URANIUM ENRICHMENT – DO NOT PLAY WITH FIRE

Early Romans discoverd lead. Its silvery shine attracted the rich Romans. It was easy to melt it and cast it in different designs. So they made plates for eating food. They all died in their thirties, because lead is a poison.

Today we are playing with nuclear power, even though we know it is highly poisonous, because we want to make profits quickly. So, enrichment of uranium is taking place in all nuclear empowered countries.

Natural uranium is a mixture of two isotopes, one radio active in mild dozes and the other highly radio active, but its percentage is very low; there fore, in the uranium mines, it is almost harmless.

By centrifugal methods, we obtain uranium with high percentage of radio active isotopes, for use in nuclear reactors. Here is the problem.

Even now the problem of decontaminating and dismantling the reactors has not been solved. We do not know what to do with the nuclear fuel waste, which is extremely radio active.

As early as 1945, all scientists including Einstein, wanted research in this field to be stopped. The United Nations wanted immediate nuclear disarmament. But the US did not heed it. Other countries also started making bombs.

In the name of Producing electricity, reactors have come up in thousands all over the world.

We are like those Romans who got poisoned with lead.

STOP ENRICHMENT OF URANIUM !

LOVE IS UNEQUAL

Parents love their children very much. When the children grow up, their love for parents will decrease; instead, they start loving their own children. Here love flows downwards.

A > B > C > D are all young men and women. But their love for each other will never be equal. instead, one partner may love some other chap. Love  invariably results in envy and jealousy.

This gives enough material for writers and film makers.

TOMORROW WE ESCAPE FROM THE COLD DELHI

Last night it rained and it is very cold here in Delhi.

Tomorrow  we will be in the Kerala Express by this time.  I hope to continue blogging.

ANANGAN MALA TOURISM PROJECT

Anangan mala (hill) stands as an elephant  lying in water. Every time I pass along the road from Ottappalam to Cherpulessreri, I wistfully look at its majestic pose, wondering whether I will be able to climb it !

I first saw it when I was studying in seventh year in school, during the journey to grandmother’s home, Mappat mana, who patronised Kathakali, long before Kalamandalam was set up. About this later on.

Now I like to share with you a good news, that the hill is being developed as a tourist resort, with cottages on top and jeepable roads from the road.

I wish it is completed early.

ATHIRAPILLY HYDEL PROJECT

The Manister in Charge of Environment stated categorically that the hydel Project at Athirappilly will  not be sactioned. This is unfortunate.

The river bed and surroundings are made up of very hard rock. It is difficult to imagine what damage the dam will cause to the environment. It is already a tourist destination with good roads  connecting it to Trichur, Kochi and Tamilnadu.

The Silent Vally Project was abandoned, following a hue and cry from enviromentalists. The forest has now been destroyed. It would have saved the neglected Malabar region from power shortage.

We should learn a lesson from this mistake.

All dams kill the river in fifty years. That is another matter. Why single out Athirapilly?

LIFE IMPRISONMENT, IT IS INHUMAN

Imagine being shut up in a room for twenty five years……

I cannot think of it even for a day !

A certain set of cirumstances, or the culmination of a series of  developments, lead to a crime, for which it is prescribed in the criminal code. But the individual is ignored.

I feel sorry for Veer Savarkar. I will not blame him, for pleading to the British Govenment for pardon. India’s freedom is only an abstract idea.

Death penalty is preferrable to life imprisonment.

TATAS AND THE KERALA GOVERNMENT

Kerala Government decided to destroy the check dam, constructed by the Tatas in their estate, for providing water to the workers’ colony in their estate at Munnar, because it was illegal !

This was announced by Kodiyery; I saw it in Asianet channel.

When the Court was told that the company did not use the water, which was exlusively for use of workers’ families, the Court became convinced and issued stay order.

 Afterwards, Chief Minister said, again before Asianet channel, that the Government does not want demolition of the dam.

 Who is the Government?

Why did the Collector issue notice to the Tatas?

 Why destroy any property if it is illegal? Why not acquire it instead?

We demand an answer.

PADMASHREE

A man offered money to Obama for his election campaign. Obama refused the money because of the man’s bad reputation.

Government of India awarded him Padmashree ! Vayalar Ravi recommended his name.

Another “scientist” was given the same Padmashree; this man could not even copy properly from the research paper of another scientist, a Russian. Instead of 2350, he typed 2035.

INCREDIBLE INDIA.

KEEP IT UP, RAHUL

Your desision to go to Bombay was both brave and mature.

Today our leaders are afraid of the people. You have shown them the way forward.

Nehru or Indira Gandhi would have done the same.

I wish you success.

EVENING WALK ALONG THE BHARATHAPUZHA RIVER BED

Once, we three, Vasudevan, Ranjith and myself, were together at my wife’s house, Muthukurssi mana,at Shoranur.

 It was summer vacation, time for our annual pigrimage to Keralam.
I was no more young, but the spirit of adventure refuses to die. I suggested the Bharathapuzha for our evening walk.
We first walked along the rail track in the direction towards Mangalore .

 Crossing the fields, we reached the river and climbed down the bank.

Being summer, there was no  flow in the river, but patches of wet sand made it difficult to proceed.
Slowly, it began to get dark. For long stretches of the river bank on our side, there were wild growth of thorny shrubs (something like pineapple, but much bigger in size; its “trunk” is used for making brushes for white washing of houses, we call it kaitha).

Vasudevan was our guide. He became unsure as darkness descended. It began to drizzle. I cursed myself for suggesting this walk.
At last, we climbed up the bank where there was some clearance. It happened to be a Muslim cottage. They were praying inside and we crossed the plot like thieves.
After entering the narrow path connecting individual houses, we reached the panchayat road. Then Vasudevan led us confidently to the house of their relative, Kollumuttath mana. Their father’s sister’s husband, very old but healthy, was doing sandhyavandanam. His wife came out and was surprised to see us, drenched in rain, at that odd hour.

She made hot tea, which I enjoyed like never before.