Issue No. 227. I. July 2020

 

 

 

                                                             EDITORIAL

 

A Lancet report says the world population will decline by 2100 because of greater prosperity and higher literacy rates among other things. Societies the world over have become more egalitarian. I have reasonable cause to believe that it has not happened by design or social consciousness but more by the trickle-down effect of economic growth and lower fertility rates. About 40 years ago, the gulf between the Americans and us in terms of affordability was so wide that we could never imagine catching up. The situation now is such that we have all the things that Americans have. Car, fridge, TV, microwave, washing machine, mobile phone etc. There is absolutely no difference. To boot, we have maids, cooks, and drivers which even well-to-do Americans cannot dream of having. Even the social stratification that was so stark before is not so apparent now. For example, our domestic staff too have fridge, TV, washing machines, mobile phones etc. Manufactured goods have become more affordable. Even the clothes that they wear have the same lasting quality. This is not to say the gap between the haves and have-nots has narrowed. It only means that many people in the less-privileged strata of society are now better fed, better clothed, and have more material comforts than before.

 

There is general aversion that is developing in consuming anything Chinese including Chinese cuisine due to China’s misadventure in the Galwan Valley. There is nothing remotely Chinese in Chinese food that is served in India except the names of the restaurants and the décor. Chinese food served in India bears no resemblance to Chinese food in Shanghai or Beijing either in taste, texture, or the creatures found within! Even the so-called Chinese looking waiters and hostesses are from the North East. In the early days of the Chinese food invasion in the late sixties and early seventies, there were probably some things transported from the middle kingdom like the soya sauce, spices, music and the quirky aphorisms that emerged from the packets of fortune cookies. I do not find these identity markers in Chinese restaurants anymore. Now, all the ingredients used for making Chinese cuisine are made in India. Increasingly, the so-called Chinese cuisine is becoming more and more Indian with a higher spice quotient. As a matter of fact, there is nothing called Chinese cuisine even in China! You have Sichuan cuisine, Shandong cuisine, Jiangsu cuisine, Zhejiang cuisine, Hejiang cuisine, Anhui cuisine, Guangdong cuisine, Fujian cuisine, and Hainanese cuisine, all typical culinary styles of the various regions of China. It’s like saying “Indian cuisine”, where South Indian food and North Indian food are poles apart. Even the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, which I am familiar with, have at least three types of cuisines each. Therefore, our desire to shun Chinese food to teach China a lesson is a bit misplaced.

 

China’s acts of belligerence around the world are getting more and more pronounced –- whether it is sending veiled threats to Taiwan by reconnaissance flights or getting fighter jets to overfly or threatening to take over the islands of the littoral states along the South China Sea of Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Philippines etc. or clamping down on pro-democracy protestors in Hong Kong or staking claim to Himalayan territories of India, Nepal, and Bhutan. They are just behaving like a bully. For residents of Hong Kong, the ever-intrusive form of governance and the draconian laws that Beijing is seeking to impose is a red herring. After you have drunk the elixir of freedom both under the British as well as the self-rule guaranteed in the treaty signed by the UK and China, the thought of having to watch over your shoulder for everything you utter or do can be quite daunting and insufferable. No wonder the Hong Kongers have been protesting for the last nine months in the streets against their arm-flexing tactics.

 

With the withdrawal of the Chinese Army from the Galwan Valley and Finger 4, even the most trenchant critics quietly acknowledge the Government’s clever handling of the matter. The resolve to stand firm and take punitive action against Chinese apps and other economic involvements have given a body blow to the neighbour’s machinations. Narendra Modi’s adroit handling of the border kerfuffle by his timely visit to Leh to boost the morale of the forces, and issuing bold statements from there, gave the Chinese the clear message that India is not going to buckle under China’s economic and military might. The PM also read the tea leaves well when he noticed that in the wake of Covid-19, there is a greater global appreciation that China has gone too far. Signals from the US, Australia, Japan, and France reinforced the belief that the long-simmering discontent with China is coalescing into an incipient an anti-Beijing coalition. He also cleverly timed the signing of a defence deal with Russia for buying fighter aircraft and missiles. These signals were not lost on China and they decided to withdraw their forces from some areas, to avoid any escalation of the crisis where things were beginning to stack up against them. Unfortunately, China has cultivated influential friends in this country and they are not confined to those that wave a red flag! These appeasers which include some so-called intellectuals couch their indulgence of China in the logic of realpolitik, in return for handsome payoffs and junkets.

 

Covid-19 has brought in its wake a sense of apathy. The ghastly sight on TV screens of dead bodies being carted off in garbage trucks and lined up in a pile at cremation sites or buried in mass graves is an affront to the dignity of the departed souls as well as their families. For the children, bodies of their parents shrouded from head to toe in opaque plastic PPE’s without being able to bid so much as a last-minute goodbye, leaves them bereft of emotional release. For the spouse, not being able to catch even the penumbra of the visage of their life-partner before they are consigned to the flames or interred, does not lead to closure. For the dying, to be left in a totally uncaring environment in their last days, without their near and dear ones next to them, is too traumatic even to imagine. Even the fatigued doctors and nurses are unable to show empathy because of the sheer number of patients that are wheeled in. All this makes this pandemic uniquely heartless.

 

Last month, the brutal murder in the US of a black man, George Floyd, at the hands of the police triggered worldwide protests and led to the “Black Lives Matter” or BLM movement. Amongst the Indian diaspora, Yamuna’s own Tejaswin Shankar is in the forefront of protests against racial discrimination on behalf of Kansas University. Arising out of this enormous groundswell of support for race and colour equality, companies have become socially conscious or, probably fearing a backlash, have decided to drop any inappropriate affiliation to fair colour in their products. Thus, Unilever is going to drop their highly popular “Fair and Lovely” skincare creams, and L’Oréal is going to drop the words, “white, fair, light” from all their skin care products. Even the marriage portal Shaadi.com has decided to ban any words alluding to skin colour in their advertisements. What is gratifying, however, is that the government at last has woken up to this malaise and is proposing to impose a five-year jail term or Rs. 50 lakh fine for ads promoting fairness products. Many of our Bollywood stars profited immensely by shamelessly appearing in ads pandering to the insatiable desire to get fair at all costs. This obsession with fairness is driven by lifelong training in self-loathing, where one is made to believe that one’s self-esteem is directly proportional to the lightness of the skin. I had written about this socially evil practice of blatant discrimination on the basis of colour in the Chronicle about three years ago and, at that time, suggested that the government should impose a ban on all fairness promoting products. Now, due to a host of other reasons, it will see the light of day. It is blatant falsification of facts and ignorance of the user that cosmetic companies thrive on. How can the pigment melanin, which gives your skin its colour and lies under the skin, be removed by something that is applied on the surface of the skin? We Indians are basically brown, barring exceptions, getting a progressively darker hue as we move from the North to the South. This magnificent palette of shades, progressing from pink to very fair, ivory, tan( or wheatish), mulatto, burnt sienna, burnt umber, and chocolate, to ebony, is what makes Indian diversity so enchanting. The acceptable norm for matrimonial ads ceased with wheatish, a colour attribute typically Indian. Any shade darker than wheatish was considered swarthy and therefore not worthy of mentioning in marriage ads.

