EDITORIAL
In a humdinger of a move the Prime Minister announced the demonetisation of currency which rendered the old Rs. 500 and Rs.1,000 notes illegal tender. For a couple of days the political parties were stunned into silence as the move had taken the wind out of their sails. The move was brilliant but in order to maintain secrecy the Government did not flood the banks with new notes nor could they get the ATM's recalibrated to dispense the new notes. As a consequence long and inconvenient queues could be seen outside the banks. The most hassled citizens were the poor who live on day to day incomes. Yet, despite standing in queues for several hours they lauded the move of the Government. Alas, the opposition political parties whose cache of currency may have evaporated with this order started fulminating in the mouth and accused the Modi government of all things diabolic.
Seetha informed me that the ubiquitous Tamil word, "Aiyyo" to express disappointment, dismay, pathos, sadness, horror, etc. has found its way into the Oxford English Dictionary. With the creeping in of popular vernacular words from around the world into the English language, are we seeing the transformation of the English language to a more global version (if it is not that already)?
The Quiz competition on 5th November, 2016 was held in hazy weather. Many participants came wearing masks. It has become the new style statement. A thin audience soon swelled enough to form the four teams named, 'The Mask, RGMNAK, Clueless and Hakuna Matata. RGMNAK consisting of Kunal Savarkar, Aseem Kumar and Rajarshi Das were invincible, scoring 195 points. "The Mask", consisting of Antariksh Das, Venkat and Vinod Asthana came a distant second with 140 points. Clueless as the name suggests and Hakuna Matata with 110 points each, brought up the rear. Hakuna Matata which means 'no worries' in Swahili, truly epitomised the free spirited team The hero of the Quiz competition however was the Quiz Master Sumathi Chandrashekaran. She has this uncanny knack of making an apparently simple clue, complex by adding a twist to the question. She was assisted in the research work and framing of questions by her father, Mr. K. M. Chandrashekaran. Every correct answer by the audience was made sweeter by the gift of Cadbury chocolates courtesy Sudha Sundaram. At the end of the show there were enough chocolates for all the teams and audience. Kavya showed her math skill by being the scorer.
A soiree organised by Subadha in the badminton court on 19th November, 2016 drew all the musical aficionados from Yamuna. After rendering an invocation song Subhada gave the introduction to a Bharatanatyam recital by Avantika. With her imposing height and dimpled face Avantika looked majestic on stage. When she danced she showed glimpses of her Guru Geetha Chandran's dancing style.
This was followed by several devotional songs sung by a group of singers coached by Subadha. Sameeksha, Sahana Savarkar, Shashvath, Tanvi, Surya, Mani, Pratyush, Avantika and Radhika put their heart and soul into the songs and sang with unison. They missed the beat just once in the seven songs they sang. Subhada showed much passion and devotion when she did the introductions for each song. Her sincerity and single mindedness of purpose rubbed off on her students and this will stand them in good stead when they grow up.
For the first time in 30 years I missed the Sports Day this year. As a consequence it was conducted very ably by Srikant and Kunal and chronicled hereunder by Seema Chari:
The crisp morning of the 27th saw the proceedings conducted by Srikanth and Kunal, each wielding a whistle, sheaf of notes and walkie-talkie. The children turned up all perky and bright, while the adults displayed their usual reluctance. One wonders at this increasing tendency towards sedentariness.
The tiny tots regaled everyone with their toffee-picking, though it is worth spending a thought to consider if we aren’t tacitly encouraging a snatch-and-grab culture. Anyway little Kiaan was adjudged the winner, with Sai Ansh and Akshara as worthy runners-up.Each race was keenly contested. Some children showed equanimity in the face of defeat and victory alike, while others gloated if they won, but sulked if they ‘lost’. The desire to win is a human one. But what about grace, fair play and spirit of sportsmanship? The playground is the best laboratory to develop these crucial values.
The women’s lemon and spoon race and running race saw gamely participation from the smattering of women, some of whom even took off their slippers and ran barefoot! The men’s race initially looked like a non-starter (shortage of competitors) but eventually saw six athletes. Anirudh Suresan comfortably defended his title.The last event was the Tug-of-War, where a team of young girls steamrollered an (admittedly smaller) team of young men, who despite being boosted by Anirudh Suresan and Venkat Iyer, couldn’t match their pigtailed rivals. The men-vs-women tug-of-war did not materialise, but Sports Day ended well, at least for the winners, with stoic vows on the part of several adults to get into shape for next year.
