MODERN DEMOCRACY OR RAM RAJYA…..PN

There was a time in India when the automatic primogeniture choice of the king was not in force. How the new ruler was chosen was very interesting. When the King died, the main temple elephant was given a garland which it carried in its trunk and went around the city. Suddenly it would garland a person…nobody knew why…and that person automatically became King. It was accepted as a Divine choice.

The Mahabharata talks about an ancestor who fell in love with a fisherwoman who was rowing him across the river. She bargained that if she married the lovesick king, her son would be King even though he had sons already from the reigning consort. This was the beginning of a series of events that led to a dirty, 18 days war that annihilated the family factions leaving only one grandchild to rule. The Bhagavad Gita is part of this ancient epic which has sections that lay down the rules and regulations of an ideal king.

Ram Rajya

The Ramayana also talks about Ram Rajya…the rule of Rama. After the destruction of the Rakshasa clan headed by Ravana, the evil ten headed despot, Rama returns to Ayodhya…that has been in the news so much recently in India…and establishes his reign based on equality, justice and Dharma. The relevance of the important values and concepts of the Ramyana is the guidelines set for the familial, social and political spheres of the modern world

Rama Rajya is an everlasting ideal. It denotes a harmonious pursuit of the four goals – dharma-righteous duty; artha-material prosperity; kama-legitimate pleasures; and moksha-spiritual liberation. Rama Rajya is as appropriate for the different modern times of jet, nuclear and astronaut ages as it was for a world of bows, arrows and horse carriages.

Several thousand years have passed and people still remember the reign of Sri Rama as an ideal one. The expression and idea of Rama Rajya is held sacred in India. Rama Rajya denotes the reign of King Rama and stands for good administration, material prosperity and moral and spiritual well-being of a nation. For the people of Ayodhya Ram Rajya, was like Bhuloka Vaikuntam- heaven on earth, the kingdom of God on earth.

Sage Valmiki, the poet author of both the Ramayana and Mahabarata describes Rama Rajya at the end of the Pattabhishekam sargam, No. 128—the last sarga of the Yuddha Kanda in the Valmiki Ramayanam. The poet says that there was peace and prosperity everywhere. All the citizens were happy and content. There were no untimely death, people lived up to their full life span and free from all diseases and grief. The seasons never failed, the land yielded crops in abundance and the trees blossomed perennially with flowers and fruits. The winds were always pleasant and there were no devastating floods or cyclones. Trade flourished and there was plenty and more importantly, equity. As there was no one in the land who was needy, there was no need to give charity. There were no thefts anywhere and there were no signs of internal or external trouble. In Ram Rajya, Valmiki concludes, the idea of Bhuloka Vaikuntam became a reality.

The Ideal Ruler

The qualities of an ideal ruler that Sri Rama possessed were balam or strength; dhrti or courage; sthairyam or stability and firmness in resolve; viryam or prowess; pratapa for valour; daya as compassion; samatvam in equanimity; and sauryam displayed as heroism. Sri Rama was called the Maryada Purushottama, one who lived his life according to the rules and limits, boundaries, restrictions of Dharma. He inspired all his subjects to be virtuous, noble and truthful.

Sri Rama was well-versed in the lofty principles of Rajya Sastra . He was guided by the wise advice of his Guru,the great sage Vasishta. The sages were learned, spiritual and wise men who advised the kings, but were not personally involved in the administration. They were detached and humane, very objective and mentors who gave sagacious advice and guidance.

Raja Rama dedicated himself to ruling the country. He was a beloved king, a benefactor of his subjects. He was always concerned about the welfare of the citizens and assiduous about protecting them and keeping them happy. He considered it as the worst curse if he were to fail in his paramount duty as a king. It is interesting to note what Veda Vyasa said: ‘ Raja kalasya karanam'(MB 12-69 -79)- ‘the King is responsible for the time’ implying that a ruler is responsible either for the good or for the bad condition of the nation at a particular time or period.

The administration in Rama Rajya

Rama was helped by ministers who were men of integrity and capability, unequalled in bravery. They had sound knowledge of the nation and its people and their needs, were alert and always available to attend to the affairs of the king and kingdom. The success of a king depended on the wise advice of His Council of Ministers.

The treasury was in very trustworthy and capable hands. Income was above expenditure and the system of taxation was not a burden on the people. Law and order was well established as honesty and dharma formed the basis of all action. Justice was equitable. There was no fear of adharma and people lived a peaceful life.

Heritage buildings and places of worship were protected. The environment was given particular attention; water resources were regularly cleaned and maintained and agricultural needs were diligently attended to.

Scholars were respected and rewarded. In a society where there was peace and plenty, art and culture flourished. All the departments of administration and governance were well managed and grievances of the people were promptly addressed with due concern. Every policy of the kingdom was dedicated to public welfare and people’s service.

People in Rama Rajya

In Rama Rajya, there was only one caste—humanity. All sections of people were treated with dignity, irrespective of their profession. Liberty, equality and fraternity were adhered to. Hence, the people of the kingdom were all happy and contented in the pursuit of their own duty/dharmas that was aimed at for their own good and the good of the society as a whole. It was a culture where emphasis was on individual duties rather than individual rights. The beautiful concept of Rama Rajya was that each person carried out his or her individual duties which resulted in the rights of every person in society being guaranteed. As all were in harmony with the natural laws and the forces of nature, Nature showered blessings on the people and nation.

There was a time when the King would dress up as a commoner and go at dusk into the marketplace and listen to the common man’s voices. He could hear their problems and complaints, the issues that his people faced and set about remedying them. This was his connection to the grass roots of his nation.

