Issue No. 209 I January 2019

EDITORIAL

 

The Nature walk to the Aravalli Bio Diversity Park deferred from last month happened on 5^th January 2019. The magical transformation that occurs as you leave the city precincts and enter the forest is beyond belief. The tranquility, the fresh air and musical sound of birds chirping are all indicators of what we miss in our daily city grind. Unfortunately, a truant bug had laid low many Yamuna regulars which reduced the number of people undertaking the walk. The numbers further dwindled because for some others Saturday is a working day. Nevertheless, for those who ventured out, it left pleasant memories. The orchid plants which are not native to Delhi was grown in a sylvan valley with a pond and deciduous trees providing the required shade and humidity, so necessary for the orchid’s  survival. The grove with medicinal plants and trees and the butterfly park were all lessons in plant diversity, their usefulness to human beings and animals. The walk was rounded off by a movie screening about the Aravalli Bio-diversity park, a reclamation project from disused mines and pock marked land mass. Probably nobody realises the role the Aravallis play in bringing rain to Delhi during the monsoon and it’s immense contribution as a heat and pollution sink. Without the Aravallis, living in Delhi may have been well nigh impossible. I collected two saplings which grow into trees and are vital for butterflies larvae to feed on. These have been planted in the park. Maybe in a few years we would get to see some butterflies in our park.

The legacy of entrepreneurship in this country is embellished with political patronage and is well lubricated with the grease of corruption. In the current dispensation these connections are coming under the lens and the noose in many cases is tightening. However, the legal system in this country is known for its torpor and venality that even if all the evidences are available none are likely to see the inside of a prison cell in their lifetime. Besides, the likes of Nirav Modi, Choksi, Vijay Mallya have  fled the country. They use all the money power at their disposal to hire the best lawyers and stall all extradition processes.

PM Modi's belligerent stance against Pakistan on TV is in stark contrast of the image he wants to project on the International stage where he comes across as an avuncular  dove. This is in line with his desire to be viewed as a matured statesman.  It has served India well as his stock amongst International leaders is gaining ground. Unfortunately his stock in the Indian firmament has lost its sheen with the loss of elections in three states and his silence on matters relating to right wing shenanigans. Yet, by far he remains the only leader in India’s current political scenario who can take the country forward in a troubled world. The task for 2019 elections is cut out. They say whosoever wins UP gets to rule Delhi. It won’t be easy as this time  SP and BSP are presenting a united bulwark against the juggernaut Modi.

Most sportsmen who are approaching records say they are not after numbers. But this is porky pies. This is why they get nervous when they approach landmarks and thus struggle to get over the hump. Of course the media and the public build expectations which gets into the psyche of the player. Thus some succumb to this enormous pressure. Even the cool customer Dhoni retired from Test cricket a tad short of 5000 Test runs and likewise for dismissals and  remained fourth and could not break into the top three wicket-keeper batsmen of all time. Even in one dayers, the World Cup may be his swansong although he still remains one of the fittest Indian cricketers. He still runs like a hare between the wickets. He however remains a batsman who either bats in first gear or fourth gear. There is nothing in between. Therein lies the dilemma. Young Turks like Rishab Pant with their belligerent batting skills and an attitude to match are making a case for their inclusion.

Soon after the winter solstice, Europeans head to the beaches in tropical countries which includes our own Goa, for some much required sun tan. On the contrary we, who are blessed with so much sun, shun the therapeutic qualities of solar rays by walking around  clothed from head to toe. No wonder, over 70% of Indians have Vitamin D deficiency. Nobody is happy with the colour of their skin. The Caucasians prefer darker skin and the Indians lighter skin. This time, the Europeans are landing up in Prayagraj to take a dip in the Ganges during the Kumbh Mela. Luxury tents priced over Rs. 35,000 a night is no deterrent for the goras who find the sight of hundreds of naked sadhus fascinating. Would you believe it that there is big market for slum tourism also. Thus, hordes of tourists are bussed to Dharavi slums in Mumbai and likewise in other cities where they go trigger happy with their cameras busily clicking naked kids frolicking and pigs wallowing in filth. Certainly, I have come to the belief that it takes all kinds to make this world. For Madhavi Samson who works with slum kids, it may seem all in a day’s work but I cringe at the thought of traversing these byzantine lanes trying to avoid muck lying around.

