രണ്ടര വയസുള്ള കുഞ്ഞ്

ആൾക്കൂട്ട കൊലപാതകങ്ങൾക്ക് പേരുകേട്ട നാടാണ് നമ്മുടേത്. എന്നിൽനിന്ന് വ്യത്യസ്തനാണെങ്കിൽ നീ  കൊല്ലപ്പെടണം എന്ന ചിന്ത എന്നും ഈ നാടിന്റെ ശാപമാണ്. മതവും ജാതിയും പണവും ആശയങ്ങളും ജീവിതരീതികളും ചിന്താധാരകളും എന്നുവേണ്ട, വസ്ത്രധാരണവും നിറവും പൊക്കവും എല്ലാം വെറുപ്പ് തുപ്പാനുള്ള കാരണങ്ങളാണ് നമ്മുടെ നാട്ടിൽ. എന്നാൽ അതെല്ലാം നിസ്സാരം എന്ന് പറയാൻ തോന്നിക്കുന്ന ഒരു സംഭവം ഈ ആഴ്ച എന്റെ നാട്ടിൽ ഉണ്ടായി. രണ്ടര വയസുള്ള ഒരു കുഞ്ഞിനെ തല്ലിച്ചതച്ച്‌ കൊന്നിരിക്കുന്നു. 

ശരീരത്തിൽ 70-ൽ കൂടുതൽ മുറിവുകൾ. സിഗററ്റുകൊണ്ട് പൊള്ളിച്ച പാടുകൾ. കുഞ്ഞിന്റെ തലച്ചോർ ഇളകിയ നിലയിലാണെന്ന് പോസ്റ്റ് മോർട്ടം റിപ്പോർട്ട് പറയുന്നു. വാരിയെല്ലുകൾ പൊട്ടി ശരീരത്തിൽ തുളച്ചുകയറിയിരിക്കുന്നു. ആന്തരിക അവയവങ്ങൾക്ക് കടുത്ത മുറിവുകളുണ്ട്. മരണകാരണം തലച്ചോറിലെ രക്തസ്രാവം ആയിരുന്നു. 

ഈ കുഞ്ഞിന്റെ വീട്ടിൽ നിന്നും സ്ഥിരം കരച്ചിൽ കേൾക്കാറുണ്ടായിരുന്നു എന്ന് അയൽക്കാർ പറയുന്നു. അപ്പനും അമ്മയും തല്ലാറുണ്ടായിരുന്നു അത്രേ. അടി, ഇരി, തോഴി, എടുത്തെറിയുക... തലച്ചോർ ഇളകണമെങ്കിൽ എപ്രകാരമായിരിക്കും അതിനെ ഉപദ്രവിച്ചത്? വാരിയെല്ലുകൾ പൊട്ടി ആന്തരിക അവയവങ്ങൾ മുറിയണമെങ്കിൽ എങ്ങനെയായിരിക്കും അതിനെ തല്ലിയത്? മുട്ടൊപ്പം പൊക്കമുള്ള ഒരു കുഞ്ഞിനെ എങ്ങനെ ഇപ്രകാരം ഉപദ്രവിക്കാനാകും?

മരണ ദിവസം അയൽക്കാർ ഓടി ചെന്നപ്പോൾ മുൻ പിൻ വാതിലുകൾ പൂട്ടിയിരുന്നു. ഏറെ നേരം വിളിച്ചപ്പോൾ വാതിൽ തുറന്നു. കുട്ടിയെ അടുക്കളയിൽ ഭിത്തിയിൽ ചാരി ഇരുത്തിയിരിക്കുന്നു. ശ്വാസമില്ല. എടുത്ത ഉടനെ കുട്ടി  ഛർദിച്ചു. ശരീരത്തു തട്ടിയപ്പോൾ ഒരു ശ്വാസം വലിച്ചു: അവസാനത്തെ ശ്വാസം. 

