Bucket List One

People dream of many dreams. Some are normal. Some are wild. Some are outright ridiculous. Yet they are dreams !

Even I dream. I dream a lot. In fact I can be placed in the category  " Day Dreamer "  !

Latest dream, I am now dreaming of a future of some accomplishments I should achieve before I kick the bucket.

I dream that may be if I get a large sum of white money, after taxes, so that whatever I spend is not questioned as to its Source.

Suppose God gives me a purse of Ten Crores Indian National Rupees. INR 10 Crores after tax. 

What will I do ?

I will first and foremost clear the Bank loan of 3 Crores my sons have taken to rebuild our Cuckoos Nest into 4 floors. Give them an additional 1 Crore to finish the project.

That leaves 6 Crores with me.

I will then deposit 50 lakhs each in my 4 children's names in such Deposits that give them a safe income month after month. Safe Government Deposits like Post Office or State Bank Of India. Which should give each of them a steady Pocket Money every month.

And one deposit of 50 lakhs in my wife's name So that she earns a decent Pocket Money every month to spend as she desires. Then I will deposit One Crore in my name so as to supplement my monthly income of a meagre pension I get from Indian Oil. This will enable me to spend on my little luxuries and travels to see my friends, kith and kin in Chennai and Delhi.

Now how much will be the balance left ?  2 and a half Crores will be the balance left.

I will deposit 50 lakhs each for my two brothers and sister, so that they are taken care of for their survival'

Then I will be left with one crore. 

What next ?     Million dollar question  ?   

  No,  no,  I have adequate dreams to spend that sum !

I will invest this one crore in developing the ancestral land of 41 acres,  I have in Polampalli hamlet of Usirikayalapalli  village in Karepalli Mandal of Khammam District.

I have already invested 3 to 4 lakhs in levelling the land and digging a bore well in 2017. I was waiting for a Revenue Department Passbook. This never came  will not come in the normal course.

 I have to make settlements with the encroachers who crept in after I developed the land. Either pay cash or surrender some land and make a settlement. Bribe the Revenue Officials and get absolute possession and the blessed Govt. Passbook. Build a compound wall and be done. That alone will ensure that no more  encroachments will take place again. Maybe a chunk of 4 to 5 acres may slip away and I will be poorer by 15 or 20 lakhs. Yet I would have salvaged at least 30 to 35 acres of land.

Then call a Horticultural Contractor from West Godavari District, to lay an orchard of fruits,  Mango, Guava ( Jama ), Sapota and Custard Apple in 20 acres.   It was surveyed by a Horticulturist and these are the fruits that will grow in this land as per the soil testing results. This spade work was done in 2017.

Another 5 acres for flowers. Another 5 acres for Medicinal Herbs like Tulasi Etc.

And build a dwelling house, a tiled house,  of 3 bedrooms, 4 inner verandas, 4 outer verandas in a rectangular shape,with an open to sky courtyard inside the rectangle. An ancient design known as Chatur Saala Bhavanthi.

Develop a Badminton court and a Vollyball court for the Youth of the area to come and play in the evenings. A library with newspaers and magazines for the youth to entertain themselves. I will name it as Parsa Youth Centre !

To ensure this dwelling is financially self sufficient, I will start a Cottage Industry of making Pickles and Snacks for Exports. 4 pickles and 4 snacks only. Hand made and on order only. No inventory holding. Shelf Life will be only 15 days !

To make these pickles I will offer a 50 : 50 partnership to a good cook's family. They put in their labour and skill. I put in the Finances. They need not put in any Fianace. Can be recruited from any of the 4 coastal districts of Andhra. East and West Godavari, Krishna and Guntur.

One over riding condition of the contract,  is to provide cooks for my residence on a regular basis, no absenteeism at all. An alternate cook should be available at all times..

Its a dream, right ?     So lets dream for the Heaven only !

Last wish, to live a life with Nature in this dwelling which I will call  VAANAPRASTHA

 and leave this world, by God's Grace in a smiling mode.             Haste hue nikle dum. 

A bucket list.

 Reinventing the Wheel !

I always heard this line, Reinventing the wheel but never realized its actual application. Today I suddenly remembered my Blog which I have not been writing for quite a few years. Then I searched the net and got my blog ! Lo, my blog is still there, methinks, as if I discovered something unique !

 Reinvented the wheel ?

I wanted my grand daughter Ananya to read a blog I wrote about her on July 31,2010 ! When she was 10 months old. She asked me " I will check your blog and read it, Thaata, are you still writing ? "

That made me curious. Yes, why not I revive my old habit of writing my blog ? Not a bad idea.

Today the world is aghast with the war on in the middle east between Palistine and Israel on the Gaza strip, mad man shooting in the U S on innocent people,killing them mercilessly and so on. More and more voilence everywhere.

Will peace ever return to this planet ? Or will humans annihilate themselves to destruction ?

God save this planet and these senseless humans who have grown mad with their achievements of destructive weapons ?

Parsa Elder

The Finishing School Concept

My Journey to the West

 The last time I went to the West was in 2018. I was to go in 2020 to be present at the Grihapravesham Ceremony of the New House my daughter Divya and son in law Manoj built in Atlanta Georgia. It was to be in August 2020.

And the Covid 19 had spread rapidly in March 2020. Hoping against Hope that it would subside by July 2020, we were keeping our options open till in early July all travel was stopped and Covid 19 was ruling the Roost all over the World.

We kept waiting and waiting. Finally in early 2022, the Pandemic was retreating and travel lines were opening up slowly but steadily.

Does an Economist have a role to play?

Recently, I read a post on FB, that Economists only record economic activity in a region or nation, like a chronicler and that Economists do not run the Economy.

