Month: November 2021

I had to repeal the peals of laughter that were rumbling inside before I could even begin to write this column. And I’m still trying to get the minimum support from all of you for this column to sustain it. It’s not a demand, but a request. Do read and share widely. Please?

Chronology Samajhiye. The Farm was re-lawed into productivity and high returns in June 2020 to double farmer income and to promote the ease of agriculture – which ironically has now halved because of the agitation to repeal the laws. The new laws became in-laws to some in Nov 2020 and were treated as such. They were then stayed by the Apex Court on January 12, 2021– that means they stayed where they are – on the statute books. Finally, they have been totally outlawed (Nov 2021) and the status quo ante has been restored – in fact, it was never disturbed! This event coincided with the celebration of International Men’s Day and World Toilet Day on November 19. For many it was like (having) 8PM at 9 AM that day.

But S**t! There must be a connection, else why will these events collide and produce the big bang? One that could be heard beyond the Bathroom door? Which I must say many of us are privileged to have. I’ll have to return to that later – too much of pressure to finish what I started with. Please don’t let your imagination run wild. I was referring to our man-to-man conversation that often brings us together and yet tears (pronounce it any which way you like) us apart.

Well, the connection between these three events is that men are also sensitive to pressure (all kinds) too. This pressure can make them cry – in frustration, pain, joy or just because of a medical condition! And it’s ok to cry!  Not when they are arrested for indecent assault, but because one of their own did it or something equally reprehensible! Not just in private, but in public, on TV even. Water retention is bad for health – both mental and physical. This was the message all over the internet

When I read this message, I found my eyes had watered up – climate change goals were met! But I was not alone that day, there were so many – on the Singhu Border and on TV who displayed similar emotions, each for their own reasons. But it was clear as it should be – that men are as sensitive as women but were previously, either reluctant to, or trained not to, show it… And now that they are allowed, will they get a new label? Woe-men?

International Men’s Day celebrates worldwide, the positive value men bring to the world, their families, and communities. Plenty of positives there, and I’d rather not elaborate, for I might stumble and fall, because so much is expected of a man. But as you know every battery requires a negative too at the opposite end of its spectrum, to produce the electricity that lights up the world! Now, figure out how to light up your world!

It also highlights the importance of their wellbeing and women do have a role in that model. They are the ones that help them stay healthy, monitoring their diet… coke and rum, and everything they say and do.

So quite rightly, one of the six pillars of International Men’s Day is to improve gender relations and promote gender equality not only for men but for women too. For some men, this is a nightmare, and some women too. And that is why the theme for 2021 is “Better relations between men and women.”

This effort must go beyond a day, and well into the other 364, for it to have a beneficial effect on the world – the question is, is that upto the men or the women? Just because it’s the theme for the International Men’s Day it is not good to put too pressure on the men to achieve this objective. They may cry!

That’s fine; but on the same day, it was brought to our notice by the United Nations that 3.6 billion people in the world don’t have a toilet that “works properly”, and we were supposed to ensure a working toilet for all by 2030 according to the UN Sustainable Development Goal 6! And that made many of us tear up – those of us who had a door that we could close behind us. There are 8 years left to achieve the objective but sadly, we have to concentrate on other emissions as per COP26 to save the planet – before we can ensure a poo without a peep!

While many pooh-poohed the idea, it was Jack Sim, a Singaporean businessman, back in 2001, who, with the idea to raise awareness about sanitation, and hygiene, started a crusade for better sanitation and hygiene practices around the world with the founding of the World Toilet Organization. WTO for WHO! For everyone! In 2012, the first slogan associated with the movement was coined “I give a s**t, do you?”

Apparently, the United Nations did, for, in 2013, the UNO adopted the day as World Toilet Day to educate billions who suffer the ill effects of open defecation, but it was not able to explain a fundamental aspect of this change from soiling (nurturing the soil, naturally) to recoiling… at the sight! It was real climate change! Or did it cause it?

