INFERTILTY

History is replete with instances of childlessness.

King Dashrath of Ayodhya conducted puthrakameshty yagam (Yajn) to invoke divine power to produce children.

Heroine of freedom struggle of 1857, Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi, was a close friend of the British. But she failed to have a son and the British refused permission to adopt one. She was so much annoyed that she herself fought against the British forces, in the ensuing war.

This trend has gained momentum in recent times. I know several couple who would pay any price to have babies, male or female.

Has the modern life style contributed to what is called anapathyata (infertility)?

I BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD NOT ASK FOR ANYTHING. Our Father in heaven knows what is best for us.

GOD’S LABORATORY

The whole world is His laboratory.

He is doing various experiments continuously. If we keep our eyes and ears open, we can understand many things which seem enigmatic.

Yesterday, while returning from Trichur, I was left alone in the car, when others in the family left for shopping, and so naturally  started talking with the driver.

He had worked in Oman, the green country south of Saudi Arabia, separated from it by mountains.

“Throughout Oman, there is a long underground tunnel through which fresh water flows continuously. In summer it is cool water. In winter, the water is so hot that steam comes out of it.

At several spots, especially at mosques, they have made pipe connections to use the water. In winter, we sit near the spring to enjoy the warmth of steam.

No one knows where the water is coming from or where it disappears.”

In fact all waterholes in the desert, called oases are fed by underground tunnels.

The rock system below the soil is full of tunnels, wide or narrow, through which water or steam circulates. This is the theme of my article SARASWATI – A study of subterranean water channels.

DECLINE AND FALL OF COMMUNIST MOVEMENT IN INDIA

It is a sad story.

In 1957 the Communists in Keralam won the elections and formed the first elected government in the world. EMS Namboodiripad led a team of dedicated and selfless workers who thought nothing of themselves. The party had no fund. Money collected from the public in small coins, was sufficient for fighting elections. I was just a boy. We hoped for a bright future.

But the party failed at the national level, being confined to Bengal and Tripura, apart from Keralam. The split into CPI and CPI (M) resulted in further weakening of the movement, which was later corrupted by Power. The party apparatus was managed by unscrupulous elements, resulting in formation of the Naxalite movement which attracted selfless intellectuals who were fed up with the democratic process. There was no difference between the Congress leaders and the Communists. Both enjoyed luxurious life and amassing of money.

Recently, the extermination of tribal people by the combined forces of mining mafia,their paid hooligans and the police, gave a good opportunity for Maoists to take the leadership of the tribal people. They have good weapons and training. The hills and forests give them very good ground where conventional forces are ineffective.

The Government of India will find it impossible to stem the tide of Maoists.

If the Communists had refused to join political, bourgois game, they  could have led the masses towards a revolution.

Today, Maoist movement threatens the Central Government which is thinking of bringing the armed forces to eliminate the threat of Red Star rising in the forests. In the electoral battle, the communists are losing whatever pockets of influence they were having. People of Bengal will vote for Mamata, not because she is progressive, but just to throw out the ruling party, which could not educate the poor or eliminate poverty.