Wednesday, October 03, 2018

വാക്കുകൾ മാത്രമായിപ്പോകുന്നവർ

ആരും വിളിക്കാഞ്ഞും വല്ലപ്പോഴും
നാട്ടിലൊക്കെ ചെല്ലുമ്പോൾ, വീട്ടിലെ
പട്ടികകളിലൊന്നും പെടാത്തതിൻ്റെ വിഷമം
പട്ടിയെപ്പോലെ നിന്നെ കടിച്ചുകീറാറുണ്ടോ?

പട്ടിണികൊടുത്തു വാങ്ങിയതൊക്കെ
പണ്ട് വീട്ടുവിലാസത്തിലയച്ച കാര്യമൊക്കെ
ചിലരുടെയെങ്കിലും നിസ്സംഗത കാണുമ്പോ
തികട്ടി വരാറുണ്ടോ?

നിൻ്റെ വിയർപ്പുവീണ മണ്ണിൽ
നിനക്കുമാത്രമയിത്തമുള്ള മണിമാളികകൾ കാണുമ്പോൾ
പണ്ടേ ചങ്കിലടക്കിയ ചില കിനാക്കൾ
കുഴിമാടത്തിലനങ്ങുന്നതായി തോന്നാറുണ്ടോ?

എങ്കിൽ മനസിലാക്കുക, നീയൊറ്റയ്ക്കല്ല.
നീയും വെറും വാക്കുകൾ മാത്രമാണെന്നെപ്പോലെ!
'അമ്മ, അപ്പൻ, മകൾ, മകൻ, ചേട്ടൻ, ചേച്ചി...
പ്രത്യേകിച്ചർത്ഥമൊന്നുമില്ലാത്ത വാക്കുകൾ!

സോഴ്സ് 

Friday, September 28, 2018

Polished Edges of Cemented Corridors

While walking through the large open cemented corridors of IIT Kanpur, I see the polished edges of cemented corridors. This makes me think. How did the edges of these cemented corridors get polished? Who polished it?

Ground Floor, Faculty Building, IIT Kanpur
The answer is simple. And it is thought-provoking.

Nobody polished them consciously. The cemented edges of the corridors are polished when the working class people of this institution rest their bottoms. It is polished by those people who do not have cushioned chairs inside air-conditioned rooms to rest their bottoms! Yes. The cemented corridors are home to the marginalized, invisible people who built, clean and maintain this great Institution of Excellence. They rest their bottoms on the edges of these long open cemented corridors, because this institution doesn't see the need to give them a space to sit and relax. They are not on this institution's list of big names. They are not scientists, engineers or academics. They are 'nobodys'. They are peons, messengers, carpenters, masons, gardeners, cleaning staff, and other daily-wage labourers. They exist on the corridors of the institution. Outside office spaces. Outside the purview of human resource management team. Yes on the corridors. And their bottoms polish the edges of these cemented corridors.

It is for all of us to see. These polished edges of cemented corridors are a proof of something that this institution (like many others) doesn't want to acknowledge. But, these polished edges of cemented corridors will remain here as long as this institution lasts- pointing a finger at our sense of dignity and equality!

Friday, September 21, 2018

കുളിക്കാത്ത ഐഐറ്റിക്കാർ

ഒരു ഐഐറ്റി പരീക്ഷക്കാലം. ശാസ്ത്രവും സാങ്കേതികവിദ്യയും യുവതയുടെ തലച്ചോറിൽ മിന്നാരപ്പിനർ തീർത്ത് സാധാരണക്കാരുടെ പ്രശ്നങ്ങൾക്ക് പരിഹാരം കാണുന്ന കാലം. ആധുനികതയുടെ 'ബൈനറി' ഭാഷയിൽ ഉത്തരക്കടലാസുകൾ നിറയുന്ന കാലം. കൂർമ്മബുദ്ധി കണക്കു കൂട്ടലുകളായി കടലാസ്സിൽ എഴുതി തെളിയിച്ച് ഒന്നാമതെത്താൻ എല്ലാരും വെമ്പുന്ന കാലം. ഗവേഷണവിദ്യാർഥികൾക്ക് പരീക്ഷക്കാലത്ത് പരീക്ഷാ മേൽനോട്ട ദൗത്യം (invigilation duty) കിട്ടാറുണ്ട്. അങ്ങനെയാണ് ഏകദേശം 250 പേർക്കിരിക്കാവുന്ന റോമൻ ആംഫിതീയറ്റർ പോലുള്ള ശീതീകരിച്ച പരീക്ഷാമുറിയിൽ ഞാൻ എത്തിയത്.