From 2004 to 2014 India had a renowned Economist as the Prime Minister who was running the Indian Economy, with his men as head of Reserve Bank and as Economic advisers to the Government Of India. He is said to have run the economy effectively for a “ fruitful “ ten year period.

Later the Congress lost the 2014 general elections and B J P came to power. The B J P Prime Minister has his own economists in the Reserve Bank and in his set of economic advisers.

So, economists are playing an important role in the administration irrespective of which party is in power. These economists are thrown up from prestigious institutions like the London School Of Economics, Harvard university and such highly rated institutions. What they have learnt and what they practice are two drastically divergent issues. They are bogged down by their inherent or imbibed political ideologies.

Never do they feel the pulse of the grass root happenings nor do they care to carry out any course corrections as they go along making fundamental mistakes. The reason for this is they never see Economics as a dynamic science. For them it is of a plain academic matter for writing books, theories and expecting peer recognition in seminars and other academic activity. And expect the Nobel Prize for their Theories. It is immaterial for them whether the theories are practical, whether they are yielding the desired results or not.



There have been successful economies in Asia too, where the economic policies were tailored for their specific needs and their citizens. Not by any London School Of Economics stalwart, or a Nobel laureate, but by a practical thinking Prime Minister. Like for example Singapore.

 They realized capitalism is needed to build infrastructure, start industries, to generate wealth and to utilize the wealth created in such a way that the people are the main beneficiaries with their own participation in creating, conserving and distributing the wealth created.

Every person needs a job to sustain himself. A house to live in. A medical care facility to take care of bad times due to ill health, a viable public transport to move around comfortably and easily, a pension fund arrangement to take care of retired life. The citizen is given a house for which he has to pay, a job to perform with highest possible productivity standards and contribute to all welfare measures in whatever way possible. This is called participatory Economics. As opposed to the Left ideology of just redistribute the wealth available to all “ poor citizens “, without they ever contributing to the economy of the country. Creating a class by itself who grow accustomed to indolence indiscipline and demand that every good thing must come to them free of any cost or effort.

Welfare state does not mean the State will provide everything freely and  allow its citizens the freedom to behave the way he/she likes. State for them is the Father who keeps on supplying your needs unto eternity.

In ancient India, in the 4 th Century BCE, there lived an Economist  Prime Minister minister called Kautilya or Chanakya, serving a King called Chandragupta Maurya. Chanakya wrote a treatise
called the  “ Arthasashtra”, which very few people are aware of. Chanakya is only remembered as a Politician of extraordinary abilities to manipulate and conceive tactics to attain and retain power, either by hook or crook.
This is far from the truth. One should learn more about this great Economistwhose Arthasashtra is as relevant today as it was in his times.

PenguineBooks have published a latest translation by one L N Rangarajan. This will throw ample light on this great treatise of  our ancestors.

You will then understand what Chanakya was, what he wrote and how he ran the Gupta Empire Economy.

   Macaulay’s Heirs in today’s India

   Macaulay’s Heirs in today’s India

Macaulay, must be turning in his grave and laughing away to eternity to see his political heirs in India keeping alive his principle of hating Hinduism, Hindu Culture and all that bears any resemblance to the ancient Indian Hindu way of life.

After almost more than  18 decades after he delivered the infamous speech in the British Parliament the Pseudo Leftist Atheists Of the Indian stiff collared upper Elite,  sipping their Coffees in Posh South Delhi Bunglows and restaurants, preach Macaulay’s principles to hate any thing connected with Hinduism.

In the 19 th Century and early 20^thCentury activist Raja Ram Mohan Roy,  did yeoman Service to the Hindu Society in trying to weed out undesirable and baseless beliefs like Sati.

Bal Gangadhar  Tilak revived the customs and festivals of Hindus which were totally forgotten by the general population educated in the Macaulay enunciated Education system of the ruling Britishers.

One such staunch follower of Macaulay’s principle was Jawaharlal Nehru, who whole heartedly believed and lived his entire life in following what the English education taught him.

 He was enamored of the classy British Bara Saheb’s Culture and was the most uncomfortable person amongst Gandhi’s followers in Congress. He hated any reference to the Hindu faith or the Hindu Gods in whom Gandhi believed. 

Nehru’s abhorrence for the Hindu Customs was clearly evident in his Will wherein he exhorts his progeny to cremate his body after his death and take the ashes high up into the sky in an aero plane and sprinkle them on land and people who loved him so fondly, because he knew Hindu custom ordains that ashes of dead people be immersed in a river or in a confluence Of rivers or in the ocean.

 He just did not want that Hindu custom to be observed for his ashes.

He was cultured, his admirers argue. His culture was pure selfishness, jealousy of any intelligent peer shining in the Congress like  Subhash Chandra Bose or Vallabh Bhai Patel or Bheemrao Ambedkar who did not tow his line of thinking.

It was destiny that thrusted greatness and the Prime Minister ship on Nehru. 

Bose disappeared after the War in 1945, Patel died in 1950 and Ambedkar was eased out with the brute majority that Nehru had in the Congress.

He was the typical hypocritical Leftist calling himself a Socialist but enjoyed his personal life with Rothman cigarettes, Scotch Whisky and the English Lordly  way of living.

 He sported the Gandhi cap to fool his Electorate that he was a Gandhian. Because he shrewdly understood that Congress needed the Gandhi stamp to win elections and come to power.

The Hindu identity was revived by  pioneers like Tilak,  a revival was coming through. 

Tilak died and Gandhi became ineffective with the advent of Jawaharlal Nehru on the dominant political scenario orchestrated by the Nehruvian Congress.

Hindu Culture was systematically down played and even humiliated to tell the educated youth that Hindu Customs are the cause for Indian poverty.

