surprises are where discoveries come from-Signature of water on Mars

            The other day I was at the small apartment of my cousine brother who is a flourishing practitioner of the esoteric art in connection with a horoscope checkup of a distant relative whose daughter was having 'Apaharam of Chovva'.(the goggle of Chovva)

            It was only 8 'O'clock in the morning.The corrider of his consulting room comprising a portion of the apartment is already chocked with people coming from the distant localities. As an air of hushed silence was thickening,obviously bored I turned to the interior pages of the days newspaper.My eyes struck on to the short right-up on Mars by a burgeoning journalist Mr.Sabu George.The young reporter says " The news now is that the Scientists have acknowledged the presense of an ocean on Martial surface of a period as far back as 400 crore years.Scientists believe that 400 crores years back the temperature on Mars must be so high that the fluid state of water could have been maintained.300 crores of years ago a meteoir struck on Mars that led to the formation of an ocean by the melted ice on the martian poles."

Occasionally a lean lady attendant would peep her face from the half opened door and yell out the names of the people who have reserved themselves for the holy interview.Although she best knew my relation with her master,She carried a nonchallent air around her and would not allow me any concession.

The manthras from inside can be heared out.I can hear my cousine detailing on the good and evil on the position of Mars on the defferent houses.

Astrologically, Mars is the synonym for aggression, sexuality, energy, strength, ambition, and impulsiveness. The terms martial, martial law, martial arts,police,defence are all derived from Mars. Mars is the passionate impulse and action, the masculine aspect, discipline, will-power, and stamina.Mars lights a fire under our passions, and then propels us like an ignited rocket toward our goals.

In Greek Mythology, Mars is Ares, the lord of bloodlust. Ares means war. Ares comes from the Greek word Ara, which means destruction and revenge, bane, ruin, curse, imprecation. Ares’s half-sister Athena is also a war deity, but then she symbolised strategic warfare. Mars is associated with Tuesday, and in Romance languages the word for Tuesday often resembles Mars. Mars has two satellites, Phobos and Deimos, who were mythologically his companions in war. In Roman Mythology, he is the Roman god of war, born to Juno and Jupiter. Mars is the husband of Bellona and the lover of Venus. Mars makes widows of women as he is the war lord and his actions create widows.

The mantras were coming in from the closed door in subdued and faint tone of the guru of the occult medicine.

Transit Mars causes economic problems in the second house(Vithe Vithakshaya ) , professional rise in the third( Aye Brathurdwishad upagathau sthana manadi labham ) , in the fourth and the fifth fear of misery ( Atha suhrudputrage klesha bheethim ) , in the seventh health hazards( Kame rogan ), in the eighth loss of money, mentaltension, health problems, unnecessary wanderings ( Kurvanthipranasandeham sthan bramsam dhanakshyam ) and in theTenth impediments ( bhaume bhangam dishathi dasame ).

My cousine was retired from an Intelligense organisation of the defence forces who was badly debilitated in an accidence and remained in a hospital for more than a couple of years.In the dredgery of the hospital stay he fell himself in to learning of this occult practise.He had a good certification from an University of eastern culture.When discharged ,he came back to our home town and put up a consultation and the profession soon flourished.

Sabu George explains that the website on European Space Agency gives more solid proof than that hitherto were available on the presence of water on Mars. The greater portion of the ocean water which remained for 10 lakh years must have evaporised and the rest went beneath the surface as frozen ice.Vlodak Kofman is quoted that the chances of life on Mars though scarce cannot be ruled out altogether e.

The clients were getting thick .As there was not much to do in the holiday ,I was in no hurry,I waited for my turn although I had all rights to sneek in to his room.

Public curiosity was sparkled in 1996 by a team of scientists when they announced that a meteorite believed to have come from Mars contained what might be the residue of ancient microbes.The key to understanding whether life could have evolved on Mars, many scientists believe, is understanding the history of water on the planet.

"Mars is giving us some surprises," Phoenix principal investigator Peter Smith of the University of Arizona is getting philosophical just like Mars had been to my relative astrologer.He quips "We're excited because surprises are where discoveries come from."

The scientists guiding dictum and the first rule on his search for life on a distant and unexplored world is, "Follow the water!" Does Mars have water? Is Mars Habitable? These questions have been asked many times.

Percival Lowell (1855-1916), a distinguished US astronomer of the early twentieth century, established the Lowell Observatory in 1894 at Flagstaff, Ariz to search for signs of intelligent life on Mars.He authored three books claiming that he had discerned an immense network of canals through his telescope which could only have been conceived and executed by intelligent Martians in an effort to save their home planet from drying out. But these were disputed as optical illusions.

Editor Charles H. Smith's of Alfred Russel Wallace's book Note: "For many years one of Wallace's least remembered books, Is Mars Habitable? is increasingly being recognized as one of the first examples of the proper application of the scientific method to the study of extraterrestrial atmospheres and geography--that is, as one of the pioneer works in the field of exobiology."

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Public Hygiene in Rural India:Extra efforts required

             The ultra hype propogated in the media left little reason to revel for the Indian regime when it came to the sanitationary aspects in the last Common Wealth mega adventure.The disgruntled and a concerned Australian swimming coach was quoted as opening his mind to the Daily Telegraph " You can go to a Western-style country and still get sick, but on the subcontinent they have bugs we have no resistance to." The exercise revealed to the whole world how callously and unpardonably it bungled when it came to hygiene.If this is the way our visiters rate our capital even in the wake of its much glamourised occasion ,how pathetic could our rural India project to be in their prying eyes.!

After 60 years of independance, going through its truma and exhilaration , India accounts for 58 per cent of all open defecations in the world. No other country in the world exists where about 60 per cent women have to go to the field ,waiting for desk to settle in ,for self relieving.The government has sought active involvement of all parties concerned including women panchayat representatives to instill awareness in the people towards public hygiene.Open defecation alone is responsible for many diseases and over fifty infections have been found due to it. Around 80 per cent of all ill people’s disease is transferred through human excreta and unsafe drinking water. Mr.Narayin Ramesh ,the minister for Rural Development concedes it as a "blot on India".

This has created many health problems in rural India.The lack of public hygiene takes away 10 lakh people in an year in the country a majority of them being children.

