Issue No. 137 I January 2013

Editorial

It was a frigid welcome to the New Year with the temperature touching the season’s low of 4°C on the first of the month and continuing on a downward spiral thereon to touch a new low of 1.9°C. This capped the lowest stretch of extremely cold weather not witnessed in the last forty years. While most people stayed indoors, the odd one could be seen taking a walk dressed in balaclavas and overcoats. With only eyes peeping out of the cocooned figure, it was well nigh impossible to know who was doing the yards. A felon similarly attired could have had a field day.

The one thing new about every New Year is that many people take a vow to reform themselves by making a New Year resolution. However, empirical evidence suggests that New Year resolutions are followed more in the breach than in their observance. Some of the most common resolutions revolve around giving up smoking or drinking, reducing weight etc. This promise of a sacrifice to buy oneself a better future is a sane resolve. But had sanity been all pervasive, this dalliance with the vice that eventually led to this decision would not have come about. The problem with those resolving to kick the habit is that they do not have the requisite willpower to go through the trauma of withdrawal symptoms during the transit period. Those who manage to cross the Rubicon are few and far between.

Parts of our colony are progressively getting worn out or weather beaten and need constant care to make us proud of the place we live in. The western boundary wall which had become pock marked and looked in dire state of plastic surgery got the beauty treatment to restore it to its glory days. This would also serve to strengthen the boundary wall which is constantly assaulted by the activities in St. George School. Some of the beams on the facade of the flats that had been damaged as a consequence of residents’restoration work in their homes, were also set right.

The main pipeline serving E and F blocks burst one day denying the residents of these blocks any water. Since the plumbers are not experienced in repairing cast iron pipes, the services of DJB staff was taken. It took more than one day to set right the problem as some critical parts had to be sourced from Chawri Bazaar. We regret the inconvenience caused to the residents.

The Secretary and Joint Secretary met Mr. V. K. Malhotra, BJP MLA and leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Legislative Assembly and handed him a letter requesting for arranging the covering of the gutter outside our apartments and periodic cleaning of the same. We have also requested him to provide waste bins at specified places on the pavement so that packets, sachets of food and drinks consumed by passers-by and students of St. George School do not end up in the gutter. He has agreed to pursue these matters. We had also requested him to gift us four street lights to illuminate the dark areas in the periphery of the colony.

Lohri is supposed to signify the peaking of winter but by the night of 13th January, the cold wave had abated to relatively mellow levels. However, this time the bonfire was more robust and good enough to last till the morning. Lohri goodies did the rounds amidst the chant of “Sundri Mundriyeh”. The ebullient Deepak and Seema were unusually diffident to get the singing going. Both were seemingly hampered by a sore throat. It required quite a bit of cajoling and coaxing to get them to sing, but when they got going neither betrayed a layringitical handicap. Ramabadhran, Sujata and Sudha Eswaran joined in the singing. However, the musical soiree did not last long as nasty Monday beckoned everyone home.

India celebrated its 63 rd year as a Republic on 26^th January. A Republic refers to a country that is ruled by elected leaders and not a monarch. The crux of this argument is that the elected leaders would be cognizant of the needs and aspirations of its people more than a monarch would as they were also common citizens until they were elected to the high office. But events of the past years and more particularly in the preceding month belie this trust. The country has scant regard for 50% of its population who are women. Elected leaders and sundry self appointed religious leaders, by their sundry blathering, are queering the pitch for a pragmatic debate to ensure the safety of women. The dastardly act of the rapists in the case of Nirbhaya and countless other faceless women who undergo the indignity of being assaulted and abused on a daily basis, instead of being condemned in the strongest possible terms, is being defended by the aforementioned leaders of faith and polity as either an aberration or brought on by the callous behaviour of the girls in question. I am aghast at the drivel these leaders dish out. Do we deserve such self serving and egoistic leaders whose lofty ideals of self worth is nauseating, to say the least? The mass awakening of common people to set right the system caused by social media has set a crow amongst the pigeons in the cosy nest of these politicians who view them as a new threat to their turf of governance. But don’t get fooled by all those protestors. Some of the men who showed up at India Gate purportedly in defence of the victim were actually seen molesting women. This is nothing but an opportunistic and perverse act of self indulgence masquerading as social concern. How appalling! This gender bigotry has to end. Male chauvinism doesn’t end there. Bharti, our Secretary, had a hard time dealing with the DJB personnel who showed up after much reluctance to suck out the drain which was blocked for several days and spilling sewage onto the road outside Yamuna. After she failed to get them to do her bidding to get the source of the problem examined and plugged, she had to call Mr. P.K. K. Nair who let out some choice invectives before they got down to look into the problem.