 The Hindu Code Bill was passed making Divorce legal and silently killed  the sacred institution of Hindu marriage by Nehru.  And in the same stroke the concept of the Hindu Joint family way of life was eliminated.

Jawaharlal Nehru has gone on record that he always was

 “ culturally a Mohammedan “.

He had no respect or belief in Hinduism and he openly decried and ran down anyone who professed to be a devout Hindu.

The famous Somnath temple in Gujarat was being renovated and the then President of the Republic Dr. Rajendra Prasad attended and laid the foundation stone for the renovated Somnath temple.

Nehru criticized the President that it was against the principles of Secularism adopted by the Government.

Holding Iftaar Parties during the Holy month of Ramzaan was perfectly Secular for Nehru.

Hinduism will never die with the short sighted policies of the Pseudo Leftists and pseudo intellectuals in this vast country of Hindu majority population. Majoritarianism is the name given to Hindus by its staunch opponents. 

Hinduism has a culture and tradition which survived for thousands of years in this Holy Land of Hindu civilizations. It will go on in future too. Nobody can stop it, neither any one is needed to propagate it. 

It’s a religion, a faith,  a belief in universal brotherhood and well being of all human beings irrespective of caste, creed, religion, political support or charity of any one individual powerful ruler.

Vasudeva  Kutumbikam is the corner stone of this age old Faith, the way of living for the honest and sincere believers in God and His Creation.

[pr1] 

---

 [pr1]

Macaulay, must be turning in his grave and laughing away to eternity to see his political heirs in India keeping alive his principle of hating Hinduism, Hindu Culture and all that bears any resemblance to the ancient Indian Hindu way of life.

After almost more than  18 decades after he delivered the infamous speech in the British Parliament the Pseudo Leftist Atheists Of the Indian stiff collared upper Elite,  sipping their Coffees in Posh South Delhi Bunglows and restaurants, preach Macaulay’s principles to hate any thing connected with Hinduism.

In the 19 th Century and early 20^thCentury activist Raja Ram Mohan Roy,  did yeoman Service to the Hindu Society in trying to weed out undesirable and baseless beliefs like Sati.

Bal Gangadhar  Tilak revived the customs and festivals of Hindus which were totally forgotten by the general population educated in the Macaulay enunciated Education system of the ruling Britishers.

One such staunch follower of Macaulay’s principle was Jawaharlal Nehru, who whole heartedly believed and lived his entire life in following what the English education taught him.

 He was enamored of the classy British Bara Saheb’s Culture and was the most uncomfortable person amongst Gandhi’s followers in Congress. He hated any reference to the Hindu faith or the Hindu Gods in whom Gandhi believed. 

Nehru’s abhorrence for the Hindu Customs was clearly evident in his Will wherein he exhorts his progeny to cremate his body after his death and take the ashes high up into the sky in an aero plane and sprinkle them on land and people who loved him so fondly, because he knew Hindu custom ordains that ashes of dead people be immersed in a river or in a confluence Of rivers or in the ocean.

 He just did not want that Hindu custom to be observed for his ashes.

He was cultured, his admirers argue. His culture was pure selfishness, jealousy of any intelligent peer shining in the Congress like  Subhash Chandra Bose or Vallabh Bhai Patel or Bheemrao Ambedkar who did not tow his line of thinking.

It was destiny that thrusted greatness and the Prime Minister ship on Nehru. 

Bose disappeared after the War in 1945, Patel died in 1950 and Ambedkar was eased out with the brute majority that Nehru had in the Congress.

He was the typical hypocritical Leftist calling himself a Socialist but enjoyed his personal life with Rothman cigarettes, Scotch Whisky and the English Lordly  way of living.

 He sported the Gandhi cap to fool his Electorate that he was a Gandhian. Because he shrewdly understood that Congress needed the Gandhi stamp to win elections and come to power.

The Hindu identity was revived by  pioneers like Tilak,  a revival was coming through. 

Tilak died and Gandhi became ineffective with the advent of Jawaharlal Nehru on the dominant political scenario orchestrated by the Nehruvian Congress.

Hindu Culture was systematically down played and even humiliated to tell the educated youth that Hindu Customs are the cause for Indian poverty.

 The Hindu Code Bill was passed making Divorce legal and silently killed  the sacred institution of Hindu marriage by Nehru.  And in the same stroke the concept of the Hindu Joint family way of life was eliminated.

Jawaharlal Nehru has gone on record that he always was

 “ culturally a Mohammedan “.

He had no respect or belief in Hinduism and he openly decried and ran down anyone who professed to be a devout Hindu.

The famous Somnath temple in Gujarat was being renovated and the then President of the Republic Dr. Rajendra Prasad attended and laid the foundation stone for the renovated Somnath temple.

Nehru criticized the President that it was against the principles of Secularism adopted by the Government.

Holding Iftaar Parties during the Holy month of Ramzaan was perfectly Secular for Nehru.

Hinduism will never die with the short sighted policies of the Pseudo Leftists and pseudo intellectuals in this vast country of Hindu majority population. Majoritarianism is the name given to Hindus by its staunch opponents. 

Hinduism has a culture and tradition which survived for thousands of years in this Holy Land of Hindu civilizations. It will go on in future too. Nobody can stop it, neither any one is needed to propagate it. 

It’s a religion, a faith,  a belief in universal brotherhood and well being of all human beings irrespective of caste, creed, religion, political support or charity of any one individual powerful ruler.

Vasudeva  Kutumbikam is the corner stone of this age old Faith, the way of living for the honest and sincere believers in God and His Creation.

[pr1] 

---

 [pr1z]

JNU happenings, Nationalism, Patriotism Redifned !

JNU seems to have taught us all a few lessons in Freedom Of Expression, Students' Right to indulge in Politics, and the art of raising anti national slogans and Hero Worshipping The Devil and calling it " My Fundamental Right of Freedom of Speech " !

