Issue No. 168 I August 2015

EDITORIAL

The gas pipeline has finally made landfall in Yamuna near the C Block garbage dump, thanks to the untiring efforts of Mr. P.K.K. Nair. Over the next two months there will be extensive trench digging. The Society will notify the residents when the route map is made available by the IGL contractor, regarding parking and other actions. Parents of tiny tots are required to exercise caution and ensure that their children are always accompanied by adults, lest they inadvertently fall into the trenches.

The other day I was at a 5 star hotel for a business meeting when two roguish gents vroomed in at top speed to the porch in a fancy SUV, threw the keys at the valet and raucously walked in to stream of expletives. Visitors to the hotel which included some foreigners were aghast at this crass behaviour. The new poweratti are the folks who have acquired a great deal of wealth from selling farm lands adjoining Delhi to builders at outrageous prices. While I am not prejudiced, I have observed that barring a small percentage who came up through sheer merit, many of these nouveau riche, have become upwardly mobile on account of reservations and political patronage, like to wear their wealth on their sleeve.  Sharply dressed, wearing a Rolex watch or a Rohit Bal ensemble has become the preferred way to cock a snook at the established social order. Some, who are descendants of the political class, are often arrogant, don't care for the law and like to run roughshod over anybody who comes in their way. They can be seen with all the glitz at the City's prominent watering holes. For your own sanity stay away from them.

Graffiti in Indian cities is banal and an eye sore with neither artistic merit nor thought provoking messages. What you see are slogans like "Pammy loves Sweety" and such like. Contrast this with the graffiti in European cities. Their slick stencil or spray paint work straddle a fine line between brilliant provocation and basement humour. Their political slogans allow the bourgeoisie to feel a frisson of the radical. We are now witness to the artistic sophistication of the West with many foreign artists having taken their palettes to the crumbling and decrepit walls of Khirkhi Village near Saket and making these uncared walls colourful, soulful and vibrant. Welcome to the world of murals. Meghana Dubashi, erstwhile resident of Yamuna had intentions of doing a mural under the Clubhouse while she was living in our midst. With her moving to Gurgaon alongwith her equally accomplished husband, Kumar Chiplunkar, we have lost a couple who had great plans to transform the colony into a culturally and aesthetically charming complex.

Through the untiring efforts of Thomas Abraham, the tiny tot park adjoining the society office is looking more pleasing to the eye with dressed bushes and esoteric plant arrangements. One of the arrangements looks like a giant bird's nest with vines growing on it. A green thumb maestro with artistic talent is a potent combination.

Traditional houses had a native charm and character about them that one could associate the culture of the place with the dwellings. Classic examples of traditional houses of southern states can be seen at Dakshin Chitra (an arts and crafts complex), set in a rural hamlet near Chennai. With the influx of western architectural and interior design influences in buildings, we have taken upon ourselves to play upon and tweak those designs with disastrous results. The decor in houses in modern Malayalam serials is repulsive to those who have seen western architecture and designs in western settings and those who have seen the traditional Kerala households. If there is one maxim that we can always count on, it is that there is no accounting for taste. So we see rich households furnished with the most outré pieces which then become the bench mark for haute living for those who don’t know better. Many of us have witnessed nightmare inducing objets' d’art which were never meant to grace any civilised living room.

We celebrate Independence Day even though events in Parliament make our heads hang in shame. Despite Shashi Tharoor's brilliant debate in Oxford lambasting the British for leaving India in penury, we have done nothing in the last sixty-eight years since Independence to prove he is right. Statistics show that our place in the comity of nations has slipped since Independence in terms of relative growth. Now that we have a dynamic Prime Minister who wishes to change all that and take us forward, you have the dyed-in-the-wool politicians in the Opposition who wish to stymie any moves to reform the economy. Yet, we celebrate the 15th of August every year hoping yonder will be better.

It was a hot and muggy morning when residents assembled in the badminton court for the flag hoisting ceremony. Two newly acquired fans were pressed into service but they barely covered a small fraction of the people. Tying of the National flag so that it opens at the slightest tug is an art which Srikant and Ramabadhran have mastered. The junior-most and senior most residents amongst those present were given the honour of unfurling the flag. Kian and Mrs. Rajalakshmi Kalyan tugged at the flag and it unfurled in all its glory showering rose and marigold petals. Everybody joined in to sing the National Anthem. Students trained by Subhada sang a couple of patriotic songs in unison and this was followed for the first time by a dance ensemble choreographed by the talented Radhika Samson. It was very pleasing to the eye. Laddoos and eclairs were distributed to all present. The ladies singing brigade consisting of Bhavani, Sumathi, Gomathi, Sudha, Purnima, Meera and Anuradha amongst others gave a full throated rendering of the more peppy patriotic songs. Curtains then came down on the 69th year of our independence. The canteen seemed to do brisk business. They have added dosa and uthappam to the menu to spread more cheer.