Ram Rajya got lost in the mists of time. The thirst for power, ownership, subjugation and greed took over the psyche of the ruler. He became isolated in his palace. He surrounded himself with sycophants, debauching influences and habits and gradually, the King became just a figurehead whose Ministers and family members exploited to build up their own selfish interests. Class structures came in and the poor were exploited, denuded and kept in ignorance and darkness.

Modern Democracy

Democracy was a western concept that India adopted with a dream of establishing a society of equity and equanimity. The Democratic model of the West was stuffed and packed into the framework of the Indian ruling system. There were lofty ideals of the poor and downtrodden being uplifted…but the laws enacted made the class structure more deeply entrenched. The rich became richer…the poor and needy became poorer and needier. Democracy became a chess board for the elite to play their chessmen according to different gambits.

All is not gloom…we can see a great deal of efforts being made to balance inequities. Education has helped people come above and way beyond their abject poverty levels. Yet, the political games that are held for the seizure of power and rule makes you wonder whether this democracy idea is in anyway viable.

Democratic leaders of third world countries need to focus on food, shelter, health, education and sustainability in terms of employment. However, in all the hurrah of power and success, our leaders lose sight of the woods for the trees. Their focus, in many countries, is on their image, their universal standing…something they achieved through the vote of the commoners in their nation. Today, in India Ram Rajya has also become a tool in the hands of manipulators who present the facade of the ideal while losing sight of the actual import of an ideal rule.

Can we relook at the concept of Ram Rajya where there is no need at all? The Ramayana’s glory lies in its power to inspire us to broaden our consciousness from individual needs and demands to the larger benefit of humanity. It transports the mundane mind from a narrow human perspective to the human-divine paradigm. The Ramayana is an exploration of this voyage from the mundane to the spiritual plane of existence.

This is my take on this week’s Friday blog post topic suggested by Raju Natarajan. I wanted to shine a beacon on an important part of the Indian dream…..the draem of Ram Rajya!

The other bloggers who write on the same topic every Friday are Shackman, Conrad, Ramana, Sanjanaah, Gaelikka, Srinivas and Padmini.

Please do go over to their respective blogs to see what they say about Democracy.

https://shackman-speaks.blogspot.com

https://jconmem.blogspot.com

https://rummuser@rummuser.com

https://ceezone.wordpress.com

https://www.gaelikaasdiary.com

https://sanjanaaah.wordpress.com

Modern Democracy–Success Or Failure…NN

Let me take a position right away. Modern democracies are not a patch on the first direct democracy practised in the City state of Athens in the 5th and 4th centuries BC. That old model had only one objective: the welfare of the common man with his direct participation. He was a strong stakeholder. It was initiated at an age when business sharks, armament industry, banking moguls, Oil cartels and drug mafia didn’t exist. Nor did self-serving politicians and their astronomical electoral funds and the financial clout of their patronisers come into being. Modern democracy we know demands a huge treasure chest back-up that alone can assure a nomination and 50% chance of electoral success by hook or by crook. 

It seems to me that Democracy is now used as a brand name to market credibility in the world of politics. The success game in the marketing world is to spread a proprietary name as a ‘mantra’ citing the superior quality of commodities and services offered under that banner so that an average buyer will blindly prefer everything sold by that proprietary name. That is how branding works by and large. That is how the power to push products is acquired.

The brand can do no wrong. Examples are P&G, Unilever etc. This business model works beautifully on the back of ads splashed in visual and social media who also go all the way laughing to the bank. The consumer rarely questions the price break up of ‘ethical products’ offered by a strong brand. He is blissfully unaware of the extent of advertising and packaging costs (that don’t add any value to the product) included in the price of products sold to him. For cosmetic products this component could be anything up to 90% of the price paid by him! Patent of drugs is another legitimate right to loot. Recently a Delhi Court has ruled that the expression ‘Nation Wants to Know’ is an exclusive right of a private TV channel! 

A similar phenomenon is happening in the practice of most democracies. The packaging and advertising costs are rising. Not just time slots, but whole news channels are available on hire. Paid journalism is rampant. Campaign expenses are rising from one election to another. So are governance costs, while tangible benefits to citizens are diminishing. In financial management of democracies, taxes rise to meet the growing expenses since cutting the latter to match available resources means shooting oneself in the foot. (I hear that a certain defeated President will need to nurse his feet for many years particularly for trimming taxes at the wrong end.)

Like it or not, in today’s world, democracy has clicked as a credible brand and is a clean winner as a form of governance. Everybody swears by it. Everywhere everyone demands their individual rights in the name of democracy, never mind their duties. In country after country there are outcries for change of regime and political leadership. Corona has worked as a catalyst for this demand. When change finally happens the disenchanted electorate discovers that it is only old wine in a new bottle! 

The so called certified democratic countries mock at others as uncivilised and brutal. Yet they selectively go to bed with some of the worst tyrants provided it suits their self-interest, while assuming high moral grounds if a country acts independently of their ‘guidance’, never mind it’s adherence to democracy.

In a modern democracy the ordinary citizen’s role begins and ends on the Election Day. He casts his vote if he feels like it. Then he vanishes into thin air until it is election time again. This is hardly a participatory form of governance. Ironically it is a form in which all vested interests gang up for mutual benefit. These interests are politicians, big business and bureaucracy aided and abetted by lobbyists operating in the garb of legal, medical and business professionals. Judiciary being a product of this environment is also not above this collaboration. Political parties themselves decide the rules of governance generally by mutual consent for mutual benefits.