First and foremost let us decide to what extant a Student in an University can deviate from his Basic Duty to study and do Research in his preferred Discipline with a Grant from the Government. While Freedom of Expression and the Right to his own Idealogy, has to be Protected by The State, it cannot be an unlimited license to say what ever comes to one's mind.

We need Restraint, analytical approach and a balanced and sane manner of thinking which should help the Society to Prosper, Grow intellectually and lead the younger generation in the proper way of life.

Vivekam, is what one should inculcate. Vivekam, analytical ability to sift facts and reach The Truth and say or do That, which helps Society to grow in a Healthy manner. That is Education. And unfortunately our Universities our Opposition parties and regretfully even the Party in Power fail miserably in this task.

Let Vivekam,  Wisdom and Balanced Thinking come back to our Polity, Student Community and the so called Seculat Intellectuals of this Great Democracy.

Canada Experience.

After spending almost Eight weeks in Toronto, it is time to jot down my experiences in this lovely North American Land called Canada. We came in beginning of May and as we left in the beginning of July, it was very pleasant days and enjoyable nights with comfortable temperatures. Ideal for moving around the country side.

We visited, Blue Mountain Resort near Toronto, Niagara Falls, Ottawa and I alone visited Peterborough to meet my old school friend a classmate, whom I met after 58 years ! It was a memorable reunion after almost six decades !

Ottawa was a great experience. Beautiful city, friendly people and all the Old World majesty and culture of the British. Changing of Guard at the old Parliament House resembled the Change of Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace, London. The same red coat uniforms with the characteristic long black woolen caps or hats on the heads of highly disciplined young guards.

The University , the Libraries and Museums were just out of this world. Majestic , monumental old buildings and a really relaxed way of Life. A paradise to live and work. The Lake, the boating facilities, the well kept walking paths amidst unending greenery. The whole city sits on one grand green carpet.

Mississauga was another suburb I visited to meet an old friend of mine, that reflected the pleasant profile of Toronto.

And a city sight seeing drive with one Mr. Geoff Cape, CEO of a NGO called Evergreen was the most memorable event after my son's Graduation Ceremony at the Toronto University. Mr. Cape was an exceedingly pleasant gentleman full of zest for friendship and courtesy personified towards his fellow beings.

The North York City Library was my favorite haunt on many an afternoon. Great Library, with such quiet ambience most suited for a relaxed reading experience. Every Friday they would screen a good movie, followed by hot Tea / Coffee and snacks. A pleasant and rewarding two hours in the afternoon to see some memorable movies and interact with the film buffs after the show.

And can I forget the event " Shakespeare in High Park " ! A great open air performance by Students of Theatre enacting in immaculate style the Shakespeare Greats, Comedy of Errors and Julius Ceaser.
What a performance the young students delivered ! Out of this world.


Canada and Toronto will always be on my list for a once more visit, God Willing.

Toronto is the place I would love to spend the rest of my life if only it is possible. Lovely climate in Summer, may be a tough time in Winter but it would be worth enduring to wait for the pleasant summer months that will follow the bitterest of winters.

Deepak's Graduation at University of Toronto.

The other day we attended the Convocation in Toronto University where Deepak took his MBA degree. What an impressive function it was !

The age old British traditions are still observed here. The grand Convocation Hall, the orderly manner in which the whole ceremony is conducted and the patience with which the Chancellor meets almost 400 graduates , may be only for a couple of seconds , the smiling handshake he extends to all Graduates is so very marvelous.  So inspiring to the Graduate who is going out in to the big wide world. And the beautiful , crisp and encouraging message he gives them before winding up the proceedings. Some thing out of this world. Great thoughts shared in simple words !

The Chancellor formally convenes the Convocation by saying " In concilium Universitatis Torontonensis vocati sumus " .  In Latin.

And brings the proceedings to a close by saying. " Concilium dimissum est " ! In Latin again.

The old world charm is all there.  It appears that King 's College, the precursor to the University of Toronto was granted its Royal Charter by King George IV, on March 15 , 1827 !

A hoary past, indeed. And traditions being maintained and followed till this day ! Great.

It was my dream to study in a great university. My son Deepak realized it for me. Iam really satisfied and happy for Deepak.

North York, Canada

Deepak / Rajeswari shifted their residence from High Park to another suburb called North York.

The area known as Canterbury Place is a lovely residential and commercial district, beautifully laid out. High rise apartments on the Main Road called Yonge Street and upto two blocks inside off the main road and behind these high rise apartments / offices, lovely Avenues with individual houses of Ground plus One floor are laid out in a most picturesque way, with plenty of greenery in the front and back of the houses.

It just looks like a Fairy Tale Township with Doll Houses and straight streets, Avenues and intersections so well planned that one can never get lost.

This place looks like a piece of Tranquility brought down from some other world and just planted in Canada ! So quiet, so cool, so pleasing to the senses that one has to come and see to believe this.

Toronto is really a place to live and enjoy life. People are not only cordial but have a very high civic sense built into theit Psyche. They follow all traffic rules consciously and respect the other person's space. Live and let live is actually practiced here.

And what can I say about my morning walks ! Oh truly it is a dream come true to walk on those well laid out walk paths amidst greenery and trees that even a pathway looks like an Avenue in miniature.you can walk for ever and will never get tired in these pleasant conditions.

Blessed are these wonderful people who have such an exquisite city to live in. How I wish I could settle down here ! If They can give me citizenship or at least permanent residency facility !

What they have naturally, what we lack unfortunately !

Children have this uncanny trait and the best habit in built into their Psyche, to forget and forgive instantly once the situation is over. They fight tooth and nail for the same toy or same book or for any thing that they seek. And as easily as they got worked up, they give up and totally forget the incident within minutes.

