Issue No.89 January 2009

Editorial

In the New Year one is looking for hope, leaving behind a year of despondency and despair. Are there any signs? For starters, inflation is on the retreat. Petrol and cooking gas prices have become more affordable. Winter has not been that severe and unkind. Teachers and Government servants have got a pay hike. It’s the private sector, which is still in need of resuscitation. I have reasonable cause to believe that the worst is over and we are in for a period of consolidation. Inflation is expected to touch 2% by April/May. Lending rates should come down to between 7 and 8% which should revive buying, thereby boosting the economy. Hopefully, after the lessons learnt from the Mumbai terror attack, our intelligence agencies are better prepared and the security forces are better equipped to prevent terror strikes. All in all, the signs are encouraging.

We were in for a pleasant surprise on 9th January. Mr. K. Rajagopal, a cousin of Gita Rastogi.and a crooner par excellence. was passing through Delhi. Gita latched on to the opportunity and made him agree to a performance in the badminton court. Raju, as he is referred to amongst his friends, is very familiar with Yamuna,as several of his school mates are current residents of Yamuna. His pretty wife, Sandhya, an alumnus of DTEA, also has several friends here. So, in a quirky sort of way, it was homecoming for them and his performance came from the heart. Raju, who is based in Chennai, has sung in several Tamil films and has performed on the stage in India and abroad. His repertoire includes the old classics of Mohammed Rafi, Mannadey, Kishore Kumar, Mukesh etc. He could sing these songs with the background music, thanks to a karaoke mike and music provided by Raju Parameswaran and TV monitor by Akhila. He regaled the audience with his mellifluous voice and nostalgic numbers. In some numbers Bhavani joined him. Others who lent their voices were Lavanya, Gomathi, Umapathi, Raju Parameswaran and Ramabadhran. He signed off with a medley of Tamil and Hindi songs intricately woven into each other that it appeared like a seamless whole. The performance went much beyond the scheduled duration as hehad to oblige the audience with their requests. Gita Rastogi gave a vote of thanks to Raju. If you thought the night was over after the couple’s departure, you are sadly mistaken. Yamunaites when roused into a passion, go the whole hog. So, you had the likes of Sujatha, Netra, Vatsala, Sudha, Tejasvini and several others singing away through the night beside the dying embers of the bon-fire.

The heritage walk to Vijay Mandal and Begumpuri Masjid (Tughlak era monuments) scheduled for the 11th January had to be called off for the second time due to lack of adequate response. It is a pity that people today are only interested in pursuits that guarantee instant gratification. Nobody has the time or inclination to explore, savour and reflect on things of a bygone era. A heritage walks kindles one’s curiosity ; it takes you to a world far removed from us, making us imagine the skills and technology of the builders and planners who, in a world without computers or modern technological tools, built these marvellous edifices. The scale of some of these structures is so awesome that you would be wonderstruck, how without mechanical means such structures could be built. Of course, there are elements in it of slave labour, palace intrigues and other frailties of the human mind, which were prevalent in much greater measure then. But that is history, and history no matter how wicked, has lessons in it for us. The loss is ours, as Ramji Narayan is a master raconteur.

Lohri, which signals the end of the coldest period of winter, was celebrated with gusto in the badminton court on 13th January. For Prashant and Isha, it was their first Lohri after marriage and thus entailed a small ceremony. Lavanya, Radhika and Madhavi sang some Punjabi songs to make Isha’s family feel at home. The people gathered exchanged traditional Lohri eats. The absence of some of the usual Lohri singers like Deepak Verma of H- 208, Sudha of H-202, Sujatha of H-308, and Aseem of E-301 was felt. The singing lacked the gusto one associates with Lohri singing. The bonfire didn’t disappoint, though the programme came to a premature end due to the following day being a working one.

In former times I used to always wonder what the big deal was about parenting, when I ‘d heard parents constantly cribbing about various things. Now I realise that it is indeed a big deal if not the biggest. Trying to reason with the kids is an exercise in futility. When we reprimand them, they view us as humourless monastic types who stay indoors and watch the news. They don’t want us to mess with their idea of fun. The only problem is the fun never ends. Besides, they are always found with I- Pods or mobiles vying for their eardrums, so that they can always claim that they never heard you. If you deprive them of either, they suffer from separation pangs. If a person can find a magic formula to defang the kids, I am sure he will have many followers.