In some countries the winner takes it all, under the system of First past the post. In others it is a formula of proportional representation or sharing of spoils. Some countries have Presidential form of government and others have what is called the Westminster form with the PM elected by the legislatures. In both systems the contesting candidates make holy promises to work for the common man and the country, only to break those promises the next day and every day after election. This approach has greatly widened the gap between the very rich and the very poor and in turn nullified the slogan of equal opportunities for all in education, health care, employment and social justice. Have money, go places. Race and gender discrimination have remained no matter which party has been in power. Even a basic step of reaching education to every door step for a nominal cost has not been attempted despite revolutionary changes in technology. This could have made education affordable to all. Only Corona has compelled elementary moves in that direction.

The only argument in favour of democracy is that other systems are worse. Bad is the enemy of worse. This explains the political conflicts among countries following different systems. The aim should have been to convert bad into good instead of wasting energy and resources on fighting with ‘worse’. Is that possible? The intuitive answer is ‘Yes’.

The first baby step is mass education. The second is to banish election campaigns. Fortunately in the Internet era and post corona environment the common man has the chance to act wisely if not exposed to and influenced by political propaganda of lies by vested interests.

Next I believe, the party system, party cadre, professional politician and dynastic succession are all evils and must go. The current 2 or multiparty system is the first enemy of a democracy as it skews and corrupts an individual’s judgement of right and wrong in the name of alignment with party’s views.

Every candidate must contest elections only on personal record of service and standing. Fly by night operators should be kept away. All the successful candidates should then elect the leader for governing undisturbed for a specific term but not for a second term. He/she should form a team of ministers comprising not more 5% of the elected candidates. The remaining members should vote freely in parliament based on the merit of the proposal. The defeat of a proposal should not lead to the fall of the government. Unfortunately only an enlightened dictator can usher in this drastic change.

Modern democracy is too weak to pull itself out of the rut and rot. For this reason we may have to look in the right direction for a new dawn. I hardly need to say in which direction the sun rises.

This is my take on this week’s Friday blog post topic suggested by me.

The other bloggers who write on the same topic every Friday are Shackman, Conrad, Ramana, Sanjanaah, Gaelikka, Srinivas and Padmini.

Please do go over to their respective blogs to see what they have to say about Democracy.

https://shackman-speaks.blogspot.com

https://jconmem.blogspot.com

https://rummuser@rummuser.com

https://ceezone.wordpress.com

https://www.gaelikaasdiary.com

https://sanjanaaah.wordpress.com

TELLING THE BEES

There is an ancient chant in the Tamizh Veda Marai tradition. These are called Thirumurai Padikangal and was composed by the Naalvar or four famous poet saints of Tamizh spiritual and literary tradition. I have been chanting a few of these for more than a decade. Among these is a chant by Thirugnanasambandar dedicated to Swarnathapaeswarar (Siva) in Thiruchithaimoor, Tanjore District.  Suddenly, after I moved to Bangalore, bees started coming in my living space….. including a humongous hive outside my bedroom window. They had to remove it twice. Wasps and bees fly into my apartment regularly and then I discovered that temple of Siva is famous for its bee hives that completely cover the ceiling of the Mani Mandapam and everyday the Aarthi is shown to the hived ceiling by the priest. So, is my chanting of this padikam dedicated to the temple got something to do with the bee connect in my life? Many may not connect the dots…but for me something to do with bees keeps coming into my life…this forward from my dear friend Rajam Subramaniam just reinforces my faith in the divine connection. I have twice been stung by the wasps! TELLING THE BEES There was a time when almost every rural British family who kept bees followed a strange tradition. Whenever there was a death in the family, someone had to go out to the hives and tell the bees of the terrible loss that had befallen the family. Art: The Bee Friend, a painting by Hans Thoma (1839–1924) Failing to do so often resulted in further losses such as the bees leaving the hive, or not producing enough honey or even dying. Traditionally, the bees were kept abreast of not only deaths but all important family matters including births, marriages, and long absence due to journeys. If the bees were not told, all sorts of calamities were thought to happen. This peculiar custom is known as “telling the bees”. The practice of telling the bees may have its origins in Celtic mythology that held that bees were the link between our world and the spirit world. So if you had any message that you wished to pass to someone who was dead, all you had to do was tell the bees and they would pass along the message. The typical way to tell the bees was for the head of the household, or “goodwife of the house” to go out to the hives, knock gently to get the attention of the bees, and then softly murmur in a doleful tune the solemn news. Little rhymes developed over the centuries specific to a particular region. In Nottinghamshire, the wife of the dead was heard singing quietly in front of the hive, “The master’s dead, but don’t you go; Your mistress will be a good mistress to you.” In Germany, a similar couplet was heard, “Little bee, our lord is dead; Leave me not in my distress”. But the relationship between bees and humans goes beyond superstition. It’s a fact, that bees help humans survive. 70 of the top 100 crop species that feed 90% of the human population rely on bees for pollination. Without them, these plants would cease to exist and with it all animals that eat those plants. This can have a cascading effect that would ripple catastrophically up the food chain. Losing a beehive is much worse than losing a supply of honey. The consequences are life threatening. The act of telling the bees emphasizes this deep connection humans share with the insect.

Two Hours to Dinner!! NN

This is almost a non-topic for me. No reflection on the person who has suggested it. I find it difficult to gather the necessary motivation to develop it since I do not eat a normal dinner these days.

It was not always like this. We not only have a frugal dinner in the good old days, but had to host and attend dinner parties as a part of my organisational culture. If I didn’t, I would have been an outcaste. To trick the heavy intake at these dinners, I always had my minimal food at home before leaving for a dinner party, or before my guests arrived. I nibbled at the snacks with my juice and minimally loaded my plate and pretended to eat, spending my time in pointless conversations, before dumping the plate. Generally dinner was served 2 hours after the party began. This was always a painful waiting time for me. The wait for dinner depends not so much on how many hours it is before dinner, as how long it is after lunch and what kind of lunch you have eaten. 

