Martyrs

When I was in school, all students will be asked to stand in silence at 11 AM on the 30th January every year, as a mark of respect to the Martyrs and as observance of Martyrs day. I am not sure whether this practice is still in vogue in Schools and Colleges. I woke up this morning to be reminded of the significance of this day and as there are no one around this time at home, I thought let me atleast attempt to name some of the martyrs that come to my mind immediately  - of course without referring to internet resources. I could instantly come up with Mahatma Gandhi,  Kattabomman, Bhagath Sigh, Tirupur Kumaran, Vallabhai Patel, and VOC:

Let me also say as to why I consider them as martyrs:

Gandhi:  Dedicated his lifetime to the cause of the nation

Kattabomman: Resisted the British rule - Waged a war against the British even before the war of Independence - captured and hanged

Bhaghat Sigh: Freedom fighter executed for his firm beliefs . Refused to marry and dedicated his life for the freedom struggle.

Tiruppur Kumaran: Died fighting the British and refusing to let lose the Indian National Flag, which was banned at that time

Sardar Vallabhai Patel: Gave up a successful legal practice to join the Freedom struggle and was considered a tough negotiator. Known as one of the founding fathers of India

V.O. Chidambaram : Spent his resources freely for the freedom struggle and died in penury

I was trying to validate my contention of the above as Martyrs and referred to some dictionaries for the meaning of the word which said a person :

·          who willingly suffers death rather than renounce his or her religion.

·         who is put to death or endures great suffering on behalf of any belief, principle, or cause.

·         who undergoes severe or constant suffering

I am happy that the above persons meet the criteria atleast under one definition

நம் தமிழ்

கொஞ்ச நாட்களாக தமிழ் படும் பாட்டை நினைத்தால் ரொம்ப வருத்தமா இருக்கு. 

ஒரு பக்கம் உண்மையாகவே தமிழின் மேல் உள்ள பற்றை வெளிப் படுத்துகின்றோம். 

மாநாடு நடத்துகின்றோம், செம்மொழியாக்குகின்றோம். 

அரசாங்க பரிவர்த்தனைகள் கூடிய மட்டும் தமிழிலேயே இருக்கின்றன

கஷ்ட்டப்பட்டு IAS படித்தவர்களும் தமிழிலேயே கையெழுத்துப் போடுகிறார்கள்  

ஆனால் உண்மையான மாஸ் மீடியாவான தொலை காட்சியில் பல  நிகழ்ச்சிகள் தமிழுக்கு வில்லனாகி விட்டன. 

செய்தி படிப்பவர்கள் , 'ள'வுக்கும் 'ல " வுக்கும் வித்தியாசம் பார்ப்பதில்லை.

தமிழில் ராமாயணத்தையும் , மகா பாரதத்தையும் உபாசிப்பவர்களும் இதற்கு விலக்கல்ல .இளைஞர்களை கவர்ந்து கொள்ளும் சினிமா கதா நாயகிகளும் , ஒரு குற்ற உணர்வே இல்லாமல் தமிழை தீவிரமாக கொல்கிறார்கள்  

என் இப்படி? கோடி கோடியாக  சம்பாதிப்பதற்கு எவ்வளவு கஷ்டப்பட்டும் பிற மொழிகளை கற்கிறார்கள் . தப்பில்லை- சம்பாதிப்பது அவரவர் உரிமை. 

ஆனால் அந்த அக்கறையை நம் தாய் மொழி என்று பெருமை பட்டுக் கொள்ளும் தமிழுக்கு கொஞ்சம் காட்டலாமே !

என்ன கொடுமை என்றால் உலகில் தமிழர்களுக்கு எந்த மூலையில் கொடுமை  நடந்தாலும் கொடி பிடிக்கும் இந்த அன்பர்களுக்கு, நம் மொழி தெரியவுமில்லை, தெரிந்து கொள்ள ஆர்வமுமில்லை 

சரி என்னதான்  செய்யலாம் என்கிறீர்களா ?

தமிழ் தமிழ் என்று  மூச்சுக்கு  மூச்சு பேசும் அரசாங்க தொலை காட்சி , சரியாக தமிழை உச்சரிக்காதவர்களுக்கு, வேலை கொடுக்காதீர்கள் . போய் சரியாக கற்றுக் கொண்டபின் வரச் சொல்லவும்.  