Where as we adults never forget some one's indiscretion against us. We remember that for a life time and accumulate the grudge and hatred as much as possible. It is our Ego that does not allow us to forget the past incidents or words that could have happened or done against us. There is no word as "forget " and " forgive " in our dictionary. We build up tensions till we land up with hypertension.

The other day my grand son Arjun was disobeying me right Royally by not listening to my command to refrain from talking on the Mobile when it is under charging. He went a step further, when I removed the charger from the plug socket,by putting his tiny finger in the plug socket and switching it on. I lost my cool and spanked him on the bottoms and hit him on his fingers with a scale, to dislodge him from the electrical point. He raised hell, crying and ran to his grandma to complain on me.

Within seconds he came back to me laughing and started playing with me as if nothing happened between us ! He just forgot and forgave the grand pa's cruelty !

I realized that my Ego would have never allowed me to make friends again with some one who roughs me up, what ever may be the reason.

That is what my grandson had and I miserably lacked. If only we Adults behave in a more mature manner in this world, perhaps, half of our problems will disappear !

The King Of Breakfasts !

Peasarattu, is the name of a typically Telugu Dosa made from Moong Dal. It is eaten with Upma as a combo, and finely cut green chillies, onion and ginger are sprinkled inside the Pesarattu, while it is still on the Tavva ( the baking pan on fire ). One can feel the greatness of its taste only when you are eating it. It cannot be described in words.

In the twin Godavari districts of coastal Andhra, it is even a part of the night Dinner. You will be surprised that it makes a great Dinner dish as well.

Another receipe which is The Copy Right Receipe of Telugu people is the Dibba Rotte, or the local bread made without baking in an oven ! The combo for this item is the Universally Acclaimed Aavakaya ( Mango Pickle ), which again is A Proprietory Dish of the Telugus ! This Unique Dibba Rotte can be good for any meal, breakfast, lunch or dinner. It is made of Udath Dal.

I am only waiting for an Enterprising and Adventurous Businessman / Woman to join hands with me to open Outlets for these items in Metros like Delhi, Singapore, Chicago, New Jersey, San Francisco to start with. You can rest assured these Eateries will be a Runaway Success overnight.

Any takers ?

You must have real Guts to believe in this venture. It is not for Doubting Thomases !

Ha ! We have come into 2015 !! May God Bless This Planet and its queer Humans !!!

                     Yes, we have entered 2015.  May God Bless Us All and Our Planet Earth and protect us from all Disasters, Natural as well as  Human Made.  Happy and Healthy  New Year 2015 to all my cousins, friends and  all well wishers.

                    Vasudeva Kutumbikam,  Sarve  Jana  Sukhino  Bhavantu, is what our Ancient Universal Vedic Religion teaches us.  Let us all veer away from Hinduism and all Isms, and adopt the Universal Vedic Way Of Life. Let us go away from Religion and  adopt Humanity as a way of Life.

                   2014, has been a mixed bag. Disasters, Malaysian plane going missing since March, crashes over Ukraine and over the Indonesian Seas just before the year ended,  killings of innocent school children by mindless inhuman Terrorists and the out break of Ebola disease and many more such unknown and unreported calamities, made the year a year to regret.

                  On the Good Side, we Indians got a dynamic Prime Minister in Mody, what ever his Critics may call him. He is going to do good to the Nation.

               Hyderabadies got a New State for themselves, Telengana, the Promised Land by Prophet KCR to develop the once forgotten backward State.  Hopefully KCR should deliver his Promises. May God Bless Telengana and its People.

               Coastal Andhra gets a Brand New Capital and a dynamic Leader NCBN is leading them to greater glory in 2015 and beyond. May God Bless this new state and its People.

            A belated but Sincere Happy New Year to all my Friends, Cousins and well wishers.

               

Our Roots, Our Moorings, Our Place

It is strange but we get accustomed to our neighbourhood surroundings, to such an extent that we start missing the atmosphere, and the environment, if we go out of our place, even for a short visit.

The friendly Baker, the Green Grocer, the tailor, the Post Man, the Morning Walker,  the Bank, the Post Office and a myriad other small places where we are recognized instantly, make us feel at home. We feel we are in our place ! And that this place belongs to us ! We are from this place, a reassuring feeling.

The same thing happens to us when we go to our village, where every other person, why,  almost every person in the village smiles at you and asks about your welfare. You are encompassed by your  " own people ", your own village, your own trees, birds and the cattle and even the street dogs ! Perhaps this is what they call   " my roots " or   " my moorings "  are here  !

This sense of belonging is hard to get rid of, how ever much you would like to shed these Roots and migrate to distant shores. Even after going round the best places on Earth you tend to opt to go back to what we call " my home ".

And when you are back in your own domain,  a sense of comfort, a sense of  fulfillment,  fills our hearts. And when you are away from your place, you feel Home Sick. 

This happens to all other living beings, too,  animals, birds and even wild animals in the Forests. They all crave for their " Our Place " !

Ramachandra Parsa

The Sun and the Sodium Vapour Lamp.

Quiet Flows the River and the Life in the Woods.

During winters, the Sun rises in the morning sky after 6 : 30 A M. By then the Street Lights are not yet off. It is still dark in a mild way. Kahin Andhera, Kahin Ujaala, dark some where, light some where.

My house is on the top of a small hillock, a mound so to say. When I am returning from my morning walk, I have to climb an incline, an up gradient. As I negotiate this terrain, I see alternately a Sodium Vapour Street Lamp, in its deep orange glow and the Sun in all its Grand Effulgence and Light that sustains Life on Earth, plants,animals,birds and humans.

