A COMMITED LEADER

Jyoti Basu was born on 8 July, 1914 as Jyotirindra Basu into an upper middle-class Bengali family in Calcutta. His father, Nishikanta Basu, was a doctor from the village of Barodi in Dhaka District, East Bengal (now in Bangladesh), while his mother Hemalata Basu was a housewife.

After his studies in England in the year 1935 for Law, he got interested in activities of politics through the Communist Party of Great Britain. In 1940 he completed his studies and qualified as a Barrister. In the same year he returned to India. In 1944 Mr. Jyothi Basu became involved in trade union activities when CPI delegated him to work amongst the railway labourers. When B.N. Railway Workers Union and B.D. Rail Road Workers Union merged, Mr. Jyothi Basu became the general secretary of the union, starting his political carrier from there, till time he is loved and respected by all persons, not from his party but people from all walks of life.

He served as the Chief Minister of West Bengal from 1977 to 2000, making him India's longest-serving Chief Minister as of 2009^[update]. He was a member of the CPI (M) Politburo from the time of the party's founding in 1964 until 2008.

Now as he is hospitalised, let’s hope for his good health, and look forward to work more for the working class and for the people who suffer, and who needs justice to be done.

LIVING WITH ART

Anthropologists claim that the history of tattoos may date back to many centuries back. Certainly, we know that many of the ancient civilizations, including the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, used tattooing techniques.
Towards the end of the 1800s criminals in America and even normal citizens were tattooed with a code for identification purposes.
Now tattooing has become a status symbol, and to some people it’s a show off. The other funny thing is some use the tattoo in private parts and the others use in body places which are open. As tattoo designs and safety techniques improved, and several prominent celebrities began to sport tattoos, they became desirable once again.
The Greeks and Romans used tattoos for a different purpose – to show criminal or slave status! This is a concept that we could call the ‘dark side’ of tattoo history – the fact that body tattooing has been used, in certain times in history, to indicate an inferior status. This is relatively unusual and in most cultures, tattoo art is a symbol of status or accomplishment.
Tattooing some years back was in disreputable until it made a dramatic comeback a few years back. Now the young generation is behind tattooing, it may be good, but I don’t understand the freedom some people implementing this art in faces, I not sure to comment this can be cleared or changed when one don’t likes this. In our cultural ethics I don’t know how a person will be treated in my society with a tattoo in face. I could like to comment this art as not ‘art of living’ but ‘living with art’

THE GREAT FALL OF A LEADER

Iraqi civilians and U.S. soldiers pull down a statue of Saddam Hussein in downtown Baghdad, on April 9, 2003

This unsourced picture allegedly shows ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein being dragged out of his hiding following his capture by US troops 13 December 2003 in an underground hole at a farm in the village of ad-Dawr, near his hometown of Tikrit in northern Iraq.

surabhi sudarsan

Shocking Photos

A hijacked commercial plane approaches the World Trade Centre shortly before crashing into the landmark skyscraper 11 September 2001 in New York.

Hope this pictures will stand in our hearts, forever.

Lets work together against terrorism

A person falls from the north tower of New York's World Trade Centre in this Sept. 11, 2001 file photo, after terrorists crashed two hijacked airliners into the World Trade Centre and brought down the twin 110-story towers.

surabhi sudarsan

MY VISIT TO VALIYATHURA KADAL PALAM

I had a visit to one of the oldest kadal palam (Sea Bridge) in Kerala yesterday, it’s situated at Valiyathura. It’s nearly 7 km from Trivandrum city and very near Shankumugham beach. This place was once a dock yard for small vessels, and also when all big ships came here to Trivandrum, she will be angered in the sea which is the nearest, from there passengers and goods are carried here in small boats, at that time they use to take the goods with the lifts there, but now all the lifts have been removed from the bridge. There was also a customs office which worked for the need of the port, and also a flag hoisting place to make know the fisherman about the climate. The ruins of the godown which was used for storing goods can also be seen here. Now here there is a officer who undertakes the daily happenings here, this include some TV serial shooting or such things. Now here the local fisherman use this elevated place for fishing with hooks, and also the locals use this place for launching the Kattamaram (Catamaran) to go to sea. I saw some visitors also at the bridge to watch the fishing, and to see the sunset.
Really when technology was not so much developed, building this type of a bridge at that time might be immensely tough.