Slumdog Millionaire is a movie of events that happen in our midst, but we who are cocooned from the nether world of crime, grime, subterfuge etc, as we stay in our private isles, are not quite privy to the seamier side of the city. The movie, brilliantly directed by Danny Boyle, brings you face to face with a world we could do without. It is a cruel world that preys on the innocent, the gullible and the hapless for their own profit. These parasites see opportunity in poverty. There were several brilliant performances by the cast. The impish naughtiness of two brothers who are thrown into a world of crime due to circumstances, the canny and wickedly brilliant game show host played by Anil Kapoor, the evil exploiters of the innocent children who carry out their gruesome deeds under the mask of a beatific smile, are all roles which have been executed with panache. City slickers like us should definitely see this movie.

There has been a news item about DJB planning to impose restrictions on use of water supplied to households for use in gardens and washing of sundry other things. Notwithstanding this advisory, we should take cognisance of the implications on the environment by indiscriminate use of water and electricity. We would therefore, request all residents to conserve water and electricity.

It is not uncommon for Committee members being collared by residents, while taking a walk, to be told about their grievances on various issues. In order that all the concerns of the residents get the attention it deserves, it is advised that they drop their complaints/suggestions, with their names and addresses, in the Society Office letter box. We would like to assure that your suggestions, if practical and beneficial to the residents at large, will be considered favourably in the monthly Managing Committee meeting.

OBITUARY

Fate dealt a cruel blow to Harish Krishnamurthy (C-103,) when at the young age of 23, he lost his life in a road accident in Bangalore. The residents of Yamuna share the grief of this loss with the bereaved family.

SNIPPETS

On the 4th of January Sri Jogdhian Hari Bagwan Rastogi Charitable Memorial Trust conducted a bone and joint disease detection camp for senior citizens, in the Community Centre. Free consultations, bone densitometry and osteoporosis tests were conducted for those who attended the camp. Dr. Dhananjay Gupta, Senior Orthopaedic Consultant and Gita Rastogi, Senior Physiotherapy Consultant, Orthonova Hospital, conducted the camp with the help of 6 junior doctors. Ace logistical support was provided by the Trustees, Nalin Kumar Rastogi, Deepa Rastogi and Madhubala Rastogi.Below poverty line patients were asked to approach the Trust for free medical and surgical treatment whenever required.

It has been a case of return of a die-hard Yamuna resident, when Mr. Balasubramaniam and his family returned to B-202 from Bangalore, where they spent a few years. Undoubtedly they love their homecoming.

Separation pangs got the better of Srividya and Aanavi of A-308 who had spent the better part of a year without Anand whose job took him to Singapore. Lets hope the united family find life in Singapore a lot better than Yamuna.
Consequently, Hariharan, who used to live in B-202, had to vacate the premises for the return of Mr. Balasubramaniam; he has now moved to A-308.

Tejaswin Harishanker (G-106) has proved to be an all-rounder in sports, as he lifted the trophy for Best Athlete in the Primary School Championship of Sardar Patel Vidyalaya. Way to go, Tejas !

Healthfile

WHAT YOU THOUGHT WAS RIGHT…..IS WRONG!

*Reading in dim light can ruin eyesight
No way! Dim light tires them, dries them out and can unfocus them, but does not cause near or far sightedness.

*The harder the mattress, the better for your back
Truth is, those who sleep on moderately firm mattresses are twice as likely to have back problems. Be choosy, like goldilocks and pick one that is neither too hard, nor too soft. When you lie down, the mattress should mould itself to the shape of your back.