இதே போல்தான் உபன்யாசகர்களுக்கும். என்னை பொறுத்த வரை இவர்களுக்கு இன்னும் கவனம் தேவை. காசை மீறிச் செய்யும் வேலை இவர்களுக்கு, அதனால் , அதிக பொறுப்பு இருக்கிறது.

தமிழ்ப் படங்களில் தமிழை சரியாக உச்சரிக்கத் தெரியாத, முக்கியமாக தமிழ் நாட்டில் பிறந்த கதாநாயகன், கதாநாயகிகளுக்கு சந்தர்ப்பம் அளிக்க வேண்டாம். ரசிகர்களும் அவர்கள் படங்களை புறக்கணிக்கணும். நூறு ரூபாய் கொடுத்து முண்டி அடித்து டிக்கட் வாங்கி தமிழ்ப் படம் பார்க்க செல்லும் ஒரு ரசிகனின் இந்த எதிர்பார்ப்பு தப்பா?

நான் தமிழ் ஆர்வலனோ அல்லது வம்பு வளர்க்க நினைக்கும் விமர்சகனோ அல்ல. 

இதை கவனிக்காமல் விட்டு விட்டால் , இதே வேகத்தில் போனால் , இந்த வேகமான யுகத்தில் ' தமிழ் மெல்லச் சாகாது'. சீக்கிரமே சாகும்.

இந்த ஆதங்கம் தான் என்னை இதை எழுதத் தூண்டியது 

வேண்டுதல்

1. இன்னிக்கு எந்த ஹோம் ஓர்க்கும் குடுக்கக் கூடாது 
2. எப்படியாவது இன்னிக்கு ஒரு நாளாவது ஆபீசுக்கு நேரத்துல  போகணும் 
3.  இன்னிக்காவது ஆன் சைட் ஆள் கிட்ட திட்டு வாங்கக் கூடாது
4.  இந்த ஞாயிற்று கிழமையாவது காலையில் என் மனைவி காபி போடணும் 
5. போன வருஷம் பிறந்த பையனுக்கு , அடுத்த வருஷம் ப்ரீ ஸ்கூல்ல இடம் கிடைக்கணும் 
6.   எப்படியாவது ரேஷனில் பாமா யில் கிடைக்கணும் 
7. இந்த லீவுக்காவது மனைவிக்கு அவ அம்மா வீட்டுக்கு போறதுக்கு ரயில்ல பெர்த் கிடைக்கணும் - ரிடர்ன் டிக்கெட் பத்தி பரவாயில்லை
8.   இன்னும் ரெண்டு நாள் லீவு , அதுக்கு முன்னாடி மானேஜர்  கண்ணுல படக் கூடாது
9. எப்படியாவது எனக்கு காம்பஸ் இன்ட்டர்வ்யுவில் வேலை கிடைக்கணும் 
10. எப்படியாவது அசோசியேஷன் மீடிங்க்லேந்து தப்பிச்சு போஸ்ட் எடுத்துக்காம இருக்கணும்  

ஆண்டவா- இப்படி நான் உன்னிடம் நாளுக்கு நாள் எத்தனையோ வேண்டுதல்களை வைத்திருக்கிறேன் .

 இவை எல்லாவற்றையும் ஒதுக்கி விடு .  எனக்கு இன்று தேவை எல்லாம் இவை தான்:

 எப்படியாவது சச்சினுக்கு ஒரு நூறு குடு.

அப்படியே  இந்தியாவின் மானத்தையும் எப்படியாவது காப்பாற்று 

எப்படித் தோற்றாலும் எவ்வளவு முறை தோற்றாலும், நம் இந்திய வீரர்கள் சிரித்துக் கொண்டே  இருக்கிறார்கள் . அவர்களுக்கு அந்த ஆர்வத்தை எப்பொழுதும் கொடு

கடைசியாக , எங்களைப் போன்ற பாமர ரசிகர்களுக்கும் நல்ல மன வலிமையையும், எப்பொழுதும் மேட்ச் பார்ப்பதற்கு மின்சாரமும், தேவைப் பட்ட அளவுக்கு ஸ்கூல், காலேஜ் , ஆபீசுக்கு லீவும் குடு.