ഈ കുട്ടിക്ക് രണ്ടര വയസ്സ്. എന്റെ കുഞ്ഞിനും അത്ര പ്രായം. മോൾ എന്നോട് കളിച്ചും ചിരിച്ചും സല്ലപിക്കുമ്പോ എനിക്ക് ഈ കുഞ്ഞിനെ ഓർമ വരുന്നു. എന്റെ കണ്ണുകൾ നിറയുന്നു. പിന്നീട് രക്തം തിളയ്ക്കുന്നു. ശരീരം വിറയ്ക്കുന്നു. ഇതുകണ്ട് എന്റെ മോൾ കുപ്പിയിലെ വെള്ളം തന്ന് എന്നോട് പറയുന്നു: "കുടിക്കപ്പാ... വിഷമിക്കണ്ടാട്ടോ..." രണ്ടര വയസ്സിന്റെ കരുണ. വലിയവർക്ക് ഇല്ലാതെ പോകുന്ന സ്നേഹം! 

മോളെ കെട്ടിപ്പിടിക്കുമ്പോഴും കണ്ണീർ തുടയ്ക്കുമ്പോഴും ആൾക്കൂട്ട കൊലപാതകങ്ങൾ മനസിലേയ്ക്ക് വരുന്നു. മതത്തിനും നിറത്തിനും വേണ്ടി നിരപരാധികളെ കൊല്ലുന്നവർക്ക് എന്തേ ഇങ്ങനെയുള്ളവരെ... എനിക്കാ ക്രൂരചിന്ത മുഴുമിപ്പിക്കാൻ പറ്റിയില്ല. കെട്ടിപ്പിടിച്ച കുഞ്ഞു ശബ്ദം വീണ്ടും പറഞ്ഞു, "അപ്പന് വാവയില്ലേ... കരയണ്ടാട്ടോ...."

The Importance of Being Punctual

Introduction

What do you think is the primary reason for success in your job? For me, it is punctuality. Being punctual is the key to being successful at any job.

Imagine you have a doctor's appointment at 9 am on a Monday. You got up late and reached the doctor's office at 10 am. Will the doctor wait for you? Will you be able to consult? Will your ailment be cured? I guess not. Just by being not punctual, you lose your opportunity to gain health.  Now, who lost an opportunity? You. The doctor probably did not lose anything. It is you who lost the opportunity. Just as in this example, lack of punctuality can do serious damage to your career.

What kind of damage will it do? Let us see.

1. Lose Trust

By not being punctual, you lose the trust of your colleagues and superiors. If you are regularly not on time, your colleagues and superiors stop believing in your capacity to fulfil professional tasks since you don't even take the trouble to be punctual. Because you cannot be trusted, you will not be considered the right candidate for most of the jobs. This is how losing trust may do serious damage to your career.

2. Lose opportunity

By not being punctual, you may lose the opportunities that are otherwise available for your professional growth. If your superiors and colleagues do not trust you, it is highly probable that they won't entrust you with any serious task. That means, you lose plenty of opportunities to excel, prove your mettle and become a better professional. This is how you lose opportunities by not being punctual.

3. Lose Time

By not being punctual, you lose a lot of time. You get up late, you sleep late, you reach office late, you do your work late... What happens is that you lose your discipline and end up as a lazy person. Where does all the extra time go? It goes waste. By reaching your office late, you lose precious time to do some useful work. By getting up late, you lose useful morning time. By sleeping late, you lose precious sleep. In short, by being out of time schedule, you lose a lot of time.

4. Lose Growth

By not being punctual you lose your growth as a professional, as a person and as a member of your social circles. Nobody really wants to be friends with a lazy person who does not respect others' time. No office would value a person who does not meet deadlines. No friend will want to spend time with a person who does not respect their time. They will all try to push you away, and not be associated with you. This way, by being disrespectful of others' time, you lose the growth which should have been yours otherwise.

Now, let us look at the advantages of being punctual.

1. Social Recognition

By being punctual, you will be respected by the members of your social circles, your family, your office and your neighbourhood. Don't you think a punctual person will be highly valued in comparison with a person who is not? By being punctual, you will be respected by your friends and relatives. Your relatives will love a punctual you more than a lazy one!

2. Self-Discipline

By being punctual, you grow in discipline. You will learn to sleep on time, get up on time, have bath on time, eat on time, do things on time, and be on time everywhere. This will bring unforeseen benefits into your life. Your personal life will improve. Your relationships with friends and family will improve. Your professional relationships will improve. A disciplined person would be valued much better than an undisciplined one.