When the two are so juxtaposed, I wonder, at the Man made Lamp and the God Created Celestial Light of Sun.

 The Sun is worshipped as a God not only by Hindus, but also by the Inca Indians of Peru and in the Andes Mountains of South America . They call their Sun God,   Kon Tiki. 

Man must have been spell bound at the radiance of this Mighty Light in the Heavens and quickly concluded that it must be the Visible God. 

To-day, Science says, Sun is nothing but a mighty Star full of burning gases and in a couple of billions of years this Star will die. O K. But, pray who created those burning gases, those celestial orderly movements of the Sun so methodically done with such precision that one cannot replicate the same at any time, for ages and ages together ?  Definitely not Science ! 

Ramachandra Parsa. November 07, 2014

Aamir Khan's Suggestion on Electoral Reforms

Yesterday, Saturday,May 3, 2014, Vividh Bharati broadcasted an interview with Aamir Khan, which was very thought provoking and most topical for the day.

Aamir Khan spoke at length on the present system of electing our Representatives to the various Legislatures and the Parliament. Our present system is,  First Past the Post is winner. That is when a candidate gets even ONE vote more than his nearest opponent he is declared as the winner in the Elections.

A simple majority is the criteria for a legislator or Parliament contestant to win. This encourages Politicians to divide the Voters into as many  groups as possible so that Vote Banks are created in every Constituency.

Muslims,  Christians,  Kammas,  Reddys,  Reddy Christians, Kapus, Yadavs, Jats, Dalits, and many many more sub sects. In Andhra Pradesh, even Scheduled Castes have been divided into Malas, Maadigas, OBCs and so on and so forth.

The idea is,  even if one group fully votes for you,  the required extra vote / votes are polled in your favour and you win the election.

Aamir's suggestion is that a winner should be determined, on the per centage of votes he polls in the constituency. Only when he polls at least 51 % of the total votes polled, he can be declared a winner. Aamir claims that when this happens, Politicians will have no choice than uniting people to get the required percentage, where as now they are actively engaged in dividing people into small small splinter groups to serve their ulterior motives to get a simple majority.

Aamir claims that in many countries this system is in vogue. And that the next Lok Sabha sitting after May 16,2014,  must seriously debate this matter and bring in the required legislation for such Electoral Reforms.

In my opinion there is a lot of validity in this suggestion and deserves a Nation Wide debate and a dispassionate view of the required Electoral Reforms. Let all patriotic citizens of India brood over these thoughts.

Let India have a clean, impartial, transparent  and  fully ethical Electoral System.

Middle Middle Class of To-day's India

To-day India is witnessing the emergence of a new class of economically liberated, educated, intelligent,  Value System conscious, and socially conspicuous section of Society.
They are the Middle Middle Class.

In every city you can easily spot them. They were once known as Middle Class. But this Class has grown so big that the size is now easily visible as divided into 3 distinct layers.

The Upper Middle Class,  the Middle Middle Class, and the latest group to join this circle, which is ever increasing,  the Lower Middle Class.

The Upper Middle Class has increased its monthly take home earnings to an appreciable level where they are competing, nay waiting to join the Affluent / Rich Class. Buying 90 lakhs + Luxury Apartments,
15 lakhs + Cars, sending their children to International Air Conditioned class room Schools, in air conditioned Volvo School buses and searching for  prestigious Clubs, to become members. They are a very happy, contended and secure lot, who do not care for any other matter or person or section of Society. Value System ? Whats that ? They ask. God Bless them !

The Lower Middle Class is the graduation from Labour / Worker Force / Class,  into the Middle Class. Buying Refrigerators, SONY TV sets, 75,000 + Two Wheelers, and sending their children to English Medium Schools wearing uniforms, travelling to schools in School Buses. They are the Neo Rich class, even though they may live in Servants' Quarters of Rich business men and Film Stars / Producers. They no longer buy their daily necessities from the good old Kirana Shops but shop in MOR, or HERITAGE or RELIANCE departmental stores, which is now a Status Symbol for them.

They are a very happy Lot and are enjoying every moment of their new found Economic Status. In their mad rush to join and be a part of the " Middle Class ", they never bother about any values, whatsoever. Values ? Can't afford them, Sir !, will be there reply in an unanimous chorus. God Bless them !

The Middle Middle Class are yesterday's affluent but not rich class, who came up in life facing uphill tasks, struggles and really laboured to achieve some wealth with a reasonably sound Value System governing and guiding their endeavours to improve the quality of their lives. They were intellectuals, doctors, lawyers,teachers,professors and Govt. Officers. Now today they find themselves frozen from any further improvement due to the very value system they followed and believed it to be desirable in a Society.

They can neither go down and join the Lower Middle Class segment nor do they have the pluck to violate all sane values and grow Rich. They are scuttled, sandwiched and ridiculed by the segment above them and the segment below them. They are a pitiable, miserable lot. God Bless them, too !

Now let Social Scientists, Economists,Politicians and Sociologists,  study this Middle, Middle Class segment, especially their Youth, the impact they will make on Society in the future. And find remedies to prevent this Middle Middle Class becoming a Curse to Society with their frustrations.

In August, last it was Westward Ho ! In this January it is Eastward Ho !

       Last August we came to the US from India, beaming with smiles on our faces, almost shouting in our hearts   "Westward Ho ! ".

The happiness to see our children and grand children was motivating us to withstand the rigours of the long haul flight of almost 24 hours. We were immensely happy to see daughter in law Neetha , she was the first to sight us and greet us, son Avinash and grand daughter Ananya, almost four now, at the JFK Airport, New York.