We have started the programme for public hygiene with the five year plans in 1980.The central Govt started Rural Hygenic Programmes in 1986.After 10 years 'the total hygene programm' was also started by the central Govt.Though these programmes have been worthy in extending basic amenities to many in the rural areas, 66 crores of people remain still outside the ambit of basic hygenity.

We have six lakh villages, not many villages have good roads, schools, health care centres. There is no shortage of funds but where the money goes remains a mystery. Minister Sri.Narayan Ramesh says that expenditure on rural schemes is just next to security. "Every year we spend Rs 1 lakh crore for rural India while for security we spend Rs 1.40 lakh crore. "

Although a number of new initiatives have been taken to alleviate rural poverty and aimed at bridging the the rural urban gulf like Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana, National Food For Work Programme, Pradhan Mantri Sadak Yojana, Rural Housing, National Rural Employment Guarantee Act etc at national level ,tangible results are still far off.

We as a nation do not give proportionate importance when it comes to hygiene. Education in India has hitherto been reduced to rote learning,a devise to attain a certain skill ,largely failing to impart mental capacity or character.The habit of throwing garbage to open places is a way of life.The humon excreta falls on rail lines all over the country.It has been experemently proved that the rural well water carries presence of humon waste.

World Health Organisation estimated that around 700,000 Indians die each year from diarrhoea. The dismal working conditions of sewer workers are another concern. A survey of the working conditions of sewage workers in Delhi showed that most of them suffer from chronic diseases, respiratory problems, skin disorders, allergies, headaches and eye infections.

A summary of the report on economic impacts of inadequate sanitation in India, released on December 20, 2011, by Water and Sanitation Program (WSP) of the World Bank, shows that lack of adequate sanitation in India resulted in an annual loss of $53.8 billion ($161 billion in purchasing power parity, or PPP) or $48 per capita ($144 in PPP) in 2006, the year of evaluation in the report. This was equivalent to 6.4% of GDP in 2006.

In the 11th Five-Year Plan (2007-11), Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) has been allocated $4 billion in 593 districts for rural toilets. In addition to funding and policy, administrative and governance initiatives have been substantially improved in recent years for TSC.

Water supply and sanitation is a State responsibility under the Indian Constitution. States may give the responsibility to the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) in rural areas or municipalities in urban areas, called Urban Local Bodies (ULB). At present, states generally plan, design and execute water supply schemes (and often operate them) through their State Departments (of Public Health Engineering or Rural Development Engineering) or State Water Boards.

A study conducted by June J Cheng, Corinne J Schuster-Wallace, Susan Watt, Bruce K Newbold and Andrew Mente for ecological quantification of the relationships between water, sanitation and infant, child, and maternal mortality conclude that the access to water and sanitation independently contribute to child and maternal mortality outcomes. If the world is to seriously address the Millennium Development Goals of reducing child and maternal mortality, then improved water and sanitation accesses are key strategies.

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Mr.Arun Anand from Bhopal writes in Week end Leader,an internet magazine : More than 2,000 villages in Madhya Pradesh, have been declared as 'Nirmal Grams' or clean villages under a centrally sponsored scheme.

Budhni ,one among them ,a development block of Sehore district is the glittering example of how a great transformation can be effected by sheer inner strength, relentless and collective toil of the villegers for a noble cause under the leadership of their head. All the 635 homes in the village have their private toilets now.

            In Guna district, children from 25 villages are part of the 'Jagmag Sena' (The glittering army).Varsha Prajapati, who heads the Jagmag Sena, said: "We have very interesting games through which we spread simple but important message of cleanliness."We emphasise the importance of washing hands and keeping oneself clean," she added. Jagmag Sena uses means like games and discussions to engage people.

Hinotia village in this district is a Nirmal Gram and the local senior secondary school here is very clean.There is no garbage lying anywhere and all students are extremely careful about their personal hygiene.Gregor von Medeazza, child environment specialist with the Unicef office for Madhya Pradesh, said: "Hinotia school is a brilliant example of school-led sanitation. In such programmes, students not only take active part in the design and operation of school toilets, deciding on the layout of sanitary facilities, but also become agents of change." .

Sulabh International, an India-based NGO for environmental sanitation, announced the cash award of Rs.5 lakh for newly-wed Anita Bai of a Madhya Pradesh tribal village, describing her as a "revolutionary of a different kind".

The adivasi girl from Chichouli villege in MadhyaPradesh desserted from her in-laws on the first night of her wedding for lack of loo in their house outraging her privacy. She came back only when her husband managed to construct a toilet within a weeks time arranging grant from the Gram Panchayat.

According to Bindeshwar Pathak, founder of Sulabh International and recipient of Stockholm Water Prize-2009 "by revolting on the issue of non-availability of toilet, this rural woman has created a revolutionary action in India where more than 660 million people still defecate in the open, causing serious diseases."
Personal hygene is to be an important goal in the years ahead.

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Seizmic Fears in Mullapperiyar Dam-well founded

SEISMIC ACTIVITIES

Wikki reports The dam is situated in a seismically active zone. An earthquake measuring 4.5 on the Richter scale occurred on June 7, 1988 with maximum damage in Nedumkandam and Kallar (within 20 km of the dam). Consequently several earthquake tremors have occurred in the area in recent times. These could be reservoir-induced seismicity, requiring further studies according to experts. A report by IIT Roorkee states that the dam "was likely to face damage if an earthquake of the magnitude of 6.5 on the Richter scale struck its vicinity when the water level is at 136 feet".

After the 1979 Morvi Dam failure which killed up to 25,000 people, safety concerns of the aging Mullaperiyar dam's and alleged leaks and cracks in the structure were raised by the Kerala Government. A Kerala government institution, Centre for Earth Science Studies (CESS), Thiruvananthapuram, had reported that the structure would not withstand an earthquake above magnitude 6 on the Richter scale. The dam was also inspected by the Chairman, CWC (Central Water Commission). On the orders of the CWC, the Tamil Nadu government lowered the storage level from 142.2 feet to 136 feet, conducted safety repairs and strengthened the dam.

Strengthening measures adopted by Tamil Nadu PWD from 1979 onwards include cable anchoring of the dam's structure and RCC backing for the front slope. During a recent scanning of the Mullaperiyar dam using a remotely operated vehicle by the Central Soil and Materials Research Station on directions from the Empowered Committee of the Supreme Court, the Kerala Government observer opined that "mistakes in the strengthening works carried out by Tamil Nadu" in 1979 damaged the masonry of the dam.