 

The Government’s subsidy to catalyse the shift to electric vehicles will actually ossify the car companies before they are in a position to transition from internal combustion engines to electric mobility. The loss of sale of fossil fuel-based vehicles to electric vehicles will actually erode the balance sheets of those companies who, as yet, do not have an electric vehicle in their portfolio. It is a double whammy coming on top of business downturn brought on by the cataclysmic effect of Covid-19. This is another example of what is good for nature is not necessarily good for business and the economy. Actually, we have to find a pragmatic balance between the seemingly inversely proportional nature of this problem.

 

The new body accessory is the mask, an accoutrement le plus essential.  It has triggered a fashion revolution with haute couture brands like Gucci and Valentino, amongst others, pitching for eyeballs. Closer home, many cottage industries have cropped up and are making the most of this craze for standout designs. Amongst them are those featuring Madhubani paintings and some carrying the photo of the features of the face that the mask obscures, for easy identification of the person. With increasing risks of zoonotic diseases sparked off by the demand for the meat of exotic animals, the peril to humans, even after the Covid-19 pandemic retreats, will not end. Hence, the mask may become an essential part of our attire forever. Ramani’s wife Geetha (C-001) is also getting attractive masks made by needy women and marketing it. You may get in touch with her at 9899205174 for your needs.

 

The XIIth Class CBSE Board results are out and as is the norm, Yamuna students have done exceedingly well. I have the permission to reveal the marks of Tanvi Savarkar and Aryan Ramabadhran. Tanvi, a Humanities student with Maths and Computer Science secured 96.75% marks and Aryan, a Science student scored 92.25% marks in best-of-four subjects. Tanvi has secured admission in Roanoke College, Salem, Virginia, USA for a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Statistics. She would have to cool her heels in Delhi, taking admission in some course as a stopgap measure until colleges reopen in the US. President Trump has torpedoed any plans of overseas students going to the country until colleges resume classroom teaching. Aryan plans to do engineering and is appearing for entrance exams. In the Class X Boards, Kiana Abraham scored 94% marks and Sahana Savarkar secured 92.6% marks. Sahana has asked for two of her papers to be re-evaluated. The great thing about their performance is that they do equally well in sports, fine and performing arts!

 

The lockdown blues is making people yearn for the resumption of some kind of social interaction, albeit virtual. Deepak Varma pulled in present and ex-Yamuna residents for an evening soiree of retro music on Zoom on Saturday, 18^th July 2020. Wow! Was it not nostalgic? I was invited to this hangout although my singing is limited to the confines of the bathroom, or when I wish to inflict punishment on my children! The singers from Yamuna were Bhavani, Seema, and Sreekumar Nair (Madhu) and ex-Yamuna residents included Deepak Varma, Abhilash Varma, and Deepa Anand. Deepak’s brother Vinod and friends Narsi and Vinay were the other crooners. Their melodious singing shows the incredible talent that Yamuna has produced.

 

What do you do when elected representatives blatantly violate building norms and illegally occupy government land? This elected representative was recently elevated as a Deputy Mayor of South Delhi Municipal Corporation. Unless we put a stop to this carcinogenic usurpation of power, we will make our already congested cities more unlivable. Judicial interventions are lengthy, expensive and very time- consuming. The honest truth is that once we exclude the rarefied field of petitions, the only modality of protest that is politically effective is the one that has the imprimatur of community mobilisation. Unfortunately, most of us in Yamuna do not wish to tangle with the powers-that-be and are indifferent to the goings-on around us. If we remain mute spectators, such shenanigans will continue. How do these elected representatives hope to gain the respect of the governed, to be re-elected, when probity in public life becomes a casualty?

 

Residents of E&F blocks are miffed that several inhabitants of these two blocks are parking their two-wheelers between the blocks, thereby hampering free movement and proving a great obstacle for the Society staff to clean the area. Their pleas to the concerned residents to park their two-wheelers in the H-Block basement have fallen on deaf ears. The former co-operative store in F Block is also being made available for parking of two-wheelers from 1^st August 2020 to counter this menace of surface parking.

 

The new licence holder of the canteen, Rangarajan Venkataraman (Rangu), commenced operations from the canteen on 20^th July, 2020 with a menu of snacks that is served all day on all days of the week. Because of Covid-19 threat, he is not hiring people for home-delivery just yet. Those who are loath to cook and need a quick snack can dart to the canteen for a rejuvenating repast.

 

After a five-month hiatus due to the threat of coronavirus, we are planning to resume some cultural activities where social distancing norms can be maintained. The Independence Day flag hoisting ceremony will herald the partial and baby-step initiative towards normalcy. A flattening of the Covid-19 curve in Delhi is the trigger to return to civilisation! Please come in large numbers wearing a mask that bears at least one colour of the national flag.

 

OBITUARY

Mr. K. A. Nair, former resident of H-208, passed away on 23^rd July, 2020 in Kozhikode, Kerala. He was President of the Society for a massive four years in 1983-84, 1986-87, 1989-90 and 1992-93 before he moved to Kerala and settled down there. One has to have a high level of tolerance to be President four times! He was a long time Tata employee and was known as TELCO Nair. His son, Sudhir, used to play cricket with us. Yamuna residents convey their heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.

 

SNIPPETS

Janaki (C-005), wife of Rangarajan or Rangu, as he is popularly known, delivered a baby girl on 8^th July, 2020. This bundle of joy has been named Krishnavi. Both mother and daughter are fine. Children are the ones who make the colony lively and we look forward to Krishnavi growing up and regaling us in the near future.

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Shobana (A-102), wife of Tarun Balakrishnan, delivered a baby girl at Fortis on 22^nd July, 2020. This tot is bound to go places as she did not have the patience to wait another two weeks, when she was due, to open her eyes to the world. Both the baby and Shobana are doing fine. Looking forward to seeing this cutie-pie when Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.

		CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR AUGUST, 2020
DATE	TIME		VENUE
15.8.2020	9.00 AM	INDEPENDENCE DAY FLAG HOISTING,	BADMINTON COURT
		SINGING OF PATRIOTIC SONGS, DISTRIBUTION OF SWEETS

Issue No. 226 I June 2020

 

                                                                 EDITORIAL

 

With the passing of the summer solstice on 21^st June 2020, the days henceforth will progressively get shorter and cooler. Having said that, it has not been a bad summer at all, by a long shot. But the lower temperature will not mean greater comfort as the high humidity that the monsoon brings makes it very muggy and enervating. I prefer the dry heat any day. 21^st June was also the day when we had the solar eclipse. This year’s solar eclipse has been complete. I believe that it is after 100 years that the moon’s shadow completely blanketed the sun. Some soothsayers have predicted that with the solar eclipse, the reign of the coronavirus will come to an end. Many such favourable predictions by astrologers have come and gone but we have not rid ourselves of the bug. So much for clairvoyance!

 

Sikhism is a very enlightened faith. Wherever in the world there is distress, Sikhs are among the first to volunteer by setting up free food camps, providing shelter and succour. They are omnipresent and their benevolent role during the Covid-19 crisis cannot be overstated. They follow the tenets of their great spiritual leaders, Guru Nanakji and Guru Gobind Singhji, of practicing universal brotherhood, irrespective of caste, creed, or religion. Even if we don’t don the cultural markers of their faith like turbans or sport beards, we should emulate them. What is the point of going to temples, mosques, churches, and other religious places if we cannot treat all people equally and help them in distress?

 

In the early days of the fight against Covid-19, when the lockdown was imposed and the number of cases was few and far between, the streets wore a deserted look; shops and businesses were shuttered and there was not a soul on the streets. It had a salutary effect on nature with clear blue skies, clean water bodies, an unobscured vista of snow-peaked mountains, and the presence of exotic birds and animals in unfamiliar surroundings. It took just one month for nature to regain its equipoise. How long will it take us?

 

Ironically, as the number of cases started proliferating, the Government, smarting under the burden of huge deficits, groaning unemployment, loss of revenue etc. was constrained to loosen the restrictions. At first, factories and shops opened and then malls and restaurants. Initially, the footfalls in the malls were light but lack of social interaction over extended periods of time was so exasperating for some that soon footfalls began to swell. It just goes to show that incarceration has its limits. When social distancing norms were most needed because the cases began to spike, people started to party and throw caution to the winds. This makes for an interesting case study as this pattern is playing out all over the world.

 

The cultural invasion of implements like chopsticks in our midst has raised my hackles and compromised my ability to enjoy Oriental cuisine. It is not that my dexterity with the digits is wanting. It is just that I am not a practiced handler of the chopsticks. It is an art that has to honed from childhood. It is not that I have not tried to use the infernal sticks. I just find it a bit unwieldy. On one occasion, while dining at a fancy restaurant, I picked up a juicy morsel and was about to launch it into my mouth when it slipped from the grasp and went looping across the table to land on the seemingly expensive dress of a matronly lady sitting at the adjoining table. She walked off in a huff to the washroom. Suitably chastised, I settled for the fork and knife. The waiter gave me those looks and roll of the eyes as though I was a”‘dehathi”. My children, of course, use the sticks like Samurai warriors. They denigratingly call me, “desi”, but I am proud of the moniker.

 

The suicide of Sushant Singh Rajput brought to the fore, the insidious and secretive ways of the Bollywood cabal. The multi-talented and gifted Sushant Singh was a Physics Olympiad winner who had rejected a scholarship to study at Stanford. He was also an accomplished dancer, a budding astronomer, a collector of rare old manuscripts and artefacts and a talented actor. When Sachin Tendulkar saw him hitting big sixes in a stadium, he enquired from Kiran More who this lad was who could easily walk into a first-class team. At that time, he was essaying the role of M. S. Dhoni in a movie. He was equally good at playing tennis. It is extremely rare for a person to straddle the world of sports, art, and science with panache. The cerebral Rajput could have very well excelled in any other occupation. Yet, the arc lights were his calling. It is a very unforgiving world. Many other talented individuals, who do not attain the fame of Sushant Singh, fall over the edge due to the immense pressure brought upon them to excel in an environment which is not conducive. Even the highly successful Deepika Padukone once confessed that she has bouts of depression and suicidal tendencies. It just goes to show that success, money, and fame are no yardsticks for happiness. There is a dire need for empathy and support. We all should all do our bit to help those who we believe are going through depression and provide a life raft.

 

The idle time that lockdown provided stirred a frenzy of home-baking options. Youngsters these days seem to abhor traditional cuisine and love to experiment with a variety of food options. More than the actual joy of eating, they like to post pictures of their creations on social media sites and yearn for the ‘likes’ that these elicit. Since baking is the new fad, oven-friendly recipes are in vogue. The run-of-the-mill muffins, chocolate chip cookies, walnut brownies, banana bread, and apple pie are all passé. The new kid on the block is ‘sourdough leavened bread’. Traditionally, the only way bread was made was to use natural yeast for the dough to rise. The resultant leavened bread was crusty on the outside but soft inside, with a nutty flavour. This bread has now become artisanal. When one goes to a fine-dining Continental restaurant, the waiters normally bring a complimentary basket of sourdough leavened bread and sundry breadsticks to be had with country butter, olive oil, or other dips, before the main meal. Thus, this peasant food has now undergone a social transformation to the high table!

 

The Chinese aggression in the Galwan valley is another indication that this northern neighbour’s top dog is a megalomaniac in the mould of Hitler. China’s insatiable appetite for usurping the territory of other countries in the Himalayas or the South China sea shows the hegemonic mind-set of Xi Jinping who has anointed himself the President-for-life through a calibrated and planned manoeuvre. This need for self-preservation actually stems from a deep-seated complex of inadequacy.  The bloody response of the Indian soldiers has not gone down well with the establishment in Beijing. They expected the Indian side to cave in, but in Modi, they found an adversary who is made of sterner stuff. Their ego has been hurt and they have begun amassing troops and equipment for bigger and probably bolder actions. No doubt China has a bigger army and economy fueled by the relentless growth witnessed in the last 20 years, but India has the more spirited forces and the right of cleaner conscience on its side. Instead of using power and pelf to further its cause around the world to subjugate others, if China had used its rich cultural history and incorporated democratic values, it could have earned a name for itself in the comity of nations instead of the arrogant outsider that it is viewed as now.

 

The Congress party’s poster boy, Rahul Gandhi, has managed to booby trap his own party while brandishing his cheap-shot worry beads in public with shrill opposition to the Government’s handling of the Chinese aggression. As was expected, Congress is the only opposition party which is not standing united with the government in this time of national crisis. The already comatose Congress party is riven with internal bickering and the Gandhi scion is being resented by some of his own partymen for his incompetence, in hush-hush tones. Sanjay Jha, the erstwhile Congress spokesperson who had the nerve to spill the beans, was promptly sidelined by the party. So much for internal democracy in the party!