The next few weeks flew just like that, happiness and nothing but happiness with Ananya keeping constant company and showing us round all the places in and around New Jersey.  Temples at Bridgewater and Strodsburg,  Bushkill Waterfalls, Wilkesberre,  and the Great Metropolis New York, spread over 4 leisurely visits

Once to see the famous Time Square, Broadway Theatrical Experience, the Central Park and the Empire State Building. Then to Flushing Meadows to see a Grand Slam match sitting in the Arthur Ashe Stadium, an experience which will be cherished through out the rest of my life. Then the New York Public Library and Ground Zero, the 9 / 11 Memorial. And of course the Statue of Liberty one whole afternoon, exclusively. Meticulous planning by Avinash helped us see New York, at our own pace, Aaram Se !

Then we went to Niagara Falls. My second son Deepak and daughter in law Rajeswari joined us from Toronto,  across the border. A truly amazing experience to see these Falls !

Then on to Boston to see the World Famous University,  Harvard, and the equally renowned  M I T.  It was great to walk through the Harvard University Lawns, and Buildings, which breathe the unique feeling of a Great Place of Learning, though for only the exclusively Rich. But I was told any number of Scholarships are available for the really meritorious brains.

It was soon time to move further West, to Omaha,Nebraska,  where my youngest daughter Divya, son in law Manoj and grand son Arjun live. It was a touching moment to bid farewell to Ananya after almost 11 weeks of joyful holidaying. Poor thing she broke down at the Newark airport, seeing us off to Omaha. For days, she would tell me, with tears in her tiny eyes, on the webcam,  "I miss you,  and Naani, Thaatha ".

At Omaha, Divya was the first to sight us and hug us emotionally, crying,  "Daddy,  Mummy ".  Then Manoj warmly welcoming us and loading our luggage into the car. And lo,  Arjun was dozing in the Child seat, fully belted ! After a while he woke up and slowly smiled a welcome smile trying to match the real faces with what he was always seeing on the webcam.

 He was hardly 17 months when we saw him off at Hyderabad in April last. Now he was grown up ! He was a good 23 months old and getting ready for his second birthday, which was being planned by his parents to be at Les Vegas ! A colleague of my son in law wondered where his 18th birthday would be, if the second birthday was to be in Les Vegas !!

When we came to Omaha in the last week of October, their summer was just ending. Still, we could go one day to a nearby Farm for Apple picking ! This Farm outing we really enjoyed, seeing the Rural America at close quarters.

Then we were off to Les Vegas via Phoenix. And what a visit it was, Oh My ! The glittering city of Les Vegas, which some of my friends back home called it Swargam on Earth, was a remarkable Memory !
We went to the Hoover Dam, one day and to the Grand Canyon on another day. A magnificient sight seeing experience, the Grand Canyon visit !

In between Arjun's second birthday celebration in Les Vegas. Oh truly enjoyable visit it was.

Omaha is a beautiful city. Spread out and very spacious you just love the lovely spread of all those lovely shopping Malls, Restaurants, Down Town area, lakes and parks and jogging / cycling tracks so well laid out through out the residential areas,  are all pleasing and soothing on the eye and soul.  Residential Communities so well planned and self contained make living a pleasure. The Halloween Festival gave us an opportunity to see the friendly people of Nebraska State in general and of Omaha in particular. We even saw the house of Warren Buffet who lives in Omaha,  in his old, modest house in spite of his phenomenal wealth.

The Omaha Zoo, the Strategic Air and Space Museum, the New Year Eve Fire Works in Down Town, were places we loved to see and cherish those memories.  We got to experience the rigid winter temperatures of Minus 25 degrees F ! It was an experience, yes, it was !

Omaha really captivated us. No doubt.

After almost 12 weeks, we are leaving for New Jersey, en route to India, by end of January. Leaving behind Little Arjun is going to be really tough for us. The Little Hero really got used to us or it is the other way, we got used to him. God Bless him.

We could not visit San Fransisco, Seattle, Spokane, Chicago and Charlotte, though friends and cousins in these places were constantly goading us to come over. Similarly we could not go to Toronto in Canada to see and spend some time with my second son Deepak and daughter in law Rajeswari.

May be we will cover all these places in our next visit to this part of this world !

As we prepare to go home with a sad moan in our hearts "Eastward Ho ",   it is a very tough odessey back. Going back to an empty home, with all the children and grand children abroad, makes the heart heavy as a rock !

 Emotions are one inevitable part of our lives. They are inescapable.

Ramachandra Parsa. Jan.14, 2014, Omaha NE. USA.

My Friend, Deccan 1591. A Friend Indeed.

We were classmates from II nd. Standard to X th. Standard, in St. George's Grammar School, Hyderabad.
1949 to 1957.

 Then we lost touch till the 21st Century started. Some time in 2007 another close friend, Siraj, rang me up and said "arey sun, Zubair aaya vuaa hai, thujhe yaad kar raha tha. " !

We renewed our contact and continued to be in touch via Email. He was in Houston, Texas, US and I was in Hyderabad.

I was in Singapore during 2012 December  -  2013 January and he tried to contact me on my Hyderabad  phone. As there was no response he found out my whereabouts through another classmate of ours, Khyroo, in Spokane, Washington State, US and sent me a mail. I replied that mail saying that I was in Singapore and went a step further in describing how beautiful the city and people of Singapore were.

This mail appealed to him and he flew into Singapore one day, all the way from Houston US ! When he called me up in Singapore I could hardly believe his reasoning, for coming to Singapore. He said "I felt like meeting you and also seeing Singapore since you wrote so highly about this place in your mail "!!

We met in the famous  book shop,  Kuno Kuniya, on Orchard Street, wandered around in that Shop for a while and had Lunch in the Cafeteria inside the Book shop itself and chatted for well over 2 hours, running up and down the Memory Lane from 1949 to 2012 !