3. Self-Appraisal

When you are a punctual person, you will value yourself much better. This has multiple advantages. Your self-esteem will grow. You will see yourself as a better person and will help you become as a better person. In other words, when you are a punctual person, you will have a better image of yourself. This in turn will work like a charm and improve your life.

Conclusion

As we saw in the words above, punctuality has the potential to improve your life in multiple ways. Your professional life is the largest beneficiary of being punctual. In addition, your personal life, relationships and even your self-esteem will improve as a result of being punctual. So the tagline is, "Be Punctual".

Go Karuna, Karuna Go!

There is a limit to stupidity, don't you think? In these times of global epidemic, we not only have to control Corona, but also tackle stupidity!

Life of a PhD Scholar in Times of Corona Virus

In the time of Corona virus, PhD is a tricky business. We are all locked up, and government has shut EVERYTHING down. But somehow, everyone is so convinced that a PhD must go on! There is no lock-down on submissions. 

PhD in the time of Corona

In the time of Corona virus, PhD is a tricky business. We are all locked up, and government has shut EVERYTHING down. But somehow, everyone is so convinced that a PhD must go on!

#COVID-19 and My 2020

I am a researcher at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK), a premier research institution in India. For the past two years, I have not visited my home-state Kerala so that I could spend more time on my studies. I believed that I could finish writing my research thesis by March 2020 and then visit Kerala. My wife and I had made a meticulous to-do list for this vacation. We planned it in April. We booked flight tickets- to and fro. We informed family. Since our hospital visits are generally during vacation, we reserved hospital appointments too.

But things did not pan out quite as we expected. 2020 began with a severe chest infection that lasted over a month which slowed down my work. Then came the Corona Virus attack. One of my research papers was accepted by a conference in the USA, and I was to present the paper on the 26th of March 2020. Due to the virus' widespread threat, I had to cancel my flight tickets and accommodation which I reserved well ahead in time. Luckily, my Air bnb host was a kind soul, and I got a full refund. But I lost 10% of my flight reservation amount. I do not earn much, so I lost much.

Then came the real strike of the virus. In view of the spread of the virus-caused disease COVID-19, IITK decided to suspend all academic activity and send all hostel-residing students home in short notice. Since we were a family with a two-room house on campus, we were not required to leave, but were free to leave if we thought it was better to leave. Since we DID NOT trust the healthcare facilities in Uttar Pradesh AT ALL, we decided to leave. This meant that we had to cancel our flight tickets for our planned vacation in April which would again be a huge loss for my already shallow pocket. But we had to do it. There was no other way.

The decision was made on the 17th of March. We booked flights on the same day, and flew the next morning to Trivandrum. On 18th, we had a connection flight from Lucknow airport to Hyderabad airport to Trivandrum domestic airport. Except in Trivandrum, there was no thermal screening or any kind of warnings or precaution. It was business as usual. But at Trivandrum airport, our temperatures were recorded, and we had to fill in a form declaring our travel history and contact information. We were given instructions to stay in home quarantine for 14 days, and emergency contact information was given as a pamphlet. We felt proud of our state, and surely safe!

After we reached home, we stayed in a room and had minimal contact with the family. What suffered was my work. It has been ten days since we entered quarantine. I was not able to write more than two paragraphs of my thesis. Yes, I read a few pages, wrote a few stories and updated this blog. But my work is stalled. I am worried of my thesis, my career and life after COVID-19. There is going to be an economic recession, and I do not know how we would find a job to survive. We may be able to manage for a few months without income, but beyond that its a void.

Future is uncertain. But that doesn't make me a crybaby. I won't stop trying to write. I will positively try to finish my thesis before the lock-down is over. There is life after COVID-19, and I do not want to be unprepared. I am trying to be happy, cheerful and optimistic because, whatever happens, this sweet life is worth living. 

Image source

Stay home, stay safe, stay childlike during #COVID_19 Lock_Down

Image from here

If you are bored of being home during the #COVID_19 lock-down, read how interesting my nearly locked_down childhood was.

