HUSBANDS OF ALL COUNTRIES, UNITE!

While at Trichur, I met a guy who was interested in my Sopanam weekly. He was in a hurry, but did not fail to invite me to attend a meeting of aggrieved husbands, who have registered an association, to fight , or at least voice, their agony, at being constantly being pecked by their wives.
He explained that we give our best years to our wives and expect happy days after retirement;
Instead, we are asked to bring milk, look after the vegetable garden, chase the illusive gas cylinder, pay electricity bill etc.
In fact, we are harassed every day.
There are violent women who manhandle their husbands; but on the first of each month they want our pension.
I remember to have read about a man in Russia, who always went to a chess club. Once there was a dispute between youngsters and they referred it to the “uncle”, who confessed that he did not know anything about chess.
“I come here to escape from home”, he said!

WHEN I WAS ENCIRCLED BY MONKEYS

Rajasthan Atomic Power Project (RAPP) is situated in forest land. The permanent township built on the hill, dominating the whole landscape, is full of monkeys. They silently move from one tree to another, eating the leaves and is normally ignored by the people.

One day, early in the morning, I was walking towards the Project Guest House, which was at the summit of the hill. Suddenly I became aware of the presence of a monkey just behind me and I stopped instinctively. Soon, one by one, a large number of monkeys collected on all sides, blocking my way. I was truly scared. I stood still quite for some time. Then their leader jumped up, on to the nearest tree and the whole troop followed his example. There was pin drop silence during those few minutes when my heart beat increased perceptibly.

An engineer had developed a vegetable garden in his plot in his bungalow. One day, he saw a monkey plucking tomatoes and he threw a stone to drive it away. Soon, some enraged monkeys came near and fearing further attack, he foolishly shot at them, killing one. It became a big issue, because he had committed an offense under the Forest Act.

As Hanuman is venerated by Hindus, the engineer had to incur the wrath of the residents. Somehow, the whole incident was hushed up.

In Delhi, which has the largest forest area in any city in the world, we are familiar with the monkey menace. Sometimes, they enter the house and open the fridge, taking away whatever came into their hands