 

It just boggles the mind as to why there is a need to put up unmanned barricades in most of the arterial roads of colonies. These barricades can stop only vehicles and not pedestrians. If the idea is to contain the people in the containment zones it will obviously not be successful. The other day, I had to go to Kalkaji. After navigating through several U-turns and dead-ends, I finally reached the destination in 45  minutes – a distance that should not have taken more than 15 minutes in these days of light traffic. I was therefore astounded to learn that the GK-2 RWA is planning to install gates in most of the arterial roads of the colony. This will just lead to more traffic snarls and pollution. Protests from various sections of society are afoot. We hope the decision is reversed.

 

I was talking to Manoj Subramanian of H-005 who is now working as the Executive Vice-President of a watch retail company, ETHOS Luxury Boutiques. I remarked that it must be a bad time to be in this business, where one sells items of discretionary purchase. He told me that it wasn’t the case and that he had just sold a watch for Rs. 86 lakhs online, to a buyer who had deposited an advance of Rs. 20 lakhs. I just couldn’t fathom the mindset of the person who would acquire such an expensive watch, and that too, at a time when you don’t know whether the virus will get the better of you. Surely, India is a strange country with stranger people.

 

In May, we had stopped one of the safai karamcharis from entering the colony as she had reported ill. One day, she arrived at the gate stating that she had recovered. We asked her to get a doctor’s certificate confirming her fitness. The next day she brought the certificate. When the guard came looking for me with the certificate, I was chatting in the park with Kunal and Siby (while maintaining social distancing norms, lest you think otherwise!).  None of us could decipher what the doctor had written. Griffonage of doctors is legendary, although I would not like to paint all doctors with the same brush. In fact, doctors should be the last persons to scribble a prescription, as a wrong interpretation by the chemist could cost a life. This is why in the US, doctors are required to type a prescription out.

 

In the Chronicle’s May issue, I wrote about a car windshield ostensibly cracking from an errant football kick by a group playing in the badminton court. In a letter to the Managing Committee, the car owner stated that the least he expected from the children was an apology. It was only after the Chronicle was published that I was given to understand that the children had indeed apologized and the matter amicably settled, although there was no tangible evidence that the football had broken the glass. My writing of it, I understand, hurt the children’s feelings, although no names had been mentioned. I wish to state here that there was no intention to cause hurt or besmirch their reputation. 

 

The Premier League silverware finally went to Liverpool with seven games to spare when Chelsea beat City 2-1 on 25^th June 2020. It will be a record that will stand for a long time in the annals of the sport.  Last year they were bridesmaid to City although they lost only one game in the whole season. The victory for the Reds came after 30 years. I was a Liverpool supporter until Sir Alex started managing the other Reds, Manchester United. So, it was mixed feelings for me. It has not been great news for the majority of United fans in the colony. After a lacklustre start to the season, despite a rear-guard revival under coach Solskjaer, they are unlikely to make the Champions League spot, as Leicester and Chelsea in second and third positions don’t look like they would drop points. I have a grudging respect for Leicester who neither boast of large purse strings or a star cast, barring Jamie Vardie. Yet, they won the Premier League four years ago under little known Ranieri and were title contenders this season. Frank Lampard, after having hung up his boots as a star Chelsea player, is leading them admirably. The next season promises to be a mouthwatering affair with Liverpool, City, United, Leicester, and Chelsea all in good form. Spurs could also mount a challenge next year as all their key players, Harry Kane, Son, Dele Alli and Eric Dier are fit and Mourinho always excels in the second season. The Gunners too cannot be written off as Mikel Arteta is a manager who has five titles under his belt.

 

Rangamma, one of the maids working in Yamuna, was bereaved when her husband Selvaraj succumbed to Covid-19 in Max Hospital. She had spent about Rs. 6.5 lakhs for his treatment by borrowing from family and friends. Sapan Shah of A-204, in whose flat she was also working, played the good Samaritan and started a crowdfunding initiative through the Ketto website, whereby the money raised would get directly credited to the bank account of her daughter, Divya. At the time of writing this issue, almost all the entire money had been recouped. We would like to place on record, our appreciation for Sapan’s noble gesture.

 

SNIPPETS

 

Vinod Asthana and his wife Leena of G-302 left Yamuna for their own flat in Noida, after a stay of 12 years. It is one of the longest stays by a tenant. Vinod was a gregarious person who made friends easily. Yamuna will be at a loss with his leaving. We wish them the very best in their new environment.

 

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Karthik Jayaraman, Kirti, Krishna, and Ira have moved to E-301 from Noida. They had left Yamuna briefly last year but preferred to return as the presence of Kirti’s parents here will be a big support for the children, when in need.

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Manoj Subramanian, Prema, and Saishaa have returned to Yamuna after living in Mumbai for a few years. They are moved into H-005. Manoj is working as Executive Vice-President at ETHOS Luxury Boutiques. Prema is a Montessori teacher. Their daughter, Saishaa, is in Class X and has secured admission in DPS International, Saket. This fun-loving family will bring lot of joy to Yamuna.

 

Letter to the Editor from Mr. Vinod Asthana

Hi Yamunaites,

 

I came to Yamuna in 2008 with the help of Mr. Muralikrishnan, my colleague and best friend. Today, while leaving Yamuna, my heart cried. 

 

It's been 12 years now and our family cannot count how the time has passed. People are so nice here, mingling closely in a way that's unmatched. I also reciprocated and my circle grew from big to bigger, from playing badminton and more. We really enjoyed the atmosphere. 

 

While leaving, I do not have words to convey my feelings, but I urge Yamunaites, "Jaise ho, waise hi rehna". I express my thanks to all, from the gatekeepers to the Society Office and friends.

 

Lastly, pardon me if I have unintentionally wronged any of you. Kabhi alvida na kehna!

 

You rock, Yamuna!

Issue No. 225 I May 2020

 

EDITORIAL

 

The resumption of industrial activity post lockdown and growing vehicular traffic increased the carbon load on the environment. While early May weather, up until the 15^th, continued to be benign with two or three showers, the sun soon showed its mettle. Ere long we were battling mid-40’s Celsius temperatures. Back to the ACs and increased power bills. Fortunately, it has cooled down again. Ten weeks of near-zero economic activity have left some companies in a coma and many others severely bludgeoned. Companies had to willy-nilly resort to salary cuts. The ones in the automotive industry are going to face a demand slump as well. Almost every company I know has enforced salary cuts between 10% to 50%. Companies overseas have resorted to furloughs. We should be glad we don’t have to work pro bono.

