Dhoni the Cool guy!

I was travelling from Chennai  to Delhi on the 6th October, 2011 by King Fisher Airlines.  I was pleasantly in for a surprise when the Indian Cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his wife walked in to occupy the seats besides!  As a matter of courtesy, we exchanged smiles and a nod of head.  I could not resist to send out an SMS to my son Capt Neeraj who is a commander with King Fisher airlines to tell about Dhoni's presence in the cabin!  He encouraged me to take a picture with the celebrity.  I mustered enough courage to turn to him and talk about cricket and the ongoing T 20 Champions League without going too deep as Dhoni as the captain of Chennai Super Kings had lost the match the previous night and the team was out of the tournament!  Both Dhoni and his wife Sakshi were engrossed in playing cards and were happily smiling and playful.  With much reservation, I requested him and asked if he would like to pose for a picture with me for which he politely replied "after a little while".  I left the topic at that and the journey continued till Delhi.  When the flight landed and passengers were ready to disembark, there was a small crowd of about a dozen from within the plane who surrounded the Cool Dhoni , requested and took photographs with him.  I was quite amused and happy when Dhoni looked at me and signalled to come forward and have a photograph!  I thanked Mr Cool and wished him many more laurels and achievements in the years to come!  After he took the picture with me, he refused further photography as his wife Saakshi was way ahead near the exit gate at the T3 terminal!  He sprinted to join his spouse which was more like a Sixer bouncing out of his Bat during the cricket matches!!  The experience was unique and worth sharing!!

Seccond War of Independence in India

Corruption by politicians in India has hit the roof beyond any one's imagination!  The volume and  magnitude  of corruption has so many digits that it is difficult for an ordinary man to guess the amount that has been cheated and taken away from the public.

Like there is always a Robin hood for the poor, Anna Hazare emerged as a true Gandhian representative for the Indians and protested along with all those who were raising their voice against corruption!  The Indian government got jittery and invited Anna Hazare and his team for a joint discussion of the draft bill for implementing Lokpal- a bill against corruption.  The ulterior motive was to get out of the mess for that time being and take time to create disinterest in people or divert their attention.  The government side represented by Kapil Sibal, P chidambaram and Veerappa Moily did not like the idea of including shanti Bhushan, the eminent lawyer in Anna hazare's team to take the government side. The government machinery was initiated to find if there are any shortcomings in the personal and social life of the members belonging to team Anna including investigations by the Income tax authorities etc..  Nothing materialised and the government was left helpless.  Hence, they called the Delhi Police which comes under the purview of the Delhi government to find some excuses and prevent this  rally from happening!  The police came with harsh guidelines and undertakings which the protesting team of Anna Hazare were unwilling to buy or abide by.  Anna was determined to take this protest and fast  along with thousands of his followers and sensing this Delhi Police went to his house early this morning and arrested him saying it is a preventive arrest!!  Democracy and fundamental rights took a severe beating this morning in India.  The Government representatives consisting of Kapil Sibal, Telecom Minister, P chidambaram, Home Minister and ambika soni, minister for parliamentary affairs are trying hard to save face by inviting a press conference and trying to tell that they are with Anna Hazare and are inviting him to hold discussions with the government and the chairman of the standing committee with whom the Lok pal bill is lying pending passage in Parliament.  The leaders on the Television seems to be nervous and feverish to answer many questions posed by the reporters.  It is a clear indication of the government loosing grounds as they are suggesting team Anna Hazare to have interaction with the chairman of the standing committee and impress upon him to incorporate the view points as envisaged by team Anna!  This is a joke played on the public as the government representatives have not accepted the view points suggested by Annna Hazare and his team despite having nearly 12 meetings with them over the last couple of months!  The draft presented by the government seems to be an eye wash and does not recommend any harsh punishment for the offenders, corrupt and the defaulters in the government whereas Anna Hazare's draft recommends severe punishment for those who defraud the nation and indulge in corrupt practices.  The people of the country is fed up with the magnitude of corruption committed by the politicians and it is time that we frame strict laws to enforce a climate of anti corruption in our country to enable progress and prosperity.  The support for Anna for his campaign to bring an effective bill to root out corruption is growing by the hour and one can see people coming out in open all over the country and openly voicing support for a corruption free government in India?