Unlike most westerners who are happy with coffee and sandwiches, Indians and the French are very particular about their lunch which is their main meal of the day. But unlike the French, Indians are generally fast eaters.  Most Indians are also snackers in the evenings and for them dinner is only a formality. After heavy snacks (also called Tiffin) people prefer to skip dinner altogether.

You may have heard of the dabbawallahs of Mumbai who for a century and more have unfailingly  carried home lunch to thousands of office workers from the highest to the lowest ranks, day after day in lunch boxes kept warm inside an exclusive numbered outer container provided by the the porters’ cooperative society. These porters were the first manual equivalent of google location maps with optimal mix of modes of transport. They delivered food packages like the postal system. 

A man collects the lunch at your doorstep which could be upto 30 km from your office, and takes it to the nearest suburban rail station. The boxes are sorted out there and placed in crates, based on the station they have to be unloaded. Teams of men carry these lots and unload them at various stations.

Another team then sorts out the boxes according to the streets that they are destined for. Finally the boxes are carried by specially designed push carts and push bikes  to individual offices and delivered on time to each individual ion each floor. When the lunch has been consumed, empty containers are delivered back to homes for reversing the same cycle. Astonishingly there are no errors committed in this whole operation although Mumbai is a sprawling overcrowded city with huge traffic congestion. The Dabba wallahs’ Cooperative collects a very affordable fee and distributes it to individual members. The system is fair equitable to all.  No strikes, no fights. A model of decent democracy, unlike what we are witnessing elsewhere. 

The performance of the dabba wallahs has attracted world wide attention for their error free Six Sigma performance. The workers are from rural areas, wear white dhoti, white caps and simple slippers. They have very little formal education. In days when low price hygienic eateries did not exist, office workers had the luxury of eating home cooked healthy lunch catering to individual taste. What is more, they paid very little for this service. For them it was 2 hours or less to lunch from the time their household prepared it. There were no strikes or disruptions except when train services were disrupted.

Now of course with WFH in place SWIGGY, Zomato etc have taken over. Home has become office and there are no home lunches or dinners. Dabba wallahs who provided great service for a normal price are now in distress and can’t easily earn their own lunch.

What a blow Corona has delivered!I feel sad that every topic for me descends to Corona finally. Like others I am waiting for the clouds to lift.

This is my take on this week’s Friday blog post topic suggested by Maria.

The other bloggers who write on the same topic every Friday are Shackman, Conrad, Ramana, Sanjanaah, Gaelikka, Srinivas and Padmini. You can checkout their menu @

https://shackman-speaks.blogspot.com

https://jconmem.blogspot.com

https://rummuser@rummuser.com

https://ceezone.wordpress.com

https://www.gaelikaasdiary.com

https://sanjanaaah.wordpress.com

TWO HOURS TO DINNER..PN

A: Hi

B: Hello!

B: Hello! Hello! Are you there?

A: Hmmmmmmm!

B: What’s the matter? You don’t sound very enthusiastic? Anything the matter?

A: Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

B: For heaven’s sake…..what are you doing? Just hmmmmmmmmming away!

A: Standing in front of my open fridge….looking!

B: Looking for what?

A: Looking!

B: Sigh! I too am joining you……

A: What do you have?

B: A loaf of bread! Some cheese…….. 1 cucumber, a tomato.

A: I have eggplants….waaaahhhhhh!

B: Oh! My deepest sympathies.

(Brrrrrrnnnnnggggggggg)

A: What is that sound?

B: Alarm…5 PM…to remind me.

A: About what …LA Law!

B: Nah! That is in the night! No this is trigger to make me start planning.

A: Gosh! You are organised aren’t you?

B: So….what have you decided.

A: Not enthused….

B: Stir fry?

A: Nah! Am going to google

B: Find out what I can do with my stuff and Whatsapp.

A: Hah! Do it yourself…anyway…all you can do is a sandwich…do you have eggs…you can rustle up an omelet or scramble it…You can be adventurous and rustle up a masala omelet.

B: That would be omelet 4 days in a row…..I want change…Gandhiji said….be the change!

A: Gandhiji surely didn’t advocate eggs to be eaten. He would have wanted you to give up eggs…that’s the change he would be rooting for.

B: I have an idea…why don’t you make those eggplants and send them across.

A: I don’t want bread and eggs.

B: I wasn’t volunteering to make and send it across.

A: So…….I am supposed to cook and you enjoy the outcome….but you will not reciprocate.

B: Those days are done with…when I have to cook and you eat. Buzz off….(Switches off the mobile)

An hour later……Ringggggg….the intercom buzzes

B: Yes lobby security …what is it?

LS: Food delivery here Sir.

B: I didn’t order anything…it must be for somebody else……(yells) why don’t you people check before calling?

LS: Your flat number, your name Sir…

B: Not Sir, for heaven’s sake…..send them up.

LS: Okay

Ring goes the doorbell.

B opens the door

Salesman: Meals Ma’am! Ordered by Amit Sarma for you.

B signs and tips.

Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding chimes the clock!

Change(d) dinner plans!
This topic was suggested by Maria! I had to really beat around the bush to write something……

A Letter to Santa..NN

Dear Mr. Claus

Usually all children and even adults are full of fond expectations from you as the year draws to a close. In every household you are seen as a father/grand father figure. So it was, last year. For some reason you were unhappy with all human beings in every country. And you sent us a gift parcel of Corona virus to be spread far and wide around the time of your visit last year. It was a magic gift that one simply had to receive in the hands and through them into their mouth, nose or eyes with the option of directly absorbing from another person’s tiny drops of infection floated by a sneeze or cough. 

