ISSUE NO. 107 I JULY 2010

EDITORIAL

A bad monsoon is a curse but that does not make a good monsoon a blessing. Floods, water logged streets, uprooted trees, traffic snarls, collapsing walls and buildings, electrocution through snapped electric lines, potholes that become craters and caved in roads are all signs that we have had a reasonably good monsoon. But what has it done? It has brought misery to many. One would have to conclude that despite all the evidence of logic, reason and science, the desire to believe in something unseen but bigger than us has become quite enduring. Otherwise, why else are we all mute spectators to this turmoil year after year? We as a nation are not geared up to handle any eventuality even if it happens with regularity. All that is in our hands is to change the Government that is in power. But, does that help? The politicians irrespective of their party affiliations are of the same genetic stripe – ready to feather their nests at the expense of the people who elected them.

The Secretary, Bharti Ramakrishnan, has resigned. There are subtle comments being made about discordant notes among Managing Committee members. The debut of Managing Committee members may seem unharmonious, but it is not like what it is being made out to be. Youthful impetuosity may be at odds with maturity and level headedness. Fortunately, these are always transient in nature. The debut Managing Committee members will come out of this trial by fire unscathed and do well. Any change has its gestation period to settle – and settle it will, although it may not seem so at present.

On the upside, youth bring a fresh approach to dealing with problems. A lot of arbitrariness that may have been prevalent has been replaced by documented, clear and cogent guidelines for dealing with various issues. Henceforth, residents cannot complain about partiality of any kind. The rights and obligations of Managing Committee members are at par with all the residents. The honest and law abiding members may feel aggrieved when asked to meet some formalities and obligations. This is no attempt to cast aspersions on their intentions. Unfortunately, there is no other way to demonstrate a level playing field for everybody. There may be scope for further improvement, though, and we welcome suggestions.

The month you get to read this issue of the Chronicle, we will be celebrating the 63^rd year of Independence. Independence Day has seen the birth of India as we know today. From mid=eighteenth century onwards the different independent principalities were brought under British suzerainty and passed on to us at Independence as one whole, except for Pakistan. While India was formed then, has it created Indians? I think not. Empirical evidence of linguistic, casteist, religious and economic divide continue to plague our psyche. We delight in damaging public property, create chaos and call for bandhs, all of which end up debilitating the country. We have to come out of these parochial ghettos of our mind and realise the India of our dreams. We would then be proud to call ourselves Indian. Anyway, this should not stop us from celebrating Independence Day. Please assemble on the day in the badminton court for the flag hoisting ceremony.
The morning badminton group were in deep gloom for quite some time since Vichu and Geetha upped and left for Bangalore. They were the first ones to come and rig the net and knock around. With them gone, there was a lull for a few days. Anyway, the group has now got over their grief and resumed playing. They will however miss Vichu’s risqué jokes.

We have all become slaves to the plastic bag as a shopping accessory, thereby polluting the environment. These plastic covers find their way to the drains and end up clogging them. Before the advent of the dreaded plastic bags, people were accustomed to carrying cloth bags for shopping, a far more environmentally friendly option. The time has come to revive that habit. If you find cloth bags it cumbersome to carry, please consider taking a used plastic bag from home in your pocket or handbag when you visit the market. At least this way, the bag will get used several times. The use of plastic wrappers has grown dramatically as one now finds invitation cards, magazines and other sundry items wrapped in them, which is quite unnecessary. In case you have plans to print invitation cards for functions, please avoid putting them in a plastic wrapper. Say no to plastics and save the world.
Mani Shankar Aiyer recently stirred a hornets’ nest by stating that he would be happy if the Commonwealth Games end in failure. If you read the statement without the context, you would have been shocked at his unpatriotic stance. But what he was alluding to was, if the games were a success, the powers that be would then bid for the Asian games and the Olympics, thus frittering away scarce resources. The fact is that colossal sums have been spent on the Games which under no circumstance justify the quantum or quality of work done. It is obvious that most of the money has ended up lining the pockets of contractors and the organisers. The shoddy work is clear indication of poor workmanship and use of inferior materials. Delhi beats the sorry standards set by past wastrel hosts of the sporting extravaganza.

The appointment of the new security agency for the colony is a classic case of jumping from the frying pan to the fire. The negligence of the previous security agency and demand for a steep increase in charges prompted us to look for alternatives. Little did we realise that the replacement would be worse. The new agency’s credentials, of manning another society and club nearby, went up in smoke when they were shown the door recently. It is imperative that we take a similar step as warnings of negligence have not been heeded by the agency. Unfortunately, the burgeoning demand for security personnel for the Commonwealth games has pushed the charges for security services to unsustainable levels. At present any reputed security agency is quoting double the charges for the same level of manning. The Society’s budget does not permit such extravagance. We have to put up a proposal before the General Body for increased allocation of budget to necessitate the change. Please bear with us patiently till then.