Jai Hind!!

Yeh Zindagi na mile dobara! Schoolmate's meet @ Lonavla on 23/24th july, 2011

The thought of meeting at Lonavla suddenly erupted when my childhood friend and classmate Raghu (1968, Pusa) called me to say that the weather and scenic beauty of Lonavla was awesome with clouds coming down the hills on to the ghat roads to give you a feel of floating amidst the clouds in the air!  Ravi Krishnaswamy (1968, Pusa) was ever willing to join the fun and accordingly booked his journey to Mumbai.  I travelled to Mumbai and the three of us travelled to Lonavla where Ramesh, yet another schoolmate from DTEA, Laxmibai nagar opened his gated community house to welcome us.  The heart and thoughts of Ramesh was big enough to provide us good food coupled with Somapanam- the Indian equivalent of liquor!!  R Balachander(1968, LE) joined us within minutes of our reaching Lonavla to be with us and give company.  Incidentally, Balu works for a Maritime school at Lonavla teaching Maritime studies to young aspirants.  There were a dozen other friends who had come from Mumbai and were friends of Ramesh and Raghu.

The party started in the afternoon with tasty lunch and music and went on till about 10pm during which time, songs from the 1950s till the 1980s were sung besides ghazals prompting the gathering for more guzzling of drinks!!!  There was a Dolak player who used to record with the famous O P Nayyar and a couple of singers who were at their best singing and entertaining the small gathering.  As if to compliment the moods and flow of songs, heavens opened up bringing down sheets of water and gave added value to the visual treats of green mountains all around with streams flowing from the mountain tops!

The singing session that lasted for nearly 7 hours ended only to begin a new entertainment of Rummy after we all had yummy food!  Some who did not want to or know how to play retired.  The game of cards went on till about 4.30 am when a batch of friends who had retired earlier woke up for a morning walk in the rains within the gated compound.  They finished both their walking exercise and the ritual of morning bath at one stroke and were ready for the next action by 7am on Sunday!  Ramesh had organised a couple of cooks who took care of our appetite well by providing tasty and quality food.  The bread/omelet breakfast was amazing given the cold climate and the Delhi Belly that we were blessed with?

The Mehfil gathered momentum by about 9 am and songs from latest and old films were sung by quite a few who by this time had gathered mental strength to raise their voice to be heard!  The big heart of Ravi opened once again by declaring the Bar-open!  Some who wanted to go for a walk or stroll did that while the others were entertaining their souls with Madira and songs that touched your hearts.  Lunch was served at about 2.30 pm where after the party was over and everyone dispersed exchanging hugs and bear hugs!!  It was a cool, entertaining re-union of friends and specially for the four of us who hailed from Karol Bagh, New Delhi. We could manage to recall those good old days and certain acts of each other which brought in memories of the golden past that lay deeply embedded in our thoughts and lives!

A special mention about our classmates R Hariharan(LB), K N Ashok(Pusa), Shivalingam(Pusa), M R Diwakar(Pusa) who were so thrilled to hear about this meet and wanted to participate but could not due to pre-occupation.  They all sent messages wishing success.    We remembered you guys fondly  during our sessions!!  Salamat rahe dostana Hamara!!

Gandhi Nagar Club, Adyar, Chennai

Gandhi Nagar Club is a much sought after club in the South Chennai area.  The club offers various sports facilities besides a good Restaurant and Bar.  The club is well managed by competent members and has grown in size and stature over the period of years.  Billing has been computerised and entry restricted only for members who swipe their identity cards at the reception counter.  The Club presents a reasonably dignified image in the city which could be gauged by the simple rush of people wanting to become members at any given point of time!  The club excels in presenting varieties of entertainment programmes week after week for the benefit of members and their families.  The club provides Lodging facilities and has reciprocal associations with clubs all over India from where guests keep coming in.  I went to the club on one after noon to pay my pending bills when I found a stray dog comfortably sleeping at the gate instead of a guard who should have been present there on duty!  These days, it is very common to find dogs loitering around the club premises and continue staying there for ever with families!!  Probably, the guard on duty finds the Dog a cheaper substitute to man his position  so that he could attend to his personal errands during the day?  Dogs are known to be very friendly and loyal animals but just in case if it chooses to bite the member without realising his identity, the honorary elected representatives of the club will be answerable and this may cause considerable embarrassment to the Executive committee!  Hope the President and the Secretary elect will have a look at this menace and order immediate removal of stray animals from the club premises and make it honourable for those who come to lodge in the club for a brief time?