The new sanitation chain envisaged creating a pipeline from toilets to the treatment of Human waste – a whole new eco-system that was meant to deal with waste, not become one! Sadly in some hands, it does.

Toilets for all is a human right the United Nations says must be addressed with sensitivity – Governments must listen to people without this access and include them in the planning and decision-making process. Surely, if a man is in charge, it will be. We just learned they are sensitive! In any case, these plans are discussed in five-star hotels, and they are well equipped to manage greenhouse gasses before emitting them via their air-cons.

But India is doing well in this regard because it is sensitive to the plight of its people. In recent years – since 2015, according to the UNICET, India has made rapid strides in correcting its s**t on site situation. Here is what it says: “Just a few years ago, in 2015, nearly half of India’s population of around 568 million people suffered the indignity of defecating in fields, forests, bodies of water, or other public spaces due to lack of access to toilets. India alone accounted for 90 per cent of the people in South Asia and half of the 1.2 billion people in the world that defecated in the open. But, by 2019, the number of people without access to toilets reduced significantly by an estimated 450 million people.”

So, as of now, there is no need to cry. Things are going well. Toilets and toiletries are widely available as the economy gets back on track, the farm laws have been repealed and all they are looking for is minimum support for their produce, fuel costs are down, and though cooking costs have gone up, food consumption is down as fitness awareness goes up, employment is back on track, and the work from office culture stands rejuvenated and this has had a telling positive effect on gender relations.

What we all need is the minimum support we can offer each other – a shoulder to cry on when it is necessary and the hope that it won’t be a cry in the wilderness!

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Disclaimer

This Article is written in the lighter vein. It hopes to bring a smile to your face, and you must not ascribe motives to its contents. There is no connection to events and characters in real life and if perchance you find a connect with any such real-life event or character, rest assured its purely coincidental.

Photo by KAL VISUALS on Unsplash

Photo by Gabor Monori on Unsplash

Photo by Gayatri Malhotra on Unsplash

Am I too old to be asking that question? Never, age is just a number they say. Am I too bold to be asking that question? Never, age just makes you humbler. Or does marriage? – I must know. You also must know if you are at that ‘come pander me’ stage – what some of us, call the companionship stage. 

Why would anyone want to get married is a question that troubled me / excited me – I can’t say which – as I saw the rising number of matrimonials in the newspaper that I read online – I don’t buy the newspaper – not anymore because the ads are mostly matrimonials… or obituaries! 

But I do read the online versions, and of course, update my current repository of knowledge through “What’s that app” called? Sorry, seems I can’t recall. Too many apps/naps that I’m addicted to in these difficult times.

The matrimonial ads themselves have evolved from those based on caste and creed – with or without bar attached, to Covid! The groom or the bride, now ask for a fully vaccinated spouse. Not sure if this is because the vaccine is in short supply, or they are scared of the C drive. Sometimes the ad content is misspelled; the big V word is sometimes spelled as “Waxed!” These ads get a lot of responses!

Others are asking if the family has access to a lifetime supply of Masks and proof of connections to obtain oxygen, Remdesivir and Amphotericin-B on demand. Still, others are offering the unpronounceable anti-body cocktail – I call it PinaColada – newly put out by Roche for the full family on request as an incentive!

But to the main question, that I put to myself – I tried roping in my companion to answer the question – but she found the question itself redundant. That is natural until I told her I was researching for an article for Newskarnataka, not an article of faith in the institution which is as strong as it was when I said, “I do” (not, please note, I’ll try!). But the answer I got, was the best I heard in a long time – Silence!

Not having succeeded in eliciting a response from a primary source, I combined some secondary research and opinions of my media friends who were all in the “accompanied” category and tried to answer the question myself – I came to some surprising conclusions. That usually happens when you talk to yourself according to Carl Jung. The name is spelled correctly by the way.

First and foremost, it is the pandemic; external movement without a mask and social proximity is restricted either by self or regulation. This is not restricted at home.  People at home are more positive, shall we say?

