EDITORIAL
I have not lived through World War I or II, so I cannot draw any parallels. Nothing, since I was born, has shaken up the world at large as the deadly pandemic, ‘COVID 19’. It holds valuable lessons for all of us. It does not help to tinker with nature. Man’s eternal greed has begun to bite very hard. Our wanton lifestyle is wrecking the planet as never before, with global warming melting the Antarctic and Arctic glaciers, forest fires in many parts of the world, storms and hurricanes plundering homes and trees, increasing carbon footprint polluting cities and genetic engineering creating biological weapons which go astray and unleash viral monsters like the Coronavirus and engulf the world. If this is not Armageddon, what is? Beware the Ides of March, harbinger of doom! With lockdowns affecting several cities, people have begun to reflect on what they have brought upon themselves and seeking to change their lifestyles. Unfortunately, memory is short; when the crisis passes, will we revert to our reckless ways? Time will tell. Although this lockdown is getting on my nerves, there are many positives. There is no pollution, the air smells fresh, the sun shines sharply through the azure sky, the birds are chirping and there is a sense of well being. It is unfortunate that we have to stay cooped indoors when the conditions are ideal for social interaction and parties. However, in exchange for these temporary privations, I am being rewarded by the refreshing effect of sound sleep and a chance to cogitate without the pressure of time. However, I am not a fan of work-from-home. I am doing up to five conference calls a day on Zoom, which is five times the conference calls I do on a normal workday. Ghaaa!!!! In between this lockdown comes Vishu and Tamil New Year’s Day. I everybody good tidings and hope we get over this hump.
The advisory sent out to residents to avoid playing Holi due to the spread of Coronavirus was followed more in the breach than in the observance. I was dragged out of my house by my lady friends and taken to the park. While the whole world was gripped in paranoia, Yamuna residents were cocking a snook at the potential threat. Barring a few regulars, the park was full of revellers. In fact, some of them came well planned with food and drinks for a party. Kunal Savarkar was behaving like an irrepressible teenager hauling pails of water and dunking everybody with it. There was a strange brew doing its rounds and those imbibing the stuff were behaving like hippies in nirvana. Some were busy eating and drinking, giving an opportunity for others to sneak from behind and target a water-filled balloon from close quarters. Ere long, I was mauled with colours and as wet as a warthog’s backside and resembling a gargoyle on a high. With a light breeze wafting across the park, the damp clothes made it a tad uncomfortable and I beat a hasty retreat. Two hours later, I could still spot from my window, some children running amok, hurling water balloons.
Dirt cheap airline fares and heavily discounted hotel rates make a compelling case for a foreign sojourn but it comes with a high-risk Corona conundrum. Even the depreciated rupee would have carried some heft at these basement bargain deals. Alas! Corona won, so perhaps all of us have to make do with a domestic destination during the summer recess.
Namaste, our age-old greeting custom, has got a global outreach under unusual circumstances. Owing to the outbreak of Coronavirus, whereby anybody contact and proximity are abhorred, the Indian way of greeting is gaining traction. A recent video of Prince Charles shunning handshakes and adopting ‘namaste’ to greet has gone viral. Lo and behold, he too has tested positive for the virus! Slowly but surely, Indian practices and customs like yoga, namaste, ayurvedic medicines, Indian cuisine, and not to be overlooked, Bollywood dance are gaining credence overseas. The burgeoning Indian diaspora in these lands has helped catalyse these trends. Even in death, the Indian custom of cremation has got a thumbs up as it does not leave any vermin residue in the soil. Coronavirus is going to change the way we live for all times to come. Even from a cleanliness standpoint, this errant virus has made people conscious of the merits of sanitation, more than Swacch Bharat could!
Radha Kalyanam was organised by Mr. Balaji in the park, albeit the concerns relating to Coronavirus scare. He found it difficult to cancel the event at the last minute as he had made all the arrangements and had to go ahead in spite of the concerns.