Then we planned a Visit to the Botanical Gardens one day, and spent a whole day, wandering around the sprawling gardens, gazing and wondering at the Botanical names of Plants, Flowers and Trees being reeled off by my friend. We just had some pizza for Lunch and rounded up the day with a couple of cups of Hot Tea at a small Cafe near the Exit of the Gardens. As we sat sipping Hot Tea it was raining heavily, pouring down cats and dogs.

My friend went off on a tour of the Far East countries like Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia, while I returned to India to Hyderabad, my base in life.

I came to the US in 2013 August to New Jersey and moved to Nebraska, Omaha in October 2013. I planned a visit to Dallas and to Houston to meet my old friends who were now settled there. And my friend Zubair sent a mail saying that he was planning to go to India during the dates I planned for Houston, so he would miss meeting me. But, he assured, "I will come to Omaha and see you ". I thought he must have really not meant that and for courtesy's sake he must have consoled me for my disappointment in meeting him in Houston.

But one fine morning I get a call, "Hey , I landed up in Omaha last night to see you. I am coming to your place in another hour's time " ! I could hardly believe my ears as I hung up the line in sheer astonishment. A friend flying in almost a thousand miles just to meet an old childhood classmate.

We spent a whole day together in my daughter's house chatting, laughing and regaling at old jokes nostalgic  chatter spread over 6 to 7 decades ! In the afternoon after Lunch we went to the Strategic Air and Space Museum just outside Omaha, about 30 miles from the city, which my friend recommended as a MUST SEE place. We spent a good two hours in this unique Museum. We came home and after Dinner he bid me good bye and left for Houston.

This happened in mid November and during December middle I visited Dallas and Houston. I just presumed Zubair would have gone away to Hyderabad as he planned and never bothered to even try giving him a ring when I was in Houston. I came back to Omaha and sent him a mail, presuming he was in Hyderabad, that I had gone to Houston and I really missed him.

Pat came the reply Mail

 "You Rascal could you not just give a ring ? I am in Houston still. My visit to India got postponed " !!!

Dallas,Houston, NASA visits. And the Shifa Foundation of Houston.

I had the opportunity to visit Dallas and Houston in Texas, recently. I flew into Dallas from Omaha NE and spent a couple of days here with my friend and old colleague in Indian Oil, CLN Rao.

My friend picked me up from the airport and drove me to his house some 30 miles from the airport. He had built his house a few years before and I was made absolutely comfortable, by his family, who were all perfect Hosts. And his house, oh my God, it is not just a house, it is a tastefully built HOME, sweet home, designed with taste, and executed with finesse.

My friend took me to the Kennedy Memorial, and showed me round the place, and the spot where Kennedy was hit by the killer bullet. On the road where the Kennedy convoy  was attacked by a bullet from the rear, the exact spot where the bullet killed Kennedy is marked with a huge X in red. The building, the book depository, from where the assassin Lee Oswald took aim from a 6th Floor window, is at such an odd angle to the convoy passing below, it is really difficult to buy the story, that Kennedy was hit by Lee Oswald only from the rear. Perhaps there is a good amount of validity in the various conspiracy theories in circulation, about the Kennedy assassination. The Green Mound,  right in front of the assassination spot, appeared to be a more likely place for the actual killing bullet to have come from, and hit Kennedy. Of course there is no proof on this, unfortunately.

Then I traveled by Bus to Houston. Here again I had a perfect Host in my nephew Shashank and his family, who not only made me comfortable but pampered me with genuine affection. Shashank drove me to the NASA Center on a Sunday morning, to show me round the famous Houston Space Control Center. It is named as Johnson Space Center. The U S Flag flies on this Bldg., whenever a U S Citizen is in Space. And they explain that for the past 13 years the U S Flag was never brought down as there has always been a U S Astronaut in Space ! Then the Saturn V rocket displayed in a horizontal position is something to marvel at. Such a monumental steel structure with intricate cables running into several miles ( if laid straight on a plain ground ), and millions of nut bolts and screws, a testimony to human engineering skills. Just incredible. And come to think of it, this Saturn V Rocket becomes vertical and from the launching pad lifts off into outer space. And the Control Centre where constantly they hear voices from outer space " Houston, we have a problem "!

After NASA, I went to see my old Indian Oil colleague and good friend Syed Abu Sarwar, who has been in Houston for over 30 years now. We went out for Lunch to a place called The India Gourmet, where we were treated royally as my friend Sarwar knows the restaurant guys very closely.

Over lunch my friend Sarwar told me about an Organisation called  The Houston Shifa Services Foundation, which was started by a few freinds and himself, in 1993, with the sole aim of giving back something to the Community and Society, for what all blessings we received from God the Almighty. It was a noble and Unique Thought : To give back to the Community, something.

This Shifa Foundation is a charitable Organisation that has been working in the Greater Houston area for the welfare and assistance of the less privileged and needy. They operate 4 community Clinics, a Women's Centre,  two Social Rehab Centers, and two educational Centers.

They help ever so many youngsters and old people of low income, belonging to African- American, Hispanic and Asian-American Groups, who get  on the job training platforms. Shifa also gives training for professionals in Information Technology, Marketing and starting new businesses. Commendable Community Service.

On my return to Dallas, again by Bus, I got into a train,  the Metro of Dallas,  that took me through Downtown Dallas, University of  Dallas, Texas, and some well organised suburbs. At the Terminal of the train I took, The Belle View Station, I took a Bus and reached the Airport to catch my flight back to Omaha.

The US and its multi - racial,  multi - ethnic,  multi - racial, population is truly an El Dorado for any person who has the will to excel and is prepared to work hard. The sky is the limit. No one stops you from growing. That one great character of this great Nation impressed me. May God Bless this Country.

Ramachandra Parsa
Omaha Nebraska,  Dec.28, 2013