Heritage walk to Sundar Nursery took place on a bright and sunny day. The name is very misleading. I sincerely feel they should change the name of the place to reflect the rich historical heritage tastefully restored by the Aga Khan Trust. While the place still has a running nursery but off late the Mughal monuments and gardens have become the centre of attraction. The tombs with frescos and stucco work look very pleasing to the eye. Part of the vast area has been tastefully landscaped with stone and burnt brick masonry pathways, water bodies, chevrons and flowering gardens. The rest of the area has been left to grow as nature would deem fit. Thus you could follow the tracks to the woods and stumble upon water streams and brooks. There is a thriving bird life. It is a must see before it catches the imagination of all and sundry and gets crowded like Lodi gardens.  I posted the pictures taken at the site on a Yamuna group and promptly came a reply from Deepak Varma from Mumbai with the words, “Fantastic !! This is why Yamuna is so special !! A similar walk in Bombay would have meant hiring a professional !!” Dr. Ramji Narayanan who was the raconteur during the trip made the visit so much more enlightening with his extensive knowledge of Islamic architecture, history, mores, beliefs and culture. Over the years we have covered many heritage sites with him. Without his depth of scholarship, visits to these places would not have evoked the same interest and  curiosity. Thanks Ramji.

There is a general feeling in the colony that the plumber and electrician do not respond to complaints. While the Society has suggested additional plumbers and electricians who could be called in case of complaints, it is pertinent to mention that the Society is in a position to monitor only those complaints which are entered in the Apna Complex portal. The complaints lodged in the portal are monitored by the Society but if the resident calls the plumber and electrician on the phone and does not enter the complaint on the portal, the Society is unaware of the complaint. Actually, the arrival of the mobile phones has led to this problem. In former times when mobile phones were not available with the staff, the resident had to per force enter the cards placed in the office to register the complaint and the Society could monitor whether the complaint was attended to or not. This ensured speedy redressal of complaints. If you want the same level of service, please enter your complaints in the portal. Besides, residents are advised to close the complaint in the portal when the job is done with their remarks about the quality of work for which a template is available on the portal. As an aide memoir, I am repeating the contact numbers of addditional electrician and plumber if Pappu or Manoj are not responsive, in case of electric complaints and Vikram in case of plumbing complaints. You may contact Naresh at 9811908245 for electric complaints and Dayaram at 9810517156 for plumbing complaints. Needless to mention all the electricians and plumbers should be paid for their services if it relates to a problem in your flat. Only for complaints in the common area the responsibility is that of the Society.

It was refreshing to see Soumya Srikant chipping in to monitor some of the activities of the staff and get the needful done. Thus some part of the load of the Managing Committee is being addressed. If more such volunteers come into the picture, the Society will become more responsive to the residents concerns. Three cheers to Soumya.

Politics makes strange bed-fellows. Arch rivals Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav have cobbled a coalition to fight the BJP. This has left the Congress in the lurch thus putting the prospects of a Mahagatbhandan to take on the might of the BJP in jeopardy. Congress has been left with no other alternative but to throw in their trump card, Priyanka Gandhi in the ring. I happened to hear a video where both Mayawati and Akhilesh are going hammer and tongs at each other. Now the same arch rivals have got together to fight a common adversary. Any alchemy of polarised personalities or with diverse political ideology can only lead to a dysfunctional government that will come apart at the seams sooner or later. In my view, for the Central Government, only national parties should fight the polls. A fragmented polity with a coalition or twenty or thirty parties will only veer the dialogue in their respective states favour and will not consider any national imperative since their support base is only limited to their respective states and their performance will be measured on what they can do for their state.

The pot-luck lunch originally proposed for the Republic Day was deferred due to doubts of weather staying dry. Since the on-the-spot painting competition is scheduled for the 3^rd of February, 2019, it was felt that the pot-luck lunch be deferred to that date. Hence, the painting competition will start at 10 am in the main lawn and conclude by 12 noon whereafter the pot-luck lunch could commence. Last year both the painting competition and the pot-luck lunch were big hits. We had a number of adults participating in the painting competition, besides the kids. There is no better venue for hob-nobbing over shared lunch whilst basking in the winter sun. Please co-ordinate with all your friends to see who is bringing what for the lunch so that we do not have too much of the same thing. Those who are going to participate in the painting competition should bring their own crayons, brushes, paints, palletes and supporting board. The Society will provide the paper.