Excerpts from a continued feature in Mathrubhumi daily by Sri.Jayachandran,P.K

M D was built when the earth science was in its infancy.-No authentic scientific tests were feasible then.The potential danger was understood in later studies.The dam stands at a place where there are a number of clefts on the earth and it lies in the seismic sensitive area.Mullapperiyar lies in the much daunted area in the seismic regions. The expert committee under Dr.M.Baba the ex-director of Trivandrum CESS has found that Mullapperyar situates on the rendezvous of Kambam,Udumbamchola seismic line.Again the Baby dam is situated in another seismic centre as reported by the Geological survey of India.

Kerala lies in the  3rd zone  where magnitude of  6.5 in Ricture scale is possible.Such tremors can destabilise the rocks in the bottom where leakage can increase through the vents created.However as per the latest study by BIS(Bureau of Indian Statistics),Kerala is sheduled in the 4th zone where themagneude of maximum intensity of 7.5 is predicted. Nedungandam in Idukki a quack of magnitude  4.5 was felt.John Mathaui a Senior scientist from CESS says that the seismic centre of the tremors felt at Uluppooni,valavukodu,Kannambadi were near to Mullapperiyar Dam.

In Kerala it has been pointd out that the seismic Zones are active.The seismic zone centering the Continental shelf in the Arabian sea is also active,.The tremor at a magnitude of 4.5 felt at Trivandrum was centered on this.The tremor felt in the south west of Kolambo in November  also was centered in this zone which passes from Bombay High to Sreelanka.The possibility of a severe earth quake in kerala is rare since the frequently felt minor quakes exit the pressure in earth.But some scientists do believe that these shocks are the harbinger of a greater shock.

According to the strength of tremor the country is being divided in to 4 zones.Lathur in Maharashtra was in the 1st zone (expected magnitude 4.8 )where,contrary to expectations of scientific community ,an earth quake of magnitude 6.3 occurred in September 1993 killing 20,000 people in the process.Before the mishap there were 40 short and minor fore shocks which was neglected by the scientific community.The locales who marched to the taluk office , complaining of cracks to their houses ,were brutally caned and dispersed.

Dr C.P.Rajendran an Earth quack scientists from Indian Institute of Science ,Bangalore says that studies have not established that the dam has suffered due to the frequent earthquakes experienced recently.There is remote chances of earth quakes of appreciable magnitude.The existing dam has reduced strength which would mean that it has to be decommissioned which might take time.The water level should not be increased.

The Kerala government has sought  reducing the storage level of the dam which has a gross capacity of 15.6 TMC by16 ft to 120 ft and reaffirmed its demand to build a new dam at the site proposed. Kerala has conten­ded that the region has rec­o­r­ded 22 quakes /tremors this year. State irrigation minister P J Joseph claims that studies conducted by scientists from IIT-Roorkee and Thiruvananthapuram-based Centre for Earth Science Studies (CESS) have pointed out that the Mullaperiyar dam is in a seismic zone and the quake of six or more on the Richter Scale can not be ruled out. CESS scientist John Mathai is of the opinion that any qu­ake of the magnitude of six on the Richter Scale could damage the dam located 4,000 ft above the sea level and put millions of people in the downstream area at a grave risk.

If the dam bursts, flood waters released in its wake could submerge small towns before reaching the Idukki dam, the biggest in the state. The force of the water could breach the Idukki dam also and it could be catastrophic as 3.5 million people would be affected.Above all, the rare flora and fauna in the Periyar National Park and adjoining Periyar Tiger Reserve would be completely destroyed.

Recent tremors (Collected from daily news,Mathrubhumi)

In the last century more than 100 tremors of varying intensity have been recorded in the region ,the majority of them in 2011.Although history witnessed two major quakes in 1342 at Neryamangalam and in 1875 at Palght Kerala is considered as a region where tremor susceptibility is minimal.But scientists say that dormant seismic zones have recently became active.Since 1976 when Idukki was first filled with water ,900 tremors per year  ,mild and insignificant though ,have  occurred in the vicinity of 2 Km from the dam.The tremors are expected to come down with in 25 years of Dam construction.But things remain negative.

1)Magnitude 4.5 in Dec2000 centered at Melukavu

2)Magnitude 5 centered at Erattuopetta

3)Magnitude 2.8 of 20 Km away from Dam on 18th Aug 2006

4)Magnitude 2.2  centered at Nedunkandam on 30th Jan 2008 -30Km from the Dam

5)Magnitude 3.2  epicenter at Malayatti on 26th June 2009-67 Km from the Dam

6)Epicenter at Peryar Wild Life Sanctuary -Ranni on 3rd November

7)Magnitude 2.9 epicenter at Vellakkayam near Cheruthoni-on 7th November 2010-37 Km from the Dam

There were 23 incidences of tremors of small and large in the last 9 months-the seismic center being in the Idukki project area starting from 5th March last year.

Major quakes reported in 2011.

1)Magnitude 3.8 centered at Kottamala on 26th July 2011.Continued to this there were 7 tremors shortly after-cracks developed in the dam.

2)Magnitude 2.0 centered at Upputhara on 23rd October 2011-30 Km from the Dam

3)Magnitude 2.1 centered at Parathott near Thoprankudi  -16th september 2011-repeated trmors after 5 minutes. again and on 18th

4)Magnitude 1.3,0.3-2 strokes .

This is not an exhaustive list. There were 23 incidences of tremors of small and large in the last 9 months-the seismic center being in the Idukki project area starting from 5th March last year. This has presented sleepless nights to the people in the downstream.     Unlike the water raws on Kaveri-Almattu dam, Panjab water raws,Indira Ghandhi canal in Rajastan-where the disputes centered around water sharing,the story is altogether different at Mullapperiyar It is the issue of lifes of 35 Lack people.