No country imposed such a sweeping lockdown like India did. While it may have flattened the curve to manageable levels, the economic costs and the long-term effects of this lockdown can be debilitating. Exporters are ruing the fact that their buyers may be forced to look at alternate sources of supply and could thus lose their client base forever. Many such epidemics may not have made news about 25 years ago, before the advent of the internet and social media. We have lived through all that. I have this sinking feeling that the cure of the lockdown may be worse than the disease. Unemployment and hunger alone will claim more lives in India than the global toll of Covid-19. Unfortunately, in the cruel calculus of catastrophes, a casualty figure of 5,000 is viewed favourably! Even if this number swells ten times, it is still a piffling number. Every year, TB kills more than 250, 000 people in India alone. We never had lockdown for that or for dysentery or cholera or malaria, each of which kills a lot more people than Covid-19 has or will do. However, the lockdown has taught us some important lessons, some of which will become a way of life when normalcy returns. For instance, before the lockdown, I could never imagine reading e-news. The feel of newsprint in one’s hands gave a sense of joy that I never thought e-news would. I now realise that it is just a question of habit. I began reading newspapers online and I am none the worse for it. Likewise, e-learning, webinars, Zoom, Microsoft Team, and Google Hangout meetings will reduce going to seminars, unnecessary travel for meetings, training, etc. Many companies will save a lot of money. However, it would be bad news for airlines and the hotel industry.

 

After 8 weeks of being locked up within the four walls of your home, the silver linings of this lockdown are getting harder to identify. It’s great to get so much of quality time with family but spending 20 minutes each day talking about whose turn it is to take the garbage bag to the C Block dump or who is going to clean the toilet or do the dusting isn’t the bonding most of us hoped for! There is, however, one thing I cannot get enough of, imagining walking through the deserted streets of Delhi. Jaywalking the narrow streets of Chandni Chowk, which, without the teeming crowds seems like a walk into the past. There’s also the fact that without the crowds, traffic, and the smells, the ancient, medieval and recent history of the capital inspires awe. I hope I have conveyed the reverie’al appeal of one of the greatest cities on Earth, minus the crowds, dirt, noise and traffic.  It also turns out that dedicating two hours to making your own cookies when you get a pack of Defence Bakery's cookies for a hundred bucks is not as rewarding as it may seem.

 

There is something sinister about the creatures that hang upside down and have this snarling countenance. The spectre of blood-sucking vampires of Dracula fame does not help.  Bats, like all living creatures, have a role to play in nature, but the bad press the chiropterans have received of late, because of the widely held belief that the zoonotic virus ‘corona’ made its transition from them to humans, cannot be dispelled.  The Chinese role in this whole saga is well documented. The Chinese, who eat everything that moves and consider bats as delicacies, and may have been responsible for the transition of the virus to humans, are the true villains. Therefore, to vilify the bats is not fair to these creatures. Even the charisma of Batman, who championed the cause of the lowly bat, has not been able to dispel the human wariness of bats. At one time, the C Block meter room under the Club House was colonized by bats. This very dread of the bats made us find solutions to exterminate them from there. Kunal Savarkar pestered me to arrange to get rid of them. We do not value their role as pest control and pollination agents.

 

These days it has become a fad to name children, associating with events of the period of their birth. This works fine when the event leaves pleasant memories, but it is not always the case. Children often have to bear the brunt of parents’ overwrought sense of history. Often, the monikers have negative connotations. Names like Hitler and Stalin, who were amongst the most brutal mass executioners in history, can claim their association with a politician in Meghalaya and Tamil Nadu respectively. Now, names like Corona or Covid-19, amongst the most dreaded pandemics that have wreaked havoc world over, have found favour with parents wanting to go viral with association. Unfortunately, the hapless babies have no choice in the matter and may grow up to face ridicule at their parents’ misplaced sense of pride.

 

I am a votary of grandmothers’ homemade remedies which are culled from Ayurveda, Unani, Naturopathy and other native curative protocols. I have benefited a lot from these potions and have rarely resorted to allopathic solutions when confronted with an illness. Therefore, I am dismayed that despite the Government having a full-fledged Ayush programme and India being the world’s foremost centre of excellence in Homeopathy, Ayurveda and Naturopathy, we have not given enough credence to these alternative therapies from offering affordable scalable solutions, despite the universally acknowledged fact that such a regimen has no inimical side effects like allopathy has. I have found that allopathic medicines often just act as a palliative than a cure. Due apologies to allopathic doctors in the colony. I am not belittling your contribution to society, but I have found native cures more apposite in my case. However, most people including my wife, children and many others favour the immediacy of relief that allopathy offers.

 

The most unfortunate of circumstances may throw up the most promising of opportunities. I am talking about the stock market. We may be at the start of a prolonged bull run. Historical patterns point to a paradoxical twist. Every time the US entered a recession, the Indian stock market witnessed a bull run. The economic prudence displayed by fund managers has a logical bearing. Every time the US goes into recession, the oil prices plummet. Since the price of oil can influence nearly two to three percent of our GDP, the correlation is hard to ignore. On top of that, India is also a net importer of metals like copper, nickel, aluminum, tin, and magnesium. Prices of metals likewise fall with the downturn in US demand. Another important factor to be considered is that with every recession there is monetary policy easing whereby the world is awash in liquidity. Which asset class will the liquidity chase? The one that can be easily monetized. Enter the stock market. Which country gains the most with global recession? No marks for guessing ­­– it is India. India is still and will continue to be a largely domestically driven economy which imports more than it exports. With imports becoming much cheaper, Indian companies’ profits will soar. So, if you have spare cash, put your bets on the Indian stock market.  However, you have to be wise with your investment, as in a bull market even dud stocks appreciate and when they fall, they fall precipitously. There are, however, three factors that were not in play on earlier occasions. China was not nearly as large an economy as it is now and the effects of the extended lockdown in India will have a fairly large negative fallout on the Indian economy as well in the short run; reinventing the way we do things may have a crippling effect on some businesses. Therefore, the bull run will not be secular. You will need to cherry-pick stocks and have a clairvoyant’s perspective. The best way to help the Indian economy is to increase buying of goods and services. This will restore employment opportunities and tax collections. Try your best to buy Indian brands and avoid Chinese products at all costs. Their belligerence shows no bounds. 