India Art Fair, the largest art fair in Delhi which brings a lot of artists from around the world and India and features old and contemporary art, is being held between 31^st January and 3^rd February, 2019 at the India Art Fair, NSIC Exhibition Grounds, Okhla Industrial Estate. Apart from displays of paintings and sculptures by famous artists there are also curated shows and food stalls. It is a very enjoyable way to spend your weekend. From Yamuna the group will leave at 10 am on Saturday, 2^nd February, 2019. Those wishing to go there may assemble at A Block gate at 10 am. It is advisable to take Uber or Ola or the metro due to parking constraints. Shyam Nagar, Okhla Industrial Area metro station is located at the entrance to the venue..

OBITUARY

We regret to inform you of the sad demise of Mrs. Pratibha Nath of F-004 after a short illness at the age of 81 years on 28^th January, 2019. Yamuna residents convey their heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.

SNIPPETS

Anuja Upadhyay of H-307 has moved to her hometown in Nepal. Anuja has been a long time fitness concious resident. She could be seen regularly walking on the perimeter road. She felt the need to connect with her roots and has moved back to Nepal. We will miss her. Consequent upon that she has put her house on rent.

Mr. Arjit Bansal, working with Hindustan Lever Ltd has moved into H-307 with his wife Alifya Loharchalwala. Both are from Mumbai which should enrich the colony with south-western civility. Arjit plays the guitar to Bollywood music. Should be handy for our entertainment programmes. He also loves travelling. Alifya works with an International Grant making agency called Empower. She loves, reading, doing yoga and trekking. Arjit can be reached on 9769333805 and Alifya on 9820828261. We welcome them both to Yamuna and hope they become part of the Yamuna social milieu.

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Dr. Sushmita Bairagi A-004, an Anaesthetist in Safdarjung Hospital has moved into A-004 from Kirti Nagar with her brother Baidyanath Chatterjee. Baidyanath is a Financial Analyst with HDFC Bank. Apart from her busy schedule whenever she gets time off she likes to travel whereas Baidyanath has a cricketing bug like most Indians. Sushmita can be reached on 9953060597 and Baidyanath on 8587068891.

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In a move that is not going to require the help of packers, Mr. S. K. Topno and family are shifting from G-202 to E-204.

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Dr. Abhilash Pillai of A-204 can easily earn the sobriquet of peripatetic businessman, doctor and entertainer. I have not known anybody who can carry off the most outre garments with style like him.Unfortunately, he is moving out to spend more time with his family who live in Kerala. Kerala’s gain will be Yamuna’s loss. He will be missed.

		CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR FEBRUARY, 2018
DATE	TIME	ITEM	VENUE
2.2.19	10 AM	VISIT TO INDIA ART FAIR	FROM A BLOCK GATE
3.2.19	10.00 AM	PAINTING COMPETITION IN THE LAWN FOLLOWED BY POT LUCK LUNCH	MAIN LAWN

Issue No. 208 I December 2018

                                                                                                

                                                                  EDITORIAL 

    

The latter half of December has been bitterly cold with the minimum temperatures setting record lows. One normally witnesses such lows in January. I think we are caught up in a polar vortex-a spinning expanse of cold air near the North Pole which occasionally gets sucked down to the lower latitudes makes us plains people dive into our duvets. No wonder one sees nary any soul when one sets off on a walk in the evening. The one’s who dare to step out are barely recognizable in monkey caps and balaclavas.

The month started on a bright note with the hosting of the Annual Day. Despite the absence of many residents, we had an audience which was larger than last year. The salient point of this year’s Annual Day was that the audience stayed on till the last event got over. Generally, the crowd starts thinning as the night wears on but that was not the case this time, a testimony of the quality of programme put up. Yamuna is brimming with talent and it was on display in full splendor at the event. While everybody gave a good account of themselves, the general response from the audience was that the standout performances were by the tiny tots in “the enormous turnip”, the dance by Sivashree and the Kathak fusion dance by Aanchal Sinha. Both these dancers bring a lot of energy into their dance and their movements are very fluid. They seem to have dance in their genes. “Desh Raag medley by Subhada, Bhavani and Sumathi had everyone on the edge of their seats. They seemlessly shifted between many native songs and their diction was perfect. The punjabi song came out as fluently as Punjabi gaalis and had you not been looking at the singers one would have thought the singers were from Jullunder or Ludhiana. Their vernacular felicity is to be commended. Despite my being in the cast of ‘the sound of music” it was very well appreciated by all. Thanks to the spirit and determination that Seema Chari brings to the set, the fairly long musical was put up with just a week of practice. While the entire cast seemed to struggle with the lines in the rehearsals, Seema seemed to know everyone’s lines. She oozes with talent and sets a benchmark which is hard to replicate. I don’t know whether we got a standing ovation or whether the crowd stood up because the show was over!!! Either way, we lapped it up.