SNIPPETS
Sahana Iyer's big day came at her Rangmanch Pravesh on Sunday, 6th November, 2016 at IIC. As the Chief Guest Shri Barun Kumar Pal mentioned we were going to witness the dance recital of a prodigy. When Sahana appeared on the stage, the diminutive figure of this IVth grade student was dwarfed by the awesome size of the stage but when she started dancing, her overwhelming performance filled the stage. Her intricate and complex poses showed the expertise of a yogi. Her balance and poise showed the skills of a ballerina while her assured and smiling countenance right through the performance mirrored the confidence of a professional dancer. So great was her confidence that while she was dancing to " I am missing you, Krishna, where are you" and a piece of her garment unwound itself and came in the way of her dance moves, she didn't miss a beat and handled it with the deftness of a mature performer. She was lustily cheered. Sahana is destined for great things. Kudos to her guru Radhika Samson, Sadhana School of Dance and Music and her very supportive parents Vidhya and Venkat for nurturing her talent.
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Tejaswin Shankar never ceases to astound us with his prodigious talent. Displaying his adapted back first Fosbury flop, he eclipsed the 12 year old National Senior High Jump record of 2.25 metres held by his father's namesake Harishankar. He leapt a mind boggling 2.26 metres on 10th November, 2016 at the tender age of 17. He could well go on to become the first Olympic medal winner for India in track and field. Tejas, you have made all of Yamuna proud with this leap of faith.
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Tarun Balakrishnan of A-102 who got married in Mumbai on 4th November, 2016 to Shobhana (a medical editor with Cactus Communications) appeared for their reception at the Yamuna lawns on 6th November, 2016. The Yamuna lawn dazzled with tastefully arranged lights. Rangu has moved up a notch with his catering expertise coming through. Delectable food, the great company of Yamunaites and gorgeously dressed women made for an entertaining evening.
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Geetha and Ramani's (C-001) son, Sam exchanged marriage vows with Mithileshwari in Secunderabad on 11th November, 2016. The currency crisis notwithstanding, the wedding was held on a grand scale with the cuisine and other arrangements exceeding all imagination, according to a Yamuna resident who attended the wedding.
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Shashvath Arun Ram's thread ceremony was held in the Yamuna lawn on 20th November, 2016 under blue skies and sunny weather. The function variously known as Yagyopavedam or Poonal or Brahmopadesam, heralded the entry of Shashvath into the haloed portals of Brahminhood. A half crescent shaped shaved head altered Shashvath's look. He sat through the long ceremony patiently. Great food, bejeweled ladies in gorgeous saris, a large Yamuna presence and Subhada's engaging presence made for great social interaction. The function was preceded by a marathon bhajan the day before in the Community Hall which included a gem from Raghav.
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Arun Mohan, Assistant Editor, Indian Express has moved out of E-204. The owner Mr. Jayaraman is looking to let it out again. He can be reached on 9818043903 and 8700812990.
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Mr. Prasad Rao of G-004 has moved out of Yamuna with his parents. He is going back to his home town, Chennai from where he came to Delhi about two years ago. Within a short time of moving here, Prasad and his parents made friends with a lot of people. They will be missed.
Letter to the Editor from Mr. V. V. Bhotlu (F-203)
The other day there was a knock on my door when I was resting after finishing my lunch. When I opened the door I found a Good Samaritan. Mr Kunal Savarkar, E-105, came to offer me some funds considering my age and observing that there are long queues at the banks and ATMs.
After exchanging some pleasantries, he gave me in the denominations of 100 and 20 in exchange of two 500-rupee notes. In his own characteristic and courteous way, while handing me his visiting card, he offered me his services, in case I require in future with no hesitation.
I truly take this opportunity of wishing Mr Kunal Savarkar and his family members many grateful thanks and good luck for his act of kindness.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR DECEMBER 2016
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DATE
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EVENT
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TIME
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VENUE
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10.12.16
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ANNUAL DAY - REFRESHMENTS, PRIZE DISTRIBUTION,
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4.00 PM
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MAIN LAWN
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VARIETY ENTERTAINMENT AND DINNER
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24.12.16
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CHRISTMAS CARNIVAL/CAROL SINGING/WINTER RAMP WALK
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6.30 PM
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BADMINTON COURT
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MUSIC/DANCE/FOOD STALLS/BONFIRE
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31.12.16
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CAKE CUTTING AND USHERING IN THE NEW YEAR
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MIDNIGHT
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COMMUNITY HALL
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