Secondly, Millennials crave companionship which is not possible with parents these days – the TDGI – They Don’t Get It – syndrome. So even if they resisted the institution earlier, fearing its four walls, now they wanted that roof over their heads; the lifetime supply of masks and oxygen was a bonus of course. Responses also came quicker, given that the walls now had open windows, keeping the enthusiasm for the collaborative project up.

Millennials – the ones putting out the ads – it would seem, see a chance to save on wedding expenses and appropriate the originally estimated bill for themselves from the source of such expenditure. This thought occurred to me for two reasons – I received a wedding invite by what’s app – that told me that due to the restrictions I was invited but not welcome, and secondly, the price of petrol was lunging, not just inching toward the top the Burj al-Khalifa, creating new records! 

Another reason perhaps, one more fitting to the occasion, is that the entire process can be done online – from the ad to the due diligence, the horror scope, the courtship, the negotiation, and even the wedding itself. Post that of course, the couple will go offline for a while!

I am aware, that when they go offline and the masks come off, companionship, could transform into comp-onionship, the type that brings tears to the eyes with its root cause-effect. A good example is a guy who opened his windows a little too wide to let the sun in; it rained, and he is ruined!

But it can be overcome. All you need to do, perhaps. is peel the layers and put them on a hot pan while both hold the panhandles. Coordination, Cooperation, and knowing when to hold or let go is the key. Often, it is a panhandler’s choice. The other alternative is to get the masks back on and maintain social distance – Which could lead to more ads.

That will no doubt help the media survive – it’s exceedingly difficult these days – and with it that precious institution – marriage, the only one that welcomes dissent, without dissing the dissenter!

I hope I’ve answered the question, I raised – for your sake!

Disclaimer

^{This Article is written in a lighter vein. It hopes to bring a smile to your face, and you must not ascribe motives to its contents. There is no connection to events and characters in real life and if perchance you find a connection with any such real-life event or character, rest assured it’s purely coincidental.}

^{Image by NatureFriend}

It was Children’s Day a couple of days ago, and even if there’s an unfortunate, (some see it as fortunate and I am just a loyal citizen unable to judge) change in attitude toward the person in whose name we celebrate this day, fortunately – and this is a definite – there is no change in attitude towards the children themselves. There’s something about children – their vulnerability, their innocence, their need for affection and of course the child in all of us, that doesn’t allow us to change our attitude toward them.

I was parked at a traffic signal recently – one of the few that actually work. A child in ragged clothes came across and stretched out his hand, asking for alms. I couldn’t deny him that. I took out a coin and placed it in his palm, but looked into his eyes. They were bright with expectation, with none of the morbidity of his situation troubling him. Yet it troubled me. The light turned green and I moved on, stopped at a hotel to have a cup of coffee, and there wiping my table before I could order a coffee, was another child, dressed in a comparatively clean uniform, holding a plastic tray and a rather soiled rag with which he cleaned the table. As an aside, let me say that according to Unicef, one in every eight children, aged 5-14 years, work for their own household or someone else.

Anyway, as I watched him do that, (he did it rather mechanically), my thoughts wandered home, where, when I was his age, my parents did that for me, and now that I am their age, I do that for my children, for there’s something about children, that makes us want to do something for them.

Maybe it’s a combination of their innocence, their gaiety, their complexity expressed simply, their smiles, their appearance, their responsiveness, their ability to come up with the most interesting take on events around them – I don’t know what, but when I see children, doing for me, what I should have been doing for them, I’m reminded of how much I have regressed as an adult, so much so that I’m immune to seeing them wiping the table for me or begging in the street?… except perhaps when it is my child. But even if it were mine, what if I could do nothing about it?

Then a thought struck me, don’t they too want to be somebody’s child? Don’t they yearn for such support? I’m sure they do, but… in our world, there’s always a but…

I’m reminded of the chorus of the song “Nobody’s Child” by Karen Young .

