EDITORIAL
It’s time to flee Delhi as the Commonwealth Games approaches. The security establishment is so paranoid about terrorists disrupting the games that moving around may become a nightmare. Don’t be surprised if they peek in your underwear for hidden arsenal. In any case, who wants to hear endlessly the televised wailings of those Cassandras who tell us that India should never have bid for the Commonwealth Games or the never-say-die optimists who maintain that mega sporting events are just what the masses want and everything will be tickety-boo. So, go on a holiday and ignore the television screens.The cars in the colony are getting bigger and so are the egos. Bigger cars leave less remove to manoeuvre to slip the car into the slot. In order to leave enough room for your neighbour to conveniently park his or her car and not leave any scratches or dents, one has to consciously do some subtle aligning to get it right. But who has the time or perhaps, who cares! You could end up slipping your car between already two parked cars and find that you are not able to open either of the front doors enough, to emerge out of the car. Unless you are built like an elf you might have to do some calisthenics to make it in time for dinner! Please consider your neighbour a friend and leave enough room for him or her to park and do not park in other people’s slots. It can be very annoying.
The UPA’s second term is turning out to be nightmare. In vain did the Indian people hope that this clutch of ministers and their factotums from a confusing medley of political parties, might mature with experience. Unfortunately, this is not the case. We are tired of sloppy sentimentalism for the poor or the pompous and vacuous discourses on elimination of corruption or the pathetic inability to do anything with a team of colleagues pulling in different directions. The country is plodding along, with a loss of momentum in economic reforms that exists only in the velocity of verbiage of the garrulous ministers. Of course, the worst performing ministers are from the coalition partners and not from Congress but that does not deflect from the responsibility of the main party. The PM is mild of manner, with impeccable credentials as an honest and incorruptible politician, but he must demonstrate that coalition does not signify pusillanimity, as otherwise the next hustings could be very daunting. To add to the turmoil, the Kashmir imbroglio, food inflation, rotting foodgrain and Commonwealth games scam give enough cause to the opposition to put the Government on a sticky wicket with Muralitharan and Mendis at the bowling end.
Rain and power failures seem to be playing truant with our cultural schedules. After disrupting the Onam feast, the rain showed its fangs yet again at the Janmashtami festival. The Krishna Leela planned on the small stage in the badminton court had to be moved to the covered Community Hall on 2nd September. The tableaux painstakingly prepared on the stage by the children got washed away. The programme scheduled for 7.30 pm had to be rescheduled to 8pm because of the power outage. This disruption did not however, dampen the enthusiasm of the participants who were at their very best. The Krishna Leela featured two dances, both choreographed by Shahin of E-205. The dance, Radha kaise na jale (of Lagaan fame) featured Pradyumn, Vinay, Vivek, Vedika, Vanshika, Devyani, Bhavna, Ananya and Aradhya. They were a picture of grace and colour in the dance ballet. The prize for best dressed Krishna and Radha had to be abandoned as it was very difficult to pick just one winner from all the beautifully turned out participants. The dance, Govinda ala re was a more peppy number done by Siddhant, Jai Krishnan, Sachin, Vinay, Vivek, Gokul, Mani, Aryan and Pradyumn. They danced with gusto and the audience clapped to the beat. Despite the rain and changed schedule, there was a fair sprinkling of residents to cheer the kids. Mr. M. Thangathurai of B-302 distributed Nestle Munch chocolates to the assembled throng. View photos of the very charming performers right here.
The festive season is upon us. People who wish to participate in cultural events should get in touch with Shahin Ponnuswamy ,Prema Manoj or Seema Chari. Those wishing to hold games and food stalls should get in touch with me and for sports with Thomas Abraham, Raju Parameswaran or Srikant Murthy.
Due to police restrictions on account of the Commonwealth Games, all hawkers have been evicted. On a plea from residents, one vegetable vendor has been given access to Yamuna for a couple of hours in the morning until the Games get over. This has provoked a person to send an anonymous diatribe about some “privileged” Managing Committee members having allowed access to this hawker by taking a hefty bribe, thereby compromising the security of the Apartments. Whosoever is making the allegations should have the courage to put his/her name to the notice. Such low form of slander is a hallmark of a coward unwilling to stand the test of propriety. It is utterly shameful and disgusting that when one attempts to mitigate the hardship faced by residents in sourcing vegetables, someone sees ulterior motives.
SNIPPETS
Felicity with numbers comes only to the chosen few. To be invited to the World Mathematics Congress, is the pinnacle of achievement even for this rare breed. This honour was bestowed upon Mrs. K. V. Shantha of A-105, who was amongst the select band of world renowned mathematicians invited to the Congress held in Hyderabad in August. Kudos to her.
Pradeep Amle, an engineer with Samsung Engineering India, has moved to H-106 from Seoul, Korea via Mumbai. His wife is a Chemical Engineer but has resigned from her job to nurse her twin children Aadi (son) and Ovi (daughter), born ten months ago. Their interests are confined to reading books on Engineering to further their intellectual heft. With their moving into the complex they would be boosting the Marathi speaking population of Yamuna.
I wonder what it is about Mumbai that almost all the influx of residents to Yamuna in recent times have been from the land of Bollywood. The latest kid on the block is Kartick Shankar. He has moved into B-306 along with his wife Madhu and his parents. Madhu got married to Kartick only this May when he popped the question. Kartick has taken a job with Godfrey Phillips as Brand Manager. Madhu who was a Fund Manager in the Treasury department of a Mumbai firm will join the ranks of the educated unemployed when she moves to Delhi. Not for long, though; with her pedigree, employers should be queuing to hire her. Both Kartick and Madhu love to listen to western music. Reading and movies are Madhu’s other interests. They can be reached on 9560399967.
We wish both these families a wonderful stay in Yamuna.
For daughters delivering babies, parents are the most valuable resource. They are the only ones who would not crib about sleepless nights, soiled nappies and wailing infants. For Smriti, Mr. and Mrs. Raghunathan’s (H-208) daughter, their visit to her home in the US could not have come at a better time as she delivered a bonny boy, Vihaan. All residents in Yamuna congratulate them and hope their chores turn out to be pleasurable as babies can also be great stress relievers.
HEALTH CAPSULE
Camphor – Nature’s mosquito repellent
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