പുതുമഴയത്ത് മണ്ണിൽനിന്നും പറന്നുയരുന്ന ഈയാംപാറ്റകളെപ്പോലെ ശീതീകരിച്ച പരീക്ഷാമുറിയുടെ പലകോണുകളിൽ നിന്നും എഴുതിനിറച്ച ഉത്തരക്കടലാസുകളും ഉറക്കം തൂങ്ങുന്ന കണ്ണുകളുമായി വിദ്യാർഥികൾ ഒന്നൊന്നായി എഴുന്നേറ്റു പോകുന്നു. യാന്ത്രികതയാണ് മിക്കവരുടെയും മുഖമുദ്ര. ഇരിപ്പിലും നടപ്പിലും എഴുത്തിലുമെല്ലാം അവർ യന്ത്രങ്ങളെപ്പോലെ തോന്നിച്ചു. പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് വികാരങ്ങളൊന്നും പ്രകടിപ്പിക്കാത്ത അവരുടെ കണ്ണുകളും മുഖവും ഇപ്പോഴും ഏതോ കണക്കുകൂട്ടലുകളിൽ മുഴുകിയതുപോലെ തോന്നും.

മിക്കവരും കുളിക്കാത്തവരും തുണിയലക്കാത്തവരുമാണ്. രൂക്ഷമായ വിയർപ്പുനാറ്റവും ചെളിയുടെ കുത്തുന്ന മണവും! പരീക്ഷാമുറി പോലുള്ള ഒരു സ്ഥലത്തേയ്ക്ക് വരുമ്പോൾ പോലും മാന്യമായ വസ്ത്രം (എന്നുവച്ചാൽ അലക്കിയതും വൃത്തിയുള്ളതുമായ വസ്ത്രം) ധരിക്കണമെന്നോ, പല്ലുതേക്കണമെന്നോ, കുളിക്കണമെന്നോ, മുടി ചീകണമെന്നോ ഈ അലസന്മാർക്കും അലസിമാർക്കും തോന്നാത്തതെന്തേ? നന്നായി വിയർത്ത്, ചെളിയിലൊക്കെ ഉരുണ്ട്, നല്ല രസമായി കളിക്കുന്നതിനിടയിൽ 'എന്നാൽ ഒരു പരീക്ഷ എഴുതിയേക്കാം' എന്ന് കരുതി വന്നതുപോലുണ്ട്. ഇത്ര ലാഘവം എങ്ങനെ നമ്മുടെ ബുദ്ധിയുള്ള പുതുതലമുറയ്ക്ക് കൈവന്നു? അക്കങ്ങൾക്കും കോഡുകൾക്കും ഇടയിൽ പ്രകൃത്യാ ഉള്ള നൈസർഗികത നഷ്ടമായതാണോ? അതോ ജന്മനാ അലസരായവരെ മാത്രമേ ഐഐറ്റികളിൽ ഇപ്പൊ എടുക്കുന്നുള്ളോ?

ഇവരൊക്കെയാണല്ലോ നമ്മുടെ നാടിൻ്റെ  നാളെയുടെ ശിൽപികൾ എന്നോർക്കുമ്പോഴാണ്! വ്യക്തിശുചിത്വം കാത്തുസൂക്ഷിക്കാൻ സമയം കണ്ടെത്താൻ കഴിയാത്തവർ എങ്ങനെയാണ് നാട് നന്നാക്കുക!

Tuesday, June 12, 2018

Human Rights Vs. Animal Rights

I can only laugh at how selective we are in reacting to issues. Some issues get the attention of authorities faster than others. Some influencing variables to this effect are the complainant's official position, and the nature of the complaint (whether easily solvable or not). This post is about an issue that bugs me on IIT Kanpur campus.

Image source
The complaint management system is quite good in here; that is, if the complaint is of the manageable and acceptable type! For example a complaint about a street light takes about a week or ten days to be resolved. But you are sure that such complaints will get resolved. Toilet and plumbing related complaints are resolved immediately- mostly on the same day, within a few hours. Not all issues are resolved this quickly.

