ExpertDabbler

I was curious to know more about Ramanujar the moment I realized my current favorite Indira Parthasarathy had written about him.

The introduction to the book here made me even more curious and I have already ordered it. Nevertheless i just wanted to jot down my observations.

If Ramanujar had such a liberal and inclusive view of religion and society thousand years ago, why and how did we as a society lose the plot later on? That’s mysterious to me.

Also, I am not sure if any of the so-called social reformers in the recent past, radical or moderate, have any reference to Ramanujar in their expressions or works. That’s intriguing to say the least. If I am working on a agenda, is it not a sensible strategy to reuse my predecessor’s works, words and deeds which are in sync. with my agenda to augment my own points?

If social justice and equality was the end goal, and if that could be propagated by adapting Ramanuja and his teachings which is already accepted by the majority who believe in religion, why throw all that to the dustbin and talk atheism? Now I am not sure if Periyar’s idea of atheism is a smart one to attain social justice or whatever.

If believing in God is barbaric, saying God does not exist is equally barbaric too. Religion and the concept of God as a tool has worked very well for very long, my beliefs or non-belief be damned. What matters is whether they work or not in bringing solace to the people, not whether God’s existence can be proved. I read this perspective in Jeyamohan’s blog for the first time and it did make lot of sense to me. People always do what works for them in the long run. I now think that by talking atheism, the Dravidian leaders lost the plot completely, just like the way our Kollywood directors do time and again.

Contrast this to the way Christian missionaries propagate Christianity, they do not claim that all the wisdom and literature of ancient India are stupid. Rather they nowadays claim they are essentially Christian ideas as taught by St.Thomas. This may sound laughable now, it makes for much more subtle and persuasive communication in the long run.

I hope to read this book and see I. Pa has to say.

Thanks to keerthi, I finished ‘Vendhu thanindha Kaadugal’ - my second I. Pa novel.

No other urban novel had such an impact on me in recent times. I am determined to read all of I. Pa as soon as possible.

BTW I. Pa has a blog. There is only one post. I would’ve missed it had he not mentioned that he is the author of ‘Nandhan Kadhai’

Education, career, love, marriage, having children are all public choices in India. People around the person have more say on these than the concerned person. While abiding by the rules, paying taxes, and following basic discipline are all strictly private choices. Nobody cares if you chase your exam papers, do not pay taxes for years, or flout all traffic rules.

Pk1:My friend completed the masters degree by paying a passing fee of Rs. 2000 per paper in Madras University. I thought about it and said to myself, ‘Okay it’s his choice’.
Pk2:Passing fee is a euphemism.

I wanted to respond to Karthik’s comment. But I realized that I had pretty strong opinions about the police force in general and wanted to record that as well. This is a blend of my own observations, my experiences being at the receiving end with the police, versions from friends of friends who are in the police department, and readings in the main stream media. Yes, the police story is a story of bad guys in the eyes of the public, but there is lot of apathy and tragedy underneath the obvious.

While I am a vociferous critic of the functioning of the police - be it traffic as well as law and order, I am almost certain that had I joined the police force, I would have been as corrupt a police officer as there are any now. I don’t remember when was the last time the police department got a salary hike. They cannot complain, they cannot protest, and they cannot go on strike. Politicians treat them like shit, the media sees them as jokers, and the public despise them.

I think it would be good starting point to compare the salary a cop draws in US, relative to other professions to what a cop earns as a salary in India. In India, its almost like their ‘mamool’ is factored into their official CTG (Cost to government). Not just the police of course, this holds good for any general state government employee too. But the kind of torture a police man goes through is unbelievable. He is paid a pittance for enduring all the suffering. Which means the society (includes me) expects him to beg, borrow or take bribe to make ends meet. With little legitimate money but with lot of clout, what will one do? Exchange clout for money. Thats precisely what’s happening.

A traffic police constable who stands in searing heat from morning till evening would probably make less than a post man. Check out this article.

What years of state neglect had done to their morale is that now a decent number of them have turned themselves into entrepreneurs out of corrupt money. I personally know one police constable who owns a water tanker lorry. I know because our flat association gets water from him. His monthly salary would be like six thousand rupees IMO. I am guessing that but if a DGP would make around 70K per month, how much a constable would make? Can he run a family, much less a water tanker lorry with six thousand rupees in chennai city?

It’s one thing to read this as condoning whatever they do. On the other hand, I think it would be wrong to just condemn what they do and preach about virtues like honesty, integrity and so on without addressing the underlying issues.

If I had any power, probably I would enhance their pay checks substantially, study how the police function in other countries, revisit the fundamental philosophy of the way a police department should operate in the post-independent India, look for ways and means to infuse professionalism and THEN expect better performance from them. I say about post-independent India, because I feel the Indian bureaucracy in general still suffer from British Raj hangover, in the way they treat their political masters.

I have been taken to police station for wrongs I did not do, and from which I escaped because of my network. I have given ‘mamool’ for the traffic offences I did and did not commit. I loathe them. But to paraphrase a dialogue in Hey Ram, ‘Oru police a ninnu partha dhaan avanga nyayam puriyum’.