By visiting this Kadal Palm I could once more recollect that we people don’t take care of buildings or anything once its build and handed over to public. We never take care of monuments also, some thing it’s all left behind for new, but the thing is that we can never go forward forgetting with our culture and sentimental values.

surabhi sudarsan

ANOTHER GAS TRAGEDY

2009 went away from us; especially from people of Kerala the year went away taking 4 innocent lives at Karunagapally near Kollam.
The incident occurred when a Gas tanker collided with a car. Our road traffic rules are violated by all, including the police department in many ways. When this accident occurred a police team arrived on the spot, but poor persons, they don’t know what’s inside this container, or how dangerous is the leak, or what all precaution to take, or what liquid, powder, or foam should be used to suppress this. Really this is one of the main reasons why the fire caught all of a sudden. Actually the fire department comes with a tank of water to every place they are called. They too don’t have any experts in every fire station, if so they are not having any fire safety dress at many places.
When all I have seen a Gas container on the road, I have seen a red small flag on the side of the cabin, how will this be noticed even in the day light, or how will drivers or general public notice a small red bulb in the highway when other cars and trucks are using heavy head lights with dashing speed. I have noticed that the containers has written what the truck is carrying, but my doubt if any incident occur and the truck catches fire how will the fire man know what’s in the container.
Let me suggest some point for safety (1) All the Hazardous or flammable carrying trucks must be forced to use the warning yellow lights as in every other country, so that this can be easily seen in day, and night. (2) All container trucks should be fitted with metal embossed letters in all sides to show what they are carrying, this is if the container catches fire, the metal plates will not get burned, so that the fire man can easily identify. (3) All containers carrying inflammable goods should place their knobs or vent in a safe area, and also out of reach from public. (4) The drivers of the said containers should have minimum qualification , and experience.(5) The containers should be allowed to run in a speed less than 40 km/hr. (6) If possible allow only night riding on thickly populated areas or in heavy traffic. (7) Never allow the container trucks to travel through places where there are festivals, or fire crackers.(8) Never allow the drivers to drive more than eight hours , if so wanted the truck must have two drivers. (9)Allow permit to the container vehicles for the first five years only. (10) Every truck which carries flammable materials must have two or three fire extinguishers.

FEEL THE DIFFERENCE

Burj Dubai or "Dubai Tower" is a super tall skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and is the tallest man-made structure ever built, at 818 m (2,684 ft). Construction began on 21 September 2004, with the exterior of the structure completed on 1 October 2009 and the building officially opened on 4 January 2010.

This tallest building of the world took just 6 years to build it, here in Trivandrum , the Trivandrum City Road Improvement Project started to build an over bridge with the maiden venture of Kerala Road Fund Board. All the pillars are finished, and a portion of the bridge road is yet to be completed. I have noticed ministers visiting the construction sites and narrating about the highlights and the time of completion of the bridge, but it’s only on words nothing is happening, all going in the speed of a snail.

Let’s at this time think why development is on the fast track in some countries, is this the problem of the people or the set up of our community. I do want my country to develop fast, for development we have to change a lot, more than that we must have leaders who have vision for the people and country, or else we will again look to more skyscrapers and just open our mouth, we are poor citizens ruled by elected politicians...let long live our politicians to rule us with our votes, isn’t. Don’t they feel shy?

Is this becoming the comedy of the century..... Where are the opportunities ?