I have been complaining to the authorities about the issue of street dogs in the residential areas of IIT Kanpur. Where I live, there are families, small kids, toddlers and elderly people. Not all of them like to be surrounded by dogs. When I say 'surrounded', I mean to be around ten or more dogs every time I step out of my doors. These dogs have taken my new footwear. They have been missing ever since. They have taken footwear of three of my guests. Luckily they were recovered immediately. They jump on people (out of love- according to dog-lovers)! So dogs are a problem around here. On top of it, keeping pet dogs and feeding them are PROHIBITED by rules on campus. But there are people who call themselves 'dog-lovers' who keep dogs near their homes, feed them, and pet them. It's all good. Let them break rules as they wish. None of my business.

But the problem is, that when their love dogs comes into action, my peace of mind is taken or rather stolen. Just as they love dogs, I and people like me do not like dogs around us. When their 'right' to keep dogs/ love dogs is used, my privileges as a 'normal' person are dismissed. Why am I denied the right to have a dog-free surrounding while a few people's 'right' (though against the campus rules) to love dogs is fulfilled? If you discuss this issue with the so-called dog lovers, they will preach about the rights of dogs, their own rights, etc. What they miss is that people other than themselves and their dogs too have rights. And that is called 'human rights'.

The issue doesn't end here. 'Dog lovers' love dogs only when they feel like it. When they have time. Or when they have some food remaining on their plates. At other times, love is limited to talking about dog-rights. The problem with this kind of love is that it is DEVOID OF RESPONSIBILITY. When love is devoid of responsibility, no one owns up the troubles made by these dogs. When a dog bites you, it is your bad luck. When your shoe is eaten by a dog, it is unfortunate. When someone gets rabies (may it not happen), it is not the dog-lover's doing. In short, dog love is an 'all-talk-no-action' show.

Now, my dog-related complaint was filed about 2 months ago. There isn't even a reply- forget about any action on it! Why is there a selective attention to complaints? Not sure. May be authorities are afraid of rules- rules to protect rights of animals. OK. Let animals have their rights. I am waiting for a day when human rights get equal attention from the authorities here on campus. 

Tips and Fixes for Researchers

Image from HERE

Why is research a tedious experience? Here are a few reasons, and fixes.

  1. Most research requires plenty of frustrating alone-time with books and other instructive materials. And some people are not cut out to be alone. Such people will feel miserable when alone with books for more than a few days. When this duration becomes weeks and months, they grow impatient, get out to party, and find it difficult to scoot back to the desk.

    Here is a fix for this problem: When you feel like being alone in your lab or library is too long to be alone, take a break. But before you take this break, decide how long the break is going to be. And when you get back on time to your books, reward yourself with something you love. When this goes on for a week or a month, give yourself a longer break- may be a day or two, a weekend away from work.
  2. Most researchers find it difficult to organize the ideas they have gathered/thought through. It can be difficult for large projects that involve many complicated ideas that interact to give your thesis its flavour.

    Here is a fix:
    Once you stumble upon an idea, and know that it is going into your thesis, write the heading and a small explanatory paragraph (synopsis) in a separate sheet of paper or a file. Keep adding to this file as you get more ideas for the thesis. By the end of your reading phase, you will have a number of such synopses. Now you take these small paragraphs with headings and arrange them on a table. What you see before you is your thesis- spread out. You can now jumble them in the best fashion that fits your purpose. Once you find the best organization, file the paragraphs, and start writing!
  3. Most researchers find it difficult to sit and write. Reading is one thing. Writing is another. You not only need patience, but also discipline, peace of mind, organization of ideas and the best of yourself. So for most researchers, writing becomes a painful and never ending process despite the deadlines.

    Here is a fix: Before you write something, you make a plan. Let this plan be complete with a list of ideas, intentions, references, and goals. So when you finally sit to write, you have a plan to follow. And you know where you are, and when you will be able to finish.
  4. Most researchers hate editing. Editing is a damn bad job because it needs endless hours of re-reading your own writing. You need to have patience.

    Here are two fixes: a. Give an incubation period of at least a week before you begin editing anything you have written. If you try to edit your writing soon after writing, you may not be able to see the glitches, because everyone likes what and how they write. So give some time before you edit. b. If you have a dear friend who is good at writing or logical thinking, give a manageable part of your draft writing to this friend. Let him/her take time and comment on your writing so that you can sit and correct yourself. 
Now, are some of your research problems solved? If not, do not be frustrated. Know that there are thousands in the fraternity/sisterhood. Our tribe is large, and all of us wallow in similar pain. This is a dirty river we ought to cross to string those two or three letter degrees to our names. Let us just do it.

