Friday, December 22, 2023

Fault! Whose!?

The restaurant was particularly busy. All the tables were occupied. Waiters were serving their guests. The counter for parcel orders was pretty crowded. Packed food orders getting placed on the counter and people picking them up. One was having dinner, watching all the people and activities around. 

An old beggar walks in discreetly, without being spotted. He reaches the parcel counter and quickly picks one packet and turns around to leave. He is spotted and stopped by a waiter who confronts him. The beggar pleads to be let off crying he is hungry. The waiter takes the packet back and asks the beggar to leave, however, he doesn't move. People gather and ask the beggar to leave, he doesn't budge. Staff forcibly move him out of the restaurant and leaves him on the road. One has finished the idles, paid the bill and one walks out to leave. 

The beggar gets emotional. He throws his walking stick back into the restaurant premises. And the torn clothes and other contents of his bag start flying in. People passing by that busy road watch the scene unravel. 

One of the staff of the restaurant pick the stick and approach him to hand it back and to move him away from the area. The beggar gets terrified and starts to run across the road. Traffic gets affected, he bumps into some bikes and cars before falling on the road. The staff goes near him with the stick and raises it. 

Someone driving on the road, stops and pulls the staff away and sends him back to the restaurant. Someone else buys some food and gives to the beggar. 

One was still standing there, wondering how One must have acted. 

Tuesday, August 08, 2023

Repetition

One hot afternoon, about 30 years ago, I was walking back home after the daily darshan of Parthasarathy Swami. A particular pregnant woman was walking in the area and seeking alms. She came towards me and asked me give some money. 

As a 10 year old kid who was walking alone, I had a only a 25 paise coin and gave to her. She got wild and asked me why I was giving such a small sum and asked for atleast 1 rupee. I got angry. I asked her to return the coin, took it back and walked home, plainly ignoring all the choicest abuses that were rolling out from her. 

Since that incident, I had a policy of never giving any money or help to beggars. It hurt me that much.

Back to earlier this evening. We were waiting for a vehicle in front of Madhya Kailash temple. An old man walked up to us and asked for money. I gave him a 5 rupees coin. Some coins had dropped from my wallet. As I was picking them up, he claimed they were his and he had only 1 rupee in his hand. When we reminded him that he had 5 rupees in his hand and whatever was on the floor were not his. He started to abuse and demanded atleast 20 rupees or more. 

Me being myself, I was going to take back the 5 rupees and get into the vehicle. I was pulled away from doing that. My brother had to physically pull me away and shove me into the cab that had arrived for us to leave. The choicest abuses were going on today as well.

Times change. Quantity changes. Behaviour and incidents do not change.


Monday, January 10, 2022

Equality?

This is a thought that has been bothering one for a while now.

We are all brought up in a society which has its own restrictions and thoughts. Dresses, activities, behaviour and all else is classified based on gender roles

A woman doing something that is considered traditionally masculine is hailed and considered as part of women empowerment. A woman doing hard-work, wearing traditionally masculine-tagged clothes (shirts and pants etc.) is considered a good thing. Anything that a woman does outside of the traditional definition is considered bringing them to mainstream. It is labelled as removing gender discrimination. It is celebrated even by the so called feminists.

There was even a recent press article which boasted and celebrated the introduction of uni-sex uniform elsewhere. Everyone was pictured wearing pant and shirt. Women who become engine drivers, auto drivers, bus drivers are celebrated.

It all sounds happy and cozy till now.

However, a man wearing clothes in bright colours which are traditionally considered feminine is a taboo. A pink shirt and green pant is ridiculed. So called openminded folks themselves don't even permit such things, let alone appreciate or even approve. It is not about a male wearing a skirt or a saree. It is ridiculed. Such a thing is passed around as a joke. 

Sometimes, while a woman in a saree is praised, a man in a dhoti is not treated similarly. 

One tends to think that real equality is when no such sexist and gender-biased rules exist. Any person must be free to wear anything they consider comfortable. It must not be commented. It must not be looked at, with any coloured lens. 

Real equality is when every person is free to practice what he/she/they consider correct for themselves. That is the mordern and open society that must be aimed at...


interesting conversation overheard at a shop recently


வாடிக்கையாளர்: சுண்டல் எவ்வளவு? 
கடைக்காரர்: 30 ரூபாய் 
வாடிக்கையாளர்: வாடகை செலுத்தும் கடையில் உள்ளவர்களுக்கும் உங்கள் சாலையோரக் கடைக்கும் ஒரே விலையா? 15 அல்லது 20 ரூபாய்க்கு கொடுக்க வேண்டும் 
கடைக்காரர்: அது எனக்கு போதுமானதாக இருக்காது 
வாடிக்கையாளர்: அப்படியானால் உங்கள் கடைக்கும் அவர்களுக்கும் என்ன வித்தியாசம்? 
கடைக்காரர்: நீங்கள் தயவு செய்து அந்த கடையிலேயே சென்று சாப்பிடுங்கள்

Sunday, February 14, 2021

Bovine Intervention

The recent video of an incident during Parthasarathy Perumal's Garuda sevai reminds one of an incident from about 35 years ago.

We lived in a house situated at a street corner. One of them was road leading to Vasantha bungalow and the other was known to be the milkbowl.

True to its name, it had many families which maintained cattle.

One fine evening during vasantha utsavam, Parthasarathy Perumal was on his way to his bungalow. He came to a halt at the said street junction, for aarthi and mandagapadi.

As we were all standing...

We were all standing and having darshan. It was eventless till a particular cow decided she wanted to have darshan of the Lord. There she came towards the Lord. She couldn't find a comfortable way.