SNIPPETS

Netra Sundaresan’s arangetram at the Tamil Sangam auditorium on 23rd July drew a large crowd of invitees from Yamuna and elsewhere. Having been under the tutelage of the famed Saroja Vaidyanathan, Netra’s debut was expected to have a touch of class. But one has to still deliver on the day – and deliver she did, with aplomb. Her nuanced expressions, grace and fluid movements would have done someone more advanced in age and experience proud. Everybody seemed to have a jolly good time savouring the dance, the chit-chat and the laid out spread. Sujata deserves kudos for the magnificent organisation and Anand for writing out the cheques! Netra’s performance could spur other children in the colony to take up Bharatanatyam. Unfortunately, an emergency precluded me from witnessing this event. My report is based on a unanimous appraisal from those were fortunate to be present. 

(View more pix from Netra’s arangetram photo album)

There is a lot of traffic of people moving in and out of Yamuna of late.


Abhay and Pallavi had to move to Noida from B-306 because the landlord wanted his flat back. That means separation pangs for Mr. and Mrs. Govil of B-106, who drew comfort from their daughter and son-in law’s proximity.


Sridhar Saraswathy of C-203 has moved with his family to Bangalore as India Head of Archibus, a tech company from USA.

Ms. Jayalakshmi has moved to South Extension from H-106.

Two residents did not have call in the movers.


Mr. Vishwas Dixit has moved from C-205 to C-207.


Mr. N. L. Ganapathy has changed loyalties by dumping C Block in favour of E Block. You can now find him in E-206.


Whew! I am losing track of who is staying where.

Venkatesh of E-105 got married to Jyothi in Chennai on 7th June. Jyothi is Manager Operations in Standard Chartered Bank. She must be quite indispensable as she has been allowed to work from home after moving to Delhi. We wish this couple an enchanting married life.

Letter to the editor

Through the columns of Yamuna Chronicle, my family members and I convey our deep gratitude and thanks to all Yamuna residents for their condolences and sympathy extended on Mrs Meena Krishnan’s demise. Special thanks are due to Srikanth for the timely help in rushing her to the hospital and taking care of the last rites. Thanks are due to Mrs Aruna, Mrs Bhavani and Mrs Kalyani who took care of our food requirements.
Mrs Meena Krishnan believed in sharing her resources and knowledge with others. She taught Narayaneeyam (poems in praise of Lord Guruvayurappan) to a group of ladies from Yamuna and elsewhere. These ladies chanted selected slokas of the composition after the thirteenth day ceremony (8^th July) as a mark of respect to the departed soul. Our thanks to them. Though Mrs Meena is no longer in our midst, her presence is always in our midst. According to her wish, her eyes were donated to bring vision to a blind person; through him, she continues to see the world.
Once again, thanks to all.           

N Krishnan. (E-004)

YAMUNA'S TREES

Tree of the month - Jamun ( Syzigium cumini)

When walking clockwise along the Yamuna Apartments boundary road towards the store, you might notice purple jelly blobs on the ground. The stains can look ugly …. but look up and you will see eye-catching purple jamuns dangling in bunches, plummeting to the ground every time there is a moderate breeze. Those of us used to jamun being sold at India Gate during the onset of the monsoon would be familiar with this sight. I have often waited for the season to start to get my quota of the fruit. The jamun sellers lace the fruit with “kala namak” to combat the astringent sensation that the fruit leaves on the tongue. Another little thing I remember about jamun is that as children we would wrap the leaves into a tube and blow into it to create a unique, rather tuneless sound ….an indigenous Vuvuzela! Selecting “Jamun” for this month was Mr.Masodkar’s idea and there was certainly no reason for disagreeing.

The Jamun is a highly coveted fruit tree indigenous to India. Jamun (Eugenia jambolina or Syzigium cumini) – never mind the mouthful, just call it jamun – is widely popular as an avenue and garden tree but is never grown in orchards for commercial purposes. It can grow under harsh soil and climatic conditions and is highly suited to the north, northwest and eastern regions of India. Jamun fruits are highly prized for their medicinal value, being rich in iron and useful in the treatment of diabetes. There is no conscious documented effort to improve jamun cultivars. However there are several natural variants like Raja jamun, seedless jamun, Narendra jamun. Jamun was one of the several trees chosen by British city planners to line various avenues. So Delhi has avenues lined with neem , bargad , amaltas, jamun and arjun. All of them were chosen because of their canopy and medicinal value. You may like to read Pradip Kishen’s “Trees of Delhi” for further details. 

 (Shanti Chandrashekaran)

CALENDAR OF EVENTS – AUGUST 2010

15th August 9 am. Independence Day flag hoisting in the Badminton Court, with patriotic song recital by children and distribution of sweets. Kite flying competition on the lawn will follow.
21^st August 7.30 pm onwards. Onam feast and Pookolam in the Badminton Court. Please buy dinner coupons for Rs. 140/-per person from the Society Office.

Answers to Mind-Benders (published in the last issue):
(1) Ryan must like basketball since neither Alex nor Steven does. Steven does not like basketball or baseball, so he must like football, leaving Alex liking baseball.
 (2) “Lapy” means tree. From the first two phrases, “rota” must mean apple. From the third phrase, “mena” must mean large, leaving “lapy” to be tree.
 (3) 151. In each column, divide the top number by 3 to get the bottom number. Then add 3 to the sum of the top and bottom numbers to get the middle number.
(4) Life
(5) 21 4-letter words: twin wine lint kiln kilt lent wink wilt like link welt kine tine tile lien newt kite line went wile knit
(6)     TOOK


          BOOK

BOON

BORN 

BURN