A meeting was held with Mr. Kasana, Chairman of the South Zone, MCD, regarding the issues concerning Yamuna residents. I took up the matter of gas pipeline, placing covers on the gutter outside the colony, repair of pavements and Metro connectivity. Mr. Kasana has assured me that IGL will start work in all Alaknanda colonies in a month’s time. Regarding drain covers and pavement repair, he stated that although they have received financial sanction for these projects, they will take them up only after gas pipeline work is completed by IGL as their digging can damage the pavements if started before. As regards Metro connectivity – an issue which Mr. Bhotlu took up with me – Mr. Kasana mentioned that Delhi Metro have ordered 300 buses. Once these buses are received they will have shuttle services between Alaknanda and the Metro stations at Hauz Khas, Nehru Place and Alaknanda.

The Heritage walk to Hauz Khas monuments, a Tughlak era structure in a stunning visual back drop of woods and ‘Hauz’ (lake) with white swans swimming in abandon, was a treat to the eyes. The gorgeous weather and Dr. Ramji Narayanan’s erudite commentary on the monument, its history, architectural influence and Islamic customs dictating the orientation of structures was so lucidly explained that those who missed out are less enlightened. Terms like squinch arch, corbelling, dowels and keystones do not sound like Greek anymore. Thanks Ramji, for lending some meaning to our existence.

CONTRIBUTION

I am reproducing below a poem written by from Sashvath Arun Ram of G-306 studying in Class 2, TIS, displaying a maturity far beyond his years.

BEAUTIFUL NATURE

Who is this great Painter?

Who painted the sky-blue?

The ocean-white, the sun orange?

Who is the great sculptor?

Who sculpted the apples-round and red?

The grapes-black and small?

Banana’s curved and yellow?

How do we thank the creator?

Ask me! As I am the narrator,

Nature says you all preserve me

Or, you all don’t deserve me.

OBITUARY

The year did not begin on a good note for Mrs. Meenakshi Venkataraman of B-206, as she breathed her last on 2^nd January. I had just met her on the morning of 29^th December, 2012 when she was embarking on a trip to Bharatpur, Fatehpur Sikri and Agra with her family. She seemed to be in high spirits as she enquired from me the possibility of sighting birds in Bharatpur. On the evening of the second I was shocked to hear from her son, Krishnan, that she expired in the car on her way to the hotel from Fatehpur Sikri. Nobody had an inkling that she was in any kind of discomfort as she slumped on Mr. Venkatraman’s shoulder in mid speech. She was only 70, a tad too early to meet her destiny with the Maker. She however, must be a blessed soul that she went without any suffering. She was a very enthusiastic person and for several years won the musical chairs competition and had also choreographed dances and skits on the stage. Yamuna residents convey their heartfelt condolence to the family on their bereavement.

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Mr. R. Lakshminarayanan of H-006, who was ailing for a while due to a botched knee surgery which failed to get corrected after repeated attempts, lost his fight with the odds and left for heaven on 18^thJanuary, 2013. The trauma of losing her husband was too much for his wife Meenakshi who was inconsolable. Yamuna residents convey their heartfelt condolence to the bereaved family.

SNIPPETS

A-005, after extensive renovation, has been occupied by Mrs. Durga Narayanaswamy (Ramabadhran’s mother-in-law). We welcome her to the colony. Now Ram’s children do not have to brave the daunting task of crossing the main road to Nilgiri where their grandmother lived before moving to Yamuna.

Dr. Mukesh Kalita has moved into G-305. His arrival has been complemented with his marriage on 31 st January, 2013 to his betrothed, Dr. Vaishali Sharma. Dr. Kalita is an MD in Anaesthesiology and is working in Safdarjung Hospital and Vaishali who has done MBBS and Diploma in Anaesthesia is working in Batra Hospital. Dr. Kalita, who is Assamese, is fond of music and likes to play badminton and volleyball. He used to write in his college magazine, so don’t be surprised if you see him pen his thoughts in the Yamuna Chronicle. Vaishali, who is Himachali, is fond of cooking and Mukesh considers her to be a good orator. Both these skills will come handy in the Chef’s competition and in compering the Annual Day respectively.

Mr. S. Suryanarayana Prasad, Asst. General Manager, State Bank of Mysore has moved into G-302 after a four year stint in Mauritius. Both Mr. Prasad and his wife Subasri are Carnatic music buffs. His daughter Dhanya, who is 7 years old, is seeking admission to Class III. They speak Telugu but having lived all their life in Chennai, also speak Tamil fluently. We welcome them to Yamuna. They can be reached on 8130266233.

Vani Kurup’s desire to live at close quarters to her parents residence in B-205 fructified when she moved into H-305. This came through consequent upon N. L. Ganapathy moving his office from H-305 to H-206.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS - FEBRUARY 2013

DATE	TIME	EVENT	VENUE
2.2.13	10.30 AM	VISIT INDIA ART EXHIBITION	ASSEMBLE AT A BLOCK GATE
10.2.13	10.00 AM	PAINTING COMPETITION-ALL AGE GROUPS	BADMINTON COURT
17.2.13	11.00 AM	PICNIC TO LODHI GARDEN	FROM A BLOCK GATE