മുസ്ലീങ്ങളെ തീവ്രവാദികളായി ചിത്രീകരിക്കരുത്

സംഘപരിവാര്‍ കുറച്ചുകാലം മുമ്പ് പറഞ്ഹത് "മുസ്ലീങ്ങളെല്ലാം തീവ്രവാദികളല്ല, പക്ഷെ തീവ്രവാദികളെല്ലാം മുസ്ള്ളീങ്ങളാണ് "എന്നാണ്. ഈ പ്രസ്താവന ഇന്നും അവര്‍ ആവര്‍ത്തിക്കുന്നു, കേരളത്തിന്റെ ഇന്നത്തെ പശ്ചാത്തലത്തില്‍ . എന്തിനാണ് ഇങ്ങനെ ഒരു പ്രചാരം തീവ്രവാദ കേസുകള്‍ക്ക് കേരളത്തില്‍ കൊടുക്കുന്നത്. ഈ പ്രചാരം കുറച്ചില്ലെങ്കില്‍ തകര്ന്നുപോകുന്നത് പാവപ്പെട്ട മുസ്ലീങ്ങളുടെ മനസ്സാണ്. കേരളം ഇന്നേവരെ ഉണ്ടാക്കിയെടുത്ത മതസൌഹാര്‍ദം തകര്‍ക്കാനുള്ള ബോധപൂര്‍വമായ പദ്ധതികള്‍ അരങ്ങുതകര്‍ക്കുന്ന ഇവിടെ മാധ്യമങ്ങളും പോലീസും ചേര്‍ന്ന് മുസ്ല്ലീമിനെ ഭീകരനാക്കുകയാണ്. എത്രയും പെട്ടെന്ന് തീവ്രവാദ കേസുകളോട് മാധ്യമങ്ങളുടെ സമീപനം മാറ്റിയില്ലെങ്കില്‍ തകരുന്നത് ഒരു നാടിന്റെ മതേതരത്വം ആയിരിക്കും.

A tourist's haven?

As I sat with my book in the train today, a few foreigners came and sat next to me. I thought i nheard one of them say "...such a waste this journey is"...

This led me to wonder(not for the first time), that even though tourism is a huge thing in this state (and all over our country), we have really not made it worthy of being enjoyed. So what do these tourists come looking for? Poverty and garbage strewn places? Trains smelling filthy because of the unclean toilets inside them? People crammed in these trains? Roads with traffics so messed up?... Maybe yes.. I've seen calendars and books portraying our country like that..

But there's so much more!! Kerala is a place of such unbeatable scenic beauty not at all used cleverly as far as tourism goes... why isn't this beauty being put to good use? A long stretch of a river bank without dumped plastic bottles or bits of garbage is hard to find isn't it? Why not have a proper handout for tourists be prepared with basic information and be made available at the railway stations, So they know where exactly to go and how to get there. Why not have places being visited by tourists the most be cleaned up and probably charged accordingly(after all, all this cleaning up will definitely cost a LOT of money). Why not keep the trains clean...? (not just for the tourists)..

But then, what's the use of me writing it here .. just a random thought in my head.. 

Evangeline :)

സൗഹൃദം...

ഒഴിവാക്കാമായിരുന്നു.....

ചവട്ടുകുട്ടയില്ലെക്ക് വീഴ്തുമ്പോള്‍..

ചിന്തിക്കാന്‍  പറ്റാത്തത് എന്തുകൊണ്ടാണ്? 

 ഈ ചുരുണ്ട കടലാസിന്റെ ധര്മാമെന്താ?

-വൃതികെടാക്കല്‍ മാത്രം..

ധര്മാപരിപാലനതിനായ് അതൊന്നു 
 നിവര്‍ത്തി നോക്കിയാലോ?

വേണ്ട...

പഴയ രൂപം അതിനു നഷ്ടപ്പെട്ടു..

പൂര്‍വസ്ഥിതി ഓര്‍ത്തു അത് ദുഖിക്കും..

വേണ്ടായിരുന്നു...

ഈ .... സൌഹൃദം ....

The walk..

So, you tread on pebbles when you walk on a road...

I've tread on pebbles too,,,
big ones and small..
I stumble, I fall...

And get myself back on my feet again..
Walk and think I'll be careful this time..
So when I walk, I watch out
At everything in sight, I doubt..