“I’m nobody’s child

I’m nobody’s child

Just like the flowers

I’m growing wild

No mummy’s kisses

And no daddy’s smile

Nobody wants me

I’m nobody’s child”

There’s something about children that shows, when you see how they love – freely and with great passion. No barriers, no holding back, no race, no color, no creed. Just stand in the basement of an apartment complex or a village playground and watch them play and you’ll come away invigorated. There are no manipulations, no greed, no lies and very little jealously. Everything is not hunky-dory though. There is hurt if they are not loved in return, there is reservation if they are repressed and there is suffering and manifestation if they are abused and suicidal tendencies when they are unable to cope with parental and peer pressures.

While the transformation from larva into butterflies, is painful, the tragedy is, that the inner beauty fades, even as the skin remains vibrant, and the adult, becomes everything the child was not – jealous, greedy, manipulative, acquisitive, and builds all kinds of barriers in the name of self-protection.

The world is made for children, not for adults – just look around you at nature, its beauty, and its openness, but adults took it over and made it their own. They subdued nature, concretized it, and then went after its children, using them as mules, as outlets for their aggression – both sexual and physical and to deny them the chance to dance in the rain. Perhaps, they did not want the child in them to rear its head, for there’s something about children, you can’t suppress.

There’s also something about children that reminds us, off and on, in a rather nostalgic way, that we once belonged to that happy category of human beings, no matter their circumstances.

As children, we were, for some time dependent entirely on our parents, and they didn’t mind, for they loved us without reservation (a wrong word to use, but the affirmation was in their action if not in their words or their hugs – they are not used to doing that, given our social ethos – for me its pathos) then we were dependent partly on ourselves, partly on our friends, and partly on our parents – this was a phase when we could witness withdrawal symptoms in them, but didn’t care enough; and then we were out there all by ourselves in a mad bad world – fully dependent upon ourselves and longing for the comforts of our parent’s home!

If we had learned our lessons well – the ones at school – by mugging, at home – from advice and good example, and on the street – from experience – we had less chance of being mugged, tugged or screwed at work or in our relationships which perhaps, is the key to “success”.

Scholastically, genetically, monetarily, and environmentally we are not the same and can never be – We live in Indiopia, not Utopia, and the variations of one or the other do take their toll as we grow up. In addition, there are variables that many of us only read in textbooks – abandonment, abuse, misuse, and that all-encompassing phrase – “circumstances beyond our control”. Put together we end up where we are. For me, I’m just happy that I can put this column tether for you every Tuesday and I have a platform like Newskarnataka.com to host it for your reading pleasure.

And of course, there is the last phase of our lives – when our parents are dependent upon us. An interesting phase that is spreading and growing across our nation with interesting sociological outcomes – interesting perhaps for the children, researchers, builders, NGO’s, but not so much for the parents or the Government which already seems at a loss as to what to do other than provide an additional half percent on interest rates!

As we age, the child in us will reemerge.  We will look around again for the affection, the help, the emotional and physical support that we got when we were children, but this time, from our children, we must be aware, we might not get it – certainly not in the way we gave it to our children, for the world has moved on relentlessly. Technology, money, and improved logistics have helped, but nothing can replace proximity and a hug.  Hope lies eternal, but is often belied, by “circumstances beyond our control” – our jobs, our own families, our own preoccupations, our own “circumstances”.

There are 472 million children in India under the age of 18 years, representing 36% of the country’s total population. A large percentage, 29% of that figure constitute children between the ages of 0 to 6 years. In addition, 73% of children in India are living in rural areas, often have limited access to fundamental needs such as nutrition, access to healthcare, education, and protection.  According to UNICEF,  every day 67,385 babies are born in India, that’s one-sixth of the world’s childbirths. Every minute one of these newborns dies… That’s as gloomy a scenario as a Monsoon that never ends, but things have improved with the Right to Education Act, Child rights Activists, the media, and the Courts affirming their affection for children, whenever possible and reminding governments – both state and central governments, that they must facilitate a nurturing atmosphere for the children any which way.  There’s something about children that tells us we must do right by them, if we want to, as Michael Jackson sang, heal the world, and make it a better place, for you and for me, and the entire human race.