One of my favourite musicians, Little Richard, died of bone cancer at the age of 87 in the US this month. He was a rock-and-roll musician with a queer dressing taste who could bellow the bass notes and howl out a falsetto. His piano play was feverish, frantic, and uncontainable. His stage presence and antics endeared him to an audience which, in the America of those days, was segregated between blacks and whites. He was a great entertainer with a pearly white infectious smile and was one of the first to unify the whites and blacks on the dance floor. Such was the influence of his music. Hail the King, Richard Wayne Penniman.

 

The easing of restrictions to allow the opening of liquor stores in many states has seen long queues, lack of social distancing and desperation that borders on frustration and a death wish. It just goes to show that it is a necessary evil. Many may argue as to why we should prefix necessary before evil at all. I will paraphrase what Sir Winston Churchill said to lend credence to this dichotomy of thought. Liquor is the devil’s brew, the poison scourge, the bloody monster that defiles innocence, dethrones reason, destroys the home, creates misery and poverty, literally takes the food out of the mouths of little children. It’s an evil drink that topples men and women from the pinnacles of righteous and gracious living into the bottomless pit of degradation, shame, despair, helplessness and hopelessness. On the flip side, liquor is the oil of conversation, the philosophic wine, the elixir of life, the brew that is consumed when friends get together, that puts a song in their hearts and the warm glow of contentment in their eyes. It brings good cheer, the stimulating sip that puts a spring in the step of the elderly. It’s a drink that magnifies his joy, helps forget life’s great tragedies, heartbreaks and sorrows, it removes inhibitions and gives courage to the timid to propose to the person they love. It’s a drink, the sale of which pours into our treasuries, thousands of crores of rupees each year, that provide tender care to our little crippled children, our blind, our deaf and dumb, our pitifully aged and infirm, help to build the infrastructure like highways, schools, hospitals, universities, housing for the poor etc. If that is not a reason enough to call it a necessary evil, then what is? I hope the aforementioned answers a miffed Jayashree Mohan and some others, who upon seeing WhatsApp videos showing endless lines of tipplers queuing outside liquor stores and ignoring social distancing norms, was totally and utterly outraged.

 

It would be presumptuous of me to think that the letter I wrote to the Prime Minister and RBI Governor in April, on the steps the Government must take, had an influence on the Prime Minister’s address to the nation on 12^th May, 2020 announcing a series of economic measures which more or less mirrors what I wrote to them. However, Government’s plan to give loans without collateral will lead to more NPAs and consequently bank delinquencies. There is a more secure way to prevent NPA’s without the need for collateral in the MSME sector – route all the receivables through an escrow account which through a computer program can be made to operate the automatically third-party approval based on deduction of interest at quarterly rests and loan repayments on annual rests. To ensure that MSMEs route all their sales through the escrow account only, link it to e-way bills or GST payments. This will ensure full compliance and we can say good-bye to NPAs. For whatever is worth, I am going to write to the PM about this.

 

Mr. Murphy’s notoriety was again on display. On 11^th May, the motor of the submersible pump got burnt, possibly due to a voltage spike. As luck would have it, within 20 minutes of running the standby motor, it started making a noise due to alignment issues. Since the motor was stopped as soon as it started making a noise, the bearing could be saved and only the rubber bush was broken. Lockdown crippled our efforts to get the required part or get the submersible pump repaired, as the KSB Pumps service centre was closed. The third pump, which is 40 years old, did not have the muscle to pump water to the tanks. Some flats got water, and some didn’t. The next day, we got an agency to come and fix the alignment issue and he did the job by taping the rubber bush in place and correcting the alignment. The normal pumping resumed. Understandably, the non-availability of water for one day caused such a hue and cry that some residents let the irritation show. I must have got at least 100 calls enquiring as to how both pumps could fail at the same time and why we should buy another spare pump. People should understand that these are unusual times and a lot of things are beyond our control. The Committee members are juggling with office work, housework and Society work all at the same time. Some of us devoted the whole day to the pump issue.

 

When spring turns to summer, the winter plants wither and the shrubs, trees, and creepers start flowering. We are lucky to have Thomas Abraham in our midst. The passion and devotion he fosters on the plants is amazing. The plants he tends to have a sheen, the shrubs are nicely topieried and the creepers tastefully stringed; it is a joy to behold.

 

For those who wish to get married cheaply, there is a deal going abegging in corona times. It is a readymade wedding package for 50 people for Rs. 1,99,999. The package consists of e-invitation card designing, bridal make-up, mehndi artist, photobooth, decoration for one car, standard mandapam and entrance décor, sannai melam, veg food for fifty members, basic sound system with two mikes, photography and videography, photo album with 50 sheets, thermal screening for guests, UV hand sanitiser station, hand sanitisers-50 nos.,N-95 masks 50 numbers, cuddle curtains for greeting, obtaining necessary permissions, venue selection, social distancing arrangements, web telecast, decoration with quality artificial flowers and welcome drink. Any takers?!!!

 

OBITUARY

Mr. V.V. Bhotlu’s (F-203) wife, Smt. V. Prabhavaty (79), had a peaceful and natural demise in New York on Sunday, 17 May 2020. Yamuna residents convey their sincere condolences to the family.

 

SNIPPETS

Namagiri and Prabhu’s younger daughter, Akshara Ram (resident of H 002), an aspiring astronaut, attained worldwide stardom on Twitter and within Amazon Global when she stumbled upon a big flaw in the Amazon Recommendation System. Apparently, when you search for “Rockets for Girls” on Amazon, it suggests “Rockets for Boys” instead. If you still persist with the search, Amazon autocorrects to “Lockets for Girls”. The superwomen at Amazon global team made a special video for Akshara for her 8th birthday.

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Raj and Priyanka Nathan’s son, Kiaan (A-107), took part in a cooking competition organized by the British Council He described in detail, the method to make South Indian filter coffee and Kolkatta’s dahi puchka. Has Yamuna’s cooking competition spurred his interest in culinary art?

        

Issue No. 224 I April 2020

                                           

 

EDITORIAL

Covid-19 has turned into a gargantuan problem. Conspiracy theories surround its creation and lackadaisical attitude in some countries contributed to its burgeoning spread. In India, things were kind of getting into a semblance of order due to the 21-day lockdown imposed by the government, which got extended by a further three weeks. However, social distancing that was to be strictly followed during the period, to control the spread of the virus, was unfortunately not observed by a particular religious sect. It came to light when a member of the sect was found positive in Telangana. When his travel history was traced, it led to an obscure six-storied building in a densely packed lane of Nizamuddin which housed 2,600 members of the sect. When confronted by a posse of policemen, some of them turned hostile. A very large number of them when eventually tested, turned positive. In the meanwhile, several of them, belonging to practically all the states of the country, had left. They had ignored all the advisories, socially mingled with many people, and travelled throughout the country taking the bug along with them and caused its proliferation. The belief that God would protect them against all calamities was proved wrong when many of the sect’s members fell prey to this pernicious virus. While belief in God, irrespective of faith, is a spiritual healer, blind faith has its downside. God does not shower mercy on the stupid.  