Sujata Sundaresan sent me a clipping on women which I would like to share with you:

" A woman-changes her name, changes her home, leaves her family, moves in with you, builds a home with you, gets pregnant for you, pregnancy changes her body, she gets fat, almost gives up in the labour room due to the unbearable pain of childbirth, even the kids she delivers bear your name, till the day she dies everything she does like cooking, cleaning the house, taking care of your parents, bringing up your children, earning, advising you, ensuring you can be relaxed, maintaining all family relations, everything that benefit syou....sometimes at the cost of her own health, hobbies and beauty.

So who is doing whom a favour?"

I never thought of a woman's role in such candid detail. While I have always been indebted to women starting with my mother and now my wife, reading through the passage really opened my eyes to the sacrifices women make. It horrifies me to read cases of wife battering and privation in many households.

Onam feast has its adherents even if is is planned on Onam day when Malayalis usually have their sadhyas at home at lunchtime. There were nearly a hundred people who bought coupons and gathered outside the Community hall on 28th August, 2015. The scene was festive with most people in the traditional mundu. Meera Varma, Anu Nair and Sudha Easwaran had done an eye catching Pookalam in front of the Community Hall. The downside of wearing a mundu once a year became apparent when the amateurish effort to keep it anchored to the waist came a cropper when Deepak Varma had a wardrobe malfunction. Fortunately, help was at close quarters to keep his modesty intact and save him the blushes. As they say a tipple or two helps the food go down better. The young stallions were suitably bolstered to dive into the food which was simply awesome.

SNIPPETS

Mr. Vishnu Prasad, Dr. Swethaa and their daughter Aadhya of B-104 have moved to Kerala. I still remember Aadhya when she was barely one year old dancing in front of the mini stage to dandia music. We will miss this pleasant couple and their always cheerful daughter.

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Mr. Ankit Jain has moved into E-002 with his wife Ruchi Nahar. Ankit works for Feedback Infra Pvt Ltd and Ruchi works with HCL. In a kind of role reversal, Ankit does the cooking and it helps because he loves cooking. He is also fond of watching movies and driving. Ruchi loves reading, listening to music and watching movies. They can be reached on 9873662885.

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Mr. R.C. Natarajan has moved into C-106 with his wife Dr. Tara Natarajan. Mr. Natarajan is an engineering consultant. Mrs. Tara Natarajan who was a Professor of Philosophy in Gargi College has since retired. They have a son and daughter who are both married and settled. In a rare case of interests matching to the T, both of them are fond of reading, listening to classical music and watching movies which are timeless classics. They can be reached on 26001691.

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Another bachelor bites the dust. Karthik of D-201 succumbs to the charms of Sneha and decided to tie the knot on 9th September,15 in Bangalore. Karthik is working in Los Angeles for International Accreditation Services after doing his engineering from California and Sneha after a completing a course in Corporate Social Responsibility is working for Tata Teleservices, Hyderabad. Ms. Geetha and Mr. Easwar will now become free of all parental responsibilities, now that their son is getting married. Their daughter Divya got married a few years ago to Sunil.

MIRTH CORNER

The following jokes maybe in poor taste but is worth a laugh:-

1. Every lady hopes that her daughter will marry a better man than she did and is convinced that her son will never find a wife as good as his father did!!!

2. A man threw his wife in a pond of crocodiles? He's now being harassed by the animal rights activists for being cruel to the crocodiles!

3. Only 20 percent boys have brains, rest have girlfriends!

4. All desirable things in life are either illegal, banned, expensive or married to someone else!

5. Laziness is our biggest enemy - Jawaharlal Nehru

We should learn to love our enemies - Mahatma Gandhi

(which one does one  choose?)

6. 10% of road accidents are due to drunken driving. Which makes it a logical statement

that 90% of accidents are due to driving without drinking!

HEALTH CAPSULE

I was aware of the ill effects of incense sticks (agarbathi) used in homes. This has got further reinforced by the following research paper. Already, with so much pollution we are putting ourselves at risk from cancer. Please do not aggravate the situation by burning incense sticks at home.

A new study claims that incense smoke could cause adverse health effects.

Researchers at South China University of Technology assessed the health hazards associated with using incense smoke in the home and compared it with mainstream studies of cigarette smoke.

In the study, two types of incense were tested. Both contained agarwood and sandalwood, the most common ingredients used to make this product.

Incense smoke was found to be mutagenic, meaning it contains chemical properties that could potentially change genetic material such as DNA and, therefore, cause mutations.

The smoke was also more cytotoxic and genotoxic than the cigarette used in the study. This means that incense smoke is potentially more toxic to a cell and especially to its genetic contents.

Mutagenics, genotoxins and cytotoxins have all been linked to the development of cancers.

Smoke from the sampled incense was found to consist almost exclusively of ultrafine and fine particles and is, therefore, likely to have adverse health effects.

Rong Zhou, a researcher, said there needs to be greater awareness and management of the health risks associated with burning incense in indoor environments.

However, Zhou warned one should not simply conclude that incense smoke was more toxic than cigarette smoke.

The study is published in the Journal Environmental Chemistry Letters.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

DATE	EVENT	TIME	VENUE
5.9.2015	JANMASHTAMI-KRISHNA LEELA-DANCE & SONG MEDLEY	6.00 PM	BADMINTON COURT
27.9.2015	AGM	9.00 AM	COMMUNITY HALL