Saturday, June 09, 2018

Being grateful!

Too hot to work. I need to sit in an air conditioned room in order to work.

When I come to think of it, I have changed a lot. I who hated air conditioning have come to consider air conditioning as an inevitable part of official life. Why?

Picture from HERE
I can't quite think of how I have changed this way. Probably it is the weather in Kanpur. Maybe people change when temperature oscillates between 0 and 50 degrees. But physical realities around us should not change our mental/spiritual dispositions that easily, right? Can I justify murdering someone because I don't 'like' that person? No. That would be ridiculous. Or, can I justify sacrificing my beliefs because of one negative instance? I don't think so. So there must be something else that has urged me to change.

Did I begin taking things for granted? I would like to consider this as a very good explanation of the change in myself. I don't think I appreciate my blessings as well as I should. I realize this in the small incidents of life. For example, when I wake up in the morning, I have a washroom right by the side of my room, and I take it for granted. When I used to stay in hostel, I did not have this facility. And I clearly remember hating it. I like to have a private washroom all for myself. I don't like to share a washroom with strangers because of multiple reasons. Cleanliness is one. The point is, I have taken my personal washroom for granted! See- I have changed. I can give multiple examples of this in terms of things and facilities I possess: like cellphone, computer, study room, etc.

In terms of people too I am blessed abundantly. I have people to share my joys and sorrows with. I have people to whom I can confidently ask for help or favours. I have people from whom I can borrow money on short notice. I have people who will welcome me to their homes despite the fact that I don't have a permanent home to welcome them to. I have people who think of me, and wish me a better future. I have people who respect me for what I am to them. I thus have innumerable reasons to live happily and be thankful. But I take these people and facilities for granted.

I need to change myself. How?

I shall be grateful to people. I will thank people verbally and non-verbally for the love, care, consideration and concern they have for me.

I shall be grateful to the facilities I use. I will use them with a grateful heart. I will not exploit such facilities, and use them responsibly.

Good start, huh? I would like to think so. Small changes, small steps are how everything begins. I would like to be positive about things. 

Monday, June 04, 2018

The Igbo language called 'silence'

Silence can be quite powerful. We all know that. But how powerful? Here is how silence is used by the Igbo tribe of West Africa.

Importance of Speech among the Igbo people

Igbos are an eloquent people. They love to speak in the most beautiful manner to convey messages. Language is a very important social possession for them. Probably for the same reason, they use silence as a tool for communication. In general, Igbo people greet everyone. Greeting is given much importance. Speech therefore is central to the Igbo lifestyle.



Silence as grief
When someone dies, the grieving family is not supposed to be spoken to. The grieving family is supposed to be so heartbroken, that they are considered not able to stand any communication. Therefore, if you wish you convey your condolences, you go and stand before the person you want to console. In silence. When you think the person is consoled, you sit down in the house. When you think it enough consolation with your presence, stand in front of the grieving person again in silence for an amount of time you judge sufficient. Then you leave in silence.

Isn't it beautiful? In our cultures, we go to a grieving family knowing not what to say, but say something and all of us feel super awkward. The Igbo system of silence is excellent since the social norm is such that there is no necessity to speak. Silence says it all!

Silence as consent
When a boy wants to marry a girl, the boy needs to get the girl's consent. Before the marriage, Igbos have customary courtship- like Western dating. The would-be husband has to please the would-be wife with gifts and fulfillment of her wishes. But this comes only if the girl gives her consent for courtship. How do you get this permission? You ask for it. Asking for permission involves certain rituals. Either the boy or his middleman, in the presence of the family and relatives have to ask the permission of the girl for marriage.

The response of the girl is scripted by the Igbo culture. There are only two possibilities. Either the girl runs away or she stays there. If I were the suitor, and if she ran away, I would think she doesn't like me. But the truth is, that according to Igbo culture, the girl runs away because their culture insists that she doesn't know how to respond appropriately with her 'yes', so she runs to her room to rejoice in seclusion. So, running away is giving consent. If the girl stays, it means that the suitor has to leave. The ashamed suitor leaves when it becomes clear to him that the girl won't 'run away'!