$500 million (24.5 lakh crore)of illegal money of Indians is deposited in tax havens abroad

YETHO RAJA THATHO PRAJA

            Finally an official disclosure has come from the horse mouth on the quantum of black money stashed in tax havens by Indians.The revelation came from the CBI chief Mr.A.P.Singh,in the wake of the opening session of the six-day international meet of the first Interpol global programm on Anticorruption and Asset recovery.The meeting jointly hosted by the Interpole and CBI is attended by top slueths ,39 police officers, investigators and prosecutors from various Interpol countries including China, United Kingdom, Nepal, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Hongkong, Australia, Indonesia, Fiji, Malaysia, Singapore , Philippines and India.
Mr.Singh said that a whopping $500 million (24.5 lakh crore)of illegal money of Indians is deposited in tax havens abroad.

He said that 53% of countries said to be least corrupt by the Transparency International Index were in effect offshore tax havens.They include NewZeeland ,which is ranked as the least corrupt country,Singapore ranked anumber five, and switzerland number ranked seven.

"In some of the recent important cases being investigated by the CBI such as 2G, CWG and Madhu Koda, we find that money is taken to Dubai/Singapore/Mauritius from where it goes to Switzerland and other such tax havens," he pointed out.

The CBI Director also referred to the need for "ethics in governance". He said, "I am prompted to recall a famous verse from the ancient Indian scriptures which says 'yatha raja tatha praja'

Evidently embarrassed the Swiss embassy in a swift movement issued a press release "it wishes to make a clarification in view of unsubstantiated media reports that have been recently published about Switzerland and Swiss Banks."saying that "such estimates and statistics lack evidence and are uncorroborated".

The government hastly interposed that the CBI chief A P Singh's statement on black money stashed abroad was based on the report of the Supreme Court-appointed committee on black money.

"I have spoken to the CBI Director and he told me that he made the statement on the basis of a report prepared by a Supreme Court-appointed committee," Minister of State for Personnel V Narayanasamy told reporters in Delhi.

On Wednesday the 19th of January-2011 the Supreme Court of India called the shameful phenomenon of Indian funds kept illegally abroad as “theft” and “plunder” and not merely a tax evasion. It also demanded an “action taken” report on all “faceless” Indians who had parked their ill-gotten money overseas. "It is a pure and simple theft of the national money. We are talking about mind-boggling crime. We are not on the niceties of various treaties," remarked a bench comprising justices B Sudershan Reddy and S S Nijjar, while hearing a petition by former law minister Ram Jethmalani and others for retrieving Indian black money stashed in foreign banks.The apex court had expressed displeasure even last week over the government’s reluctance in disclosing the names of Indian having black money moved to foreign banks.

India today quotes Gian Trepp, a Swiss financial journalist and author: "Switzerland is the top destination for illegal funds because of its strict secrecy laws. Also, Swiss banks sell additional masks to hide the identity of their rich clients, like trusts in the Cayman islands, shell companies in Panama, or foundations in Liechtenstein, all run by nominees."

India was ranked 6th on the black money top ten countdown for illicit outflows monitored during 2002-2006. The estimated average amount stashed away annually from India during 2002-2006 is $27.3 billion US dollars.

The IMF estimates that the quantum of black money parked in tax havens by citizens of the world excluding Switzerland, China, Taiwan and Oil Exporting economies is a whopping $18 trillion. The financial meltdown experienced in the world can to a certain extend be identified to the black money. Mr Singh says that as per the World Bank , the cross border flow of black money is $1.5 trillion and $40 billion is the bribe paid to Government servants in developing Countries.

The Global financial Integrity – a Non-profit research organization – working in the area of Tax Havens has estimated for India that the present value of illegal financial flows held abroad is $500 Billions. This means that almost three-quarters of the illicit assets comprising India's underground economy—which has been estimated to account for 50 percent of India's GDP (approximately $640 billion at the end of 2008)—ends up outside of the country. There is an intimate link between monies stashed away abroad and bribes, corruption, kickbacks and criminal activities. Still the government of India seems to be keen to treat the issue as a tax evasion issue only.

In the last few years many countries in Europe as well as USA have taken several steps that included geo-political coercion, financial penalties and bribes, to secure information and get back their illegal funds from abroad. The USA forced and got names of more than US 4000 clients of UBS bank from Switzerland.France and Germany acted in similar lines. Germany even officially bribed the Lichtenstein Bank officials to get the secret names of their citizens who had hoarded black wealth in LGT bank of Lichtenstein. Recently citizens of Tunisia were able to freeze the ill-gotten wealth of its rulers in Swiss banks.

India and Switzerland are signatories to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption. Yet India has not ratified the UN Convention till today. According to global anti-graft watchdog Transparency International, India should endorse the United Nations Convention Against Corruption for the recovery of India’s wealth, which has been hoarded in foreign banks. The UN Convention helps the country, which seeks to recover the assets stashed away. This is the greatest achievement of the Convention. The reluctance shows that the Government of India is not keen on securing global co-operation to tackle corruption in India.

The Double Taxation Avoidance Treaty with Switzerland is not an effective mechanism to tackle the problem of money laundering. The Swiss government for instance cannot ask the Swiss banks to disclose any name under the Swiss law.

"Yetho Raja Thatho praja " would mean the real culprit is the elite who rule the country.It requires no other proof than the CBI revelations to substantiate it.

The central Government has been unwilling to disclose the names of of Indian citizens involved in the black money.Finance minister evaded the question from the opposition with stoke reply that the amount involved is unknown.The apex court had expressed displeasure over the government’s reluctance in disclosing the names of Indian having black money stashed in foreign banks. “What is the difficulty in disclosing the information,” the bench had asked on 14 January, when solicitor general Gopal Subramanium told the SC bench that the government has got the details but did not want to reveal it.

One internet report says" WikiLeaks has posted in the website that – Indian have more money in Swiss Banks than any other nationality. We have proof regarding their names, amount and name of bank which we got from Rudolf Elmer. We have 2000 names in two discs, the major share is from India. The source of income is from project hedge, illegal share in stock market, drug deal, fake project. The Indian government needs to be more aggressive in tracking the black money stashed in foreign banks since Indians depositing money in foreign banks is debasing the rupee. Otherwise WikiLeaks will do the job."

The first list contained many prominent Indian political leaders.

The government was finding it "difficult" to get black money stashed in overseas tax havens because the countries lacked the political will to curb the menace, Minister of State for Personnel V. Narayanasamy said Monday in the meet.Mr Singh wishes that "We need to relentlessly pursue asset recovery strategies to make such illegal acquisitions a no-profit high-risk proposition."

The money which is getting parked in Swiss Banks are the rightfull money of the poor,the money to be invested for the domestic developments.