Till the state home minister, who is also usually the state chief minister does something fundamental to change the police DNA, its better not to get caught by a police man. Or, have a hundred rupee note handy. If you are a non-tamil, better have a 500 rupee note in hand.

100 Hyundai Accents are good but not sufficient to fundamentally change the police DNA. Without the needed change in the DNA, Hyundai Accents have replaced Willeys jeeps and Ambassadors in dropping school children.

As an after thought, If you know about any good police man, please write, talk about him. Do some word of mouth publicity. That’s the least we can do. It’s not easy to be good and honest in such an environment.

Without helmet:

Couples - Allowed
Girl or Girls - Allowed
Guy or guys - Police maama will spot you in half kilometer distance. As you get near, he will walk in the middle of the road with both hands spread wide. Have you played ‘Kabadi Kabadi Kabadi Kabadi’ ??

Apparently, helmet rule violation is a filtering mechanism. ‘Licence edu, RC engey?, Insurance irukka?…1000Rs. fine kattu’ kind of customer mining will happen at round two.

“Aandavaa police idam irundhu ennai kaapaatru.. thirudargalai naan parthu koligren” nu kathanum pola varum.. aana katha mudiyadhu… unga vasadhikerpa 50 or 100 kuduthutu bathirama veedu poi serunga!

PS: Don’t ever tell them you are working in IT company.

Check out this story in Outlook

The photograph was the only good thing about the story. I am sure some would shrug it off as that ‘Northie’ thing. ‘Chennai is conservative’ goes the popular refrain. Wrong! People in other parts of the country do whatever they want. People in chennai call themselves conservatives and still do whatever they want, under cover. That’s the difference. I know a lot of folks who drink. Some are women.

I am neither a conservative nor a hypocrite. One reason I can never ever agree is the theory that career minded women drink to ‘relax’ themselves. Huh!
I am concerned about my female friends who drink, especially after reading the doctors’ views in the article.

Paarthu kudinga thaai kulame!

Ellam nera kodumai!!

PS: Be smart enough to use the services of bugmenot, or honest enough to register yourself to read this stuff

Go to Ashok Pillar area and ask for one Ravi aka V.Ravichandran, the founder chairman of Citizens Guardians Trust. Chances are you will be taken straight to his place by the locals.

Citizens Guardians is a trust which was formed with the sole motto of taking up public interest/civic issues that affect the common man of Chennai.

He has been in the news on the CCRCP issue, allegedly one of the biggest con-acts by the bureaucracy in the history of Tamil Nadu state.

Before someone starts off with,”aama, ivaru case pottu.. adhu vandhu.. jeyuchu.. ” raagam, let me tell you he has already been quite successful in rescuing a public park in Ashok Nagar area. That is just a single instance that i recollect now. I am sure there are lot more successful initiatives to his credit.

More on him here and here

I was told he was even featured on ibnlive.
I have promised to do a website for him. I have also offered to assist him in taking photographs for his public interest initiatives when I am free.

It takes a lot of guts, gumption and good sense to stand against the political big wigs of chennai, endure the apathetic ‘india urupadadhu’ junta, the judicial delays, the ever pervasive corruption and yet win landmark cases for the common man. Mr. Ravi has been doing just that.

Why don’t you guys call and convey your ‘outside’ support, if not inside support? After all he is working for us. A work in which we have as much responsibility as this forty-two year old resident of Ashok Nagar.

Citizens Guardians Trust
V. Ravichandran, contact no: 9941376330.

Even I too would’ve liked him to be written about in Vikatan, Kumudam etc than a blog which is read by a handful at best. But then he is neither Shreya nor Kadu Vetti Guru. Whats the point? Totally bland. No masala

Back from yet another wedding. I should have around 500 wedding pictures by now. Not all of them are, ‘look straight, say cheers!’ kinda snaps. Some are decidedly off-beat and more documentary-ish. Right now the tilt is more towards Tam-brahm weddings. I am looking forward to shoot more mallu and gult weddings. Some chettiar, pillai weddings would not hurt as well. More variety the better. More secular the better too. There are good thinking and reasons behind every community’s rituals, right?

Will South Indian weddings be the same fifty years from now? To what extent have we evolved in the last fifty years in weddings? Who will know the meaning and relevance of the current customs and rituals in say, 2045?
As of now, among my relative circles, there are some specialists ladies who can be safely described as ‘All in all azhagu raanis’ as far as rituals and proceedings go. They know the process A to Z. What if those people get old and/or pass away in another 20 years? I do not see any mentoring happening. The daughters and sons of those “All in all” types are busy with project meetings and conf. calls etc. They could not care less about rituals and customs. Personally, i am sub-zero in my community customs.

I think a ready reckoner in the form of a book or documentary will come in very handy in future to those who care about.

Having said that, I will never forget one of my friend’s wedding album. I was seeing through and I felt something was amiss there.