Silence during social gatherings is considered as consent. For example, if some decision is made in a gathering, your silence is counted as consent, and you would be expected to take responsibility of the decision made at the meeting.

I find this beautiful and empowering at the same time. For one thing, the Igbos have a hierarchy of genders. Men are more powerful than women in the family and society. But when it comes to marriage, the girl has the power to refuse. That is beautiful. No forced marriage.

Silence as enmity
If you have an enemy, you certainly won't speak with him/her. But Igbos don't stop it there. They not only stop talking to the enemy, but also express their enmity in body language by culturally sanctioned ways. For example, if your enemy walks up to you on a road, you stop and turn around, cover your mouth with your hands. You enemy also does the same. It is a signal to your friends that this person is not trustworthy, and is an enemy.

In my culture, if an enemy comes to me, either one of us or both of us will be hospitalized if it results in least harm. The Igbo way is peaceful, yet powerful. And there is no violence involved. Simply smart!

Silence as social sanction
If someone in the village community acts against the common good or common laws, they are ostracized. Igbos do this by banning all communication with the ostracized person/persons. No speaking, no greeting, no trade, no exchange of goods. It is like the modern day sanctions imposed by the rich countries on poor/less powerful ones. The silence, and accompanying isolation results in change of behaviour in the ostracized. It cannot but result in it, because the villages are designed in such a way that without the other, you cannot survive!

This corrective mechanism of silence is what I like the most. No obedience? No talking! Don't know how practical will this tactic be in our civilization!

Silence as ritual
During ceremonies, participating Igbo people are bound to observe silence. Others are expected to maintain silence around these people. Ogbanigbe festival, Lchu iyu nwu ritual, and cleansing ritual related to Ogbanje children are some ceremonies where silence is observed.

Silence as respect
Silence is observed by the one one on the lower rung in hierarchy, as an expression of respect between hierarchically related people. For example, parent/child, elder/younger, husband/wife, male/female.

Silence as protection
If someone has a communicable disease, they are supposed to be isolated. No one is expected to speak to them. This observance must have come from fear of dreadful diseases like smallpox that have taken many Igbo lives.

Silence interpreted as deferred action
If you make someone angry, you expect them to get angry. Igbos believe that such instant response finishes the emotion then and there. But if someone serves you the silent treatment, Igbos know that something is in the offing. The culture then expects that if someone reacts with silence, they would react later with some terrible action.

Reference
Nwoye (1985), Gregory O. Eloquent Silence Among the Igbo of Nigeria. In Tannen, D. & Saville-Troike, M (ed.) Perspectives on Silence. Ablex Publishing Corporation, New Jersey.

Friday, June 01, 2018

Learn from dogs

A dog is a perfect example of how to set your goals. When a dog is hungry it will find its food. When the dog is thirsty it will find water to drink. What is certain is that a dog is not distracted by what happens around it when it sets it's goal on something.

This is something that we must learn from a dog. When the hungry dog finds food and realizes that there is someone near the food, it will wait patiently until the food becomes accessible. When the obstacle moves away the dog moves forward and eats it.

The dog knows that it cannot stay hungry forever. It's hunger needs to be satisfied. It cannot forget it's need. We humans lack this kind of dedication to our goals. If we can be so dedicated to what we want, we can achieve anything. Let us learn a lesson or two from dogs too.

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Teaching tolerance in an IIT

Construction industry is one of the biggest industries in India as in the rest of the world. In cities large buildings are completed in systematic and fast fashion. Whether these constructions abide by the rules of the city administration and the nation is a totally different question.

Construction site in front of New Core Lab, IIT Kanpur
Here at IIT Kanpur, a building is being built right in front of my study room. The land is dug up using big machines in the months of March, April and May. Before digging up, they raised a fence around the land. It looked like a joke- it was just 7 feet tall! The pit they dug was almost three storeys deep and about 3 acres wide! The powdery sand from the pit was transported in open trucks across the campus, through a road that lies between the major boys' hostels during, before and after the examination week. This entire region was covered in dust. One could not walk through these roads at any given time of the day because of thick dust raising from the roads.

