Issue No 92 April 2009

Editorial

April signals the onset of summer. Delhi has such extreme climates, that it becomes difficult to choose between the two seasons. In summer one yearns for winter and in winter one yearns for summer. Unfortunately, the pleasant seasons of spring and fall, between them cover only four months, leaving us to face six months of torrid summer and two months of freezing winter. Those who have the luxury of leading retired lives, with children based elsewhere, have the option of choosing which months to live in Delhi. For the rest of us leading working lives, the choice is only of a short getaway to the hills or the beach, depending on the season. A burgeoning population of high net worth individuals have ensured that whichever destination one opts for within the country, one is confronted with milling crowds and expensive boarding and lodging. The worst thing about such holidays is that you need a break to recover from THE stress of going on a holiday.

The re-screening of Luck by Chance which was aborted due to rain did not materialise on the 4th. There was a segment of the audience who felt that Luck by Chance was not meant for universal viewing. It therefore, became a toss-up between Welcome to
Sajjanpur and Billu Barber. There being a million SRK female fans in the audience, there are no marks for guessing which movie got ultimately screened. It was not a bad movie, but neither was it a movie you would reminisce with your grandchildren about. The audience was in full strength and after the movie got over, a few families stayed back for potluck dinner. For the first time in potluck, Italian pasta shared culinary space with the more mundane paratha, aloo subzi etc. Altogether, it was an enjoyable evening. There was a clamour for more such evenings before the weather turned nasty.

After a series of postponements, the EGM was finally held on the 19^th in the Community Hall. There was a general apprehension that there would be brick bats owing to the seemingly substantial increase proposed in the maintenance charge. I was braced up for footwear being hurled at the office bearers, in line with the flavour of the season. If George Bush and P Chidambaram, with all the security cover cannot be spared the boot, we were going to be sitting ducks. I was a bit reassured at the fact that the aim of the shoe hurlers hitherto had been a little awry and therefore, a helmet to shield oneself was not considered. Unfortunately, no such thing happened. Unfortunate because, such incidents are highly newsworthy and it would have been fun reporting in this issue of the Chronicle. That does not mean the EGM was all smooth sailing. Some of the members came armed with facts and figures to browbeat the committee to accept their contentions. There were some points which were valid and some absurd ones not relevant to the agenda. After a heated debate, some of the resolutions got passed albeit with modifications.

At the EGM, Mr. Narayanaswamy, the structural expert who was involved with the construction of our apartments more than 30 years ago, brought to our notice the precarious condition of the staircases and landing of the blocks, owing to watering of plants. He mentioned that the staircase is a cantilevered structure without the supports of columns. These are therefore, not designed to take the load of heavy pots that are placed there. In addition when the plants are watered, the excess water creeps through the crevices and has, over time, corroded the structure. In many places the slabs of concrete have given way exposing the steel structure. The situation is alarming in some blocks. In our own interest, we should move all the pots from the staircase to the lawn before a serious accident happens. In the interest of the longevity of the flats, please follow the advisory forthwith.

Over a period of time, the society has been a mute spectator to transgressions in the use of public spaces. We tend to break rules to suit our convenience. We usurp power, we encroach upon common areas, and we build extensions to our flats. In short, we do everything with a self-serving motive. We cry blue murder when others enter our life through the gaping holes we have broken open in our edifice of civic existence. We are trenchantly unrepentant of our actions, even when we are cognisant of the fact that we live in a group housing society, where others rights cannot be subservient to ours. We cannot arrogate concessions for ourselves without triggering a chain reaction, which could ultimately lead to Yamuna becoming an urban ghetto. No doubt everybody has a desire to have more space, but Yamuna does not afford us the luxury. Yet we continue living here, because on balance we derive more satisfaction from living here on account of the congenial and clean environment, pedestrian walking paths, and safe and secure sanctuary for children and senior citizens and twenty-four hour water supply, among other things. Let us live like model residents, where we respect each others rights.