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet” said Juliet in the play Romeo and Juliet, written by William Shakespeare. Plenty, you would say, if you were the maker of Corona Beer. This pale lager produced in Mexico became the top-selling imported beer in the United States. The makers of this brand of beer which has a 95-year history would never have imagined that their coveted brand, which has found adherents all over the world, would be decimated by a lowly virus. Ever since the outbreak of the Coronavirus in China, the sale of this brand of beer has plummeted over 50% in the United States. How on earth can anybody with a scintilla of intelligence associate the name “Corona” in a beer bottle with the deadly virus? There is now proof that they can. Herein lies the problem of irrational behaviour that we are witness to around the world. It shows that a large section of people are both dumb and gullible.
Despite PM Modi’s muscularity in dealing with the COVID-19 crisis within India and as a SAARC initiative, the spread of the disease is in geometric proportion. In a nationally televised address, he advised a self-imposed curfew all over India from 7 am to 9 pm on March 22nd, 2020. Discipline and obedience are anathema to Indians. The only thing that could make them pay heed, is the fear of death. Nothing has united Indians, irrespective of religion, caste, and region as this message has. I was pleasantly surprised at the whole-hearted adherence to this. The 5 pm applause by Yamuna residents was covered live on Times Now, thanks to Sherine Elizabeth of E-302. The response was overwhelming, with everybody stepping out to clap in unison. Some used bells and cymbals to increase the noise quotient. A country-wide lockdown for 21 days was announced by the PM on 24th March, 2020 to stop the spread of the virus. Adversity brings out the best side of human compassion. Many residents volunteered to aid the aged, the infirm, and the poor. Kudos to them.
I take pity on the plight of children who were appearing for the Board exams. Their exams got truncated because of the Covid-19 crisis. They are thus neither in a position to relax during this enforced break nor are they having the motivation or momentum of exam rigour to prepare for the remaining subjects.
The tigers in their own nest, were humbled by the Kiwis in the cricket series In New Zealand. Buoyant after a 5-nil T-20 victory over the Kiwis, the Indian team were cock-a-hoop about their prospects in the three-match T-50 series and the two-match Test series. Actually, the five-nil T-20 win should have also gone 3-2 in New Zealand’s favour. In three of the matches, the Kiwis were well and truly on top, but in an inexplicable case of choking, they forfeited their dominance by letting two of the matches meander to a super over, where India came up trumps. In the third match where they were romping home to victory, they choked again and catapulted and gave India the match on a platter. They made amends by inflicting a bruising defeat on the number one Test and T-50 team in the world in both these formats. The Indian viewers were appalled at the spineless batting of the much-heralded batting line-up, led by arguably the best batsman in the world. The famed Indian pace attack also lacked any sting. Only Ishant Sharma, who played just one match and Jadeja were up to the task. I was surprised that the in-form batsman and gloveman, K.L. Rahul, who played a stellar role in the T-20 and T-50 series, was not retained for the Tests.
Railway stations are being tarted up using public funds without a care for aesthetics or logistics. It is disgusting to see the New Delhi Railway Station become an ugly, blister packed carbuncle. Where was the Urban Arts Commission who are supposed to vet any makeover proposal of public buildings? As for logistics planning, it may take less time to get within 100 yards of the station from home via the Paharganj side, than to traverse the remaining 100 yards. On a recent trip to Chandigarh, despite setting out rather early from home, one had to hoof the 100 yards to the station lest we missed the train. If that is not enough, the entrance to the platform poses a “find it” cartographical challenge. Cannot we get the basics right?
The recent riots in Delhi revealed an ugly face of human debasement. I was trying to explore the genesis of the problem from my limited understanding of events. I feel the decline of husbandry due to marginalisation of farm holdings, the lack of employment opportunities in the hinterland, and burgeoning population all lead to large-scale migration to the cities where they end up living in urban ghettos. In these overcrowded lanes with no sanitation, they live in utter misery eking out a living on daily wages. They are often ignored by the political class except at the time of the elections. In such an enfeebled state of polity, these people look for a guiding force. This is when arise people, who far from setting patterns of virtue, exploit their vulnerabilities on religious faultlines and preach communal politics with so much barefacedness, that other people, on beholding their conduct become bolder and practice the ugliest action without remorse or fear. These people are either politicians or criminals. It is very difficult to tell the difference! If communities live apart and are not integrated, there arises a vested interest coterie that is bent on creating differences in the social fabric with communal rhetoric. The answer to this is to do away with the segregation of communities and foster integration. When communities live as neighbours, animosities disappear.