I must apologize for the limited wit in this column, but I’m hoping that the next child you see – be it yours or another’s, will bring a smile to your face!

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Disclaimer

This Article is written in the lighter vein. It hopes to bring a smile to your face, and you must not ascribe motives to its contents. There is no connection to events and characters in real life and if perchance you find a connect with any such real-life event or character, rest assured its purely coincidental.

Image by pixabay

It was a cracker of a Diwali. Fuel prices which had taken off like a rocket in the days preceding Diwali, burst into stars (of the economy) and came down in a shower of sparkles along with excise and vat rates and helped us take our eyes off our wallets – just for a little while. It was Kaizen (Japanese for just-in-time) at its best and a true eco-friendly cracker. The savings were spent on crackers as Delhi’s API shows!

Heard of Newtons Laws? Not a science student? Not a law student? That’s good because they are complex formulae that straddle both disciplines in contravention of its own theory.

The first law – the law of inertia – says that when all forces acting on an object are balanced, then it will remain stationary – at rest or inert. Like all of us were as the fuel prices remained reasonably stable.

Then the second law kicks in! Newton’s second law of motion can be formally stated as follows: The acceleration of an object as produced by a net force is directly proportional to the magnitude of the net force, in the same direction as the net force, and inversely proportional to the mass of the object. In a nutshell, a mass will remain at rest if there is no external force or the forces are balanced; if a force is exerted on it, it will move in the direction of that force! what goes up must come down and this is because of an external force.

This happened when the economy began to tip over and the vocal protests became both loud and clear and as Tim Clancy says – a clear and present danger! Statistics have it, that if taxes had not been raised to the level before they were brought down marginally, the prices of petrol and diesel would have been Rs: 66 and Rs: 55, given the current prices of international crude and the ”cost-plus” cost of Production formula of OEM’s. But again, like the ECG, it’s not the flat line that keeps us alive, but one that goes up and down constantly; isn’t it? and it’s always the fattened lamb that is chosen for slaughter!

A similar gift at Christmas could speed up consumption, the basis of any economic growth according to great economists – Travel, fruits and vegetables would be cheaper and would fly off the shelves and be replaced equally quickly – the circle of life would then be complete. There is no difference between presenting a gift or gifting a present in acknowledgment of some special occasion, achievement, gesture, festival, etc. …  so, we can still hope.

Hope lies eternal. Here, please note that “lies” is used in the verb and not adjective form. Sticking with Wren, Martin, and Oxford, the Dictionary has it that the nouns gift and present are synonymous in their meanings referring to something that is thoughtfully given to someone without the expectation of return. Without expectation of return is key… But I know and you know what happens at festivals. I give a gift of dry fruits and/or cake to the neighbor – this after seeing what the neighbor has given me! He passes it on as his gift to his neighbor as his gift. So a return is expected, always! Let me be clear – his includes her too. Nowadays though, her does not include his!  

There is much debate about the use of Crackers and their significance during Diwali. Diwali is all about the light that dispels darkness (in our and others’ lives through us). For the rest leave it up to the various ESCOMS! So, if a cracker brings a burst of light into our lives even for a moment, it’s in the spirit of the festival. Nothing wrong. In fact, it’s the triumph of the good over the bad evil of silence and darkness.

It’s the accompanying smoke that is worrying people especially with Covid still lurking in the shadows waiting to pounce. All it needs is an Ally as France needed England and the US during World War II to attack. But there is no fire without smoke now, is there? There is also the issue of sound. We all need a sounding board, but don’t want to be one especially to a cracker of a sound. But how do you make the night light up without smoke and sound that penetrates the ears of animals like the US cluster bombs did in Iraq? That is the dilemma. is there a lesson to be learned from vaping? And will there be any joy? Will good triumph over evil in that case?

Incidentally, yesterday was the fifth anniversary of the famous or infamous demonetization exercise – depending on how much you lost after midnight on Nov 8, 2016, and which political party is your favorite riding horse – when the color of money changed overnight from black to white. No grey, not even one shade was to be allowed, forget about the 50 shades of grey which are present in every economy.