Depending on which generation we belong to, we took up different activities in our childhood. I can speak for kids of the 80s. I believe that the 80s were a wonderful time to grow up in Keralam. People were not stuck to small phone screens. TVs were available for entertainment. There were a number of serialized and other programmes on Doordarshan channel we used to wait for. For example, Alif Laila, Chithrageetham, the Sunday movie, etc. But TV was not the centre of our lives. 

We used to play in the mud. We played football at school (cricket had not destroyed other games then). We also used to play the police and thief during loo and lunch breaks. In my school we were a 'Naalvar Sangham': a fantastic four. Michael, Rajesh and Shinto were already in that school when I joined them as the fourth. We had our own secret code language with its own script to exchange notes, our own special table football game played using little paper balls and pen-caps, our own revenge plans to punish extremely arrogant teachers, our own study techniques that made us the top scoring students in the class. We enjoyed school because we were offline friends. 

By the time we were in 10th class, landline telephones were installed in our homes, so we could clear our doubts or pretend to be a police officer when calling each other. The rest was offline. We visited each others' homes to study and play. Weekends were fun because we visited each other and made extensive plans to plunder each other's homes, or the local post office just for fun. Our adventures included climbing trees, playing on the terrace, running errands, doing shopping for families, sharing stories we read, etc. It was truly fun. I must still have a few transcripts of our secret code language letters we have exchanged, somewhere at home. 

Life at my own home was fun. By the age of 14, I used to get up at 5 am everyday to study. We did not have many rooms, so when I switched on the light to study, my sisters would cover their heads not to get disturbed. I used to help my family in managing daily affairs. For example, it was my duty to carry milk from home to the local co-operative society for sale. We used to sell 4 litres every day. I would then come back and have a bath. All six of us at home shared a single bathroom facility. So we had to kind of schedule our business. All 5 of us had to leave at different times: father at 9.30 am to his bank, sister and brother at 7.45 to their respective colleges, me and younger sister at 9. 45 to our schools. After school, I had to help my mother to cut, collect and carry grass for the cows. It used to be a big task. We children washed our own clothes ever since our mother developed a spine problem. 

There was more. Collecting cocoa for sale, taking care of rubber sheets when they were dry, counting and collecting coconuts when they are plucked, shooing off crows when coconuts are laid out to dry, and watering our flower plants were some of the extra duties. But the main duty of all of us was drawing water from the well. Depending on the season, we used different sources of water. In monsoon, we used the well that was the closest to hour home. By the end of March, this well would dry up, so we would use the second well that was a little farther. When that too dried up, we had to walk a kilometer uphill in the night to collect water in all possible pots and jars from a common source in the village. We would wait in line for our turn for hours. This was years before we could transport water in takers. When water was scarce in peak summer, we had to limit its use. I remember washing my body in a mug or two of water! We were a lovely bunch of people that way. 

I had picked up the hobby of working on electronics from my elder brother by the time I was in high school. Together, we used to work on hobby projects like radios and repair work. I still have my skill. I remember making an FM fadio in a plastic bucket, a wireless microphone to work with the radio to be used for our programmes, and repairing tape recorders and even minor complaints of televisions. My life at home has helped me to pick up other skills like electrical work, plumbing, cooking, cleaning, packing, gardening, etc. I also learned how to give a hair cut.

Above all, I learned the habit of reading from home. There were hundreds of books and magazines at home. We had subscribed to Reader's Digest, India Today, Balarama, Sputnik, and even Manorama weekly! I remember reading a collection of 100 abridged world classics (called Viswa Sahitya Maala) before I was in high school. I read Malayalam and English. Magazines, newspapers and books. My world expanded beyond the limits of my village, state and country. The desire to read never left me. 

Image from Here

So, even if times have changed, there is a lot to do at home. We can read, garden, farm, clean, cook, talk and have fun while quarantined at home. 

Image from here

In a way, this lock-down season is for our welfare. It has helped the world's air quality to improve. Animals are less afraid and have more spaces for themselves. Humans can sit at home and connect with their families, re-live memories, heal wounds and become healthy. We get to go back to our sweet childhoods. Therefore, Stay home, Stay safe, and Stay childlike.