Industry chamber Assocham in its recent report on 'Black money menace in India' had suggested that the government should provide immunity to persons wanting to bring back funds stashed abroad.The Finance Ministry, according to sources, is not considering any amnesty plans as such a scheme raises ethical questions and benefits law breakers. Corporate Affairs Minister M Veerappa Moily had recently said that amnesty scheme was not the right way to deal with the menace of black money.

"Amnesty scheme is not the only answer," he had said and stressed that in practical terms, one has to remove the root cause of black money to eliminate generation of such funds.

After a a series of demonstrations and protests across India, the government finally appointed a high-level committee in June 2011 to study the generation and curbing of black money. The committee finalized its draft report on Jan 30, 2012. The report stated: "the two major national parties ( Congress and BJP) claim to have incomes of merely Rs 500 crore and Rs 200 crore. But this will amount to a fraction of their actual expenditure. These parties spend between Rs 10,000 crore and Rs 15,000 crore annually on election expenses alone.This is black money."How could they act against corruption and blackmoney.

Then how to unearth the black money stashed in tax havens.One netizen writes in Yahoo answers;"purchase white paint and paint black money with white color!".

The CBI chief must have exactly this in his mind when he spelt: "Yetha Raja thatha praja".

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"If you want to know what God thinks about money, just look at the people He gives it to." - Dorothy Parker

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Mull(ai/a)pperiar deed -the true story:

The Deed in 1886

             Divan Ramayyangar for Trivandrum province and State Secretary of Madras Presidency Mr.John Child Hanington have signed, a lease deed for constructing a Dam across Periyar river on 29th Oct 1886 .

            The first correspondence dates back to 1862 September when the Madras presidency wrote to Divan Sri.Madhava Rao of Travancore mooting the idea of constructing a dam across Periyar.He replied on November 25th .The Travancore,Cochi resident Fisher in his letter to the Divan served in Dec 1882, wanted a clear decision on the Dam as the feasibility for the Dam is to be completed in the fair climate itself. The Madras Presidency has allocated for the Dam in its presidency Budget.Divan in his reply to the letter ,proposed that the profit out of the project shall be equally divided and that Travancore has no objection to the study by the engineers.

Accordingly Mr Barton ,the British engineer submitted the project after conducting elaborate study on the wild forests in the source of Pariyar. Expectedly the study did not touch on how the inhabits in the downstreams and the valleys will be affected.

The committee constituted under Diavan Peshkar opined that the project is detrimental to the interests of Travancore.The history says that the British had made Travancore to sign at pistol point under duress.The contract that the expenditure and the profits will be equally divided was not adhered to and it is history that the Raja did not prefer to sign the agreement.Under threats the Raja was made to sign the agreement after a prolonged 24 years of obdurate defense.The contract was for 99 years ,but the lease deed remained for 999 years.

Britishers were very cunning to extract benifits from the provinces to areas in tis direct control. Karnataka always grumble that the natural rights of Mysore Kingdom over Kaveri has been forcefully taken away by the Britishers.Thelunkana region witnesses recurring agitations over denial of rightful shares of Godavari water .The coastal andhra was a part of the old Madras presidency under British rule .Arthar Coat is worshipped there as a valiant warrior.

The study for taking Mullapperiyar water to Vaiga was taken up as back as in 1789.The initiative was of Muthirupilla ,the chief lieutenant of Muthulinga Sethupathi the King of Ramnad ,who was an ally of Britishers.But as the King was fighting with Britishers , project did not come up.King Senupathy was defeated in the battle and the Britishers annexed his kingdom.

The water scarcity in Madhurai,Theni,Ramnadhpuram,Dindigal were a point to worry to the Britishers. Subsequently Jaims Kadvelli was entrusted to take up the study to divert Periyar water by tunnelling western ghat to Vaigai, in 1808.But Jaims decided against it.Britishers did not retract and started the construction work of a Dam in 1850 by diverting water through the chinnamuliyat rivulet based on the study of captain Faber .But this again was abandoned.

           After the agreement in In 1867 a British engineer Maj Reeves propounded a plan to construct a dam of 162 feet in Periyar and take water to Churuliyar a rivulet of Vaiga through canals .The project failed as water could not be held back during construction.Again the project adduced by General Wakker was abandoned due to technical problems.

In 1882 the British Engineers John Penniquik and R.Smith were entrusted to take up a fresh study and after a thorough analysis of earlier attempts,they came up with a new project. Accordingly a dam was planned with a height of 155ft ,a width of 115.57 ft and at the top 12 feet based on Surky,lime and stone ,the then available construction materials.

As per the agreement in 1886,the water from Periyar can be used only for agricultural purposes.But from then onwards Tamil Nadu has been using it for generating Electricity also.Travancore province authorised the then Divan Sir CP to attend the case.He fought vigorously for the Raja.

The words of Sir CP before the arbitrators are history.Divan argued that not only that the water should not be used to generate Electricity but should also be not used for drinking even!When the tussle eluded a consensus, the TN advocate general Mr.Alladi Krishnaswamy directly engaged with Sir CP and finally as per the arbitrator the case was left to the decision of Nalini Chatterji ,the judge of HighCourt of Culcutta.

The highcourt finally gave the verdict that electricity generation is an industry and hence Mullapperiar waters can not be used for that.TN has to subdue before Sir CP.

The first agreement was signed after long 20 years of debates.But 1n 1970 without any discussions ,without the directives of Kerala Assembly ,the then CM of Kerala, Sri.C.Achutha Menon signed the renewal of the agreement which some believe was perfunctory and shortsighted.He has sacrifised Keralas interests for the sake of brotherhood of the neighbouring people.

As per Indian Independence act -section 7 the agreement has become void.Section 7 says that all treaties in between the British and the indian kings have become redundant. If any treaty has to hold further a standing agreement needs to have evolved as in Kaveri water disputes in Karnataka.If the treaty is to hold water ,modifications or renewal of it should have happened before 1957-Nov 1.But since such an action has not been resorted to ,the agreement signed between Kerala and TN in 1979 stands void.

Interestingly the officials signed on behalf of Kerala were all Tamilians.

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mirror of the adult

A Class 9 student of a private school in Chennai stabbed his teacher to death inside the classroom on Thursday morning. He was apparently enraged by the teacher’s complaint to his parents about his poor performance in his studies.