As usual Subhada’s choir and Sadhana’s programme are always the main stays of the Annual Day. Apart from that there was Bollywood-Hollywood dance done by the girls which also drew appreciative applause. All the food stalls did brisk business. The prizes were distributed by the President, Jt. Secreatry and the sponsors, while I held on to the mike and dished out some drivel. It was a day to rejoice and soak it all in.

The plethora of advertisements bombarded from TV channels puts the viewer in a flux as the constantly shifting dynamics rumble through one’s cognitive faculties. One ends up buying things out of impulse and find a year later at the time of spring cleaning that the bloody thing hasn’t been used even once. We are all going through a painful, contagious, socially transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety and work resulting from a dogged pursuit of more which could be loosely described as 'affluenza'. There is a tussle between our visceral need to want everything viz. big cars, big TV sets, fancy attire etc and our cerebral need to be leaner and smarter. E-shopping has in a way made us all vulnerable to the lure of the of the pretty and exotic. Mobile phones and smart devices are promoting apps and social media like Facebook etc open us to the world of e-shopping where one willy-nilly get dragged into buying things which may look desirable. During the era of traditional shopping, so much variety was not available and our choice was limited to the things available locally. Now the whole world is your marketplace and delivered conveniently at your doorstep. Every other day one is answering the door bell to receive a parcel which either the missus or the daughters have ordered. I am told that this is a familiar story in most families. This phenomena explains the worrying erosion of my bank balance.

This year’s Christmas Carnival took on an additional sheen with an amalgamation of the essence of a mela and our traditional carnival. Extensive publicity ensured that we had a decent crowd. All the stall holders did really well. The frigid weather of the season was tempered by the warmth provided by the gas heaters and the jostling crowd. A new food stall going by the esoteric name “Orphic Artisan Bakery” had a Cordon Bleu, Paris trained chef with a variety of food offerings. Going by the taste of the Pizza’s from the wood fired oven, a queue formed soon and the waiting time was forty minutes!

The Yule tide spirit was in full tilt with the stage bedecked with well lit and adorned Christmas tree, streaming small lights radiating from the corner of the stage to the concrete arch and a manger with Baby Jesus nestled in it. The ever reliable Seema Chari had prepared the children to do the Nativity Play and sing the carols. Lutz Konnermann then ascended the stage and gave a German rendering of the carols in his baritone voice accompanied by the talented Ramanan on the guitar. Seema did not let that faze her and came up with a carol in Italian. Santa Claus played by Venkatesh of E-106 was caught up in the notorious Delhi Traffic, made a late entry and was promptly mobbed by the kids for the goodies he doled out. I must thank Sujata Sundaresan who ensured that we had a few sales stalls for the Flea market. The Giant wheel operator was kept busy and the balloon seller did brisk business. The music on request stall manned by senior and junior Prashants was handled with aplomb. Jr. Prashant  recorded all retro numbers apart from the current favourites and the senior Prashant exercised his vocal chords to lend a voice to listeners choice. The dancers who among others included Deepak Varma, Meera and the kids, who flew diown from Mumbai to be at the carnival let their hair down and lit up the dance floor The atmosphere was electric and did not vane until well after eleven when I had to perforce abort the music to stop the dancers on their track and bring down the curtains on a very enjoyable and festive carnival. Mrs. Abraham gifted Christmas cakes to defray part of the costs of holding the carnival. I thank everybody who made this year’s carnival special.

I was invited by the President of Godavri Apartments for their Sports Day on 25^th December, 2018 where Mr. Bhadana, the local councillor was the Chief Guest. The Godavri President was addressing the residents that they had been fined eight or nine times for not segregating the garbage and disposing of construction debris. He mentioned that each time the local councillor had got the fine waived. He further stated that Mr. Bhadana has clearly told them that he would not bail them out anymore. It has therefore become very clear that non-segregation of garbage will not be tolerated and punitive action will be taken against defaulters.

In a world so caught up with troubles with neighbours, global warming, pestilence, terrorism, unemployment, starvation and the like, if one comes away unscathed one should consider the year to be good. In that sense 2018 has been a good year. We wish all Yamuna residents a great 2019- a year of hope, accomplishment, peace, health and happiness.