*Cooking veggies kills all nutrients
Vitamins come in several shapes, sizes and characteristics. Relax – while it’s true that cooking does cause loss of some Vit. C (which is water soluble), it actually makes other antioxidants like beta carotene (in carrots, turnips, pumpkin) and lycopene from tomatoes more easily available. Confused? Simply cook some veggies, eat others raw. Don’t throw away the water in which they’re cooked. Even better, let them cook in their own juices or steam. (Health)

Letter from Singapore

"It has been almost a month since we moved to Singapore, and there has never been a day that Aanavi does not mention her Yamuna home and friends. We don't really miss Delhi, but we do miss Yamuna! The four years we spent there were a lot of fun and we made some great friends. Apologies if we could not say are byes to everyone, but the move happened quite suddenly. But we hope to back sometime. Cheers! - Aanavi, Vidya and Anand"

(Ed: For anyone wishing to stay in touch with Anand, his mobile number is +65 94520203 and e-mail id anandv1973@yahoo.com)

Issue No 87 November 2008

Editorial

We had seen the good side of globalisation with BPO’s becoming a major employer of educated youth. Now we are getting to witness the dark side of the same phenomenon; believe me, it hurts. Companies have begun laying off people, as a consequence of recession in the West. For many of those who have evaded the chopping block, severe salary cuts have been imposed. The ultimate mantra of free market evangelists is beginning to lose lustre. On the bright side, we are better off than folks across the Atlantic.

In a country where Blacks constitute a minority, America created history by voting in a black President. Is it even possible to imagine this scenario in India? The dynastic stranglehold in politics is crippling competence and fresh ideas. A politician’s son in India believes with some justification that being the father’s son is reason enough to inflict himself upon us. Politics bristles with genetic material in Nehru topis. If it is not the son, it is the daughter or wife or nephew. While Barack Obama had an African father and yet was voted to the highest office in the US, the politicians in India do not even tolerate people from other parts of India! We should guard against the danger of this anti–India demagogy and ethnic paranoia that politicians like Raj Thackeray display. This could lead to the Balkanisation of India. India needs the blessings of God, to stay united and free of terrorists. Let us pray for the souls of those who lost their lives to the terrorists in Mumbai.

Yamuna’s residents descended in hordes on the lawn to display their athletic prowess on a bright and sunny morning on 2nd November. It started off with “picking the toffees” for children under 5 years. Obviously, the children had their backers, who egged them on so vociferously that you could be excused for mistaking it for a pit bull fight. While many children managed to collect the toffees only in single digits or barely reaching double digits, obviously distracted by the odd behaviour of the adults surrounding them, Kiana Abraham of A-008, kept her wits about her and grabbed a massive 57 toffees.

The men, who have been absent for a couple of years, decided to show their athletic prowess after much cajoling. Thomas of A-008 and Raja of C-007 were the respective winners in different categories. I must admire the women, though. They were the largest single group of participants. I have been noticing over several years that the Mani clan from B-201 are always amongst the winners. This time they were represented by only Radha Mani and daughter Srilakshmi. Mr. Mani, the indomitable legal eagle with an indestructible commitment to the legal profession has nary the time for such frivolous activity.

The road race was very popular. The winner in the girls section had no peer. Madhuri of C-006 scorched the tarmac, while the rest were left chasing her smoke trails. Other notable winners of the Sports Day were Ananya (G-205), Aryan (E-202), Shreya (C-003), Gowri ( C-007), Tejas ( G-106), Ananya ( G-304), Hari (C-204), Poornima(B-002), Ritu (G-001), Poornima (G-205), Vinayak (C-007), and Janani (G-202).

The quiz competition held on 8th November saw 15 participants vying their scholarly heft, against each other. The teams were split into groups of three, with each team consisting of one adult and two children. The quizmaster, Sumathi Chandrashekaran (H –107), did a magnificent job in preparing the format of the contest and composing the questions. She could give some celebrity quizzers like Siddharth Basu or Ronnie Screwala a complex. Fortunately, we had a lively audience for an event of this nature. The participants gave very outlandish names to their teams like, VAK, RED FIRES, NITRO, WARTHOGS and ARROW. NITRO with team members Savita (E-301), Bhaskar (A- 301) and Ram (A-001) led from start to finish and were the runaway winners with 140 points. VAK with team members Venkat and Archit (G-103) and Kasish (A-301) tried gamely but did not have the ammunition to overhaul NITRO and finished second with 120 points. Some members of the audience answered a few questions, which the teams could not answer and were rewarded with chocolates, brought by Sumathi. Ram was simply outstanding and was mainly instrumental in NITRO winning with such a large margin.

