SILENCE IS GOLDEN

Until I became very old, I used to speak, without knowing where to keep silent, thinking that one has to speak, as otherwise, your friends will take you for dullard.
It took a life time, to learn the value of silence!
When enjoying the company of close friends, with a peg or two, to keep conversation going, our friend Nair, used to keep mum. It is when you watch others talking, that you really appreciate their company. Some of them may be really knowledgeable, and you can learn a thing or two.
Some gifted people keep you spellbound by their rhetoric.

AWARD FOR MALAYALAM DOCUMENTARY ON ENVIRONMENT

An international film screening on the theme of ENVIRONMENT was held in Delhi. The Malayalam entry secured the third position.
The whole film was based on one day in the school, of a ninth standard girl, who comes to the school, always late, because she talks to the trees and birds, on her way to the school.
The teacher chides her and asks to take her to see her parents. So both of them go through the forest and the experience convinces the teacher, the value of trees and the environment in general.
Anagha, daughter of my niece Usha, plays the lead role. She won the applause of the audience.
Such films were made by students all over the world. I thankfully acknowledge the value of such efforts, on the part of students and their sponsors!

LET US NOT FORGET OUR UNFORTUNATE BROTHREN

Blind men, mentally retarded children, lunatics, inmates of jails, old destitute- it is a long list of people left out from the mainstream of life and so forgotten by all. How much money is allocated in the budget? Compare it with the money spent in the name of defence. The idea of war is outmoded in this age of trade wars. There has to be a ceiling on wasting money for war ministry, misnamed as defence ministry.
Even at home, they are neglected. In India, eye donation is minimal. The practice of burning the dead, without removing the eye is most unfortunate. There should be a law to remove eyes in the case of those dying in road accidents. This way, we can get thousands of eyes daily.
Dead bodies are useful for medical students.
The media can play a useful role in spreading awareness in this regard.

EXCITING DISCOVERY OF A FOSSIL

Australia is a strange continent, with a number of animals, not found anywhere else.
Now, the fossil of an animal, anomalocaris, a soft-bodied marine beast, more than half a billion years old, has been discovered. A startling feature of this animal is that its eye, about three centimeters across, has 16,000 lenses, enabling the predator an accurate vision for locating its preys!
It was found in Kangaroo island in south Australia.

TEN-FACED RAVAN

We all have natural masks. Our real face will be known, only when we are left to ourselves.
When in the class room, I cannot behave otherwise. In front of the beloved, our face will exude unmatched sweetness!
To adopt the proper mask, to suit each occasion, is the secret of success.
Ravan of the epic Ramayana is supposed to have ten faces- Dashanana. He was a great warrior and fearless. He brought Sita to Lanka, but never molested her.
In the South, he is a hero, not a villain.

LIKE FREEDOOM, DEMOCRACY IS A MIRAGE

The latest in the demand for democracy is Russia, where people feel that the election is rigged.
Why is the word democracy so charming? Is there any country where it functions in the interest of the people?
England is the model for democracy. Tony Blaire managed to hoodwink the Members of Parliament, who supported the attack on Iraq, because there was imminent danger of an attack on Britain!
Once elected, the ruling party ignores the true interests of the people, who helplessly watch, because there is no way of recalling the elected representatives. Now Anna Hazare has demanded this right to recall.
A government is interested in contracts, because from each deal they get bribe. In a dictatorship, the politicians are denied this opportunity.
Who will contest an election, if they cannot get bribe? Why do they spend huge sums of money, if they cannot reap the benefits?
The very existence of the state apparatus, is to extract money from the people in the form of taxes and bribe.
The United States love democracy only if it suits their ulterior motives, otherwise, it is happy with dictators.
Yes, true democracy is a mirage.

WITHER INDIA? =’text/javascript’ src=

A large section of people in India cherish the old ideology of the Indian National Congress. They are perplexed by the fall in moral values and the fact that the party has to depend on other parties for survival. In an election, they may stay away from exercising their franchise.
All other parties do not have an all India base. Sixty years of freedom have eroded the very concept of a united India; instead, parochialism is very much forceful and can have a telling influence in any election results.
Even cadre based parties like the CPM and the BJP are divided, when it comes to disputes between neighboring states. Mullaperiyar dam is a sad instance. I feel that such issues must be left to technical experts. Politicians must keep quiet.

Coupled with indecision and lack of vision, especially about economic issues, the whole administration has become paralyzed. Where do we go from this point?
Long ago, M.R.Masani had written a book titled MOTHER INDIA, painting a rosy picture of free India. Alas! Now it is a nightmare.
Future will depend upon how we manage our affairs, in view of the impending economic collapse.
Development of infrastructure should be focused. Forget consumer industry, meant only to make profits. Railways, roads, water conservation works (No dams}alternative energy sources like solar and wind power, education of rural children to man theses works, can go a long way in giving fruitful employment. The waste of money as in NRGE must be avoided.
Politicians must be kept away.

BHAKTY OR DEVOTION =’text/javascript’ src=

We all want to love.
As human beings are fickle, we look to Him, to convey our problems, anxieties, fears and hopes.
It is immaterial whether we go to a temple, church or a mosque. Wherever we hare used to going from childhood, suits us.
In modern times, in spite of technological advances, we all feel insecure. Some how, the symbol of God instills in us a sense of security.
I have observed women crying in front of the deity and prostrate on the floor, as though He is hearing and seeing them.
When churches were reestablished after the end of Communist rule in Russia, there was a rush for prayers there!
Every year, the number of pilgrims is increasing.
My only grouse is that they are exploited to enrich the institutions.

KERALA POLICE SHOW THE WAY =’text/javascript’ src=

Road accidents are a daily tragedy in Keralam. In addition to charging the drivers, the police have come up with a novel idea.
Most accidents occur between 1 to 5 AM, BECAUSE THE DRIVERS ARE LIKELY TO FALL ASLEEP, AFTER CONTINUOUS WORK, ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT.
So, at the check posts in a section of the Highway, the police offer them hot coffee or tea and ask them to rest for fifteen minutes. Thus refreshed, they resume their duty.
Kudos to our police friends!

CALORIE =’text/javascript’ src=’

All are concerned with calorie.
It is a measure of the heat content in a substance.
One calorie = heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of water, by one degree Celsius.
When anything is burnt, heat is produced. Carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen in the food we eat, combine with oxygen, to produce heat. This heat helps the body cells to conduct their activities like breathing, blood circulation etc. and maintain body temperature. If we eat more, the extra heat is conserved in the form of fat, to be used when required. Hence, if we eat more, we become fat.
For calculation of calorie value, dry mass of a thing is required, as water has no calorie value as far as our body is concerned. Thus, watermelon, plantain, leafy vegetables etc. have major water content and correspondingly less calorie value.
One gram of all things, except oils and fats, yield 4 calories of heat. Oils etc. give double this number, 8 calories. That is why doctors advise us to avoid fats.
These rules do not apply to children, who need more energy during growth period.
Calorie requirement can be calculated by dieticians, with reference to life style etc.