The results have been disastrous for the rich and the poor alike. A world that was debating round the clock, injustices to the poor, racial oppression, intolerance of religious minorities, exploitation of the working class etc., suddenly woke up to a rude shock. All sections of societies rich or poor, economically and militarily weak or strong countries became recipients of your even handed gift crudely called Corona and officially christened COVID -19.

 
The all knowing adults who did not actually know your original roots, confidently bluffed their credulous kids for centuries that you descended from the North Pole every year to appear from our chimneys. Even I had tried to Google your address once only to obtain some vague answers without location maps. But since last year I am not alone in guessing that your address is a laboratory in Wuhan said to be situated in the largest Country of the world.

I am sure even you are not very proud of the gift you left behind last December although you can pat yourself on your back on your logistic ability to distribute your gift across the World before one could say Santa Claus. On second thought it was no big deal for you. You have done it for so many centuries year after year.

This year too you seem to have a trick or two in your bag. The entire world is watching with bated breath the outcome of a political event that will have a great impact on it. We the stupid humans fondly believe that the election or defeat of just one person to a palatial home of an all powerful and influential country, can change the fortunes of that country or the world. But that is our nature, to rejoice when dreaming and repent on waking up. 

With folded hands I pray to you neither shower us with surprise gifts nor punish us as you did last year. Let us just be and find our way out of the present mess. I have no doubt that you will vehemently protest, as will millions of my fellow beings of whom many believe that the last year’s gift that put us on the mat, were not from you but a creature which  rhyme with mats. 

If not considered inappropriate may I also advise to visit us this year only if you must and with suitable precautions such as wearing masks and keeping social distance from all human beings. Please also leave a sticker on the gift packets that none should handle or open them without sanitising them first

Don’t forget to add my name to your gifts list. I am a man in my second childhood!

I love you Santa!

With warm regards

NN

Its been a long time since I wrote a social letter. It has been Letters to the Editor or letters to organizations, banks etc. So I enjoyed this change in communication targets and have written to Mr.Santa Claus! The demand for such a communication was made by my better/bitter half egged on by my daughter Nitila. Both may be sending hints…but who is listening!!

The other bloggers who write on the same topic every Friday are Shackman, Conrad, Ramana, Sanjanaah, Gaelikka, Srinivas and Padmini.

Please do go over to their respective blogs to see what they say about Power.

https://shackman-speaks.blogspot.com

https://jconmem.blogspot.com

https://rummuser@rummuser.com

https://ceezone.wordpress.com

https://www.gaelikaasdiary.com

https://sanjanaaah.wordpress.com

A Letter to Santa–PN

Dear Santa

In my 71 years of existence I have never ever written a letter to you. Well! In my childhood Santa was just a roly-poly, white bearded, grandpa like figure who appeared in Enid Blyton books and comics. We in South India did not have winters, snow, sleds or reindeers and chimneys for people to use as an entrance. We did not have parcels wrapped up in glossy paper and ribbon tied and really no concept of “presents”! Our parents just bought us stuff that we needed and it was given to us casually in paper bags. New clothes were more excitingly looked forward to and this was given for festivals like Deepavali—the festival of lights—and other Hindu festivals. I am an only daughter and my mother would make new clothes regularly and buy me a geegaw or two every year.

I don’t remember cutting a cake or blowing candles, neither do my brothers. The cake, candles, balloons happened only after our kids appeared on the scene and we fell into the western custom as it was dictated to by their peers. Santa, stockings, presents, Xmas trees and “Ho Ho Ho” came into our lives from shopping arcades and Hollywood movies. I think my kids were pragmatical and did not really believe in you Santa…but my little granddaughter Madhura did believe in you (somewhat if not wholly) till a couple of years ago…she is 11 now.

Okay…let’s get back to this demandment letter as it is supposed to be. I hear one has to have been “good” for Santa to visit me. Looking back on this year which has been for the most part, a restricting, confined existence, the chances to not be “good” have been few and far apart. In fact, all of us have gone out of our way to chalk up good deeds for attaining moksha or deliverance in case we are struck by the virus and have to go to our maker. At least I have been hoping that any accumulation of paapa or sins of the past may…they don’t..get mitigated by my angelic goodness of the past few months. I have thrown a temper tantrum occasionally, yelled at somebody who irritated me through telemarketing or repeated requests for something or the other. I have spoken ill of politicians and rapists. That I must confess and say Mea Culpa!!

Coming to my list of possible presents from you…I really don’t need anything.

I could have asked for books…but my Kindle is full of stuff that I have not read and my bookshelves too.

I could have asked for clothes or jewels…but where am I going to wear them..I still have unworn or barely worn stuff anyway!!

I could have asked for some gadget or the other, but I have been gifted a new phone by my daughter already. My kitchen is groaning with filled drawers…however I sometimes think that I may want an Instapot..but my pressure cookers are (please note the plural) doing fine..I cook bare minimum anyway.

Ah!! Yes!! I have been dreaming of a Roomba buzzing around under my furniture and picking up dirt and grime…but as of now I have a human Roomba who comes in every morning to give a desultory sweep and swab augmented by my occasional manic cleaning sprees. So, I think I will pass!! It is also God Awful expensive…maybe i will wait for the prices to fall…wouldn’t want you to rob a bank!