I wondered how everyone including the administration was blind to this. I know. The trucks passed through a road between students' hostels- not faculty residences. I know that trucks transporting any construction material must be covered. This is the law of the land. But laws are to be broken, aren't they? Especially on the campus of an institute of national importance like IIT, these laws must be broken blatantly so that the students must be normalized- taught a lesson. If a student's blood boils due to the fact that the trucks are not covered and campus is polluted, and they pass through hostel roads 24/7, the boiled blood has to come back to normal temperature sooner or later. This will teach the student a lesson or two about living in India. In the long run, students will learn tolerance. That's the plan. Yes, that's the plan. To raise a generation of educated youngsters who are blind to problems, or are afraid to react to problems. Long live the system!


Sunday, May 27, 2018

Living in Kanpur

It's hard to live here in Kanpur.
The area is so polluted that it has a world record in pollution.
To breathe, knowing that each breath reduces my life by a couple of minutes is hard.
It's like suicide.
But there is no other option.
Can I not breathe? No. I can't.
Therefore, breath by breath, I die here.

Can Kanpur's problem of pollution be solved?
It can. But I don't think it will be.
Until the people here- including ordinary people, government and local authorities accept that pollution is a problem, it cannot be solved.
Here, pollution is the order of the day.
Ordinary people spit pan all over the roads and walls.
Industrialists spit chemical waste all over the rivers and land.
Politicians spit venom all over people's minds and hearts.
On top of it, education is a scarce resource.
There is nothing unnatural or extraordinary in it.
Since there is no problem here, nothing can be solved.

When dust storms occur in Kanpur, we can see the profile of human life flying in the air.

Plastic, dust, dirt, debris and waste fill the atmosphere.

No space to breathe.
I could feel my nostrils burn with each breath.
I could feel myself dying breath by breath.

But nothing can be solved here. Because there is no problem here.

It's hard to live among stubborn people.
For them, the world is monolithic.
Their way is the only way.
So I dream of a day when I go away.
So far away that I can breathe clean air.
So I would move away from this place, just for one clean breath.
That alone shouldn't be too hard, I guess!

Monday, May 07, 2018

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson



In this generation-defining self-help guide, a superstar blogger shows us that the key to being stronger, happier people is to handle adversity better and stop trying to be “positive” all the time.

For the past few years, Mark Manson—via his wildly popular blog—has been working on correcting our delusional expectations for ourselves and for the world. He now brings his hard-fought wisdom to this groundbreaking book. 

Manson makes the argument that human beings are flawed and limited. As he writes, “not everybody can be extraordinary—there are winners and losers in society, and some of it is not fair or your fault.” Manson advises us to get to know our limitations and accept them—this, he says, is the real source of empowerment. Once we embrace our fears, faults, and uncertainties—once we stop running from and avoiding, and start confronting painful truths—we can begin to find the courage and confidence we desperately seek.

“In life, we have a limited amount of f*cks to give. So you must choose your f*cks wisely.” Manson brings a much-needed grab-you-by-the-shoulders-and-look-you-in-the-eyes moment of real-talk, filled with entertaining stories and profane, ruthless humor. This manifesto is a refreshing slap in the face for all of us, so that we can start to lead more contented, grounded lives.
(Review is from Amazon)

Friday, May 04, 2018

Shit academics shouldn't do

There are a lot of things that academics do. Not all of them are cool. Here are a few advises for academics. For a better academic, for a better world.
Image Credits
  1. Have a bath at least once a day.
  2. If you don't have a bath everyday, don't go and sit in public places where others are bound to go. Example, your laboratory. You are making your lab mates' life hell by sitting next to him/her emanating your stench. He/she can't or won't tell you that you stink. But be sensitive and wash yourself for god's or devil's sake!
  3. Learn how to use the washroom. All humans poop and pee. But all of us who live with others must learn to flush and make sure that your shit doesn't antagonize others. If you can't do that, what bloody research are you capable of doing? Grow up!
  4. Learn and respect traffic rules. You are part of a law abiding society. So you ought to abide by some rules. For example, if someone is crossing the road, you need to stop and wait. If there is no space, you ought to wait before overtaking. If you want to die, please do. But don't kill someone else with your carelessness on the road.
  5. No one will scold you for being introvert and spending time alone. Therefore, if you can't brush your teeth, do not get too close to people to share your intellectual gems. Realise that your mouth stinks.
  6. Please respect public property. This includes water, furniture, infrastructure, electricity and food. You don't get extra credits on your score card for leaving an open tap in the toilet or running air conditioner in the laboratory. Conserving energy makes you feel good. Try it. 
Overall, be nice to others.