Though the goalposts were shifted constantly, economists say many unexpected goals were scored by some new players and some veterans who learnt the new game quickly.

In the five years since the sudden announcement, a large part of the informal economy has transformed itself into the formal economy – Kirana stores have become Big Bazars, digital payments have shown a whopping increase along with their transaction fees – so much so that some of them are even coming out with IPOs, and transparency in the real estate industry has increased in favor of buyers – some of the state governments have been forced to reduce registration stamp fees to boost sales especially to encourage JAPL (Just Above Poverty Line) people who aspire to own a house to buy one rather than rent one. MAPL (Much above the poverty line) prefers to rent than own – for a lot of reasons! And the tax compliance regime has got a great boost! Everything that people want to be on the record, is on record…. Like before!

Our money now has 9 main colors, but not black or white! There is a grey area (one that has now returned in a new avatar) –  the Rs: 500 Rupee note which according to monclass.com is stone grey! But with the color of money getting more engaging, like a Kanjivaram saree, more of it can be seen in the economy- 14.7% of the GDP to be precise which is a lot given that it had dropped to around 9 % after demonetization. So, where it is coming from and where is it going? Any idea?  You may have if you have it. If not, who cares?

The rule of a transparent economy is to be content with what one has – even if it’s nothing! Having nothing is a virtue in our economy. Because then you can get. If you have – you have to give – in the form of taxes! But one must appreciate its growth, for if not, how could relief material be distributed with such consistency and immediacy during the lockdowns and other disasters? That’s a question for the analysts to answer – they love these dilemmas! It keeps them occupied, if not employed – you can find them in all the think tanks except the Arjun MKII!

So a Dhamaka, Pataka Diwali is over; we got our gifts (the reduction in the cost of fuel (vehicle, not human – that depends on state govts) and fruits (from demonetization) so what next?

Well, it’s time for our children to enjoy…. come children’s Day even if we have to blame Nehruji for this wonderful day on which we celebrate our children and try to ensure that their rights are not violated!

Until then…

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Disclaimer

This Article is written in a lighter vein. It hopes to bring a smile to your face, and you must not ascribe motives to its contents. There is no connection to events and characters in real life and if perchance you find a connection with any such real-life event or character, rest assured it’s purely coincidental.

Image by Ritesh Tamrakar

It’s a coincidence that perhaps has more significance than we can imagine; the sudden unexpected death and burial of Kannada Superstar Puneeth Rajkumar and his burial with state honours, witnessed by more than a lakh of his fans – peaceful and grieving – and the celebration of our beloved state’s birth anniversary, a state that was founded on the language that made him a super star – Kannada. If you have not yet made the connection, here it is one followed the other with no time to adjust in between, much like a batter who goes from being a finisher in T20 to opening in a Test Match with no practice games in between. I was witness to much of this jugalbandi as I was in Bengaluru, and even visited the interior to attend a function, where I found this grief combined with fervour across the spectrum. But in the city, the reaction was perhaps mixed, partly because it is a mix of both peoples and emotions. Maybe it is, as it should be.

Even as grief overwhelmed us, we went into celebration mode, as time and tide wait for no man, or woman. It just marches on, occupied in part by fame, shame, name, and meme! and then all of these vanish in a moment. A prime example of course is the ongoing T20 World Cup, where the trolling of the Indian Team and a couple of its players of whom much was expected, was severe and not unexpected, given the nature of the Indian. He loves a hero, expects a lot from him and hates the zero, except when it is added to scam numbers! The hero who adds them behind an integer then often lands up as one of them! So, Beware or Be aware – your choice.

But the state remains and will remain in play… with new actors. The November Kannadiga, who is now a mixture of all that is good in India – because it is India, a nation where diversity is the rule, and homogenizing it is an enterprise called one nation, one, you name it! – is trying hard to remain pure, like Ghee and Milk from  our state owned Dairy Supplier! be that as it may, it’s an occasion to recall and remind ourselves that our language is what brings us together under one administration, and it is what will keep us together when times are tough – as Newton put it  – when an external force acts on a body, it produces an acceleration (change in velocity) of the body in the direction of the force. How does it do that? Well, for one through communication of emotions and another, by providing an identity. Its gravitas is found when Kannadigas meet outside their state or country and begin to communicate in their language of choice!