That's when she decided to do whatever is necessary to see the Lord

She started to make a dash and came with full force. Charged with all her energy, she pushed all people on their way. And then in her energy and vigour she came and pushed everyone including those who were carrying the Lord.

And she couldn't control herself there after all.

The final target was Parthasarathy Perumal himself. Unable to bear the impact of her push, he came crashing down.

After seeing him to her content, she happily went back like a silent girl.

In a few moments there was such a melee. Everyone was on the floor.

All people and the Lord were rattled. People then came to their senses, pulled themselves up and lifted Perumal back to his peedam. The entire procession then quickly returned to the temple.

Took some time for people to clean up the place.

Pieces of ornaments and other things which are used to do alankaram for the Perumal were found on the road for the next few days. They were all collected and returned to the temple.

Perumal was not bothered of the incident and he continued to come in his usual way.

Utsavam continued as usual from the next day.

Still in the memory.

As a 5 year old, one was snatched away into the house when the cow came charging. Saw the falling of people from the window.

Such incidents always stay in the memory. Mostly still fresh. 


Tuesday, October 01, 2019

Ganeshu - The tambura that wouldn't strum anymore

Till before the advent of the electronic boxes, the tambura was the only way to keep sruthi at a concert. Though there were disciples who would sit and strum this drone, there were dedicated tambura vidwans who would be present and be part of the music team.
These vidwans were musically trained and well versed in the nuances. Senior tambura vidwans would even be commanding on stage, once upon a time.
The tambura is today an endangered species on concert stage. The senior vidwans are happy with just a disciple holding on to a tambura on stage. The need for a tambura vidwan is much reduced.
Ganeshu was the senior most tambura vidwan one knew. How did one get introduced, what was his background, why was one able to get his confidence that he would speak freely and share his thoughts. One does not remember such things, neither bothered to ponder and find answers. After all, one did/does know many performing artists personally.
This frail old man was a class of his kind. Ever friendly and smiling. Always knew what he was talking. He would be professional on stage, when the performance was on. However when he is away from stage, he was a different person. With people he was comfortable with, he would be frank with his thoughts and opinions. They were objective and plain. His musical knowledge would be apparent in his analysis of music.
People who would hear him may generally think he was not clear. That he was just making some noise. For those who knew him, that was not the case.
Ganeshu was one man who could call a spade right on stage. A man who would openly say his thoughts even to artists.
Age and health made performances difficult. That did not spoil his spirit. He lived by himself and had his own share of life-worries. Afterall, who had/has a problem free life. That never stops you from enjoying life. That was Ganeshu.
After every concert he played or heard, he would go to atleast one of the artists and say "Naalaikku unga aathukku saapida vandhudaren. Oru vetha kulambu, thogayal porum. Appalam suttu pottudu." However, there is no verifiable instance when he actually had shown up for lunch the next day.

This article was published in Nada Inbam webpage
https://naadainbam.wordpress.com/2019/10/01/ganeshu-the-tambura-which-wouldnt-strum-anymore/ 

Thursday, October 25, 2018

Wanderings at Lunch

Since many weeks, one has been having lunch all by oneself. On multiple occasions, one chooses to sit in the tables meant for 2 people instead of the bigger 6 people tables, just to reduce the probability of someone else using the other seat(s). The reasons being many. There is a dearth for a suitable gang for one to tag along, the kind of food served in the canteen isn't to one's liking, the 'aroma' is beyond one's tolerance limits and so on and so on. A practice to eat when one feels hungry is also of primary importance.

This afternoon, one was having a solitary lunch. A simple fair of a couple pieces of wheat flour based Indian bread with a tomato based accompaniment and a couple of slices of toasted brown bread. As one was munching, a certain acquaintance from office walks up to one's table and states "enna saar, chappati ellam saapidareenga. north indian aagiteengala" (what sir? you are eating chapathi and all. have you become a north indian?) and walks away.

Left one puzzled. One wanted to go to his table and question him if he is of Irish domicile, since he eating a dish made from potatoes, if he has plans to be identified as a South American, since there is a sufficient dash of chillies in his meal, if he has taken a residence in Jakarta, since he most probably had idly for breakfast on atleast one occasion amongst the past half-a-dozen mornings and some further similar questions.

Well, does it really matter!

Sunday, August 26, 2012

yesterday at the station.

Yesterday i reached TVR (thiruvarur) station rather early for my 16176. And my decision to do so yielded. I could see 56889 TVR-TPT passenger (a tiny train all of 3 coaches with the Guard in the middle one, pulled by GOC YDM4 6225) I was so facinated to see a MG train after so long. I kept going up-and-down the platform till the train departed. It was very dark and hence I did not attempt to take a pic. From the MG pf 5, i walked back to the BG pf 1 for my 16176 (thro' the FOB actually) and was loitering around the Pf coz there were too many mosquitoes. A Policeman stopped me and asked me "yenga poreenga" I said "madras poren" apram en andha platform-la ninnutu irundheenga. konja neram munnadi 5-la pathene" I was shocked to know that people actually noted this. I replied "naa madras. angallam meter gauge train kedayadhu. inga irukku-nu sonnanga adhaan paakalaam-nu andha platform vanden." he dint leave me there. "madras-la enna panreenga" he asked. "Oru company-la velai paakaren" i said. "thiruvarur edhukku vandheenga" he asked again. "idhu thaan sondha oor. kovilukku vandhen" i replied. naanum vidaama padhil sonnen. "periya kovil vandheengala" he also dint leave me. "aama saar. pakkathula grama thaan actually sondha oor. anga thiruvizha-kkaga vandheen." i said. (totally unmai)

even after all this cross-examination he half-heartedly let me continue my loitering till the train actually came.

oru train-a vedikkai paakaradhu ivlo periya thappaaa:((

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