Spread of infection through currency notes and coins

India is a land of diversity with numerous cultural backgrounds and way of life!  One common factor which knows no religion, language or Socio-cultural background and which travels  easily from one hand to another throughout the country is the official currency notes and coins.  While the western world is trying hard to remove currency notes out of circulation or keep it to the bare minimum, India has a totally  different theory & concepts! India  has a parallel Black money running the economy and dodges the government from recovering legitimate revenues  by way of taxes.  In India, rupee notes are freely used for anything from buying basic needs for the household to purchase of fixed assets like land, buildings or anything for that matter!

In a Metro Bus, the conductor gives you a ticket while holding the notes in his mouth and later circulates it back to people through various channels.  This may carry infection that may  harm one's health conditions.
 There is a custom of thrusting some currency notes into the palms of the new born child.  The child not knowing the value attached immediately puts it into the mouth as a natural reaction!  No one knows if the currency notes had any infection on it?

  Similarly, the coins are put on the forehead of the dead and passed on to the family as a token of legacy! 
 The small time shopkeeper counts the notes and frequently wets the tip of his counting fingers with his saliva and this is a common sight that could be seen throughout the country!  Some business men carry wads of notes in their undergarment for the sake of safety and protection from being robbed!  The currency notes get soiled and oiled when they enter the shops of oil merchants who sell edible oils.  The currency notes when traded for petroleum products get a tinge and coat of petroleum products at the hands of the men manning the petrol bunks. The temples, churches, mosques and Gurudwaras gets donations by way of cash which would have exchanged and experienced different hands at different times!
  The saga of this currency travel from one hand to another continues unabated!  What is the way to check spread of infections arising through this circulation of currency notes and coins?  The Government must seriously think about this and do something to avert spread of infection through the circulation of monetary currency.  One way out is to restrict the flow of currency notes for which the government should bring in some other form of acceptance.  Plastic cards in lieu of money is one such replacement which is largely followed all over the world restricting the usage of currency notes amongst the public.  India Government could think of this alternative at least for the sake of health of its people?  The W H O under the auspices of the United Nations will do well to direct countries which uses currency notes to a large extent to phase out and introduce plastic cards in lieu of currency notes so that spread of infection could be curtailed to a great extent.  It will be worthwhile to receive inputs and comments from leading health specialists in this regard for the welfare of human beings at large?