It was the  continuous efforts by writers, activists and politicians which started during the British rule that helped form the state that we all love for its multi ethnicity and liberal view of the world, and the inclusiveness of even other languages – Tulu and Coorgi or Kodava in particular – on November 1, 1956 with the linguistic reorganization of  four districts from Bombay state, three from Hyderabad region, some parts of Old Madras state, Coorg and the state of Mysore. The state got its name much later under the chief ministership of Devaraj Urs in 1973 and that name is what we proudly and fondly (I must add) write at the end of our address lines.

For the November Kannadiga, the occasion is mostly a holiday, which, if it precedes or follows a weekly off is time to rejoice much like May Day – unless you are in the air or out at sea! But for those who are proud of the language and culture that brought them together it is a working day – a day when they rededicate their efforts – political, linguistic, social, and economic to the health and wealth of the state. This they do, by organizing, attending, or watching programs that honour that culture and language, do things that will enhance the status of the state in the eyes of the nation and the world and take a pledge to rededicate themselves to elevating the state to its rightful place (which is right up there with the best) in the pantheon of states. It’s also a day when the state honours its heroes. They are heroes who go beyond a single day in November to make a difference in the lives of their fellow Kannadigas wherever they may be, sometimes with their own resources. They don’t go looking for the award on November 1 but seek to award us with their work every single day of our lives and that is why we salute and reward them on this day when we came together as a state. Its only when all their efforts go into one pot, we will realize how blessed we are to have them in our midst, in our state.

Does politics make a difference in how we view our state? No, I don’t think so; because government is not the state, and the state is not the government – it is much much more. Isn’t the vessel always independent of the liquid in it? it may make a difference in the way we perceive as to how our state is governed and the direction it is headed, but not in our feelings toward our state. This may sound Socratorial to some but is actually a cesarian thought. it’s just that people hope that the state of play in that magnificent building that is representative of the state and its glory (Just Google Karnataka and you will realize this) will never end up being the play of the state against its residents!

In the last couple of days following the unexpected demise of Kannada Superstar Puneeth Rajkumar, debates on how much exercise is enough or not enough replaced Aryan Khan’s Bail, Pakistan’s ISI, China’s expansionism, the world and India’s Commitment to climate Change and other similar debates on Prime-time television. The consensus was that no exercise at all is not good. Lots of Exercise will get you into shape for the coffin and moderate exercise (like moderate alcohol intake- upto two units of alcohol a week) will keep you fit, even if you are out of shape! The idea is to actually tell your friends you Like them and their comments, by walking upto them or their residences, rather than doing it on social media. We are told that is more than enough if you are over forty. But you must have a regular checkup…. at any cost…

Speaking of Death, according to the Christian Liturgical Calendar, yesterday was all Saints Day (The day is to mark all of the saints of the church who are deemed to have risen to heaven after doing good on earth. The day is celebrated by holding a festival to remember the holy saints – a tradition thought to date back to the fourth century. All of the saints are remembered – even those who have no formal holiday named after them like the one we had yesterday!) and today is All Souls Day(also known as the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed and the Day of the Dead, is a day of prayer and remembrance for the dear departed (to a better place than here on earth one presumes), which is observed by Roman Catholics and other Christian denominations annually) Are you a Saint or a Soul? That would be directly proportional to whether you have been more fair than foul!

Man! It’s all happening in November and remember November has just begun. Let’s see it through!

Next up is Diwali! Have a great one; one with fire in the belly more than up in the sky!

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Disclaimer

This Article is written in a lighter vein. It hopes to bring a smile to your face, and you must not ascribe motives to its contents. There is no connection to events and characters in real life and if perchance you find a connect with any such real-life event or character, rest assured its purely coincidental.

Image by digital designer