But now that i watch and doubt and look..
I cannot enjoy the road i took...
I'd rather enjoy, I decide
I cast my doubts, my fears aside

And I stumble on a rock again...
But this one time, I don't complain..
For I decided to stumble and fall..
A bruise it made, really small...

After all what's life without mistakes..
How unexciting without risks you take...
Don't call me careless, do not judge
I have no complaints, I have no grudge..

For my days of crying are long gone..
I don't care, of what's right or what's wrong..
It 'll happen again, I don't fight anymore
The pain's all gone, it hurts no more..

:)

Evangeline

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas :)
2:37 am.. i just returned from Church after the midnight service..

Admist tons of "Merry Christmas" SMSes flowing in just when it struck twelve, a sleepy me waited for the mass to get over...

It isn't half as good as it were back in Noida... There it used to start a few weeks before christmas... all the carol singing and crib decoration and house visits and cake cuttings. I remember staying back late at the church to practice carols to be sung on Christmas eve during the mass.. I remember Sandra ma'am going over and over again to make each one of us in the choir to get the notes right. And the tea they used to get us .. was like life-saver from the chilling cold and endless practice.

Its just so calm here.. doesn't feel like Christmas used to feel.

But then after a whole year of scattered living.. This is one time my whole(small :P) family is together.. My dad and my sister are back home.. :) It feels good to have them around...

:D Merry Christmas yet again!

Evangeline

WISH U MERRY X'MAS......

Large Hadron Collider

Hadron collider is the worlds largest and highest energy particle accelerator, intended to collide opposing particle beams of either protons at an energy of 7TeV/particle or lead nuclei at an energy of 574TeV/nucleus for understanding the deepest laws of physics.

 LHC was built by European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) with the intention of testing various predictions of high energy physics.

  On sept 2008, the proton beams were successfully circulated in main ring of  LHC  for the first time.After various experiments,on 20 Nov 2009 the protons were successfully circulated again. on 23 Nov , first proton-proton collision were recorded.On 18 Dec 2009,LHC was shutdown  after its initial works..it will now be down untill 2010.

 LHC gained considerable attention from outside the scientific community and its progress is followed by most popoular science media. It is also sparked the imaginations of authors of works of fiction such as novels, tv serials and video games...

കറുപ്പും വെളുപ്പും

ചിത്രങ്ങള്‍ ആയിരമായിരുന്നു.....
സംയോജനത്തിന്റെ ബാഹ്യരൂപങ്ങളായി
മനസ്സിലെക്കുയര്‍ത്തിയ വാര്‍ത്തകള്‍ ആയിരുന്നു  ..
സ്വപ്നവും, കാമവും, ദീനവും, ദൈന്യവും
ശരങ്ങലായെത്തിയ മുറിവുകളായിരുന്നു....
കണ്ണും കരളും പിടഞ്ഞു പിടഞ്ഞു ..
വെളിച്ചത്തില്‍ നിന്നും ഇരുട്ടിലേക്കും ,
ഇരുട്ടിലൂടെ തുഴന്ജ് വെളിച്ചത്തിലേക്കും..
 ആര്‍ത്തു  ചിരിച്ചു കണ്ണുപൊത്തി ,യാഥാര്‍ത്യത്തിലേക്കും ...
 കറുത്തും........ വെളുത്തും ......
[IFFK -എന്‍റെ തീവ്ര സിനിമാനുഭവങ്ങള്‍ .. .]

IFFK

I'm starting to miss the whole movie watching week... And I'm not even half as religious towards movie-watching as my friend Binu is (no sarcasm). But IFFK was fun. 

I couldn't stay beyond 5 any of the days but all that I saw was good. 

One thing i liked about the whole organizing part was the auto-rickshaw system. That was a good idea making half the travel convenient, and most of the times I ended up sharing the auto with new people. 

I've been writing a few reviews of the movies we saw at the IFFK. It's tiresome to recollect everything after watching so many... 

They'll gradually come however..

Do visit my blog to read a couple that I've put up already..

Evangeline