This year’s AGM, held in front of the office on 9th November was a landmark. For the first time, the Members attended the meeting as de-jure owners, owing to the Lt. Governor having regularised the allotment of Flats. The outgoing President, Mr. Raghavan, lavished praise on Mr. T. N. V. Nair for his invaluable help in fructifying this, in what had hitherto seemed an endless pursuit since 1980. This year also saw for the first time, new Members who had bought the flats on resale. It was the dawn of a new era, as the newly elected Managing Committee was largely comprised of first time office bearers. Mr. C. S. Menon was elected President for an unprecedented sixth time in the history of the Society. The other executive committee members are:

Mohan Narayanan (B-002)
Vice-President

Bharti Ramakrishnan (A-007)
Secretary

Harishankar(G-106)
Joint Secretary

R. Padmanabhan ( B-304)
Treasurer

Members:
Gita Rastogi (C-004)
Jyothi Subramanian (C-007)
Mahesh Eswaran (A-303)
Mohan Krishnaswamy (G-206)
Parvathy Eswaran (H-202)
Seetha Venkataraman (G-102)
S. Srinivas (A-108)
Sudha Umapathy (D-104)
Thomas Abraham (A-008)
V. Ramanarayanan (A-009)

Many flat owners voiced their opinion on raising the maintenance charge to improve the facilities in the complex and bring about much needed repairs to arrest seepage. The ball is now in the new committee’s court and expectations are high.

The Annual Day this year did not lack the hype that an event of this nature should have; after all, KK, Bollywood’s evergreen crooner and our much loved neighbour from yesteryears was going to regale the audience in the “Return of the Native Concert”. Everything went to plan. The Chief Guest, Prof. Vijay Kumar Malhotra, MP and Chief Minister aspirant from Delhi,arrived on schedule, the sound system was great and the setting was awesome The invocation song by Srilakshmi( B-201) and Kritika of H-006, kick-started the proceedings. Mr. C. V. Narayanan gave away prizes to the winners of Sports and Badminton competitions, painting, quiz and illumination competitions, academic achievers. Yamuna’s octogenarians were also honoured.

In the variety entertainment programme, the two acts by the residents were no amateur stuff. Ananya(G-001) and Vedika (A-106) swayed and jived expertly to a popular Bollywood number. For the classical music aficionados, the duet by Radhika on the sitar and Pranav on the tabla was like a breath of fresh air.

Then came the moment everybody was waiting for with bated breath - to see the star of the evening belt out his hits. Geetha Rastogi had a surprise for the audience when she did a slideshow on KK’s growing years in Yamuna, with a collage of photographs from his childhood, painstakingly put together by Srikanth of C-003 and Geetha’s sister Latha. The touch of nostalgia no doubt was an emotional high for KK, and he gave his all to the assembled gathering. KK has a phenomenal stage presence and the ability to draw the audience to sing and sway with him. He sang most of his Bollywood hits. He did go back in time to sing his all time favourite, “Hello” by Lionel Ritchie, with his school time buddy on the guitar. He also showed us what the next generation could do when he asked his son Nakul to sing. No stage fright for this fella as he confidently rocked through a Linkin’ Park number. Back after the break, KK got the crowd on their feet and the kids on the stage to dance and sing with him, much like a Pied Piper. It was a riot! In the past, by the time the clock struck 8.00pm, the audience used to melt away and make a beeline for the dinner. Not on this day; residents were either glued to their seats or rooted to the ground, under a hypnotic spell. Even people not customarily seen on the dance floor in Yamuna, like Sridevi of G-303, were seen swinging to the music.