“Nalla dhaan irukku, aana ennamo kurayudhu da!”

“Ah.. adhu vandhu album fulla naanum en wife mattum dhaan iruppom”

“Oh yeah!.. yenda apdi?”

“Mothamave 10 per dhaan marriage ku..Marriage enga nadandhudhu theriyumo?”

“Enga da”

“Enga veetu hall la dhaan!”

Ahaa! this was “wedding from home” variety. Poor guy, the girl’s side vehemently opposed this marriage. So he did it in-house in true kollywood style. It’s another matter that no amount of wedding ready reckoners will impress this guy. He is the SME ( subject matter expert ) in registered marriages in my friend’s circle

Where is Ramarajan now? Not that I am a fan. But I know for sure he made a lot of money when his market was at the peak.

The junta which said Kamal was the 9th wonder and 10th wonder during Dasavadharam’s audio release(albeit a deserved praise), would’ve heaped glorious songs exactly like these for the likes of Mike Mohan, Suresh, Ramarajan too. What happens to them after they are sidelined by the ‘industry’? How do they survive?

Every society worships the rich and famous. As a consequence, a lot of people are determined to become rich and famous soon no matter what. They think, if they get big and rich, they will die a rich man or woman. Of the several thousands who strive, some do eventually succeed. But even those who succeed are not equipped enough to manage and channelize their new found wealth. Thats a different ball game which requires a completely different skill set.

I met a person yesterday. The man should be around 50 years old. He has not had to work for somebody till date. He has about 5 houses in Chennai - usually purchases house by paying cash in full. He has managed to provide education for his two sons, and lives a comfortable life. He says he has been able to do all this with share trading. He does not even own an office. He has one Honda City and Ford Fiesta for personal purposes.

This is not to suggest all those who invest in the stock markets end up this way. The kind of self-discipline needed to make money in the BSEs and NSE is not something to be scoffed at. The point is, this guy will never be declared rich nor famous. He would never give newspaper interviews, much less TV coverage. Nobody would peak their nose in his private life and see who he sleeps with.

Yet, i bet this guy will die a richer man than Ramarajan.

You can earn all the money in the world, but if it’s just going to do down the drain, whats the difference??

Passed by Indian Parliament in 1983, Indian Penal Code 498A, is a criminal law (not a civil law) which is defined as follows,

“Whoever, being the husband or the relative of the husband of a woman, subjects such woman to cruelty shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and shall also be liable to fine. The offence is Cognizable, non-compoundable and non-bailable.

Please read the Act 46 of 1983 to understand 498a better.

How are you at risk and why it is dangerous for the society?

Your wife/daughter-in-law who’s demands are not met can make a written false complaint of dowry harassment to a nearby police station. The husband, his old parents and relatives are immediately arrested without sufficient investigation and put behind bars on a non-bailable terms. Even if the complaint is false, you shall be presumed guilty until you prove that you are innocent.

498a can only be invoked by wife/daughter-in-law or her relative. Most cases where Sec 498A is invoked turn out to be false (as repeatedly accepted by High Courts and Supreme Court in India) as they are mere blackmail attempts by the wife (or her close relatives) when faced with a strained marriage. In most cases 498a complaint is followed by the demand of huge amount of money (extortion) to settle the case out of the court. This section is non-bailable(you have to appear in court and get bail from the judge), non-compoundable (complaint can’t be withdrawn) and cognizable (arrests without investigation or warrants). There have been countless instances where, without any investigation, the police has arrested elderly parents, unmarried sisters, pregnant sister-in-laws and even 3 year old children. In these cases unsuspecting family of husband has to go through a lot of mental torture and harassment by the corrupt Indian legal system. A typical case goes on for years (5-7 years is typical) and the conviction rate is about 2% only. Some accused parents, sisters and even husbands have committed suicide after time in jail.

For more details:
http://www.498a.org/

But how did i come to know of this site? My close friend who had gone through hell before he got divorce told me recently. He had been threatened by the girl’s side about this.

I know of a hand full of folks in both genders in my generation who are going through hell in their married life. The folks who should’ve really sought this section’s help are keeping mum citing ‘kudumba gauravam’.

Random Thoughts:

India as a country is witnessing an alarming rise of divorce cases in the recent 5-10 years.

The elders in the family who belong to the previous generation have a role to play in many of these cases in one way or the other. They have this quality of seeing things with a perspective as old as their times. First they apply wrong parameters -horoscope matching, status and some worse fundas, in other words, applying test match strategies in the days of 20-20. Next, they dominate their son’s/daughter’s life even after marriage like touching a ball well outside the off stump – not advisable even in the days of 20-20.

We now have a full generation of people in the cities who are educated, financially on their own and who have constantly been fed images and myths of the opposite sex by the media. But they not know what to realistically expect from their partner because they have never had any proper experience in dealing with a guy or girl before. Not many are getting it right the first time.

What’s next? I do not know. I wish some social scientist conducts a detailed research on what’s happening and suggests what needs to be done here.