It is ironical that the Yamuna Co-operative stores, meant primarily to cater to the grocery needs of the residents of Yamuna, have more shoppers coming from outside the colony rather than within. Where is the loyalty? Many in the colony complain that the prices in the store are higher and the variety limited. I wonder how many people have visited the transformed store of late. The prices of many articles are lower than any shop in the neighbourhood after the store decided to lower the prices below MRP and the variety of articles have also steadily increased. We should frequent the stores and be less cynical of their efforts, so that they can redeem the debt they have accumulated. It would be pertinent to mention here that since the store is meant to run without profits, as soon as the debt is repaid, the store will further lower prices and bring you a welcome relief from inflation. So, please head for the stores and do your bit. If outsiders can find value for money in our stores, why not us? You can now also get your daily bread. No pun intended. Several varieties of bread are now being stocked.

On the 7^th of May Delhi goes to the polls. Voters need someone to pillory and incumbent governments are first in the retribution queue. But let us ask ourselves, is the alternative any better or is it much worse? As someone once remarked, in India you don't cast your vote, you vote your caste. I have reasonable cause to believe that the younger generation is far removed from this philosophy. With a large number of youngsters entering the electorate we could have a few surprises. You have a vote; your vote counts, vote responsibly.

Table tennis has become quite a popular sport in the colony. Both young and adults are found using the table, so much so there people waiting to get a game. While the Society was contemplating buying another table, V. Ramnarayanan of A-110 offered to donate one. This table is now kept under the club house and the older table has been moved to the club house. Enjoy a game of ping-pong!

The new telephone directory which has among other things, rules for residents, e-mail ID's and blood group of residents is now ready. Members are requested to collect their copies from the office after signing the office copy of the rules for residents.

The MCD property tax has to be paid by members by 30^thJune, 2009. The details can be downloaded from the Net by visiting the MCD site. Caution must be exercised while filling the form. The circle mentioned for Yamuna Apartments is Greater Kailash. You must change this to Alaknanda or else you may get a demand for higher property tax.

SNIPPETS

The President Mr. C.S. Menon laid the foundation of becoming a great grand father when he got his granddaughter Kanika (Rekha's daughter) married in a glittering ceremony on the 17^th at the Vista Hotel in M.G.Road. The bride looked radiant in all her finery. As expected KK was the centre of attraction. Kanika is New York bound, where her husband Siddharth works for Bank of America.

Going overseas on a holiday is everybody's dream and comes to fruition in exchange for oodles of money. That is if you are not a certain Shamala or Aparajita.

Shamala of H-007 entered a contest of Cox and Kings for a trip to Turkey to see the historically significant monuments of the Byzantine and Ottoman empires. Lady Luck shone on her and she gets an all expenses paid trip to Turkey. We wish her a happy journey.

Aparajita or Kirti as most people call her, of E-301, who studies French at Alliance Francaise, took part in a lucky draw which was to decide the winner of a one-week trip to France. Guess who gets to go to the land of the Gauls? None other than our own Kirti. Some people have all the luck and others make the luck talk. Abhinav, (Kirti's brother) gets to travel with her as her parents Savitha and Aseem want him to chaperone her!

Aparna Varma of H-208 may come across as a kid who likes to always play with her friends. Behind that playful demeanour lies a more calculating mind. She took on the opposition in the Abacus competition for Delhi and NCR and secured a very creditable 4th position. Don't cross swords with her at maths as you might come a cropper.

YAMUNA'S TREES

Erythrina indica – Indian Coral Tree

In this issue, I want to turn your attention to two beautiful trees in the main lawns, heavy with crimson-coral flowers in huge bunches. It is no wonder that it is called the Indian Coral Tree or Erythrina indica. Did you know erythros means "red" in Greek? (that's also why red blood cells are erythrocytes…!). The individual flowers of the coral tree are ~5 cm and are conspicuously curved - which is why many refer to it as tigers' claws. The tree belongs to the pea family.