Thursday, April 26, 2018

Late Every evening

Every evening our maid comes late for work. So my wife is pissed off every evening. She is supposed to arrive at 6 pm. But she comes at 6.30 or 6.45 pm. One day she decided to scold the maid. 
Image from here
The designated scolding-day arrived. That day also she came late for work.  45 bloody minutes late. We were supposed to go out for shopping after the maid left. Now we had to cancel our plans as shops would be closed by the time the maid left. Here is what happened later.
‘‘Krrrrrrr Krrrrrrrr’’. The doorbell. My wife waits for about 30 seconds before opening the door. During these 30 seconds, she gathered all the anger she could. Then she opened the door and let the maid enter. She decided to scold the maid in a creative manner so that she never forgets this lesson.
With a very serious face, in a very serious tone, my wife asks: ‘Savitri, do you have a watch or a mobile phone where you can see time?’
Maid: ‘Yes deedi. I have a mobile phone’. She hoisted her mobile phone up in the air with a smile.
My wife (about to explode in anger): ‘Tell me what is time on the phone now.’
Maid: ‘Deedi, I can’t read. I will ask my husband and tell you.’ She went on to dial her husband’s number and ask him what time it was!
My wife stood there watching the maid make this phone call. The anger she amassed disappeared. While she was comprehending the fact that the maid could not read, or did not have any sense of time, the maid finished her conversation over phone.
With a smile, she said: “Deedi, it is 6.45 now.
I could hear a distinct ‘Pling’ sound emanating from my wife’s face and filling the entire house. At that moment, she decided to accept the simple maid as she was. Let her come for work when her 6 pm arrived.
Then there was peace in the house. For a few days.  

Tuesday, April 17, 2018

What is your muse?

Boredom if the parent of art.

You may disagree with the statement above. You may. But the question here is, is the muse or inspiration limited to 'beautiful' and 'charming' things/ideas? Can boredom, ugliness, despair and lack of interest be one's muse?

In my opinion, anything could be your muse. The other day I was sitting at my desk not interested in doing my work. There were a piece of paper and a black pen on the desk. I took them and started drawing. In about 20 minutes, I had a beautiful drawing. Lack of interest in work was my muse.

Often, we disregard inspirations because we think they are not worthy of being your muse. Who would look at a fallen flower and write a poem? Some do. And they turn out to be classic poems. The little things that surround us are in fact a lot more meaningful than the larger-than-life inspirations we look for. The ordinary that surrounds us has sufficient inspirations for us to change the world. We could find them; but only if we look.

So, what is your muse?

Monday, April 16, 2018

A Lesson on How to Stand in a Queue from Kanpur

This morning, at the petrol pump inside IIT Kanpur.

I joined the 'queue' to fill petrol in my bike. (Queue means a group of people crowding around the pump. The sequence of priority doesn't exist- might is right!

Image from Here (representational image only)
One fellow pulls up and squeezed his way through the queue and positions himself in front of my bike!

I said to him in stern, serious voice: "Please stand in the queue."

He looked at me as if I said something in Greek and said: "Ye jagah apka hi hai." (This place is yours.)

I remained quiet since he sounded apologetic. But when my turn to fill petrol came, he just squeezed in and filled petrol!

Now, what should I have said? According to Kanpur Style Manual (latest edition), I should have abused him verbally and thrashed him if I had time. But me being a Malayali kept quiet and mentally lamented about the yogi-run state's lack of respect for the other.

Here in Kanpur, you are elite if you can squeeze your way through the rush. You are considered respectable if you can kick others' asses and be the first in the queue. You are a heroine/hero if you can abuse someone louder and dirtier than your rival. Yes what the yogi said is right. We Malalayees need to learn a lot from UP: from how to run schools, hospitals and governments, to how to stand in a queue! 

Friday, April 06, 2018

Just In Case...

To love someone is to give your all.
But I would advise you to keep a bit for yourself.
Just in case…


Tuesday, April 03, 2018

Scared of #MeToo!


When I wore lipstick, they laughed at me.
When I walked the ramp, they scorned me.
When I said I am equal or more, they chased me.
When I showed I was better than them, they stoned me.
But when I told them that I don’t care,
They were scared. Of Me!

The Quill Pen

Last year, I bought a quill pen and started using it in my office. At first, a few colleagues looked at it with curiosity and made cute comm...