Why we will survive Corona Virus Disease - 2019

Corona Virus Disease-2019 or COVID-19 has stromed into our lives within a span of just three months. It has affected more than half of the world's population. Till this evening (26-03-2020), COVID-19 has taken 22,166 lives, and has infected 491,307 people (Data from here). It has affected most of the countries on planet Earth. Countries like Italy, China, USA, Spain, Germany and Iran are currently reeling with the infection while trying to contain its spread. People are dying. Europe and USA don't even have sufficient number of ventilator facilities in hospitals to handle patients. India went into a complete lock-down for 21 days. Economy is badly affected.

Yes, the situation is bad. But this is not the end of the world. What is beautiful about humankind is that we know that there is life after every disaster we face. We have seen many plagues in the past. We faced two major world wars in the last century. We faced tsunami. We swam over floods and won against earthquakes and droughts. In every disaster, we lost our dear ones. We wept over the loss of lives and wealth. But we did not think that life came to an end. After each disaster, we stood up and said, 'this is not the end, but a new beginning'. We never failed. This time too, we will not fail. Why?

Have you not read news reports about medical professionals-doctors, nurses, lab technicians, sanitary professionals- across the world spend close to 24 hours in critical care facilities risking their own lives? They are our role models. They face danger every moment, but are committed to curing each patient they take care of.

Have you not seen ambulance drivers who shift patients from homes to hospitals, risking their own lives? They are committed to our survival.

Have you not read about volunteers who go around cities to find hungry people on the streets and feed them? They have empathy for the poor. They take action to help the needy.

Have you not seen the police force spending their days on the road to make sure that we stay indoors? They risk contacting the virus, just to make sure that we stay home and become healthy. They work tirelessly to save our lives.

Have you not seen (at least a few) responsible political leaders and administrators who spend their days and nights to take good decisions for us? They work tirelessly to save lives.

Have you not seen your parents/caretakers doing everything to bring food to your table, in spite of every difficulty they face? They love us more than themselves.

We may never know the names of the doctors, nurses, lab staff, sanitary staff, health workers, ambulance drivers, volunteers, police persons, leaders and administrators who saved us. We may never know how many people died of this disease. We may never know how we survived. But we know that we are safe because many people made the right decisions at the right time for us. These right decisions come from the human desire and instinct to survive and flourish. 

We are all equally susceptible to infection. The amount of money in our hands does not matter. Number of cars we own does not matter. Our jobs and positions do not matter. In a crisis like this, everyone is equally susceptible. What matters is that we love our neighbours. That we care for each other. That we feed a hungry person. That we do not hoard while our neighbour starves. That we share what we have. That we make sure we do not cause the infection to spread. That we remain human beings.

That is why we as a species have survived so far. That is why we as a species will survive COVID-19 too. All we need to do is to stay indoors, maintain personal hygiene, wash hands, have healty food and healthy thoughts and be optimistic. All we need to to is not to lose hope. All we need to do is to spread happiness in these dark times. This is not the end. There is life after COVID-19. We shall overcome. We definitely shall overcome!

Image from HERE

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!

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.

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!

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?

The man who influenced me the most

Here. This is the man who influenced me the most.

A man of letters who loved to read everyday.
A man who made it a point to celebrate every occasion at home.
A man who loved his wife so much.
A man who made sure that his children had the education they desired.
A man who sent his children to music classes.
A man who put his reputation at risk for his family.
A man who turned poor for the love of his firstborn.
A man who sat silently in a police station for the happiness of his daughter.
A man who paid every bit he owed not by begging, but by selling everything he had.
A man who loved to travel, but stayed put for he had to feed his family.
A man who took the lead in computerizing the organization he worked for.
A man who secretly wrote and read poetry.
A man who romanced, loved and cared always.

My hero. My ideal. My father.

O. M. Mathews (09.09.1948 - 31.12.2013)

What you lose by deactivating your Facebook account?

I was under the impression that Facebook was an integral part of my life. I used to log in to the account every morning before I began my work, and had a peep at it every now and then. I thought it was important to see what goes on around me in terms of people and events. Facebook was the window.