 இதுதான் எங்களது லேட்டஸ்ட் வேண்டுதல் - நிறைவேற்றுவாயா?

 இன்னொரு விளக்கமும் தேவை - இந்த IPL, Betting என்றால் என்ன?. யாருமே சொல்ல  மாட்டேங்கறாங்க 

இதுதான் , அப்பாவி இந்திய கிரிகெட் ரசிகனின் வேண்டுதல் - நியாயம்தானே ?

Maathi Yosi

I have written enough about getting up early, how I enjoy doing it for decades, how it is not a virtue but a good habit etc., etc., This early morning dawned another realization and it was enjoyable. For years, I had always been wanting to read some chosen books , but either the books were not readily available or the search was not properly made or if procured it would have been too lengthy to persist through the week to the next weekend and in the melee of the week, the book would have been forgotten and the embers doused then and there unceremoniously.

At a recent meeting, the popular writer, critic, satirist and lawyer Cho Ramaswamy said that among the many that are not to be left as it is are fire, enmity etc., I would like to add here un-satiated desires too. Such a desire which was sleeping for long like the famed Rip Van Winkle , rose from its years of slumber , when I chose to retire from my hectic activities. In my eagerness to follow it up this desire the search became focused  and when combined with vigor and persistence, I was able to get almost all the books. It included some of yesteryear's classics,  some of the epics which I ought to have finished in my early years, some long sought after ones which were unraveled only now with my persistence. Coupled with these some of the periodicals I have started subscribing to recently along with the daily doses of Newspaper in print and electronically- suddenly I found myself juggling with too many balls, none of which I would like to let go.

Not wanting to feel that I am biting more than I could chew, I thought hard to handle the situation and decided to categorize my activities and prioritize them. Some of the books are from libraries and so are time bound, some are borrowed from friends which could be extended on requests, some are my own but cannot be ignored else I will fall into the same old habit of procrastination. I also found that I need to utilize my strengths to handle this situation and realized that getting up early is one of my bigger strengths. So, I wanted to experiment with prioritizing urgent books and thicker ones with some fixed pages every morning between 5 and 6 AM, before others wake up and with a dumb  television.

After an initial phase of three weeks, I realize that I am able to cover considerable pages on each of these books. A wide spectrum and an array of subjects from religion to politics to fiction also seem to provide a variety to my thoughts. My focus and concentration continues to be at the peak in the early hours I realized, not something new as I had already used this during my college days and hurray, I seemed to have worked out a solution. The only victim is my early peep into the emails and social networking updates., which I feel could always wait. Further, a day when started with such reading gives me so much of positive energy, so much to look forward to, organize and plan not only my thoughts but also the actions for the day- all when the whole house around you is quiet and still snoring and dreaming. Don't be jealous, just try , enjoy and extract some extra hours of the day. 

Unique ID and its Non-unique issues

Majority of the country, whoever understood the implications, rejoiced when the Government announced its decision to provide a unique Id to every Indian with an Id card. At last, instead of carrying so many Id proof such as or Ration card or Voter Id  or Driving license or Passport, here is an opportunity for us to carry a single card to establish our identity. Of course, the contents and the accuracy in the first of these two are under nobody's control atleast not in the holder as the issuing authority always  choose to make its own insertions and corrections leaving the citizen exasperated and give up attempting anymore application for modification!

The whole process started with great fanfare and the doubting Thomas were set to rest, when the Government underlined its seriousness by roping in one of the best and successful brains from a software major. The slow starter was given a push when the Govt pushed further by asking Nationalized Banks also to encourage registration for UID at its premises. Though the banks were initially reluctant and went through the formality without much publicity soon they had to fall in line more to compete with other banks if not for the issue under question. 

As it gained momentum with registrations having crossed around 200 million so far, erupts the usual bureaucratic wrangles and the resultant uncertainty. A faint rumor was doing the corridors of public places that soon the whole process is likely to be 'scrapped'. While there were no explicit affirmations the rumor mill was so strong that even a bank official was telling the person who has gone to register for it ??? While I am surprised as to how the bank officials were also becoming part of this unconfirmed reports and thereby fuelling the uncertainty further, there was an article in the Hindustan Times today about the UID's progress and its status. The report goes on to state that the whole process is likely to come to a stop as the Home Minister is keen on the Government Officials taking up this job. 