When patients are caught in the liminal space between life and death, like in a coma, it is a Hobson's choice placed by the doctor upon the close family for the course of treatment. This is more so when the patient is very old and there could be a serious compromise on the quality of life, if the person survived. It is even more gut-wrenching for the close family members to take a call when the person is conscious but on life support and is unlikely to recover.
The four convicts who brutally tortured, raped and murdered Nirbhaya seven years ago were finally sent to the gallows and hanged on 20th March, 2020. It is justice at last to Nirbhaya’s mother who tirelessly fought against the legal system that is curiously at odds with the victim. While this whole charade played out, we the taxpayers were funding the existence and legal challenge of these criminals for years. The legal system is so archaic and out of whack with current challenges of time and population. Unless you have someone pursuing the case doggedly and steadfastly, these criminals could have been set free after a few years of incarceration. There are, of course, people who think hanging is too draconian and plead for the human rights of the perpetrator. What about the human rights of the victim? I am also reminded of the Jessica Lal case which dragged on for years. In that case, again, Jessica Lal’s mother had a never-say-die approach. It is not possible for everybody to pursue such matters relentlessly because of other compulsions. In such cases, the tragedy falls off the news radar and clever lawyers play saviours to the perpetrators, particularly if they are well connected or rich. The criminal justice system was written several hundred years ago by the British from which the Indian Penal Code draws its framework. It was written at a time when the population was low and the number of cases was far fewer. In the current scenario, where courts have a twenty-five-year back-log, there is dire need to ensure speedy justice.
OBITUARY
We regret to inform you of the sad demise of Mrs. P.M. Lekshmi Kutty Amma (F-204) on 31.3.2020 at the age of 96. Residents of Yamuna will miss this noble soul. Yamuna members convey their heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.
SNIPPETS
Our erstwhile neighbour, Sridhar Venkatesh of B-204, son of Mr. K.N. Venkatesh has been appointed as the Managing Director of Glaxo Smith Kline India Ltd with effect from 1st April, 2020. His rise after he left Pfizer in 2011 and joined Glaxo has been meteoric. He has done stints in the US and Singapore and is currently based in Singapore, managing the P&L of five countries. We are very proud of you, Sridhar. With age on your side, you could go on to become the global CEO of the company, in the foreseeable future. We wish you the very best. After I sent him a congratulatory message, promptly came his reply which I am reproducing below. I am touched by his humility:
Dear Mohan,
Thank you for the message. I feel humbled and honoured to be nominated to this role. A lot of virtues and learning of course has come to me in growing up at our own Yamuna Apartments. A lot of seniors, elders, friends, peers and folks like you have been instrumental in how we all grew up. My namaskarams and greetings to your mom. Hope she is keeping well.
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Geetha and Easwar (D201) have become grandparents again. Their son Karthik and daughter-in-law Sneha were blessed with a baby boy, Rishi, on 8th Feb, 2020. Congratulations to Karthik and Sneha. Geetha and Easwar will now have their hands full babysitting.
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Sukanya and B. M. Sundareshan’s son Vijay (H-301) tied the knot with the apple of his eye, Shereen Bhalla, in a Tamil Brahmin ceremony on March 6, 2020 at a Temple in San Antonio (USA). On the very next day, Shereen and Vijay sealed the deal when they reinforced their vows in a Punjabi wedding ceremony at the local Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple. In the evening, guests were treated to dinner and dancing at the St. Anthony Hotel, where festivities carried on till late evening. Vijay and Shereen will reside in Oakland, California. With that, another Yamuna bachelor bites the dust. We wish the couple a great married life.
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Sandeep Unnithan’s (B-203) first book, State of Siege, has been made by an international crew into a movie that is being streamed on Zee5. There are many people who pen books, but for its transformation into celluloid, it has to touch a chord. Residents may like to view the movie. His second book, Operation X was published in August, 2019.