The common Malayalam and Tamil name for the coral is Mullumurikku. In Hindi it is called Pangara. Hindu scriptures mention that the mandara, another name for the coral tree, grew in the garden of the mythological thousand-eyed Indra! For mortals like us, the garden in Yamuna Apartments is the closest we can get to the Lord of all the Gods!

The tiger-clawed Mandara's flowers also made it to an eight-rupee Indian stamp some years ago, which shows off its hues in a beautiful water-colour painting.

The fruits are long pods that are pinched where the seeds are. The seeds are rich in an alkaloid called erythrin, which is famed for its medicinal properties to cure anxiety disorders, but can be fatal when consumed in large quantities.

The tree is very dramatic in appearance, but sadly it flowers only briefly in the sandwich period between the exit of winter and the start of summer. The tree easily grows to ~25 metres in height, and the specimens in our lawns are full-grown adults, having stood there for over two decades now. The two trees in our garden are of an interesting variety - with heart-shaped, many-shaded (variegated) leaves. The leaves by themselves are pretty enough. The flowers of course are a bonus!

Shanti Chandrashekaran, (with inputs from Sumathi Chandrashekaran. This month's masthead picture of Yamuna's Coral Tree is also by Sumathi.)

Letter to the Editor

It has been our observation that many of the colony residents either do not patronise the Yamuna Stores or seem to be harbouring various misgivings about it. We are writing this with a view to addressing these concerns, so that the outlet becomes a truly co-operative enterprise, with all residents participating in its upkeep and availing of the convenience it offers.

Thanks to the recent refurbishment, Yamuna now has a Store to be proud of, with a bright, modern, supermarket-style ambience. Some important changes that have been introduced are:

- Computerised billing to add to our efficiency and the shopper's convenience.

- Store is open for longer hours from 8 am to 8 pm; on all days of the week (no lunch breaks for us!)
- Most items priced below MRP
- Home delivery of purchases
- Increased variety of groceries and other products are constantly being added – come, see for yourself!
- Sodexho meal coupons/cheques accepted
- Next on the anvil : a deep freezer to stock dairy products, ice creams and frozen foods.
We welcome your suggestions as to what other products you would like to see on the shelves.

Finally, we would like to thank Mr.Ramabhadran, Mr.Srikanth, Mr.Mohan Narayanan Mr.Hari Shankar and Mr. K.N.Srinivas(Chinoo) who have contributed towards the revival of the stores by actively taking interest in managing the day to day affairs of the stores. Apart from them there are many other members who have contributed funds in the form of a loan.

M.R.Srinivasan & N.V.Seshan (on behalf of YACCS Ltd.)

ANSWERS TO QUIZ (MARCH 2009 ISSUE):

1. The one sport in which neither the spectators nor the participants know the score or the leader until the contest ends . . Boxing

2. North American landmark constantly moving backward . Niagara Falls (The rim is worn down about two and a half feet each year because of the millions of gallons of water that rush over it every minute.)

3. Only two vegetables that can live to produce on their own for several growing seasons . . Asparagus and rhubarb.

4. The fruit with its seeds on the outside . . Strawberry.

5. How did the pear get inside the brandy bottle? It grew inside the bottle. (The bottles are placed over pear buds when they are small, and are wired in place on the tree. The bottle is left in place for the entire growing season. When the pears are ripe, they are snipped off at the stems.)

6. Three English words beginning with dw . Dwarf, dwell and dwindle.

7. Fourteen punctuation marks in English grammar . . Period, comma, colon, semicolon, dash, hyphen, apostrophe, question mark, exclamation point, quotation marks, bracket s, parenthesis, braces, and ellipses.

8. The only vegetable or fruit never sold ! frozen, canned, processed, cooked, or in any other form but fresh Lettuce.

9. Six or more things you can wear on your feet beginning with "s" . Shoes, socks, sandals, sneakers, slippers, skis, skates, snowshoes, stockings, stilts.