats of law and justice.
All in the name of Secularism. Go ahead Soniaji! Go ahead Madam Manmohan Soniaji!
Creamy Layer, Lee Cooper, Hush Puppies and a Swatch
To include creamy layer in reservations or not is the question? Well my mind waddles down the memory lane; circa College days. These thoughts conjure up in my mind.….
A lazy Monday Morning day in the class; a wisp of perfumed fragrance oozes into my nose from the air blowing from the acacia gardens behind the class-room. I realize its not a natural smell, my mind ponders and then I realize those are the concocted odors of costly cologne spritzed in someone’s body. I turn around to see two guys and hear their muffled voices.
Monday afternoon – lab time. Chappal (Shoe) stand bolting outside the lab door is filled with all sorts of shoes and sandals. I see a congregation of guys near the chappal stand and curiously I poke my head between them. The discussion was veering around a brand new chappal adorning the stand. The brand of the chappal read “Lee Coopers”. That was the first time I was hearing such a brand in the communist country. Then one of the guys enlightened us about the brand, its cost and its whereabouts. We took a gasp and parted seeing the influx of materialism in the socialist forte. Then the next day again point of attraction was chappal stand and my brand innocuous mind learnt about a new brand of shoes called “Hush Puppies”. Those were the days we knew only about Bata, Boots, Carona, Puma and Action shoes. Another brand Woodlands was a costly dream for us. I had thought then one day I too will wear these brands and in fact I bought my first Woodlands shoe of my life after getting into my first job and my first Lee Cooper chappals for Rs. 2000/- after joining Oracle.
But then I also learnt about some more new brands – heavy metal watches branded Swatch which I am not daring to buy any day in my life. Then Lee and Levis brand of Jeans which we never get in Trivandrum, but obviously have heard a lot about it in those days. For us life would be satisfied with a Killer Jeans.
Today when India is talking about Creamy Layer these thoughts from my college days fill my mind. About these new brands of shoes, clothes and perfumes which were quite out of our wraps and caught us unaware in our brand-pristine minds. And to no surprise all these materialistic goodies were fisted into our world through gulf money ushered in by two guys – who secured the coveted seat in our department through quotas.
Do these genre of guys really need crutches in life? Don’t have the world of fortune and comforts built for them to come out of the shackles and take us head on? Or is it that short cut to success is too luring for them at the cost of the deserved ones? Now I am deluged in such thoughts.
This is the creamy layer of India which I believe the Supreme Court talks to be excluded and alas those voices are interpreted as judicial pro-activism and breach of trust and constitutional rights by the political buffoons who rule us.
We as a nation are into tyranny of backwardness for the tryst with social justice and importantly anything that seems sensible to our (Middle Class/FC Indian) intellectual faculty are being ruthlessly burrowed and scythed by politicians and main stream media.
Disclaimer: Not meant to hurt feelings, just showcases how bad our system is.
Muslim Nepotism
I was waiting for this day to come. So here we have a Terrorist who has master-minded the attack on the altar of Indian Democracy killing many innocents. For a change, he is caught, convicted and the verdict is out; for a change justice is not delayed — to hang him by next month. I think this is the apt punishment for people who are out cold-bloodely killing innocents.
Oho! wait a minute I forgot as always it coincides that Terrorist is from the Minority Community in India – Moslem. So for the past couple of days I was left wondering why the great Indian National Congress was not ranting and raving about this verdict of killing a Minority Community Professional Killer.
I’m not disappointed; things have started working out…..boot-lickers are out to save the killing of a Moslem. I am sure clemency will be granted. Pity you great soldiers who have defended this rascals on that fateful winter day of Dec. 13th and sacrificed your life!! Your sacrifice doesn’t hold any meaning for us.
I suggest give him a Bharat Ratna and honour him and let Sonia & Madam Manmohan live in the pipe dream of capturing UP 
I’m ashamed to call myself an Indian. I loathe about it day in and day out.
Stifling Development Works
Kuttapanmars are back at it. An ambitious (ambitious in Kerala standards) flyover project near East Fort, the day of reckoning, the workers arrive in packs. Town Planning officials put on their civil engineering hats; the spade has been taken to start digging and mark the beginning of the construction of a flyover first of its kind in Trivandrum (well there is a New Theater flyover; but that was pretty necessary for crossing the rail tracks) and bang! Kuttapanmars arrive (trade unions) raise slogans and work is stalled sine die. I can imagine the situation a bunch of kuttapans in lungi’s and mundu and perhaps with their red flags and banners sitting on the road raising the Slogans.
“Sarkarintey Janadroha Nadapadikal udan nirthi vekuka; thottit illa thottit illa thotta charithram kettitlla; Inquilab Zindabad; Thoyilali Ayikkam Zindabad”
Well coming to the flyover itself; for those out of town and haven’t heard it see the pix below.
The red arrows show how the vehicles go from Thakara Parambu to Power House road choc-a-blocing busy Over Bridge Junction. And vehicles from Power House now go upto East Fort for a U turn and ply back to Thakara Parambu.
Considering the Station Terminal – II near by the flyover, it would have eased the traffic and would have been boon for travellers arriving at the station or coming from power house road and proceeding to Fort area or Srikanteswaram etc.
But we are in Kerala; dude!