The last day of the year is a time for celebration of the good times we had in 2018. The young at heart like to let their hair down and party hard. It usually encompasses music, dance, eats and other stimulants. One such party took place at the Club House The place was transformed by Lavanya  to look like a high end disco cum club with strobe lights, lot of bling on the table ware, cut glass domes etc to add to the glitz. The lights were dim and a lot of writhing bodies could be seen doing contrortions on the dance floor to some of the season’s favourite music.The revellers must have readily succumbed to spirited entreaties (pun intended) as evident in their over the top cheery disposition at the midnight cake cutting. Several people descended to the Club house from their respective watering holes. This year’s cake was baked by Shini Harish of E-305 who has become a very accomplished patissier. There was a lot of bonhomie with plenty of hugs and kisses as the clock struck 12.01. A loud cheer reverberated in the Club house. It just went to prove that Yamuna is one large family and everybody loves each other and willing to go the extra mile to help in case of need. If there was one word that did not represent the atmosphere it was sobriety!!!

SNIPPETS

Mr. Govil’s granddaughter Kritika Goel (B-106) is a travel and lifestyle blogger and YouTuber. Among other things, she writes about how to be one’s own boss. It is a mantra for all those who  wish to choose blogging and Youtubing as a business proposition. The site goes by the name blogofthethings.com. For those of us who are generations apart, it seems quite far fetched that this could be a revenue generator, but you would be amazed to know that many of them go on to earn millions. We wish Kritika.the very best.

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Yamuna women are taking the media world by storm.

Subhada took on the fashion world with a Kancheevaram sari featuring Kalamkari patches and was featured in page 3 of Times Now. She also wrote a saree story,”the black saree” and got the first prize of Rs. 10,000. That makes it three first prizes in the space of two months. Two in the sports competition and one here.

Seema Chari is blazing a trail in cookery channels with her lessons on South Indian cooking. That actually takes me by surprise as wheneever I have been invited to her house she has served only pasta and she has done the same for the Yamuna cooking competition. So, where does her culinary heft in South Indian cooking come from? Not from Kunal, I hope!

Seema and Kunal also featured in a Telugu newspaper in Telengana awarding prizes to Intach conducted Quiz competition winners. This was reported by Mr. Satyanarayana of G-303.

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Sunil, Seema, Punit and Harshita Jamba and their dog have moved to their own flat in Faridabad from C-008 after a fairly long innings in Yamuna. They have been a family who were very co-operative despite a slew of problems with seepage. We need more people with such mindset.

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Return of the native was personified by Tarun Balakrishnan of A-102 who came back to Yamuna from Chennai to take on a new assignemnt with Bloomberg New Energy Finance while his wife Shobana is working as the Managing Editor of Cactus Communication. It is indeed a nice feeling to see them back in Yamuna.

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Mr. G. Satyanarayana of G-303 has taken on rent G-304. Maybe he is taking it for his son Sravan Kumar who is getting married in February. It will be very convenioent for the young couple to have parents so close and yet far enough to have their privacy..

Mr. Masodkar of E-102 has donated a few string lights to adorn the plants in the park. He has also penned a beautiful poem in appreciation of the effect it has on the viewer. Read below.

Night Lights

These tiny glowing pixie lights,

Myriads of yellow and greens,

Multitudes of scarlets and violets,

Lend an air festive,

To this lonely night,

Which was otherwise so glum and restive.

Against the cold dark velvet,

These merry lights shine,

Bringing with them a slow delight,

That warms into the vision,

Of a dreamland afar, and bright.

These do not merely glow with light,

These are treasured gems of this night

Sapphires of serene blue, Cat’s Eyes of gold,

Vie with hordes of Rubies and the verdion Emerald,

Magic patterns form and heave,

From lights aglow on tree and vine,’

A sense of joy gets infused,

In the deep crevices of the mind,

So like the picturesque shining lights,

That shone many coloured, prismatic,

On thst long forgotten New Year night.

		CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR JANUARY, 2018
DATE	TIME	ITEM	VENUE
5.1.19	9.30 AM	NATURE WALK TO ARAVALLI BIO DIVERSITY PARK	FROM A BLOCK GATE
20.1.19	10.00 AM	HERITAGE WALK TO SUNDAR NURSERY-A WORLD HERITAGE LISTED SITE BY LONELY PLANET	FROM A BLOCK GATE
26.1.19	12.00 NOON	POT LUCK LUNCH	MAIN LAWN