So, since you are a merchandise gifting guy….I think I will pass on the demandments. Now! If like Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother, you can wave a magic wand and make this virus go away…then I would write a letter daily to you until you could weave your spells and say Abrcadabra.

Till then…it is social distancing and masks…I hope you got yours ready for your visit to kids this season… Make sure your reindeers wear masks and your sled and gifts are all sanitised and that your elves wore gloves while making, packing the presents. I would also advise you to avoid chimneys and milk and cookies set out for you as they may be sources of infection…we wouldn’t want you to fall foul of Covid 19 and we have to say goodbye to you in 2020!

Take care! Stay safe. Bless you.

Your new entrant applicant

PN

From my archives I found a piece written some years ago. This was an article..A wish list to Santa.. that I wrote for a newspaper’s New Year special supplement…it did not get published due to lack of space!!

The wish list to Santa

This is my take on this week’s Friday blog post topic suggested by my daughter Nitila Natarajan. It is out of turn as Maria had to give us the ping..but admin goofed up!

The other bloggers who write on the same topic every Friday are Shackman, Conrad, Ramana, Sanjanaah, Gaelikka, Srinivas and Padmini.

Please do go over to their respective blogs to see what they have to say to Santa!!

https://shackman-speaks.blogspot.com

https://jconmem.blogspot.com

https://rummuser@rummuser.com

https://ceezone.wordpress.com

https://www.gaelikaasdiary.com

https://sanjanaaah.wordpress.com

Best, Worst, Probable Scenario of the World in Five Years

My husband Raju Natarajan talks of a crystal ball into which he looks and sees the future. I look around, and see the optics of where life is going to take me and you.

My Vedanta teaches me to live in the now. It is not easy as the mind is a monkey and wanders trying to base current experiences on the past and projecting them into the future. We seem to be obsessed with goals and purpose of life. Zen treats you to enjoy the moment. In fact Osho, the grand master says, ​“Purpose is a man-created concept. Rivers are not flowing for any purpose, and the oceans are there not for any purpose. Except for man there is nothing like purpose anywhere else. Life simply is. Existence utterly is — it is not a means to some end; it is an end unto itself”. So, what will it be like in the future…in 5 years from now is to me in the laps of the Gods! Humans have this destructive gene in them that tries to destroy everything that is good in nature, in life, in relationships, in very existence. We fool ourselves that it is all for the better. I don’t know.

For me the BEST scenario for the future is returning to the land. I think people will abandon urban rat race and turn to the life of hoeing, ploughing, sowing and reaping and living off that good wholesome produce.

Everything else that comes into our lives is contaminated with the chemical evils of modern science that ignores everything natural and lives out of the lab. This is the worst scenario when humanity will be engulfed in water, choked by the air, starved by the land and taken over by heartless ogres of business and politics.

The Probable scenario has been beautifully sketched by my go-to family and friends. I just thought it would be nice to get a wider perspective of this stunningly imaginative topic proposed by Conrad.

Nitila Natarajan is my daughter. She is a banker in London and the pandemic has stopped her manic travelling that was her life till early this year. She says, “Allergies currently occupy top of mind! Environmental, food, air quality. Best – breakthrough in allergy medication. Worst – air quality deteriorates. Probable – some progress in symptom management, air quality remains same.

​Chandra Padmanabhan is a cookbook writer and culinary specialist whose South Indian cookbooks are top bestsellers on Amazon! She has widely travelled all over the world and seen different people and civilizations. She says, “If 2020 was a Hula Hoop, let’s  drop the year into the past. Let it go, for it was dreadful and instead look forward to a beautiful year—I am a cockeyed  optimist! It will definitely be better than the year gone! In 5 years the World will be definitely better than today! I always  believe ‘ If winter comes, can spring be far behind?”

My childhood friend and classmate Subha Deivanayagam’s husband was one of the leading pulmonologists of Chennai. She has seen the medical world close at hand. She runs a family school for the underprivileged children in Chennai. Her take is, “The world in 5 years – probably slightly better than today. 

Much more awareness about climate change among the younger generation and their passionate involvement. The pandemic has shone the light on the wrong steps and decisions being taken by mankind. This may help in course correction”.

Rama Narayanaswamy came into my life three years ago and has been a bulwark…a go-to person for practically anything and everything. She has been a Headmistress of a leading school in Chennai. She has been a caregiver to her late husband who had a special kind of Parkinson’s Disease. She is highly spiritual and volunteers as a Councillor in a free hospital, Sathya Saibaba Super Speciality Hospital in Bangalore. She is also training teachers online to upgrade their skills. She lives alone here with both her sons away in Japan and USA. “I look forward to a more disciplined and spiritual world, 2020 having taught us a huge lesson. Frankly I can’t and don’t want negativity so no worst case scenario for me!”

Ramani Reddy is a cancer survivor who has seen some of the most difficult situations any woman could face in life and come out of it fighting hard to get and maintain her equilibrium. She manages all her financial and personal matters single-handedly. Both her children are in the USA and her twice a year visits to them is on hold right now. Her mother and grandfather were well known doctors. Her father is a nonagenarian and still keeps his hand in medicine. Her family members are in the medical field and she has seen the impact of the virus first hand in lives of doctors. She writes:

BEST ..Since the first Lockdown on March 22nd, I learnt the true meaning of “Thehraav” or remaining Calm! I observed that within the first 6 weeks itself that there are more varieties of birds in my trees and my foliage is cleaner and greener in the absence of pollution! I learnt that I can live with myself all alone, without another human being entering my home for 2 whole months! Most poignantly, I found some rare Treasures among my friends, who made it their mission to check on me, talk to me, share yummy treats, send me communications by email, whatsapp and other means of “Sandesa” (messages/news), just to reinforce the sentiment that they care for me!