But on a foggy day in 2016, I sat at home without being connected to internet, and reflected about what I gain by being on Facebook. It was then that I realised that I don't gain anything, but lose my time. Without being aware of it, I spend a lot of time on Facebook looking at images, videos and events in strangers' lives. Some inspiration may come my way. But in the end, I don't gain anything from being on those pages.

The artificial feeling of community that Facebook creates is just a facade that hides the business behind it. There is pretense and cheating in it. It was on Facebook that a real-life friend of mine asked me to help him with some money to pay his University fees. Me being of the same predicament, I helped on condition that he returns the amount later. Later when time came, this real-life friend deleted his Facebook account, destroyed his SIM card (phone number), and vanished into thin air. You could do that on Facebook, because there is no genuineness on it. It is a space artificially created for business in the name of friendship. In which world can you 'friend' someone and later 'unfriend' the same person with one click? Its all a farce, it is!

I don't mind others using it. I have decided to take leave. If my life demands my presence on Facebook, I can do it again (sigh)!

So, the first day in the year 2017, I called it quits. Let me see what happens. Let me see if the sky falls down on my head. In short, what do you lose by deactivating your Facebook account? Nothing. The answer is Nothing. In its stead, you gain time. Time for genuine face to face friendship, genuine relationships, and smiles that emanate from real lips, to real eyes. You get time for life. Time to live and love.

ആഴമുള്ളവ

ഹൃദയത്തിലാഴത്തില്‍ വരഞ്ഞുവീണ പാടുകളല്ലേ കാലത്തിനും ദൂരത്തിനും മുമ്പിലോടുന്നത്? 

അങ്ങനല്ലേ ജീവിതം പുതിയത് മാത്രമായിത്തീരുന്നത്? 

കടന്നുപോക്കല്ലേ ജീവിതം? 

ഈ നിമിഷമല്ലേ ജീവിതം?

മനുഷ്യര്‍*

അയാള്‍ക്ക്‌ ചിരിക്കാനറിയാം. നിശബ്ദനാകാനും. ഒരുപക്ഷേ നിശബ്ദതയിലൂടെ സംസാരിക്കുന്നതില്‍ അയാള്‍ ആനന്ദം കണ്ടെത്തുന്നുണ്ട്. സംസാരത്തിന്റെ നീണ്ട ഇടനാഴികള്‍ക്കിടയില്‍ അല്പം വിശ്രമിക്കാന്‍, ഒന്ന് കയറിനില്‍ക്കാന്‍ അയാളുടെ നിശബ്ദതയുടെ മാറാലചൂടിയ തണുത്ത മൂലകള്‍ എപ്പോഴും ഒഴിഞ്ഞു കിടന്നു.

യാത്രകള്‍ക്കപ്പുറം ജീവിതത്തിനും ബന്ധങ്ങള്‍ക്കും അര്‍ത്ഥമുണ്ടെന്ന് അയാള്‍ ഒരുപക്ഷേ ചിന്തിക്കുന്നുണ്ടാവില്ല. കാരണം അയാളുടെ ജീവിതം അക്ഷരാര്‍ഥത്തില്‍ ഒരു യാത്രയാണ്. ഇരുട്ടില്‍ നിന്ന് വെളിച്ചത്തിലെയ്ക്കും വെളിവില്ലായ്മയി നിന്ന് വെളിവില്ലേയ്ക്കും അപരത്വത്തില്‍നിന്ന് സ്വത്വത്തിലേയ്ക്കും... പിന്നെ കാശ്മീര്‍ മുതല്‍ കന്യാകുമാരി വരെയും സബര്‍മതി മുതല്‍ കുംകി വരെയും നീണ്ട വഴികളില്‍ അയാളോരിക്കലും സ്വയം അന്യനായിത്തീര്‍ന്നില്ല. നടന്നും കിതച്ചും വിശന്നും അയാള്‍ നാടുകണ്ടുനടന്നു. ഒപ്പം നാടിന്‍റെ കണ്ണീരും സ്വപ്നങ്ങളും, കണ്ണീരില്‍ കുരുത്ത കയ്പുള്ള സ്വപ്നങ്ങളും. ഒരുപക്ഷെ അതുകൊണ്ടാവാം അയാളുടെ സ്വപ്നങ്ങള്‍ക്ക് വിപ്ലവങ്ങളുടെ ചൂടും അമ്മയുടെ മൃദുത്വവും ഒരേപോലെ ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നത്. അതിരുകള്‍ അയാള്‍ക്കും അയാളുടെ സ്വപ്നങ്ങള്‍ക്കും അന്യമായിരുന്നു.