“Every day is not a Sunday” is a term that has seen several manifestations of usage over time. But one time it did not ring true was during the 6-week lockdown. I slept soundly, not having to worry about waking up early the next morning and preparing for the day’s schedule. We still had our schedule of bathing and eating three square meals. Added to that were some mundane chores like sweeping, swabbing, cooking, doing dishes, dusting, ironing clothes, which for our grandparents was part of their daily grind. However, increased prosperity over time has enabled the previous and present generations to outsource these tasks to a house help. With strict restrictions on the entry of help to the Society, these tasks fell back upon us. While at some point in time, older folks like me have done it in our lives and thus, it did not prove much of a sweat, for the millennials, housework was a new animal. Barring exceptions, they are loath to exert themselves and instead spend long hours with heads buried in their gadgets and watching movies on Netflix or playing games with friends elsewhere on Zoom and other sites. The generational gap was more evident at this time since we were all at home.

This lockdown has tested one’s nerves like never before. We are not used to restrictions placed on us. Consequently, denial of personal liberties and privileges which we normally take for granted is very constraining., I was at the receiving end of criticism from some residents who were peeved at the denial of certain rights. Viewed from their perspective, ‘the one size fits all’ restrictions placed by the Society had its obvious drawbacks, as it did not factor exceptional circumstances. As they say, in hindsight, everybody is wiser.

Not everything Covid-19 brought in its wake had a dark side. As John Milton wrote in his opus ‘Comus’, “every dark cloud has a silver lining” or words to that effect. The silver lining was the rediscovery of fresh, clean, breathable air, return to nature in full glory with rare animals and birds appearing in otherwise busy streets. Not the usual stray cows and dogs! In Kerala a Civet cat was spotted crossing the road; on the main Ooty-Coimbatore highway, a herd of spotted deer was seen relaxing on the road, another herd of spotted dear was seen ambling on Chandigarh-Kalka highway, an elusive black leopard made its presence in Coonoor and a pod of whales was found near Bombay High offshore rig. The common, but now elusive sparrow, also put in an appearance in our colony.  I also spotted many birds that I have not had the privilege to witness in the past. I wish I had an ornithologist’s breadth of scholarship, to know their names and characteristics. Yet, it made for delightful viewing. At night, the stars shone brightly in the stark black background, not obscured by pollution or invading city lights. There was also this eerie silence as one stepped out for a walk, with the absence of incessant loud honking from unruly traffic. It was so refreshing. The snow-peaked Dauladhar Range was visible clearly from as far Jallandhar and the Yamuna river, which looks like a sewer at most times, seemed very clean and reflected the blue of the sky. At such times, I saw only the bright side of the lockdown. Nature has a way of telling us about our misdeeds. There is a need to recalibrate our lives. We need to slow down and become less materialistic to enjoy the best of nature. In exchange for temporary privations, we were rewarded with a vista of Nature’s bounty. The prophylactic properties of the sun, fresh air, and water are greater than any medicine man has invented. I am hopeful people will take cognizance of this and be willing to alter their lifestyle.

The economic fallout of this calamity is mind-boggling. Investors in the stock market have seen their profits vapourise in the collapse of the indices at the bourses. There are bound to be job losses, reduced salaries, and businesses going belly-up. People will begin questioning the enforced lockdown when things pan out negatively for them. The hockey-stick recovery model, at this point, seems like a mirage. Geopolitical power shifts may become more apparent. The robust western economies have shown a vulnerability that nobody anticipated. Whether India takes advantage of opportunities that this phenomenon will throw up, time alone will tell. Unfortunately, we have an opposition that sees only evil in the ruling party. This is the time, irrespective of ideological differences, to sing from the same hymn sheet, to cobble up a viable and robust recovery model. This could see the shift of manufacturing industry to India from China, on whom the whole world currently depends. Nations have realized that putting all eggs in one basket has made them vulnerable to China’s vicissitudes and power play. They are looking at a low-cost manufacturing base to diversify their portfolio. For that to be realized in India, there is a dire need for labour reforms. This is a hot potato in a polity that does not see eye to eye. However, if all these parties put their differences aside for a moment, this could possibly be a game-changer.  My experience of witnessing democracies function around the world, and particularly in India, does not give me much hope. They are all sharks waiting for the ruling party to fail, to make a kill. This selfish trait is going to leave us bereft of any substantial progress.

What is worrying is if the pandemic is not controlled after 6 weeks of economic torpor and the resumption of normal life leads to a spike in the number of cases? Will we shut down again? If that happens, it will amount to economic hara-kiri. We would be better off to let the virus spread and lead to herd immunity. There would be casualties for sure, but the pandemic will be behind us for good. Like Rajiv Bajaj, MD of Bajaj Auto said, we could have only kept the vulnerable at home, closed all public spaces, and allowed the young and healthy to keep the wheels of the economy turning, taking the necessary precautions of wearing masks, observing hygiene, and maintaining social distance. Why have this condescending attitude that all Indians are a bunch of illiterates, ignorant and callous morons that need shepherding?

IMF has predicted that the Indian economy will grow this year only by about 1.9%. This is about 5% lower than the nominal growth rate that we have been witnessing over the last few years. The RBI, through various measures, pumped in about Rs. 4.5 lakh crore liquidity into the market to prevent bankruptcies and provide low-cost lending through Banks and NBFCs to kickstart the economy. This roughly translates to about 2.5% of the GDP. RBI needs to adopt a more avant-garde role for monetary policy easing, as the current situation is nonpareil and with this crisis are in totally uncharted territory. There need to be deeper cuts in repo rates, liquidity support, loan forbearance, a moratorium on repayments etc. amounting to about another Rs. 4 to Rs. 5 lac crores. The Government must also play tango with the central bank. Hitherto, the Government’s response on the fiscal side has been very anaemic, as the stimulus given out amounts to only about 0.5% of the GDP. When the crisis gets over, there will be a competition between the Centre and States to issue bonds to raise money, as both will face a liquidity crunch. Some of the states may offer better yields than the Centre and give fiscal prudence a go-by, especially if elections are anon. This will obviously increase the Central Government’’ deficit financing from 3.5% of the GDP to 6%. The deficit financing of the States is also likely to go up from 2.5% to 4%. Together, the gross deficit will total about 10% of the GDP. In the normal course, such a high deficit would lead to inflation, but with global oil and metal prices at historic lows, there is no better time for profligacy than now. We must reverse the demand side slide and counter the recessionary trends prevailing globally. Our reserves are at historic highs and with gold prices skyrocketing, RBI could sell bullion and capitalize on its peak levels and use the opportunity for arbitrage, as levels will taper down when the Covid-19 crisis eventually gets over. Now is the time to act and not miss the bus. If we do this, we will be one of the few economies that will come out of this crisis with flying colours. I had the audacity to send my suggestions to the PM and the RBI Governor. They must be wondering who is this nut? Who does he think he is? Anyway, I had to get my ideas off my chest and I just did it.