KK had arrived, signed a million autographs, posed with another million for photographs, partook in the dinner along with 325 others, listened to the audition of a couple of rock ballads played by Rangu and Ramanan, had a solo photo shoot done by our own Kuttan and left. To say that he conquered Yamuna would be an understatement. It was the return of the native and the retreat of the Emperor! There won’t be another Annual Day that can match this one in a long time. My personal thanks goes out to Mr. Ramabadhran of E-202, who not only raised more than 50% of the total ad revenue but also helped out in many other ways. My thanks also go out to Srikant(C-003), Harishankar (G-106) and Anand (H-005) and others for helping out.

Yamuna has finally bridged the tech gap by installing e-mail at the Office. The address is: yamuna.apts@gmail.com

SNIPPETS

What a way to open your account! Deepak and Meera’s son Samarth, of H-208, turned his first birthday party a free-for-all, for children and adults alike, with a magic show, tattooing, treasure pot, food and drinks on 2nd November. Everybody had a rollicking time.

Prashant (C-202) got his golden fleece when he tied the ‘mangal sutra’ around Isha’s neck on 30th Niovember in the lawn, on a bright and nippy morning. Everybody partook in the sumptuous breakfast and lunch while the bride, groom and the parents sat through the chanting of mantras and braved the smoke that was getting into their eyes from the holy fire. Marriages in Yamuna are big and enjoyable social affairs with all familiar faces in beautiful sarees .

Manoj Subramanaian, Country Manager for Tissot Watch Company has moved into C-205, from Mumbai alongwith his wife Prema. Both Manoj and Prema are gregarious and love to party. Their daughter, Saishaa is 4 years old and goes to Eurokids School. We welcome them to Yamuna.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS- DECEMBER 2008

6.12.2008
6.00 pm. Screening of the much acclaimed movie A WEDNESDAY starring Naseeruddin Shah in the Badminton Court followed by Potluck Dinner.

14.12.2008
9.30 am. Cleanliness and Eco-drive. Please assemble in the Badminton
Court.

24.12.2008
6.30 pm Christmas Carnival with Variety entertainment, games, music & food stalls at the Badminton Court.

28.12. 2008

9.30 am Heritage walk to Vijay Mandal & Begumpuri Masjid (Tughlaq era monuments)near Sarvapriya Vihar. Commentary by Ramji Narayan of D-204. Please assemble with your cars at H Block Gate at 9.30 am. Children not accompanied by their parents, will not be taken. Please give your names to Mohan Narayanan at B-002.

31.12 .2008

Midnight Cake cutting and ushering in the New Year.

To my fellow Yamuna-ites…

This year’s AGM presented a welcome change in that attendance was considerably better, thanks to the induction of new Members under Section 91 of the Co-operative Societies Act. Still, the fact that only 73 members out of 195 could make themselves available is not a healthy trend.
It is very easy to sit at home and complain. The same is happening during elections also. The thinking is, if I do not vote, if I don’t participate in the AGM, what difference will it make? If every individual thinks likewise, change for good shall never happen.

Our Annual Day function was a great success. The Caterer, while settling the accounts complained that some members were seen piling up their plates at the buffet and taking food home Worse still, some did not even have the basic decency of returning the plates! By God’s grace, all our residents are doing well for themselves –why leave a bad impression?
Every Member and resident should endeavour to keep Yamuna clean and participate in the community’s activities to the extent possible.The best excuse is to say I am busy, I have no time; but one can always find time for everything if there is a will.

The Managing Committee members and office-bearers do not work for any reward. The posts they hold are immaterial, as many hold more important and lucrative posts in their respective careers. They have volunteered for the office only so that the place where all of us live, our children play, our parents walk could be made better. The words of John F. Kennedy’, in his inaugural address of January 20th, 1961, come strongly to mind:

And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.
My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.

Ask yourselves what you can do and contribute for a better Yamuna.

Hari Shankar (G-106)

QUIZZIN' WITH SUMATHI!

SCENES FROM ANNUAL DAY - 15TH NOVEMBER 2008

Click on the pix for a closer look! Photographs of Annual Day can be ordered from the YCGHS Office @Rs.25/- each. A DVD of KK's performance will also be available at Rs.200/-.