My best Buddy in the U S

                                                    Dr Subramanian & Prabha
My U S trip remains incomplete without a visit to Dr Subramanian's house in Palm Bay, FL.  while Dr Subramanian fondly called as Mani works for the Florida Institute of Technology in their Aero-space department teaching and giving education to hundreds of students coming from all over the globe, Prabha handles almost everything that a family needs for sustenance!  She is a walking Encyclopedia of what's where and economical to buy!  Brisk by nature, there is never a dull moment when Prabha is around.  She is an ace driver who drives all the way to Orlando International airport which is about an hour drive from where she lives,  to pick you up and keeps telling "we are almost there"?  She is so considerate that she packs some delicious  snacks knowing pretty well that we may be hungry and longing for some thing South Indianish!!  You name a product of interest and there she goes googling the best price for the product and its availability at a nearby store.  Even before you realise, she has ordered the item through Internet and which gets delivered at home in the next couple of days.  She ordered an I-phone and a Tele-Zoom lens for my camera which was at my doorstep even before I could realise!!  She does all these with such ease and pleasure. She is a local socialite and has popularity amongst the large Indian settlers in the area.  Whether it's Dussera or the Republic day, the function is well represented with Prabha and Dr Mani in the forefront.  She engages herself in organising Indian festivals and carnivals and is a person sought after by the locals.
On the household  front, Prabha's kitchen is a bliss for anyone visiting her as you can see her in action within the limited area of the pantry doing everything possible to make your Belly Happy!!  Her fridge will have a wide variety of food stuff sure enough to confuse a person!  She likes preparing fresh food everyday and likes to watch everyone eating and enjoying the food that she has prepared.  She is ready to take you anywhere at any time be it a Mall or entertainment park such as Disney world!  The concern that we may not get the food of our choice if we venture to theme parks, makes her pack food for everyone so that our appetite is well taken care of.  All these and more is possible only because of  her husband  Dr Subramanian who lends his appreciation and support for all that she does!
Our cruise to Alaska and all over the U S would not have been possible but for the immaculate attention and utmost care taken by Prabha in arranging our itinerary in such a manner that we don't loose time while grabbing the most economical fares on airlines that we travelled in.  I and my wife Sandhya will have to place our appreciation and acknowledgement  for this great woman in Prabha for looking after our entire stay in the U S and making sure that we are going in the right direction by calling us often and directing!  In fact, the moment we landed in the U S, she sent a local Sim card with which we were able to stay in touch with her 24X7 without any fear of getting lost.
The best part that I enjoyed being with the Subramanians is the dinner at their house with all kinds of delicacies and varieties of food on one side and listening to Mani who is a human library on Aero-space and the connected research.  Many times I felt that I have eaten more than what I do is because of the interesting conversation that Dr Mani has with us sharing his knowledge and on the other side, the delicious, fresh and hot steamed food that Prabha makes and serves with love and affection!
We call her our master and guide in the U S.  We roam around the U S without fear with Prabha just a phone call away to take care and tackle things.
God bless this couple and give them more and more to be of service to humankind.
Athithi Devo Bhava- a saying that is apt for Prabha and Dr Mani in FL, U S A

Graduation ceremony of New york University

My niece Ms Archana Gopalkrishnan graduated from the Stern Business School, New york.  A grand graduation ceremony was organised by the NYU at the Yankee Stadium.  My niece  had managed to get 4 passes to enable us to experience and get a feel of what a Graduation ceremony is like and the importance that it gets both from the University as well the families of students who graduate!  What an  amazing feel it was as We found ourselves amidst a spectrum of  Blues that identified with the NYU's official color.  A timid girl Archana who studied and passed out from Chettinad Vidyashram in Chennai has matured into a Stern Business School graduate and popular amongst her local friends as Arkana!!  The family is in 7th heaven to understand that this young little girl has found herself a platform that is shared by elites across the globe!

Archana's proud parents in Dr Gopalkrishnan and Shoba were in bliss and their happiness knew no bounds! Archana's parents were quick enough to respond to their daughter's achievements and presented her a Solitaire ring to add ornamental glitter to her little fingers which accomplished so much at such an young age!  Parties followed and there were more celebrations as Archana got herself admission into Yale University for her Masters in International Economics!!  Truly, she is a role model for all the children in the family to follow and realise dreams.  On the graduation day of  19th May, 2011 New york was cold with heavy showers that made us take out all our winter garments that we had taken to wear and feel nice.  The ceremony was at the famous New york Yankee stadium and the chief guest was none other than the former President of the United States Mr Bill Clinton!!

Mr Clinton known for his best abilities to talk and deliver mesmerised the entire crowd of students and the parents by his speech mostly centred around the need for Education and sharing knowledge! As a part of humour, he jocularly said that he spoke to Nancy the previous evening and hat she was in knowledge of his whereabouts!!  His speech that lasted about 40 minutes finally ended up on a note "Yes, We can do it"!!  Undoubtedly, Clinton still enjoys popularity amongst the people both young and old and he caries a charisma about himself!  The 3000 plus students who graduated from different schools of the NYU made their representatives parade to the cheers of those seated on the galleries.  There were a couple of Indian students who were recognised and awarded by the Dean of the University which needs a special mention here.  The carnival like function of the NYU ended in the evening with students and families exchanging pleasantries and hugs!  It was an emotional event, truly.

Proud moments for the parents of Archana and her aunt who were watching the ceremony from the stands.  The crowd was so disciplined and well behaved and disbursed quietly after the function was over.  The crowd of nearly 100,000 plus was well managed and taken care of by the authorities.  Yes, we carried pleasant memories of the beautiful ceremony in our minds and hearts to cherish these lovely moments for ever and wished our dear niece Archana many more laurels and awards in the days to come!