Police said Uma Maheshwari, 40, a teacher of science and Hindi at St Mary’s Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School on Armenian Street, was between classes, around noon when she was attacked by the 15-year-old student.Indian Express reported.

The 15-year-old boy will now face a trial which will be conducted by a juvenile justice board (JJB), consisting of a metropolitan magistrate and two social workers: says the Hindu. The St Mary’s Anglo India School, where the incident occurred catered to the local children near a crowded Armenian Street in the old commercial capital of the city, opposite to the High Court.

On the same day a case has been reported from Alleppey in Kerala in which a student of final semester Engg got his ear seriously bitten and disfigured by his class mate following a petty skirmish between them.

It was 4 years back, an youngster was reported to have broken in to a music class and shot at a music student killing her instantly.This was in the campus of ViswaBharathi University founded by Ravindra Nadh Tagore.

Reports came in from Aurangabad near Delhi wherein a boy was shot dead as an aftermath of a run in between a gang feud.The incident took place in an International school where closed circuit TVs were installed to watch the students!

In another similar incident a boy was shot dead in Deccan engineering college at Darusalam,Hyderbad as part of a shuffle between warring factions of students.

Lately a Kerala boy was brutally attacked and bladed all over the face and body by his seniors while in train on his way back to his house ,from their college at Coimbathore .
These are only some of the most recent events being reported in the press.

The world listens with benumbed disbelief -to the stories of atrocities and violence committed by children in class rooms and play grounds-the spaces where love and camaraderie should blossom and flourish.Nobody cares when news of such sequels of events break out from America or the western world.Time and again the citizens of the United States have been numbed by the sound of a shot being fired in a school by a student. Though these incidents have been taking place regularly in other countries, such acts of violence started occurring with alarmingly frequency in this country only recently.

We hitherto were undaunted as we were largely safe in our cocoons of self imposed myth ,that such cases will not surface in our society.We have an inheritance of cherished age old values and social mores to lead us.But no longer we can settle safe ,as the message pouring in from news rooms do not auger well for the country.

The recent news from Chennai is nevertheless haunting and deeply disquieting. One should genuinely feel concerned on the future of the country when our youngsters do not refrain from such activities.Unbridled liberty and hand full of money to squander coupled with the atom family background -when the fruit of education is only academic brilliance -small wonder ,our students are increasingly getting bereft of humaneness and compassion.The history of their progenitors acquiring education through hard ship and toil are only 'grandma-stories' for them.None care to suffer a small inconvenience.

The parents are the roll model for the children in the early formation of their behavior patterns in society.God fearing,consciousness of the social values are first to be inculcated from home and then from teachers and educational institutions.The parents upping the lux scale,squandering,laisses- fair can not indulge in pontification on the do's and dont's to their kith and kin.

Today campuses are not only political play grounds but also are the wombs of gangsterism.These incidents have posed deeply disquieting questions on teaching,parenting and the sociocultural premises in the country.

Therefore too much of leniency shown to the children by ignoring their acts of malfeasance often breeds waywardness among children and gives rise to acts of delinquency which are dangerous to the safety, security of our society.So leniency could be the other cause of delinquency.It however doesn’t mean that they should be straitjacketed in boundless censorship and proscriptions.The rudderless youth belligerently chaff at the censorship and other proscriptions imposed on them.

A number of factors at play are being identified by the academicians and professionals in the realm of juvenile delinquency.

According to psycho-analytical view, the delinquent is an individual who is governed by the pleasure principle. He wants to get immediate pleasure and immediate satisfaction for his needs. So he becomes victim to his own impulses. Thus it may be said that juvenile delinquency is also the result of environmental factors.

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The main factors in breeding young delinquents are peer pressure, lavish lifestyles, too much freedom from the parents and even simple curiosities.In 2008 crimes by juveniles across India increased by about 9.2%over the previous year. The figure in 2007 was 8.4% more over 2006.According to the police sources,the crime ratio in children were 1.7% of the total crimes in the country in 2005 .It increased to 1.9% and 2% in 2006 and 2007 respectively.

Juvenile Delinquency can be checked at a very primary stage and measures can be taken both at home as well as in school to help bring children out of this characterization. As is evident,it is not just the will of an individual which makes him get into the world of wrong deeds, all other factors like schools, neighborhood, Family, Society etc are equally responsible for the degradation or fall of a child.

Child is to be regarded as technically a delinquent when his anti­social tendencies appear so grave that it becomes subject of official action. The effects films have on the tender minds of our children are much talked out and has become a hackneyed cliche.Violence in films are always pointed to whenever such incidences take place.

Violence in the media, whether it is reflected in music, games, cartoons, T.V. shows or movies, legitimizes and glorifies it in the young mind. Online and offline bullying peaks in Middle School and in most cases tapers off by College age, when students are more independent and more mature. Lack of coordination among school staff, parents and students make cyber- and offline bullying- a continual threat to young people's confidence and safety.The home and the neighborhood have an immense influence on children. Violent children are most likely to come from abusive homes and/or neighborhoods.

Janet Reis of the University of Illinois, and her colleagues surveyed nearly 112,000 students in grades 6 through 8 with geographically, socioeconomically, and racially diverse backgrounds from about 200 middle schools.The school had a relatively modest but nonetheless significant effect on student aggression.

They found three key features of a school’s culture linked with reduced aggressive behaviors: teaching that emphasized understanding over memorization of concepts; whether students participated in making school rules; and education about cultural diversity."The direction from this is that teachers and administrators might explore how to include participation from their students," Reis said.

The children are the mirrors directed against the adult world.They are the physical manifestations of the adult psyche,the unedited content of the grown up.Therefore it will be simplistic to confine the aberrations to the pocket money,films etc.

Adults have to be changed

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Delinquency appears to be strongly on the rise and teachers say it's a daily struggle to control school violence Demetriou said: "Don't say what you wouldn't like to be told. Don't do what you wouldn't like to be done to you. Don't search for your identity in conflict and violence just because it gives you a sense of power. Find it in your goodwill, constructive relations with others, and the pleasure of your presence. There is your strength."

Cyprus-Education Minister Andreas Demetriou on the 20th anniversary of the signing of the UN Convention on Children's Rights.