5 years would probably see a healthy and rejuvenated Mother Earth! This is a Correction from The Powers that Be in the True Sense!

WORST..The Psychological Impact would be the first obvious damage followed by the Economic Downturn! People will buckle under the absence of human to human contact! I am a complete socially interactive human! I thrive on it! I can feel the palpable dejection setting in, at times quite impactfully! I try really hard to shake myself out of its vicelike grip!

Economic Meltdown is something we haven’t even addressed! We are busy trying to stay Alive! We have to brace ourselves to accept the inevitable!

PROBABLE..Everything is dependent on this Miracle that is being eagerly looked forward to..the vaccine for Covid 19!

Next, hopefully we as a Nation will learn to make ‘Swatccha Bharath’ (Clean India) an Anthem for Future Generations. Public hygiene continues to be a victim in our country!

We will most definitely treasure relationships more carefully!

Bond deeply with our elders, parents and children and friends! 

Realise that acquisitions do not matter at all, when your Life’s breath is at the Mercy of an invisible Virus!!

Priorities undergo a Huge Correction!

A loud Shoutout to our PM, ‘Make healthcare more affordable and subsidised for the above 60’s population in our Nation’! India is the only country where Insurance companies baulk at the idea of having a plan for people above 60 years of age!

Mera Bharath is indeed not so Mahaan!! (A political manifesto to make India a great nation)

This is my take on this week’s Friday blog post topic suggested by Conrad. The other bloggers who write on the same topic every Friday are Shackman, Conrad, Ramana, Sanjanaah, Gaelikka, Srinivas and Raju.

Please do go over to their respective blogs to see what they say about what they see in the future.

https://shackman-speaks.blogspot.com

https://jconmem.blogspot.com

https://rummuser@rummuser.com

https://ceezone.wordpress.com

https://www.gaelikaasdiary.com

https://sanjanaaah.wordpress.com

My Best, Worst and Most Likely Case Predictions for the World in Five Years..NN

My Best, Worst and Most Likely Case Predictions for the World in Five Years

In the corporate world prediction of the future is a routine matter at each stage of doing business. This Crystal ball gazing comes naturally at every decision point. The decision maker wants to know the depth of water before entering a pool. The bigger the business, the more risk averse it is. Risk management is the name of the game. 

In the current Corona environment the focus of all thinking people is centred on what tomorrow holds for them and the world. The projection of all other hitherto, future  critical risk factors like global warming, fuel reserves, pollution, political and economic stability, drug menace, terrorism etc. appear to have suddenly taken a back seat. 

I look into my own Crystal ball and try to see, through the hazy mists of time and place, and try to guess what the world will be like in the next five years.

In the best case scenario the beast called Corona would be behind us, totally conquered and destroyed without any possibility of recurrence. The development of a vaccine for prevention and drugs for treatment will enable this. The number of cases will dip dramatically normal life will resume without any fear or risk of Corona within a year. By normal life one is talking about normal life expectancy. By then of course the personal financial resources would have taken a beating for about 50% of the world’s population due to a number of factors like permanent job losses, erosion of savings if any, medical expenses on self and family, ruined health due to permanent damage to life sustaining organs like lungs, heart, brain, kidneys, liver etc. as a consequence  of Corona. There will also be a drastic reduction in the earnings of wage earners, liquidation of small businesses due to a huge drop in the demand of dispensable and the so called luxury items. A cautious mind-set will prevail. The present tendency to buy on the back of credit cards will diminish.

However the new scenario will also provide a mountain of opportunities to entrepreneurs to exploit the potential of digital technology and AI to lift the world again to normalcy. As a by-product the new WFH and online teaching and learning skills compulsorily imposed by Corona will substantially reduce travel pollution and increase all round efficiencies. This is the best case scenario.

The worst case scenario is the possibility that a large section of humanity may succumb to Corona or be crippled by it. The stated reasons are:

• Till date the nature of the deadly virus and the way it spreads has not been fully understood despite intense efforts across the globe.
• Every day a new theory is floated to be replaced by another theory.
• The most alarming factor is the recurrence of corona in many countries after a few months.
• There are indications that the level of antibodies tends to go down in a few months.
• Although vaccines are under trial, there is no assurance about the date of their availability or affordability to the billions of humanity. The logistics are also simply mind boggling and the time span uncertain.
• Doctors and their support staff are also dying of corona. If this continues, their strength will be depleted and victims will suffer even more.
• Already the developers are salivating on the huge jackpot to be won. War has already broken out about waiver of patent regime. It is anybody’s guess whether the vast majority of poor people will be able to receive vaccine in the next 5 years.
• Even assuming that everyone will be vaccinated in 3 to 5 years, there is no assurance that its effect, if at all, will last for an entire lifetime or whether there will be need to repeat the exercise again and again. Some vaccines currently under development need a second dose to be injected after an interval of 4 weeks, which will double the effort and the cost of vaccination.
• The side effects of the vaccines is another cause for anxiety. Some adverse effects may be visible only after a gap of time which may be even 5 years or more.

Admittedly the Chinese economy has not suffered as much as other economies. Possibly only the Chinese have some clues to the secrets of Corona. But they have desisted from sharing the information with the rest of the world, in order to gain the first mover’s advantage. Given their huge population, their internal demand is the envy of the whole world and is sufficient to provide the basis for the economy of scale. They are establishing supremacy in defence, manufacturing, technology, AI, logistics and Human Resource ahead of even US in many fields. Their ability to be dominate the entire Asian and European continents is almost certain. At the present moment it does appear that they can successfully survive Corona without much damage, although their exports too will be hit if the world market collapses. But they are actively working to establish master-slave relationships with many countries. This does not auger well for prospective colonial victims. In the worst case scenario the future of all the countries except China looks extremely gloomy.