Folklore has vested in humans, a dread of ghosts that is often used by mothers to discipline their children. “The ghost who walks” is often used in apocalyptic horror movie templates. They are shown to glide through in spooky comics and films to terrorise communities. This form of terrorising people to return home has been used quite effectively in Indonesia against those who were breaking curfew during the Covid-19 crisis.

We have never had such salubrious weather in the latter half of March up until the fourth week of April as we have had now. What a shame that a lowly virus has negated any plans for a meaningful social interaction. One of the most anticipated events in our social calendar is the cooking competition that takes place at the end of March every year. I had received many entries from children and adults who were keen to showcase their culinary skills, before the competition was unceremoniously called off. Normally, by the end of March, participants are sweating as they work on their masterpieces, but this year, on the day the competition was to be held, there was a cool nip in the air. This lasted well unto the end of April when mornings and nights were very pleasant. We could very well have also fitted in a movie screening and pot-luck dinner. However, it was not meant to be. Alas, the Wuhan bug, euphemistically called Covid-19, conspired against us.

In the middle of the lockdown, the most dreadful of situations happened. The arterial pipeline that feeds all the tanks in the terrace had sprung a major leak from the coupling. Restrictions on movement prevented private contractors from coming and we were hopelessly dependent on the skeleton DJB staff who were on duty during the period of lockdown. This is when Mr. Murphy’s notoriety shone through. Those who have been victims of Murphy’s Law will bear this out. Lo and behold, it was Ram Navami and none of the DJB staff had come. We had to use the good offices of the local MLA to ensure that they came the next morning to fix the breach. At the best of times, being without water can be calamitous, but during a lockdown, it could have caused a riot within and outside the home!  Thank God, we came away unscathed.

On 6^th morning, seeing a bird in distress, snagged about 30 feet high in the net adorned over the grill separating St. George School and Yamuna, Prahlad, the local Spiderman (Anand Sundaresan’s nephew), clambered up the grill risking life and limb to rescue the bird. It turned out to be a green pigeon. He cleverly untangled the web with one hand and lowered the bird to safety. He brought the stricken bird home, nursed, and released it from captivity. It would have made Prahlad’s Brigadier father proud. This gallant feat will remain recorded for posterity in the Chronicle.

Forget overseas travel during the summer recess. There is also this lurking dread that domestic travel may also be perilous. Imagine being cooped up in our homes during Delhi’s face-melting heat. While the Thar desert is not quite as ferocious as the Sahara, whose notorious sirocco ravages sub-Saharan Africa and many littoral states in the Mediterranean, the loo and dust storms of Rajasthan are no less enervating. The blinding sun’s rays add to the discomfort. After the enforced lockdown due to Covid-19, we will willy-nilly go into a voluntary lockdown in summer to ward off heatstrokes.

During the lockdown the need for a barber was felt the most. Not accustomed to such perceived luxuries, I ventured to cut my own hair. In the process, I saved Rs. 100 on gratuity to the barber. While I did a reasonable job of the front and the sides, I had to rely on my daughter to do the honours at the rear. When she was done, she showed me the reflection in the mirror. What I saw sent me into shock. Instead of going east to west at the end of the hairline, it went north-east to south-west. I was afraid to tell her to correct it, lest she overcorrects and go south-east to north-west and so on, until I’d be left with no hair at all. To add insult to injury, I had to part with Rs. 500 for her effort.

Our respect for our wives and mothers must have gone up several notches during the lockdown. Due to the absence of maids, they have slaved from morning till night cooking three meals a day, doing the dishes, sweeping and swabbing the house, dusting, shopping for groceries, washing clothes, cleaning the bathrooms, and doing sundry other things. Office work and conference calls came in the way of my being of much help to my wife. I am sure the story was the same in other houses. Let us raise a toast to all the wives and mothers, without whom, the lockdown would have been like a prison sentence with hard labour. We should also salute the Doctors, nurses and other health workers who are in the frontline of this fight against COVID-19, putting into peril their own safety.

The effects of the lock-down were made less onerous because of residents’ co-operation and the role played by resident volunteers, who came to the aid of the old and the infirm in arranging purchases, disposing of their garbage etc. Thomas Abraham gifted hundred face masks, Arjit Bansal of H-307 arranged hand sanitisers at a discount from his company, Hindustan Lever, Suresans have been giving tea to all the guards and staff throughout the lock-down period, AAP arranged for lunch and dinner packets for the guards and the staff for two weeks of the lock-down. The staff who have been coming despite police attempts to stop them. calls for great commitment. Kudos, to all of them.

In a twin tragedy, two Bollywood icons breathed their last. On 29^th April, 2020, Irrfan Khan, a versatile and celebrated Bollywood actor who also earned acclaim in Hollywood, died at the young age of 53 years. Very tragic news indeed as he had a very bright future ahead.

The very next day, Rishi Kapoor, died at the age of 67 years. He stormed into the Hindi Film firmament with Bobby and was more known as a chocolate boy hero. They will be missed.

LOCKDOWN BLUES

The six-week lockdown brought forth some truisms. Sample the ones I chanced upon  Whatsapp:-

The wife always wanted to buy a dishwasher, until she realized that she was married to one.

So, there is no cure for a virus that can be killed by soap!

SNIPPETS

If you are not yet awed by the achievements of Vidyut Mohan of G-206, (Bio-energy Consultant-Berkeley Lab, Delft University of Technology, Netherlands and Co-Founder, Takachar) here is one more reason to be impressed. He has been selected from over 3,500 nominations to be among the Top Young Entrepreneurs of the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2020 List. With a stack of accolades and International Awards, Vidyut’s journey knows no boundaries. Kudos to Vidyut. You make us proud.

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Apart from her exploits in the sporting arena, Chandrakanta Rajpurohit of H-206 is making her mark also as a social worker. As the National Co-ordinator of ITV, she undertook to distribute 7 lakh masks in 7 days, stretching across several states from West Bengal to Rajasthan, in an effort to stem the spread of the deadly coronavirus. Kudos to her for this noble deed.