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India pray for the speedy recovery of the Cricketing Genius

           Cricket fans in India are yet to come out from the trauma of the ignominious treatment they received at the hands of Australians.A shocking message awaits them.It is disheartening. Yuvaraj Singh a young genius and an ebullient warrior of the willows is diagnosed for a rare cancer.Yuvaraj has been hospitalised in Brisbane ,USA and is currently undergoing chemotherapy.

           Yuvi as he is fondly called has been diagnosed with extragonadal seminoma,in medicalspeach a rare tumor in the region (mediastinum)between the pleural sac,containing the heart and all of the thoracic viscera except the lungs.Organ located in the mediastinum include the heart,the aorta,the thymus gland,the chest portion of the trachea,the esophagus,lymph nodes and other nerves.Seminoma is a malignant tumor of the testis arising from sperms-forming tissues as the medical dictionary says.But in Yuvis case it is Extragonadal which would mean a location other than reproductive organs.

Dr Nikesh Rohthagi an oncologist with Max health care Saket who is heading the Indian team of Doctors attending Yuvaraj has been cited, to the great sigh of Indian cricket, as claiming that it is curable.Chemotherapy is the best treatment in such cancers.

It is a great consolation that YuvarajSingh was hospitalised at the early stage(stage1). Patients with that kind of disease are quiet often brought to the hospital at the final stage (stage 1v)and do walk out totally cured.
Times Now quotes Yuvraj's father Yograj Singh:" doctors in Boston have assured the cricketer of a full recovery that will leave him stronger."

          People from all walks of life were shuddered by the news and are praying for his speedy recovery.

"Shocked to learn of Yuvraj Singh down with cancer..Yuvraj if you read this, know that we all pray for you..All shall and will be well," Amitabh wrote on his Twitter page.

Amidst the deep concerns of the Indians on the health of their dear Yuvi , war of words is getting waged in the dressing room. India TV lets out that The Delhi Medical Council PRO Anil Bansal has claimed that the physio of Yuvi had obtained a fake degree and his credibility is questionable.The physio promptly straight batted that he has all the certificates with him.

At Pathways School ,the young cricketing buds at the Yuvaraj center of Excellence ,a cricketing academy raised by Yuvaraj have missed their mentor and wished him a speedy recovery.Though Yuvraj could train the boys only for a week since the academy opened in November,they missed their guide and the motivator.

          “I am missing those days when he was here to guide us. We are praying for his quick recovery as he has to prepare many more Yuvrajs,” Aryan Gupta, a member of the academy has been quoted as saying.

Yuvraj Singh is considered one of the best Indian youngster batsman to face the fast and tricky balls from the classes of Brettly,Macgrath and the like.Yuvraj singh a southpaw batsman and a ripping left-arm spinner is far more aggressive and demolishing against pace battery .He is also greatly athletic in the outfields . His excellent fielding skills and rapacity for the runs and exuberant catches are showcased in the Australian tours.

He has got all the shots in the book for cine girls too.

His physiotherapist Jatin Choudhary told a television news channel: "Once he is done with chemo in March, his rehabilitation would be complete by April end and he would be perfectly fit to play in May,"

Half of the battle against cancer is fought in the patients' mind. Avers Harmala of the 'CanSupport': "One has to believe in the possibility of recovery." And much to her dismay' she found patients were totally unaware of basic facts about the disease - many thought it was totally incurable and contagious. "I realised that a patient' more than anything else' needs support'" she says.

Yuvraj, known as a penchant hard cricketer wrote on Twitter.

"Reading Lance Armstrong's book it's not about the bike! I'm sure it will motivate me and pull me throu this time! Livestrong yuvstrong!"

He is inspired from Lance Armstrong, the cyclist who had manfully fought with the testicular cancer and had won numerous Tour de France titles.

He has been a member of the Indian cricket team since 2000 (ODIs) and played his first Test match in 2003. He was the vice-captain of the ODI team from late-2007 to late-2008. At the 2007 World Twenty20 he hit six sixes in an over against England's Stuart Broad,a marvellous feat performed only three times previously in any form of senior cricket, and previously never in an international match between two Test cricket nations. He was named the Man of the Tournament in the 2011 Cricket World Cup.

He has not played competitive cricket since November and missed India's current tour of Australia. Yuvraj is not playing in the triangular one-day series in Australia and also will not be available for the Twenty20 Indian Premier League ( IPL) scheduled in April.

Yuvraj, who is a prolific Indian run getter has so far scored 8,051 runs in 274 matches with 13 centuries.
He has also made 1,775 runs in 37 Tests since making his international debut in 2000.

As with Bachen ,the country rise to invoke you:
Yuvraj, get up in the morning and say it out loud - " Everyday in every way I am getting better and better !! " You will !! The nation prays for your speedy recovery and wants you back in the battle field of cricket.

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Siddhartha Mukherjee, Pulitzer prize-winning author of The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer and physician at Columbia University Medical Center, New York.Spoke to Sheela Reddy for outlookIndia.Read the link.

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The roar of the ocean is still

              Professor Sukumar Azhikode who has been fighting cancer for over an year now ,died on the early hours of Tuesday ,the 24th of January 2012,at Amritha hospital following a brief spell of 45 days of hospitalisation.He has turned 85 on may 12.His mortal body was cremated at the historic crematory at Payyambalam near Kannur ,in deference to the wishes of his relatives, with full state honour.

             Azhikode was a literary critic, writer, philosopher, orator, teacher and journalist rolled into one and a conscious-keeper of our ages. His career as critic and orator spanned six decades.He has been the recipient of highest literary honours.His prominent work Thathwamasi (1984) had won him the Central Sahitya Akademi and the Kerala Sahithya Akademi awards and the prestigious Vayalar Award. His acclaimed works include Purogamanasahityavum Mattum, Mahatmavinte Margam, Aasaante Seethaakavyam, Guruvinte Dukham and Sankara Kurup Vimarshikkapedunnu.

The Hindu in the obituary said" An intellectual giant, a great humanist, a cultural guru, a committed secularist, a champion of human rights and a sentinel of social values, he gave expression to his ideals through more than 35 books, thousands of articles and countless orations — all laced with grace, dignity and humour. As a literary critic, he upheld the timeless values of the classics. His range was wide, ranging from Indian philosophy, Vedas and Upanishads to the subtly nuanced pure literary criticism. His writings on poetry gravitated towards sociological and cultural criticism. "

Sukumar azhikode was a multi-faceted intellectual property in the public domain whose tribe has steadily been getting effaced from Keralas socio-political and cultural space.