In the most likely probable scenario, the situation is likely to be in between, but tending more towards the worst case scenario. More sections of the world population will join the struggle for existence. Some kind of recovery may commence but it is unlikely to be dramatic. Contrary to the dream of most optimists the pre-corona times will be a thing of the past. GDP (although it is an over-rated measure of prosperity or happiness) growth of various countries will be limping back to its original level in about 8 to 10 years.

However there will be 1 or 2 ameliorating developments. Most governments will be compelled build better health infrastructure and concentrate on health education. They will be compelled to reign in the rogue drug industry as a top priority.

In many respects Corona has been a great leveller. It has attacked the rich and the poor alike. It is to be hoped that this will teach a lesson to humanity. Will it?

This is my take on this week’s Friday blog post topic suggested by Conrad. The other bloggers who write on the same topic every Friday are Shackman, Conrad, Ramana, Sanjanaah, Gaelikka, Srinivas and Padmini.

Please do go over to their respective blogs to see what they think what the next 5 years will be for the world.

https://shackman-speaks.blogspot.com

https://jconmem.blogspot.com

https://rummuser@rummuser.com

https://ceezone.wordpress.com

https://www.gaelikaasdiary.com

https://sanjanaaah.wordpress.com

A DAY IN THE LIFEOF NN

Corona virus has knocked the day light out of me, if not everyone. By nature I am an out-door person. In retirement I have rarely spent a whole day staying at home. I usually go on errands to buy one thing at a time as PN suddenly declares emergency. If her requisitions dry up I would simply go for walk. Even that would be with a purpose. She would ask me to survey the market to  scout for availability of options for a future home need.

Alas, this activity came to an abrupt stop on the fateful night when our beloved PM decided to save our country from an impending medical disaster and announced an innovative measure called the lock down, which meant “shutters down”.No one was allowed to venture out of their residence. Being residents of a senior community, the restrictions in our case were even more severe. No outsiders were allowed in, including house help for the next 3 weeks. All of us were inconvenienced terribly. However we accepted it in our own interest and looked forward to the D day of liberty.

Sadly it was not to be. We became the atypical caged birds even as the lockdown was extended repeatedly with more and more prescribed compliances, before being slightly relaxed a few weeks back. We are now perfect caged birds that have forgotten the freedom of free air and are keen to remain in the cage even if the door is opened. We stay in our apartment. If temporarily I have to go out, I am anxious to return at the earliest and shut myself in. If the door bell rings I am reluctant to open it as I fear that it is Corona that is threatening to fly in! 

I walk early morning everyday to keep my blood sugar in check. We have long external corridors to facilitate this. In Corona times I gave up this facility as the traffic was heavy and also necessitating greeting everyone through my mask. I tried to walk up and down indoors from my kitchen to the open terrace. 17 rounds take 5 minutes. A count of 100 rounds meant half an hour. I congratulated myself for solving a complex space-time mathematical equation a la  a more famous Scientist.  Just then  the lady downstairs came running with a rolling pin threatening me for disturbing her peace with my hammering steps. I then had to revert to external corridors to avoid a boundary dispute. Our aggressive Himalayan neighbour came to my mind. After all I can’t match our gutsy PM.

As we are in a seniors facility, we are entitled to a lot of conveniences even in normal time. The bank sends us the cash requested on Whatsapp and collects the cheque later. The Chemist delivers medicine at the door. Grocer, ditto. In Corona times these services have been strengthened. The only change is that I have to take delivery at the reception in the ground floor which is 3 levels down. We do have the elevator facility but for obvious reasons I prefer the stairway. You know how easy it is to go down. That is happening so swiftly in the last 6 months of Corona all over the world, be it  demand, employment, sales, GDP, or any other economic metric. For the first time the world is discovering the ‘gravity’ (pun intended) of the situation. 

Now, it is the climb back that seems daunting. In this situation I am going down and up 3 floors for collecting the supplies. The cafeteria is in fact situated 4 floors down in the basement. That trip is done at least twice a day. At 81 this is no joke. Yet the driving incentive is that I am assured it is good for my lungs and sugar level. More flights means lower sugar levels for a diabetic.

Moreover this lockdown is reskilling time in ways I never imagined.  I am learning more kitchen chores to ease life for Padmini. I make my own tea and toasts. I wash the utensils once a day. I remove clothes from the washer and hang them to dry in the terrace, and  quickly bring the stand in every time it threatens to rain which is half a dozen times in this rainy season in Bengaluru. This is not all. I am the designated door keeper and telephone attendant. I also make my bed if I feel like it. Never imagined that these simple looking activities could demand such a lot of skill and time. 

My next project  is up-skilling, like training myself to operate the gas burner, handle the kitchen knife and manage my finger chips. These are hazardous tasks and involve a higher degree of risk management.Now you know what my daily life is. Never a dull moment.

I don’t know whether I would ever return to my earlier exploratory street trips…..Ah well! I am not exactly regretting it

This is my take on this week’s Friday blog post topic suggested by Shackman.

The other bloggers who write on the same topic every Friday are Shackman, Conrad, Ramana, Sanjanaah, Gaelikka, Srinivas and Padmini.

Please do go over to their respective blogs to see what they say about Power.

https://shackman-speaks.blogspot.com

https://jconmem.blogspot.com

https://rummuser@rummuser.com

https://ceezone.wordpress.com

https://www.gaelikaasdiary.com

https://sanjanaaah.wordpress.com