നിങ്ങളും അയാളെ കണ്ടിട്ടുണ്ടാവും, തീര്‍ച്ച. ജീവിതത്തിന്‍റെ  ഉണങ്ങിയ വേനലുച്ചനേരങ്ങളില്‍ തണുത്ത കാറ്റുപോലെ. അയാളുടെ നിഴല്‍വീണ വഴികളില്‍ നിങ്ങള്‍ക്കും പ്രതീക്ഷിക്കാത്ത, വിശദീകരണമില്ലാത്ത സന്തോഷങ്ങള്‍ വീണുകിട്ടിയിട്ടുണ്ടാവും. ഭാഗ്യമെന്നു വിളിക്കുന്ന അത്തരം നീലക്കുറിഞ്ഞികളില്‍ അയാളുടെ സൗരഭ്യമുണ്ടായിരുന്നില്ലേ? തിരിച്ചറിയപ്പെടാത്തവനായി നടന്നകലുന്ന അവന്‍റെ നിഴല്‍രൂപം കണ്‍കോണിലൂടെയെങ്കിലും നിങ്ങള്‍ കണ്ടിട്ടില്ലേ? ഉണ്ടാവും.

അയാള്‍ ചില മനുഷ്യരാണ്. വെളിച്ചം മാഞ്ഞാലും നിഴലായി ജീവിക്കുന്ന ചില മനുഷ്യര്‍. നിറംമങ്ങിയ ജീവിതത്താളുകള്‍ക്കിടയില്‍ മയില്‍‌പ്പീലിപോലെ നിറം ചേര്‍ക്കുന്ന ചില മനുഷ്യര്‍. ചില നല്ല മനുഷ്യര്‍.
(*കടപ്പാടിലൊതുക്കുവാനാകാത്ത രാജീവ് മാങ്കോട്ടിൽ എന്ന കുഞ്ഞു വല്യ മനുഷ്യന്)

AmmA

She swims in scams.
She glows with arrogance.
Yet in her State No one speaks ill of her.
For she feeds them for a Rupee,
And shares the booty!

Translation of the image:
Chennai Metropolitan Corporation

      Amma Kitchen

                Price List
Breakfast timings: 7 am to 10 am
    Idli (1 number)         Rs. 1
    Pongal                      Rs. 5
  Lunch timings: 12 pm to 3 pm
    Sambar Rice             Rs. 5
    Lemon Rice              Rs. 5
    Curry Leaf Rice        Rs. 5
    Curd Rice                 Rs. 3
  Dinner timings: 6 pm to 9 pm
    Chapati (2 numbers) Rs. 3

  Parcel facility is not available

30 Silvers of the Vice Chancer

Down, by the river sucked dry by greed
Sat a few thousands in calm silence of truth,
Covered in the fog of hunger and thirst,
Smeared with the dirt of scorn, ignored.

One of them, seventeen and hungry
Glimpsed her mom faintly as she fainted.
Another shed a tear drop for his dreams
Of a just tomorrow- a student's dream in vain?

Just then came a van of glaring khakis,
Counting what was just delivered in bundles.
Marching, they swished latis and last,
On hungry little girls and thirsty little boys.

The sun smiled down on their wishes,
Of good food and enough water,
Of clean clothes and some freedom.
Latis watched as the Vice* Chancer** passed by.

As hunger climbed the hills that surrounded,
They dropped one by one like kites in gale.
'You', said the Vice one 'are at fault for your state'.
Helpless, hopeless, the little ones fell to hunger.

To the slaughterhouse were they led.
Silent like lambs, lamed too soon by life,
Walked they, the road of shame  and defeat,
While the Vice one grinned victorious and counted his 30 silvers!

 

*evil
**opportunist and self-seeker