Azhikode was being revered as an erudite scholar and teacher who had extensive mastery over Indian mythology and philosophy.He was  an iconoclastic literary genius.He was a votary ,a disciple and last in the line of of those who continued the legacy of great social reformers like Vakbhatananda(1856-1928), Sree Narayana Guru and Mahatma Gandhi. He was a philosopher, an avaricious reader and a true Gandhian.Azhikode had been a pillar of intellectual vitality , a profound orator and philosopher in Kerala.An unparalleled academician and teacher, Azhikode had served as chairman of the National Book Trust (NBT) and as member of the executive councils of Kerala and Kendra Sahitya academy. Azhikode also edited a couple of dailies. He headed the Malayalam Department of Calicut University and later retired as its Pro-vice chancellor.

An ardent Gandhian till the end of his life, Azhikode was close to the Congress in his early life and in the 1960s he even unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha polls as its candidate. But later, he stood , a vehement critic of the congress as he thought that Congress was distancing from its vision.Towards the end he chose to bend towards the Left camp and wanted to be their mentor ,without compromising on his Gandhian convictions.

He embellished the Malayalam print with his prolific columns penchantly  airing his thoughts on varied issues of politics,social, and cultural with religious fervour and authority.He was well versed in Sanskrit and classical literature and had deep understanding of western philosophy and literature.He stood for the integration of the best from  the Oriental and Occidental cultures.

In 2007, Professor Sukumar Azhikode declined the Padma Shri award , as he rightfully felt that such awards were against the Constitution. “The Constitution says everyone should be treated as equal. Giving such honours at different levels, the State discriminates between people. I see the Padma Shri conferred on me as an opportunity to expose this discrimination,” he had said.

BalaChandran Vadakkedathu writes in Madhyamam."The invincible male presence that intervenes in Azhikodes speeches is 'Raman'.SriRaman is the most resplendent imagination in our hearts.Raman does not identify with any single religion or cult.Raman is the root of humanity."

He elucidates further on Azhikodes concept of Raman."Ghandhiji has never thought of Raman as historical entity, instead for him Raman was a myth.But Ghandhiji wanted to transcend this myth in to a consummate embodiment through his experiments with truthful life.Having overwhelmed with this idea Azhikode proclaims that ' Raman is universal'.His proclamation came in the wake of India being  tormented on the demolishment  of Babari Masjid and the Ayodhya imbroglio.'Who is Raman?He is the guardian and benefactor of the whole universe. Rama loved Ivan,Shabari Rakshsas,aborigins, birds and animals on this earth.Rama compassioned with those driven out to the peripheries.Azhikode says that Raman is referred to as 'Anandha Vardhanan' in Ramayana. Azhikode profusely rebuffed them who spew venom on the name of Raman."

He notes "Valmiki says that when others are in sorrow Raman is sad.Raman was ferried by an inferior cast Guha on to his journey in to the forests.The same Rama is making his hands as a pillion to Sitha.This Raman cannot live in political slogans.We are silent on the real Rama.But whenever the virtual or mirror frame comes in ,we pounce at its defense.The virtual always are meant for failure".

Azhikodes Raman is not a Rama of politics,not a Rama of religion.

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              Sri.V.G.Thampi a thinker and established writer says.
"To know a teacher is like touching a fire.Those who touch a true master will at once get transcended.He gets rived inside. The mender delivers another life to the life.Though a strict Ghandhiyan he was more influenced by Nehruvian ethics of legitimacy,secularism and democratisation of values.He revelled in the mood of an agitating youth rather than in a broody sacrificial,meditational and tranquil life of a saint.He remained apolitical so that he could not be institutionalised.The thunder of unpredictable and unexpected outbursts on the stage appealed and made the audience lively. He deliberately kept his speeches refilled with youthfulness."

Sri.V.J.Thampi further adds " Azhikode used to say that while on stage butterflies flutter inside him.The garden of words in him is the merchandise of the butterflies."

Azhikode's discourses were the torrents of words gushing out ,radiant with truth and bucolic humor.He was a man with a tough and hot self-righteousness.He could not bear a slightest dint to his fame.At times he let others to believe that he is overwhelmingly enjoying his publicity and charisma true to him.He with undaunted temerity points out that the Indian President will be in oblivion with in days when she passes away,but he will be remembered for years.

Azhikode was a great teacher and philosopher In his class room.He taught his pupils to pick out the best in them ,the best in them which they alone can do in this world. He taught them to face destiny with masculine strength and not to succumb and get vanquished unceremoniously.

His dreamt of a new Kerala ,a new India for which he toiled through out his life.

              There are few masters who have been so much loved,hated,adored and revered like Azhikode.He fought with his peers.He showed exemplary fortitude on the face of vilifications and rebuffs.He was loved by Keralites as a great teacher and philosopher with indomitable self esteem.But as with great men,Prof.M.K Sanu observes :"He could not take his potential to full fruition.Equally note worthy is the way he contradicted himself all through his life."

Azhikode opened his mind in an interview:" I had a prick of scruple in writing Thathwamasi.It was a book tobe digested by the scholars and the intelligentsia.That was a small sin.I cleanse myself by speaking to the ordinary men .This was done by Sri.Budha.He spoke in Pali." He adds: "These are only simple truths and not the jabbering of an arrogant".

He says his criticism is 'adhoc'.When an issue comes he criticises.He adds: "When there was arduous friendship between us ,I criticised Marar.When Mundassery and me were as thick as thieves ,I criticised him.Criticism is issue based."

The demise of Sukumar Azhikode has left an unimpeachable vacuum in Kerala's public space. He was a great writer, a focused critic, a voracious orator-an orator of extraordinary calibre.Sukumar Azhikode was a Bhishmacharya in the literary horizon of Kerala. He will be remembered as one of the greatest literary critics, philosophers and thinkers in India.

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Rumour, in this instance, did no more than justice to the truth; and over the sickbed many confidences were exchanged, and clouds that had been growing for years passed away in a few hours, and as fond mankind loves to hope, for ever.
(Tales and Fantasies by Stevenson, Robert)

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