While am not worried about Nandan losing his job, I am aghast as to how the Government can do anything that could challenge and grind its own pet project to a halt? If there are issues to be settled then let them be discussed and sorted internally before allowing the public and Press to speculate about it. The process flowing so smoothly that it is expected to cross 400 million by this year and 600 M by next year end, whereby creating for the first time a unique database of fingerprints, photos and iris scans seem to go down again , caught in the only mentionable act we inherited from the English  viz., the Red tape. Government should come out clean and announce to the public about its continuity  setting at rest all speculations lest the people start doubting the stability of any future steps of this huge magnitude !

Abandoning the ship

This morning I was reading some passage from the book "Arthamulla Indhu Madam" by Kannadasan, where a particular story impressed me and took my thoughts to some years back. A hunter who was very fond of meat went into a dense forest with arrows dipped in deadly poison. Sighting a herd of hefty deers, he pointed the arrows towards them but it missed the target and hit the biggest tree in the forest. Due to the deadly effect of the poison, the tree quickly shed all its leaves and was barren  in no time. As the tree lost its leaves the birds that had built their nest in that tree felt I was no more to stay there and fled in the quickest possible time, looking for the next available dense tree. But a parrot who has been living in a comfortable hole in the tree for years stayed put. When lord Indra who was on a visit to the forest asked the parrot, why she did not follow her friends and relatives who had sought other safer havens, the parrot replied " At many a time, when it was raining its leaves protected me and my family. When I was not well, I survived in this hole just by eating the fruits of this big tree and also when there were hunters this tree gave refuge to me and sheltered my young ones from the frequenting hunters. Now, this tree has withered with its leaves barren and it has nowhere to go . As I enjoyed the richness and green of the tree when it was healthy, I do not want to desert it when it is down and suffering.  If I had enjoyed its protection when I was in dire streets should I not stay put and support her when she is down" . Moved by the sincerity Indra granted a wish which enabled the tree to regain its lost glory and affluence, goes the story.

I was immediately wondering at how many instances in our life this great learning could be put to use. I was reminded of an instance some years back, when one of my senior team leads walked into my cubicle and enquired about the health of the company as at that time many companies were reeling under the pressure of recession. Being a patient listener, most of my team members took liberty of seeking such advices and updates. I patiently explained as to where we were, how the management is handling the expected slow growth until things improve. The guy went a step further and asked me to suggest whether he could stay back or look for opportunities elsewhere. I was taken aback by such  attitude of  such a senior member but patiently explained that he had grown from an ordinary graduate to a man of stature by associating himself with this organization, acquired a well furnished apartment in the heart of the city , recently went for a car also and had travelled on long term to US and Europe. Concealing my disturbance and growing irritation, I quipped whether he could have obtained these without associating himself and grow with this organization. Now, when the ship appears to be tossing in the waves, he is thinking of abandoning the ship. I further explained that I did not advocate him staying with it forever, but could support it at times of need and when it becomes worse and the survival comes into question then he could separate with some honor intact. He was somewhat taken aback by my honest reply but said he had made so many sacrifices for the organization and that the organization could have taken better care of him. I told him very clearly that the biggest mistake you can ever make is to assume that you are working for anyone except yourself. There is no question of sacrifices as you work and the company pays and vice versa. Ultimately , he stayed back and when the organization survived the recession, he was promoted and the last I heard was he was somewhere in Europe. The point is no one wants to keep sailing with the sinking ship but atleast help the ship and other occupants until the water raises to your waist level and then look for life jacket. Otherwise, your chickening out for your own end might haunt you forever.  

This anecdote is also applicable to the sons whose aged parents once sacrificed their sleep, taught them to walk and was always holding you when you kept falling until you had someone else to grab not only your shoulder but also the waist. My mother used to tell that when the boy comes late the mother will look at his stomach checking whether it is empty  whereas the wife will always look for the packet, of course in those days, when they lived out of their daily earning .

It is amazing such a beautiful and thought provoking story was there in our great epic of Mahabharata,  that it was noticed and elaborated by a once atheist Kannadasan and more importantly without even knowing this story,  I more or less impressed upon my young friend to stay put! I am happy again today, about my convictions.